The National Institute of Sowa-Rigpa (NISR) at Leh, an autonomous Institute under the Ministry of Ayush for the preservation, promotion and development of Sowa-Rigpa hosted a special yoga event in Leh at Institute campus on March 25 as part of the activities being organised to mark the 100-day countdown to the International Day of Yoga – 2025.
The National Institute of Sowa-Rigpa (NISR) hosted a special yoga session in Leh, Ladakh, at an altitude of 11,562 feet
Against the stunning backdrop of the Himalayas, at an altitude of 11,562 feet (3,524 meters), the team of NISR including staff and students conducted the yoga session as per the Common Yoga Protocol (CYP) developed by the Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga, Ministry of Ayush.
(A Yoga session was conducted by all the staff and students of National Institute of Sowa-Rigpa, NISR)
With snow-capped peaks, crisp mountain air, and an aura of serenity, Leh provided the perfect setting for this event. Dr. Padma Gurmet, Director, NISR said, “Yoga is not just a practice; it is a way of life that nurtures both the body and the mind. In today’s fast-paced world, it serves as a powerful tool to achieve inner balance, mental clarity, and physical well-being. Through yoga, we cultivate resilience, harmony, and holistic health—not just for individuals but for society as a whole. At the majestic heights of Leh, we reaffirm that yoga transcends boundaries, uniting us all in the pursuit of wellness and peace.”
Ms. Tsewang Lhamo, the Yoga instructor from Mahabodhi International Yoga and Meditation Centre Leh also participated in the event and stated, “Yoga plays a vital role in our daily lives by promoting physical health, mental clarity, and emotional balance. Regular practice enhances flexibility, strengthens muscles, reduces stress, and improves overall well-being. It also fosters mindfulness, helping individuals maintain inner peace and harmony amidst the challenges of everyday life.”
Notably, the 100-days countdown to the International Day of Yoga – 2025 was inaugurated by Shri Prataprao Jadhav, Minister of State (I/C) Ministry of Ayush during ‘Yoga Mahotsav- 2025’ held in New Delhi. During the said event, the Ayush Minister had also informed that this year IDY activities will revolve around 10 unique signature events to mark the 11th edition of the global event, which makes it the most expansive and inclusive:
Yoga Sangama – A synchronised Yoga demonstration at 10,000 locations, aiming for a world record.
Yoga Bandhan – Global partnerships with 10 countries to host Yoga sessions at iconic landmarks.
Yoga Parks– Development of 1,000 Yoga Parks for long-term community engagement.
Yoga Samavesh – Special Yoga programs for Divyangjan, senior citizens, children, and marginalised groups.
Yoga Prabhava – A decadal impact assessment on Yoga’s role in public health.
Yoga Connect – A Virtual Global Yoga Summit featuring renowned Yoga experts and healthcare professionals.
Harit Yoga – A sustainability-driven initiative combining Yoga with tree planting and clean-up drives.
Yoga Unplugged– An event to attract young people to Yoga
Yoga Maha Kumbh – A week-long festival across 10 locations, culminating in a central celebration led by the Hon’ble Prime Minister.
Samyogam – A 100-day initiative integrating Yoga with modern healthcare for holistic wellness.
DRDO & Indian Navy successfully flight-test indigenously-developed Vertically-Launched Short-Range Surface-to-Air Missile This missile system will be an excellent force multiplier for Indian Navy: Raksha Mantri
Posted On: 26 MAR 2025 8:13PM by PIB Delhi
Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Navy conducted the successful flight-test of indigenously-developed Vertically-Launched Short-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (VLSRSAM) from the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur off the coast of Odisha at about 1200 hrs on March 26, 2025. The flight-test was carried out from a land-based vertical launcher against a high-speed aerial target at very close range and low altitude. It has established the Near-Boundary-Low Altitude capability of the missile system.
During the test, the target was completely destroyed by the missile executing the high turn rate required for engaging targets at very close range, and establishing the missile’s agility, reliability & pin-point accuracy. The test was conducted with all weapon system elements deployed in combat configuration. These elements, including missile with indigenous Radio Frequency seeker, Multi-Function Radar and Weapon Control System, have performed as per expectations. The performance of the system was validated by the flight data captured by various Range Instruments developed by ITR Chandipur.
Congratulating DRDO, Indian Navy and the industry, Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh termed the missile system as proof of India’s strong design and development capabilities in defence R&D. It will be an excellent force multiplier for the Indian Navy, he said.
Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO Dr Samir V Kamat also congratulated DRDO, Indian Navy & associated teams on this successful flight test, and stated that the missile, equipped with modern technologies, will give further technological boost to the Armed Forces.
India’s Social Security Coverage Doubles Coverage reaches 48.8% in 2024, up from 24.4% in 2021, says ILO report
Posted On: 26 MAR 2025 5:51PM by PIB Delhi
Summary
Introduction
India’s social protection coverage has doubled from 24.4% in 2021 to 48.8% in 2024, marking a significant expansion in welfare reach, according to the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) World Social Protection Report (WSPR) 2024-26. The report attributes this progress to key government initiatives, which have extended benefits such as health insurance, pensions, and employment support to millions.
As per Ministry of Labour and Employment, nearly 920 million people, or 65% of the population, are now covered by at least one form of social protection, whether in cash or in-kind, through central government schemes. India’s advancements have also contributed to a 5-percentage point increase in global social protection coverage, underscoring its role in shaping welfare outcomes at an international level.
Overview of the Report
The World Social Protection Report is a comprehensive assessment published periodically by the International Labour Organization (ILO), a specialised agency of the United Nations dedicated to labour rights and social justice. The report evaluates social protection systems globally, examining their coverage, effectiveness, and progress in ensuring social security for diverse populations. By offering a detailed analysis of policies and trends, it serves as a key resource for governments, policymakers, and researchers working towards stronger and more inclusive welfare systems.
