Page 8 - Jairam Ramesh

Election rules row: SC seeks govt, poll panel reply on Jairam Ramesh's plea

The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought responses from the Centre and the poll panel on Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh's plea against the recent amendments, including no public access to CCTV, to the 1961 election rules. A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar took note of the submissions of senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Ramesh, and issued notices on the plea. The bench said it would hear the plea in the week commencing March 17. Singhvi said amendments to the 1961 Conduct of Election Rules were made "very cleverly" and barred any access to CCTV footage claiming it would reveal the identity of the voter. He said voting choices were never revealed and the CCTV footage couldn't reveal votes. The senior lawyer urged the bench to ask the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Centre to file their responses before the next date of hearing else they would come and say "reply is needed to be filed" on tha

Draconian, anti-Constitution: Cong on UGC draft rules for V-C appointments

The Congress on Tuesday termed the draft UGC regulations for appointment of teachers and academic staff in universities and colleges "draconian and anti-Constitution", and demanded that those be withdrawn immediately. Congress general secretary, communications, Jairam Ramesh said the University Grants Commission (UGC) has recently published the draft UGC (Minimum Qualifications for Appointment and Promotion of Teachers and Academic Staff in Universities and Colleges and Measures for the Maintenance of Standards in Higher Education) Regulations, 2025. "Among its many disastrous ideas include the following -- Removal of the 10 per cent ceiling on contractual professorships, opening the gates for the large-scale contractualisation of teaching in higher education. This is going to destroy the quality of our institutions and the spirit of academic independence," he said in a post on X. The former Union minister claimed that the draft rules also propose withdrawal of all powers of the sta

SC to hear Jairam Ramesh's petition against Election rules change on Jan 15

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh's writ petition in the Supreme Court challenging the recent amendments to the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, will come up for hearing in the apex court on Wednesday. The matter will come up for hearing before the bench headed by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna on January 15, according to the cause list uploaded on the Supreme Court website. The Congress had filed the writ petition in the Supreme Court last month challenging the recent amendments to the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961 and expressed hope that the apex court will help restore the "fast eroding" integrity of the electoral process. The government has tweaked an election rule to prevent public inspection of certain electronic documents such as CCTV camera and webcasting footage as well as video recordings of candidates to prevent their misuse. AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh, who has filed the petition, had said, "The integrity of the electoral process is fast eroding.

PM Modi doing 'damage control' with 'not God' remarks, says Jairam Ramesh

Ramesh reacted to PM Narendra Modi's recent interview with a social media influencer, where he said that human beings were prone to making mistakes, including him since he was not a God

Pvt sector reluctant to invest in India as no-confidence in govt: Cong

The private sector's reluctance to invest in India is a corporate motion of no-confidence in the Narendra Modi government, the Congress claimed on Monday. The opposition party also urged the government to take measures in the upcoming Union budget to stimulate and sustain domestic investment in the country that, it claimed, was on the decline. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the investment environment in India had been sluggish in the "Modi decade". In a post on X, he said the Gross Fixed Capital Formation had fallen from an average of 32 per cent of GDP during Manmohan Singh's prime ministerial decade to consistently being below 29 per cent of GDP in the past 10 years. "Investment is sluggish because mass consumption is not accelerating, tax and other authorities are threatening and intimidating businesses, and because of the growing perception that only four-five business groups can grow in the Modi regime," he said. "Now comes fresh eviden

Biren Singh hits back at Congress, accuses past leaders for Manipur crisis

Manipur CM Biren Singh apologised for the ongoing unrest, blaming Congress' past actions. He responded to Jairam Ramesh's criticism, citing political neglect by Congress leaders

Cong attacks Centre over depreciation in value of rupee against dollar

The Congress on Monday attacked the government over depreciation in the value of the rupee against the US dollar and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has nothing to say now even though he had resorted to personal attacks against former prime minister Manmohan Singh when the Indian currency had fallen during the UPA term. AICC general secretary, communications, Jairam Ramesh also recalled the words of Modi in 2013 when he had claimed that UPA leadership has become directionless and are neither worried about the country's defence nor the value of its currency, but are "only worried about saving their chair". "The then-biological CM of Gujarat had run a loud campaign against the depreciation of the rupee vis-a-vis the dollar in 2014 even resorting to personal attacks on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to score political points. On 16 May, 2014, the rupee closed at Rs 58.58 per USD. "Ten years later, the rupee has touched an all time-low of 85.27 per USD. The INR has achieved the ...

