Page 16 - Modi Govt

The Lawrence of Sabarmati jail: Bishnoi's name echoes from Mumbai to Canada

Gangster Lawrence Bishnoi made headlines twice in a week: First, linked to the murder of Baba Siddique, and second, finding mention in Canada's charges against India in the Hardeep Nijjar row

Centre may clear acquisition of US MQ-9B Predator drones for $3.1 billion

In a boost to India's defence capabilities, the Cabinet Committee on Security, led by PM Modi, is expected to approve the acquisition of 31 MQ-9B Predator drones from the US for $3.1 billion

Claims on economy conceal choke points that will strangulate growth: Cong

Asserting that the last 10 years have seen "highly detrimental economic trends", the Congress on Sunday said the monsoon has receded but at least "three dark clouds" of languishing private sector investment, stagnating manufacturing and decline in real wages and productivity for labourers, still loom over the Indian economy. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said bombastic claims on the economy are being made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his drumbeaters but what these claims conceal are the choke points that will strangulate growth in the years to come if not taken seriously now, in a spirit of humility. "The monsoon has receded. But new evidence has shown that at least three dark clouds still loom over the Indian economy," Ramesh said in a statement. "First, after a brief surge in private sector investment during 2022-23 on the back of the COVID-19 recovery, investment has returned to an unsteady path," he said. New project announcements by t

PM Modi to launch Rs 22,600 cr projects; 3 supercomputers, metros: Details

On Thursday, PM Modi will dedicate multiple projects including the expansion of the Pune metro rail network, three supercomputers as well as energy sector projects

Parl's joint committee on Waqf Bill will complete work on time: Rijiju

Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju Wednesday expressed confidence the Parliament's joint committee on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill will submit its report within the stipulated time, even as he asserted the consultation process is the most extensive in the history of the country's parliamentary democracy. Rijiju said the committee would fulfil the mandate of submitting its report before the last day of the first week of Parliament's Winter Session. "I feel the way and at the speed at which Parliament's joint committee is functioning, they should be able to table the report of the joint parliamentary committee as stipulated in the rule in the terms of reference...the committee has to submit the report before the last day of the first week of the Winter Session. They will fulfil it," Rijiju told a press conference on the first 100 days of the ministry. The dates for the Winter Session have not been announced yet. Asked about BJP MP Nishikant Dubey raising concerns over the nearly 1.2

India on right track to become Viksit Bharat by 2047: FM Sitharaman

The country was on the right track towards Viksit Bharat 2047 and institutional capacity building would play a key role in that, Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said here on Sunday. Viksit Bharat 2047 is the NDA government's roadmap to make the country a developed nation by 2047, when India celebrates its centenary of achieving independence. The FM said the Centre has left no stone unturned towards enhancing self-sufficiency in defence capabilities. "We will also need to look after our banks, overall infrastructure, health of the companies in the market and prioritising the digitisation of the Indian economy," she said at the Pondy Lit Fest. "So if you are looking at what the future entails for India and how we are going to reach the destination of Viksit Bharat 2047, we are on the right track in that. We have prioritised our national security. " she said. Sitharaman said the Centre never compromised spending on Defence although the earlier regime

Plan to open offices abroad to assist foreign investors: Piyush Goyal

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Sunday said there are plans to open offices in different countries in the coming months to hand-hold foreign investors looking at opportunities to invest in India. The first such office of Invest India -- the national agency to promote investments into the country -- was inaugurated by the minister in Singapore. It will act as a dedicated point of contact for companies from the region looking to invest here. This move reinforces India's commitment to deepening investment partnerships and making it easier for global investors to engage with India. "The Singapore office will serve as a dedicated point of contact for companies from the region looking to invest in India, fostering collaboration across sectors," the commerce and industry ministry said in a statement. Within the Invest India Singapore office is the National Industrial Corridor Development Corp Ltd. Speaking at the event, Goyal said Singapore is a key strategic partner for

