<p>It's been a year of hits and misses in foreign policy terms. India is struggling to reinforce its credentials in its own neighbourhood against a resurgent China. &nbspThe United States, under Donald Trump, conveys only incoherence. Ties with Russia are under strain as Moscow moves closer to China and Pakistan. &nbspHere's a look at four years of PM Modi's foreign policy.</p>

<p>In politics, as in diplomacy, gestures matter. &nbspSo when Russia's president Vladimir Putin personally saw off Narendra Modi in Sochi on Monday night, it conveyed much about the nature of their talks and the depth of the relationship. &nbsp&nbsp</p>

<p>"We can proudly say that the partnership that we had begun has already grown into a large tree of privileged, strategic partnership," PM Modi in Sochi.</p>

<p>But the fact also remains that the India-Russia relationship is struggling for relevance. Bilateral trade between both the countries is low at around $7 billion. India is diversifying its arms purchases away from Russia to ensure our strategic autonomy. &nbspother hiccups in the relationship are Russia's proximity to China.</p>

<p>On the 4th anniversary of the Modi government, it's clear that managing relations with China will remain India's major challenge. &nbspModi's informal summit with China's president Xi Jinping in Wuhan last month may have helped clarify the doubts and the lack of trust. &nbspBut China's growing power and status imply there will be difficulties ahead no matter what the two leaders may believe.&nbsp</p>

<p>"The two leaders underscored the importance of maintaining peace and tranquility in the India-China border regions. They decided that they will strengthen communications between the two militaries in order to build trust and understanding," Vijay Gokhale, Foreign Secretary, India.&nbsp</p>

<p>It doesn't help that Modi's reach out to Donald Trump last year has not given any political direction to the relationship. Trump has taken aim at India's small trade surplus with the US, he has cracked down on immigration and H-1b visas which has hit Indians, new sanctions on Iran will force up oil prices and complicate India's position. &nbsp</p>

<p>Trump has been harder on Pakistan for its support of terrorism but there is no sign that he's willing to hit them where it hurts the most. Pakistan continues to back terror groups in India and is seen to be working alongside China to undermine India in the region. &nbspDebt-laden Sri Lanka is beholden to China, so is the Maldives, so could Nepal and Bangladesh in a few years from now.</p>

<p>How Delhi manages the contradictions of being the big guy in the region without being seen as big brother is a challenge. &nbspYet there's no doubt Modi has single-mindedly moved to heighten India's profile in the world. &nbspIndia is seen and noticed but minus economic heft, will not get a seat at the high table.&nbsp</p>


On the 4th anniversary of the Modi government, it's clear that managing relations with China will remain India's major challenge

It's been a year of hits and misses in foreign policy terms. India is struggling to reinforce its credentials in its own neighbourhood against a resurgent China. &nbspThe United States, under Donald Trump, conveys only incoherence. Ties with Russia are under strain as Moscow moves closer to China and Pakistan. &nbspHere's a look at four years of PM Modi's foreign policy. In politics, as in diplomacy, gestures matter. &nbspSo when Russia's president Vladimir Putin personally saw off Narendra Modi in Sochi on Monday night, it conveyed much about the nature of their talks and the depth of the relationship. "We can proudly say that the partnership that we had begun has already grown into a large tree of privileged, strategic partnership," PM Modi in Sochi. But the fact also remains that the India-Russia relationship is struggling for relevance. Bilateral trade between both the countries is low at around $7 billion. India is diversifying its arms purchases away from Russia to ensure our strategic autonomy. &nbspother hiccups in the relationship are Russia's proximity to China. On the 4th anniversary of the Modi government, it's clear that managing relations with China will remain India's major challenge. &nbspModi's informal summit with China's president Xi Jinping in Wuhan last month may have helped clarify the doubts and the lack of trust. &nbspBut China's growing power and status imply there will be difficulties ahead no matter what the two leaders may believe. "The two leaders underscored the importance of maintaining peace and tranquility in the India-China border regions. They decided that they will strengthen communications between the two militaries in order to build trust and understanding," Vijay Gokhale, Foreign Secretary, India. It doesn't help that Modi's reach out to Donald Trump last year has not given any political direction to the relationship. Trump has taken aim at India's small trade surplus with the US, he has cracked down on immigration and H-1b visas which has hit Indians, new sanctions on Iran will force up oil prices and complicate India's position. Trump has been harder on Pakistan for its support of terrorism but there is no sign that he's willing to hit them where it hurts the most. Pakistan continues to back terror groups in India and is seen to be working alongside China to undermine India in the region. &nbspDebt-laden Sri Lanka is beholden to China, so is the Maldives, so could Nepal and Bangladesh in a few years from now. How Delhi manages the contradictions of being the big guy in the region without being seen as big brother is a challenge. &nbspYet there's no doubt Modi has single-mindedly moved to heighten India's profile in the world. &nbspIndia is seen and noticed but minus economic heft, will not get a seat at the high table.

Four years of Modi government: A look at India's foreign policy

<p>Days after the government <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/next-aim-to-electrify-each-household-in-the-country-by-december-31-2018-power-minister-133817">announced electrification had reached every </a>village in India, the World Bank backed the government's claim saying that India is doing more on electrification than any other country.</p>

<p>Leisang in Manipur was the last village to get an electricity connection, according to government records a village is considered electrified if 10% households, schools and health centres get access to electicity.</p>

<p>"India is doing extremely well on electrification. We are reporting India about 85 per cent of the population has access to electricity," said Vivien Foster, lead World Bank author of the latest report on Energy Progress.&nbsp</p>

<p>This, she said is higher than that of the Indian government figures.&nbsp</p>

<p>"That might surprise you. The government is currently reporting in low 80s," she said. &nbsp</p>

<p>Between 2010 and 2016, India providing electricity to 30 million people each year, more than any other country, the World Bank said.&nbsp</p>

<p>"In absolute terms, India is doing more on electrification than any other country. Thirty million a year, is really an astounding performance and it stands out from the crowd," Foster said.&nbsp</p>

<p>The World Bank report said 250 million people may gain electricity access by early 2020s, when India reaches full access.&nbsp</p>

<p>"We know that in some parts of India or having the connection doesn't necessarily guarantee the energy's reliable supply. So, getting the connection obviously is very important, but India still has a long way to continue to work on actually making that access meaningful in terms of hours of service," Foster said.</p>

<p>The rapid growth of electricity access in India is propelled by the country's $2.5 billion electrification programmes to reach universal electrification, the report said.&nbsp</p>

<p><iframe allow="autoplay encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YUajfMfPqFk" width="560"></iframe></p>


The World Bank report said 250 million people may gain electricity access by early 2020s, when India reaches full access.

Days after the government announced electrification had reached every village in India, the World Bank backed the government's claim saying that India is doing more on electrification than any other country. Leisang in Manipur was the last village to get an electricity connection, according to government records a village is considered electrified if 10% households, schools and health centres get access to electicity. "India is doing extremely well on electrification. We are reporting India about 85 per cent of the population has access to electricity," said Vivien Foster, lead World Bank author of the latest report on Energy Progress. This, she said is higher than that of the Indian government figures. "That might surprise you. The government is currently reporting in low 80s," she said. Between 2010 and 2016, India providing electricity to 30 million people each year, more than any other country, the World Bank said. "In absolute terms, India is doing more on electrification than any other country. Thirty million a year, is really an astounding performance and it stands out from the crowd," Foster said. The World Bank report said 250 million people may gain electricity access by early 2020s, when India reaches full access. "We know that in some parts of India or having the connection doesn't necessarily guarantee the energy's reliable supply. So, getting the connection obviously is very important, but India still has a long way to continue to work on actually making that access meaningful in terms of hours of service," Foster said. The rapid growth of electricity access in India is propelled by the country's $2.5 billion electrification programmes to reach universal electrification, the report said.

85 per cent India's population has access to electricity, more than government's figure: World Bank

<p>Congress president Rahul<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/manohar-parrikar-was-buying-fish-when-pm-modi-changed-rafale-contract-rahul-gandhi-34150"> Gandhi today hit out at&nbsp;that the UPA</a> had negotiated the deal for &quot;526 crores per plane&quot; but the Modi government paid 1,670 crores.</p>

<p>This is not the first time <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-modi-gave-rafale-contract-to-his-friend-rahul-gandhi-32416">the Congress president has </a>taken a swipe at the Modi government over the Rafale deal. He had earlier taken a dig at defence minister&nbsp;Nirmala Sitharaman over the issue and had asked her to &quot;come clean&quot;.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The UPA negotiates the RAFALE down to 526 Cr. per plane. But Modi ji pays 1,670 Cr. instead. Loss to exchequer, over 40,000 Cr.<br />
<br />
RM&#39;s response?<br />
We paid &quot;our&quot; price.<br />
Who cares about &quot;their&quot; price?<br />
<br />
Answer: The PEOPLE care <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RafaleScam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RafaleScam</a></p>
&mdash; Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) <a href="https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi/status/975673350365294592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 19, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>Rahul Gandhi in his tweet alleged that the Modi government&#39;s negotiations after the NDA took up the deal led to a loss of 40,000 crore.</p>

<p>The Congress president then cryptically noted: RM&#39;s response? We paid &quot;our&quot; price. Who cares about &quot;their&quot; price?</p>

<p>Answer: The people care</p>


This is not the first time the Congress president has taken a swipe at the Modi government over the Rafale deal.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi today hit out at that the UPA had negotiated the deal for "526 crores per plane" but the Modi government paid 1,670 crores. This is not the first time the Congress president has taken a swipe at the Modi government over the Rafale deal. He had earlier taken a dig at defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman over the issue and had asked her to "come clean". The UPA negotiates the RAFALE down to 526 Cr. per plane. But Modi ji pays 1,670 Cr. instead. Loss to exchequer, over 40,000 Cr. RM's response? We paid "our" price. Who cares about "their" price? Answer: The PEOPLE care #RafaleScam — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) March 19, 2018 × Rahul Gandhi in his tweet alleged that the Modi government's negotiations after the NDA took up the deal led to a loss of 40,000 crore. The Congress president then cryptically noted: RM's response? We paid "our" price. Who cares about "their" price? Answer: The people care

