Mr. Modi was musing on Mann ki Baat, his radio show, on March 26.&nbsp;

If we follow traffic rules, if we discharge our (I presume civic) duties, we will realise our dream of &ldquo;New India&rdquo;, he said.&nbsp;

&ldquo;New India&rdquo; is the dream promised us by Mr. Modi, a happy place in the future full of &ldquo;achche din&rdquo;. &nbsp;

I refuse to fault Mr. Modi.&nbsp;

We do desperately need to follow traffic rules. India has the second-highest number of road accident deaths in the world (238,562 in 2013 according to the World Health Organisation) after China (261,367).&nbsp;

And littering is a problem.&nbsp;

People really should listen to Mr. Modi on both fronts. (I don&rsquo;t think they have.)&nbsp;

What we did listen to was the next thing Mr. Modi said, and which seems to have had unintended consequences.&nbsp;

What if we did not use petrol or diesel one day of the week, Mr. Modi said.&nbsp;

I, again, refuse to fault Mr. Modi, for that too is a wonderful idea.&nbsp;

We do need to conserve fossil fuels. They&rsquo;re a finite resource.&nbsp;

They&rsquo;re also polluting &ndash; if you live in Delhi like I do, you only have to breathe the winter air &ndash; so the less we use the better, and it would actually be lovely to get at least some cars off our roads.&nbsp;

Mr. Modi&rsquo;s suggestion would also make us fitter. &ldquo;Indians have a problem with abdominal obesity,&rdquo; I remember my doctor telling me a few years ago.

If you don&rsquo;t take the car to work or to buy the groceries, you&rsquo;d have to walk or cycle.&nbsp;

That I presume is what Mr. Modi meant.&nbsp;

But no, as many as eight Indian states have got hold of the wrong end of the stick.&nbsp;

A Press Trust of India report from April 19 says fuel stations in eight Indian states and union territories will be shut on Sundays, beginning May 14.&nbsp;The states and Union Territories are Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra and Haryana.&nbsp;

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The PTI report quoted a Mr. Suresh Kumar, an executive committee member of the consortium of Indian petroleum dealers, as saying: &quot;We had planned to shut our outlets on Sundays a few years back. But oil marketing companies had then requested us to reconsider our decision. Now we have decided to shut the outlets on Sundays.&quot;&nbsp;

The PTI story went on to report Mr. Kumar as saying his association was heeding Mr. Modi&rsquo;s call.

But that makes no sense. And it feels like Mr. Kumar and his consortium are being more loyal than the king.&nbsp;

Imagine if your local godman told you not to eat meat on Tuesdays.&nbsp;

The idea in itself might not be terrible. It&rsquo;s not a bad thing to cut down on meat as you get older. I&rsquo;ve tried it too.

But that certainly does not mean I should go around shuttering every meat shop in my neighbourhood every Tuesday, and for the duration of the navratras. No matter what the majority (of the) community in my area should think on the matter.&nbsp;

But Mr. Kumar and his ilk have gone and done exactly that.&nbsp;

Why?&nbsp;

Well, and things get a little circular here, they were heeding Mr. Modi&rsquo;s call.&nbsp;

But Mr. Modi was not asking for fuel stations to be shuttered.&nbsp;He was exhorting people to not use petrol or diesel one day of the week. He was not asking for a blanket shutdown of all petrol pumps one day of the week.&nbsp;

How did we come to this? This blind following of our elected leader like he were some sort of fascist dictator?&nbsp;

The Oxford dictionary tells me: &ldquo;Fascism tends to include a belief in the supremacy of one national or ethic group, a contempt for democracy, an insistence on obedience to a powerful leader, and a strong demagogic approach.&rdquo;&nbsp;

No. That can&rsquo;t be it. That certainly does not sound like the India of today. Does it?&nbsp;

And anyway, what purpose would the shutting down of fuel stations serve?&nbsp;Would it stop anybody from using their cars on Sunday?&nbsp;

No. People would just make certain they tanked up on Saturday.&nbsp;

We know this from years of empirical evidence and watching Munnabhai MBBS &ndash; which tells us that people &ldquo;tank up&rdquo; on October 1 because they know the following day is a dry day.&nbsp;

Blanket bans do not work. We&rsquo;ve seen it with marijuana, which the government outlawed in 1985. And what happened? The people selling cannabis all moved to selling hard drugs &ndash; the returns were higher, the prison terms similar since marijuana was now illegal &ndash; which meant their customers moved too.&nbsp;

And we&rsquo;ve seen it with prohibition in Bihar &ndash; where doctors are now reporting an increase in drug use.&nbsp;

Mr. Modi may not like this example, but I remember asking the current deputy chief minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia what might explain &ndash; this was during the heyday of the India Against Corruption movement &ndash; Arvind Kejriwal&rsquo;s popularity.&nbsp;How was he able to get so many people to turn out for him?&nbsp;

Mr. Sisodia told me that &ldquo;Arvind does not believe in asking the people for anything. He believes you have to give them an idea so powerful, that they have no choice but to follow it.&rdquo; &nbsp;

That, Mr. Modi and Mr. Kumar, would be a better way to go.&nbsp;

Although, to be honest, Mr. Modi was trying something similar this time. It&rsquo;s his listeners who messed it up for him.&nbsp;

(WION)

PM Modi did not ask for it but the consortium of petroleum dealers has volunteered to shut down petrol pumps in 8 states & UTs on Sundays

