News Analysis India

Tag: Piyush Goyal

  • Union Minister JP Nadda Named Leader Of House In Rajya Sabha |

    JP Nadda, the Union Health Minister and a prominent member of the Bharatiya Janata Party, was named the Speaker of the Rajya Sabha today. In the Cabinet, Mr. Nadda is also in charge of the Chemicals and Fertilizers portfolio. The Union Minister will be replacing Piyush Goyal as the Leader of the House. Goyal took oath as a member of the Lower House.

    Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge is the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha. Besides Nadda, there are 11 members of the Upper House who are in the Union Council of Ministers.

  • Piyush Goyal rejects speculations on change of leadership in Maharashtra BJP

    Union Minister and senior BJP leader Piyush Goyal rejected speculations on a change of leadership in the party’s Maharashtra unit following the party’s dismal performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections.

    Goyal said that the BJP leadership has no such idea and no such discussion has taken place in the party’s core committee meeting. There were speculations that Rao Saheb Patil would be made the state president.

    Earlier on Tuesday, a meeting of the Maharashtra BJP core committee was held at the BJP national headquarters under the leadership of BJP National President JP Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.According to sources, the party’s central leadership has given a road map for the assembly elections in Maharashtra. The reasons for losing the Lok Sabha elections were also discussed in the meeting, they said.

    After the meeting, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told reporters that all such issues were discussed, including those that had impacted the Lok Sabha election results, and how to overcome those shortcomings in the upcoming assembly elections.

    Fadnavis said that the BJP will enter the fray to contest the assembly elections with full force.Union Ministers Bhupendra Yadav, Ashwini Vaishnav, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, BJP National General Secretary Vinod Tawde, State President Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Pankaja Munde, Ashish Shelar, Chandrakant Patil, and Rao Sahib Patil were present in the meeting.During the meeting, Bhupender Yadav was appointed as the in-charge for Maharashtra and Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw will be the co-in-charge for the state.

    The BJP dipped to nine seats in Maharashtra against 23 in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The vote share stood at 26.18 per cent. The Congress, on the other hand, marginally improved its seat share by securing 13 seats in the state.

    The Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) won seven and one seats respectively, taking the total tally of the NDA to 17. The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackrey) got nine seats while the Nationalist Congress Party – Sharadchandra Pawar won eight seats. (ANI)

  • Modi 3.0: Cabinet sees 6 Maharashtra ministers including Gadkari, Goyal; State’s strength dips by 2

    Mumbai: Six MPs from Maharashtra have joined the Modi 3.0 coalition government, with the BJP securing four positions and allies Shiv Sena and RPI (A) receiving one each. Notably, the NCP led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar declined the BJP’s offer of Minister of State (MoS) with independent charge, insisting on a cabinet berth for Praful Patel.During the second term of the Modi government from 2019-24, there were eight ministers from Maharashtra representing the BJP and its allies. This number has decreased to six as of Sunday.In the new government, BJP MPs Nitin Gadkari and Piyush Goyal retained their positions as cabinet ministers.Raksha Khadse, the sole woman MP from Maharashtra representing the BJP, along with first-time MP Murlidhar Mohol, were sworn in as Ministers of State.AllUttar PradeshMaharashtraTamil NaduWest BengalBiharKarnatakaAndhra PradeshTelanganaKeralaMadhya PradeshRajasthanDelhiOther StatesAmong the BJP’s allies, RPI (A) chief Ramdas Athawale retained his position as Minister of State with independent charge, while Prataprao Jadhav from the Shiv Sena, under the leadership of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, also took oath as Minister of State with independent charge.The NCP, led by Ajit Pawar, declined the offer of Minister of State, insisting on a cabinet berth for Rajya Sabha member Praful Patel due to his extensive experience.Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday said coalition formulas must be respected, assuring the NCP would be considered in future cabinet expansions. “We had offered one berth of minister with independent charge to the NCP but they wanted Praful Patel’s name to be finalised. Due to his experience, the NCP believed he could not be made MoS with independent charge,” Fadnavis said.

    In a coalition government, a formula has to be drawn, which cannot be broken for one party, he said.