Loss to exchequer on Rafale deal over 40,000 crore, tweets Rahul Gandhi

<p>Speaking at the second day of the Congress Plenary session, former Union minister Anand Sharma has accused the centre of disrupting the foreign policy of India.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He also said that the country has mismanaged its relations with immediate partners and major capitals of the world.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/nobody-can-stop-rahul-gandhi-to-become-pm-in-2019-says-siddaramaiah-congress-hints-at-possible-alliance-for-2019-36144" target="_blank">Congress hints at possible alliance for 2019 polls</a></p>

<p>He said, &quot;Modi govt has disrupted India&#39;s foreign policy. In the last four years, they have made this a divisive policy. They have pursued this in a cavalier manner, non-serious manner&quot;.</p>

<p>&quot;The PM is carried away by his own propaganda. Today it is a matter of concern that we have mismanaged our relations with major capitals of the world, with major strategic partners and our immediate neighbourhood&quot; Anand Sharma said.</p>

<p>Former prime minister Manmohan Singh has blamed the Modi led government of mismanaging the Jammu and Kashmir issue.</p>

<p>He said, &quot;Modi Govt has mismanaged Jammu and Kashmir like never before, the atmosphere is deteriorating day in and day out, its obvious from the fact that our borders are insecure, be it cross-border terror or internal&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p>He added,&nbsp;&quot;When Modi Ji was campaigning he made lots of tall promises, those promises have not been fulfilled. He said we will provide 2 crore jobs, we have not seen even 2 lakh jobs&quot;.</p>

<p>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/son-mom-moment-captured-at-congress-plenary-session-36175" target="_blank">&#39;Son-mom&#39; moment captured at Congress plenary session</a></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">When Modi ji was campaigning he made lots of tall promises, those promises have not been fulfilled. He said we will provide 2 crore jobs, we have not seen even 2 lakh jobs: Dr.Manmohan Singh at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CongressPlenary?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CongressPlenary</a> <a href="https://t.co/3robxOvYTi">pic.twitter.com/3robxOvYTi</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/975256950156988416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>P Chidambaram, former Finance Minister has said that number of people below the poverty line went up under the BJP government.</p>

<p>He said, &quot;It&#39;s the biggest achievement of Dr Manmohan Singh that 14 crore people were listed out of poverty. BJP government&nbsp;pushed people into poverty. Number of people below poverty line went up. It&#39;s the greatest disservice BJP govt did to people of India&quot;.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The current phase of economic growth started in 1990s when Rajiv Gandhi sowed seeds of liberalisation. This gained momentum under Dr Manmohan Singh. Whatever the BJP, the NDA may say, records speak for itself: P Chidambaram at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CongressPlenarySession?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CongressPlenarySession</a> <a href="https://t.co/sVuenLSCDE">pic.twitter.com/sVuenLSCDE</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/975264084781338624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I would like to tell the RBI officials why don&#39;t you go to Hundi collectors in Tirupati? They count money faster than you - P Chidambaram on demonetisation at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CongressPlenarySession?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CongressPlenarySession</a> <a href="https://t.co/oA5e58GMvv">pic.twitter.com/oA5e58GMvv</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/975265140550627328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>The Congress party organised the plenary session on Saturday to unveil its political roadmap and vision for the next five years.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Former union minister Anand Sharma said that the country has mismanaged its relations with immediate partners and major capitals of the world

Speaking at the second day of the Congress Plenary session, former Union minister Anand Sharma has accused the centre of disrupting the foreign policy of India. He also said that the country has mismanaged its relations with immediate partners and major capitals of the world. Also read: Congress hints at possible alliance for 2019 polls He said, "Modi govt has disrupted India's foreign policy. In the last four years, they have made this a divisive policy. They have pursued this in a cavalier manner, non-serious manner". "The PM is carried away by his own propaganda. Today it is a matter of concern that we have mismanaged our relations with major capitals of the world, with major strategic partners and our immediate neighbourhood" Anand Sharma said. Former prime minister Manmohan Singh has blamed the Modi led government of mismanaging the Jammu and Kashmir issue. He said, "Modi Govt has mismanaged Jammu and Kashmir like never before, the atmosphere is deteriorating day in and day out, its obvious from the fact that our borders are insecure, be it cross-border terror or internal" He added, "When Modi Ji was campaigning he made lots of tall promises, those promises have not been fulfilled. He said we will provide 2 crore jobs, we have not seen even 2 lakh jobs". Also read: 'Son-mom' moment captured at Congress plenary session When Modi ji was campaigning he made lots of tall promises, those promises have not been fulfilled. He said we will provide 2 crore jobs, we have not seen even 2 lakh jobs: Dr.Manmohan Singh at #CongressPlenary pic.twitter.com/3robxOvYTi — ANI (@ANI) March 18, 2018 × P Chidambaram, former Finance Minister has said that number of people below the poverty line went up under the BJP government. He said, "It's the biggest achievement of Dr Manmohan Singh that 14 crore people were listed out of poverty. BJP government pushed people into poverty. Number of people below poverty line went up. It's the greatest disservice BJP govt did to people of India". The current phase of economic growth started in 1990s when Rajiv Gandhi sowed seeds of liberalisation. This gained momentum under Dr Manmohan Singh. Whatever the BJP, the NDA may say, records speak for itself: P Chidambaram at #CongressPlenarySession pic.twitter.com/sVuenLSCDE — ANI (@ANI) March 18, 2018 × I would like to tell the RBI officials why don't you go to Hundi collectors in Tirupati? They count money faster than you - P Chidambaram on demonetisation at #CongressPlenarySession pic.twitter.com/oA5e58GMvv — ANI (@ANI) March 18, 2018 × The Congress party organised the plenary session on Saturday to unveil its political roadmap and vision for the next five years.

Modi govt has disrupted India's foreign policy: Anand Sharma at Congress plenary session

<p>Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday once again attacked the Modi government over Rafale plane deal.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Rahul Gandhi's tweet comes days after Congress targeted the NDA government over the Rafale deal, alleging that it was turning out to be a mother scam, and asked the government to come clean.</p>

<p>The grand-old-party spokesperson Tom Vadakkan said the over price India had paid to France for the purchase of the fighter aircraft compared to other countries including Egypt and Qatar was not some charity and the Modi government should answer as to where the money had gone.</p>

<p>The party used the annual report of Dassault Aviation, the manufacturer of Rafale fighter jets, to claim that the deal inked by Prime Minister Modi caused a loss of Rs 12,632 crore to the national exchequer.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to the report, Dassault sold 36 Rafale jets to India at £7.5 billion in 2016, while 48 jets were sold to Qatar and Egypt at £7.9 billion in 2015. This amounted to Rs 1,670.7 crore per aircraft for India and Rs 1,319.8 crore to Qatar and Egypt.</p>

<p>The Congress also stressed that the current government's purchase price was much higher than the Rs 526 crore bid by the UPA regime.</p>


Rahul Gandhi's tweet comes days after Congress targeted the NDA government over the Rafale deal, alleging that it was turning out to be a mother scam, and asked the government to come clean.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday once again attacked the Modi government over Rafale plane deal. Rahul Gandhi's tweet comes days after Congress targeted the NDA government over the Rafale deal, alleging that it was turning out to be a mother scam, and asked the government to come clean. The grand-old-party spokesperson Tom Vadakkan said the over price India had paid to France for the purchase of the fighter aircraft compared to other countries including Egypt and Qatar was not some charity and the Modi government should answer as to where the money had gone. The party used the annual report of Dassault Aviation, the manufacturer of Rafale fighter jets, to claim that the deal inked by Prime Minister Modi caused a loss of Rs 12,632 crore to the national exchequer. According to the report, Dassault sold 36 Rafale jets to India at £7.5 billion in 2016, while 48 jets were sold to Qatar and Egypt at £7.9 billion in 2015. This amounted to Rs 1,670.7 crore per aircraft for India and Rs 1,319.8 crore to Qatar and Egypt. The Congress also stressed that the current government's purchase price was much higher than the Rs 526 crore bid by the UPA regime.

Rafale deal: Dassault called government's lie, says Rahul Gandhi

<p>Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday once again attacked the Modi government over Rafale plane deal.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Dassault called RM&#39;s lie and released prices paid per RAFALE plane in report:<br />
<br />
Qatar = 1319 Cr<br />
MODI = 1670 Cr<br />
MMS = 570 Cr<br />
<br />
1100 Cr per plane or 36,000 Cr i.e 10 % of our Defence budget, in the pocket.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, our Army begs our Govt. for money. <a href="https://t.co/fE5tj4IaeN">pic.twitter.com/fE5tj4IaeN</a></p>
&mdash; Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG/status/974611317960175616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>Rahul Gandhi&#39;s tweet comes days after Congress targeted the NDA government over the Rafale deal, alleging that it was turning out to be a mother scam, and asked the government to come clean.</p>

<p>The grand-old-party spokesperson Tom Vadakkan said the over price India had paid to France for the purchase of the fighter aircraft compared to other countries including Egypt and Qatar was not some charity and the Modi government should answer as to where the money had gone.</p>

<p>The party used the annual report of Dassault Aviation, the manufacturer of Rafale fighter jets, to claim that the deal inked by Prime Minister Modi caused a loss of Rs 12,632 crore to the national exchequer.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to the report, Dassault sold 36 Rafale jets to India at &pound;7.5 billion in 2016, while 48 jets were sold to Qatar and Egypt at &pound;7.9 billion in 2015. This amounted to Rs 1,670.7 crore per aircraft for India and Rs 1,319.8 crore to Qatar and Egypt.</p>

<p>The Congress also stressed that the current government&#39;s purchase price was much higher than the Rs 526 crore bid by the UPA regime.</p>


Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday once again attacked the Modi government over Rafale plane deal. Dassault called RM's lie and released prices paid per RAFALE plane in report: Qatar = 1319 Cr MODI = 1670 Cr MMS = 570 Cr 1100 Cr per plane or 36,000 Cr i.e 10 % of our Defence budget, in the pocket. Meanwhile, our Army begs our Govt. for money. pic.twitter.com/fE5tj4IaeN — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) March 16, 2018 × Rahul Gandhi's tweet comes days after Congress targeted the NDA government over the Rafale deal, alleging that it was turning out to be a mother scam, and asked the government to come clean. The grand-old-party spokesperson Tom Vadakkan said the over price India had paid to France for the purchase of the fighter aircraft compared to other countries including Egypt and Qatar was not some charity and the Modi government should answer as to where the money had gone. The party used the annual report of Dassault Aviation, the manufacturer of Rafale fighter jets, to claim that the deal inked by Prime Minister Modi caused a loss of Rs 12,632 crore to the national exchequer. According to the report, Dassault sold 36 Rafale jets to India at £7.5 billion in 2016, while 48 jets were sold to Qatar and Egypt at £7.9 billion in 2015. This amounted to Rs 1,670.7 crore per aircraft for India and Rs 1,319.8 crore to Qatar and Egypt. The Congress also stressed that the current government's purchase price was much higher than the Rs 526 crore bid by the UPA regime.

