Month: November 2021

Indian economy will face a crisis if a law is made for guaranteeing minimum support price (MSP) for crops, Anil Ghanwat, a member of the Supreme Court-appointed committee on farm laws, said on Monday.

His remarks came amid demands by protesting farmers for legislation on MSP even as they have hailed the decision for withdrawal of three farm laws.
“If there is going to be a law (on MSP), we (India) will face a crisis. With the law, if the (procurement) process goes down someday, no one will be able to buy the produce as procuring it at a price lower than the MSP will be illegal and they (traders) will be put in jails for it,” Ghanwat told ANI.

Ghanwat, who is president of Shetkari Sangathan, said both the central government and the farmer leaders should think of some other way to boost farm incomes and that a law on MSP is not a solution.

“It’s going to be a crisis because not only the traders will be harmed but also the stockists and everybody else related to it. Even the commodity market will be disturbed. It will be distorted,” he said.

“We are not against MSP, but open-ended procurement is a problem. We require 41 lakh tonnes of grains for buffer stock but procured 110 lakh tonnes. If MSP law is made, all farmers will demand MSP for their crops and no one will be in a position to earn anything out of that,” he added.

Ghanwat also termed the move to repeal the three farm laws as “unfortunate”.

“Farmers were demanding reforms for the last 40 years. This is not a good step. The existing system of agriculture is not enough,” he said.

“Even if the new laws which were introduced were not very perfect, there were some flaws which needed to be corrected. I think this government had the will to reform agriculture as the earlier governments didn’t have the political will. I hope another committee will be formed comprising of opposition leaders and farm leaders from all states and then new farm laws are discussed in the parliament and should be introduced,” he added.

Ghanwat said that the government has to run the country and do politics as well and noted that the agitation against three farm laws was “also creating a law and order situation”.

“So maybe they must have thought that if the situation will remain like this, then the upcoming Uttar Pradesh election will not be easy for them and they can face losses. So to avert the damage they must have taken this step,” he said.

Ghanwat also suggested that the farmers should diversify their produce and should go for high-value crops which will give them more returns.

“We have to scrap the Essential Commodity Act because it is used as a weapon against farmers. Whenever the prices rise, farmers get some profits, the government intervenes and puts in stock limits. It puts an even higher interest on transportation limits. It imposes export bans. These are the weapons used to reduce the farm produce prices which is hurting the farmers,” he said.

“This (three farm laws) was an effort by this government to give some freedom to agriculture, but unfortunately, we have lost it now,” he added.

The protesting farmers, while welcoming repeal of three farm laws, are seeking remunerative MSP and procurement (at C2+50 per cent level) as a legal entitlement “for all farmers, for all agricultural produce”. (ANI)

Sepoy Brajesh Kumar of Punjab Regiment of Indian Army accorded Shaurya Chakra posthumously for killing an A++ category terrorist during an operation in Jammu and Kashmir in 2018.

Today, his wife Shweta Kumari received the award from President Ram Nath Kovind in New Delhi.
President Ram Nath Kovind, who is the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, conferred two Kirti Chakras, including one posthumous, one Vir Chakra and 10 Shaurya Chakras, including two posthumous, to the personnel of Armed Forces and Paramilitary Forces during Defence Investiture Ceremony (Phase-1) at Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi in the morning of November 22, 2021.

The Gallantry awards were given to the personnel for displaying conspicuous gallantry, indomitable courage and extreme devotion to duty.

Ministry of Defence, in a press release, informed today that the President also conferred 13 Param Vishisht Seva Medals, two Uttam Yudh Seva Medals and 24 Ati Vishisht Seva Medals for distinguished service of an exceptional order. (ANI)

President Ram Nath Kovind conferred Shaurya Chakra (posthumously) on Lance Naik Sandeep Singh of 4 Para (Special Forces) for killing one foreign terrorist and injuring two others in an operation in Jammu and Kashmir in 2018.

His wife Gurpreet Kaur received the award.
President Ram Nath Kovind, who is the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, conferred two Kirti Chakras, including one posthumous, one Vir Chakra and 10 Shaurya Chakras, including two posthumous, to the personnel of Armed Forces and Paramilitary Forces during Defence Investiture Ceremony (Phase-1) at Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi in the morning of November 22, 2021.

The Gallantry awards were given to the personnel for displaying conspicuous gallantry, indomitable courage and extreme devotion to duty.

Ministry of Defence, in a press release, informed today that the President also conferred 13 Param Vishisht Seva Medals, two Uttam Yudh Seva Medals and 24 Ati Vishisht Seva Medals for distinguished service of an exceptional order. (ANI)

The Indian women’s national team on Monday landed in Brazil to play in a 4-nation International tournament. India will lock horns with Brazil, Chile, and Venezuela in their three matches, all of which are part of their preparation for the forthcoming AFC Women’s Asian Cup India 2022.

