<p>With exquisite desi cuisine on the platter and live yoga sessions on display, the annual Swiss jamboree of the rich and powerful from &quot;a fractured world&quot; will begin tomorrow in Davos where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to pitch India as a growth engine for the global economy.</p>

<p>Over 3,000 world leaders from business, politics, art, academia and civil society will attend the 48th World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting over the next five days in the small ski resort town on snow-covered Alps mountains, where the Indian presence will be the largest ever with over 130 participants.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">For the first time, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Yoga?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Yoga</a> will be performed on the platform of World Economic Forum. Two of our Aacharyas will be leaving for Davos today &amp; will be taking two sessions, one each in the morning &amp; evening: Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev <a href="https://t.co/1BcBA6Gt5T">pic.twitter.com/1BcBA6Gt5T</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/954976592714899456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>WEF Chairman Klaus Schwab will declare the summit open tomorrow evening with a welcome message on the meeting&#39;s theme, &#39;Creating a Shared Future in a Fractured World&#39;.</p>

<p>It will be followed by honouring Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan, Australian actress Cate Blanchett and legendary musician Elton John with the annual &#39;Crystal Awards&#39; for their respective work towards improving the state of the world.</p>

<p>The evening will also see a ballet performance, while India will host the &#39;welcome reception&#39; with the country&#39;s &quot;exquisite cuisine and age-hold Yoga heritage as well as the spirit of a young, innovative New India&quot;.</p>

<p>The official sessions will begin on Tuesday when Modi will deliver the &#39;opening plenary&#39;, during which he is expected to pitch India as an open economy that is ready for investments from across the world and also as a major engine to drive the global economic growth.</p>

<p>Modi is the first Indian Prime Minister to attend Davos meeting in about 20 years since H D Deve Gowda in 1997.</p>

<p>During his 24-hour-visit, described by officials as &quot;short but very focused&quot;, Modi will also host a dinner for CEOs from across the world -- 20 of Indian companies and 40 from elsewhere -- on Monday evening and will interact with a large gathering of 120 members of WEF&#39;s international business community on Tuesday.</p>

<p>Besides, he will hold a bilateral meeting with Swiss President Alain Berset, among other pull-asides, as per the government officials.</p>

<p>Modi will be accompanied by six union ministers -- Arun Jaitley, Suresh Prabhu, Piyush Goyal, Dharmendra Pradhan, M J Akbar and Jitendra Singh.</p>

<p>The CEO delegation, led by apex industry body CII, will include Mukesh Ambani, Gautam Adani, Azim Premji, Rahul Bajaj, N Chandrasekaran, Chanda Kochhar, Uday Kotak and Ajay Singh, among others.</p>

<p>Among global leaders, US President Donald Trump will be there to deliver the closing address, but any meeting with Prime Minister Modi is unlikely as the two would not be in town on the same day.</p>

<p>Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi will also be in Davos, but officials in India have said no meeting is planned between him and Modi.</p>

<p>German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Theresa May and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are among the other attendees.</p>

<p>While Trump is expected to talk about his &#39;America First&#39; policy, officials in India said Modi&#39;s central message at this multilateral forum will be about India being an economy that can be an engine of global growth and which wants others to participate in its growth and also wants to contribute to others&#39; development.</p>

<p>A lot of focus is expected on what Trump says and what would be the response of other world leaders, including from Germany, France and the UK.</p>

<p>Ahead of the summit, an annual WEF survey, likely to be discussed in detail during the meeting, showed that the world will see risks related to environment, economy and international relations intensify this year with a majority of stakeholders expecting political or economic confrontations between major powers to worsen.</p>

<p>In a first at the WEF summit, India will also host yoga training sessions for the entire duration of the meeting, while also showcasing Indian heritage and culture in Davos.</p>

<p>On the sidelines of the WEF summit, the Swiss government will also host the annual informal WTO ministerial meeting, which will be attended by Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu and his global counterparts.</p>

<p>According to a Swiss government statement, negotiations on a bilateral investment protection pact and the envisaged free trade agreement between India and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), of which Switzerland is a member, will figure prominently during Modi&#39;s meeting with Berset.</p>

<p>Modi is expected to encapsulate making of &#39;a new, young and innovative India&#39;, while he is also expected to talk about his experience with &#39;cooperative federalism&#39; in India, while urging the world for a collective crackdown on terrorism, economic imbalances, cyber threats and various societal ills.</p>

<p>According to officials, Modi will also talk about numerous steps they have taken to make it easier to do business in India, check corruption, clamp down on black money, streamline taxation and boost sustainable growth.</p>

<p>Another star speaker will be ex-RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan, who has been praised as well as criticised often for his vocal views on everything from politics to economics and is credited for predicting the global economic crisis of 2008. He will speak on the power of economic narratives and how policymakers can address the challenges of the 21st century.</p>

<p>Bollywood king Shahrukh Khan, for a change, would not be seen serenading heroines with his signature &#39;open-arm&#39; charm on Swiss Alps, but will rather talk about creating a change in India through women empowerment.</p>


Over 3,000 world leaders from business, politics, art, academia and civil society will attend the 48th World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting over the next five days in Alps mountains

With exquisite desi cuisine on the platter and live yoga sessions on display, the annual Swiss jamboree of the rich and powerful from "a fractured world" will begin tomorrow in Davos where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to pitch India as a growth engine for the global economy. Over 3,000 world leaders from business, politics, art, academia and civil society will attend the 48th World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting over the next five days in the small ski resort town on snow-covered Alps mountains, where the Indian presence will be the largest ever with over 130 participants. For the first time, #Yoga will be performed on the platform of World Economic Forum. Two of our Aacharyas will be leaving for Davos today & will be taking two sessions, one each in the morning & evening: Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev pic.twitter.com/1BcBA6Gt5T — ANI (@ANI) January 21, 2018 × WEF Chairman Klaus Schwab will declare the summit open tomorrow evening with a welcome message on the meeting's theme, 'Creating a Shared Future in a Fractured World'. It will be followed by honouring Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan, Australian actress Cate Blanchett and legendary musician Elton John with the annual 'Crystal Awards' for their respective work towards improving the state of the world. The evening will also see a ballet performance, while India will host the 'welcome reception' with the country's "exquisite cuisine and age-hold Yoga heritage as well as the spirit of a young, innovative New India". The official sessions will begin on Tuesday when Modi will deliver the 'opening plenary', during which he is expected to pitch India as an open economy that is ready for investments from across the world and also as a major engine to drive the global economic growth. Modi is the first Indian Prime Minister to attend Davos meeting in about 20 years since H D Deve Gowda in 1997. During his 24-hour-visit, described by officials as "short but very focused", Modi will also host a dinner for CEOs from across the world -- 20 of Indian companies and 40 from elsewhere -- on Monday evening and will interact with a large gathering of 120 members of WEF's international business community on Tuesday. Besides, he will hold a bilateral meeting with Swiss President Alain Berset, among other pull-asides, as per the government officials. Modi will be accompanied by six union ministers -- Arun Jaitley, Suresh Prabhu, Piyush Goyal, Dharmendra Pradhan, M J Akbar and Jitendra Singh. The CEO delegation, led by apex industry body CII, will include Mukesh Ambani, Gautam Adani, Azim Premji, Rahul Bajaj, N Chandrasekaran, Chanda Kochhar, Uday Kotak and Ajay Singh, among others. Among global leaders, US President Donald Trump will be there to deliver the closing address, but any meeting with Prime Minister Modi is unlikely as the two would not be in town on the same day. Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi will also be in Davos, but officials in India have said no meeting is planned between him and Modi. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Theresa May and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are among the other attendees. While Trump is expected to talk about his 'America First' policy, officials in India said Modi's central message at this multilateral forum will be about India being an economy that can be an engine of global growth and which wants others to participate in its growth and also wants to contribute to others' development. A lot of focus is expected on what Trump says and what would be the response of other world leaders, including from Germany, France and the UK. Ahead of the summit, an annual WEF survey, likely to be discussed in detail during the meeting, showed that the world will see risks related to environment, economy and international relations intensify this year with a majority of stakeholders expecting political or economic confrontations between major powers to worsen. In a first at the WEF summit, India will also host yoga training sessions for the entire duration of the meeting, while also showcasing Indian heritage and culture in Davos. On the sidelines of the WEF summit, the Swiss government will also host the annual informal WTO ministerial meeting, which will be attended by Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu and his global counterparts. According to a Swiss government statement, negotiations on a bilateral investment protection pact and the envisaged free trade agreement between India and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), of which Switzerland is a member, will figure prominently during Modi's meeting with Berset. Modi is expected to encapsulate making of 'a new, young and innovative India', while he is also expected to talk about his experience with 'cooperative federalism' in India, while urging the world for a collective crackdown on terrorism, economic imbalances, cyber threats and various societal ills. According to officials, Modi will also talk about numerous steps they have taken to make it easier to do business in India, check corruption, clamp down on black money, streamline taxation and boost sustainable growth. Another star speaker will be ex-RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan, who has been praised as well as criticised often for his vocal views on everything from politics to economics and is credited for predicting the global economic crisis of 2008. He will speak on the power of economic narratives and how policymakers can address the challenges of the 21st century. Bollywood king Shahrukh Khan, for a change, would not be seen serenading heroines with his signature 'open-arm' charm on Swiss Alps, but will rather talk about creating a change in India through women empowerment.

World Economic Forum: With desi food, yoga India gears up for Modi Mantra at Davos

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to visit Oman on Sunday. The visit will mark the second leg of his three-nation tour.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He will be welcomed by the Deputy Prime Minister for Council of Ministers of Oman, Sayyid Fahd Bin Mahmoud Al Said&nbsp;at the Royal Airport.</p>

<p>PM Modi will meet Oman&#39;s Sultan Qaboos bin Said at Bait Al Barakah Royal Palace.</p>

<p>The two leaders will discuss bilateral cooperation in a special dinner at the Palace.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Sultan Qaboos bin Said was once taught by former president of India, Shankar Dayal Sharma in Pune.&nbsp;</p>

<p>PM Modi will also sit on Sultanate Qaboos seat. He will be the first world leader to sit on the seat.</p>

<p>Prime Minister will be speaking from the royal box in Sultan Qaboos stadium. Royal box is used by his majesty Sultan Qaboos only &amp; PM will be 1st visiting dignitary who is being given honour of addressing the community from the box: Indra Mani Pandey, India ambassador to Oman</p>

<p>He will also visit Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque and a 125-year-old Shiva temple in Muscat.&nbsp;</p>

<p>PM Modi will also address at an Indian community programme at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Oman.&nbsp;</p>


He will also visit Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque and a 250-year-old Shiva temple in Muscat

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to visit Oman on Sunday. The visit will mark the second leg of his three-nation tour. He will be welcomed by the Deputy Prime Minister for Council of Ministers of Oman, Sayyid Fahd Bin Mahmoud Al Said at the Royal Airport. PM Modi will meet Oman's Sultan Qaboos bin Said at Bait Al Barakah Royal Palace. The two leaders will discuss bilateral cooperation in a special dinner at the Palace. Sultan Qaboos bin Said was once taught by former president of India, Shankar Dayal Sharma in Pune. PM Modi will also sit on Sultanate Qaboos seat. He will be the first world leader to sit on the seat. Prime Minister will be speaking from the royal box in Sultan Qaboos stadium. Royal box is used by his majesty Sultan Qaboos only & PM will be 1st visiting dignitary who is being given honour of addressing the community from the box: Indra Mani Pandey, India ambassador to Oman He will also visit Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque and a 125-year-old Shiva temple in Muscat. PM Modi will also address at an Indian community programme at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Oman.

PM Modi to visit 125-year-old Temple in Oman

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said his visit to Oman and talks with the oil-rich Gulf nation&#39;s top leadership will impart a &quot;substantial momentum&quot; to all spheres of bilateral ties.</p>

<p>&quot;This Oman visit is one I will cherish for a long time to come,&quot; Modi tweeted before concluding his two-day visit to Oman during which the two countries signed eight agreements, including one on enhancing defence cooperation.</p>

<p>&quot;This visit has helped in building upon the centuries-old ties between our enterprising people, and will impart a substantial momentum to our relations in all spheres, including trade and investment relations,&quot; Modi said.</p>

<p>&quot;Thank you Your Majesty Sultan Qaboos (bin Said al Said) for your exceptional warmth, hospitality and friendship, as also your personal attention to details, that made my visit to Oman one of the most memorable visits I have undertaken anywhere, the prime minister said.</p>

<p>Modi also expressed gratitude to the Sultan and the people of Oman for the tremendous support, goodwill and affection.</p>

<p>&quot;We are deeply honoured and we look forward to the forthcoming 50th anniversary of your stewardship of Oman,&quot; he said as he concluded his three-nation visit to the Palestine, the UAE and Oman.</p>

<p>Modi, who arrived here from Dubai on the final leg of his three-nation tour, led talks with Sultan Qaboos last night on a wide range of issues.</p>

<p>During the meeting, several aspects of the existing cooperation between the two countries and means of promoting the good relations between them were discussed, the official Oman News Agency reported.</p>

<p>&quot;Charting out new frontiers in our bilateral relationship, PM @narendramodi led delegation-level talks with Sultan Qaboos of Oman. The two strategic partners discussed to strengthen cooperation in trade &amp; investment, energy, defence &amp; security, food security and regional issues,&quot; Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.</p>

<p>Sultan Qaboos appreciated the contribution of &quot;honest and hard working&quot; Indian nationals in the development of Oman.</p>

<p>After their talks, the two sides signed eight agreements, including an MoU on legal and judicial cooperation in civil and commercial matters.</p>

<p>They also signed an agreement on mutual visa exemption for holders of diplomatic, special, service and official passports and an MoU on cooperation in the field of health, tourism and peaceful uses of outer space.</p>

<p>The two sides also signed annexure to the MoU on military cooperation. According to Oman News Agency, it envisages the services of Duqm Port and dry-dock for maintenance for Indian military vessels.</p>

<p>Secretary-General of Oman&#39;s Ministry of Defence Mohammed bin Nasser al Rasbi said there are many areas of cooperation with the Indian side, whether in the field of joint exercises, training or courses, as well as exchange of experiences between the two sides and some defence purchases and projects.</p>

<p>India&#39;s Ambassador Indra Man Pandey said that signing the MoUs will promote cooperation between the two friendly countries.</p>

<p>He said that the Indian companies have a strong presence in Oman and have significant investments in the Omani free zones and ports in Suhar and Salalah. He said Indian investments are estimated at USD 1.8 billion in two projects in Special Economic Zone in Duqm (SEZD).</p>

<p>The volume of trade exchange during this year is expected to reach USD 5.5 billion, Pandey was quoted as saying.</p>

<p>The two countries also signed an agreement on cooperation between Foreign Service Institute, Ministry of External Affairs, India and Oman&#39;s Diplomatic Institute.</p>

<p>An MoU on academic and scholarly cooperation between National Defence College, Sultanate of Oman and the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses.</p>

<p>Modi today met Oman&#39;s Deputy Prime Minister for the Council of Ministers Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said and Deputy Prime Minister for International Relations and Cooperation Affairs Sayyid Asa&#39;ad bin Tariq Al Said.</p>

<p>Modi and the two leaders exchanged views on intensifying ties in the areas of energy, trade and investment, food security, defence and security, mining and other sectors.</p>

<p>He also had a meeting with leading business leaders and investors.</p>

<p>Modi also offered prayers at the 125-year-old Shiva Temple, one of the oldest in the region. He also visited the iconic Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, the main mosque in Oman.</p>

<p>In Oman, there are over eight lakh Indians and they constitute the largest expatriate community. The prime minister had also addressed the Indian community last night.</p>

