Page 6 - Smriti Irani

Women should be centre of decisions for future-ready society: Smriti Irani

Union minister Smriti Irani on Saturday said women have to be at the centre of any discourse and decision for a future-ready society. Speaking at the G-20 Empower Inception meeting, the women and child development minister said India is keen to play a key role in finding pragmatic global solutions for the well-being of all and, in doing so, manifest the true spirit of "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" (the world is one family). Irani particularly emphasised the scale of India's self-help group (SHG) story and highlighted the importance of women's leadership at the grassroots levels and efforts towards ensuring the availability of banking and financial services to every woman. "If you want to get your future right, if you want to be future-ready, make sure that women are at the centre of the discourse and that women are at the centre of your decisions," the minister said on the first day of the two-day meet. Besides, she also cited the quest for gender justice in India through a gender inclus

Budget session: Smriti Irani slams Cong for disrupting Parl proceedings

Union Minister Smriti Irani on Saturday slammed the Congress for disrupting the proceedings in Parliament demanding an independent investigation into the allegations of fraud against billionaire Gautam Adani's companies that triggered an unprecedented stock crash. She alleged it is a reflection of the animosity the party has towards President Droupadi Murmmu from the day she took office. Parliament was adjourned for the second consecutive day on Friday without transacting any business after the Opposition stepped up its demand for an independent investigation into the allegations of fraud against billionaire Gautam Adani's companies that triggered an unprecedented stock crash. Proceedings in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were disrupted as Opposition members raised slogans demanding a discussion and a JPC probe into the fraud-allegation-triggered rout. "The government has repeatedly said they are open for any conversation, but why would it not begin (not allow) with a vote of thank

PM Modi has made women-led development one of main agendas: Smriti Irani

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made women-led development one of the main agendas of his government, Union Minister Smriti Irani told a group of eminent women leaders from India and the US. In a virtual address to the first-ever US-India Alliance for Women's Economic Empowerment Shatter Summit here, Irani, the Union Minister for Women and Child Development, said There's a cause for all of us to celebrate, as India leads the G20 presidency. I am proud that Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi has made women-led development one of the main agendas and not limited to a side-line, Irani said. In her keynote address to the half-day-summit being held at the Foggy Bottom headquarters of the State Department, Irani highlighted some of the key steps being taken by the Modi government towards empowering women in the country. As an Indian woman, I can proudly say that Prime Minister Modi has been central to his governance plan the issues of women, Irani said at summit, which is an initiative of t

Smriti Irani, Wendy Sherman to address summit on Women's empowerment

Top women leaders from India and the United States, including Union Minister of Women and Child Development Smriti Irani, Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, and US President's top advisor Neera Tanden will address the first-ever US-India Alliance for Women's Economic Empowerment Shatter Summit here. To be joined by top diplomats and officials from the two countries, the day-long summit co-hosted by the US Department of State and the Shatter Foundation, the summit will celebrate the United States' and India's joint commitment to invest in and economically empower women and girls. Women's participation in the economy is not just good for the world, but also good for business. Being held at the Foggy Bottom headquarters of the State Department here on January 26, the summit will feature eminent speakers from both sides including Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy, Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, India's Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Assistant Secretary of .

India, govt open for business round the clock, says Smriti Irani

The minister for women and child development also said that India runs the largest healthcare system in the world in the form of Ayushman Bharat that covers 100 million families

Didn't intend to insult anyone, says Ajay Rai about remarks on Smriti Irani

Following an uproar over his Latka-Jhatka comment about Union Minister Smriti Irani, Congress leader Ajay Rai clarified that he had no intention of insulting anyone

India has emerged as third-largest startup ecosystem in world: Smriti Irani

Union Minister Smriti Irani on Tuesday said India has emerged as the third-largest startup ecosystem in the world with more than 84,400 such businesses operating across 656 districts in the country. In 2014, there were only 720 startups in the country, Irani said. She further said the valuation of Indian unicorns stood at USD 332.7 billion. "Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, India has emerged as the third-largest ecosystem of startups with more than 84,400 startups in 656 districts across the country," Irani was quoted as having said in a statement issued by the BJP. The minister said in 2014 when Narendra Modi assumed the charge of prime minister, he had stated that his aim would be to create such atmosphere that the youth should be "job creators rather than job seekers." "Prime Minister Modi took various measures including Skill India, Start-up India, Stand-up India, Make in India, Digital India and Mudra Yojana to empower the youth," Irani said. Talking about th