    “I can confidently say whenever cabinet expansion takes place, the government will consider the NCP. We did try to include NCP right now, but they insisted on cabinet portfolio,” the senior BJP leader said.

    Speaking to reporters in Delhi, Ajit Pawar asserted the NCP “was ready to wait” but wanted a cabinet berth.

    The eight ministers from Maharashtra who were part of the Modi-led government from 2019-24 included Nitin Gadkari, Piyush Goyal, Narayan Rane, Bhagwat Karad, Raosaheb Danve, Bharti Pawar and Kapil Patil- all from BJP, and Ramdas Athawale of the RPI (A).

    In the recently held Lok Sabha elections, the BJP fared poorly in Maharashtra as it could win only nine seats, compared to the 2019 tally of 23 out of the total 48 constituencies in the state. The Shiv Sena led by Shinde bagged seven seats and Ajit Pawar-led NCP just one.

    Gadkari, Goyal, Khadse and Mohol won from Nagpur, Mumbai North, Raver and Pune Lok Sabha constituencies, respectively, in the recent elections.

    Notably, the BJP did not re-induct Narayan Rane in the Union cabinet though he won from Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg Lok Sabha seat.

    Three other BJP ministers – Raosaheb Danve, Bharati Pawar, and Kapil Patil- in the previous government lost the elections this time.

    Inputs from PTI

  • India AI Mission: Check 8 Key Components Of Cabinet’s Newly Launched Plan |

    New Delhi: Yesterday, March 8, 2024, the union cabinet under the leadership of Minister Piyush Goyal introduced the India AI mission, allocating Rs 10, 371.92 crore for its implementation. The mission is launched to boost AI development in the country for the next 5 years. For ease, we have decoded the key components of India’s AI mission.

    IndiaAI Mission: How It Will Be Implemented?

    According to the union minister Piyush Goyal’s briefing, the implementation of the mission will be executed by IBD and DIC. (BIG Bonanza To Ujjwala Beneficiaries; Govt Extends Rs 300 LPG Subsidy)

    1. Compute Capacity

    Speaking to the reporters after the cabinet meeting, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said, one of the primary focuses of the AI mission is to establish an ecosystem equipped with AI compute infrastructure, comprising 10,000 or more graphics processing units (GPUs). (Also Read: Good News For Job Seekers! Elon Musk’s Firm X Has Over 1 Million Openings)

    The government has planned to develop this infrastructure through public-private partnerships.

    2. AI Marketplace

    The government plans to create an AI marketplace, offering AI as a service and pre-trained models to AI innovators. This initiative aims to facilitate access to AI resources for developers and entrepreneurs.

    3. Startup Financing

    Deep-tech AI startups will receive support under this initiative. This will boost the growth of innovative ventures in the AI space.

    4. Non-Personal Dataset Platform

    The India AI Datasets Platform will streamline access to non-personal datasets for entrepreneurs and startups. A unified data platform will be developed to provide seamless access to these datasets, aiding Indian startups and researchers in their endeavors.

    5. Innovation Centre

    The India AI Innovation Centre will focus on developing and deploying indigenous large multimodal models and domain-specific foundational models in critical sectors, contributing to technological advancements.

    6. AI Application in Critical Sectors

    Through the IndiaAI Application Development Initiative, AI applications will be promoted in critical sectors, addressing problem statements sourced from the government. This initiative aims to leverage AI to enhance efficiency and address challenges in various sectors.

    7. IndiaAI FutureSkills

    Under the FutureSkills program, entry into AI programs and courses at undergraduate, master’s, and Ph.D. levels will be encouraged. Additionally, data and AI Labs are planned to be set up in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities across India to provide foundational-level courses.

    8. Responsible AI

    To ensure the responsible development and deployment of AI, projects will be initiated to develop indigenous tools and frameworks. Self-assessment checklists for innovators and other guidelines and governance frameworks will also be established.

  • India-UK trade pact a high priority; next round of talks slated next month: Goyal

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The proposed free trade agreement (FTA) between India and the UK is a high priority for both countries and the next round of negotiations for the pact is slated to happen next month, commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal said on Tuesday.

    He said that things are progressing well and it will yield good results.

