News Analysis India

Tag: Modi

  • Proceeds from e-auction of gifts received by PM Modi dedicated to ‘Namami Gange’ campaign

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: On the occasion of ‘World River Day’, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the gifts he has received would be e-auctioned and the proceeds from that will be dedicated to the ‘Namami Gange’ campaign.

    Addressing the 81st episode of his monthly radio programme ‘Mann ki Baat’, PM Modi said, “A special e-auction of gifts I received is going on these days. The proceeds from that will be dedicated to the ‘Namami Gange’ campaign.”

    “The soulful spirit with which you gift me, this campaign will be strengthened with the same spirit,” he added.

    Expressing his desire for clean, pollution-free rivers, PM Modi urged that it is with everyone’s efforts and cooperation that this mission can be achieved.

    “The work of cleaning rivers and making them pollution-free can be done with everyone’s effort and cooperation. The ‘Namami Gange Mission’ is also progressing today, so efforts of everyone; public awareness, and mass movement, plays a big role,” he added.

    Namami Gange is an integrated conservation and rejuvenation programme initiated by the Central government in June 2014.

    “Mann ki Baat” is the Prime Minister’s monthly radio address, which is broadcast on the last Sunday of every month. 

  • Modi sets 25-year goal for growth, minimising government intervention

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:  Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday set out a 25-year goal to build an India where the government does not interfere unnecessarily in the lives of citizens, while reiterating his aim to develop world-class infrastructure with ‘minimum government, maximum governance’, in his address to the nation from the ramparts of Red Fort. 

    The goal included taking all Central schemes to saturation levels, like the piped water project, banking inclusion, LPG gas connection, Ayushman Bharat, fortified rice for nutrition and bridging the urban-rural divide. He underscored the political will to usher in reforms and hand-hold socially vulnerable sections and the startup eco-system, which he described as the new wealth creators. Modi also shared that the government had abolished 15,000 compliances during the Covid-19 pandemic itself for hassle-free services to the citizens. 

    Expanding his slogan of Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas, to which he had earlier added Sabka Vishwas, Modi sought Sabka Prayas (everyone’s effort), as the nation enters its Amrit Kaal of 25 years leading to the 100th year of Independence celebrations.

    Staying with the Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliance) theme, Modi said the government will unveil a “PM Gati Shakti scheme for an integrated master plan for infrastructure projects” and the National Hydrogen Mission to make India a global hub of clean hydrogen and self-reliant in energy needs. With the Gati Shakti scheme, the government aims to accelerate the already announced five-year infrastructure spending of over `1 lakh crore to scale up the economy. 

    Turning to education, he said Sainik schools will now enroll girl students after a successful pilot project in Mizoram. On the commemoration of the Independence Day celebrations for the next 75 weeks, Modi said 75 Vande Bharat trains will connect all parts of the country.   

    Without naming China and Pakistan, the prime minister reiterated that India is steadfastly dealing with the twin global challenges of expansionism and terrorism. “There is a possibility of a new world order post-Corona. Today the world is looking at India from a new perspective, which has two important aspects, one is terrorism and the other is expansionism. India is confronting both and responding strongly in a restrained manner,” he said. J&K got a passing mention, with Modi saying the delimitation exercise there is underway along with preparations for Assembly polls.

  • BJP appoints PM Modi’s confidant AK Sharma as vice president of Uttar Pradesh unit ahead of polls

    By Online Desk
    LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) appointed MLC AK Sharma as vice president of the party’s state unit on Saturday.

    Further, Archana Mishra and Amit Balmiki have been appointed as the Pradesh Mantris.

    With Uttar Pradesh slated to go to polls next year, BJP has decided to strengthen the party’s organisation in the state.

    Earlier this month, BJP national general secretary (organisation) BL Santhosh and the party’s Uttar Pradesh in-charge Radha Mohan Singh had held review meetings with state ministers and leaders.

    ALSO READ: MLAs feel CM Yogi Adityanath aloof, relies more on babus

    According to sources, based on the feedback from the review meetings, the ruling BJP has held deliberations on the party’s organisation in Uttar Pradesh.

    Believed to be a trusted lieutenant of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, AK Sharma, the Gujarat cadre former IAS officer of 1988 batch, joined the ruling BJP in January.