<p>The Congress party on Saturday again targeted the NDA government over the Rafale deal, alleging that it is turning out to be a mother scam, and asked the government to come clean.</p>

<p>The comments came on a day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with French President Emannuel Macron.</p>

<p>The grand-old-party spokesperson Tom Vadakkan said the over price India had paid to France for the purchase of the fighter aircraft compared to other countries including Egypt and Qatar was not some charity and the Modi government should answer as to where the money had gone.</p>

<p>&quot;People are asking in whose pockets this money has gone&quot;, he added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Vadakkan said his party had been raising the issue for the last three days but not a word from the government or the BJP was heard in response. Not even a denial, he said.</p>

<p>The BJP yesterday rejected the Congress&#39; charge, claiming the party was spreading lies and confusion to mislead the nation.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Union Minister Nitin Gadkari today said it is irresponsible and anti-national to allege corruption in the Euro 7.5 billion deal with France to supply the fighter jets.</p>

<p>&quot;Where is the corruption? It is irresponsible and anti-national to make such allegations,&quot; he said speaking at a media event.</p>

<p>The Congress, however, again raised the issue today and likened the government&#39;s stand to a cat drinking milk with its eyes shut in the belief that nobody will watch it.</p>

<p>&quot;The government, the defence ministry must come clean. What are they trying to hide?. You called the UPA corrupt. If this is not corruption then what is. It is turning out to be a mother scam on which the NDA must come clean,&quot; he said.</p>


"People are asking in whose pockets this money has gone", Congress asked.

The Congress party on Saturday again targeted the NDA government over the Rafale deal, alleging that it is turning out to be a mother scam, and asked the government to come clean. The comments came on a day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with French President Emannuel Macron. The grand-old-party spokesperson Tom Vadakkan said the over price India had paid to France for the purchase of the fighter aircraft compared to other countries including Egypt and Qatar was not some charity and the Modi government should answer as to where the money had gone. "People are asking in whose pockets this money has gone", he added. Vadakkan said his party had been raising the issue for the last three days but not a word from the government or the BJP was heard in response. Not even a denial, he said. The BJP yesterday rejected the Congress' charge, claiming the party was spreading lies and confusion to mislead the nation. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari today said it is irresponsible and anti-national to allege corruption in the Euro 7.5 billion deal with France to supply the fighter jets. "Where is the corruption? It is irresponsible and anti-national to make such allegations," he said speaking at a media event. The Congress, however, again raised the issue today and likened the government's stand to a cat drinking milk with its eyes shut in the belief that nobody will watch it. "The government, the defence ministry must come clean. What are they trying to hide?. You called the UPA corrupt. If this is not corruption then what is. It is turning out to be a mother scam on which the NDA must come clean," he said.

Modi government should come clean on Rafale deal: Congress

<p>The TDP on Wednesday night decided to pull out of the NDA government at the Centre and asked two of its ministers in the Modi government to tender their resignation but kept the door for ties with the BJP ajar.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/finance-minister-arun-jaitley-promises-funds-equivalent-of-special-status-to-andhra-pradesh-35020">Also read: Will give money equivalent </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/finance-minister-arun-jaitley-promises-funds-equivalent-of-special-status-to-andhra-pradesh-35020">of</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/finance-minister-arun-jaitley-promises-funds-equivalent-of-special-status-to-andhra-pradesh-35020"> special status to Andhra Pradesh, says&nbsp;Arun Jaitley</a></p>

<p>The TDP took the painful decision in the interest of the state as it was left with no other option, party chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said at an emergency press briefing.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">It&#39;s a crucial time.<br />
We have to stand, we have to fight, we have to get it done.</p>
&mdash; N Chandrababu Naidu (@ncbn) <a href="https://twitter.com/ncbn/status/971447691489239040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>The two ministers in the Modi government are Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Minister of State for Science and Technology Y S Chowdary.</p>

<p>In a tit-for-tat action, the two BJP ministers in the Naidu government--K Srinivasa Rao and T Manikyala Rao--too announced their decision to quit.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I tried reaching out to the Prime Minister to inform him about our decision. But sadly, he was unavailable.</p>
&mdash; N Chandrababu Naidu (@ncbn) <a href="https://twitter.com/ncbn/status/971446399316385792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>&quot;When the intended purpose (of joining the Union Cabinet) has not been served, there is no point in continuing. For me the sole agenda is to safeguard the interests of the state, he said.</p>

<p>The TDP has 16 MPs in the Lok Sabha.</p>

<p>Naidu&#39;s announcement came barely hours after Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley told a press conference in New Delhi this evening that funds equivalent to what a special category state receives would be extended to Andhra Pradesh, but drew a line saying politics cannot increase the quantum of money.</p>

<p>We have now come out of the NDA. Party-to-party (TDP-BJP ties) issue will be decided later, he added, hinting that their alliance may continue in the future.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I am not angry with anyone. This decision has been taken only to benefit the people of Andhra Pradesh.</p>
&mdash; N Chandrababu Naidu (@ncbn) <a href="https://twitter.com/ncbn/status/971446279287988224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>Jaitley said giving special category status, as demanded by Naidu, to any state apart from those in the North-East and three hill provinces were not constitutionally possible after the implementation of the 14th Finance Commission recommendations.</p>

<p>For special category status category states, the Centre meets 90 per cent of the funds required in a centrally sponsored scheme as against 60 per cent in case of normal category states. The remaining funds are provided by the state governments.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The Centre has been taking one sided decisions and our patience has run out now. When the purpose of joining the union cabinet hasn&rsquo;t been fulfilled, it&rsquo;s best to resign now.</p>
&mdash; N Chandrababu Naidu (@ncbn) <a href="https://twitter.com/ncbn/status/971446230088691712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>Naidu said Jaitley&#39;s announcement was the &quot;last straw&quot; for the TDP. Naidu had repeatedly insisted on special category state status for Andhra Pradesh following mounting pressure from the opposition.</p>

<p>Jaitley&#39;s statement was nothing but insulting us, he maintained.</p>

<p>&#39;&#39;I made every effort to get our issues resolved by the Centre in the last four years. I told them about the people&#39;s sentiment and tried to convince them in every manner but to no avail, he said.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">We&rsquo;ve waited enough. We&rsquo;ve believed in false promises enough. Our ministers are resigning from the Union Cabinet. We will do whatever it takes to fulfill the aspirations of the people of Andhra Pradesh.</p>
&mdash; Lokesh Nara (@naralokesh) <a href="https://twitter.com/naralokesh/status/971437418027995136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>They (Centre) are with a predetermination and there appears to be no way they will help us. Under such inevitable circumstances, we have decided to come out of the NDA, Naidu said, after a three-hour teleconference with party MPs and state ministers following Jaitley&#39;s assertions.</p>

<p>He said the TDP joined the NDA government only to protect the state&#39;s interests following its bifurcation but claimed the Centre was taking unilateral decisions without thinking about the solutions to the state&#39;s problems.</p>

<p>The chief minister said he tried to speak to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the phone as a courtesy to inform him about the decision to pull out of the NDA government. It is my responsibility as a coalition partner to inform the prime minister about our party decision. My OSD spoke to his OSD but the prime minister did not come online, he said.</p>

<p>Naidu hoped the Centre would at least now respect the sentiments of people of Andhra Pradesh.&nbsp;</p>


The TDP took the painful decision in the interest of the state as it was left with no other option, party chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said at an emergency press briefing.

The TDP on Wednesday night decided to pull out of the NDA government at the Centre and asked two of its ministers in the Modi government to tender their resignation but kept the door for ties with the BJP ajar. Also read: Will give money equivalent of special status to Andhra Pradesh, says Arun Jaitley The TDP took the painful decision in the interest of the state as it was left with no other option, party chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said at an emergency press briefing. It's a crucial time. We have to stand, we have to fight, we have to get it done. — N Chandrababu Naidu (@ncbn) March 7, 2018 × The two ministers in the Modi government are Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Minister of State for Science and Technology Y S Chowdary. In a tit-for-tat action, the two BJP ministers in the Naidu government--K Srinivasa Rao and T Manikyala Rao--too announced their decision to quit. I tried reaching out to the Prime Minister to inform him about our decision. But sadly, he was unavailable. — N Chandrababu Naidu (@ncbn) March 7, 2018 × "When the intended purpose (of joining the Union Cabinet) has not been served, there is no point in continuing. For me the sole agenda is to safeguard the interests of the state, he said. The TDP has 16 MPs in the Lok Sabha. Naidu's announcement came barely hours after Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley told a press conference in New Delhi this evening that funds equivalent to what a special category state receives would be extended to Andhra Pradesh, but drew a line saying politics cannot increase the quantum of money. We have now come out of the NDA. Party-to-party (TDP-BJP ties) issue will be decided later, he added, hinting that their alliance may continue in the future. I am not angry with anyone. This decision has been taken only to benefit the people of Andhra Pradesh. — N Chandrababu Naidu (@ncbn) March 7, 2018 × Jaitley said giving special category status, as demanded by Naidu, to any state apart from those in the North-East and three hill provinces were not constitutionally possible after the implementation of the 14th Finance Commission recommendations. For special category status category states, the Centre meets 90 per cent of the funds required in a centrally sponsored scheme as against 60 per cent in case of normal category states. The remaining funds are provided by the state governments. The Centre has been taking one sided decisions and our patience has run out now. When the purpose of joining the union cabinet hasn’t been fulfilled, it’s best to resign now. — N Chandrababu Naidu (@ncbn) March 7, 2018 × Naidu said Jaitley's announcement was the "last straw" for the TDP. Naidu had repeatedly insisted on special category state status for Andhra Pradesh following mounting pressure from the opposition. Jaitley's statement was nothing but insulting us, he maintained. ''I made every effort to get our issues resolved by the Centre in the last four years. I told them about the people's sentiment and tried to convince them in every manner but to no avail, he said. We’ve waited enough. We’ve believed in false promises enough. Our ministers are resigning from the Union Cabinet. We will do whatever it takes to fulfill the aspirations of the people of Andhra Pradesh. — Lokesh Nara (@naralokesh) March 7, 2018 × They (Centre) are with a predetermination and there appears to be no way they will help us. Under such inevitable circumstances, we have decided to come out of the NDA, Naidu said, after a three-hour teleconference with party MPs and state ministers following Jaitley's assertions. He said the TDP joined the NDA government only to protect the state's interests following its bifurcation but claimed the Centre was taking unilateral decisions without thinking about the solutions to the state's problems. The chief minister said he tried to speak to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the phone as a courtesy to inform him about the decision to pull out of the NDA government. It is my responsibility as a coalition partner to inform the prime minister about our party decision. My OSD spoke to his OSD but the prime minister did not come online, he said. Naidu hoped the Centre would at least now respect the sentiments of people of Andhra Pradesh.

