News Analysis India

Tag: Narendra Modi

  • More COVID-19 vaccines will be made available from India: PM Modi at virtual Davos summit

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: India will soon make available many more COVID-19 vaccines to other countries after two Made-In-India jabs have already been introduced to the world, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday while emphasising the country’s global responsibility in fighting the pandemic.

    In a special address at the World Economic Forum’s online Davos Agenda Summit, Modi also said he wants to assure the global business community that situation will now change rapidly on the economic front also and invited businesses from all over to participate in the country’s growth journey.

    Modi said that some had said in February-March 2020 that India would be the worst affected country by COVID-19 and would face a “tsunami of corona infections”.

    “Some had talked about 70-80 crore people expected to get infected in India, while some talked about over 20 lakh possible deaths but India did not let the disappointment get better of it,” he said.

    Modi said, “We transformed fight against coronavirus into a people’s movement and today India is among the most successful countries in saving lives.”

    WATCH HERE

    “We focussed on developing COVID-specific health infrastructure, we trained our human resources to fight against this pandemic and we made full use of tech for testing and tracking,” he said.

    Modi said India has started the world’s largest coronavirus vaccination programme and its speed can be imagined from the fact that over 23 lakh health workers have been vaccinated in just 12 days.

    He said India has ensured that it follows its global responsibility by sending essential medicines to over 150 countries while COVID-19 vaccines are also being sent to other countries.

    “While two India-made vaccines have already been introduced to the world, many more vaccines will be made available from India,” he said.

  • Congress leader Rahul Gandhi slams Modi govt for ‘ruining’ country’s economy

    By ANI
    WAYANAD: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government for allegedly “ruining” the country’s economy.

    In a tweet, the Congress MP said: “Mr Modi’s governance is a lesson in how to ruin one of the world’s fastest-growing economies.”

    He has been actively criticising the ruling government over the issues of economy and employment in the country.

    During the COVID-19 lockdown, Gandhi had shared a report by Oxfam on the alleged increase in wealth of Indian billionaires saying, “This is what happens when the Prime Minister runs a country in the sole interest of 3-4 crony capitalists.”

    The Congress leader arrived in Kerala on Wednesday for the two-day visit ahead of the Assembly elections in the state scheduled for April-May.

    Earlier, he was on a three-day visit to the western belt in Tamil Nadu where he interacted with farmers, business people, weavers and the general public. During his visit, the politician said that the major economic policies of the present central government like Goods and Services Tax and demonetisation destroyed micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) in the country.

  • One lakh trained NCC cadets will serve in coastal, border areas: PM Narendra Modi

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: One lakh National Cadet Corps (NCC) cadets, which are being trained by the Army, Navy and Air Force, will serve in coastal and border areas, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing the NCC Rally at Cariappa Ground in Delhi on Thursday.

    “On August 15, last year, it was announced that NCC will be given new responsibilities in around 175 districts in the coastal and border areas. For this, around 1 lakh NCC cadets are being trained by Army, Navy and Air Force. Out of these, one third are girl cadets,” said Prime Minister Modi.

    Addressing the NCC Rally. Watch. https://t.co/NZM0oegqGm
    — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 28, 2021

    Hailing NCC cadets for helping the government amid the COVID-19 pandemic, he said: “Be it the floods or any other calamity, NCC cadets helped the people of this country last year. During the Corona pandemic, lakhs of cadets worked with the administration and society across the country. Their work is commendable.”

    Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and the three armed services Chiefs were also present on the occasion. The Prime Minister wore an NCC cap, reviewed March Past by NCC contingents and witnessed cultural performance during the event.

  • LJP chief Chirag thanks PM Modi for Padma honour for his late father Ram Vilas Paswan

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Lok Janshakti Party president Chirag Paswan thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday after former Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan was bestowed with the Padma Bhushan award, and said Modi always gave respect to his father.

    Ram Vilas Paswan has been given the honour posthumously and was one of the 10 Padma Bhushan awardees.

    Chirag Paswan tweeted that Modi took care of his father till his last breath and gave respect to him even after he was gone.

    The LJP president has been a vocal supporter of Modi even though his party is no longer a part of the BJP-led NDA in Bihar due to his differences with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, another saffron party ally.

  • India will not only arrest environmental degradation, but reverse it too, says PM Modi

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Asserting that India’s action shows its commitment to the cause of climate, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday it will not just meet its Paris Agreement targets but exceed them and it will not just arrest environmental degradation but reverse it too.

    Besides, India will not just create new capacities but make them agent for the global good, Modi said.

    Speaking virtually at the Climate Adaptation Summit, he said our lifestyle must change to adapt to climate change, holding that this sentiment should guide the world.

