Modi Sarkar 2.0 all set to showcase its strength in different regions

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May 30, 2019

After marking a landslide victory on May 23, the Narendra Modi-led team is all set to take the oath to form the government today evening. As per report, the Prime Minister will meet the selected Cabinet Ministers at his residence at 4.30, shortly before the swearing-in ceremony. The event will begin at 7 pm.

A final round of discussions to give a final look and shape to the council of ministers before it’s been sent to the Rashtrapati Bhavan was held in the morning between the PM and BJP President Amit Shah. Moreover, both the strategic heads of the BJP had several discussions on the Cabinet formation in the last few days.

As per sources to PTI, Shah, the architect of BJP’s victory of 303 seats in the Lok Sabha, is believed to be among those who will join the Modi cabinet and is tipped to get either Home or Finance. Reports also suggest that each NDA ally is likely to get one cabinet berth this time.

Other senior party leaders such as Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Nirmala Sitharaman, Piyush Goyal, Narendra Singh Tomar, Prakash Javadekar, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Dharmendra Pradhan, and Smriti Irani are also likely to join the second Modi government after being its members in its first avatar.

The others tipped to get a ministerial berth to include Sadananda Gowda, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Jayant Sinha, Giriraj Singh, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Thawarchand Gehlot, Dilip Ghosh, Jitendra Singh, and Purshottam Rupala.

While it was made clear that Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will not be in the Modi 2.0 Cabinet, Jaitley’s decision to opt out on health grounds has fuelled speculation about who will get his coveted portfolio. Railway Minister Goyal, who filled in for Jaitley and presented the populist pre-election budget, is being seen as a key contender.

The swearing-in ceremony in the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan is expected to be grand affair with about 8,000 guests, including leaders from the BIMSTEC countries, opposition leaders Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, chief ministers, corporate honchos and film stars, watching as President Ram Nath Kovind administers the oath of office and secrecy to 68-year-old Modi and his ministerial colleagues.

Letters to the Editor: 30 May, 2019

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Web Team

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May 30, 2019

Save mother earth

Year after year heat, cold and rain are increasing tremendously all across the entire world. All these alarming increases indicate that the dooms day is not far away, which is the most undesired result of the man’s limitless greed for money to ‘earn’ maximum possible in the minimum possible time. For such speedy and unlimited greed of money he started a huge number of the carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide emitting industries on one hand. And on the other hand he began to use the petroleum run vehicles like cars, bikes, rickshaws etc. to reach his destination faster. This entire nuisance led to the unwanted damage to our protective ozone layer. As a result of which the heat, cold and rain went on increasing each and every year. The sun’s ultraviolet rays are highly dangerous for the man, animals, birds and all kinds of the insects as well as trees. The money greedy man also caused the trees felling on extremely large scale. This wrong doing also resulted into high damage to our protective ozone layer as well as the rainfall. The greenery on the earth attracts the rainfall to a great extent.

The most urgent need of the hour is to minimize the use of the industries and the petroleum run vehicles, use maximum possible car pools on one hand and to plant maximum possible saplings and trees and conserve them like our own growing darling kids. If we will take care of the Mother Nature, undoubtedly she will take our care. After all she is our loving and caring Mother.

Hansraj Bhat

Baba Ramdev’s advice for two-child norm should be implemented

Baba Ramdev’s advice for implementing two-child norms by denying right to vote and contesting elections and all government-provided facilities also including medical, subsidies, jobs, reservation-benefits to families on having third child in the family. Every woman visiting any government or private hospital should be compulsorily sterilised.

Instead of providing incentives for small families, disincentives as referred above will be more effective. It is unfair to impose tax-burden on sensible families adopting small-family norms to feed those responsible for population-explosion in the country which as per 2018-report of East Asia forum is likely to be 1.69 billion by the 2050 making India cross China by big margin of 38 million by that time. Population-density still remains highest in India with a very small area as compared to other countries including presently largest populated China.

Production and sale of liquor (and also cigarettes) in India should be altogether banned like in many Islamic countries as also advised by Baba Ramdev. However five-star hotels and outlets at airports may be allowed to import liquor and cigarettes but for sale only to foreign nationals so as not to affect tourism-industry in the country. This step will drastically cut government-expenditure on government-provided medical facilities thus more than compensating revenue earned through sale of liquor and cigarettes.