<p>On the first leg of his trip, Modi had travelled to Ramallah, becoming the first Indian prime minister to make an official visit to Palestine. From there he visited the UAE, before arriving in Oman.</p>


Modi also expressed gratitude to the Sultan and the people of Oman for the tremendous support, goodwill and affection

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said his visit to Oman and talks with the oil-rich Gulf nation's top leadership will impart a "substantial momentum" to all spheres of bilateral ties. "This Oman visit is one I will cherish for a long time to come," Modi tweeted before concluding his two-day visit to Oman during which the two countries signed eight agreements, including one on enhancing defence cooperation. "This visit has helped in building upon the centuries-old ties between our enterprising people, and will impart a substantial momentum to our relations in all spheres, including trade and investment relations," Modi said. "Thank you Your Majesty Sultan Qaboos (bin Said al Said) for your exceptional warmth, hospitality and friendship, as also your personal attention to details, that made my visit to Oman one of the most memorable visits I have undertaken anywhere, the prime minister said. Modi also expressed gratitude to the Sultan and the people of Oman for the tremendous support, goodwill and affection. "We are deeply honoured and we look forward to the forthcoming 50th anniversary of your stewardship of Oman," he said as he concluded his three-nation visit to the Palestine, the UAE and Oman. Modi, who arrived here from Dubai on the final leg of his three-nation tour, led talks with Sultan Qaboos last night on a wide range of issues. During the meeting, several aspects of the existing cooperation between the two countries and means of promoting the good relations between them were discussed, the official Oman News Agency reported. "Charting out new frontiers in our bilateral relationship, PM @narendramodi led delegation-level talks with Sultan Qaboos of Oman. The two strategic partners discussed to strengthen cooperation in trade & investment, energy, defence & security, food security and regional issues," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted. Sultan Qaboos appreciated the contribution of "honest and hard working" Indian nationals in the development of Oman. After their talks, the two sides signed eight agreements, including an MoU on legal and judicial cooperation in civil and commercial matters. They also signed an agreement on mutual visa exemption for holders of diplomatic, special, service and official passports and an MoU on cooperation in the field of health, tourism and peaceful uses of outer space. The two sides also signed annexure to the MoU on military cooperation. According to Oman News Agency, it envisages the services of Duqm Port and dry-dock for maintenance for Indian military vessels. Secretary-General of Oman's Ministry of Defence Mohammed bin Nasser al Rasbi said there are many areas of cooperation with the Indian side, whether in the field of joint exercises, training or courses, as well as exchange of experiences between the two sides and some defence purchases and projects. India's Ambassador Indra Man Pandey said that signing the MoUs will promote cooperation between the two friendly countries. He said that the Indian companies have a strong presence in Oman and have significant investments in the Omani free zones and ports in Suhar and Salalah. He said Indian investments are estimated at USD 1.8 billion in two projects in Special Economic Zone in Duqm (SEZD). The volume of trade exchange during this year is expected to reach USD 5.5 billion, Pandey was quoted as saying. The two countries also signed an agreement on cooperation between Foreign Service Institute, Ministry of External Affairs, India and Oman's Diplomatic Institute. An MoU on academic and scholarly cooperation between National Defence College, Sultanate of Oman and the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses. Modi today met Oman's Deputy Prime Minister for the Council of Ministers Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said and Deputy Prime Minister for International Relations and Cooperation Affairs Sayyid Asa'ad bin Tariq Al Said. Modi and the two leaders exchanged views on intensifying ties in the areas of energy, trade and investment, food security, defence and security, mining and other sectors. He also had a meeting with leading business leaders and investors. Modi also offered prayers at the 125-year-old Shiva Temple, one of the oldest in the region. He also visited the iconic Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, the main mosque in Oman. In Oman, there are over eight lakh Indians and they constitute the largest expatriate community. The prime minister had also addressed the Indian community last night. On the first leg of his trip, Modi had travelled to Ramallah, becoming the first Indian prime minister to make an official visit to Palestine. From there he visited the UAE, before arriving in Oman.

Oman visit will impart 'substantial momentum' to ties: PM Modi

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a four-day visit to three West Asian countries, addressed the World Government Summit in Dubai on Sunday.</p>

<p>The PM began his address by thanking the Gulf countries, which he said provide&nbsp;almost 30 lakh people from India a home-like environment away from home.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Here is my speech at the <a href="https://twitter.com/WorldGovSummit?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WorldGovSummit</a> in Dubai. <a href="https://t.co/mz4RREwi4J">https://t.co/mz4RREwi4J</a> <a href="https://t.co/to0gNn8fwI">pic.twitter.com/to0gNn8fwI</a></p>
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/962640483913580544?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 11, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Asserting that the 21st century was India&rsquo;s millennium, the PM said, &ldquo;India&rsquo;s leap in World Bank&rsquo;s Ease of Doing Business rankings from 142 to 100 is unprecedented. But we are not satisfied at this, we want to do better. We will do whatever it takes to make it possible.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Here are the key points of his speech at the&nbsp;World Government Summit:</p>

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<h5>&ldquo;India&rsquo;s Mars mission has been a greater success than what movies from Hollywood show.&rdquo;</h5>
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<h5>&ldquo;I feel that the next technology revolution will be linked to solar energy. In the last three years, we have generated 62 gigawatts of renewable energy&rdquo;.</h5>
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<h5>&ldquo;India&rsquo;s unique identity programme (Aadhaar) is the largest in the world. My government&rsquo;s motto is &lsquo;Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikaas&rsquo;. With Aadhaar, we have stopped leakage worth $8 billion.&rdquo;</h5>
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<h5>&ldquo;We need to follow the six Rs that stand for reduce, reuse, recycle, recover, redesign and remanufacture, this will lead to rejoice meaning &lsquo;anand&rsquo;.&quot;</h5>
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<h5>&ldquo;Despite these immense strides, we have not ended poverty or malnutrition. On the other hand, a huge amount of time and money is going to into making better missiles and bombs. We must remain vigilant that technology is used for mankind&rsquo;s development and doesn&rsquo;t destroy it.&rdquo;</h5>
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<h5>India&#39;s jump in World Bank&#39;s Ease of Doing Business Rankings from 142 to 100 is unprecedented. But we are not satisfied with this, we want to improve even more. We will do whatever it takes to achieve it.</h5>
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<h5>It took us 1000 years to reach from stone age to industrial revolution but only 200 years to reach telecom revolution. It took only a few years for Digital revolution.</h5>
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<h5>&ldquo;Technology is changing at the speed of thought. Necessity is not the mother of invention anymore. Inventions are creating necessity.&rdquo;</h5>
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<h5>&ldquo;In last 25 years the maternal mortality went down by 1/3rd in India and 1/2 across the world.&rdquo;</h5>
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<h5>&ldquo;It is a matter of pride for not only me but also the 125 crore people of India that I have been called as the Chief Guest at the 6th edition of World Government Summit.&rdquo;</h5>
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Modi's two-day visit to the UAE comes to an end today, after which he will head to Oman

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a four-day visit to three West Asian countries, addressed the World Government Summit in Dubai on Sunday. The PM began his address by thanking the Gulf countries, which he said provide almost 30 lakh people from India a home-like environment away from home. Here is my speech at the @WorldGovSummit in Dubai. https://t.co/mz4RREwi4J pic.twitter.com/to0gNn8fwI — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 11, 2018 × Asserting that the 21st century was India’s millennium, the PM said, “India’s leap in World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business rankings from 142 to 100 is unprecedented. But we are not satisfied at this, we want to do better. We will do whatever it takes to make it possible.” Here are the key points of his speech at the World Government Summit: “India’s Mars mission has been a greater success than what movies from Hollywood show.” × “I feel that the next technology revolution will be linked to solar energy. In the last three years, we have generated 62 gigawatts of renewable energy”. × “India’s unique identity programme (Aadhaar) is the largest in the world. My government’s motto is ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikaas’. With Aadhaar, we have stopped leakage worth $8 billion.” × “We need to follow the six Rs that stand for reduce, reuse, recycle, recover, redesign and remanufacture, this will lead to rejoice meaning ‘anand’." × “Despite these immense strides, we have not ended poverty or malnutrition. On the other hand, a huge amount of time and money is going to into making better missiles and bombs. We must remain vigilant that technology is used for mankind’s development and doesn’t destroy it.” × India's jump in World Bank's Ease of Doing Business Rankings from 142 to 100 is unprecedented. But we are not satisfied with this, we want to improve even more. We will do whatever it takes to achieve it. × It took us 1000 years to reach from stone age to industrial revolution but only 200 years to reach telecom revolution. It took only a few years for Digital revolution. × “Technology is changing at the speed of thought. Necessity is not the mother of invention anymore. Inventions are creating necessity.” × “In last 25 years the maternal mortality went down by 1/3rd in India and 1/2 across the world.” × “It is a matter of pride for not only me but also the 125 crore people of India that I have been called as the Chief Guest at the 6th edition of World Government Summit.” ×

Technology should be used for development, not destruction: PM Modi at World Government Summit in Dubai

<p>Hitting back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his<a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/renuka-chowdhury-interrupts-modis-speech-spat-follows-8231"> &quot;Ramayana&quot; jibe </a>at her in Parliament, Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury today said there was no GST on laughter and that she did not need anyone&#39;s permission to laugh.</p>

<p>She also said that Modi&#39;s remarks against her showed his mindset towards women.</p>

<p>The former Union minister said she received a huge support from women across the country after Modi&#39;s remarks over her laughter.</p>

<p>&quot;There were hashtags like #Laugh like Surpankha, #Lol is a passe and #Laugh Like Renuka Chowdhury.</p>

<p>&quot;I am a five-time MP and the prime minister draws a parallel of me with a negative character. But he forgets that the women today have changed and they know how to speak for themselves. This shows his mindset towards women,&quot; she told reporters.</p>

<p>Chowdhury was speaking to the media on the sidelines of the &quot;Difficult Dialogues&quot; conference on gender here.</p>

<p>The MP said people&#39;s support had been her base throughout her public life.</p>

<p>&quot;If you are right, it resonates all over. That&#39;s what is happening now...There is no rule on how and when. You laugh...And there is no GST on laughter. I don&#39;t require permission to laugh after being a five-time MP. I have shattered the myth of being stereotyped,&quot; she added.</p>

<p>On a lighter note, Chowdhury said her laughter had always been spontaneous but now, she had become conscious about it.</p>

<p>&quot;I had challenged the authority with my laughter. Parliament makes laws, but we need to educate the lawmakers on how to treat women as their equals and that they are here in their own rights.&nbsp;<br />
Parliament is a reflection of what our society is,&quot; she said.</p>

<p>Chowdhury added that she had challenged the authorities years ago by performing her father&#39;s last rites.</p>

<p>&quot;My father had raised me as a citizen of this country and not as a boy or a girl,&quot; she said.</p>

<p>Last week, the prime minister had taken a dig at Renuka Chowdhury in the Rajya Sabha, saying her laughter reminded him of television serial &quot;Ramayana&quot;.</p>

<p>As Chowdhury laughed loudly during the prime minister&#39;s speech, prompting Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu to chide her, Modi had urged Naidu not to act against her as he had the privilege of hearing such a laughter after the popular television serial, which was first aired in the 80s.</p>


Hitting back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his 'Ramayana' jibe at her in Parliament, Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury today said there was no GST on laughter

Hitting back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his "Ramayana" jibe at her in Parliament, Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury today said there was no GST on laughter and that she did not need anyone's permission to laugh. She also said that Modi's remarks against her showed his mindset towards women. The former Union minister said she received a huge support from women across the country after Modi's remarks over her laughter. "There were hashtags like #Laugh like Surpankha, #Lol is a passe and #Laugh Like Renuka Chowdhury. "I am a five-time MP and the prime minister draws a parallel of me with a negative character. But he forgets that the women today have changed and they know how to speak for themselves. This shows his mindset towards women," she told reporters. Chowdhury was speaking to the media on the sidelines of the "Difficult Dialogues" conference on gender here. The MP said people's support had been her base throughout her public life. "If you are right, it resonates all over. That's what is happening now...There is no rule on how and when. You laugh...And there is no GST on laughter. I don't require permission to laugh after being a five-time MP. I have shattered the myth of being stereotyped," she added. On a lighter note, Chowdhury said her laughter had always been spontaneous but now, she had become conscious about it. "I had challenged the authority with my laughter. Parliament makes laws, but we need to educate the lawmakers on how to treat women as their equals and that they are here in their own rights. Parliament is a reflection of what our society is," she said. Chowdhury added that she had challenged the authorities years ago by performing her father's last rites. "My father had raised me as a citizen of this country and not as a boy or a girl," she said. Last week, the prime minister had taken a dig at Renuka Chowdhury in the Rajya Sabha, saying her laughter reminded him of television serial "Ramayana". As Chowdhury laughed loudly during the prime minister's speech, prompting Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu to chide her, Modi had urged Naidu not to act against her as he had the privilege of hearing such a laughter after the popular television serial, which was first aired in the 80s.

No GST on laughter, don't need permission to laugh: Renuka Chowdhary

<p>The United Arab Emirates (UAE) iconic buildings were lit up in colours of the Indian flag on Friday night ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s visit to the country.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The world&#39;s tallest building, Burj Khalifa, the headquarters of state-owned oil company Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and the building termed as world&#39;s largest picture frame - the Dubai Frame - showcased bright colours of the national flag a day before Modi&#39;s visit.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Navdeep Suri, Ambassador of India to the UAE, posted pictures on Twitter and said, &quot;Burj Khalifa, Dubai Frame &amp; ADNOC headquarters are lit up in Indian flag colors ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s visit to UAE.&quot;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">When pictures speak louder than words <a href="https://t.co/5JP3EVvte1">pic.twitter.com/5JP3EVvte1</a></p>
&mdash; IndAmbUAE (@navdeepsuri) <a href="https://twitter.com/navdeepsuri/status/962177171778252801?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>PM Modi will reach Abu Dhabi on Saturday evening. The UAE is all set to get its first Hindu temple. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on his second visit to the UAE, will lay the foundation of a Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi.</p>

<p>The temple is likely to get completed by 2020.</p>

<p>He may also have bilateral talks with Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, on Saturday evening, followed by a signing ceremony of agreements and Memorandum of understandings (MoUs) and a banquet hosted by Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed.</p>

<p>Modi will also meet UAE leaders and a keynote address at the World Government Summit in Dubai on Sunday, in which India is the guest country.</p>


The world's tallest building, Burj Khalifa, the headquarters of state-owned oil company Abu Dhabi National Oil Company and the building termed as world's largest picture frame - the Dubai Frame - showcased bright colors of the national flag a day before Modi's visit

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) iconic buildings were lit up in colours of the Indian flag on Friday night ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the country. The world's tallest building, Burj Khalifa, the headquarters of state-owned oil company Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and the building termed as world's largest picture frame - the Dubai Frame - showcased bright colours of the national flag a day before Modi's visit. Navdeep Suri, Ambassador of India to the UAE, posted pictures on Twitter and said, "Burj Khalifa, Dubai Frame & ADNOC headquarters are lit up in Indian flag colors ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to UAE." When pictures speak louder than words pic.twitter.com/5JP3EVvte1 — IndAmbUAE (@navdeepsuri) February 10, 2018 × PM Modi will reach Abu Dhabi on Saturday evening. The UAE is all set to get its first Hindu temple. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on his second visit to the UAE, will lay the foundation of a Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi. The temple is likely to get completed by 2020. He may also have bilateral talks with Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, on Saturday evening, followed by a signing ceremony of agreements and Memorandum of understandings (MoUs) and a banquet hosted by Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed. Modi will also meet UAE leaders and a keynote address at the World Government Summit in Dubai on Sunday, in which India is the guest country.