    India’s target is to have 450 GW renewable energy capacity by 2030 and its use of LED lights leading to saving 32 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emission annually, he said.

    The country is going to restore 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030, he said, noting that it is providing clean cooking fuel to 80 million rural households and is connecting 64 million households to the piped water supply.

    Modi asserted that India’s initiatives have not been restricted to itself alone and said the International Solar Alliance and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure show the power of global climate partnership.

    India’s civilisational ethos underscores the importance of living in harmony with nature, he said, adding that planet earth is like a mother who will nurture us if people take care of her.

    The online international Climate Adaptation Summit 2021 (CAS-21) is being hosted by the Netherlands and has convened global leaders and local stakeholders.

    Calling for accelerating climate adaptation action, the organisers said as our planet is getting warmer and it has a growing impact on our societies and economies, we need to adapt to a new, more extreme climate.

    The two-day summit, beginning Monday, will also see the launch of a comprehensive Adaptation Action Agenda that sets out clear commitments to deliver concrete new endeavours and partnerships to make our world more resilient to the effects of climate change.

  • World Economic Forum’s online Davos summit begins; PM Modi to address on January 28

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI/DAVOS: The World Economic Forum’s online Davos Agenda Summit began on Sunday night with the premier of a concert filmed during the coronavirus pandemic in different parts of the world and the event will see top global leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, speak on the state of the world over the next five days.

    After a welcome address by WEF Founder and Executive Chairman Klaus Shwab, Swiss President Parmelin delivered a special address, followed by annual Crystal Awards and the premier of ‘See Me: A Global Concert’.

    The concert was presented as a shared expression of trust, connection and hope and it features orchestras and choirs in Beijing, Drakensberg, Florence, Kabul, Philadelphia, Vienna and Sao Paulo, with the cellist Yo-Yo Ma and music director Marin Alsop.

    The concert was filmed on location despite the COVID-19 challenges.

    In what could be the first major global summit of the year, the event will see more than 1,000 global leaders, including heads of state and government, CEOs and chairmen of big companies, heads of multilateral organisations as also members of academia and civil society, discuss economic, environmental, social and technological challenges following the COVID-19 pandemic.

    The WEF said there would be 15 special addresses from G20 heads of state and government and international organisations during the summit that will continue till January 29.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi will deliver his address on Thursday.

    Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan and Petroleum and Steel Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, as also business leaders such as Anand Mahindra, Salil Parekh and Shobana Kamineni would be among other speakers from India.

    While the WEF will host its physical annual meeting in May in Singapore, as against the regular venue of the Swiss ski resort town of Davos, the Geneva-based organisation is hosting this online event, named ‘Davos Agenda’ around the same time it generally hosts its yearly congregation of the rich and powerful of the world.

    The event has been billed as a platform that will see top world leaders deliver special addresses and engage in dialogue with business leaders at the start of a “crucial year to rebuild trust”.

    Chinese President Xi Jinping will deliver a special address on Monday, while the day will also see several sessions including on the COVID-19 crisis, restoring economic growth and stakeholder capitalism.

    United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will also address a session.

    On Tuesday, the speakers would include South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron, as also IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva.

    Republic of Korea President Moon Jae-in, Italy Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are among the listed speakers for Wednesday.

    On Thursday, in addition to Modi, Jordan King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein and Argentine President Alberto Fernandez will also deliver their special addresses.

    Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga will speak on Friday, the last day of the summit.

    On Monday, Schwab will also release his latest book, titled ‘Stakeholder Capitalism: A Global Economy that Works for Progress, People and Planet.

    ‘ It explores how societies can build the future post-COVID and builds on the WEF’s 50-year-old advocacy of the stakeholder approach.

    Other major speakers would include Christine Lagarde, Bill Gates, Punit Renjen of Deloitte, Brian T Moynihan of Bank of America, Al Gore, Ishaan Tharoor, Mark Carney, Angel Gurria of OECD, Ajay Banga, K T Rama Rao, Masayoshi Son of Softbank and Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus of the WHO.

    The list of registered participants also include Union ministers Nitin Gadkari, Smriti Irani and Piyush Goyal, along with top business leaders such as Mukesh Ambani, Gautam Adani, Ravi Ruia, Rishad Premji, Pawan Munjal, Rajan Mittal, Sunil Mittal, Ajay Khanna, Ajit Gulabchand, Hari S Bhartia and Sanjiv Bajaj.

    Former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan, Tata Steel CEO T Narendran and Walmart CEO Doug McMillon are also among registered participants.

    The WEF’s Davos 2020 summit was the last major global event that took place before almost the entire world got locked down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    The ‘Davos Agenda’ will also mark the launch of WEF’s “Great Reset Initiative” and begin the preparation of the special Annual Meeting in the spring, said the Geneva-based entity, which describes itself as an international organisation for public-private cooperation.