Smriti Irani questions WEF's gender gap report which ranked India at 135

Union Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani on Tuesday questioned the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Index assessment which ranked India at 135th place in terms of gender parity. Irani said the Index failed to take into account the political empowerment and financial inclusion of women at the grassroots level. The Union minister interacted via video link with the audience during a seminar organised at the Rashtriya Raksha University at Lavad in Gandhinagar district of Gujarat. She was asked questions related to the empowerment of women and gender equality. "It is time to challenge what the Global Gender Gap Index has done in the way India has challenged the Global Hunger Index. This measurement has been done through the western standards," Irani said. She said when it comes to marks of political empowerment, the Index does not take into account women who serve across panchayats and municipalities as district panchayat presidents, sarpanchs, mayors and ...

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Smriti Irani visits Amethi only to show 'latkas, jhatkas': Cong's Ajay Rai

UP Congress leader Ajay Rai on Monday took a jibe at Union minister Smriti Irani here, saying that she only comes to her constituency Amethi to show "latkas" and "jhatkas", an unflattering reference to dance moves that provoke a sharp response from the BJP. Such a remark from a leader of the party which gave the woman prime minister to the nation, is definitely "shameful", UP BJP spokesperson Anand Dubey said in Lucknow, alleging language used by the Congress leaders has always been "anti-women". Speaking to reporters here, while answering a question whether Rahul Gandhi will contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Amethi, Rai said, "It (Amethi) has been the seat of the Gandhi family. Rahul jee has been the Lok Sabha MP from there, so has been Rajiv (Gandhi) jee and Sanjay (Gandhi) jee, and they have served it." Currently, Amethi is represented in Lok Sabha by Union Minister for Women and Child Development Irani. "Most of the factories in Amethi are on the verge of closure. Half

Smriti Irani visits Purba Medinipur for outreach ahead of panchayat polls

In a public outreach programme ahead of the panchayat polls in West Bengal, Union minister Smriti Irani on Sunday interacted with local people and had tea with them in Kanthi town of Purba Medinipur district. The Union Women and Child Development Minister also offered puja at the Maa Nachinda temple during the day. "I won't make any political statement here. I only prayed for the happiness and prosperity of the people of West Bengal. Let her blessings be showered on one and all," she told reporters later. Irani also asked the people about local development issues and whether they are getting the benefits of central projects and what is their problem in a 'Chai pe Charcha' session at a tea stall on the side of Kanthi canal, a BJP leader said. Irani, who arrived in Purba Medinipur district on Saturday on a two-day visit, earlier held a meeting with BJP leaders and workers. She met the 'karyakartas' of BJP at the local level and discussed ways to strengthen the organisation in the ar

No waiting period for adopting child with special needs: WCD

There is no waiting period for those who desire to adopt a child having special needs and also from the immediate placement category which includes mostly older children, the government said on Wednesday. The immediate placement category includes children who have been referred several times to prospective adoptive parents (PAP's) through Child Adoption Resource Information and Guidance System, but have not found a family. These children are mostly above the age of five. In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani said while there is a long queue to adopt a normal child up to six years of age, there is no waiting period for PAPs who desire to adopt a child having special needs and a child from immediate placement category(mostly older children). According to the data shared by her, 2,991 children, including 1,698 girls, were adopted in 2021-22 while 3,142 children, including 1,856 girls, were adopted in-country in 2020-21 and

Average time taken to dispose of POCSO case is 509 days, says Smriti Irani

The average time taken to dispose of a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) case is 509 days, Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani said and sought suggestions from judges on what could be done infrastructurally to expedite solutions for children. The POCSO Act 2012 aims to protect children from offences of sexual assault, sexual harassment and pornography and provide for establishment of special courts for trial of such offences. Addressing the inaugural session of the National Stakeholders Consultation on Protection of Children from Sexual Offences on Saturday, Irani said for every conviction, there are three acquittals and 56 per cent of all the POCSO cases correspond to offenses of penetrative sexual assault. Aggravated penetrative assault accounts for 25.59 per cent of the cases. Which means that today we have a mechanism that still needs a robust intervention, she said. The minister said the average time that is taken to disposal of a POCSO case is

No report of starvation deaths from states and UTs, Smriti Irani tells LS

There is no report of starvation deaths from states and Union Territories, the government informed the Lok Sabha on Friday. Responding to a question, Union Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani said the Global Hunger Index did not reflect India's true picture as it was a flawed measure of "hunger". It should not be taken at face value as it is neither appropriate nor representative of hunger prevalent in a country, she said. India ranked 107th of 121 countries in the Global Hunger Index - 2022 with its child wasting rate, at 19.3 per cent, being the highest in the world. "There is no report of starvation deaths from states/UTs," Irani said in a written reply in response to a question on the number of starvation-related deaths among children and adults in India since 2014. Responding to another question, Irani provided data as per which 140,575 children went missing since 2019 and 125,445 children had been recovered during the same period.