The 2024–26 edition of the report is centred on universal social protection for climate action and a just transition. For the first time, it incorporates trend data, providing a more dynamic perspective on global progress. It presents an extensive set of global, regional, and country-level statistics on social protection coverage, benefits provided, and public expenditure. Additionally, a regional companion report for Asia and the Pacific supplements the global findings by offering a deeper analysis of social protection developments in the region. This companion report highlights key challenges, priorities, and the intersection of social protection and climate action, considering the unique socio-economic and environmental conditions of Asia and the Pacific.
Expanding Social Security: Key Government Initiatives
India’s social protection system has expanded significantly through various welfare programmes aimed at providing financial security, healthcare, and food assistance to millions. These initiatives have played a crucial role in improving livelihoods and reducing poverty across the country.
Here are some key social security schemes and initiatives:
Ayushman Bharat
As of March 26, 2025, 39.94 crore Ayushman Cards have been issued under Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), offering free health coverage of up to ₹5 lakh per family. The scheme is accessible at 24,810 empanelled hospitals nationwide.
Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY)
Launched to address economic hardships caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the scheme provides free food grains to vulnerable populations. As of December 2024, 80.67 crore people are receiving free food grains, close to the intended coverage of 81.35 crore beneficiaries.
eShram Portal
Introduced on August 26, 2021, to create a National Database of Unorganised Workers (NDUW), this initiative offers a Universal Account Number (UAN) to workers for enhanced social security. As of March 3, 2025, over 30.68 crore unorganised workers have registered, with 53.68% of them being women.
Atal Pension Yojana (APY)
Launched on May 9, 2015, APY aims to provide universal social security, particularly for the poor, underprivileged, and unorganised sector workers. Along with Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY), it strengthens the country’s social security system. As of December 31, 2024, 7.25 crore beneficiaries have enrolled in APY, with a total accumulated corpus of ₹43,369.98 crore.
Poverty Reduction
Over the past decade, 24.8 crore people have escaped multi-dimensional poverty due to several social security measures, reflecting the far-reaching impact of government interventions.
India Launches Social Protection Data Pooling Exercise
The ILO’s assessment of 48.8% may not fully capture India’s social security landscape, as it does not account for in-kind benefits such as food security and housing support or state-administered welfare schemes. With the integration of these factors, India’s actual social protection coverage is expected to be considerably higher, reflecting ongoing reforms and data consolidation efforts.
The Ministry of Labour & Employment launched Phase 01 of India’s Social Protection Data Pooling Exercise on March 19, 2025, to create a comprehensive assessment of social security coverage. The initiative aims to consolidate data from multiple schemes for a more holistic picture of India’s welfare landscape. In the first phase, ten states, including Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, and Gujarat, have been identified for data consolidation at the central level.
Building on these efforts, India has already processed over 200 crore records by using encrypted Aadhaar as a unique identifier across 34 major central schemes, including Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), Atal Pension Yojana (APY), and Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN).
The Ministry has been engaging in a high-level dialogue with the ILO to ensure these additional welfare measures are reflected in future assessments. During a recent bilateral discussion at the 353rd ILO Governing Body meeting in Geneva, the ILO acknowledged that housing and food security are part of an extended set of indicators under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and has agreed to consider such schemes in its evaluations.
With continued collaboration between the Centre, State Governments and ILO, India is set to further refine its social protection framework and present a more accurate picture of its welfare reach.
Conclusion
India’s strides in expanding social protection reflect a strong commitment to inclusive welfare and economic security. The doubling of coverage, as highlighted in the International Labour Organization’s World Social Protection Report 2024–26, underscores the impact of key initiatives such as Ayushman Bharat, PMGKAY, and the eShram portal in ensuring financial stability, healthcare, and food security for millions. The launch of the Social Protection Data Pooling Exercise further strengthens these efforts by enhancing data-driven policymaking and addressing gaps in existing assessments. As India continues to refine its social security framework in collaboration with the ILO, its approach serves as a model for balancing welfare expansion with economic growth.
Multiple Reforms to Enhance Safety and Efficiency in Railway Operations Initiatives like Gati Shakti, Enhanced Sanction Powers to GMs and DRMs, Kavach, and Rolling Blocks Expedite Approval and Execution of Railway Projects
Posted On: 26 MAR 2025 8:16PM by PIB Delhi
Reforms is a continuous and ongoing process in Indian Railways. These reforms are carried out to enhance safety and efficiency in train operations, improve passenger experience, expediting network expansion etc. Following reforms have been carried out on Indian Railways in recent past: –
(i) Gati Shakti Directorate/Units: The PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan (NMP) was launched in October 21 to bring a transformative change in the approach towards planning and execution of infrastructural projects pertaining to the transportation sector.
Indian Railways has immediately imbibed the principles of Gati Shakti in its project planning process. Drawing upon existing resources, a multi-disciplinary Gati Shakti Directorate has been created in Indian Railways. Similarly Gati Shakti Units have been created in Zonal railways. The Project DPRs are made after consultation with all stakeholders and other infrastructure ministries/departments.
This above initiatives have expedited the appraisal /sanction process and execution of Projects.
(ii) Enhanced power of sanction of Projects to GMs and DRMs: The power of sanction for various projects have been enhanced for GMs and DRMs for faster execution of projects.
(iii) Contracts finalisation and management: Full powers have been delegated to General Managers for finalisation of the tenders. Further, Works Contract Management System (IRWCMS) and Contractor’s e-MB have been implemented for transparent & quick/fast contract management and contractor’s billing.
(iv) Development and implementation of Kavach: To improve safety in train operations, Kavach has been developed as National Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system on Indian Railways. The work of implementation of Kavach has been taken up in mission mode on Indian Railways.
(v) Elimination of level crossings: To improve safety of train operations and road users, all unmanned level crossings on Broad gauge has been eliminated. Further, it has also been decided to replace all manned level crossings in a phased manner by construction of RoBs/RUBs.
