DH NEWS SERVICE
New Delhi, Mar 28
A survey for a new 223-km rail line between Jammu and Poonch via Akhnoor and Rajauri was carried out and the project cost was assessed as Rs 22,771 crore but it has low traffic projections, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Friday.
BJP MP Ghulam Ali asked if it has been proposed to the government to establish Jammu–Rajouri-Poonch railway connectivity.
“The work on the new railway line connecting Jammu with Srinagar i.e. Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project (272 km) has been completed. This project covers the districts of Udhampur, Reasi, Ramban, Srinagar, Anantnag, Pulwama, Budgam and Baramulla in Jammu & Kashmir,” Vaishnaw said.
He added, “Survey for new line between Jammu and Poonch via Akhnur and Rajauri (223km) was carried out. The cost of the project was assessed as Rs 22,771 crore. The project has low traffic projections.” According to the minister, sanctioning of railway projects is a continuous and dynamic process. These projects are taken up on the basis of remunerativeness, last mile connectivity, missing links and alternate routes including connectivity to hilly and border areas, augmentation of congested/saturated lines, socio-economic considerations and the likes. And these depend upon liabilities of ongoing projects, overall availability of funds and competing demands, Vaishnaw said.
J&K Bye-Elections: ECI announces voter list revision for Nagrota, Budgam
Jammu, Mar 27: The Election Commission of India has announced a special summary revision of voter lists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Nagrota and Budgam assembly constituencies where bye-elections are due shortly.
The revision will be based on April 1, 2025, as the qualifying date, ahead of the upcoming bye-elections, said a notification issued by the Election Commission of India.
The Nagrota seat in Jammu district and the Budgam seat became vacant due to the death of MLA Devender Singh Rana and the resignation of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah from Budgam but he retained the Ganderbal seat, a stronghold of his party, the National Conference (NC).
Rana passed away at the age of 59 on October 31 last year at a private hospital in Haryana’s Faridabad.
The Election Commission of India has released the schedule for the Special Summary Revision (SSR) of electoral rolls in Nagrota and Budgam Assembly Constituencies ahead of the upcoming bye-elections.
As per the schedule, the rationalization of polling stations will take place on April 4, 2025 followed by the publication of the integrated draft electoral roll on April 8, 2025.
The voters will be able to file claims and objections between April 8 and April 24, 2025, it said.
The final resolution of claims and objections is scheduled for May 2, while the final electoral roll will be published on May 5.
The Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) for each constituency will be responsible for ensuring that all eligible citizens are included in the voter list while preventing the inclusion of ineligible individuals.
During the revision process, the chief electoral officer (CEO), district electoral officer (DEO) and ERO will oversee the enrollment of eligible voters in accordance with Article 326 of the Constitution of India and Sections 16 and 19 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
In the recent assembly elections, Abdullah won both the Ganderbal and Budgam seats. He secured victory in Ganderbal by defeating PDP’s Bashir Ahmad Mir by over 10,000 votes and won Budgam with a margin of over 18,000 votes.
Rana had previously won the Nagrota seat in 2014 as a National Conference candidate and successfully retained it with a significant margin of 30,472 votes against Joginder Singh of the NC.
Dr Jitendra announces Regional Biotech Centres across India to accelerate StartUps, Biomanufacturing
NEW DELHI, Mar 28 : At a high-level meeting of the Department of Biotechnology, Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh announced the creation of Regional BIRAC (Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council) Centres across India, in collaboration with States, to accelerate StartUps and biomanufacturing, and thus harness the biotech potential in different parts of the country.
Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space emphasized the need for comprehensive mapping of states based on their biotech potential and directed the department to collaborate with them in establishing Bio E3 (Economy, Environment and Employment)Cells highlighting that Assam is the first state to establish a dedicated BIO E3 cell. These specialized cells will provide necessary support for fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, and scaling up biotech ventures.
Recognizing the critical role of StartUps in advancing biomanufacturing, Dr. Jitendra Singh called for enhanced handholding and incubator support to encourage new-age biotech entrepreneurs. He highlighted the importance of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in biomanufacturing and bio foundries, ensuring global investment to drive India’s biotech revolution.
Dr. Jitendra Singh stressed that the Tripartite arrangement—a synergy between Research Infrastructure, Startups, and Industrial R&D—is the way forward for India’s biotech sector. He directed the department to prioritize setting up Core R&D Facilities equipped with state-of-the-art biomanufacturing capabilities to facilitate pilot validation, upscaling, and commercialization of promising biotech innovations.
Recalling the Centre-State Partnership Summit held in Delhi, Dr. Jitendra Singh reiterated the Government’s commitment to fostering a biotech revolution across states through collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and technical assistance. He noted that several states have expressed interest in setting up Biotechnology Parks, further strengthening India’s bio-economy.
The Science & Technology Minister underscored the significance of regenerative technologies, directing the department to prioritize their promotion within India’s biomanufacturing landscape. He urged officials to partner with industry leaders to replicate the success of India’s Space Sector in biotech.
Dr. Jitendra Singh instructed the Department of Biotechnology to establish early industry linkages and work towards a 4P Model (Public-Private-People Partnership) for accelerating biotech growth. He also welcomed proposals to create BIRAC Centres at a global level to attract cutting-edge biomanufacturing technologies and investments.
Dr. Jitendra Singh expressed pride in India’s global standing in biotech research, noting that India ranks 3rd in biotech publications worldwide, with nearly two-thirds of research papers emanating from the Department of Biotechnology. He said “This reflects India’s growing influence and leadership in the international biotech arena.”
With these strategic directives, Dr. Jitendra Singh reinforced the Government’s vision to position India as a global leader in biotechnology, ensuring that biomanufacturing, research, and innovation drive the country’s economic and scientific growth to achieve Prime Minister vision of Viksit Bharat @2047.
Dr. Rajesh S. Gokhale, Secretary, DBT, DG-BRIC & Chairman, BIRAC, along with Managing Director, BIRAC, Shri Jitendra Kumar, and other senior officials and scientists of the department, were present at the review meeting.