    A Bhumihar by caste, Sharma is a postgraduate in political science from Allahabad University and hails from Kajha Khurd village in Muhammadabad Gohna tehsil in Mau district in eastern UP. He joined Modi as the secretary in October 2001 when the former took over as the Gujarat CM. He continued to work with him in the PMO from 2014 onward as well and took over as the MSME secretary in April 2020.

    Elections to 403 Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh are due in 2022. In 2017, the BJP had registered a landslide victory polls winning over 300 seats. The Assembly polls will be the biggest litmus test of the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Uttar Pradesh has 80 Lok Sabha constituencies, the highest amongst all states.

    (With inputs from ANI, ENS)

  • PM Modi likely to chair meeting with J-K political parties on June 24: Officials

    The first such meeting since the abrogation of J-K #39;s special status and its bifurcation into UT #39;s in August 2019 is likely to be attended by Amit Shah and other central leaders.

  • Modi calls for ‘repair and prepare’ as India emerges from pandemic

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday called for focus on ‘repair and prepare’ as the nation emerges out of a devastating pandemic.

    “Over the past year, we have witnessed a lot of disruption in different sectors. Much of it is still there. Yet, disruption does not have to mean despair,” he said at VivaTech Summit.

    “Instead, we must keep the focus on the twin foundations of repair and prepare,” he said referring to the need to augment healthcare infrastructure in the country as well as prop up the economy.

    Indian economy suffered its worst contraction in decades in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021, as the pandemic-induced lockdown impaired economic activity.

    The government, however, continued with the reforms that would help sustain higher growth rates after the world emerges from the pandemic.

    India implemented huge reforms across sectors – from mining to space, from banking to atomic energy, he said.

    “This goes on to show that India as a nation is adaptable and agile, even in the middle of the pandemic.” “India offers what innovators and investors need,” Modi said.

    “I invite the world to invest in India based on the five pillars of talent, market, capital, eco-system and culture of openness.” Stating that India’s strides in the world of tech and start-up are well-known, he said the country is home to one of the world’s largest start-up eco systems and several unicorns have come up in recent years.

  • Unplanned vaccination can promote mutant strains: Health experts in a report to PM Modi

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: A group of public health experts, including doctors from AIIMS and members from the national task force on COVID-19, have said that mass, indiscriminate and incomplete vaccination can trigger the emergence of mutant strains and recommended that there is no need to inoculate those who had documented coronavirus infection.

    In their latest report, the experts from the Indian Public Health Association (IPHA), Indian Association of Preventive and Social Medicine (IAPSM) and Indian Association of Epidemiologists (IAE) said vaccinating the vulnerable and those at risk, instead of mass population-wide inoculation including children, should be the aim at present.

    “The present situation of the pandemic in the country demands that we should be guided by the logistics and epidemiological data to prioritise vaccination rather than opening vaccination for all age groups at this stage.

    “Opening all fronts simultaneously will drain human and other resources and would be spreading it too thin to make an impact at the population level,” the experts said in the report which has been submitted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    Highlighting that vaccination of young adults and children is not supported by evidence and would not be cost-effective, they said unplanned inoculation can promote mutant strains.

    “Mass, indiscriminate, and incomplete vaccination can also trigger the emergence of mutant strains. Given the rapid transmission of infection in various parts of the country, it is unlikely that mass vaccination of all adults will catch up with the pace of natural infection among our young population,” they said in the report.

    There is no need to vaccinate people who had documented COVID-19 infection. These people may be vaccinated after generating evidence that vaccine is beneficial after natural infection, the recommendations stated.

    Evidence-based flexibility in vaccine schedules may need to be considered for areas or populations experiencing surge on account for specific variants; for example, a reduced interval for the second dose of Covishiled for areas with surge due to the delta variant.

    “Vaccine is a strong and powerful weapon against the novel coronavirus. And like all strong weapons, it should neither be withheld nor used indiscriminately; but should be employed strategically to derive maximum benefit in a cost-effective way,” they said.

    While it makes perfect sense to vaccinate all adults, the reality is that the country is in the midst of an ongoing pandemic with limited availability of vaccines, the report said.

    In this scenario, the focus should be to reduce deaths, the majority of which are among older age groups and those with co-morbidities or obesity. Vaccinating young adults, given the present constraints, will not be cost-effective, they stated.

