Page 49 - Modi Govt

Modi govt 'hell-bent' on killing scientific research in country: Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday hit out at the Centre over scientists at top research institutions having not received funds for this financial year, alleging that the Modi government is "hell-bent" on killing scientific research in the country. His attack came over a media report which claimed that scientists at top research institutions who ought to have received funds from central agencies for this financial year in April, were still waiting, "Modi Govt is hell-bent to kill scientific research in the country, thus hampering a nation's progress," Kharge said in a tweet. Scientists at top research institutions are yet to receive funds for this financial year and are forced to use their hard-earned savings to continue research, he said. "At a time when government has promised more funding by setting up a National Research Foundation (NRF), their purchases are on hold and project staff have not been paid for three months. Private funding is welcome, but the Governm

Cabinet approves changes to Jan Vishwas Bill to decriminalise minor offence

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday believed to have approved amendments to the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2023, which seeks to decriminalise minor offences by amending 183 provisions in 42 Acts with a view to promote ease of business, sources said. It proposes to amend 183 provisions across 42 Acts administered by 19 ministries. The bill came up for discussions in the cabinet meeting today, they said. The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill was introduced by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal in the Lok Sabha on December 22 last year. After that, the bill was referred to a joint committee of parliament. The committee has held detailed discussions with all the 19 ministries or departments along with the legislative department and department of legal affairs. It adopted its report in March this year, which was laid before Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha that month. The parliamentary panel had suggested the Centre to encourage states and Union Territories to ..

Unreasonable restrictions placed on sale of rice under OMSS misfired: Cong

The "unreasonable restrictions" placed on sale of rice under the Open Market Sale Scheme has "misfired" badly, the Congress said on Tuesday and slammed the Centre for discontinuing the sale of foodgrains from its pool to state governments as a "political decision" aimed at "sabotaging" the Karnataka government's 'Anna Bhagya' scheme. On June 13, the Centre discontinued the sale of rice and wheat from the buffer stock to state governments under the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS) officially due to inflationary pressure and concerns over monsoon. The Congress has alleged that the move was aimed at scuttling the Karnataka government's Anna Bhagya scheme. In a tweet, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the Modi government tries to be clever but ends up becoming too clever by half. "The unreasonable restrictions placed on sale of rice under the Open Market Sale Scheme(OMSS) at Rs. 34/ kg has misfired badly with the extremely low offtake of rice," he claimed. Surplus food stock

Modi govt has spared no effort in weakening NGT, alleges Jairam Ramesh

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Sunday alleged that the Narendra Modi government has "emasculated" the National Green Tribunal to such an extent that it will be a "crucial test" to see whether a retired Supreme Court judge will agree to be its chairperson. The former environment minister said the NGT was set up in October 2010 by an Act of Parliament, making India one of the very few countries to have such a specialised institution to protect the environment and ensure sustainable development. "Since 2014 the Modi Govt has spared no effort to weaken the NGT and dilute its effectiveness," Ramesh alleged. "Now it faces a crucial test. With the retirement of its Chairperson this Thursday, who was as per law a retired judge of the Supreme Court, serious doubts have arisen as to whether such a jurist who has served on the apex court will agree to be the Chairperson given the way it has been emasculated," the Congress general secretary said. "We can only hope that the original spirit of

Agnipath has shattered dreams of youth to serve country: Congress

The Congress on Sunday slammed the BJP-led Centre over the military recruitment scheme Agnipath, alleging that it has shattered the dreams of the youth to serve the country and created various apprehensions in their minds. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh's attack on the government came over a media report which claimed that many youths who joined the Indian Army as 'Agniveers' were leaving training midway. In a tweet in Hindi, Ramesh said, "Earlier, it used to be the dream of the youth to join the Army and serve the country. Respecting the resolve of the youth to serve the country, they were given better facilities and job security." "The very foundation of Agniveer Yojana is wrong. It has shattered the dreams of the youth to serve the country and has created various apprehensions. The result is before everyone," Ramesh said. The Agnipath scheme involves recruiting citizens into the armed forces for four years, with a provision to retain 25 per cent of them.

India made quantum jump in field of space in last 9 years: Jitendra Singh

India has made a quantum jump in the field of space in the last nine years, and efforts have been made to diversify the applications of space, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Thursday. He said the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has painstakingly made an effort to diversify the applications of space. "Space technology has virtually entered every household in one way or the other," the Minister of State for Space told the fourth edition of the G20 Space Economy Leaders Meeting (SELM), under G20 Presidency of India, here. "...in the last 8-9 years, under Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi, India has actually made a quantum jump (in the field of space)...," Singh said. In the last three years after reforms were introduced in the space sector, India now has more than 140 active and successful startups in this field, the Minister said. Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Education, Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, G20 Sherpa, Amitabh Kant, Secretary in the Department of Space and ...

