Highlights of Union Budget 2019 presented by Nirmala Sitharaman

News Network
July 5, 2019

* From 1.85 trillion dollars in 2014, the economy has reached 2.7 trillion US dollars; We can very well reach 5 trillion dollars in the next few years. The Indian economy will grow to become a 3 trillion dollar economy this year itself.

* The plan to reach $5 trillion economy will involve development of heavy investment in infrastructure, digital economy and job creation.

Employment

* 80 Livelihood business incubators and 20 technology business incubators to be set up in 2019-20 under ASPIRE to develop 75,000 skilled entrepreneurs in agro-rural industries.

* Increase focus on skill sets required by the youth to apply for job opportunities abroad like language skills and artificial intelligence (AI).

* We propose to start a television programme on DD National, exclusively for startups. This programme will be designed and executed by startup's themselves.

Banks

* Government considering to go below 51% to an appropriate level of ownership stake in non-financial public sector undertakings on case by case basis.

* Public Sector Banks (PSBs) to be provided Rs 70,000 crore to boost capital and improve credit.

* PSBs will use technology, enabling customer of one PSB to access service across all PSBs as well.

* For purchase of high-rated pooled assets of financially sound Non Banking Finance Companies (NBFCs) amounting to Rs 1 lakh crore during 2019-20, one-time six-month partial credit guarantee to be given to PSBs.

* Proposals for strengthening regulatory authority of RBI over NBFCs have been made.

* Regulation authority over housing finance sector to be returned from National Housing Bank to RBI.

Railways

* Railway infra would need an investment of 50 lakh crores between 2018 and 2030; PPP to be used to unleash faster development and delivery of passenger freight services.

* Railways to be encouraged to invest more in suburban railways through Special Purpose Vehicles (SPV) structures such as Rapid Regional Transport System (RRTS); more Public Private Partner (PPP) initiatives to be encouraged in rail sector.

* Massive programme of railway station modernization to be launched in 2019.

GST

* Rs 350 crore allocated for 2% interest subvention for all GST-registered MSMEs on fresh or incremental loans.

* Government has already moved GST council to lower the GST rate on electric vehicles (EV) from 12% to 5%. Also to make EVs affordable for consumers our government will provide additional income tax deduction of Rs 1.5 lakh on the interest paid on the loans taken to purchase EVs.

Connectivity

* FAME II scheme aims to encourage faster adoption of electric vehicles by right incentives and charging infrastructure. Comprehensive restructuring of National Highways Programme to be done, to ensure creation of National Highways Grid of desirable capacity. Government envisions using rivers for cargo transportation, which will also decongest roads and railways.

* 657 km of metro rail network has become operational in the country.

* The government has given a massive push to all forms of physical connectivity via PMGSY, Industrial corridors, Dedicated freight corridors, Bharatmala, Sagarmala, Jal Marg vikas and UDAN schemes.

Swachh Bharat Mission

* Proposal to expand Swachh Bharat mission to undertake solid waste management in every village.

* India to be open defecation free (ODF) by October 2 2019. To mark this occasion, Rashtriya Swachhata Kendra to be inaugurated at Raj Ghat, on the same day.

Gandhi-pedia

* 'Gandhi-pedia' too to be developed on the lines of Encyclopedia to help promote Gandhian school of thought.

Education and research

* Establish a National Research Foundation to fund, to coordinate and to promote research in the country.

* National Research Foundation to be set up to strengthen overall research ecosystem in the country; funds available under all Ministries to be integrated with NRF.

* New National Educational Policy to be brought in to transform Indian educational system; major changes in higher as well as school system to be introduced.

* Rs 400 crore under head, World Class Institutions in 2019-20, more than three times the revised estimates of previous year. 'Study In India' to be started to bring in foreign students into Indian higher education system.

'Naari tu Narayaani'

* I draw attention to the women of India, 'Naari tu Narayaani'. This government believes that we can progress, with greater women participation.

* To further encourage women entrepreneurship, Women Self-help Groups (SHGs) Interest Subvention Programme to be expanded to all districts in India.

* An overdraft of Rs 5,000 will be allowed for every verified woman SHG member having a Jan Dhan account.

* One woman in every SHG shall be made eligible for a loan of 1 lakh rupees under MUDRA scheme.

Rural

* By 2022, every single rural family except those who are unwilling to take the connection, will have an electricity and a clean cooking facility.

* In second phase of PMAY-Gramin, 1.95 crore houses to be provided to eligible beneficiaries, during 2019-20 to 2021-22; they will have amenities such as LPG, electricity and toilets.

Pension

* Pension benefit to be extended to around 3 crore retail traders and shopkeepers with an annual turnover less than Rs 1.5 crore under Pradhan Mantri Karam Yogi Man Dhan Scheme.

Space

* To harness India's space ability commercially, a public sector enterprise, New Space India Limited (NSIL) has been incorporated to tap the benefits of Isro.

Social stock exchange

* Electronic fundraising platform, a social stock exchange, to be set up to list social enterprises and voluntary organizations working for social welfare objectives.

NRIs

* Aadhaar card for NRIs with Indian passports to be issued after their arrival in India, without waiting for the mandatory 180 days.

* To provide NRIs seamless access to Indian equities, NRI portfolio investment route to be merged with foreign portfolio investment route.

Bahi-khata

* Sitharaman departed from the 'colonial' practice of bringing the Budget documents in a leather briefcase and instead switched to a four-fold red-cotton cloth called a 'bahi-khata'.

* This is the 89th Union Budget, which is the financial statement of the government, detailing its revenue and expenditure in the past, as well as estimated spending and projections for the coming year.

