<p>It is not everyday that Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi takes time out to respond to posts on Twitter. After inaugurating the cinema museum in Mumbai on Saturday, the Prime Minister took to Twitter to interact and reply to some of the celbrities who he had met at the event.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
During his inaugural speech, he surprised the Who`s Who of Indian cinema, in Bollywood-esque fashion: "How`s the Josh?"- a line that has nbow become popular thanks to the film 'Uri: The Surgical Strike'. His Bollywood reference welcomed with vociferous applause, and an unequivocal "High Sir."</p>

<p>On Sunday, Prime Minister Modi took time out to reply to many bigwigs of Indian cinema, who took to Twitter to describe their experience of meeting the PM, while some described his speech, and others posted selfies with him.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The wonderful city of Mumbai is now home to the excellent National Museum of Indian Cinema.<br />
<br />
Here are some pictures. <a href="https://t.co/F9Jb9tM8IB">pic.twitter.com/F9Jb9tM8IB</a></p>
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1086678936015097856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p><br />
<img alt="modi" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="f327c7d1-1780-4b9a-8a46-901d9cfc895d" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/modi2.jpg" /></p>

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<p>Expressing her happiness post the event, singer Asha Bhosle wrote: "With the PM of our beloved country and the President of my house. What a beautiful function today-the inauguration of India`s 1st museum of cinema spanning 100 years of Indian film making."</p>

<p>Replying to her post, PM Modi Tweeted, "Asha Ji, thank you for gracing the programme with your presence. The entire nation looks up to you for your stupendous contribution to the film world."</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Asha Ji, thank you for gracing the programme with your presence. The entire nation looks up to you for your stupendous contribution to the film world. <a href="https://twitter.com/ashabhosle?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ashabhosle</a> <a href="https://t.co/wE77ZtZSD0">https://t.co/wE77ZtZSD0</a></p>
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1086841555250499584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>TV anchor and comedian Kapil Sharma, who was also present at the event tweeted, "Respected pm Sh @narendramodi ji,it was nice meeting u n great knowing ur inspiring ideas and progressive views about our film industry and our nation. N sir I must say u have a great sense of humor too! regards(sic)"</p>

<p>To which Modi replied, "When @KapilSharmaK9 appreciates somebody's humour, it sure makes that person happy and I am no exception. Thank you for the kind words Kapil."</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">When <a href="https://twitter.com/KapilSharmaK9?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KapilSharmaK9</a> appreciates somebody's humour, it sure makes that person happy and I am no exception. :)<br />
<br />
Thank you for the kind words Kapil. <a href="https://t.co/SHVTH6vI8p">https://t.co/SHVTH6vI8p</a></p>
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1086840330035519495?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>Music composer A.R. Rahman tweeted a picture with the PM Modi. Replying to the tweet, the Prime Minister wrote, "Happy to have met you."</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Happy to have met you, <a href="https://twitter.com/arrahman?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@arrahman</a>. <a href="https://t.co/QGQSRmMmnU">https://t.co/QGQSRmMmnU</a></p>
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1086840061851623424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>Veteran actor Jeetendra also shared a happy selfie with the Prime Minister post the event. Jeetendra`s daughter Ekta Kapoor later took to her Twitter to share the picture and wrote, "JAI HIND ! my dad`s fan moment !my dad is a big fan of the honourable PRIME MINISTER n today he met him."</p>

<p><img alt="modi" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="df207f88-ab9a-4f95-b9e3-e6442b46bb77" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/modi3.jpg" /></p>

<p>Replying to Ekta`s post, PM Modi wrote, "The entire nation admires Jeetendra Ji for his acting. And, as I said yesterday, he is full of energy!"</p>

<p>Quoting a portion from Narendra Modi`s address veteran filmmaker Subhash Ghai tweeted, "Cinema (and) animation universities are the need of the hour Said our PM Narendra Modi today in Mumbai while inaugurating National Museum of Indian Cinema. Attended by best of bests of Mumbai film industry. It made me proud n humbled."<br />
Prime Minister Narendra Modi responded to the tweet by writing that India has several talented youngsters and also many talented film personalities who can mentor these youth. He added that channelising this talent through such universities can be extremely beneficial.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">We have several talented youngsters and we also have so many talented film personalities who can mentor these youth.<br />
<br />
Channelising this talent through such universities can be extremely beneficial. <a href="https://t.co/o8kxe5wLdw">https://t.co/o8kxe5wLdw</a></p>
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1086839936001531904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>While going through all these posts directed towards him, Prime Minister Modi stumbled upon a funny picture tweeted by actor Kartik Aaryan.In the picture captioned "Losers` backfie with the Honorable PM!" Kartik, along with filmmaker Imtiaz Ali and Karan Johar can be seen posing for a selfie with the Prime Minister`s back visible in the background. The actor called it a `backfie.`Not to be outdone, Modi was at his wittiest best in his reply: "Not losers but Rockstars! No selfie Jab We Met but there will always be another occasion." Prime Minister Modi ended the tweet with a smiley.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Not losers but Rockstars!<br />
<br />
No selfie Jab We Met but there will always be another occasion. :) <a href="https://t.co/1Ud7D5jIvd">https://t.co/1Ud7D5jIvd</a></p>
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1086976920842051585?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Prime Minister Modi also responded to tweets from Bhushan Kumar, Kunal Kohli, Siddharth Kannan, Manoj Joshi, Divya Dutta and R Madhavan.&nbsp;</p>


It is not everyday that Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi takes time out to respond to posts on Twitter. After inaugurating the cinema museum in Mumbai on Saturday, the Prime Minister took to Twitter to interact and reply to some of the celbrities who he had met at the event.

It is not everyday that Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi takes time out to respond to posts on Twitter. After inaugurating the cinema museum in Mumbai on Saturday, the Prime Minister took to Twitter to interact and reply to some of the celbrities who he had met at the event. During his inaugural speech, he surprised the Who`s Who of Indian cinema, in Bollywood-esque fashion: "How`s the Josh?"- a line that has nbow become popular thanks to the film 'Uri: The Surgical Strike'. His Bollywood reference welcomed with vociferous applause, and an unequivocal "High Sir." On Sunday, Prime Minister Modi took time out to reply to many bigwigs of Indian cinema, who took to Twitter to describe their experience of meeting the PM, while some described his speech, and others posted selfies with him. The wonderful city of Mumbai is now home to the excellent National Museum of Indian Cinema. Here are some pictures. pic.twitter.com/F9Jb9tM8IB — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 19, 2019 × Expressing her happiness post the event, singer Asha Bhosle wrote: "With the PM of our beloved country and the President of my house. What a beautiful function today-the inauguration of India`s 1st museum of cinema spanning 100 years of Indian film making." Replying to her post, PM Modi Tweeted, "Asha Ji, thank you for gracing the programme with your presence. The entire nation looks up to you for your stupendous contribution to the film world." Asha Ji, thank you for gracing the programme with your presence. The entire nation looks up to you for your stupendous contribution to the film world. @ashabhosle https://t.co/wE77ZtZSD0 — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 20, 2019 × TV anchor and comedian Kapil Sharma, who was also present at the event tweeted, "Respected pm Sh @narendramodi ji,it was nice meeting u n great knowing ur inspiring ideas and progressive views about our film industry and our nation. N sir I must say u have a great sense of humor too! regards(sic)" To which Modi replied, "When @KapilSharmaK9 appreciates somebody's humour, it sure makes that person happy and I am no exception. Thank you for the kind words Kapil." When @KapilSharmaK9 appreciates somebody's humour, it sure makes that person happy and I am no exception. :) Thank you for the kind words Kapil. https://t.co/SHVTH6vI8p — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 20, 2019 × Music composer A.R. Rahman tweeted a picture with the PM Modi. Replying to the tweet, the Prime Minister wrote, "Happy to have met you." Happy to have met you, @arrahman. https://t.co/QGQSRmMmnU — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 20, 2019 × Veteran actor Jeetendra also shared a happy selfie with the Prime Minister post the event. Jeetendra`s daughter Ekta Kapoor later took to her Twitter to share the picture and wrote, "JAI HIND ! my dad`s fan moment !my dad is a big fan of the honourable PRIME MINISTER n today he met him." Replying to Ekta`s post, PM Modi wrote, "The entire nation admires Jeetendra Ji for his acting. And, as I said yesterday, he is full of energy!" Quoting a portion from Narendra Modi`s address veteran filmmaker Subhash Ghai tweeted, "Cinema (and) animation universities are the need of the hour Said our PM Narendra Modi today in Mumbai while inaugurating National Museum of Indian Cinema. Attended by best of bests of Mumbai film industry. It made me proud n humbled." Prime Minister Narendra Modi responded to the tweet by writing that India has several talented youngsters and also many talented film personalities who can mentor these youth. He added that channelising this talent through such universities can be extremely beneficial. We have several talented youngsters and we also have so many talented film personalities who can mentor these youth. Channelising this talent through such universities can be extremely beneficial. https://t.co/o8kxe5wLdw — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 20, 2019 × While going through all these posts directed towards him, Prime Minister Modi stumbled upon a funny picture tweeted by actor Kartik Aaryan.In the picture captioned "Losers` backfie with the Honorable PM!" Kartik, along with filmmaker Imtiaz Ali and Karan Johar can be seen posing for a selfie with the Prime Minister`s back visible in the background. The actor called it a `backfie.`Not to be outdone, Modi was at his wittiest best in his reply: "Not losers but Rockstars! No selfie Jab We Met but there will always be another occasion." Prime Minister Modi ended the tweet with a smiley. Not losers but Rockstars! No selfie Jab We Met but there will always be another occasion. :) https://t.co/1Ud7D5jIvd — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 20, 2019 × Prime Minister Modi also responded to tweets from Bhushan Kumar, Kunal Kohli, Siddharth Kannan, Manoj Joshi, Divya Dutta and R Madhavan.

When PM Modi indulged in some Twitter conversations with Bollywood stars

<p>Bollywood star Anil Kapoor opened up about his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the trailer launch event of his latest film 'Total Dhamaal' on Monday in Mumbai.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/anil-kapoor-meets-pm-modi-says-i-stand-humbled-and-inspired-190908">Kapoor said his meeting with the PM </a>was destined to happen and it was inspirational for him to meet someone who has been working hard for the country.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"It was absolutely wonderful meeting Modiji. I wanted to meet him for the last couple of years. But it never happened. I think some meetings are destined. It was my privilege and honour to meet him. He is an&nbsp;inspirational figure and I do not think I have seen an individual who is working so hard for the nation."</p>

<p>While Kapoor was all praises for the PM, he steered clear of answering questions about the upcoming elections. Kapoor was asked whether he thought Modi should get another term at the office and the actor said, "Obviously that is for all of us to see what happens in the elections. But this is not a platform where we can discuss politics."</p>

<p>PM Modi has met and interacted with a spate of Bollywood stars in recent times. A <a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/ranveer-singh-vicky-kaushal-alia-bhatt-and-others-feature-in-selfie-of-the-year-with-pm-modi-189416">14 member delegation of young Bollywood stars</a> had recently met the PM in New Delhi and discussed how cinema could help in nation building. <a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/when-pm-modi-indulged-in-some-twitter-conversations-with-bollywood-stars-191728">Modi also interacted with Bollywood stalwarts</a> like Asha Bhosle, Aamir Khan, Manoj Kumar at the opening ceremony of cinema museum in Mumbai on Saturday.&nbsp;</p>


Bollywood star Anil Kapoor opened up about his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the trailer launch event of his latest film 'Total Dhamaal' on Monday in Mumbai.

Bollywood star Anil Kapoor opened up about his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the trailer launch event of his latest film 'Total Dhamaal' on Monday in Mumbai. Kapoor said his meeting with the PM was destined to happen and it was inspirational for him to meet someone who has been working hard for the country. "It was absolutely wonderful meeting Modiji. I wanted to meet him for the last couple of years. But it never happened. I think some meetings are destined. It was my privilege and honour to meet him. He is an inspirational figure and I do not think I have seen an individual who is working so hard for the nation." While Kapoor was all praises for the PM, he steered clear of answering questions about the upcoming elections. Kapoor was asked whether he thought Modi should get another term at the office and the actor said, "Obviously that is for all of us to see what happens in the elections. But this is not a platform where we can discuss politics." PM Modi has met and interacted with a spate of Bollywood stars in recent times. A 14 member delegation of young Bollywood stars had recently met the PM in New Delhi and discussed how cinema could help in nation building. Modi also interacted with Bollywood stalwarts like Asha Bhosle, Aamir Khan, Manoj Kumar at the opening ceremony of cinema museum in Mumbai on Saturday.

Anil Kapoor on meeting PM Modi: Never seen anyone work so hard for the nation

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/once-fragile-indian-economy-now-worlds-fastest-growing-pm-modi-191614">Prime Minister Narendra Modi</a> will visit Jammu and Kashmir on February 3 to lay the foundation stone for and inaugurate various projects in all three regions of the state, BJP general secretary Ram Madhav said on Sunday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He said Modi will lay the foundation stone for and inaugurate projects worth Rs 35,000 crore and Rs 9,000 crore in Jammu and Kashmir, respectively, during his visit.</p>

<p>"The prime minister is visiting the state next month and will visit Leh, Jammu and Srinagar. He will address a mega rally in Jammu in which over two lakh people are expected to turn up," Madhav told reporters here.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He said Modi will lay the foundation stone for AIIMS, IIM, IIT, Jammu-Akhnoor road, Shahpur-Kandi road, Sunderbani college and IIMC in Jammu during his visit.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The prime minister will also inaugurate an engineering college in Kathua and the Jammu ropeway project, he added. Responding to a question, the BJP general secretary said, "We tried to take forward many projects being part of the previous government, like AIIMS. It was due to our efforts that we brought one AIIMS for Jammu even when in rest of the country only one AIIMS was given to each state."&nbsp;</p>

<p>Madhav alleged that several projects were delayed due to the Peoples Democratic Party - the BJP's coalition partner in the erstwhile state government. "We undertook many projects like this. However, the coalition partner used to slow down the process, otherwise it could have been done earlier," he said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He said the BJP will continue its efforts to ensure all-round development in the three regions of the state.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The party was also making efforts to ensure reservation for the Pahari speaking people and divisional status for the region of Ladakh, Madhav said. "We are making a demand to the governor administration to grant reservation to the Pahari people, who are mostly residing in Jammu, and the divisional status to Ladakh before the prime minister's visit to the state," he said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He asked party leaders and workers to work hard for to make Modi's visit successful</p>


Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Jammu and Kashmir on February 3 to lay the foundation stone for and inaugurate various projects in all three regions of the state, BJP general secretary Ram Madhav said on Sunday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Jammu and Kashmir on February 3 to lay the foundation stone for and inaugurate various projects in all three regions of the state, BJP general secretary Ram Madhav said on Sunday. He said Modi will lay the foundation stone for and inaugurate projects worth Rs 35,000 crore and Rs 9,000 crore in Jammu and Kashmir, respectively, during his visit. "The prime minister is visiting the state next month and will visit Leh, Jammu and Srinagar. He will address a mega rally in Jammu in which over two lakh people are expected to turn up," Madhav told reporters here. He said Modi will lay the foundation stone for AIIMS, IIM, IIT, Jammu-Akhnoor road, Shahpur-Kandi road, Sunderbani college and IIMC in Jammu during his visit. The prime minister will also inaugurate an engineering college in Kathua and the Jammu ropeway project, he added. Responding to a question, the BJP general secretary said, "We tried to take forward many projects being part of the previous government, like AIIMS. It was due to our efforts that we brought one AIIMS for Jammu even when in rest of the country only one AIIMS was given to each state." Madhav alleged that several projects were delayed due to the Peoples Democratic Party - the BJP's coalition partner in the erstwhile state government. "We undertook many projects like this. However, the coalition partner used to slow down the process, otherwise it could have been done earlier," he said. He said the BJP will continue its efforts to ensure all-round development in the three regions of the state. The party was also making efforts to ensure reservation for the Pahari speaking people and divisional status for the region of Ladakh, Madhav said. "We are making a demand to the governor administration to grant reservation to the Pahari people, who are mostly residing in Jammu, and the divisional status to Ladakh before the prime minister's visit to the state," he said. He asked party leaders and workers to work hard for to make Modi's visit successful

PM Modi to visit Jammu and Kashmir on February 3: Ram Madhav 

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/those-stopped-from-looting-public-money-are-forming-mahagathbandhan-pm-modi-191517">Prime Minister Narendra Modi</a> on Sunday said the country had transformed from among the "fragile five" nations to the world's fastest-growing economy.</p>

<p>He was addressing the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) booth-level workers through video-conferencing and was speaking against the backdrop of the "#5yearchallenge" currently trending on social media platforms.</p>

<p>"Earlier, Indian governments used to remain in national and international headlines for scams. Nowadays, there is no discussion on scams, but on new schemes," Modi said, adding that the country had moved from scams to schemes in the last five years.</p>

<p>Five years ago, the world saw India as a nation from where news about scams, electricity shortage and financial crises emanated, the prime minister said.</p>

<p>This perspective, he added, had changed and the world now viewed the country with "vishwas" (belief and trust).</p>

<p>Touching on the topic of Maoist violence, Modi said the menace was once overpowering but now, had been contained and restricted to very few districts.</p>

<p>He added that the bravery of security forces and people's support over the last five years had ensured that the nation had won the battle against&nbsp;<br />
Maoist violence.</p>

<p>Five years ago, there used to be headlines that the country did not have enough toilets, causing embarrassment to women, Modi said.</p>

<p>Now, nine crore toilets had been constructed and sanitation coverage in the country had gone up from 38 per cent (when the National Democratic Alliance came to power in 2014) to 98 per cent, he added.</p>

<p>There was a time when 70 crore Indians had to go without electricity due to the failure of the northern (power) grid, he said, adding that today, several crore households had received electricity connection.</p>

<p>The prime minister said the country's economy, which had once faced the challenge of high inflation and low growth, was now witnessing a low inflation and high growth -- a transformation that had happened over the last four-and-a-half years.&nbsp;</p>


Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the country had transformed from among the "fragile five" nations to the world's fastest-growing economy. He was addressing the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) booth-level workers through video-conferencing and was speaking against the backdrop of the "#5yearchallenge" currently trending on social media platforms.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the country had transformed from among the "fragile five" nations to the world's fastest-growing economy. He was addressing the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) booth-level workers through video-conferencing and was speaking against the backdrop of the "#5yearchallenge" currently trending on social media platforms. "Earlier, Indian governments used to remain in national and international headlines for scams. Nowadays, there is no discussion on scams, but on new schemes," Modi said, adding that the country had moved from scams to schemes in the last five years. Five years ago, the world saw India as a nation from where news about scams, electricity shortage and financial crises emanated, the prime minister said. This perspective, he added, had changed and the world now viewed the country with "vishwas" (belief and trust). Touching on the topic of Maoist violence, Modi said the menace was once overpowering but now, had been contained and restricted to very few districts. He added that the bravery of security forces and people's support over the last five years had ensured that the nation had won the battle against Maoist violence. Five years ago, there used to be headlines that the country did not have enough toilets, causing embarrassment to women, Modi said. Now, nine crore toilets had been constructed and sanitation coverage in the country had gone up from 38 per cent (when the National Democratic Alliance came to power in 2014) to 98 per cent, he added. There was a time when 70 crore Indians had to go without electricity due to the failure of the northern (power) grid, he said, adding that today, several crore households had received electricity connection. The prime minister said the country's economy, which had once faced the challenge of high inflation and low growth, was now witnessing a low inflation and high growth -- a transformation that had happened over the last four-and-a-half years.