    “We are all very well aware that it was progressing very fast until we had a little bit of a blip because of political happenings in the other country. Fortunately, we have a stable government. I believe in the office now (in the UK) and I am already in touch with my (UK) counterpart. We are working together to possibly have an in-person meeting also very soon but our teams are already engaged. Next month, the next round of negotiations are slated to happen,” Goyal said here at a steel industry event.

    He said that industry support is required for the agreement and it should be a fair, equitable and balanced FTA.

    He also said that there should not be any strict timelines to conclude negotiations for an FTA as such agreements have to be thought through and carefully calibrated and negotiated.

    “With UK we are doing a comprehensive deal like the UAE. I assure you that it is a high priority of both countries. It has been reiterated in the meeting of the G20,” Goyal said.

    India and Britain launched negotiations for the FTA in January with an aim to conclude talks by Diwali (October 24), but the deadline was missed due to political developments in the UK. There are 26 chapters in the agreement, which include goods, services, investments and intellectual property rights.

    Reduction or elimination of customs duty under the pact would help Indian labour-intensive sectors like textiles, leather, gems and jewellery to boost exports in the UK market.

    The UK is seeking duty concessions in areas like Scotch whiskey and automobiles.ALSO READ | Committed to working quickly on UK-India FTA: Rishi Sunak

    So far, five rounds of talks are already completed between the officials of the two countries till July.

    The bilateral trade between the two countries increased to USD 17.5 billion in 2021-22 compared to USD 13.2 billion in 2020-21. India’s exports stood at USD 10.5 billion in 2021-22, while imports were USD 7 billion.

    There are 26 chapters in the agreement, which include goods, services, investments and intellectual property rights.

    India’s main exports to the UK include ready-made garments and textiles, gems and jewellery, engineering goods, petroleum and petrochemical products, transport equipment and parts, spices, metal products, machinery and instruments, pharma and marine items.

    Major imports include precious and semi-precious stones, ores and metal scraps, engineering goods, professional instruments, non-ferrous metals, chemicals and machinery.

    The UK is also a key investor in India. New Delhi attracted foreign direct investment of USD 1.64 billion in 2021-22. The figure was about USD 32 billion between April 2000 and March 2022.

    In the services sector, the UK is one of the largest markets in Europe for Indian IT services.ALSO READ | Australia ratifies free trade deals with India and Britain

    NEW DELHI: The proposed free trade agreement (FTA) between India and the UK is a high priority for both countries and the next round of negotiations for the pact is slated to happen next month, commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal said on Tuesday.

    He said that things are progressing well and it will yield good results.

    “We are all very well aware that it was progressing very fast until we had a little bit of a blip because of political happenings in the other country. Fortunately, we have a stable government. I believe in the office now (in the UK) and I am already in touch with my (UK) counterpart. We are working together to possibly have an in-person meeting also very soon but our teams are already engaged. Next month, the next round of negotiations are slated to happen,” Goyal said here at a steel industry event.

    He said that industry support is required for the agreement and it should be a fair, equitable and balanced FTA.

    He also said that there should not be any strict timelines to conclude negotiations for an FTA as such agreements have to be thought through and carefully calibrated and negotiated.

    “With UK we are doing a comprehensive deal like the UAE. I assure you that it is a high priority of both countries. It has been reiterated in the meeting of the G20,” Goyal said.

    India and Britain launched negotiations for the FTA in January with an aim to conclude talks by Diwali (October 24), but the deadline was missed due to political developments in the UK. There are 26 chapters in the agreement, which include goods, services, investments and intellectual property rights.

    Reduction or elimination of customs duty under the pact would help Indian labour-intensive sectors like textiles, leather, gems and jewellery to boost exports in the UK market.

    The UK is seeking duty concessions in areas like Scotch whiskey and automobiles.ALSO READ | Committed to working quickly on UK-India FTA: Rishi Sunak

    So far, five rounds of talks are already completed between the officials of the two countries till July.

    The bilateral trade between the two countries increased to USD 17.5 billion in 2021-22 compared to USD 13.2 billion in 2020-21. India’s exports stood at USD 10.5 billion in 2021-22, while imports were USD 7 billion.