    The report suggested implementing repeated local level serosurveys in real-time at the end of the second wave to map the vulnerability at the district level to guide vaccination strategy and long term follow up of the cohort of recovered COVID-19 patients to document re-infection, severity and outcome to provide an evidence base on the duration of immunity after natural infection.

    Ongoing research on vaccine effectiveness under field conditions by following cohorts of vaccinated and unvaccinated in different age strata should be prioritised.

    Stating the current wave is largely attributable to multiple variants, the experts pointed out that India has done genome sequencing of less than 1 per cent of its positive samples and also lags behind other high incidence countries in another crucial measure, sequence per 1,000 cases.

    Achieving a target of genomic sequencing of 5 per cent positive samples looks challenging at the moment, but all efforts should be made to reach at least 3 per cent mark, they recommended while appreciating setting up of the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) of 10 national laboratories timely and addition of 17 more laboratories.

    The molecular epidemiology investigations need to be accelerated with INSACOG scientists, field epidemiologists and clinical specialists working in synergy to delineate the epidemiological features of the variants with specific reference to transmissibility and fatality.

    Genetic sequences need to be tracked to delineate virus transmission both across the community and in health care settings. It can detect outbreaks that may otherwise be missed by traditional methods, the experts pointed out.

    They also recommended that the syndromic management approach should be rolled out in a planned manner after sensitisation of healthcare staff, along with the optimum utilisation of laboratory testing. There is an acute shortage of testing facilities for SARS-CoV-2 in rural and peri-urban areas.

    The sensitivity of RAT is quite low; there are chances that some truly positive cases would remain unidentified and thus continue to spread the disease.

    “Timely testing of each and every symptomatic patient is not possible and will put a huge burden on the health system and will delay the isolation and treatment. The optimal solution in such a situation is to adopt a syndromic management approach. It should put focus on making diagnosis based on clinical symptoms and epidemiologically linked suspects,” they said.

    They further recommended that the vaccination status of all individuals tested for COVID-19 must be entered into the sample referral form in the RTPCR app both for individuals tested by RTPCR and RAT. The collected information must be analysed periodically to know the status of vaccinated individuals with regards to COVID-19 and its severity including mortality.

    As way forward, the experts said that district level sero surveillance may be planned with the methodology of EPI cluster sampling.” If the seroprevalence at district level, is more than 70 per cent (on account of a combination of natural infection and vaccination,) there should not be any lockdown and return to normalcy should be attempted.

    “This will also help in prioritizing the districts for vaccination i.e. districts with lower seroprevalence should be given priority for vaccination. A fine balance is needed to be maintained between life and livelihood.”

    The experts also said that if a very large number of individuals are vaccinated at a fast pace with limited resources for monitoring of adverse events following immunization (AEFI), some adverse events and deaths will be missed. Also, while some of these AEFI may be coincidental, they may end up contributing to vaccine hesitancy.

  • Cyclone Yaas: PM Modi to hold review meeting with ministers, senior officials on Sunday

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a meeting with senior government officials on Sunday to review the preparations for the approaching Cyclone Yaas.

    “Prime Minister will hold a meeting at 11 AM today with senior government officials and representatives from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Secretaries from Telecom, Power, Civil aviation, Earth Sciences Ministries to review preparations against the approaching Cyclone Yaas,” sources said.

    Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other ministers will also join the meeting.

    With Odisha and West Bengal bracing for cyclonic storm Yaas, the Indian Army on Saturday informed that it has arranged columns and engineer task forces are on standby for rescue and relief operations.

    Also, ahead of Cyclone Yaas, which is likely to make landfall along the Bengal-Odisha coast between May 24 and May 26, the Northern Railway has temporarily cancelled over a dozen trains from the national capital to and from Bhubaneswar and Puri in Odisha.

    The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has also geared up to meet the likely challenges from the developing cyclonic storm Yaas on the east coast.

    Besides this, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had also reviewed the preparedness for the cyclonic storm.

  • India, EU decide to resume negotiations on FTA; unveils connectivity partnership

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: India and the European Union (EU) on Saturday announced their decision to resume negotiations for a balanced and comprehensive trade agreement after a gap of eight years and unveiled an ambitious connectivity partnership, during a virtual meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and leaders of 27 member nations of the bloc.

    In his remarks, Modi invited the EU to support a proposal by India and South Africa to waive patents on COVID-19 vaccines so that there can be equitable vaccine access for the entire world, officials said.

    However, there was no concrete decision on the matter from the EU side, according to EU officials.

