New Delhi, May 10: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Amit Shah, reviewed country’s preparedness to deal with potential floods and heat waves in a comprehensive manner during an important high-level meeting held in New Delhi on Sunday.

Adressing the meeting, Union Home Minister Shah said that at least 60 lakes should be included in the plan to develop an early warning system for 30 high-risk lakes in Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, and Sikkim with the support of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). Shri Shah also said that there should be an integrated system for flood forecasting at both the Centre and State levels.

He said that Flood Crisis Management Teams (FCMTs) should be constituted and activated in every state of the country. 

Shah said that the guidelines issued by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) for disasters have led to better awareness and the development of a ‘Whole of Government’ approach, but reviewing compliance with these guidelines at the state, district, and municipal levels can further strengthen their implementation.

He said that the NDMA should conduct a study to assess how many states are following the Ministry of Home Affairs’ directives and the NDMA guidelines for dealing with forest fires, heat waves, and floods.

The Union Home Minister said under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, efforts must be made to implement the vision of Zero Casualty Disaster Management.

He said that greater possibilities for water conservation and improvement in groundwater levels should be explored through water storage and check dam projects.

“Our objective should be to conserve water by constructing check dams on rivers while also minimizing the impact of heat waves,” Shah said.

He said that the CAMPA Fund should be utilised to make efforts aimed at maintaining environmental balance more multi-dimensional.

Shah said that a master plan should be prepared to address the changes in weather patterns caused by climate change and the growing disaster-related challenges arising from them by adopting a ‘Whole of Government’ and ‘Whole of Society’ approach.

He asked the officials of the ministries and departments present in the meeting to focus on consolidating and improving the existing apps and portals instead of creating new ones.

Shah said that weather forecasts and warnings should be disseminated widely and effectively.

The Union Home Minister said that efforts should be made to further improve our assessment of the upcoming monsoon by studying casualties during the monsoon season, the accuracy of our forecasts, and the damage caused to the agriculture sector.

He appreciated the work being carried out by the ministries and departments participating in the meeting, as well as the coordination among them.

Shah said that the time has now come for our weather-related plans to reach the grassroots level.

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has accorded the highest priority to preparedness for reducing the impact of floods and other natural disasters.

Every year, the Union Home Minister conducts a detailed review of pre-flood preparedness, and several important initiatives have been undertaken in accordance with his directions.

These include extending the advance period for rainfall and flood forecasts by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Central Water Commission (CWC) from 3 days to 7 days, as well as improving the standards for heat wave forecasting.

The meeting was attended by Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil, the Union Home Secretary, Secretaries and senior officials of various ministries, members and heads of departments of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the Director Generals of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the Chairpersons of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Central Water Commission (CWC), as well as senior officials from the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) and other concerned departments.

Hyderabad, May 10: Emphasising that the Centre is trying to shield people from the adverse impact of war, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called for measures by citizens to overcome the challenges and to help the country.

Addressing a rally organised by Telangana BJP here, he suggested measures, including judicious use of petrol and diesel, using metro rail services in cities, car pooling, maximum use of EVs, utilising railway services to send parcels, and working from home to save foreign exchange.

Due to the war, prices of petrol and fertiliser increased a lot, he said.

When there is pressure on the supply chain, difficulties increase despite various measures by the government to overcome the crisis, he said.

“That’s why, during the global crisis, keeping the country above all else, we have to take resolutions,” he said.

“We have developed work from home, virtual meetings, video conferencing and many other methods during corona. We got habituated to it. The need of the hour is to resume those methods,” he said.

Stressing the need to save foreign exchange due to the crisis, Modi called for postponing the purchase of gold and foreign visits for one year. “We have to save foreign exchange by any means,” he said.

He also called for reducing consumption of edible oil, reducing use of chemical fertilisers, promoting natural farming and swadeshi products to save foreign exchange and to make the country self-reliant.

Stating that the BJP govt was formed in West Bengal with a massive majority, Modi asserted that he saw Bengal’s enthusiasm in Telangana. He also said that people of Telangana want a change.

“People of West Bengal defeated the dictatorial model,” he said.