Memorial space for Manmohan will be allocated: Centre amid BJP-Congress row

he Centre has assured space for Manmohan Singh memorial as BJP accused Congress of politicising his death; Congress calls delay in site allocation disrespectful to the late leader

Not having memorial for Singh a deliberate insult to 1st Sikh PM: Ramesh

The Congress on Friday said that not finding a location for the cremation and memorial for Manmohan Singh is a deliberate insult to the country's first Sikh prime minister. The Congress raked up the issue after the Union home ministry said in a statement that Singh's last rites will be held at New Delhi's Nigambodh Ghat at 11:45 AM on Saturday with full state honours. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said party president Mallikarjun Kharge wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to conduct Singh's last rites at a location where a memorial could be built to honour his legacy. "The people of our country are simply unable to understand why the Government of India could not find a location for his cremation and memorial that is befitting of his global stature, record of outstanding achievements, and exemplary service to the nation for decades," Ramesh said in a post on X. "This is nothing but a deliberate insult to the first Sikh Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan

CWC meeting: Cong to rededicate itself to protect Mahatma Gandhi's legacy

Ahead of its extended CWC meeting here, the Congress on Thursday said it will rededicate itself to protect, preserve, and promote Mahatma Gandhi's legacy which is under "systematic assault by the ideological brotherhood that fought him bitterly". In a bid to get battle-ready for challenges ahead, the Congress will decide on an action plan for the next year at its CWC meeting named 'Nav Satyagraha Baithak' being held in Karnataka's Belagavi to mark the 100th anniversary of the Belgaum session presided over by Mahatma Gandhi. The opposition party has asserted that the "insult" to B R Ambedkar by Home Minister Amit Shah will be taken up for deliberation at Belagavi and that there will be a "strong follow-up" on the issue. In a post on X, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "Mahatma Gandhi took over as President of @INCIndia on Dec 26th, 1924 - 100 years ago at what was then called Belgaum, now Belgavi. It was a historic session." "Today the Extended

Congress moves Supreme Court against changes to Election Rules, 1961

Congress has filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court challenging the Centre's recent amendments to the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, citing concerns over electoral transparency

How to tax popcorn? FM's formula sparks outrage against GST system

A finance ministry spokesperson, the GST Council Secretariat and a spokesman for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party did not respond to requests for comment on the controversy

Why is ECI afraid of transparency, asks Cong after election rule tweak

The Congress on Saturday hit out at the Election Commission for tweaking an election rule to prevent public inspection of certain electronic documents such as CCTV camera and webcasting footage, asking why the poll panel was afraid of transparency. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the party would legally challenge amendment. "If there was ever a vindication of our assertions regarding the rapidly eroding integrity of the electoral process managed by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in recent times, this is it," Ramesh said in a post on X. Sharing a December 20 notification, the Congress leader said, "This move of the ECI will be challenged legally right away." The government has tweaked an election rule to prevent public inspection of certain electronic documents such as CCTV camera and webcasting footage as well as video recordings of candidates to prevent their misuse. Based on the recommendation of the poll panel, the Union law minist

They chant Nehru's name... Cong on Shah's remarks in Parliament on Ambedkar

The Congress leader also asserted that the first Constitutional Amendments in 1951 were brought to promote social reform

PM Modi invokes Nehru to distract attention from his own 'failures': Cong

The Congress on Sunday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, charging that defamation of Jawaharlal Nehru and minimum democratic governance was his model. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said Prime Minister Modi has an "obsession" with Nehru as he invokes him to distract the nation's attention from his own failures and current challenges on which he maintains a complete silence. The Congress attack on the prime minister came a day after he attacked the party during the debate on the 'Glorious 75 year journey of India's Constitution'. "It was the famous French philosopher Voltaire who had first said that if God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent Him.For our self-anointed divinity - if Nehru had not existed, it would have been necessary to invent him," Ramesh said. The Congress leader asked what would the prime minister do without Nehru, for whom he has a pathological obsession? "Nehru is necessary to distract the nation's attention from His own failures.