Once 'fragile', Indian economy now world's fastest-growing: PM Modi

<p>Accusing the opposition of spreading misinformation in the Rafale deal, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Saturday wondered whether they were becoming pawns in corporate rivalry and whether the procurement of 36 fighter jets was being "sabotaged."</p>

<p>During her address at an event here, Sitharaman said ever since the Modi government came to power, there was a conscious effort to keep middlemen at bay from the corridors of the Defence Ministry.</p>

<p>"I want every strand of this debate to be explained, as much as it can be, without any of us playing into the hands of international corporate warfare. None of us should play party to any corporate warfare.</p>

<p>"We cannot become pawns in the hands of the corporate giants to constantly bully the government, to constantly throw misinformation at the public, to misinform the public," she said.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Nirmala Sitharaman: If their intention is to sabotage even this procurement (Rafale), to stop the purchase even now, that's the icing on the cake as regards disservice to the nation. Icing on the cake is a wrong expression but just the cruel last hit towards serving this nation. <a href="https://t.co/I9MCNptrrJ">pic.twitter.com/I9MCNptrrJ</a></p>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1086648776893386752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>Her attack on the opposition parties comes a day after a newspaper report claimed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to buy 36 Rafale jets, instead of 126 as negotiated by the previous UPA government, was taken while bypassing mandated procedures, pushing the price of each aircraft by 41.42 per cent. The Congress has launched a fresh salvo at the government on the Rafale deal citing this report.</p>

<p>Sitharaman was addressing a seminar on 'India's Strategic Interest in Context of the Rafale Deal'. She accused the opposition of doing a "disservice" to the nation by misinforming the public on the fighter jet deal.</p>

<p>"You (opposition) are misinforming the public and doing disservice to the country if you are becoming pawns in corporate rivalry. Is India's interest at the top of your agenda or are you becoming a partner to some kind of corporate rivalry," she asked.</p>

<p>"Is your intention to sabotage this procurement? If the intention is to stop the purchase, (then) that's disservice to the nation," she said.</p>


Accusing the opposition of spreading misinformation in the Rafale deal, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Saturday wondered whether they were becoming pawns in corporate rivalry and whether the procurement of 36 fighter jets was being "sabotaged.

Accusing the opposition of spreading misinformation in the Rafale deal, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Saturday wondered whether they were becoming pawns in corporate rivalry and whether the procurement of 36 fighter jets was being "sabotaged." During her address at an event here, Sitharaman said ever since the Modi government came to power, there was a conscious effort to keep middlemen at bay from the corridors of the Defence Ministry. "I want every strand of this debate to be explained, as much as it can be, without any of us playing into the hands of international corporate warfare. None of us should play party to any corporate warfare. "We cannot become pawns in the hands of the corporate giants to constantly bully the government, to constantly throw misinformation at the public, to misinform the public," she said. Nirmala Sitharaman: If their intention is to sabotage even this procurement (Rafale), to stop the purchase even now, that's the icing on the cake as regards disservice to the nation. Icing on the cake is a wrong expression but just the cruel last hit towards serving this nation. pic.twitter.com/I9MCNptrrJ — ANI (@ANI) January 19, 2019 × Her attack on the opposition parties comes a day after a newspaper report claimed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to buy 36 Rafale jets, instead of 126 as negotiated by the previous UPA government, was taken while bypassing mandated procedures, pushing the price of each aircraft by 41.42 per cent. The Congress has launched a fresh salvo at the government on the Rafale deal citing this report. Sitharaman was addressing a seminar on 'India's Strategic Interest in Context of the Rafale Deal'. She accused the opposition of doing a "disservice" to the nation by misinforming the public on the fighter jet deal. "You (opposition) are misinforming the public and doing disservice to the country if you are becoming pawns in corporate rivalry. Is India's interest at the top of your agenda or are you becoming a partner to some kind of corporate rivalry," she asked. "Is your intention to sabotage this procurement? If the intention is to stop the purchase, (then) that's disservice to the nation," she said.

Rafale deal: Sitharaman asks whether opposition being used in game of corporate rivalry

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/mahagathbandhan-is-not-against-me-but-people-of-india-pm-modi-in-gujarat-191429">Prime Minister Narendra Modi</a> on Saturday said films and society are reflections of each other and like cinema, India too is changing with times.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The prime minister was speaking at the inauguration of the National Museum of Indian Cinema, Mumbai.</p>

<p>"The country is changing and finding its own solutions. If there are a million problems, there are also a billion solutions," the PM said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Films have an important role in India's soft power," Modi said while narrating how he was struck by the popularity of Indian films overseas when he met and interacted with the leaders of foreign countries.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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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 Modi asks "How's the josh?" at the inauguration of National Museum of Indian Cinema in Mumbai. <a href="https://t.co/KgcqJoKtYp">pic.twitter.com/KgcqJoKtYp</a></p>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1086599113691578368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>He assured the film industry that effective steps are being taken to curb piracy and 'camcording'.</p>

<p>"A single-window system for obtaining permissions for film shoots and related matters are on the anvil," he said.</p>

<p>Like the World Economic Forum summit in Davos, there could be a global film summit in India, the prime minister suggested.</p>

<p>"Films also play a big role in the growth of the tourism sector, which gives employment to even the poorest people, even 'chaiwala' makes money when tourism grows," he said.</p>


Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said films and society are reflections of each other and like cinema, India too is changing with times. The prime minister was speaking at the inauguration of the National Museum of Indian Cinema, Mumbai.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said films and society are reflections of each other and like cinema, India too is changing with times. The prime minister was speaking at the inauguration of the National Museum of Indian Cinema, Mumbai. "The country is changing and finding its own solutions. If there are a million problems, there are also a billion solutions," the PM said. "Films have an important role in India's soft power," Modi said while narrating how he was struck by the popularity of Indian films overseas when he met and interacted with the leaders of foreign countries. #WATCH: PM Modi asks "How's the josh?" at the inauguration of National Museum of Indian Cinema in Mumbai. pic.twitter.com/KgcqJoKtYp — ANI (@ANI) January 19, 2019 × He assured the film industry that effective steps are being taken to curb piracy and 'camcording'. "A single-window system for obtaining permissions for film shoots and related matters are on the anvil," he said. Like the World Economic Forum summit in Davos, there could be a global film summit in India, the prime minister suggested. "Films also play a big role in the growth of the tourism sector, which gives employment to even the poorest people, even 'chaiwala' makes money when tourism grows," he said.

For million problems in India, there are billion solutions, says PM Modi

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/mahagathbandhan-is-not-against-me-but-people-of-india-pm-modi-in-gujarat-191429">Prime Minister Narendra Modi</a> on Saturday said films and society are a reflection of each other and like cinema, India too is changing with times.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The prime minister was speaking at the inauguration of the National Museum of Indian Cinema here.</p>

<p>"The country is changing and finding its own solutions. If there are a million problems, there are also a billion solutions," the PM said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Films have an important role in India's soft power," Modi said while narrating how he was struck by the popularity of Indian films overseas when he met and interacted with the leaders of foreign countries.</p>

<p>He assured the film industry that effective steps are being taken to curb piracy and "camcording".</p>

<p>"A single-window system for obtaining permissions for film shoots and related matters are on the anvil," he said.</p>

<p>Like the World Economic Forum summit in Davos, there could be a global film summit in India, the prime minister suggested.</p>

<p>"Films also play a big role in the growth of the tourism sector, which gives employment to even the poorest people, even 'chaiwala' makes money when tourism grows," he said.</p>


The prime minister was speaking at the inauguration of the National Museum of Indian Cinema here.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said films and society are a reflection of each other and like cinema, India too is changing with times. The prime minister was speaking at the inauguration of the National Museum of Indian Cinema here. "The country is changing and finding its own solutions. If there are a million problems, there are also a billion solutions," the PM said. "Films have an important role in India's soft power," Modi said while narrating how he was struck by the popularity of Indian films overseas when he met and interacted with the leaders of foreign countries. He assured the film industry that effective steps are being taken to curb piracy and "camcording". "A single-window system for obtaining permissions for film shoots and related matters are on the anvil," he said. Like the World Economic Forum summit in Davos, there could be a global film summit in India, the prime minister suggested. "Films also play a big role in the growth of the tourism sector, which gives employment to even the poorest people, even 'chaiwala' makes money when tourism grows," he said.

For million problems in India, there are billion solutions: PM Modi

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday boarded a tank while inspecting Larsen and Toubro's Armoured Systems Complex facility here for manufacturing high-end guns.</p>

<p>The prime minister shared a brief video of himself standing in a tank on his Twitter handle.</p>

<p>"Checking out the tanks at L&amp;T's Armoured Systems Complex in Hazira," Modi said in the tweet.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Checking out the tanks at L&amp;T’s Armoured Systems Complex in Hazira. <a href="https://t.co/zf7wRrbX7Y">pic.twitter.com/zf7wRrbX7Y</a></p>
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1086515992124186624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>The Armoured Systems Complex, which Modi inaugurated earlier in the day, will be the first private facility in the country where the K9 Vajra self-<br />
propelled Howitzer guns will be manufactured.</p>

<p><img alt="Modi in Gujarat" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="99725ce7-b109-4a91-b00b-0d9a188ca205" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%281%29_7.jpg" /></p>

<p>The company has set up the Armoured Systems Complex at Hazira, around 30 kilometres from Surat, to manufacture and integrate advanced armoured platforms, such as self-propelled artillery Howitzers, future infantry combat vehicles, future-ready combat vehicles and future main battle tanks.</p>


Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday boarded a tank while inspecting Larsen and Toubro's Armoured Systems Complex facility here for manufacturing high-end guns.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday boarded a tank while inspecting Larsen and Toubro's Armoured Systems Complex facility here for manufacturing high-end guns. The prime minister shared a brief video of himself standing in a tank on his Twitter handle. "Checking out the tanks at L&T's Armoured Systems Complex in Hazira," Modi said in the tweet. Checking out the tanks at L&T’s Armoured Systems Complex in Hazira. pic.twitter.com/zf7wRrbX7Y — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 19, 2019 × The Armoured Systems Complex, which Modi inaugurated earlier in the day, will be the first private facility in the country where the K9 Vajra self- propelled Howitzer guns will be manufactured. The company has set up the Armoured Systems Complex at Hazira, around 30 kilometres from Surat, to manufacture and integrate advanced armoured platforms, such as self-propelled artillery Howitzers, future infantry combat vehicles, future-ready combat vehicles and future main battle tanks.

Modi boards tank at L&T's gun-making facility in Gujarat

<p>Trade, economic ties, healthcare were the major issues discussed in the meeting held between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Maltese counterpart Joseph Muscat in Gandhi Nagar, ahead of the '9th Vibrant Gujarat Summit'&nbsp;on Friday.</p>

<p>The two leaders also agreed to enhance mutual cooperation in sectors such as renewable energy, pharmaceuticals and healthcare, air connectivity and tourism.</p>

<p>Apart from Muscat, Prime Minister of Czech Republic Andrej Babis, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Prime Minister of Denmark Lars Løkke Rasmussen have also arrived in Gujarat to attend the Summit.</p>

<p>More than 30,000 national and international delegates, including CEOs of major firms from India and abroad, are expected to attend the biennial three-day event in Gandhinagar.</p>

<p>The Vibrant Gujarat Global Trade Show is being held on a two lakh square metres plot of land situated in Gandhinagar. More than 20 industrial and business sectors will showcase their products at the event.</p>

<p>This mega trade show will continue till January 22 and will be open for general public on the last two days - January 21 and 22.</p>


Trade, economic ties, healthcare were the major issues discussed in the meeting held between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Maltese counterpart Joseph Muscat in Gandhi Nagar, ahead of the '9th Vibrant Gujarat Summit' on Friday.

Trade, economic ties, healthcare were the major issues discussed in the meeting held between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Maltese counterpart Joseph Muscat in Gandhi Nagar, ahead of the '9th Vibrant Gujarat Summit' on Friday. The two leaders also agreed to enhance mutual cooperation in sectors such as renewable energy, pharmaceuticals and healthcare, air connectivity and tourism. Apart from Muscat, Prime Minister of Czech Republic Andrej Babis, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Prime Minister of Denmark Lars Løkke Rasmussen have also arrived in Gujarat to attend the Summit. More than 30,000 national and international delegates, including CEOs of major firms from India and abroad, are expected to attend the biennial three-day event in Gandhinagar. The Vibrant Gujarat Global Trade Show is being held on a two lakh square metres plot of land situated in Gandhinagar. More than 20 industrial and business sectors will showcase their products at the event. This mega trade show will continue till January 22 and will be open for general public on the last two days - January 21 and 22.

PM Modi meets foreign dignitaries ahead of 9th Vibrant Gujarat Summit

<p>No one has ever suggested that the USA is one of India’s neighbours but events ever since our independence and partition of India have conspired in a strange manner to make that superpower the dominating presence in South Asia.&nbsp;</p>

<p>One slightly galling reminder of ground reality is the manner in which President Trump mocked Modi’s attempt to help Afghanistan by building libraries in that unfortunate war-torn, landlocked country.</p>

<p>To begin with, it was the cold war compulsions that rendered Pakistan particularly attractive to American establishment. This is not the place to go into details of how the military alliance that was forged to contain communism in Asia derailed Pakistan’s democracy and paved the way for the ruthless and corrupt military dictatorship in that land.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Ironically, when the chips were down the USA failed to come to Pakistan’s rescue. Despite all the bluster and bullying Nixon and Kissinger failed to browbeat Mrs. Indira Gandhi - who oversaw the break up of Pakistan and assisted in the birth of Bangladesh. Much water has flown under many bridges since then but the US has chosen not to remove its blinkers regarding Pakistan. It continues to equate Pakistan with India and provides generous, ill-deserved economic assistance to keep afloat the ‘failed state’.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Pakistan exploited to the hilt the presence of Soviet Armed Forces in Afghanistan in the 1970s to ingratiate itself with the USA. To cut a long and convoluted story very short the CIA colluded with ISI to raise a crop of Taliban to oust the Russians from Afghanistan. The strategy bore the desired result and the regime change was accomplished. But very soon the US found out that they had created a Frankenstein’s monster. They were riding a Tiger they dared not dismount. The meltdown of Afghanistan impacted adversely on Pakistan. The influx of refugees, smugglers and assorted outlaws in the provinces adjacent to strife-torn Afghanistan made Pakistan unstable and more difficult than ever before to govern.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The reign of Gen Zia aggravated the crisis by initiating Islamisation of the polity and the army. As a matter of fact, despite all his suave exterior, it was Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto who had set Pakistan on an irreversible course of identifying with the aggressive interpretation of Islam. To match India’s nuclear power he swore to make an Islamic Bomb aligning himself with Saudi Arabs and the Libyans. Amazingly, he succeeded in performing brilliantly on the tightrope for quite some time. He persuaded the US that he could be useful in building bridges with the Chinese. Hubris led mercurial Bhutto to his doom but Pakistan’s close ties with the USA survived a period of unprecedented volatility.&nbsp;</p>

<p>More recently, even after the US blew to smithereens the concept of Pakistan’s national sovereignty by exterminating Osama Bin Laden in a safe house next to the Military Cantonment in Abbottabad, it did not take long to regain equilibrium of sorts. What needs to be underlined here is the fact that the stresses and strains in US-Pak relations have never benefitted India. On the contrary, more than one POTUS, be he a Democrat or a Republican, has in his wisdom advised India to be patient with Pakistan- itself a dubious victim of terrorism!</p>

<p>Our economic and strategic ties with the USA have grown in steadily in the past decade and a half and it is difficult to imagine that they will not critically influence our bilateral and multilateral relations with all of our neighbours. America may not be as proximate as China and Russia but we better start looking at it as a 'Big Brotherly Neighbour'.&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>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


No one has ever suggested that the USA is one of India’s neighbours but events ever since our independence and partition of India have conspired in a strange manner to make that superpower the dominating presence in South Asia.

No one has ever suggested that the USA is one of India’s neighbours but events ever since our independence and partition of India have conspired in a strange manner to make that superpower the dominating presence in South Asia. One slightly galling reminder of ground reality is the manner in which President Trump mocked Modi’s attempt to help Afghanistan by building libraries in that unfortunate war-torn, landlocked country. To begin with, it was the cold war compulsions that rendered Pakistan particularly attractive to American establishment. This is not the place to go into details of how the military alliance that was forged to contain communism in Asia derailed Pakistan’s democracy and paved the way for the ruthless and corrupt military dictatorship in that land. Ironically, when the chips were down the USA failed to come to Pakistan’s rescue. Despite all the bluster and bullying Nixon and Kissinger failed to browbeat Mrs. Indira Gandhi - who oversaw the break up of Pakistan and assisted in the birth of Bangladesh. Much water has flown under many bridges since then but the US has chosen not to remove its blinkers regarding Pakistan. It continues to equate Pakistan with India and provides generous, ill-deserved economic assistance to keep afloat the ‘failed state’. Pakistan exploited to the hilt the presence of Soviet Armed Forces in Afghanistan in the 1970s to ingratiate itself with the USA. To cut a long and convoluted story very short the CIA colluded with ISI to raise a crop of Taliban to oust the Russians from Afghanistan. The strategy bore the desired result and the regime change was accomplished. But very soon the US found out that they had created a Frankenstein’s monster. They were riding a Tiger they dared not dismount. The meltdown of Afghanistan impacted adversely on Pakistan. The influx of refugees, smugglers and assorted outlaws in the provinces adjacent to strife-torn Afghanistan made Pakistan unstable and more difficult than ever before to govern. The reign of Gen Zia aggravated the crisis by initiating Islamisation of the polity and the army. As a matter of fact, despite all his suave exterior, it was Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto who had set Pakistan on an irreversible course of identifying with the aggressive interpretation of Islam. To match India’s nuclear power he swore to make an Islamic Bomb aligning himself with Saudi Arabs and the Libyans. Amazingly, he succeeded in performing brilliantly on the tightrope for quite some time. He persuaded the US that he could be useful in building bridges with the Chinese. Hubris led mercurial Bhutto to his doom but Pakistan’s close ties with the USA survived a period of unprecedented volatility. More recently, even after the US blew to smithereens the concept of Pakistan’s national sovereignty by exterminating Osama Bin Laden in a safe house next to the Military Cantonment in Abbottabad, it did not take long to regain equilibrium of sorts. What needs to be underlined here is the fact that the stresses and strains in US-Pak relations have never benefitted India. On the contrary, more than one POTUS, be he a Democrat or a Republican, has in his wisdom advised India to be patient with Pakistan- itself a dubious victim of terrorism! Our economic and strategic ties with the USA have grown in steadily in the past decade and a half and it is difficult to imagine that they will not critically influence our bilateral and multilateral relations with all of our neighbours. America may not be as proximate as China and Russia but we better start looking at it as a 'Big Brotherly Neighbour'. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Ups and downs in US-Pakistan relations: What does it mean for India?

