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A complete Assam National Register of Citizens (NRC) list with individual status of over three crore people was published online on Saturday.

Those who had applied for inclusion of their names in the NRC list and have a valid ARN number can check their final status at nrcassam.nic.in.

Speaking to ANI here, a local resident, Vighu Kumar Nath said, "I checked NRC list online today. I am happy that my name and names of my family members are there in the list."

Another resident Akas Ali said, "I am happy that names of my family members including me are there in the list."

The final list of National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam was published on August 31, excluding over 19 lakh people.

"A total of 3,11,21,004 persons are found eligible for inclusion in final NRC leaving out 19,06,657 persons, including those who did not submit their claims," Prateek Hajela, the State Coordinator of the NRC, had said in an official statement.

He, however, had asserted that those who are not satisfied with the outcome of the claims can appeal before the Foreigners Tribunals.

NRC is a register containing names of Indian citizens, which was prepared for the first time in 1951.

It is being updated for Assam as of now to weed out illegal immigrants from the state.&nbsp;

A complete Assam National Register of Citizens (NRC) list with individual status of over three crore people was published online on Saturday. Those who had applied for inclusion of their names in the NRC list and have a valid ARN number can check their final status at nrcassam.

A complete Assam National Register of Citizens (NRC) list with individual status of over three crore people was published online on Saturday. Those who had applied for inclusion of their names in the NRC list and have a valid ARN number can check their final status at nrcassam.nic.in. Speaking to ANI here, a local resident, Vighu Kumar Nath said, "I checked NRC list online today. I am happy that my name and names of my family members are there in the list." Another resident Akas Ali said, "I am happy that names of my family members including me are there in the list." The final list of National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam was published on August 31, excluding over 19 lakh people. "A total of 3,11,21,004 persons are found eligible for inclusion in final NRC leaving out 19,06,657 persons, including those who did not submit their claims," Prateek Hajela, the State Coordinator of the NRC, had said in an official statement. He, however, had asserted that those who are not satisfied with the outcome of the claims can appeal before the Foreigners Tribunals. NRC is a register containing names of Indian citizens, which was prepared for the first time in 1951. It is being updated for Assam as of now to weed out illegal immigrants from the state.

Assam NRC list with status of over 3 crore people published online

BJP lawmaker Gautam Gambhir on Saturday said that the announcement of the odd-even scheme by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is a "political gimmick" as the assembly elections in the national capital are inching closer.

On Friday, Kejriwal announced the odd-ven vehicle rationing scheme in a bid to control the pollution in Delhi. Hitting out at Kejriwal, Gambhir told ANI, "All these announcements are a political gimmick. This is not going to work. I have always believed that he has been here for 4.5 years and haven't done anything. Kejriwal is making all these announcements as he realises that elections are around the corner."

"BJP government has done a better job of controlling pollution. All the heavy vehicles can't enter Delhi and this initiative was taken by the centre. Kejriwal wants to take all the credits," he added.

Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha MP, Vijay Goel told ANI, "Delhi governance has become a mockery. Odd-even is nothing but to malaise people. It was implemented just on four-wheeler cars. It was just a drama and they are again imposing it to disturb people."

He continued, "CSA reports say that 65 per cent of the pollution is yet to decrease. Delhi government thinks that in four months they can do all the work which was supposed to be done in four years."

On Friday, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced that the car rationing or odd-even scheme will be implemented in Delhi from November 4 to 15.

The Delhi Chief Minister said that studies have shown that the scheme helps to reduce air pollution.

During the 12-day scheme, vehicles will ply alternately on odd and even dates as per their registration numbers.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

BJP lawmaker Gautam Gambhir on Saturday said that the announcement of the odd-even scheme by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is a "political gimmick" as the assembly elections in the national capital are inching closer.

BJP lawmaker Gautam Gambhir on Saturday said that the announcement of the odd-even scheme by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is a "political gimmick" as the assembly elections in the national capital are inching closer. On Friday, Kejriwal announced the odd-ven vehicle rationing scheme in a bid to control the pollution in Delhi. Hitting out at Kejriwal, Gambhir told ANI, "All these announcements are a political gimmick. This is not going to work. I have always believed that he has been here for 4.5 years and haven't done anything. Kejriwal is making all these announcements as he realises that elections are around the corner." "BJP government has done a better job of controlling pollution. All the heavy vehicles can't enter Delhi and this initiative was taken by the centre. Kejriwal wants to take all the credits," he added. Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha MP, Vijay Goel told ANI, "Delhi governance has become a mockery. Odd-even is nothing but to malaise people. It was implemented just on four-wheeler cars. It was just a drama and they are again imposing it to disturb people." He continued, "CSA reports say that 65 per cent of the pollution is yet to decrease. Delhi government thinks that in four months they can do all the work which was supposed to be done in four years." On Friday, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced that the car rationing or odd-even scheme will be implemented in Delhi from November 4 to 15. The Delhi Chief Minister said that studies have shown that the scheme helps to reduce air pollution. During the 12-day scheme, vehicles will ply alternately on odd and even dates as per their registration numbers.

Odd-even scheme in Delhi by Kejriwal government is a 'political gimmick': BJP MP Gautam Gambhir

Union Home Minister Amit Shah's call to culturally unify India with Hindi as it's national language on Saturday triggered a row with several opposition leaders training their guns at him asking him to reconsider his appeal as it "poses a danger to national unity".

Speaking as chief guest at a function to grace Hindi Divas, Shah said that while unity in diversity is India's defining trait, a common language is needed as a culturally unifying factor.

"While diversity in languages is the strength of our nation, a national language is needed so that foreign languages and cultures do not overpower our own," he said proclaiming that next year, the Hindi Divas event would be a public programme, as Hindi belongs to the people.

He said that the government would take Hindi Divas outside Delhi, and would celebrate a Hindi Saptah across the country.

He called Hindi the heart and soul of the freedom struggle.

"Our power to express our culture will die in the absence of our national language," he said.

Leading the attack, DMK chief MK Stalin asked Shah to take back his remarks and said they pose "a danger to the national unity."

"After BJP came to power for the second consecutive time, there has been continuous attacks on the Tamil language. DMK has been waging its protest against Hindi imposition. Amit Shah's remarks have come as a jolt to us. Such comments pose a danger to the unity of the country," he said.

Congress leader Anand Sharma said at a press conference here that controversies should not be stirred "on emotive and sensitive issues", which have been settled by the maturity of India's constitution-makers.

He also emphasized on a three-language formula and said no indication should be given about a rethink "which will create strife and unrest in the country".

He said the Home Minister should know that Hindi has been declared the official language long back and noted that the Constitution and recognises 22 languages.

"These are all Indian languages, spoken by large number of people. We should not stir up controversies on emotive and sensitive issues, which have been settled by the maturity of India's constitution-makers and the Prime Minister after Independence. I am referring to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. "

The three-language formula must not be tinkered and no indication should be given on a rethink which will create strife and unrest in the country," he said.

Sharma also spoke of the significance of English as a language to be "globally competitive".

"All the languages, besides Hindi, which is spoken by a majority of our people, particularly important (is) the language in which you have asked the question and in which I am answering, if you have to be globally competitive and to be global leaders. But whether it is Tamil, Kannad, Bengali, Odia, Gujarati, Marathi, Punjabi, Urdu, these all are Indian languages, I can go on. So, yes, we celebrate the Hindi Diwas. Hindi is my mother tongue but I fully respect all Indian languages," he said.

The Congress party attacked the BJP, saying the threat to the country was not from languages but from ideology of the ruling party.

"Linguistic diversity has been India's biggest strength. Hindi, due to its openness and diversity, has adopted words from several languages and has enriched itself. India is already united. Your ideology poses a threat to it, not the languages," the Congress said on its official twitter handle.

Party leader and Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy said that Shah should consider the sentiments of the people of the southern region and not push Hindi, as such measures are against the integrity of the country.

"To push Hindi alone is not going to keep the country together. We have to respect all religions, cultures and languages, that is the main mantra of Indian governance," he said.

"I think Home Minister will review (his remarks) because sentiments of people of Tamil Nadu are affected and there is a lot of opposition from Tamil people. I hope and trust Home Minister will consider the sentiments of the people of the southern region," he said.

Karnataka unit of Congress also hit out at Shah.

"Amit Shah should brush up his history knowledge. India is a country of unity in diversity and has never banked on one language for its existence. BJP agenda is the implementation of sinister hidden agenda of RSS to divide our country by inciting people on grounds of religion and language," the state unit said in a tweet.

CPI (M) also slammed Shah and said his comments were attacked on core principles of diversity.

"The push for one language by Amit Shah is an attack on core principles of diversity of this country. We must respect all languages and one specific language should not be forced on people. Imposing Hindi on others is the RSS plan of One Nation, One Language which is shameful," the party said.

Shah, in his address, appealed to people to accept Hindi as the national language to get connected while asserting that the growth of Hindi will never be at the cost of any other language and added that Hindi is the language of coexistence.

He said there was a unanimous consensus for Hindi as a national language in the Constituent Assembly, in spite of the Assembly's sheer diversity.

"This decision was an important factor in ensuring the cultural unity of India. A country that forgets its language kills its cultural existence. Language connects us to the roots of the nation," he said.

Shah remembered former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as the first Minister of External Affairs to give a speech in Hindi at the United Nations in 1977 and hailed this as a seminal step to break the inferiority complex of Indians with respect to Hindi.

He also hailed former Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj`s contribution to the global growth of Hindi, who encouraged the UN to use more Hindi, including on Social Media.

This eventually led to the Hindi Twitter account of the UN.

Calling upon institutions and individuals to be committed to the growth and use of Hindi, he stressed on the need to proliferate Hindi in technical fields like medicine, engineering and law.

He expressed confidence that Hindi would have reached ever greater heights by 2024 elections.

On this day in 1949, the Constituent Assembly adopted Hindi written in Devanagari as the official language.