Mr. Modi was musing on Mann ki Baat, his radio show, on March 26. If we follow traffic rules, if we discharge our (I presume civic) duties, we will realise our dream of “New India”, he said. “New India” is the dream promised us by Mr. Modi, a happy place in the future full of “achche din”. I refuse to fault Mr. Modi. We do desperately need to follow traffic rules. India has the second-highest number of road accident deaths in the world (238,562 in 2013 according to the World Health Organisation) after China (261,367). And littering is a problem. People really should listen to Mr. Modi on both fronts. (I don’t think they have.) What we did listen to was the next thing Mr. Modi said, and which seems to have had unintended consequences. What if we did not use petrol or diesel one day of the week, Mr. Modi said. I, again, refuse to fault Mr. Modi, for that too is a wonderful idea. We do need to conserve fossil fuels. They’re a finite resource. They’re also polluting – if you live in Delhi like I do, you only have to breathe the winter air – so the less we use the better, and it would actually be lovely to get at least some cars off our roads. Mr. Modi’s suggestion would also make us fitter. “Indians have a problem with abdominal obesity,” I remember my doctor telling me a few years ago. If you don’t take the car to work or to buy the groceries, you’d have to walk or cycle. That I presume is what Mr. Modi meant. But no, as many as eight Indian states have got hold of the wrong end of the stick. A Press Trust of India report from April 19 says fuel stations in eight Indian states and union territories will be shut on Sundays, beginning May 14. The states and Union Territories are Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra and Haryana. Blanket bans do not work. We know this from years of empirical evidence and watching Munnabhai MBBS – which tells us that people 'tank up' on October 1 because they know the following day is a dry day × The PTI report quoted a Mr. Suresh Kumar, an executive committee member of the consortium of Indian petroleum dealers, as saying: "We had planned to shut our outlets on Sundays a few years back. But oil marketing companies had then requested us to reconsider our decision. Now we have decided to shut the outlets on Sundays." The PTI story went on to report Mr. Kumar as saying his association was heeding Mr. Modi’s call. But that makes no sense. And it feels like Mr. Kumar and his consortium are being more loyal than the king. Imagine if your local godman told you not to eat meat on Tuesdays. The idea in itself might not be terrible. It’s not a bad thing to cut down on meat as you get older. I’ve tried it too. But that certainly does not mean I should go around shuttering every meat shop in my neighbourhood every Tuesday, and for the duration of the navratras. No matter what the majority (of the) community in my area should think on the matter. But Mr. Kumar and his ilk have gone and done exactly that. Why? Well, and things get a little circular here, they were heeding Mr. Modi’s call. But Mr. Modi was not asking for fuel stations to be shuttered. He was exhorting people to not use petrol or diesel one day of the week. He was not asking for a blanket shutdown of all petrol pumps one day of the week. How did we come to this? This blind following of our elected leader like he were some sort of fascist dictator? The Oxford dictionary tells me: “Fascism tends to include a belief in the supremacy of one national or ethic group, a contempt for democracy, an insistence on obedience to a powerful leader, and a strong demagogic approach.” No. That can’t be it. That certainly does not sound like the India of today. Does it? And anyway, what purpose would the shutting down of fuel stations serve? Would it stop anybody from using their cars on Sunday? No. People would just make certain they tanked up on Saturday. We know this from years of empirical evidence and watching Munnabhai MBBS – which tells us that people “tank up” on October 1 because they know the following day is a dry day. Blanket bans do not work. We’ve seen it with marijuana, which the government outlawed in 1985. And what happened? The people selling cannabis all moved to selling hard drugs – the returns were higher, the prison terms similar since marijuana was now illegal – which meant their customers moved too. And we’ve seen it with prohibition in Bihar – where doctors are now reporting an increase in drug use. Mr. Modi may not like this example, but I remember asking the current deputy chief minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia what might explain – this was during the heyday of the India Against Corruption movement – Arvind Kejriwal’s popularity. How was he able to get so many people to turn out for him? Mr. Sisodia told me that “Arvind does not believe in asking the people for anything. He believes you have to give them an idea so powerful, that they have no choice but to follow it.” That, Mr. Modi and Mr. Kumar, would be a better way to go. Although, to be honest, Mr. Modi was trying something similar this time. It’s his listeners who messed it up for him. (WION)

We the people, more loyal than the king

Taking the campaign against black money forward, the Prime Minister today urged Indians to support the movement towards digital payment and to use less cash in their daily lives.

&ldquo;My dear countrymen, we must take our fight against black money and corruption to the next level. .... We should contribute towards ensuring reducing the use of cash, of currency notes,&rdquo; the Prime Minister said.

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Fight against <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/blackmoney?src=hash">#blackmoney</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/corruption?src=hash">#corruption</a> to continue, says PM <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi">@narendramodi</a> in radio address. (File pic) <a href="https://t.co/NGWIjiRmSc">pic.twitter.com/NGWIjiRmSc</a>
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He was addressing the people in his monthly &quot;Mann ki Baat&quot;.

He spoke about building a &quot;New India&quot;, which he said will become possible if all Indians take a pledge and work towards it.

He said that people should pay school fees, buy medicines or items from fair price shops and buy train or air tickets digitally.

&quot;You can&rsquo;t imagine how you can serve the country in this way and become a brave soldier in the fight against black money and corruption,&rdquo; the Prime Minister said.

He expressed his gratitude towards the people and said that over the last few months they have participated in the digital movement, &quot;digidhan&quot;.

Highlighting the fact that the BHIM App, launched to push digital transactions, has already been downloaded by one and half crore people, the Prime Minister said, &quot;There has also been an increase in curiosity about cashless transactions. The poorest of the poor are making attempts to learn, and people are gradually moving towards doing business without cash. There has been a surge in various modes of digital payment after demonetisation.&rdquo; 
&nbsp; 
He also greeted the people of Bangladesh on their independence day and said that India will always stand with the country in maintaining peace, security and development in the region.