Need to discuss violence against women by intimate partners: Smriti Irani

As a debate over the gruesome killing of Shraddha Walkar raged on, Union Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani said there is a need to discuss violence against women by intimate partners and the fact that there was not much that she could get in terms of help. Aaftab Amin Poonawala (28) allegedly strangled Walkar (27) and sawed her body into 35 pieces, which he kept in a 300-litre fridge for almost three weeks at his residence in south Delhi's Mehrauli before dumping those across the city over several days past midnight. Walkar was allegedly killed in May. Speaking at a session at the Times Now summit, Irani stressed on the need for discussion on violence against women by intimate partners. "Nobody cuts a woman into small pieces in the heat (of the moment). Nobody continues to beat a woman who he claims to love or is in a relationship with in the heat of the moment," she said. The fact that the abuse was continuous, the fact that the abuse was known to so many people, a

Gandhi family gave nothing except 'deceit' to Amethi: Smriti Irani

Union Minister Smriti Irani on Monday attacked senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, saying despite the people of Amethi blessing the Gandhi family, it gave nothing to them except "deceit". The minister for Women and Child Development had defeated Rahul Gandhi in his family's bastion Amethi in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. "The people blessed Rahul Gandhi and the Gandhi family by electing them as public representatives from Amethi (previously). But, they gave nothing to the people except deceit and just one glimpse in five years," she said. Irani also said she was receiving full support from the Centre, state government and the district administration in implementing development works. During her day-long visit to the constituency, Irani laid foundation stones for projects worth Rs 6.85 crore in Dih block, distributed nutrition kits to tuberculosis patients and inaugurated a blood donation camp. She also interacted with the local people and heard their grievances.

Crackdown on common man, says Irani on removal of TET protestors in Howrah

Union Minister Smriti Irani slammed West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee after TET job seekers' were forcibly removed from the protest site by the police and termed it a "crackdown" on common people

Beti Bachao Beti Padhao includes skilling girls on conventional livelihood

Smriti Irani, the minister for women and child development, emphasised the significance of convergence amongst various departments for delivering high-quality education to empower girls

Irani mocks Nitish's 'national ambitions', says Modi will return to power

Union minister Smriti Irani on Sunday mocked Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's "national ambitions" and asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will return to power after the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The BJP leader was here to attend a party symposium based on the book "Modi@20" where her cabinet colleague Giriraj Singh, former minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and Rajya Sabha member Sushil Kumar Modi were among those present. "In this state, barbs are being hurled at Prime Minister Narendra Modi by those who always lean on others to form a government," said Irani, in an obvious reference to Kumar, whom she did not mention by name. Kumar snapped ties with the BJP last month, accusing it of trying to break his JD(U), and retained power by aligning with the RJD, Congress and Left combine. "Modi's political rivals desperately want power in 2024. But they do not realise that there are many aspirants for the post of Pradhan Mantri but only one who is happy to remain Pradhan Sevak," said th

India on path of becoming world superpower in next 25 yrs: Smriti Irani

Union Minister Smriti Irani on Saturday said India is moving strongly on the path of becoming more resilient, capable and stronger and will become the world superpower by 2047. She was addressing a gathering at a health check-up camp organised on the occasion of 'Seva Diwas' being celebrated as part of the celebrations of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 72nd birthday. She said the country is moving strongly on the path of becoming more resilient, capable and stronger under the leadership of PM Modi. "The Prime Minister has laid the foundation for India's charge to the top and there is now no stopping India from moving on the path of becoming more resilient, capable and stronger, and ultimately becoming the world superpower in the next 25 years," said the union minister for women and child development, and minority affairs. The camp where Irani addressed the crowd was inaugurated by Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit. He said serving the poor and needy people by organising such a bi