Earlier in the day, Shah, in a tweet, had asked people to use Hindi more to realise the dreams of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

"On the occasion of Hindi Day, I appeal to all citizens to use their mother tongue and Hindi more to realise the dreams of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel," Shah said in a tweet.&nbsp;

Union Home Minister Amit Shah's call to culturally unify India with Hindi as it's national language on Saturday triggered a row with several opposition leaders training their guns at him asking him to reconsider his appeal as it "poses a danger to national unity".

Union Home Minister Amit Shah's call to culturally unify India with Hindi as it's national language on Saturday triggered a row with several opposition leaders training their guns at him asking him to reconsider his appeal as it "poses a danger to national unity". Speaking as chief guest at a function to grace Hindi Divas, Shah said that while unity in diversity is India's defining trait, a common language is needed as a culturally unifying factor. "While diversity in languages is the strength of our nation, a national language is needed so that foreign languages and cultures do not overpower our own," he said proclaiming that next year, the Hindi Divas event would be a public programme, as Hindi belongs to the people. He said that the government would take Hindi Divas outside Delhi, and would celebrate a Hindi Saptah across the country. He called Hindi the heart and soul of the freedom struggle. "Our power to express our culture will die in the absence of our national language," he said. Leading the attack, DMK chief MK Stalin asked Shah to take back his remarks and said they pose "a danger to the national unity." "After BJP came to power for the second consecutive time, there has been continuous attacks on the Tamil language. DMK has been waging its protest against Hindi imposition. Amit Shah's remarks have come as a jolt to us. Such comments pose a danger to the unity of the country," he said. Congress leader Anand Sharma said at a press conference here that controversies should not be stirred "on emotive and sensitive issues", which have been settled by the maturity of India's constitution-makers. He also emphasized on a three-language formula and said no indication should be given about a rethink "which will create strife and unrest in the country". He said the Home Minister should know that Hindi has been declared the official language long back and noted that the Constitution and recognises 22 languages. "These are all Indian languages, spoken by large number of people. We should not stir up controversies on emotive and sensitive issues, which have been settled by the maturity of India's constitution-makers and the Prime Minister after Independence. I am referring to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. " The three-language formula must not be tinkered and no indication should be given on a rethink which will create strife and unrest in the country," he said. Sharma also spoke of the significance of English as a language to be "globally competitive". "All the languages, besides Hindi, which is spoken by a majority of our people, particularly important (is) the language in which you have asked the question and in which I am answering, if you have to be globally competitive and to be global leaders. But whether it is Tamil, Kannad, Bengali, Odia, Gujarati, Marathi, Punjabi, Urdu, these all are Indian languages, I can go on. So, yes, we celebrate the Hindi Diwas. Hindi is my mother tongue but I fully respect all Indian languages," he said. The Congress party attacked the BJP, saying the threat to the country was not from languages but from ideology of the ruling party. "Linguistic diversity has been India's biggest strength. Hindi, due to its openness and diversity, has adopted words from several languages and has enriched itself. India is already united. Your ideology poses a threat to it, not the languages," the Congress said on its official twitter handle. Party leader and Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy said that Shah should consider the sentiments of the people of the southern region and not push Hindi, as such measures are against the integrity of the country. "To push Hindi alone is not going to keep the country together. We have to respect all religions, cultures and languages, that is the main mantra of Indian governance," he said. "I think Home Minister will review (his remarks) because sentiments of people of Tamil Nadu are affected and there is a lot of opposition from Tamil people. I hope and trust Home Minister will consider the sentiments of the people of the southern region," he said. Karnataka unit of Congress also hit out at Shah. "Amit Shah should brush up his history knowledge. India is a country of unity in diversity and has never banked on one language for its existence. BJP agenda is the implementation of sinister hidden agenda of RSS to divide our country by inciting people on grounds of religion and language," the state unit said in a tweet. CPI (M) also slammed Shah and said his comments were attacked on core principles of diversity. "The push for one language by Amit Shah is an attack on core principles of diversity of this country. We must respect all languages and one specific language should not be forced on people. Imposing Hindi on others is the RSS plan of One Nation, One Language which is shameful," the party said. Shah, in his address, appealed to people to accept Hindi as the national language to get connected while asserting that the growth of Hindi will never be at the cost of any other language and added that Hindi is the language of coexistence. He said there was a unanimous consensus for Hindi as a national language in the Constituent Assembly, in spite of the Assembly's sheer diversity. "This decision was an important factor in ensuring the cultural unity of India. A country that forgets its language kills its cultural existence. Language connects us to the roots of the nation," he said. Shah remembered former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as the first Minister of External Affairs to give a speech in Hindi at the United Nations in 1977 and hailed this as a seminal step to break the inferiority complex of Indians with respect to Hindi. He also hailed former Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj`s contribution to the global growth of Hindi, who encouraged the UN to use more Hindi, including on Social Media. This eventually led to the Hindi Twitter account of the UN. Calling upon institutions and individuals to be committed to the growth and use of Hindi, he stressed on the need to proliferate Hindi in technical fields like medicine, engineering and law. He expressed confidence that Hindi would have reached ever greater heights by 2024 elections. On this day in 1949, the Constituent Assembly adopted Hindi written in Devanagari as the official language. Earlier in the day, Shah, in a tweet, had asked people to use Hindi more to realise the dreams of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. "On the occasion of Hindi Day, I appeal to all citizens to use their mother tongue and Hindi more to realise the dreams of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel," Shah said in a tweet.

Amit Shah's call for Hindi as national language triggers political row

India slammed Pakistan for a memorial dedicated to the events of February 27 when it launched a direct attack on Indian military installations after New Delhi's counter-terror strike on Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camps a day earlier.

India slammed Pakistan for a memorial dedicated to the events of February 27 when it launched a direct attack on Indian military installations after New Delhi's counter-terror strike on Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camps a day earlier. New Delhi dismissed it as another propaganda attempt by Islamabad saying it is a "lie, deceit, deception cast in stone". Calling the structure based on "false notion of victory", an Indian government source said, "unfortunately Pak Army & ISPR ( Inter-Services Public Relations is the media wing of the Pakistan Armed Forces) is taking the whole nation with 220m population down." The memorial was inaugurated on September 7, Pakistan's air force day and is located at Sargodha Air Base near the eastern city of Lahore. The memorial has names of Pakistani officials who took part in the operation and wings of two Indian Air Force planes -- one MiG 21 Bison & Su 30 MKI -- Pakistan claims to have struck down. While India accepts one MiG 21 Bison was shot down whose pilot Wing commander Abhinandan Varthaman was captured but under global pressure, Islamabad released him soon, there is no proof of another Indian plane being shot down. On the memorial, it is also written that Pakistan used F16s which was flown by Sqn Ldr Hassan Mehmood Siddique using AMRAAM Missile, that was used on Indian military installations. Two graves below the memorial contain two Pakistani Pilots who went down on February 27, 2019 though Islamabad has never owned it up. India had launched the strikes in response to Pulwama terror attacks on February 14 that killed more than 40 Indian security personnel.

India calls Pakistan February 27 memorial 'lie, deceit, deception cast in stone'

President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday unveiled a statue of Mahatma Gandhi here in the presence of Mayor and President of Canton Vaud and other dignitaries.

Speaking on the occasion, Kovind said, "Mahatma Gandhi's life teaches us many things. He built his first hermitage in India on the banks of River Sabarmati. Today, we have brought him to the banks of Lake Geneva."

He continued, "It is a fitting tribute to a man who loved nature and cared so much for it. His legacy shall inspire us as we work together to tackle climate change and to conserve our ecology."

Adding that Mahatma Gandhi believed in the oneness of humanity and embraced all cultures and all peoples, the President said, "As two democracies with a deep respect for diversity, Mahatma Gandhi shall continue to guide us in our shared journey to bring peace and joy for one and all."

On Friday, Kovind led the delegation-level talks along with his Swiss counterpart Ueli Maurer and witnessed the signing and exchange of MOUs/agreements between two countries.

Kovind is currently on a three-nation visit to Iceland, Switzerland, and Slovenia since September 9. He arrived in Switzerland on Thursday following the successful completion of his bilateral engagements in Iceland.

He will leave for Slovenia --the final leg of his state visit to three nations-- tomorrow.

President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday unveiled a statue of Mahatma Gandhi here in the presence of Mayor and President of Canton Vaud and other dignitaries. Speaking on the occasion, Kovind said, "Mahatma Gandhi's life teaches us many things.

President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday unveiled a statue of Mahatma Gandhi here in the presence of Mayor and President of Canton Vaud and other dignitaries. Speaking on the occasion, Kovind said, "Mahatma Gandhi's life teaches us many things. He built his first hermitage in India on the banks of River Sabarmati. Today, we have brought him to the banks of Lake Geneva." He continued, "It is a fitting tribute to a man who loved nature and cared so much for it. His legacy shall inspire us as we work together to tackle climate change and to conserve our ecology." Adding that Mahatma Gandhi believed in the oneness of humanity and embraced all cultures and all peoples, the President said, "As two democracies with a deep respect for diversity, Mahatma Gandhi shall continue to guide us in our shared journey to bring peace and joy for one and all." On Friday, Kovind led the delegation-level talks along with his Swiss counterpart Ueli Maurer and witnessed the signing and exchange of MOUs/agreements between two countries. Kovind is currently on a three-nation visit to Iceland, Switzerland, and Slovenia since September 9. He arrived in Switzerland on Thursday following the successful completion of his bilateral engagements in Iceland. He will leave for Slovenia --the final leg of his state visit to three nations-- tomorrow.

President Kovind unveils statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Switzerland

In a major step to boost relations with ASEAN countries and increase people-to-people ties, the Government has decided to offer 1,000 PhD fellowships to ASEAN students at IITs in India.

The programme will be launched on Monday jointly by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal.

Head of missions of ASEAN countries, senior officials of ministries of External Affairs and Human Resource Development, Directors of all 23 IITs, Chairman of UGC and Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog would attend the event.

The admission portal for this programme is being executed by IIT Delhi. The Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) comprises of Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Thailand, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam.

