Excerpts from PM's address at the Hornbill Festival in Nagaland- hornbill a must visit

Excerpts from PM's address at the Hornbill Festival in Nagaland

Good morning. Ladies and gentlemen, it is a great honour for me to be here amongst the friendly Nagas to celebrate the world famous Hornbill Festival. I greet you on this joyous festive season. I congratulate the Nagas for organizing this wonderful festival, which aims to preserve, promote and protect the unique cultural diversity and rich traditions of Nagaland.

I also congratulate the people on the occasion of 51st anniversary of Nagaland’s statehood. On this auspicious day, I urge the Nagas that after 50 years of statehood, Look back! Introspect! And take stock of the ground you have covered so far and what remains to be achieved. I have seen the strength of your society today. A very rich cultural heritage. This must be promoted.

Your culture must not only be interpreted as your colourful dances and songs, but the Naga culture of sturdiness, honesty, simplicity, reflected in all your deliberations and actions. The Naga way of life means pride in your inherent strong character and your hard working attitude.

I also know that you have a rich biodiversity. Your region is located in one of the 25 hot bio-diversity areas of the world. This must be protected at all costs, even as your embark on sustainable development of your resources. People will come to your state for investment or tourism and they will do so because of your amazing bio-diversity and salubrious climate.

Nagaland is blessed in having a young population well-versed in the English language and in tune with what is happening around the world. This is an advantage which must be tapped. You must capture the IT outsourcing business of the world in this part of the country.

I also greatly admire the equal position of Naga women in the Naga society. I recall how smartly our young Naga women jawaans worked while deployed during the Delhi Commonwealth Games. This participation brought great pride to our nation and was a shining example for our womenfolk across the country. The contribution of half of our population to the growth of our society is immeasurable.

Nagas are sports-loving people and have the potential to perform well in disciplines such as boxing, tae kwon do, football and archery. I feel that these activities must be promoted in a systematic way to realize the potential of the people of the region, given the right direction.

I know that it has been over a decade since Prime Minister Vajpayee visited Nagaland. I think, nowadays, if I want to come to Nagaland from Delhi, or if anyone from here wants to go to Delhi, it hardly takes 10-15 hours. But Prime Ministers took more than 10 years to reach here. I assure the people of Nagaland that you will not have to wait this long for the Prime Minister to visit again. I assure you. I will be happy to come often to meet the people of Nagaland.

I will come back to see to it that everything that I have mentioned becomes a reality.

Come, let us together build a new, resurgent, stronger and more prosperous India, as well as our Nagaland.

Friends, for the last 2-3 days, I have been in this part of our country. I think it is the first time that an Indian Prime Minister has stayed in the North-East for 3 days. In India, the word “SEZ” is very popular. Special Economic Zone. But after being here for the last three days, I must say that it is not only SEZ, it is NEZ. When I say NEZ, I mean Natural Economic Zone. The other parts of India will have to find man-made Special Economic Zones. But here, Natural Economic Zones (already exist). But unfortunately, they are untapped.

It is my priority to nourish this NEZ for NE, North-East. NE is meant for NEZs. NEZs are meant for NE.

I took charge as the Prime Minister six months back. And I would like to mention some of the initiatives we have taken for the North-East in the last 6 months. I am sure that this is the right time to mention these initiatives as we are celebrating the Hornbill Festival and preparing for Christmas.

The scheme called “Ishaan Uday” is a special scholarship for students from the North-East, under which 10,000 students will benefit. The scheme called “Ishaan Vikas” will provide opportunities for internships and visit at IITs, NITs, NIFTs in other parts of India during vacation for the students of North-East. Every year 2,000 students and 500 teachers will benefit from this scheme.

We have decided to establish one modern apparel garment manufacturing centre in every state of North-East. We know that we have a rich heritage in the field of textiles. We have a mastery in weaving. Our women carry this art in their fingers, and we have to utilize this capability for the development of this area. And for that, we have decided to begin with Nagaland, Assam and Sikkim. The Central Government will spend 20 crore rupees for this new programme.

During the tenure of the Vajpayee government, a unique decision was taken by Atalji. It was decided at that time that 10% of the Annual Plan Budget will be spent on the North-East states. My government has made a provision of Rs 53,000 crore in the Union Budget for development of the North-East. Rs 28,000 crore will be provided for construction of 14 new railway lines. There are so many tourists here from other parts of India and foreign countries. This is the best tourist destination. All we need is road, rail, and air connectivity to develop tourism here.

Energy is lifeline. We cannot do anything without energy or power. The North-Eastern region power system improvement project has been sanctioned at a cost of Rs 5,000 crore for six North-Eastern states including Nagaland. This will strengthen intra-state transmission and distribution systems. Our goal is 24x7x365 power supply.

