England pacer James Anderson has now taken 650 wickets in Test cricket, becoming the first fast bowler to do so.
Anderson reached this landmark in the second Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge in Nottingham.
The pacer trapped opener Tom Latham with his pace. Latham attempted to leave the ball but it crashed between the middle and his off stump, sending him back to the pavilion for just 4.
With this, he also becomes the first English pacer to reach the 650-mark. Notably, he is also the leading wicket-taker for his side in Tests.
He is currently the third-highest wicket-taker in the longest format of the game, just behind Sri Lankan spin legend Muttiah Muralitharan (800) and late Australian leg-spin great Shane Warne (708).
Coming to the match, New Zealand’s second innings and overall third innings of the match is in progress.
In the second innings, England was bowled out for 539. Joe Root (176) and Ollie Pope (145) and Ben Foakes (56) were the stars for their side.
Trent Boult (5/106) and Michael Bracewell (3/62) were the best bowlers for the Kiwis.
England won the toss and elected to field first. In the first innings of the match, New Zealand ended at 553/10.
Daryl Mitchell (190) and Tom Blundell (106) were the top scorers for New Zealand in the innings. James Anderson was the top bowler for England with 3/62 in 27 overs.
A youth was thrashed by a group of people in Bhiwandi over a social media post allegedly supporting suspended Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Nupur Sharma who made controversial remarks against Prophet Muhammad.
The incident took place in Kesar Bagh area of Bhiwandi on Sunday when a large number of people gathered at the residence of Saad Ashfaq Ansari, an engineering student and thrashed him.
Saad, in a social media post, allegedly supported Nupur Sharma’s controversial remarks. Soon after Saad’s post went viral on social media, some people came to his house and sought an apology from him for hurting the sentiments of a particular community.
Following the incident, Bhiwandi Police reached the spot to bring the situation under control. Police registered a case against Saad for inciting religious sentiments and took him into custody.
Meanwhile, Bhiwandi city police summoned Nupur Sharma and asked her to appear for enquiry on Monday for a matter pertaining to a controversial religious remark.
Watson’s Esplanade Hotel (now Esplanade Mansion) in Mumbai in dilapidated state.
| Image: Twitter @SabyasachiBasu_
There are thousands of buildings in Mumbai that are more than 70 years old. Due to an archaic law which limits raising rents, many tenants pay as low as $1-$20 (65 pence-£13) a month, leaving the landlords with little money to invest in repairs and maintenance. No wonder then those 959 buildings have been branded as “dilapidated and dangerous” by the city’s municipality. And every year, a number of these buildings collapse, leading to many deaths.
In a densely populated city where quality, affordable housing is scarce, realtors often cut corners to make what many call substandard buildings, putting the buyers at risk. Though there are nearly half a million pricey apartments which lie vacant as sellers look for rich buyers, millions of middle class residents get squeezed out to the suburbs and outskirts to live in these hazardous new buildings.
The corruption in the housing sector – complex regulation leading to complicity between a section of builders and government workers – worsens matters and leads to poor quality buildings coming up in the city. Corrupt builders build homes without taking mandatory permissions using poor construction material. In many cases, residents get a structural audit done and approach the court to get a stay delaying the demolition further. According to the data, 145 cases are pending with the court and 21 cases are pending with an internal committee.
A structural audit is mandatory for any building, which is more than 30 years old. With limited availability of open land parcels in Mumbai, major developers are now looking at venturing into the redevelopment space. Dilapidated buildings on the verge of collapse are a grim reality for thousands of housing societies across Mumbai. Developers, as an incentive to owners of older buildings, offer additional area, money, and the promise of a new flat with a better amenity. But owners should keep a few things in mind before opting for redevelopment. Housing redevelopment refers to the process of reconstruction of a residential premise by demolition of the existing structure and construction of a new one as per approvals from the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM). It ideally works best when a society is in dire need of extensive repairs but is starved of the necessary funds for it. Developers, on their part, are also on the lookout for properties with unused development rights where they can build a new and higher structure where the additional floors can be sold for a tidy profit. But redevelopment can only take place if 75 percent of the members tender their consent. Over 20,000 housing societies, 17,000 abandoned buildings and over 3,000 MHADA (Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority) structures are waiting for redevelopment proposals.
