Now, AAP Minister Claims He Was Assaulted Inside Delhi Secretariat by Protesting Babus

NEW DELHI: The Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari said that the alleged attack on the Delhi chief secretary Anshu Prakash by Aam Aadmi Party MLAs on Tuesday proved that the AAP is a gundon ki party (party of goons) . Today s incident has presented a grave constitutional crisis as the chief minister got the chief secretary attacked in his own presence he told ET. AAP should mark its three years in power as vinash yatra (a journey of destruction) rather than vikas yatra (a journey of development) as it is doing Tiwari said blaming the Arvind Kejriwal government for sealing woes of traders deaths of patients due to lack of medical care corruption and disqualification of as many as 20 MLAs among other issues. As things stand Delhi s air is polluted water is contaminated and so is his (Kejriwal s) government he said. AAP leaders are contradicting themselves Tiwari said. On the one hand they say they https://www.metal-archives.com/users/kkmaketrip were stopped from bringing about any development and on the other hand they have come up with this term vikas yatra . This only means they are taking credit for development work done by Modi ji he said. The state BJP chief said his party has done more for Delhi by installing CCTVs or the peripheral (ring) road project unveiled by Union road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari. Dismissing the AAP s baseless allegations of corruption against North Delhi mayor BJP s Preety Agarwal Tiwari said this is just a way of diverting attention from corruption charges against the ruling party. Tiwari said he is planning to soon take an e-rickshaw to Vijay Chowk and hold a meeting with marginal workers such as chai-walas and pakoda-walas in the presence of members of resident welfare associations MLAs and MPs. Since the time Kejriwal and (Congress president) Rahul Gandhi mocked pakoda-walas we feel we need to come out in support of such marginal workers he said. Asked why the BJP is supporting illegal construction by demanding that the sealing drive be stopped Tiwari said the party wants a uniform law for all traders. In 2006 by way of an amendment of the Act while some traders got the leeway to raise the FAR (floor area ratio) others did not. We only want that the law should be the same for all he said. We want to build a liveable Delhi with ease of doing business for a cart puller a pakoda-wala or a chai-wala. We will bring in a law so that nobody can be harassed by a policeman or any other official he said. He said the BJP wants to double the power limit for small-scale units in residential areas to 10 KV and the number of workers to 10 to save these units from getting shut. Tiwari said he met Union minister of state for housing and urban affairs Hardeep Singh Puri on Monday and demanded categorisation of conversion charges depending on the area arguing that the rates for Khan Market and Shahdara cannot be the same. He has shown full support for our demand he said. Reacting to former state minister Arvinder Singh Lovely s decision to quit the BJP to return to the Congress Tiwari said the party had cordial relations with Lovely till the time he left. We are in the opposition. What could we have given him? But he was part of the working group he said. Asked whether there is a possibility of the AAP and the Congress posing a joint threat to the BJP in 2019 polls the state BJP chief pointed to the municipal elections that were swept by the BJP. Both the Congress and the AAP have been responsible for Delhi s woes. The people of Delhi will not get befooled again. Corrupt Congress and the AAP have no such vision for Delhi that BJP has he said exuding confidence that the BJP will win the next election easily. Tiwari dismissed talk that he wants to contest the next general election from Buxar saying this was true in 2014 since he wanted to contest from his home town at the time but said now he can t leave Delhi. As for talk that he could be projected as a chief ministerial candidate he said that is something for the party s parliamentary board to decide and that anyone can be CM.
Written by Editorial | New Delhi | Published: February 22 2018 12:36 am No matter which version is true however the stature of both the AAP and the bureaucracy in Delhi stands severely diminished. (File) The Aam Aadmi Party s big victory in 2015 in Delhi had held out a promise that democracy in India can still allow new players to step in enlarge the space. The exchange of accusations between Delhi s elected government and its chief secretary mirrors a reneging on those possibilities. Clashing accounts of what transpired at the midnight meeting in the Delhi Chief Minister s residence on Monday paint either Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash or AAP MLAs as the villain. No matter which version is true however the stature of both the AAP and the bureaucracy in Delhi stands severely diminished. The capital s unique position under Article 239AA it has an elected government but without many of the powers other state governments enjoy makes its government far more dependent on the Centre s cooperation. This special position demands therefore that Delhi s government shows both the willingness and the skill to negotiate especially with a seemingly unfriendly Centre. On Monday night however the AAP appears to have flagged off a sorry sequence of events with a Tughlaki firmaan it summoned Prakash at midnight to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal s residence. The AAP claims its MLAs wanted to discuss non-disbursal of rations yet Food and Civil Supplies Minister Imran Hussain was not present. In Prakash s version the meeting was held to discuss the government s publicity programme on its achievements in three years. Subsequently while the chief secretary alleges he was insulted and assaulted the AAP contends he used casteist slurs against its MLAs. The next day even as staff members of the Delhi Secretariat allegedly heckled and assaulted Hussain the bureaucracy said it will work only on written orders and the IAS Association took out a candle-light protest march at Rajghat. If the AAP can be accused of an undimmed confrontationism that does not behove a party that has completed three years of its term the bureaucracy s response renews allegations of political partisanship the Centre has long been charged with using bureaucrats and the office of the LG to shrink the elected government s room for manoevre. Certainly the marching IAS Association does its own cause immense disservice. In the last three years the AAP government has had numerous stand-offs with the bureaucracy and the Centre over the appointment of officials over state government decisions being overruled and on the alleged misuse of investigative agencies. Recently the party faced a political crisis after 20 of its MLAs were disqualified for holding offices of profit . Since the departure of former Lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung however a relative calm had set in. Now the accusations of assault and abuse announce the end of the welcome lull. Instead of concentrating on governance in general and health and education in particular two areas in which it has had some success the bureaucracy and government of Delhi is engaged in a destructive conflict. Both must pause and consider the consequences of the vitriol that has been unleashed a betrayal of their responsibility to the people of Delhi. For all the latest Opinion News download Indian Express App More From Editorial Fuel for reform End of Coal India s monopoly is welcome promises to improve quality of coal increase efficiency of power generation... February 22 1978 Forty Years Ago Railway Minister Madhu Dandavate had outlined steps to ensure comfortable travel for second class passengers... A lack of fit In Delhi s pollution crisis National Green Tribunal again ventures into policy-making undermines its own authority.. Tags: AAP Delhi government Delhi Chief Secretary GG YAGNESWARANFeb 22 2018 at 11:37 amKejriwal government should be dismissed. If the Chief Secretary can be manhandled then what will be fate of other employees. Kejriwal and his fellow rogues should be punished.(1)(0) Reply Meenal MamdaniFeb 22 2018 at 9:10 amA very restrained and sensible editorial. In a situation of she said/he said it is difficult to know what is the truth. While it is true that the previous Lt governor was hostile to AAP and provoked confrontations it is equally true that AAP has preferred to create a media event rather than work quietly to resolve differences. Kejriwal was an IAS officer once so he must know the importance of keeping working relationships on a cordial footing with the bureaucracy. Unless Anshu Prakash has had a re tion for being obstructionist the suspicion for this incident falls on AAP which has a re tion for being confrontational.(2)(0) Reply