Nowadays, the meaning of infrastructure has totally changed. Even if you have road-rail-air connectivity, it is not enough. You require Digital Connectivity too. Under the Comprehensive Telecom Development Plan for the North-Eastern region, we have sanctioned Rs 5,000 crore for 2G mobile coverage for enhanced connectivity between this area and the world.

We have decided to establish a National Sports University in Manipur, and the people of Nagaland will be among primary beneficiaries of this sports university.

We have decided to set up 6 new Agriculture Colleges in North-East. I am sure that North-East can become India’s Capital of Organic Agriculture. North-East can become a source of Organic Agriculture products for the world and for humanity.

Friends, it is a great opportunity for me to be a part of this Hornbill festival. We are very eager to develop our tourism sector. There is a tremendous untapped scope for India in this field of tourism, and we are focussing on it. There are people, even in India, who do not know what a rich bio-diversity we have in this part of India.

Seeing is believing. And I am sure that people here from different parts of India can see what a unique cultural heritage this part has. I am sure that this Hornbill Festival will improve the tourism sector of Nagaland, the people of Nagaland will be beneficiaries of this growth. And when the people of Nagaland become prosperous, the whole country will be the beneficiary.

I am thankful that the Chief Minister invited me to attend this festival. I am sure that in the next 10 days of this festival, lakhs of people will come here to be a part of this festival. Thank you very much.

***

A small joke....

A man brings his best buddy home for dinner ... unannounced at 7:30 pm after work.

His wife begins screaming at him & his friend just sits & listens in.

Wife: My hair & makeup are not done, the house is a mess, the dishes are not done, I'm still in my pajamas & I can't be bothered with cooking tonight ! Why the hell did you bring him home for ?

Husband: Because he's thinking of getting married & I promised him a demo !

😁😜😂✌

Hi .. waiting for 7th CPC hope the govt looks after the  armed forces personell .

WHY Join the INDIAN ARMY

WHY Join the INDIAN ARMY

Just spare time to read the full page



Life In The Army

WHAT THE ARMY OFFERS

            Dear students all of you have aspirations and dreams, of what your education will finally yield.  If you are looking for a fat pay packet, a corporate job is the answer. But above and beyond this should be the question of what the job offer in totality. Let us see what attributes go into making an excellent career. The attributes that one expects from a satisfying profession are:-

(a) Professional Advancement

(b) Job Satisfaction

(c) Job Security

(d) Economic Stability

(e) Social Status

(f)    Quality of Life

(g) Variety and Adventure

If these are what you too are looking forward to, then Army is the profession for you, as these in the Army, compare far more than favourably with any other service.

            All of us are aware that, professions are competitive, in so far as promotions are concerned. Army is no different. However, as   said earlier the competition in the Army is clean and devoid of any other factor but competence.

Professional Advancement

The promotional avenues available to an Army officer are:-

By Time Scale

1.         Captain

2.         Major

3.         Lieutenant Colonel

By Selection

1.         Colonel

2                    Brigadier

3                    Major General

4                    Lieutenant General

5                    General

JOB SATISFACTION

            Lack of job satisfaction leads to tremendous frustration and results in job-hopping. Jobs in the civil world whether with the government or the corporate leave one with no alternate avenues if stuck with a frustrating portfolio or set up. On the contrary, the sheer variety, sense of purpose, responsibility and pride, negate any job dissatisfaction in the Army.

JOB SECURITY

            For an effective career, a long-term strategy is essential and this is possible only if continuity and job security is assured. The Army has been structured to ensure that its personnel work with unhindered dignity. Additionally, statutory rules and regulations exist to safeguard the interests of the servicemen adequately both while in service and after retirement.

FOREIGN COURSES AND POSTINGS.

        The service also offers opportunity for courses and postings abroad. The India Army is renowned all over the world and interaction with foreign armies is extensive. Service with UN Forces provides exposure and travel opportunities across the globe.       