    The meeting, participated by leaders of EU member states as well as the top leadership of the EU, also decided to launch negotiations on two other key agreements on investment protection and geographical indications.

    Secretary(West) in the Ministry of External Affairs Vikas Swarup said the two sides agreed to resume negotiations for a balanced and comprehensive free trade and investment agreements and that talks on both the pacts will be pursued on parallel tracks with an intention to achieve early conclusion of both of them.

    The negotiations for the ambitious free trade agreement, launched in 2007, were suspended in 2013 amidst difference on crucial issues, including tariff rules and market access.

    Today’s meeting was a milestone in relations. We agreed that we will resume the Free Trade Agreement negotiations!In parallel, we will launch negotiations on an EU-India investment protection agreement & on Geographic Indications. pic.twitter.com/FwA35u4G6K
    — Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) May 8, 2021

    “It is a watershed moment in the India-EU Strategic Partnership. It is a culmination of India’s efforts to enhance its ties with the EU and its member states in recent years,” Swarup said at a media briefing on overall outcome of the meeting.

    On patent waiver for coronavirus vaccines, Swarup said EU’s support will ensure scaling up the vaccine production.

    “Prime Minister also requested the EU’s support for our joint proposal with South Africa for a TRIPS (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) waiver on vaccine production-related patents.

    The US has also supported the proposal a couple of days ago,” he said.

    “The EU’s support at WTO for this waiver will ensure that we can scale up the vaccine production for equitable and global access and save lives,” he added.

    He said India will be watching the evolving EU position on the matter.

    The joint statement said both sides supported universal, safe, equitable and affordable access to COVID-19 vaccines, diagnostics and treatments, and the strengthening of health systems.

    “Our collaboration is essential to stopping the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuring a sustainable and inclusive recovery in a more digital and greener world,” Modi tweeted.

    The statement also said that both sides recognised the importance of strengthening the specific mechanisms for the promotion of human rights and the role of national human rights institutions, civil society actors and journalists.

    “We welcomed the resumption of the Human Rights Dialogue, which nurtured a constructive engagement between both sides, and look forward to the next meeting in 2022.

    We agreed to intensify cooperation in international human rights fora, in particular the UN General Assembly and the UN Human Rights Council,” it said.

    On the connectivity partnership, Swarup said it reflected the ambition of both sides to build on their synergies and pursue sustainable joint projects in third countries, most notably in the Africa, Central Asia and Indo-Pacific region.

    He said the leaders underlined their commitment to a free, open, inclusive and rules-based Indo-Pacific and discussed the new avenues of cooperation in the region.

    Ahead of the summit, Modi and his Portuguese counterpart Antonio Costa, in a joint op-ed piece in Politico, said the EU-India trade agreement would send a powerful signal to the world in support of the benefits of international trade cooperation.

    In a series of tweets, Modi said, “I thank the leaders of EU and its Member States for their continued commitment to strengthening relationship with India.

    I also thank my friend Prime Minister @antoniocostapm for this initiative and according high priority to India during Portuguese Presidency of the EU Council.”

    I thank the leaders of EU and its Member States for their continued commitment to strengthening relationship with India. I also thank my friend Prime Minister @antoniocostapm for this initiative and according high priority to India during Portuguese Presidency of the EU Council.
    — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 8, 2021

    “Taking forward the commitment to transform India-EU relationship for global good, I had a virtual interaction with all leaders of EU Member States and Presidents @CharlesMichel @eucopresident and @vonderleyen for India-EU Leaders’ Meeting,” the Prime minister tweeted.

    On trade, the joint statement said the High-Level Dialogue on Trade and Investment has been tasked to ensure progress on market access issues and supervise negotiations, as well as keep progress on cooperation on regulatory aspects and resilient value chains under review.

    “We confirmed the potential and need for swift engagement in areas where both sides shared interest to deepen economic cooperation.

    To this end, we agreed to create a joint working group to intensify regulatory cooperation on goods and services, including but not limited to the green and digital technologies,” it said.

    “We also agreed to set up a joint working group on resilient supply chains, building inter alia on the experience we have gained from the COVID-19 pandemic,” it said.

    The statement said the EU invited India to join the Global Alliance on Circular Economy and Resource Efficiency.

    Referring to the connectivity partnership, the statement said it upholds international law, conforms with international norms and affirms the shared values of democracy, freedom, rule of law and respect for international commitments.