(vi) Station Redevelopment: The Indian Railway has launched the Amrit Bharat Station scheme aimed at providing world class amenities to passengers and improving efficiency in train operations at Railway stations. So far, 1,337 stations have been taken up for redevelopment in the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme.
(vii) Introduction of Modern trains: To enhance passenger experience and provide comfortable journey, State of the Art Vande Bharat trains, Amrit Bharat Trains and Namo Bharat Rapid Rail with modern features have been introduced on Indian Railways.
(viii) Bharat Gaurav Trains: Indian Railways have launched theme- based Tourist Circuit trains named as Bharat Gaurav Trains (BGT) with an objective to showcase India’s rich cultural heritage and magnificent historical places to the people of India and the world through professionals of the tourism sector and other potential service providers.
(ix) Promoting Digital Transactions at Stations & Trains: Digital payment facility at various customer interface points such as Ticketing facility, Catering units etc.
(x) Freight transportation: With the view of increasing freight, Indian Railways has carried out major reforms in the form of many liberalized incentives in form of freight rebates, discounts on assured businesses, concessions on short leads, mini rake loadings, goods shed development, General Purpose Wagon Investment Scheme (GPWIS), Business Development Portal etc.
(xi) Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals: Gati Shakti Cargo Terminal initiative has been launched to fast track the approvals and ease of establishing Cargo Terminals to increase the freight loading share of IR. So far, 95 GCTs have been commissioned.
(xii) Railway- India Post Integration to develop “Joint Parcel Product”: As a joint collaborative initiative between two Government Departments to carry out business, a complete solution of parcel delivery has been started in which First-mile-last-mile connectivity by Department of Posts and Intermediate connectivity from station to station has been provided through Railways.
(xiii) Coal Chain Coordination Group: Large number of stakeholders involved in coal chain, viz. coal companies, captive and commercial mines, ports, power houses, industries and Indian Railways. To co-ordinate with all the stakeholders it has been planned to setup Coal Chain Coordination Group in Ministry of Railways.
(xiv) Annual Recruitment Calendar: Indian Railways has issued an annual calendar for recruitments which will not only reduce the uncertainty and waiting period for candidates but also enables the railways to fill vacancies in a timely manner.
(xv) Railway land policy: To streamline and simplify Railway’s land lease policy to enable faster integrated planning and development of infrastructure across the country under the PM Gati Shakti framework, the long-term land leasing policy has been issued.
(xvi) Introduction of Rolling blocks: Concept of Rolling Blocks have been introduced on Indian Railways in 2023 by Gazette notification wherein work of integrated/ maintenance/repair/replacement of assets is planned upto 52 weeks in advance on rolling basis and executed as per plan by the Divisions.
This information was given by the Union Minister of Railways, Information & Broadcasting and Electronics & Information Technology Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
India’s IT Industry Registers Significant Growth in Last Decade: Projected to Reach $283 Billion in 2024-25
Posted On: 26 MAR 2025 6:19PM by PIB Delhi
The Indian IT industry has a leading position globally and has been progressively contributing to the growth of exports and creation of employment opportunities. As per National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM), India’s IT industry has grown significantly in last decade.
Financial Year
Total Revenue (USD Billion)*
Export Revenue (USD Billion)*
FY 2014-15
118
100
FY 2024-25(E)
283
224
*Figures from NASSCOM
Government has come up with various initiatives to promote IT industry across the country which include setting up of 67 centres of Software Technology Parks of India, 100% Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), BPO Promotion Schemes for small towns/cities, National Policy on Software Products-2019 (NPSP 2019), various skill development program through 55 centres of National Institute of Electronics & Information Technology (NIELIT), FutureSkills PRIME for re-skilling/ up-skilling of IT professionals, promotion of Start-up ecosystem through Technology Incubation and Development of Entrepreneurs (TIDE 2.0), Startup Accelerator of MeitY for Product Innovation, Development, and Growth (SAMRIDH), Domain Specific Centres of Excellence (CoEs), Gen-Next Support for Innovative Startups (GENESIS), India AI Mission etc.
These initiatives have played a crucial role for growth of IT industry. The state-wise details of export from STPI registered units including Telangana is at Annexure.
This information was given by the Union Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology Shri Jitin Prasada in Lok Sabha today.
********
Annexure
State-wise IT exports reported by STPI registered units since 2014 (Rs. in crore)
Raksha Rajya Mantri flags-off Mt Everest & Mt Kangchenjunga expeditions from New Delhi “Mountaineering institutes embody PM Modi’s vision to foster self-reliance, resilience & fearless spirit among youth”: Shri Sanjay Seth
Posted On: 26 MAR 2025 8:24PM by PIB Delhi
Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Sanjay Seth flagged-off joint expeditions to Mount Kangchenjunga and Mount Everest from South Block, New Delhi on March 26, 2025. The expedition to Mount Everest is being organised in collaboration with Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI), Darjeeling, West Bengal, and Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering & Winter Sports (JIM&WS), Jammu & Kashmir to commemorate 60 glorious years of Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM), Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand. The Mount Kangchenjunga Expedition is organised by National Institute of Mountaineering and Adventure Sports (NIMAS), Dirang, Arunachal Pradesh, under its ‘Har Shikhar Tiranga’ initiative.
Speaking on the occasion, Raksha Rajya Mantri described the mission as not just about reaching the top of the world but showcasing India’s mountaineering excellence and leadership in adventure sports. “India is fast emerging as a powerhouse in the global adventure sports arena, and mountaineering institutions functioning under the Ministry of Defence are playing a pivotal role in shaping India’s adventure ecosystem,” he said.
Shri Sanjay Seth expressed confidence in the team’s abilities and highlighted the expedition’s significance. “By successfully summiting both mountains, the teams will set a new benchmark and inspire young mountaineers across the country and the world at large,” he said.
Raksha Rajya Mantri further emphasised that mountaineering institutes have been at the forefront of training and inspiring the youth, truly embodying the vision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to foster self-reliance, resilience, and a fearless spirit among the young minds. He stressed that the expeditions would not only test the team’s endurance, skill, and teamwork but also serve as an inspiration for young adventurers.
