"Identify Those Who Create Caste Discrimination": PM Modi In Varanasi

Agencies
February 19, 2019

Varanasi, Feb 19: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday invoked Sant Ravidas, a mystic poet of the Bhakti Movement, on his birth anniversary to urge people to end caste discrimination and identify those who promote it for "self interest".

PM Modi said caste discrimination is an impediment in achieving social harmony.

"Guruji (Sant Ravidas) had said that there should be no discrimination on the basis of caste. Till caste discrimination is there, people cannot connect with each other, social harmony is not possible and equality cannot be ensured," the prime minister said.

"Identify those who for their self-interest, create caste discrimination and promote it," he asked people, without taking any names.

The prime minister was addressing a gathering after laying the foundation stone of Ravidas Janmasthali area development project in Varanasi, his Lok Sabha constituency.

Sant Ravidas belonged to the Bhakti Movement of the 15th and 16th century. Born in Varanasi, his hyms and poems often revolved around his low social position.

His devotional songs were also included in Sikh scriptures.

Praising Ravidas, PM Modi said, "He dreamt of a society where all are taken care of. We have tried to follow this tenet during the past 4.5 years with ''Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas'' (together, development for all).

"My government focussed on panchdharma: education, income, medicine, irrigation and addressing public grievances," he said, "irrespective of caste, creed and other factors."

"Unfortunately, caste discrimination could not be removed till now. The New India will witness this change with help of youth," he said, referring to his vision of the country in the 21st Century.

At the Diesel Locomotives Works in Varanasi, PM Modi also flagged off the first electric locomotive converted from a diesel engine in the country. He also inspected it from inside.

The work on the project began on December 22, 2017, railway officials said.

PM Modi said honesty leads to happiness, "We tried to follow this (idea)" and acted against ''benami'' properties and blackmoney.

"Chalta hai'' mentality had crept in, my government tried to change it," he asserted.

On his second visit to his Lok Sabha constituency within a month, the prime minister also detailed the development and welfare works his government had undertaken.

He cited government schemes to provide free LPG gas cylinders and power connections, insurance of up to Rs. 5 lakh per family annually under the ambitious Ayushman Bharat and guarantee-free loans under Mudra Yojana.

PM Modi also mentioned the rebate being provided to individual taxpayers for income up to Rs. 5 lakh in the Interim Budget, saying, "Those who looted public money are being brought to book and honest people are being honoured".

Before PM Modi's address, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had praised him and called him "kashi putra" (son of Varanasi).

He said the prime minister ensured development projects are undertaken across the country without discrimination.

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Agencies
January 7,2020

New Delhi, Jan 7: Services at various bank branches and ATMs are likely to be affected as hundreds of employees will go on a bank strike across the country on Wednesday.

The bank strike is part of the Bharat Bandh call given by trade unions to protest against the labour reforms and economic policies of the Central government, according to reports.

The protestors' main demand during the Bharat Bandh is that the Centre should drop the proposed labour reforms.

A Bill in this regard was passed and proposes to merge 44 labour laws into four codes -- wages, industrial relations, social security, and safe working conditions.

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News Network
July 11,2020

New Delhi, Jul 11: India's COVID-19 case count crossed the eight lakh-mark on Saturday with yet another highest single-day spike of 27,114 new cases in the last 24 hours.

As many as 519 deaths were reported during this period.

The total number of positive cases in the country stands at 8,20,916, including 2,83,407 active cases, 5,15,386 cured/discharged/migrated and 22,123 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

With as many as 2,38,461 COVID-19 cases, Maharashtra continues to remain the worst-affected state, followed by Tamil Nadu (1,30,261) and Delhi (1,09,140).

Meanwhile, 1,13,07,002 samples have been tested for COVID-19 till July 10. Out of these 2,82,511 samples were tested yesterday, according to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

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Agencies
January 15,2020

Mumbai, Jan 15: Michael Debabrata Patra took over as Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Wednesday.

He was an Executive Director of India's central bank before being elevated to the post of Deputy Governor.

An RBI release said that as Deputy Governor, Patra will look after Monetary Policy Department including Forecasting and Modelling Unit (MPD/MU), Financial Markets Operations Department (FMOD), Financial Markets Regulation Department.

He will also look after Market Intelligence (FMRD/MI), International Department (Intl. D), Department of Economic and Policy Research (DEPR), Department of Statistics and Information Management (including Data and Information Management Unit) (DSIM/DIMU), Corporate Strategy and Budget Department (CSBD) and Financial Stability Unit.

Patra, a career central banker since 1985, has worked in various positions in the Reserve Bank of India.

As Executive Director, he was a member of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of RBI, which is invested with the responsibility of monetary policy decision making in India. He will continue to be an ex-officio member of the MPC as Deputy Governor.

Prior to this, he was Principal Adviser of the Monetary Policy Department, Reserve Bank of India between July 2012 and October 2014.

He has worked in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as Senior Adviser to Executive Director (India) during December 2008 to June 2012, when he actively engaged in the work of the IMF's Executive Board through the period of the global financial crisis and the ongoing Euro area sovereign debt crisis.

The release said that his book "The Global Economic Crisis through an Indian Looking Glass" vividly captures this experience.

He has also published papers in the areas of inflation, monetary policy, international trade and finance, including exchange rates and the balance of payments.

A fellow of the Harvard University where he undertook post-doctoral research in the area of financial stability, he has a PhD in Economics from the Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai.

He will hold the post for three years or until further orders. The post fell vacant after Viral Acharya resigned on July 23 last year.

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