However, while redevelopment may be the latest buzz, citizens argue that developers often tear down old colonial mansions to build luxury towers for the rich. And more often than not, it is often haphazard and done without the consent of society members. The redevelopment process also causes inconvenience to the residents, as they will have to look for alternative places to stay in while the builder demolishes the old building and constructs a new one. Redevelopment is usually burdened with bitterness and complaints of high-handedness and corruption against the Managing Committee of the society, which is why people choose to live in whatever space they have.
Almost in every monsoon, some people give up their lives under the wreckage of old buildings. Between 2001 & 2015, an average of 7 people died per day in Collapse of Structures in the city. Data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) indicates that a total of 38363 people lost their lives due to the collapse of various structures between 2001 and 2015. From 2015 to 2021 the ratio has not changed much. The saga of such tragic deaths continued till 2022, this year Mumbai has many challenges, from sudden rise in COVID19 cases to recent building collapse just after one strong rain.. Most people lost their lives because of the collapse of residential houses. There are hundreds of people forced to live in these dangerous buildings in spite of everyday building fall incidents.
The building walls have deep cracks and the paint is peeling, much of the building just sliced and some are standing on temporary supports. But still the people are forced to live here in danger, because they cannot buy or rent a new flat in the neighborhoods because they are very expensive. Property prices and rent in Mumbai are among the highest in Asia. Many citizens are forced to live in old, dilapidated properties in a land-scarce city where an estimated 60% of its 18 million people live in slums and purlieus.
In the western suburbs, Andheri (west) or the K/West ward has 50 buildings in the C-1 category. As part of its pre-monsoon preparedness, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had identified 791 buildings in the C-1 category — the most dangerous. Of these, it has demolished 186 (23%) buildings and evacuated 117 (14%) buildings as of March-end. buildings as C-2 and C-3. While C-2 buildings require major structural repairs, C-3 needs minor repairs. The largest numbers of dilapidated buildings are in L ward or Kurla (113) followed by N ward or Ghatkopar, where 80 buildings are in the C-1 category. However, the BMC demolished only two buildings in L ward and evacuated around 19 others. It is yet to initiate action on 92 buildings. The F/North ward (which includes Matunga, Dadar and Sion) also has 77 structures in the C-1 category.
As the rain approaches, the concern over the safety of occupants in dilapidated buildings has become more challenging. On Saturday, a 29-year-old man died while seven others were severely injured after the ceiling slabs of multiple flats collapsed in an eight-storied building in Nerul, Navi Mumbai.
On Thursday a ground plus two-storey building in Bandra (west) suddenly collapsed and claimed two lives. This incident has increased the worry of ward officials of 24 administrative wards in the city. Most of the dilapidated buildings on the BMC’s list are in the T ward – Mulund which has 49 dilapidated structures, followed by K West ward- Andheri West with 42 buildings. Out of 42 buildings, 10 have been vacated, and the water and electricity of 17 buildings have been disconnected. While 16 cases are pending in court.
Prithviraj Chauhan, Assistant commissioner of K west said, “We have requested our legal department to fast track the cases pending in court so that we can vacate the dilapidated buildings. Also, the action on other dilapidated buildings in the ward is being taken according to standard operating procedure.” The highest 25 dilapidated buildings in the city area are in GTB Nagar, Sion Koliwada.
Dilapidated building 2022 In Mumbai
City – 70
Western suburbs – 163
Eastern suburbs – 104
Areas with the most dilapidated buildings
City – Sion, matunga – F North – 25
Western – Andheri West – K West – 42
Eastern – Mulund – T – 49
In a pre-monsoon survey, the BMC declared 337 buildings dangerous. Out of them, the electricity and water connections of 102 are disconnected, while 113 buildings are vacated. But occupants of 122 buildings have moved to court, so the ward offices are requesting the legal department to speed up the case so that they can vacate such buildings to avoid untoward incidents. According to BMC’s policy, buildings that are more than 30 years old are eligible for audit. The civic body sends notice of evacuation to buildings that they found dangerous or at high risk.