Dubai's iconic buildings light up in colours of Indian Flag ahead of Modi's visit

<p>It&rsquo;s election season for the three North Eastern states of Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya. While voting in Tripura is scheduled for February 18, Nagaland and Meghalaya will go to the polls on February 27. In Tripura, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has had an uninterrupted rule of 25 years. Its chief minister Manik Sarkar is dubbed as the poorest of the chief ministers in the region. The CPI (M) draws its strength from its cadres who fan out into the districts and rural outback of Tripura. This is also the only state in the region where people have ideological leanings towards the Left Parties. So much so that the Congress has all but withered here! Even the Trinamool Congress has an insignificant presence in Tripura. &nbsp; &nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Perhaps, the only reason why the Congress continues to have some presence in Tripura is that the ruling scion of the Tripura royal family, Pradyot Debbarma has patronised the Party and is its Working President, although for reasons that are unclear Debbarma has never taken the electoral plunge. This time too, he has let the election pass him by. Sources say he is waiting for a Rajya Sabha nomination from the Congress Party, now that its fortunes are on the upswing. Pradyot Debbarma is a tribal and commands respect amongst the tribes of Tripura.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>It is the BJP&rsquo;s advent in Tripura and its ability to mobilise voters at the booth level &ndash; its inherent strength - that appears to be giving the CPI(M) a headache this time. That the BJP has been able to contest from 51 out of 60 seats is quite a feat. The BJP has struck a deal with the Indigenous People&rsquo;s Front of Tripura (IPFT) which is contesting from 9 seats, mainly reserved for scheduled tribes. The Congress is contesting from 59 seats, the CPI (M) from 57 seats leaving the other three seats for its Left Front partners the CPI, Forward Bloc and Revolutionary Socialist Party, while the Trinamool is has set up 24 candidates.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Prime Minister Modi who was in Tripura on Thursday has promised to deliver it from a regime that has kept people at subsistence level &ndash;a socialist trademark. He has committed three T&rsquo;s, Trade, Training and Tourism, for jump-starting development in Tripura. Twenty-five years is a long time for any government and change seems imminent what with the BJP putting its best foot forward in the state. This time it may no longer be a cakewalk for Manik Sarkar in his bastion of a quarter century.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>In the tribal states of Nagaland and Meghalaya elections are not won by political parties but by personalities. He who has the money wins the votes. People jump in and out of parties without any qualms. A person who is denied a ticket from the BJP will coolly jump to the Congress camp the next day and be given a ticket to contest the election. But this also means that there are few takers for the Congress ticket this time especially in Meghalaya where the Party is fighting anti-incumbency. Money plays a big role in the elections in both states but more so in Nagaland where the stakes are high and voters openly demand a price for their votes. No amount of vigilance from the Election Commission can reduce election spending in both states.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>In Meghalaya, the BJP is contesting from 47 constituencies while the Congress has set up candidates in all 60 seats. The National People&rsquo;s Party (NPP) founded by the former Speaker of the Lok Sabha, PA Sangma has fielded 53 candidates. In all probability, the NPP will emerge as the single largest party but whether it will get a majority is doubtful.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The NPP is known to keep its options open for a tie-up with the BJP and perhaps a few Independents and some from the regional parties too. But whether that sort of hybrid government will bring stability to Meghalaya is a conundrum that will face the people of Meghalaya. This state has witnessed political instability since its inception. Governments and chief ministers come and go, sometimes thrice in a tenure of five years. One thing that the outgoing Mukul Sangma government has given to Meghalaya is political stability in the last five years and a period of relative peace.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>In Nagaland, things are in a state of great flux and people are confused what with a new party being set up by former Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio &ndash; the Nagaland Democratic People&rsquo;s Party (NDPP) a breakaway faction from the Naga People&rsquo;s Front led by octogenarian Shurhozelie. The BJP is a big player now in Nagaland with central ministers landing there in hordes to capture the political space.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>For the voters, political parties are all the same. Cynicism clouds the political landscape even as voters realise nothing will change in the next five years except the faces that will run the government. So they have learned to make capital out of the election season.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)</em>&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>


BJP is set to give a headache to Manik Sarkar in Tripura, emerge as a big player in Nagaland, and in Meghalaya, the Party may tie up with the largest regional party the NPP.

It’s election season for the three North Eastern states of Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya. While voting in Tripura is scheduled for February 18, Nagaland and Meghalaya will go to the polls on February 27. In Tripura, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has had an uninterrupted rule of 25 years. Its chief minister Manik Sarkar is dubbed as the poorest of the chief ministers in the region. The CPI (M) draws its strength from its cadres who fan out into the districts and rural outback of Tripura. This is also the only state in the region where people have ideological leanings towards the Left Parties. So much so that the Congress has all but withered here! Even the Trinamool Congress has an insignificant presence in Tripura. Perhaps, the only reason why the Congress continues to have some presence in Tripura is that the ruling scion of the Tripura royal family, Pradyot Debbarma has patronised the Party and is its Working President, although for reasons that are unclear Debbarma has never taken the electoral plunge. This time too, he has let the election pass him by. Sources say he is waiting for a Rajya Sabha nomination from the Congress Party, now that its fortunes are on the upswing. Pradyot Debbarma is a tribal and commands respect amongst the tribes of Tripura. It is the BJP’s advent in Tripura and its ability to mobilise voters at the booth level – its inherent strength - that appears to be giving the CPI(M) a headache this time. That the BJP has been able to contest from 51 out of 60 seats is quite a feat. The BJP has struck a deal with the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) which is contesting from 9 seats, mainly reserved for scheduled tribes. The Congress is contesting from 59 seats, the CPI (M) from 57 seats leaving the other three seats for its Left Front partners the CPI, Forward Bloc and Revolutionary Socialist Party, while the Trinamool is has set up 24 candidates. Prime Minister Modi who was in Tripura on Thursday has promised to deliver it from a regime that has kept people at subsistence level –a socialist trademark. He has committed three T’s, Trade, Training and Tourism, for jump-starting development in Tripura. Twenty-five years is a long time for any government and change seems imminent what with the BJP putting its best foot forward in the state. This time it may no longer be a cakewalk for Manik Sarkar in his bastion of a quarter century. In the tribal states of Nagaland and Meghalaya elections are not won by political parties but by personalities. He who has the money wins the votes. People jump in and out of parties without any qualms. A person who is denied a ticket from the BJP will coolly jump to the Congress camp the next day and be given a ticket to contest the election. But this also means that there are few takers for the Congress ticket this time especially in Meghalaya where the Party is fighting anti-incumbency. Money plays a big role in the elections in both states but more so in Nagaland where the stakes are high and voters openly demand a price for their votes. No amount of vigilance from the Election Commission can reduce election spending in both states. In Meghalaya, the BJP is contesting from 47 constituencies while the Congress has set up candidates in all 60 seats. The National People’s Party (NPP) founded by the former Speaker of the Lok Sabha, PA Sangma has fielded 53 candidates. In all probability, the NPP will emerge as the single largest party but whether it will get a majority is doubtful. The NPP is known to keep its options open for a tie-up with the BJP and perhaps a few Independents and some from the regional parties too. But whether that sort of hybrid government will bring stability to Meghalaya is a conundrum that will face the people of Meghalaya. This state has witnessed political instability since its inception. Governments and chief ministers come and go, sometimes thrice in a tenure of five years. One thing that the outgoing Mukul Sangma government has given to Meghalaya is political stability in the last five years and a period of relative peace. In Nagaland, things are in a state of great flux and people are confused what with a new party being set up by former Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio – the Nagaland Democratic People’s Party (NDPP) a breakaway faction from the Naga People’s Front led by octogenarian Shurhozelie. The BJP is a big player now in Nagaland with central ministers landing there in hordes to capture the political space. For the voters, political parties are all the same. Cynicism clouds the political landscape even as voters realise nothing will change in the next five years except the faces that will run the government. So they have learned to make capital out of the election season. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: In elections 2018, BJP set to gain grounds in Tripura, Meghalaya, Nagaland

<p>Are pakoda jokes your cup of tea? Jokes have been doing the round on WhatsApp and Twitter about Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s words that even selling the deep-fried pan-Indian delicacy for a living is employment enough.</p>

<p>&quot;If someone opens a &#39;pakoda&#39; shop in front of your office, does that not count as employment? The person&#39;s daily earning of Rs 200 will never come into any books or accounts. The truth is massive (numbers of) people are being employed,&quot;&nbsp;<a href="http://zeenews.india.com/india/top-10-highlights-of-pm-narendra-modis-exclusive-interview-with-zee-news-2074983.html">Modi said in an interview to Zee</a>, triggering plenty of humour, some derision, and even outrage.</p>

<p>India&#39;s official national dish is the dal-rice mix, khichdi, but for the moment, pakoda seems to be it.</p>

<p>Modi was actually speaking the truth about India, but to a mindset weaned on 8-hour-working days with 5-day weeks, provident fund dues and company loans, this was a disconnect. It is this mindset that led to even a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ani/students-sell-pakoda-outside-pm-modi-s-rally-venue-118020400750_1.html">protest by students</a>&nbsp;wearing graduate robes in Karnataka to sell pakodas at the venue of a Modi rally.</p>

<p>For those who believe in the dignity of labour, the outrage would seem outrageous. But we even have the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.business-standard.com/article/politics/of-pakoda-sellers-and-jobs-opposition-plans-to-embarrass-govt-in-rs-118020601895_1.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">opposition making it a rallying point</a>&nbsp;in Parliament to ask tough questions on joblessness, in spite of BJP president Amit Shah making a sprightly debut speech in which&nbsp;<a href="http://zeenews.india.com/india/in-his-maiden-parliament-speech-amit-shah-hits-back-at-congress-over-pakoda-jibe-2078813.html" target="_blank">he underlined that pakoda-selling is not shameful</a>&nbsp;but likening it to begging is.</p>

<p>We may say in jest, and with deep insight, that the French fries sold in McDonald&#39;s is nothing but aloo-chaat that went abroad for higher studies, or that the multinational chain&#39;s McNuggets is just a cool-sounding variant of the pakoda. With a market capitalisation of 133 billion US dollars (Rs 8.5 lakh crore), McDonald&#39;s is a global pakoda-seller on steroids.&nbsp;</p>

<p>All that humour and outrage apart, it is about time we took Pakodanomics seriously because in the age of robotics and automation, imagining jobs by the millions in manufacturing assembly lines of the kind Henry Ford set up a century ago may not be a wise idea.</p>

<p>In the West, the term &#39;gig economy&#39; is now a fashionable one to discuss self-employed people like web designers, copywriters and software engineers who work independently for several companies or clients at once. I would say pakoda-sellers, plumbers, carpenters and even snake-charmers have been part of India&#39;s gig economy long before the term became fashionable. Nearly half of India&#39;s labour-force&nbsp;<a href="http://www.livemint.com/Opinion/0PbcxA4cO4crznlyQcsOvL/Selfemployment-elephant-in-the-room.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">is estimated to be self-employed</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It is time for us to recognise their worth and raising their stature so that they enjoy some deserved benefits. In the UK, the government is&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/business-42959756" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">seriously considering benefits</a>&nbsp;like sick leave and holiday benefits for gig-workers, amid&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-politics-employment/uk-to-consult-on-employment-status-after-gig-economy-concerns-idUSKBN1FR015" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">charges that they are being exploited</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This, of course, applies mainly to people like cab drivers tied to giant tech-platform companies like Uber, but there is no reason India should not learn from Britain to step up benefits for the self-employed as a larger class. The Mudra loans and the&nbsp;<a href="http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/is-ayushman-bharat-a-game-changer-national-health-insurance-scheme-5054394/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">recently-announced Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme</a>&nbsp;for the masses cover these to some extent but it would make more sense to frame a real, elaborate policy.</p>

<p>India does have schemes to help the self-employed, and this is not really new for NDA or Modi. The government portal has a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.india.gov.in/people-groups/community/self-employed" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">special section for this</a>. However,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businesstoday.in/union-budget-2018-19/key-announcements/jobs-national-employment-policy-nep-budget-2018-un-labour-report-niti-aayog-pm-modi/story/266077.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">speculative reports</a>which said the budget this year would announce an employment policy have not come true yet. A self-employment policy seems even more elusive.</p>

<p>What India needs is to go one step further from Britain and look at framing a self-employment framework that would provide benefits including home loans, infrastructure, pensions, healthcare and holidays to the self-employed including pakoda-sellers who are part of India&#39;s uncelebrated gig economy. If only the Niti Aayog could take its eyes off high technology and look at low-brow employment with long-term benefits for hundreds of millions of people, Modi may have reasons to smile rather than be laughed at. Else, they will accuse him of making a khichdi out of Pakodanomics!</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)</em>&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>


Those who derided Modi's terming of pakoda-selling as employment are stuck in a mindset where employment means 9 to 5.

Are pakoda jokes your cup of tea? Jokes have been doing the round on WhatsApp and Twitter about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's words that even selling the deep-fried pan-Indian delicacy for a living is employment enough. "If someone opens a 'pakoda' shop in front of your office, does that not count as employment? The person's daily earning of Rs 200 will never come into any books or accounts. The truth is massive (numbers of) people are being employed," Modi said in an interview to Zee, triggering plenty of humour, some derision, and even outrage. India's official national dish is the dal-rice mix, khichdi, but for the moment, pakoda seems to be it. Modi was actually speaking the truth about India, but to a mindset weaned on 8-hour-working days with 5-day weeks, provident fund dues and company loans, this was a disconnect. It is this mindset that led to even a protest by students wearing graduate robes in Karnataka to sell pakodas at the venue of a Modi rally. For those who believe in the dignity of labour, the outrage would seem outrageous. But we even have the opposition making it a rallying point in Parliament to ask tough questions on joblessness, in spite of BJP president Amit Shah making a sprightly debut speech in which he underlined that pakoda-selling is not shameful but likening it to begging is. We may say in jest, and with deep insight, that the French fries sold in McDonald's is nothing but aloo-chaat that went abroad for higher studies, or that the multinational chain's McNuggets is just a cool-sounding variant of the pakoda. With a market capitalisation of 133 billion US dollars (Rs 8.5 lakh crore), McDonald's is a global pakoda-seller on steroids. All that humour and outrage apart, it is about time we took Pakodanomics seriously because in the age of robotics and automation, imagining jobs by the millions in manufacturing assembly lines of the kind Henry Ford set up a century ago may not be a wise idea. In the West, the term 'gig economy' is now a fashionable one to discuss self-employed people like web designers, copywriters and software engineers who work independently for several companies or clients at once. I would say pakoda-sellers, plumbers, carpenters and even snake-charmers have been part of India's gig economy long before the term became fashionable. Nearly half of India's labour-force is estimated to be self-employed. It is time for us to recognise their worth and raising their stature so that they enjoy some deserved benefits. In the UK, the government is seriously considering benefits like sick leave and holiday benefits for gig-workers, amid charges that they are being exploited. This, of course, applies mainly to people like cab drivers tied to giant tech-platform companies like Uber, but there is no reason India should not learn from Britain to step up benefits for the self-employed as a larger class. The Mudra loans and the recently-announced Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme for the masses cover these to some extent but it would make more sense to frame a real, elaborate policy. India does have schemes to help the self-employed, and this is not really new for NDA or Modi. The government portal has a special section for this. However, speculative reportswhich said the budget this year would announce an employment policy have not come true yet. A self-employment policy seems even more elusive. What India needs is to go one step further from Britain and look at framing a self-employment framework that would provide benefits including home loans, infrastructure, pensions, healthcare and holidays to the self-employed including pakoda-sellers who are part of India's uncelebrated gig economy. If only the Niti Aayog could take its eyes off high technology and look at low-brow employment with long-term benefits for hundreds of millions of people, Modi may have reasons to smile rather than be laughed at. Else, they will accuse him of making a khichdi out of Pakodanomics! (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: It is time India took a serious look at Pakodanomics