    Industry leaders and public figures will discuss how to advance and accelerate public-private collaboration on critical issues such as COVID-19 vaccination, job creation and climate change, among others, according to the WEF.

    While the WEF annual meeting for 2021 will be held during May 13-16 in Singapore, the high-profile summit will return to Davos in 2022.

    The conclusions from the Davos Agenda week will feed into task forces working on global issues for the upcoming Special Annual Meeting in Singapore, the WEF said.

  • People of Tamil Nadu are struggling because of Modi’s policies, says Rahul Gandhi

    By ANI
    CHENNAI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi slammed the policies of the Central Government for Tamil Nadu’s ‘economic downturn’ and alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi cannot control and blackmail the people like it is doing with the State government.

    The former Congress President was addressing the people of the state during a roadshow organised in Perundurai of Tamil Nadu’s Erode district, ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly polls.

    Alleging that PM Modi wants to control the people of Tamil Nadu, the Congress leader said, “Tamil Nadu used to be a manufacturing centre, an industrial centre, and that strength has been eliminated by the policies of Narendra Modi. He thinks that just as he can control and blackmail the state government, he can do the same to the people of this state. He did not realise that people cannot be controlled and they themselves decide for their future.

    #WATCH | …If India’s labourers, farmers & weavers were strong, protected & given opportunities, China would never dare to come inside India…: Rahul Gandhi, Congress in Erode, Tamil Nadu pic.twitter.com/IFDbzflCBo
    — ANI (@ANI) January 24, 2021

    “I have not come here to tell you what to do or tell you my Mann ki Baat, I have come here to listen to you, to understand your problems and try to help resolve them”, the Congress MP stated taking a dig at PM Modi’s monthly radio programme.

    The Congress leader said that he has familial ties with the state and is indebted to the people of Tamil Nadu for having a loving relationship with his grandmother and father.

    The Congress leader also took a potshot at the BJP-led Central Government’s economic policies and the state Government’s COVID management.

    “People of Tamil Nadu are struggling because of the policies of Narendra Modi, the BJP, and the Government of Tamil Nadu. Demonetisation, Goods and Services Tax (GST), and the response to Coronavirus has severely damaged the people of this state”, Gandhi added.

    The Congress leader is on a three-day visit to the western belt in Tamil Nadu and will have interactions with farmers, weavers, and the general public.

    Gandhi is in the state till January 25 and is also scheduled to visit Tiruppur, Karur, and Dindigul districts.

    Assembly elections are due in Tamil Nadu in April-May 2021.

  • PM Modi pays tribute to Subhas Chandra Bose on his birth anniversary

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid homage to freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his birth anniversary on Saturday and said a grateful nation will always remember his sacrifice and dedication for its independence.

    Modi will be in West Bengal on Saturday to address “Parakram Diwas” celebrations in Kolkata to commemorate Bose’s birth anniversary.

    “Tributes to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, a great freedom fighter and a true son of Mother India, on his birth anniversary,” the prime minister said in a tweet in Hindi.

    महान स्वतंत्रता सेनानी और भारत माता के सच्चे सपूत नेताजी सुभाष चंद्र बोस को उनकी जन्म-जयंती पर शत-शत नमन। कृतज्ञ राष्ट्र देश की आजादी के लिए उनके त्याग और समर्पण को सदा याद रखेगा। #ParakramDivas
    — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 23, 2021

    “A grateful nation will always remember his sacrifice and dedication for the independence of the country,” he said.

    The government has decided to observe January 23 as “Parakram Diwas” to commemorate the birth anniversary of Bose, who was born on this day in 1897.

  • ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ pervades every sphere of life, from cricket field to COVID fight: PM Modi

    By PTI
    TEZPUR: Invoking the young Indian cricket team’s remarkable victory in Australia and the country’s fight against COVID-19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday the spirit of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ pervades all spheres and has become a part of everyday lives of people.

    Modi said the fight against COVID-19 made the slogan of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ not only a part of popular vocubulary but also encapsulated the nation’s dreams, hopes, its motivation and determination to deal with the crisis.

    He said that a change of approach and perspective to meet every challenge differently and with determination became visible. “This change was also visible on the cricket field when the Indian team lost disastrously but fought back with confidence and determination in the next match to beat a much more experienced Australian team. The players turned adversity into opportunity, creating history with their talent and temperament. Their performance is important not only in the history of sports but also gave us three life lessons. The first being trust and self-confidence, then the need for a positive mindset, and finally, the will to explore if there is a possibility of victory and go for it,” he said.

    The prime minister was addressing the 18th convocation of Tezpur University. “We should learn to take risks and overcome fear of failure,” Modi said.

