"Nothing can stop India from becoming third largest economy"

March 5, 2013

New Delhi, Mar 5: In a stout defence of his Budget proposals, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram on Monday declared that there was nothing that could stop India from becoming the third largest economy in the world.

In his maiden interaction with netizens on Google Hangout — the first time that any Union Cabinet Minister has done so — thereby joining the league of personalities such as U.S. President Barack Obama to reach out to the people, Mr. Chidambaram, at almost the fag end of the hangout, said: “There is nothing that can stop India from becoming the third largest economy in the world. We will be there along with U.S. and China. We have everything to get there, but won’t get there till we work hard and respect the laws of economics.”peecee

And in this regard, as if almost thinking aloud, the Finance Minister said: “We don’t have the space to do anything foolish or anything irrational. We have to ensure everybody delivers the outcome he or she is expected to. Why should it take five years to build a 1,000 km stretch of road; why should it take six years to build a power plant? Each one has to work forward for India to achieve its rightful place globally.”

Explaining the economic rationale of his Budget proposals, Mr. Chidambaram noted that his job was to look after the vast middle class, and just not the upper middle class. “In metros, while costs are rising, so are incomes. But look at the farmer, income in rural parts not rising at the same rate as in metros. Same goes for those in casual jobs. We are not a country with only the middle class. We have to tax someone to raise revenues to meet broader objectives,” he said.

Rebutting some of the post-Budget criticism over his tax proposals, the Finance Minister pointed out that since millions of Indians are still poor, some tax will have to be collected. “If you are buying a mobile phone worth Rs. 6,000, there is nothing wrong being prepared to pay Rs. 300 more. Same goes for eating out in air-conditioned joints,” he said.

On the issue of the high Current Account Deficit (CAD), Mr. Chidambaram pointed out that growing exports was the only way out of the CAD problem. “We have many economic zones, but companies have to come up and set up units in those zones. Companies are sitting on piles of cash. I will meet individual business houses to know their capex plans. We will do everything to boost manufacturing.”

He also reiterated that much of the problem was on account of rising imports of gold. “There are many imports that India cannot do without. But one import that India can do without is gold. If we do not import gold for a year, current account will come down by half,” he said.

In response to the active participation by the youth in his Budget analysis, Mr. Chidambaram said the younger generation was much more informed and knowledgeable and saw a great future for internet in India. “We will need to strengthen broadband connectivity across the country. We may even see a virtual political party in India, with virtual members,” he said.

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News Network
May 12,2020

Thiruvananthapuram, May 12: Kerala Government on Tuesday issued modified guidelines for infrastructure arrangements and procedures to be followed to ensure smooth interstate movement of stranded persons during the lockdown.

"Necessary permission, if any, required from the State where you are presently located need to be taken for ensuring a smooth journey till Kerala border," read the order by the state government.

It has also made it clear that people will only be allowed to travel if they have the permit from the state government and local authorities.

"You are requested to start the journey only after receiving the travel permit from the Government of Kerala and the local authority of your present location to avoid any problem during travel. Those who reach at the check post without passes will not be allowed entry," it further read.

The orders by the government further read:

*To maintain social distancing norms, only 4 persons will be permitted to travel in a car, 5 in an SUV, 10 in a van and 25 in a bus. The maximum number of passengers in a van /bus will be half of the seating capacity).

*Keep sanitiser, use masks and maintain physical distancing throughout the journey.

*An exit and entry pass/passes shall be issued by the District Collectors to those persons who seek to go outside states to bring back their stranded child/ children, spouse and parent/s.

*Everybody including those coming from red zones shall remain under home quarantine for 14 days from the date of arrival.

*Only priority groups and persons will be allowed entry passes:

a) Those from neighbouring states seeking Medical aid in Kerala

b) Pregnant ladies with family

c) Family members including children separated due to lockdown

d) Students

e) Senior citizens with family members

f) Persons who had lost a job.

The guidelines further added that all luggage must be disinfected and temperature checks must be carried out with Infrared flash thermometer among other things.

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Agencies
February 4,2020

New Delhi, Feb 4: Four-month-old Mohammed Jahaan accompanied his mother almost every day to the Shaheen Bagh demonstration where he was a favourite with the protesters who would take turns to hold him and often draw the tricolour on his cheeks.

Jahaan will not be seen at Shaheen Bagh anymore. He died last week after acquiring a severe cold and congestion following exposure to the winter chill at the outdoor demonstration. His mother is, however, undeterred and determined to participate in the protests, saying it is "for the future of my children".

