Page 32 - Modi Govt

India plans economic data improvements, long-delayed population census

The Statistics Ministry has made a number of proposals that have been discussed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office in the past month, the people said

Kovind-led panel recommends simultaneous Lok Sabha, Assembly polls

Committee recommends constitutional amendment to hold simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly polls which does not need to be ratified by the states

Govt making 100-day plan for new term, could rejig role of ministries

The current Lok Sabha's term ends on June 16, 2024, so elections have to be completed before that.

PM Modi virtually inaugurates over 270 railway projects in Odisha

Over 270 railway projects were unveiled in Odisha on Tuesday by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, officials said. Among these are new railway lines, signalling systems, good sheds and a new Vande Bharat Express that will operate between Visakhapatnam and Bhubaneswar, they said. These were unveiled by the PM virtually from Ahmedabad along with other railway projects across the country. The new Vande Bharat Express train will operate six days a week, except Saturdays. This will be the state's third Vande Bharat Express train. The first two operate on the Puri-Howrah and Puri-Rourkela routes. The PM also inaugurated the Rs 234-crore Haridaspur-Byree section (16.8 km) of the Bhadrak-Nergundi third line, the Rs 131-crore Damanjodi-Baiguda section (14.6 km) of the Korapur-Raigada doubling project, Rs 167-crore Singapur Road-Rayagada section (9.2 km) of the Vijianagam-Titlagarh third line and the Rs 123-crore Similiguda-Araku-Gorapur (21.6 km) section of the Kotavlasa-Koraput doubling ...

Development work a mission to build nation, not to win elections: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said his government undertakes developmental works as part of its mission to build the nation and not to win elections as perceived by some people. He was speaking at an event in Sabarmati area of Gujarat's Ahmedabad city where he inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of Rs 85,000 crore railway projects, including the launch of 10 new Vande Bharat trains. "Some people try to look at our efforts through the electoral lens. Let me tell you that we undertake developmental works as part of a mission to build the nation, not to form a government (by winning elections). We want to ensure that our youth do not suffer what their past generations suffered. This is Modi's guarantee," he said. The PM said that in the last 10 years, his government spent around six times more amount for the development of railways than was done earlier. "In just over two months of 2024, we have inaugurated and laid the foundation of Rs 11 lakh crore projects," he ...

Centre sanctions over Rs 6,621 cr for frontier highway in Arunachal Pradesh

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday said the Centre has sanctioned an allocation of Rs 6,621.62 crore for construction of the ambitious frontier highway in Arunachal Pradesh. The allocation has been made for the construction of eight packages on National Highway 913 (Frontier Highway), transitioning to an intermediate lane configuration using the EPC mode, the minister said. The project spans a total length of 265.49 kilometres. Encompassed within this initiative are packages 1, 3 and 5 covering the Huri-Taliha section, two packages addressing the Bile-Migging section, packages 2 and 4 managing the Kharsang-Miao-Gandhigram-Vijaynagar section, and package 1 focusing on the Bomdila-Nafra-Lada section, the transport minister said. The development of these highway stretches holds promise for enhanced connectivity to border areas, fostering socio-economic growth in the state, he said. The construction of the frontier highway is anticipated to curb migration and facilitate reverse .

CAA rules: Goa CM lauds PM Modi for accelerating way for implementation

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for notifying rules for the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and accelerating the pathway for citizenship rights. The Centre on Monday announced the implementation of the CAA 2019, a move coming four years after the contentious law was passed by Parliament and paving the way for citizenship to undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. With this, the government will now start granting Indian nationality to persecuted non-Muslim migrants from the three countries. In a post on X on Monday, CM Sawant hailed the Centre's move. "It is a remarkable day in the history of Bharat, as the Citizenship Amendment Act rules are notified!" he said. "I thank and congratulate Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi Ji, for notification of CAA rules, accelerating pathway to get citizenship rights to persecuted Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians of Pakistan, Bangladesh,

