Nirmala Sitharaman, Finance Minister | Image : PTI
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday asked Indian industry to work out strategies as to how businesses operating in developed countries can look at India as a production or sourcing hub amid recession fears in the western countries.
India has brought in a lot of facilitation and tweaking of rules to attract foreign investment into India and is also engaging with industries who want to co-locate in the country, the minister said. ”As much you are preparing yourself for a long-drawn recession in the Western world, in the Developed world, I think it is also the best time for you to work out strategies for drawing those manufacturers from there to India.
”Even as they are headquartered there, it might be useful for them to think of sourcing many things from here and producing from here at least for markets in this part of the globe,” Sitharaman said at an event here. She said the suspected long-drawn recession, which is likely to affect Europe, is not just going to affect exports by Indian businesses.
”It gives an opportunity for many of the investments which are there, which are now looking for a different place from where activities can continue to happen,” she noted.
Asking the industry to look at innovations by startups and find ways to scale them, the minister said India will continue to focus on manufacturing and newer areas of services. As the world transitions into clean energy, the domestic industry could face higher tariffs by the developed countries, Sithraman said.
She also asked India Inc to tell the government how climate change is affecting them and suggest ways to reduce the burden of cost falling on them.
The industry should prepare itself for tariff walls by some countries in the name of climate change, the minister added. Talking about the upcoming Budget, she said it would follow the spirit of earlier Budgets to prepare India for the next 25 years.
President Droupadi Murmu | Image : Twitter/@rashtrapatibhvn
President Droupadi Murmu on Friday said the nation remembers with gratitude the exceptional valour displayed by the country’s armed forces during the 1971 war, and stories of their unparalleled courage and sacrifice continue to inspire every Indian.
Vijay Diwas commemorates India’s victory over Pakistan in the 1971 war. Bangladesh, then part of Pakistan, became an independent country after the war.
”On Vijay Diwas, we remember with gratitude the exceptional valour displayed by our armed forces during the 1971 war. Stories of their unparalleled courage and sacrifice for the nation continue to inspire every Indian,” Murmu tweeted.
On Vijay Diwas, we remember with gratitude the exceptional valour displayed by our armed forces during the 1971 war. Stories of their unparalleled courage and sacrifice for the nation continue to inspire every Indian.
Four people died of electrocution while placing a motor pump in Gunjawani river at Nigade village of Bhor tehsil in Pune district today. The village Nigade is about 40 km away from Pune city.
According to the Pune Rural Police, the incident happened on Thursday afternoon.
The accident apparently occurred when the victims were trying to fix an irrigation pump for the fields in the Gunjavani River.
The pump was being moved further into the riverbed by the four people. The water level had recently decreased in the river. The pump had a makeshift arrangement with several cuts covered with sticking tape.
The bodies have been recovered. A probe has been launched to understand the sequence of the events.
An investigation is going on and further details are awaited, Pune Police said.
Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday said that nothing came out of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s meeting with the chief ministers of Maharashtra and Karnataka over the border dispute.
Speaking at a press conference after a meeting with his Maha Vikas Aghadi allies Congress and NCP, he also said it was difficult to believe that some tweets from the verified handle of Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on the issue were not actually posted by him.
“What was achieved by yesterday’s meeting of Union home minister Amit Shah with chief ministers of Maharashtra and Karnataka? It was rubbing salt into our wounds. As always, the deliberations favored Karnataka,” Thackeray said.
The former chief minister demanded to know why Karnataka holds legislature sessions in Belagavi (the north Karnataka city which is the main bone of contention between the two states) and accorded it the status of second capital when the border dispute was before the Supreme Court.
”Belagavi, Karwar, Nipani, and other surrounding areas (of northern Karnataka) want to join Maharashtra. Why are there no answers to this demand,” he asked.
He also sought to know why Karnataka chief minister waited till Wednesday’s meeting in Delhi to clarify that some `fake’ Twitter handles were posting tweets in his name that fuelled tensions. “What action has been taken till now? Is it believable?” he asked.