<p>The last two months have not brought good news for the BJP. The party lost elections in the three Hindi heartland states. The CBI and Justice Sikri episodes have created unnecessary controversy.</p>

<p>It is facing a spirited Congress attack on social media. To top it all, the SP and the BSP have announced a formidable alliance for the forthcoming polls in Uttar Pradesh, which accounted for one-fourth of BJP’s tally in 2014. Suddenly, what looked like an easy sail through for the party in 2019, has turned into a tight, wide open contest.</p>

<p>BJP recognises it has an uphill task at hand and the stupendous verdict 2014 could be termed as an outlier.</p>

<p>The party has affected big organisational changes recently. The most important among them is the appointment of the three ex-chief ministers – Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Vasundhara Raje and Raman Singh as national vice-presidents.</p>

<p>The party strategy is to use the experience and charisma of these leaders, especially in the Hindi heartland and reduce the load of Narendra Modi to some extent, who can then focus on greenfield areas like East and South of India.</p>

<p>This step also helps soothe the taut nerves of upper caste and OBCs who form the core vote bank of the party.</p>

<p>In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, these sections accounting for 60 per cent of the population, voted overwhelmingly for the BJP and its allies.</p>

<p>After the losses, notes of dissent have come out in the open with party veterans questioning the approach of the Modi-Shah duo.</p>

<p>These appointments may have been done to quell such noises. With Sushma Swaraj announcing that she will not contest 2019 polls, BJP now lacks a pan-India woman leader with mass appeal. Raje fills this gap. With many flagship schemes of the government — Ujjwala, Awas, Swachch Bharat, Saubhagya — to name only a few aimed at women beneficiaries, this strategy may pay rich dividends.</p>

<p>The Modi-Shah duo now wants to win at any cost and the Prime Minister has not been shy of campaigning extensively even in state polls.</p>

<p>Another appointment, which has caught everyone’s attention is of Gordhan Zadafia, once a bitter critic of Modi belonging to the rival Sanjay Joshi camp, who has been made in-charge of the most important state of Uttar Pradesh. The party faced a lot of flak, especially from the upper castes, for nullifying the Supreme Court order on SC-ST Atrocities Act.</p>

<p>The SC-STs overwhelmingly voted against the party recently in the three states where it was in power. BJP won 128 SC-ST reserved seats in these states in 2013, which fell by more than half to 59 in 2018.</p>

<p>A section of upper caste disillusioned with the party pressed NOTA, stayed at home, some even voting for Sapaks, a party championing upper caste rights.</p>

<p>The party had to face reversals in belts where upper caste formed a significant proportion of population like Gwalior-Chambal in Madhya Pradesh.</p>

<p>Even OBCs, staunch supporters of the BJP, switched sides in Chhattisgarh.</p>

<p>With this step, BJP hopes to keep its anchor voting segment in good humour especially when Congress is trying to play the Brahman card and revive its traditional vote bank of upper caste, Dalits and Muslims.</p>

<p>In the national convention held over the weekend, Modi exhorted the BJP cadre not to be complacent and work hard on the ground. They shouldn’t just hope Modi will come, hold rallies and swing votes. They need to take the welfare schemes of the government door to door and highlight the achievements.</p>

<p>As per CSDS National Election Studies (NES) 2014, 27 per cent of BJP supporters would not have voted for party if Modi was not the prime ministerial candidate.</p>

<p>The dip in popularity ratings of Modi and a corresponding increase in Rahul’s has cautioned BJP against over-reliance on the Modi factor.</p>

<p>Though a lot of credit is given to Modi for the 2014 victory, it was also a result of effort and leadership of many state leaders like Chouhan, Raman, Raje, Parrikar, mini Modis in their own might.</p>

<p>The call is also to them and to new leaders like Yogi and Fadnavis to work hard to realize their common dream.</p>

<p>The party is seeking suggestions from the public on various issues like implementation of schemes, impact of proposed grand alliance and three most popular party leaders in their constituencies, among other things.</p>

<p>To negate anti-incumbency, BJP is likely to deny tickets to 30-40 per cent of existing MPs, around 100 in total.</p>

<p>This exercise will provide information on the popularity of MPs and suggest alternatives. Though elections in India are increasingly becoming presidential in style, one-fourth of the voters gave importance to the local candidate while voting in 2014, according to NES.</p>

<p>The unfavourable verdict in the three states brought to the forefront rural and agri distress. It also highlighted growing urban apathy among the middle class, staunch supporters of BJP. The party is likely to come up with schemes to ease the nerves of these crucial segments.</p>

<p>For farmers, the party could roll out a programme on the lines of Ryathu Bandhu Scheme of Telangana, where per hectare amount will be paid out to them. The middle class could see an increase in the income exemption limit from the current Rs 2.5 lakh per annum to Rs 5 lakh per annum.</p>

<p>For the rural population, the possibility of doling out a UBI scheme, where Rs 2-2,500 per month will be given to BPL category, is being mentioned. The party is now pulling out all stops.</p>

<p><em>(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-pumping-up-party-organisation-2709176">original article</a>)</em></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>


The last two months have not brought good news for the BJP. The party lost elections in the three Hindi heartland states. The CBI and Justice Sikri episodes have created unnecessary controversy.

The last two months have not brought good news for the BJP. The party lost elections in the three Hindi heartland states. The CBI and Justice Sikri episodes have created unnecessary controversy. It is facing a spirited Congress attack on social media. To top it all, the SP and the BSP have announced a formidable alliance for the forthcoming polls in Uttar Pradesh, which accounted for one-fourth of BJP’s tally in 2014. Suddenly, what looked like an easy sail through for the party in 2019, has turned into a tight, wide open contest. BJP recognises it has an uphill task at hand and the stupendous verdict 2014 could be termed as an outlier. The party has affected big organisational changes recently. The most important among them is the appointment of the three ex-chief ministers – Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Vasundhara Raje and Raman Singh as national vice-presidents. The party strategy is to use the experience and charisma of these leaders, especially in the Hindi heartland and reduce the load of Narendra Modi to some extent, who can then focus on greenfield areas like East and South of India. This step also helps soothe the taut nerves of upper caste and OBCs who form the core vote bank of the party. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, these sections accounting for 60 per cent of the population, voted overwhelmingly for the BJP and its allies. After the losses, notes of dissent have come out in the open with party veterans questioning the approach of the Modi-Shah duo. These appointments may have been done to quell such noises. With Sushma Swaraj announcing that she will not contest 2019 polls, BJP now lacks a pan-India woman leader with mass appeal. Raje fills this gap. With many flagship schemes of the government — Ujjwala, Awas, Swachch Bharat, Saubhagya — to name only a few aimed at women beneficiaries, this strategy may pay rich dividends. The Modi-Shah duo now wants to win at any cost and the Prime Minister has not been shy of campaigning extensively even in state polls. Another appointment, which has caught everyone’s attention is of Gordhan Zadafia, once a bitter critic of Modi belonging to the rival Sanjay Joshi camp, who has been made in-charge of the most important state of Uttar Pradesh. The party faced a lot of flak, especially from the upper castes, for nullifying the Supreme Court order on SC-ST Atrocities Act. The SC-STs overwhelmingly voted against the party recently in the three states where it was in power. BJP won 128 SC-ST reserved seats in these states in 2013, which fell by more than half to 59 in 2018. A section of upper caste disillusioned with the party pressed NOTA, stayed at home, some even voting for Sapaks, a party championing upper caste rights. The party had to face reversals in belts where upper caste formed a significant proportion of population like Gwalior-Chambal in Madhya Pradesh. Even OBCs, staunch supporters of the BJP, switched sides in Chhattisgarh. With this step, BJP hopes to keep its anchor voting segment in good humour especially when Congress is trying to play the Brahman card and revive its traditional vote bank of upper caste, Dalits and Muslims. In the national convention held over the weekend, Modi exhorted the BJP cadre not to be complacent and work hard on the ground. They shouldn’t just hope Modi will come, hold rallies and swing votes. They need to take the welfare schemes of the government door to door and highlight the achievements. As per CSDS National Election Studies (NES) 2014, 27 per cent of BJP supporters would not have voted for party if Modi was not the prime ministerial candidate. The dip in popularity ratings of Modi and a corresponding increase in Rahul’s has cautioned BJP against over-reliance on the Modi factor. Though a lot of credit is given to Modi for the 2014 victory, it was also a result of effort and leadership of many state leaders like Chouhan, Raman, Raje, Parrikar, mini Modis in their own might. The call is also to them and to new leaders like Yogi and Fadnavis to work hard to realize their common dream. The party is seeking suggestions from the public on various issues like implementation of schemes, impact of proposed grand alliance and three most popular party leaders in their constituencies, among other things. To negate anti-incumbency, BJP is likely to deny tickets to 30-40 per cent of existing MPs, around 100 in total. This exercise will provide information on the popularity of MPs and suggest alternatives. Though elections in India are increasingly becoming presidential in style, one-fourth of the voters gave importance to the local candidate while voting in 2014, according to NES. The unfavourable verdict in the three states brought to the forefront rural and agri distress. It also highlighted growing urban apathy among the middle class, staunch supporters of BJP. The party is likely to come up with schemes to ease the nerves of these crucial segments. For farmers, the party could roll out a programme on the lines of Ryathu Bandhu Scheme of Telangana, where per hectare amount will be paid out to them. The middle class could see an increase in the income exemption limit from the current Rs 2.5 lakh per annum to Rs 5 lakh per annum. For the rural population, the possibility of doling out a UBI scheme, where Rs 2-2,500 per month will be given to BPL category, is being mentioned. The party is now pulling out all stops. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Pumping up party organisation: BJP formulates multi-pronged strategy to regain lost ground

<p>PM Modi will inaugurate National Museum of Indian Cinema (NMIC) on Saturday in Mumbai in what is currently a 19th-century heritage bungalow.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The NMIC is being made to provide an insight into the Indian film history in order to help film students, filmmakers, fans and critics to learn and understand about cinema as a medium of artistic expression in the country and globally.</p>

<p>As per a report in the IANS, the museum will have on display artefacts like vintage cameras, projectors, editing and recording equipment, costumes, photographs and other materials portraying the journey of Indian cinema since its dawn in 1913. It will also showcase the first Indian full-length feature film, ‘Raja Harishchandra’ that was made by the legendary Dhundiraj Govind Phadke, known as Dadasaheb Phalke.</p>

<p>The museum will also have film sets, props, film tapes, soundtracks, trailers, transparencies and a rich collection of film-related literature and memorabilia depicting Indian film history in chronological order.</p>

<p>The design features include a unique front elevation designed with inclined structural glazing support by cable nets with spiders and a glass facade to provide a 3D view impression to the structure. The museum complex includes a multipurpose hall for movie previews, social events, conferences or seminars and cultural gatherings, besides incorporating several features to make it green and eco-friendly.</p>

<p>Designed by the National Council of Science Museums, it was first conceptualised in 1997 and set up in the 19th-century heritage bungalow Gulshan Mahal and in another adjacent modern five-storeyed building, spread across 12,000 sq. metres.</p>

<p>The opening ceremony of the eventful night will see stars including Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan, AR Rahman, David Dhawan, Rohit Shetty, Waheeda Rehman, Jeetendra Kapoor, Asha Parekh, Raveena Tandon, Pankaj Kapoor, Rakesh Mehra and others attending.&nbsp;</p>


PM Modi will inaugurate National Museum of Indian Cinema (NMIC) on Saturday in Mumbai in what is currently a 19th-century heritage bungalow. The NMIC is being made to provide an insight into the Indian film history in order to help film students, filmmakers, fans and critics to learn and understand about cinema as a medium of artistic expression in the country and globally.

PM Modi will inaugurate National Museum of Indian Cinema (NMIC) on Saturday in Mumbai in what is currently a 19th-century heritage bungalow. The NMIC is being made to provide an insight into the Indian film history in order to help film students, filmmakers, fans and critics to learn and understand about cinema as a medium of artistic expression in the country and globally. As per a report in the IANS, the museum will have on display artefacts like vintage cameras, projectors, editing and recording equipment, costumes, photographs and other materials portraying the journey of Indian cinema since its dawn in 1913. It will also showcase the first Indian full-length feature film, ‘Raja Harishchandra’ that was made by the legendary Dhundiraj Govind Phadke, known as Dadasaheb Phalke. The museum will also have film sets, props, film tapes, soundtracks, trailers, transparencies and a rich collection of film-related literature and memorabilia depicting Indian film history in chronological order. The design features include a unique front elevation designed with inclined structural glazing support by cable nets with spiders and a glass facade to provide a 3D view impression to the structure. The museum complex includes a multipurpose hall for movie previews, social events, conferences or seminars and cultural gatherings, besides incorporating several features to make it green and eco-friendly. Designed by the National Council of Science Museums, it was first conceptualised in 1997 and set up in the 19th-century heritage bungalow Gulshan Mahal and in another adjacent modern five-storeyed building, spread across 12,000 sq. metres. The opening ceremony of the eventful night will see stars including Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan, AR Rahman, David Dhawan, Rohit Shetty, Waheeda Rehman, Jeetendra Kapoor, Asha Parekh, Raveena Tandon, Pankaj Kapoor, Rakesh Mehra and others attending.

PM Modi to unveil National Film Museum in Mumbai

<p>In what seems to be a new thing among Bollywood actors, Anil Kapoor met with the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and shared a picture with him on his Twitter.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He captioned the photo: “I had the opportunity to meet our h’ble Prime Minister @narendramodi Ji today &amp; I stand humbled and inspired in the wake of our conversation. His vision and his charisma are infectious &amp; I’m grateful for the chance to have witnessed it in person.”</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I had the opportunity to meet our h'ble Prime Minister <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a> Ji today &amp; I stand humbled and inspired in the wake of our conversation. His vision and his charisma are infectious &amp; I'm grateful for the chance to have witnessed it in person 🙏🏻 <a href="https://t.co/Tnl7JNRvT4">pic.twitter.com/Tnl7JNRvT4</a></p>
— Anil Kapoor (@AnilKapoor) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnilKapoor/status/1085506702127046657?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>Before this, we saw a huge delegation of stars meet the PM in Delhi as they flew in a private jet from Mumbai and shared inside pics and videos of their crazy in-flight fun. The delegation included stars like Ranveer Singh, Ranbir Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt, Bhumi Pednekar, Sidharth Malhotra, Ayushmann Khurrana, Rajkummar Rao, Vicky Kaushal and directors Karan Johar, Ekta Kapoor, Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari and Rohit Shetty who looked more than happy to meet the PM.&nbsp;</p>

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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BsdDW4sjWjH/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Powerful and timely conversations can bring about change and this was one of what we hope will become a regular conversation. Meeting the Honorable Prime Minister @narendramodi today was an incredible opportunity. As a community, there is a huge interest to contribute to nation building. There is so much that we want to do. And can do and this dialogue was towards how and what ways we can do that. When the youngest country (in demography) joins hands with the largest movie industry in the world, we hope to be a force to reckon with. Together we would love to inspire and ignite positive changes to a transformative India. The film industry would also like to send a huge thanks for the GST reduction in movie ticket prices that was implemented recently! Thank you so much for your time, Sir!</a></p>

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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BsddAV7D6QH/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Thank you for meeting us today sir! @narendramodi ! An incredible exchange of thoughts and ideas with the forces of the film fraternity and the honourable Prime Minister!</a></p>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/karanjohar/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Karan Johar</a> (@karanjohar) on <time datetime="2019-01-10T16:09:01+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Jan 10, 2019 at 8:09am PST</time></p>
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<p>Meanwhile, Anil will be seen in a film titled <a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/watch-trailer-sonam-kapoor-rajkummar-rao-look-refreshing-in-ek-ladki-ko-dekha-186808">‘Ek Ladki Ko Dekha To Aisa Laga’</a> in which he is working with his real-life daughter Sonam Kapoor for the first time. The film also has Rajkummar Rao in a leading role.&nbsp;</p>


In what seems to be a new thing among Bollywood actors, Anil Kapoor met with the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and shared a picture with him on his Twitter.

In what seems to be a new thing among Bollywood actors, Anil Kapoor met with the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and shared a picture with him on his Twitter. He captioned the photo: “I had the opportunity to meet our h’ble Prime Minister @narendramodi Ji today & I stand humbled and inspired in the wake of our conversation. His vision and his charisma are infectious & I’m grateful for the chance to have witnessed it in person.” I had the opportunity to meet our h'ble Prime Minister @narendramodi Ji today & I stand humbled and inspired in the wake of our conversation. His vision and his charisma are infectious & I'm grateful for the chance to have witnessed it in person 🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/Tnl7JNRvT4 — Anil Kapoor (@AnilKapoor) January 16, 2019 × Before this, we saw a huge delegation of stars meet the PM in Delhi as they flew in a private jet from Mumbai and shared inside pics and videos of their crazy in-flight fun. The delegation included stars like Ranveer Singh, Ranbir Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt, Bhumi Pednekar, Sidharth Malhotra, Ayushmann Khurrana, Rajkummar Rao, Vicky Kaushal and directors Karan Johar, Ekta Kapoor, Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari and Rohit Shetty who looked more than happy to meet the PM. View this post on Instagram Powerful and timely conversations can bring about change and this was one of what we hope will become a regular conversation. Meeting the Honorable Prime Minister @narendramodi today was an incredible opportunity. As a community, there is a huge interest to contribute to nation building. There is so much that we want to do. And can do and this dialogue was towards how and what ways we can do that. When the youngest country (in demography) joins hands with the largest movie industry in the world, we hope to be a force to reckon with. Together we would love to inspire and ignite positive changes to a transformative India. The film industry would also like to send a huge thanks for the GST reduction in movie ticket prices that was implemented recently! Thank you so much for your time, Sir! A post shared by Karan Johar (@karanjohar) on Jan 10, 2019 at 4:24am PST × View this post on Instagram Thank you for meeting us today sir! @narendramodi ! An incredible exchange of thoughts and ideas with the forces of the film fraternity and the honourable Prime Minister! A post shared by Karan Johar (@karanjohar) on Jan 10, 2019 at 8:09am PST × Meanwhile, Anil will be seen in a film titled ‘Ek Ladki Ko Dekha To Aisa Laga’ in which he is working with his real-life daughter Sonam Kapoor for the first time. The film also has Rajkummar Rao in a leading role.