(WION with inputs from PTI)

He urged Indians to adopt digital mode of payment in their daily lives as a measure to tackle black money

Taking the campaign against black money forward, the Prime Minister today urged Indians to support the movement towards digital payment and to use less cash in their daily lives. “My dear countrymen, we must take our fight against black money and corruption to the next level. .... We should contribute towards ensuring reducing the use of cash, of currency notes,” the Prime Minister said. Fight against #blackmoney, #corruption to continue, says PM @narendramodi in radio address. (File pic) pic.twitter.com/NGWIjiRmSc — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) March 26, 2017 × He was addressing the people in his monthly "Mann ki Baat". He spoke about building a "New India", which he said will become possible if all Indians take a pledge and work towards it. He said that people should pay school fees, buy medicines or items from fair price shops and buy train or air tickets digitally. "You can’t imagine how you can serve the country in this way and become a brave soldier in the fight against black money and corruption,” the Prime Minister said. He expressed his gratitude towards the people and said that over the last few months they have participated in the digital movement, "digidhan". Highlighting the fact that the BHIM App, launched to push digital transactions, has already been downloaded by one and half crore people, the Prime Minister said, "There has also been an increase in curiosity about cashless transactions. The poorest of the poor are making attempts to learn, and people are gradually moving towards doing business without cash. There has been a surge in various modes of digital payment after demonetisation.” He also greeted the people of Bangladesh on their independence day and said that India will always stand with the country in maintaining peace, security and development in the region. (WION with inputs from PTI)

Modi emphasises digital transactions in his monthly 'Mann ki Baat'

In his first &lsquo;Mann Ki Baat&rsquo; for 2017, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi started the address by mourning the death of soldiers killed in an avalanche in Jammu and Kashmir.

&quot;I respectfully pay homage to the brave jawans, who lost their life due to an avalanche in Jammu and Kashmir. The soldiers have been guarding the border to defend our country from the rivals,&quot; Modi said.&nbsp;

He also congratulated soldiers and their families who were awarded the gallantry awards on Republic Day.&nbsp;

This was Modi&#39;s 28th edition of the monthly radio programme. With exams coming up soon, Modi&nbsp;encouraged students to &quot;smile more and score more.&quot;

&quot;Why should exam time be a time of stress or sadness? I want to talk about exams and what so many people have written to me. Do not think about exams as pressure, they should be celebrated as festivals,&quot;Modi said.&nbsp;

&quot;During exams, there should be an environment of festivity, it will turn P for pressure into P for pleasure.&quot;

He also gave tips to students, saying, &quot;When you are relaxed, the recall value will be more. Relaxation is the best tonic for memory. A happy mind is the secret of a good mark sheet.&quot;

The Prime Minister discouraged students from cheating, saying&nbsp;&quot;Cheating is never beneficial, no one must resort to it. If you do it what will you tell your children?&quot;

&quot;Take small breaks, return to books feeling fresh. Try deep breathing it is very relaxing. P for prepare and P for play, the person who plays, shines. Deep breathing is beneficial during exams, it&#39;ll keep you feeling fresh. Proper sleep will increase your concentration,&quot; he advised.

He also talked to students about dealing with the stress of writing exams. &quot;We sometimes do not see exams in the right perspective. Exams are not a benchmark of your success in life.&quot;

Taking the example of the late President APJ Abdul Kalam, Modi said, &quot;He wasn&#39;t able to get into the forces. If he would&#39;ve let it hamper him, we wouldn&#39;t have had a great man like him.&quot;

&quot;If your mission and ambition are in sync, marks will follow. You should compete with yourself to see how can tomorrow be made better than yesterday. Only studying for marks will lead to shortcuts and one will limit himself or herself. It&#39;s important to study for knowledge.&quot;

&quot;Look at the life of Sachin Tendulkar. He kept challenging himself and bettered his own records, which is what is inspiring. Competing with others can make you unhappy and jealous. Complete with yourself and you will be energised and more determined to excel,&quot; PM Modi said.

To parents, Modi said, &quot;The root of problems are expectations, it is acceptance that makes things easy. I urge parents to accept rather than expect. Our expectations from our children should not get heavy. Parents&#39; expectations are much heavier than the school bags of students.&quot;

He concluded the address by congratulating the Indian Coast Guard, which will mark 40 years of service on February 1.&nbsp;

(This article first appeared on DNA)

In his first Mann Ki Baat address of 2017, Modi advised worried students 'Exams are not a benchmark of your success in life'