GoM on GST rate rationalisation to discuss slab, rate tweaks on Sep 25

The ministerial panel on GST rate rationalisation will meet on September 25 and is expected to discuss tweaking of tax slabs and rates. "The meeting of the GoM on rate rationalisation is scheduled for September 25 in Goa," an official told PTI. The six-member Group of Minister (GoM) under Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary, last met on August 22 and had submitted a status report to the GST Council on September 9. During the August meeting, the panel had tasked the fitment committee comprising tax officers from the Centre and states to analyse the implication of tax rate change on some items and gather more data. Currently, goods and services tax (GST) is a four-tier tax structure with slabs at 5, 12, 18, and 28 per cent. Under GST, essential items are either exempted or taxed at the lowest slab, while luxury and demerit items attract the highest slab. Luxury and sin goods attract cess on top of the highest 28 per cent slab. There have been talks of merging the 12 and 18

Parliament panel on Waqf Bill receives over 120 million responses

A parliamentary panel examining the Waqf (Amendment) Bill has received a staggering 1.2 crore email responses amid campaigns launched by rival groups to ratchet up support for their respective viewpoints regarding the draft law. Parliamentary sources said the Joint Committee on the Waqf Amendment Bill, chaired by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Jagadambika Pal, has also received 75,000 responses with documents to support the respective views, prompting the panel to seek additional staff from the Lok Sabha Secretariat. "We have deployed 15 additional personnel to go through the email responses and categorise and document those," one of the sources said. Radical Islamic preacher Zakir Naik has appealed to his supporters to oppose the Waqf (Amendment) Bill by sending responses to the parliamentary panel examining the draft law. The appeal from Naik has triggered a counter-reaction and several Hindu groups too have urged their supporters to write emails to the committee in support

PM Modi arrives in US on three-day visit, to attend Quad summit on Day 1

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday arrived in the US for a three-day visit to attend a Quad summit and address a key conclave at the United Nations. Modi will also hold separate bilateral meetings with US President Joe Biden and other world leaders on the margins of the Quad summit in Wilmington, Delaware, and the 'Summit of the Future' at the UN General Assembly in New York. Modi landed at Philadelphia for his onward journey to Wilmington. The annual Quad summit at President Joe Biden's hometown Wilmington is expected to roll out a series of new initiatives to boost cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and explore ways to find peaceful solutions to the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza. The prime minister's other engagements include joining an Indian diaspora event at Long Island and participating in a round table with CEOs of American firms working on cutting-edge technologies such as AI, quantum computing and semiconductors. In his departure statement at New Delhi, Modi said he lo

Amit Shah's ultimatum to naxals: 'Surrender or face all-out operation soon'

Home Minister Amit Shah has vowed an all-out operation against naxalism if the naxalites fail to lay down guns. He also revealed the 2026 deadline set by the Centre to eliminate this issue

One startup per district: Digital portal BHASKAR launched to push growth

Union Minister Piyush Goyal launched the BHASKAR portal to connect startups, investors, and service providers, a move aimed at pushing the Centre's efforts to promote the startup sector

'Unwarranted': India reacts to US court summon over 'plot' to kill Pannun

A US court has summoned the Indian government following Khalistani leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun's lawsuit alleging an assassination plot against him, a charge that has been denied by the Centre

Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls highlights: 59% turnout in first phase, voting peaceful, says CEO

Jammu and Kashmir Phase 1 election updates: Catch all the latest LIVE Assembly election updates here

Modi 3.0 govt sanctioned Rs 12,554 crore to states as disaster relief fund

The Centre has sanctioned Rs 12,554 crore to various states this year so far for providing relief and rehabilitation to people affected by different natural disasters, officials said on Wednesday. Rs 890.69 crore has also been sanctioned to five states by the Union Home Ministry to help them in expansion and strengthening of their fire services under the Scheme for Expansion and Modernisation of Fire Services. Approximately Rs 12,554 crore has been sanctioned so far from the National Disaster Mitigation Fund, National Disaster Response Fund, State Disaster Mitigation Fund and State Disaster Response Fund to various states for urban flood management, fire services, glacial lake outburst flood risk mitigation and other disaster mitigation, a senior official of the Union Home Ministry said listing the highlights of the first 100 days of the Modi 3.0 government. Besides, under the Glacial Lake Outburst Flood Mitigation Programme for four states, Rs 150 crore has been given to Himachal .