The mood in the Indian women’s team is one of excitement. It has been a rather long journey from the other side of the planet, but the energy and excitement in the team drown out any hint of jetlag. The players were greeted by the Indian Embassy upon arrival at the Eduardo Gomes International Airport on Monday.
“We are very excited. We’ve never dreamt about playing against a team like Brazil, but we are here. It’s simply amazing. It’s really exciting that our coaching staff and federation believe that we can play against tough teams like Brazil, Chile, and Venezuela. I’m sure this will be one of the matches that we will remember all our lives. There’s no fear, we will not hold back and be overborne by the occasion,” said India custodian Aditi Chauhan in an official AIFF release.

The Indian women’s team had been camping in Jamshedpur, with infrastructural and logistical aid from the government of Jharkhand for the past few months. In the midst of the camp, the team also took off for six friendly games against UAE, Tunisia, Bahrain, Chinese Taipei, Djurgarden IF and Hammarby IF, across three different countries, as they prepare for the AFC Asian Cup.

“I couldn’t believe it when the Brazil tour was announced. I had to go and confirm with our team management, and even then I could not believe it. I was really happy and excited, so I wanted a proper confirmation. I still can’t believe that I will be playing against someone like Marta. I can’t describe these feelings,” said Anju Tamang.

India will be facing Brazil on November 24 followed by Chile, Venezuela on November 28 and December 1, respectively. (ANI)

In solidarity with protestors staging a sit-in against the unnecessary check posts and fishing trawlers in Gwadar district of Balochistan province, hundreds of children took to the streets on Sunday, local media reported.

Carrying placards and banners inscribed with demands “Gwadar ko haq do” (Give rights to Gwadar), the children marched on various roads of the city and later joined the main sit-in, Dawn reported.
Speaking on the occasion, Maulana Hidayat Ullah Baloch, who led the rally, criticised the elected representatives of Gwadar and Makran and asked them to join the sit-in or resign from the assembly as they had been elected to represent them, the Pakistani publication reported.

He said the representatives who did not visit their constituency should be included in a list of missing persons.

Maulana Baloch said that despite the deployment of various security agencies, hundreds of illegal trawlers were involved in illegal fishing in Balochistan’s waters, depriving local fishermen of their livelihood.

He asked the authorities concerned to take steps for stopping illegal fishing immediately and seal all liquor stores in the province. “Otherwise people will destroy them,” Dawn reported.

Further, Maulana Baloch called for the recovery of all disappeared people and said if they were involved in any crime they must be produced before a court of law.

“If our demands are not met, we will continue the sit-in for 127 days in order to break the record of Imran Khan who staged his sit-in for 126 days,” he said.

Balochistan is a resource-rich but least developed province of Pakistan where a movement for freedom has been ongoing for the past several decades. Many Balochs believe that the region was independent before 1947 and was forcibly occupied by Pakistan.

While successive governments have promised to criminalise enforced disappearance, none has taken concrete steps and the practice continues with impunity. Recently, fighting between the Pakistan security forces and Baloch insurgents have intensified in the region.

In its 2020 Country Reports on Human Rights, the US State Department has highlighted significant human rights issues in Pakistan, including unlawful or arbitrary killings by the government and forced disappearance of Pashtun, Sindhi and Baloch human rights activists. (ANI)

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday announced that the party will give Rs 1,000 per month to every woman in Punjab above 18 years of age if it forms the government after upcoming assembly elections in the state.

Addressing a party programme in Moga city of Punjab today, Kejriwal said, “If we form the government in Punjab in 2022, then we will give every woman of the state, who is above 18 years of age, Rs 1,000 per month. If a family has three female members then each will get Rs 1,000.”
Kejriwal calls this announcement “world’s biggest women empowerment programme”.

He further said that “one fake Kejriwal” is roaming in Punjab. “In Punjab, a fake Kejriwal is roaming. Whatever I promise here, he repeats the same. In the entire country, only one man, Kejriwal, can bring down your electricity bill to zero. So beware of that fake Kejriwal,” he added.

In view of the 2022 assembly elections, Kejriwal began his two-day visit to Punjab to launch his Mission Punjab.

While addressing media in Amritsar, Kejriwal said that he will visit Ludhiana where he will talk to auto drivers.

On Tuesday, Kejriwal will attend the party’s program after addressing a press conference in Amritsar.

In the 2017 Punjab Assembly polls, Congress won an absolute majority in the state by winning 77 seats and ousted the SAD-BJP government after 10 years.

Aam Aadmi Party emerged as the second-largest party winning 20 seats in 117-member Punjab Legislative Assembly. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) could only manage to win 15 seats while the BJP secured three seats. (ANI)

It’s a boy! Actor Freida Pinto and photographer Cory Tran have welcomed their first child together.