    Speaking about India’s fight against the pandemic, the prime minister said there was a lot of scepticism about how such a large country will tackle it. “Our COVID-19 management showed where there is resolve and resilience, resources come naturally. And today the world’s largest vaccination programme is under way in India,” he said.

    The prime minister said despite the initial challenges, the country fought against the coronavirus with ‘Made in India’ solutions.

    It minimised the impact of the virus, improved health infrastructure and now two vaccines manufactured in the country will provide a shield against the disease to its people and those across the world, he said.

    ALSO READ| PM Narendra Modi interacts with COVID vaccine beneficiaries in Varanasi

    Modi said that the development of digital infrastructure made possible online transfer of relief funds to the poor during the lockdown. “Today, India does not hesitate in facing challenges. We launched the world’s biggest schemes for financial inclusion, for building toilets, providing houses to the poor, safe drinking water. Now the world’s largest vaccination drive is also taking place in India,” he asserted.

    He urged the student community to innovate and bring about change as new technology has opened up fresh possibilities in every sector with banks operating without branches, cloud kitchens coming up , and products being sold without showrooms.

    Modi said that the students of Tezpur University must take advantage of the numerous opportunities before them as a result of the government’s initiatives for improving connectivity, education and health care.

    Tezpur University’s unique identity is its Innovation Centre, and the grassroots innovations by its researchers are an example of ‘vocal for local’ because they help resolve local problems and open up new areas of development, he said.

    The prime minister cited an initiative of the university’s Department of Chemical Science which developed a low-cost technology to purify water which was being replicated in many states.

    He also spoke about research for conservation of North East’s biodiversity, documenting the rich heritage of different communities, preservation of the rare wood art at the birthplace of Vaishnav saint Srimanta Sankardeva at Bordowa and digitisation of historical records.

    The prime minister recalled the history of Tezpur since the mythological ages to the modern times as the cultural capital of the state where Assam’s icons like Bhupen Hazarika, Jyoti Prasad Agarwalla and Bishnu Prasad Rabha were born and spent a considerable part of their lives.

    He asked the students to draw inspiration from their works to create a self-reliant India and the world where they can make tangible changes to the lives of the future generations. “The country is about to enter the 75th year of its Independence for which many sacrificed their lives. It’s now your turn to build the future of those who will be students like you in the next 25 years when the nation enters its 100th year of Independence,” he said.

    It is the duty of today’s students to transform and ensure that future universities are globally linked, and for this a new regulatory framework is necessary. The New Education Policy is a step in that direction, he said, underscoring the need for greater use of technology and importance of multi-disciplinary education.

    “After you complete your formal education, work not only for your own future but also of the state and the nation,” he said.

  • PM Modi allays fears related to Covid vaccine, says no politics involved

    Express News Service
    LUCKNOW: On a day when Uttar Pradesh set out to inoculate over 1.40 lakh health workers under the second phase of Covid vaccination on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with health workers of Varanasi, his parliamentary constituency, through a video link allaying their fears over the vaccination.

    Attributing the success of the ongoing vaccination drive to the scientists and researchers, the PM made attempts to dispel the doubts and fears over the vaccine saying there was no politics involved in the selection of vaccine. “We had decided to leave it to our scientists that whatever they will suggest, we will follow it and we did so,” said the PM, adding that behind the making of vaccine, there had been the diligence and knowledge of country’s scientists who made it possible in such a short time.

    Interacting with COVID-19 vaccination beneficiaries in Kashi. https://t.co/PxZOzyQXwy
    — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 22, 2021

    Greeting the community of scientists, the PM said the country had reached a level where two ‘Made in India’ vaccines are in the field. “India is self-reliant in a field which is the biggest necessity of the day,” said the PM. He also claimed that the country was sending Covid vaccine to neighbouring countriesthrough friendly export.

    The PM also attributed the success in the crusade against Coronavirus to the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan for the last six years. “The sensitization towards cleanliness has helped the countrymen develop immunity and capacity to fight out the ailments be it Covid or any other disease,” averred the PM.

    Modi interacted with five health workers who had got inoculated in the first phase of vaccination on January 16 and asked them to share their experience. The health workers are Matron Pushpa Devi, ANM Rani Kunwar Srivastava (both from women’s hospital), chief Medical Superintendent of Deen Dayal Upadhyay hospital Dr P Shukla, senior lab technician Ramesh Chandra and ANM Shrinkla Chauhan (Community Health Centre, Haathi Bazar).

    He also expressed hope that the vaccine would protect the health workers against coronavirus and that they would again extend their services to others in getting the vaccine.

    The next inoculation drive in UP will be held on January 28 and 29. A total of 22,643 people have been inoculated in the state so far.