Page 6 - Kiren Rijiju

No talks with Centre on relocating Chakma, Hajong refugees in state: CM

The central government has not discussed anything over the relocation of Chakma and Hajong refugess in Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma claimed on Tuesday. His statement comes following Union minister Kiren Rijiju's remarks that there has been talks to relocate these refugees from Arunachal Pradesh to Assam after the implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA). "I don't know what Rijiju has said, but the government of India has not discussed these matters with us. Rijiju might have perhaps said something in view of the political situation in Arunachal Pradesh," Sarma told reporters on the sidelines of a poll campaign meeting. The CM also maintained that there is no land available to re-settle the refugees and added, "No one from Chakma or Hajong communities has met me nor has the government of India discussed it with me. I will speak with Rijiju about the matter after the elections." Sarma said Assamese people residing in Arunachal Pradesh, numbering about ...

LS polls: 8 Union ministers, 2 former CMs, 1 ex-Guv in fray in first phase

Eight Union ministers, two former chief ministers and one ex-governor are among those who are set to test their electoral fate in the first phase of elections on April 19 when 102 seats across 21 states and Union territories will go to polls. Union Road and Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari is seeking a hat-trick of win from the Nagpur seat. In 2014, he had defeated seven-time MP Vilas Muttemwar by a margin of 2.84 lakh votes and retained the seat in 2019 by defeating current Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole by 2.16 lakh votes. Union minister Kiren Rijiju is contesting from the Arunachal West seat. The 52-year-old has represented the constituency thrice since 2004. Rijiju's main rival is former chief minister and present president of Arunachal Pradesh Congress Nabam Tuki. Sarbanada Sonowal, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, is seeking a return to Lok Sabha from Dibrugarh in Assam. Sonowal, a Rajya Sabha member, was fielded from Dibrugarh after Union Minister of .

Union minister Rijiju files nomination from Arunachal West Lok Sabha seat

Union minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday filed his nomination as the BJP candidate for the Arunachal West parliamentary constituency. Rijiju filed his papers at Aalo, the headquarters of West Siang district, election officials said. The Union Minister of Earth Sciences and Food Processing Industries was accompanied by Chief Minister Pema Khandu and MLAs Kento Jini and Nyamar Karbak. Arunachal Pradesh will have simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly polls in the first phase on April 19. The northeastern state has two Lok Sabha seats and 60 assembly constituencies. I appeal to the people to participate in the electoral process peacefully, Rijiju told reporters after filing his nomination. Former chief minister and president of the Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC), Nabam Tuki, also filed his nomination from the Arunachal West seat. Counting of votes for the assembly polls would take place on June 2, and for the Lok Sabha elections on June 4.

Kiren Rijiju takes additional charge of food processing industries ministry

Earth Sciences Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday took additional charge as the Union Minister of Food Processing Industries. Earlier in the day, President Droupadi Murmu accepted the resignation of Union Food Processing Industries Minister Pashupati Kumar Paras. After this, Rijiju was given the additional charge of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries. In a post on social media platform 'X', Rijiju thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for assigning him the additional responsibility of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries. "While we are in the midst of seeking people's blessings for Modi ji to serve the people of India, we will not waste a single moment to make India 3rd biggest economy of the world in Modi ji's 3rd term and to fulfill his ultimate target to make India a fully developed nation by 2047 #ViksitBharat," he said. In another post on X, Rijiju said, "I have formally assumed the office as Minister of Food Processing Industries. Had meeting with Secretary and

President Murmu accepts Pashupati Paras' resignation as union minister

President Droupadi Murmu, on Wednesday, accepted the resignation of Pashupati Kumar Paras from the Union Council of Ministers with immediate effect.According to an official release, the President of India, as advised by the Prime Minister accepted the resignation under clause (2) of Article 75 of the Constitution.Further, as advised by the Prime Minister, the President has directed that Kiren Rijiju, Cabinet Minister, be assigned the charge of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, in addition to his existing portfolio.Yesterday, Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP) President Pashupati Kumar Paras resigned as union minister, a day after his party was denied any seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Bihar.Speaking to ANI, the RLJP President said, "Yesterday, the NDA alliance announced the list of 40 candidates for Bihar Lok Sabha...Our party had five MPs & I worked with utmost sincerity...Injustice has been done with us & our party. Therefore, I resign from the .