Expedition to Mt Everest
The team comprises of seven highly skilled climbers from NIM, HMI and JIM&WS, all of whom have extensive experience in high-altitude mountaineering and extreme conditions. The expedition will be led by Col Anshuman Bhadauria, Principal, NIM. The team will embark on its journey on April 02, 2025, following the traditional South Col Route in Nepal, a path taken by legendary climbers before them. Their journey will include climbing through the treacherous Khumbu Valley, acclimatisation at extreme high-altitude camps and extensive preparation for the summit push in May 2025. This expedition is aimed at providing invaluable first-hand Everest experience to instructors, enabling them to train and inspire future generations of Indian mountaineers.
Expedition to Mt Kungchenjunga
The expedition is a landmark journey, starting on April 07, 2025, as Kangchenjunga is India’s highest and only 8,000-meter peak, making it one of the most challenging summits in the world. The expedition is being led by Col Ranveer Singh Jamwal, Director, NIMAS, Dirang, Arunachal Pradesh. The team comprises of five highly skilled climbers and three support staff. NIMAS has already successfully climbed the highest peaks of 27 states of India. Now, with the summit of Mount Kangchenjunga, all 28 states will be covered.
Government Strengthens Regulations for Online Gaming to Ensure Transparency and User Safety MeitY has issued 1410 blocking directions related to online betting/gambling/gaming websites between the year 2022- 25
Posted On: 26 MAR 2025 6:20PM by PIB Delhi
The policies of the Central Government are aimed at ensuring an open, safe, trusted and accountable Internet for its users. To help achieve this aim, the Central Government has taken suitable steps to regulate financial transactions and user data protection for digital platforms, including online gaming platforms.
To bring certainty in the levy of income tax in online gaming sector, Government vide Finance Act, 2023 has introduced income tax at the rate of thirty per cent on the net winnings in the online games with effect from assessment year 2024-25.
In addition, Government has introduced GST at the rate of 28% in online gaming from 1st October, 2023. The supplier of online money gaming shall obtain a single registration under the Simplified Registration Scheme referred to in the Integrated Good and Services Tax Act, 2017 (“IGST Act”).
The suppliers of offshore online money gaming are also being regulated under IGST Act.
The Directorate General of GST Intelligence Headquarters is empowered as appropriate government/agency under the Information Technology Act, 2000 (“IT Act”) and the IGST Act to direct intermediaries to block unregistered online money gaming platforms including offshore online money gaming platforms violating the IGST Act.
“Betting and gambling” is a state subject under entry 34 of the List II (State List) of the Seventh Schedule of the Indian Constitution and state legislations define betting and gambling related offences. Therefore, as per the provisions of article 246 read with article 162 of the Constitution, State Legislatures have power to legislate on matters related to betting and gambling.
Further ‘Police’ and ‘Public Order’ are State subjects as per the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India. The States/UTs are primarily responsible for the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of crimes including for action on illegal betting and gambling through their Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs).
Accordingly, State police departments take preventive and penal action as per law in respect of illegal betting and gambling. The Central Government supplements the initiatives of the States/UTs through advisories and financial assistance under various schemes for capacity building of their LEAs.
Section 112(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (“BNS”) which came into effect from July 1, 2024, punishes unauthorised betting and gambling with minimum 1 year of imprisonment that may extend to 7 years and with fine.
With regard to the protection of personal data, under the IT Act, the Information Technology (Reasonable Security Practices and Procedures and Sensitive Personal Data or Information) Rules, 2011 has been notified prescribing reasonable security practices and procedures on the sensitive personal data or information.
Further, the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 has been enacted which provides for the legal framework for data protection and mandates Data Fiduciaries to implement security safeguards as well as robust technical and organisational measures while processing the digital personal data.
Further, the IT Act penalises various offences relating to computer resources, including tampering with computer source documents, dishonestly or fraudulently damaging computer system, identity theft, cheating by impersonation, cyber terrorism, securing unauthorised access to protected system etc.
Further, the IT Act has provisions to issue blocking orders to intermediaries for blocking access to specific information/ link in the interest of sovereignty and integrity, defence of India, security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States or public order or for preventing to the incitement to the commission of any cognizable offence relating to above following the due process as envisaged in the Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking for Access of Information for Public) Rules, 2009.
MeitY has issued 1410 blocking directions related to online betting/gambling/gaming websites (including mobile applications) between the year 2022- 25 (till February, 2025).
The Ministry of Home Affairs (“MHA”) has established the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (“I4C”) to provide a framework and eco-system for LEAs to deal with cyber-crimes in a comprehensive and coordinated manner.
MHA has also launched the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (https://cybercrime.gov.in) to enable the public to report all types of cyber-crimes including cyber financial frauds. Cybercrime incidents reported on this portal are routed to the respective State/UT law enforcement agency for further handling as per the provisions of law. The portal has distinct mechanisms for registering complaints related to financial frauds.
A tollfree Helpline number ‘1930’ has been operationalised to get assistance in lodging online complaints.
National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) under the MHA compiles and publishes statistical data on crimes in its publication “Crime in India”. NCRB maintains the data provided by various state governments and central law enforcement agencies.
With regard to addiction to online games, the Ministry of Education has issued an advisory for parents & teachers on “Overcoming online gaming downsides” and “Children’s safe online gaming”.
In addition, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has also issued advisory to all private satellite television channels on ‘Advertisements on Online Games, Fantasy Sports, etc.’, advising all broadcasters that the guidelines issued by the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) be complied with and that the advertisements broadcast on television adhere to the same. The guidelines includes that every gaming advertisement must carry the disclaimer in line with ASCI code in print/static media as well as audio/video forms indicating that this game involves an element of financial risk and may be addictive.