Will PM act against Hegde to show commitment to Constitution, asks Congress

The Congress on Tuesday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over Anantkumar Hegde's remark about amending the Constitution, asking whether he would take action against the BJP MP to demonstrate his commitment to the Constitution. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh hit out at the prime minister who is on a visit to Gujarat and Rajasthan and posed five questions to Modi. "The prime minister is in Ahmedabad for the Sabarmati Ashram Memorial Project. While the prime minister is embracing the Mahatma for his political gains, will he commit to Mahatma Gandhi's ideals of non-violence, inclusivity, and equality?" he said in a post on X. The Congress leader also asked whether PM Modi would take action against Anantkumar Hegde, the BJP MP from Karnataka, to demonstrate his personal commitment to the Constitution that he swore an oath to bear true faith and allegiance to. Hegde, at a gathering at Karwar in Karnataka on Saturday, had said the BJP needed a two-third majority in both Hou

PM Modi to visit Ahmedabad, flag off 10 new Vande Bharat trains today

The Prime Minister will also flag off freight trains on the Dedicated Freight Corridor from various locations - New Khurja Jn, Sahnewal, New Rewari, New Kishangarh, New Gholvad, and New Makarpura

India embraces trade deals as cos look beyond China for alternatives

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government is taking advantage of India's growing appeal as the world's fastest-growing major economy and an alternative to China for global supply chains

My third term will write new chapter in rise of women power, says PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday cited a host of women-centric schemes of his government to assert that only a society which boosts women's standing and creates opportunities for them can advance. His third term will write a new chapter in the rise of women power, Modi said at a 'Sashakt Nari-Viksit Bharat' programme, exuding confidence of retaining power in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. In a swipe at previous governments, he said women's lives and hardships were not a priority for them while the BJP dispensation has come out with different initiatives to help them at every stage of life. Modi said he is the first prime minister who spoke of a host of issues related to women, including lack of toilets, use of sanitary pads, adverse effects of smoke-causing kitchen fuels like wood and coal, and the need for bank accounts from the ramparts of the Red Fort, a reference to his Independence Day speeches. He said political parties like the Congress made fun of him and insulted

Lok Sabha polls: PM Modi set to visit Kerala again on March 15, 17

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Kerala's Palakkad on March 15 to campaign for the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) candidates for the Lok Sabha polls, party sources said here on Monday. Following this, on March 17, Modi will undertake another visit to Pathanamthitta to rally support for Anil K Antony, the BJP candidate and son of Congress stalwart A K Antony, sources said. Party sources said that Modi will conduct a massive roadshow upon his arrival in Palakkad. Although there won't be any public meetings, preparations for the Palakkad event are currently underway, they said. During his Palakkad visit, Modi is expected to focus his efforts on campaigning for three National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidates contesting from Palakkad, Alathur, and Ponnani Lok Sabha constituencies, they said. The official social media pages of the BJP's Palakkad and Pathanamthitta district committees have announced Modi's fourth and fifth visits to the state within a span of three

Amending Constitution as BJP wants will be end of democracy: Chidambaram

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Monday claimed that if the Constitution is amended according to the BJP-RSS agenda, it will be the end of parliamentary democracy, federalism, rights of the minorities, and English being one of the two official languages. Chidambaram's remarks came over BJP MP Anantkumar Hegde's statement that his party needs a two-thirds majority to amend the Constitution. In a post on X, Chidambaram said, "The BJP's intention to amend the Constitution was never a secret. Dozens of BJP leaders in private conversations have said that India must be a Hindu Rashtra, that Hindi must be the sole official language of India and the central government must be strong and prevail over the state governments." Sometimes, members like Hegde spill the beans, and quickly deny their words, the former Union minister said, adding that "this is an old ploy". The purpose is achieved and the RSS/BJP cadres are enthused that the BJP continues to nurture the idea of amending the .