    There are 26 chapters in the agreement, which include goods, services, investments and intellectual property rights.

    India’s main exports to the UK include ready-made garments and textiles, gems and jewellery, engineering goods, petroleum and petrochemical products, transport equipment and parts, spices, metal products, machinery and instruments, pharma and marine items.

    Major imports include precious and semi-precious stones, ores and metal scraps, engineering goods, professional instruments, non-ferrous metals, chemicals and machinery.

    The UK is also a key investor in India. New Delhi attracted foreign direct investment of USD 1.64 billion in 2021-22. The figure was about USD 32 billion between April 2000 and March 2022.

    In the services sector, the UK is one of the largest markets in Europe for Indian IT services.ALSO READ | Australia ratifies free trade deals with India and Britain

  • Piyush Goyal calls for self-regulation within media and entertainment industry

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal on Thursday called for some forms of self-regulation within the media and entertainment industry with regard to content and said that if the industry does not self-regulate, there will be a clamour from society and the government would then have to undertake regulation.

    Addressing the Valedictory Session of the 11th Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Big Picture Summit in New Delhi, he said, “On the one hand we talk of our culture, our heritage, our rich tradition, our family value system and on the other hand some of what we see on television and OTT platforms certainly is beyond what is ordinarily accepted standards within the Indian cultural landscape.”

    He said that if the industry does not self-regulate, there will be a clamour from society and the government would then have to undertake regulation.

    “Modern, catchy and entertaining way of presentation of content was very welcome but a certain level of decency in the presentation of India, Indian families and Indian culture is something that captains of the industry must pay attention to. The messaging in these programs must not be disconnected from the Indian reality. If the industry does not self-regulate, there will be a clamour from society and the government would then have to undertake regulation,” he said.

    Goyal said that the media and entertainment sector presented a remarkable opportunity for India but stressed that this opportunity could be realized only if the entire industry, its verticals, and stakeholders came together to ideate and synergize.

    He appreciated the industry for its informing, connecting, engaging and entertaining content during the Covid pandemic.

    Goyal said that there was a need to make our legal framework much more contemporary.

    “It was time that we moved out of the colonial mindset as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and moved away from outdated laws. He assured that the government would engage with industry to conceive laws which would truly facilitate growth and simplify day-to-day operations in this sector,” he said.

    The Minister also said that efforts would be made to simplify the ecosystem of permissions for shooting in India by making provisions to grant them through a single window framework.

    “Centre had already liberalized FDI in the entertainment industry to enable companies from all over the world to invest in India and all efforts must be directed towards laying a red carpet for international artists to create in India,” Goyal further said.

    With a suggestion to “create content in India for the world”, the minister said, “Content could be created in India at much more economical costs and underscored that India had the ability to become content creators for the world.

    He also pointed out the employment opportunities generated by the industry and said, “The entertainment industry had great potential for employment generation and called for more skill development and educational courses.”

    He also dwelled upon the need to ensure fair wages, social security, healthcare etc. to those who work in the sector to make them an integral part of the success story of this sector.

    The Minister released two reports prepared by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on broadcasting. Apurva Chandra, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and other dignitaries were present on occasion.

    NEW DELHI: Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal on Thursday called for some forms of self-regulation within the media and entertainment industry with regard to content and said that if the industry does not self-regulate, there will be a clamour from society and the government would then have to undertake regulation.

    Addressing the Valedictory Session of the 11th Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Big Picture Summit in New Delhi, he said, “On the one hand we talk of our culture, our heritage, our rich tradition, our family value system and on the other hand some of what we see on television and OTT platforms certainly is beyond what is ordinarily accepted standards within the Indian cultural landscape.”

    He said that if the industry does not self-regulate, there will be a clamour from society and the government would then have to undertake regulation.

    “Modern, catchy and entertaining way of presentation of content was very welcome but a certain level of decency in the presentation of India, Indian families and Indian culture is something that captains of the industry must pay attention to. The messaging in these programs must not be disconnected from the Indian reality. If the industry does not self-regulate, there will be a clamour from society and the government would then have to undertake regulation,” he said.