Based on these reports, BMC classifies the buildings in various categories and decides whether they should be demolished completely or need maintenance. The buildings which should be demolished immediately are tagged as C-1. As a precautionary measure, BMC has appealed to these residents to move to safer places immediately. But in some cases, either the tenant has gone to the courts and got a stay order or refuses to leave even after water and electricity are disconnected.
Gone are the days when directors would vie for big budget projects, popular starcast , larger than life storyline. These days a socially relevant film that entertains while passing a message to the society is exciting enough. That’s precisely how debutant director Jai Basantu Singh feels about his maiden venture Janhit Mein Jaari. “I really couldn’t have found a better project to kickstart my directorial journey,” says Singh.
It wouldn’t be wrong to say that Jai Basantu Singh’s journey to film industry was predestined. His mother was a huge film buff, and he grew up amidst film shoots and film screenings. “My mother was total film buff and would watch all films first day first show. She would take me to watch a lot of films also. That’s where I picked up the love for cinema. I grew up in Goregaon, Mumbai. That’s where most of the film studios are located. I still remember, I would bunk school and go and watch shootings on the sets for hours. I knew even then; this is the industry I wanted to get in. I wanted to be the man, the name called director. While many of my friends would be interested in watching the actors, I used to be fascinated by this person who would call the shots. The one everyone would listen to and follow. I didn’t know what a director was but I knew back then too, this is who I wanted to be. This was my dream in watching the person in my childhood,” says Singh with certainty.
Janhit Mein Jaari didn’t just fall in Singh’s lap. There were long, struggle some years before getting his chance to helm a full length feature film. Singh recalls his journey and says, “When I entered the industry, I went straight into production and it didn’t take much time for me to realise that direction was my true calling. I worked as an assistant director for 3-4 years and then joined Zee Tv as campaign and promo director. I shot 600-700 campaigns and promos of fiction and reality shows. That’s where my journey into direction began. My boss then, Puneet Goenka and Ashwini Yardi really gave me a free hand to shoot the way I wanted. I would really owe a great deal of my learning years to Zee Tv and both of them. In 2008 I quit Zee and went onto independently direct campaigns and promos of almost all big broadcasters. In 2009 recession came and that’s when i started directing Tv shows as set up director where my journey of telling a story from 30 sec to 30 min began. I owe a great deal of my journey upto this point to television shows. I couldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for all the campaigns and tv shows I directed.”
Singh directed many popular and successful shows like Ye Un Dino Ki Baat Hai, Ek Duje Ke Vaste, Ye Pyaar Nahi To Kya Hai, Ye Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, Namune, Jeannie Aur Jiju many hit shows.
"Janhit Mein Jaari is Not A Bold film. It’s A Brave film” says Jai Basantu Singh 8
I came on this project as Screenplay writer but wherever I used to narrate the script is it to actors, studios, or producers they always acknowledged of how effortlessly I narrate without even looking at the script even once that too for straight two and half hours. That is when my team, producers and studios started telling me that I should direct the film. Seeing the faith people had in me, I got the strength to direct this film.
He further adds, “Janhit Mein Jaari is a challenging subject. It’s about a woman who’s a salesgirl for condoms. In a country that still finds condom as a taboo word, I had to be very mindful to treat this subject delicately. I was walking a thin line. I didn’t want this film to be preachy but pass a good message at the same time. Didn’t want people to make fun of it but wanted to make this film entertaining too. But things eventually fell in place and I got the talented actress Nushrratt Bharuccha to work with who couldn’t be more right for this role. Even the rest of the cast was all very supportive. I really want this film to be a family entertainer and not a TV commercial people awkwardly move away from at homes.”
Rahul Mukerjea - Sheena Bora's most tragic love story of the city 10
Rahul Mukerjea – Sheena Bora loved each other immensely without bothering about the baggage they were carrying. Rahul Mukerjea is the son of Peter Mukerjea, one of the accused in the Sheena Bora murder case. Rahul told the court that he ran pillar to post to trace Sheena, who had disappeared after meeting her mother Indrani Mukerjea, the prime accused in the case, on April 24, 2012.
