8 years of Modi government: A look at some of the big achievements

 The last three years in office in the second term have been full of challenges that were overcome with decisive leadership and strong political victory.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government marked its eighth year in office on Monday. PM Modi has been leading the country since 2014, and in his second term, he was able to ensure that his party won the faith of the people by an even bigger margin. The last three years in office in the second term have been full of challenges that were overcome with decisive leadership and strong political victory. Here are the key eight achievements that stood out in Modi 2.0:

On August 5, 2019, Union Home Minister Amit Shah passed the Bill in Parliament to abrogate Article 370 and to bring the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in the mainstream. Article 370 which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir was abrogated. The government also announced the split of the state into two Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh….

Third list of defence items banned for import to come out soon: PM Modi

 Indian Defence Ministry will come up with a third list of defence items banned for import very soon, PM Narendra Modi said stressing upon self reliant in the sector.

 

Indian Defence Ministry will come up with a third list of defence items banned for import very soon, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday stressing upon self reliant in the sector. "A total 70 per cent has been allocated for domestic defence industry this budget," said Prime Minister while addressing a post budget webinar titled 'Aatmnirbharta in Defence - Call to Action' on the announcements made in the budget.

The webinar was organised by the Ministry of Defence. Prime Minister Modi recalled that India's defence manufacturing was quite strong even during the period of slavery and in the immediate aftermath of independence. Indian made weapons played a major role during the Second World War. "Though, in the later years, this prowess of ours declined, still it shows that there has been no dearth of capabilities, neither then nor now", he said. Underscoring the importance of customisation and uniqueness of the defence system for a surprise element over the adversaries, PM Modi said: "Uniqueness and surprise elements can only happen when the equipment is developed in your own country."...Read More

 

Ayodhya's Ram temple to be 161-feet tall, two 'mandaps' added to design

The height of Ayodhya’s Ram temple would be 161-feet, an increase by 20-feet from the previous design, according to Nikhil Sompura, architect and the son of C Sompura, chief architect of the temple

The height of Ayodhya’s grand Ram temple would be 161-feet, an increase by 20-feet from the previous design which was prepared in 1988, according to Nikhil Sompura, architect and the son of C Sompura, chief architect of the temple.

“The earlier design was made in 1988, now over 30 years have passed and so the footfall will increase with time. People are also very enthusiastic about visiting the temple so we thought its size should be increased. In view of this, the height of the Ayodhya ram temple has been increased from 141-feet to 161-feet,” Nikhil Sompura told ANI here.He said that two mandaps’ have been added to the design.

“All pillars and the stones that were carved based on the earlier design will still be used, they will not be wasted. Only two ‘mandaps’ have been added to the design,” he added. Nikhil said that it was a matter of great pride for him and his family that they had been bestowed the honour of designing the temple and said that the shrine will be ready for devotees after 3.5 years.

“Once the ‘bhoomi-pujan’ is done in the presence of the Prime Minister, the construction work will start. The team of L & T, along with machinery and materials, have reached the spot and the work on foundation will start right away. It will take 3 to 3.5 years for the completion of the work,” he said.

PM Modi dials CMs, discusses Covid-19 situation amid spike in cases

During the conversation, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami apprised the PM that 48,000 Covid-19 tests – a national high – were being done daily

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday had telephonic conversations with chief ministers (CMs) of several states and discussed the situation of the Covid-19 cases, sources said. Sources added that he spoke to CMs of Bihar, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.

During the conversation, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami apprised the PM that 48,000 Covid-19 tests — a national high — were being done daily (average), an official release said. The state has crossed 165,000 of cases.

60 mn followers on Twitter

The followers of PM Modi on Twitter have risen to 60 million. Modi uses Twitter extensively to share important information with the people. Most of his addresses are beamed live on his personal Twitter handle. Modi, who joined Twitter in January 2009, is following 2,354 accounts. In September 2019, he had 60 million followers.

‘Will keep you posted’: Modi says he is considering quitting social media

Modi has in excess of 50 million devotees on Twitter and his Facebook page has in excess of 44 million ‘likes’

Executive Narendra Modi on Monday evening said he is thinking about “surrendering” his web based life accounts, provoking a large number of claims to him to remain yet getting a chilly reaction from the Congress party. “This Sunday, considering surrendering my internet based life accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. Will update all of you as often as possible,” said Modi on Twitter at 8.56pm.