Anil Kapoor meets PM Modi, says 'I stand humbled and inspired'

<p>Political leaders come in all shapes and sizes. United States President Donald Trump was a real estate developer. Former British prime minister David Cameron was a public relations executive. And Iceland’s former prime minister Johanna Sigurdardottir was an airline stewardess.</p>

<p>So we shouldn’t dismiss Imran Khan, Pakistan Prime Minister, as a lightweight just because he was a cricketer. Khan’s background isn’t the problem. His credibility is. Shortly after being elected PM, Khan promised to build a ‘Naya Pakistan’. India has reacted cautiously. Old wine in a new bottle is the consensus.</p>

<p>Khan has done nothing to stop terrorist infiltration. His writ stops at the outskirts of Rawalpindi. Pakistan’s army generals are a law unto themselves. Though Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa has declared that Islamabad wants peace with India, Pakistan’s rogue Border Action Team (BAT), acting under Bajwa’s overall command, continues to attack Indian targets in the Kashmir Valley.</p>

<p>The Indian Army is eliminating Pakistan-abetted terrorists at the rate of roughly one a day. Over 300 terrorists were killed in 2018, a 50 per cent increase over 2017. But the Indian Army estimates that 280-300 terrorists remain active in the Valley. More are being pushed in by the Pakistani Army across the LoC’s porous terrain of forests, rivers and hillocks.</p>

<p>There have, however, been notable changes. Ceasefire violations across the LoC have fallen significantly since May 2018 when the Pakistani Army, bludgeoned by Indian retaliatory mortar fire, sued for peace. The Indian Army, CRPF and J&amp;K police have meanwhile tightened the tourniquet around Pakistani terror modules in the Valley.</p>

<p>Ever since governor’s rule was imposed in June 2018, followed by President’s rule, Indian security forces have succeeded in targeting the leadership of several Pakistan-backed terror groups active in the Valley.</p>

<p>On former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti’s watch, the security forces often operated with one hand tied behind their backs. Mufti, along with the other dynast in the Valley, Omar Abdullah of the National Conference (NC), spoke from both corners of the mouth. In Delhi, they spoke of a robust anti-terror strategy. In Srinagar, they spoke the language of separatist appeasement.</p>

<p>It is telling that tourism is again flourishing in the Valley. Over 8 lakh tourists (including 50,000 foreign tourists) holidayed in Kashmir in 2018. The PDP-NC narrative that the Valley is in the throes of its worst crisis plays into the hands of Pakistan. The ISI funds stone-pelters, Hurriyat separatists and a hoary cabal of journalists, ex-army officers, former intelligence operatives and activists to further the narrative of Kashmir under military siege.</p>

<p>Part of the blame lies with the Indian government. Its Pakistan policy has oscillated from conciliatory in 2014 to intransigent in 2019. Is it though a propitious time now to change the status quoist strategy on Pakistan? The conventional wisdom is that nothing will change before the May 2019 Lok Sabha election. Imran Khan has said much the same. He could be wrong.</p>

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi is known to make unpredictable policy moves. Pakistan is today in a particularly vulnerable position. Its treasury is bankrupt, kept afloat by loans from Saudi Arabia, the UAE and China. Islamabad is under severe pressure from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) over terror financing and could be blacklisted in September 2019 when a final decision is taken by the Paris-based global anti-terror body.</p>

<p>In Afghanistan, meanwhile, the Taliban, Pakistan’s outsourced terror group to keep Kabul in Islamabad’s malign grip, has developed sub-Taliban groups. Many of these are outside the control of the main Taliban leadership. If the Taliban joins a “peace” coalition and the Afghan government following negotiations begin shepherded by the US, the sub-Taliban groups could attack the Pakistan State itself.</p>

<p>Khaled Ahmed of Newsweek Pakistan conceded in a recent column: “The mood in India is punitive. In contrast, the mood in Pakistan is cautiously submissive. For the Pakistan Army, some options are closing, especially one of “championing the Kashmir cause”, but it doesn’t know how to roll back the old agitprop. It is facing a new situation in next door Afghanistan, where India is now firmly entrenched. The Taliban is no longer willing to play ball, and is more inclined instead to listen to India and its patrons in the Gulf. A return to Taliban rule in Kabul will be dangerous for Pakistan because of its jihadi underground.”</p>

<p>Hemmed in on all sides, Pakistan is running out of options. It is an opportune moment for India to realign its Pakistan policy by continuing tough anti-terror operations in the Valley and talking directly to Pakistan Army chief General Bajwa. Talking to Imran Khan, who fantasises about fomenting trouble in Punjab through Khalistani separatists, is a waste of time.</p>

<p>Pakistan is a schizophrenic country. It wants trade with India but won’t grant it reciprocal MFN status. It wants talks with India without stopping abetment of terrorism against India.</p>

<p>Global think tanks project that India’s economy, already nearly 10 times as large as Pakistan’s, will within a few years put it in a different league, well out of Islamabad’s reach. Pakistan too has belatedly realised that its window to gain false equivalence with India will soon slam shut. India’s new policy to deal with ‘Naya Pakistan’ should be based on this hardnosed reality.<br />
<br />
<em>(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-calling-imran-khan-s-bluff-2708745">original article</a>)</em></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>


Political leaders come in all shapes and sizes. United States President Donald Trump was a real estate developer. Former British prime minister David Cameron was a public relations executive.

Political leaders come in all shapes and sizes. United States President Donald Trump was a real estate developer. Former British prime minister David Cameron was a public relations executive. And Iceland’s former prime minister Johanna Sigurdardottir was an airline stewardess. So we shouldn’t dismiss Imran Khan, Pakistan Prime Minister, as a lightweight just because he was a cricketer. Khan’s background isn’t the problem. His credibility is. Shortly after being elected PM, Khan promised to build a ‘Naya Pakistan’. India has reacted cautiously. Old wine in a new bottle is the consensus. Khan has done nothing to stop terrorist infiltration. His writ stops at the outskirts of Rawalpindi. Pakistan’s army generals are a law unto themselves. Though Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa has declared that Islamabad wants peace with India, Pakistan’s rogue Border Action Team (BAT), acting under Bajwa’s overall command, continues to attack Indian targets in the Kashmir Valley. The Indian Army is eliminating Pakistan-abetted terrorists at the rate of roughly one a day. Over 300 terrorists were killed in 2018, a 50 per cent increase over 2017. But the Indian Army estimates that 280-300 terrorists remain active in the Valley. More are being pushed in by the Pakistani Army across the LoC’s porous terrain of forests, rivers and hillocks. There have, however, been notable changes. Ceasefire violations across the LoC have fallen significantly since May 2018 when the Pakistani Army, bludgeoned by Indian retaliatory mortar fire, sued for peace. The Indian Army, CRPF and J&K police have meanwhile tightened the tourniquet around Pakistani terror modules in the Valley. Ever since governor’s rule was imposed in June 2018, followed by President’s rule, Indian security forces have succeeded in targeting the leadership of several Pakistan-backed terror groups active in the Valley. On former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti’s watch, the security forces often operated with one hand tied behind their backs. Mufti, along with the other dynast in the Valley, Omar Abdullah of the National Conference (NC), spoke from both corners of the mouth. In Delhi, they spoke of a robust anti-terror strategy. In Srinagar, they spoke the language of separatist appeasement. It is telling that tourism is again flourishing in the Valley. Over 8 lakh tourists (including 50,000 foreign tourists) holidayed in Kashmir in 2018. The PDP-NC narrative that the Valley is in the throes of its worst crisis plays into the hands of Pakistan. The ISI funds stone-pelters, Hurriyat separatists and a hoary cabal of journalists, ex-army officers, former intelligence operatives and activists to further the narrative of Kashmir under military siege. Part of the blame lies with the Indian government. Its Pakistan policy has oscillated from conciliatory in 2014 to intransigent in 2019. Is it though a propitious time now to change the status quoist strategy on Pakistan? The conventional wisdom is that nothing will change before the May 2019 Lok Sabha election. Imran Khan has said much the same. He could be wrong. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is known to make unpredictable policy moves. Pakistan is today in a particularly vulnerable position. Its treasury is bankrupt, kept afloat by loans from Saudi Arabia, the UAE and China. Islamabad is under severe pressure from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) over terror financing and could be blacklisted in September 2019 when a final decision is taken by the Paris-based global anti-terror body. In Afghanistan, meanwhile, the Taliban, Pakistan’s outsourced terror group to keep Kabul in Islamabad’s malign grip, has developed sub-Taliban groups. Many of these are outside the control of the main Taliban leadership. If the Taliban joins a “peace” coalition and the Afghan government following negotiations begin shepherded by the US, the sub-Taliban groups could attack the Pakistan State itself. Khaled Ahmed of Newsweek Pakistan conceded in a recent column: “The mood in India is punitive. In contrast, the mood in Pakistan is cautiously submissive. For the Pakistan Army, some options are closing, especially one of “championing the Kashmir cause”, but it doesn’t know how to roll back the old agitprop. It is facing a new situation in next door Afghanistan, where India is now firmly entrenched. The Taliban is no longer willing to play ball, and is more inclined instead to listen to India and its patrons in the Gulf. A return to Taliban rule in Kabul will be dangerous for Pakistan because of its jihadi underground.” Hemmed in on all sides, Pakistan is running out of options. It is an opportune moment for India to realign its Pakistan policy by continuing tough anti-terror operations in the Valley and talking directly to Pakistan Army chief General Bajwa. Talking to Imran Khan, who fantasises about fomenting trouble in Punjab through Khalistani separatists, is a waste of time. Pakistan is a schizophrenic country. It wants trade with India but won’t grant it reciprocal MFN status. It wants talks with India without stopping abetment of terrorism against India. Global think tanks project that India’s economy, already nearly 10 times as large as Pakistan’s, will within a few years put it in a different league, well out of Islamabad’s reach. Pakistan too has belatedly realised that its window to gain false equivalence with India will soon slam shut. India’s new policy to deal with ‘Naya Pakistan’ should be based on this hardnosed reality. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Calling Imran Khan’s bluff: India needs to realign its Pakistan policy

<p>Reservation has always been a game changer in Indian politics. The BJP was the only political party, which never tried to play it to its advantage. Thus far.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi by amending the Constitution to reserve ten per cent in education and jobs for the economically weaker sections has redefined reservation politics and introduced new poll chemistry that will influence the election outcome in 2019 in a big way. &nbsp;</p>

<p>For the first time, the party has a consolidated and committed vote bank. This segment, though largely inclined towards the BJP, has often been successfully weaned away by the Congress and regional outfits like the BSP, AIADMK, TRS, CPM, Trinamul, BJD and TDP.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The new Modi initiative has made it impossible for non-BJP parties to poach on this segment. Like demonetisation and the SC-ST Act 2018, it has made Modi the messiah of the poor, reinforcing the Prime Minister’s agenda of <em>sab ka </em><em>saath</em><em> sab ka </em><em>vikas</em>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Sadly, general apathy for the forward category people and the antipathy of a major section of intelligentsia and political class to the BJP, has prompted the media to underplay the move.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Opposition parties like the Congress, CPM, Samajwadi Party and BSP were so stunned that they grudgingly supported the Bill. It was passed within 48 hours of its introduction and made history when it became an Act, with presidential assent, within four days.&nbsp;</p>

<p>For the so-called general category, not covered under the 50 per cent reservation like the SC, ST and OBC, a long-standing demand had been fulfilled.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Supreme Court rulings had made it difficult for states and parties to think beyond 50 per cent. Hence, most reservation politics were working models tinkering with the 50 benchmark and including new categories within the existing quota.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Congress, TDP and TRS repeatedly tried to tinker with OBC reservation by including the converted SC, ST, Christians and Muslims, Jats and Marathas in the SC, ST and OBC quota.&nbsp;</p>

<p>They also had tried to give five and seven per cent reservation for Muslims beyond the fifty per cent ceiling. These were struck down by courts.&nbsp;</p>

<p>So far only Tamil Nadu and Kerala have managed to cross the fifty per cent ceiling to accommodate the minorities.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Why the Modi amendment becomes a game changer is because it is going to alter the political narrative. It is bold because it has amended the Constitution and changed the ceiling itself.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It is innovative because it goes beyond castes and religions and includes the most egalitarian and welfarist idiom of economic backwardness, by replacing class instead of caste.&nbsp;</p>

<p>For the first time in India, the so-called upper castes consisting of Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Banias, Kayasth, Jat, Marathas and Patels will get reservation and matter as a major political factor.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In states like in Gujarat, Kshatriyas are included in the OBC category. The Modi initiative will take the fizz out of the Jat, Maratha and Patel reservation politics, which Ajit Singh in UP and Hardik Patel in Gujarat were playing.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In North Indian states like UP, Himachal, Uttarakhand, MP, Rajasthan, Haryana and Chhattisgarh, the upper caste population is over 30 per cent and this is bound to gravitate towards the BJP.&nbsp;</p>

<p>So far BJP has been accused of playing into SC/ST and OBC politics because of their exaggerated numerical predominance. Empirical studies have shown that these numbers are often manipulated and exaggerated in favour of minorities, the OBC and the SC/ST.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In the recent state polls in MP, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, the BJP lost because of wide perceptional resentment among the upper castes. In UP, for instance, in the context of the SP-BSP tie-up, the BJP is likely to benefit from a consolidation of its traditional base.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The new reservation policy will also help the BJP in a big way in the South. Here reservations have long been a very sensitive issue and the upper class found themselves in a hopeless condition.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Modi’s reformist move will give them fresh hope. For instance, in Kerala, the Nair community, which constitute 18 per cent of the population, has been actively campaigning for economic reservation for over six decades.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Nair Service Society (NSS), which runs hundreds of educational institutions, have made representations to successive governments for this.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The UPA in 2004 had set up the Sinhu Committee to study the feasibility of reservations for Nairs. The Commission had submitted its report in 2009, but the UPA did not do anything further.</p>

<p>Now the NSS general secretary G. Sukumaran Nair has written a letter profusely thanking the Prime Minister for “doing what nobody else had shown the courage”.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“When the Sinhu Commission submitted their report to the former UPA Government, we had expected favourable action from them. But they had put aside that report. After that, we had submitted our prayers and resolutions for your favourable consideration also. We reiterate our sincere and heartfelt gratitude for making the economic reservation of the forward community a reality with your strong determination”, wrote the NSS leader.&nbsp;</p>

<p>NSS, which follows a policy of equi-distance between all parties, though traditionally a majority of Nairs and upper castes have been LDF supporters, is now inching towards the BJP.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In about ten Lok Sabha seats in Kerala, the NSS holds the key. The NSS, which is at the forefront of the agitation against the Supreme Court order on Sabarimala Temple tradition, has been moving away from the LDF, whose stance has angered the Hindu community.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Similarly, Lingayats in Karnataka, Reddys and Kammas in Andhra and Telangana and upper castes in Tamil Nadu who were in the AIADMK camp, will take a second look at the BJP after this.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-a-game-changer-for-2019-2708370">original article</a>)</em></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>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Reservation has always been a game changer in Indian politics. The BJP was the only political party, which never tried to play it to its advantage. Thus far. Prime Minister Narendra Modi by amending the Constitution to reserve ten per cent in education and jobs for the economically weaker sections has redefined reservation politics and introduced new poll chemistry that will influence the election outcome in 2019 in a big way.

Reservation has always been a game changer in Indian politics. The BJP was the only political party, which never tried to play it to its advantage. Thus far. Prime Minister Narendra Modi by amending the Constitution to reserve ten per cent in education and jobs for the economically weaker sections has redefined reservation politics and introduced new poll chemistry that will influence the election outcome in 2019 in a big way. For the first time, the party has a consolidated and committed vote bank. This segment, though largely inclined towards the BJP, has often been successfully weaned away by the Congress and regional outfits like the BSP, AIADMK, TRS, CPM, Trinamul, BJD and TDP. The new Modi initiative has made it impossible for non-BJP parties to poach on this segment. Like demonetisation and the SC-ST Act 2018, it has made Modi the messiah of the poor, reinforcing the Prime Minister’s agenda of sab ka saath sab ka vikas. Sadly, general apathy for the forward category people and the antipathy of a major section of intelligentsia and political class to the BJP, has prompted the media to underplay the move. Opposition parties like the Congress, CPM, Samajwadi Party and BSP were so stunned that they grudgingly supported the Bill. It was passed within 48 hours of its introduction and made history when it became an Act, with presidential assent, within four days. For the so-called general category, not covered under the 50 per cent reservation like the SC, ST and OBC, a long-standing demand had been fulfilled. Supreme Court rulings had made it difficult for states and parties to think beyond 50 per cent. Hence, most reservation politics were working models tinkering with the 50 benchmark and including new categories within the existing quota. The Congress, TDP and TRS repeatedly tried to tinker with OBC reservation by including the converted SC, ST, Christians and Muslims, Jats and Marathas in the SC, ST and OBC quota. They also had tried to give five and seven per cent reservation for Muslims beyond the fifty per cent ceiling. These were struck down by courts. So far only Tamil Nadu and Kerala have managed to cross the fifty per cent ceiling to accommodate the minorities. Why the Modi amendment becomes a game changer is because it is going to alter the political narrative. It is bold because it has amended the Constitution and changed the ceiling itself. It is innovative because it goes beyond castes and religions and includes the most egalitarian and welfarist idiom of economic backwardness, by replacing class instead of caste. For the first time in India, the so-called upper castes consisting of Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Banias, Kayasth, Jat, Marathas and Patels will get reservation and matter as a major political factor. In states like in Gujarat, Kshatriyas are included in the OBC category. The Modi initiative will take the fizz out of the Jat, Maratha and Patel reservation politics, which Ajit Singh in UP and Hardik Patel in Gujarat were playing. In North Indian states like UP, Himachal, Uttarakhand, MP, Rajasthan, Haryana and Chhattisgarh, the upper caste population is over 30 per cent and this is bound to gravitate towards the BJP. So far BJP has been accused of playing into SC/ST and OBC politics because of their exaggerated numerical predominance. Empirical studies have shown that these numbers are often manipulated and exaggerated in favour of minorities, the OBC and the SC/ST. In the recent state polls in MP, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, the BJP lost because of wide perceptional resentment among the upper castes. In UP, for instance, in the context of the SP-BSP tie-up, the BJP is likely to benefit from a consolidation of its traditional base. The new reservation policy will also help the BJP in a big way in the South. Here reservations have long been a very sensitive issue and the upper class found themselves in a hopeless condition. Modi’s reformist move will give them fresh hope. For instance, in Kerala, the Nair community, which constitute 18 per cent of the population, has been actively campaigning for economic reservation for over six decades. The Nair Service Society (NSS), which runs hundreds of educational institutions, have made representations to successive governments for this. The UPA in 2004 had set up the Sinhu Committee to study the feasibility of reservations for Nairs. The Commission had submitted its report in 2009, but the UPA did not do anything further. Now the NSS general secretary G. Sukumaran Nair has written a letter profusely thanking the Prime Minister for “doing what nobody else had shown the courage”. “When the Sinhu Commission submitted their report to the former UPA Government, we had expected favourable action from them. But they had put aside that report. After that, we had submitted our prayers and resolutions for your favourable consideration also. We reiterate our sincere and heartfelt gratitude for making the economic reservation of the forward community a reality with your strong determination”, wrote the NSS leader. NSS, which follows a policy of equi-distance between all parties, though traditionally a majority of Nairs and upper castes have been LDF supporters, is now inching towards the BJP. In about ten Lok Sabha seats in Kerala, the NSS holds the key. The NSS, which is at the forefront of the agitation against the Supreme Court order on Sabarimala Temple tradition, has been moving away from the LDF, whose stance has angered the Hindu community. Similarly, Lingayats in Karnataka, Reddys and Kammas in Andhra and Telangana and upper castes in Tamil Nadu who were in the AIADMK camp, will take a second look at the BJP after this. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