TDP pulls out of NDA government, keeps door for alliance with BJP ajar

<p>The Supreme Court has asked the Modi government to take a stand on the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case and communicate its decision within three months.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Tamil Nadu government had previously remitted jail sentences of the seven convicts.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case: Supreme Court asks Central Government to take a stand and make it clear within three months whether it agreed with the move of the Tamil Nadu government to remit jail sentences of seven convicts in the case, or else convey what it wants</p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/955695097005289472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>The central government has been asked to communicate if it stands by the Tamil Nadu government&#39;s decision or has anything else to communicate on the matter.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Tamil Nadu government had written a letter to the Modi government seeking relief for the seven convicts in May 2016.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The Tamil Nadu government had previously remitted jail sentences of the seven convicts

The Supreme Court has asked the Modi government to take a stand on the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case and communicate its decision within three months. The Tamil Nadu government had previously remitted jail sentences of the seven convicts. Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case: Supreme Court asks Central Government to take a stand and make it clear within three months whether it agreed with the move of the Tamil Nadu government to remit jail sentences of seven convicts in the case, or else convey what it wants — ANI (@ANI) January 23, 2018 × The central government has been asked to communicate if it stands by the Tamil Nadu government's decision or has anything else to communicate on the matter. The Tamil Nadu government had written a letter to the Modi government seeking relief for the seven convicts in May 2016.

Rajiv Gandhi assassination case: Supreme Court asks Modi government to communicate final word on 7 convicts

<p>All 10 ASEAN leaders conveyed to India their desire for it to play a more assertive role in the strategically important Indo-Pacific region while recognising the country&#39;s growing stature in ensuring regional peace and stability.</p>

<p>&quot;Yes,&quot; said Secretary East in the Ministry of External Affairs Preeti Saran when asked during a media briefing whether the leaders of the powerful ASEAN grouping favoured a more assertive role for India in the Indo-Pacific region where China has been ramping up its military presence.</p>

<p>On whether ASEAN wants India to play a more pro-active role in the Indo-Pacific in the wake of China&#39;s growing expansionism in the area, Saran said India-ASEAN relationship stands on its own.<br />
&quot;All the leaders conveyed their desire for a greater participation of India (in the Indo-Pacific region),&quot; she said.</p>

<p>The desire by the ASEAN countries for a greater role by India in the Indo-Pacific region assumes significance in the wake of rising tensions between China and a number of countries of the grouping over the South China Sea dispute.</p>

<p>Leaders of all 10 ASEAN member countries were here to participate at a summit meeting to mark 25 years of India- ASEAN ties and to attend India&#39;s Republic Day celebrations.</p>

<p>Indo-Pacific broadly refers to the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean regions, which also include the disputed South China Sea where Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Brunei question China&#39;s claims over almost the entire waterway.</p>

<p>The US has also been pitching for greater Indo-US cooperation in the strategically key Indo-Pacific region.</p>

<p>The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) comprises Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Myanmar (Burma), Cambodia, Laos and Brunei.</p>

<p>Saran said all the ASEAN leaders appreciated India&#39;s positive role in the Indo-Pacific region.</p>

<p>A number of pressing issues including the situation in the Indo-Pacific region and ways to tackle threat of terrorism figured during the summit meeting as well as in bilateral talks Prime Minister Narendra Modi had with the ASEAN leaders.</p>

<p>Referring to the challenge of terrorism, Saran said that ASEAN leaders emphasised on the need for concerted global efforts to contain the menace.</p>

<p>&quot;Terrorism does not know any boundaries. You know what is cross border terrorism, you cannot be selective in tackling terrorism.... They (ASEAN leaders) recognised the need for the menace to be fought collectively,&quot; said Saran.</p>

<p>She said India will host a conference on ways to counter radicalisation.</p>

<p>Referring to the deliberations at the Plenary session at the summit, Saran said Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered India&#39;s digital expertise and expressed readiness to set up digital villages in some of the countries as part of a pilot project.</p>

<p>He also said that India will host an ASEAN-India start up festival this year.</p>

<p>She said next year will be celebrated as the year of India-ASEAN tourism by both the sides.</p>

<p>India also offered 1,000 scholarships in IIT for PhD students from ASEAN countries.</p>

<p>Saran and several other officials of the MEA also talked about the meticulous planning that went into hosting the ASEAN leaders including choosing fabric for pillow covers and arranging for various recepies considering the food habits of the leaders.</p>

<p>They also talked about how External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj was involved in minute details for successful hosting of leaders.</p>


The leaders lauded India’s growth story as it was “one of fastest growing economies” and the Modi government has undertaken “amazing reforms”, said the official

All 10 ASEAN leaders conveyed to India their desire for it to play a more assertive role in the strategically important Indo-Pacific region while recognising the country's growing stature in ensuring regional peace and stability. "Yes," said Secretary East in the Ministry of External Affairs Preeti Saran when asked during a media briefing whether the leaders of the powerful ASEAN grouping favoured a more assertive role for India in the Indo-Pacific region where China has been ramping up its military presence. On whether ASEAN wants India to play a more pro-active role in the Indo-Pacific in the wake of China's growing expansionism in the area, Saran said India-ASEAN relationship stands on its own. "All the leaders conveyed their desire for a greater participation of India (in the Indo-Pacific region)," she said. The desire by the ASEAN countries for a greater role by India in the Indo-Pacific region assumes significance in the wake of rising tensions between China and a number of countries of the grouping over the South China Sea dispute. Leaders of all 10 ASEAN member countries were here to participate at a summit meeting to mark 25 years of India- ASEAN ties and to attend India's Republic Day celebrations. Indo-Pacific broadly refers to the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean regions, which also include the disputed South China Sea where Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Brunei question China's claims over almost the entire waterway. The US has also been pitching for greater Indo-US cooperation in the strategically key Indo-Pacific region. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) comprises Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Myanmar (Burma), Cambodia, Laos and Brunei. Saran said all the ASEAN leaders appreciated India's positive role in the Indo-Pacific region. A number of pressing issues including the situation in the Indo-Pacific region and ways to tackle threat of terrorism figured during the summit meeting as well as in bilateral talks Prime Minister Narendra Modi had with the ASEAN leaders. Referring to the challenge of terrorism, Saran said that ASEAN leaders emphasised on the need for concerted global efforts to contain the menace. "Terrorism does not know any boundaries. You know what is cross border terrorism, you cannot be selective in tackling terrorism.... They (ASEAN leaders) recognised the need for the menace to be fought collectively," said Saran. She said India will host a conference on ways to counter radicalisation. Referring to the deliberations at the Plenary session at the summit, Saran said Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered India's digital expertise and expressed readiness to set up digital villages in some of the countries as part of a pilot project. He also said that India will host an ASEAN-India start up festival this year. She said next year will be celebrated as the year of India-ASEAN tourism by both the sides. India also offered 1,000 scholarships in IIT for PhD students from ASEAN countries. Saran and several other officials of the MEA also talked about the meticulous planning that went into hosting the ASEAN leaders including choosing fabric for pillow covers and arranging for various recepies considering the food habits of the leaders. They also talked about how External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj was involved in minute details for successful hosting of leaders.

ASEAN leaders want India to be more assertive in Indo-Pacific region

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that his government&#39;s only <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/arun-jaitley-chairs-pre-budget-meeting-in-delhi-29924">agenda for the Budget</a> is development.</p>

<p>&quot;My government has only one agenda for Budget - and that is development. And that&#39;s what you will see,&quot; PM Modi said in an exclusive interview to Zee News.</p>

<p>Modi government is going to present its <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-plans-to-raise-health-spending-by-11-in-budget-less-than-requested-29949">last full Budget</a> ahead of the general elections 2019. The financial statement for the year ahead is being keenly watched by critics because of tough decisions taken by the Modi government like launching the unified Goods and Services Tax (GST) and demonetisation.</p>

<p>When asked about the bold financial decisions taken by his government, PM Modi said, &quot;If you measure the work done by our government in these four years by only these two parametres, it&#39;s unfair. After nationalisation of banks, about 30-40 per cent of population was out of banking system. We brought them into the system. Isn&#39;t that an achievement? Thousands of girls skipped schools because there were no toilets. We built those toilets for them. Isn&#39;t that an achievement?&rdquo;</p>

<p>Modi also said that he is in favour of holding general elections and state polls together.</p>

<p>&quot;Logically speaking, holding different elections in different dates creates burden on the exchequer. Politicians are always under stress. So I think both Vidhan Sabha and Lok Sabha elections should be organised simultaneously. It will save money and manpower,&quot; the PM said.</p>

<p>Modi said that his government&#39;s achievements can&#39;t be measured on just two decisions - the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and demonetisation.</p>

<p>He also said that every atom of his body is indebted to the country and he wants to keep serving the people of the country. &quot;When I see satisfaction in the eyes of a common man, it gives me power,&quot; PM Modi said.</p>

<p><em>These are the highlights of the interview.&nbsp; </em><em>Catch the full interview on Zee News at 8pm on Saturday.</em></p>


Modi government is going to present its last full Budget ahead of the general elections 2019.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that his government's only agenda for the Budget is development. "My government has only one agenda for Budget - and that is development. And that's what you will see," PM Modi said in an exclusive interview to Zee News. Modi government is going to present its last full Budget ahead of the general elections 2019. The financial statement for the year ahead is being keenly watched by critics because of tough decisions taken by the Modi government like launching the unified Goods and Services Tax (GST) and demonetisation. When asked about the bold financial decisions taken by his government, PM Modi said, "If you measure the work done by our government in these four years by only these two parametres, it's unfair. After nationalisation of banks, about 30-40 per cent of population was out of banking system. We brought them into the system. Isn't that an achievement? Thousands of girls skipped schools because there were no toilets. We built those toilets for them. Isn't that an achievement?” Modi also said that he is in favour of holding general elections and state polls together. "Logically speaking, holding different elections in different dates creates burden on the exchequer. Politicians are always under stress. So I think both Vidhan Sabha and Lok Sabha elections should be organised simultaneously. It will save money and manpower," the PM said. Modi said that his government's achievements can't be measured on just two decisions - the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and demonetisation. He also said that every atom of his body is indebted to the country and he wants to keep serving the people of the country. "When I see satisfaction in the eyes of a common man, it gives me power," PM Modi said. These are the highlights of the interview. Catch the full interview on Zee News at 8pm on Saturday.