Modi, with around 50 million supporters on Twitter; 44 million ‘likes’ on Facebook and 35 million devotees on Instagram, utilizes web based life to talk about his administration’s approaches or engaging for harmony. “Harmony and amicability are key to our ethos. I bid to my sisters and siblings of Delhi to keep up harmony and fraternity consistently. It is significant that there is quiet and regularity is reestablished at the soonest,” he tweeted on February 26, talking about the three days of revolting in the national capital that till date have killed in any event 47 individuals.

The tweet from his handle tonight was re-tweeted in excess of multiple times and ‘loved’ by in excess of 28,000 records in two hours. “No sir” began inclining on Twitter about Modi’s post that was later distributed on his Facebook and Instagram accounts. The Congress party was not intrigued. “Surrender disdain, not web-based social networking accounts,” said Rahul Gandhi, the gathering’s previous president.

2002 Gujarat riots: Nanavati panel gives clean chit to Modi-led govt

It said the police at some places were ineffective in controlling the mob because of their inadequate numbers or because they were not properly armed.

The Nanavati Commission has given a clean chit to the then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi-led government in the 2002 riots in the state where over 1,000 people, mostly of the minority community, were killed. The commission’s report was tabled in the Gujarat Legislative Assembly by Minister of State for Home Pradeepsinh Jadeja on Wednesday, five years after it was submitted to the then state government.

“There is no evidence to show that these attacks were either inspired or instigated or abated by any minister of the state,” the commission said in its report, which runs into over 1,500 pages and is compiled in nine volumes. It said the police at some places were ineffective in controlling the mob because of their inadequate numbers or because they were not properly armed.

On some communal riot incidents in Ahmedabad city, the commission said, “The police had not shown their competence and eagerness which was necessary.” The commission has recommended inquiry or action against the erring police officers. Former Supreme Court Justice G T Nanavati (retd) and ex-Gujarat High Court Justice Akshay Mehta (retd) had in 2014 submitted their final report on the 2002 Gujarat riots to the then state chief minister Anandiben Patel.

The commission was appointed in 2002 by the then state chief minister Narendra Modi to probe the riots, that took place after the burning of two coaches of the Sabarmati Express train near Godhra railway station, in which 59 ‘karsevaks’ were killed.

Goyal lauds PM for ‘path breaking improvements’ in India’s biz environment

India has remarkably improved in ease of doing business, reported World Bank in its ease of doing business 2020 survey

After India jumped 14 positions to be ranked 63rd in the World Bank’s ease of doing business, Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the “path breaking improvements” in the country’s business environment.

“India has jumped from 77th to 63rd rank in the Ease of Doing Business Rankings released just now by the World Bank. Congratulations to PM @NarendraModi ji for the path breaking improvements in India’s business environment for nation’s prosperity and job creation,” he tweeted. India has remarkably improved in ease of doing business, reported World Bank in its ease of doing business 2020 survey. The country is placed in 63rd position among 190 countries.

According to the report issued by World Bank on Thursday, India appeared among the top 10 improvers for the third time in a row. The Bank lauded New Delhi for a “remarkable reform effort”. “In economies on the list of 10 top improvers, leaders of India and China adopted the Doing Business indicators as a core component of their reform strategies,” said the World Bank.

It also praised Modi’s ‘Make in India’ campaign which focused on attracting foreign investment, boosting the private sector, manufacturing in particular, and enhancing the country’s overall competitiveness…

Spruced up Mamallapuram ready for second Modi-Xi informal summit

The two leaders will engage in one-on-one talks during the meeting and are expected to discuss expanding economic and development ties apart from the Kashmir issue and the CPEC

The stage is set for the second ‘informal’ summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, to be held in the coastal and heritage town of Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram). The two-day meet starts tomorrow.

The meeting comes at a critical time for the neighbours with China recently criticising India’s decision to scrap Jammu and Kashmir’s autonomy and bifurcate the state into two Union territories, its Foreign Minister Wang Yi raising the Kashmir issue at the UN General Assembly last month and New Delhi responding by saying it did not welcome comments on its internal matters. India also remains opposed to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), as it passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

“At the regional level, we should resolve disputes peacefully through dialogues and consultations and jointly uphold regional peace and stability,” said Sun Weidong, Beijing’s ambassador to New Delhi. The two leaders will engage in one-on-one talks during the meeting and are also expected to discuss expanding economic and development ties.

After winning his second term, Modi formally extended an invitation to Xi in June at the Bishkek summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, which the latter accepted. This is the second informal summit between the two leaders, after Wuhan, which was held in April, 2018, in China. Notably, China has been importing rice and sugar from India following a request from the Prime Minister in the first informal summit…

Read More: Modi-Xi informal summit

Trump to join PM Modi in Indian-American event in Houston, says White House

More than 50,000 Indian-Americans from across the US have registered for the September 22 mega ‘Howdy, Modi’ event

US President Donald Trump will join Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Houston’s mega “Howdy, Modi!” event on September 22, the White House said on Sunday. Reflecting on the new bonhomie in the India-US ties under the Trump administration, this is for the first time in recent history that the leaders of the two largest democracies would be addressing a joint rally anywhere in the world.