The infant's shattered parents, Mohammed Arif and Nazia, live in a tiny shanty put together with plastic sheets and cloth in Batla House area and have two other children -- a five-year-old daughter and a one-year-old son.

Hailing from Bareilly in UP, the couple is barely able to make ends meet. Arif is an embroidery worker and also drives an e-rickshaw. His wife helps him in his embroidery work.

"I haven't been able to earn enough in the last month despite driving the battery rickshaw in addition to my embroidery work. Now with our baby's demise, we have lost everything," he said, showing a picture of little Jahaan wearing a woolen cap that read 'I Love My India'.

A visibly disturbed Nazia said Jahaan passed away in his sleep on night of January 30 after returning from the protests.

"I had returned from Shaheen Baag at around 1 AM. After putting him and other kids to sleep, even I went to sleep. In the morning, I suddenly found him motionless. He was gone in his sleep," she said.

The couple said they took their motionless baby to the nearby Alshifa Hospital on the morning of January 31 where he was declared dead on arrival.

Nazia, who had been visiting the Shaheen Bagh demonstration everyday with Jahaan since December 18, says that he died after catching a cold that turned lethal.

She said she didn't realise that his congestion was so severe. However, the baby's death certificate issued by the hospital does not mention any specific reason for the death.

Shazia, a neighbour who was present at the couple's home, said Nazia had fought with her mother and husband to visit Shaheen Bagh everyday. Nazia would gather all women in the bylane outside her house so that they could together walk to the demonstration, around 2 km away. Sometimes, Arif would drop some of them to Shaheen Bagh on his e-rickshaw.

Nazia said she strongly feels that the CAA and NRC are against the welfare of all communities and will join the Shaheen Bagh protests, but this time without her children.

"Why was I doing this? For my children and the children of all us who need a bright future in this country," she told PTI.

"The CAA divides us on religion and should never be accepted. I don't know if there is politics involved but I know that I must question what is against the future of my children."

Arif, however, blamed the NRC and CAA for his child's death.

"Had the government not brought CAA and NRC, people would not have protested and my wife would not have joined them, my son would have been alive," he said.

Comments

Angry Indian
 - 
Tuesday, 4 Feb 2020

inna lillahi inna ilaihi rajioon...so sad

 

Modi, delhi police and Amith Shah the biggest EVIL of india is responsible for this samll soul death...

 

you have to answer one day after you die...dont think this world is permenant..

 

you will never see heaven forever...you must root in hell

 

GADDAR PM & HM

 

Jai Hind

 

 

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Agencies
June 30,2020

Seventy-seven per cent children below five years of age in Jammu and Kashmir were not able to access basic healthcare services like immunisation during the lockdown imposed to curb the spread of COVID-19, CRY said on Monday citing a study.

The 'Rapid Online Perception Study about the Effects of COVID-19 on Children' was conducted during the first and second phases of the lockdown based on responses of parents and primary caregivers from all across the country, including Jammu and Kashmir, the NGO said in a statement.

It said a total of 387 respondents from Jammu and Kashmir participated in the study.

"Seventy-seven per cent children of age 0-5 years were not able to access basic healthcare services such as immunisation during lockdown - necessarily imposed to curb the spread of COVID-19 pandemic in Jammu and Kashmir," Child Rights and You (CRY) said.

It said as immunisation programmes witnessed a major setback during the lockdown across the country, the results of the survey across 23 states and Union Territories found nearly 50 per cent of parents with children below five years of age unable to access immunisation services.

"Worryingly, the figure was considerably high in Jammu and Kashmir with 77.14 per cent children below five years unable to get immunisation services," it added.

According to the study, in Jammu and Kashmir, nearly 35 per cent of the respondents said their children did not receive medical help during the lockdown, resulting in difficulties to cope with their children's illnesses and health hazards.

The study also talks about more systemic arrangements and logistical preparedness to ensure that children with no or compromised digital reach are not deprived from their Right to Education.

With online classes introduced as a substitute of schools during the lockdown, access to education for children remained a major issue of concern, as many of them, especially the ones from marginalised and financially poorer backgrounds found it difficult without smartphones and internet access.

The survey's findings revealed that nationally only 41 per cent households with children of school-going age could access online classes on a regular basis.

"Almost 90 per cent parents and primary caregivers reported that the lockdown has increased the screen time of their child to great or some extent. About half of the households recorded an increase of children's exposure to online activities during lockdown," it said.

The NGO said around 76 per cent parents agreed that they could keep a watch of their children's online activity to some extent.

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