The MVA meeting was attended by NCP leader Ajit Pawar and Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan. On a protest march organised by the MVA on Saturday in Mumbai, Thackeray said “all those who love Maharashtra should join it.”
Issues such as the border dispute with Karnataka, the `insult’ of Maharashtrian icons, and industrial projects going to other states would be highlighted during the march which will start from J J Flyover and end at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in south Mumbai, Pawar and Thackeray said.
Union minister Shah met the chief ministers of the two states on Wednesday after violence flared up in the border region where Maharashtra has staked a claim on 865 Marathi-speaking villages in Karnataka besides Belagavi.
Of late, Karnataka to has staked claims to the south Solapur and Akkalkote regions of Maharashtra, which have a sizeable Kannada-speaking population.
Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Admiral R Hari Kumar today held a meeting with Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe. During the meeting, Admiral R Hari Kumar apprised Ranil Wickremesinghe of the progress of ongoing bilateral maritime engagements between India and Sri Lanka navies.
Indian Navy Spokesperson at IHQ MoD(Navy) and DPR, Ministry of Defence tweeted, “Adm R Hari Kumar #CNS on an official visit to Sri Lanka called on HE Mr Ranil Wickremesinghe, Hon’ble President of #SriLanka. The CNS apprised the President on the progress of ongoing bilateral maritime engagements between the #IndianNavy & the @srilanka_navy.”
Notably, Admiral R Hari Kumar has been invited as the Chief Guest and Reviewing Officer for the Commissioning Parade at the Naval and Maritime Academy (NMA) scheduled to take place in Trincomalee on December 15.
Earlier, CNS Admiral R Hari Kumar held a meeting with the state minister of Defence of Sri Lanka Premitha Bandara Tennakoon. During the meeting, he conveyed India’s commitment towards bolstering defence cooperation between the two nations.
Indian Navy Spokesperson at IHQ MoD(Navy) and DPR, Ministry of Defence tweeted, “Adm R Hari Kumar #CNS met Hon’ble Premitha Bandara Tennakoon, State Minister of Defence of #SriLanka. The CNS conveyed #India’s commitment towards strengthening bilateral defence cooperation, including opportunities for greater defence industry collaboration @IndiainSL @LkDefence.”
On December 14, Admiral R Hari Kumar #CNS held a meeting with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena. During the meeting, the two sides discussed the importance of strong defence ties between India and Sri Lanka and the means to further bolster existing linkages between armed forces of the two nations.
During the ongoing visit, Admiral R Hari Kumar also held a meeting with Lieutenant General Vikum Liyanage, Commander of the Sri Lankan army. Indian Navy Spokesperson tweeted, “Adm R Hari Kumar #CNS, during the ongoing visit in #SriLanka met Lt Gen Vikum Liyanage, Commander of @Sri_Lanka_Army. The interactions centred on common security challenges & bilateral defence cooperation between the Armed Forces.”
He also visited the Sri Lankan Navy ship SLNS Sindurala and Naval facilities at Colombo port. During the interactions, the Sri Lankan navy leadership and the ship’s crew acknowledged the operational utility of the offshore patrol vessels developed by Goa Shipyard Limited. On December 13, Admiral R Hari Kumar held a meeting with Sri Lankan Navy Commander Vice Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne at Navy Headquarters.
During the meeting, the two sides held “fruitful discussions” on maritime security, issues of mutual interest and prospects for further strengthening cooperation between the two nations in the maritime sector. Indian Navy spokesperson tweeted, “Adm R Hari Kumar #CNS on an official visit to #SriLanka 13 -16 Dec 22 met with VAdm Nishantha Ulugetenne, Commander of the @srilanka_navy. Fruitful discussions on #maritimesecurity matters of common interest & prospects for further enhancing cooperation in the maritime domain.”
