New Delhi (PTI): Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday proposed Rs 10,000 crore investment in the biopharma sector over the next five years, a move which would give a boost to the country's pharmaceuticals industry.

Biopharmaceuticals, or biologics, are complex medicines manufactured from living organisms, cells, or tissues rather than through chemical synthesis.

She also proposed interventions in six areas, including manufacturing, strategic and frontier sectors, healthcare and advanced technology.

The minister added that semiconductor mission 2.0 will focus on producing equipment and materials designed for full-stack Indian IP (intellectual property).

The India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) is a specialized, autonomous business division within Digital India Corporation under Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), designed to build a sustainable semiconductor and display ecosystem.

Sitharaman also announced support for mineral rich states of Odisha, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu to establish critical mineral facilities.

She added that 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' is the third Kartavya of the government.

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Bhatkal: The Karnataka unit of the All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has welcomed the Karnataka government’s decision to strictly ban school children from dancing to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes in government, aided, and private schools across the state.

AIITA Karnataka State President M. R. Manvi congratulated the government for taking what he termed an important step to preserve the sanctity of education.

“Such decisions to safeguard the dignity of school children and uphold the values of education are the need of the hour. This rule should not be limited to government schools alone but must be strictly implemented in all private educational institutions as well,” he said.

He further urged the government to address other concerns within school programmes.

“The government should not only prohibit obscene dances in the name of school anniversaries, but also ensure that plays and dialogues that incite religious hatred are avoided. Schools should be centres of harmony, not platforms for spreading hatred,” he added.

According to a recent circular issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, obscene dances are adversely affecting the mental health and moral values of students.

In this regard, schools have been advised to use songs that promote nationalism, positive thinking, the greatness of Kannada culture, and value-based traditions instead of inappropriate content during programmes.
The circular also emphasises that students should be dressed in decent attire.

AIITA also backed the department’s warning that disciplinary action would be taken against head teachers if such guidelines are violated. The association has further demanded that district Deputy Directors of Public Instruction strictly monitor the implementation of these rules.