Mission Shakti: India’s anti-satellite test sends a stark message to China

Foreign ministry said that India wasn’t engaging in an arms race, but asserted that “with this test, India joins an exclusive group of space-faring nations consisting of USA, Russia and China

One month after an ageing Indian Air Force jet was shot down in a dogfight with neighboring Pakistan, New Delhi has demneighbouring new weapons capability aimed at another, more powerful geopolitical rival: China.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi used a national address to announce India had “established itself as a space power” by sending an indigenously designed ballistic-missile interceptor up 300 kilometers (190 miles) to destroy a satellite orbiting the Earth. The move — with political overtones just weeks ahead of a national election — sends a stark message to India’s nuclear-armed rivals, China and Pakistan, and changes Asia’s strategic calculus by proving India has the ability to knock out enemy satellites.

The development suggests India, which has long struggled with a lethargic military-procurement process and outdated defense technology, is getting closer to sitting alongside China, Russia and the U.S. as countries with the ability to disrupt enemy communications networks. The move comes weeks after India sparred with arch-foe Pakistan in the skies over Kashmir, a disputed border region where China also has territorial claims.

“Essentially, India is saying that we are a strong and capable military power — it’s not specific to any one country, but it is a message to all of India’s adversaries,” said Ajey Lele, a retired Indian Air Force group captain who’s now a senior fellow at the Ministry of Defence-funded Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses. “If somebody wants to do something to our satellites, we have the capability to do this to your satellites…

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India successfully tests ASAT missile, joins space superpower club

The tracking and interception capabilities that went into Mission Shakti have been available with the DRDO for over a decade

Current Affairs: On Wednesday morning, 300 kilometers over the Odisha coast, a ballistic rocket guard interceptor created by the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) struck a satellite in a low earth circle, crushing it into pieces. Head administrator Narendra Modi declared the accomplishment of the test, codenamed Mission Shakti, on TV and Twitter. Proclaiming that “there can’t be a more prominent snapshot of pride for any Indian”, he stated: “In the voyage of each country, there are minutes that bring most extreme pride and historically affect ages to come. One such minute is today. India has effectively tried the counter satellite (ASAT) rocket.”

The Prime Minister said India had enrolled its name among the space superpowers. “Up until this point, just three nations were in this club – America, Russia and China. Presently India has turned into the fourth nation to build up this capacity,” he said.

The following and capture attempt abilities that went into Mission Shakti have been accessible with the DRDO for over 10 years. It started building up these after China’s fruitful ASAT test in 2007. On March 18, 2008, at that point DRDO boss, Dr VK Saraswat (presently a NITI Aayog part), had informed the media in New Delhi that blocking an approaching rocket terminated from 2,000 kilometers away required a similar innovation required for shooting down a satellite. Asserting that the DRDO effectively had that capacity in 2008, Saraswat had stated: “We have worked, starting at now, ABM (ballistic missile destroying rocket) frameworks with interceptors to draw in 2,000 kilometer-class of targets.”

Demonetisation was an idiotic jolt: 8 things Arun Shourie spoke about

Note ban was the largest money-laundering scheme ever, conceived and implemented entirely by the government, he said.

economy news :Slamming the Narendra Modi government over sliding economic growth and increasing job losses, Arun Shourie, who was a union minister in the BJP-led government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, has likened demonetisation with suicide, saying the latter is too “a bold step”.

Former Disinvestment Minister Arun Shourie told NDTV that note ban was the largest money-laundering scheme ever, conceived and implemented entirely by the government.

It was an idiotic jolt, he said.

Here are the highlights:

1. "Everyone who had black converted it into white. Demonetisation was an idiotic jolt." Arun Shourie

According to the RBI, almost 9 per cent of the banned currency has been returned to banks, which suggests that black or untaxed money was not destroyed by the giant move.

In November 2016, Shourie said, "I wonder how the move would help check black money which is lying in foreign shores. "The one who actually has black money, is he keeping it in India in rupees?...Those who have black money, they keep it outside. They buy companies, they buy estates. This dengue mosquito is flying in Switzerland and you are wielding the stick here?"

2. Event management

"Event management of the GST -- imagine! A tax reform is being compared to the independence of India" - Arun Shourie

Shourie was referring to the glittering special midnight session of the Parliament that prime minister Narendra Modi led on the eve of GST launch day.

At a glittering special midnight session of the Parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today led India to its biggest indirect tax reform - Goods and Services Tax (GST).