On December 13, Admiral R Hari Kumar also met Sri Lankan Defence Secretary General Kamal Gunaratne. During the meeting, the visiting Navy Chief and the Defence Secretary discussed military diplomacy between Sri Lanka and India.
After the meeting, R Hari Kumar and General Kamal Gunaratne exchanged momentos, according to the statement released by Sri Lankan Defence Ministry. Admiral R Hari Kumar also visited the National Defence College of Sri Lanka in Colombo.
He held a meeting with Major General Amal Karunasekara, Commandant, of the National Defence College and the college faculty. The two sides called for further engagements between the National Defence Colleges of India and Sri Lanka.
Gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari was convicted on Thursday in another case and sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment under the UP Gangsters Act.
Testimony, debate and cross-examination of 11 witnesses were completed in the 5 gang charges against the former MLA.
The MLA’s aide Bhim Singh has also been given 10 years’ imprisonment by the court.
The conviction relates to several cases, including the one pertaining to Ghazipur that involved an assault on the Additional Superintendent of Police. Case number 165/96 Section 148,307,332, IPC Police Station Kotwali Ghazipur along with case number 192/96 Section 3 (1) of UP Ghazipur Police Station Kotwali which related to the fatal attack on the Additional SP and some other policemen in Ghazipur was being heard against Mukhtar Ansari in court.
The case was filed long back in 1996. Other cases against the five-time former MLA include – ‘Rajendra Singh’ murder case number 410/88 Section 302 IPC Police Station Cantt Varanasi, ‘Vashishtha Tiwari’ alias Mala Guru murder case number 106/88 Section 302 IPC Police Station Kotwali Ghazipur, ‘Awadhesh Rai’ murder case number 229/91 Section 149, 302 IPC Police Station Chetganj Varanasi, Constable ‘Raghuvansh Singh’ Murder Case No. 294/91 Section 307, 302 Police Station Mughalsarai.
Constable Raghuvansh Singh apparently died in a deadly attack on the police force while checking a vehicle in Chandauli.
In the verdict coming after 26 years, a total of 11 witnesses testified after which arguments were completed in court.
A court ordered the arrest of a journalist in southeast Turkey for allegedly spreading “disinformation”, his lawyer said on Thursday, marking the first pre-trial detention under a new law that critics say poses a threat to free speech.
The arrest comes two months after parliament passed the legislation that President Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling party said would protect the public. Critics say the law could be abused by authorities in order to stifle dissent.
Sinan Aygul, a journalist in Kurdish-majority Bitlis province, was detained early on Wednesday after he wrote on Twitter that a 14-year-old girl had allegedly been sexually abused by men including police officers and soldiers. He later retracted the story. In a series of tweets, Aygul said the local governor told him the story untrue after he had posted about the alleged incident.
Aygul, who is the chairman of the Bitlis Journalists Association, apologised for publishing the story without confirming it with authorities.
Later on Wednesday, a local court ordered the arrest of Aygul pending trial, ruling his actions could lead to fear and panic among the public and could disturb peace in the country given the size of his audience, a court document showed. In his statement to court, Aygul said he had corrected his mistake after speaking with authorities, deleted the initial tweet and had not intended to commit a crime.
Aygul’s lawyer Diyar Orak said the detention was unlawful. “The implementation of the legislation which was used for the first time as far as we know, being interpreted in this way by the judiciary leaves us concerned that similar investigations and arrests will ramp up in the future,” he told Agencies.
The law carries a jail sentence of up to three years for anyone who spreads false or misleading information.
Erdogan’s AK Party and its nationalist MHP allies say it aims to combat disinformation.
The new law raised concerns of a further crackdown on media after an agencies investigation showed how pressure from authorities and self-censorship has transformed mainstream Turkish media.
The number of MBBS seats has increased by 87 per cent and that of PG by 105 per cent in the last eight years, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Thursday.
