Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday hailed India’s achievement of having 100 Ramsar sites, saying the milestone reflects the country’s unwavering commitment to protecting its natural surroundings and conserving vital wetlands.

The achievement comes with the designation of the Jai Prakash Narayan Bird Sanctuary (Surha Tal) in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh, as India’s 100th Ramsar site.

The Prime Minister said the wetland is rich in avifaunal biodiversity and attracts a large number of migratory and resident birds.

In a post on X, PM Modi described the development as a significant accomplishment in India’s environmental conservation journey and said sustained efforts to conserve and rejuvenate wetlands have been strengthened through community participation, science, innovation and awareness initiatives. He said these collective efforts are helping preserve biodiversity, maintain ecological balance and create a greener future for coming generations.

The Prime Minister noted that the growing number of Ramsar sites highlights India’s focus on protecting ecologically sensitive ecosystems while promoting sustainable development. The inclusion of the Jai Prakash Narayan Bird Sanctuary further strengthens the country’s network of internationally recognised wetlands.

Shimla/Chandigarh, Jun 5: Tremors were felt in parts of Kangra, Chamba and adjoining districts in Himachal Pradesh after a 5.0 magnitude earthquake of moderate intensity hit the region on Friday night.

The depth of the earthquake, which struck about 40 km from Dharamsala near the Kangra- Chamba border about 10:30 pm, was 5 km, the meteorological office said, adding that the epicentre was located near Dhar Godoi in Kangra.

People in Dharamsala and nearby areas ran out of their houses in panic after the tremors were felt, though no loss of life or property has been reported from any part of the state so far, officials said.

The Kangra and Chamba districts fall under Seismic Zone 5, a high-damage risk zone.

Tremors were also felt in Chandigarh and parts of Punjab and Haryana, reports said.

A Chandigarh resident, Baldev Chand, who lives on the second floor of a three-storey building, said he felt a mild tremor when he was about to sleep.

“The tremors lasted only for a few seconds,” he said.

Daman, Jun 5: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the 7.7 per cent GDP growth for fiscal 2025-26 shows the foundation of India’s economy was strong, and the country can manage itself amidst the ongoing global turmoil with the collective effort of its 140 crore citizens.

He maintained that India is the fastest growing major economy in the world.

Modi said India clocked 7.7 per cent GDP growth in the fiscal year 2025-26, while the expansion was 7.8 per cent in the January-March quarter.

“The news that has come today makes it clear how strong the foundation of India’s economy is,” he said while speaking at an event in Daman, where he launched development projects of Rs 2,970 crore and inaugurated a new terminal of the airport in the Union Territory.

“I left Delhi this morning, but the (GDP) figures that have come in front of me are really making me happy, and I also want to share this happiness with you,” Modi told the gathering.

Even in this bad phase of global crisis, India is managing itself well with the collective efforts of its 140 crore citizens, the PM asserted in comments coming in the backdrop of the more than three-month-old conflict in West Asia which has disrupted global energy supplies.

The reform express that this country is running on, the amount of infrastructure that is being developed, the amount of work that is being done for the welfare of the poor at all levels have resulted in the country becoming the fastest moving among major economies, the PM said.

“I assure countrymen that despite the global crisis, India will continue to move forward at a fast pace with the same determination on the path of reform, performance and transformation. This is my guarantee to the people of the country,” Modi asserted.

While development is important for his government, it is equally important that such a development model is sustainable, Modi pointed out.

He said the first test of development for the NDA government is the change in the lives of the poor, tribals and middle class, and for this, the health sector remains its utmost priority.

Modi maintained that before 2014, when he assumed office, only 60 per cent of children were fully vaccinated in the country, but today this figure has risen to nearly 90 per cent.

On improvement in institutional deliveries, he pointed out that more than 90 per cent of the child births are now taking place in hospitals.

Women have benefited the most from health schemes, he added.

He said the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu is also the identity and heritage of India, and the government is focused on its development.

The UT is dreaming of developing like Singapore, and infrastructure projects like NAMO airport, the iconic bridge on Damanganga river, and the convention centre will lay the foundation of a new vision about its future, he said.

“There will be huge opportunities here from the hospitality economy. The vision that we have prepared for the blue economy in this region will also come true with the help of high tech infrastructure,” he said.

Daman has also seen reforms in the education sector, and many efforts are being taken to encourage girls to continue education, he said.

“Our preparations of today will strengthen Indian workforce in the fields of design, law, engineering, medical education, IT, drone and renewable energy. For this, expansion of professional institutes is vital,” he said.