In his first ‘Mann Ki Baat’ for 2017, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi started the address by mourning the death of soldiers killed in an avalanche in Jammu and Kashmir. "I respectfully pay homage to the brave jawans, who lost their life due to an avalanche in Jammu and Kashmir. The soldiers have been guarding the border to defend our country from the rivals," Modi said. He also congratulated soldiers and their families who were awarded the gallantry awards on Republic Day. This was Modi's 28th edition of the monthly radio programme. With exams coming up soon, Modi encouraged students to "smile more and score more." "Why should exam time be a time of stress or sadness? I want to talk about exams and what so many people have written to me. Do not think about exams as pressure, they should be celebrated as festivals,"Modi said. "During exams, there should be an environment of festivity, it will turn P for pressure into P for pleasure." He also gave tips to students, saying, "When you are relaxed, the recall value will be more. Relaxation is the best tonic for memory. A happy mind is the secret of a good mark sheet." The Prime Minister discouraged students from cheating, saying "Cheating is never beneficial, no one must resort to it. If you do it what will you tell your children?" "Take small breaks, return to books feeling fresh. Try deep breathing it is very relaxing. P for prepare and P for play, the person who plays, shines. Deep breathing is beneficial during exams, it'll keep you feeling fresh. Proper sleep will increase your concentration," he advised. He also talked to students about dealing with the stress of writing exams. "We sometimes do not see exams in the right perspective. Exams are not a benchmark of your success in life." Taking the example of the late President APJ Abdul Kalam, Modi said, "He wasn't able to get into the forces. If he would've let it hamper him, we wouldn't have had a great man like him." "If your mission and ambition are in sync, marks will follow. You should compete with yourself to see how can tomorrow be made better than yesterday. Only studying for marks will lead to shortcuts and one will limit himself or herself. It's important to study for knowledge." "Look at the life of Sachin Tendulkar. He kept challenging himself and bettered his own records, which is what is inspiring. Competing with others can make you unhappy and jealous. Complete with yourself and you will be energised and more determined to excel," PM Modi said. To parents, Modi said, "The root of problems are expectations, it is acceptance that makes things easy. I urge parents to accept rather than expect. Our expectations from our children should not get heavy. Parents' expectations are much heavier than the school bags of students." He concluded the address by congratulating the Indian Coast Guard, which will mark 40 years of service on February 1. (This article first appeared on DNA)

Indian PM Modi mourns death of soldiers in J&K, offers tips to students before exams

By Kritika Sharma

In his first &lsquo;Mann Ki Baat&rsquo; for 2017, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Sunday address parents, teachers, and students, who will be appearing for board exams this March, on issues related to exams and stress management.

After announcing the details of his address, the Prime Minister invited the public, particularly students, parents and teachers to &ldquo;share their experiences about examinations&rdquo; through <a href="https://www.mygov.in/" target="_blank">www.mygov.in</a>. Mann Ki Baat is radio programme hosted by&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narendra_Modi" title="Narendra Modi">Narendra Modi</a>&nbsp;in which he addresses the people of the&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India" title="India">nation</a>.

Over 2,700 suggestions were received on the website till Saturday evening on various issues related to exams and studies, which will be discussed on the show. While most of the messages were related to the board exams and the education system in India, some suggestions also included the need to inculcate &ldquo;bharatiya sanskar&rdquo; (Indian values and culture) in students by teaching them moral and spiritual virtues. Some even suggested banning adult sites in the country, to ensure students are not &ldquo;distracted&rdquo; from studies.

&ldquo;Respected PM, I have already complained about &ldquo;Ban on adult sites&rdquo;, is it not possible? Teenagers are addicted to it,&rdquo; said Akshay Khedkar on the portal.

Some discussions were also based on harassment faced by students in private institutions. Others took the opportunity to discuss issues such as corruption, unemployment, demonetisation, reservation, and scholarships. One visitor to the website wanted a bit more time to be given to him to submit three, old currency notes of ?500&nbsp;so that he could exchange in a bank or a post office.

Some of the more serious suggestions were addressed to students, asking them to eat well and not stress much.

&ldquo;These are only exams, give it the seriousness that it requires and nothing more. There is a lot more in life than just a couple of exams,&rdquo; said Vidya Surendran. She added, &ldquo;Their (students) food intake should be healthy. They should not eat anything that may increase the risk of an upset tummy. Also, never skip a meal.&rdquo;

A statement from the website said, &ldquo;What is written here will inspire so many students, parents and teachers who are involved with the upcoming exams. The Prime Minister will also share some of your experiences during &lsquo;Mann Ki Baat&rsquo; on January 29, 2017.&rdquo;

Prime Minister Modi has been addressing the young students during the exam season for the past two years as well, through two dedicated episodes of &lsquo;Mann Ki Baat&rsquo;, on exams.

Suggestions received on the portal

&ldquo;I can suggest some important tips like first, know the syllabus clearly. Second, solve questions, third, prepare note for each subject, fourth, plan your timetable and study; fifth, know your strengths and weakness; sixth, revise well. Seventh, last but not the least, keep yourself fit. Take ample rest and do not panic&rdquo;. -Madhusmita Moharana

&ldquo;Meditation should be promoted for concentration, mental peace, mental stability and conceptual clarity&rdquo;. -Vishnu Singh Bareth

&ldquo;i) Daily one hour of yoga. ii) Daily play outdoor games. iii) Teachers / parents need to understand to not pressurise and say 10th and 12th will decide your college / career not to scare them iv) Not to mug up any subject, understand meaning in mother tongue.&rdquo; -Ankur Parikh

&ldquo;You must suggest students that they should not use Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and other social networking sites during exam time as they distract the focus of students.&rdquo; -Ajit Kumar

(This article first appeared in DNA)

Prime Minister invited the public, particularly students, parents and teachers to 'share their experiences about examinations'