While interacting with reporters outside Parliament, Mandaviya emphasised that since 2014, several steps have been taken to ease access to quality education in the country for the younger generation. He underlined the impact of several initiatives taken under the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) regime and said, change can be seen happening at every nook and corner of the country.
With this momentum and coordination among stakeholders, a holistic ecosystem of education will be created in the country.
Highlighting the change in the medical education sector, Mandaviya said, ”While India had a limited number of 387 medical colleges in 2014, the system was riddled with far too many problems.” ”There is a paradigm shift from input-based to outcome-based approaches and reforms under the Modi government. Consequentially, we now have 648 medical colleges in 2022 with a whopping 96 pc increase in the number of Government Medical Colleges (GMC) alone and a 42 pc increase in the private sector, since 2014,” he said. ”At present, out of 648 medical colleges in the country, 355 are government and 293 are private,” Mandaviya added.
The minister said, ”MBBS seats have also seen a massive 87 per cent increase from 51,348 in 2014 to 96,077 in 2022. Similarly, PG seats have observed an increase of 105 per cent with 31,185 seats in 2014 to 63,842 in 2022.”
He said with a vision to create 10,000 MBBS seats in government medical colleges, 58 colleges across 16 states have been approved with an increase of 3,877 MBBS seats.
Similarly, to increase PG seats, 72 medical colleges in 21 states and UTs have been approved in phase I, with an increase of 4,058 PG seats, he said.
To create 4,000 PG seats in the GMCs, in phase II, a total of 47 colleges have been approved with an increase of 2,975 PG seats, he added.
To correct regional imbalances in the availability of affordable and reliable tertiary healthcare, Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) was launched, which targets the establishment of All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) like institutions and the upgradation of existing GMCs by establishing super-speciality blocks in a phased manner, the minister said.
22 new AIIMS and projects for the up-gradation of 75 government medical colleges were taken up under the scheme, he said.
A common entrance test- National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for ‘one country, one examination, one merit’ system introduced in 2016 with a common counselling system allowed students from anywhere in India an opportunity to study in any medical college in the country based on merit, he said.
National Medical Commission (NMC) was also created to replace the highly corrupt body of the Medical Council of India (MCI). Before the NMC Act, there was no legal mechanism to regulate the fee charged by private colleges. ”Now the guidelines in respect of fees for 50 per cent seats in all colleges including Government, Private and Deemed Universities have been released by the NMC, ” Mandaviya said.
Parallelly, reforms are ongoing in the sectors of nursing education, dental education and allied and healthcare professions, he said. ”During Covid, we saw that our medical workforce played a crucial role of Covid warriors, but faced several challenges too like access to classroom education etc. In this regard, several steps were taken, DIKSHA platform (one nation, one digital platform) was one of them. It is the nation’s digital infrastructure for providing quality e-content for school education in states and Union Territories,” he said.
”QR-coded Energised Textbooks for all grades are available with 35 of the 36 states and UTs have now boarded on the platform and contextualised the content as per the local need,” the union health minister stated.
He said, ”Televised lectures for classes 1-12 through one class, one channel of Swayam Prabha initiative was well appreciated.” Other initiatives like Radio, Community Radio and CBSE Podcast- Shiksha Vani, special e-content for the visually and hearing impaired developed on Digitally Accessible Information System (DAISY).
In sign language on the NIOS website and YouTube and MANODARPAN’s initiative to provide psychosocial support to students, teachers and families for Mental Health and Emotional well-being were taken during the COVID pandemic, the minister said. Listing a few flagship initiatives of the Government of India, Mandaviya said, ”Through Swacchhta Abhiyan itself, 4.5 lakh toilets were made in schools and the drop-out rates, especially for girl students have substantially decreased from17 pc to 13 per cent in the country.”
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Central government and claimed that the Centre has kept people and Parliament in dark regarding the border situation with China.