India's Samudrayaan set to explore ocean bed by 2025 end: Kiren Rijiju

India should be able to send its scientists to study the deep ocean 6 km under the sea surface in its own Samudrayaan by the end of next year, Earth Sciences Minister Kiren Rijiju has said. In a video interview to PTI, Rijiju said India's deep-ocean submersible Matsya6000, which will take humans up to a depth of 6,000 meters under the sea, was "well on course" and could be tested by the "end of this year". "When you talk about Samudrayaan, you are now talking about our mission to go up to around 6,000 meters, 6 km deep inside the ocean, where even light cannot reach. I can say that as far as our Matsaya, the machine which will take human beings inside, (is concerned), it's well on course," Rijiju said. The minister said he had reviewed the project and scientists should be able to carry out the first shallow water testing by the end of this year. "But broadly I feel confident that by the end of 2025, that means next year, we should be able to send our human crew to the deep ocean, m

Kiren Rijiju upset over delay in supercomputer delivery by French firm

Earth Sciences Minister Kiren Rijiju is upset over the delay in the delivery of two supercomputers by a French firm to Indian weather forecasting institutes and hopes that the French government will step in to hasten the process. The Earth Sciences Ministry had ordered two supercomputers worth USD 100 million from French firm Eviden, of the Atos Group, last year to better the computing capabilities of its institutions -- the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF) and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM). "I am more upset because the target we set was December. The Union Cabinet had already approved purchasing the supercomputer. We have only four petaflop capacity. We want to install up to 18 petaflop capacity," Rijiju told PTI in a video interview. He said the French company ran into some financial trouble and wanted the government to make payment to its subsidiary. Rijiju said the delay has caused him lots of worry as the company has overshot

Rahul's 'yatra' another miserably failed re-launch attempt, says Rijiju

Union minister Kiren Rijiju advised Rahul Gandhi on Thursday to stop pursuing endeavours that are beyond his capabilities as he claimed that the Congress has failed in every attempt to re-launch his political innings. In a video interview to PTI, Rijiju said had he faced similar failures as the Gandhi scion, he would not have wasted the "precious time" of his party and colleagues in trying to do something that was not doable. The three-term Lok Sabha member from Arunachal Pradesh claimed that the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra is yet another attempt to launch Gandhi and that the former Congress president has failed in that endeavour miserably. "Elsewhere in the world, you do not get a second chance to be launched. I think he (Gandhi) has now been launched 19 times. How long will you keep on launching one person?" asked Rijiju, who has held diverse portfolios in the central government, including home affairs (minister of state), minority affairs, sports and youth affairs, law and now, earth

Talks, negotiations only way to bring peace in Manipur: Kiren Rijiju

Union minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday said negotiations are the only means to restore peace in ethnic violence-hit Manipur and returning the state to normalcy will be the Narendra Modi government's next phase of efforts. Rijiju put the blame for the ongoing ethnic clashes between the Meitei and Kuki communities in the northeastern state on a Manipur High Court order recommending Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the Meiteis. The violence has claimed at least 219 lives in the restive state. Rijiju said the problem in Manipur was not an uprising against the BJP-led Centre but ethnic clashes between two dominant groups -- the Meiteis and the Kukis. "If anyone wants to help restore peace in Manipur, then first go and appeal to both the Meities and the Kukis that do not pick up arms. An armed struggle will not lead to a solution. Peaceful negotiations are the only means to achieve a peaceful atmosphere and get normalcy back. That will be the next phase of our efforts to bring development

Modi govt intends to put India in high-income category, says Kiren Rijiju

Union minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday said the focus of the Narendra Modi government in its third term would be on putting India in the higher-income category for it to be counted amongst the developed countries of the world. In a video interview, Rijiju told PTI that a per capita income of USD 18,000 would be required for India to be counted among the world's developed countries and it would be the Modi government's endeavour in its third term to put the nation in the higher-income category. He said despite lagging on many counts, the prime minister's "aggressive and inspiring" leadership has catapulted India into another league in the global comity of nations. "The whole world looks at India as a leader except that we are not a high-income country yet. But our status has reached here," the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said. Rijiju slammed the previous Congress governments for "not delivering" on basic necessities, such as toilets, bank accounts for people, food security,

Focused on making Arunachal attractive investment destination: Kiren Rijiju

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju has emphasised his commitment to making Arunachal Pradesh an appealing investment destination in the coming years. Participating in a Deevar Lekhan Abhiyaan (wall painting) programme here on Tuesday, the Union Minister for Earth Sciences expressed his determination to double development activities and work towards increasing the GDP of the state. The event was organised by the BJP Capital unit at Nyokum Lapang area here. The minister, who drew a lotus, the party's symbol as a part of the national campaign, said the state government led by Chief Minister Pema Khandu is working for the all-round development of the state with the blessings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. BJP state secretary and convenor of the programme Taring Tiri said the initiative aimed to encourage party karyakartas for a collective commitment to the party's goals. He said the wall painting programme is inclusive in nature. Tiri suggested that individuals who are not proficient in .