<p>Prime Minister&rsquo;s Narendra Modi&rsquo;s speech is being described in terms of what it should have been or could have been. The story of his speech neither lies in his attack on the Congress nor on the historical veracity of the facts he dished out or in the tone and tenor he deployed. His speech acknowledged what RSS, for long, has been articulating what it interpreted as historical right and wrong of contemporary Indian history.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Modi articulated the principal ideological underpinning of the RSS in his speech with strong electoral messaging. On Wednesday, he simply stamped his authority on issues which, in general, have been kept aside during the Parliamentary sessions.</p>

<p>Modi made it amply clear in his speech that the principle fight of RSS-BJP is not with the Congress but with Gandhi family. For this reason, Prime Minister Modi has been consistently raising the issue of dynasty.</p>

<p>It is for this reason, the attack of the argument had a span of 50 years, covering all the Gandhi&rsquo;s. He, in one breath, started from Nehru, then added Kashmir and &lsquo;what if&rsquo; Sardar Patel would have become the first Prime Minister of the country.</p>

<p>The content becomes irrelevant here. It ignores the fact that Sardar Patel himself acknowledged the leadership of Nehru despite the age difference and Nehru being a natural successor. The speech was about possible subterfuge. The historical facts become irrelevant; the fact that Sardar Patel&rsquo;s relationship with Nehru was that of a companion and not that of an aggrieved person comes to of no use.</p>

<p>&nbsp;For the same reason, it does not matter that politics has been positioned as a wish- as historical wrong- which cannot be corrected but repented in public. In the same breath, the issue of Rahul Gandhi and Cabinet papers came up. It is for this reason, Bofors, Davos, emergency and corruption cases were argued in the context of the family.</p>

<p>The subtext of the attack is that penance should come from marginalisation of the Congress as a political entity and not simply from defeating it electorally.</p>

<p>The point to be noted is that he ignored the barbs thrown by the TDP in the house. Instead, he appealed to the Telugu sentiment by evoking the issue of division of Andhra Pradesh and Rajiv Gandhi&rsquo;s meeting with the Congress Chief Minister on the tarmac. This brings us to the politics of slur and attribution. The context of Rajiv Gandhi&rsquo;s meeting with then CM was different but the historical memory continues to be embedded in the issue backward caste politics. For Modi, it becomes even more important because of the election in Karnataka where BJP is still struggling. Coming back to the issue of slur, it is a throwback from the days when the word &lsquo;Sanghi&rsquo; was used as an abuse. Today, &lsquo;Congressi&rsquo; has acquired the attribution and should be a cause of great concern for the Congress Party.</p>

<p>&nbsp;Lastly, Modi&rsquo;s political outrage in the Parliament reflects modest but important success of Rahul&rsquo;s politics.</p>

<p>Post-2015, Rahul Gandhi has taken an issue and pilloried BJP with it. Whether it was the jibe of suit boot ki Sarkar, or Vemula&rsquo;s issue, or GST and now Rafale, Rahul Gandhi did not let the issue be drowned in the discourse of national vs anti-national barring self-goals engineered by his own party.</p>

<p>On the other hand, the prime minister has reacted on the issues either by correcting the position by sewing a new strategy or by going for a blistering attack against Congress and Rahul. After suit boot, he gave away the suit which subsequently got auctioned.</p>

<p>After Gujarat, he immediately shifted his focus to the rural sector and utilised the Budget to address the issues raised by the Opposition. But during the same election, he made it about us vs them and dynasty. If his speech in Parliament is an indication of the tenor of BJP&rsquo;s future electoral politics, it also reflects its current anxiety in the context of Rajasthan and Gujarat results which parties like the TDP and Shiv Sena are waiting to exploit.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)</em>&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>


Modi made it amply clear in his speech that the principle fight of RSS-BJP is not with the Congress but with Gandhi family.

Prime Minister’s Narendra Modi’s speech is being described in terms of what it should have been or could have been. The story of his speech neither lies in his attack on the Congress nor on the historical veracity of the facts he dished out or in the tone and tenor he deployed. His speech acknowledged what RSS, for long, has been articulating what it interpreted as historical right and wrong of contemporary Indian history. Modi articulated the principal ideological underpinning of the RSS in his speech with strong electoral messaging. On Wednesday, he simply stamped his authority on issues which, in general, have been kept aside during the Parliamentary sessions. Modi made it amply clear in his speech that the principle fight of RSS-BJP is not with the Congress but with Gandhi family. For this reason, Prime Minister Modi has been consistently raising the issue of dynasty. It is for this reason, the attack of the argument had a span of 50 years, covering all the Gandhi’s. He, in one breath, started from Nehru, then added Kashmir and ‘what if’ Sardar Patel would have become the first Prime Minister of the country. The content becomes irrelevant here. It ignores the fact that Sardar Patel himself acknowledged the leadership of Nehru despite the age difference and Nehru being a natural successor. The speech was about possible subterfuge. The historical facts become irrelevant; the fact that Sardar Patel’s relationship with Nehru was that of a companion and not that of an aggrieved person comes to of no use. For the same reason, it does not matter that politics has been positioned as a wish- as historical wrong- which cannot be corrected but repented in public. In the same breath, the issue of Rahul Gandhi and Cabinet papers came up. It is for this reason, Bofors, Davos, emergency and corruption cases were argued in the context of the family. The subtext of the attack is that penance should come from marginalisation of the Congress as a political entity and not simply from defeating it electorally. The point to be noted is that he ignored the barbs thrown by the TDP in the house. Instead, he appealed to the Telugu sentiment by evoking the issue of division of Andhra Pradesh and Rajiv Gandhi’s meeting with the Congress Chief Minister on the tarmac. This brings us to the politics of slur and attribution. The context of Rajiv Gandhi’s meeting with then CM was different but the historical memory continues to be embedded in the issue backward caste politics. For Modi, it becomes even more important because of the election in Karnataka where BJP is still struggling. Coming back to the issue of slur, it is a throwback from the days when the word ‘Sanghi’ was used as an abuse. Today, ‘Congressi’ has acquired the attribution and should be a cause of great concern for the Congress Party. Lastly, Modi’s political outrage in the Parliament reflects modest but important success of Rahul’s politics. Post-2015, Rahul Gandhi has taken an issue and pilloried BJP with it. Whether it was the jibe of suit boot ki Sarkar, or Vemula’s issue, or GST and now Rafale, Rahul Gandhi did not let the issue be drowned in the discourse of national vs anti-national barring self-goals engineered by his own party. On the other hand, the prime minister has reacted on the issues either by correcting the position by sewing a new strategy or by going for a blistering attack against Congress and Rahul. After suit boot, he gave away the suit which subsequently got auctioned. After Gujarat, he immediately shifted his focus to the rural sector and utilised the Budget to address the issues raised by the Opposition. But during the same election, he made it about us vs them and dynasty. If his speech in Parliament is an indication of the tenor of BJP’s future electoral politics, it also reflects its current anxiety in the context of Rajasthan and Gujarat results which parties like the TDP and Shiv Sena are waiting to exploit. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Modi's speech indicates his fight to nail the Gandhis

<p>The backlash between <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/modi-continues-attack-on-opposition-says-congress-mukt-bharat-was-gandhis-idea-32115">PM Modi</a> and Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury continues after PM Modi&#39;s remarks at the Rajya Sabha.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Chowdhury has since addressed the issue and said: &quot;This is highly objectionable, and I am going to file for privilege.&quot; The Congress also criticised Modi&#39;s remark calling him &nbsp;&quot;anti-women.&quot;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">This is highly objectionable, and I am going to file for privilege: Renuka Chowdhury, Congress on Kiren Rijiju posting a video of PM Modi&#39;s remarks on Renuka Chowdhury in Rajya Sabha yesterday. <a href="https://t.co/9d7gEL0IqC">pic.twitter.com/9d7gEL0IqC</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/961491270526033920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>PM Modi, on Wednesday, called<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/renuka-chowdhury-interrupts-modi-in-rajya-sabha-spat-follows-32123"> Chowdhury out for laughing</a> during his remarks on Aadhaar in Parliament.</p>

<p>&quot;SabhapatiJi meri aapse vinti hai Renuka Ji ko kuch mat kahiye. Ramayan serial ke baad aisi hansi sunne ka saubhagya aaj jaake mila hai. (Chairman sir, I request you to not say anything to Renukaji. After Ramayan serial, we have got the privilege of hearing this kind of laughter today),&quot; the PM had said.</p>

<p>&quot;We condemn PM Modi&#39;s derogatory remark in the Parliament against former Union Minister and RS MP Renuka Chowdhury. We also urge the RS Speaker Shri Venkaiah Naidu to not act in a partisan manner and accord due respect to a fellow member of the house. #ModiAntiWomen,&quot; the party&#39;s official handle tweeted.</p>

<p>Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu chided the members for their &quot;unbecoming&quot; behaviour and asked them to resume their places.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;I have no option other than to adjourn the House,&quot; he said, suspending the proceedings till 1200 hrs.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned till noon after the Congress members created an uproar over Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s remarks against party MP Renuka Chowdhury.&nbsp;</p>

<p><br />
&nbsp;</p>


PM Modi had yesterday in Parliament called Chowdhury out for laughing during his remarks on Aadhaar.

The backlash between PM Modi and Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury continues after PM Modi's remarks at the Rajya Sabha. Chowdhury has since addressed the issue and said: "This is highly objectionable, and I am going to file for privilege." The Congress also criticised Modi's remark calling him "anti-women." This is highly objectionable, and I am going to file for privilege: Renuka Chowdhury, Congress on Kiren Rijiju posting a video of PM Modi's remarks on Renuka Chowdhury in Rajya Sabha yesterday. pic.twitter.com/9d7gEL0IqC — ANI (@ANI) February 8, 2018 × PM Modi, on Wednesday, called Chowdhury out for laughing during his remarks on Aadhaar in Parliament. "SabhapatiJi meri aapse vinti hai Renuka Ji ko kuch mat kahiye. Ramayan serial ke baad aisi hansi sunne ka saubhagya aaj jaake mila hai. (Chairman sir, I request you to not say anything to Renukaji. After Ramayan serial, we have got the privilege of hearing this kind of laughter today)," the PM had said. "We condemn PM Modi's derogatory remark in the Parliament against former Union Minister and RS MP Renuka Chowdhury. We also urge the RS Speaker Shri Venkaiah Naidu to not act in a partisan manner and accord due respect to a fellow member of the house. #ModiAntiWomen," the party's official handle tweeted. Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu chided the members for their "unbecoming" behaviour and asked them to resume their places. "I have no option other than to adjourn the House," he said, suspending the proceedings till 1200 hrs. Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned till noon after the Congress members created an uproar over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks against party MP Renuka Chowdhury.

'I am going to file for privilege', says Renuka Chowdhury after Modi's remarks

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi is speaking in the Rajya Sabha:&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a>: PM Narendra Modi speaking on Motion of Thanks to President&#39;s address in Rajya Sabha <a href="https://t.co/Vt63UrFhfQ">https://t.co/Vt63UrFhfQ</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/961184299604090880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


Modi had spoken earlier today in the Lok Sabha

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is speaking in the Rajya Sabha: #WATCH: PM Narendra Modi speaking on Motion of Thanks to President's address in Rajya Sabha https://t.co/Vt63UrFhfQ — ANI (@ANI) February 7, 2018 ×

Watch live: Congress-mukt Bharat was Gandhi's idea, Modi says in Rajya Sabha

<p>As Prime minister Modi began speaking in the Lok&nbsp;Sabha today, the Opposition leaders started shouting slogans against the PM.</p>

<p>The PM&nbsp;speaking on the motion of thanks to the President&#39;s address on&nbsp;the Budget&nbsp;attacked the Congress on the floor of the House, saying that the Congress &quot;divided&quot;&nbsp;the nation.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-modi-takes-on-opposition-during-parliament-speech-highlights-32083">Also Read: Highlights of PM&#39;s attack on Congress in Parliament</a></p>

<p>&quot;If Vallabhbhai Patel was the first prime minister, J&amp;K solution would have been easier,&quot; the PM said, adding that PM Nehru robbed Patel of the PM post.</p>

<p>&quot;How can Congress claim Nehru gave us democracy,&quot; he asked.</p>

<p>&quot;You divided Andhra Pradesh for politics,&quot; the PM said during his address.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
The PM attacked&nbsp;Congress on the partition, saying crores still suffer due to partition.</p>

<p>&quot;You attempted to divide the country,&quot; the PM said even as Opposition leader continued to raise slogans.</p>

<p>&quot;TDP was formed due to Congress insults,&quot; the PM said, adding,&quot; Nation is still paying for Congress&#39;&nbsp;sins.&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Rajiv Gandhi insulted Dalit CMs of Andhra Pradesh,&quot;&nbsp;the PM said. &quot;NTR was born out of this insult,&quot; he declared.</p>

<p>Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday had alleged a &quot;scam&quot; in the Rafael deal, after defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman refused to disclose details of the deal on Monday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Taking a jibe at the Gandhi family, the PM said: &quot;You used paid machinery for promoting family, adding,&quot;the Congress served only one family.&quot;</p>

<p>The Opposition raised slogans of &quot;match-fixing <em>bandh karo&quot;(s</em>top match-fixing).</p>

<p>&quot;In December, did we witness an election or coronation?&quot;&nbsp;the PM asked while taking a dig at Congress president Rahul Gandhi.</p>

<p>&quot;For Congress, Democracy=Dynasty,&quot;&nbsp;the PM said, adding that Congress served only one family. &quot;Don&#39;t lecture us on democracy,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>&quot;Congress legacy is dividing the nation,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>&quot;Our government is faster at implementing infrastructure&nbsp;projects,&quot;&nbsp;the PM added.</p>

<p>&quot;Congress never allowed the nation to progress,&quot; he said as the Opposition continued to raise slogans. &quot;Congress never worked on the ground level,&quot; he said. &quot;Is this Congress&#39;s brand of democracy,&quot;&nbsp;he asked</p>

<p>&quot;You can&#39;t ignore the government&#39;s efforts in the last three years,&quot;&nbsp;he said. &quot;Nation&#39;s longest tunnel and the fastest train has come under the NDA government,&quot; he pointed out as Congress and Opposition leaders continued to raise slogans against the prime minister.</p>

<p>&quot;We created states, Congress divided the nation,&quot; he asserted. &quot;Congress should rise above chest-thumping,&quot; he said, adding that the Congress takes &quot;credit&quot;&nbsp;for NDA&#39;s projects. &quot;India wants good governance,&quot; he told Parliament.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;There was no aviation policy under UPA,&quot;&nbsp;he said,&nbsp;&quot;You abused democracy in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Punjab,&quot; he said while attacking the Congress.</p>

<p>&quot;We are giving wings to middle-class aspirations,&quot; he said,&quot;We showed scientific&nbsp;benefits of Aadhaar,&quot;&nbsp;the PM said. The government is trying to provide &quot;ease of living&quot; to the middle class, the PM told Parliament.</p>

<p>&quot;70 lakhs names have been enrolled in EPF in one year,&quot; he said, saying that the Congress is trying to find holes in the Aadhaar scheme.</p>

<p>&quot;Aadhaar has wiped out the middleman,&quot; he said, adding,&quot;you doubted our intent on Aadhaar.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;We created jobs in the informal sector,&quot; the prime minister informed Parliament, the formal sector created just 10 per cent jobs,&nbsp;he declared.</p>

<p>&quot;We made LeD blubs affordable,&quot; the prime minister said in Parliament.</p>

<p>&quot;Our power distribution scheme is unparalleled,&quot; the PM said. &quot;Schemes for farmers were unveiled in a short time,&quot; he declared, asserting that his government is working on doubling farm income by 2022.</p>

<p>&quot;Our steps against corruption has been unprecedented,&quot; he added. &quot;When the corrupt are wiped out, the Congress is unhappy,&quot; he said as the Opposition continued to raise slogans against the prime minister. The corrupt flourished under UPA, the PM said.</p>

<p>&quot;Congress also targeted the revolutionary GST move,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>&quot;Good roads and education is our only motive,&quot; he said. &quot;The Budget has great schemes for senior citizens,&quot; he observed.</p>

<p>Attacking the Congress, the PM said the party did not work on Bidar-Kalaburagi rail line.</p>

<p>&quot;Ujjawala Yogana will benefit women of below poverty line(BPL) households,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>&quot;The Congress shielded loan defaulters,&quot; he said on the floor of the house, adding that the NPA scam was unearthed during the UPA regime.&nbsp;&quot;The UPA government aided loan defaulters to flee,&quot;&nbsp;he said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;There is an atmosphere of transparency,&quot; he said, but added that &quot;hit-and-run&quot; politics is being resorted to by the Opposition.</p>


The PM is speaking on the motion of the thanks to the President's address to the Budget.