In a major step to boost relations with ASEAN countries and increase people-to-people ties, the Government has decided to offer 1,000 PhD fellowships to ASEAN students at IITs in India.

In a major step to boost relations with ASEAN countries and increase people-to-people ties, the Government has decided to offer 1,000 PhD fellowships to ASEAN students at IITs in India. The programme will be launched on Monday jointly by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal. Head of missions of ASEAN countries, senior officials of ministries of External Affairs and Human Resource Development, Directors of all 23 IITs, Chairman of UGC and Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog would attend the event. The admission portal for this programme is being executed by IIT Delhi. The Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) comprises of Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Thailand, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam.

India to offer 1,000 PhD fellowships to ASEAN students at IITs

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Saturday that the Centre should have taken suggestions from state chief ministers before amending the terms of reference for the 15th Finance Commission.

He further stated that unilateralism is not good for the cooperative federalism and federal policy.

In July, the government had changed the terms of reference for the commission and mandated the panel to give suggestions for allocation of non-lapsable funds for defence and internal security.

"The best course would have been for the Central government that if it wants to tailor the terms of reference, it should be backed by a chief ministers'&nbsp;conference under the auspices of NITI Aayog. Otherwise, there would be a strong feeling that the government is trying to rob the states of due resource allotment," he said.

"I think that it is not good for the federal polity of our country and cooperative federalism we all swear by these days," Singh added while addressing the gathering at National Seminar on Additional Terms of Reference of the 15th Finance Commission: Implication for the States.

"The commission's report goes to the Finance Ministry, and then it goes to the Cabinet. Therefore the government of the day can take a view that whatever the mandate of Parliament, the government would abide by that, rather than imposing its view unilaterally on the reluctant state commissions," he said.

"I respectfully request to the authorities to still take this view that they will go by the advice of the Chief Ministers if there is new controversy with regard to additional terms of reference of the commission," said Singh.

The senior Congress leader also talked about the role of commission.

"There are certain basic issues like allocations for health, education and other important subjects like environment protection where all states have a legitimate interest. What should be done by the government is to evolve a broad national consensus in dealing with all these issues, otherwise, there would be bickering and dissatisfaction. This is not good for the federal polity of our country."

Singh said that cooperative federalism demands give-and-take, and which is why it is important for the Central Government to make efforts to consult the states and take their suggestions.

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Saturday that the Centre should have taken suggestions from state chief ministers before amending the terms of reference for the 15th Finance Commission.

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Saturday that the Centre should have taken suggestions from state chief ministers before amending the terms of reference for the 15th Finance Commission. He further stated that unilateralism is not good for the cooperative federalism and federal policy. In July, the government had changed the terms of reference for the commission and mandated the panel to give suggestions for allocation of non-lapsable funds for defence and internal security. "The best course would have been for the Central government that if it wants to tailor the terms of reference, it should be backed by a chief ministers' conference under the auspices of NITI Aayog. Otherwise, there would be a strong feeling that the government is trying to rob the states of due resource allotment," he said. "I think that it is not good for the federal polity of our country and cooperative federalism we all swear by these days," Singh added while addressing the gathering at National Seminar on Additional Terms of Reference of the 15th Finance Commission: Implication for the States. "The commission's report goes to the Finance Ministry, and then it goes to the Cabinet. Therefore the government of the day can take a view that whatever the mandate of Parliament, the government would abide by that, rather than imposing its view unilaterally on the reluctant state commissions," he said. "I respectfully request to the authorities to still take this view that they will go by the advice of the Chief Ministers if there is new controversy with regard to additional terms of reference of the commission," said Singh. The senior Congress leader also talked about the role of commission. "There are certain basic issues like allocations for health, education and other important subjects like environment protection where all states have a legitimate interest. What should be done by the government is to evolve a broad national consensus in dealing with all these issues, otherwise, there would be bickering and dissatisfaction. This is not good for the federal polity of our country." Singh said that cooperative federalism demands give-and-take, and which is why it is important for the Central Government to make efforts to consult the states and take their suggestions.

Centre should take CMs' views on changing Finance Commission's terms of reference: Manmohan Singh

President Ram Nath Kovind has invited Swiss companies to invest in India and engage in India's transformation and growth.

Addressing India-Switzerland business roundtable with his Swiss counterpart Ueli Maurer on Friday Kovind said, "India is home to the third-largest start-up network in the world with over 21,000 enterprises. Our 30 unicorns are valued at over 90 billion US dollars. Swiss start-up ecosystem is equally impressive. We must join hands and add value to each other."

He said Switzerland is home to high-end technology and India is producing world-class human capital.

"India ranks as a major global player in areas such as pharmaceuticals, healthcare services, information technology, solar energy, automobiles, space and biotechnology.&nbsp;Our two economies are highly complementary and there is vast scope to combine our relative advantages in capital, technology, science and skills for mutual benefit," Rashtrapati Bhavan said in a tweet on Saturday.

India and Switzerland on Friday signed three agreements to enhance cooperation in the fields of climate change, science and technology, and people-to-people ties following delegation-level talks between Kovind and Maurer.

During the delegation-level talks, the two leaders expressed a strong commitment to strengthening economic and technology ties between India and Switzerland.

Kovind is currently on a three-nation visit to Iceland, Switzerland, and Slovenia since September 9.

He arrived in Switzerland on Thursday following the successful completion of his bilateral engagements in Iceland.&nbsp;

President Ram Nath Kovind has invited Swiss companies to invest in India and engage in India's transformation and growth. Addressing India-Switzerland business roundtable with his Swiss counterpart Ueli Maurer on Friday Kovind said, "India is home to the third-largest start-up network in the world with over 21,000 enterprises.

President Ram Nath Kovind has invited Swiss companies to invest in India and engage in India's transformation and growth. Addressing India-Switzerland business roundtable with his Swiss counterpart Ueli Maurer on Friday Kovind said, "India is home to the third-largest start-up network in the world with over 21,000 enterprises. Our 30 unicorns are valued at over 90 billion US dollars. Swiss start-up ecosystem is equally impressive. We must join hands and add value to each other." He said Switzerland is home to high-end technology and India is producing world-class human capital. "India ranks as a major global player in areas such as pharmaceuticals, healthcare services, information technology, solar energy, automobiles, space and biotechnology. Our two economies are highly complementary and there is vast scope to combine our relative advantages in capital, technology, science and skills for mutual benefit," Rashtrapati Bhavan said in a tweet on Saturday. India and Switzerland on Friday signed three agreements to enhance cooperation in the fields of climate change, science and technology, and people-to-people ties following delegation-level talks between Kovind and Maurer. During the delegation-level talks, the two leaders expressed a strong commitment to strengthening economic and technology ties between India and Switzerland. Kovind is currently on a three-nation visit to Iceland, Switzerland, and Slovenia since September 9. He arrived in Switzerland on Thursday following the successful completion of his bilateral engagements in Iceland.

President Kovind addresses India-Switzerland Business Roundtable in Switzerland

FM Nirmala Sitharaman briefs press over current situation of economy, says 'Revival signs are consistent'.

FM Nirmala Sitharaman briefs press over current situation of economy, says 'Revival signs are consistent'

Is there a way to run, stay fit, stretch and help the environment and society in a small way? Taking inspiration from Sweden's exercise trend 'Plocka Upp', people in Kerala's Kochi city are running while picking up litter.

Is there a way to run, stay fit, stretch and help the environment and society in a small way? Taking inspiration from Sweden's exercise trend 'Plocka Upp', people in Kerala's Kochi city are running while picking up litter. Ripu Daman Belvi, an engineer by qualification who used to work for an MNC and hails from Delhi has embarked on this ambitious pan-India "plogging" mission. The objective is to cover 50 Indian cities from the Southern end until up North, spreading awareness about ‘plogging’ and the importance of reducing single-use plastic usage to a bare minimum, while also ensuring that it is disposed of properly. The plogging run was started on September 5 in Kochi and has covered Madurai, Salem, Coimbatore, Puducherry, Chennai. It is slated to cover major cities across India ranging from Bangalore, Vijayawada, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Agra, all the way up to Jammu before it concludes in New Delhi. Speaking to WION Ripu said, “as a marathon runner I’ve seen how our cities look early in the mornings when there are fewer people and less vehicles, more plastic and trash is lying on our roads. This is what initiated me to work towards making it a cool practice to clean the trash that’s even left behind by other people. Firstly our city is our responsibility and it had to be firmly established in the minds of our fellow citizens.” ('Plogman of India' Ripu Daman Belvi in action.) "In our running group, we introduced plogging as a cool-down exercise after long-distance runs. Hence, it would serve as a slow jog and a cleanup. Using Facebook we connected to various running groups across the country and more people became aware of this. Initially, it was called ‘My city My responsibility’ and later we started calling ourselves ploggers of India, borrowing the term from a Swedish ultra-marathoner", Ripu added. So far their team has conducted over 300 plogging drives across 21 Indian cities with the aid of several Facebook groups that bring together runners in the respective cities. They also encourage participants to pledge to stop littering and move away from single-use plastic. On how this movement caught on with the public, Ripu said, “how much ever one speaks about cleanliness, it really materialises only when one bends down and picks up trash. It's not always about trash collection alone, disposal is the crucial part and we have partners who help us in recycling the plastic. We could also minimise our use of single-use plastics by reusing them to the maximum level. I have been on a ‘plastic upvaas’ (fast) over the last few weeks by ensuring that I don’t use products that come packaged in single-use plastics." "In the last week, we have collected hundreds of trash bags, over 400kg of waste and nearly 200 people have joined in at random from different cities. We also use reusable trash bags and gloves, some of the plastic trash we collect is also recycled into T-shirts by our partner company RElan. We plog anywhere from 7 hours to 15 hours a day depending on the conditions and later we (our team of two members) drive to the next city to carry on the work there. Sometimes there aren’t too many adults on weekdays, then kids surprise us by joining in for a short plogging run," Ripu said while discussing how the mission is progressing. With many fitness and lifestyle magazines having named plogging as a major trend of 2018, Ripu hopes to take it to the masses by plogging all the way, upto New Delhi where he aims to reach by the November 3.