This information was given by the Union Minister of Railways, Information & Broadcasting and Electronics & Information Technology Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah replies to the discussion on Tribhuvan Sahkari University Bill, 2025 in the Lok Sabha, the Lower House passes the Bill after discussion After 75 years of independence, the country is getting its first cooperative university
Tribhuvan Sahkari University will strengthen the rural economy as well as promote innovation and research in the cooperative sector
The Cooperative University will have the capacity to train 8 lakh people every year
The cooperative university will provide the entire country with young cooperative leadership equipped with the spirit of cooperation and modern education
In the previous governments, there was injustice with cooperative institutions in terms of taxes, Modi government gave respect to PACS and reduced the taxes imposed on them
Soon, cooperative institutions will provide taxi and insurance services
The cooperative university will play an important role in the foundation of a prosperous India that Modi ji is laying through cooperation
The principle of “Cooperation among Cooperatives” is being implemented in the Modi government
The opposition is protesting because there is no university in the name of a particular family, they do not know that Tribhuvan Das Patel was also their leader
When PACS will reach every Panchayat, then the cooperative movement of the country will be established in a balanced manner
100% organic products are being made available across the country in the name of ‘Bharat Brand’
Co-operative sector is the only one that connects crores of people with the country’s development through self-employment and also protects their dignity
The 10-year period of the Modi government will be written in golden letters for the welfare of the poor of the country
Posted On: 26 MAR 2025 9:37PM by PIB Delhi
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah today replied to the discussion on the Tribhuvan Sahkari University Bill 2025 in Lok Sabha in the Parliament. Subsequently the bill was passed by the lower house.
Replying to the discussion, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that cooperation sector touches lives of all families in the country in some way or the other. He said that every village has some or the other cooperative unit engaged in agricultural development, rural development or generating employment thereby contributing to the development of the country. Shri Shah said that after 75 years of independence, today the country is getting its first cooperative university. He said that this bill will strengthen the rural economy, develop the ecosystem of self-employment and small entrepreneurship, increase social inclusion and will increase opportunities to set new standards in innovation and research. He said that in a way, the whole country will get a new cooperative leadership inspired by the spirit of cooperation and equipped with modern education.
Shri Amit Shah said that it was decided to name this cooperative university as Tribhuvan Sahkari University. He said that Tribhuvan Das Patel was among many others who laid the foundation of co-operatives in India under the guidance of Sardar Patel. He said that it is the cooperative institution Gujarat State Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) which is popularly known as Amul. He said that the journey of Amul which began in 1946 with 250 litres of milk in a town of Gujarat, has today become India’s largest dairy brand and stands before the world. Shri Shah said that in 2003, the turnover of Amul was Rs 2882 crore which has crossed Rs 60 thousand crore today. He said that the opposition is protesting because there is no university in the name of a particular family; they do not know that Tribhuvan Das Patel was also their leader.
Union Minister of Cooperation said that in 2014, a new government under the leadership of Shri Narendra Modi came to power and the 10-year period of the Modi government will be written in golden letters for the welfare of the poor of the country. He said that in these 10 years, houses were built for the poor, toilets were built, drinking water was provided to the poor, free ration of 5 kg free food grains for the poor, gas connections for the poor, free medical treatment up to Rs 5 lakh, and electricity for all in the country has been accomplished. He said that in the past 10 years, 25 crore people of the country have been brought above poverty line. Shri Shah said that what was essential for living for the poor people of the country, who used to spend their lifetime for it, were provided to them by Prime Minister Modi in the past 10 years. He said that now the question before these crores of people is how can they grow further, how to start a business and contribute to the development of the country with no capital. Shri Shah said that the only way to connect a person without capital with entrepreneurship is Cooperation. He said through Cooperation crores of people with small capital are coming together to start their businesses and are living with dignity by generating self-employment.
Shri Amit Shah said that in a country like India with a population of over 130 crore, employment is also a big indicator of the health of the country’s economy, along with GDP. He said that cooperatives are the only sector that connects 130 crore people with the country’s development through self-employment and also protects their dignity. Shri Shah said that Prime Minister Modi formed the Ministry of Cooperatives three and a half years ago, fulfilling the decades-long demand of farmers, villagers, and cooperative leaders. He said that after the formation of the Ministry of Cooperatives, a new chapter of development of cooperatives has started.
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that today there are 8 lakh cooperative societies in India and 30 crore people are their members. In a way, every fifth person in the country is associated with cooperatives, but no effort was made for its development in the past 75 years. Shri Shah said that cooperatives were running unevenly across the country and anomalies had started to appear in the cooperative movement. He said that it was the reason for Modi ji to established the Cooperative Ministry. Since its establishment, the Ministry of Cooperatives has done a lot of work in the last three and a half years. He said that to develop cooperatives, a national cooperative database was prepared together with all the states and today information about cooperatives of every state, district and village is available in this database.
Shri Amit Shah said that 2 lakh new Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS) will be formed in the country and there will not be a single Panchayat in the country where there will not be a PACS. He said that the Modi government decided to change the by-laws of PACS and the entire country from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and Northeast to Dwarka accepted the model by-laws issued by the Centre. This enabled linking of more than 25 economic activities with PACS, improvements in the election process and development of a common accounting software, available in all languages so that it can cater to all. He said that 43 thousand PACS Common Service Centres (CSCs) have been established in the country where benefits and facilities of more than 300 schemes of the Central and State Government are available. Shri Shah said that today 36 thousand PACS are working as PM Samridhi Kendras in the country, 4 thousand PACS have been established as Jan Aushadhi Kendras and 400 PACS are also running petrol pumps.
Union Minister of Cooperation said that the Modi government started the world’s largest grain storage scheme and so far 576 PACS have started the work of building godowns. Work on 11 of these has been completed and now the paddy and wheat purchased by PACS is being stored there. He said that more than 67 thousand PACS of the country have been connected with computers, software and data storage. Today, out of these 67,930 PACS, 43,658 PACS are working through computers. Now their accounts are reconciled in the evening, along with online audit, all business is also done online. He said that computerization has brought a revolution in the cooperative sector.