As Prime minister Modi began speaking in the Lok Sabha today, the Opposition leaders started shouting slogans against the PM. The PM speaking on the motion of thanks to the President's address on the Budget attacked the Congress on the floor of the House, saying that the Congress "divided" the nation. Also Read: Highlights of PM's attack on Congress in Parliament "If Vallabhbhai Patel was the first prime minister, J&K solution would have been easier," the PM said, adding that PM Nehru robbed Patel of the PM post. "How can Congress claim Nehru gave us democracy," he asked. "You divided Andhra Pradesh for politics," the PM said during his address. The PM attacked Congress on the partition, saying crores still suffer due to partition. "You attempted to divide the country," the PM said even as Opposition leader continued to raise slogans. "TDP was formed due to Congress insults," the PM said, adding," Nation is still paying for Congress' sins." "Rajiv Gandhi insulted Dalit CMs of Andhra Pradesh," the PM said. "NTR was born out of this insult," he declared. Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday had alleged a "scam" in the Rafael deal, after defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman refused to disclose details of the deal on Monday. Taking a jibe at the Gandhi family, the PM said: "You used paid machinery for promoting family, adding,"the Congress served only one family." The Opposition raised slogans of "match-fixing bandh karo"(stop match-fixing). "In December, did we witness an election or coronation?" the PM asked while taking a dig at Congress president Rahul Gandhi. "For Congress, Democracy=Dynasty," the PM said, adding that Congress served only one family. "Don't lecture us on democracy," he said. "Congress legacy is dividing the nation," he said. "Our government is faster at implementing infrastructure projects," the PM added. "Congress never allowed the nation to progress," he said as the Opposition continued to raise slogans. "Congress never worked on the ground level," he said. "Is this Congress's brand of democracy," he asked "You can't ignore the government's efforts in the last three years," he said. "Nation's longest tunnel and the fastest train has come under the NDA government," he pointed out as Congress and Opposition leaders continued to raise slogans against the prime minister. "We created states, Congress divided the nation," he asserted. "Congress should rise above chest-thumping," he said, adding that the Congress takes "credit" for NDA's projects. "India wants good governance," he told Parliament. "There was no aviation policy under UPA," he said, "You abused democracy in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Punjab," he said while attacking the Congress. "We are giving wings to middle-class aspirations," he said,"We showed scientific benefits of Aadhaar," the PM said. The government is trying to provide "ease of living" to the middle class, the PM told Parliament. "70 lakhs names have been enrolled in EPF in one year," he said, saying that the Congress is trying to find holes in the Aadhaar scheme. "Aadhaar has wiped out the middleman," he said, adding,"you doubted our intent on Aadhaar." "We created jobs in the informal sector," the prime minister informed Parliament, the formal sector created just 10 per cent jobs, he declared. "We made LeD blubs affordable," the prime minister said in Parliament. "Our power distribution scheme is unparalleled," the PM said. "Schemes for farmers were unveiled in a short time," he declared, asserting that his government is working on doubling farm income by 2022. "Our steps against corruption has been unprecedented," he added. "When the corrupt are wiped out, the Congress is unhappy," he said as the Opposition continued to raise slogans against the prime minister. The corrupt flourished under UPA, the PM said. "Congress also targeted the revolutionary GST move," he said. "Good roads and education is our only motive," he said. "The Budget has great schemes for senior citizens," he observed. Attacking the Congress, the PM said the party did not work on Bidar-Kalaburagi rail line. "Ujjawala Yogana will benefit women of below poverty line(BPL) households," he said. "The Congress shielded loan defaulters," he said on the floor of the house, adding that the NPA scam was unearthed during the UPA regime. "The UPA government aided loan defaulters to flee," he said. "There is an atmosphere of transparency," he said, but added that "hit-and-run" politics is being resorted to by the Opposition.

'If Vallabhbhai Patel was the first PM, J&K solution would have been easier,' Modi in Parliament

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/modi-continues-attack-on-opposition-says-congress-mukt-bharat-was-gandhis-idea-32115" target="_blank">speech</a> in the Rajya Sabha Wednesday was&nbsp;interrupted by Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury who began laughing during his address.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Reacting to her laughter, Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu asked her not to indulge in such &quot;unruly behaviour&quot;. He also told her to go to a doctor &quot;if you have any problem&quot;.</p>

<p>Modi however told Naidu not to say anything to Chowdhury, adding that &quot;he had not heard such laughter since the Ramayan serial&quot;.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Sabhapati Jji meri aapse vinti hai Renuka ji ko kuch mat kahiye. Ramayan seriel ke baad aisi hansi sunne ka saubhagya aaj jaake mila hai,&quot; Modi said.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="hi">Sabhapati Ji meri aapse vinti hai Renuka Ji ko kuch mat kahiye. Ramayan serial ke baad aisi hansi sunne ka saubhagya aaj jaake mila hai: PM Modi on Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury laughing during his speech in Rajya Sabha</p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/961192558591430657?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Chowdhury said the PM&#39;s &quot;personal remark&quot;&nbsp;was &quot;denigrating the status of a woman&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">PM made a personal remark, what else do you expect from him? I can&#39;t fall to that level to reply to him. This is actually called denigrating the status of a woman: Renuka Chowdhury,Congress <a href="https://t.co/5DIEYAOfdf">pic.twitter.com/5DIEYAOfdf</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/961229554126815232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>While Union MInister Smriti Irani said it was Chowdhury who had been making &quot;indecent remarks&quot;.</p>

<p>&quot;I was present there. I heard the kind of indecent remarks she was making on PM Modi,&quot; Irani said.</p>

<p>&quot;Is it justified that she makes indecent remarks and when those remarks are met sarcastically, she makes her gender her shield?&quot;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I was present there. I heard the kind of indecent remarks she was making on PM Modi. Is it justified that she makes indecent remarks &amp; when those remarks are met sarcastically she makes her gender her shield?: Union Minister Smriti Irani on PM Modi&#39;s remark on Renuka Chowdhury <a href="https://t.co/WeIicEjpRX">pic.twitter.com/WeIicEjpRX</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/961221794018545673?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


Chowdhury had started laughing during Modi's address

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech in the Rajya Sabha Wednesday was interrupted by Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury who began laughing during his address. Reacting to her laughter, Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu asked her not to indulge in such "unruly behaviour". He also told her to go to a doctor "if you have any problem". Modi however told Naidu not to say anything to Chowdhury, adding that "he had not heard such laughter since the Ramayan serial". "Sabhapati Jji meri aapse vinti hai Renuka ji ko kuch mat kahiye. Ramayan seriel ke baad aisi hansi sunne ka saubhagya aaj jaake mila hai," Modi said. Sabhapati Ji meri aapse vinti hai Renuka Ji ko kuch mat kahiye. Ramayan serial ke baad aisi hansi sunne ka saubhagya aaj jaake mila hai: PM Modi on Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury laughing during his speech in Rajya Sabha — ANI (@ANI) February 7, 2018 × Chowdhury said the PM's "personal remark" was "denigrating the status of a woman". PM made a personal remark, what else do you expect from him? I can't fall to that level to reply to him. This is actually called denigrating the status of a woman: Renuka Chowdhury,Congress pic.twitter.com/5DIEYAOfdf — ANI (@ANI) February 7, 2018 × While Union MInister Smriti Irani said it was Chowdhury who had been making "indecent remarks". "I was present there. I heard the kind of indecent remarks she was making on PM Modi," Irani said. "Is it justified that she makes indecent remarks and when those remarks are met sarcastically, she makes her gender her shield?" I was present there. I heard the kind of indecent remarks she was making on PM Modi. Is it justified that she makes indecent remarks & when those remarks are met sarcastically she makes her gender her shield?: Union Minister Smriti Irani on PM Modi's remark on Renuka Chowdhury pic.twitter.com/WeIicEjpRX — ANI (@ANI) February 7, 2018 ×

Renuka Chowdhury interrupts Modi's speech in Rajya Sabha, spat follows

<p>As Prime Minister Modi stood up to speak on the motion of thanks to the President&#39;s address on the Budget, the nation, drawing from past precedents, was expecting the prime minister to discuss and reflect on the nation&#39;s economic goals, the path to be taken and the challenges involved in the process. But the prime minister was in no mood for a constructive speech. Rather, he chose to launch a frontal attack on the Congress party.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Modi&#39;s speech was akin to brutal bantering of an election campaign, where the sole goal usually is to tear apart the contesting candidate. But this was on the floor of the parliament and the occasion was rather a customary motion of thanks following one of the most important budgets of the recent years.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Why did the prime minister lose his cool? More importantly, why the entire speech targeted the Congress party by bringing in instances, such as Partition and the Kashmir, for which the blame game is going on for just too long. Hindsight is always 20-20. It is purely an exercise in rhetoric to say that Kashmir would have been all ours if Vallabh Bhai Patel had been the prime minister.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Advocates of strong nationalism, such as Prime Minister Modi, often like to keep faith on &quot;blood and iron&quot; policy of statesman, such as Bismarck. But the prime minister would do well to keep in mind that Bismarck succeeded in putting together a united Germany because of growing force of nationalism on the ground that favoured such a unification measure; the Prussian military could not have put together a bunch of recalcitrant states if they were unwilling. As a practitioner of politics, Modi would do well to ask himself, hand on heart, whether such willingness to join the Indian Union was visible among Kashmiris at the dawn of Indian independence.</p>

<p>Rather than playing the blame game with Congress over Kashmir, Prime Minister Modi would have done well to reflect on how it plans to resolve the Kashmir question. That would have constituted a constructive speech worthy of a statesman.&nbsp;</p>

<p>To blame Congress for the Partition is not new either. Partition historian Ayesha Jalal has shown through meticulous research, the Congress&#39;s responsibility in the Partition of India. Not agreeing to the Partition would have meant either a civil war or a weak central government. But this kind of academic debates was not what the nation was expecting. And, honestly speaking, Modi was not even logically analysing these issues or contextualising them within the current politics, he was slamming down the Congress for all our national ills.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He wanted to blame Congress for all the ills of the nation-state. But the nation can turn back and ask him why is this blame game necessary because what we want, rather, is a constructive approach to finding solutions to fundamental problems of poverty, security, and corruption.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Maybe the fact that he did not have the answers or a roadmap for these issues that led Modi to take an offensive stance. After all, who does not know, offense is the best defense.</p>

<p>Modi has a lot to worry about. The Budget of 2018 has not pleased anybody. Even launching of the so-called world&#39;s largest healthcare system is raising concerns. Experts are pointing out that this not what an universal healthcare should look like because the government of India, in this case, will be spending public money to pay off&nbsp;insurance agencies, both private and public.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>There are doubts pertaining the provisions announced for the agricultural sector. Unemployment continues to be the Damocles&#39; sword hanging over the current government.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On GST, launched with much fanfare, the Modi government has made several compromises. The demonetisation measures have received almost a wholesale flak from experts to the common man.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The sheen of the win in the Uttar Pradesh election has lost much of its lustre, particularly, after the Gujarat election. And new elections are coming up in the North-Eastern states of Assam, Meghalaya and Nagaland where BJP is treading very carefully. There are very crucial elections coming up in Karnataka, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.</p>

<p>Modi, in one sweeping stroke, wanted to completely discredit the Congress. From the Partition to corruption, according to PM Modi, everything marks the failure of the Congress to stand as a plausible political alternative to the BJP.</p>

<p>The vicious reaction of Modi is leading me to wonder if, after all, the &#39;lion chest&#39; prime minister is unsettled by the challenges he foresees in the upcoming elections. Modi&#39;s dismissive attitude towards Rahul, calling him a dynast and, therefore, not a democrat, is actually a tale-telling sign of angst in the BJP camp. Contrary to their expectations, things are not moving as smoothly.</p>

<p>Modi&#39;s speech today at the Lower House of the Indian Parliament did not bear the mark of a confident leader. Rather, it appeared a masked attempt to find legitimacy through discrediting of the opposition party. The Indian electorates may find out the chink developing in the armour, Mr Modi.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)</em>&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Modi, in one sweeping stroke, wanted to completely discredit the Congress. From the Partition to corruption, according to PM Modi, everything marks the failure of the Congress to stand as a plausible political alternative to the BJP.