By Kritika Sharma In his first ‘Mann Ki Baat’ for 2017, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Sunday address parents, teachers, and students, who will be appearing for board exams this March, on issues related to exams and stress management. After announcing the details of his address, the Prime Minister invited the public, particularly students, parents and teachers to “share their experiences about examinations” through www.mygov.in. Mann Ki Baat is radio programme hosted by Narendra Modi in which he addresses the people of the nation. Over 2,700 suggestions were received on the website till Saturday evening on various issues related to exams and studies, which will be discussed on the show. While most of the messages were related to the board exams and the education system in India, some suggestions also included the need to inculcate “bharatiya sanskar” (Indian values and culture) in students by teaching them moral and spiritual virtues. Some even suggested banning adult sites in the country, to ensure students are not “distracted” from studies. “Respected PM, I have already complained about “Ban on adult sites”, is it not possible? Teenagers are addicted to it,” said Akshay Khedkar on the portal. Some discussions were also based on harassment faced by students in private institutions. Others took the opportunity to discuss issues such as corruption, unemployment, demonetisation, reservation, and scholarships. One visitor to the website wanted a bit more time to be given to him to submit three, old currency notes of ?500 so that he could exchange in a bank or a post office. Some of the more serious suggestions were addressed to students, asking them to eat well and not stress much. “These are only exams, give it the seriousness that it requires and nothing more. There is a lot more in life than just a couple of exams,” said Vidya Surendran. She added, “Their (students) food intake should be healthy. They should not eat anything that may increase the risk of an upset tummy. Also, never skip a meal.” A statement from the website said, “What is written here will inspire so many students, parents and teachers who are involved with the upcoming exams. The Prime Minister will also share some of your experiences during ‘Mann Ki Baat’ on January 29, 2017.” Prime Minister Modi has been addressing the young students during the exam season for the past two years as well, through two dedicated episodes of ‘Mann Ki Baat’, on exams. Suggestions received on the portal “I can suggest some important tips like first, know the syllabus clearly. Second, solve questions, third, prepare note for each subject, fourth, plan your timetable and study; fifth, know your strengths and weakness; sixth, revise well. Seventh, last but not the least, keep yourself fit. Take ample rest and do not panic”. -Madhusmita Moharana “Meditation should be promoted for concentration, mental peace, mental stability and conceptual clarity”. -Vishnu Singh Bareth “i) Daily one hour of yoga. ii) Daily play outdoor games. iii) Teachers / parents need to understand to not pressurise and say 10th and 12th will decide your college / career not to scare them iv) Not to mug up any subject, understand meaning in mother tongue.” -Ankur Parikh “You must suggest students that they should not use Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and other social networking sites during exam time as they distract the focus of students.” -Ajit Kumar (This article first appeared in DNA)

Indian PM Modi to encourage students writing board exams in first ?Mann Ki Baat? of 2017

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to address the nation on New Year eve.

Sources said the Prime Minister, who has come under sharp criticism post the November 8 demonetisation drive, is likely to put forth his views in this regard before the nation.

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Prime Minister Modi had earlier urged the nation to give him 50 days post the demonetisation decision to get things back on track.

After demonetisation, the government has taken a number of steps to ensure that no hardship is faced by tourists and the industry is not affected.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) smoothly transitioned to cashless mode of payment by simplifying&nbsp;process of e - tickets.

The government`s efforts have paid dividend as there has been a notable growth in the comparative figures of Foreign Tourists Arrival (FTA), Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEEs) and online sale of e - tickets after demonetisation.

In a television address to the nation on November 8, Prime Minister Modi said, &quot;The magnitude of cash in circulation is directly linked to the level of corruption.&quot;

Inflation becomes worse through the deployment of cash earned in corrupt ways.

&quot;He said to break the grip of corruption and black money, the government has decided that from midnight Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 currency notes will cease to be legal tender.&quot;

The Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 notes hoarded by anti-national and anti-social elements will become just worthless pieces of paper,&quot; he added.

Till date, the government has made several changes to the norms.

After reports on crop sowing taking a hit due to no availability of cash, the government allowed farmers to buy seeds with old Rs. 500 currency notes.

A November 17 announcement allowed the farmers to withdraw up to Rs. 25,000 per week from their KYC-compliant account.

Following reports on abuse of Jan Dhan accounts, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) capped the withdrawal limit to Rs. 10,000 per month.

On November 17, the government made more modifications to the existing rules.

Families could now withdraw up to Rs. 2.5 lakh for weddings.

The currency exchange limit was reduced from Rs. 4,500 to Rs. 2,000 per person.

The traders in agricultural mandis were permitted to draw up to Rs. 50,000 in cash per week to pay for sundry expenses like wages.

Also, government employees up to Group C could draw Rs. 10,000 salary in advance in cash.

The demonetisation decision has also taken a toll on the common man, with reports of some dying while standing in queues to collect money.

In between all this, Prime Minister Modi has continued to address the nation at various public gatherings and his `Mann ki Baat` radio programme.

Making an emotional appeal at an event in Goa on November 13, Prime Minister Modi asked the &quot;honest&quot; people of the country to bear the hardships for another 50 days.

Exactly two weeks later on November 27, the Prime Minister urged the farmers and small traders to go cashless at his monthly `Mann ki Baat` address.

&quot;The common man will be trouble free if they are made aware of the digital financial transaction options,&quot; he said asking the youth to lead the change.

The opposition cornered the government in the Winter Session of Parliament over the inconvenience faced by the nation post demonetisation.

(ANI)&nbsp;