‘Plogging' mission: 50 Indian cities in 50 days, a movement for a cleaner India

As the BJP kicked off `Sewa Saptah` on Saturday to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s birthday which falls on September 17, party leaders hailed him as someone who has devoted his entire life to the serve the nation and that it was apt to celebrate his birthday in this manner.

The BJP MPs met patients at the AIIMS hospital and distributed fruits amongst them. 
Singer-turned-politician, Hans Raj Hans while talking about the `Sewa Saptah` said, "The world considers him (Prime Minister Modi) to be a great man (hain India ke, lekin puri duniyan me unko aise hi mana jaa raha hai jaise wo mahapurush hain). He devoted his entire life to serve the country. So, his birthday should be celebrated in this manner only."

BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi said that they were doing this to give a message that the political establishment is here to serve the country.

"We were doing it for a message that as a political establishment we are here to serve the nation and even birthdays will not be celebrated by sycophancy but through work. We are translating the Prime Minister`s message to every individual through our deeds," she said. Lekhi also said that we need to minimise the use of plastic to check pollution and single-use plastic should not be used at all.

Delhi BJP Chief Manoj Tiwari reiterated the message that his party was observing `Sewa Saptah` this week on the occasion of Prime Minister`s birthday. We have distributed fruits to patients and are promoting no use of plastic, he said.

BJP MP from West Delhi, Parvesh Verma said that party workers across the country will be going to hospitals and will undertake cleaning work to observe the `Sewa Saptah`. "Our national president has started this. We are expressing our gesture of service by distributing fruits to people...this will continue through the entire week. All our workers in the country will go to hospitals and will serve by undertaking cleaning work," he said.

Cricketer turned politician, Gautam Gambhir too said that there is nothing better than serving people.

Kicking off "Sewa Saptah" to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s birthday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday visited All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and met the patients admitted here and enquired about their health situation. He also distributed fruits to the patients.Amit Shah also swept the floor of the hospital while other leaders followed suit.

"The whole government machinery will throw its weight behind the `Sewa Saptah`. Zila Panchayat, gram panchayat, municipalities, municipal corporations, Taluka panchayat wherever the people have given us power, the crores of BJP workers will be observing it through plantation drive, cleanliness drive and by serving the poor and needy," said Shah.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has dedicated his whole life working for the poor and nation," he said.

Accompanying him were BJP working President JP Nadda, Lok Sabha MP Gautam Gambhir, Hans Raj Hans, Meenakshi Lekhi among others.

The BJP will be organising "Sewa Saptah" from September 14 to 20 to celebrate the birthday of the prime minister.&nbsp;Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s birthday is on September 17.

The campaign will be held across the country and different programmes related to cleanliness and social service will be organised by the party workers.&nbsp;

As the BJP kicked off `Sewa Saptah` on Saturday to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s birthday which falls on September 17, party leaders hailed him as someone who has devoted his entire life to the serve the nation and that it was apt to celebrate his birthday in this manner.

As the BJP kicked off `Sewa Saptah` on Saturday to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s birthday which falls on September 17, party leaders hailed him as someone who has devoted his entire life to the serve the nation and that it was apt to celebrate his birthday in this manner. The BJP MPs met patients at the AIIMS hospital and distributed fruits amongst them. Singer-turned-politician, Hans Raj Hans while talking about the `Sewa Saptah` said, "The world considers him (Prime Minister Modi) to be a great man (hain India ke, lekin puri duniyan me unko aise hi mana jaa raha hai jaise wo mahapurush hain). He devoted his entire life to serve the country. So, his birthday should be celebrated in this manner only." BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi said that they were doing this to give a message that the political establishment is here to serve the country. "We were doing it for a message that as a political establishment we are here to serve the nation and even birthdays will not be celebrated by sycophancy but through work. We are translating the Prime Minister`s message to every individual through our deeds," she said. Lekhi also said that we need to minimise the use of plastic to check pollution and single-use plastic should not be used at all. Delhi BJP Chief Manoj Tiwari reiterated the message that his party was observing `Sewa Saptah` this week on the occasion of Prime Minister`s birthday. We have distributed fruits to patients and are promoting no use of plastic, he said. BJP MP from West Delhi, Parvesh Verma said that party workers across the country will be going to hospitals and will undertake cleaning work to observe the `Sewa Saptah`. "Our national president has started this. We are expressing our gesture of service by distributing fruits to people...this will continue through the entire week. All our workers in the country will go to hospitals and will serve by undertaking cleaning work," he said. Cricketer turned politician, Gautam Gambhir too said that there is nothing better than serving people. Kicking off "Sewa Saptah" to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s birthday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday visited All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and met the patients admitted here and enquired about their health situation. He also distributed fruits to the patients.Amit Shah also swept the floor of the hospital while other leaders followed suit. "The whole government machinery will throw its weight behind the `Sewa Saptah`. Zila Panchayat, gram panchayat, municipalities, municipal corporations, Taluka panchayat wherever the people have given us power, the crores of BJP workers will be observing it through plantation drive, cleanliness drive and by serving the poor and needy," said Shah. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi has dedicated his whole life working for the poor and nation," he said. Accompanying him were BJP working President JP Nadda, Lok Sabha MP Gautam Gambhir, Hans Raj Hans, Meenakshi Lekhi among others. The BJP will be organising "Sewa Saptah" from September 14 to 20 to celebrate the birthday of the prime minister. Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s birthday is on September 17. The campaign will be held across the country and different programmes related to cleanliness and social service will be organised by the party workers.

He has devoted entire life to serve nation: BJP leaders hail PM Modi as party observes 'Sewa Saptah'

On the occasion of Hindi Diwas, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday stressed on the need to have a unifying language that becomes a mark of India`s identity in the world and keeps "foreign languages" from finding a place in the country.

"Though I believe that the diversity of languages and dialects is one of the biggest strengths of India, there is a need for our country to have one language, so that foreign languages don`t find a place. This is why our freedom fighters envisioned Hindi as `Raj bhasha`," Shah said in his address at a Hindi Diwas programme.

Shah said that any nation that abandons its language cannot preserve its culture and consequently loses its existence.

"On the occasion of Hindi Diwas, we should introspect. There are many countries in this world whose languages have become extinct. The country that abandons its language loses its existence too. The country that loses its language can`t preserve its culture," he said.

"We need to understand that the richness of Indian languages cannot be compared with any foreign languages," he added.

The Home Minister appealed the citizens to use their mother tongue more so as to preserve its existence.

"A language stays alive only when the community of its speakers take pride in it, promote it, and encourage the young generation to use it. India has two official languages - Hindi and English, and 22 scheduled languages. The country does not have any national language, a fact which has been a subject of much debate since independence."

Earlier in the day, Shah, in a tweet, had asked people to use Hindi more to realise the dreams of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

"On the occasion of Hindi Day, I appeal to all citizens to use their mother tongue and Hindi more to realise the dreams of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel," Shah said in a tweet.&nbsp;

On the occasion of Hindi Diwas, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday stressed on the need to have a unifying language that becomes a mark of India`s identity in the world and keeps "foreign languages" from finding a place in the country.

On the occasion of Hindi Diwas, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday stressed on the need to have a unifying language that becomes a mark of India`s identity in the world and keeps "foreign languages" from finding a place in the country. "Though I believe that the diversity of languages and dialects is one of the biggest strengths of India, there is a need for our country to have one language, so that foreign languages don`t find a place. This is why our freedom fighters envisioned Hindi as `Raj bhasha`," Shah said in his address at a Hindi Diwas programme. Shah said that any nation that abandons its language cannot preserve its culture and consequently loses its existence. "On the occasion of Hindi Diwas, we should introspect. There are many countries in this world whose languages have become extinct. The country that abandons its language loses its existence too. The country that loses its language can`t preserve its culture," he said. "We need to understand that the richness of Indian languages cannot be compared with any foreign languages," he added. The Home Minister appealed the citizens to use their mother tongue more so as to preserve its existence. "A language stays alive only when the community of its speakers take pride in it, promote it, and encourage the young generation to use it. India has two official languages - Hindi and English, and 22 scheduled languages. The country does not have any national language, a fact which has been a subject of much debate since independence." Earlier in the day, Shah, in a tweet, had asked people to use Hindi more to realise the dreams of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. "On the occasion of Hindi Day, I appeal to all citizens to use their mother tongue and Hindi more to realise the dreams of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel," Shah said in a tweet.

Necessary to have a unifying language to keep 'foreign languages' from finding place in India: Amit Shah

Amid public outcry over hefty provisions in new Motor Vehicles Act, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Friday said that there is a need to create more awareness among people and bring change in the attitude of policemen.

"If anyone is breaking the rule then he should be fined. But the attitude (of policemen) should not be like a goon. There is a need to make people understand in a good manner. Just by fining people won't work. There is a need to aware people to abide by the rules," he told reporters.

After the heavy fines were introduced in the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act 2019, hefty challans have been levied on many violators for not abiding by the traffic rules. 
&nbsp;

Amid public outcry over hefty provisions in new Motor Vehicles Act, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Friday said that there is a need to create more awareness among people and bring change in the attitude of policemen.

Amid public outcry over hefty provisions in new Motor Vehicles Act, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Friday said that there is a need to create more awareness among people and bring change in the attitude of policemen. "If anyone is breaking the rule then he should be fined. But the attitude (of policemen) should not be like a goon. There is a need to make people understand in a good manner. Just by fining people won't work. There is a need to aware people to abide by the rules," he told reporters. After the heavy fines were introduced in the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act 2019, hefty challans have been levied on many violators for not abiding by the traffic rules.

Tejashwi Yadav calls for creating more awareness on Motor Vehicle act

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and all members of the council of ministers will be paying their own income taxes, as per an order issued by the state government on Friday.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered to abolish a provision of Uttar Pradesh Ministers'&nbsp;Salaries, Allowances and Miscellaneous Act, 1981, according to which the Income-Tax of ministers was being paid by the state treasury.