Madhu Agrawal

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

Dynastic and non-dynastic politicians

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C K Subramaniam

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May 30, 2019

Dynastic politics is an oft-repeated term in Indian political discourse. Most major political parties are helmed by people who are the sons, daughters or relatives of prominent leaders. At the parliamentary constituency level, how does a dynastic politician perform, both during elections and as a legislator, compared to other candidates who do not come from dynasties? Political families thrive with rooted politics and there is no heir fall on the eve of Assembly and Parliament elections. Birthright is taken for granted and the battlefield is keeping the political outfit as the main agenda. The age-old dynasty politics corner at the state and centre level and there is no doubt about it. The phenomenon called dynastic rule should not continue. It has to end but it takes time, considering larger politics of the country.

The magnitude of the win, both in terms of popular vote and seat share, has ensured the longevity of the BJP-led dominant party system and the marginalisatiion of the Congress party all over India. Mounting a scathing attack on Congress President Rahul Gandhi has opened up the Pandora’s Box and hereafter more and more leaders from Congress will come out in open to reveal the facts. This is not the first time Congress president faces criticism from the members. In the past, the allegations were brushed aside to save the leader.

Now the name is gone and the fame is dwindling down. Now veteran leaders have the guts to call a spade a spade. It is a blessing in disguise that political leaders of the same party expose each other’s misdeeds after the debacle in general election. Now leaders have a chance to expose the internal politics emanating after Rahul took over as president post of the party. There are allegations and counter allegations. However, one thing is sure that BJP got the much-needed ammunition to attack Congress as the age-old party was showering abuses before the election only to face defeat all over the country.

True, the Congress party has neither learned nor was amenable to shed its old ways of conducting politics. Old ways of conducting politics had gone with enough moral fibre not to psychologically touch the emotional chord of people on religious lines to garner votes. Barring the truly correct accusation against the Congress party engaging in minority appeasement, old ways of conducting politics were not fully appreciative of bringing forth a political environment that left an in erasable and empathic presence of majoritarian hegemony on religious lines in the Indian polity with sure attendant consequences of fear among the minorities, Dalits, and marginalised people may not work wonders.

In addition to dynasty rule for past five years, its disruptive attitude in Parliament coupled with the failure to scrutiny the important issues facing the people and country in its right perspective did not go well with the voters. Moreover for past one year its concentration was to remove Modi and BJP along with opposition parties and left-wing Communists ignoring the people’s expectation from that party. It is a pity that the bulk of its winning has come from regional parties. That too on the account of minority only.

Congress and dynasty politics in India are inseparable. It is in the veins of every Congress members that they do not think beyond Gandhis. Sixty years is too long a time for that trend to be shaken off. Congress party should be dynasty-free and select a party leader with good confidence, which can inspire the people, with commitment and passion, a good communicator, with good communication capabilities, with accountability, who can delegate and empower suitable persons, with a little amount of creativity and innovation and who can develop empathy with one’s followers.

It is not easy for Congress to break away from dynastic politics. Sonia, Rahul, and Priyanka are enjoying the privileges of a Royal family. It’s only eyewash if Rahul the winking boy of Parliament would step down. Neither the senior Congress leaders would want anyone else from outside the dynasty, as they have no base of their own and they are fully secured under the royal family of fake Gandhis.

Congress party should select a party leader with good confidence, which can inspire the people, with commitment and passion, a good communicator, with good communication capabilities, with accountability, who can delegate and empower suitable persons, with a little amount of creativity and innovation and who can develop empathy with one’s followers.

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

USA-China Trade War can become Crisis for the World

By

Web Team

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May 30, 2019

US China trade war — Image Courtesy : AFP

The trade war between the US and China is not going to end in the near future. On May 10, 2019, the US increased the fee on Chinese products of $200 billion from 10 per cent to 25 per cent. Apart from this, the US can impose a 25 per cent fee on the $300 billion import of Chinese products, which are currently free of charge. In response to this, China will impose a fee on the $60 billion worth of imported products from the United States from June 1, 2019. China had imposed a fee on the $110 billion on US products last year. Since coming to power, the US president, Donald Trump, has been consistently aggressive on the trade front. Donald Trump had come up with the US Business Policy agenda in 2017, under which efforts are being made to promote American sovereignty, implement US business laws, expand exports of goods and services, keep American intellectual property Right intact, etc.

America’s trade deficit has increased in the year 2018. Import is more than Export in America. However, a strong economy and strong dollar support import. Yet, American President Donald Trump has consistently adopted an aggressive approach by making trade deficits an issue. However, in the year 2018, Chinese Yuan dropped by about 5 per cent, while the dollar index had increased from 92.24 to 96.17. Not only this, in the first quarter of the fiscal year 2019, the trade deficit decreased by $ 7 billion compared to the same period of last year.