Indrani had two children from her partner Siddharth Das, Sheena and Mikhail. Mikhail lived in Guwahati with Indrani’s parents. The relationship between mother and daughter was not amicable. Indrani got married three times and she also had one daughter from her second marriage. Indrani’s present husband Peter Mukerjea was married several times and had children from all of them.
In early 2012, Sheena resolved her differences with Indrani, as she wanted financial help to pursue an MBA course at Oxford Brookes University. The mother-daughter duo then met for some time at a five-star hotel near Mumbai airport and after the meeting, Sheena told Rahul that “Indrani’s attitude had changed and she had accepted their engagement and was helpful. Indrani was against the relationship between Rahul and Sheena because Rahul was Peter Mukerjea’s son and Shreena was his daughter.
But gradually, the mother-daughter duo had decided to meet again on April 24, 2012 – the day they allegedly killed Sheena. On that day, Rahul dropped Sheena on Linking Road at Bandra where he saw a parked Silver car in which Indrani was sitting in the back seat and Shyamwar Rai, another accused in the case who has turned approver, was in the driver’s seat. He also saw Indrani’s ex-husband Sanjeev Khanna, also arrested in the case, on the spot.
After reaching home, Rahul messaged her intermittently. When he received her first reply, they were having drinks at a hotel in Bandra and later went for dinner at another hotel. In a subsequent message, Sheena replied to him that she was having fun with Indrani and wished to spend the night with her. Rahul was shocked by the message because the day before Sheena was in two minds… whether to go or not for the meeting.
The next morning, he didn’t hear anything from her. When he sent a message, she replied that she will be home in a couple of hours. But half an hour later got another message from her saying she had met someone very wealthy and she was in love with him and no longer wanted to be with me and that Rahul shouldn’t chase her. Rahul messaged her that she should at least call him. He received a reply. Not now, maybe in a couple of months. On receiving the reply, Rahul suspected “something may have happened… possibly someone else was sending the messages from her phone.”
Rahul could never imagine that Sheen’s life could be in danger. However, he immediately started searching for Sheena and went straight to Indrani’s house in Worli. He checked both her adjoining flats but didn’t find anyone except a lady, who had no idea about Sheena. On failing to track her whereabouts, Rahul went to the Worli police station and explained the situation to the officers on duty.
Two police constables came with him to check at Indrani’s residence but in vain. He then tried to give a written complaint to Worli police, but they said he should stop worrying, as Sheena had gone with her mother. She would be fine and may return in a few days. At the suggestion of the Worli police, he visited Bandra police station, within whose jurisdiction he had last seen Sheena, to lodge a complaint. The Bandra police told him the same thing and eventually directed him to the MIDC police station in Andheri. He then called his mother (Peter Mukerjea’s first wife) at Dehradun and informed her that Sheena had gone missing. His mother obtained former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh’s number through a common friend and spoke to him. Rahul said Singh told him to file a missing person report, saying it was very important.
Eventually, when his mother came to Mumbai, MIDC police took down whatever he said in the police diary, but did not investigate further. Thereafter, he called Indrani, his father, Sheena’s friends, her boss and even her grandparents, but no one had any idea of her whereabouts. He suspected Indrani was not telling the truth, as she kept telling him different stories about Sheena. First, she told him that Sheena had gone to Nagpur, and then said she had gone back to Guwahati and later that she was in the USA. On one occasion Indrani told Rahul that she had dropped Sheena at the place (Bandra) from where she had collected her.
Indrani informed the court that she herself would be cross-examining Rahul. Once the prosecution completes examining Rahul, he would be cross-questioned by the accused’s lawyer. Indrani told the court that she would need a gap of at least 15 days to prepare for his cross-examination. The court would decide on it by June 17 According to police, Indrani and her ex-husband Sanjeev Khanna strangulated 25-year-old Sheena, Indrani’s daughter from her previous relationship, on April 24, 2012, in a car in Mumbai. The following day, they disposed of the body in a forest area in Gagode village of Raigad district.
The murder came to light after the Khar police arrested Shyamvar Rai, Indrani’s former driver, in another case in August 2015. Indrani was arrested on August 25, 2015 – immediately after the crime came to light, followed by Khanna’s arrest. Peter Mukerjea was arrested on November 19, 2015, after the case was transferred to CBI.