Congress files police complaint over NDA leaders' statement targeting Rahul

The Congress on Wednesday filed a police complaint over the recent statements of leaders belonging to the ruling NDA targeting Rahul Gandhi. The party alleged that the statements were aimed at jeopardising the safety and security of the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and to disturb peace throughout the country, especially in view of the polls in Jammu and Kashmir, and Haryana. In the complaint submitted to the SHO of the Tughlaq Road police station by AICC treasurer and general secretary Ajay Maken, the Congress cited the recent remarks by BJP leaders Tarvinder Singh Marwah, Ravneet Singh Bittu and Raghuraj Singh, as well as that of Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad. Maken sought registration of FIRs against the leaders. Speaking with the media after filing the complaint, Maken said, We all know that late Indira Gandhi ji and late Rajiv ji have sacrificed their lives for the country. Even after that, they are giving such threats. Politics in India cannot stoop to a lower lev

Modi 3.0 100 days: Commerce ministry takes steps to support MSME exporters

The commerce ministry has taken a host of steps during the 100 days of the Modi 3.0 government for MSME exporters who are facing global challenges due to geo-political tensions. The measures included launching of 'Trade Connect e-Platform' to empower SMEs by giving them access to information and guidance on trade, the commerce ministry said on Tuesday. This platform will connect these enterprises to over six lakh IEC (import-export code) holders, 185 Indian Mission officials and over 600 Export Promotion Council members with the Department of Commerce. Briefing the media, Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal said that in the first 100 days, the ministry held meetings with exporters to understand their problems and find ways to resolve those issues. "This e-connect portal will provide all sorts of information to an exporter," he said adding for MSME and other exporters, this portal will become a single point by which they can explore new geographies for shipments. The secretary said t

PM releases 1st installment of Rs 2,044 cr to 511K PMAY-G beneficiaries

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday virtually released the first instalment of Rs 2,044 crore to 5.11 lakh beneficiaries in Chhattisgarh for the construction of houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Gramin (PMAY-G). The PM attended the programme titled 'Mor Awas - Mor Adhikar' (My house, my right) held at Indoor Stadium in Budha Talab area in Raipur meant to disburse the amount under the housing scheme via video link from Bhubaneswar. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, assembly speaker Raman Singh, Deputy CM Vijay Sharma, other state ministers, MLAs and officials were present at the event here. The PM transferred the first instalment of Rs 2,044 crore directly into the bank accounts of 5.11 lakh beneficiaries under the PMAY-G in the state to build their own houses, an official said. On the occasion, PM Modi asserted that bringing prosperity to the lives of the poor and weaker sections of society was his government's goal, a statement issued by the government ..

Modi 3.0 100-day foreign policy outcomes: Ukraine, Global South and more

The central government celebrated 100 days in office on September 17, coinciding with PM Modi's 74th birthday

PM launches Odisha govt's Subhadra Yojana, projects worth over Rs 3,800 cr

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday launched the Odisha government's flagship women-centric programme Subhadra Yojana, and unveiled railway and national highway projects worth over Rs 3,800 crore here, marking 100 days of the third NDA regime at the Centre. Modi also released the first instalment of assistance to nearly 10 lakh beneficiaries under PMAY-G across 14 states. He also took part in 'Griha Pravesh' celebrations for 26 lakh beneficiaries under the housing scheme from across the country. He also launched Awaas+ 2024 App for a survey of additional households for PMAY-G. While participating in the Griha Pravesh celebrations, Modi visited Sabar Sahi slum in Bhubaneswar where he interacted with the beneficiaries. The PM inaugurated the homes of 20 beneficiaries under the PMAY there. Accompanied by Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, the PM visited the home of Antaryami Nayak, a beneficiary of the housing scheme, and savoured the traditional Odia sweet dish, 'kheeri'