10% quota for economically weak: A game changer for 2019

<p>India is training 62 officials of Nepal's Ministry of Finance under its ITEC programme (Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation) which provides development assistance to developing countries.</p>

<p>The special tailor-made training course on&nbsp;'Global Perspectives on Public Financial Management'&nbsp;is being conducted at the Institute of Government Accounts and Finance (INGAF) in New Delhi.</p>

<p>The Government of Nepal had requested India to provide the training course under the Nepal-India Economic Co-operation Programme.</p>

<p>According to a release by the Indian embassy in Nepal, "The training will enhance the capabilities of these officials in global practices dealing with e-payment system, accounting and cash management, public burrowing system, accounting of foreign loans/grants and repayments, pension payment system, internal audit, fiscal responsibility and budget management, etc."</p>

<p><img alt="India training Nepali officials." data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="1d0c16d4-1f3f-43b3-b0bf-045488fa0144" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%2815%29_0.jpg" /></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><em><img alt="India training Nepali officials." data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0e747a5b-b8fd-4b74-a148-d9f5f8a935d2" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%2814%29_0.jpg" /></em></p>

<p><em>(Image source: Indian high commission in Kathmandu, Nepal.)</em></p>

<p>The training course will be held in three batches. The first batch of 20 Nepali officials is currently undergoing training at INGAF, New Delhi from January 14, 2019.</p>

<p>INGAF has been undertaking tailor-made training for officials from the neighbouring countries like Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, and Sri Lanka. India also trains a number of defence personnel from Nepal Army who attends training courses in various Indian Army training institutions.&nbsp;</p>

<p>India in October of 2018 trained Afghan diplomats at Institute of Foreign Service as part of an agreement reached between India and China during the Wuhan summit between PM Modi and President Xi Jinping.&nbsp;</p>


India is training 62 officials of Nepal's Ministry of Finance under its ITEC programme (Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation) which provides development assistance to developing countries.

India is training 62 officials of Nepal's Ministry of Finance under its ITEC programme (Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation) which provides development assistance to developing countries. The special tailor-made training course on 'Global Perspectives on Public Financial Management' is being conducted at the Institute of Government Accounts and Finance (INGAF) in New Delhi. The Government of Nepal had requested India to provide the training course under the Nepal-India Economic Co-operation Programme. According to a release by the Indian embassy in Nepal, "The training will enhance the capabilities of these officials in global practices dealing with e-payment system, accounting and cash management, public burrowing system, accounting of foreign loans/grants and repayments, pension payment system, internal audit, fiscal responsibility and budget management, etc." (Image source: Indian high commission in Kathmandu, Nepal.) The training course will be held in three batches. The first batch of 20 Nepali officials is currently undergoing training at INGAF, New Delhi from January 14, 2019. INGAF has been undertaking tailor-made training for officials from the neighbouring countries like Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, and Sri Lanka. India also trains a number of defence personnel from Nepal Army who attends training courses in various Indian Army training institutions. India in October of 2018 trained Afghan diplomats at Institute of Foreign Service as part of an agreement reached between India and China during the Wuhan summit between PM Modi and President Xi Jinping.

India trains 62 officials of Nepal's Finance Ministry under its ITEC programme

<p>The political wheels have come full circle in Uttar Pradesh. About 25 years ago, the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party came together to successfully contest the 1993 Assembly elections in the state. The idea was to keep the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at bay following its rise. Now the two parties have aligned yet again to counter the BJP in the coming Lok Sabha polls. Since we are into history, let’s recall a few incidents that happened thereafter.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Then it was Mulayam Singh Yadav from the SP and Kanshi Ram from the BSP who stitched the partnership. Two prominent industrialists had played a significant role in bringing the rivals together, and they were subsequently rewarded with Rajya Sabha seats. The BJP still won the largest number of seats but fell short of a majority, while the combined numerical strength of the SP and the BSP led to the formation of a coalition regime with Mulayam Singh Yadav as the chief minister. Mayawati did not join the government, but she was entrusted with the task of supervising the partnership. &nbsp;</p>

<p>The alliance worked well for the first few months, but friction began to develop thereafter, more so after incidents of violence which had erupted following the removal of an Ambedkar statue in Meerut in 1994. The state police, which had a good number from the Yadav caste, came down hard on the protesters and at least two members of the Scheduled Castes died in the firing. More problems arose when the Yadav community protested against the installation of an Ambedkar statue on a plot of land it claimed belonged to the community. The Yadav-Scheduled Caste confrontation led Mayawati to get aggressive, and soon reports began to circulate that she was interfering in the functioning of the Mulayam Singh Yadav-led government. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Then came then infamous guest house incident in mid-1995. By then, political equations had begun to change in Lucknow. The BJP and the BSP had got closer to each other with the latter realising it would have to pull out of the coalition regime to keep its Scheduled caste vote-base intact. Indeed, Mayawati had met the Governor and effectively withdrawn support to the government. All hell broke. Mayawati had summoned a meeting of her legislators at the state guest house in Lucknow to discuss further course of action. Once the meeting was done, the BSP leader was closeted with a few senior leaders for fine-tuning the political strategy. A mob of around 200 SP leaders and supporters attacked the guest house and raised casteist slogans against her and her community. It was followed by more filthy language and threats to kill. Power supply to the guest house was cut off and the mob shouted for Mayawati to be dragged out and taught a lesson. The BSP legislators who came in contact with the mob were brutally assaulted. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Two junior police officers came to Mayawati’s rescue. Later the district magistrate of Lucknow and some BJP leaders played important roles in the rescue of the BSP leader. A traumatic Mayawati and her guru Kanshi Ram vowed to never do business with the SP. She soon became chief minister with the BJP’s support.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Cut to the present: On Saturday, sharing the stage with SP leader Akhilesh Yadav to announce the renewed partnership between the SP and the BSP and the seat-sharing deal, Mayawati remarked that she was willing to forgive and forget the 1995 incident in the larger interests of the nation (read, to get rid of the Modi government from the Centre). &nbsp;</p>

<p>Then, as now, the common factor is the need to counter the BJP. But that’s where the commonality ends. The first difference is that the two leaders who made the alliance possible in 1993 are not in the picture this time around. Kanshi Ram is dead and Mulayam Singh Yadav is a mere bystander in the party which he founded. While both Kanshi Ram and Mulayam Singh Yadav were astute, in the present case Mayawati, now a veteran both in terms of years in politics and mercurial nature, clearly has the edge, whereas Akhilesh Yadav is subdued by his relatively junior status and inexperience. Everybody knows who will call the shots in the post-result scenario if the combine does well, is not a secret.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The second difference is that the 1993 alliance had been for Assembly elections, whereas the present one — at least for now — is for the Lok Sabha polls. Then it was Mulayam-Kanshi Ram versus Kalyan Singh of the BJP, who had been deposed as chief minister following the Ayodhya mosque destruction incident. Today it is Akhilesh-Mayawati versus Narendra Modi — a more formidable challenge.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The third refers to the political status of the BJP. Then, the BJP was not in power either at the Centre or in the state. Today it’s there in both places. In the 2014 general elections, the party had got 40 per cent of the vote-share in Uttar Pradesh. The SP could manage only five seats while the BSP ended with none. The situation was not much different in the 2017 assembly polls where the SP and the BSP had to bite the dust while the BJP romped home with a huge majority. &nbsp;And yet the SP-BSP combine has reason to feel upbeat. It had tasted blood in the Phulpur and Gorakhpur Lok Sabha bypolls, and this had proved to be a trigger to explore a formalise alliance between the two parties.&nbsp; &nbsp;</p>

<p>There, questions remain: First, will the coalition deliver in 2019? Will it last in case of failure? Will it sustain even after the victory or become victim to ego battles, as had happened in 1995?&nbsp;&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>


The political wheels have come full circle in Uttar Pradesh. About 25 years ago, the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party came together to successfully contest the 1993 Assembly elections in the state.

The political wheels have come full circle in Uttar Pradesh. About 25 years ago, the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party came together to successfully contest the 1993 Assembly elections in the state. The idea was to keep the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at bay following its rise. Now the two parties have aligned yet again to counter the BJP in the coming Lok Sabha polls. Since we are into history, let’s recall a few incidents that happened thereafter. Then it was Mulayam Singh Yadav from the SP and Kanshi Ram from the BSP who stitched the partnership. Two prominent industrialists had played a significant role in bringing the rivals together, and they were subsequently rewarded with Rajya Sabha seats. The BJP still won the largest number of seats but fell short of a majority, while the combined numerical strength of the SP and the BSP led to the formation of a coalition regime with Mulayam Singh Yadav as the chief minister. Mayawati did not join the government, but she was entrusted with the task of supervising the partnership. The alliance worked well for the first few months, but friction began to develop thereafter, more so after incidents of violence which had erupted following the removal of an Ambedkar statue in Meerut in 1994. The state police, which had a good number from the Yadav caste, came down hard on the protesters and at least two members of the Scheduled Castes died in the firing. More problems arose when the Yadav community protested against the installation of an Ambedkar statue on a plot of land it claimed belonged to the community. The Yadav-Scheduled Caste confrontation led Mayawati to get aggressive, and soon reports began to circulate that she was interfering in the functioning of the Mulayam Singh Yadav-led government. Then came then infamous guest house incident in mid-1995. By then, political equations had begun to change in Lucknow. The BJP and the BSP had got closer to each other with the latter realising it would have to pull out of the coalition regime to keep its Scheduled caste vote-base intact. Indeed, Mayawati had met the Governor and effectively withdrawn support to the government. All hell broke. Mayawati had summoned a meeting of her legislators at the state guest house in Lucknow to discuss further course of action. Once the meeting was done, the BSP leader was closeted with a few senior leaders for fine-tuning the political strategy. A mob of around 200 SP leaders and supporters attacked the guest house and raised casteist slogans against her and her community. It was followed by more filthy language and threats to kill. Power supply to the guest house was cut off and the mob shouted for Mayawati to be dragged out and taught a lesson. The BSP legislators who came in contact with the mob were brutally assaulted. Two junior police officers came to Mayawati’s rescue. Later the district magistrate of Lucknow and some BJP leaders played important roles in the rescue of the BSP leader. A traumatic Mayawati and her guru Kanshi Ram vowed to never do business with the SP. She soon became chief minister with the BJP’s support. Cut to the present: On Saturday, sharing the stage with SP leader Akhilesh Yadav to announce the renewed partnership between the SP and the BSP and the seat-sharing deal, Mayawati remarked that she was willing to forgive and forget the 1995 incident in the larger interests of the nation (read, to get rid of the Modi government from the Centre). Then, as now, the common factor is the need to counter the BJP. But that’s where the commonality ends. The first difference is that the two leaders who made the alliance possible in 1993 are not in the picture this time around. Kanshi Ram is dead and Mulayam Singh Yadav is a mere bystander in the party which he founded. While both Kanshi Ram and Mulayam Singh Yadav were astute, in the present case Mayawati, now a veteran both in terms of years in politics and mercurial nature, clearly has the edge, whereas Akhilesh Yadav is subdued by his relatively junior status and inexperience. Everybody knows who will call the shots in the post-result scenario if the combine does well, is not a secret. The second difference is that the 1993 alliance had been for Assembly elections, whereas the present one — at least for now — is for the Lok Sabha polls. Then it was Mulayam-Kanshi Ram versus Kalyan Singh of the BJP, who had been deposed as chief minister following the Ayodhya mosque destruction incident. Today it is Akhilesh-Mayawati versus Narendra Modi — a more formidable challenge. The third refers to the political status of the BJP. Then, the BJP was not in power either at the Centre or in the state. Today it’s there in both places. In the 2014 general elections, the party had got 40 per cent of the vote-share in Uttar Pradesh. The SP could manage only five seats while the BSP ended with none. The situation was not much different in the 2017 assembly polls where the SP and the BSP had to bite the dust while the BJP romped home with a huge majority. And yet the SP-BSP combine has reason to feel upbeat. It had tasted blood in the Phulpur and Gorakhpur Lok Sabha bypolls, and this had proved to be a trigger to explore a formalise alliance between the two parties. There, questions remain: First, will the coalition deliver in 2019? Will it last in case of failure? Will it sustain even after the victory or become victim to ego battles, as had happened in 1995? (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

BSP-SP alliance returns after 25 years; will the coalition deliver in 2019?

<p>A plea was filed in the Supreme Court on Monday seeking a direction to quash the January 10 order of the government appointing <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/nageswara-rao-again-takes-over-cbi-directors-duties-189578">IPS officer M Nageswara Rao</a> as an interim director of the CBI.</p>

<p>CBI's Additional Director Rao was given the charge of CBI interim chief on January till the appointment of a new director after a high-powered committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi removed Alok Kumar Verma as the chief of the probe agency on charges of corruption and dereliction of duty.</p>

<p>The petition, filed by NGO Common Cause and RTI activist Anjali Bhardwaj, has sought the laying down of specific mechanisms to ensure transparency in the process of appointment of CBI director.</p>

<p>It alleged that Rao's appointment was not made on the basis of recommendations of the high-powered selection committee, comprising the prime minister, the leader of the single largest opposition party and the chief justice of India or a judge of the apex court nominated by him.</p>

<p>"In fact, it appears that the committee was completely bypassed and had no role in the appointment of Nageswara Rao, thereby rendering the appointment illegal as it is in violation of the procedure for appointment of Director, CBI laid down in the DSPE (Delhi Special Police Establishment) Act," the plea, filed through advocate Prashant Bhushan, said.</p>

<p>It stated that the order of October 23 last year appointing Rao as the interim CBI director was quashed by the top court on January 8 but the government has "acted in a completely mala fide, arbitrary and illegal manner" to appoint him again in "complete contravention" of the DSPE Act.</p>

<p>The plea also sought a direction to the Centre to appoint a regular CBI director forthwith by following the procedure laid down in accordance with the provision of DSPE Act, as amended by the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013.</p>

<p>Besides this, the petition has sought a direction to the government to ensure that "all records of deliberations and rational criteria related to short-listing and selection of the director, CBI, be properly recorded and made available to citizens in consonance with the provisions of the RTI Act".</p>

<p>It said the government should ensure transparency in short-listing, election and appointment process of CBI director by publicly disclosing, including through the website, the procedure and rational criteria for short-listing candidates, if any short-listing is done.</p>

<p>The plea sought a direction to the Centre that the process of selecting CBI director, including composition, mandate and minutes of the meetings of the search committee, should be disclosed publicly along with names of short-listed candidates so that people can inform the panel of any significant adverse information they may have about any such candidate.</p>

<p>It said that the minutes of the meetings of the selection committee should be publicly disclosed and recording of facts to indicate how the selected candidates are best suited for the post, disclosure of this information according to the provisions of the RTI Act after the appointment has been made should be there.</p>

<p>"In so far as the appointment of the Director, CBI is concerned, the Government of India has failed to adopt proper procedures to ensure transparency in the short-listing, selection and appointment," the plea said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It claimed that lack of transparency in appointment of CBI director prevents any public scrutiny of the process and allows the "government to exercise undue influence" in the appointment process especially at the stage of short-listing of candidates.</p>

<p>Detailing the sequence of events relating to the appointment of Rao as the interim CBI director, the plea alleged that the entire process was "mala fide" as the government wanted to "appoint its own choice as CBI Director in the interim".</p>

<p>It said that independence and insulation of the CBI from government influence was key to ensuring its proper functioning.</p>

<p>"The Government of India has attempted to stifle the independence of the institution of the CBI by appointing the Director of the CBI in an arbitrary and illegal manner," the plea claimed.</p>

<p>The apex court had on January 8 allowed Alok Kumar Verma to return as the CBI director, albeit with his wings clipped, by setting aside the Centre and the CVC's orders divesting him of his powers and sending him on leave.</p>

<p>However, the top court had said it was "still open" for the high-powered committee, which selects the CBI chief, to consider the matter within a week since the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) is probing the charges of corruption against Verma.</p>

<p>It had set aside October 23, 2018, orders of the CVC and the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) divesting Verma of his powers and asking Rao to look after the duties and functions of the agency's Director.</p>

<p>On January 10, the high-powered committee removed Verma as the CBI Director. The same day, an order was issued by the government giving Rao the charge of interim CBI director.</p>


It alleged that Rao's appointment was not made on the basis of recommendations of the high-powered selection committee.