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah said that with the creation of 2 lakh PACS, one in every Panchayat, the cooperative movement of our country will once again stand in a balanced manner. He said that more than 550 cooperative societies have been onboarded for procurement on Government e Marketing (GeM). Shri Shah said that during the previous governments, Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) faced a lot of injustice in Income Tax. The Modi Government has reduced the surcharge on income tax of cooperative societies from 12 to 7 percent, reduced MAT (Minimum Alternate Tax) from 18.5 to 15 percent, exempted from income tax penalty on transactions of less than two lakh rupees and reduced the rate for manufacturing cooperative societies from 30 to 15 percent. He said that the limit of cash deposit for PACS and others has been increased from 20 thousand to 2 lakh rupees. Along with this, the limit of exemption from TDS has been increased from one crore rupees to three crore rupees.
Shri Amit Shah said that the Modi government has formed three new national-level cooperative societies which will work to improve backward and forward linkages. He said that about 8 thousand PACs have been associated with the National Cooperative Export Limited (NCEL) and through these, our farmers’ products are being exported abroad. So far, 12 lakh tonnes of materials have been sold in the global markets through NCEL and the profit is being deposited directly into the farmers’ accounts. Shri Shah said that along with this, our traditional seeds are being preserved by preserving and collecting them through the Bharatiya Seed Cooperative Society Limited (BBSSL). Organic products are being certified as Bharat Brand through the National Cooperative Organic Limited (NCOL). He said that 100% organic products are being made available across the country under the name of ‘Bharat Brand’.
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that when a small farmer or a rural person takes a loan, he also repays it, with interest. He said that this is why the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) has done a business of Rs 90 thousand crore with zero NPA. Shri Shah said that NCDC has given 44 sea trawlers to the fishermen of Gujarat and Maharashtra. Rs 10 thousand crore has been given to 48 cooperative sugar mills. About 3 thousand Farmer Producer Organizations (FPO) and one thousand 70 Fisherman Farmer Producer Organizations (FFPO) have been formed. He said that NCDC has earned a profit of Rs 800 crore this time. NCDC has succeeded in increasing the loan and keeping zero NPA and has also increased the profit from Rs 100 crore to Rs 800 crore.
Shri Shah said that to ensure flow of funds in the cooperative sector, an initiative of ‘Cooperation Among Cooperatives’ was undertaken in Panchmahal and Banaskantha districts of Gujarat. Under this, it was ensured that the members of every cooperative institution and cooperative society necessarily have their bank accounts in cooperative banks. Shri Shah said that he too has opened his account in a cooperative bank. He said that due to the initiative of ‘Cooperation Among Cooperatives’, deposits in banks in Gujarat have increased by about Rs 8000 crore. Due to all these steps, people’s confidence in cooperative banks has increased.
Shri Amit Shah said that earlier, Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs) were not allowed to open new branches, but now they have permission from Reserve Bank of India to open up to 10 percent new branches on their own. Earlier, they were not allowed to provide ‘doorstep banking’ i.e. banking facilities to people at their homes, but now Urban Cooperative Banks can provide the facility of ‘doorstep banking’. Shri Shah said that earlier, Urban Cooperative Banks were not allowed ‘one time settlement’, but now they have been enabled like nationalized and scheduled banks to do ‘one time settlement’. Earlier, issues of cooperative banks were not entertained by RBI, but now a nodal officer has been appointed with the duty to hear the problems of cooperative banks and provide solutions. The loan limit of home loans given by Urban Cooperative Banks has been doubled. Permission has also been given to give loans to commercial real estate. He said that a lot of work has also been done to strengthen non-scheduled banks.
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that an umbrella organization of National Federation of Urban Cooperative Banks and Credit Societies Limited (NAFCUB) has been formed. He said that whenever a cooperative bank becomes weak, NAFCUB will finance it and save it from closure. Modi ji has also increased the insurance of depositors from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh, this has increased the confidence in cooperative banks.
Shri Amit Shah said that for the last several years, big cooperative leaders have been Agriculture Ministers, but the income tax problem faced by cooperative sugar mills was not resolved. He said that Shri Narendra Modi Ji ended the problem of income tax assessment forever in 2022, soon after he formed a new Ministry of Cooperation. The pending demand of Rs 4600 crore of sugar mills was met and the move put a break to the cycle of annual demand generation by the sugar mills of Rs 8 thousand crores. Cooperative sugar mills have hardly got such a huge benefit after independence. He said that a loan of Rs 10 thousand crore was sanctioned to 84 mills. Cooperative sugar mills were given priority in the Ethanol Blending program. A finance scheme was also started for Molasses based ethanol plant and multi feed plant. Our government reduced the GST rate on Molasses from 28 percent to 5 percent. Shri Shah said that the Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies (CRCS) office was computerized, Registrar offices in the states were computerized, branches of Rural Development Banks were computerized and the entire expense of these works was borne by the Government of India.
Union Minister of Cooperation said that under White Revolution 2.0, a target has been set to increase the procurement of milk from the current 660 lakh liters per day to 1000 lakh liters per day in 2028-29. He said that in the last three years, India has become the largest milk producing country in the world. One-fourth of the total milk production of the world is produced in India. In the year 2023-24, it has increased to about 24 crore tonnes. In the year 2014-15, this figure was 14.6 crore tonnes. He said that in the last 10 years, milk production has increased from 14.6 crore tonnes to 24 crore tonnes. Today there are 23 national level and 240 district level unions, 28 marketing dairies have been formed and primary milk production committees have also been formed in 2.30 lakh villages.
Shri Amit Shah said that now cooperative dairies are working on the principles of circularity. They will also provide animal feed to farmers who sell milk privately. Cooperative dairies will also vaccinate animals. Cooperative dairies will collect their dung and make gas. When the animal dies, its skin and bones will also be sent to the market through cooperative dairies with the earning coming back to the farmers directly. Work has already started on all these projects at a cost of Rs 10 thousand crore. Shri Shah said that more than 70 percent of the members associated with the dairy sector are women who will be empowered due to economic benefits in sector.