ECONOMIC STABILITY

            Consequent to the Sixth Pay Commission salaries have shot up. While the pay and the allowances of an Army officer may superficially appear to be at par with other Central government services, and may be less than that offered by the corporate sector, the quality of life and non-inflationary nature of the perks, which the Army offers outshine the other services. Government job entitles you to many hidden perks, which you may NOT quantify while calculating remuneration. Apparently, there are about 61 types of facilities, benefits and allowances that are applicable to Army in general. In fact if one were to work out the remuneration of a service officer vis a vis a comparable job in the private sector, on the basis of ‘cost to company’ you would be astounded to find the returns of an Army man to be more if not the same. Some of these perks which are not quantified in terms of cash and are immune to inflation are as follows in case of a Lieutenant, which is the starting rank.

n      STARTING PAY RS 15600/-  to 39100/-PM

n      GRADE PAY RS 5400/-

n      MILITARY SERVICE PAY RS 6000/-

n      KIT MAINTENANCE ALLOWANCE Rs 400/-pm

n      TRANSPORT ALLOWANCE RS 1600/- PM to RS 3200 ppm/-

n      FIELD AREA ALLOWANCE RS 25% of Basic Pay RS6780/- pm

n      COUNTER INSURGENCY RS 6300/- PM

n      HIGH ALTITUDE/UNCONGENIAL CLIMATE RS 5600/- PM

n      SIACHEN RS 14000/- PM

n      FLYING PAY RS 9000/- PM

n      PARACHUTE PAY RS 1200/- PM

n      SPECIAL FORCES RS 9000/- PM

n      GALLANTRY AWARDS

n      TECHNICAL PAY

n      LIFE LONG PENSION

n      QUALIFICATION PAY/ GRANT FOR SERVICE COURSES RS 6000/- PM TO RS 20000/- PM

n      OUTFIT ALLOWANCE RENEWED EVERY THREE YEARS RS 14000/- INITIAL & RS 3000/-

n      ENTITLED RATIONS

n      ANNUAL LEAVE TWO MONTHS & CASUAL LEAVE 20 DAYS

n      50% CONCESSION ON AIR TRAVEL

n      FREE TRAIN TRAVEL ONCE A YEAR AND SUBSIDY FOR OTHER JOURNEYS, LTC

n      FREE MEDICAL- SELF AND FAMILY  IN WELL EQUIPPED MILITARY HOSPITALS

n      SUBSIDISED HOUSING IN CLEAN CANTONMENTS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY

n      CANTEEN FACILITIES FOR SUBSIDISED PURCHASE OF ITEMS INCLUDING CARS AND ACs

n      INSURANCE COVER FOR RS 15 LAKHS AT SUBSIDISED PREMIUM

n      GROUP HOUSING SCHEMES IN CITIES INCLUDING METROS

n      LOW INTEREST LOANS

n      SEPERATED FAMILY ACCOMMODATION IN CHOICE STATIONS.

n      ENCASHMENT OF LEAVE UPTO 300 DAYS AT LAST PAY DRAWN

n      STUDY LEAVE UPTO 2 YEARS WITH FULL PAY AND ALL BENEFITS

n       FOREIGN POSTINGS

The above are entitled as per service conditions and qualifications acquired. Cadets at the IMA, OTA, Cadet Training Wing at CME, MCME, and MCTE get a fixed stipend of RS 2100/- PM.

POST RETIREMENT BENEFITS

n      PENSION AT 50% OF LAST PAY DRAWN

n      DEATH CUM RETIREMENT GRATUITY

n      FREE MEDICAL TREATMENT INCLUDING DEPENDANTS

n      CANTEEN FACILITIES AS BEFORE

n      INSURANCE COVER

n      RESETTLEMENT OPPORTUNITIES

n      MBA PROGRAMME FOR RETIRED OFFRS

Training Programme (Offrs).    Training for preparing retiring/retired officers for their resettlement in civil life is one of the major functions entrusted to the DGR.  The resettlement training courses provide nationally/internationally accepted certification to facilitate officers to get quick employment within/outside the country.  In addition six months  courses being conducted at reputed B Schools (IIMs - Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Bangalore, Indore, XLRI Jamshedpur, MDI Gurgaon, NMIMS Mumbai.  These courses have received an overwhelming response from officers and resulted in good job placements in the corporate sector. Other courses are being conducted in multifarious fields like Information Technology, Security Services, Entrepreneurship Development, Business Administration, Personnel Management, Hotel Management, Tourism, Human Resources Development, Law, Insurance and many other short term courses on miscellaneous subjects.  Constant endeavor is made to improve the quality of training by regular monitoring

If the above were to be worked out in tangible terms it would add up to an amount that no private firm would be either capable of, or willing to pay.

QUALITY OF LIFE

As an Indian Army officer at 21, you’d be looking at a lifestyle that one cannot imagine in any other profession, so early in life. What compromises “Quality of Life”? On one hand is a job with a thick pay packet but with the drudgery of 9AM to 9PM schedule, no avenues and time for extracurricular activities, no scope for adventure and excitement, no social status, lack of family life, threat of being terminated with a month’s salary, working in suffocating environment with no self respect and honour. On the other hand is a job which offers you challenge, adventure, excitement, honour, prestige, self respect, whole some family life, safety and security for the family and to top it all the love, respect and esteem of our great India. In the somewhat chaotic social and economic conditions that prevail in our country, Army life is an island of sanity and social order that is the envy of our countrymen. Quality of life is an important attribute of Army life, and has no parallel in any other service. Some of the intangibles, which go to make the quality of life in the Army, are:-

(a) Service of the motherland.