As Prime Minister Modi stood up to speak on the motion of thanks to the President's address on the Budget, the nation, drawing from past precedents, was expecting the prime minister to discuss and reflect on the nation's economic goals, the path to be taken and the challenges involved in the process. But the prime minister was in no mood for a constructive speech. Rather, he chose to launch a frontal attack on the Congress party. Modi's speech was akin to brutal bantering of an election campaign, where the sole goal usually is to tear apart the contesting candidate. But this was on the floor of the parliament and the occasion was rather a customary motion of thanks following one of the most important budgets of the recent years. Why did the prime minister lose his cool? More importantly, why the entire speech targeted the Congress party by bringing in instances, such as Partition and the Kashmir, for which the blame game is going on for just too long. Hindsight is always 20-20. It is purely an exercise in rhetoric to say that Kashmir would have been all ours if Vallabh Bhai Patel had been the prime minister. Advocates of strong nationalism, such as Prime Minister Modi, often like to keep faith on "blood and iron" policy of statesman, such as Bismarck. But the prime minister would do well to keep in mind that Bismarck succeeded in putting together a united Germany because of growing force of nationalism on the ground that favoured such a unification measure; the Prussian military could not have put together a bunch of recalcitrant states if they were unwilling. As a practitioner of politics, Modi would do well to ask himself, hand on heart, whether such willingness to join the Indian Union was visible among Kashmiris at the dawn of Indian independence. Rather than playing the blame game with Congress over Kashmir, Prime Minister Modi would have done well to reflect on how it plans to resolve the Kashmir question. That would have constituted a constructive speech worthy of a statesman. To blame Congress for the Partition is not new either. Partition historian Ayesha Jalal has shown through meticulous research, the Congress's responsibility in the Partition of India. Not agreeing to the Partition would have meant either a civil war or a weak central government. But this kind of academic debates was not what the nation was expecting. And, honestly speaking, Modi was not even logically analysing these issues or contextualising them within the current politics, he was slamming down the Congress for all our national ills. He wanted to blame Congress for all the ills of the nation-state. But the nation can turn back and ask him why is this blame game necessary because what we want, rather, is a constructive approach to finding solutions to fundamental problems of poverty, security, and corruption. Maybe the fact that he did not have the answers or a roadmap for these issues that led Modi to take an offensive stance. After all, who does not know, offense is the best defense. Modi has a lot to worry about. The Budget of 2018 has not pleased anybody. Even launching of the so-called world's largest healthcare system is raising concerns. Experts are pointing out that this not what an universal healthcare should look like because the government of India, in this case, will be spending public money to pay off insurance agencies, both private and public. There are doubts pertaining the provisions announced for the agricultural sector. Unemployment continues to be the Damocles' sword hanging over the current government. On GST, launched with much fanfare, the Modi government has made several compromises. The demonetisation measures have received almost a wholesale flak from experts to the common man. The sheen of the win in the Uttar Pradesh election has lost much of its lustre, particularly, after the Gujarat election. And new elections are coming up in the North-Eastern states of Assam, Meghalaya and Nagaland where BJP is treading very carefully. There are very crucial elections coming up in Karnataka, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Modi, in one sweeping stroke, wanted to completely discredit the Congress. From the Partition to corruption, according to PM Modi, everything marks the failure of the Congress to stand as a plausible political alternative to the BJP. The vicious reaction of Modi is leading me to wonder if, after all, the 'lion chest' prime minister is unsettled by the challenges he foresees in the upcoming elections. Modi's dismissive attitude towards Rahul, calling him a dynast and, therefore, not a democrat, is actually a tale-telling sign of angst in the BJP camp. Contrary to their expectations, things are not moving as smoothly. Modi's speech today at the Lower House of the Indian Parliament did not bear the mark of a confident leader. Rather, it appeared a masked attempt to find legitimacy through discrediting of the opposition party. The Indian electorates may find out the chink developing in the armour, Mr Modi. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Why this Kolaveri di, Mr Modi?

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;While speaking at a conference in&nbsp;poll-bound&nbsp;state, Karnataka, the state chief minister Siddaramaiah, said that Prime minister Narendra Modi has hurt the pride of Kannadigas.</p>

<p>He said &quot; PM has hurt pride of Kannadigas by uttering lies about the state&quot;.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">BJP President was involved in murder case, he only speaks lies. Here also they are projecting a CM candidate who has been to jail. PM has hurt pride of Kannadigas by uttering lies about the state: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah <a href="https://t.co/w9RHNy8tam">pic.twitter.com/w9RHNy8tam</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/960423457921142785?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>He further asked the BJP to present facts and substantiate the&nbsp;allegations that they made on the State government.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He said &quot; Dear Narendra Modi being the PM of the country your words should carry high credibility. I would, therefore, request you to substantiate your allegation &quot; corruption and misgovernance&quot; with facts. Let us fight this election with dignity and based on just facts.&quot;</p>

<p>Citing the Godhra incident of 2000, he said &quot; Wherever BJP is in power there is no protection for minorities&quot;.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">How many died during their tenure in Godhra? 2000 dead. Also, is there any law and order in Haryana? Wherever BJP is in power there is no protection for minorities : Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah</p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/960423149111316480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>He said &quot;PM keeps making comments that he has given so much money to the states. Where do you think this money is coming from? Its the taxes collected in the states which was sent to Centre. Its our money which comes back:Karnataka&quot;.</p>

<p>He also said that neither the PM nor Amit Shah is aware that they have to give Rs 10,000 crores to the state (as per 14th finance commission).<br />
&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">As per 14th finance commission, in last three years we were supposed to get 95.200 crore,whereas we got 84.500 crores, so they have to give 10,000 crores. This neither PM knows nor Amit Shah:Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah <a href="https://t.co/g96ErmrhTW">pic.twitter.com/g96ErmrhTW</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/960425304689868800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Questioning the PM over the Lokayukta he said &quot;Modi&nbsp;is morally not right to be the PM of the country&quot;.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">What moral right does Narendra Modi have to talk on Lokpal when he did not have a Lokayukta for 9 years when he was CM? He is facilitating corruption. He is morally not right to be PM of the country: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah <a href="https://t.co/NGxwRwiAnL">pic.twitter.com/NGxwRwiAnL</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/960427010882523136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I don&#39;t support people who indulge in personal attacks: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Congress leader Divya Spandana&#39;s tweet on PM Modi <a href="https://t.co/X9HOzQgvD2">pic.twitter.com/X9HOzQgvD2</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/960430815455956992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah said PM has hurt pride of Kannadigas by uttering lies about the state

While speaking at a conference in poll-bound state, Karnataka, the state chief minister Siddaramaiah, said that Prime minister Narendra Modi has hurt the pride of Kannadigas. He said " PM has hurt pride of Kannadigas by uttering lies about the state". BJP President was involved in murder case, he only speaks lies. Here also they are projecting a CM candidate who has been to jail. PM has hurt pride of Kannadigas by uttering lies about the state: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah pic.twitter.com/w9RHNy8tam — ANI (@ANI) February 5, 2018 × He further asked the BJP to present facts and substantiate the allegations that they made on the State government. He said " Dear Narendra Modi being the PM of the country your words should carry high credibility. I would, therefore, request you to substantiate your allegation " corruption and misgovernance" with facts. Let us fight this election with dignity and based on just facts." Citing the Godhra incident of 2000, he said " Wherever BJP is in power there is no protection for minorities". How many died during their tenure in Godhra? 2000 dead. Also, is there any law and order in Haryana? Wherever BJP is in power there is no protection for minorities : Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah — ANI (@ANI) February 5, 2018 × He said "PM keeps making comments that he has given so much money to the states. Where do you think this money is coming from? Its the taxes collected in the states which was sent to Centre. Its our money which comes back:Karnataka". He also said that neither the PM nor Amit Shah is aware that they have to give Rs 10,000 crores to the state (as per 14th finance commission). As per 14th finance commission, in last three years we were supposed to get 95.200 crore,whereas we got 84.500 crores, so they have to give 10,000 crores. This neither PM knows nor Amit Shah:Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah pic.twitter.com/g96ErmrhTW — ANI (@ANI) February 5, 2018 × Questioning the PM over the Lokayukta he said "Modi is morally not right to be the PM of the country". What moral right does Narendra Modi have to talk on Lokpal when he did not have a Lokayukta for 9 years when he was CM? He is facilitating corruption. He is morally not right to be PM of the country: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah pic.twitter.com/NGxwRwiAnL — ANI (@ANI) February 5, 2018 × I don't support people who indulge in personal attacks: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Congress leader Divya Spandana's tweet on PM Modi pic.twitter.com/X9HOzQgvD2 — ANI (@ANI) February 5, 2018 ×

PM Modi has hurt pride of Kannadigas: Siddaramaiah

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi had coined the acronym &quot;TOP&quot; in Karnataka yesterday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Farmers producing fruits and vegetables are our &#39;TOP&#39; priority. TOP&nbsp;means &#39;Tomato, Onion and Potato&#39;,&quot; Modi had said.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>To which, Congress President Rahul Gandhi&#39;s aide Divya Spandana retorted: &quot;Is this what happens when you&#39;re on POT?&quot;&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Is this what happens when you&rsquo;re on POT? <a href="https://t.co/fwSATJoQoP">pic.twitter.com/fwSATJoQoP</a></p>
&mdash; Divya Spandana/Ramya (@divyaspandana) <a href="https://twitter.com/divyaspandana/status/960130115630854144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>The BJP was quick to take offence. (Pot is another word for marijuana.)&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Will Rahul Gandhi maintain silence on Divya Spandana&rsquo;s comment while he sacked Mani Shankar Aiyar just because his jibe came close to Gujarat election and Karnataka is still some months away? Or sacrificing his close aide, responsible for his rise as a leader, takes some courage?&quot; Amit Malviya, the head of the BJP&#39;s IT cell, tweeted.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Will Rahul Gandhi maintain silence on Divya Spandana&rsquo;s comment while he sacked Mani Shankar Aiyar just because his jibe came close to Gujarat election and Karnataka is still some months away? Or sacrificing his close aide, responsible for his rise as a leader, takes some courage?</p>
&mdash; Amit Malviya (@malviyamit) <a href="https://twitter.com/malviyamit/status/960164205717581824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>To which Spandana aka the actress Ramya retorted again that Malviya had not tagged her because he did not want people watching the videos she has of PM Modi on her timeline.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">You didn&rsquo;t want to tag me cos you didn&rsquo;t want people to watch the Modi video pinned on my timeline? Come on! Be a sport-<br />
And hey, POT = Potato ???? Onion Tomato ???? what were you thinking? ???? <a href="https://t.co/zOEthGQry8">https://t.co/zOEthGQry8</a></p>
&mdash; Divya Spandana/Ramya (@divyaspandana) <a href="https://twitter.com/divyaspandana/status/960178968853753856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Spandana also added that &quot;hey, POT = Potato, Onion, Tomato, what were you thinking?&quot;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>But Malviya was having none of that.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;In Karnataka, more than 3,500 farmers have committed suicide under @siddaramaiah&rsquo;s watch, highest for any state in India but speaking for them is being on &lsquo;POT&rsquo;... Congress keeps it classy, again...&quot;&nbsp; he tweeted.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">In Karnataka, more than 3,500 farmers have committed suicide under <a href="https://twitter.com/siddaramaiah?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@siddaramaiah</a>&rsquo;s watch, highest for any state in India but speaking for them is being on &lsquo;POT&rsquo;... Congress keeps it classy, again... <a href="https://t.co/CywRWps9Qq">pic.twitter.com/CywRWps9Qq</a></p>
&mdash; Amit Malviya (@malviyamit) <a href="https://twitter.com/malviyamit/status/960140204370776064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>The internet however decided to see the fun side of it all.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah jumped onto the bandwagon, saying he would have &quot;POT for lunch&quot;:&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I think I&rsquo;ll have POT for lunch today.</p>
&mdash; Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) <a href="https://twitter.com/OmarAbdullah/status/960334134760693760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>And others soon followed:&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Pic 1: TOP coach<br />
Pic 2: POT coach <a href="https://t.co/MGqRMzZdOv">pic.twitter.com/MGqRMzZdOv</a></p>
&mdash; Prity Singh (@pritsi2101) <a href="https://twitter.com/pritsi2101/status/960369868888457216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">TOP for breakfast. POT for evening snacks.</p>
&mdash; Tarique Anwer (@tanwer_m) <a href="https://twitter.com/tanwer_m/status/960388656526655488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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'Farmers producing fruits and vegetables are our 'TOP' priority. TOP means 'Tomato, Onion and Potato',' Modi had said Sunday in Karnataka

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had coined the acronym "TOP" in Karnataka yesterday. "Farmers producing fruits and vegetables are our 'TOP' priority. TOP means 'Tomato, Onion and Potato'," Modi had said. To which, Congress President Rahul Gandhi's aide Divya Spandana retorted: "Is this what happens when you're on POT?" Is this what happens when you’re on POT? pic.twitter.com/fwSATJoQoP — Divya Spandana/Ramya (@divyaspandana) February 4, 2018 × The BJP was quick to take offence. (Pot is another word for marijuana.) "Will Rahul Gandhi maintain silence on Divya Spandana’s comment while he sacked Mani Shankar Aiyar just because his jibe came close to Gujarat election and Karnataka is still some months away? Or sacrificing his close aide, responsible for his rise as a leader, takes some courage?" Amit Malviya, the head of the BJP's IT cell, tweeted. Will Rahul Gandhi maintain silence on Divya Spandana’s comment while he sacked Mani Shankar Aiyar just because his jibe came close to Gujarat election and Karnataka is still some months away? Or sacrificing his close aide, responsible for his rise as a leader, takes some courage? — Amit Malviya (@malviyamit) February 4, 2018 × To which Spandana aka the actress Ramya retorted again that Malviya had not tagged her because he did not want people watching the videos she has of PM Modi on her timeline. You didn’t want to tag me cos you didn’t want people to watch the Modi video pinned on my timeline? Come on! Be a sport- And hey, POT = Potato ???? Onion Tomato ???? what were you thinking? ???? https://t.co/zOEthGQry8 — Divya Spandana/Ramya (@divyaspandana) February 4, 2018 × Spandana also added that "hey, POT = Potato, Onion, Tomato, what were you thinking?" But Malviya was having none of that. "In Karnataka, more than 3,500 farmers have committed suicide under @siddaramaiah’s watch, highest for any state in India but speaking for them is being on ‘POT’... Congress keeps it classy, again..." he tweeted. In Karnataka, more than 3,500 farmers have committed suicide under @siddaramaiah’s watch, highest for any state in India but speaking for them is being on ‘POT’... Congress keeps it classy, again... pic.twitter.com/CywRWps9Qq — Amit Malviya (@malviyamit) February 4, 2018 × The internet however decided to see the fun side of it all. Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah jumped onto the bandwagon, saying he would have "POT for lunch": I think I’ll have POT for lunch today. — Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) February 5, 2018 × And others soon followed: Pic 1: TOP coach Pic 2: POT coach pic.twitter.com/MGqRMzZdOv — Prity Singh (@pritsi2101) February 5, 2018 × TOP for breakfast. POT for evening snacks. — Tarique Anwer (@tanwer_m) February 5, 2018 ×

Modi says TOP, Congress says POT, parties fight, Twitter laughs

<p>The Modi government has decided to allocate each of country&#39;s milk-producing cows a unique identity card&nbsp;or UID just like the 12-digit Aadhaar number for individuals.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Union Budget 2018 set a target of Rs 50 crore for the completion of the project and cover about 40 million cows.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A dairy department official said the agriculture ministry, has already acquired the UID technology that comes with a cheap, tamper-proof polyurethane tag containing the cow&rsquo;s biological details such as breed, age, sex, height and special body marks. Each card will cost between Rs 8 and Rs 10.</p>

<p>The UID scheme will be called <em>Pashu Sanjivini</em> which is said to be a part of a larger programme for the dairy and fisheries sectors.</p>

<p>In a budget speech seen as pro-poor, finance minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday announced a Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund and an Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund worth Rs10,000 crore. About Rs200 crore has been set aside for an artificial insemination drive to improve cattle breeds, with an aim to &ldquo;upgrade&rdquo; the nation&rsquo;s entire cattle population.</p>

<p>In 2015, a government committee had recommended UID for cows to prevent trafficking following a Supreme Court direction that heard a plea to stop cattle smuggling.</p>

<p>According to the 2015 expert committee&rsquo;s recommendations, owners of cattle will be responsible for registration. &ldquo;Registration proof must be maintained by the owner of the cattle which may be transferred to the next owner in case a legitimate sale/transfer takes place,&rdquo; it had stated.</p>


The Union Budget 2018 set a target of Rs 50 crore for the completion of the project and cover about 40 million cows

The Modi government has decided to allocate each of country's milk-producing cows a unique identity card or UID just like the 12-digit Aadhaar number for individuals. The Union Budget 2018 set a target of Rs 50 crore for the completion of the project and cover about 40 million cows. A dairy department official said the agriculture ministry, has already acquired the UID technology that comes with a cheap, tamper-proof polyurethane tag containing the cow’s biological details such as breed, age, sex, height and special body marks. Each card will cost between Rs 8 and Rs 10. The UID scheme will be called Pashu Sanjivini which is said to be a part of a larger programme for the dairy and fisheries sectors. In a budget speech seen as pro-poor, finance minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday announced a Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund and an Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund worth Rs10,000 crore. About Rs200 crore has been set aside for an artificial insemination drive to improve cattle breeds, with an aim to “upgrade” the nation’s entire cattle population. In 2015, a government committee had recommended UID for cows to prevent trafficking following a Supreme Court direction that heard a plea to stop cattle smuggling. According to the 2015 expert committee’s recommendations, owners of cattle will be responsible for registration. “Registration proof must be maintained by the owner of the cattle which may be transferred to the next owner in case a legitimate sale/transfer takes place,” it had stated.