More than 50,000 Indian-Americans from across the US have registered for the September 22 mega “Howdy, Modi! Shared Dreams, Bright Futures” event to be held at the sprawling NRG Stadium in Houston. “Howdy”, short for ‘How do you do?’, is a friendly greeting commonly used in southwestern United States.

In a statement, White House Press Secretary Stephanie Griesham said, “It (Modi-Trump joint rally) will be a great opportunity to emphasize the strong ties between the people of the United States and India, to reaffirm the strategic partnership between the world’s oldest and largest democracies, and to discuss ways to deepen their energy and trade relationship.”

This would also be the first time that an American president would be addressing thousands of Indian-Americans at one place in the US. Indian ambassador to the US Harsh Vardhan Shringla called Trump’s participation in the “Howdy, Modi!” event “historic” and “unprecedented”. “It is reflective of the strong bonds of friendship and cooperation that has developed between India and the US,” Harsh Vardhan Shringla told PTI…

Modi begins talks for forming new cabinet after big election win for BJP

The BJP would have the first back-to-back majority in the lower house of parliament for a single party since 1984. Votes will be fully counted by Friday morning.

Head administrator Narendra Modi will hold chats on Friday to shape another bureau to handle a stammering economy and different difficulties confronting his second term subsequent to winning a major larger part.

Official information from the Election Commission demonstrated Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party had won 296 of the 542 seats available to all and was ahead in seven more, up from the 282 it won in 2014. The BJP would have the first consecutive greater part in the lower place of parliament for a solitary gathering since 1984. Votes will be completely tallied by Friday morning.

After a hostile and a polarizing decision battle, the center moves back to an economy that is abating, even as the U.S.- China exchange war seethes and worldwide oil costs tick higher. “While the macroeconomic picture looks steady and encouraging, numerous significant portions need support from the administration,” BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav wrote in a segment in the Indian Express every day.

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“India can’t totally remain protected from the progressing exchange war between the U.S. what’s more, China or the geo-vital clash between the U.S. furthermore, Iran,” he included. Later on Friday Modi will meet with his priests to talk about shaping another bureau, an administration representative said. He has not yet set an introduction date for the organization, however BJP authorities said he was required to move rapidly to assemble another bureau.

A prompt choice will be whether to keep senior BJP pioneer Arun Jaitley as account serve notwithstanding his weakness, or allocate Railways and Coal Minister Piyush Goyal to the activity of driving Asia’s third biggest economy. Goyal, 54, had ventured into the job twice in the Modi government when Jaitley was sick. Goyal exhibited a break spending plan before the decision and a full spending plan is expected after the new government gets down to business…

Adityanath calls Army ‘Modiji ki sena’, Oppn up in arms; EC seeks report

Priyanka Chaturvedi attacked Yogi for “christening” the Indian army as “Modi’s army” and demanded his apology

Current Affairs: Despite clear directions from the Election Commission of India (ECI), Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh (UP) Yogi Adityanath’s blatant invocation of the armed forces whom he called ‘Modiji ki sena’ in pursuit of votes in the run-up to the first phase of general elections in the state scheduled for April 11, has the Opposition up in arms.

On Sunday, in a rally in Ghaziabad the CM referred to the armed forces repeatedly to draw a contrast with “Congress ke log. “Congress people would serve biryani to terrorists. Modiji’s sena only gives them goli and gola. Congress people use “ji” for terrorists like Masood Azhar but under the leadership of PM Modi, the BJP government is breaking the backs of terrorists by striking their camps,” said the chief minister, adding: “What was namumkin (impossible) for the Congress is mumkin (possible) for PM Modi. Because when Modi is there, the impossible becomes possible.”

Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of Bengal, said it was “shocking” that her UP counterpart should have used such words for the army. “It is shocking to hear the UP CM saying that the Indian Army is the ‘Modi Sena’. Such blatant personalization and usurping of our beloved Indian army is an insult and a humiliation,” said the Trinamool leader. Congress leader Priyanka Chaturvedi attacked Yogi Adityanath for “christening” the Indian army as “Modi’s army” and demanded his apology.