(b) A profession to be proud of

(c) Opportunity to travel and know the country and its people/culture/flora and fauna

(d) Opportunity to serve and represent the nation abroad

(e) A pure  and noble profession

(f)    Honour and social status

(g) No stagnation, a new challenge every day.

(h) Opportunity for growth

(i)     Sports and adventure activity

(j)     Messes, clubs and institutions facilities

(k)  Education facilities – Both school and professional colleges for children

(l)     AWWA hostel for girls in metros

(m) Army ensures your physical and mental health.

(n) Quality of life ensured not only for officers, but also families.

VARIETY AND ADVENTURES

Variety and adventure are the spice and romance of life. No profession has the kind of recreational and adventure facilities to offer as the Army does; from membership of the best clubs in country to horse riding, swimming, golfing, mountaineering, trekking and sailing. Posting to exotic stations gives one an opportunity to see India and its different cultures, in all its vivid glory. You may also get a chance to go abroad on course or on posting. So, if one is looking for a profession, which goes beyond being a mere job, accept the challenge and join the Indian Army.

PROFESSIONAL ENHANCEMENT

The Army affords a very open, impartial and transparent avenue for professional enhancement. For a professionally dedicated officer with sincerity and dedication, the sky is the limit. Salient aspects of professional enhancement are as follows:-

(a) Opportunity for higher study in prestigious institutions both in India and abroad

(b) Deputation in various scientific institutions in the country including DRDO, DGQA, LRDE, BEL, ITI and host of others

(c)  Foreign assignments in the UNO and Indian embassies/missions

(d) Foreign assignments in connection with the procurement of advanced technology and weaponry and training to handle and maintain the same

(e) Promotions solely based on capability and free of any extraneous consideration

SOCIAL STATUS

IN SERVICE

            All of us have our own opinion about what constitutes “social status”. However it is an undisputed fact that the status of a ‘warrior’ has stood the test of time. History and society have both held the soldier in esteem and offered him a unique status in society. By joining the Army, one becomes a member of an exclusive and elite brotherhood, which is the envy of one and all.

POST RETIREMENT

            Even after laying down the uniform, Army officers continue to have the status of the most respected citizens of our country. This added to their ingrained code of conduct and ethical values enable them to occupy a special social niche in society. Since he is much fitter due to the active lifestyle he has led, a second career or lateral absorption in parallel employment is always eminently feasible. His do or die attitude and mental agility ensures that he never really grows into old age, but continues to contribute and thus remain a valued member of society.

 LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY FOR PROFESSIONALS

             The Army provides lifetime opportunities to professionals like Doctors, Nurse, Engineers, Lawyers, and Teachers. Commissioned into the various Corps, one can pursue his or her passion to your heart’s content. An excellent infrastructure, dedicated support staff, and healthy environment provide unlimited growth. The Army invests heavily in human and technical resources. The latest and the best tools are made available for research and employment. Periodic forays into the academic world are encouraged in order to imbibe and practice current technology in your chosen field.

POSTING/ TENURES SUBSEQUENT TO COMMISSIONING

            Training is a judicious mix of technical, military and managerial instruction, in top class institutions run by the Army and a host of other prestigious institutes and establishments including IITs and DRDO. In accordance with the training received, proficiency acquired and aptitude shown, one gets posted on a variety of regimental, staff, or instructional appointments in organizations throughout the country. Additionally officers proceed on deputation to various organizations and foreign appointments.

Unlike in a civil environment where a posting means virtual uprooting of a household and starting a fresh new station, in the Army it is merely a change of scene. With more and more stations falling under the purview of peace stations and with better infrastructure facilities coming up even in small stations, the pangs of moving  are speedily easing up.

Food for Thought

            Here it would be apt to  reiterate – That all professions serve our motherland – but none of them is in the same league as the Indian Army – for this is the only profession which affords you the opportunity to live up to these stirring lines.

“To every man upon this earth,

death comes sooner or later.

And how can a man die better

facing fearful odds

For the ashes of his father

and the temple of his Gods”

-Macauley

NO other company/org can provide you this much but you also need to do a bit of sacrifice...  
 www.joinindianarmy.nic.in

Life is a dream for the wise, a game for the fool, a comedy for the rich, a tragedy for the poor.