'We aim to leverage tech to detect all small-scale severe weather events'

India aims to detect and predict all small-scale severe weather events through the augmentation of its weather observation network and the procurement of more powerful computing systems, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said on Monday. While launching the yearlong 150th-anniversary celebrations of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Rijiju emphasised that weather and climate impacts are more pronounced than ever, and India strives to become a more climate-resilient country. He said that although the IMD's forecast accuracy has improved by 40 per cent in the last five years compared to the preceding five years, challenges persist in predicting small-scale severe weather events such as cloudbursts. To address this challenge, Rijiju highlighted the importance of augmenting the network of doppler radars and automatic weather stations. The procurement of high-power computing systems will enable the IMD to run higher-resolution models, enhancing the ability to detect and predict all ..

India aims to commission new research station in Antarctica by 2029: Rijiju

India aims to set up a new research station in Antarctica near the Maitri station in the eastern part of the icy continent by 2029, Union Earth Sciences Minister Kiren Rijiju said on Thursday. In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Rijiju said the site for the new research station -- Maitri-II -- has been identified and a preliminary topographical survey for the approach road is underway. The existing Indian research station -- Maitri -- is very old, the minister said, adding that it is imperative to build a new research station. The proposed project envisages adherence to environmental protocols for Antarctica and improving the quality of Indian scientific research in the southernmost continent. India has been operating the Bharati research station in the Larseman Hills area -- a 40 square kilometre ice-free region along the south-eastern shore of the continent -- since 2012. Bharati is about 3,000 kilometres away from Maitri, which was commissioned in 1989. Sharing the different

Rijiju criticises Cong, DMK MPs for questioning SC ruling on Article 370

"India is known for its diversity but if we allow Congress & DMK agenda to succeed, India will break up. Freedom of speech is not for self-determination," the Union Minister added in his post

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju launches maiden Indian Winter Arctic Expedition

Speaking on the occasion, Rijiju said that it will be interesting to see how the first batch of four researchers will function there in winter

Donate for dynasty: Kiren Rijiju slams Congress for crowdfunding campaign

Kiren Rijiju mentioned that Congress had to come up with this scheme after Income Tax department unearthed and seized the money found at the premises linked to Congress Rajya Sabha MP Dhiraj Sahu

BJP slams Cong, says strict action against corruption is Modi's guarantee

The BJP on Tuesday targeted the Congress and its allies, saying they have spread the "disease of corruption" against which a movement has to be started not just by the government but also by the people. Addressing a press conference here, Union minister and BJP leader Kiren Rijiju listed various cases of alleged scams and corruption against the leaders of the Congress and its allies, including those of the RJD, TMC and DMK. The Congress and its friends have spread a disease of corruption against which a movement has to be started not just by the government but the people of the country as well, Rijiju said. The Congress' corruption ki dukan' must be closed down and for that strict action is being taken. Strict action against corruption is Modi's guarantee. Probe agencies have been given a free hand (to take action against graft). They are not going to stop, he added. The BJP has stepped up the heat on the Congress on the issue of corruption after the Income Tax department recovered

Rijiju assures Arunachal of tech advancements, accurate weather forecast

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju has assured the people of Arunachal Pradesh of further technological advancements, including establishing a Doppler radar system in West Kameng district of the northeastern state. Rijiju, the minister of Earth Sciences, inaugurated a permanent seismological observatory at Bomdila, the headquarters of the district, on Sunday and said the Doppler system is envisioned to provide a forecast of rain, temperature and humidity, aiding farmers in planning their cultivation. The observatory, established at the Government College Bomdila, holds great significance for Arunachal Pradesh which is situated in seismic zone V and vulnerable to earthquakes. Rijiju stressed on the crucial role of the Earth Sciences department and highlighted the potential benefits of the observatory in earthquake detection, enabling advanced precaution to minimise casualties. "The future of the nation is in our hands," the minister said while emphasising on the importance of the contribut

Kiren Rijiju inspects India-funded key connectivity project in Maldives

Minister of Earth Sciences Kiren Rijiju on Friday inspected the progress of work of an India-funded major connectivity project in the Maldives that is expected to usher economic development and prosperity in the country. Rijiju is here at the invitation of Maldives President-elect Mohamed Muizzu to represent India at the inaugural ceremony of the presidency. Under the Greater Male Connectivity Project (GMCP) project, a 6.74-km-long bridge and causeway link will be built to connect the capital city Male with the adjoining islands of Villingli, Gulhifalhu and Thilafushi. It is funded under a grant of USD 100 million and a Line of Credit of USD 400 million from India. "Glad to witness the progress of works of Greater Male Connectivity Project in Maldives. Project is being undertaken under the Govt of India's concessional Line of Credit and Grant and is expected to usher economic development and prosperity in the Greater Male Region," Rijiju, posted on X. Earlier in the day, Rijiju .

Rijiju highlights progress in India-Maldives ties under PM Modi, Solih

Minister Rijiju landed in Maldives on Thursday to attend the swearing-in ceremony of President-elect Mohamed Muizzu