Sharing details of the order, Uttar Pradesh Finance Minister Suresh Khanna stated that till now the state treasury was paying the Income-Tax of all ministers, however, as per the orders of the Chief Ministers, all ministers will be paying their own income taxes from now onwards.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and all members of the council of ministers will be paying their own income taxes, as per an order issued by the state government on Friday.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and all members of the council of ministers will be paying their own income taxes, as per an order issued by the state government on Friday. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered to abolish a provision of Uttar Pradesh Ministers' Salaries, Allowances and Miscellaneous Act, 1981, according to which the Income-Tax of ministers was being paid by the state treasury. Sharing details of the order, Uttar Pradesh Finance Minister Suresh Khanna stated that till now the state treasury was paying the Income-Tax of all ministers, however, as per the orders of the Chief Ministers, all ministers will be paying their own income taxes from now onwards.

Uttar Pradesh: Council of Ministers including Chief Minister to pay their own income-tax

Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi has asked Chief Ministers of party-ruled states about measures being adopted by them to provide relief to the common man at a time when the country is reeling under the effect of an economic slowdown.

On Friday, Sonia met the Chief Ministers along with General Secretaries and Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) Presidents of the Congress-ruled states.

Responding to Sonia`s query, Chief Ministers said they are providing all possible help to the people but their relief measures are being affected due to the decline in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) collection.

Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar told ANI that Manmohan Singh, during the meeting, said collections will not go up until the GST is not allocated properly by the central government.

He also said that the party also discussed the implementation of NYAY scheme.

"Other welfare schemes were also discussed to give relief to the common man. Implementation of NYAY scheme was also discussed that was a part of Congress manifesto. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said that they are planning to initiate a pilot project after an initial survey," he said.

In the meeting, which was attended by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other senior leaders including KC Venugopal, Ahmed Patel and AK Antony, Sonia has directed that the Congress governments should offer all possible help to the people.

According to sources, Baghel apprised Sonia that his government has increased the amount of Minimum Support Price (MSP) to the farmers of the state.

"The government has purchased 80 lakh tonnes of grains and has paid Rs 2,500 per quintal which was Rs 1,700 earlier and it has strengthened the purchasing capacity of farmers," said the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh told Sonia that his government is providing electricity to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) at a cheaper rate of Rs 5 per unit.

According to a source, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath spoke about "Mukhyamantri Patta Yojna" which has been started to allocate land to poor people for house.

He also said that the state government is providing more loan amount besides the land in comparison to the central government`s scheme of offering loan up to Rs 1.5 lakh for the house.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi has asked Chief Ministers of party-ruled states about measures being adopted by them to provide relief to the common man at a time when the country is reeling under the effect of an economic slowdown.

Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi has asked Chief Ministers of party-ruled states about measures being adopted by them to provide relief to the common man at a time when the country is reeling under the effect of an economic slowdown. On Friday, Sonia met the Chief Ministers along with General Secretaries and Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) Presidents of the Congress-ruled states. Responding to Sonia`s query, Chief Ministers said they are providing all possible help to the people but their relief measures are being affected due to the decline in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) collection. Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar told ANI that Manmohan Singh, during the meeting, said collections will not go up until the GST is not allocated properly by the central government. He also said that the party also discussed the implementation of NYAY scheme. "Other welfare schemes were also discussed to give relief to the common man. Implementation of NYAY scheme was also discussed that was a part of Congress manifesto. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said that they are planning to initiate a pilot project after an initial survey," he said. In the meeting, which was attended by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other senior leaders including KC Venugopal, Ahmed Patel and AK Antony, Sonia has directed that the Congress governments should offer all possible help to the people. According to sources, Baghel apprised Sonia that his government has increased the amount of Minimum Support Price (MSP) to the farmers of the state. "The government has purchased 80 lakh tonnes of grains and has paid Rs 2,500 per quintal which was Rs 1,700 earlier and it has strengthened the purchasing capacity of farmers," said the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh told Sonia that his government is providing electricity to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) at a cheaper rate of Rs 5 per unit. According to a source, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath spoke about "Mukhyamantri Patta Yojna" which has been started to allocate land to poor people for house. He also said that the state government is providing more loan amount besides the land in comparison to the central government`s scheme of offering loan up to Rs 1.5 lakh for the house.

Sonia Gandhi asks Congress CMs about relief measures to curb effects of economic slowdown

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday said that the Indian Mission in Italy have been alerted to extend all help in the case of four Sikh men from Punjab who died after drowning in a slurry tank on a dairy farm near the northern Italian town of Pavia.

"We have alerted our Embassy @IndiainItaly to extend all help," the EAM wrote on Twitter while retweeting a post of Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on the same issue.

"Saddened to hear about the death of 4 Punjabi men drown in a farm manure tank near Pavia, Italy. Request @DrSJaishankar to instruct the Indian Mission in Italy to help get the mortal remains back to India," Singh had tweeted on Friday.

According to British media reports, investigators suspect that the four were chocked to death by carbon dioxide fumes from cow manure.

They believe that three died after jumping in the tank to rescue a worker who had been emptying it.

The victims were identified as Prem Singh (48), Tarsem Singh (45), Arminder Singh (29) and Majinder Singh (28).

While brothers Prem and Tarsem Singh owned the farm, the other two were employees.

Prem and Tarsem had registered their farm in 2017.

The victims'&nbsp;wives raised the alarm when the men failed to turn up for lunch on Thursday.

They rushed to the scene and spotted one body in the sewage.

The wives then called in firefighters who donned masks and emptied the tank to recover all the bodies.

Pavia is located about 45 kilometres from Milan.Meanwhile, the Italian media reported that the Singhs` farm at Arena Po, producing milk and veal cattle, is one of the biggest in the Pavia region.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday said that the Indian Mission in Italy have been alerted to extend all help in the case of four Sikh men from Punjab who died after drowning in a slurry tank on a dairy farm near the northern Italian town of Pavia.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday said that the Indian Mission in Italy have been alerted to extend all help in the case of four Sikh men from Punjab who died after drowning in a slurry tank on a dairy farm near the northern Italian town of Pavia. "We have alerted our Embassy @IndiainItaly to extend all help," the EAM wrote on Twitter while retweeting a post of Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on the same issue. "Saddened to hear about the death of 4 Punjabi men drown in a farm manure tank near Pavia, Italy. Request @DrSJaishankar to instruct the Indian Mission in Italy to help get the mortal remains back to India," Singh had tweeted on Friday. According to British media reports, investigators suspect that the four were chocked to death by carbon dioxide fumes from cow manure. They believe that three died after jumping in the tank to rescue a worker who had been emptying it. The victims were identified as Prem Singh (48), Tarsem Singh (45), Arminder Singh (29) and Majinder Singh (28). While brothers Prem and Tarsem Singh owned the farm, the other two were employees. Prem and Tarsem had registered their farm in 2017. The victims' wives raised the alarm when the men failed to turn up for lunch on Thursday. They rushed to the scene and spotted one body in the sewage. The wives then called in firefighters who donned masks and emptied the tank to recover all the bodies. Pavia is located about 45 kilometres from Milan.Meanwhile, the Italian media reported that the Singhs` farm at Arena Po, producing milk and veal cattle, is one of the biggest in the Pavia region.

Jaishankar says Indian Mission in Italy alerted on Sikh men drowning case

Vice President Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday extended his greetings on the occasion of 'Hindi Diwas', outlining that efforts should be made to make the language more simple and accessible.

"On Hindi Diwas, I urge that efforts should be made to make the official language Hindi simpler. Every language is enriched by the experiences of human and its society. Language gives voice to our aspirations," the Vice President said in a series of tweets.

The Vice President said the interaction between Hindi and other languages should be encouraged.

"This will enrich the Hindi language with words and idioms from other Indian languages and further promote Hindi," he added.

Asserting that every language is praiseworthy and that literature of every Indian language is our cultural heritage, the Vice President said, "Our languages are the source of our cultural, emotional and national unity."

Greeting the country on the occasion of 'Hindi Diwas', Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, "Many congratulations to you all on the occasion of Hindi Diwas. The simplicity and decency of a language give meaning to the expression. Hindi has beautifully incorporated these aspects."

Union Home Minister Amit Shah too appealed to countrymen to increase the use of their mother tongue along with Hindi.

"On Hindi Diwas, I appeal to the countrymen to increase the use of their mother tongue and also use Hindi language and contribute to realising the dream of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel of one language of the country," he said.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

Vice President Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday extended his greetings on the occasion of 'Hindi Diwas', outlining that efforts should be made to make the language more simple and accessible.

Vice President Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday extended his greetings on the occasion of 'Hindi Diwas', outlining that efforts should be made to make the language more simple and accessible. "On Hindi Diwas, I urge that efforts should be made to make the official language Hindi simpler. Every language is enriched by the experiences of human and its society. Language gives voice to our aspirations," the Vice President said in a series of tweets. The Vice President said the interaction between Hindi and other languages should be encouraged. "This will enrich the Hindi language with words and idioms from other Indian languages and further promote Hindi," he added. Asserting that every language is praiseworthy and that literature of every Indian language is our cultural heritage, the Vice President said, "Our languages are the source of our cultural, emotional and national unity." Greeting the country on the occasion of 'Hindi Diwas', Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, "Many congratulations to you all on the occasion of Hindi Diwas. The simplicity and decency of a language give meaning to the expression. Hindi has beautifully incorporated these aspects." Union Home Minister Amit Shah too appealed to countrymen to increase the use of their mother tongue along with Hindi. "On Hindi Diwas, I appeal to the countrymen to increase the use of their mother tongue and also use Hindi language and contribute to realising the dream of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel of one language of the country," he said.

Prime Minister, Vice President greet country on Hindi Diwas

Pakistan Army was forced to raise the "white flag" to recover the body of its soldiers killed by Indian Army in a robust retaliation to the ceasefire violations (CFV) by the Pakistani side.The white flag is meant to signify surrender or seeking truce.

Sources in the Army said that on September 10-11, Indian Army troops killed Sepoy Ghulam Rasool in Hajipur sector of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK).

