Page 51 - Modi Govt

Modi govt killing off MGNREGA by cutting budgets, delaying payments: Cong

The Congress on Wednesday attacked the Centre over its implementation of the UPA-launched MGNREGA, alleging that the Modi government is "killing off" the scheme by cutting budgets and delaying payments, making it very difficult for rural workers to benefit from it. Chairman All-India Unorganized Workers and Employees Congress Udit Raj said the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005, (MGNREGA) was enacted by the Congress-led UPA government to ensure at least 100 days' employment to rural workers. He alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi "never liked this scheme" and "vilified it on the floor of the Parliament". "The Modi government was forced to rely on this great welfare scheme during the years of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2021 and 2022. Had MGNREGA not existed, imagine the plight of rural unorganised workers during Covid," Raj said at a press conference at the AICC headquarters here. "PM Modi never admitted his mistake, and is now killing off the scheme by .

PM Modi slams past govts over delayed projects, vote-bank politics

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday targeted previous governments over delayed projects and vote-bank politics, and said his government has ushered in a "new work culture". He was speaking before a huge gathering at Silvassa in Dadra and Nagar Haveli district after inaugurating a hospital in the town and launching projects worth more than Rs 4,800 crore in the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu. He inaugurated or laid the foundation stones for 96 projects including flyovers, health centres, schools, beach development, water supply, an auditorium and a sports complex. The centrally-funded 'NAMO Medical Education & Research Institute' in Silvassa which he inaugurated is the union territory's first medical college, built at a cost of Rs 203 crore. In his speech, Modi noted that he had laid the foundation stone for this medical college in 2019. "Earlier, government projects for which foundation stones were laid were delayed for years. But we brought .

PM Narendra Modi reviews security situation in violence-hit Sudan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair a high-level meeting on Friday to review the situation concerning Indians in violence-hit Sudan, government sources said on Friday. India on Thursday said the situation in Sudan is "very tense" and is focusing on ensuring the safety and well-being of the Indian community, including working on contingency plans and possible evacuation. The conflict is a direct result of a vicious power struggle within the country's military leadership. The clashes are between Sudan's regular army and a paramilitary force called the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

181% rise in registration of drugs cases, 145% in seizures: NCB data

The registration of criminal cases against drug traffickers and cartels in the country rose by 181 per cent during the nine years of the Modi government compared to eight years immediately before that, according to official data released on Wednesday by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. "The Modi government's multi-dimensional efforts led to an increase of around 145 per cent in the seizure of narcotics and 181 per cent more cases have been registered by the NCB against those involved in this business," Shah said. He also stressed that a "ruthless approach" should be undertaken by anti-narcotics agencies against drug syndicates to eradicate this menace from the country. The Union government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi was sworn in 2014. According to the data for 2014-22 (provisional data for 2022), 3,544 cases were registered by the federal anti-narcotics agency NCB in which 3,408 people were arrested. As much as 3,73,495 kgs of drugs was seized during this nine year period an

Modi govt must come clean on allegations by Satyapal Malik: CPIM

The CPIM on Monday demanded an explanation from the government over the allegations made by former governor of Jammu and Kashmir Satyapal Malik about the Pulwama attack. Malik, in an interview with a news portal, had claimed there were lapses in security protocol that led to the February 2019 attack in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed. "The CPIM demands that the Modi government must come clean and answer all the serious allegations raised by the former governor of the state of Jammu & Kashmir, Satyapal Malik, the party said in a statement. "The allegations regarding the Pulwama terrorist attack in which 40 CRPF jawans had lost their lives are a serious matter which concerns the security of our country. No lapses in safeguarding our national security can be brooked, it said. The CPIM also said that the allegations regarding the manner in which Articles 370 and 35 A of the Constitution were abrogated and the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir dissolved into two Union Territories ..

Rahul Gandhi starts shifting belongings ahead of vacating official bungalow

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has started shifting his belongings from his 12, Tughlaq Lane residence as he was asked to vacate the premises by April 22 following his disqualification from Lok Sabha. Two trucks were seen parked outside his residence and the belongings were later shifted to his mother's 10, Janpath residence. Sources said Gandhi is likely to soon vacate the official bungalow allotted to him. While Rahul Gandhi has seen a number of houses, he may also opt to stay with his mother and Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi. The Lok Sabha Secretariat had sent Gandhi a notice asking him to vacate the premises by April 22 following his disqualification as MP after his conviction and two-year sentence by a Surat court in a defamation case. A few years ago, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was also asked to vacate her Lodhi Estate bungalow as SPC cover was removed from her security.

Kejriwal's fight against corruption won't stop, says AAP after CBI summons

Reacting over the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) notice to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday, lashed out at the Bharatiya Janata Party-led centre

Branding everyone 'anti-nationals' a dangerous trend, warns Cong's Kharge

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday said that branding everyone as anti-nationals is a dangerous trend

PM Modi inaugurates first AIIMS in NE in Guwahati, three medical colleges

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday dedicated the first AIIMS in the North East, built at a cost of Rs 1,123 crore, to the nation. The super-speciality hospital will provide healthcare not only to people in Assam but also to other northeastern states. He also virtually inaugurated three medical colleges at Nalbari, Nagaon and Kokrajhar. The 500-bed tertiary care teaching hospitals with 24 undergraduate departments in the three medical colleges will start with 100 annual MBBS student intake, taking the total MBBS student intake to 1500 in Assam. He also laid the foundation of the Rs 546 crore Assam Advanced Healthcare Innovation Institute (AAHII), a joint initiative of the state government and IIT Guwahati. AAHII aims to promote inventions and innovations in medicine and healthcare, nurturing multidisciplinary research and development in frontier areas of medicine by marrying engineering with healthcare. The prime minister also launched the distribution of 1.1 crore Ayushman ca