The midnight session of Parliament was reminiscent of India's independence on the midnight of August 14 and 15 in 1947 when first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru gave the historic speech on India's 'Tryst with Destiny'.....Read more

Varanasi-Vadodara Mahamana Express: 7 facts about this Made in India train

Indian Railways to run Varanasi-Vadodara Mahamana Express from September 22

The Indian Railways is starting a new train from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s parliamentary constituency Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh to Vadodara in his home state Gujarat.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off Varanasi-Vadodara Mahamana Express on Friday, when he visits Varanasi on a two-day tour.

Railways minister Piyush Goyal will be present in Vadodara that day while junior railway minister Manoj Sinha is expected to be present in Surat, senior railway officials said on Tuesday. This is India's third Mahamana Express.

On its maiden journey, the train will run from Vadodara (Gujarat) to Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) after the PM will launch it using a remote control, they said.

The Modi government had unveiled the first rake of the Mahamana Express as part of Railways' Model Rake Project in 2016.

Here are top 10 things to know about the Varanasi-Vadodara Mahamana Express

1. 'Mahamana Express' is named after former Hindu Mahasabha president Madan Mohan Malviya, also addressed as 'Mahamana'.

2. Make in India initiative: The Mahamana Express comes with plush interiors. The coaches for the train had been designed by Vadodara-based firm Hindustan Fibre Glass. The model rakes that have been developed are a "refurbished and re-adapted" version of seven types of coaches which have been in use by Indian Railways for the past 10-12 years.

 3. Weekly train: Like the other two sister-trains, Varanasi-Vadodara Mahamana Express is a weekly train that will run from Varanasi every Friday at 6.15am and from Vadodara every Wednesday.

4. Train halt points: Mahamana Express will cover 1,531-km journey between the two cities in 27 hours 30 minutes at an average speed of 55.7 km/hr. It has stops at Bharuch and Surat in Gujarat; Amalner and Bhusawal in Maharashtra; Itarsi, Jabalpur, Katni and Satna in Madhya Pradesh; and Chheoki in Uttar Pradesh....Read More 

Modi's Famous 8: Get to know those who will advise PM on New India

Businesspersons meeting Modi include web entrepreneurs, I-bankers and & scions of business houses

 

economy news: These are names that represent a new category and a new generation, also reflecting Modi's political preferences. From inheritors of first generation business magnates and self-made billionaires to the wife of a TRS MP and a businessman with a Bollywood bloodline, the list has several interesting names. Here is a brief profile of some of them:

1. Rajiv Bajaj: His second name needs no introduction. Hailing from one of India’s most trusted business houses, Ravi Bajaj has been the managing director of Bajaj Autos for over a decade now. An engineer by profession, Rajiv has seen the prolific transition of ‘Hamara Bajaj’ from a utility two wheeler maker that provided mobility to millions of Indians to affordable sportier motorcycles and more recently to upmarket offerings for the discerning motorist. The introduction of GST which has made motorcycles cheaper has also been a shot in the arm for Bajaj Autos.

2. Avni Biyani: The scion of the Biyani family that runs India’s largest supermarket chains under the brand name ‘Big Bazaar’, she has been entrusted with managing the family’s gourmet food business. Unlike Rahul Bajaj, she isn’t trained in the business she handles. Being a post-graduate in Sociology from an American University, Biyani is overseeing the growth of the gourmet food business called Foodhall from scratch. Under Biyani, Foodhall has seven stores now – four in Delhi, two in Bengaluru and one in Mumbai.

3. Sanjeev Bikhchandani: Since the venture of Naukri.com, Bhickchandani has seen his online empire grow. Now his company is the largest shareholder in Zomato. Under his supervision, Zomato grew to acquire the US based UrbanSpoon in 2015. From making a fortune, Bhikchandani has now moved to more philanthropic projects. Reports suggest that he is actively involved in setting up
Ashoka University, that seeks to modernize under-graduate and post-graduate education in India.

4. Sanjay Nayar: As the CEO of Kohlberg, Kravis & CO (KKR) in India, Nayar is probably one of the most under-stated and influential names in the list. KKR has many strategic investments in India which put Nair on the board of the companies in which such strategic investments have been made. Among them include Coffee Day Holdings, Apollo Tyres, Bharati Infratel. The Modi government’s plan to restructure the assets of stressed companies has given KKR a lot more to choose from to add to its India portfolio at lucrative terms......read more

Time for PM to speak up as abandoned wives outnumber Triple Talaq victims

Women staying in marriage is highest amongst Muslims compared to Hindus and Christians

 

#LATEST| The life of every woman unilaterally separated from her spouse is pathetic. They face challenges and constraints both in their marital and natal families.