My government's only agenda for Budget is development: PM Modi to Zee News

<p>PM Modi-led government plans to abolish all posts which have been vacant for more than five years. Various ministries and government departments have been directed to submit a comprehensive report on the matter.</p>

<p>The Finance Ministry, in an official memorandum, has asked all ministries and departments to submit a report regarding the same.</p>

<p>According to the directive, financial advisors and joint administrative secretaries of all ministries and departments are requested to identify the posts which are vacant for more than five years.</p>

<p>A comprehensive report on the abolition of such posts is to be submitted at the earliest, the office memorandum, dated January 16, 2018, said.</p>

<p>According to government estimates, several thousand central government posts have been lying vacant for five or more years.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from PTI)</em></p>


Various ministries and government departments have been directed to submit a comprehensive report on the matter

PM Modi-led government plans to abolish all posts which have been vacant for more than five years. Various ministries and government departments have been directed to submit a comprehensive report on the matter. The Finance Ministry, in an official memorandum, has asked all ministries and departments to submit a report regarding the same. According to the directive, financial advisors and joint administrative secretaries of all ministries and departments are requested to identify the posts which are vacant for more than five years. A comprehensive report on the abolition of such posts is to be submitted at the earliest, the office memorandum, dated January 16, 2018, said. According to government estimates, several thousand central government posts have been lying vacant for five or more years. (With inputs from PTI)

Modi government to abolish posts vacant over five years

<p>Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday tabled the economic survey in Parliament which noted that the reform measures undertaken in 2017-18 can be strengthened further in 2018-19. The survey points out that India can be rated as among the best performing economies in the world as the average growth during last three years is around four percentage points higher than global growth and nearly three percentage points higher than that of emerging market and developing economies.</p>

<p>It said that the GDP growth has averaged 7.3 per cent from 2014-15 to 2017-18, which is the highest among the major economies of the world.</p>

<p>Here are the key takeaways from economic survey 2017-18:</p>

<p><strong>GROWTH</strong></p>

<ul>
	<li>India&#39;s gross domestic product (GDP) growth for 2018-19 pegged at 7-7.5 per cent, current high oil prices a major concern.</li>
	<li>GDP to expand by 6.75% in 2017-18, re-instating India as world&#39;s fastest growing major economy.</li>
	<li>Economic management will be challenging in the coming year.</li>
	<li>Biggest source of upside to growth to be from exports.</li>
	<li>Cyclical conditions may lead to lower tax and non-tax revenues in 2017-18.</li>
	<li>Private investment poised for rebound.</li>
	<li>2017-18 farm sector growth seen at 2.1 per cent.</li>
</ul>

<p><strong>FISCAL DEFICIT</strong></p>

<ul>
	<li>Target for fiscal consolidation specially in a pre-election year can carry a high risk of credibility</li>
	<li>Current account deficit for 2017/18 expected to average 1.5-2 per cent of GDP</li>
	<li>Pause in general govt fiscal consolidation cannot be ruled out in 2017-18</li>
	<li>Suggests modest (fiscal) consolidation that signals a return to the path of gradual but steady deficit reductions</li>
</ul>

<p><strong>INFLATION, POLICY RATES</strong></p>

<ul>
	<li>Persistently high oil prices remain a key risk, to affect inflation</li>
	<li>If inflation doesn`t deviate from current levels policy rates can be expected to remain stable</li>
	<li>Average CPI inflation seen at 3.7 per cent in 2017-18</li>
</ul>

<p><strong>OTHER HIGHLIGHTS</strong></p>

<ul>
	<li>Economy accelerated in second half of current fiscal due to GST, bank recapitalisation, liberalisation of FDI and higher exports.</li>
	<li>Gross Value Added (GVA) expected to grow by 6.1 per cent in 2017-18 as compared to 6.6 per cent in 2016-17.</li>
	<li>Preliminary analysis of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) data reveals 50% increase in the number of indirect taxpayers.</li>
	<li>There is need to address pendency, delays and backlogs in the appellate and judicial arenas.</li>
	<li>&quot;Policy vigilance&quot; in coming year if high oil prices persist or stock prices correct sharply.</li>
	<li>India has performed better on 14 out of 17 key indicators.</li>
</ul>


The survey points out that India can be rated as among the best performing economies in the world as the average growth during last three years is around four percentage points higher than global growth.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday tabled the economic survey in Parliament which noted that the reform measures undertaken in 2017-18 can be strengthened further in 2018-19. The survey points out that India can be rated as among the best performing economies in the world as the average growth during last three years is around four percentage points higher than global growth and nearly three percentage points higher than that of emerging market and developing economies. It said that the GDP growth has averaged 7.3 per cent from 2014-15 to 2017-18, which is the highest among the major economies of the world. Here are the key takeaways from economic survey 2017-18: GROWTH India's gross domestic product (GDP) growth for 2018-19 pegged at 7-7.5 per cent, current high oil prices a major concern. GDP to expand by 6.75% in 2017-18, re-instating India as world's fastest growing major economy. Economic management will be challenging in the coming year. Biggest source of upside to growth to be from exports. Cyclical conditions may lead to lower tax and non-tax revenues in 2017-18. Private investment poised for rebound. 2017-18 farm sector growth seen at 2.1 per cent. FISCAL DEFICIT Target for fiscal consolidation specially in a pre-election year can carry a high risk of credibility Current account deficit for 2017/18 expected to average 1.5-2 per cent of GDP Pause in general govt fiscal consolidation cannot be ruled out in 2017-18 Suggests modest (fiscal) consolidation that signals a return to the path of gradual but steady deficit reductions INFLATION, POLICY RATES Persistently high oil prices remain a key risk, to affect inflation If inflation doesn`t deviate from current levels policy rates can be expected to remain stable Average CPI inflation seen at 3.7 per cent in 2017-18 OTHER HIGHLIGHTS Economy accelerated in second half of current fiscal due to GST, bank recapitalisation, liberalisation of FDI and higher exports. Gross Value Added (GVA) expected to grow by 6.1 per cent in 2017-18 as compared to 6.6 per cent in 2016-17. Preliminary analysis of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) data reveals 50% increase in the number of indirect taxpayers. There is need to address pendency, delays and backlogs in the appellate and judicial arenas. "Policy vigilance" in coming year if high oil prices persist or stock prices correct sharply. India has performed better on 14 out of 17 key indicators.

Big takeaways from economic survey

<p>The Congress on Sunday attacked the Centre over the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/jk-3-soldiers-killed-in-pakistan-ceasefire-violation-in-keri-27540">killing of four Indian soldiers </a>along the Line of Control (LoC)&nbsp;by Pakistani troops, saying the incident raises questions over the government&rsquo;s ability to protect the country&#39;s borders.</p>

<p>Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said Saturday&#39;s incident along the LoC was an outcome of Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s &quot;flip-flops and somersaults&quot;&nbsp;on Pakistan.</p>

<p>Pakistani troops opened fire on an Indian Army patrol, killing a Major and three soldiers in Keri sector of Jammu and Kashmir&rsquo;s Rajouri district on Sunday.</p>

<p>Manish Tewari claimed that there have been 900 attempts of incursion by Pakistan this year, out of which 780 cases have been reported along the LoC and 120 along the International Border (IB).</p>

<p>&ldquo;There were 583 major ceasefire violations in 2014 (between June-December), 400 in 2015, 450 in 2016 and 900 this year. The prime minister points fingers at others, accuses people who have occupied top posts of committing treason but this government seems incapable of protecting our borders,&rdquo; the former union minister told reporters.</p>

<p>Modi, during the Gujarat assembly polls campaign, had suggested that Pakistan was trying to influence the Assembly polls in the state.</p>

<p>The government and the Congress are involved in a face-off over prime minister Modi&rsquo;s &lsquo;conspiracy with Pakistan&rsquo; remarks against his predecessor Manmohan Singh.</p>

<p>Tewari said that the BJP government&rsquo;s Pakistan policy is driven by &ldquo;flip-flops, somersaults and adhocism&rdquo; and demanded that the prime minister comes clear on his agenda behind his 2015 stopover in Lahore or the Centre&rsquo;s decision to allow ISI personnel at the Pathankor terror attack site.</p>

<p>He said India&rsquo;s neighbourhood policy was in tatters under the BJP dispensation as apart from the &ldquo;frequent&rdquo; Pakistani shelling along the border and incursions, the new Nepalese government was overtly tilting towards China.</p>

<p>&ldquo;In Sri Lanka, growing Chinese influence is a matter of concern. Maldives has signed an FTA (Free Trade Agreement) with China disregarding India&rsquo;s position. China has constructed permanent structures in Dokalam,&rdquo; he said.</p>


Drawing attention to the attempts of incursion, Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said the Modi government was 'incapable of protecting our borders'

The Congress on Sunday attacked the Centre over the killing of four Indian soldiers along the Line of Control (LoC) by Pakistani troops, saying the incident raises questions over the government’s ability to protect the country's borders. Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said Saturday's incident along the LoC was an outcome of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "flip-flops and somersaults" on Pakistan. Pakistani troops opened fire on an Indian Army patrol, killing a Major and three soldiers in Keri sector of Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district on Sunday. Manish Tewari claimed that there have been 900 attempts of incursion by Pakistan this year, out of which 780 cases have been reported along the LoC and 120 along the International Border (IB). “There were 583 major ceasefire violations in 2014 (between June-December), 400 in 2015, 450 in 2016 and 900 this year. The prime minister points fingers at others, accuses people who have occupied top posts of committing treason but this government seems incapable of protecting our borders,” the former union minister told reporters. Modi, during the Gujarat assembly polls campaign, had suggested that Pakistan was trying to influence the Assembly polls in the state. The government and the Congress are involved in a face-off over prime minister Modi’s ‘conspiracy with Pakistan’ remarks against his predecessor Manmohan Singh. Tewari said that the BJP government’s Pakistan policy is driven by “flip-flops, somersaults and adhocism” and demanded that the prime minister comes clear on his agenda behind his 2015 stopover in Lahore or the Centre’s decision to allow ISI personnel at the Pathankor terror attack site. He said India’s neighbourhood policy was in tatters under the BJP dispensation as apart from the “frequent” Pakistani shelling along the border and incursions, the new Nepalese government was overtly tilting towards China. “In Sri Lanka, growing Chinese influence is a matter of concern. Maldives has signed an FTA (Free Trade Agreement) with China disregarding India’s position. China has constructed permanent structures in Dokalam,” he said.