Lalu blames Modi govt for filing 'case after case' against him, family

Two days after the CBI filed a fresh chargesheet against RJD president Lalu Prasad, his wife and former chief minister Rabri Devi, son and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav and others in connection with the land-for-jobs scam, Prasad on Wednesday launched a blistering attack on the Narendra Modi government. Prasad, who has been accused of corruption during his tenure as railway minister, said "one case after another" was being filed against him and his close family members. "Mukadama par mukadama," said Prasad, while addressing party workers after inaugurating a function to mark 27 years of RJD's formation. Switching over to his native Bhojpuri for a moment, Prasad said, "What will happen to you (Modi) when your days are over? At least we have earned the goodwill and are still showered with petals and garlands". The ailing septuagenarian hailed the opposition unity efforts of his rival-turned-ally Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, and vowed to "root out" the BJP in the 20

People will not buy into hollow slogans of BJP: Kharge slams govt on prices

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday hit out at the Modi government over rising prices and unemployment, saying that people will not buy into the "hollow slogans" of the BJP and will wipe it out of power this time. His attack came a day after the Congress slammed the Centre over rising prices of vegetables and other essential food items and demanded immediate steps from his government to address the issue. "Both inflation and unemployment are increasing continuously due to the loot of the Modi government. But the BJP is engrossed in the greed for power," Kharge alleged in a tweet in Hindi. The prices of vegetables are skyrocketing and the unemployment rate in the country has gone up to 8.45 per cent, he said. The unemployment rate in villages is 8.73 per cent and the demand for MGNREGA in villages is at its peak, but there is no work, Kharge said. The rural wage rate has come down, he added. "Narendra Modi ji, the people of the country know that before elections, yo

'Minority communities benefitted most from welfare schemes under Modi govt'

Bharatiya Janata Party's minority cell national general secretary Sufi M K Chishty has claimed Muslims and people from other minority communities benefitted the most from welfare schemes during the last nine years of the Narendra Modi government. Addressing a rally in Bhiwandi town of Maharashtra's Thane district on Saturday to highlight works done by the Modi government, Chishty also criticised the Congress, claiming it only gave assurances to the people during its 50 years of governance but did not do any work on the ground. Chishty said Muslims and people from other minority communities benefited from various schemes of the Modi government, including those for providing housing, health benefits and pertaining to the welfare of farmers. "Till 2014, only 4.5 per cent Muslims were government employees, and the figure has gone up to 10.5 per cent in the last nine years," he said. The BJP and the Modi government do not indulge in differentiation of people on the basis of caste, creed

BJP prez Nadda chairs organisational meetings to mark 9-yrs of Modi govt

BJP president J P Nadda on Saturday chaired meetings of party general secretaries and 'morcha' heads as they took stock of the month-long programme to mark the Modi government's nine years in power and preparations of the upcoming organisational events. Sources said the party campaign going on in various states, which are headed for assembly polls later this year, and across the country for the Lok Sabha polls next year also came up for discussion. The BJP had run a month-long exercise, which ended on Friday, to spearhead public connect programmes, which included rallies by its senior leaders, to mark the nine years of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre. The party top brass recently held a series of meetings amid a buzz that there could be reshuffle in the Union Council of Ministers and within its organisation as well, including in states. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is also organising three zone-wise meetings of its state leadership on July 6, 7 and

Befitting reply will be given to those who cast evil eye on India: Rajnath

Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday warned India's "neighbour" that if anyone tried to harm the country, a befitting reply will be given. He was speaking at a rally in Chhattisgarh's tribal-dominated Kanker district. India has emerged as a powerful country under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership and it is not weak anymore, he said. "I want to tell our neighbour, if anyone tries to cast evil eye on us, a befitting reply will be given," the minister added. He also said that the influence of the Left Wing Extremism has declined and it is restricted to just 10-12 districts due to the effective action taken by the Modi government in the last nine years. The Naxal menace would have been wiped out from Chhattisgarh had the Congress government in the state cooperated fully, he claimed. Notably, elections are due in Chhattisgarh by year-end. The defence minister also alleged that forced religious conversions were on rise in the state, particularly in Bastar, and said the .

Protecting biodiversity top priority of Modi govt: Environment Min

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Saturday asserted that the protection of biodiversity is the top priority of the Narendra Modi government. Yadav, while addressing the 108th Foundation Day celebrations of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) as the chief guest, said that in the last 10 years, 45 wetlands were declared as Ramsar sites, including 11 in 2022 alone. "Rewilding and biodiversity restoration remain a top priority for our government. Our recent trans-continental reintroduction of cheetah in Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh received global acclaim," Yadav said. Seven decades after cheetahs became extinct in India, the Centre brought to the country eight members of the species from Namibia and released those in Kuno. In the second such translocation, 12 cheetahs were flown in from South Africa and released in the same national park. However, three cheetahs died later. "Climate change has busted the myth of human superiority. We are not superior to nature, we

PM Modi's US visit will create 'unmatched opportunities' for India: IAMAI

PM Modi's US state visit led to the two countries signing various deals on topics ranging from semiconductors to drones

