Page 42 - Modi Govt

Tax windfall gives Modi govt scope to spend more on welfare schemes

The revenue windfall gives Modi's government more firepower for a populist push as voters in five states take to the polls this month and the nation gears up for general elections in 2024

Govt's move to extend free ration scheme indicates economic distress: Cong

The Congress on Sunday said the government's decision to extend the free ration scheme for another five years is an indication of the continuing high level of economic distress and growing inequalities in the country. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of shifting his position on the issue. "His latest announcement is an indication of the continuing high level of economic distress and growing inequalities. For the vast majority of Indians incomes have not grown in line with the sky-high prices of essential commodities," Ramesh said in a post on X. He said the prime minister has announced that the PM Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY) will be extended by another five years. As chief minister of Gujarat he had consistently opposed the National Food Security Act (NFSA) passed by Parliament in Sept 2013, the Congress leader claimed. Ramesh said the PMGKY is nothing but the NFSA that already covered 80 crore Indians. "This of course is not the

UK PM Rishi Sunak, Modi discuss Israel-Gaza conflict, FTA progress

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday afternoon during which both leaders discussed the need to de-escalate tensions and the importance of protecting innocent civilians in the Israel-Gaza conflict, Downing Street said. The phone call centred around the situation in the Middle East but also covered bilateral ties and the progress being made towards an ambitious deal in the ongoing India-UK free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations. The leaders discussed the deeply distressing situation in the Middle East and condemned Hamas's attacks on Israel, said a Downing Street spokesperson in a readout of the call. They reiterated that Hamas did not represent the Palestinian people and reflected on the need to de-escalate tensions in the wider region. The Prime Minister (Sunak) also underscored the importance of protecting innocent civilians in Gaza and ensuring aid was able to flow into the country, the spokesperson said. Turning to the friendship ..

India's growing 'Modi-made' economic crisis spiralling out of control: Cong

The Congress on Thursday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the unemployment rate reportedly climbing to a more than two-year high, claiming his enduring legacy as PM is record unemployment. The party also said that India's growing "economic crisis" continues to spiral out of control. Congress general secretaty Jairam Ramesh's attack at the government came after a media report cited the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy Ltd. data which claimed that jobless rate has risen to more than two-year high. In a post on X, Ramesh said, "India's growing Modi-Made economic crisis continues to spiral out of control. CMIE data shows that unemployment rate in India is now at above 10%, the highest in over 2 years when it already was the highest ever in five decades. Rural unemployment is 10.8%." "The unemployment distress is further proved with the record demand for employment under MGNREGA, which is the last resort of work for crores of Indians. It is up 20% from last year," the ...

Sense of discontent prevailed among people against system before 2014: Yogi

A sense of discontent prevailed among the country's citizens prior to 2014 against the system, which changed after Prime Minister Narendra Modi took over, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Wednesday. Adityanath said "earlier disorder, anarchy and distrust of the government had become the identity of India". But the nation underwent a transformation after Modi became prime minister, he said at a degree distribution programme held on the occasion of completion of 25 years of the Krishna Institute of Engineering and Technology here. "Presently, India is witnessing new heights of development and its 140 crore citizens hold their leadership in high regard, extending full respect and trust," the chief minister was quoted as saying in an official release. Adityanath said Uttar Pradesh stands today as one of the leading states in the country in terms of ease of doing business. "Notably, the state's economy, which was once ranked eighth or tenth, is now in the race to become number on

Ultra-rich, middle-class gap widening: Congress on income inequality

The Congress on Monday charged that the gap between the ultra-rich and the middle class in the country is widening under the Modi government. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said an analysis of the publicly available data on income tax returns for the period 2013-14 to 2021-22 confirms one of the essential themes of the Bharat Jodo Yatra that of increasing income inequality. "The widening gap between the ultra-rich and the middle class under the Modi government is more and more apparent," he said in a post on X. "Here's the proof: The top 1 percent of income tax payers made 17 percent of all income in 2013-14. By 2021-22, the top 1 percent made 23 percent of all income. "Further, the income growth of the ultra-rich was much faster than for the middle class. The top 1 percent of income tax payers saw their income grow at 13 percent year-on-year from 2013-14 to 2021-22 a massive 60 percent faster than the income of the lowest 25 percent of tax payers," the Congress leader

65% fall in incidents of terrorism, LWE, insurgency in Northeast: Amit Shah

There has been a 65 per cent fall in incidents of terrorism, Left Wing Extremism and insurgency in the Northeast, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Saturday. He also asserted that the country's "three hotspots -- LWE (Left Wing Extremism-hit states), the Northeast and Jammu and Kashmir -- are becoming peaceful." The Narendra Modi government has made strict laws while maintaining a zero-tolerance policy against terrorism, the home minister told a gathering after paying homage to martyrs on Police Commemoration Day at the National Police Memorial here. The government has also worked towards making the best anti-terrorism force in the world by setting up the "Police Technology Mission" for modernisation of the police force, he said. Shah said that the Modi government has introduced three Bills in Parliament for a comprehensive overhaul of the criminal justice system. The three legislations will replace 150-year-old laws and guarantee all due Constitutional rights to every citizen,

RapidX named as Namo Bharat, PM Modi launches rail service: All details

The Namo Bharat trains will include six coaches, including one premium coach with separate platform entry and exit points. Today, a 17-km stretch of the route will be inaugurated by PM Modi

Modi govt will not remain in centre after 2024: Tamil Nadu CM Stalin

"After the 2024 elections, the Modi government will not remain in the centre. INDIA alliance is not just an election alliance but a policy alliance"

India promoting participation of women in every sector: PM at P20 summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said India is promoting participation of women in every sector with almost 50 per cent of the elected representatives in local self-government institutions being women. The recent law on granting one-third reservation to women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies will further enrich the country's parliamentary tradition, he said addressing the inaugural session of the ninth G20 Parliamentary Speakers' Summit (P20) here. Prime Minister Modi also said that India has more than 900 TV channels in 28 languages to provide real-time information to people and more than 33,000 different newspapers are published in about 200 languages. He emphasised the huge flow of information and the level of freedom of speech in India. "In this world of the 21st century, this vibrancy of India, unity in diversity, is our greatest strength. This vibrancy inspires us to fight every challenge and solve every difficulty together," he said. In his address, ...