Shailesh Suresh Varkhade is a mechanical engineer by profession and a well-known History Researcher who has delivered speeches all over India and in London too. He is a companion of an eminent historian of Maharashtra’s late Shivshahir Babasaheb Purandare.
While speaking to Afternoon Voice’s trainee journalist, Sahil Ghawali, Mr Varkhede spoke about the need for history to be re-introduced in young finds. In an interview with Shailesh Varkhade, we’ll understand how Maharashtra has got the status of Swarajya.
What does it mean when you say, “Swarajya was earned by shedding ‘Blood, Toil, Sweat, and Tears’?”
I consider myself a student studying the life of Shiv Chhatrapati Maharaj. These warrior legends like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Maharana Pratap, Rana Sangha, and Prithviraj Chauhan had to go through enormous challenges and the freedom struggle was very difficult. They could earn freedom “Swarajya” by shedding blood and sweat’.
In the present political scenario, do you think the sweat shed by commoners on various fronts has any value?
The state we are living in today had got the status of sovereignty after 1947, but what we should build after independence is what we have to work on. Let it be the Industrial structure, infrastructure, fundamental rights, or the right to profess religion or the formation of the state. People have contributed to it on various occasions and that has definitely been of added value. There are generations in the history of freedom struggle where our great freedom fighters laid down their lives so that we can breathe in an independent nation.
How important is the determination and will of people in better nation-building?
Let me give an example: After the First World War, America detonated two of the Japanese cities, Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Not a single human was alive, and it burned lakhs of people in ashes. Although, after the attack, this is aspiring to watch how the people gathered their will to make their nation where it is now. Their economy has more leverage than any of the nations. Its citizens slogged their whole life to rebuild their nation. The hard work and dedication of the people can restore lost countries. Why can’t we work hard to protect our sovereign nation?
What is the power of the common man and how can they be compensated in power politics?
One has to keep in mind that it takes everyone to be part of the nation and its government. Then the biggest power of the common citizen is the right to vote and choose a government. They are the power makers. Voters decide the fate of the government and this brings revolution. This power of the commoner forces the government to stop the anarchy and corruption towards a better nation.
These days Shivaji Maharaj is being politicised in Maharashtra? How do you look at it?
Recently, I attended coronation ceremonies at Lalitpur. To my surprise, well-studied people who attended the event were proficient in the history of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Shivaji was the pioneer of guerrilla warfare, using which he trained his Maratha army to fight the grand army of Mughals. Unfortunately, today’s generation drifted away from history and they hardly know who has contributed what to the freedom struggle of our nation.
You are a staunch follower and student of Babasaheb Purandare. What has influenced your life the most?
It’s been 22 years since I’ve been listening, practising and believing in Babasaheb. I lived each moment with him. I’ve learned two things: “word-of-mouth and time can’t reverse back once gone”. If we can’t comply with what we have said, what we have promised, better to remain silent than to speak about what we cannot accomplish. And the second lesson is ‘Be the Shivaji of your battlefield’. That means, conquering what you aimed for and fighting your battles wisely. Love your nation and its people. Contribute to nation-building in your own capacities.
What is your advice to my generation of students?
Your generation has advanced with technology. Your generation is much more privileged in terms of education and infrastructure. Make the best use of it, create awareness, and voice your opinion. You are the pillar of the fourth estate. Bring change and build a nation.
Note: This interview has been edited by a senior editor at Afternoon Voice.
People are eager to know who would be the 17th president of India. Ram Nath Kovind is expected to be the mandatory president at the time of the election. Article 56 of the Constitution of India provides that the President of India shall remain in office for five years. The Election Commission is set to announce the schedule for polls to elect the next President of India at 3 pm today. President Kovind’s term ends on July 24. The declaration comes just a day before polls are held to fill 57 vacant Rajya Sabha seats across 15 states.