Government to assign UID to 40 million cows

<p>The ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) in Telangana is on board with the BJP on the issue of simultaneous polls to Lok Sabha and state assemblies, a senior party leader has said.</p>

<p>The TRS floor leader in the Lok Sabha, AP Jithender Reddy, said that such a synchronised exercise will cut costs, save time and ensure governments focus on development. &quot;We are for it,&quot; Reddy said.</p>

<p>&quot;It will give us time to focus on administration for five years, instead of every time going to elections,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>&quot;It will save money and time; you can focus yourself on the development of the state,&quot; the Lok Sabha member from Mahbubnagar said.</p>

<p>On January 29, President Ram Nath Kovind had called for a &quot;sustained debate&quot; on holding simultaneous polls, saying all parties need to reach a consensus on the issue.</p>

<p>In his maiden address to the joint sitting of the two houses of Parliament at the beginning of the Budget session, Kovind said citizens alive to the state of governance in the country were concerned about frequent elections in one part of the country or another, which adversely impacted the economy and development.</p>

<p>His remarks came days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a fresh pitch for holding the polls together.</p>

<p>Modi had said that like festivals, elections should be held on fixed dates so that governments can function for five years.</p>

<p>He also said that barbs exchanged during campaigning in one state have a bearing in other parts of the country which were not going to polls.</p>

<p>Modi was of the view that once the elections are held together, the central and the state governments can devote the next five years to governance.</p>


The TRS floor leader in the Lok Sabha, AP Jithender Reddy, said that such a synchronised exercise will cut costs, save time and ensure governments focus on development. 'We are for it,' he said

The ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) in Telangana is on board with the BJP on the issue of simultaneous polls to Lok Sabha and state assemblies, a senior party leader has said. The TRS floor leader in the Lok Sabha, AP Jithender Reddy, said that such a synchronised exercise will cut costs, save time and ensure governments focus on development. "We are for it," Reddy said. "It will give us time to focus on administration for five years, instead of every time going to elections," he said. "It will save money and time; you can focus yourself on the development of the state," the Lok Sabha member from Mahbubnagar said. On January 29, President Ram Nath Kovind had called for a "sustained debate" on holding simultaneous polls, saying all parties need to reach a consensus on the issue. In his maiden address to the joint sitting of the two houses of Parliament at the beginning of the Budget session, Kovind said citizens alive to the state of governance in the country were concerned about frequent elections in one part of the country or another, which adversely impacted the economy and development. His remarks came days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a fresh pitch for holding the polls together. Modi had said that like festivals, elections should be held on fixed dates so that governments can function for five years. He also said that barbs exchanged during campaigning in one state have a bearing in other parts of the country which were not going to polls. Modi was of the view that once the elections are held together, the central and the state governments can devote the next five years to governance.

Telangana Rashtra Samiti supports BJP on issue of simultaneous Lok Sabha, Assembly polls

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi would visit Tripura twice to hold public meetings ahead of the February 18 Assembly election, state BJP president Biplab Kumar Deb said.</p>

<p>Modi would come on February 8 and address two public meetings at Kailashahar in Unakoti district and Shantirbazar in South Tripura district. He would again visit the state on February 15 and address a public meeting here.</p>

<p>The party&#39;s national president Amit Shah would be in the state for a week to campaign in favour of the candidates of the BJP-Indigenous People&#39;s Front of Tripura (IPFT) alliance, Deb told reporters.</p>

<p>The election for the 60-member Assembly will be held in the state on February 18 and results would be announced on March 3.</p>

<p>From here, Shah would also visit Meghalaya and Nagaland, where Assembly polls would be held on February 27, the state BJP chief said.</p>

<p>He said 40 top BJP leaders including Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Muktar Abbas Naqvi would also visit the state for campaigning.</p>


Modi would come on February 8 and address two public meetings at Kailashahar in Unakoti district and Shantirbazar in South Tripura district. He would again visit the state on February 15 and address a public meeting here

Prime Minister Narendra Modi would visit Tripura twice to hold public meetings ahead of the February 18 Assembly election, state BJP president Biplab Kumar Deb said. Modi would come on February 8 and address two public meetings at Kailashahar in Unakoti district and Shantirbazar in South Tripura district. He would again visit the state on February 15 and address a public meeting here. The party's national president Amit Shah would be in the state for a week to campaign in favour of the candidates of the BJP-Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) alliance, Deb told reporters. The election for the 60-member Assembly will be held in the state on February 18 and results would be announced on March 3. From here, Shah would also visit Meghalaya and Nagaland, where Assembly polls would be held on February 27, the state BJP chief said. He said 40 top BJP leaders including Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Muktar Abbas Naqvi would also visit the state for campaigning.

PM Modi to visit Tripura twice for campaigning

<p>Anu Kumar of Uttarakhand grabbed the first gold medal of the Khelo India School Games as Tamil Nadu bagged two of the six yellow metals on offer on the opening day of the athletics competition here today.</p>

<p>While Tamil Nadu athletes took two gold medals, the rest were shared between Uttarakhand, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here.</p>

<p>Anu Kumar, who trains at the Sports College Raipur and is a past 800m silver medallist for India at the World School Games in France, won the 1,500m final comfortably in 4:04.77 seconds.</p>

<p>An established middle distance star, Uttarakhand&#39;s Kumar has in the past run below four minutes. He is aiming for 800m-1500m double.</p>

<p>Kumar dominated the race, pushing B Mathesh of Tamil Nadu and Sandeep Kumar of Uttar Pradesh to silver and bronze medals.</p>

<p>The girls&#39; 1500m saw Kathiriya Shraddha of Gujarat cross the finishing line first, but following a protest from one team, she was disqualified as the judges deemed her compatriot in the final lap illegally paced her.</p>

<p>The judges awarded the gold to Kerala&#39;s promising C Chanthini, who clocked 4:50.81.</p>

<p>In the field events, there were some good performances in the boys&#39; shot put and triple jump events.</p>

<p>Abhishek Singh of Uttar Pradesh won the shot put with an excellent throw of 18.73m while Praveen of Tamil Nadu won the triple jump in his sixth attempt with 15.22m.</p>

<p>Abhishek had four successful throws beyond 18 metres with the best of 18.73 in his second last attempt which gave him the gold. He had two other good throws of 18.54m on the last attempt and 18.38m in his second try.</p>

<p>Kartikay Deswal (Madhya Pradesh) bagged the silver with his sole 18 metre-plus mark of 18.29m.</p>

<p>In the boys&#39; triple jump, C Praveen won with 15.22 m&nbsp;in his sixth jump, while Sachin Gujjar (UP) with 14.46m was second and Akash M Varghese (Kerala) third with 14.27m.</p>

<p>Haryana girls excelled in the shot put with two medals out of three.</p>

<p>Pooja won the gold with a best of 13.88m while the bronze went to Rekha with a best effort of 13.20m. Ajenci Susan of Tamil Nadu claimed the silver with 13.39m.</p>

<p>In the girls&#39; triple jump, J Coleshiya was the winner with a best leap of 12.29m, while Sandra Babu (Kerala) was right behind her in second place at 12.27m and PM Tabitha (TN) was third with a best of 11.95m.</p>

<p>Day 2 of the athletics competition will see nine more medals being decided tomorrow.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


While Tamil Nadu athletes took two gold medals, the rest were shared between Uttarakhand, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here

Anu Kumar of Uttarakhand grabbed the first gold medal of the Khelo India School Games as Tamil Nadu bagged two of the six yellow metals on offer on the opening day of the athletics competition here today. While Tamil Nadu athletes took two gold medals, the rest were shared between Uttarakhand, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here. Anu Kumar, who trains at the Sports College Raipur and is a past 800m silver medallist for India at the World School Games in France, won the 1,500m final comfortably in 4:04.77 seconds. An established middle distance star, Uttarakhand's Kumar has in the past run below four minutes. He is aiming for 800m-1500m double. Kumar dominated the race, pushing B Mathesh of Tamil Nadu and Sandeep Kumar of Uttar Pradesh to silver and bronze medals. The girls' 1500m saw Kathiriya Shraddha of Gujarat cross the finishing line first, but following a protest from one team, she was disqualified as the judges deemed her compatriot in the final lap illegally paced her. The judges awarded the gold to Kerala's promising C Chanthini, who clocked 4:50.81. In the field events, there were some good performances in the boys' shot put and triple jump events. Abhishek Singh of Uttar Pradesh won the shot put with an excellent throw of 18.73m while Praveen of Tamil Nadu won the triple jump in his sixth attempt with 15.22m. Abhishek had four successful throws beyond 18 metres with the best of 18.73 in his second last attempt which gave him the gold. He had two other good throws of 18.54m on the last attempt and 18.38m in his second try. Kartikay Deswal (Madhya Pradesh) bagged the silver with his sole 18 metre-plus mark of 18.29m. In the boys' triple jump, C Praveen won with 15.22 m in his sixth jump, while Sachin Gujjar (UP) with 14.46m was second and Akash M Varghese (Kerala) third with 14.27m. Haryana girls excelled in the shot put with two medals out of three. Pooja won the gold with a best of 13.88m while the bronze went to Rekha with a best effort of 13.20m. Ajenci Susan of Tamil Nadu claimed the silver with 13.39m. In the girls' triple jump, J Coleshiya was the winner with a best leap of 12.29m, while Sandra Babu (Kerala) was right behind her in second place at 12.27m and PM Tabitha (TN) was third with a best of 11.95m. Day 2 of the athletics competition will see nine more medals being decided tomorrow.

Kumar wins 1st gold, TN on top on Day 1 of Khelo India Games

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi today declared the inaugural Khelo India School Games open and said the event will highlight the country&#39;s sporting talent and its potential to the world.</p>

<p>Modi declared open the KISG at a colourful opening ceremony at the Indira Gandhi Stadium here. The ceremony showcased the rich &#39;Guru-Shishya&#39; tradition of the country in grand style.</p>

<p>Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister said sports should occupy a central place in the lives of the country&#39;s youth.</p>

<p>&quot;Sports is an important means of personality development and Khelo India is not a programme, it&#39;s a mission. The Games will highlight India&#39;s young sporting talent and showcase India&#39;s sports potential,&quot; Modi said.</p>

<p>&quot;Khelo India is not only about winning medals. It is an effort to give strength to a mass movement for playing more. We want to focus on every aspect that would make sports more popular across the nation,&quot; he added.</p>

<p>Modi urged the youth to take up to sports actively as it is an important tool for the development of the nation.</p>

<p>&quot;When we say India has to grow on the world stage, it does not only mean having a strong army &amp; powerful economy. It includes people of India distinguishing themselves as scientists, artists, sportspersons. And, I am confident India will scale these heights. I trust our youth,&quot; the Prime Minister said.</p>

<p>&quot;India does not lack sporting talent. We are a youthful nation and we can do even better in sports.&quot;</p>

<p>He exhorted youngsters to devote time to sports amid their busy schedules.</p>

<p>&quot;In your busy schedules, devote time to games, give priority to playing. Today, we have in our midst eminent sportspersons. I am sure they would have faced many obstacles but they did not give up and went on to distinguish themselves,&quot; Modi said, referring to the sports stars and their coaches present on the occasion.</p>

<p>Modi said it was gladdening to see youngsters from rural India and smaller cities excelling as sportspersons.</p>

<p>He called upon the need to give emphasis on the grassroots level and said his government would provide every possible help to talented youngsters.</p>

<p>&quot;These are also youngsters who need support, which we want to provide. We need to organise games at the school level on consistent basis and keep their records, select the best out of them and train them.</p>

<p>&quot;We have decided to select 1000 kids every year from different sports and provide them Rs 5 lakh per annum for 8 years,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>Modi also announced that his government has decided to reward the childhood coaches of sportspersons who excel at the world stage for the country.</p>

<p>&quot;Coaches should be recognised, especially childhood coaches who have unearthed them and helped them grow in their area. So we have decided to reward every coach of a sportsperson who bring laurels for the country,&quot; the PM said.</p>

<p>The Prime Minister also read out the Khelo India Pledge before the audience.</p>

<p>Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore made the opening remarks and said from now on KISG will be an annual affair.</p>

<p>&quot;The Khelo India Games will be held every year and will be broadcast live every year,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>Also present on the occasion were Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, Indian Olympic Association President Narinder Batra, School Games Federation of India President Sushil Kumar, among others.</p>

<p>The KISG will be held across 16 disciplines in the Under-17 age category and 5,000 school children from 29 states and seven union territories will participate in the event from January 31 to February 8.</p>

<p>A total of 199 gold medals, 199 silver medals and 275 bronze medals will be at stake in the first KISG.</p>


Modi declared open the KISG at a colourful opening ceremony at the Indira Gandhi Stadium here. The ceremony showcased the rich 'Guru-Shishya' tradition of the country in grand style

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today declared the inaugural Khelo India School Games open and said the event will highlight the country's sporting talent and its potential to the world. Modi declared open the KISG at a colourful opening ceremony at the Indira Gandhi Stadium here. The ceremony showcased the rich 'Guru-Shishya' tradition of the country in grand style. Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister said sports should occupy a central place in the lives of the country's youth. "Sports is an important means of personality development and Khelo India is not a programme, it's a mission. The Games will highlight India's young sporting talent and showcase India's sports potential," Modi said. "Khelo India is not only about winning medals. It is an effort to give strength to a mass movement for playing more. We want to focus on every aspect that would make sports more popular across the nation," he added. Modi urged the youth to take up to sports actively as it is an important tool for the development of the nation. "When we say India has to grow on the world stage, it does not only mean having a strong army & powerful economy. It includes people of India distinguishing themselves as scientists, artists, sportspersons. And, I am confident India will scale these heights. I trust our youth," the Prime Minister said. "India does not lack sporting talent. We are a youthful nation and we can do even better in sports." He exhorted youngsters to devote time to sports amid their busy schedules. "In your busy schedules, devote time to games, give priority to playing. Today, we have in our midst eminent sportspersons. I am sure they would have faced many obstacles but they did not give up and went on to distinguish themselves," Modi said, referring to the sports stars and their coaches present on the occasion. Modi said it was gladdening to see youngsters from rural India and smaller cities excelling as sportspersons. He called upon the need to give emphasis on the grassroots level and said his government would provide every possible help to talented youngsters. "These are also youngsters who need support, which we want to provide. We need to organise games at the school level on consistent basis and keep their records, select the best out of them and train them. "We have decided to select 1000 kids every year from different sports and provide them Rs 5 lakh per annum for 8 years," he said. Modi also announced that his government has decided to reward the childhood coaches of sportspersons who excel at the world stage for the country. "Coaches should be recognised, especially childhood coaches who have unearthed them and helped them grow in their area. So we have decided to reward every coach of a sportsperson who bring laurels for the country," the PM said. The Prime Minister also read out the Khelo India Pledge before the audience. Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore made the opening remarks and said from now on KISG will be an annual affair. "The Khelo India Games will be held every year and will be broadcast live every year," he said. Also present on the occasion were Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, Indian Olympic Association President Narinder Batra, School Games Federation of India President Sushil Kumar, among others. The KISG will be held across 16 disciplines in the Under-17 age category and 5,000 school children from 29 states and seven union territories will participate in the event from January 31 to February 8. A total of 199 gold medals, 199 silver medals and 275 bronze medals will be at stake in the first KISG.