Sepoy Rasool hailed from Bahawalnagar, a province in Pakistani Punjab.

Initially, Pakistani soldiers tried to recover the body by intensifying ceasefire violation.

While attempting to recover a Punjabi Muslim soldier, another Pakistani Punjabi Muslim soldier was killed.

Army sources said the Pakistan Army could not recover the bodies despite repeated attempts for over two days.

On September 13, the Pakistan Army raised the white flag and recovered the bodies.

Indian Army respects the dead and so permitted the same, said sources.

It is pertinent to note that the Pakistan Army did not try to take back the bodies of its 5-7 soldiers and terrorists killed on July 30-31 in Keran sector.

It is believed that those killed were not from Punjab.

Sources said those killed in Keran sector must have been Kashmiris or soldiers from Northern Light Infantry (NLI).

Pakistan had disowned its soldiers killed in Kargil war as well, and Indian soldiers performed their last rites even on icy heights during the war.

"Pakistan treats Kashmiris and NLI troops as cannon fodder. Punjabi Muslims rule the roost, whether Army, politics, social life or national resources," said sources.

Sources said the Pakistan Army, which is dominated by Punjabi Muslim Generals and has more than 70 per cent of troops from that area, always tries its best to retrieve bodies of Punjabi soldiers killed in action.

&nbsp;

Pakistan Army was forced to raise the "white flag" to recover the body of its soldiers killed by Indian Army in a robust retaliation to the ceasefire violations (CFV) by the Pakistani side.

Pakistan Army was forced to raise the "white flag" to recover the body of its soldiers killed by Indian Army in a robust retaliation to the ceasefire violations (CFV) by the Pakistani side.The white flag is meant to signify surrender or seeking truce. Sources in the Army said that on September 10-11, Indian Army troops killed Sepoy Ghulam Rasool in Hajipur sector of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK). Sepoy Rasool hailed from Bahawalnagar, a province in Pakistani Punjab. Initially, Pakistani soldiers tried to recover the body by intensifying ceasefire violation. While attempting to recover a Punjabi Muslim soldier, another Pakistani Punjabi Muslim soldier was killed. Army sources said the Pakistan Army could not recover the bodies despite repeated attempts for over two days. On September 13, the Pakistan Army raised the white flag and recovered the bodies. Indian Army respects the dead and so permitted the same, said sources. It is pertinent to note that the Pakistan Army did not try to take back the bodies of its 5-7 soldiers and terrorists killed on July 30-31 in Keran sector. It is believed that those killed were not from Punjab. Sources said those killed in Keran sector must have been Kashmiris or soldiers from Northern Light Infantry (NLI). Pakistan had disowned its soldiers killed in Kargil war as well, and Indian soldiers performed their last rites even on icy heights during the war. "Pakistan treats Kashmiris and NLI troops as cannon fodder. Punjabi Muslims rule the roost, whether Army, politics, social life or national resources," said sources. Sources said the Pakistan Army, which is dominated by Punjabi Muslim Generals and has more than 70 per cent of troops from that area, always tries its best to retrieve bodies of Punjabi soldiers killed in action.

Pak Army raises white flag at LoC to recover bodies of its soldiers killed by Indian Army

The Interpol on Friday issued a Red Corner Notice against fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi’s brother Nehal Deepak Modi in a money laundering case, news agency ANI reported.&nbsp;

Nehal Modi, a Belgian national, is accused in the Rs 13,500 crore Punjab National Bank fraud case.

The RCN has been issued against Nehal Modi on the request of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) which is probing the money laundering case against Nirav Modi.

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Nirav Modi is wanted in India in connection with the nearly $2 billion Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud and money laundering case.

The 48-year-old, who fights his extradition from Britain to India has been behind bars at Wandsworth prison in south-west London since his arrest in March.

Modi was arrested by uniformed Scotland Yard officers on an extradition warrant on March 19.

An arrest warrant was issued against him in May and then the second one in July last year, with an extradition request made to the UK authorities in August 2018.

The UK High Court on June 12 rejected Modi's bail application, his fourth attempt to get bail.

Nirav Modi and Choksi also face charges under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act. Both fled India before details of the fraud emerged in January, 2018.

The Interpol on Friday issued a Red Corner Notice against fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi’s brother Nehal Deepak Modi in a money laundering case, news agency ANI reported.

The Interpol on Friday issued a Red Corner Notice against fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi’s brother Nehal Deepak Modi in a money laundering case, news agency ANI reported. Nehal Modi, a Belgian national, is accused in the Rs 13,500 crore Punjab National Bank fraud case. The RCN has been issued against Nehal Modi on the request of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) which is probing the money laundering case against Nirav Modi. Interpol has issued notice against Nirav Modi’s brother Nehal Deepak Modi in a money laundering case. pic.twitter.com/cUy3nEynxL — ANI (@ANI) September 13, 2019 × Nirav Modi is wanted in India in connection with the nearly $2 billion Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud and money laundering case. The 48-year-old, who fights his extradition from Britain to India has been behind bars at Wandsworth prison in south-west London since his arrest in March. Modi was arrested by uniformed Scotland Yard officers on an extradition warrant on March 19. An arrest warrant was issued against him in May and then the second one in July last year, with an extradition request made to the UK authorities in August 2018. The UK High Court on June 12 rejected Modi's bail application, his fourth attempt to get bail. Nirav Modi and Choksi also face charges under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act. Both fled India before details of the fraud emerged in January, 2018.

Interpol issues Red Corner Notice against fugitive Nirav Modi's brother Nehal 

In a first, a governor of US state will be visiting India on Friday to boost investments.

New Jersey governor Phil Murphy will arrive in India today on a 10-day visit.

With a focus on inviting Indian companies to invest in New Jersey, Murphy will be travelling to six cities in India.

He will lead a high-level state delegation, visiting New Delhi, Mumbai, Agra, Hyderabad, Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad, from September 13 to 22.

In a statement, Murphy said that the trip aims to strengthen economic, cultural and educational ties between New Jersey and India.

Murphy said he would be visiting some companies that already have a presence in New Jersey like Tata Consultancy services which has some 4,000 employees in his state.

Indian-origin Senator Vin Gopal will also be part of the New Jersey governor's delegation.

During his visit, Murphy will meet top government and business leaders.

Murphy also mentioned that New Jersey has one of the largest Indian-American and Indian populations among any American state.

In a first, a governor of US state will be visiting India on Friday to boost investments. New Jersey governor Phil Murphy will arrive in India today on a 10-day visit.

In a first, a governor of US state will be visiting India on Friday to boost investments. New Jersey governor Phil Murphy will arrive in India today on a 10-day visit. With a focus on inviting Indian companies to invest in New Jersey, Murphy will be travelling to six cities in India. He will lead a high-level state delegation, visiting New Delhi, Mumbai, Agra, Hyderabad, Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad, from September 13 to 22. In a statement, Murphy said that the trip aims to strengthen economic, cultural and educational ties between New Jersey and India. Murphy said he would be visiting some companies that already have a presence in New Jersey like Tata Consultancy services which has some 4,000 employees in his state. Indian-origin Senator Vin Gopal will also be part of the New Jersey governor's delegation. During his visit, Murphy will meet top government and business leaders. Murphy also mentioned that New Jersey has one of the largest Indian-American and Indian populations among any American state.

New Jersey governor Phil Murphy on 10-day visit to India

A special court on Thursday reserved its order on former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram's application seeking to surrender to the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case after hearing arguments from both sides.

Justice Ajay Kumar Kuhar will pronounce his order on Friday.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Enforcement Directorate (ED), sought the dismissal of the application saying that the enforcement agency does not want Chidambaram's custody because they are "using this time to investigate the matter".

Advocates Amit Mahajan and Nitesh Rana also appeared for the ED along with Mehta.

"As of now, we don't want his custodial remand. We will seek his custody at an appropriate time. Since Chidambaram is already in judicial custody, he cannot tamper with evidence or influence witnesses. We are using this time to its maximum to investigate the matter," Mehta told the court.

He also said that choosing the date of arrest is not a right of the accused.

"We are waiting to see if the "conducive time" occurs immediately at the end of Chidambaram`s judicial custody. So we want dismissal of this application of surrender moved by P Chidambaram as it is not maintainable," Mehta said.

The solicitor general submitted that the "arrest was necessary but ED cannot be directed to arrest him (Chidambaram) on a particular date.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal and advocate Arshdeep, appearing for Chidambaram, argued that ED official had come to arrest the Congress leader to his residence.

"ED has several times stated that custodial interrogation is needed. So why are they opposing it now," Sibal said.

He said that this is a punitive measure and that they are trying to prolonging it.

"This is mala fide, with the intent to punish Chidambaram and make him suffer. I want the investigation to be over. ED is changing its stand now it is clear that they intend to harass him," Sibal said.

He also added that the accused always has the right to surrender in court.

The Congress leader was arrested by CBI in the INX Media case on Aug 21 and sent to CBI custody for interrogation.

Last week, a CBI court sent Chidambaram to judicial custody in Tihar Jail till September 19.

Chidambaram is facing probe in cases registered by the CBI and the ED pertaining to alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board clearance given to INX Media to the tune of Rs 305 crore in 2007 when he was the Union Finance Minister.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

A special court on Thursday reserved its order on former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram's application seeking to surrender to the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case after hearing arguments from both sides.