The members of the Electoral College elect the President, comprising elected members of both houses of Parliament, and elected members of the legislative assemblies of all states, including the National Capital Territory of Delhi and the Union Territory of Puducherry. How the President of India is elected. A President in India is elected by the members of the Electoral College consisting of elected members of both the houses — Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
The Electoral College for the presidential election comprises the 776 MPs of the Lok Sabha (543) and Rajya Sabha (233), as well as MLAs of state Assemblies and the Union Territories of Delhi and Puducherry. The total votes are counted because of their value, which varies from state to state, with an Uttar Pradesh MLA carrying the highest value, followed by Maharashtra and West Bengal.
President of India Ram Nath Kovind is an Indian Politician who is serving as the 14th and current President of India since July 25, 2017. President Ram Nath Kovind is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party and is also the first person from Uttar Pradesh to serve as the President. Before his presidency, Ram Nath Kovind served as the 26th Governor of Bihar from 2015 to 2017 and as a Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha from 1994 to 2006.
Along with the President, a new Vice-President will also be selected. The BJP, along with its partners, has a comfortable majority in the presidential Electoral College comprising MPs of both Houses of Parliament and MLAs of all state assemblies. The BJP-led NDA also commands the required majority in two houses of Parliament to elect the next Vice-President. New Delhi’s political circles are buzzing with discussions on the choices for the next occupant of the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
No President, with the sole exception of first President Rajendra Prasad, has got a second term in office. Many names are mentioned, but they always added a caveat that nobody knows the mind of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who alone will finalise candidates for the two top constitutional offices of the Indian republic. The Prime Minister has pulled out a surprise every time a top appointment was made and proved all speculations and guesses wrong.
Nitish has been upset with the BJP for some time and has been moving closer to Lalu Yadav’s RJD. While the BJP appears on solid ground in the presidential elections, there’s also a move to field an opposition candidate with the support of NDA ally and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar. Though Kumar has given no hint of supporting a non-NDA candidate, leaders such as Mamata Banerjee and K Chandrashekhar Rao are trying to engage him through back channels and offering to support his choice of candidate.
In the current round of the Rajya Sabha election for 57 seats, polling for which is scheduled on June 10, the most interesting contest is the one in Haryana between Congress leader Ajay Maken and media baron Kartikeya Sharma. These two candidates are distant relatives. Ajay Maken’s uncle Lalit Maken was the son-in-law of former President of India Shankar Dayal Sharma. Kartikeya’s uncle was married to a daughter of Shankar Dayal Sharma. Maken and Kartikeya frequently get together at family functions but are pitted against each other. Kartikeya is the son of Vinod Sharma, who was a minister in Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s government in Haryana and was considered Hooda’s closest friend. Hooda had brought this hotelier friend from Chandigarh and given him a Congress ticket from Ambala and then made him a minister.
To win this Rajya Sabha seat, a candidate requires 31 votes. Congress has exactly 31 MLAs in the state Assembly. The BJP has 40. After electing its candidate with 31 votes, the BJP will have nine surplus votes. The party has committed these votes to Kartikeya. BJP’s partner in the state government, the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) of deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala has 10 MLAs. The JJP has been the prime sponsor of Kartikeya. Then there is one vote each for Abhay Chautala and Gopal Kanda. These two votes are also likely to go to Kartikeya. This takes Kartikeya’s total support to 21. The fight is for the seven independents. The state government, BJP and Vinod Sharma are together trying to win over these seven independents, besides some Congress MLAs with an offer of a ticket in the upcoming state elections.
Emphasising the country’s rising stature in the global ecosystem of biotech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said India’s bio-economy has grown eight times in the last eight years.
Prime Minister inaugurated the Biotech Startup Expo – 2022 at Pragati Maidan, here on Thursday. Prime Miniter also launched the Biotech products e portal. Union Ministers Piyush Goyal, Dharmendra Pradhan, Jitendra Singh, stakeholders of biotech sectors, experts, SMEs and investors were among those present on the occasion.
Addressing the event, Prime Minister Modi said, “India’s bio-economy has grown 8 times in the last 8 years. We have grown from USD 10 billion to USD 80 billion. India is not too far from reaching the league of top-10 countries in Biotech’s global ecosystem.”
Prime Minister Modi said, India's Bio-economy has grown 8 times in the last 8 years. 16
He also noted the contribution of the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) in the development of the sector in the country. The Prime Minister said that today, when the country is taking new pledges during the Amrit Kaal, the role of the biotech industry is very significant in the development of the country.