Congress demands debate in Parliament on full gamut of India-China ties

Attacking the government over its statement in Parliament on India-China ties, the Congress on Sunday asked whether the Modi government has agreed to a "new normal" over the "old normal" prevailing prior to April 2020 and demanded that Parliament must be given an opportunity to debate the full gamut of the relationship between the two countries. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said a discussion in Parliament on India-China relationship should focus on both strategic and economic policy, especially since our dependence on China has increased economically, even as it unilaterally changed the status quo on our borders over four years back. In a statement, Ramesh said the Congress has studied the recent suo motu statement made by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in both Houses of Parliament titled "Recent Developments in India's Relations with China". It is unfortunate, but typical of the Modi government, that MPs were not permitted to seek any ..

Not only India but idea of Nehru itself needs to be defended: Jairam Ramesh

Both detractors and admirers of Jawaharlal Nehru are living in his shadow and, since 2014, the story is one of governance through maximum criticism of the country's first prime minister, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said on Wednesday. Speaking at the launch of writer-scholar Aditya Mukherjee's "Nehru's India", the Congress general secretary said one of the biggest takeaways from the book was that "not only the idea of India but the idea of Nehru itself needs to be defended". "...needs to be defended from its old critics, from its new critics, and it has to be reinterpreted for a changing India. I just want to say that we all live in the shadow of Nehru. Many of us have assimilated Nehru and many of us contest Nehru. And even those who contest Nehru cannot run away from the shadow of Nehru," the Rajya Sabha MP said. The book, published by Penguin, focuses on Nehru's understanding of history and India's cultural past while offering a window into his understanding of communalis

Oppn wants discussion but govt running away: Cong amid Parliament deadlock

The Congress on Monday accused the treasury benches of "running away" from a discussion in Parliament on issues such as the Adani indictment and Sambhal violence, and said the government simply did not want Parliament to function. Both Houses of Parliament were adjourned on Monday amid continued protests by the opposition, which demanded a discussion on the indictment of industrialist Gautam Adani in a US court on bribery charges and the Sambhal violence, which claimed four lives. Congress general secretary in-charge, communications, Jairam Ramesh said, "Today too both Houses got adjourned. INDIA parties had given notices for an immediate discussion on Adani, Manipur, Sambhal, and Ajmer. These parties never agitated. There was hardly any sloganeering. But the Modi government simply did not want Parliament to function." "The situation is truly extraordinary. The Opposition wants a discussion but the government is running away from it," Ramesh said. He said opposition INDIA bloc part

Govt cooperating in getting Parliament adjourned, alleges Jairam Ramesh

On November 29, amid continuous sloganeering by opposition MPs in both Houses for the fourth straight day, Parliament was adjourned till December 2 (Monday), failing to conduct substantial business

Congress slams govt over 're-exploration' of J&K lithium reserves

The Congress on Saturday took a swipe at the Centre over the Geological Survey of India reportedly asked to conduct a re-exploration of the lithium reserves discovered in Jammu and Kashmir, saying this is typical of the way the "headline-obsessed" Modi government functions. Congress general secretary in-charge Communications Jairam Ramesh said it was a case of premature celebration. "Aap yeh chronology samajhiye: On February 13, 2023 the Modi government announced 'in typically grand fashion' the discovery of what it called one of the world's largest known lithium reserves in J&K. In November 2023, first auctions were conducted. The minimum requirement of three bids was not met and the auction was cancelled," Ramesh said in a post on X. In March 2024, a second round of auctions was announced but in July 2024 it was revealed this had not attracted even a single bid, he pointed out. In October 2024, the Geological Survey of India was directed to conduct a re-exploration of what had ..