A special court on Thursday reserved its order on former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram's application seeking to surrender to the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case after hearing arguments from both sides. Justice Ajay Kumar Kuhar will pronounce his order on Friday. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Enforcement Directorate (ED), sought the dismissal of the application saying that the enforcement agency does not want Chidambaram's custody because they are "using this time to investigate the matter". Advocates Amit Mahajan and Nitesh Rana also appeared for the ED along with Mehta. "As of now, we don't want his custodial remand. We will seek his custody at an appropriate time. Since Chidambaram is already in judicial custody, he cannot tamper with evidence or influence witnesses. We are using this time to its maximum to investigate the matter," Mehta told the court. He also said that choosing the date of arrest is not a right of the accused. "We are waiting to see if the "conducive time" occurs immediately at the end of Chidambaram`s judicial custody. So we want dismissal of this application of surrender moved by P Chidambaram as it is not maintainable," Mehta said. The solicitor general submitted that the "arrest was necessary but ED cannot be directed to arrest him (Chidambaram) on a particular date. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal and advocate Arshdeep, appearing for Chidambaram, argued that ED official had come to arrest the Congress leader to his residence. "ED has several times stated that custodial interrogation is needed. So why are they opposing it now," Sibal said. He said that this is a punitive measure and that they are trying to prolonging it. "This is mala fide, with the intent to punish Chidambaram and make him suffer. I want the investigation to be over. ED is changing its stand now it is clear that they intend to harass him," Sibal said. He also added that the accused always has the right to surrender in court. The Congress leader was arrested by CBI in the INX Media case on Aug 21 and sent to CBI custody for interrogation. Last week, a CBI court sent Chidambaram to judicial custody in Tihar Jail till September 19. Chidambaram is facing probe in cases registered by the CBI and the ED pertaining to alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board clearance given to INX Media to the tune of Rs 305 crore in 2007 when he was the Union Finance Minister.

Court to pronounce order on Chidambaram's surrender application today

A special CBI court here on Thursday reserved its order on the application of businessman Robert Vadra seeking permission to travel abroad.

Justice Arvind Kumar will pronounce his order in the matter at 2 pm on Friday.

Senior advocate KTS Tulsi, appearing for Vadra, contended that there are no allegations of tampering with the evidence since the case is mainly based on documents.

"Every time we seek permission to travel abroad, the prosecution says that the investigation is at a crucial stage. The applicant has registered at an expo in Barcelona from September 27 to 30. There are some other trade fairs as well. The applicant has routinely attended these fairs in the past," the advocate said.

Tulsi also said that there is no doubt that Vadra will return to India.

"Earlier, he had gone abroad in June and returned in July. Now we are seeking permission to travel abroad between September 20 and October 8," Tulsi added.

Advocates DP Singh and Nitesh Rana, appearing for the Enforcement Directorate (ED), said that this visit is an attempt to meet the co-accused and tamper with evidence.

"This is a farce. Both Bhandaris and other accused are in Europe. This is the only way Vadra can meet them since they cannot use e-mails or talk on the phone. They can`t come to India either because they have been declared proclaimed offender," Rana said.

The ED said the question is not whether he will return to India or not but what is the purpose of the visit.

"There is nothing to show that his presence is required at the events. If he has no money, he should refrain from going anywhere. This is an attempt to meet the co-accused and tamper with evidence," he added.

Vadra is accused in a money laundering case and has been granted anticipatory bail.

He has also been given protection from arrest on the condition that he cannot leave India without the permission of the court.

In June this year, a special CBI court had allowed businessman Vadra, facing money laundering charges, to travel abroad on medical grounds for a period of six weeks.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

A special CBI court here on Thursday reserved its order on the application of businessman Robert Vadra seeking permission to travel abroad. Justice Arvind Kumar will pronounce his order in the matter at 2 pm on Friday.

A special CBI court here on Thursday reserved its order on the application of businessman Robert Vadra seeking permission to travel abroad. Justice Arvind Kumar will pronounce his order in the matter at 2 pm on Friday. Senior advocate KTS Tulsi, appearing for Vadra, contended that there are no allegations of tampering with the evidence since the case is mainly based on documents. "Every time we seek permission to travel abroad, the prosecution says that the investigation is at a crucial stage. The applicant has registered at an expo in Barcelona from September 27 to 30. There are some other trade fairs as well. The applicant has routinely attended these fairs in the past," the advocate said. Tulsi also said that there is no doubt that Vadra will return to India. "Earlier, he had gone abroad in June and returned in July. Now we are seeking permission to travel abroad between September 20 and October 8," Tulsi added. Advocates DP Singh and Nitesh Rana, appearing for the Enforcement Directorate (ED), said that this visit is an attempt to meet the co-accused and tamper with evidence. "This is a farce. Both Bhandaris and other accused are in Europe. This is the only way Vadra can meet them since they cannot use e-mails or talk on the phone. They can`t come to India either because they have been declared proclaimed offender," Rana said. The ED said the question is not whether he will return to India or not but what is the purpose of the visit. "There is nothing to show that his presence is required at the events. If he has no money, he should refrain from going anywhere. This is an attempt to meet the co-accused and tamper with evidence," he added. Vadra is accused in a money laundering case and has been granted anticipatory bail. He has also been given protection from arrest on the condition that he cannot leave India without the permission of the court. In June this year, a special CBI court had allowed businessman Vadra, facing money laundering charges, to travel abroad on medical grounds for a period of six weeks.

Court to pronounce order on Vadra's application for permission to travel abroad today

Pakistan has given a miss to the two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organisation(SCO) meet on military medicine in&nbsp;Delhi that ended on Friday but it did send a representative for the dinner on the first day.

Pakistan's air attache Abdul Adil was present at the dinner but both the days' empty seats were seen at the conference hall where the meet was taking place. The defence ministry had sent an invite and designated places were also made available for the Pakistani delegation but no participation was seen from Islamabad.

In the aftermath of New Delhi's decision to remove a special status for the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan has reduced diplomatic and trade ties with India but being at the SCO forum would have allowed it to engage with India as part of wider multilateral engagement.

In fact, India and Pakistan last year had taken part&nbsp;in the&nbsp;annual SCO military exercises for the first time last year and are currently taking part in Russia’s Exercise TSENTR 2019 from September 9 to 23.

Delhi hosted the first-ever SCO military medicine conference on Thursday and Friday. On the first day, India's defence minister Rajnath Singh highlighted the threat of nuclear, chemical and biological warfare. He underlined the "complexity of the existing challenges" and informed about the "importance of building capabilities to deal with the menace of bio-terrorism" which he termed a "real threat the world is facing today."

SCO is an eight-member grouping which includes China, Russia, India, Pakistan and four Central Asian countries - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan became full members of the grouping in 2017 during the Astana summit. The grouping also referred to as the "alliance of the East" is one of the largest grouping in the world in terms of population and landmass.

Pakistan has given a miss to the two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organisation(SCO) meet on military medicine in Delhi that ended on Friday but it did send a representative for the dinner on the first day.

Pakistan has given a miss to the two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organisation(SCO) meet on military medicine in Delhi that ended on Friday but it did send a representative for the dinner on the first day. Pakistan's air attache Abdul Adil was present at the dinner but both the days' empty seats were seen at the conference hall where the meet was taking place. The defence ministry had sent an invite and designated places were also made available for the Pakistani delegation but no participation was seen from Islamabad. In the aftermath of New Delhi's decision to remove a special status for the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan has reduced diplomatic and trade ties with India but being at the SCO forum would have allowed it to engage with India as part of wider multilateral engagement. In fact, India and Pakistan last year had taken part in the annual SCO military exercises for the first time last year and are currently taking part in Russia’s Exercise TSENTR 2019 from September 9 to 23. Delhi hosted the first-ever SCO military medicine conference on Thursday and Friday. On the first day, India's defence minister Rajnath Singh highlighted the threat of nuclear, chemical and biological warfare. He underlined the "complexity of the existing challenges" and informed about the "importance of building capabilities to deal with the menace of bio-terrorism" which he termed a "real threat the world is facing today." SCO is an eight-member grouping which includes China, Russia, India, Pakistan and four Central Asian countries - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan became full members of the grouping in 2017 during the Astana summit. The grouping also referred to as the "alliance of the East" is one of the largest grouping in the world in terms of population and landmass.

SCO conference in Delhi: Pakistan absent from meet but sends representative for dinner

The economic growth slowed to a seven-year low to 5 percent in April to June quarter from 8 percent a year ago, as per the government data. Watch this video to know more.

Domestic factors behind slowdown in Indian economy; Here are the details

Communications and Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad will hold round-table discussion here on September 16 about opportunities and challenges before the electronics industry as also its expectations from the government so that the sector can grow at a fast pace.

An official release said that around 50 industry leaders have confirmed their participation for the round table.

Representation has been confirmed from all the major verticals of the electronics sector including mobile handsets, consumer electronics, strategic electronics, medical devices, Information Technology, electronic manufacturing services, electronic components, telecom and LED lighting.

During the meeting, Prasad will spell out his vision for the sector and interact with the CEOs.

The release said that the government attaches high priority to domestic electronics hardware manufacturing and it is one of the important pillars of both 'Make in India' and 'Digital India' programmes of the government. The schemes and initiatives for promotion of electronics hardware manufacturing have led to import substitution.

Over US Dollar 15 billion worth of investment proposals has been received by the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) under its flagship investment scheme, the release stated.

Domestic manufacturing has grown from $29 billion (in 2014-15) to $70 billion (in 2018-19) and India has emerged as the second-largest manufacturer of mobile handsets in the world.

The release said that the number of manufacturing units for LCD/ LED TVs has gone up from 25 to 35, LED lights manufacturing units from 10 to 128 units, the sector has generated employment for over 20 lakh persons across the country and exports of electronics goods have also started growing rapidly.

It said that the sector has significant scope for the growth with the domestic market estimated at USD 400 billion by 2025 and India has potential to be the "Electronics Factory" of the world.

The National Policy on Electronics 2019 envisions positioning India as a global electronics hub by encouraging and driving capabilities for developing core components (including chipsets) and creating an enabling environment for the industry to compete globally.

MeitY is planning to embark upon a comprehensive investment and trade promotion programme, the release said.

The release said that industry leaders from Apple, Samsung, Vivo, Oppo, Lava, Qualcomm, Xiaomi, Dell, HP, Philips, Bosch, Cisco, Flextronics, Foxconn, Nokia, LG, Panasonic, TDK, Intel, AMD, Wistron, Delta, Salcomp, Sterlite Technologies and Nidec will be among those who will attend the meeting.