“The Modi government has kept the people and the Parliament in the dark. Why is it scared of the truth about China coming out? What is Modi’s interest in hiding the facts about Chinese aggression?” tweeted Owaisi and attached a snippet of a news article regarding “Chinese aggression” along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
Earlier on Tuesday, Asaduddin Owaisi took a strong jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Central government and said that he has failed to show his political leadership. “The Prime Minister has failed in showing political leadership. You are delivering a statement regarding a clash that occurred on December 9. Had the media not reported it, you would not have even talked about it,” Owaisi had said attacking the Central government and asking to take all the parties to the site of the clash to prove that the situation is under control.
He further remarked that the Prime Minister and the government were scared of taking the name of China. “What all have you done in the 15 rounds of conversation? Take all parties to the site of clash. PM is scared of taking China’s name and his government is scared of speaking about China,” he had said.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday informed the Rajya Sabha that China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops tried to transgress the Line of Actual Control in Yangtse area of Arunachal Pradesh Tawang Sector and unilaterally change the status quo but they went back to their locations due to timely intervention of Indian military commanders. Giving a statement in the Rajya Sabha, the Defence Minister assured the Upper House that “our forces are committed to protecting our territorial integrity and will continue to thwart any attempt made on it”.Singh also displayed confidence that “this entire House will stand united in supporting our soldiers in the brave effort.” Explaining the incident, the Minister said: “I would like to brief this august House about an incident on our border in Tawang Sector of Arunachal Pradesh on December 9, 2022.”
“On December 9, 2022, PLA troops tried to transgress the LAC in Yangtse area of Tawang Sector and unilaterally change the status quo. The Chinese attempt was contested by our troops in a firm and resolute manner. The ensuing face-off led to a physical scuffle in which the Indian Army bravely prevented the PLA from transgressing into our territory and compelled them to return to their posts,” said Singh.
He further said “the scuffle led to injuries to a few personnel on both sides”, and clarified that “there are no fatalities or serious casualties on our side”. “Due to timely intervention of Indian military commanders, PLA soldiers went back to their locations,” Singh said.
As a follow-up of the incident, the Minister further said, local commander in the area held a “flag meeting with his counterpart on December 11, 2022 to discuss the issue in accordance with established mechanisms”. “The Chinese side was asked to refrain from such actions and maintain peace and tranquility along the border. The issue has also been taken up with the Chinese side through diplomatic channels,” Singh said.
The Minister also assured the House that “our forces are committed to protecting our territorial integrity and will continue to thwart any attempt made on it”. “I am confident that this entire House will stand united in supporting our soldiers in their brave effort,” the Minister added.
Elon Musk sold another USD 3.58 billion worth of Tesla stock this week, but it wasn’t clear where the proceeds were being spent.
The Tesla CEO, and new owner of Twitter, sold the shares from Monday through Wednesday, according to a filing posted Wednesday night by the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
Musk has sold nearly USD 23 billion worth of Tesla stock since April, with much of the money likely going to help fund his USD 44 billion acquisition of Twitter.
The sale comes as shares of the electric vehicle and solar panel maker have collapsed, losing over half their value since Musk first disclosed in April that he was buying up Twitter stock.
The falling shares have bumped Musk from his status as the world’s wealthiest person, with his net worth falling to USD 174 billion, according to Forbes.
He was passed last week by French fashion and cosmetics magnate Bernard Arnault.
The takeover of Twitter has not been smooth, and some big companies have halted advertising on the social media platform.
Musk has said that Twitter had “a massive drop in revenue” due to the advertiser losses.
Investors have been punishing Tesla stock of late as Musk has spent much of his time running Twitter, raising fears that he’s distracted from the car company.
Wedbush analyst Dan Ives said Musk is now a villain in the eyes of Tesla investors. He said Tesla’s fundamentals remain healthy but his behaviour with Twitter is hurting the company’s brand. “The Twitter overhang is a nightmare that is growing with no one but Musk to blame,” Ives wrote in an email. A message was left with Tesla on Wednesday night seeking comment on the stock sale.
