
Kurukshetra Leads the Way in Natural Farming: MP Naveen Jindal
Jindal Steel & Power Limited
Kurukshetra (Haryana) [India], May 9: Kurukshetra is emerging as a national model for natural farming, said Member of Parliament Shri Naveen Jindal at the inauguration of the three-day Agro-Tech Exhibition and Startup Conclave at Kurukshetra University. Held under the National Mission on Natural Farming, the conclave aims to accelerate sustainable agricultural practices through innovation and awareness.
Addressing a packed auditorium of farmers, startups, and agricultural experts, Shri Jindal emphasised that Kurukshetra's sacred legacy is now guiding the future of chemical-free farming. 'Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and with guidance from Acharya Devvrat and Padma Shri Dr. Hariom, the movement for natural farming is gaining nationwide momentum,' he said.
Highlighting government initiatives to increase farmers' income, he urged farmers to take proactive steps towards adopting natural methods that enhance soil health, conserve water, and ensure safe, high-value produce. 'Natural products are not only healthier but also command premium prices in the market,' he noted.
The event showcased agri-tech innovations by startups and progressive farmers organized by Naveen Jindal Foundation in coordination with IRMA-ISEED. Shri Jindal encouraged farmers to begin small and scale gradually, making natural farming a household norm. 'This conclave should mark a turning point for sustainable farming across India,' he said.
Next Steps for Livestock and Youth Empowerment
Shri Jindal announced upcoming programs for livestock owners and youth, stressing the need to document livestock lineage to improve productivity and resilience in animal husbandry.
On National Security
Referring to Operation Sindoor, he expressed pride in India's armed forces and leadership, stating, 'India will not remain silent against attacks on innocents. Our commitment to peace will never mean compromising on security.'
Rs2,481 Crore Push for Natural Farming
Padma Shri Dr. Hariom shared insights on the Rs2,481 crore scheme under the National Mission on Natural Farming. Citing scientific research, he warned of the declining nutritional value of staple crops and rising chemical contamination in Haryana's groundwater. He lauded Shri Jindal's proactive advocacy for natural farming in Parliament and at the grassroots level.
The event was attended by Pundri MLA Satpal Jamba, BJP District President Tejinder Singh Goldy, Padma Shri Dr. Hariom, senior officials, and local leaders.
The conclave sets the stage for a greener, healthier, and more self-reliant agricultural future -- rooted in tradition, powered by innovation.
(ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by Jindal Steel & Power Limited. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
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Hindustan Times
20 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
India opposes ADB's $800mn loan to Pakistan
India opposed a move by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to grant a $800 million loan to Pakistan citing evidence of Islamabad diverting development funds for military use, and cautioned the bank about impending credit risks, two officials familiar with the matter said. India shared deep concerns regarding the potential misuse of ADB resources, particularly in light of Pakistan's increasing defence expenditure, its declining tax-to-GDP ratio, and the lack of demonstrable progress on key macroeconomic reforms, they added, requesting anonymity. India's strong opposition to ADB's financial aid to Pakistan came almost a month after New Delhi protested the International Monetary Fund's decision to provide a $2.3 billion bailout package to Islamabad, which saw IMF imposing about a dozen stringent conditions attached with the credit facility, making diversion of funds almost impossible. The IMF loan to Pakistan came in the midst of Operation Sindoor, India's direct military response to the April 22 terror strike at Pahalgam in Kashmir that killed 26 civilians in what was the worst attack on civilians since the 26/11 Mumbai strikes. India launched the operation in the early hours of May 7, bombing nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The pre-dawn strikes --- which killed at least 100 terrorists --- sparked four days of strikes and counterstrikes with fighter jets, missiles, drones, long-range weapons and heavy artillery. Between the launch of the operation in the early hours of May 7 and the ceasefire on the evening of May 10, Indian forces bombed nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, and the IAF struck targets at 13 Pakistani air bases and military installations. According to a PTI report from Islamabad on Tuesday, ADB approved a $800 million loan to Pakistan for strengthening its fiscal sustainability and improving its public financial management. The credit package included a $300 million policy-based loan (PBL) and a $500 million