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News Network
July 5,2020

New Delhi, Jul 5: With highest-ever single-day spike of 24,850 COVID-19 cases in 24 hours, India's coronavirus count stood at 6,73,165, informed the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Sunday.

Out of the total cases, 2,44,814 are active cases. On the other hand, India's cured/discharged patients count crossed the 4 lakh mark with 4,09,082 patients cured/discharged and one patient migrated.

As many as 613 deaths due to coronavirus were reported in the country in the last 24 hours taking the death toll in the country to 19,268.

Meanwhile, the ministry said that collective and focused efforts for containment and management of COVID-19 by the government of India along with the States/UTs have led to the number of recovered cases among COVID-19 patients rise to 4,09,082 as of today.

"During the last 24 hours, a total of 14,856 COVID-19 patients have been cured. So far, there are 1,64,268 more recovered patients than COVID-19 active cases. This takes the national recovery rate amongst COVID-19 patients to 60.77 per cent," the ministry said.

"With 786 labs in government sector and 314 private labs, there are as many as 1,100 labs in India," it added.

As per the Health Ministry, coronavirus cases in Maharashtra -- the worst affected state from the infection -- has breached the 2 lakh mark with 2,00,064 cases including 8,671 deaths.

Tamil Nadu reported 4,150 fresh COVID-19 cases and 60 deaths today, taking total cases to 1,11,151 and death toll to 1,510. Number of active cases stands at 46,860, according to the State Health Department.

Delhi's coronavirus tally nears the 1 lakh mark with 99,444 cases and the number of people succumbing to the virus stands at 3,067 in the national capital. As many as 9,873 RT-PCR tests and 13,263 rapid antigen tests were conducted today in Delhi. Total tests done so far stands at 6,43,504.

Meanwhile, Indian Council of Medical Research informed that the total number of samples tested up to July 4 is 97,89,066 of which 2,48,934 samples were tested yesterday.

There were seven new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours in Chandigarh, taking total cases to 466 including 395 recoveries and six deaths.
Himachal Pradesh Health Department informed that COVID-19 cases reach 1,048 in the state, of which, 309 cases are active and 715 have recovered.

Andhra Pradesh has reported 998 new COVID-19 cases and 14 deaths in the last 24 hours, according to a media bulletin released by AP state COVID nodal officer.

A total of 1,155 COVID-19 cases were reported in the last 24 hours in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday, taking the total number of active cases to 8,161 in the state, an official said. According to the official data, a total of 18,761 people have been cured while 785 people have died due to the virus in the state.

Eighteen more personnel of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 24 hours. There are total 151 active cases and 270 have recovered till date.

While, in the last 24 hours, 36 more Border Security Force (BSF) personnel tested positive for COVID-19 and 33 have recovered. There are 526 active cases and 817 personnel have recovered till date.

In Rajasthan, 224 fresh COVID-19 positive cases and 6 deaths were reported today. The total number of cases rose to 19,756 including 3,640 active cases and 453 deaths.

Odisha reported 469 new COVID19 positive cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of positive cases in the state to 9,070 including 5,934 recovered cases and 3,090 active cases, according to the health department.

Uttarakhand reported 31 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking total cases to 3,124. Recovery rate among COVID-19 patients stands at 80.79 per cent.

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Agencies
February 11,2020

New Delhi, Feb 11: AAP chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has won from New Delhi assembly seat. He polled 46,758 votes, which is 61.1 per cent of total votes polled in the high profile constituency.

Kejriwal defeated Sunil Kumar Yadav of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), who polled 25,061 votes, which is 32.75 per cent of total votes polled. Congress candidate Romesh Sabhawarl could get only 3,220 votes.

So far, the AAP has won 55 seats and is leading on seven seats. The BJP has won seven seats and is leading on two. The Congress is nowhere in the reckoning.

As per the details on the website of Election Commission of India at 8.27 pm on Tuesday, the AAP has secured 53.60 per cent votes, BJP 38.49 per cent, BSP 0.71 per cent, CPI 0.02 per cent, CPI-M 0.01 per cent, Congress 4.27 per cent, JDU 0.90 per cent, LJP 0.35 per cent, NCP 0.02 per cent, and NOTA 0.46 per cent.

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News Network
April 3,2020

New Delhi, Apr 3: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urged people to gather together for a unique exercise on April 5 at 9 pm to show they were together in the fight against coronavirus.

"On this Sunday, April 5, we will challenge the darkness of coronavirus threat together. On April 5, at 9 pm, I need your 9 minutes. At 9 pm, turn off all the lights in your houses and light a Diya, candle, torch or flashlight for 9 minutes at your doors, or balcony," Modi said.

The Prime Minister further said that this will send out a message that nobody among the 130 crore Indians is alone in this fight against the deadly infection.

"I have one more prayer to all of you, nobody has to gather at any place during this event. Everyone will light a Diya only at their doors, windows or balconies. The Laxman Rekha of social distancing must be followed," Modi said.
Earlier, the Prime Minister had said that 130 crore Indians are together in this fight against coronavirus and praised the countrymen for following the lockdown.

"Today when crores of people are inside homes, then some of us may think how will they fight this battle against COVID-19 alone. Such questions might come up in your mind? But please remember, none of us is alone. The strength of 130 crores of Indians is with each one of us," he said.

He also expressed gratitude towards countrymen for participating in 'Janata curfew' on March 22 and said it has become "an example for all countries" today as they are following it.

In his address to the nation on March 24, the Prime Minister had announced a 21-day lockdown in the country to contain the spread of novel coronavirus, which has infected over 2,000 people in the country.

During the last "Mann Ki Baat" on COVID-19 related issue, the Prime Minister had apologised to the countrymen for taking the tough decision of enforcing complete lockdown in the nation. "My conscience says you will forgive me," he had said.

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