Highlighting the growing reputation of Indian professionals on the global stage, PM Modi said, “Trust in the skill and innovation of our IT professionals in the world is at new heights. This same trust and reputation, this decade, we are seeing happening for the Biotech sector of India and for the Bio Professionals of India.
” Prime Minister listed out five factors behind the success of India’s biotech sector.
“There are five big reasons why India is being considered a land of opportunities in the field of biotech. First- diverse population and diverse climatic zones; second India’s talented human capital pool; third – increasing efforts for ease of doing business in India; fourth – the demand for bio-Products is increasing continuously in India; and fifth- India’s biotech sector that is the track record of its successes,” he said.
The Prime Minister said that the government has worked tirelessly to improve the potential and power of the Indian economy. He emphasized that there is stress on the ‘whole of the government approach.
‘ He said for the biotech sector, unprecedented steps are being taken which are clearly manifested in the startup ecosystem.
“In the last 8 years, the number of start-ups in our country has increased from a few hundred to 70,000. These 70,000 start-ups are made in about 60 different industries. In this also, more than 5,000 startups are associated with biotech. Every 14th startup in the biotechnology sector and more than 1,100 such biotech startups emerged in the last year itself,” stated PM Modi.
Further talking about the shift of talent towards the sector the Prime Minister said number of investors in biotech sector has risen by 9 times and biotech incubators and funding for them has increased by 7 times. Number of Bio tech incubators have increased from 6 in 2014 to 75 now. Biotech products have increased form 10 products to more than 700 today”, he informed.
Prime Minister Modi said, India's Bio-economy has grown 8 times in the last 8 years. 17
The Prime Minister said in order to transcend the government-centric approach, the Centre is encouraging a culture of providing new enabling interfaces. Platforms like BIRAC are being strengthened and many other sectors are seeing this approach. He gave the example of Startup India for start-ups. IN-SPACe for space sector, iDEX for defence startups, India Semiconductor Mission for semiconductors, Smart India Heckathons for encouraging innovations among the youth and also, the Biotech start-up Expo.
The Prime Minister emphasized that “Biotech sector is one of the most Demand Driven Sectors. The campaigns for Ease of Living in India over the years have opened up new possibilities for the biotech sector.” He pointed out that developments health, agriculture, energy, natural farming, bio fortified seeds are creating new avenues for the sector.
A Mumbai court is likely to decide on June 10 on the bail request of two Maharashtra ruling party leaders, Nawab Malik and Anil Deshmukh, which has become crucial ahead of Rajya Sabha elections in which every vote counts.
Nawab Malik, a Maharashtra Minister, is in jail since his arrest in February by the central Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case. The state’s former home minister Anil Deshmukh is also in jail on money-laundering allegations. Both have approached a special court for one-day bail to cast their vote in the Rajya Sabha election on Friday. On the other hand, the BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis has been reaching out to independent MLAs, working the phones as he recovers from Covid.
Nawab Malik has told the court that he is an elected MLA and is duty-bound to represent the residents of his constituency in electing a representative to Rajya Sabha. Elections will be held for six Rajya Sabha seats in Maharashtra and for the first time in more than two decades, there is a contest with seven candidates.
The ruling Shiv Sena has fielded two candidates, Sanjay Raut and Sanjay Pawar. The opposition BJP has put up three candidates – Union minister Piyush Goyal, Anil Bonde and Dhananjay Mahadik. The Sena, NCP and Congress moved their MLAs to resorts to prevent “poaching”.
Ruling coalition allies Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress have nominated one candidate each, Praful Patel and Imran Pratapgarhi. Any candidate needs 42 votes to win a Rajya Sabha seat.
The Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi has the numbers to win three out of the six Rajya Sabha seats for which 288 MLAs will vote. The BJP, which had 106 members in the assembly, can win two on its own but has fielded a third, setting up a contest for the sixth seat, between the BJP’s Dhananjay Mahadik and the Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Pawar. Every vote is crucial for the ruling coalition, which is racing to get the Sena’s second candidate, Sanjay Pawar, elected.