programme-based guarantee (PBG), the report said. Reacting to this, New Delhi 'vehemently' opposed the move and shared deep concerns regarding the potential misuse of ADB resources, the officials cited above said. The linkage between Pakistan's increase in expenditure on its military, as opposed to on development, cannot be fully explained solely in terms of its domestic resource mobilization, they said. India highlighted that Pakistan's tax collection as a share of GDP declined from 13% in FY18 to 9.2% in FY23 and continues to remain way lower than the Asia and Pacific average of about 19%. However, there has been a significant increase in defence spending in the same period. This points to the possibility of diversion of funds made available to the country by external agencies, the officials explained. 'India expects the ADB management to adequately ring-fence the ADB financing, to prevent any such misuse,' one of them said. New Delhi questioned the management's argument that improvements were noticed in certain areas of reforms in Pakistan, and said that had the previous programs, funded both from ADB and the IMF, succeeded in putting in place a sound macroeconomic policy environment, the country would not have approached the IMF for the 24th bail-out program, this person added. 'Such a track record calls into question both the effectiveness of the program designs, their monitoring and their implementation by the authorities,' he said. Pakistan's poor track record of implementation stems from the military's deeply entrenched interference in economic affairs, posing risks of policy slippages and reversal of reforms as has been witnessed in the past, he added. Even when a civilian government is in power now, the army continues to play an outsized role in domestic politics and extends its tentacles deep into the economy. The situation has not changed for the better; rather the Pakistan Army now plays a leading role in the Special Investment Facilitation Council of Pakistan, he said. 'In fact, India expressed strong reservations about Pakistan's existing governance system, which poses a continuing severe threat to regional peace and security. The country's policy of cross-border terrorism has led to a worsening of the security situation in the region and has significantly escalated macroeconomic risks for Pakistan, which also heightens the enterprise risks for the ADB.' India expects the ADB to closely monitor the implementation of the policy matrix to achieve the intended outcomes, this official said. Pakistan's continued reliance on external debt raises concerns about the long-term sustainability of future exposures, especially in view of the high debt-to-GDP ratio and poor credit rating of the country, he added.


Mint
29 minutes ago
- Mint
Operation Sindoor ‘brilliantly chosen' name: Shashi Tharoor in US – ‘not very different from colour of blood'
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, who is leading the all-party delegation to the United States, said Operation Sindoor was a 'brilliantly chosen name'. The Tharoor-led delegation is visiting key global capitals as part of the government's diplomatic outreach to highlight India's stand on terrorism following Operation Sindoor. During an interaction session at the National Press Club at Washington DC in the US on Wednesday (local time), Tharoor saod that the colour of sindoor is not very different from the colour of blood and even used the Hindi expression "khoon ka badla khoon" and said that here it was 'sindoor ka badla khoon', meaning blood in response to what the terrorists have done to the sindoor. "Operation Sindoor, actually, I thought was a brilliantly chosen name. Sindoor, in case some Americans obviously don't know about this, is a vermilion mark that is applied to the centre of the forehead of married women in the Hindu tradition. It's widely practised. Some non-Hindus do it too, but more for decorative purposes, but strictly speaking, the Sindoor is applied at the time of the marriage ceremony and is worn every day thereafter by married women," Tharoor said when asked why India chose the name 'Operation Sindoor' for its counter-terrorism action. As many as 26 people were killed and several others injured in the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on 22 April. Indian Armed Forces launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. 'So, we were very conscious of these brutal terrorists who, by the way, shot men in front of their wives and children but spared the women and when one wife screamed out, Kill me too, she was told, no, you go back and tell them what we've done,' Tharoor said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had vowed to avenge the terror attack in Pahalgam, is said to have monitored the operation through the night and coined the named 'Operation Sindoor', according to sources. Codenamed 'Operation Sindoor', the mission aimed to eliminate top terror leaders from Jaish-e-Mohammedin Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba in Muridke. 