In a heartfelt Instagram post on Sunday, the ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ actor penned a birthday tribute to her husband and simultaneously revealed the birth of their son, who they have named Rumi-Ray.
“Happy Birthday Dada Cory! I celebrate you my husband, friend and partner in life. To see you become not just a Dad but Super-Dad makes me so emotional and fills me with joy. It also gives this sleep deprived Mama a break and you have no idea how much I appreciate that! I am so grateful and in love with how we do life together. Love you madly,” she wrote.

“Rumi-Ray you are one lucky boy,” she added, revealing the name of her little one.

The picture shows Tran sleeping with the newborn on his chest.

Tran also shared a heart-warming post on his Instagram handle, writing, “Best birthday gift you could ever ask for. Thank you for our sweet boy. I’m in awe of you more and more every day. Watching you give birth to Rumi-Ray was truly a miracle, you are such a warrior.”

He also shared an adorable snap that captures the new mom and baby snuggling cheek to cheek.

The ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ actor first shared her happy pregnancy news back in June. The star posted a photo of herself on Instagram as Tran cradled her baby bump. “Baby Tran, coming this Fall!,” she captioned the pair of photos.

In an October 21 Instagram post, Pinto revealed that she and Tran eloped a year prior.

“Yes, yes, it’s true. One year ago I married this gorgeous man of my dreams. No, we were not keeping it a secret or anything. We were simply just enjoying life and happily shared the news with anyone who asked,” she wrote.

“@coryt and I believe so much in balancing spontaneity with just the right amount of planning. One day it felt so right and so genuinely aligned that we decided we wanted to make it official. This felt so special and fun and let’s be honest… it reflected the time in our world just perfectly,” she added.

Pinto recently opened up to People magazine about what kind of parents she and Tran want to be.

“I feel like we both have our ideas on parenting and they gel well together. We are the kind of people who want our kid be someone who has independence in their life, but also at the same time, we don’t want to mollycoddle the kid. We want the kid to have independence. So we’ll see how that goes,” she shared.

Pinto and Tran were first spotted together back in October 2017, and they made their public debut as a pair at the US Open in September 2018.

Pinto was previously engaged to her former publicist Rohan Antao. She also dated her ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ costar Dev Patel from 2009 to 2014.

Speaking of Pinto’s work projects, the young artiste rose to fame with her role in the Oscar-nominated film ‘Slumdog Millionaire’, and since then she has featured in several international projects such as ‘Immortals’ and ‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’. (ANI)

In view of the 2022 Assembly elections, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday arrived in Punjab on a two-day visit to the state and launch his ‘Mission Punjab’.

Addressing media in Amritsar, Arvind Kejriwal said, “We will make big announcements for the women of Punjab and their empowerment in the party program in Moga.”
Kejriwal further added, “In the evening, I will visit Ludhiana where I will talk to auto drivers.”

In a statement issued by the party headquarters on Sunday, AAP Punjab state president and MP Bhagwant Mann said that from today Kejriwal will arrive in Punjab to launch ‘Mission Punjab’, where he will visit various places in Punjab in the next one month and announce the party’s programmes for the state and its people.in view of the upcoming Assembly elections in 2022.

On Tuesday, Kejriwal will attend the party’s program after addressing a press conference in Amritsar.

In the 2017 Punjab Assembly polls, Congress won an absolute majority in the state by winning 77 seats and ousted the SAD-BJP government after 10 years.

Aam Aadmi Party emerged as the second-largest party winning 20 seats in 117-member Punjab Legislative Assembly. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) could only manage to win 15 seats while the BJP secured three seats. (ANI)

India reported 8,488 new cases in the last 24 hours, which is the lowest in 538 days, the Union Health Ministry informed on Monday.

As many as 249 people succumbed to the COVID-19 infection in the country in the last 24 hours, taking the death toll to 4,65,911.
Kerala has recorded 5,080 COVID-19 cases and 40 deaths in the last 24 hours.

Meanwhile, India’s active caseload stands at 1,18,443 which now accounts for less than 1 per cent of total cases, currently at 0.34 per cent, the lowest since March 2020.

According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), as many as 12,510 patients recovered from the infection in the last 24 hours. With this, the recovery tally in the country has gone up to 3,39,34,547. The recovery rate currently stands at 98.31 per cent.

“Daily positivity rate (1.08 per cent) less than 2 per cent for last 49 days. Weekly Positivity Rate (0.93 per cent) less than 2 per cent for last 59 days,” the ministry said.

Meanwhile, the total samples tested for COVID-19 up to November 21 stand at 63,25,24,259. Of these, 7,83,567 samples were tested in the last 24 hours.

Over 116 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered so far under the Nationwide Vaccination Drive. (ANI)