He will probably talk about demonetisation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to address the nation on New Year eve. Sources said the Prime Minister, who has come under sharp criticism post the November 8 demonetisation drive, is likely to put forth his views in this regard before the nation. On November 8, Modi had said, 'The magnitude of cash in circulation is directly linked to the level of corruption' × Prime Minister Modi had earlier urged the nation to give him 50 days post the demonetisation decision to get things back on track. After demonetisation, the government has taken a number of steps to ensure that no hardship is faced by tourists and the industry is not affected. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) smoothly transitioned to cashless mode of payment by simplifying process of e - tickets. The government`s efforts have paid dividend as there has been a notable growth in the comparative figures of Foreign Tourists Arrival (FTA), Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEEs) and online sale of e - tickets after demonetisation. In a television address to the nation on November 8, Prime Minister Modi said, "The magnitude of cash in circulation is directly linked to the level of corruption." Inflation becomes worse through the deployment of cash earned in corrupt ways. "He said to break the grip of corruption and black money, the government has decided that from midnight Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 currency notes will cease to be legal tender." The Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 notes hoarded by anti-national and anti-social elements will become just worthless pieces of paper," he added. Till date, the government has made several changes to the norms. After reports on crop sowing taking a hit due to no availability of cash, the government allowed farmers to buy seeds with old Rs. 500 currency notes. A November 17 announcement allowed the farmers to withdraw up to Rs. 25,000 per week from their KYC-compliant account. Following reports on abuse of Jan Dhan accounts, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) capped the withdrawal limit to Rs. 10,000 per month. On November 17, the government made more modifications to the existing rules. Families could now withdraw up to Rs. 2.5 lakh for weddings. The currency exchange limit was reduced from Rs. 4,500 to Rs. 2,000 per person. The traders in agricultural mandis were permitted to draw up to Rs. 50,000 in cash per week to pay for sundry expenses like wages. Also, government employees up to Group C could draw Rs. 10,000 salary in advance in cash. The demonetisation decision has also taken a toll on the common man, with reports of some dying while standing in queues to collect money. In between all this, Prime Minister Modi has continued to address the nation at various public gatherings and his `Mann ki Baat` radio programme. Making an emotional appeal at an event in Goa on November 13, Prime Minister Modi asked the "honest" people of the country to bear the hardships for another 50 days. Exactly two weeks later on November 27, the Prime Minister urged the farmers and small traders to go cashless at his monthly `Mann ki Baat` address. "The common man will be trouble free if they are made aware of the digital financial transaction options," he said asking the youth to lead the change. The opposition cornered the government in the Winter Session of Parliament over the inconvenience faced by the nation post demonetisation. (ANI)

Indian PM Modi likely to address country on New Year's eve: Sources

Prime Minister Narendra Modi woved Sunday to crack down on &quot;benami&quot; properties. Benami properties are properties bought in other people&#39;s names in order to convert &quot;black&quot;&nbsp;or untaxed money into &quot;white&quot; and to avoid pay tax. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Referring to the benami properties law, which has so far been lying dormant, he said: &nbsp;&ldquo;We have retrieved it and turned it into an incisive law against benami property. In the coming days, this law will also become operational. For the benefit of the nation, for the benefit of the people, whatever needs to be done will be accorded our top priority,&rdquo; he said.

Modi continued his digital drive on Sunday, exhorting people on his monthly radio address &quot;Mann ki Baat&quot; to continue going &quot;cashless&quot;.&nbsp;

To start with, Mr Modi announced the launch of two lucky-draw schemes -- the Lucky Grahak Yojana for consumers and the Digi Dhan Vyapar Yojana for small traders -- to encourage people to transact digitally.&nbsp;

Starting today, for the next 100 days, Mr Modi said 15,000 lucky shoppers -- who make digital payments rather than use cash -- would get back Rs 1,000 every day. The draw, he said, would be run in a 100 cities across the country.

&quot;Lakhs of people will get crores of rupees,&quot; Mr Modi said.&nbsp;

There would also be a weekly draw with that prize money running into the lakhs,&nbsp;he added.

&ldquo;A bumper draw will be held on BR Ambedkar&rsquo;s birthday (April 14),&rdquo; he said.

Small traders who go digital, Mr Modi said, would be given income tax rebates.&nbsp;

&quot;They (the small traders) must encourage cashless transactions,&quot; Modi said.&nbsp;

The prime minister also vowed to crack down on &#39;benami&#39; (fictitious) properties, adding that he would do everything to thwart corruption in the country. People usually buy such properties to avoid taxes.&nbsp;

Curiosity to go cashless

&quot;Today there is curiosity among people as to how can one go cashless. People want to learn from each other,&quot;&nbsp;Mr Modi said

&quot;You will be surprised to know that 30 crore people in India have RuPay cards, of those 20 crore belong to poor families who have Jan Dhan accounts,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

And finally, said Mr Modi, cashless transactions have seen a 200 to 300% increase in recent times

The informal sector

Mr Modi also touched upon the informal sector, which is where most of the stories of hardship are coming in from.&nbsp;(The demonetisation of India&#39;s 500- and 1,000-rupee notes on November 8 sucked 86% of total currency in circulation at the time out of the market. With so much cash gone, things have been hard for people in a country where 68% of transactions are cash-based. If you were to calculate by volume, that figure goes up to 98%. But the government has stuck to its guns, saying the demonetisation would put a stop to &quot;black&quot;&nbsp;or untaxed money and terror funding.&nbsp;And since then, it has also said it would like to see India becoming a &quot;cashless&quot;&nbsp;or at least a &quot;less-cash&quot;&nbsp;economy.)&nbsp;

&quot;Informal sector is very significant in our country and mostly they receive salary/wages in cash and are often even exploitated,&quot;&nbsp;Mr Modi said.&nbsp;

A golden opportunity

But looking on the bright side, Mr Modi said: &quot;This digital movement is a golden opportunity for youth and start-ups. They can open new avenues through it.&quot;&nbsp;

And that, &quot;We should be at the forefront of using digital means to make payments and transactions.&quot;&nbsp;

Feeback, both bad and good

He said people had written to him, telling him about the problems they had had to put up with&nbsp;because of the demonetisation. But some people he said, praised the&nbsp;demonetisation, and how it fights corruption.