Communications and Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad will hold round-table discussion here on September 16 about opportunities and challenges before the electronics industry as also its expectations from the government so that the sector can grow at a fast pace.

Communications and Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad will hold round-table discussion here on September 16 about opportunities and challenges before the electronics industry as also its expectations from the government so that the sector can grow at a fast pace. An official release said that around 50 industry leaders have confirmed their participation for the round table. Representation has been confirmed from all the major verticals of the electronics sector including mobile handsets, consumer electronics, strategic electronics, medical devices, Information Technology, electronic manufacturing services, electronic components, telecom and LED lighting. During the meeting, Prasad will spell out his vision for the sector and interact with the CEOs. The release said that the government attaches high priority to domestic electronics hardware manufacturing and it is one of the important pillars of both 'Make in India' and 'Digital India' programmes of the government. The schemes and initiatives for promotion of electronics hardware manufacturing have led to import substitution. Over US Dollar 15 billion worth of investment proposals has been received by the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) under its flagship investment scheme, the release stated. Domestic manufacturing has grown from $29 billion (in 2014-15) to $70 billion (in 2018-19) and India has emerged as the second-largest manufacturer of mobile handsets in the world. The release said that the number of manufacturing units for LCD/ LED TVs has gone up from 25 to 35, LED lights manufacturing units from 10 to 128 units, the sector has generated employment for over 20 lakh persons across the country and exports of electronics goods have also started growing rapidly. It said that the sector has significant scope for the growth with the domestic market estimated at USD 400 billion by 2025 and India has potential to be the "Electronics Factory" of the world. The National Policy on Electronics 2019 envisions positioning India as a global electronics hub by encouraging and driving capabilities for developing core components (including chipsets) and creating an enabling environment for the industry to compete globally. MeitY is planning to embark upon a comprehensive investment and trade promotion programme, the release said. The release said that industry leaders from Apple, Samsung, Vivo, Oppo, Lava, Qualcomm, Xiaomi, Dell, HP, Philips, Bosch, Cisco, Flextronics, Foxconn, Nokia, LG, Panasonic, TDK, Intel, AMD, Wistron, Delta, Salcomp, Sterlite Technologies and Nidec will be among those who will attend the meeting.

Ravi Shankar Prasad to hold roundtable discussion with CEOs from electronics industry

NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Rajiv Kumar met chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy here on Friday to discuss funds for the development of the state from Centre.

Senior officials of the state gave a presentation to Kumar explaining the department wise situation of the state.

"NITI Aayog alone can cooperate Andhra Pradesh which is suffering losses after bifurcation. 15th Finance Commission and NITI Aayog should liberally help the state. The Centre is planning to achieve a $5 trillion economy. The state will also be a part of achieving that target if the Centre gives a helping hand," said LV Subrahmanyam, Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary.

Highlighting the works of the state government, Subrahmanyam stated that the state is implementing transparent policies in governance. They brought the Judicial Preview Act for the first time in India; under which tenders will be reviewed by a Judge. Clusters in Visakhapatnam - Chennai, Chennai - Bangalore corridors are being developed.

The state government has also selected 25 engineering colleges for skill development.

"The Centre should constitute Kadapa steel plant, as assured in the bifurcation act. The state government brought village secretariat concept for decentralisation of governance. We are developing the state as an investment hub, for which we need the Centre's cooperation. Moreover, they are going to introduce electric buses to prevent pollution. The government is also going to launch a new scheme 'Amma Odi' (Mother's lap) for the eradication of illiteracy, for which we need cooperation from HRD ministry," he said.

The Niti Ayog vice-chairman said that they will provide maximum help to the state as the vision and plans are good of the Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy.

"The state should take initiative on banning single-use plastic. We are in favour of encouraging zero budget natural farming. What I observe is that the revenue deficit of the state is a matter of concern. Non-budget expenses are high. The state government should focus on investments and public debts. We are ready to work with the state government," he said.

The vice-chairman also suggested the state to focus on housing in rural and urban areas. He said that they are trying to provide support price to promote the cultivation of legumes and oilseeds in the state.

"In Andhra Pradesh, anaemia in women is very high. The state should focus much on women and child welfare. Proper care should be taken so that minerals and vitamins be available in food. The state should focus on food processing and agro products exports," he said.

Addressing Kumar, Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy said: "The state government is implementing plans to overcome illiteracy. We are developing 44000 plus schools in the state in a phased manner. In the first phase, we are providing at least 9 minimum facilities in 15,000 schools. English medium is being introduced in Class 1 to 8 from next academic year. That will be extended to 9th and 10th classes in the later year."

He further informed that under "Amma Odi" scheme, every mother sending her children to school would be given Rs 15,000. This scheme will be started on January 26. Quality education with all facilities will be provided in government schools. "Our aim is to bring illiteracy to zero levels. The Amma Odi scheme can be a role model for the entire nation if Ministry of Human Resource sponsors the scheme," he said.

The government is taking steps to eradicate malnutrition in children and to maintain sanitation, cleanliness of drinking water and prevent unhealthy atmosphere. Also, the government is going to bring a water grid to provide clean water to every household.

The government has increased the quality of food being provided under mid-day meal in schools and to Anganwadi centres so that the level of anaemia which is prevalent in tribal areas and remote areas can decrease.

The government is soon going to launch the Arogyasri scheme under which all families which are below the poverty line can get treatment in corporate hospitals on the expense of government fund.

"In particular, Dengue and Malaria are being brought into the ambit of Arogyasri. This scheme will be launched from December as a pilot project in West Godavari district. We are developing all government hospitals to meet national standards," he said.

Reddy further stated that the state is suffering from some problems that are inherited from the previous government.

"The earlier government had introduced Rs 2.27 lakh crores budget, though it was voted on account only. We kept the budget at the same level but made some internal changes. The state government gets income from state revenue and Central taxes. There are the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act (FRBM) limitations on debts. In this wake the central government should not reduce the grants to the state," he added.

The state ministers Buggana Rajendranath, K Kannababu, M Gowtam Reddy, G Jayaramulu; NITI Aayog delegation members and senior bureaucrats from state government were also present in the meeting.

NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Rajiv Kumar met chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy here on Friday to discuss funds for the development of the state from Centre. Senior officials of the state gave a presentation to Kumar explaining the department wise situation of the state.

NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Rajiv Kumar met chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy here on Friday to discuss funds for the development of the state from Centre. Senior officials of the state gave a presentation to Kumar explaining the department wise situation of the state. "NITI Aayog alone can cooperate Andhra Pradesh which is suffering losses after bifurcation. 15th Finance Commission and NITI Aayog should liberally help the state. The Centre is planning to achieve a $5 trillion economy. The state will also be a part of achieving that target if the Centre gives a helping hand," said LV Subrahmanyam, Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary. Highlighting the works of the state government, Subrahmanyam stated that the state is implementing transparent policies in governance. They brought the Judicial Preview Act for the first time in India; under which tenders will be reviewed by a Judge. Clusters in Visakhapatnam - Chennai, Chennai - Bangalore corridors are being developed. The state government has also selected 25 engineering colleges for skill development. "The Centre should constitute Kadapa steel plant, as assured in the bifurcation act. The state government brought village secretariat concept for decentralisation of governance. We are developing the state as an investment hub, for which we need the Centre's cooperation. Moreover, they are going to introduce electric buses to prevent pollution. The government is also going to launch a new scheme 'Amma Odi' (Mother's lap) for the eradication of illiteracy, for which we need cooperation from HRD ministry," he said. The Niti Ayog vice-chairman said that they will provide maximum help to the state as the vision and plans are good of the Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy. "The state should take initiative on banning single-use plastic. We are in favour of encouraging zero budget natural farming. What I observe is that the revenue deficit of the state is a matter of concern. Non-budget expenses are high. The state government should focus on investments and public debts. We are ready to work with the state government," he said. The vice-chairman also suggested the state to focus on housing in rural and urban areas. He said that they are trying to provide support price to promote the cultivation of legumes and oilseeds in the state. "In Andhra Pradesh, anaemia in women is very high. The state should focus much on women and child welfare. Proper care should be taken so that minerals and vitamins be available in food. The state should focus on food processing and agro products exports," he said. Addressing Kumar, Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy said: "The state government is implementing plans to overcome illiteracy. We are developing 44000 plus schools in the state in a phased manner. In the first phase, we are providing at least 9 minimum facilities in 15,000 schools. English medium is being introduced in Class 1 to 8 from next academic year. That will be extended to 9th and 10th classes in the later year." He further informed that under "Amma Odi" scheme, every mother sending her children to school would be given Rs 15,000. This scheme will be started on January 26. Quality education with all facilities will be provided in government schools. "Our aim is to bring illiteracy to zero levels. The Amma Odi scheme can be a role model for the entire nation if Ministry of Human Resource sponsors the scheme," he said. The government is taking steps to eradicate malnutrition in children and to maintain sanitation, cleanliness of drinking water and prevent unhealthy atmosphere. Also, the government is going to bring a water grid to provide clean water to every household. The government has increased the quality of food being provided under mid-day meal in schools and to Anganwadi centres so that the level of anaemia which is prevalent in tribal areas and remote areas can decrease. The government is soon going to launch the Arogyasri scheme under which all families which are below the poverty line can get treatment in corporate hospitals on the expense of government fund. "In particular, Dengue and Malaria are being brought into the ambit of Arogyasri. This scheme will be launched from December as a pilot project in West Godavari district. We are developing all government hospitals to meet national standards," he said. Reddy further stated that the state is suffering from some problems that are inherited from the previous government. "The earlier government had introduced Rs 2.27 lakh crores budget, though it was voted on account only. We kept the budget at the same level but made some internal changes. The state government gets income from state revenue and Central taxes. There are the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act (FRBM) limitations on debts. In this wake the central government should not reduce the grants to the state," he added. The state ministers Buggana Rajendranath, K Kannababu, M Gowtam Reddy, G Jayaramulu; NITI Aayog delegation members and senior bureaucrats from state government were also present in the meeting.

Andhra chief minister meets NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Rajiv Kumar, discusses funds for state development

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