“This is an insult to our armed forces. They are India’s Armed Forces not the private army of Prachaar Mantri. Adityanath must apologise,” the Congress leader tweeted. “If we talk about Masood Azahar, then how can one forge the stellar role of NSA (Ajit) Doval who personally ensured the safe return of the terrorist to terroristan,” she asked, recalling the return of the terrorist in exchange for those hijacked in IC 814.

Nyay scheme will ‘remonetise’ what Modi ‘demonetised’, says Rahul Gandhi

Rahul Gandhi said the ‘Nyay’ scheme has the twin objectives of giving money to the 20 per cent poorest families in India and remonetising the economy “damaged” by demonetisation

Lok sabha elections 2019: Congress President Rahul Gandhi on thursday said the ‘Nyay’ scheme can remonetise what Prime Minister Narendra Modi demonetised and declared that his party’s anti-poverty programme has thrown the BJP into total disarray In an exclusive interview to PTI before the seventeenth election starting Apr eleven, Gandhi said the ‘Nyay’ scheme has the dual objectives of giving cash to the twenty per cent poorest families in india and remonetising the economy “damaged” by demonetisation.

“What the PM has done over the past 5 years is to get rid of all cash from the economy with unsuccessful policies like conclusion and a poorly dead Gabbar Singh Tax (GST). Informal sectors are badly hit.”

“The aim of the ‘Nyay’ scheme is two-fold. 1st is to ensure a minimum income to the bottom 20 per cent families. The second is to remonetise the economy that has been demonetised by Modiji,” Gandhi said.

“There is another side to line the theme ‘Nyay’. Why have we have a tendency to chosen to decision this theme ‘Justice’? because over the last 5 years, man Narendra Modi has simply snatched from the poor and given nothing back…

Rajya Sabha passes 10% quota Bill, states to decide on beneficiary criteria

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the legislation gives powers to states to decide on the economic criteria for defining the beneficiaries

Latest News: The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday passed the Constitution amendment Bill to provide 10 per cent reservation in jobs and education, including privately run institutes of higher education, to economically backward sections in the general category. The Lok Sabha had passed the Bill on Tuesday.

It will become a law as soon as President Ram Nath Kovind signs it, and does not need ratification by state legislatures, ministers said.

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During the debate on the Bill in the Rajya Sabha, nearly all opposition parties said the Narendra Modi government had pushed through a Bill full of lacunae with an eye on the 2019 Lok Sabha polls as the BJP’s recent electoral losses in three Hindi heartland states had left it shaken, and cautioned that it was unlikely to survive judicial scrutiny.

Fears that the move would open a Pandora’s Box came true when Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) members demanded that the quotas for Scheduled Castes and Other Backward Classes, or OBCs, be increased in proportion to their respective populations now that the government had breached the Supreme Court-mandated 50 per cent cap on reservations. Members also asked if the BJP-led Mahrashtra government’s recent efforts to provide reservation to Marathas would be part of this, and if Jats, Gujjars and Patidars would also be included in this 10 per cent quota.

Read full source : Quota Bill

Rahul is president of ‘corrupt’ party, will never be PM: Assam CM Sonowal

‘Rahul Gandhi is president of a corrupt party. He will never be prime minister, however much he may dream’

Politics news: Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Thursday dubbed the Lok Sabha polls as a battle between an “honest, hardworking and committed” leader in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the head of a “corrupt” political party in Rahul Gandhi.

He claimed at a BJP press conference that the Congress president Rahul gandhi will never become the country’s prime minister, however much “he may dream”. Citing the BJP’s win in the recent local polls in the north eastern state and also the loss of Congress in Mizoram assembly elections, Sonowal said the region has expressed a vote of no confidence in the Congress which, he alleged, “looted it for 60 years”.

No prime minister has done as much for the region as Modi has,he asserted,adding that it will soon become a main centre of business activities in India. “Rahul Gandhi is president of a corrupt party. He will never be prime minister, however much he may dream, ” he said.|Click Here: BUSINESS STANDARD OR BS)

Under the Modi government, more bridges have been built than earlier,he said,noting that Modi will also inaugurate the country’s largest rail cum road bridge in Assam on December 25. Since the BJP dispensation came to power in the state in 2016, it has detected 4 lakh bogus cards under the employment guarantee scheme, 2.63 lakh fake ration card, he said, alleging that the previous Congress government used them for corruption…

Upendra Kushwaha quits, slams Modi for ‘betraying’ backward classes

The Bihar BJP came out with a point by point rebuttal of the allegations.

Latest News: RLSP President Upendra Kushwaha on Monday severed ties with the BJP and resigned from the Union council of ministers, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of reducing Cabinet to a “rubber stamp”, “betraying” backward classes and giving Bihar only “jumlas”.