    Goyal said that the media and entertainment sector presented a remarkable opportunity for India but stressed that this opportunity could be realized only if the entire industry, its verticals, and stakeholders came together to ideate and synergize.

    He appreciated the industry for its informing, connecting, engaging and entertaining content during the Covid pandemic.

    Goyal said that there was a need to make our legal framework much more contemporary.

    “It was time that we moved out of the colonial mindset as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and moved away from outdated laws. He assured that the government would engage with industry to conceive laws which would truly facilitate growth and simplify day-to-day operations in this sector,” he said.

    The Minister also said that efforts would be made to simplify the ecosystem of permissions for shooting in India by making provisions to grant them through a single window framework.

    “Centre had already liberalized FDI in the entertainment industry to enable companies from all over the world to invest in India and all efforts must be directed towards laying a red carpet for international artists to create in India,” Goyal further said.

    With a suggestion to “create content in India for the world”, the minister said, “Content could be created in India at much more economical costs and underscored that India had the ability to become content creators for the world.

    He also pointed out the employment opportunities generated by the industry and said, “The entertainment industry had great potential for employment generation and called for more skill development and educational courses.”

    He also dwelled upon the need to ensure fair wages, social security, healthcare etc. to those who work in the sector to make them an integral part of the success story of this sector.

    The Minister released two reports prepared by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on broadcasting. Apurva Chandra, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and other dignitaries were present on occasion.

  • Foreign trade to be a defining feature in making India a USD 30 trillion economy: Piyush Goyal

    By PTI

    KAKINADA: Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal said here on Friday that foreign trade would become a truly defining feature that would help India become a USD 30 trillion economy in the Amrit Kaal.

    “We have reached that inflection point, we are at the cusp, where we are going to take off. If we have the ambition to be at least ten times in the next 25 years. We are looking to cross the USD 30 trillion economy with a per capita GDP of 15,000 dollar,” Goyal said.

    Speaking as the guest of honour after inaugurating the third campus of the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade-Kakinada, along with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Goyal noted that foreign trade would become a truly defining feature in the years to come “as we work in the Amrit Kaal in the next 25 years and progress towards a developed India.”

    At the inauguration of the Kakinada campus of the Indian Institute Of Foreign Tradehttps://t.co/oqRraEsA8T
    — Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) October 28, 2022
    “Amrit Kaal, leading to the 100 years of Indian Independence, will determine the future of our children and generations to come. You are the main stakeholders in this journey,” he told the IIFT students.

    Goyal said foreign trade was going to truly help in achieving the USD 30 trillion ambitious targets.

    “This is the path that we are going to achieve. It’s very much achievable and doable,” he remarked. The Commerce Minister pointed out that the Indian economy grew 11.8 times in dollar terms in the last 30 years to USD 3.5 trillion today, from less than USD 300 billion.

    Goyal said India was a bright spot in the world today, where other countries were in recession, where inflation was five times high than was usually seen in some countries.

    He said the world was seeking to engage with India because it’s a growing economy.

    Political stability, decisive leadership and deft handling of the economy have made the world look up to India.

    “As we go into a developed economy status, our imports and exports are going to increase manifold. We have to have seamless foreign trade, movement of goods and services,” he noted.

    Path to achieve 10 times growth in next 25 years is clearly visible. pic.twitter.com/3JTAXMV50F
    — Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) October 28, 2022
    Goyal said the world wanted to do “more and more business with us.

    “The world wants Free Trade Agreements with us. World wants to expand trading relationship and friendship with India, looking at the potential in terms of a large market and the potential we have to help their economies survive and grow,” the Commerce Minister said.

    Observing that the youths have a huge burden, of taking India to the status of a developed country, on their shoulders, Goyal said they have the work cut out.

    “Take upon you the responsibility for inclusive growth and all regions of the country. Let’s make India once again the Viswaguru, the world superpower,” he exhorted the IIFT wards.

    KAKINADA: Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal said here on Friday that foreign trade would become a truly defining feature that would help India become a USD 30 trillion economy in the Amrit Kaal.

    “We have reached that inflection point, we are at the cusp, where we are going to take off. If we have the ambition to be at least ten times in the next 25 years. We are looking to cross the USD 30 trillion economy with a per capita GDP of 15,000 dollar,” Goyal said.