The RSS-affiliated Rashtrawadi Muslim Mahila Sangh approached the Supreme Court of India through an application in June for codification of ‘Muslim personal law’, especially to end practices such as polygamy and triple talaq, or instantaneous divorce. The court in October sought the opinion and recommendation of the Government of India on these issues. The government responded that the absence of reforms in the (Muslim) community during the past 65 years has left Muslim women “extremely vulnerable, both socially as well as financially”. Almost immediately on October 24, 2016 Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the practice of the so-called ‘triple talaq system’. Addressing a rally in Bundelkhand, Uttar Pradesh, he stated that “no injustice should be meted out to our mothers and sisters in the name of religion or community.”

At first glance, this seems like a happy moment for the Muslims of India that even the BJP and its cultural mascot, the RSS, intends to improve the conditions of Muslim women; an indication, surely, that one day this will do good for Muslim men as well.

What the data shows

Yet, our happiness was shattered when we did a little research using data from the Census of India – 2011. This analysis raises the following questions: Is the Muslim women’s condition in India as pathetic as the Modi government, the RSS and other surrogates claim it to be? Are Muslim women socially and financially “extremely vulnerable” – as mentioned in the government’s affidavit to the Supreme Court? And how is their situation compared to their sisters from the Hindu, Christian and other religious communities? Since no credible data was put forth as evidence – neither in the government affidavit nor in the prime minister’s speech – it is useful to see what the census data tells us.

We have analysed data from the ‘Marital Status by Religious Community and Sex – 2011’ C3 table of the census in order to try and establish what the empirical position is.

Our principal finding is that the situation of Indian Muslim women seems far better than women from other religious groups.

For example, the percentage of women staying in marriage is highest amongst Muslims (87.8%) compared to Hindus (86.2%), Christians (83.7%) and other religious minorities (85.8%).

The percentage of widowed women is least amongst Muslims (11.1%) compared to Hindus (12.9%), Christians (14.6%) and other religious Minorities (13.3%). It is likely that the culture of widow remarriages provides a higher level of family protection to Muslim women compared to women from other religious communities.

The percentage of separated and abandoned women is also least amongst the Muslims (0.67%) compared to Hindus (0.69%), Christians (1.19%) and other religious Minorities (0.68%).

The same census data suggests that the divorced women percentage is higher amongst the Muslims at 0.49% and Christians at 0.47% compared to other religious minorities (0.33%) and the Hindus, at 0.22%. The practice of getting a divorce amongst the Hindus is traditionally non-existent. Out of 340 million ever-married women 9.1 lakhs are divorced and amongst them 2.1 lakhs are Muslims.

The process of talaq (divorce) is clearly laid down in the Holy Quran, which is against triple talaq. The triple talaq was an exception rather than a rule under special circumstance. Divorce is not a whim. Both men and women are required to follow a process that involves at least three months (or three menstrual cycles) after separation and reconciliation efforts fail. The logic is twofold; if the woman can bear a child, the system wants to ensure that she is not pregnant and if she were, child support has to be figured in. The other reason is to allow each other to find a place to live and not get thrown on the street.

READ MORE....

Sachin Bansal's 'Learn from PM' advice: Leadership lessons from Modi's UP win

UP election result 2017: Powerful leadership can humble down opposition, reaffirms faith in allies

 

The historic victory in Uttar Pradesh, wherein the BJP won more than 320 assembly seats, has inspired political leaders and entrepreneurs pan-India who wish to take up the mantle and learn from the heroes of this win. India's E-commerce giant Flipkart's executive chairman Sachin Bansal too sees a lesson for entrepreneurs in BJP's performance in the recent assembly elections. Crediting PM Narendra Modi for the party's strong performance in the elections, Bansal tweeted, "Election results show how deeply Prime Minister Narendra Modi understands India. Lesson for entrepreneurs: be fanatic about understanding your audiences".

Prime Minister Narendra Modi responded to the tweet saying, "More than my understanding, it is the people who have trusted the BJP & we will never betray this faith."

Indeed, BJP's outstanding performance in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand proves that Modi was right, as there seems to be no stalling the Modi wave that saw the BJP winning over 70 seats in the 2014 General elections. 

Despite all odds, Amit Shah’s strategy and Modi government’s pro-government policies seem to have overpowered Akhilesh’s development model and Mayawati’s caste politics.

Uttar Pradesh election results shown that Modi’s grand image of a leader capable of taking strong decisions is still intact.

It is not just Sachin Bansal, but several other leaders too, who have been greatly inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's win.

1. Powerful leadership can humble opposition

2. Reaffirms faith of allies

3. Entrepreneurs see hope

4. Indian entrepreneurs in other countries get a boost

5. Juggernaut leaders can defeat all odds

 

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Harsh Goenka

 

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Decisive mandate for BJP will embolden Modi govt to shift agenda from political to growth. Stock market will rock and Rupee strengthen.

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