Congress slams Modi government over killing of soldiers along LoC

<p>Former prime minister and Congress leader Manmohan Singh on Thursday hit out at Modi government&#39;s economic policies and said that to equal the UPA&#39;s ten year average, the economy will have to grow at 10.6 per cent in the fifth year.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&#39;&#39;To equal the UPA&#39;s ten year average, the economy will have to grow at 10.6 per cent in the fifth year, I would be happy if it were to happen but I frankly do not think it will,&#39;&#39; he said in Rajkot.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Whoever faced corruption allegations during UPA was dealt with strictly, but the same cannot be said about BJP, they have not acted on corruption in their rule: Dr.Manmohan Singh <a href="https://t.co/H1KXMekAgA">pic.twitter.com/H1KXMekAgA</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/938674545283579905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>Accusing the BJP led NDA government at the centre of corruption, he said whoever faced corruption allegations during UPA was dealt with strictly, but the same cannot be said about BJP, they have not acted on corruption in their rule.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Criticising Modi&#39;s foreign policy, Manmohan said &#39;&#39;Our national security has been hurt by the inconsistent foreign policies of the Government. Some steps taken by Modi Govt were not in the best interest of the country, he added.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">To equal the UPA&#39;s ten year average, the economy will have to grow at 10.6% in the fifth year, I would be happy if it were to happen but I frankly do not think it will: Dr.Manmohan Singh in Rajkot <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GujaratElection2017?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GujaratElection2017</a> <a href="https://t.co/kFEq1MPIHa">pic.twitter.com/kFEq1MPIHa</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/938672014037958656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>&#39;&#39;Modiji says he took up Narmada issue with me but I don&#39;t remember him talking to me about this issue, though whenever he wanted to meet me I never refused,was always ready as being PM it was my responsibility to meet all CMs,&#39;&#39; the former PM said.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>


National security has been hurt by the inconsistent foreign policies of the Government. Some steps taken by Modi Govt were not in the best interest of the country, he said

Former prime minister and Congress leader Manmohan Singh on Thursday hit out at Modi government's economic policies and said that to equal the UPA's ten year average, the economy will have to grow at 10.6 per cent in the fifth year. ''To equal the UPA's ten year average, the economy will have to grow at 10.6 per cent in the fifth year, I would be happy if it were to happen but I frankly do not think it will,'' he said in Rajkot. Whoever faced corruption allegations during UPA was dealt with strictly, but the same cannot be said about BJP, they have not acted on corruption in their rule: Dr.Manmohan Singh pic.twitter.com/H1KXMekAgA — ANI (@ANI) December 7, 2017 × Accusing the BJP led NDA government at the centre of corruption, he said whoever faced corruption allegations during UPA was dealt with strictly, but the same cannot be said about BJP, they have not acted on corruption in their rule. Criticising Modi's foreign policy, Manmohan said ''Our national security has been hurt by the inconsistent foreign policies of the Government. Some steps taken by Modi Govt were not in the best interest of the country, he added. To equal the UPA's ten year average, the economy will have to grow at 10.6% in the fifth year, I would be happy if it were to happen but I frankly do not think it will: Dr.Manmohan Singh in Rajkot #GujaratElection2017 pic.twitter.com/kFEq1MPIHa — ANI (@ANI) December 7, 2017 × ''Modiji says he took up Narmada issue with me but I don't remember him talking to me about this issue, though whenever he wanted to meet me I never refused,was always ready as being PM it was my responsibility to meet all CMs,'' the former PM said.

To equal the UPA's 10-year average, economy will have to grow at 10.6%: Manmohan

<p>Over the past few months, the question of job creation, or lack thereof, in the formal sector of the economy has steadily been in the news. Clearly, the Modi government is feeling the pressure to do something, or at least to be seen to be doing something, about it. The first response to the accusation that the Indian government has failed on the job creation front was in the form of Amit Shah&rsquo;s statement that it was not jobs that were promised, but livelihoods. So the government would encourage self-employment. Never mind that self-employment has always been the fallback option for those not able to secure jobs. Half of the Indian workforce is self-employed.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>The revelation that 10 million workers left out of the Employee Provident Fund Organization (EFPO) because of employers defaulting on their responsibilities have been registered during the EFPO amnesty program this year.</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=The revelation that 10 million workers left out of the Employee Provident Fund Organization (EFPO) because of employers defaulting on their responsibilities have been registered during the EFPO amnesty program this year." target="_blank"><i class="fa fa-share">&nbsp;</i></a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

<p>Since this response was unlikely to cut much ice, a second response has emerged over the last few weeks. This is to argue that in fact, India has a <a href="http://www.livemint.com/Politics/Le8m9TN1AqTmPQHwIilrBK/Formal-jobs-in-India-may-be-more-than-estimated.html">much larger formal workforce</a> than previously estimated. 15-25 per cent instead of the usually quoted figure of 7-10 per cent. This is asserted on the basis of the revelation that 10 million workers left out of the Employee Provident Fund Organization (EFPO) because of employers defaulting on their responsibilities have been registered during the EFPO amnesty program this year. The program (running from January 1st to June 30th) gave firms the opportunity to register workers that were off the books so far and pay their PF dues for a nominal fine of INR 1 per year.</p>

<p>The sudden 26 per cent increase in the size of the workforce that qualifies for PF is being billed as an increase in formal sector employment. Following up on this, a few days ago, <a href="http://www.livemint.com/Industry/IVO6Nu4mg8DaGzKR4czKJL/Panagariya-panel-suggests-redefining-formal-workforce.html">the NITI Aayog task force</a>, led by Chairman Arvind Panagariya and charged with reviewing the state of employment data, recommended that formal employment is redefined more &ldquo;pragmatically&rdquo; to include workers that are covered under PF, insurance, or pension schemes.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>Of course, if receiving the &ldquo;formal&rdquo; label means these workers can now fight for better working conditions and more benefits, this would be welcome!&nbsp;</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Of course, if receiving the ?formal? label means these workers can now fight for better working conditions and more benefits, this would be welcome!?" target="_blank"><i class="fa fa-share">&nbsp;</i></a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

<p>Now, bringing workers who qualify for PF, insurance, or pension schemes into the system so that they actually get the benefits they are supposed to and making sure companies are actually paying into the system, is, of course, a good idea. But using this as a way to underplay the jobs crisis is simply playing a numbers game.</p>

<p>Redefining informal workers as formal will look good on paper but does not change anything on the ground. In fact, it may even make things worse if the &ldquo;formal&rdquo; label ends up taking all such jobs off the radar for improvement in working conditions. This is because even jobs in which workers qualify for various benefits are often precarious, hazardous, or otherwise prone to malpractices (such as stealing of PF). Even contract workers can be on PF schemes. Of course, if receiving the &ldquo;formal&rdquo; label means these workers can now fight for better working conditions and more benefits, this would be welcome!&nbsp;</p>

<p>But the cynical use of data does not stop there. An article from a few days ago in the <a href="http://www.financialexpress.com/economy/job-creation-boost-pradhan-mantri-awas-yojna-urban-birthed-1-7-cr-jobs/769103/">Financial Express</a> is a master class in how media can be used for manipulation even in the staid world of economic statistics. The headline reads &ldquo;Job Creation Boost: Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Urban birthed 1.7 crore jobs.&rdquo; The highlighted summary goes: &ldquo;Two years after its launch, the Prime Minister Awas Yojna Urban (PMAY-U) may be off to a slow start, but the scheme has already employed close to 1.7 crore people so far, says a study.&rdquo; This article has been tweeted and retweeted as proof of the success of the Modi government in job creation.</p>

<p>Closer examination reveals that the Express report is based on a study by the National Council for Applied Economic Research (NCAER) published in April 2014. This study uses input-output data from the Central Statistical Organisation and employment data from the National Sample Survey from the year 2009-2010 to show that for every lakh rupees invested in the housing sector, 2.69 new jobs (2.65 informal and 0.4 formal) are created in the economy. So with an estimated investment of Rs 42,160 crore under the Awas Yojana, employment of 1.71 crores should be generated. Thus, we arrive at the 1.7 crore jobs figure.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>What we need is a genuine policy response that can increase the number of decent, secure jobs, paying at the minimum the government class IV monthly salary.</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=What we need is a genuine policy response that can increase the number of decent, secure jobs, paying at the minimum the government class IV monthly salary." target="_blank"><i class="fa fa-share">&nbsp;</i></a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

<p>So note the data gymnastics here. Firstly, the study is based on data from the UPA-II regime and was published before the present government came to power. Secondly, it is based on indirect input-output analysis, not on any survey of actually created jobs. Thirdly, according to the study, 87 per cent of the jobs created would be informal. Fourthly, it is well known that the construction sector has been a principal source of (informal) jobs in the past few years.</p>

<p>So in sum, a three old study based on seven-year-old data confirms what we know about informal job creation in the construction sector and is not designed to say anything about the current debate on how to create decent, formal jobs. What we need is a genuine policy response that can increase the number of decent, secure jobs, paying at the minimum the government class IV monthly salary. What we are getting instead is a juggling of the numbers and misleading headlines.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Even jobs in which workers qualify for various benefits are often precarious, hazardous, or otherwise prone to malpractices