On an annual basis, the import of commodities used in the year 2017 has increased in the year 2018. The slowest growth has been seen in the export of food and beverages. More than 800 American food and agricultural products have been charged as retaliation by China, European Union, Turkey, Canada, and Mexico. Because of this, the export growth rate of agricultural products is slow. Approximately 20 per cent of agricultural income is earned from exports. Therefore, the American farmer’s income has affected adversely due to the ongoing trade war. There is a huge difference between the official trade figures released by the US and China. Figures from the Chinese General Administration of Customs show that Chinese exports in the US stood at $36.1 billion in 2018, which has come down to $31.4 billion in the fiscal year 2019. Similarly, Chinese imports from the US were $13.9 billion in April 2018, which decreased to $10.3 billion in April, 2019.

Monthly growth of imports has shown a decline in comparison to exports. This trade war can have a more adverse effect on China because the base of US exports is larger than the basis of imports. By the way, America will not be unaffected by this trade war. If the trade war will last long, the export of American products may also be affected. This trade war may also affect the financial market, as China can reduce its presence in the US Treasury market. According to the Treasury and Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association figures, holdings of $1.13 trillion in China’s Treasury.

By charging 25 per cent of fee on the $250 billion of Chinese products, the US is earning $62.5 billion of revenue per year, but the question arises here is whether this amount is enough to compensate the loss to America because Political relations between these two countries are also becoming bitter. A recent survey of the Pew Research Center has found that the American public is more positive in terms of free trade agreements than trade war which is going on.

It is also believed that the trade war between America and China can affect the global economy and the market of other countries because it can take a year or so to normalise. Due to the low FDI inflow, India has not been affected by this war yet, but cannot say that our country will not be affected by this war in the coming months.

India is one of the fastest emerging markets in the world. It is also a leading country in terms of consumption and investment. For the last 15 years, India has been a significant contributor to the global economy, but the Indian market is facing many uncertainties, including the income growth of companies, lack of cash, global trade issues and slow pace of the global economy. The crisis of IL & FS and credit markets has had adverse effects on the economy.

However, there is rapid growth in consumption in India. Due to the debt crisis, there is stagnation, but the situation will improve if there is an improvement. All the macro figures, including inflation, fiscal deficit, are looking good. With the weakening of the global growth rate, there is no scope for the price of crude oil to rise very fast. Interest rates in India are high. To increase the demand, the government has to reduce the interest rates to increase the cash flow in the financial system.

It can be said that there is an atmosphere of sluggishness in India right now. If the appropriate policies are made then there can be positive changes in the situation, as the current investment flow is low due to higher credit interest rates. In fact, there is a need to cut policy rates by more than 0.25 per cent in the upcoming monetary review. However, even with a large reduction, the situation will not improve completely. For this, the Reserve Bank will also have to take some other measures.

Here, some countries of the world are still influenced by the ongoing trade war between America and China. However, this trade war has not had a negative impact on India, but if this war lasts for a long time, its adverse effects may also be on India. So, the new government will have to take decision cautiously.

By Satish Singh

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of AFTERNOON VOICE and AFTERNOON VOICE does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.)

Maharashtra’s EWS students will not get 10% quota in PG medical courses

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Web Team

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May 30, 2019

The Supreme Court on Thursday said that 10 per cent EWS quota cannot be applied to PG medical courses in Maharashtra for the academic year 2019-20 as admission process started long before the provision came into force.

It is notable that a student Rajat Rajendra Agrawal had challenged two circulars of the Maharashtra government by which ten per cent EWS quota was enforced in PG medical courses of the state.

A vacation bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Aniruddha Bose said that 10 per cent EWS quota cannot be granted at the cost of others unless additional seats are created by the Medical Council of India.

The bench said that admission process for PG medical courses started in November 2018 while the 103 Constitutional amendment granting 10 per cent EWS quota was passed in January this year.

The bench said that the Maharashtra government enforced the 10 EWS quota for PG medical courses in March. “Ten per cent EWS quota cannot be granted to the ongoing admission process. You cannot change the rules of game when the game is on,” the bench said.

The court’s order came on a plea filed by a student from General Category saying that unless additional seats are created, the ten per cent EWS quota will eat into their share of seats.