The PM said India is focused on tourism, and small places are being connected with big opportunities, with heritage tourism, beach tourism, eco tourism, and adventure tourism getting new energy.

The UT of DNH, Daman and Diu provides huge opportunity for growth in the sector, and is benefiting from policies as it has seen nearly 10-time growth in tourist footfall within a few years, Modi pointed out.

The projects Modi dedicated span healthcare, civil aviation, tourism, infrastructure, connectivity and public welfare sectors, including a new terminal building of NAMO Airport, the NAMO Hospital, an iconic bridge, the Daman convention centre and the NIFT campus at Daman.

Modi also laid the foundation stone of important projects costing Rs 885 crore for the Union Territory of Lakshadweep. These projects include development of port facilities on the eastern and western sides of Kalpeni and Kadmat islands there.

New Delhi, June 05: The National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS), an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Learning Links Foundation (LLF) to implement the Amazon Future Engineer (AFE) programme across Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs) in the country.

The partnership between NESTS and Learning Links Foundation to implement the Amazon Future Engineer programme has impacted approximately 80,000 students of Classes VI to IX from 2022 till date. Building on the success of this collaboration, the renewed MoU, effective from 1st April 2026 to 31st March 2028, marks another significant step towards strengthening digital and technological education among tribal students through Amazon’s corporate philanthropy initiative in India.

Under this collaboration, the programme will expand to cover 443 EMRSs, and is expected to impact over 2 lakh students from Classes VI to IX, with a focus on building foundational and advanced skills in emerging technologies.

Beyond AI curriculum integration, Amazon is also collaborating with the NESTS to strengthen digital infrastructure across underserved schools. Under this initiative, more than 284 refurbished laptops were provided to teachers of EMRSs during AY 2024–25. Building on this effort, in AY 2026-27, 900+ digital devices will be provided to 238 EMRSs enabling access to technology-enabled learning for tribal students.

The AFE programme will cover three key components: Computer Science Fundamentals: Introducing coding, computational thinking, and problem-solving skills; Artificial Intelligence (AI) Literacy: Building awareness of AI concepts through experiential and project-based learning; and Career Exposure: Providing insights into technology-driven career pathways through virtual industry exposure and career introduction.

The programme adopts an activity-based and experiential learning approach, enabling students to connect classroom learning with real-world applications and fostering innovation and critical thinking.

As part of the initiative, Learning Links Foundation (LLF) will provide teacher training, academic support, and mentoring through qualified resource persons, along with continuous monitoring and feedback mechanisms to ensure effective implementation.

NESTS will ensure the nomination and active participation of EMRS teachers in the capacity-building programme, and support the effective implementation of the AFE curriculum across participating schools through strong coordination with EMRS teachers.

This collaboration reflects the Government’s commitment to bridging the digital divide and promoting inclusive, technology-enabled education for tribal students, while enhancing their digital literacy, computational thinking, and career readiness, and enabling them to explore opportunities in emerging technology sectors.

Agartala, Jun 5: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said the government’s “smart border” project is in the final stage, and the new security grid will feature cutting-edge tech, local administration and border sentinels.

Shah, addressing BSF personnel at Lankamura Border Outpost in Tripura, said wherever troops of the force is deployed, “we will build smart borders there”.

“Smart borders will be introduced soon with a new security grid to include cutting-edge tech, local administration and border sentinels,” the home minister said.

“The concept of smart border will be implemented in seven to eight places of the country as a pilot project. I request the Union home secretary and the director general of the BSF to visit border areas, and hold talks,” Shah said.

Shah said every border has its own challenges, from human trafficking and arms smuggling to drug supply, “but the BSF jawans do their best to face these challenges”.

“To make India a ‘viksit’ (developed) nation by 2047, we have to stop the entry of fake notes, human trafficking and drugs smuggling from across the borders,” the senior BJP leader said.

Shah had in May said the government will launch a tech-enabled “smart border” project by the next year to make the 6,000-km fronts with Pakistan and Bangladesh impenetrable, and ensure that the “conspiracy” to change the demography of the country is defeated.

“The government of India has decided that not only will we stop infiltration, but we will find each and every infiltrator and send them out of the country,” the home minister had said.

“I want to assure BSF troops that we will launch the smart border project within the 60th year of its raising, and we will make the Bangladesh and Pakistan borders impenetrable through major technical assistance,” Shah had said in New Delhi on May 22, while delivering the annual Rustamji Memorial lecture hosted by the BSF.

The “smart border” will use technology, drones, radars and smart cameras to help create an impenetrable border, he told the gathering.