Over the past few months, the question of job creation, or lack thereof, in the formal sector of the economy has steadily been in the news. Clearly, the Modi government is feeling the pressure to do something, or at least to be seen to be doing something, about it. The first response to the accusation that the Indian government has failed on the job creation front was in the form of Amit Shah’s statement that it was not jobs that were promised, but livelihoods. So the government would encourage self-employment. Never mind that self-employment has always been the fallback option for those not able to secure jobs. Half of the Indian workforce is self-employed. The revelation that 10 million workers left out of the Employee Provident Fund Organization (EFPO) because of employers defaulting on their responsibilities have been registered during the EFPO amnesty program this year. × Since this response was unlikely to cut much ice, a second response has emerged over the last few weeks. This is to argue that in fact, India has a much larger formal workforce than previously estimated. 15-25 per cent instead of the usually quoted figure of 7-10 per cent. This is asserted on the basis of the revelation that 10 million workers left out of the Employee Provident Fund Organization (EFPO) because of employers defaulting on their responsibilities have been registered during the EFPO amnesty program this year. The program (running from January 1st to June 30th) gave firms the opportunity to register workers that were off the books so far and pay their PF dues for a nominal fine of INR 1 per year. The sudden 26 per cent increase in the size of the workforce that qualifies for PF is being billed as an increase in formal sector employment. Following up on this, a few days ago, the NITI Aayog task force, led by Chairman Arvind Panagariya and charged with reviewing the state of employment data, recommended that formal employment is redefined more “pragmatically” to include workers that are covered under PF, insurance, or pension schemes. Of course, if receiving the “formal” label means these workers can now fight for better working conditions and more benefits, this would be welcome! × Now, bringing workers who qualify for PF, insurance, or pension schemes into the system so that they actually get the benefits they are supposed to and making sure companies are actually paying into the system, is, of course, a good idea. But using this as a way to underplay the jobs crisis is simply playing a numbers game. Redefining informal workers as formal will look good on paper but does not change anything on the ground. In fact, it may even make things worse if the “formal” label ends up taking all such jobs off the radar for improvement in working conditions. This is because even jobs in which workers qualify for various benefits are often precarious, hazardous, or otherwise prone to malpractices (such as stealing of PF). Even contract workers can be on PF schemes. Of course, if receiving the “formal” label means these workers can now fight for better working conditions and more benefits, this would be welcome! But the cynical use of data does not stop there. An article from a few days ago in the Financial Express is a master class in how media can be used for manipulation even in the staid world of economic statistics. The headline reads “Job Creation Boost: Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Urban birthed 1.7 crore jobs.” The highlighted summary goes: “Two years after its launch, the Prime Minister Awas Yojna Urban (PMAY-U) may be off to a slow start, but the scheme has already employed close to 1.7 crore people so far, says a study.” This article has been tweeted and retweeted as proof of the success of the Modi government in job creation. Closer examination reveals that the Express report is based on a study by the National Council for Applied Economic Research (NCAER) published in April 2014. This study uses input-output data from the Central Statistical Organisation and employment data from the National Sample Survey from the year 2009-2010 to show that for every lakh rupees invested in the housing sector, 2.69 new jobs (2.65 informal and 0.4 formal) are created in the economy. So with an estimated investment of Rs 42,160 crore under the Awas Yojana, employment of 1.71 crores should be generated. Thus, we arrive at the 1.7 crore jobs figure. What we need is a genuine policy response that can increase the number of decent, secure jobs, paying at the minimum the government class IV monthly salary. × So note the data gymnastics here. Firstly, the study is based on data from the UPA-II regime and was published before the present government came to power. Secondly, it is based on indirect input-output analysis, not on any survey of actually created jobs. Thirdly, according to the study, 87 per cent of the jobs created would be informal. Fourthly, it is well known that the construction sector has been a principal source of (informal) jobs in the past few years. So in sum, a three old study based on seven-year-old data confirms what we know about informal job creation in the construction sector and is not designed to say anything about the current debate on how to create decent, formal jobs. What we need is a genuine policy response that can increase the number of decent, secure jobs, paying at the minimum the government class IV monthly salary. What we are getting instead is a juggling of the numbers and misleading headlines.

Let us not make job creation in India a number game

<p>&ldquo;The recommendations aim to strengthen the ecosystem to promote digital payments with a focus on reaching financially and socially excluded groups,&rdquo; the report said.</p>

<p>The committee said that it had studied the domestic scenario and drew on the best practices in the developed world in understanding the trajectory of development in payments industry and various interventions undertaken to promote digital payments.</p>

<p>Here are the 13 recommendations by the committee:</p>

<p>1. Make regulation of payments independent from the function of central banking:</p>

<p>The Committee weighed two options on how best this be implemented: (i) create a&nbsp;new payments regulator, or (ii) make the current Board for Regulation and Supervision of Payment and Settlement Systems (BPSS) within RBI more independent. While both&nbsp;options would serve the intended objective, the Committee recommends that the BPSS be given an independent status which it today lacks by being a sub-committee of the Central Board of RBI. The statutory status of the new Board, within the overall structure of RBI, called Payments Regulatory Board (PRB) should be enshrined in the Payments and Settlement Systems Act, 2007 &ndash; Implementation by MoF: Finalisation of structure of PRB may be done in 30 days.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>2. Update the current Payments and Settlement Systems Act, 2007:</p>

<p>To include explicit mandate for (i) competition and innovation, (ii) open access and interoperability, (iii) consumer protection including penalties and independent appeal mechanism, (iv) regulations on systemic risks, (v) data protection and security and (v) a process of regulatory governance. The Committee has provided drafting instructions for the new Payments and Settlement Systems Act and this may be initiated at the earliest &ndash; Implementation by MoF: Finalisation of amendment bill and placing the same before the Union Cabinet may be done 30 days.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>3. Promote digital payments and receipts within Government:&nbsp;</p>

<p>By (i) adopting digital payments for all its needs, (ii) withdraw all charges levied by Government department and utilities on digital payments and bear the cost of such transactions, (iii) mandate government departments and agencies to provide option to consumers to pay digitally, (iv) incentivise consumers to make payments (including payment of fines and penalties) to Government electronically by giving a discount or cash back, (v) enable consumers to make payments (including taxes) to Government through suitable digital means like cards and wallets, (vi) special emphasis to promote digital payments for recurring low value transactions and (vii) reduce custom duties on payments acceptance equipment.&nbsp;Implementation agencies listed in recommendation section. Steps may be initiated in 30 days and reviewed fortnightly.</p>

<p>4. Create a fund proposed as DIPAYAN from savings generated from cash-less transactions to expand digital payments. Build audit capability to measure savings &ndash; Implementation by MoF, Ministry of Social Justice, Ministry of tribal Affairs and Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region. A time period of 60 days may be considered for initiating implementation by user agencies.</p>

<p>5. Create a ranking and reward framework to encourage and recognise government departments, State Governments, districts and panchayats and other market participants who lead the efforts on enabling digital payments &ndash; Implementation by NITI Aayog along with State Governments. Development of the framework maybe achieved in 60-90 days.</p>

<p>6. Implement other measures to promote digital payments including (i) promoting Aadaar based eKYC and paperless authentication (including where Permanent Account Number (PAN) has not been obtained), (ii) providing disincentives for usage of cash and (iii) creating awareness and transparency on cost of cash &ndash; Implementation by MoF, UIDAI, CBDT, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), Ministry of HRD, DoPT and RBI. May be initiated over 60-90 days.</p>

<p>7. Consider outsourcing the function of operation of payment systems like Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) and National Electronic Fund Transafer (NEFT). While moving RTGS to a separate operator is not envisaged for now &ndash; a cost benefit analysis may be initiated as an initial step. Overtime, multiple payment system operators should be encouraged and payment systems should be operated by market entities &ndash; Consultation paper may be released over 180 days.</p>

<p>8. Upgrade payment systems like RTGS and NEFT to operate on 24x7 basis in due course of time. RBI should progressively increase their timings over due course &ndash; A consultation paper may be released over 90 days.</p>

<p>9. Allow non-bank PSPs to directly access payment systems &ndash; Regulations may be released for consultation over 60 days.</p>

<p>10. Require NPCI, to be payments centric in its ownership and objectives. Ownership of NPCI should be diversified widely to include more banks and include non-banks. Its Board should be represented by majority public interest directors and include shareholder directors. NPCI should be allowed to function independently &ndash; Regulations may be released for consultation over 60 days.</p>

<p>11. Enable payments to be inter-operable between bank and non-banks as well as within non-banks. Mobile number and Aadhaar based fully inter-operable payments should be prioritised &ndash; NPCI may enable this on its platforms over 60 days.</p>

<p>12. Create a formal mechanism to enable innovations and new business models &ndash; Consultation paper may be released over 90-120 days.&nbsp;</p>

<p>13. Implement other measures to promote digital payments including issuing regulations on Systemically Important Payment System (SIPS) and Systemically Important Financial Institutions (SIFIs), growing acceptance network, enabling faster and cheaper credit and promoting cross border payments &ndash; Regulations may be released for consultation over 60-180 days. The RBI may within two weeks of releasing this Report, develop a comprehensive metric to quantitatively measure and monitor the enhancement of digital payment services in India.</p>

<p>(To learn more read <a href="http://www.zeebiz.com/">zeebiz.com</a>)</p>


The committee to review the framework related to digital payments presented its report to the government Tuesday