Number of startups rose to 90,000 in nine years, says Ashwini Vaishnaw

Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday said that in the last nine years, the number of startups in the country increased to 90,000 due to promotion of the startup culture by the Modi government. He said the central government is trying to make Rajasthan the first IT hub of the country but it is possible when the state government also cooperates on this front, according to a release. The minister was speaking at the inauguration of Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) centre here. To meet the growing needs of IT industry and entrepreneurship in the state, STPI has set up an incubation facility at Sitapura Industrial Area. He said that setting up of the STPI centre in Jaipur would help in making Rajasthan an electronics manufacturing hub. Jaipur MP Ramcharan Bohra, mayor of Jaipur Greater Municipal Corporation Somya Gurjar and others were also present.

Soaring milk prices may become a hurdle in Modi govt's inflation fight

"In terms of the outlook for this year, we believe that milk prices will continue to increase, since there is a shortage of milk heading into the peak demand season," said an economist

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Modi govt to set up 7 mega textile parks, generate over 2 mn jobs

The scheme was announced in October 2021, and the parks will be set up by 2026-27. The total outlay for the project is Rs 4,445 crore

Modi govt talks lot about democracy but does not walk the talk: Cong chief

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday accused the Narendra Modi government of not walking the talk on democratic principles and causing disruptions in Parliament to divert attention from the Opposition's demand for a JPC probe into the Adani issue. Addressing a joint press conference of opposition leaders at the Constitution Club after a "Tiranga March" from Parliament House to Vijay Chowk, he said the government's intention was to get the Budget Session washed out. He said the government talks a lot about democracy, but it does not follow what it says, and asserted that the Opposition was unitedly fighting for democracy and the Constitution. "The budget of Rs 50-lakh crore was passed in just 12 minutes, but they (BJP) always allege that the opposition parties have no interest and they keep disturbing the House," Kharge said. "The disturbance was created by the ruling party. Whenever we made a demand, we were not allowed to speak. This has happened for the first time in

Modern Indian history should start from 2014: Sibal takes dig at govt

In an apparent swipe at the government over the reported removal of certain references in NCERT's new class 12 textbooks, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Wednesday said that consistent with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's India, modern Indian history should start from 2014. Sibal's attack on the government came after The Indian Express reported certain deletions from Class 12 National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) social sciences textbooks. In a tweet, Sibal said, "NCERT textbooks: Effaced: 1) Gandhi's pursuit of Hindu Muslim unity 2) Banning of RSS 3) All references to Gujarat riots 4) Protests that turned into social movements in contemporary India." "Consistent with Modi ji's Bharat modern Indian history should start from 2014," the former Union minister said. The BJP government came to power in 2014. Earlier, it was reported that Uttar Pradesh government schools will adopt from this academic session the NCERT's new class 12 history textbooks in which portion

As Modi govt approaches 9th anniversary, focus on 'second order impact

) With the Modi government set to celebrate its ninth anniversary next month, it's focusing on highlighting the "second order impact" of its various pro-poor schemes to keep the narrative about its welfare initiatives alive before entering into an election year. Government sources said the "second order impact" underlines how welfare measures have accrued a host of indirect benefits to people beyond the obvious positive implications. The focus will be on schemes that have touched the lives of a huge number of people across the country, elevating their living standards, they said. With the BJP's blueprint for the 2024 Lok Sabha poll campaign getting prepared, they noted the 'Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana,' which provides free cooking gas connection to the poor, has not only benefited crores of women but has also prevented them from getting sick by providing them with smoke-free and safe fuel. Now they do not need to travel far to collect firewood which also saves them a lot of time

BJP seeks ideas from MPs for month-long celebration of 9 yrs of Modi govt

According to the report, the purpose is to know the ground reality ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections

Modi surname row: BJP to seek Rahul's apology during OBC outreach programme

The BJP has decided that the party, during its new outreach programme at village chaupals across the country, will seek an apology from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for insulting OBCs

Women-led development is governance mantra of Modi govt: Smriti Irani

India is now setting new standards on the issue of gender justice during its G-20 presidency, Union minister Smriti Irani said on Monday, stressing that women-led development is the governance mantra of the Modi government. Addressing the India Global Forum annual summit, the women and child development minister said Prime Minister Narendra Modi exhorted communities to ensure women have access to financial services and that is why more than 213 million Indian women now have a bank account under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana. "India is now setting new standards on the issue of gender justice in the G-20 presidency," she said in a video message. Noting that women-led development is now the governance mantra of the Modi government, Irani said 70 per cent of the over 320 million beneficiaries who got loans under Mudra Yojana were females. "Apart from this, when the prime minister tried to support midsize companies and the transition of companies from SME segments to midsize firms,

Govt's steps ensured Indian startups were not impacted by SVB: Vaishnaw

Immediate action by the government to help Indian startups in the aftermath of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) collapse ensured they were not adversely impacted by the "minor crisis", Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Monday. He also exhorted the entire startup community to think of the Indian banking sector as their trusted partner. Vaishnaw, Minister for IT and Communications, also noted the rapid strides taken by India in areas of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and quantum computing. Speaking at India Global Forum event, the Minister said while there was a time when India was only seen as a consumer of technology, today "many global developers like to have Indian start ups, entrepreneurs and academicians as their partners, as technology gets developed". "... In these two technologies, we would like use of Indian talent for developing solutions for India and for the world," he said. To a question on whether India can produce something equivant to ChatGPT, the Minister said "wait f