Law Commission has received 850,000 responses so far on UCC: Chairman

Amid a raging debate over the issue of Uniform Civil Code, Law Commission Chairman Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi on Wednesday said the panel has received 8.5 lakh responses within just two weeks of initiating a public consultation process on the matter. The Law Commission had on June 14 invited views from all stakeholders, including people and recognised religious organisations, on the politically sensitive issue. "The responses we have received till yesterday are approximately 8.5 lakh," Awasthi told PTI. A uniform civil code (UCC) typically means having a common law for all citizens of the country that is not based on religion. Personal laws and laws related to inheritance, adoption and succession are likely to be covered by a common code. Implementation of a UCC has been part of BJP election manifestos. Uttarakhand is already in the process of framing its common code. The BJP had promised a uniform civil code in Karnataka ahead of the recent assembly elections. On Tuesday, Prime ...

When India speaks on international platforms now, people listen: Rajnath

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said India was earlier looked upon as "weak" and the "land of poor", while asserting that when the country speaks on international platforms now, people listen to it. Addressing a rally here, the senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader also said in the nine years of the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Centre, no one could level corruption charges against any of his cabinet colleagues. Singh also said a communal angle is being given when the government is trying to implement a Uniform Civil Code in the country. "Isn't there one country, one legislation?" he asked the gathering.

Govt nods to PM-PRANAM to incentivise promotion of alternative fertilisers

The Cabinet on Wednesday approved a new scheme PM-PRANAM to incentivise states to promote alternative fertilisers and reduce the use of chemical fertilisers. The scheme PM-PRANAM (PM Programme for Restoration, Awareness, Generation, Nourishment and Amelioration of Mother Earth) was announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1 as part of the Budget for 2023-24. "Under the scheme, the Centre will incentivise states, which will promote alternative fertilisers and reduce chemical fertilisers," Fertiliser Minister Mansukh Mandaviya told reporters after the cabinet meeting. Citing example, suppose a state is using 10 lakh tonne of conventional fertiliser, and if it reduces its consumption by 3 lakh tonne, then the subsidy saving would be Rs 3,000 crore. Out of that subsidy savings, the Centre will give 50 per cent of it -- Rs 1,500 crore to the state for promoting the use of alternative fertiliser and other development works, he added.

Armed forces being equipped with latest weaponry, says Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said the armed forces of the country are being equipped with latest weaponry, asserting that national security is the government's topmost priority and it is committed to protect the sovereignty, unity and integrity of the country. Singh also said the country does not want to depend on imported weapons. The government's aim is to "Make in India, Make for the world", he said addressing a National Security Conclave here. No stone is being left unturned to equip the military with latest weaponry and modern technology, he said, assuring the nation that the armed forces are fully capable of protecting the borders and the seas. Our goal is to bring our armed forces in the frontline of modern militaries, he said. Elaborating on the blueprint on national security, Singh said Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government has been working on four directive principles which include enabling the country to deal with threats to its security and sovereignty

Modi govt opened new avenues for Jammu & Kashmir's youth: Jitendra Singh

Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Monday said the Narendra Modi government has opened new avenues for Jammu and Kashmir's youth, particularly the residents of border villages. Addressing the National Security Conclave here in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who was the chief guest, Jitendra Singh said earlier, most of the defence equipment was imported from other countries, but after the government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi took over in 2014, it is now the other way round. The export of defence equipment from India has gone up six times in the last nine years, he asserted. Youths are India's biggest asset with people up to 40 years of age making up 60 per cent of our population. With avenues open for the elderly people, 60 years and above, India will emerge as a developed nation during the Amrit Kaal by the centenary year of the country's Independence, Singh, the minister of state for personnel, said. He said the Modi government has opened new avenues fo

'Standing on shoulders of UPA': Chidambaram's takes a dig at Modi govt

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Monday took on Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman over her listing the Centre's achievements, saying that if the Modi government stands tall in some areas, it is because it is standing on the shoulders of its predecessor UPA. Chidambaram countered Sitharaman's comments made in an article about the achievements of the Modi government in the last nine years. "The Hon'ble Finance Minister has penned an article on the achievements of the Modi Government. Many examples she has cited are true as would be true of EVERY government that has ruled for 5 or 10 years," the former finance minister said on Twitter. The finance minister has cited five examples of the Opposition taking the government to court and losing the case, Chidambaram noted. "She is wrong at least in three: The SC had declared triple talaq illegal even before Parliament passed a law. The Article 370 case has not yet been heard by the Court. Numerous cases under the GST laws are ...

Puri to meet 25 Delhi school principals, share achievements of Modi govt

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri will on Monday meet the principals of 25 prominent public schools in Delhi to share the achievements of the Narendra Modi government. At the event, to be held at India Habitat Centre at 12.30 pm, Puri will brief the principals and their spouses about the various achievements of the Modi government during its nine years, BJP leader Neel Kant Bakshi said. The BJP is carrying out a month-long outreach campaign across the country during which senior leaders and Union ministers are interacting with different sections of society to inform them about the achievements of the party-led government at the Centre.