VK Jain advisor to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal told the Delhi Police he saw Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash being assaulted at the chief minister s residence. This statement could spell trouble for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). File image of Delhi chief secretary Anshu Prakash. News18 Jain was questioned by Delhi Police on Wednesday. He was an eyewitness to the alleged incident which took place around midnight on Monday. CNN-News18 reported that the Delhi Police seeking custody of the MLAs Amanatullah Khan and Prakash Jarwal told a city court Jain saw a physical assault on the chief secretary by the ruling AAP MLAs. The police claimed the assault occurred with a clear intent and conspiracy. Jain has essentially corroborated what the chief secretary said in his complaint to the police. This will have both legal and political implications for Kejriwal and AAP. Even worse for the AAP the police sources said recorded the statement under Section 164 before a magistrate which would render it admissible in court. A senior AAP leader speaking on the condition of anonymity confirmed to Firstpost that the chief secretary was indeed thrashed by the MLAs in presence of Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia. Though this leader was not present at chief minister s residence during the incident he said he spoke to some MLAs who witnessed the incident. The AAP leader said he was told by his party colleagues that they had to teach chief secretary a lesson and mortally scare him for all times to come so that does not cross wires with chief minister s thoughts ideas and orders . The AAP leader added he was told the ministers did what they thought was best to create fear in the heart and mind of the chief secretary. AAP leadership and party members were deeply frustrated with babus at the information department holding up TV advertisements celebrating the completion of three years of being in power at the state government because of Supreme Court guidelines which say all the facts in official advertisements should be checked and cleared by the departments concerned and were inclined to settle that issue with chief secretary. But they erred in their calculation. A source said AAP leadership thought that since there were going to be no witnesses and since the meeting was called at dead of night no high-ranking self-respecting officer like the chief secretary would go out and tell the world he was thrashed by lawmakers in the presence of the chief minister and deputy chief minister. Anshu left Kejriwal s residence quietly and chose to remain quiet through the night. However he decided to make a formal complaint before higher constitutional authorities (lieutenant governor and Union home minister) and the police the next day. The AAP leaders had not expected that. It put them on defensive. The problem became even bigger for Kejriwal and his colleagues as entire Delhi administration staff Indian Administrative Service (IAS) DANICS (Delhi Andaman and Nicobar Islands Civil Service) and subordinate service personnel went on a flash strike and marched to Rajghat Mahatma Gandhi s samadhi. Anshu is soft-spoken efficient always inclined to lend support to a colleague and help find a solution in difficult times. For that he commands the admiration and respect of his colleagues and subordinates. The narrative which Kejriwal s team tried to weave: Using the non-delivery of subsidised rations to 2.5 lakh poor as reason for the heated argument (all the while denying the assault) was unsustainable for one simple fact: If a meeting on ration cards and delivery of subsidised rations or the lack of it to an intended group was to be discussed at midnight the least Kejriwal could have done was to ensure presence of civil supplies minister and civil supplies secretary at the meeting. But neither the minister nor the secretary were called for the meeting. It is only common sense that the chief secretary does not directly deal with food and civil supplies (such as ration cards) to discuss the issue with chief minister and MLAs. In any case the MLAs had no business grilling the chief secretary. He is not answerable to them. The chief minister can of course summon the chief secretary to discuss emergent issues but he can t let his party men loose over the top bureaucrat in state administration. The other argument which negates AAP s ration card argument: This was not an issue which warranted the summoning of chief secretary at midnight. The issue could have been taken next day at Chief Minister s Office or elsewhere. If the legislators wanted to have their say and thought the matter was serious Kejriwal could have called a special session of Assembly. Calling special session of Assembly is not new to Kejriwal. He has convened it many times. Jain has been mentioned on more than one occasion in Anshu s statement to the police: On 19.2.2018 I was informed on telephone around 8.45 pm by Advisor to Chief Minister V K Jain that I have to reach CM s Residence at 12.00 midnight to discuss with Chief Minister & Deputy Chief Minister the issue of difficulty in release of certain TV Advertisement relating to completion of 3 years of current Government in Delhi. I suggested that the meeting could be held on 20.02.2018 in the morning. However it was reiterated by Advisor to CM at 9 pm and again at around 10.00 pm that the meeting has been scheduled by CM at 12 midnight . Advisor to CM again called me around 11.20pm to confirm that I have left for CM s residence for the meeting .On arrival of CM s residence I met Sri V K Jain advisor to CM and thereafter both of us were taken to the front room where Chief Minister (Shri Arvind Kejriwal) and deputy Chief Minister (Shri Manish Sisodia) and around 11 MLA s / persons were present. Besides Anshu Jain was the only non-political (AAP) person in the room where Anshu was allegedly beaten up. Jain s statement is just the evidence the Delhi Police was looking for.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) today claimed in the Delhi High Court that judicial review of President s order disqualifying 20 AAP MLAs for holding office-of-profit lies on a very narrow compass and the courts ordinarily would not enter into such matters. A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Chander Shekhar was informed by the poll panel that if superior courts exercised their jurisdiction on such matters if permissible at all the courts ordinarily would not enter into their merits. The judicial review of the order passed by the President under Section 15 of the (Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act) or under Article 103 of the Constitution of India based on the opinion of the ECI lies on a very narrow compass. If the superior courts exercise their jurisdiction under Article 226 and 32 of the Constitution in respect of such matters if permissible at all the courts ordinarily would not enter into the merits of the matter ECI counsel Amit Sharma argued. He also submitted that re-appreciation of evidence cannot be sought by a party even if there is a possibility of a different conclusion being arrived at on the evidence placed. The ECI was replying to arguments made by the disqualified MLAs found guilty of holding office of profit as parliamentary secretaries to ministers in the AAP government after it came to power in 2015. The MLAs had approached the high court challenging their disqualification after President Ram Nath Kovind gave his approval to the ECI s recommendation. The arguments on behalf of the ECI which remained inconclusive will resume tomorrow. The high court had on January 24 refused to stay the Centre s notification disqualifying them but restrained the EC from taking any precipitate measures such as announcing dates for by polls to fill the vacancies. The EC had recommended the disqualification of 20 AAP MLAs on January 19. The President had accepted the EC s opinion the very next day. The 20 disqualified MLAs include Adarsh Shastri (Dwarka) Alka Lamba (Chandni Chowk) Anil Bajpai (Gandhi Nagar) Avtar Singh (Kalkaji) Kailash Gahlot (Najafgarh) -- who is also a minister Madan Lal (Kasturba Nagar) Manoj Kumar (Kondli) Naresh Yadav (Mehrauli) Nitin Tyagi (Laxmi Nagar) Praveen Kumar (Jangpura). The others are Rajesh Gupta (Wazirpur) Rajesh Rishi (Janakpuri) Sanjeev Jha (Burari) Sarita Singh (Rohtas Nagar) Som Dutt (Sadar Bazar) Sharad Kumar (Narela) Shiv Charan Goel (Moti Nagar) Sukhbir Singh (Mundka) Vijendar Garg (Rajinder Nagar) and Jarnail Singh (Tilak Nagar).
New Delhi: The Delhi government on Monday announced the launch of Mission Buniyaad for improving learning skills of children studying in state and municipal-run schools.The announcement was made by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in New Delhi days after the National Achievement Survey (NAS) showed that the entire country including Delhi was facing a learning crisis in schools.Under the programme which will run from April to June for Class 3 to 5 in Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) schools and for Class 6 to 8 in government s schools children will undergo a reading level assessment based on which they will be enrolled in specialised Mission Buniyaad classes. For children who are not able to read I request all parents to cancel their vacation plans during summer holidays and send their children to school for remedial classes. I appeal to parents of children to support the Delhi government and MCDs in this campaign in the interest of their children s future Mr Sisodia said in a press conference.Officials of the education department will run the campaign in mission mode for three months from April to June this year Mr Sisodia said.Manish Sisodia who also holds the education portfolio said that the programme is being designed on the lines of Delhi government s Chunauti scheme after two rounds of meetings with MCDs the Delhi Cantonment Board and the North Delhi Municipal Council. The NAS survey demonstrates that close to half of all children in our schools are not able to read their grade level textbooks. In the secondary schools run by the Delhi government various programmes we initiated have improved reading ability by about 20%. However children in primary schools that are under the MCD are not able to read and thereafter when they study in secondary schools they find it difficult to cope up with the advanced levels he said. CommentsClose X The deputy chief minister said it was in the interest of the children of Delhi that the efforts made by the government be extended to MCD schools as well. The municipal bodies that run primary schools in the city will raise a cadre of teachers who will drive the program in a manner similar to the Mentor Teacher Program run in Delhi government schools. One teacher will take care of five schools and will train teachers of these five schools on enhancing readability of children he said.
New Delhi: A Delhi court on Thursday sent two Aam Aadmi Party lawmakers arrested on charge of assaulting Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash to judicial custody for 14 days.Metropolitan Magistrate Shefali Barnala Tandon said that orders on the bail pleas of AAP lawmakers Amanatullah Khan and Prakash Jarwal and also on their police custody will be pronounced on Friday.On Wednesday Ms Tandon had refused a Delhi Police plea for police custody of the MLAs and sent them to judicial custody till Thursday. CommentsClose X The chief secretary alleged that he was beaten up by the two MLAs in the presence of Arvind Kejriwal at the chief minister s residence here on Monday night where he had been called for a meeting.While Jarwal was arrested on Tuesday night Khan surrendered at a police station here on Wednesday afternoon.
