Month: July 2020

By Shailesh Yadav

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is meeting top officials of the finance and commerce ministries later on Thursday to assess the impact of ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on the national economy, official sources said.

They said the Prime Minister’s focus will be on speedy recovery of the economy which has witnessed a slowdown in recent quarters due to falling consumer demand.

During this one-and-half-hour scheduled meeting through video conferencing, officials from the finance and commerce ministries will make presentations on the situation.

According to sources, the Prime Minister is taking inputs from top 50 officials. Earlier, he held three separate meetings with the Economic Advisory Council, Chief and Principal Economic Advisor at the Ministry of Finance and NITI Aayog.

To deal with the coronavirus crisis, the government in May had announced one of the world’s biggest stimulus packages worth Rs 20.97 lakh crore with a focus on the survival of businesses and drawing a roadmap for economic revival.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said the government is assessing the impact of COVID-19 on the Indian economy and will take more measure to address the issues if required. (ANI)

Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav was granted second consular access on Thursday, Pakistan media reported.

Indian officials are presently at Pakistan Foreign Office.

Earlier, New Delhi had asked Islamabad to give “unconditional consular access” to Jadhav, as per sources.

Pakistan claimed that Jadhav had refused to file a review plea on the Pakistani court military court’s judgment which awarded the death penalty to the former naval officer on charges of espionage. India said that he had been coerced into doing that.

“Last time what they did was insulting to his mother, father and wife and insulting to India as a whole. So we want that consular access should be unconditional,” Arvind Singh, Kulbhushan Jadhav’s childhood friend, told ANI.

Pakistan claims that Jadhav was arrested from Balochistan in 2016 on charges of espionage. India has rejected Pakistan’s allegations about Jadhav’s involvement in spying and subversive activities and said he was kidnapped from the Iranian port of Chabahar.

In early 2017, a Pakistani military court sentenced him to death. In May 2017, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) stayed his execution.

In July last year, the ICJ, by a vote of 15-1, had upheld India’s claim that Pakistan has committed an egregious violation of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations on several counts. (ANI)

The fourth round of talks held between Commanders from Indian Army and PLA on Tuesday, was consistent with consensus between Special Representatives of India-China on July 5 to discuss complete disengagement.

“India and China have been engaged in discussions through established military and diplomatic channels to address the prevailing situation along LAC. Commanders from PLA and Indian Army held meeting at Chushul, on the Indian side, for the fourth round of talks, on 14 July,” the Indian Army spokesperson said.

The Army spokesperson said engagement was consistent with consensus between Special Representatives of India-China on 5 July, to discuss complete disengagement. “Senior Commanders reviewed progress on implementation of the 1st phase of disengagement and discussed further steps to ensure complete disengagement.”

While stressing that India and China remain committed to the objective of complete disengagement, the Indian Army spokesperson said: “This process is intricate and requires constant verification. They are taking it forward through regular meetings at the diplomatic and military level.”

On Wednesday, ANI had reported that even though China is showing flexibility in the military-level talks with India, it seems that Beijing is a bit reluctant to move back completely out of the Finger area and wants to maintain some presence there.

However, sources had said the Chinese have agreed for complete withdrawal from other friction points including the Galwan valley, Hot Springs, and Gogra post area in Eastern Ladakh.

However, India has made it clear that it will not accept anything less than both sides going back to their permanent locations which existed in the April-May time frame.

The meeting between Corps commander-level officers including Lt Gen Harinder Singh lasted for close to 15 hours. It started on July 14 at 11:30 am and ended at 2 am on July 15, the sources said.

They said both sides will now monitor further disengagement by troops and verify the development in the next few days around July 21-22. (ANI)

Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), Jio Platforms and Google on Wednesday announced the signing of binding agreements for an investment of Rs 33,737 crore by Google into Jio Platforms.

The investment by Google values Jio Platforms at an equity value of Rs 4.36 lakh crore. Google’s investment will translate into a 7.73 per cent equity stake in Jio Platforms on a fully diluted basis. With this, the total investment from financial and strategic investors into Jio Platforms stands at Rs 152,056 crore.

The investment will build on Jio’s and Google’s existing efforts to expand the benefits of digitisation across the length and breadth of India, beyond the current 50-crore-plus internet users in the country.

“Google has empowered millions of Indians to access helpful information and, like Jio, is a force for change and innovation,” said RIL Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh Ambani.

“We welcome Google onboard and are excited about our partnership for what it can deliver to Indians, from universalising internet usage to deepening the new digital economy and providing a prime mover to India’s economic growth,” he said while addressing the company’s 43rd annual general meeting (AGM).

“Together, we hope to play a strong facilitative role in the transformative journey of building a new Digital India,” said Ambani.

Jio Platforms and Google have also entered into a commercial agreement to jointly develop an entry-level affordable smartphone with optimisations to the Android operating system and the Play Store.

“Together we are excited to rethink, from the ground up, how millions of users in India can become owners of smartphones. This effort will unlock new opportunities, further power the vibrant ecosystem of applications and push innovation to drive growth for the new Indian economy,” said Ambani.

Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet, said Reliance Industries and Jio Platforms in particular, deserve a good deal of credit for India’s digital transformation.

“The pace and scale of digital transformation in India is hugely inspiring for us and reinforces our view that building products for India first helps us build better products for users everywhere. Google is proud to invest Rs 33,737 crore into Jio,” he said.

“I am excited that our joint collaboration will focus on increasing access for hundreds of millions of Indians who do not currently own a smartphone while improving the mobile experience for all,” added Pichai.

Jio Platforms, a majority-owned subsidiary of Reliance Industries, is a next-generation technology platform focused on providing high-quality and affordable digital services across India, with more than 38.8 crore subscribers. (ANI)

Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot, on Wednesday revealed that Congress has the “proof of horse-trading” being done in Jaipur.

“Horse trading was being done in Jaipur, we have the proof,” he said.

“We had to keep people at a hotel for 10 days if we had not done that, the same thing that is happening in Manesar now would have happened back then,” he added.

“I have been in politics for 40 years, we love the new generation, the future will be theirs. This new generation, they have become central ministers, state presidents if they had gone through what we did in our time, they would have understood, ” Gehlot said while commenting on the ambitious nature of the young politicians.

“Speaking good English, giving good bytes and being handsome isn’t everything. What is inside your heart for the country, your ideology, policies, and commitment, everything is considered, he said referring to the young generation leaders.

Rajasthan Congress in-charge Avinash Pande also gave a piece of advice to Sachin Pilot to admit his mistake and not make an attempt to topple the Ashok Gehlot government.

“May God give Sachin Pilot wisdom and he doesn’t try to topple govt. He should admit his mistake. Doors were always open for him for talks, even today. But, now he seems to have moved ahead of all this, so these things don’t matter now,” he said while speaking to ANI.

The Rajasthan Congress has put up notices at the residences of Hemaram Choudhary and Gajendra Singh Shaktawat for not attending the recent Congress Legislative Party meetings and asked them to respond within 2 days.

Congress had earlier removed Sachin Pilot from the post of Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister.

Notices have been pasted at Choudhary’s residence in Gudamalani, Barmer and Shaktawat’s residence in Vallabhnagar.

They along with 17 other party members have to respond to the notice within 2 days.

“Notice issued to Sachin Pilot and 18 other party members, for not attending Congress Legislative Party meetings. If they don’t respond within 2 days, then it will be considered that they are withdrawing their membership from CLP,” Pande said.

All India Congress Committee (AICC) has also issued notice to Sachin Pilot and 18 other party members, for not attending Congress Legislative Party (CPL) meetings,

According to the General Secretary and party in-charge of Rajasthan Avinash Pande, AICC has decided to dissolve all the District Congress Committees and Block Congress Committees of Rajasthan Pradesh with immediate effect. “The process of formation of new committees will begin soon”, he said.

Pande also issued intrusions that no Congressmen will communicate with the media without the permission of newly appointed Rajasthan Congress president Govind Singh Dotasara.

The Rajasthan Congress is in turmoil over the past few days. Gehlot has blamed the BJP for attempting to destabilize the state government by poaching MLAs. The Congress government in the state is facing a political crisis after simmering differences between Pilot and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot came out in the open.

(ANI)

China has vowed to take retaliatory measures after US President Donald Trump ordered an end to preferential trade treatment for Hong Kong and signed legislation allowing sanctions over Beijing’s enactment of a draconian security law in the semi-autonomous city.

In a statement cited by Al Jazeera on Wednesday, the Chinese foreign ministry said it “firmly opposes and strongly condemns” the Hong Kong Autonomy Act, which was unanimously passed the US Congress earlier this month and approves sanctions on Chinese officials and banks over Beijing’s clampdown in Hong Kong.

“China will make necessary responses to protect its legitimate interests, and impose sanctions on relevant US personnel and entities,” the ministry added, without elaborating.

The Chinese warning came amid mounting tensions with the US – not just over Hong Kong – but also over trade, the global coronavirus pandemic, China’s military buildup in the South China Sea and its treatment of Uighur Muslims in the western region of Xinjiang.

Trump on Tuesday stepped up the pressure to punish Beijing for what he called its “aggressive actions” in Hong Kong, a former British colony that was returned to Chinese rule in 1997 with the promise of autonomy and freedoms not known in mainland China.

“Today I signed legislation, and an executive order to hold China accountable for its aggressive actions against the people of Hong Kong,” Trump told reporters at the White House.

China had defied international warnings earlier this month by imposing the national security law, which criminalises offences it broadly defines as subversion, secession, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces. The legislation sent a chill through Hong Kong, which last year saw massive, and sometimes violent, pro-democracy protests.

In response, the US Congress unanimously passed the Hong Kong Autonomy Act, which targets police units that have cracked down on Hong Kong protesters as well as Chinese Communist Party officials responsible for imposing the new security law.

Mandatory sanctions are also required on banks that conduct business with the officials.

Trump’s executive order on Tuesday said the US property of any person determined to be responsible for or complicit in “actions or policies that undermine democratic processes or institutions in Hong Kong” would be blocked.