PM to unveil masterplan of Rs 1,200 cr Sabarmati Ashram project on Mar 12

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will perform "Ashram Bhoomi Vandana" and unveil the masterplan of the Sabarmati Ashram Memorial Project during his visit to Ahmedabad in Gujarat on Tuesday. Planned with a budget of Rs 1,200 crore, the project aims to revitalise Mahatma Gandhi's teachings and philosophy for the present and future generations, a government release said on Sunday. The ambitious project aims to revamp the infrastructure surrounding the Sabarmati Ashram, provide state-of-the-art amenities to visitors, and establish a world-class memorial dedicated to the Father of the Nation, it said. Under the masterplan, the existing five-acre area of the ashram, which Mahatma Gandhi founded in 1917 on the banks of Sabarmati river in Ahmedabad, will be expanded to 55 acres and 36 existing buildings will undergo restoration, as per the release. "The project includes conservation of 20 old buildings, precise restoration of 13 buildings, and redevelopment of three buildings keeping in mind t

PM Modi to inaugurate, lay foundation stone for 112 NH projects today

To help improve traffic flow and ease congestion between Delhi and Gurugram on NH-48, PM Modi will inaugurate the Haryana section of the landmark Dwarka Expressway

Govt resolved to make 30 million women 'lakhpati didi', says PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said his government has resolved to make three crore women in the country "lakhpati didi" and asserted that women's welfare is their priority. The PM was speaking after virtually inaugurating the 'Mahtari Vandan' scheme in Chhattisgarh to provide monetary assistance to women. "It is fortunate that today I got an opportunity to dedicate the Mahtari Vandan scheme aimed at empowering 'nari shakti'. Under the scheme, we had promised to give Rs 1,000 per month to more than 70 lakh women and today, the BJP government has fulfilled it," Modi said addressing the function via video conference. The first installment of Rs 655 crore was deposited into the bank accounts of beneficiaries (married women) under the scheme on Sunday, he said. "I should have been among you today for this programme, but due to some other engagements I am in Uttar Pradesh. I am speaking from Kashi, the land of Baba Vishwanath, who is also showering his blessings on you," he ...

India-EFTA deal symbolises shared commitment to equitable trade: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the India-EFTA trade agreement symbolises our shared commitment to open, fair and equitable trade. He also said that the global leadership of EFTA countries in innovation and R&D across diverse spheres like digital trade, banking and financial services, and pharma will open up new doors of collaboration. "Heartiest Congratulations and best wishes to the negotiators and signatories involved in the signing of India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA)," Modi said in a written message. The Prime Minister's statement was read by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal here in the presence of ministers and officials of EFTA countries. "In the last 10 years, India's economy has taken a quantum leap, moving from being the world's eleventh largest economy to the fifth largest. Our next goal is to make India's economy in the world," the Prime Minister said. They are here for the signing of the FTA. The European Free Trade ...

PM Modi virtually inaugurates 15 airport projects worth Rs 9,800 crore

Once completed, the combined passenger handling capacity of these three airports will increase to 9.5 million passengers per annum

Uddhav, Sharad Pawar factions slam govt over Arun Goel's resignation

A day after Election Commissioner Arun Goel resigned, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday claimed the Election Commission of India is no longer an autonomous watchdog, but works as an extended branch of the ruling BJP. The opposition NCP faction led by Sharad Pawar said Goel's sudden resignation ahead of the Lok Sabha polls appeared suspicious. Election Commissioner Arun Goel resigned on Saturday, days before the expected announcement of the schedule for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. His tenure was till December 5, 2027, and he would have become Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) after incumbent Rajiv Kumar's retirement in February next year. "Whether the ECI exists or not, it has no meaning especially after how it has given orders under BJP's pressure in the cases of Shiv Sena and NCP splits, completely in violation of the 10th schedule," Raut claimed while talking to reporters. "The ECI is not the autonomous watchdog it used to be in the time of TN Seshan, but works as an ..

People faced bullets for Ram Temple, PM transformed India in 10 yrs: Birla

Kota-Bundi MP Om Birla on Sunday slammed the previous opposition parties' governments and said people had to face bullets for Ram Temple and wait for more than seven decades for the abolition of Article 370. Birla, who is contesting on a BJP ticket from the Bundi parliamentary constituency, said the country has largely changed in the past 10 years of the Narendra Modi government and is set to further transform over the next five. Birla, also the Lok Sabha Speaker, was addressing a gathering in the Khel Sankul in Bundi city, where he inaugurated a swimming pool costing Rs 5.50 crore. The lawmaker said this is the time of "religious and spiritual renaissance" in the country and India will become a developed nation under the current dispensation. He also praised the central government for ridding the nation of colonial-era penal laws and replacing them with three recently passed criminal-justice laws. "The day those colonial laws were scrapped and changed, the country was set free fr