A plea was filed in the Supreme Court on Monday seeking a direction to quash the January 10 order of the government appointing IPS officer M Nageswara Rao as an interim director of the CBI. CBI's Additional Director Rao was given the charge of CBI interim chief on January till the appointment of a new director after a high-powered committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi removed Alok Kumar Verma as the chief of the probe agency on charges of corruption and dereliction of duty. The petition, filed by NGO Common Cause and RTI activist Anjali Bhardwaj, has sought the laying down of specific mechanisms to ensure transparency in the process of appointment of CBI director. It alleged that Rao's appointment was not made on the basis of recommendations of the high-powered selection committee, comprising the prime minister, the leader of the single largest opposition party and the chief justice of India or a judge of the apex court nominated by him. "In fact, it appears that the committee was completely bypassed and had no role in the appointment of Nageswara Rao, thereby rendering the appointment illegal as it is in violation of the procedure for appointment of Director, CBI laid down in the DSPE (Delhi Special Police Establishment) Act," the plea, filed through advocate Prashant Bhushan, said. It stated that the order of October 23 last year appointing Rao as the interim CBI director was quashed by the top court on January 8 but the government has "acted in a completely mala fide, arbitrary and illegal manner" to appoint him again in "complete contravention" of the DSPE Act. The plea also sought a direction to the Centre to appoint a regular CBI director forthwith by following the procedure laid down in accordance with the provision of DSPE Act, as amended by the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013. Besides this, the petition has sought a direction to the government to ensure that "all records of deliberations and rational criteria related to short-listing and selection of the director, CBI, be properly recorded and made available to citizens in consonance with the provisions of the RTI Act". It said the government should ensure transparency in short-listing, election and appointment process of CBI director by publicly disclosing, including through the website, the procedure and rational criteria for short-listing candidates, if any short-listing is done. The plea sought a direction to the Centre that the process of selecting CBI director, including composition, mandate and minutes of the meetings of the search committee, should be disclosed publicly along with names of short-listed candidates so that people can inform the panel of any significant adverse information they may have about any such candidate. It said that the minutes of the meetings of the selection committee should be publicly disclosed and recording of facts to indicate how the selected candidates are best suited for the post, disclosure of this information according to the provisions of the RTI Act after the appointment has been made should be there. "In so far as the appointment of the Director, CBI is concerned, the Government of India has failed to adopt proper procedures to ensure transparency in the short-listing, selection and appointment," the plea said. It claimed that lack of transparency in appointment of CBI director prevents any public scrutiny of the process and allows the "government to exercise undue influence" in the appointment process especially at the stage of short-listing of candidates. Detailing the sequence of events relating to the appointment of Rao as the interim CBI director, the plea alleged that the entire process was "mala fide" as the government wanted to "appoint its own choice as CBI Director in the interim". It said that independence and insulation of the CBI from government influence was key to ensuring its proper functioning. "The Government of India has attempted to stifle the independence of the institution of the CBI by appointing the Director of the CBI in an arbitrary and illegal manner," the plea claimed. The apex court had on January 8 allowed Alok Kumar Verma to return as the CBI director, albeit with his wings clipped, by setting aside the Centre and the CVC's orders divesting him of his powers and sending him on leave. However, the top court had said it was "still open" for the high-powered committee, which selects the CBI chief, to consider the matter within a week since the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) is probing the charges of corruption against Verma. It had set aside October 23, 2018, orders of the CVC and the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) divesting Verma of his powers and asking Rao to look after the duties and functions of the agency's Director. On January 10, the high-powered committee removed Verma as the CBI Director. The same day, an order was issued by the government giving Rao the charge of interim CBI director.

RTI activist challenges appointment of Nageswara Rao as interim CBI director in Supreme Court

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/they-want-to-build-their-own-empire-but-we-want-to-empower-people-pm-modis-dig-at-opposition-190047">Prime Minister Narendra Modi</a> Monday received the first-ever Philip Kotler Presidential award.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The award focuses on the triple-bottom-line of 'people, profit and planet'. It will be offered annually to the leader of a nation, a statement from the Prime Minister's office said.</p>

<p>According to the award citation, PM&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/sikhs-will-be-able-to-visit-kartarpur-gurudwara-without-visas-soon-pm-modi-189983">Modi was selected</a> for his "outstanding leadership for the nation".&nbsp;</p>

<p>"His selfless service towards India, combined with his tireless energy has resulted in extraordinary economic, social and technological advances in the country," it read.</p>

<p>The citation also states that under his leadership, India is now identified as the centre for innovation and value-added manufacturing (Make in India), as well as a global hub for professional services such as information technology, accounting, and finance.</p>

<p>The statement quoted the citation as saying Modi's visionary leadership has also resulted in the digital revolution (Digital India), including the Unique Identification Number, Aadhaar, for social benefits and financial inclusion.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The citation, the statement said, mentions initiatives such as Make in India, Startup India, Digital India, and Swachh Bharat, "which have positioned India as one of the most lucrative manufacturing and business destinations in the world".&nbsp;</p>

<p>Philip Kotler is a professor of marketing at Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management. Owing to his ill health, Jagdish Sheth of EMORY University, Georgia was deputed to confer the award on Modi.&nbsp;</p>


According to the award citation, Modi was selected for his 'outstanding leadership for the nation'.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday received the first-ever Philip Kotler Presidential award. The award focuses on the triple-bottom-line of 'people, profit and planet'. It will be offered annually to the leader of a nation, a statement from the Prime Minister's office said. According to the award citation, PM Modi was selected for his "outstanding leadership for the nation". "His selfless service towards India, combined with his tireless energy has resulted in extraordinary economic, social and technological advances in the country," it read. The citation also states that under his leadership, India is now identified as the centre for innovation and value-added manufacturing (Make in India), as well as a global hub for professional services such as information technology, accounting, and finance. The statement quoted the citation as saying Modi's visionary leadership has also resulted in the digital revolution (Digital India), including the Unique Identification Number, Aadhaar, for social benefits and financial inclusion. The citation, the statement said, mentions initiatives such as Make in India, Startup India, Digital India, and Swachh Bharat, "which have positioned India as one of the most lucrative manufacturing and business destinations in the world". Philip Kotler is a professor of marketing at Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management. Owing to his ill health, Jagdish Sheth of EMORY University, Georgia was deputed to confer the award on Modi.

PM Modi receives first-ever Philip Kotler award

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday derided opposition efforts to cobble up a grand alliance against the BJP and pitched for his party's re-election in the coming parliamentary election, saying these "opportunistic" alliance and "dynastic" parties "want to build their own empire while we want to empower people".</p>

<p>During an interaction with booth-level BJP workers from five parliamentary constituencies in Tamil Nadu via video-conference, Modi said, "Unlike other parties, we are not in politics for divide and rule or building vote banks. We are here to serve the country in every possible way."</p>

<p>"On one hand we have our development agenda and on the other, there are opportunistic alliance and dynastic parties. This election is an opportunity for us to take the agenda of development to new heights. On one hand, we have our development agenda and the vision of <em>sabka</em><em> </em><em>saath</em><em> </em><em>sabka</em><em> </em><em>vikas</em>. On the other hand, there are opportunistic alliance and dynasty parties," he said.</p>

<p>Such parties, the prime minister charged, "want to build their own empire while we want to empower people".</p>

<p>Modi's comments came a day after the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party announced their alliance for the coming Lok Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh in a bid to counter the saffron party.</p>

<p>Billing his party as one that recognised the cultural diversity of the country, he also patted his party workers and exuded confidence they will once again ensure its victory in the coming elections.</p>

<p>A BJP worker is driven not by any self-interest but national interest, he said, adding only in the saffron party can a person born in the socially backward and economically poor family think of reaching the top.</p>

<p>"In the BJP one only needs hard work, not big wallets, high birth or loyalty to one family. We are proud that a party with two MPs (to start off with) is ruling so many states and is running the government at the Centre," Modi said.</p>

<p>He said that the BJP's success has "naturally angered so many people who have done nothing but done negative politics," and have been abusing both the party and himself, the prime minister said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"But they should not underestimate the people of India. Our friends in the opposition are anyway a confused lot. They leave no opportunity to say Modi is bad, the government is not working, people dislike the BJP...The first thing that they do is make opportunist alliance with parties they disliked till recently and still do perhaps," he said, without naming anyone.</p>

<p>"If Modi is so bad, the government is not working and if the people dislike the BJP then why build these alliance. Should you not be confident about yourself.</p>

<p>The truth is they know it is a working government, that the poor of India, the youth of India, the farmers of India and the women of India have a strong bond with the BJP."</p>

<p>"Hence, for their own existence they are making a short-term alliance," he said during the interaction with party workers from Mayiladuthurai, Sivaganga, Perambalur, Virudhunagar and Theni parliamentary constituencies as part of his 'Mera Booth, Sabse Mazboot' (My booth is the strongest) initiative.</p>

<p>Taking a dig at the previous UPA government, he said it had built only 25 lakh houses in its last five years under housing for poor scheme, whereas the present government has constructed 1.25 crore houses in four years.</p>

<p>"In the previous government, for them the name of schemes was important, not their functioning. For them houses were means of publicity, for us they are means of poverty elimination. Earlier, whatever schemes were made were only on paper. No one knew how many real beneficiaries existed," he said.</p>

<p>Responding to a question on the MSME sector, Modi hailed the role of small industries in the nation's growth.</p>

<p>The government's commitment to MSME sector can be proved by the fact that 15 crore collateral-free Mudra loans have been provided to entrepreneurs.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Many people think ease of doing business only helps big companies. This is a completely wrong perception. Ease of doing business helps the MSME sector and small businesses most," he said.</p>

<p>To a question on GST, he said that the government has from day one of its roll-out been saying that it will improve the new taxation system as "we move ahead" and recalled the various sops being given from time to time, including the latest one where the exemption for suppliers for registration and payment of GST has been raised from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 40 lakh.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"This will help a large number of MSMEs. Free accounting and billing software will also be provided to taxpayers. Making business easier also means devoting special focus where it is needed," Modi said.</p>

<p>"It would be have been tough to imagine India will one day leave even China behind in attracting foreign direct investment. Let me tell you, India has already surpassed China in 2018 in FDI," the prime minister said.</p>

<p>The "tallest" Statue of Unity of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was a model of India's design prowess and showed nothing is impossible, he said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We are changing all the assumptions that the world had about India, we had about ourselves. If this is possible in four years after we had inherited a mess, think what we can do in the next five years," he said.</p>

<p>Asked about first-time voters ahead of this year's polls, Modi asked his party workers to "make them your first priority" as they decide the future. "The BJP is a natural choice for first-time voters," Modi added.</p>


Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday derided opposition efforts to cobble up a grand alliance against the BJP and pitched for his party's re-election in the coming parliamentary election, saying these "opportunistic" alliance and "dynastic" parties "want to build their own empire while we want to empower people".

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday derided opposition efforts to cobble up a grand alliance against the BJP and pitched for his party's re-election in the coming parliamentary election, saying these "opportunistic" alliance and "dynastic" parties "want to build their own empire while we want to empower people". During an interaction with booth-level BJP workers from five parliamentary constituencies in Tamil Nadu via video-conference, Modi said, "Unlike other parties, we are not in politics for divide and rule or building vote banks. We are here to serve the country in every possible way." "On one hand we have our development agenda and on the other, there are opportunistic alliance and dynastic parties. This election is an opportunity for us to take the agenda of development to new heights. On one hand, we have our development agenda and the vision of sabka saath sabka vikas. On the other hand, there are opportunistic alliance and dynasty parties," he said. Such parties, the prime minister charged, "want to build their own empire while we want to empower people". Modi's comments came a day after the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party announced their alliance for the coming Lok Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh in a bid to counter the saffron party. Billing his party as one that recognised the cultural diversity of the country, he also patted his party workers and exuded confidence they will once again ensure its victory in the coming elections. A BJP worker is driven not by any self-interest but national interest, he said, adding only in the saffron party can a person born in the socially backward and economically poor family think of reaching the top. "In the BJP one only needs hard work, not big wallets, high birth or loyalty to one family. We are proud that a party with two MPs (to start off with) is ruling so many states and is running the government at the Centre," Modi said. He said that the BJP's success has "naturally angered so many people who have done nothing but done negative politics," and have been abusing both the party and himself, the prime minister said. "But they should not underestimate the people of India. Our friends in the opposition are anyway a confused lot. They leave no opportunity to say Modi is bad, the government is not working, people dislike the BJP...The first thing that they do is make opportunist alliance with parties they disliked till recently and still do perhaps," he said, without naming anyone. "If Modi is so bad, the government is not working and if the people dislike the BJP then why build these alliance. Should you not be confident about yourself. The truth is they know it is a working government, that the poor of India, the youth of India, the farmers of India and the women of India have a strong bond with the BJP." "Hence, for their own existence they are making a short-term alliance," he said during the interaction with party workers from Mayiladuthurai, Sivaganga, Perambalur, Virudhunagar and Theni parliamentary constituencies as part of his 'Mera Booth, Sabse Mazboot' (My booth is the strongest) initiative. Taking a dig at the previous UPA government, he said it had built only 25 lakh houses in its last five years under housing for poor scheme, whereas the present government has constructed 1.25 crore houses in four years. "In the previous government, for them the name of schemes was important, not their functioning. For them houses were means of publicity, for us they are means of poverty elimination. Earlier, whatever schemes were made were only on paper. No one knew how many real beneficiaries existed," he said. Responding to a question on the MSME sector, Modi hailed the role of small industries in the nation's growth. The government's commitment to MSME sector can be proved by the fact that 15 crore collateral-free Mudra loans have been provided to entrepreneurs. "Many people think ease of doing business only helps big companies. This is a completely wrong perception. Ease of doing business helps the MSME sector and small businesses most," he said. To a question on GST, he said that the government has from day one of its roll-out been saying that it will improve the new taxation system as "we move ahead" and recalled the various sops being given from time to time, including the latest one where the exemption for suppliers for registration and payment of GST has been raised from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 40 lakh. "This will help a large number of MSMEs. Free accounting and billing software will also be provided to taxpayers. Making business easier also means devoting special focus where it is needed," Modi said. "It would be have been tough to imagine India will one day leave even China behind in attracting foreign direct investment. Let me tell you, India has already surpassed China in 2018 in FDI," the prime minister said. The "tallest" Statue of Unity of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was a model of India's design prowess and showed nothing is impossible, he said. "We are changing all the assumptions that the world had about India, we had about ourselves. If this is possible in four years after we had inherited a mess, think what we can do in the next five years," he said. Asked about first-time voters ahead of this year's polls, Modi asked his party workers to "make them your first priority" as they decide the future. "The BJP is a natural choice for first-time voters," Modi added.

They want to build their own empire, we want to empower people: PM Modi's dig at opposition 

<p>The government will construct 44 strategic roads <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/no-navy-has-grown-as-rapidly-in-the-last-200-years-as-chinas-indian-navy-chief-sunil-lanba-189264">along the border with China</a> and over 2100 km of axial and lateral roads in Punjab and Rajasthan, abutting Pakistan, a CPWD document shows.</p>

<p>According to an annual report (2018-19) prepared, and released earlier this month by the Central Public Works Department, the agency has been asked to construct 44 "strategically important" roads along the India-China border to ensure quick mobilisation of troops in case of a conflict.</p>

<p>The nearly 4000-km-long Line of Actual Control between India and China touches areas from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh.</p>

<p>The report comes at a time China is giving a priority to projects along its India borders. In 2017, Indian and Chinese troops engaged in a face-off at the Doklam tri-junction after the neighbouring country had begun building road in the area.</p>

<p>The standoff ended on August 28 following a mutual agreement under which China stopped the construction of the road and India withdrew its troops.</p>

<p>The report stated that these 44 strategically important roads along the India-China border will be constructed at a cost of nearly Rs 21,000 crore.</p>

<p>"The CPWD has been entrusted with construction of 44 strategically important roads along the Indo-China Border spanning 5 states of J&amp;K, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh," the report stated.</p>

<p>"The total Cost of work as per DPRs (Detailed Project Reports) is Rs 21,040 crores (approx.)," the report stated</p>

<p>It said the process of approval of DPRs by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is underway.</p>

<p>The CPWD report also stated that lateral and axial roads measuring over 2,100 kilometres will be built with a cost of around Rs 5,400 crore in Rajasthan and Punjab along the Indo-Pakistan border.</p>

<p>The DPRs for this project are under preparation in CPWD, which is a major construction agency of the central government.</p>

<p>"A total of 945 km of lateral roads and 533 km of axial roads lie in Rajasthan (tentative cost Rs 3,700 crores) and 482 km of lateral roads and 219 km of axial roads in Punjab (tentative cost Rs 1,750 crores)," it stated.</p>

<p>The road projects will secure the vast and remote border areas of Rajasthan and Punjab, it stated.</p>

<p>India's border with Pakistan runs through four states, Jammu and Kashmir (1,225 km, which includes 740 km of Line of Control), Rajasthan (1,037 km), Punjab (553 km) and Gujarat (508 km).</p>


The nearly 4000-km-long Line of Actual Control between India and China touches areas from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh.

The government will construct 44 strategic roads along the border with China and over 2100 km of axial and lateral roads in Punjab and Rajasthan, abutting Pakistan, a CPWD document shows. According to an annual report (2018-19) prepared, and released earlier this month by the Central Public Works Department, the agency has been asked to construct 44 "strategically important" roads along the India-China border to ensure quick mobilisation of troops in case of a conflict. The nearly 4000-km-long Line of Actual Control between India and China touches areas from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh. The report comes at a time China is giving a priority to projects along its India borders. In 2017, Indian and Chinese troops engaged in a face-off at the Doklam tri-junction after the neighbouring country had begun building road in the area. The standoff ended on August 28 following a mutual agreement under which China stopped the construction of the road and India withdrew its troops. The report stated that these 44 strategically important roads along the India-China border will be constructed at a cost of nearly Rs 21,000 crore. "The CPWD has been entrusted with construction of 44 strategically important roads along the Indo-China Border spanning 5 states of J&K, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh," the report stated. "The total Cost of work as per DPRs (Detailed Project Reports) is Rs 21,040 crores (approx.)," the report stated It said the process of approval of DPRs by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is underway. The CPWD report also stated that lateral and axial roads measuring over 2,100 kilometres will be built with a cost of around Rs 5,400 crore in Rajasthan and Punjab along the Indo-Pakistan border. The DPRs for this project are under preparation in CPWD, which is a major construction agency of the central government. "A total of 945 km of lateral roads and 533 km of axial roads lie in Rajasthan (tentative cost Rs 3,700 crores) and 482 km of lateral roads and 219 km of axial roads in Punjab (tentative cost Rs 1,750 crores)," it stated. The road projects will secure the vast and remote border areas of Rajasthan and Punjab, it stated. India's border with Pakistan runs through four states, Jammu and Kashmir (1,225 km, which includes 740 km of Line of Control), Rajasthan (1,037 km), Punjab (553 km) and Gujarat (508 km).

