When running for reelection, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his ministers stressed that, under his administration, India had become the world’s “fastest-growing large economy.” This was never much of an achievement; after all, the People’s Republic of China was in the midst of a significant slowdown even before the trade war. But even that no longer seems to be true. According to data published recently by government statisticians, India grew at only 5.8% in the fourth quarter of its 2018-19 financial year, less than China’s 6.4% growth in that same period. (India’s financial year begins in April.) This is the third…
Author: News Analysis India
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Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders on Friday met UPA Chairperson and senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi to seek her party’s cooperation in the upcoming session of Parliament, which will commence from June 17. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, along with the Minister of State in his Ministry – Arjun Ram Meghwal, and Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar met Gandhi at her 10 Janpath residence in Delhi. After the meeting, which lasted for over 20 minutes, Tomar told the media: “We are meeting all the opposition leaders to request for their party’s cooperation and smooth functioning of…
Amid intense media gaze, the name of Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has been added to four more Cabinet Committees on Thursday after initial exclusion from all but two of these key ministerial panels. He was also given a space in two new panels formed Thursday to spur growth and job creation. The redrafting of the committees, within a span of just 16 hours from the first announcement, appears to be an attempt to avoid the media’s glare, which was quick to point out that Singh was left out of the key panels, despite being number two in the government as…
In a significant development, Chhattisgarh government has urged the Centre to review its decision to order a probe by National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the April 9 killing of local BJP MLA Bheema Mandavi in south Bastar district of Dantewada by Naxals. In a letter written to the Centre recently, the Bhupesh Baghel government argued against a NIA probe into the ghastly incident, saying that the state has already ordered a judicial probe into it; a senior officer in Chhattisgarh home department told this newspaper on Tuesday, requesting not to be quoted. The Chhattisgarh government’s stand opposing NIA probe into…
Living in harmony with nature will lead to a better future, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Wednesday on the World Environment Day. “Our planet and environment is something we all cherish greatly. Today on #WorldEnvironmentDay, we reiterate our commitment to ensure a cleaner planet,” the prime minister tweeted. Living in harmony with nature will lead to a better future, he said and posted a short video. In the video, he said planting saplings is not enough and people have to take care of it till it becomes a tree.
Mamata Banerjee’s comments at an Eid celebration on Wednesday carried a sharp political message days after the national election in which the Bengal Chief Minister’s Trinamool Congress suffered a huge drop in its tally against a rising BJP in the state. “Hindus stand for renunciation (tyaag), Muslims for integrity (imaan), Christians for love (pyaar) and Sikhs for sacrifice (balidan). This is our beloved Hindustan and we will protect it,” Mamata Banerjee told a gathering in Kolkata after celebrating Eid. “Jo humse takraega wo choor choor ho jaega. (Whoever messes with us will be destroyed). That is our slogan,” she added,…
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday pulled up Union Minister Giriraj Singh over his remarks mocking several NDA colleagues for attending iftaar parties. Singh took to Twitter posting pictures of iftaar parties hosted by Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) president Ram Vilas Paswan and opposition leader Jitan Ram Manjhi in Patna and also made a disapproving comment. Singh said it would have been “beautiful” had the pictures been of Navratri and not an Iftar party. The BJP leader questioned as to why leaders lag behind in their own religion and instead indulge in “pomp and show”. “How beautiful would the…
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal reminded residents of the Capital that he still has the capacity to surprise. On Monday, he announced that women would be allowed to travel for free on the Delhi Metro and the city’s public bus system. The decision, which immediately provoked reactions both positive and critical, echoes earlier policy moves by his Aam Aadmi Party government that created waves, such as halving electricity bills and the odd/even car operation rule to reduce air pollution. While Kejriwal said that the free transport plan was aimed at improving women’s safety and increasing access to transport, it also reflects AAP’s determination to seize the…
A group of eminent citizens from the Muslim community have welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent remarks on the need to address the welfare of minorities, and offered to engage with him on issues of educational backwardness, skill development and confidence building measures.Referring to Modi’s speech on May 26 to NDA MPs at Parliament’s Central Hall, the citizens said in a letter that they were happy to note the PM had “unequivocally” committed himself to work for and serve all sections of society and that bringing the marginalised into the mainstream was essential to realise the dream of turning India into the…
Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel chairing the meeting of Surguja Development Authority gave administrative sanction of Rs 2.72 crore for 47 development and welfare works for the Chhattisgarh’s northern Surguja region. The CM also announced constituting Surguja Staff Selection Board to provide employment at the local level, and instructed to provide adequate vehicle facility for the officials deployed at the Naxal infested areas of the region. In the meeting, CM expressing concern over increasing cases of human trafficking from Jashpur district of the region, instructed the concerned officials to form a cell to probe into the matter. After he was apprised…