Arvind Kejriwal posted a video message on Twitter addressing the residents of DelhiNew Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi completes three years in power today. The party was voted to power with a thumping majority. AAP won 67 out of the 70 legislative seats in the 2015 elections. However the road so far has mostly been marred with controversy and court cases. In the 2017 by-election AAP lost the Rajouri Garden seat to the BJP. 20 legislators have been disqualified on charges of alleged office of profit. AAP National Convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is more often than not embroiled in a battle with the centre-appointed Lt. Governor. The party s attempt to make inroads into other states have only been disappointing. A defamation case against Arvind Kejriwal by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is still ongoing in the Delhi High Court.A call-in show has been arranged today by the party to mark its 3rd anniversary.Here are the highlights on the 3rd anniversary of Arvind Kejriwal s AAP Government:Feb 14 201823:08 (IST)Delhi Government To Conduct Round-The-Year Study On PollutionThe Delhi government will conduct a round-the-year air quality study to ascertain sources of pollution in the city Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said today. Feb 14 201813:49 (IST)God bless @ArvindKejriwal and @msisodia! Sync between you two has proved an unbelievable boon for Delhi and India. pic.twitter.com/Jfuvdf7Rpa- Adv. Somnath Bharti (@attorneybharti) February 14 2018Feb 14 201813:06 (IST)Aam Aadmi Party posted this on twitter with a caption AK loves Delhi .Feb 14 201812:27 (IST) Arvind Kejriwal said 3 years back your unexpected majority led to the formation of an honest government in Delhi. We have worked extensively on fundamental issues like road water electricity education and health. We will continue to serve you keeping loving us. 3 स ल पहले आपने हमें अप्रत्य श त बहुमत द य ज सक वजह से आज द ल्ल में एक ईम नद र सरक र है हमने बुन य द मुद्द ं जैसे सड़क प न ब जल श क्ष स्व स्थ्य पर ढेर स र क म क य है और आगे भ ऐसे ह करते रहेंगे बस अपन प्य र बन ए रख एग :@ArvindKejriwal#3YearsofAAPGovernancepic.twitter.com/wRR6oewbyb- Aam Aadmi Party Delhi (@AAPDelhi) February 14 2018Feb 14 201812:21 (IST) AAP s National Convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said AAP government works for the people. We made 11 flyovers in 3 years. 90 new night shelters have been built with better facilities. Feb 14 201812:18 (IST) Arvind Kejriwal said 7030 classrooms were made in 3 years and 8000 new classrooms are currently under construction. The previous government had made only 800 schools. In 3 years 20 new schools made 28 to be ready this year. Feb 14 201812:18 (IST) Delhi chief minister said In 2015 when we came to power there was a lot of load shedding. We have seen mehangayi never sastai in this country For past 3 years electricity bills have reduced to half. Feb 14 201812:16 (IST) In a Facebook Live Arvind Kejriwal said Almost 90% patients have said to me medicines and treatment is fine. One complaint is - too much crowd. Feb 14 201812:14 (IST) In the Twitter video Arvind Kejriwal says cases of corruption have reduced in the last 3 years as the residents of Delhi chose an honest government for them.स एम क अपन जनत के न म संदेश प छले 3 स ल ं में भ्रष्ट च र में खूब कम आय है क्यूँक 3 स ल पहले द ल्ल के ल ग ं ने एक ईम नद र सरक र बन य थ ब ध एँ बहुत आय ं लेक न आपके हक़ के ल ए हम हर कठ न य से लड़े मेर सबसे बड़ त क़त आप हैं : @ArvindKejriwal#3YearsOfAAPGovernancepic.twitter.com/3eYjSO8RWx- Aam Aadmi Party Delhi (@AAPDelhi) February 14 2018No more content CommentsClose X
Kejriwal-bashing is a fashionable pastime in the upper reaches of the middle class in India and certainly in its capital. As Delhi chief minister Arvind Kerjiwal completes three years in office only a black humourist would associate the third anniversary of his tenure with Valentine s Day but then facts are facts. I have firm reasons to believe that he is more loved than hated in the bottom of Delhi s voter pyramid. You can t write him off even if he loses the next election as his rivals will hope. The former bureaucrat s pithy dismissive combative style of politics can be deemed better only than that of the cantankerous Mamata Banerjee of West Bengal. But much like her there are two who love Kejriwal down the ladder for everyone who hates him up the stairs. There are plenty of things Kerjiwal has done or not --- that would raise eyebrows among those of us who saw him as leading a new wave of cleanliness in Indian politics. He fell out with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) colleagues like Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan in a manner that undermined his party s democratic structure. Then he controversially appointed 20 of his MLAs as parliamentary secretaries that resulted in their disqualification by the Election Commission. AAP s poet leader Kuman Vishwas is in a royal sulk that makes headlines often. Kejriwal has named moneybags Sushil Gupta a defector from Congress to boot to be a Rajya Sabha MP defying his aam aadmi talk and postures against crony capitalism. His fights with the lieutenant governor of Delhi would make us think he was spending more time wrestling than governing. AAP minister Saytendar Jain faces a CBI investigation on corruption and money-laundering charges. Phew! What a lot of stuff for a negative image for a man who vowed to clean up Indian politics! But look beyond loud headlines quarter-baked TV anchors and Kejriwal s decidedly chip-in-the-shoulder persona and you would see a government that seems to have performed where it really matters for a state government: water education and health. This is where AAP has changed Delhi politics in a fundamental way that cannot be ignored. A report card shows the party has clearly done some good work at the grassroots taking a leaf out of populilst leaders like the late J. Jayalalithaa in Tamil Nadu and Chandrababu Naidu in Andhra Pradesh. Of these the controversial 50% power subsidy on electricity bills free water and 8 000 new-age classrooms stand out as do 180 Mohalla clinics. There are unfulfilled promises and flaws in quite of his promised schemes but there is no denying that the slum-dweller in Delhi has tasted blood in a way that the Congress and BJP would have to fall in line if they come back to power. Also as a third front in Delhi AAP has qualitatively altered what I call the city s Lazy Anti-Incumbency Syndrome. AAP activists and Kejriwal loyalists visibly show an energy that makes rival party leaders sleepless as they cannot simply take a rebound victory for granted. Kejriwal s odd-even scheme to reduce air pollution remains a gimmick gone wrong. But it is important to note that even an online poll that hardly https://quitter.se/kkamazon touches those without smartphones or personal computers shows the AAP government getting more than 50% (pass marks) in areas such as power water education and health. My guess is that below the online surface the marks would be higher. This does not necessarily mean that Kejriwal and his AAP will win the next election to rule the capital whose politics is very complex and demanding. It is also relevant that barring pockets of Punjab and Goa AAP remains a Dilliwali party. Air pollution is one issue on which AAP believes in rhetoric more than action and the average Delhi-ite has seen through that. However all said and done the grassroots transformation of Delhi s politics is something that AAP has proved for good in terms of ideas and approaches. The big question remains: Can AAP sustain its energy and momentum and grow its activist base? Can it come to a middle ground where its beginner s luck needs to be replaced by sober long-term governance? That would be another story. (Madhavan Narayanan is a senior journalist who has covered politics diplomacy business technology and other subjects in a long career that has spanned organisations including Reuters Business Standard and Hindustan Times. He is currently an independent columnist editor and commentator. He is listed among the top 200 Indian influencers on Twitter. He tweets as @madversity) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Justin Trudeau rescinds India dinner invite to Sikh separatist

Justin Trudeau s state visit to India has been overshadowed by revelations that a businessman convicted of trying to assassinate an Indian minister in the 1980s was invited to several official events. The week-long tour of the subcontinent has been dogged by suggestions the Canadian prime minister is being snubbed by his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi over Canada s alleged indulgence of Sikh separatists aiming to create an independent state within India for the religious minority. The Canadian high commission in Delhi confirmed on Thursday it had sent and has now rescinded an official dinner invitation to Jaspal Atwal a former member of a Sikh organisation regarded by India as a terrorist group. Atwal was convicted in 1986 of trying to kill Malkiat Singh Sidhu http://boinc.riojascience.com/view_profile.php?userid=294299 then a minister in the Punjab government who was on holiday in Canada at the time. Sidhu survived the attempt but was later assassinated in India. Photos were circulated on Thursday showing Atwal posing with Trudeau s wife Sophie Grégoire Trudeau at an event in Mumbai earlier this week. Trudeau told journalists he took the matter very seriously. The individual in question should have never received an invitation he told reporters in Delhi. The person and department responsible will take full responsibility for his actions. His office clarified Atwal was not part of Trudeau s official delegation. A Canadian MP Randeep Surai admitted organising the invitation. I should have exercised better judgment and I take full responsibility for my actions he said in a statement. On Wednesday Trudeau met Amarinder Singh the chief minister of Punjab state which was the centre of decades of violent clashes bombings and assassinations between Sikh separatists and the Indian state. About 80 000 people are estimated to have died in the conflict including the former Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi who was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguard after ordering Indian troops into Amritsar s Golden Temple one of Sikhism s most revered spiritual sites. The campaign was crushed in India by 1993 but its embers have been fanned by Sikh diasporas especially in Canada where Punjabi migrants and their descendants have become a rich voting block. About 1.4 million Canadians claim Indian descent. Trudeau has previously boasted that his cabinet has more Sikhs than Modi s and Canadian Sikh activists have succeeded in passing bills in provincial legislatures describing the anti-Sikh riots that followed Gandhi s assassination as a genocide terminology India balks at. In past months dozens of Sikh temples in Canada have banned Indian officials from visiting in their official capacity. After meeting Trudeau Singh s administration released a statement saying it had received categorical assurance that Canada rejected the idea of creating a separate Sikh state. Citing the separatist movement in Quebec Trudeau said he had dealt with such threats all his life and was fully aware of the dangers of violence which he had always pushed back with all his might the statement said. Indian commentators have been watchful of any signs of frostiness between the two governments highlighting the fact Modi sent a junior minister to greet Trudeau when he landed in India on Saturday. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) I hope PM @JustinTrudeau and his family had a very enjoyable stay so far. I particularly look forward to meeting his children Xavier Ella-Grace and Hadrien. Here is a picture from my 2015 Canada visit when I d met PM Trudeau and Ella-Grace. pic.twitter.com/Ox0M8EL46x February 22 2018 Others pointed to the fact Modi a prolific social media user had not greeted Trudeau on Twitter as he had sometimes done with other leaders. India s ministry for external affairs denied suggestions of a snub. Modi and Trudeau will meet on Friday. Topics Justin Trudeau Canada India Narendra Modi Americas South and Central Asia news Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share via Email Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Google Share on WhatsApp Share on Messenger Reuse this content
Photo Donald Trump Jr. in front of Trump Towers after the project s inauguration in Pune India on Wednesday. Credit Associated Press NEW DELHI Donald Trump Jr. who has spent the week in India pitching new luxury high-rises that bear his family s name took the stage before a crowd of about 200 on Thursday. Building a Better Mumbai the banner behind him proclaimed. We re actually delivering true luxury Mr. Trump told the guests who were greeted by a red carpet lit candles and a jazz band. We re actually delivering buildings in the Indian marketplace that you can take out of that marketplace put in any cosmopolitan of the world and say This is on par with some of the best. The Trump Organization is reaping the windfall from India s admiration for President Trump. He may have low approval ratings at home but he appears well liked in a country with one of the fastest-growing populations of millionaires in the world.The Trump brand spells glamour more than luxury said Kalyani Chawla a brand consultant and former executive at Christian Dior in India who attended the event. I think it s all about Donald Trump honestly she said any idea of Donald Trump in general regardless of the fact that even he s surprised he s the president of the United States. Advertisement Continue reading the main story But even before the president s son arrived in India to press the flesh and do the deals his trip was creating controversy over its potential for blurring the lines between the Trump White House and the Trump Organization. Continue reading the main story
NEW DELHI: In a first the government is preparing to deploy commandos of central paramilitary force CRPF at the Indian embassy in war-ravaged Iraq which is under threat from Islamic State Al Qaeda and other terror groups. A contingent of 45 highly trained men led by a deputy commandant rank officer will be initially posted to secure the embassy and diplomats in Baghdad and if required more personnel will be sent later. The Indian embassy last faced a missile attack in 2004 but sources said lately RAW and other central intelligence agencies have warned of possible terror attacks. An in-principle approval for the deployment of an armed squad at the complex located in the Al Mansour area of the Iraqi capital has already been accorded by the home ministry sources said. The CRPF commandos will have a specific task of securing the embassy its diplomatic staff and their families against terror threats. Given the constant threat of the IS terror group in Iraq it was being discussed for a long time that the Indian embassy there should have a professional security cover an official said. The effort to send the paramilitary commandos is a move in that direction. A final decision will be taken soon the official said. While there has be no targeted hit at the Indian mission in Baghdad the city has witnessed suicide attacks and bombings by IS terrorists. The proposed contingent would not only guard the embassy complex but also provide proximate security cover to senior diplomats and staffers every time they move out of the facility. CRPF s elite CoBRA squad known for their operations against Maoists will be part of the proposed contingent an official said. The personnel will have to be adept in handling improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and in conducting special operations and hostage rescue tasks he said. This will be the first such overseas task for the about 3-lakh personnel strong CRPF.