Government to construct 44 'strategically important' roads along India-China border

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-us-share-strategic-interests-fundamental-democratic-values-trump-to-indian-high-commissioner-189855">India, US share 'strategic interests', 'fundamental democratic values': Trump to Indian high commissioner</a></p>

<p>The new Indian high commissioner to the United States, Harsh Vardhan Shringla, has presented his credentials to US President Donald Trump in a ceremony at the White House. Shringla conveyed warm greetings from President Kovind and Prime Minister Modi to Trump and First Lady Melania.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/12-people-including-three-firefighters-injured-after-massive-explosion-in-paris-189853">Four dead in Paris explosion amid lockdown for yellow-vest protests</a></p>

<p>Four people died and nearly 50 were injured in a massive gas explosion that gutted the ground floor of a building in a central Paris shopping district on Saturday, authorities said.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-teen-asylum-seeker-expected-to-land-in-canada-today-189841">Saudi teen seeking asylum expected to land in Canada today</a></p>

<p>The young Saudi woman who fled her family seeking asylum abroad is scheduled to land in Canada on Saturday after successfully harnessing the power of Twitter to stave off deportation from Thailand.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/clashes-erupt-in-yemens-hodeida-despite-truce-189838">Clashes erupt in Yemen's Hodeida despite truce</a></p>

<p>Clashes erupted between Huthi rebels and government forces in Yemen's flashpoint port city of Hodeida on Saturday, dealing a new blow to a fragile truce, an AFP correspondent reported.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/those-out-on-bail-dont-believe-in-law-of-institution-pm-modi-attacks-sonia-rahul-189876">Those out on bail don't believe in </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/those-out-on-bail-dont-believe-in-law-of-institution-pm-modi-attacks-sonia-rahul-189876">law</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/those-out-on-bail-dont-believe-in-law-of-institution-pm-modi-attacks-sonia-rahul-189876"> of institution: PM Modi attacks Sonia, Rahul</a></p>

<p>Intensifying his attack on Congress president Rahul Gandhi and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi over their alleged involvement in the National Herald case, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that those who are out on bail do not believe in the law of institution.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


India, US share 'strategic interests', 'fundamental democratic values': Trump to Indian high commissioner The new Indian high commissioner to the United States, Harsh Vardhan Shringla, has presented his credentials to US President Donald Trump in a ceremony at the White House.

India, US share 'strategic interests', 'fundamental democratic values': Trump to Indian high commissioner The new Indian high commissioner to the United States, Harsh Vardhan Shringla, has presented his credentials to US President Donald Trump in a ceremony at the White House. Shringla conveyed warm greetings from President Kovind and Prime Minister Modi to Trump and First Lady Melania. Four dead in Paris explosion amid lockdown for yellow-vest protests Four people died and nearly 50 were injured in a massive gas explosion that gutted the ground floor of a building in a central Paris shopping district on Saturday, authorities said. Saudi teen seeking asylum expected to land in Canada today The young Saudi woman who fled her family seeking asylum abroad is scheduled to land in Canada on Saturday after successfully harnessing the power of Twitter to stave off deportation from Thailand. Clashes erupt in Yemen's Hodeida despite truce Clashes erupted between Huthi rebels and government forces in Yemen's flashpoint port city of Hodeida on Saturday, dealing a new blow to a fragile truce, an AFP correspondent reported. Those out on bail don't believe in law of institution: PM Modi attacks Sonia, Rahul Intensifying his attack on Congress president Rahul Gandhi and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi over their alleged involvement in the National Herald case, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that those who are out on bail do not believe in the law of institution.

News brief: Big stories of the day

<p>Intensifying his attack on Congress president Rahul Gandhi and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi over their alleged involvement in the National Herald case, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that those who are out on bail do not believe in the law of institution.</p>

<p>Addressing BJP workers on the concluding day of party's two-day national council meeting in Delhi's Ramlila ground, the Prime Minister targeted the Congress, saying, "How can those who do not believe in country's institution, will respect this country? Those who are out on bail do not believe in the law of land or the institution. When I was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, I was called by an agency and questioned for nine hours. They even jailed Amit Shah. But the Congress'&nbsp;first family thinks it is above the law and doesn't appear before courts despite several summons issued to them".</p>

<p>He added, "This example of how the Congress and its 'naamdar'&nbsp;family breaks the system is that Congress President and other leaders are out on bail in the National Herald case. This case shows that the Congress leaders grab the public's land and money too."</p>

<p>Continuing his tirade against the Congress, he said that now it is a fight between a sultanate and the Constitution. "For Congress, every authority such as the RBI, CAG, CBI, Army, Police, SC is incorrect. For them, only they are correct and anyone who opposes their authority is incorrect. It is now a fight between a sultanate and the Constitution," he added.</p>

<p>The Prime Minister further said, "In 2007, they tried to threaten me with a jail sentence," adding that the United Progressive Alliance's (UPA) only agenda was to implicate Narendra Modi.</p>

<p>He added that the Government, before the NDA regime, had pushed the country into darkness. "The government before us pushed the country into darkness. It would not be wrong if I say that India lost 10 important years (2004-2014) in scams and corruption," he said.&nbsp;</p>


Intensifying his attack on Congress president Rahul Gandhi and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi over their alleged involvement in the National Herald case, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that those who are out on bail do not believe in the law of institution.

Intensifying his attack on Congress president Rahul Gandhi and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi over their alleged involvement in the National Herald case, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that those who are out on bail do not believe in the law of institution. Addressing BJP workers on the concluding day of party's two-day national council meeting in Delhi's Ramlila ground, the Prime Minister targeted the Congress, saying, "How can those who do not believe in country's institution, will respect this country? Those who are out on bail do not believe in the law of land or the institution. When I was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, I was called by an agency and questioned for nine hours. They even jailed Amit Shah. But the Congress' first family thinks it is above the law and doesn't appear before courts despite several summons issued to them". He added, "This example of how the Congress and its 'naamdar' family breaks the system is that Congress President and other leaders are out on bail in the National Herald case. This case shows that the Congress leaders grab the public's land and money too." Continuing his tirade against the Congress, he said that now it is a fight between a sultanate and the Constitution. "For Congress, every authority such as the RBI, CAG, CBI, Army, Police, SC is incorrect. For them, only they are correct and anyone who opposes their authority is incorrect. It is now a fight between a sultanate and the Constitution," he added. The Prime Minister further said, "In 2007, they tried to threaten me with a jail sentence," adding that the United Progressive Alliance's (UPA) only agenda was to implicate Narendra Modi. He added that the Government, before the NDA regime, had pushed the country into darkness. "The government before us pushed the country into darkness. It would not be wrong if I say that India lost 10 important years (2004-2014) in scams and corruption," he said.

Those out on bail don't believe in law of institution: PM Modi attacks Sonia, Rahul

<p>Asserting that it would never strike an electoral pact with the BJP under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the DMK Friday mocked at him for "comparing" himself with late leader A B Vajpayee.</p>

<p>A day after the Prime Minister said his party cherished its old friends, seeking to rope in outfits for the NDA, DMK chief M K Stalin said people would not forget that it was under Modi's rule that Tamil Nadu's rights were "snatched away," something unseen before.</p>

<p>"I would like to make it categorical again that DMK will never forge an alliance with the BJP-led by Narendra Modi," he said and hit out at Modi for not doing anything to strengthen India's integrity.</p>

<p>Flaying the Prime Minister for allegedly treating with disdain values like secularism, social justice and federalism in his rule, Stalin said, "Modi is not Vajpayee."</p>

<p>Crediting Vajpayee with stitching together a "healthy alliance," during his times, the DMK leader said, however, the NDA under the incumbent Prime Minister is not so.</p>

<p>Accusing the Prime Minister of not guarding "pluralism," Stalin said it was "strange and comical that Modi was comparing himself with Vajpayee."</p>

<p>Stalin recalled that Vajpayee was described as "the right person in the wrong party," by late party patriarch M Karunanidhi.</p>

<p>Under Vajpayee the agenda for governance was "not divisive," he said adding his party had joined the NDA (in 1999) under the late leader only for a stable government to ensure growth.</p>

<p>Reacting to Stalin, BJP Tamil Nadu unit chief Tamilisai Soundararajan said she does not understand why the DMK leader was interpreting Modi's remarks as an invite to his party.</p>

<p>Speaking to reporters at Delhi, she wondered why the DMK, which has a tie-up with Congress and having proposed Rahul Gandhi as their pick for the Prime Minister's post should feel that their party was invited.</p>

<p>The Prime Minister had only said that Vajpayee had shown the party the way for building successful coalitions.</p>

<p>Also, Modi had said that the strongest alliance is one with the people and more than "alliances we have to focus on remaining connected with people," she pointed out.</p>

<p>Like the celebrated leader Vajpayee, "Modi is a strong leader," she said adding "I don't know why DMK is reacting as if they were invited.. We know with whom we will go in for an alliance and we have already said we will forge ties with like-minded parties...There is enough time."</p>

<p>While the Prime Minister showed civility in his remarks on the coalition, she said she doubted if Stalin had it since he had reacted to the interaction her party leader had with their party workers.</p>

<p>In an interaction with the party's booth-level workers from five districts in Tamil Nadu on Thursday Modi spoke about Vajpayee's successful bids at building strong coalitions.</p>

<p>"20 years ago the visionary leader Atalji brought in a new culture in Indian politics...He gave utmost importance to regional aspirations. BJP has followed the way Atalji has shown us," Modi had said.</p>


Asserting that it would never strike an electoral pact with the BJP under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the DMK Friday mocked at him for "comparing" himself with late leader A B Vajpayee.

Asserting that it would never strike an electoral pact with the BJP under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the DMK Friday mocked at him for "comparing" himself with late leader A B Vajpayee. A day after the Prime Minister said his party cherished its old friends, seeking to rope in outfits for the NDA, DMK chief M K Stalin said people would not forget that it was under Modi's rule that Tamil Nadu's rights were "snatched away," something unseen before. "I would like to make it categorical again that DMK will never forge an alliance with the BJP-led by Narendra Modi," he said and hit out at Modi for not doing anything to strengthen India's integrity. Flaying the Prime Minister for allegedly treating with disdain values like secularism, social justice and federalism in his rule, Stalin said, "Modi is not Vajpayee." Crediting Vajpayee with stitching together a "healthy alliance," during his times, the DMK leader said, however, the NDA under the incumbent Prime Minister is not so. Accusing the Prime Minister of not guarding "pluralism," Stalin said it was "strange and comical that Modi was comparing himself with Vajpayee." Stalin recalled that Vajpayee was described as "the right person in the wrong party," by late party patriarch M Karunanidhi. Under Vajpayee the agenda for governance was "not divisive," he said adding his party had joined the NDA (in 1999) under the late leader only for a stable government to ensure growth. Reacting to Stalin, BJP Tamil Nadu unit chief Tamilisai Soundararajan said she does not understand why the DMK leader was interpreting Modi's remarks as an invite to his party. Speaking to reporters at Delhi, she wondered why the DMK, which has a tie-up with Congress and having proposed Rahul Gandhi as their pick for the Prime Minister's post should feel that their party was invited. The Prime Minister had only said that Vajpayee had shown the party the way for building successful coalitions. Also, Modi had said that the strongest alliance is one with the people and more than "alliances we have to focus on remaining connected with people," she pointed out. Like the celebrated leader Vajpayee, "Modi is a strong leader," she said adding "I don't know why DMK is reacting as if they were invited.. We know with whom we will go in for an alliance and we have already said we will forge ties with like-minded parties...There is enough time." While the Prime Minister showed civility in his remarks on the coalition, she said she doubted if Stalin had it since he had reacted to the interaction her party leader had with their party workers. In an interaction with the party's booth-level workers from five districts in Tamil Nadu on Thursday Modi spoke about Vajpayee's successful bids at building strong coalitions. "20 years ago the visionary leader Atalji brought in a new culture in Indian politics...He gave utmost importance to regional aspirations. BJP has followed the way Atalji has shown us," Modi had said.

DMK rules out poll deal with BJP in Tamil Nadu

<p>Finally, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee broke her silence on the movie, ‘<a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/the-accidental-prime-minister-review-a-fictional-account-of-real-people-in-power-189571">The Accidental Prime Minister</a>’ saying, “Ahead of elections, they have come up with a movie. I do not endorse the kind of politics Congress does hence we parted ways several years back and then I formed the Trinamool Congress. But, I will say that it is not in a good taste,” Banerjee said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>She attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and called him a ‘disastrous’ Prime Minister without naming him directly, “If they talk of Accidental Prime Minister we should not forget we have a disastrous Prime Minister. Have you seen the way he (PM Modi) looks at people? He scares people and they say look ‘gabbar’ has arrived.”</p>

<p>Banerjee was speaking at the inauguration of the Jatra Utsav in Barasat, West Bengal today.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee in Barasat: : If there is a movie on Accidental Prime Minister then there should be a movie titled as Disastrous Prime Minister.This will be made in future. No one will be spared. <a href="https://t.co/4niA6e8lrw">pic.twitter.com/4niA6e8lrw</a></p>
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<p>Banerjee launched a full scathing attack on the Central government for reportedly sending letters through the post office highlighting the achievements of the central government.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“Letters from the BJP and the government reaching people’s houses highlighting the government’s achievements. This is nothing but cheating. They have looted people through demonetisation, GST and left two crore youth jobless and are shamelessly sharing their achievements. I want to tell everyone, do not be fooled by these letters. Whatever little schemes you are getting is solely because of the state government,” she said.&nbsp;</p>


Finally, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee broke her silence on the movie, ‘The Accidental Prime Minister’ saying, “Ahead of elections, they have come up with a movie.

Finally, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee broke her silence on the movie, ‘The Accidental Prime Minister’ saying, “Ahead of elections, they have come up with a movie. I do not endorse the kind of politics Congress does hence we parted ways several years back and then I formed the Trinamool Congress. But, I will say that it is not in a good taste,” Banerjee said. She attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and called him a ‘disastrous’ Prime Minister without naming him directly, “If they talk of Accidental Prime Minister we should not forget we have a disastrous Prime Minister. Have you seen the way he (PM Modi) looks at people? He scares people and they say look ‘gabbar’ has arrived.” Banerjee was speaking at the inauguration of the Jatra Utsav in Barasat, West Bengal today. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee in Barasat: : If there is a movie on Accidental Prime Minister then there should be a movie titled as Disastrous Prime Minister.This will be made in future. No one will be spared. pic.twitter.com/4niA6e8lrw — ANI (@ANI) January 11, 2019 × Banerjee launched a full scathing attack on the Central government for reportedly sending letters through the post office highlighting the achievements of the central government. “Letters from the BJP and the government reaching people’s houses highlighting the government’s achievements. This is nothing but cheating. They have looted people through demonetisation, GST and left two crore youth jobless and are shamelessly sharing their achievements. I want to tell everyone, do not be fooled by these letters. Whatever little schemes you are getting is solely because of the state government,” she said.

Don't endorse this kind of politics: Mamata Banerjee breaks silence on 'The Accidental Prime Minister' 

<p>Interim CBI Director M Nageshwar Rao has cancelled all transfer decisions taken by his ousted predecessor Alok Verma, reverting to the position of officials as on January 8, officials said.</p>

<p>The fresh order issued by Rao on Friday declared all the orders issued by Verma as "non est".</p>

<p>"And consequently, all actions in pursuance thereof by all concerned are also hereby declared as null and void. In other words, status-quo ante as on January 8, 2019, stands restored," the order accessed by PTI said.</p>

<p>Verma, after being reinstated by the Supreme Court on January 8, had undone all the transfers done by Rao. He had also appointed a new investigation officer to probe the case against Special Director Rakesh Asthana.</p>

<p>A high-powered committee comprising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Justice A K Sikri and leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge had transferred Verma out of the CBI in a split verdict Thursday.</p>

<p>The government gave the charge of the agency to Additional Director Nageshwar Rao who was also in-charge for 77 days when Verma and his deputy Asthana were on forced leave.</p>

<p>The Supreme Court had earlier stopped Rao from taking any major policy decisions. However, no such condition applies on his present tenure.</p>

<p>Rao had taken charge of the agency at 9 pm Thursday, a CBI spokesperson said in a statement Friday.&nbsp;</p>


Interim CBI Director M Nageshwar Rao has cancelled all transfer decisions taken by his ousted predecessor Alok Verma, reverting to the position of officials as on January 8, officials said.

Interim CBI Director M Nageshwar Rao has cancelled all transfer decisions taken by his ousted predecessor Alok Verma, reverting to the position of officials as on January 8, officials said. The fresh order issued by Rao on Friday declared all the orders issued by Verma as "non est". "And consequently, all actions in pursuance thereof by all concerned are also hereby declared as null and void. In other words, status-quo ante as on January 8, 2019, stands restored," the order accessed by PTI said. Verma, after being reinstated by the Supreme Court on January 8, had undone all the transfers done by Rao. He had also appointed a new investigation officer to probe the case against Special Director Rakesh Asthana. A high-powered committee comprising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Justice A K Sikri and leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge had transferred Verma out of the CBI in a split verdict Thursday. The government gave the charge of the agency to Additional Director Nageshwar Rao who was also in-charge for 77 days when Verma and his deputy Asthana were on forced leave. The Supreme Court had earlier stopped Rao from taking any major policy decisions. However, no such condition applies on his present tenure. Rao had taken charge of the agency at 9 pm Thursday, a CBI spokesperson said in a statement Friday.

M Nageshwar Rao undoes transfers done by Verma, situation restored to January 8

<p>Actor Vicky Kaushal who is been seen enthusiastically promoting his highly awaited upcoming film 'Uri', has now spread the ' josh' to his Bollywood friends as well.<br />
A day before the film's release, the actor got an airplane full of stars saying out loud the powerful trending lines from the film 'Uri'.</p>

<p>As a bunch of young Bollywood stars made their way to New Delhi to meet the PM, Vicky took the opportunity to get his friends to promote his film mid-air.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
He shared a video on his Instagram page which had him along with other stars of the fraternity cheering for ' Uri'.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;<br />
“Guys I have something to say to you,” he says to the camera and shows the faces of all the stars behind him. “How’s the josh?” he asks the group, screaming at the top of his lungs, just like his character from the film. And just like his soldiers from the films, the stars also respond with all their might, “High, Sir!” They also chant ‘Jai Hind’ and when Vicky asks when Uri is releasing, they say “Tomorrow!"</p>

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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BsdVOoYlbCB/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">From us to you. Releasing tomorrow! #URITheSurgicalStrike #11thJan2019 “HOW’S THE JOSH!?” 🇮🇳❤️🙏</a></p>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/vickykaushal09/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Vicky Kaushal</a> (@vickykaushal09) on <time datetime="2019-01-10T15:05:59+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Jan 10, 2019 at 7:05am PST</time></p>
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<p>Vicky flew to Delhi with Alia Bhatt, Ranveer Singh, Ranbir Kapoor, Ayushmann Khurranna, Rajkummar Rao, Bhumi Pednekar, Karan Johar and others to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The meeting was facilitated by Karan Johar and had leading Bollywood stars like Ranbir Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Vicky Kaushal, Ayushmann Khurrana, Alia Bhatt, Bhumi Pednekar, Varun Dhawan and Siddharth Malhotra in attendance. Ekta Kapoor, directors Rohit Shetty and Ashwini Iyer Tiwari were also part of the delegation.&nbsp;</p>


Actor Vicky Kaushal who is been seen enthusiastically promoting his highly awaited upcoming film 'Uri', has now spread the ' josh' to his Bollywood friends as well.