Congress spokespersons to stay away from TV debates

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Web Team

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May 30, 2019

Amid political uncertainty within the party following the severe drubbing it received in the Lok Sabha elections, Congress on Thursday barred its spokespersons from representing the party on news channel debates for a month.

The party’s communication in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala urged media channels and editors to not place Congress representatives on their shows.

“The Congress has decided to not send spokespersons on television debates for a month. All media channels/editors are requested to not place Congress representatives on their shows,” he said in a tweet.

.@INCIndia has decided to not send spokespersons on television debates for a month.

All media channels/editors are requested to not place Congress representatives on their shows.

— Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) May 30, 2019

This came after Rahul Gandhi, who became the Congress president in 2017, offered to step down from his post at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting on May 25, taking moral responsibility for the party’s dismal performance in the recently concluded 17th general elections.

However, his resignation offer was unanimously rejected by the CWC.

So far, several top leaders have met Gandhi and urged him to continue to lead the party.

Sources said that despite senior members making serious attempts to convince the 48-year-old party chief to rethink his decision, he remains unfazed.

These leaders, sources said, maintained that Congress cannot afford to have someone new at the helm for rebuilding the organisation at this juncture and that the responsibility for the defeat is collective and not individual.

Earlier the Samajwadi Party (SP) had also sacked its panel of leaders who appeared on TV channels.

pic.twitter.com/UXc4c5gFFg

— Samajwadi Party (@samajwadiparty) May 24, 2019

Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav had said that no channel should invite any of its leaders for debates.

Priyanka drops her husband Robert Vadra for interrogation by ED

By

Web Team

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May 30, 2019

Robert Vadra, the brother-in-law of Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Thursday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a money laundering case linked to purchase of alleged illegal assets in London. The team of ED interrogated him. He has appeared before the agency multiple times in the past in this case.

According to reports, his wife and Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi dropped him outside the ED’s office near India Gate at about 10:30 AM. He was summoned to depose before the investigating officer of the case where his statement was recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

It is remarkable that the ED has recently sought cancellation of the anticipatory bail given to Vadra and has also opposed his foreign travel. On Wednesday, a local court reserved its order for June 3 to allow Vadra to travel abroad for the medical treatment. The current case against Vadra relates to allegations of money laundering in the purchase of a London-based property located at 12, Bryanston Square worth 1.9 million GBP (British pounds). It is alleged that this property is owned by him.

After spending Rs 6000 cr, Ganga water unfit for direct drinking and bathing

By

Web Team

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May 30, 2019

Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave top priority to cleaning the Ganga. In 2015, he launched “Namami Gange”, the Rs 20,000 crore flagship programme for this. The Modi government has spent around Rs 6000 crore for cleaning the river so far. But the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has said that the Ganga water is absolutely unfit for “direct drinking and bathing.” Even Sangam in Prayagraj is not fit for bathing. Most of the polluted and unfit Ganga water has been found with high faecal coliform bacteria at 50,000 and above levels.

Thus, the Ganga has not become any cleaner under the Modi government. An RTI has revealed that contamination levels of the river have increased at many places, even though Rs 5,523 crore was released for cleaning the Ganga between 2014 and June 2018.

According to the latest data with the CPCB, most of the Ganga water in the Uttar Pradesh-West Bengal stretch is unfit for drinking and bathing. Out of 86 live monitoring stations installed in as many locations, only seven areas have been found to be fit for drinking after disinfection process while 78 have been found unfit.

It is worth mentioning that scores of people flock to take a dip in the holy river. The Ganga is considered as the lifeline of India. It meanders 2,510 km from the Himalayas across the great northern plains and empties into the Bay of Bengal. The Ganga is one of the world’s most polluted and populous river basin. It is inhabited by around 50 crore people.

According to the latest data, only 18 spots have been found to be fit for bathing while 62 areas from where it flows have been found unfit. Some stretches in Uttarakhand and two spots in West Bengal are marked in green indicating water can be consumed after disinfection while the rest of the river water is unfit for drinking or bathing the whole way till it drains into the Bay of Bengal. The 78 monitoring stations where the river water was found unfit for drinking and bathing include Gomati river in Bhusaula-Bihar, Kanpur, Gola Ghat in Varanasi, Dalmau in Raebareli, Sangam in Allahabad, Ghazipur, Buxar, Patna, Bhagalpur, Howrah-Shivpur in West Bengal and others.

