August 2011
Governance central to growth: PM

Analysing the salient points of the draft Approach Paper, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in his address to the Full Planning Commission meeting, in New Delhi, on August 20, highlighted the focus areas of growth and ways to improve the effectiveness of development programmes in the country.
Text of the President's Address:
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“The draft Approach Paper that is before us reflects the directions that had been given during the last meeting of the Planning Commission and the important inputs that have been received from the consultation process. I will only touch on some of the key points that we need to consider carefully.
First, the Commission has examined the range of 9 to 9.5 percent growth rate that we asked it to consider. It has proposed that we should set the Twelfth Plan target at 9 percent. In fact, the Commission has pointed out that given the uncertainties in the global economy and the challenges in the domestic economy, even a 9 percent target is feasible only if we can take some difficult decisions
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'Indian doctors amongst the best in the world.'

elivering the inaugural address at the Conference on Current Concepts in Arthroplasty-2011 and the First Indo- British Knee Meeting organised by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences(AIIMS) on August 19, Vice-President M. Hamid Ansari said the treatment of arthritis in the younger age groups poses a huge challenge to the medical fraternity. Stressing that younger patients lead a more active life making newer demands on prosthetic joints, the Vice President said, “It calls for better and more innovative solutions, newer materials and designs of prostheses, including use of bio-materials and techniques where possible.”.
“Medical interventions must also take into account the social, cultural and religious practices of Indians that determine the diverse patterns of our movement and locomotion,” he added
Complimenting Indian doctors,especially those from AIIMS, Vice President Ansari said that they were
amongst the best in the world as far as delivery of healthcare and research is concerned.The dedication and selfless devotion of the doctors working at this institute,is unparalleled,” he said.
Congratulating the organisers of the conference for their efforts, he hoped that the scientific deliberations held as
part of the conference would greatly contribute to an understanding of disorders of the knee, hip and knee joint replacements. “Joint replacement is a fast evolving specialisation in India and its importance is constantly increasing
with the increase in life expectancy in India, aspiration for an active and economically productive lifestyle even in advanced age, and rise in life style diseases,” the Vice President observed.
He said that that there were approximately 5 million people with activity limiting knee arthritis in India.
“Nearly 45,000 total knee replacements and an almost equal number of hip replacements are performed in India every year. In the coming years, we may, in all probability, be having the maximum number of joint replacementsin the world,” Vice President Ansari said. He thanked Prof. Rajesh Malhotra for inviting him to the conference and wished the participants atthe conference success.
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