New Delhi: Paramilitary commandos may soon be deployed to guard the Indian embassy and diplomatic staff in war-ravaged Iraq following threats from the ISIS terror groups officials said.An in-principle approval for the deployment of an armed squad at the complex located in the Al Mansour area of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad has been accorded by the Ministries of Home and External Affairs they said.The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has been tasked to provide its best combat personnel for the job.They said that the commandos will have a specific task of securing the embassy its diplomatic staff and their families against terror threats. Given the constant threat of the ISIS terror group in Iraq it was being discussed for a long time that the Indian embassy there should have a professional security cover a senior official privy to the development said. The effort to send the paramilitary commandos is a move in that direction. However the final approval for stationing the squad in Baghdad is yet to be given by the government the official said.While there has be no targeted hit at the Indian mission in Baghdad the city has witnessed suicide attacks and bombings by the ISIS terrorists.The proposed contingent would not only guard the embassy complex but also provide a proximate security cover to senior diplomats and staffers every time they move out of the facility he said.Once cleared the proposed contingent will be about 45-50 personnel strong and headed by a deputy commandant rank officer of the CRPF.The commandos who are highly motivated having done a stint in the anti-Naxal operations the forces elite commando squad for jungle warfare CoBRA and who have been the best performers will be part of the proposed contingent the official said.The personnel will have to be adept in handling improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and in conducting special operations and hostage rescue tasks it said. CommentsClose X This will be the first such overseas task for the about 3-lakh personnel strong paramilitary force. While the Indian embassy in Afghanistan is guarded by the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) those in Nepal and Colombo have the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and Border Security Force (BF) contingents respectively.The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is the country s largest paramilitary and is primarily designated as the lead internal security and anti-Maoist operations conducting force.
NEW DELHI: India has been ranked 81st in Transparency International s Global Corruption Perception Index 2017. While it maintained its score at 40 on a 100-point scale where anything below 30 is considered seriously corrupt its ranking changed from 79th last year partly because Vanuatu one of the countries added to the rankings this year was rated higher and partly because others improved. A Transparency International release also characterised India as among the worst regional offenders in the Asia Pacific region on grounds of journalists activists opposition leaders and even staff of law enforcement or watchdog agencies being threatened or even murdered. In this it was clubbed with the Philippines and Maldives. These countries score high for corruption and have fewer press freedoms and higher numbers of journalist deaths the report added. Interestingly Pakistan with a score of 32 and China with 41 are perceived to be more corrupt than India. Russia is more corrupt than all three counties with a score of 29. New Zealand and Denmark were ranked as the cleanest countries in the 2017 list as in 2016 with scores of 89 and 88 respectively. Syria South Sudan and Somalia were ranked as the most corrupt countries with scores of 14 12 and 9 respectively. Of the three countries that were tied with India in 2016 Belarus has moved up to 68th with a score of 44 and China to 77th with a score of 41. Brazil in contrast has slipped to 96th with a score of 37. Of the other Brics nations Russia was at the 135th place with a score of 29 while South Africa was 71st having dropped seven places from 2016. Countries with the poorest protection for press and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) also tended to have the lowest ranks on the index. The analysis which incorporates data from Committee to Protect Journalists showed that in the last six years 9 out of 10 journalists killings of journalists happened in countries that score 45 or less on the index.
Niti Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar today said India will emerge as a model for the rest of the world once it completes economic political and social transitions. He was addressing the 46th Panjab University Colloquium-cum-3rd Shenmar Memorial Oration here today according to a release of the Panjab University (PU). The theme was New India@2022 . The programme was organised in collaboration with the Department of Social Work PU the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Institute for Development and Communication (IDC) the Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial Development (CRRID) the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR). Kumar further said that by successfully completing these three transitions India will emerge as model for the rest of the world. Development becomes a mass movement when there will be shift from public-private partnership (PPP) to public-private-personal partnership (PPPP) Kumar said. He highlighted India s development process outlined country s experiences since Independence and laid out a future vision for achieving a New India by 2022. He articulated upon insight into creation of space and ecosystem for dynamic entrepreneurship. Rajiv Kumar highlighted that for 2022 there was a need to have a resolve to have India free from poverty dirt and squalor corruption terrorism casteism and communalism. He further stressed For looking ahead our economy will need to take into account new and unique challenges and opportunities such as the fourth industrial revolution India s democratic dividend in shifting from competitive populism to good governance and the changing global landscape.
ANANTAPUR: South Korean automobile giant Kia Motors will roll out its Indiabuilt SP Concept sports utility vehicle (SUV) from its upcoming integrated manufacturing facility in Andhra Pradesh by mid-2019 said its global president Han-Woo Park. He was speaking at the framework installation ceremony at Kia Motor s upcoming facility near Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh on Thursday along with chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu. The first India manufacturing facility for Kia Motors is coming up over 213.7 hectares of land to produce 3 lakh cars annually involving an investment of over 2 billion (approximately Rs 12 900 crore). It had signed the memorandum of understanding with AP government last April. The construction work which is going on rapidly nearly two months ahead of schedule is expected to be completed by the end of first quarter of next year with the vehicle production scheduled sometime around middle of next year said Park. The first model SP Concept SUV to roll out from the Anantapur facility was showcased at the Delhi Auto Expo last month. The SP concept SUV will be built in India by Indian employees and will hit the Indian roads by mid next year. The eighth largest global car maker currently exporting 2.8 million cars to over 180 countries will mostly cater to the domestic market in India said Park. We are here to build more than just great cars. We aim to set a new standard of automotive lifestyle experience by providing Indian consumers with world-class products and services said Han-Woo Park adding that they will invest over 2 billion until 2021 creating about 10 000 jobs. Kia Motors India soon intends to start recruiting around 3 000 employees necessary to operate its Anantapur plant in Andhra Pradesh.
Ride hailing firm Uber today said it will continue to invest in India as it looks to grow business in the incredibly important and core market by up to 10 times in a decade. On his maiden trip to India Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi indicated that he would not go by the advice of investors like SoftBank who want the US-based firm to scale back to countries where it already has a strong market position. Refusing to disclose how much Uber has invested in India he said it is a lot and that investment is going to continue. For Uber India is a loss-making proposition but it will continue to invest in the market because it believes in it he said at a media round table at the start of his two-day visit during which he is likely to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders. Asked if SoftBank which is also an investor in rival and India s market leader Ola has asked Uber to focus on the profitable market Khosrowshahi said the company s strategies are decided by the board. While SoftBank may have an opinion their s is not the only opinion in the room he said. And it is my belief that we as a company need to have a balanced profile in terms of growth and investment. Developed markets like the US will continue to get investments and will be profitable but Uber should actively invest in markets like India and Latin America because of their sheer size he said. These markets have huge growth ahead for Uber he said. Uber has some 3 lakh driver partners in 29 cities in India he said. We think we can increase by 5x 10x over the next 10 years. That will require investment he said. In India at this point my firm belief is that the greatest value that we can create is to continue to invest and grow our product. SoftBank Vision Fund which recently became Uber s largest shareholder with the formal closing of a USD 9.3 billion investment giving it 15 per cent stake has reportedly stated that Uber should focus on recovering its market share in the US and growing in key European markets to have a faster path to profitability. While India remains Uber s largest market outside of the US it is also the biggest cost for the company. Asked if Uber was subsidising rides in the country to capture the market Khosrowshahi said anytime you are creating a market you actually have to pay to build up liquidity. For instance Uber Pool the ride-sharing platform where two more passengers share a car to travel to same or different destinations is a losing proposition but the company believes in the product as it will help solve traffic as well as road congestion problems he said. We are investing in Indian market because we believe in the long-term viability of this market... we consider it incredibly important market for us the core market for us he said. The Indian market Khosrowshahi said is demanding in terms of pricing and if Uber was to succeed here it can shape products globally. India can essentially be a laboratory for us. Uber he said accounts for less than 1 per cent of miles driven in the world and is an alternative to taxis. What we really want is to be alternate to car ownership he said adding problems of traffic and pollution that India faces can be solved with its pioneering share rides. He said operations in India are not profitable but India accounts for more than 10 per cent of Uber s trips globally https://www.viki.com/users/kkmyntra/about. I expect (India) to account for higher and higher trips going forward he said. Uber accounts for less than 1 per cent of the USD 5 trillion transportation industry globally and capturing higher share requires investments in big markets with population that have lot of growth ahead of them. Uber CEO pledged to continue investing aggressively in Southeast Asia. We expect to lose money in Southeast Asia and expect to invest aggressively in terms of marketing subsidies etc Khosrowshahi said. From a competitive standpoint we think we can improve...We are cautiously optimistic and are leaning forward to invest he said. Khosrowshahi who took the helm in August after former CEO Travis Kalanick was asked to step down amid a litany of regulatory problems driver and consumer scandals and court cases said a new work ethics code has been implemented in the company that has just one norm - we do the right thing. Period.