Talent from small towns getting opportunities to come forward: PM Modi

Citing sports and startups, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said talent from the country's small towns is getting a chance to emerge in today's India. In his video message played out at the closing ceremony of sports event Amethi Sansad Khel Pratiyogita 2023 here, Modi credited this to the government's "transparent" approach. The Sansad Khel Pratiyogita is a great medium to discover such talents and hone their skills for the nation, he said. "In today's changing India talent from the small towns is getting opportunities to openly come forward," he said. "If India has made such a name in startups, the startups from small towns have played a big role." he added. He mentioned initiatives like the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) and Khelo India Games and said hundreds of athletes are being trained and coached in the country and abroad under TOPS and being given assistance worth crores of rupees. The PM also informed that more than 3,000 players are being given assistance of

Double engine govt's efforts now bearing fruit in Uttarakhand: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday that the efforts of the double-engine government for the development of tourism and pilgrimage in Uttarakhand are now bearing fruit

Height of loot, hypocrisy: Congress slams centre over GST on Ganga water

The Congress on Thursday flayed the Modi government for reportedly imposing an 18 per cent GST on Ganga river water, terming it as the height of loot and hypocrisy. With Prime Minister Narendra Modi undertaking a day-long visit to Uttarakhand on Thursday, the Congress also asked when will he visit violence-hit Manipur. "Modi ji, the importance of Mother Ganga, the provider of salvation, is very high for a common Indian from birth till the end of their life. It is good that you are in Uttarakhand today, but your government has imposed 18% GST on the holy Ganga water itself," Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said in a post in Hindi on X. "Not even once did you think what would be the burden on those who order Ganga water to be kept in their homes. This is the height of loot and hypocrisy of your government," he also said. The party also put out an animated video on the situation in Manipur on its social media handle, which showed scenes of bodies lying and the state burning due

Madhya Pradesh needs 'new engine' and not 'double-engine': Punjab CM Mann

Mann said the people of Madhya Pradesh are left with just 37 days to elect a new government. This chance (election) comes once in five years and that, too, for nine hours (voting duration)

MY Bharat platform will go long way in youth-led development: PM Modi

It will provide equitable access to youth and build "Viksit Bharat" across the entire spectrum of the Government and bring various stakeholders together, he said

Modi govt weighs giving small farmers more cash ahead of LS polls in 2024

If approved, the plan would cost the government an extra Rs 20,000 crore, according to the people, on top of the Rs 60,000 crore budgeted for the programme in the current fiscal year

I'm for caste census 100%; it's like X-Ray that will help: Rahul Gandhi

Asserting that he is "100 per cent" in support of a caste census, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has likened the exercise with an "X-Ray" and said it would give a clear picture of how many Dalits, tribals, OBCs and upper castes are there which in turn would help in deciding the future course of action. Gandhi made the remarks on September 23 during his interaction with the students of the Maharani College in Jaipur, a video of which was released on his social media platforms on Tuesday. Gandhi was received by the college principal. After his interaction with the students, the party leader rode pillion on a two-wheeler driven by a girl student amid security on the road outside the college. In his interaction with the girls at the college, Gandhi talked about a host of issues, including the education system and the need for empowering women in the country, according to the video. Asked about the caste census, Gandhi said, "The fact is that the lower caste communities, the OBCs, Dalits

Govt's liberal import policy cause of worry for farmers: Congress

The Congress on Tuesday said the liberal import policy of the Modi government is causing a "huge crisis" for the farmers in the country. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said soyabean is being sold by farmers in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan at rates lower than the minimum support price and they are also not getting good prices for milk in several states. "The liberal import policy of Modi government is causing huge crisis for farmers in various states. In Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, soyabean is being sold below the MSP because cheap imports have been allowed," he said in a post in Hindi on X. "In these states and in other states too, milk prices are falling due to import of cheap palm oil, which is encouraging adulteration of vegetable fats in cheap pure ghee. Farmers are suffering huge losses due to low prices of milk," Ramesh said. Both Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan are going to polls next month.

If Modi govt comes to power again, it will lead nation to destruction: Cong

The opposition Congress in Kerala on Monday said that if the Narendra Modi government comes to power for a third time, it will lead the country to destruction and therefore, the grand old party decided to unify all secular groups to defeat the BJP. Former Leader of Opposition in the Kerala assembly and senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala made the statement while speaking to reporters in New Delhi. Chennithala said Congress took the initiative to create the INDIA bloc or front with the deliberate intention of ensuring, at any cost, that the BJP does not return to power for a third time. "If the Narendra Modi government comes to power for a third time, it will lead the country to destruction. There is no doubt about that," he said. That is why the Congress decided to unify all secular groups to fight against the BJP, he added. His remarks come a day after Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan warned that if the BJP comes to power for a third time, the country would be in an .

Naxalism a curse to humanity, Centre committed to rooting it out: Amit Shah

Shah took to 'X' to share his views a few hours before he is to chair a review meeting on Left-wing Extremism (LWE) here in the national capital