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah said that the previous governments did nothing on the demand for procurement of pulses at the Minimum Support Price (MSP). But Modi Government decided to purchase three pulses from farmers at 100 percent MSP. Shri Shah said that those farmers who get themselves registered through NAFED and NCCF websites are entitled to get this facility. He said similar facility is also extended to maize farmers, who on registering themselves on NAFED and NCCF websites, can offload their 100 per cent produce to the Government at MSP.
Shri Amit Shah said that for the first time we have created a cooperative ranking framework which will provide a dedicated system of performance evaluation in the cooperative sector, which has seven major parameters. He said PACS, dairy, fisheries, urban cooperative, housing credit and Khadi and Village Industries Committees will be covered under the scheme. Now awards for excellence will be given at the district, state and national level for promoting cooperatives. The cooperative entities will be able to get loans from cooperative banks according to their ranking.
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that Prime Minister Modi’s ‘Sahkar se Samriddhi’ is not just a slogan, the Ministry of Cooperation has worked day and night in three and a half years to realise it. He said that in a few months, a very big cooperative taxi service will be started, in which registration of two wheelers, taxis, rickshaws and four wheelers will be possible and the profit will go directly to the driver. He said that soon a cooperative insurance company is also going to be formed which will do the work of insurance in the cooperative system of the country. Shri Shah said that in a short time it will become the largest insurance company in the private sector.
Shri Amit Shah said that the work of registering an institute of Cooperative studies in any part of the country will be done after checking its status. He said that in view of the development and expansion of the cooperative sector, trained human resources are needed and Tribhuvan Sahkari University will work to fulfill this need. After the formation of a cooperative university, its diploma and degree holders will get jobs. Through this university, we will make a big contribution to the domestic as well as global value chain. New age cooperative culture will also start from this university. He said that there are thousands of cooperative education training institutes spread across the country, but none of them has a common course. We have done the work of designing the course keeping in mind the needs of the cooperative sector even before the university was formed. There will also be degree, diploma courses in the university and PhD degrees will also be given. There will also be a one-week certificate course for the existing employees.
Union Minister of Cooperation said that through this bill, cooperative principles and cooperative activities will be expanded. The cooperative sector will benefit from new technology. Research and innovation will also increase and the cooperative sector will be strengthened on the ground. This will also strengthen the rural economy. Shri Amit Shah said that being associated with the name of a great man like Tribhuvan Das, this cooperative university will prove to be a high-quality university. It will work to produce excellent cooperative workers in the country.
Union Minister of Cooperation said that the University will be registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. The country’s first university dedicated to the cooperative sector will be built 75 years after independence and it will have the capacity to provide education to about 8 lakh candidates every year. Colleges affiliated with the university will be opened in almost every district within a year. When 8 lakh people will graduate with diploma, degree or certificate every year, there will be an infusion of new blood in the cooperative movement. Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah said that he has been associated with cooperatives since the age of 18 and has experienced its strengths and weaknesses. He said that Modi Ji is laying the foundation of a prosperous India and this bill will provide a strong structure in it. Shri Shah said that Tribhuvan Das Patel Ji’s vision was that profits in the cooperative sector should reach every poor woman, hence this bill is named after him.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Following is the speech by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, at the Wealth for Good in Hong Kong Summit Gala Dinner today (March 26):
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good evening. What a pleasure it is to be here again with you tonight.
I am sure you all came away inspired by today’s insightful discussions and engaging speakers.
Tonight, let me touch on a recurrent subject that has come up in many of the meetings this week: why Hong Kong and not another city in the region or the Mainland.
Let me explain why.
Under the “one country, two systems” arrangement, Hong Kong is where the China advantage and international advantage converge. For foreign companies seeking to tap the vast consumer market of China and North Asia, Hong Kong is the natural choice.
Take the Greater Bay Area for example. It is home to 87 million people, with a per capita GDP of US$23,000, or US$40,000, on a purchasing power parity basis. Its young population aspires to quality products and services from around the world. It is a massive consumer market. Hong Kong is your gateway to the Mainland market.
At the same time, through the Northbound Connect Schemes, you can also access the Mainland’s stocks, bonds, ETFs (exchange-traded funds) and derivatives via Hong Kong, capturing the emerging investment opportunities in an efficient and familiar business and legal environment.
Our country’s steady and long-term growth prospects are promising, not to mention breakthroughs in technological innovation. The recent DeepSeek phenomenon has very much spoken for this.
“Deep”, indeed, is a key word for Hong Kong’s capital markets.
As a leading fund-raising centre, our stock market boasts a capitalisation of US$5 trillion. It raised US$11 billion through IPOs last year, ranking fourth globally. More leading Mainland tech companies are lining up to list on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. This year, we are expecting to raise US$17 to 20 billion in IPOs.
Consider listing your company on our Stock Exchange. Under the Southbound Connect Schemes, you will be able to access both Mainland and international capital here, greatly enhancing the liquidity and valuation of your stock.
Hong Kong is a city of seamless connectivity. Take a high speed train, and you can reach Shenzhen in 15 minutes, and Guangzhou in 45 minutes. Take a morning plane to Beijing or Shanghai, have a whole day of meetings with your business partners, enjoy a nice dinner and fly back. All in a single day.
The Hong Kong International Airport indeed connects 200 destinations with 1 000 flights each day. Half of the world’s population is within five hours’ reach.
More than business and investments, Hong Kong offers an enviable lifestyle unmatched by other Asian cities.
Our city is home to scenic hills, spectacular hiking trails, stunning beaches and outlying islands. You can walk to our seaside paths and country parks from the very heart of our skyscraper city. And walking in our city is a safe activity. Hong Kong has excellent law and order. It is one of the safest metropolitan cities in the world.
Some 200 Michelin-recommended restaurants are brimming with East and West culinary fare. We don’t impose duty on wine. And duty on spirits has also been lowered just recently.