Why Justin Trudeau Is Being Snubbed in India

With questions raised over his silence so far ever since Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau s arrival in India on Saturday Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday evening welcomed him on his visit and said that he looked forward to meeting him on Friday. I look forward to meeting PM @JustinTrudeau tomorrow and holding talks on further strengthening India-Canada relations in all spheres Modi tweeted. I hope PM @JustinTrudeau and his family had a very enjoyable stay so far. I particularly look forward to meeting hi https://t.co/su58lQAnU6 — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) 1519308864000 I appreciate his deep commitment to ties between our two countries he said. In a separate tweet Modi said that he hoped Trudeau had an enjoyable visit to India so far and that he particularly looked forward to meeting Trudeau s three children Xavier Ella-Grace and Hadrien. He also posted a picture of him along with Trudeau and Ella-Grace during his visit to Canada in April 2015. Modi s comments came even as a row broke out about an invitation being extended to convicted Khalistan separatist Jaspal Atwal by the Canadian High Commission here for a reception on Thursday night in honour of the visiting dignitary. The High Commission has since rescinded the invitation and the Indian External Affairs Ministry has said https://www.bucketlistly.com/users/kkclear that it is being ascertained how India issued a visa to Atwal. In 1987 Atwal and three others were found guilty of the attempted assassination of a Punjab state minister who was on a visit to Canada the previous year and were sentenced to 20 years in prison. The incident was the latest to happen amid wide speculation of Modi and his government cold-shouldering Trudeau during his eight-day state visit to India that started on February 17. The visiting dignitary and his family have since visited Agra Ahmedabad Mumbai and Amritsar. While Modi did not accompany Trudeau to Ahmedabad a meeting with Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh at Amritsar on Wednesday was organised only at the last moment. Ties between New Delhi and Ottawa have been frosty in recent times as Canada is being seen as offering a platform to separatists demanding an independent Khalistan. The visit of Trudeau who assumed office in November 2015 comes after the visit of Modi to Canada in April that year.
Justin Trudeau India Visit: PM Modi tweeted an image from 2015 of him with PM TrudeauNew Delhi: On the sixth day of his India visit Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is set to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi for bilateral talks today. PM Modi who has earlier broken protocol to receive world leaders on several occasions had not extended the same courtesy to Mr Trudeau in what was seen as a snub over Mr Trudeau s alleged soft stance over Khalistan supporters. In a further diplomatic embarrassment to Mr Trudeau Jaspal Atwal a convicted Khalistani terrorist attended a function in Mumbai where he posed for photographs with Mr Trudeau s wife Sophie and a Canadian minister. Atwal was invited to another function in Delhi as well but after details of his invite emerged his invite was cancelled.PM Modi finally tweeted a welcome to Mr Trudeau yesterday ahead of the bilateral talks which will focus on trade defence civil nuclear co-operation space climate change and education. The talks will also focus on counter-terrorism measures and will try to address India s concerns over Sikh radicalism in Canada.Here are the LIVE updates on the bilateral talks between PM Modi and PM Trudeau:No more content CommentsClose X
Justin Trudeau In India: Canadian PM began his day in national capital with a visit to Jama Masjid (PTI)New Delhi: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who is on a week-long visit to India will spend the day in the national capital today. His schedule for the day began with a visit to the Jama Masjid in Old Delhi. On his visit to Delhi s Modern School cricket ground he along with his children were seen playing cricket. Mr Trudeau delivered a keynote address at the Canada India Business Seminar.Mr Trudeau who is accompanied by wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau and three children -Ella-Grace Xavier and Hadrien and a delegation of ministers visited Amritsar yesterday. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh met Justin Trudeau in Amritsar for a one-on-one meeting. Mr Trudeau along with his family also visited the the Golden Temple. Mr Trudeau is to receive a ceremonial welcome tomorrow after which he will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The two are to make a joint statement later in the day. Here are the live updates of Justin Trudeau s India visit:Feb 22 201816:19 (IST)Canadian PM Justin Trudeau Addresses Business Summit In DelhiCanada and India are countries committed to pursuing and upholding democracy. We are the two largest democracies in the world one by size and one by population.Feb 22 201812:26 (IST)#InPics | Canadian PM @JustinTrudeau at a cricket ground in Delhi with his children. Former cricketers Kapil Dev and Mohammed Azharuddin also join in.Track LIVE updates here: https://t.co/a2PVPJ4DpBpic.twitter.com/zVv3EpB4Nf- NDTV (@ndtv) February 22 2018Feb 22 201812:16 (IST)The Canadian PM and his son at Moden School cricket ground. Feb 22 201812:11 (IST)Justin Trudeau arrives at Delhi s Modern School and participated in a cricket event Feb 22 201810:17 (IST)Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau began Day 5 of his India visit by visiting Jama Masjid with his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau and three children -Ella-Grace Xavier and Hadrien. No more content CommentsClose X
Good morning. Here s what you need to know: Photo Credit Tom Brenner/The New York Times Dueling envoys or Olympic détente?When Kim Jong-un s sister attended the Winter Olympics two weeks ago the South Korean news media called her North Korea s Ivanka. (White House officials recoil at the comparison.)Now the real one is about to arrive. Ms. Trump will attend the closing ceremony at the Games on Sunday and the U.S. is batting back rumors of another attempt at a meeting with North Korea.Leading North Korea s high-level delegation to the closing ceremony is a former spymaster Kim Yong-chol. .page-interactive-embedded margin:0 8px .page-interactive-mobile .story.theme-main .page-interactive-app .story.theme-main .page-interactive-embedded .story.theme-main margin-top:0 .nyt-weather font-family: nyt-franklin Helvetica sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:1.4;min-height:110px;padding-top:16px;color:#333;position:relative .mobile .nyt-weather a:hover text-decoration:none .viewport-medium .nyt-weather min-height:80px;font-size:12px .nyt-weather data-status= loading position:relative .nyt-weather data-status= loading :after content: ;display:block;position:absolute;top:50%;left:50%;-webkit-transform:translate(-50% -50%);transform:translate(-50% 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.viewport-medium .nyt-weather .w-tomorrow display:inline-block;width:60%;text-align:right;border-top:none;padding-top:0;margin-top:0;position:absolute;bottom:0;right:0 .viewport-medium .nyt-weather .w-tomorrow .w-high .viewport-medium .nyt-weather .w-tomorrow .w-low font-size:15px #morning-briefing-weather-module.interactive-embedded min-width: 0; max-width: 500px; margin-top: 4px; padding: 0px; #morning-briefing-weather-module.interactive-embedded .interactive-caption display: none; _____ The host with the most.With the Olympic Games nearing an end South Korea is tied with Japan for the most medals won by an Asian nation with 11 and has one more gold. (China has nine medals.) The Paralympics begin March 9. Advertisement Continue reading the main story Arirang a centuries-old Korean folk song is often heard at the Games and has served as a stand-in national anthem as North and South Korea build ties. Continue reading the main story
Amritsar: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau today visited the Partition Museum dedicated to the memory of the partition of India in 1947 at Town Hall in Amritsar along with his ministers and MPs.He was accompanied by his cabinet ministers Harjit Sajjan Navdeep Bains Bardish Chagger Kirsty Duncan and Amarjeet Sohi.The Canadian prime minister was escorted by Mallika Ahluwalia the CEO and Curator of the museum Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri Minister of Local Government Culture and Tourism Navjot Singh Sidhu and Member of Parliament Gurjeet Singh Aujla.Trudeau spent nearly 25 minutes at the museum.He spent some time in the gallery of migration hearing stories and looking at objects carried by people as they fled their homes and moved across the newly-drawn borders at the time of Independence.The Canadian premier paused for a while at the well in the Gallery of Divisions dedicated to the women who were lost at the time of partition.He spent the maximum time in the Gallery of Hope which focuses on love and reconciliation. He left a note on the Tree of Hope writing that the museum is a poignant reminder that dividing people is never the answer; we must learn to live together and love our differences. Curator Ahluwalia said: We are very grateful to Prime Minister Trudeau for visiting the Partition Museum. As Canada has a vibrant Punjabi community the museum is very keen to record and include the stories of Punjabis settled there. Trudeau also shared his thoughts on the Partition Museum saying to think of the lives torn apart the violence and loss... We need to remember that it s always easy to divide people. It s much more difficult but it s the only path to bring people together in love and understanding. We have to be ever vigilant that that is what we are putting into the world and that is the way we are building our future. The Canadian prime minister is in India on a week-long visit. Earlier in the day he paid obeisance at the Golden Temple in Amritsar.The Partition Museum is the world s first museum dedicated to the partition of the Indian sub-continent in 1947. The museum is dedicated to all those millions impacted in the largest migration in human history and is a space of reconciliation. CommentsClose X The museum uses multi-media exhibits including oral histories archival footage historical newspapers official files as well as personal documents and objects carried by individuals and families who lived through the Partition to tell the story.It also aims to become a comprehensive archive on the Partition. The museum opened with a curtain raiser exhibition in Octobber 2016 and opened all its galleries to the public on August 17 2017.

