Modi Govt

PM Modi urges people to take 9 pledges on health, saving water, others

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday appealed to people to take nine collective pledges, ranging from water conservation, natural farming, to fitness and service, to realise a "developed Karnataka and a developed India". Listing his priorities, Modi said his first request is about water conservation and better water management, followed by appeals for tree plantation under the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' (One tree in the name of mother) campaign, cleanliness in public and religious places, strengthening local products through "Vocal for Local," promoting domestic tourism, adopting chemical-free natural farming, encouraging healthy eating with millets and reduced oil consumption. Modi also urged people to embrace yoga and fitness, and to nurture service. "If we move forward with honesty and determination on these nine resolutions, we can rapidly progress towards a developed Karnataka and a developed India," he said while addressing a gathering at the Adichunchanagiri Mahasamsthana Math

CCEA revises HPCL refinery cost, clears hydro, fertiliser projects

CCEA hikes HPCL refinery cost, clears hydro projects and Kharif fertiliser subsidy in a series of key approvals

Boosted self-employment, empowered youth: PM hails 11 years of Mudra Yojana

Prime Minister emphasised that providing the right opportunities is key to individual and national growth

Rahul accuses Centre of excluding Bahujan entrepreneurs from big contracts

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday accused the Modi government of perpetuating a system of exclusion through its policies and asked why 'Bahujan' entrepreneurs are being excluded from the country's largest public contracts. The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said he asked the government in Parliament that out of the Rs 16,500 crore worth of public works contracts awarded last year, how many were secured by businesses owned by Dalits, Adivasis, and Backward Classes. "Their response was deeply concerning - the government does not maintain any data regarding this matter," he said in a post in Hindi on Facebook. "The policy mandates that, under the public procurement process, 25% of purchases must be made from MSMEs, of which 4% is earmarked for Dalit and Adivasi entrepreneurs. However, when it comes to the largest and most lucrative contracts --public works -- the government claims that this is not 'mandatory'," Gandhi said. "This is not merely an administrative oversight.

Rahul Gandhi slams govt over LPG crisis, likens response to Covid handling

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has dealt with the "LPG gas crisis" just like it handled the COVID-19 pandemic as it is "devoid of policy, full of grand announcements", and places the "entire burden" upon the poor. The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha asked why it is always the poor who perish first in every crisis and urged people to not remain silent. "Modi Ji had said: 'We will handle the LPG gas crisis just like we handled COVID. And indeed, that is exactly what he did. Precisely like COVID - devoid of policy, full of grand announcements, and placing the entire burden upon the poor," Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on X. For migrant labourers earning a daily wage of Rs 500-800, cooking gas has become completely unaffordable, he said. A labourer returning home at night does not even have the money to light the stove, he said. "The result? Abandon the city; flee back to the village. The very labourers who serve as the backbone

India kept in dark: Rahul Gandhi hits out at govt on data sovereignty

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday raised concerns over India's data sovereignty and asserted that the country should be leading the global tech race, but instead it is being kept in the dark about how its data will be protected. The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said India's data belongs to its people and in the AI economy, it can be one of its biggest strengths - to build AI, grow companies, and create jobs. "So I asked the government some important questions about the recent trade deal with the US:- What does 'reducing barriers' with the United States mean for our data? Will our health data, financial data, and government databases stay in India? Can India still require foreign companies to store data here and use it to build our own AI?" Gandhi said in a post on his WhatsApp channel. "Every question on our data sovereignty, health data, AI, and local data storage gets the same treatment: 'framework', 'balance', 'autonomy' - big words, zero specifics," the former ...

Govt's plan to expand LS will disadvantage southern states: Congress

The Congress on Wednesday claimed that the Modi government is proposing to "bulldoze" a bill to increase the size of the Lok Sabha by 50 per cent with the number of seats allocated to each state also to be increased by 50 per cent, and said such a move would "disadvantage" smaller states in the South, Northeast and West. There was no official word on the Opposition party's claims. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has already raised an alarm over the issue and others may very well follow as this proposal becomes officially public. "The Modi government is proposing to bulldoze a Bill to increase the size of the Lok Sabha by 50%. The number of seats allocated to each state is also proposed to be increased by 50%," Ramesh claimed on X. The argument that a 50 per cent increase in seats across-the-board is equitable is deceptive, he said. Proportions may not change for the present but there are deeper ...

PM meets trustees of IGNCA, discusses upcoming Yuge Yugeen Bharat Museum

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday met the trustees of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) and discussed about the upcoming Yuge Yugeen Bharat Museum, and emphasised that this project will transform the North Block and the South Block, once a centre of power, into a centre of culture. He also discussed with them various aspects relating to further popularising India's diverse culture. Officials had earlier said that the upcoming Yuge Yugeen Bharat National Museum -- billed to be the largest museum in the world -- will have eight thematic segments telling the story of India spanning over 5,000 years. The new museum, to be housed in the North Block and the South Block in the heart of the country's capital, will cover an area of 1.17 lakh sqm with 950 rooms spread over a basement and three storeys, they earlier said. During the meeting, the prime minister and the IGNCA trustees also explored ways to bring more people into this journey, strengthen outreach thro

Congress attacks Modi govt over 'silence' on Khamenei assassination

The Congress on Friday attacked the Modi government for its "silence" on the assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and said "a compromised prime minister no doubt wants to avoid antagonising his American and Israeli friend". Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said India has rightly condemned Iran's attacks on Gulf states but is completely quiet on the US-Israeli assault on Iran in the first place. "Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the constitutional head of state in Iran, was assassinated on February 28 2026 by the US and Israel. The PM is silent. The EAM is silent. Parliament is yet to have an obituary reference," Ramesh said on X. "India has rightly condemned Iran's attacks on Gulf states but is completely quiet on the US-Israeli assault on Iran in the first place. It should be remembered that Iran is a part of the BRICS+ forum for which India holds the Presidency for this year," he said. Noting that in May 2024, the President of Iran