“The recommendations aim to strengthen the ecosystem to promote digital payments with a focus on reaching financially and socially excluded groups,” the report said. The committee said that it had studied the domestic scenario and drew on the best practices in the developed world in understanding the trajectory of development in payments industry and various interventions undertaken to promote digital payments. Here are the 13 recommendations by the committee: 1. Make regulation of payments independent from the function of central banking: The Committee weighed two options on how best this be implemented: (i) create a new payments regulator, or (ii) make the current Board for Regulation and Supervision of Payment and Settlement Systems (BPSS) within RBI more independent. While both options would serve the intended objective, the Committee recommends that the BPSS be given an independent status which it today lacks by being a sub-committee of the Central Board of RBI. The statutory status of the new Board, within the overall structure of RBI, called Payments Regulatory Board (PRB) should be enshrined in the Payments and Settlement Systems Act, 2007 – Implementation by MoF: Finalisation of structure of PRB may be done in 30 days. 2. Update the current Payments and Settlement Systems Act, 2007: To include explicit mandate for (i) competition and innovation, (ii) open access and interoperability, (iii) consumer protection including penalties and independent appeal mechanism, (iv) regulations on systemic risks, (v) data protection and security and (v) a process of regulatory governance. The Committee has provided drafting instructions for the new Payments and Settlement Systems Act and this may be initiated at the earliest – Implementation by MoF: Finalisation of amendment bill and placing the same before the Union Cabinet may be done 30 days. 3. Promote digital payments and receipts within Government: By (i) adopting digital payments for all its needs, (ii) withdraw all charges levied by Government department and utilities on digital payments and bear the cost of such transactions, (iii) mandate government departments and agencies to provide option to consumers to pay digitally, (iv) incentivise consumers to make payments (including payment of fines and penalties) to Government electronically by giving a discount or cash back, (v) enable consumers to make payments (including taxes) to Government through suitable digital means like cards and wallets, (vi) special emphasis to promote digital payments for recurring low value transactions and (vii) reduce custom duties on payments acceptance equipment. Implementation agencies listed in recommendation section. Steps may be initiated in 30 days and reviewed fortnightly. 4. Create a fund proposed as DIPAYAN from savings generated from cash-less transactions to expand digital payments. Build audit capability to measure savings – Implementation by MoF, Ministry of Social Justice, Ministry of tribal Affairs and Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region. A time period of 60 days may be considered for initiating implementation by user agencies. 5. Create a ranking and reward framework to encourage and recognise government departments, State Governments, districts and panchayats and other market participants who lead the efforts on enabling digital payments – Implementation by NITI Aayog along with State Governments. Development of the framework maybe achieved in 60-90 days. 6. Implement other measures to promote digital payments including (i) promoting Aadaar based eKYC and paperless authentication (including where Permanent Account Number (PAN) has not been obtained), (ii) providing disincentives for usage of cash and (iii) creating awareness and transparency on cost of cash – Implementation by MoF, UIDAI, CBDT, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), Ministry of HRD, DoPT and RBI. May be initiated over 60-90 days. 7. Consider outsourcing the function of operation of payment systems like Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) and National Electronic Fund Transafer (NEFT). While moving RTGS to a separate operator is not envisaged for now – a cost benefit analysis may be initiated as an initial step. Overtime, multiple payment system operators should be encouraged and payment systems should be operated by market entities – Consultation paper may be released over 180 days. 8. Upgrade payment systems like RTGS and NEFT to operate on 24x7 basis in due course of time. RBI should progressively increase their timings over due course – A consultation paper may be released over 90 days. 9. Allow non-bank PSPs to directly access payment systems – Regulations may be released for consultation over 60 days. 10. Require NPCI, to be payments centric in its ownership and objectives. Ownership of NPCI should be diversified widely to include more banks and include non-banks. Its Board should be represented by majority public interest directors and include shareholder directors. NPCI should be allowed to function independently – Regulations may be released for consultation over 60 days. 11. Enable payments to be inter-operable between bank and non-banks as well as within non-banks. Mobile number and Aadhaar based fully inter-operable payments should be prioritised – NPCI may enable this on its platforms over 60 days. 12. Create a formal mechanism to enable innovations and new business models – Consultation paper may be released over 90-120 days. 13. Implement other measures to promote digital payments including issuing regulations on Systemically Important Payment System (SIPS) and Systemically Important Financial Institutions (SIFIs), growing acceptance network, enabling faster and cheaper credit and promoting cross border payments – Regulations may be released for consultation over 60-180 days. The RBI may within two weeks of releasing this Report, develop a comprehensive metric to quantitatively measure and monitor the enhancement of digital payment services in India. (To learn more read zeebiz.com)

Watal Committee on Digital Payments: Here are 13 recommendations

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi received Rs 45 crore ($6.6 million) from Sahara -- a large business conglomerate in India -- before he became came to power in 2014, according to opposition leader Rahul Gandhi.</p>

<p>At a rally in the western state of Gujarat, the Congress vice-president&nbsp;claimed that during a raid in 2014,&nbsp;taxmen found documents which suggested that Sahara company made multiple payments to Modi between October 2013 and February 2014.</p>

<p>Earlier in the day, Gandhi tweeted that the Modi government is behaving like a &quot;confused&quot; traffic signal exhibiting different colours at the same time. He was attacking the government&#39;s &#39;repeated&#39; changes in the rules regarding deposit of old currency notes in banks.</p>

<p>He posted the picture of a huge traffic signal showing red, yellow, blue and a few other colours at the same time, on Twitter with the caption, &quot;Government orders after demonetisation.&quot;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Government orders after demonetisation: <a href="https://t.co/5D5p0XX4MO">pic.twitter.com/5D5p0XX4MO</a></p>
&mdash; Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG/status/811452231413207040">December 21, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>Chief Congress spokesman Randeep Surjewala was equally critical of the latest order. He gave the RBI the sobriquet &#39;Reverse Bank of India&#39;</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Chief Congress spokesman Randeep Surjewala was equally critical of the latest order. He gave the RBI the sobriquet 'Reverse Bank of India'" target="_blank"><i class="fa fa-share">&nbsp;</i></a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

<p>The Congress leader had yesterday likened the repeated changes in the rules to Modi&#39;s changing of &quot;clothes&quot; and had said that the message going out was that the Prime Minister&#39;s words were &quot;hollow&quot;.</p>

<p>He was commenting on the new decision of the government under which an amount more than Rs 50,00 in scrapped currency can be deposited only once per account till December 30.</p>

<p>Earlier, the Prime Minister, while announcing the demonetisation decision on November 8, had said old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes could be deposited in banks till December 30 without any questions asked.</p>

<p>Party chief spokesman Randeep Surjewala was equally critical of the latest order, with him giving RBI the sobriquet of &quot;Reverse Bank of India.&quot;</p>

<p>In a series of tweets, he said, &quot;Unfortunately, Reserve Bank of India has become &#39;Reverse Bank of India&#39;!&quot;</p>

<p>Surjewala also posted two cartoons stating &quot;the rules of RBI are like weather, which keeps on changing and therefore, requires hourly bulletins to inform people.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;Daily &#39;headline management&#39; is the norm for Modi Govt. If Ind. Owner has a choice to pay in cash or cheque, futile to amend the Wages Act,&quot; he said in response to the government bringing an ordinance to amend the Payment of Wage Act for allowing business and industrial establishments to pay salaries through cheques or by using electronic modes.</p>

<p>&quot;2ndly, it reflects massive shortage of currency with Modi Govt. Instead of admitting it, it is forcing daily wage earners to stand in bank queues,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>Surjewala also latched on to the remarks of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, who after supporting demonetisation initially, did a volte face and said the move has created many troubles for the common man.</p>

<p>&quot;AP CM, NDA ally &amp; head of #DeMonetisation Committee is breaking his head over the mess. Do u need more proof Modiji?&quot;, he said.</p>

<p>Ahmed Patel, Political Secretary to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, was equally caustic. &quot;50 days, 60 rules #DeMonetisation,&quot; he said in a tweet.</p>

<p>(PTI)</p>


Gandhi said Modi received Rs 45 crore from a business conglomerate and also attacked the government's haywire demonetisation policy

Prime Minister Narendra Modi received Rs 45 crore ($6.6 million) from Sahara -- a large business conglomerate in India -- before he became came to power in 2014, according to opposition leader Rahul Gandhi. At a rally in the western state of Gujarat, the Congress vice-president claimed that during a raid in 2014, taxmen found documents which suggested that Sahara company made multiple payments to Modi between October 2013 and February 2014. Earlier in the day, Gandhi tweeted that the Modi government is behaving like a "confused" traffic signal exhibiting different colours at the same time. He was attacking the government's 'repeated' changes in the rules regarding deposit of old currency notes in banks. He posted the picture of a huge traffic signal showing red, yellow, blue and a few other colours at the same time, on Twitter with the caption, "Government orders after demonetisation." Government orders after demonetisation: pic.twitter.com/5D5p0XX4MO — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) December 21, 2016 × Chief Congress spokesman Randeep Surjewala was equally critical of the latest order. He gave the RBI the sobriquet 'Reverse Bank of India' × The Congress leader had yesterday likened the repeated changes in the rules to Modi's changing of "clothes" and had said that the message going out was that the Prime Minister's words were "hollow". He was commenting on the new decision of the government under which an amount more than Rs 50,00 in scrapped currency can be deposited only once per account till December 30. Earlier, the Prime Minister, while announcing the demonetisation decision on November 8, had said old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes could be deposited in banks till December 30 without any questions asked. Party chief spokesman Randeep Surjewala was equally critical of the latest order, with him giving RBI the sobriquet of "Reverse Bank of India." In a series of tweets, he said, "Unfortunately, Reserve Bank of India has become 'Reverse Bank of India'!" Surjewala also posted two cartoons stating "the rules of RBI are like weather, which keeps on changing and therefore, requires hourly bulletins to inform people." "Daily 'headline management' is the norm for Modi Govt. If Ind. Owner has a choice to pay in cash or cheque, futile to amend the Wages Act," he said in response to the government bringing an ordinance to amend the Payment of Wage Act for allowing business and industrial establishments to pay salaries through cheques or by using electronic modes. "2ndly, it reflects massive shortage of currency with Modi Govt. Instead of admitting it, it is forcing daily wage earners to stand in bank queues," he said. Surjewala also latched on to the remarks of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, who after supporting demonetisation initially, did a volte face and said the move has created many troubles for the common man. "AP CM, NDA ally & head of #DeMonetisation Committee is breaking his head over the mess. Do u need more proof Modiji?", he said. Ahmed Patel, Political Secretary to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, was equally caustic. "50 days, 60 rules #DeMonetisation," he said in a tweet. (PTI)

Demonetisation: Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi accuses PM Modi of graft

modi-government

Modi Government, News on Modi Government, stories on Modi Government, articles on Modi Government, Modi Government stories at Wion, Modi Government news, Modi Government latest news

modi government

Four years of Modi government: A look at India's foreign policy

85 per cent India's population has access to electricity, more than government's figure: World Bank

Loss to exchequer on Rafale deal over 40,000 crore, tweets Rahul Gandhi

Modi govt has disrupted India's foreign policy: Anand Sharma at Congress plenary session

Rafale deal: Dassault called government's lie, says Rahul Gandhi

Rafale deal: Dassault called government's lie, says Rahul Gandhi

Modi government should come clean on Rafale deal: Congress

TDP pulls out of NDA government, keeps door for alliance with BJP ajar

Rajiv Gandhi assassination case: Supreme Court asks Modi government to communicate final word on 7 convicts

ASEAN leaders want India to be more assertive in Indo-Pacific region

My government's only agenda for Budget is development: PM Modi to Zee News

Modi government to abolish posts vacant over five years

Big takeaways from economic survey

Congress slams Modi government over killing of soldiers along LoC

To equal the UPA's 10-year average, economy will have to grow at 10.6%: Manmohan

Let us not make job creation in India a number game

Watal Committee on Digital Payments: Here are 13 recommendations

Demonetisation: Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi accuses PM Modi of graft