New Delhi: Maya Bijlee And Lakshmi the three jumbo residents at Mathura s elephant conservation centre caught the imagination of Canada s first family on Sunday. The Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau along with his wife and three children were at the sanctuary on their second day of India visit.Prime Minister Trudeau was moved after hearing the story of Maya Bijlee and Laksmi who were tortured before being spotted and brought to the Mathura Wildlife SOS Elephant Conservation and Care Centre in Uttar Pradesh.The elephants part of circus animal crew were used as begging tools by their trainers. Seeing injury marks Mr Trudeau asked the caregivers what happened to the elephants. The caregivers narrated that Maya Bijlee and Lakshmi have been brought from different parts of the country.Maya had lost her vision in one eye during shows at a circus; her trainers used to beat her and force her to perform. She still has deep injury marks on her head. Bijlee who was rescued from Agra also has injury marks on her head. She was reportedly forced to walk for hours for begging and was in a bad shape when brought to the Mathura conservation centre said her caregivers.Lakshmi was brought from Maharashtra where like Bijlee she was forced to walk and used as a begging tool. Lakshmi too has deep injury marks on her head and trunk and was part of a circus earlier. CommentsClose X Mr Trudeau and his family spent around 50 minutes at the Mathura elephant care centre. The conservation team spoke to Mr Trudeau about the need to create awareness about the plight of Asian elephants. It is a great honour for Wildlife SOS to have the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sparing his valuable time to see our efforts to protect elephants in collaboration with Forest Department. Our goal is to help conserve and protect elephants said Mr Satyanarayan one of the founders of the centre. Since the elephant care centre does not not attract too many tourists he hoped Mr Trudeau s visit will encourage people to visit the gentle jumbos.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his family visit the Taj Mahal.Agra: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who arrived in India last evening on a week-long visit is traveling to Agra today to visit the Taj Mahal. Prime Minister Trudeau who is accompanied by his wife and three children left for Agra from Delhi at 9:00 am. He will be visiting the Taj Mahal at around 10:45 am following which the Canadian prime minister will return to Delhi by 3:30 pm. Justin Trudeau who is in India till February 25 will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 23. The objective of Prime Minister Trudeau s visit to India is to expand overall ties between the two countries with a focus on defence and security counter-terror cooperation trade and investment and tackling climate change. Both countries are also expected to deliberate on enhancing cooperation in the civil nuclear sector. A number of Justin Trudeau s cabinet colleagues including Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland Science and Economic Development Minister Navdeep Bains Defence Minister Harjit Singh Sajjan Science and Sports Minister Kirsty Duncan and Infrastructure Minister Amarjeet Sohi are also visiting India. The ties between India and Canada have been rising steadily. Approximately 1.4 million Canadians are of Indian origin and India is Canada s second largest source of immigrants. Here are the Highlights of Canadian PM Justin Trudeau s visit to the Taj Mahal today: Feb 18 201818:44 (IST)Photos: Justin Trudeau Kicks Off India Tour With Family Visit To The Taj Mahal Photo GalleryNDTV.com Photo Gallery - Exclusive Photos collection brings you the latest news photos news pictures of your favourite celebrities the hottest Models photos Movie Stars images Film Stars photos top Cricketers photos pictures and the first pictures from breaking news. Feb 18 201814:44 (IST) On February 20 he will visit Mumbai where he will hold meetings with top business leaders and meet representatives of Indian Film industry to explore various opportunities in the field of cinema. On February 21 the Canadian PM will travel to Amritsar where he will visit the Golden Temple. He will return to Delhi the same day. The Canadian PM is scheduled to visit Jama Masjid and a cricket ground in the national capital on February 22 besides delivering a lecture at a gathering of Canadian and Indian business leaders. He will then hold wide-ranging talks with Prime Minister Modi on February 23. The next day he is scheduled to address a conference of young change-makers before wrapping up his visit.Feb 18 201814:40 (IST) Besides his engagements in Delhi Prime Minister Trudeau will visit Agra Ahmedabad Mumbai and Amritsar. Officials said Jutin Trudeau s his visit to Gujarat will be the first by a Canadian prime minister. Feb 18 201814:36 (IST) This will be an opportunity for the prime minister to promote Canada-India cooperation on a range of issues and highlight Canada s support for a strong united diverse India and to further strengthen the vibrant strategic partnership said a Canadian diplomatic source.Feb 18 201814:36 (IST) In 2017 the two-way merchandise trade between Canada and India amounted to 8.4 billion split equally between exports to and imports from India ( 4 billion each).Feb 18 201814:35 (IST) The negotiators of both the countries met last week to overcome the hurdles in finalising the pact the sources said adding Canadian investments in India were around 15 billion in the last couple of years and a free trade pact will further encourage investors from that country.Feb 18 201814:33 (IST) On trade the sources said Canadian investments in India were likely to decline in absence of a mechanism to protect them and Prime Minister Trudeau and PM Modi may deliberate during their talks on February 23 on making forward movement in firming up the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between the two countries.Feb 18 201814:32 (IST) Ahead of Justin Trudeau s visit to India the national security advisers of India and Canada met in Delhi. The Canadian prime minister s visit is aimed at further boosting strategic ties with a focus on defence and counter-terror cooperation. The two NSAs prepared the ground for Justin Trudeau and Prime Minister Modi to intensify defence and security cooperation. India s concerns over rising Sikh radicalism in Canada are understood to have figured in the meeting held a couple days ago Canadian diplomatic sources indicated according to news agency PTI.Feb 18 201813:18 (IST)For me to be able to be here on an official trip while bringing my kids with me to share this is really special and being able to enjoy this as a dad with my kids is really nice: Canadian Prime Minister #JustinTrudeau on his Taj Mahal visit pic.twitter.com/P1k3q9sUdZ- ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 18 2018Feb 18 201813:17 (IST)Message by Canadian Prime Minister #JustinTrudeau in the visitor s book at Taj Mahal in Agra pic.twitter.com/8ku5zb15FP- ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 18 2018Feb 18 201813:16 (IST) Justin Trudeau writes in the visitors book at the Taj MahalFeb 18 201813:02 (IST) Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau with wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau and children visit the Taj Mahal in AgraFeb 18 201812:49 (IST) Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his family at the Taj Mahal in AgraFeb 18 201812:47 (IST)#WATCH: PM of Canada #JustinTrudeau along with his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau and children Xavier Ella-Grace & Hadrien at Taj Mahal in Agra. pic.twitter.com/DqnxoTqfni- ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 18 2018Feb 18 201812:35 (IST) Ahead of the visit Mr Trudeau tweeted Wheels up for India and a busy visit attaching a photograph of his wife and three children boarding the aircraft.Wheels up for India and a busy visit focused on creating good jobs and strengthening the deep connection between the people of our two countries. pic.twitter.com/Jg6UmL9y4S- Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) February 16 2018Feb 18 201812:35 (IST) The cultural component of the visit is seen as an outreach to estimated 1.4 million people of Indian origin settled in Canada. India is Canada s second-largest source of immigrants.Feb 18 201812:34 (IST) Mr Trudeau s agenda is also expected to include a visit to the Golden Temple in Amritsar and Delhi s Jama Masjid and a cricket ground.Feb 18 201812:34 (IST) In 2017 two-way merchandise trade between Canada and India amounted to 8.4 billion split equally between exports to and imports from India. India was Canada s eighth largest destination for merchandise exports.Feb 18 201812:33 (IST) Counter-terror cooperation is also expected to be a key focus area. India s concerns over Sikh radicalism in Canada is understood to have figured in the meeting between the National Security Advisers of the two nations held a few days ago.Feb 18 201812:33 (IST) His bilateral meeting with PM Modi is scheduled for February 23 during which the two leaders are expected to focus on trade defense civil nuclear cooperation space tackling climate change energy and education.Feb 18 201812:33 (IST) Over the rest of the week Mr Trudeau will participate in business round-tables in Mumbai to promote trade investment and job creation. He will also meet representatives of Indian Film industry to explore opportunities in the field of cinema.Feb 18 201812:32 (IST) Tomorrow Mr Trudeau who is on his first state visit to India will fly to PM Modi s home state Gujarat. Besides a visit to Mahatma Gandhi s Sabarmati Ashram he will also visit the Akshardham Temple in Gujarat and lead a https://logopond.com/kfckk/profile/277898/?filter=&page= discussion at the Indian Institute of Management on Education and Investment Opportunities with students.Feb 18 201812:31 (IST) Mr Trudeau is accompanied by his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau and children Hadrien Ella-Grace Margaret and Xavier James Trudeau. At the airport the family posed for cameras with folded hands in the signature Indian greeting of Namaste.Strategic partnership underpinned by shared values of democracy and pluralism! Namaste to the Right Honorable @JustinTrudeau Prime Minister of Canada as he arrives on the State visit to India from 17-24 February 2018. pic.twitter.com/hcPSLDm0kx- Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) February 17 2018Feb 18 201812:31 (IST) Yesterday Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was welcomed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport by Minister of State for Agriculture Gajendra Singh and Indian Ambassador to Canada Vikas Swarup.A high point for the High Commissioner to receive the Prime Minister of Canada on Indian soil. Aparna and I were delighted to welcome Prime Minister @JustinTrudeau at AFS Palam pic.twitter.com/f7ONqRZL0d- Vikas Swarup (@VikasSwarup) February 17 2018Feb 18 201812:30 (IST) The 46-year-old Canadian prime minister who once remarked that he had more Sikhs in his cabinet than PM Narendra Modi is accompanied by a chunk of his cabinet ministers. This trip he said was focused on creating jobs and strengthening the deep connection between the people of the two nations.Feb 18 201812:29 (IST) Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his family have reached Agra for a visit to the iconic Taj Mahal. The Trudeaus landed in Delhi last evening on a week-long visit to India that s expected to deepen ties as much with New Delhi as with Indians in Canada.No more content CommentsClose X