India plans to launch $11 billion fund to support domestic chipmaking

India is hoping to woo major chipmakers to the world's most populous country with its engineering, design talent as well as subsidies in much the same way it's helped Apple Inc. expand in the region

Blatant insult: Cong slams Centre over US' remarks on Russian oil waiver

Condemning the US remarks, Congress called it a blatant insult to India's sovereignty and dignity

Sisodia alleges 'dictatorship', says critics of govt being jailed

AAP leader Manish Sisodia on Tuesday emphasised the need to continue the "fight against dictatorship" and alleged that the Narendra Modi-led government has created a situation where anyone raising their voice against it is being falsely implicated and sent to jail. Sisodia further demanded that the prime minister clarify how the United States was portraying India before the world as "their colony". Speaking to reporters during his visit to Jammu and Kashmir after paying obeisance at the shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi, the former Delhi deputy chief minister said he had come to meet the family of his friend and AAP leader Maharaj Malik in Jammu. "I am saddened that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a situation has been created in the country where whenever any voice is raised, that person is simply put in jail," he said. Sisodia, who visited the family of detained AAP MLA Mehraj Malik at his official residence to express his party's support, said that activists and opposition leaders,

PM Modi extends Holi greetings to people, wishes 'spring of happiness'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday extended Holi greetings to the people and wished them a spring of happiness. Modi said Holi infuses atmosphere with new energy and this is its greatest specialty. "Heartiest greetings to all fellow citizens on the occasion of Holi. May this festival, filled with colours and zeal, bring a spring of happiness for everyone," he said in a message in Hindi. "The festival of Holi infuses the entire atmosphere with new energy. This is the greatest specialty of this celebration. The way the colours of happiness are seen scattered everywhere, it leaves everyone drenched in exuberance and joy," he said.

'Maximum Optics Damaging India': Cong's dig at Modi govt over US-Pak ties

Taking a swipe at the government, the Congress on Friday said the romance between the US and Pakistan continues unabated while the "self-declared Vishwaguru" is busy giving the world "gyaan" which is nothing but "MODI governance - Maximum Optics Damaging India". The opposition party's attack came a day after Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attended the Board of Peace in Washington along with leaders of other nations who have signed up to join the Trump-led organisation. Trump repeated the assertion that Sharif had claimed he saved 25 million lives when he stopped the war between India and Pakistan. In his remarks, Sharif described Trump as a man of peace and a "saviour of South Asia". Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the romance between the US and Pakistan continues unabated. "It was on display yet again in Washington DC yesterday.That Pakistan has paid no price whatsoever on the world stage for orchestrating the Pahalgam terror attack

Institutions need not be gung-ho, use AI if it is tested: MoSPI official

Institutions need not be gung-ho about the use of AI-based solutions until they are tested and trustworthy, a government official said on Friday. Rohit Bhardwaj, Deputy Director General, Data Informatics & Innovation Division, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), also suggested that government departments should make the relevant data AI-ready by creating files that are readable by a computer. "There should be context files, there should be semantics, and there should be metadata," he said, emphasising the storage of information in a structured format so that they become AI-ready. Flagging the importance of testing an AI solution before putting it into use, Bhardwaj cited a report by a group of researchers from a Canadian university, which shows that AI can analyse a particular data set in multiple ways even if given similar prompts. "I just want to flag that we should not be just gung-ho about things which is still untested," he said at the AI Impact ...

Cong alleges use of benami funds to amass large stakes in Adani Group

The Congress on Wednesday cited an Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project report to allege the use of benami funds to amass large stakes in the Adani Group by two of its close associates, and claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has "stonewalled" the party's demand for a JPC to investigate all aspects of the "scam" involving the conglomerate. The Adani Group has repeatedly denied all allegations that have been made by the Congress in the past. While there was no immediate reaction from the Adani Group on the latest allegations by the OCCRP, reportedly funded by the likes of George Soros and Rockefeller Brothers Fund, it has previously rejected charges made in OCCRP reports. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said there is a difference between genuine entrepreneurship which the Congress welcomes, supports and celebrates, and business expansion through cozy and mutually lucrative political relationships. "New revelations have just emerged

Govt plans to revive private investment in highways with ₹1 trn project

The renewed push for private capital is intended to modernise infrastructure and reduce logistics costs, as well as strengthen India's competitiveness against China

Budget support will help MSMEs scale from local to global: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the Union Budget, aligned with India's recent trade deals, provides unprecedented support to MSMEs, sunrise sectors and infrastructure, laying the foundation for jobs

Budget 2026 to focus on reforms as room for spending shrinks amid risks

To boost private investment and demand, govt has rolled out reforms in recent months, including income tax cuts, labour law overhauls and steps to open the tightly controlled nuclear power sector

'Being a voter is an important duty': PM Modi on National Voters' Day

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged people to take part in democratic processes, saying being a voter is not just a constitutional privilege, but an important duty that gives every citizen a voice in shaping India's future. "Greetings on #NationalVotersDay. This day is about further deepening our faith in the democratic values of our nation," Modi said in a post on X. He complimented all those associated with the Election Commission of India for their efforts to strengthen democratic processes. "Being a voter is not just a constitutional privilege, but an important duty that gives every citizen a voice in shaping India's future," Modi said. "Let us honour the spirit of our democracy by always taking part in democratic processes, thereby strengthening the foundations of a Viksit Bharat," the prime minister said. National Voters' Day is celebrated annually in India on January 25 to mark the foundation day of the Election Commission of India.