'Operation Sindoor' is perhaps India's revenge on behalf of the widows of Pahalgam terror attack. 'That was why the women were spared horrendous, horrendous act. That sindoor had essentially been wiped off the foreheads of 26 Indian women, 26 I was gonna say Hindu women, but one of them actually was a Christian, but the sindoor had been wiped off the rest by these terrorist actions, and so we wanted first of all, to avenge that act of wiping off the sindoor,' Tharoor said. "But, secondly, it's no accident that the colour of the sindoor is bright vermilion red, which is not far from the colour of blood, and in many ways there is a Hindi expression that 'khoon ka badla khoon'; here it was 'sindoor ka badla khoon' hoga, that is, blood in response to what they have done to the sindoor," he added. The delegation led by Tharoor arrived in the US on Wednesday. The delegation includes Shambhavi Chaudhary (Lok Janshakti Party), Sarfaraz Ahmed (Jharkhand Mukti Morcha), G M Harish Balayogi (Telugu Desam Party), Shashank Mani Tripathi, Tejaswi Surya, Bhubaneswar Kalita (all from BJP), Mallikarjun Devda (Shiv Sena), former Indian Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu, and Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora. Earlier, the all-party met Bipartisan co-chairs Ro Khanna and Rich McCormick, as well as vice co-chairs Andy Barr and Marc Veasey, on Wednesday. During the meeting, the parliamentary delegation briefed the Caucus members on the cross-border terrorism faced by India and India's strong and resolute stance against terrorism. The delegation also held a meeting with the US House Foreign Affairs Committee leadership in Washington. DC. HFAC Chairman Brian Mast, Ranking Member of the committee, Gregory Meeks, South and Central Asia Subcommittee Chair Bill Huizenga, Ranking members - Sydney Kamlager-Dove and Ami Bera, Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific Chair, Young Kim. Operation Sindoor, I thought was a brilliantly chosen name. The colour of sindoor is not very different from the colour of blood. The all-party delegation arrived in the US after concluding their visit to Brazil.


NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
"Operation Sindoor Was Brilliantly Chosen Name": Shashi Tharoor In US
Washington: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who is leading the all-party delegation to the US, said Operation Sindoor was a "brilliantly chosen name" and explained its significance. The delegation is visiting the global capitals as part of the government's big diplomatic outreach to highlight its stand on terrorism following operation Sindoor. During an interaction session at the National Press Club in the US on Wednesday (local time), Mr Tharoor noted that the colour of sindoor is not very different from the colour of blood and even used the Hindi expression "khoon ka badla khoon" and said that here it was 'sindoor ka badla khoon', meaning blood in response to what the terrorists have done to the sindoor. When asked why India chose the name 'Operation Sindoor' for its counter-terrorism action, he responded, "Operation Sindoor, actually, I thought was a brilliantly chosen name. Sindoor, in case some Americans obviously don't know about this, is a vermilion mark that is applied to the centre of the forehead of married women in the Hindu tradition. It's widely practised. Some non-Hindus do it too, but more for decorative purposes, but strictly speaking, the Sindoor is applied at the time of the marriage ceremony and is worn every day thereafter by married women. So, we were very conscious of these brutal terrorists who, by the way, shot men in front of their wives and children but spared the women and when one wife screamed out, Kill me too, she was told, no, you go back and tell them what we've done." "That was why the women were spared horrendous, horrendous act. That sindoor had essentially been wiped off the foreheads of 26 Indian women, 26 I was gonna say Hindu women, but one of them actually was a Christian, but the sindoor had been wiped off the rest by these terrorist actions, and so we wanted first of all, to avenge that act of wiping off the sindoor. But, secondly, it's no accident that the colour of the sindoor is bright vermilion red, which is not far from the colour of blood, and in many ways there is a Hindi expression that 'khoon ka badla khoon'; here it was 'sindoor ka badla khoon' hoga, that is, blood in response to what they have done to the sindoor," he added. Shashi Tharoor said that none of the side involved in the conflict talks about the losses they faced, as the operational details are closely held with the senior military people. He talked about how Indian forces effectively struck 11 airfields of the Pakistani military, and Pakistan has publicly admitted that Indian strikes were so wide-ranging and effective that they struck from as far as Hyderabad in South Pakistan to Peshawar in the northwest. When asked how many aircraft India lost in the conflict with Pakistan, Shashi Tharoor