The Rashtriya Lok Samta Party leader from Bihar said he is open to joining the Opposition alliance, which includes Lalu Prasad’s RJD and the Congress. Though the decision was expected, it did not go down well within his own party with both the RLSP MLAs in Bihar saying they would remain in the BJP-led NDA.|Upendra Kushwaha

The Bihar BJP came out with a point by point rebuttal of the allegations. Kushwaha said he felt “betrayed and dejected” by the prime minister’s leadership and alleged that “fixing” political opponents and not working for the poor had become the government’s priority.

BJP Bihar unit vice-president Samrat Chaudhary said: “We are aghast over Kushwaha’s charge that he was being humiliated by the BJP. The BJP never treated him with disdain even after it had become apparent that he was losing grip over his own small party.”

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Narendra Modi’s maiden Maldives trip signals support for Solih govt

The Saturday visit – the first by an Indian head of state since 2011 – is expected to reset strained ties with Maldives

BS: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will make his first-ever visit to the tropical island nation of Maldives for the swearing-in of its new president amid ongoing rivalry between New Delhi and Beijing for influence in the Indian Ocean.

The Saturday visit — the first by an Indian head of state since 2011 — is expected to reset strained ties with Maldives as Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, a veteran opposition politician, takes over after successfully ousting former pro-China president Abdulla Yameen.

Solih’s new government is expected to end political uncertainty in the South Asian archipelago nation that preceded a tense election this September. Former president Yameen had locked away opposition figures and judges amid international condemnation, including unusually strident comments from India.|Modi In Maldives

Yameen had also taken numerous loans from China that pushed the country into debt, like other countries in the region including Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Solih’s Maldivian Democratic Party had taken an anti-China stance.

“India is in a position to gain some lost ground in Maldives,” said K Yhome, who specialises in India’s neighborhood at the New Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation. “The fact that Prime Minister Modi has agreed to attend the swearing-in sends a message that India supports the new government. Though it remains to be seen how Solih continues his posturing” after elections.|BUSINESS STANDARD 

Gujarat polls: Modi in Kutch, Saurashtra today to spearhead BJP campaign

On Monday, PM Modi is scheduled to visit Kutch and Saurashtra region to address four public meetings ahead of the December 9 and 14 elections

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit poll-bound Gujarat on November 27 and 29 to spearhead the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) campaign for the Assembly elections.

On Monday, he is scheduled to visit Kutch and Saurashtra region to address four public meetings ahead of the December 9 and 14 elections.

He will arrive in Bhuj on Monday morning to address a public gathering at R R Lalan College's ground around 9 a.m.

Also read : Gujarat Assembly Elections 2017

Thereafter, he will visit Saurashtra region's Jasdan and address a public meeting at Vichhiya Road at 11 am.

Around 1 pm, he will visit Chalala and address a public gathering at the Gayatri Mandir Maidan on the Chalala-Dhari Road.

His last public address will be at Kadodra Aankdamukhi Hanumanji Mandir at around 3 pm, after which he will fly back to Delhi. He will return to the state on Wednesday.

 

Modi to flag off first Udan flight from Shimla: What is the RCS scheme?

Bound to sell 50% of seats at subsidised fares; one-way ticket on Delhi-Shimla route is Rs 1,920

 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the first flight on Thursday under the Regional Connectivity Scheme Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (Udan) by flagging off the Alliance Airlines flight on Shimla-Delhi sector from Jubbar Hatti airport near Shimla.

Simultaneously, he will also flag off the inaugural Udan flight on Nanded-Hyderabad and Kadapa-Hyderabad sectors.

This gains significance as Shimla lacked air connectivity and a petition demanding recommencement of lights was suspended in 2012. Currently, the petition is being heard in the Supreme Court.

Here’s all you need to know about the scheme: 

• The Kadapa-Hyderabad and Nanded-Hyderbad flights will be operated by TruJet and one-way tickets on these two routes are priced at Rs 1,000 minimum.

• Under the scheme, an airline is bound to sell 50% of the seats at subsidised fares and on Delhi-Shimla route one way ticket is priced at Rs 1,920. The highest fare on this route is Rs 20,000 for a one-way ticket.

• Five airlines will operate on 128 routes under the regional connectivity scheme wherein fares are capped at Rs 2,500 for one-hour flights.

• Over 45 unserved and under-served airports would be connected under the scheme. These include Bhatinda, Puducherry and Shimla.

• The operators are Air India subsidiary Airline Allied Services, SpiceJet, Air Deccan, Air Odishaand Turbo Megha. They would be operating 19-78 seater aircraft. (READ MORE)