When he raised the slogan of ‘Agli baar’ (meaning ‘next time’), the crowd responded saying ‘BJP sarkar’.

Recalling Telangana’s early contribution to his party, Modi said that the state gave one MP when the BJP had only two MPs.

In a scathing attack on Congress, he said the priority of Congress is not to serve people, but it has become the hub of divisive and hatred politics.

“Congress has become more Left than the Left. That means it has become a strong Maoist. It has become more ‘Muslim leagui’ than the Muslim League,” he said.

People now call Congress as ‘MMC – Muslim Leagui, MaoWadi, Congress’, Modi claimed.

New Delhi, May 10: At a high-level meeting on Sunday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said flood crisis management teams (FCMTs) should be constituted and activated in every state.

At the meeting, Shah reviewed the country’s preparedness to deal with potential floods and heatwaves and underlined that efforts should be made to achieve zero-casualty disaster management.

Shah said at least 60 lakes should be included in the plan to develop an early-warning system for 30 high-risk lakes in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim with the National Disaster Management Authority’s (NDMA) support, according to a government statement.

Shah also said there should be an integrated system for flood forecasting at both the central and state levels.

FCMTs should be constituted and activated in every state, the home minister said.

He asked the NDMA to conduct a study to assess how many states are following the ministry’s directives and the NDMA guidelines for dealing with forest fires, heatwaves and floods.

Shah said efforts must be made to implement the vision of zero-casualty disaster management.

Emphasising that greater possibilities for water conservation and improvement in groundwater levels should be explored through water-storage and check-dam projects, he said the objective should be to conserve water by constructing check dams on rivers, while also minimising the impact of heatwaves.

Shah said the CAMPA Fund should be utilised to make efforts aimed at maintaining environmental balance.

He said a master plan should be prepared to address the changes in weather patterns caused by climate change and the growing disaster-related challenges arising from those.

Shah also said weather forecasts and warnings should be disseminated widely and effectively.

Efforts should be made to further improve the assessment of the upcoming monsoon by studying casualties during the season, the accuracy of forecasts and the damage caused to the agriculture sector, he added.

The meeting was attended by Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil, the Union home secretary, secretaries and senior officials of various ministries, members and heads of departments of the NDMA.

Bengaluru, May 10: The Art of Living International Center witnessed a historic gathering today as the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, joined Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to celebrate 45 years of The Art of Living movement and the 70th birthday of its founder.

Prime Minister also inaugurated the magnificent Dhyan Mandir, a unique highvibration meditation space representing one of the world’s largest meditation communities. The dedicated center will allow lakhs of seekers from across countries, cultures and backgrounds to experience deep inner stillness through collective meditation and chanting.

Referring to the newly inaugurated meditation space, Dhyan Mandir, PM Modi said, “I am confident that the Dhyan Mandir that has been inaugurated today will become a center of peace and solace for thousands of people in the coming generations.”

In his keynote address, PM Modi paid rich tribute to Gurudev, describing him as “a living embodiment of India’s timeless tradition of giving, giving knowledge, giving peace, giving hope.” The Prime Minister recalled that whenever he had visited the International Center earlier, he had experienced “the same energy of seva that the Rishis once carried into the world.”

In a light-hearted moment shared with Gurudev, the PM Modi remarked warmly, “Main aapka hii hoon aur jahan hoon woh bhi aapki wajah se hii hoon,(I am yours and I am where I am because of you)” drawing a cheer from the audience.

Speaking about the role of spirituality and mental well-being in nation-building, the Hon. Prime Minister said, “A developed India will be built by youth who are mentally calm, socially responsible and sensitive towards society. Spiritual well-being, mental health, yoga and meditation have a very important role in this journey. Organizations like Art of Living strengthen the feeling of connection, belonging and collective responsibility among people. They also give people the opportunity to know and understand their culture.”

Speaking about the importance of people’s participation in nation-building, he said, “I am confident that the society is more powerful than politics and governments. And any government can be successful only when the society is actively participating in the creation of the nation.”

Appreciating the organisation’s contribution, he said, “It is a great pleasure to see that the Art of Living organization always supports the power of the society.”