&quot;I thank people as they not only went through hardships but also answered back those who tried to mislead the public,&quot; said Mr Modi.&nbsp;

The many rule changes

&quot;Lot of questions are being raised on frequent change of rules but I want to say that I have decided to take on those indulging in corruption,&quot; Mr Modi said. He added that the changes in rules -- there have been 60 so far since November 8 -- were a result of feedback. A way of rectifying the rules to try and make things easier for people.&nbsp;

Not the end, only the beginning

&quot;I assure you that this is not the end, this is just the beginning in our fight against corruption. It is our priority to do whatever it takes for the betterment of our nation,&quot; said Mr Modi.&nbsp;

He added, &quot;Black money hoarders are being nabbed across the country. Secret is that information by common people enables us to do it.&quot;&nbsp;

And that, &quot;Many are writing to me: Modiji thak mat jaana, rukk mat jaana aur jitna kathor kadam utha sakte ho uthao.&quot; (Do not tire, do not stop, take the harshest step&nbsp;that you can.)&nbsp;

(WION)

He says the so-far dormant benami properties law has been retrieved and will soon be operational

Prime Minister Narendra Modi woved Sunday to crack down on "benami" properties. Benami properties are properties bought in other people's names in order to convert "black" or untaxed money into "white" and to avoid pay tax. Referring to the benami properties law, which has so far been lying dormant, he said: “We have retrieved it and turned it into an incisive law against benami property. In the coming days, this law will also become operational. For the benefit of the nation, for the benefit of the people, whatever needs to be done will be accorded our top priority,” he said. Modi continued his digital drive on Sunday, exhorting people on his monthly radio address "Mann ki Baat" to continue going "cashless". To start with, Mr Modi announced the launch of two lucky-draw schemes -- the Lucky Grahak Yojana for consumers and the Digi Dhan Vyapar Yojana for small traders -- to encourage people to transact digitally. Starting today, for the next 100 days, Mr Modi said 15,000 lucky shoppers -- who make digital payments rather than use cash -- would get back Rs 1,000 every day. The draw, he said, would be run in a 100 cities across the country. "Lakhs of people will get crores of rupees," Mr Modi said. There would also be a weekly draw with that prize money running into the lakhs, he added. “A bumper draw will be held on BR Ambedkar’s birthday (April 14),” he said. Small traders who go digital, Mr Modi said, would be given income tax rebates. "They (the small traders) must encourage cashless transactions," Modi said. The prime minister also vowed to crack down on 'benami' (fictitious) properties, adding that he would do everything to thwart corruption in the country. People usually buy such properties to avoid taxes. Curiosity to go cashless "Today there is curiosity among people as to how can one go cashless. People want to learn from each other," Mr Modi said "You will be surprised to know that 30 crore people in India have RuPay cards, of those 20 crore belong to poor families who have Jan Dhan accounts," he added. And finally, said Mr Modi, cashless transactions have seen a 200 to 300% increase in recent times The informal sector Mr Modi also touched upon the informal sector, which is where most of the stories of hardship are coming in from. (The demonetisation of India's 500- and 1,000-rupee notes on November 8 sucked 86% of total currency in circulation at the time out of the market. With so much cash gone, things have been hard for people in a country where 68% of transactions are cash-based. If you were to calculate by volume, that figure goes up to 98%. But the government has stuck to its guns, saying the demonetisation would put a stop to "black" or untaxed money and terror funding. And since then, it has also said it would like to see India becoming a "cashless" or at least a "less-cash" economy.) "Informal sector is very significant in our country and mostly they receive salary/wages in cash and are often even exploitated," Mr Modi said. A golden opportunity But looking on the bright side, Mr Modi said: "This digital movement is a golden opportunity for youth and start-ups. They can open new avenues through it." And that, "We should be at the forefront of using digital means to make payments and transactions." Feeback, both bad and good He said people had written to him, telling him about the problems they had had to put up with because of the demonetisation. But some people he said, praised the demonetisation, and how it fights corruption. "I thank people as they not only went through hardships but also answered back those who tried to mislead the public," said Mr Modi. The many rule changes "Lot of questions are being raised on frequent change of rules but I want to say that I have decided to take on those indulging in corruption," Mr Modi said. He added that the changes in rules -- there have been 60 so far since November 8 -- were a result of feedback. A way of rectifying the rules to try and make things easier for people. Not the end, only the beginning "I assure you that this is not the end, this is just the beginning in our fight against corruption. It is our priority to do whatever it takes for the betterment of our nation," said Mr Modi. He added, "Black money hoarders are being nabbed across the country. Secret is that information by common people enables us to do it." And that, "Many are writing to me: Modiji thak mat jaana, rukk mat jaana aur jitna kathor kadam utha sakte ho uthao." (Do not tire, do not stop, take the harshest step that you can.) (WION)

Demonetisation: Prime Minister Modi vows to crack down on 'benami' properties

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that the decision on demonetisation is tough &quot;but (the) future will be bright&quot;.

He advised people, including villagers, to take the e-wallet route to withdraw money in order to counter problems while withdrawing money.

&quot;Era of wallet has gone, you can use your mobile phone as your bank branch with the same ease with which you take snaps and send them to friends,&quot; Modi said.&nbsp;

Earlier in the day, during his monthly address to the nation, Modi urged the nation, especially the youth, to embrace demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes and adopt digital banking.&nbsp;

About criticisms over implementation of the major currency move, Modi said that &quot;the disease which has infected the country for 70 years cannot have a simple treatment&quot;.&nbsp;

He appealed to people to be patient and allow the government the time need to fight black money. &quot;Time has come for everyone, particularly my young friends, to embrace e-banking, mobile banking &amp; more such technology,&quot; Modi tweeted.

