PM Modi flags off 100 'kisan drones', says new drone start-up culture rising in country
New Delhi (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed confidence that India's rising capability in the drone sector will give the world a new leadership, as he flagged off 100 'kisan drones' in different parts of the country for spraying pesticides and other farm materials.
Modi launched the drones on Friday with officials describing it as a "very novel and exciting initiative" for farmers.
In his speech, the prime minister said a new culture of drone start-ups is getting ready in India. Their numbers will soon be in thousands from over 200 now, leading to the generation of employment opportunities on a massive scale.
He said his government will ensure that there is no impediment in the sector's development and has already undertaken several reforms and policy measures to facilitate its rise.
This is an example of how high the country can fly if policies are right, Modi said, noting that drones were mostly associated with the defence sector until a few years back.
This is a new chapter in providing modern farming facilities in the 21st century, and not only will it prove to be a milestone in the development of the drone sector but also open infinite possibilities, he said.
The prime minister said his government did not waste time on apprehensions about opening up the drone sector but trusted India's young talent and moved ahead with a new mindset. He said his government has given priority to technology and innovations in the Budget and policy measures.
Noting that drones have diverse usages, Modi said, they have been used in the 'Swamitva Yojana' aimed at creating a record of land ownership in villages and transporting medicines and vaccines.
He said 'kisan drones' are the beginning of a new revolution. Farmers can use high-capacity drones in the coming times to transport their produce like fruits, vegetables and flowers to markets in a minimal time, boosting their income.
Prime Minister @narendramodi flags off 100 Kisan drones to spray pesticides in farms across the country pic.twitter.com/0jMrUmIqSu
— PIB India (@PIB_India) February 19, 2022
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Congress using hijab issue to pacify minority anger, alleges Karnataka LoP R Ashoka
Bengaluru: Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashoka has accused the Congress government of using the hijab issue to placate what he described as discontent among minority voters after the Davanagere by-election.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Ashoka alleged that the state government, instead of addressing issues such as price rise, corruption, farmers’ distress and law and order, was attempting to retain its minority vote base by reviving the hijab issue.
Referring to the 2022 dress code introduced by the BJP government, which prohibited hijab in schools and colleges, Ashoka said the Karnataka High Court had upheld the policy and emphasised the importance of discipline in educational institutions.
He questioned the Congress government’s move to revisit the issue and asked whether setting aside the court-backed policy to benefit one community could be described as secularism.
Ashoka further alleged that while the government was willing to permit hijab, it continued to prohibit saffron shawls.
He accused the government of dividing students on religious lines rather than treating schools and colleges as spaces of equality.
Drawing a comparison with Mamata Banerjee’s government in West Bengal, Ashoka claimed that excessive appeasement politics had harmed the state and warned that the Congress in Karnataka could face a similar political response.
He said voters in Karnataka would teach the Congress a lesson for what he termed “vote-bank politics” and for compromising constitutional and judicial principles.