Highlighting India’s rapid growth and the role of youth, PM Modi remarked, “Our digital revolution has made India a global leader in digital payment. India has become the third largest ecosystem in the world in terms of start-ups. Our youth are now sending their satellites into space. The biggest reason for such achievements in the country is our youth and the Art of Living. The Art of Living is helping the youth to overcome the challenges of the modern era,” he said.

Welcoming the Prime Minister, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar spoke warmly about the transformation India has witnessed in recent years and the spirit of confidence that has emerged across the nation.

“You have taken steps towards bringing peace in the country and abroad. Today, Mother India and the people of India walk with pride because you have taken India to a new level,” Gurudev said. Referring to national transformation and public participation, Gurudev added, “As soon as you came, you proclaimed ‘Clean India’. Today, the country feels cleaner, more beautiful, more secure, and filled with a renewed sense of confidence.”

Speaking about India’s growing global standing, Gurudev remarked, “Earlier, people abroad would say India could never rise like this. You proved them all wrong.”

“In less than ten years, you transformed India from a country that asked, into a country that gives,” Gurudev added.

Recalling the early days of The Art of Living, Gurudev shared how the organisation’s very foundation reflected a coming together of diverse worldviews. Among the first trustees of The Art of Living were former Chief Justice of India Justice P. N. Bhagwati and Justice V. R. Krishna Iyer. While one was deeply spiritual and the other known to be a committed rationalist, both were drawn to Gurudev’s vision and agreed to serve as founding trustees.

The Prime Minister Modi launched nine nationwide service initiatives aimed at bringing inclusive development across education, youth and women empowerment, reforestation, environmental conservation, tribal welfare, healthcare, prison reform and digital literacy.

Under Mission Green Earth, The Art of Living has already planted more than 90 lakh saplings across 19 states and 121 districts in the last year. It now aims to plant 45 lakh moringa saplings and 17,500 Panchavati sets comprising 87,500 sacred trees including Banyan, Peepal, Neem, Mango and Audumbar to strengthen climate resilience, biodiversity and community participation.

The organisation also launched 12 RuTAGe Smart Village Centers across 11 states as holistic rural transformation hubs. Through its Youth Leadership Program and Women Leadership Program, it aims to train 50,000 youth and women in leadership and highdemand technical skills, building on an existing impact of over 6 lakh beneficiaries.

The Sri Abhayam Project is being expanded into a 450-village tribal welfare mission focused on healthcare, education and livelihoods, while the Gram Digital Sevak Initiative will train village youth to help rural communities access welfare schemes, tele-health and digital services through AI-enabled tools.

Nine telemedicine centres are also being launched across several states to improve specialist healthcare access in underserved regions.

The Art of Living further announced the expansion of its prison reform initiatives through 1,000 programmes across 550 prisons benefiting nearly 60,000 inmates and staff with trauma relief and vocational training.

Its free education network, which currently spans 1,356 schools across 22 states and reaches over 1.2 lakh children in 2,754 villages, will now expand to 2,000 schools. Women empowerment initiatives that have already impacted over 6 lakh women and girls across India are also being scaled up with a goal to reach 10 lakh women and girls nationwide.

The month-long celebrations have brought together over one lakh participants from 182 countries, including Union Ministers, Governors, Members of Parliament, entrepreneurs, civil servants, farmers, prison inmates rehabilitated through Art of Living programmes and international delegates. Some of the dignitaries include Sukanto Majumdar, Union Minister of State for Education; Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Gov of India; included Ajay Kumar Bhalla, Manipur Governor; Nand Kishore Yadav, Governor, Nagaland; Lt. Gen. Gurmit Singh (Retd.) Governor, Uttarakhand; Niranjan Hiranandani, Chairman, Hiranandani Group; among other illustrious leaders.

Across four and a half decades, The Art of Living has grown into one of the largest volunteer-driven humanitarian movements reaching more than a billion lives in 182 countries through breath, meditation, education and grassroots service. Today’s gathering was an affirmation of the simple yet powerful idea that a calmer mind, a kinder society and a healthier planet is possible.