said, "We're not military folks, and our military are the only ones who really keep track of all of these things. But, I think the important message that came out was whatever may or may not have happened in the course of a conflict, neither side, by the way, talks about losses very much, and that's partially because you know very well that operational details are very closely held with the senior military people. But, I can tell you one thing, whatever may or may not have happened, look what happened on the last, what turned out to be the last night of the conflict, when India not only effectively struck 11 airfields of the Pakistani military, but there are commercially available, publicly available satellite pictures showing the extensive damage done. "There's been craters on the runway, there have been operational command centers that have been busted by these Indian bombs, and just yesterday the Pakistanis publicly admitted that Indian strikes were so wide-ranging and effective they struck from as far as Hyderabad in South Pakistan to Peshawar in the northwest. So it looks very clear that whatever damage the Pakistanis believe they may have inflicted on India, it wasn't sufficient to prevent India from inflicting such extensive damage on Pakistan that they decided to request us to stop, which we very happy to do," he added. The delegation led by Mr Tharoor arrived in the US on Wednesday. The delegation includes Shambhavi Chaudhary (Lok Janshakti Party), Sarfaraz Ahmed (Jharkhand Mukti Morcha), G M Harish Balayogi (Telugu Desam Party), Shashank Mani Tripathi, Tejaswi Surya, Bhubaneswar Kalita (all from BJP), Mallikarjun Devda (Shiv Sena), former Indian Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu, and Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora. Earlier, the all-party met Bipartisan co-chairs Ro Khanna and Rich McCormick, as well as vice co-chairs Andy Barr and Marc Veasey, on Wednesday. During the meeting, the parliamentary delegation briefed the Caucus members on the cross-border terrorism faced by India and India's strong and resolute stance against terrorism. In a post on X, the Indian Embassy in the US stated, "Bipartisan co-chairs @RoKhanna & @RepMcCormick and vice co-chairs @RepAndyBarr & @RepVeasey of India Caucus in the House of Representatives met with the visiting Parliamentary delegation led by @ShashiTharoor today." "The parliamentary delegation briefed the Caucus members on the cross-border terrorism faced by India and India's strong and resolute stance in the fight against terror. The Congressmen expressed unequivocal and bipartisan condemnation for the terror attack in Pahalgam. They expressed support for India's right to respond to terrorism in the spirit of zero tolerance against terrorism. The Caucus members also hailed the strong strategic partnership between India and USA," it added. The delegation also held a meeting with the US House Foreign Affairs Committee leadership in Washington. DC. HFAC Chairman Brian Mast, Ranking Member of the committee, Gregory Meeks, South and Central Asia Subcommittee Chair Bill Huizenga, Ranking members - Sydney Kamlager-Dove and Ami Bera, Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific Chair, Young Kim. The Indian Embassy in the US stated, "The all-party Parliamentary delegation led by @ShashiTharoor held candid & fruitful exchange with @HouseForeign Affairs Committee (HFAC) leadership. Chair @RepBrianMast, Ranking Member @RepGregoryMeeks, South and Central Asia Subcommittee Chair @RepHuizenga, Ranking Member @RepKamlagerDove, Ranking Member @RepBera and East Asia and Pacific Subcommittee @RepYoungKim greeted the delegation." "The Parliamentary delegation briefed the committee members on the success of Operation Sindoor in defining a new normal in India's fight against cross-border terrorism. The Committee Leadership condemned the Pahalgam attack unequivocally. India and USA stand together in their unwavering resolve and fight against terrorism in all its forms," it added. The all-party delegation arrived in the US after concluding their visit to Brazil. The delegation aims to brief key stakeholders in the US on Operation Sindoor, India's diplomatic initiative launched to counter terrorism and disinformation following the recent terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam. As many as 26 people were killed and several others were injured in a terrorist attack in Baisaran valley of Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22. Among the victims were 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen. In response to the Pahalgam attack, the Indian Armed Forces launched Operation Sindoor on May 7. The Indian Armed Forces targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in the deaths of over 100 terrorists affiliated with groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen. The Indian Armed Forces responded effectively to subsequent Pakistani aggression and pounded its airbases. India and Pakistan agreed for a cessation of hostilities on May 10.