Hong Kong offers the best education for your children. More than 50 international schools operate in this city, providing a wide range of curricula, including American, British, German-Swiss, Japanese, Korean, and even Singaporean – giving you a plenty of choices. And five of our universities rank among the world’s top 100.
Above all, Hong Kong is the ideal place for you to nurture your biggest dreams. Here, artistry meets ambition, and possibility becomes legacy.
Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for being here, for taking part in this year’s Wealth for Good Summit.
I know you will enjoy tonight’s Gala Dinner and the good people all about you, including the very special musical entertainment waiting in the wings for me to stop talking.
Allow me now to propose a toast, to raise our glasses in celebration: to health and prosperity, to an evening, and a lifetime, blessed with inspiration. Cheers!
The policies of the Government are aimed at ensuring an Open, Safe and Trusted and Accountable Internet for its users. The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) is designated as the national agency under the provisions of section 70B of the Information Technology Act, 2000 for responding to cyber security incidents. On observing cyber security incidents including breaches, CERT-In advises remedial measures to concerned organisations.
As per the Information Technology Act, 2000 (“IT Act”), Critical Information Infrastructure means computer resource whose incapacitation or destruction has debilitating impact on, inter alia, national security. The National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) has been notified as the national nodal agency under the provisions of section 70A of IT Act for Critical Information Infrastructure Protection. NCIIPC has informed that revealing details regarding cybersecurity breaches on critical infrastructure would not be in the interest of the national security.
The Government has taken following initiatives to enhance cybersecurity preparedness in the country which, inter alia, includes:
National Cyber Security Coordinator (NCSC) under the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) to ensure coordination amongst different agencies.
ii.National Cyber Coordination Centre (NCCC) implemented by the CERT-In serves as the control room to scan the cyberspace in the country and detect cyber security threats. NCCC facilitates coordination among different agencies by sharing with them the metadata from cyberspace for taking actions to mitigate cyber security threats.
Cyber Swachhta Kendra (CSK) is a citizen-centric service provided by CERT-In, which extends the vision of Swachh Bharat to the Cyber Space. Cyber Swachhta Kendra is the Botnet Cleaning and Malware Analysis Centre and helps to detect malicious programs and provides free tools to remove the same. It also provides cyber security tips and best practices for citizens and organisations.
Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has created Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) to deal with cybercrimes in a coordinated and effective manner.
CERT-In operates an automated cyber threat intelligence exchange platform for proactively collecting, analysing and sharing tailored alerts with organisations across sectors for proactive threat mitigation actions by them.
CERT-In has formulated a Cyber Crisis Management Plan for countering cyber attacks and cyber terrorism for implementation by all Ministries/ Departments of Central Government, State Governments and their organizations and critical sectors.
Cyber security mock drills are conducted regularly to enable assessment of cyber security posture and preparedness of organisations and enhance resilience in Government and critical sectors. 109 such drills have so far been conducted by CERT-In where 1438 organizations from different States and sectors participated.
CERT-In issues alerts and advisories regarding latest cyber threats/vulnerabilities and countermeasures to protect computers, mobile phones, networks and data on an ongoing basis.
CERT-In has empanelled 200 security auditing organisations to support and audit implementation of Information Security Best Practices.
CERT-In issued guidelines on information security practices for government entities in June 2023 covering domains such as data security, network security, identity and access management, application security, third-party outsourcing, hardening procedures, security monitoring, incident management and security auditing.
CERT-In issued Guidelines for Secure Application Design, Development, and Implementation & Operations in September 2023. CERT-In has also released the Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) guidelines for entities, particularly those in the public sector, government, essential services, organizations involved in software export and software services industry in October 2024 to help organizations know exactly what components are in their software or assets, making it easier to identify and fix vulnerabilities.
CERT-In conducts regular training programmes for network and system administrators and Chief Information Security Officers of government and critical sector organisations regarding securing information technology infrastructure and mitigating cyber-attacks. A total of 12,014 officials have been trained in 23 training programs in 2024.
CERT-In regularly conducts various activities for awareness and citizen sensitization with respect to cyber-attacks and cyber frauds.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology conducts programmes to generate information security awareness. Awareness material in the form of handbooks, short videos, posters, brochures, cartoon stories for children, advisories, etc. on various aspects of cyber hygiene & cyber security including deepfakes are disseminated through portals such as www.staysafeonline.in,www.infosecawareness.in and www.csk.gov.in.
Government has taken following measures to strengthen cooperation with private sector companies and international partners and stakeholders to combat cyber threats, which, inter-alia, includes:
i.The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) initiated Cyber Surakshit Bharat (CSB) programme in Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode to educate & enable the Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) & broader IT community of Central/State Governments, Banks and PSUs to address the challenges of cyber security.
MeitY has set up National Centre of Excellence (NCoE) in Cyber Security in collaboration with Data Security Council of India. NCoE’s primary objective is to make coordinated efforts to catalyze and accelerate cybersecurity technology development and entrepreneurship in the country.
CERT-In collaborates with product and cyber security companies for cyber threat information exchange, development of best practices and capacity building. CERT-In conducts joint cyber security training programs in collaboration with Industry partners to upskill the cyber security workforce in Government, Public and private organizations with the latest skills.
CERT-In co-operates, works and coordinates incident response measures with international CERTs and service providers including private sector companies.
CERT-In is an accredited member of Task Force for Computer Security Incident Response Teams / Trusted Introducer. CERT-In is an operational member of Asia Pacific Computer Emergency Response Teams, a regional forum for Internet security in the Asia-Pacific region. CERT-In is a member of Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams (FIRST), a global forum for cyber security teams.
CERT-In has entered into cooperation arrangements in the form of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with its overseas counterpart agencies for collaborating in the area of cyber security. At present such Memorandum of Understandings (MoU) have been signed with Bangladesh, Egypt, Estonia, Japan, Maldives, Russia, United Kingdom and Vietnam.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology Shri Jitin Prasada in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.