    Speaking as the guest of honour after inaugurating the third campus of the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade-Kakinada, along with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Goyal noted that foreign trade would become a truly defining feature in the years to come “as we work in the Amrit Kaal in the next 25 years and progress towards a developed India.”

    At the inauguration of the Kakinada campus of the Indian Institute Of Foreign Tradehttps://t.co/oqRraEsA8T
    — Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) October 28, 2022
    “Amrit Kaal, leading to the 100 years of Indian Independence, will determine the future of our children and generations to come. You are the main stakeholders in this journey,” he told the IIFT students.

    Goyal said foreign trade was going to truly help in achieving the USD 30 trillion ambitious targets.

    “This is the path that we are going to achieve. It’s very much achievable and doable,” he remarked. The Commerce Minister pointed out that the Indian economy grew 11.8 times in dollar terms in the last 30 years to USD 3.5 trillion today, from less than USD 300 billion.

    Goyal said India was a bright spot in the world today, where other countries were in recession, where inflation was five times high than was usually seen in some countries.

    He said the world was seeking to engage with India because it’s a growing economy.

    Political stability, decisive leadership and deft handling of the economy have made the world look up to India.

    “As we go into a developed economy status, our imports and exports are going to increase manifold. We have to have seamless foreign trade, movement of goods and services,” he noted.

    Path to achieve 10 times growth in next 25 years is clearly visible. pic.twitter.com/3JTAXMV50F
    — Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) October 28, 2022
    Goyal said the world wanted to do “more and more business with us.

    “The world wants Free Trade Agreements with us. World wants to expand trading relationship and friendship with India, looking at the potential in terms of a large market and the potential we have to help their economies survive and grow,” the Commerce Minister said.

    Observing that the youths have a huge burden, of taking India to the status of a developed country, on their shoulders, Goyal said they have the work cut out.

    “Take upon you the responsibility for inclusive growth and all regions of the country. Let’s make India once again the Viswaguru, the world superpower,” he exhorted the IIFT wards.

  • Adhir’s ‘rashtrapatni’ remark on President Murmu: BJP demands apology from Sonia

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Union minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday slammed Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury for his remark against the President, saying the entire country is upset over it.

    Both Houses of Parliament witnessed uproar over the remark with BJP leaders demanding an apology from Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

    “The entire country today is upset over Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s remark on the President. Congress has been insulting tribal leaders,” Goyal, who is the Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha, told reporters.

    Referring to President Droupadi Murmu as ‘rashtrapatni’ was a “slip of the tongue”, Chowdhury said on Thursday and accused the BJP of making a “mountain out of a molehill” over the issue.

    The term was used only once by mistake and he never intended any disrespect to the president, Chowdhury said.

    BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra on Thursday said Congress president Sonia Gandhi must apologise to the nation over party leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s “derogatory” remark against President Droupadi Murmu.

    BJP members stalled both house of Parliament on Thursday as they protested against Chowdhury, the party’s top leader in Lok Sabha, for calling Murmu “rashtrapatni”.

    They too sought an apology from the Congress president over Chowdhury’s remark.

    Sonia Gandhi has appointed Chowdhury as the leader in Lok Sabha to speak and he has made a “derogatory” remark against President Murmu.

    Therefore, the Congress chief must apologise to the nation, Patra told reporters here.

    Reacting to Congress’ stand that Chowdhury has already apologised for the comment, Patra said the MP needs to be “punished” for demeaning the country’s highest constitutional post.

    NEW DELHI: Union minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday slammed Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury for his remark against the President, saying the entire country is upset over it.

    Both Houses of Parliament witnessed uproar over the remark with BJP leaders demanding an apology from Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

    “The entire country today is upset over Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s remark on the President. Congress has been insulting tribal leaders,” Goyal, who is the Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha, told reporters.

    Referring to President Droupadi Murmu as ‘rashtrapatni’ was a “slip of the tongue”, Chowdhury said on Thursday and accused the BJP of making a “mountain out of a molehill” over the issue.

    The term was used only once by mistake and he never intended any disrespect to the president, Chowdhury said.

    BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra on Thursday said Congress president Sonia Gandhi must apologise to the nation over party leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s “derogatory” remark against President Droupadi Murmu.

    BJP members stalled both house of Parliament on Thursday as they protested against Chowdhury, the party’s top leader in Lok Sabha, for calling Murmu “rashtrapatni”.

    They too sought an apology from the Congress president over Chowdhury’s remark.

    Sonia Gandhi has appointed Chowdhury as the leader in Lok Sabha to speak and he has made a “derogatory” remark against President Murmu.

    Therefore, the Congress chief must apologise to the nation, Patra told reporters here.

    Reacting to Congress’ stand that Chowdhury has already apologised for the comment, Patra said the MP needs to be “punished” for demeaning the country’s highest constitutional post.

  • Jammu and Kashmir to host G-20 meetings in 2023, form five-member coordination panel

    By PTI

    JAMMU: In a major development, Jammu and Kashmir will be hosting the 2023 meetings of G-20, an influential grouping that brings together the world’s major economies, with the Union Territory government Thursday setting up a five-member high level committee for overall coordination.

    This will be the first major international summit to be held in Jammu and Kashmir after the erstwhile state’s special status guaranteed under Article 370 of the Constitution was withdrawn and it was divided into two union territories in August 2019.

    In September last year, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal was appointed as India’s Sherpa for the G20. The Ministry of External Affairs had said that India will hold the G20 presidency from December 1, 2022, and will convene the G20 leaders’ summit in 2023 for the first time.

    According to an official order issued here on Thursday, the Union Territory’s housing and urban development department principal secretary will be the chairman of the committee which was formed in response to a June 4 communication from the Ministry of External Affairs.

    “Sanction is hereby accorded to the constitution of a committee – for overall co-ordination of G-20 meetings to be held in the Union Territory of J&K,”the order issued by Principal Secretary (General Administration) Manoj Kumar Dwivedi said.

    The members of the committee include Commissioner Secretary (Transport), Administrative Secretary (Tourism), Administrative Secretary (Hospitality and Protocol) and Administrative Secretary (Culture). “Further, principal secretary to the government, housing and urban development department is also nominated as UT level nodal officer to coordinate the arrangements for G-20 meetings in the Union Territory of J&K,” the order said.

    Prime Minister Modi has been leading India’s representation at G20 summits since 2014. India has been a member of the G20 since its inception in 1999. According to the MEA, India will be part of the G20 Troika (preceding, current, and incoming G20 Presidencies) from December 1, 2021 till November 30, 2024.

    G20 brings together 19 of the world’ leading economies and the European Union, with its members accounting for more than 80 per cent of global GDP, 75 percent of global trade and 60 percent of the global population, according to the MEA.

    The G20 member nations are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States.

  • Nupur Sharma row has not dented India’s image: Piyush Goyal

    By Express News Service

    KOCHI: Fighting the outrage triggered by the derogatory statement made by BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma about Prophet Mohammed, Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said the controversy has not dented the image of the Modi government and India will continue to lead the world.

    Interacting with mediapersons here on Tuesday, the minister said Indians living in Gulf countries are safe and they will not have to worry. “The comment was not made by a government functionary and the foreign office has come out with a clarification. We have not heard of any campaign to boycott Indian products. There is no tension and the countries have only pointed out that such a statement should not be made. The BJP leadership has taken action against the person concerned,” he said.

    Alleging that the law and order situation is deteriorating in Kerala under the CPM regime, Goyal said the BJP is worried about the political murders in the state. “Both the LDF and the UDF have shown that they don’t believe in democratic ways. The CPM’s ties with the SDPI and the PFI is well known in Kerala. In terms of crimes against women too, Kerala shows a continuously deteriorating situation.

    I think the home department in Kerala has collapsed and the government is answerable to the people ,” he said. Goyal said the Centre has not given permission for the K-Rail project. Considering the popular discontent, the government should reroute the project as per people’s wish. “As railway minister, I used to hold talks with the Kerala government, but it never acquired land for essential projects to help improve the railway network in the state. Having seen the track record, I don’t think the government will be able to acquire land for the SilverLine project,” he said.