PM Narendra Modi Opens Uttar Pradesh Investors' Summit: LIVE Updates

Uttar Pradesh Investors Summit 2018: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates the summitLucknow: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived in Lucknow today to inaugurate the two-day Uttar Pradesh Investors Summit which is being attended by around 5 000 people including industry leaders from India and abroad chief ministers union ministers policy makers and academics. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has in a tweet praised Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath s leadership saying that the state s progress journey has got a strong impetus .A total of 30 sessions have been planned for the two-day summit to be attended by many central ministers. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has been personally overseeing the preparations for the investors summit. Here are the LIVE Updates from the Uttar Pradesh Investors Summit 2018:Feb 21 201815:42 https://1x.com/member/kkmobik/about/ (IST)Mukesh Ambani vows additional Rs 10 000 crore investment in Uttar PradeshReliance Industries chief Mukesh Ambani speaking at the UP Investor Summit assured that Jio s digital revolution will make maximum contribution to the development of Uttar Pradesh and announced four commitments in this regard including investment of another Rs 10 000 crore by Jio in the next three years.Feb 21 201815:34 (IST) Uttar Pradesh has signed 1 045 pacts worth Rs 4.28 lakh crore on the first day of the UP investors summit Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said today.Feb 21 201812:59 (IST)Adani Group to invest Rs 35 000 crore in Uttar PradeshAccording to a report by news agency PTI the Adani Group said today at the Uttar Pradesh Investors Summit that it will invest Rs 35 000 crore in Uttar Pradesh in the next five years in different sectors.Gautam Adani of Adani Group said that energy logistics solar power roads and agriculture were among the core sectors that the group was looking to invest in.Feb 21 201812:48 (IST) Can there be competition between Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra? Prime Minister Narendra Modi recounted his visit to Maharashtra and said that the Maharashtra government had kept a target of having a trillion dollar economy. PM Modi then asked if there could be competition between Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh as to which state could first achieve the target of being a trillion dollar economy.Can there be a competition between Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra to achieve the target of trillion dollar economy first?: PM Shri @narendramodi at #UPInvestorsSummitpic.twitter.com/hPYzGlexRG- BJP (@BJP4India) February 21 2018Feb 21 201812:43 (IST)Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks at the Uttar Pradesh Investors SummitPM Modi has started to speak at the Uttar Pradesh Investors Summit. He commended the Uttar Pradesh government for being the Number One in milk sugar cane and potato production. PM Modi said that there were a lot of values in Uttar Pradesh but in modern times value-addition was needed.He said that 70 per cent of the population of Uttar Pradesh was of working age saying that Uttar Pradesh had a lot of potential .He added saying that potential policy and planning will bring progress to the state.Feb 21 201812:09 (IST)BJP MLA Lokendra Singh who was on his way to 2018 UP Investors Summit dies in a road accidentBJP MLA Lokendra Singh was on his way to attend the Uttar Pradesh Investors Summit when he met with a road accident in Sitapur. The lawmaker s SUV crashed with a truck coming from the opposite direction.Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled his death in a tweet.Anguished by the demise of BJP MLA from Noorpur Shri Lokendra Singh Ji due to an accident. His service towards society and role in building the BJP in UP will always be remembered. My thoughts are with his family and supporters in this hour of grief.- Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 21 2018Feb 21 201812:04 (IST)Yogi Adityanath delivers a speech at the Uttar Pradesh Investors SummitUttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is speaking at the 2018 UP Investors Summit. He welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the summit and thanked him for his attendance.Chief Minister Adityanath also said that investors should not face any difficulties in investing in Uttar Pradesh. He congratulated all participants of the summit and hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi s vision for New India .Feb 21 201811:25 (IST)Yogi Adityanath comments on the 2018 Uttar Pradesh Investors SummitChief Minister Yogi Adityanath had yesterday spoke about the Investors Summit. He said that the perception of Uttar Pradesh has changed from the last 9 to 10 months. He said that the perception of Uttar Pradesh had earlier since the past 15 years been negative largely because of corruption and crime. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that his government was responsible for eliminating this perception of the state.He said that investors were now getting confidence in doing business in the state and that their investments would be safe.He said not a single crime in the state had occurred since he took charge of the government.Feb 21 201811:16 (IST)Industry leaders ministers policy makers and academics to attend summitThe 2018 Uttar Pradesh Investors Summit is being attended by a wide range of functionaries. A total of 30 sessions have been planned for the two-day summit.The summit will be attended by central ministers Rajnath Singh Nirmala Sitharaman Ravi Shankar Prasad Smriti Irani Piyush Goyal and Dharmendra Pradhan.Industry leaders including Gautam Adani Mukesh Ambani Subhash Chandra N Chandrashekharan Anand Mahindra Kumar Mangalam Birla and Shobana Kamineni are scheduled to speak during various sessions. Business leaders from Mauritius Japan The Netherlands Finland Czech Republic Thailand and Slovakia are also in Lucknow to participate in Yogi Adityanath s flagship event.Feb 21 201811:06 (IST)Mukesh Ambani says Jio is largest investor in Uttar Pradesh over Rs 20 000 crore investmentAt the UP Investors Summit Mukesh Ambani has said that Jio has invested Rs 20 000 crore in Uttar Pradesh saying that it is one of the largest investors in the state.Mr Ambani also said that Jio will be present in every UP village by the end of this year.No more content CommentsClose X
LUCKNOW : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday announced a defence industrial corridor in the Bundelkhand region to bring development in one of the most backward regions of Uttar Pradesh. One of the two defence industrial corridors mentioned in the budget one is proposed in the Bundelkhand region of the state which will bring an investment of Rs 20 000 crore and generate employment avenues for 2.5 lakh people the Prime Minister said at the Investors Summit-2018 here. Read also: UP attracts investments worth Rs 4.28 lakh crore Yogi Adityanath says Stressing that Uttar Pradesh government has a vast potential the Prime Minister said that it requires policy planning performance to bring progress and both Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and people of the state are ready to give super hit performance. Terming holding of investor s summit in Uttar Pradesh and congregation of industrialists from all over as a sign of a big change the prime minister said the Yogi government has overcome the previous negativity and shown a ray of hope to people with positive changes. Uttar Pradesh signs 900 MoUs before start of investors summit Uttar Pradesh has values and virtues but it also needs value addition the prime minister said lauding the new policy One district one product of the Yogi government and said that it could prove to be the game changer for the state. The prime minister also said that international airports will come up in Jewar and Kushinagar.
By Subhadip Sircar The biggest holders of India s sovereign debt are dumping them. State lenders have been selling Rs 470 crore ( 73 million) of government bonds on average every day this year hurt by deep portfolio losses data from the Clearing Corp. of India show. Last year their net daily inflows totaled Rs 36.8 crore and in 2016 the run rate was at Rs 300 crore a day. Their sale in a market where there s a paucity of buyers is contributing to a vicious downward spiral where losses keep worsening. It will be difficult for debt auctions to sail through without participation from the state banks when Prime Minister Narendra Modi s new borrowing program begins in April according to Sandeep Bagla associate director at Trust Capital Services in Mumbai. State-run banks have reduced secondary market activity which is impacting volumes in a big way said Bagla. They are investing selectively in state government bonds but staying away from federal bonds. The average daily volumes on the central bank s trading system have dropped to Rs 30 700 crore since Jan. 1 from Rs 38 500 crore in 2017. Sovereign bonds in India have sold off for six consecutive months hurt by concerns of a wider government deficit and higher oil prices.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said 50% of the country s crop area would be covered under the crop insurance scheme by 2018-19. Currently 32% of the country s crop area is covered. He also said strengthening irrigation was a priority with focus on expanding micro-irrigation and completing 99 pending projects. He said 50 projects would be completed this year. Under the agri insurance scheme the government has reduced premiums and expanded the reach the Prime Minister said. In 2017-18 claims of Rs 11 000 crore was disbursed to farmers which is double than earlier the PM told farmers agri-scientists agro companies and economists on the concluding day of the twoday national conference Agriculture 2022 Doubling Farmers Income . We want to link more farmers to insurance schemes. We re working with a target that in 2018-19 at least we ll cover 50% of crops by insurance he said adding that the amount sanctioned for agriculture credit has been enhanced. He said 20 lakh hectares of farmland has so far been brought under micro-irrigation through the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana. We ll complete 50 project (out of the 99 project) this year and the rest next year. This was pending for 25-30 years which we are making efforts to finish in 25-30 months said the PM while adding that with each completed irrigation project the input cost of farmers would come down. He said the government was taking coordinated steps to improve the income of farmers. In this regard he mentioned four aspects: reducing input costs; ensuring a fair price for the produce; reducing wastage; and creating alternate sources of income.