It also directs officials to “revoke license exceptions for exports to Hong Kong”, and includes revoking special treatment for Hong Kong passport holders.

However, analysts say that completely ending Hong Kong’s special treatment could prove self-defeating for the US. (ANI)

Following his absence from the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting for the second consecutive day, held on Tuesday, Sachin Pilot was sacked from his party positions, Congress Spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala announced here.

The two other absentee MLAs — Vishvender Singh and Ramesh Meena — have also been dropped from the Cabinet.

“Sachin Pilot, Vishvender Singh and Ramesh Meena have been removed from the posts of Deputy Chief Minister and Ministerial posts respectively. Sachin Pilot has also been removed as the Rajasthan PCC Chief,” said Surjewala.

Speaking to reporters Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said: “High command was compelled to take the decision because since a long time BJP was conspiring and resorting to horse-trading. We knew it was a big conspiracy; now some of our friends went astray because of it and went to Delhi.”

After Gehlot met Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra at Raj Bhawan in Jaipur, the Governor has accepted the resignations of all three party members.

“I regret that Sachin Pilot and some of his associates have been swayed by BJP’s plot and are now conspiring to topple the Congress government elected by eight crore Rajasthanis. It is unacceptable,” Surjewala said.

Soon after Pilot was sacked from the party, he tweeted: “Truth can be troubled but not defeated.”

Govind Singh Dotasra has been appointed as the new PCC chief, Surjewala announced.

“Our very experienced and capable worker, who was born in a farmer’s family and today he is serving as Rajasthan’s Education Minister–Govind Singh Dotasra has been appointed as Rajasthan PCC Chief,” said Surjewala.

“Our fellow MLA Ganesh Gogra is appointed as the new President of Rajasthan Prant Yuva Congress. Hem Singh Shekhawat has been appointed as the President of Rajasthan Pradesh Seva Dal. Congress Policy is not based on people but on policies and principles. Our government is based on the opinion of the people of Rajasthan,” he added. Surjewala assured that for the whole five years, the Congress government would serve the people of Rajasthan.

The decision was taken after a CLP meeting at the Fairmont Hotel in Jaipur, Rajasthan earlier today.

At the meeting, as many as 102 MLAs unanimously demanded that Sachin Pilot should be removed from the party, said sources.

During the meeting, all the MLAs stood up and raised their hands showing solidarity to sack Pilot.

The Rajasthan Congress is in turmoil over the past few days. While Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has blamed the BJP for attempting to destabilise the state government by poaching MLAs, Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot has been camping in Delhi.

A controversy broke out in Rajasthan after Special Operation Group (SOG) sent a notice to Pilot to record his statement in the case registered by SOG in the alleged poaching of Congress MLAs in the State.

The Rajasthan political turmoil can be compared to Madhya Pradesh’s recent political uproar where the grand old party lost the government to the BJP after Jyotiraditya Scindia switched to BJP along with his supporters following differences with former Chief Minister Kamal Nath. (ANI)

The annual rate of inflation based on monthly wholesale price index (WPI) stood at minus 1.81 per cent in June as compared to 2.02 per cent during the corresponding month of the previous year, data released by the government on Tuesday showed.

In May, it stood at minus 3.21 per cent.

The WPI food inflation in June came in at 3.05 per cent versus 2.31 per cent in May while core inflation rate was at minus 0.9 per cent versus minus 1.3 per cent month-on-month, said a statement issued by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

The index for primary articles with a weightage of 22.62 per cent increased by 2.28 per cent to 139.3 in June from 136.2 in May.

Prices of crude petroleum and natural gas (16.3 per cent), food articles (1.97 per cent) and non-food articles (1.71 per cent) increased as compared to May. Prices of minerals (minus 1.72 per cent) declined as compared to May.

The index for manufactured products group with a weightage of 64.23 per cent increased by 0.42 per cent to 118.6 in June from 118.1 in May.

ANI

India’s COVID-19 tally breached the 9 lakh mark as 28,498 new coronavirus cases were reported in the last 24 hours, informed the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Tuesday.

As per the Health Ministry, there are a total of 9,06,752 coronavirus cases in the country of which 3,11,565 patients are active cases.

5,71,459 patients have been cured/discharged while one patient has been migrated, the Ministry informed further.

553 more deaths due to COVID-19 were reported in the last 24 hours in the country, taking the number of patients succumbing to the virus to 23,727.

The Centre further informed that India’s recovery rate from COVID-19 stands at 63.02 per cent while the recoveries and deaths ratio stood at 96.01 per cent and 3.99 per cent respectively.

As per the Ministry, Maharashtra — the worst-affected state from the infection — has a total of 2,60,924 COVID-19 cases and 10,482 fatalities. While Tamil Nadu has a tally of 1,42,798 cases and 2,032 deaths due to COVID-19.

Delhi has reported a total of 1,13,740 cases and 3,411 deaths due to COVID-19.

As per the information provided by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) 1,20,92,503 samples have been tested for COVID-19 till July 13, of these 2,86,247 samples were tested on Monday. (ANI)