The six spots which were found fit for consumption under class A- fit for drinking after disinfection- are Bhagirathi at Gangotri, Rudraprayag, Devprayag, Raiwala- Uttarakhand, Rishikesh, Bijnor and Diamond Harbour in West Bengal.

The areas found fit for bathing under class B in river Ganga include – Bhagirathi at Gangotri, Rudraprayag, Devprayag, Raiwala- Uttarakhand, Gharmukhteshwar, Rishikesh, Bijnor, Aligarh and others, including four spots in West Bengal.

Justin Timberlake was the first choice to star in ‘Rocketman’

By

Web Team

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May 30, 2019

Long before Taron Eagerton was finalised to play Elton John in his biopic “Rocketman”, the music icon considered Justin Timberlake for the role originally.

John and producer husband David Furnish had the former ‘Nsync band member in mind after he featured in the 2001 music video “This Train Don’t Stop There Anymore” as the man of the moment.

“But we never formerly approached Justin because we weren’t ever at a stage where it was the right time to approach him. But he did an amazing job in the video. He put on a prosthetic nose, and it turned out to have been some really interesting acting work as well,” Furnish told The Hollywood Reporter.

The film, directed by Dexter Fletcher and produced by Furnish, received favourable reviews at its world premiere at the recently concluded Cannes Film Festival.

Tom Hardy too almost starred in “Rocketman” but John appeared to throw a shade at the “Venom” star.

“Taron Egerton came onboard this film because somebody else dropped out,” he told the crowd at the film’s Cannes afterparty, adding that Eagerton’s “performance in this film is scary brilliant… When I watch the movie, I don’t see an actor, I see myself.

Newspaper vendors demand housing schemes

By

Suraj Chandran

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May 29, 2019

The state government might have housing schemes for the journalists but no such schemes are available for the newspaper vendors. While the work of journalists is lauded by society, at the same time nobody talks about the welfare of newspaper vendors. These vendors work hard day in and day out by standing in the scorching sun heat to sell newspapers to the readers. During monsoon season, they have to face severe difficulties while selling newspapers. They have to ensure that newspapers remain covered by polythene sheets so that it doesn’t get wet due to rains.Many times newspapers don’t reach the paper stalls due to heavy rainfall which directly affects the livelihood of the vendors. Sometimes they are also harassed by the administration as they compare them with hawkers and ask them to remove newspapers from the stand. In order to protect themselves, the newspaper vendors had urged the state government to safeguard their right to sell newspaper near railway stations, bus stands. Political parties too had taken an initiative to appeal to the government to not harass newspaper vendors while carrying out their duties.

Thane District Newspaper Vendor Union President Kailash Mahapadi has urged the government to provide housing schemes to the newspaper vendors on the occasion of the 20th-anniversary celebration of Newspaper Vendor Association. Dangat Newspaper distribution group chief Bajirao Dangat, Thane Vaibhav Editor Milind Ballal, team secretary Ajit Patil and other office bearers were present on the occasion.

Vivek Singh, a newspaper vendor from Andheri said, “Many of us hail from poor family background and we are dependent on the newspaper vending business to earn our livelihood. The government must take initiative to provide affordable housing schemes for us.”

Many journalists have benefitted from the government housing scheme. Thousands of reporters have been given affordable homes in Thane. Kailash Mahapadi said, “Everyone should come together for demanding to the house for poor newspaper vendors who are deprived of homes. By delivering the newspapers to readers early in the morning, they do justice to the hard work done by the journalists. Every year, we come together to raise our demand for housing needs. The newspaper vendors association has been working hard for the welfare of newspaper vendors.”

Thane Mayor Meenakshi Shinde and senior sales officer Jagtap inaugurated the anniversary celebration of Newspaper Vendor Association. The officials of several newspaper organisations were present on this occasion.

When Afternoon Voice spoke to Meenakshi Shinde, she said, “I had attended the function pertaining to the 20th-anniversary celebration of Newspaper Vendor Association. According to me, journalists are getting affordable home under a government housing scheme. Likewise, newspaper vendors should also become eligible for homes under the government housing scheme.”

The newspaper vendors, who work very hard to ensure that newspapers reach the readers, form a group of unorganised workers living below the poverty line. The advent of new media has also affected the livelihood of these vendors as now people prefer to read the news on computers and mobile phones thereby affecting the sale of newspapers. Gone are the days when people used to wait for daily newspapers to know about the latest updates. Many newspaper vendors live in small-sized housing units and they have to work hard to earn their livelihood. Time has come to recognise their contribution and hard work towards the society.