He questioned the opposition&#39;s reluctance to digital banking and asked why they were resolute on its stand that the poor and rural population are not tech savy.&nbsp;

The government has launched programmes to assist people living in villages who do not have bank accounts yet.&nbsp;

He urged the citizens to participate in a survey and vote on the demonetisation policy through the Narendra Modi app on their mobile phones.&nbsp;

The scheme had the support of over 93 per cent of the 5,00,000 people, a statement put out by Prime Minister Modi&#39;s website said.

Modi also &nbsp;criticised opposition parties for announcing an all-India strike against demonetisation, saying they were organising the agitation at a time when he was trying to weed out corruption and black money.

&quot;I am stopping black money and corruption and some are giving call for Bharat Bandh (nationwide strike),&quot; Modi said during a rally in Uttar Pradesh.

Without naming any opposition party, Modi said: &quot;We are trying to curb corruption and they are organising &#39;Bharat Bandh&#39;. Should there be &#39;Bharat Bandh&#39; or should the route of corruption be blocked?&quot;&nbsp;

Meanwhile, the opposition -- spearheaded by the Congress -- clarified that while they would go ahead with &#39;Akrosh Diwas&#39; (Anger Day) on Monday to mark their protest, they would not hold a nationwide strike and bring the country to a standstill.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from&nbsp;

&nbsp;

He urged the nation, especially the youth, to adopt digital banking

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that the decision on demonetisation is tough "but (the) future will be bright". He advised people, including villagers, to take the e-wallet route to withdraw money in order to counter problems while withdrawing money. "Era of wallet has gone, you can use your mobile phone as your bank branch with the same ease with which you take snaps and send them to friends," Modi said. Earlier in the day, during his monthly address to the nation, Modi urged the nation, especially the youth, to embrace demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes and adopt digital banking. About criticisms over implementation of the major currency move, Modi said that "the disease which has infected the country for 70 years cannot have a simple treatment". He appealed to people to be patient and allow the government the time need to fight black money. "Time has come for everyone, particularly my young friends, to embrace e-banking, mobile banking & more such technology," Modi tweeted. He questioned the opposition's reluctance to digital banking and asked why they were resolute on its stand that the poor and rural population are not tech savy. The government has launched programmes to assist people living in villages who do not have bank accounts yet. He urged the citizens to participate in a survey and vote on the demonetisation policy through the Narendra Modi app on their mobile phones. The scheme had the support of over 93 per cent of the 5,00,000 people, a statement put out by Prime Minister Modi's website said. Modi also criticised opposition parties for announcing an all-India strike against demonetisation, saying they were organising the agitation at a time when he was trying to weed out corruption and black money. "I am stopping black money and corruption and some are giving call for Bharat Bandh (nationwide strike)," Modi said during a rally in Uttar Pradesh. Without naming any opposition party, Modi said: "We are trying to curb corruption and they are organising 'Bharat Bandh'. Should there be 'Bharat Bandh' or should the route of corruption be blocked?" Meanwhile, the opposition -- spearheaded by the Congress -- clarified that while they would go ahead with 'Akrosh Diwas' (Anger Day) on Monday to mark their protest, they would not hold a nationwide strike and bring the country to a standstill. (WION with inputs from

Demonetisation: PM says era of wallet is gone, use mobile like your bank

Addressing the nation on the occasion of the Hindu festival of Diwali in his monthly programme &quot;Mann ki Baat&quot; on All India Radio on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the festival to the Indian Army, praising them for their tireless committment and sacrifice for the nation.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb">
From last few months our jawans are sacrificing their lives, we should celebrate this Diwali in their name: PM Narendra Modi <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MannKiBaat?src=hash">#MannKiBaat</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/792602418382983172">30 October 2016</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

He recognised the works of all the Armed Forces, and thanked the nation for sending them Diwali messages.&nbsp;

The Prime Minister said the #Sandesh2Soldiers hashtag was flooded with well wishes &amp; love for the soldiers.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb">
Be it BSF, CRPF etc, our jawans are on duty and guarding us; that is why we are celebrating Diwali joyfully: PM Modi
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/792603108811509760">30 October 2016</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

This is the 25th edition of the programme. Prime Minister Modi had requested people to share their thoughts and inputs for the forthcoming programme on the Narendra Modi App and MyGov Open Forum.

During the last edition of the programme, the Prime Minister had said that the nation&#39;s armed forces were fully equipped to foil any nefarious designs. He also spoke about how the Army does not talk, but speak through their valour.

(WION) 
&nbsp;

In his monthly address 'Mann ki Baat', PM Modi praised the Indian Army for safeguarding the borders

Addressing the nation on the occasion of the Hindu festival of Diwali in his monthly programme "Mann ki Baat" on All India Radio on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the festival to the Indian Army, praising them for their tireless committment and sacrifice for the nation. From last few months our jawans are sacrificing their lives, we should celebrate this Diwali in their name: PM Narendra Modi #MannKiBaat — ANI (@ANI_news) 30 October 2016 × He recognised the works of all the Armed Forces, and thanked the nation for sending them Diwali messages. The Prime Minister said the #Sandesh2Soldiers hashtag was flooded with well wishes & love for the soldiers. Be it BSF, CRPF etc, our jawans are on duty and guarding us; that is why we are celebrating Diwali joyfully: PM Modi — ANI (@ANI_news) 30 October 2016 × This is the 25th edition of the programme. Prime Minister Modi had requested people to share their thoughts and inputs for the forthcoming programme on the Narendra Modi App and MyGov Open Forum. During the last edition of the programme, the Prime Minister had said that the nation's armed forces were fully equipped to foil any nefarious designs. He also spoke about how the Army does not talk, but speak through their valour. (WION)

Indian PM dedicates Diwali to soldiers, lauds their sacrifices in monthly radio address

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