New Delhi, June 22: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday called for India to more than double its share in global exports from the current 1.6 per cent to 3.4 per cent.

Speaking after laying the foundation stone of Vanijya Bhawan, a new office complex for the Department of Commerce, here, he said the Department must resolve to raise India's share in total global exports to at least 3.4 per cent and the states must be made active partners in the effort, the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement. 

Besides, efforts must be made to raise domestic manufacturing output to reduce imports, said Modi, citing the example of electronics manufacturing. He also said that the Union government has taken a number of steps to boost domestic manufacturing.

Listing various macro-economic parameters and other indicators to explain how India is playing an important role in the global economy, Modi said the country is now among the top five fin-tech countries globally.

He said the government has made great progress in making the country investment-friendly. Subjects such as "Ease of Trading" and "Ease of Doing Business" are all related to "Ease of Living" in an interconnected world, he said.

Noting that the building will be completed before December 2019, he hoped the new office, which will be a completely networked and paperless and equipped with smart access control, will further facilitate elimination of silos in India's commerce sector. 

Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu tweeted: "Happy that PM Narendra Modiji has laid the foundation stone to Vanijya Bhawan. Once completed, the building will be a modern, eco-friendly structure with its entire roof used for solar power generation, zero waste discharge, offering universal accessibility." 

The Bhawan will comprise the Minister's room, 85 cabins for senior officers, 19 meeting rooms with seating capacities ranging from 10 to 100, library and more than 1,000 workstations.

Modi also said the land on which the building is being constructed was earlier occupied by Directorate General of Supplies and Disposal. This is replaced by the Government e-Marketplace (GeM), which has seen transactions worth Rs 8,700 crore in a short time. 

He urged the Department of Commerce to work towards further expansion of GeM and leverage it for the benefit of the country's MSME sector.

 

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New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court Collegium on Monday recommended appointment of Justice D Krishnakumar, currently serving as a judge of the Madras High Court, as the chief justice of the Manipur High Court.

The Collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and comprising Justices B R Gavai and Surya Kant, took the decision in a meeting held on Monday.

A vacancy in the office of the chief justice of the High Court of Manipur would arise consequent upon the retirement of Justice Siddharth Mridul on November 21, 2024. Therefore, appointment to that office is required to be made, the Collegium noted.

"It is proposed to appoint Mr. Justice D Krishnakumar, presently serving as a Judge of the Madras High Court, as the Chief Justice of High Court of Manipur with effect from the date on which the incumbent Chief Justice demits office on retirement," it said.

"Mr. Justice D. Krishnakumar was appointed as a Judge of the Madras High Court on 07th April 2016 and is due to retire on 21st May 2025.

"He is the senior-most puisne Judge in his parent High Court and belongs to a Backward Community. Before his elevation as a Judge of the High Court, he had extensive practice in civil, Constitutional and service matters in the High Court, with specialisation in Constitutional law," it added.

The Collegium noted that Justice Krishnakumar is a competent judge with sound legal acumen and is endowed with high level of integrity and honesty.

"While recommending the name of Mr. Justice D. Krishnakumar, the Collegium has also taken into consideration the fact that at present there is only one Chief Justice from the Madras High Court among the Chief Justices of the High Courts.

"Having regard to all relevant factors, the Collegium is of the considered view that Mr. Justice D. Krishnakumar is fit and suitable in all respects for being appointed as the Chief Justice of High Court of Manipur," it said.

"The Collegium, therefore, resolves to recommend that Justice D Krishnakumar be appointed as the Chief Justice of High Court of Manipur consequent upon the retirement of Mr. Justice Siddharth Mridul on 21st November 2024," it said.