MYSURU: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his entourage did not get accomodation at the iconic Hotel Lalitha Mahal Palace here as almost all rooms were booked for wedding reception its top official said on Monday. The district administration later made arrangements for them at another plush hotel in the city. An official from the deputy commissioner s office had visited us to book rooms for the prime minister and his staff including security personnel but we were not in a position to do so as most of the rooms were booked for a wedding reception the hotel General Manager Joseph Mathias told PTI. Modi s arrival here coincided with the wedding reception yesterday evening Mathias said. The three rooms that were available were not enough for them he said. Considering security reasons it was not advisable to book just three rooms for a big staff he added. However the district administration made alternative arrangements. Modi was accommodated at Hotel Radisson Blu where he stayed overnight and today. There too the hotel management was said to have advised a businessman s family to reschedule the wedding reception citing security issues so that it concluded before the prime minister arrived. Modi arrived here last night for engagements at Jain piligrim centre Shravanabelagola in Hassan district. His itinerary also included a South Western Railway function here and a public rally organised by the BJP in the run up to the Assembly polls in the state.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today hard sold pro-farmer initiatives announced in his government s last full-year budget saying more agriculture credit and easy access to markets will help boost farm income. Addressing a conference on Doubling farm income by 2022 he said pulses production in the country has risen to 23 million tonnes from 17 million tonnes in just one year. Modi also mentioned about steps taken to lower cost of production improve productivity and take farm produce to markets by minimising wastage and said these measures will help in increasing farmers income. The prime minister also said that coating urea with neem has helped in enhancing efficiency of fertiliser and boosting productivity as also led to cost saving. Also soil health cards -- providing detailed analysis of state of soil and the crops it can support best -- have improved productivity he said adding that this has helped curb use of chemical fertiliser by 8 to 10 per cent and increase productivity by 5 to 6 per cent. Modi said as many as 99 irrigation schemes that had been stuck for 2-3 decades will be completed within a specified time-frame and Rs 80 000 crore has been allocated for the same. Half of these schemes would be completed by this year end and remaining in the next year he added. In the budget 2018-19 Operation Greens has been announced to augment farm supply chain that will help cultivation of tomato onion and potato he said. The prime minister said 22 000 rural markets would be upgraded so as to provide a market for farm produce within 5-15 km distance of production points. The government he said is also encouraging Farmer Producer Organisation. Also the provision for agri-credit has been raised to Rs 11 lakh crore from Rs 8 lakh crore. Promoting use of solar energy converting agriculture waste into wealth and economical use of crop residue will also help in doubling of farmers income by 2022 he said. With this in mind the government has also approved blending of up to 10 per cent sugarcane-extracted ethanol in petrol the prime minister added. Modi said as much as Rs 11 000-crore claims have been settled under the crop insurance scheme which is double of the past amount.
The British got A History of the English Speaking Peoples. The Germans got Mein Kampf. The Americans got Profiles in Courage. At one time India got The Discovery of India. And even The Insider.These days we get Exam Warriors. By Narendra Modi. That s how the title of books by the chief executives of various countries roll.The strangeWe start with Mantra 1: an exhortation to treat exams as festivals. Holi spreads cheer and forgiveness . ( Forgiveness ? Wasn t Holika burned while Prahlad survived? But no matter.) Similarly exams must spread something but what? Everyone needs to work out for themselves what the Festival of Exams represents to themselves. We then move from the vague to the clichéd. Your Exams Test Your Current Preparation Not You! Mantra 2 exclaims before retreating into a APJ Abdul Kalamesque anecdote of failing one exam and yet achieving a different kind of success. On turning the page the examinee is told to write a letter to his exam. Dear Exam I am not afraid of you because Right.The mood then changes from celebration to humour why we are not told. Examinees are encouraged to laugh your way into the exam hall and laugh out of it . Apparently laughing fosters relaxation and relaxation increases the ability to recall. Now research into the psychology of examination anxiety (of which there is a large body of scholarly work not mentioned in this book) indicates that in fact moderate trait anxiety correlates with higher final examination performance but we won t let actual research into the psychological basis of examination anxiety into this review. It might distract from the focus on laughing.From there we move into the frankly curious. When you go to visit a doctor or lawyer do you ask for his mark sheet? No you trust the doctor or lawyer. (I paraphrase). Does the writer seriously think that the public goes to see doctors or lawyers based on zero criteria regarding qualifications? Partial knowledge is more harmful than scoring low marks . One wants to retort that partial knowledge is what scores low marks but whatever.The strangerAnd then we come to the extraordinary sample timetable of an Exam Warrior. It is unclear whether this is a timetable for when an exam is looming or not but unless one is going to be an Exam Warrior all through the year (and this is not clear from the book) one should suppose that the timetable is for exam times. The Warrior spends 7 hours sleeping 1 hour watching TV 1 hour Drawing 1 hour 30 minutes on hobbies 1 hour 15 minutes on playing and most strange of all 1 hour on Getting Ready . Actual study time: 3 hours. There are not many exams in India that the average Janardan is going to get through with 3 hours of before-exam study (this is from personal experience of 24 years of taking exams and watching compatriots).Scattered throughout are all manner of bits and pieces of advice encapsulated in the most odd manner. Exam Warriors are advised to revise using Mind Maps . These should be made using pen and paper (OK got that not on a Samsung Note) but the paper should be oriented in Landscape mode (Why? I puzzled a little over why landscape mode until it struck me that Indian palm leaf manuscripts are generally written in landscape mode so that must be why). Then in the little homily on the necessity of sleep there is the flash of purple prose where I and me occur 15 times in 9 lines when the author informs us that he sleeps a mere 4-6 hours per day obviously essential knowledge for every Exam Warrior.The strangestLet there be no mistake examination anxiety is a very real and often crippling condition that affects a huge number of people especially in a country where successfully clearing an exam can set oneself up for life in an increasingly precarious job market. But this cheerful little book is not the one that answers those anxieties. Indeed this book validates our entire rote-learning based educational system that potential exam-takers school exams college admission tests public service exams have to negotiate. The unspoken assumption is that everything else with the educational system is fine the huge class sizes the demotivated teachers the footnote-learning the almost universal neglect of physical and sporting activity the absence of encouragement of critical thinking and independent thought. All that matters is the navigation of the exam fears and terrors of parents children relatives and even spouses and how an oracle is at hand to magic them away.Actually the book never really offers anything more than the trite bromides handed out by self-help books. There has obviously been considerable help provided by the Blue Kraft Digital Foundation. And then comes However the Exam Warrior who has diligently read the first half the first 100 pages of the book is now in for something of a shock. Incredibly the author is bored of the subject. The second half of the book (another 93 pages) wanders off into digressions which seem to have little relation to the subject of examinations. Chapter 21 is about Incredible India and the travel and exploration possible therein. Other chapters are about dreaming thanking tailors and cooks and drivers and conductors (Do they have examinations too? Who do they thank?) and nearly 50 pages of yogasanas to pad out the lack of coherent content.Whom is this book aimed at? Who will benefit and what will they learn? Well apart from the odd name dropping of Vivekananda and Sachin Tendulkar not much more than the routine exhortations to greater effort that they hear in their morning assemblies in school every day. There is no music no literature no schema for exploration of the unknown no historical or social context of the need for educational assessment beyond summative exam assessment. An Exam Warrior will not read the out-of-syllabus Mahabharata or Rabindranath Tagore or even a Kalidasa or THuiruvalluvar for the sheer pleasure of reading. He will not want to read the Origin of Species in the original to relive the spirit of adventure. What is also fascinating is that the book is not available free of cost.PSFinally in the process of preparing for exams Exam Warriors need to forget that their bodies are composed of elements according to the Periodic Table that reductionist nonsense peddled by Western thought polluters. Our Scriptures have taught us that our bodies are composed of the Panchamahabhoots the five elements of Prithvi Jal Vayu Akash and Agni. The rest of the world has moved on from Anaximander and Galen. Our Exam Warriors obviously do not need to.Exam Warriors Narendra Modi Penguin Books.
New Delhi: PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Tuesday expressed concern over what it termed as the crisis triggered in the banking industry following the fraud detected in state-run Punjab National Bank. The 1.77 billion (about Rs 11 400 crore) scam in PNB involves billionaire jeweller Nirav Modi allegedly acquiring fraudulent letters of undertaking (LoUs) from a branch in Mumbai to secure overseas credit from other Indian lenders. http://raceiq.us/index.php?option=com_k2&view=itemlist&task=user&id=1771403 In a statement PHD Chamber said it is surprised how the bank s internal audit system failed to detect anomalies in transactions leading to the alleged fraudulent loans given out to the borrowers. AP image. Blaming the systematic failure of the internal audit system President PHD Chamber Anil Khaitan said the current situation is worrying for Indian industry since it may lead to unnecessary tightening of norms and procedures in raising capital from banks. This will in turn hurt the positive sentiment generated in ease of doing business. The chamber also appealed to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the banking industry to ensure that genuine borrowers are not adversely impacted by this move. What seems like a failure of a bank s internal audit system and an isolated fraud as alleged should not be used to penalize genuine borrowers and their capital needs. The industry is on the threshold of a growth trajectory and any change in banking processes can have an adverse impact said Khaitan. The PHD Chamber feels that instead of making changes in the loan seeking mechanism stringent steps should be taken by the RBI to strengthen the banks internal audit procedures. It also appeals to the central bank to put in place technology driven norms and processes to ensure incidents like this one are not repeated and any loopholes in the system are plugged.