Khelo India Games will highlight country's sporting talent: PM Modi

<p>The Lucknow administration has issued&nbsp;notices to 1500 defaulters for using <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/up-loudspeakers-in-religious-places-to-be-removed-28794" target="_blank">loudspeakers without permission at religious and public places</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The notice warns the institutes for&nbsp;taking an action against them in case they fail to take permission before the stipulated&nbsp;time.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The government&nbsp;had earlier stated that&nbsp;non-compliance with norms could lead to five years of imprisonment and/or penalty of Rs 1 lakh.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The last day for taking permission for installing of loudspeakers is January 20.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Lucknow administration sent notices to 1500 defaulters for using loudspeakers without permission at religious and public places. The notices sent to them states that the last day to obtain permission is 20th January after which action will be taken against them.</p>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/953835171446276096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Earlier this month the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court, citing the provisions of the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000, had asked the state government if written permissions were taken by the religious and public authorities before putting up loudspeakers.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The decision of the court aimed at curbing the noise pollution in the state.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The state police were directed on January 7 to remove all unauthorised loudspeakers present in religious and public places.</p>

<p>A team was formed to conduct a survey of places were loudspeakers were installed without permission. &nbsp;</p>

<p>The government has specified a limited sound level for public and private places.</p>

<p>The government was further seeking on the number of loudspeakers installed, proof of permission obtained, and action being taken against processions involving loud music being taken out in the day and night.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The notice warns the institutes for taking an action against them in case they fail to take permission before the stipulated time

The Lucknow administration has issued notices to 1500 defaulters for using loudspeakers without permission at religious and public places. The notice warns the institutes for taking an action against them in case they fail to take permission before the stipulated time. The government had earlier stated that non-compliance with norms could lead to five years of imprisonment and/or penalty of Rs 1 lakh. The last day for taking permission for installing of loudspeakers is January 20. Lucknow administration sent notices to 1500 defaulters for using loudspeakers without permission at religious and public places. The notices sent to them states that the last day to obtain permission is 20th January after which action will be taken against them. — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) January 18, 2018 × Earlier this month the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court, citing the provisions of the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000, had asked the state government if written permissions were taken by the religious and public authorities before putting up loudspeakers. The decision of the court aimed at curbing the noise pollution in the state. The state police were directed on January 7 to remove all unauthorised loudspeakers present in religious and public places. A team was formed to conduct a survey of places were loudspeakers were installed without permission. The government has specified a limited sound level for public and private places. The government was further seeking on the number of loudspeakers installed, proof of permission obtained, and action being taken against processions involving loud music being taken out in the day and night.

Lucknow government sends notice to 1500 defaulters for unauthorised loudspeakers

<p>Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been given a red carpet welcome in Ahmedabad at Gujarat. This is not the first time that a foreign dignitary after an initial stopover at the national capital was taken to Modi&#39;s state of Gujarat. The Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe paid a visit to the western state too. As did the Chinese premier Xi Jinping in 2014.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>It leaves us wondering why these visits to Gujarat is being so strongly encouraged. And, why the foreign dignitaries agree to visit the state amidst a tight itinerary. What appeal does Gujarat, or more specifically, Ahmedabad hold for both the parties?</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Ahmedabad is not India&#39;s political nerve center, New Delhi is. Ahmedabad is not the place where the IT industry flourished as is the case with Bengaluru. Nor is Ahmedabad India&#39;s business capital; a mantle given to Mumbai for a longest possible time now.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Then why Ahmedabad?&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Foreign dignitaries visiting the US limit their stay to Washinton DC. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited NYC after his initial meeting with President Obama in DC. But that is because of the large diaspora of Indians present in the tri-state area of New York-New Jersey-Connecticut. It was not a visit organised by the Obama administration. It was Indian businessmen who organised it. The same thing can be said about Modi&#39;s visit to the Silicon Valley. It was an Indian initiative spearheaded by Indian corporate honchos in the US.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>But Gujarat does not have either a large Israeli, Japanese or a Chinese diaspora. It is cities, such as Mumbai and Delhi which have flourishing Chabad Houses where thousands of visiting Israelis stay put every year.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Decades back when Nehru visited the US, he did take a detour to visit Albert Einstein. Again, a personal visit, undertaken to converse with one of the greatest minds of the twentieth century. Also, the Jewish question needed discussion. Einstein, an active proponent of the Zionist cause, wanted to convince Nehru of the need to support the cause of Israel.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Many political analysts wonder whether Modi is going back Gujarat to give these powerful heads of state an idea about his root.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>It does not seem so. While the modest youth of Modi makes a good fuel for political quibble within India, it does not have the desirable impact at the international arena. Bilateral relationships function better between equals, involving very powerful people. The Language of Power rather than the sympathy card is more effective under the circumstance. &nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>If Modi is taking these dignitaries to Ahmedabad, it is to show what he is capable of achieving. Ahmedabad has evolved into swanky city with polished roads, disciplined traffic, shiny public transport. It is a revitalised city, almost creaseless. A poster-boy of Modi&#39;s development model.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Ahmedabad represents Modi&#39;s future plan for India. It shows India&#39;s enterprising nature at its best. Leaving behind its more conflicted past, Ahmedabad emerges as India&#39;s global city with deep cultural roots. Its identity is very much Hindu, very vegetarian, very businesslike.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>This unique combination of cultural nationalism with business success is what distinguishes Ahmedabad from Bengaluru.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Bengaluru is far too cosmopolitan. More importantly, it is not the creation of Modi.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The roadshows with prominent dignitaries on streets of Ahmedabad comes with a strong visual message. Modi is announcing to his fellow citizens and, actually, to the world that India is not going to linger any longer in the waiting room of development. India has, in fact, arrived.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>What better place to announce that other than the city of Ahmedabad-the workplace of the Father of the Nation. In one masterstroke, Modi connects his personal achievement with the most glorious saga of India&#39;s independence movement.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Somewhere, imperceptibly, India and Gujarat, Gandhi and Modi, Gujarati <em>asmita</em> and Indian nationalism get merged.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>That perhaps is the unstated goal. &nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)</em></p>


Ahmedabad represents Modi's future plan for India. It shows India's enterprising nature at its best.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been given a red carpet welcome in Ahmedabad at Gujarat. This is not the first time that a foreign dignitary after an initial stopover at the national capital was taken to Modi's state of Gujarat. The Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe paid a visit to the western state too. As did the Chinese premier Xi Jinping in 2014. It leaves us wondering why these visits to Gujarat is being so strongly encouraged. And, why the foreign dignitaries agree to visit the state amidst a tight itinerary. What appeal does Gujarat, or more specifically, Ahmedabad hold for both the parties? Ahmedabad is not India's political nerve center, New Delhi is. Ahmedabad is not the place where the IT industry flourished as is the case with Bengaluru. Nor is Ahmedabad India's business capital; a mantle given to Mumbai for a longest possible time now. Then why Ahmedabad? Foreign dignitaries visiting the US limit their stay to Washinton DC. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited NYC after his initial meeting with President Obama in DC. But that is because of the large diaspora of Indians present in the tri-state area of New York-New Jersey-Connecticut. It was not a visit organised by the Obama administration. It was Indian businessmen who organised it. The same thing can be said about Modi's visit to the Silicon Valley. It was an Indian initiative spearheaded by Indian corporate honchos in the US. But Gujarat does not have either a large Israeli, Japanese or a Chinese diaspora. It is cities, such as Mumbai and Delhi which have flourishing Chabad Houses where thousands of visiting Israelis stay put every year. Decades back when Nehru visited the US, he did take a detour to visit Albert Einstein. Again, a personal visit, undertaken to converse with one of the greatest minds of the twentieth century. Also, the Jewish question needed discussion. Einstein, an active proponent of the Zionist cause, wanted to convince Nehru of the need to support the cause of Israel. Many political analysts wonder whether Modi is going back Gujarat to give these powerful heads of state an idea about his root. It does not seem so. While the modest youth of Modi makes a good fuel for political quibble within India, it does not have the desirable impact at the international arena. Bilateral relationships function better between equals, involving very powerful people. The Language of Power rather than the sympathy card is more effective under the circumstance. If Modi is taking these dignitaries to Ahmedabad, it is to show what he is capable of achieving. Ahmedabad has evolved into swanky city with polished roads, disciplined traffic, shiny public transport. It is a revitalised city, almost creaseless. A poster-boy of Modi's development model. Ahmedabad represents Modi's future plan for India. It shows India's enterprising nature at its best. Leaving behind its more conflicted past, Ahmedabad emerges as India's global city with deep cultural roots. Its identity is very much Hindu, very vegetarian, very businesslike. This unique combination of cultural nationalism with business success is what distinguishes Ahmedabad from Bengaluru. Bengaluru is far too cosmopolitan. More importantly, it is not the creation of Modi. The roadshows with prominent dignitaries on streets of Ahmedabad comes with a strong visual message. Modi is announcing to his fellow citizens and, actually, to the world that India is not going to linger any longer in the waiting room of development. India has, in fact, arrived. What better place to announce that other than the city of Ahmedabad-the workplace of the Father of the Nation. In one masterstroke, Modi connects his personal achievement with the most glorious saga of India's independence movement. Somewhere, imperceptibly, India and Gujarat, Gandhi and Modi, Gujarati asmita and Indian nationalism get merged. That perhaps is the unstated goal. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Why Modi takes Netanyahu to Ahmedabad?

<p>Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu&rsquo;s India visit which comes within months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi&rsquo;s path-breaking visit to Israel marks an interesting template for the bilateral relations. If the July visit set the political tone, this visit adds substance for the future. The second prime ministerial visit to India comes nearly 15 years after Atal Behari Vajpayee rolled out red carpet welcome to Ariel Sharon.&nbsp;</p>

<p>While strategic and economic relations have flourished since the establishment of diplomatic relations in January 1992, Indo-Israeli political engagements have been minimal and often happened when NDA government was in power. Until Modi&rsquo;s election, for example, only two External Affairs Ministers visited Israel, Jaswant Singh in July 2000 and S M Krishna in January 2012. Reciprocal visits from India did not materialise after the visits of President Ezer Weizman in 1996-97 and of Sharon in 2003.&nbsp;</p>

<p>For over two decades, the bilateral relations flourished or were allowed to flourish with little political exchanges between the two countries. Coalition compulsions under the UPA government and the geostrategic situation in the Middle East limited cabinet level exchanges between the two countries. During this phase much of the relations thrived because of various state governments&mdash;ruled by Congress, BJP and others, including the communist parties, who stepped and sought economic cooperation with the Jewish State.</p>

<p>Things changed dramatically since Modi became the prime minister. In tune with his more active engagement with foreign leaders, both bilaterally and multilaterally, Indo-Israeli engagements also expanded considerably. Since May 2014, there were two presidential visits, two prime ministerial visits and visits by External Affairs Minister, Defense Minister and Home Minister.</p>

<p>There were scores of other exchanges, meetings and social media exchanges and interactions between the two political leadership.</p>

<p>These interactions with Israel should not be seen in isolation but viewed within the larger context of Modi&rsquo;s extensive interactions with other Middle East countries.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Since 2014, Indian leaders --president, vice-president, prime minister or external affairs minister&mdash;have visited most of the countries. War-torn countries like Iraq, Syria and Lebanon saw the visit by MoS M J Akbar. Indeed, violence-torn Libya is the only country which did not see a political visit from India since 2014. Moreover, Prime Minister Modi had met a number of Arab-Islamic leaders during multilateral forums and he met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas twice, including hosting him in May last year.</p>

<p>Another interesting pattern is emerging in the Indo-Israel relations. For long military-security consideration has dominated the bilateral relations and is often seen as the core component. Important as they are, the relations are getting diversified and encompass soft, less hyper and even unattractive areas, such as agriculture and water management. The joint statement issued on Monday between the two countries, for example, talks of &ldquo;strategic cooperation in Agriculture and Water.&rdquo; Until now these issues would never make it to the front pages of the media or would have escaped popular attention.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This in practical terms means that Indo-Israeli relations are no longer elite issues to be confined to the national capitals or urban centers but are pushed to rural India. This decentralisation has been taking place for over two decades but now they have assumed the center stage of the bilateral relations.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In short, security would continue to play an important role in the Indo-Israeli relations but its meaning and scope have changed. It is no longer confined to military security and fighting terrorism but also encompasses, food security, water security, environmental security and above energy security. This transformation of the Indo-Israeli ties would play a key role in the coming years.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).</em></p>


Indo-Israeli relations are no longer elite issues to be confined to the national capitals or urban centers but are pushed to rural India.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s India visit which comes within months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s path-breaking visit to Israel marks an interesting template for the bilateral relations. If the July visit set the political tone, this visit adds substance for the future. The second prime ministerial visit to India comes nearly 15 years after Atal Behari Vajpayee rolled out red carpet welcome to Ariel Sharon. While strategic and economic relations have flourished since the establishment of diplomatic relations in January 1992, Indo-Israeli political engagements have been minimal and often happened when NDA government was in power. Until Modi’s election, for example, only two External Affairs Ministers visited Israel, Jaswant Singh in July 2000 and S M Krishna in January 2012. Reciprocal visits from India did not materialise after the visits of President Ezer Weizman in 1996-97 and of Sharon in 2003. For over two decades, the bilateral relations flourished or were allowed to flourish with little political exchanges between the two countries. Coalition compulsions under the UPA government and the geostrategic situation in the Middle East limited cabinet level exchanges between the two countries. During this phase much of the relations thrived because of various state governments—ruled by Congress, BJP and others, including the communist parties, who stepped and sought economic cooperation with the Jewish State. Things changed dramatically since Modi became the prime minister. In tune with his more active engagement with foreign leaders, both bilaterally and multilaterally, Indo-Israeli engagements also expanded considerably. Since May 2014, there were two presidential visits, two prime ministerial visits and visits by External Affairs Minister, Defense Minister and Home Minister. There were scores of other exchanges, meetings and social media exchanges and interactions between the two political leadership. These interactions with Israel should not be seen in isolation but viewed within the larger context of Modi’s extensive interactions with other Middle East countries. Since 2014, Indian leaders --president, vice-president, prime minister or external affairs minister—have visited most of the countries. War-torn countries like Iraq, Syria and Lebanon saw the visit by MoS M J Akbar. Indeed, violence-torn Libya is the only country which did not see a political visit from India since 2014. Moreover, Prime Minister Modi had met a number of Arab-Islamic leaders during multilateral forums and he met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas twice, including hosting him in May last year. Another interesting pattern is emerging in the Indo-Israel relations. For long military-security consideration has dominated the bilateral relations and is often seen as the core component. Important as they are, the relations are getting diversified and encompass soft, less hyper and even unattractive areas, such as agriculture and water management. The joint statement issued on Monday between the two countries, for example, talks of “strategic cooperation in Agriculture and Water.” Until now these issues would never make it to the front pages of the media or would have escaped popular attention. This in practical terms means that Indo-Israeli relations are no longer elite issues to be confined to the national capitals or urban centers but are pushed to rural India. This decentralisation has been taking place for over two decades but now they have assumed the center stage of the bilateral relations. In short, security would continue to play an important role in the Indo-Israeli relations but its meaning and scope have changed. It is no longer confined to military security and fighting terrorism but also encompasses, food security, water security, environmental security and above energy security. This transformation of the Indo-Israeli ties would play a key role in the coming years. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: India-Israel relation takes a new turn beyond terrorism

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