Actor Vicky Kaushal who is been seen enthusiastically promoting his highly awaited upcoming film 'Uri', has now spread the ' josh' to his Bollywood friends as well. A day before the film's release, the actor got an airplane full of stars saying out loud the powerful trending lines from the film 'Uri'. As a bunch of young Bollywood stars made their way to New Delhi to meet the PM, Vicky took the opportunity to get his friends to promote his film mid-air. He shared a video on his Instagram page which had him along with other stars of the fraternity cheering for ' Uri'. “Guys I have something to say to you,” he says to the camera and shows the faces of all the stars behind him. “How’s the josh?” he asks the group, screaming at the top of his lungs, just like his character from the film. And just like his soldiers from the films, the stars also respond with all their might, “High, Sir!” They also chant ‘Jai Hind’ and when Vicky asks when Uri is releasing, they say “Tomorrow!" View this post on Instagram From us to you. Releasing tomorrow! #URITheSurgicalStrike #11thJan2019 “HOW’S THE JOSH!?” 🇮🇳❤️🙏 A post shared by Vicky Kaushal (@vickykaushal09) on Jan 10, 2019 at 7:05am PST × Vicky flew to Delhi with Alia Bhatt, Ranveer Singh, Ranbir Kapoor, Ayushmann Khurranna, Rajkummar Rao, Bhumi Pednekar, Karan Johar and others to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday. The meeting was facilitated by Karan Johar and had leading Bollywood stars like Ranbir Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Vicky Kaushal, Ayushmann Khurrana, Alia Bhatt, Bhumi Pednekar, Varun Dhawan and Siddharth Malhotra in attendance. Ekta Kapoor, directors Rohit Shetty and Ashwini Iyer Tiwari were also part of the delegation.

Vicky Kaushal gets his Bollywood 'friends' to cheer for 'Uri', watch video

<p>The history of trade relations between China and the Arab world goes back to centuries. In ancient times, the Ottoman and Arab empires were the bridge between east and west along the Silk Road and it is the very trade route, Beijing now aims to revive.&nbsp;</p>

<p>West Asia is central to China's belt and road initiative, Chinese President Xi Jinping in his six-year tenure has personally put a lot of effort into enhancing ties with the Arab world.</p>

<p>His strategy is based on four main pillars -- energy cooperation, infrastructure, trade facilitation and technology.</p>

<p>Seaports are the gateway for the Chinese belt and road initiative -- and Washington is increasingly worried since Beijing is courting long-standing American ally.</p>

<p>In the recent visit to Israel, US national security advisor John Bolton had China on top of the agenda.</p>

<p>During his visit, Bolton expressed concerns about the transfer of Israel's military technology to China, and about possible eavesdropping on callers using Chinese equipment, in particular, Huawei.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Shanghai international port group, in which the Chinese government has the majority stake, will take control over the Israeli port of Haifa in 2021.</p>

<p>Chinese companies are completing the new container terminal in the Khalifa port which is set to double its capacity.</p>

<p>The bilateral trade is expected to reach 58 billion dollars in 2019.&nbsp;</p>

<p>China buys 70 per cent of its oil from the gulf and is working on free trade. Meanwhile, the UAE &nbsp;has granted shares of onshore and offshore oil blocks to Beijing. &nbsp;</p>

<p>No wonder, Xi Jinping was the first Chinese president to visit the Emirates in 30 years.&nbsp;</p>

<p>But this is not only about the oil-rich Gulf.</p>

<p>China promised investments worth 90 million dollars in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen.</p>

<p>Jordan is in advanced talks with China national nuclear corporation to build its first nuclear reactor.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Shifting from the traditional non-interference strategy, Beijing has also stepped into the long-standing Palestinian issue. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Last year in July Chinese President announced $15 million in aid to Palestine to "support the development of its economy".</p>

<p>"China will provide 100 million yuan ($15 million) in aid for Palestine to support the development of its economy and improve its people's livelihoods. China will also provide emergency humanitarian aid for Palestine.”</p>

<p>Palestine imports five-hundreds million dollars worth of Chinese goods every year. China is also the second largest supplier to the isolated Gaza Strip.</p>

<p>Beijing also supports the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital and in return, Arab countries adhere to the one-China policy avoiding any relationship with Taiwan.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, the Indian government is aware of China's territorial game in West Asia.</p>

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi has travelled five times to the region to secure agreements with the Gulf countries, which are India's traditional economic partners.</p>

<p>However, New Delhi must keep looking west if it wants to effectively counter China's aggressive designs on the region.&nbsp;</p>


The history of trade relations between China and the Arab world goes back to centuries. In ancient times, the Ottoman and Arab empires were the bridge between east and west along the Silk Road and it is the very trade route, Beijing now aims to revive.

The history of trade relations between China and the Arab world goes back to centuries. In ancient times, the Ottoman and Arab empires were the bridge between east and west along the Silk Road and it is the very trade route, Beijing now aims to revive. West Asia is central to China's belt and road initiative, Chinese President Xi Jinping in his six-year tenure has personally put a lot of effort into enhancing ties with the Arab world. His strategy is based on four main pillars -- energy cooperation, infrastructure, trade facilitation and technology. Seaports are the gateway for the Chinese belt and road initiative -- and Washington is increasingly worried since Beijing is courting long-standing American ally. In the recent visit to Israel, US national security advisor John Bolton had China on top of the agenda. During his visit, Bolton expressed concerns about the transfer of Israel's military technology to China, and about possible eavesdropping on callers using Chinese equipment, in particular, Huawei. The Shanghai international port group, in which the Chinese government has the majority stake, will take control over the Israeli port of Haifa in 2021. Chinese companies are completing the new container terminal in the Khalifa port which is set to double its capacity. The bilateral trade is expected to reach 58 billion dollars in 2019. China buys 70 per cent of its oil from the gulf and is working on free trade. Meanwhile, the UAE has granted shares of onshore and offshore oil blocks to Beijing. No wonder, Xi Jinping was the first Chinese president to visit the Emirates in 30 years. But this is not only about the oil-rich Gulf. China promised investments worth 90 million dollars in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen. Jordan is in advanced talks with China national nuclear corporation to build its first nuclear reactor. Shifting from the traditional non-interference strategy, Beijing has also stepped into the long-standing Palestinian issue. Last year in July Chinese President announced $15 million in aid to Palestine to "support the development of its economy". "China will provide 100 million yuan ($15 million) in aid for Palestine to support the development of its economy and improve its people's livelihoods. China will also provide emergency humanitarian aid for Palestine.” Palestine imports five-hundreds million dollars worth of Chinese goods every year. China is also the second largest supplier to the isolated Gaza Strip. Beijing also supports the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital and in return, Arab countries adhere to the one-China policy avoiding any relationship with Taiwan. Meanwhile, the Indian government is aware of China's territorial game in West Asia. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has travelled five times to the region to secure agreements with the Gulf countries, which are India's traditional economic partners. However, New Delhi must keep looking west if it wants to effectively counter China's aggressive designs on the region.

How China is stepping up investments in West Asia

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi has acted as an astute politician by presiding over the Cabinet decision to grant 10 per cent reservation in government jobs and educational institutions for the economically deprived in the general category and then ensuring the passage of the bill in the Lok Sabha (lower House of Parliament) on Tuesday (January 8, 2018).</p>

<p>The passage of The Constitution (124th Amendment) Bill, 2019 in Lok Sabha, after a marathon debate, proved to be a tame affair. With 323 members voting in its favour and only three voting against. In this way, the Bill was passed by the requisite majority of not less than two-thirds of the members present and voting as prescribed under Article 368 of the Constitution.</p>

<p>The 124th Constitution Amendment Bill provides for special provision for a maximum of 10 per cent reservation to all economically weaker sections of citizens from the general category for the reservation of appointments or posts and also for admission to educational institutions, including private educational institutions, whether aided or unaided by the state, excluding the minority educational institutions.</p>

<p>Prime Minister Modi's move ahead of parliamentary elections, to go for 10 per cent reservation for the economically weaker sections cutting across religious lines in government jobs and educational institutions is being described as a game changer. The debate on this Bill in Parliament showed that all the opposition party's that are pitching for a 'grand alliance' against the BJP for the coming parliamentary election have been caught flat-footed and had no choice but to support the Bill. All they had to say against it was its "timing". Modi was targetted in Parliament and the charge levelled against him was that ahead of Lok Sabha polls, he was trying to regain lost ground among the "Savarnas" (the so-called upper castes) who have been excluded from the quota system and were demanding reservation on an economic basis and not on caste lines.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The demand for reservation on economic basis was raised in a big way in Madhya Pradesh by SAPAKS Samaj, a people’s organisation founded in November 2016. During electioneering for the just-concluded Madhya Pradesh Assembly election, a large section of those wedded to the SAPAKS ideology were in favour of NOTA and they had circulated this message through the social media across constituencies among the die-hard SAPAKS activists who had &nbsp;been galvanised by the massive support to the call for Bharat Bandh against the amendment to the SC/ST Atrocities Act by the Union Government and this had led to what could be described as a “tectonic shift” of votes away from the BJP at a time when there was neither a wave against the BJP nor an over-riding support for the Congress party in Madhya Pradesh.</p>

<p>When both parties were fighting neck to neck and chasing every vote, when the victory margin for dozens of candidates got reduced to just a few hundred votes, the half a million plus NOTA votes have played a decisive role in shaping the outcome of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The implementation of 10 per cent reservation for economically weaker sections, will increase the reserved quota to 59.5 per cent from the existing 49.5 per cent.</p>

<p>There is a need for a national debate to evaluate and analyse the overall impact of the existing reservation regime when it comes to the advancement and progress of the "socially and educationally" backward SC/ST communities. We also need to prepare state-wise comprehensive human development reports (HDRs) covering a whole gamut of indices to pin-point backwardness and to identify sections that still require the benefit of reservation.</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>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Prime Minister Narendra Modi has acted as an astute politician by presiding over the Cabinet decision to grant 10 per cent reservation in government jobs and educational institutions for the economically deprived in the general category and then ensuring the passage of the bill in the Lok Sabha (lower House of Parliament) on Tuesday (January 8, 2018).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has acted as an astute politician by presiding over the Cabinet decision to grant 10 per cent reservation in government jobs and educational institutions for the economically deprived in the general category and then ensuring the passage of the bill in the Lok Sabha (lower House of Parliament) on Tuesday (January 8, 2018). The passage of The Constitution (124th Amendment) Bill, 2019 in Lok Sabha, after a marathon debate, proved to be a tame affair. With 323 members voting in its favour and only three voting against. In this way, the Bill was passed by the requisite majority of not less than two-thirds of the members present and voting as prescribed under Article 368 of the Constitution. The 124th Constitution Amendment Bill provides for special provision for a maximum of 10 per cent reservation to all economically weaker sections of citizens from the general category for the reservation of appointments or posts and also for admission to educational institutions, including private educational institutions, whether aided or unaided by the state, excluding the minority educational institutions. Prime Minister Modi's move ahead of parliamentary elections, to go for 10 per cent reservation for the economically weaker sections cutting across religious lines in government jobs and educational institutions is being described as a game changer. The debate on this Bill in Parliament showed that all the opposition party's that are pitching for a 'grand alliance' against the BJP for the coming parliamentary election have been caught flat-footed and had no choice but to support the Bill. All they had to say against it was its "timing". Modi was targetted in Parliament and the charge levelled against him was that ahead of Lok Sabha polls, he was trying to regain lost ground among the "Savarnas" (the so-called upper castes) who have been excluded from the quota system and were demanding reservation on an economic basis and not on caste lines. The demand for reservation on economic basis was raised in a big way in Madhya Pradesh by SAPAKS Samaj, a people’s organisation founded in November 2016. During electioneering for the just-concluded Madhya Pradesh Assembly election, a large section of those wedded to the SAPAKS ideology were in favour of NOTA and they had circulated this message through the social media across constituencies among the die-hard SAPAKS activists who had been galvanised by the massive support to the call for Bharat Bandh against the amendment to the SC/ST Atrocities Act by the Union Government and this had led to what could be described as a “tectonic shift” of votes away from the BJP at a time when there was neither a wave against the BJP nor an over-riding support for the Congress party in Madhya Pradesh. When both parties were fighting neck to neck and chasing every vote, when the victory margin for dozens of candidates got reduced to just a few hundred votes, the half a million plus NOTA votes have played a decisive role in shaping the outcome of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections. The implementation of 10 per cent reservation for economically weaker sections, will increase the reserved quota to 59.5 per cent from the existing 49.5 per cent. There is a need for a national debate to evaluate and analyse the overall impact of the existing reservation regime when it comes to the advancement and progress of the "socially and educationally" backward SC/ST communities. We also need to prepare state-wise comprehensive human development reports (HDRs) covering a whole gamut of indices to pin-point backwardness and to identify sections that still require the benefit of reservation. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opposition parties fall in line and support quota for economically weaker sections

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday defended the introduction of the 10 per cent quota for the general category poor in jobs and education, even as he asked the Congress to clarify what was driving its ongoing allegations on the Rafale fighter jet deal.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Addressing a public rally after launching a slew of infra projects here, Modi said the smooth passage of the bill which provides 10 per cent quota for the general category poor in jobs and education in the Lok Sabha is a strong answer by the Parliament to those spreading lies.</p>

<p>Hoping the Rajya Sabha will pass the Bill Wednesday, Modi said the rights of deprived sections, including Dalits and tribals, won’t be affected because of this bill. He termed the passage of the bill in the Lok Sabha as a historic step aimed at uplifting the deprived sections.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On the passage of the Citizenship Bill, seeking to provide Indian citizenship to non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan, Modi assured people of Assam and North East that their rights will not be curtailed in any way through the bill’s provisions.</p>

<p>Modi indicated that alleged middleman Christian Michel, arrested in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper case, was lobbying for French manufacturer Rafale’s rivals in the multi-role aircraft deal. The onus is on the Congress to come clean on what is driving its allegations on the (Rafale) deal, he said.</p>

<p>Citing media reports, Modi said Michel was lobbying for “some other contender” as well. Congress should answer which leader of their party, now shouting about this (Rafale deal), has a connection with Michel, he said. Modi said the ‘chowkidar’ (watchdog), has embarked on a campaign to root-out corruption cannot be bought or scared and will continue with his work relentlessly.</p>

<p>The ‘chowkidar’ can pick a wrongdoer even in darkness, he added. Modi launched four-laning of Solapur-Osmanabad section of NH-211, underground sewerage system and three sewage treatment plants and also laid the foundation stone of 30,000 houses under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.</p>


Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday defended the introduction of the 10 per cent quota for the general category poor in jobs and education, even as he asked the Congress to clarify what was driving its ongoing allegations on the Rafale fighter jet deal.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday defended the introduction of the 10 per cent quota for the general category poor in jobs and education, even as he asked the Congress to clarify what was driving its ongoing allegations on the Rafale fighter jet deal. Addressing a public rally after launching a slew of infra projects here, Modi said the smooth passage of the bill which provides 10 per cent quota for the general category poor in jobs and education in the Lok Sabha is a strong answer by the Parliament to those spreading lies. Hoping the Rajya Sabha will pass the Bill Wednesday, Modi said the rights of deprived sections, including Dalits and tribals, won’t be affected because of this bill. He termed the passage of the bill in the Lok Sabha as a historic step aimed at uplifting the deprived sections. On the passage of the Citizenship Bill, seeking to provide Indian citizenship to non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan, Modi assured people of Assam and North East that their rights will not be curtailed in any way through the bill’s provisions. Modi indicated that alleged middleman Christian Michel, arrested in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper case, was lobbying for French manufacturer Rafale’s rivals in the multi-role aircraft deal. The onus is on the Congress to come clean on what is driving its allegations on the (Rafale) deal, he said. Citing media reports, Modi said Michel was lobbying for “some other contender” as well. Congress should answer which leader of their party, now shouting about this (Rafale deal), has a connection with Michel, he said. Modi said the ‘chowkidar’ (watchdog), has embarked on a campaign to root-out corruption cannot be bought or scared and will continue with his work relentlessly. The ‘chowkidar’ can pick a wrongdoer even in darkness, he added. Modi launched four-laning of Solapur-Osmanabad section of NH-211, underground sewerage system and three sewage treatment plants and also laid the foundation stone of 30,000 houses under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.

PM Narendra Modi defends 10% quota, asks Congress to clarify on Rafale claim

<p>Biopics are the new hit mantra for a successful film.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Helmed by Omung Kumar, ‘Narendra Modi’ biopic released its <a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/first-look-of-vivek-oberoi-as-pm-narendra-modi-in-new-biopic-is-out-188898">first poster</a> featuring Vivek Oberoi’s look as the Indian PM.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Kumar is not new to biopics as he has previously done films in the genre including those on Mary Kom and Sarbjit.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to details revealed about the film at the poster launch, the biopic will trace the journey of a tea-seller who went on to become a politician before becoming the country's Prime Minister.</p>

<p>At the first poster of the film was launched Omung said, "This is one of the most difficult and challenging roles that I'll be playing in my career which is to direct a film, a biopic of a man who is one of the most prolific leaders in the history of India. It's the most challenging thing a director can do and I humbly take the opportunity that I try my level best to do full justice to and make a film that everyone will be proud of. We only require your blessings and support."</p>

<p>The biopic will be shot in locations across the country. The first schedule of the film is expected to start in a fortnight's time.</p>


Biopics are the new hit mantra for a successful film. Helmed by Omung Kumar, ‘Narendra Modi’ biopic released its first poster featuring Vivek Oberoi’s look as the Indian PM.

Biopics are the new hit mantra for a successful film. Helmed by Omung Kumar, ‘Narendra Modi’ biopic released its first poster featuring Vivek Oberoi’s look as the Indian PM. Kumar is not new to biopics as he has previously done films in the genre including those on Mary Kom and Sarbjit. According to details revealed about the film at the poster launch, the biopic will trace the journey of a tea-seller who went on to become a politician before becoming the country's Prime Minister. At the first poster of the film was launched Omung said, "This is one of the most difficult and challenging roles that I'll be playing in my career which is to direct a film, a biopic of a man who is one of the most prolific leaders in the history of India. It's the most challenging thing a director can do and I humbly take the opportunity that I try my level best to do full justice to and make a film that everyone will be proud of. We only require your blessings and support." The biopic will be shot in locations across the country. The first schedule of the film is expected to start in a fortnight's time.

Director Omung Kumar reveals details about next film, biopic on Narendra Modi

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