    Swarup said the partnership outlined a shared desire to promote a transparent, viable, inclusive, sustainable, comprehensive, and rules-based connectivity.

    “It will enable private and public investments in connectivity projects as well as leverage public funds to spur private investments in sustainable projects, through a variety of tools such as Infrastructure Investment Trusts, green bonds, Debt Funds, Real Estate Investment Trusts, and Export Credits,” he said.

    The statement said both sides strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and underlined that it is crucial that perpetrators of violence and terrorism are brought to justice.

    Emphasising the need for strengthening international cooperation to combat terrorism and terror financing in a comprehensive and sustained manner, the two sides welcomed the imminent conclusion of the Working Arrangement between Europol and India’s Central Bureau of Investigation, which will support coordination and synergies in preventing and fighting terrorism and organised crime, it added.

    The two sides also emphasised their commitment to a free, open, inclusive and rules-based Indo-Pacific space, underpinned by respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty, democracy, and rule of law, transparency, freedom of navigation and overflight.

    “In this context, we welcomed the development by the EU of its Strategy for cooperation with the Indo-Pacific and agreed to strengthen our cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, including in the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) and in relevant regional fora,” the statement said.

    “We recognised the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) unity and centrality and committed to increasing cooperation and exchanges in the ASEAN-led framework such as the ASEAN Regional Forum,” it said.

    It said the EU also appreciated India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative, which intends to promote international coordination and cooperation in the region.

  • In his virtual rally, Modi seeks high voter turnout in West Bengal polls

    By Express News Service
    KOLKATA:  After cancelling his political rallies in West Bengal amid a surge in Covid-19 cases, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday held a virtual rally.  The prime minister said this will be his last address to the people of Bengal before they vote in the final two phases of the state’s Assembly election.  

    He urged the people to turn out to vote as they did in the last six phases. “I could not come and seek your blessing because of the second wave of Covid-19,” he said. “I cancelled my four meetings scheduled to be held in West Bengal today. Two phases are left in the ongoing Bengal Assembly elections. In previous phases, a large number of voters exercised their franchise which has glorified India’s democracy. In coming phases, you vote like the previous phases,’’ Modi said.

    Modi addressed at least 15 public rallies in past one month in West Bengal. Reiterating BJP’s aim to build Sonar Bangla, Modi said, “After wresting power in Bengal, the BJP-led government will end the regime of extortion, cut corruption, which are the only barriers for the development of the state. There will be investments that create a huge number of job opportunities.’’

    Exuding confidence about the BJP coming to power in the state, the PM said the new government will use technology to transform Kolkata. Referring to crimes against women, Modi said the BJP government will set up fast track courts across Bengal for providing speedy justice to women.

  • PM Modi announces India-US partnership on climate, clean energy

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday announced the India-US climate and clean energy partnership to help mobilise investments, and enable green collaborations.

    “As a climate-responsible developing country, India welcomes partners to create templates of sustainable development in India. These can also help other developing countries, who need affordable access to green finance and clean technologies,” PM Modi said at the virtual Leaders’ Summit on Climate hosted by the United States.

    “That is why President Biden and I are launching the ‘India-US climate and clean energy Agenda 2030 partnership’. Together, we will help mobilise investments, demonstrate clean technologies, and enable green collaborations,” he added.

    Terming the threat of climate change as a “lived reality” for millions of people in the world, PM Modi said India’s lifestyle is rooted in sustainable traditional practices and despite the county’s development challenges, it has taken many bold steps on clean energy.

    “Our ambitious renewable energy target of 450 Gigawatts by 2030 shows our commitment. Despite our development challenges, we have taken many bold steps on clean energy, energy efficiency, afforestation and bio-diversity,” PM Modi said.

    “Humanity is battling a global pandemic right now and this event is a timely reminder that grave threat of Climate Change hasn’t disappeared. It is a lived reality for millions around the world,” he added.

    PM Modi further said that India’s per capita carbon footprint is 60 per cent lower than the global average because its lifestyle is still rooted in sustainable traditional practices.

    Nearly 40 other world leaders are participating in the summit. The Prime Minister made his remarks in the leaders’ session on ‘Our Collective Sprint to 2030’.

    The summit is a part of a series of global meetings focusing on climate issues, being held in the run-up to COP26 in November 2021.