Nitish Should Make Tejashwi CM Now: Prashant Kishor

Congress Leadership In Huddle With Strategist Prashant Kishor

Close on the heels of the poll rout in the five states where the Assembly elections were held recently, interim president of Congress Sonia Gandhi is holding a meeting on Saturday with the election strategist Prashant Kishor.

The meeting is taking place in the backdrop of speculations running rife about Kishor joining Congress.

Kishor had previously held parleys with the former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and the party’s national general secretary Priyanka Gandhi. However, there had been no forward movement.

According to sources, Gandhi called an urgent meeting at her residence. Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Ambika Soni, Digvijaya Singh, Mallikarjun Kharge and Ajay Maken and KC Venugopal are also present at the meeting with Kishor.

The meeting is also taking place in the backdrop of Congress’ poll preparations for Gujarat and Himachal Assembly elections this year.

After the recent poll debacle in five states, Congress is seeking to restart negotiations with Kishor. The results of five Assembly polls came as a shock to Congress which was hoping to do well to revive its prospects for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and to fend off the emerging challenge from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Trinamool Congress to replace it as the fulcrum of anti-BJP politics in the country.

“PK (Prashant Kishor) can be seen taking an advisory role instead of joining Congress. Talks between Prashant Kishor and the Gandhis had collapsed after Mamata Banerjee’s West Bengal victory in the state Assembly elections for which he was a strategist,” said a senior Congress functionary.

In the past, Prashant Kishor has worked with Congress for the 2017 Punjab Assembly elections. He was credited with helping Congress and Captain Amarinder Singh win 77 out of 117 seats in the 2017 Punjab elections.

Kishor gained acclaim owing to the BJP’s landslide victory in the 2014 Lok Sabha Elections. (ANI)

TMC’s Babul Supriyo Wings Ballygunge Seat Bypoll

After a high-octane political battle, Trinamool Congress (TMC) has won the Ballygunge Assembly seat in West Bengal bypolls, the Election Commission said on Saturday.

TMC candidate Babul Supriyo won the bypolls securing 51,199 votes while CPIM’s Saira Shah Halim came the second with 30,971 votes. BJP’s Keya Ghosh came the distant third with 13,220 votes.

TMC secured 49.69 per cent vote share while CPIM got 30.06 per cent votes. BJP’s vote share remained just 12.83 per cent.

Supriyo collected his certificate after winning Ballygunge Assembly by-polls from Election Commission officials.

Notably, Supriyo, a two-time BJP MP, quit the ruling party at the Centre last year. The Asansol Lok Sabha seat fell vacant after he had resigned.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited the Kalighat temple in Kolkata after the results.

The Ballygunge Assembly seat bypoll was necessitated after the demise of state Minister Subrata Mukherjee.

Polling for one parliamentary constituency Asansol and one assembly constituency Ballygunge in West Bengal was held on April 12. (ANI)

India’s Forex Reserves Dip By $2.47 Billion

India’s foreign exchange (forex) reserves dipped by $2.47 billion in the week ended April 8, registering the fifth straight week of fall, as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) appears to keep selling dollars to prevent a slide in the value of rupee amid high import bills for petroleum products.

According to the RBI’s weekly statistical supplement, India’s forex reserves fell by $2.471 billion to $604.004 billion for the week ended April 8.

This is the fifth straight week of fall in the country’s forex reserves. In the last five weeks under review, the country’s forex reserves have declined by $28.5 billion.

For the week ended April 1, the forex reserves had declined by $11.17 billion, the steepest weekly fall ever.

India’s forex reserves have declined sharply after touching an all-time high of $642.453 billion on September 3, 2021.

The slump in the forex reserves has been largely due to the sharp fall in foreign currency assets.

India’s foreign currency assets dipped by $2.082 billion to $537.645 billion during the week ended April 8. The foreign currency assets had slumped by $10.727 billion in the previous week.

The foreign currency asset is the biggest component of the forex reserves. Expressed in US dollar terms, the foreign currency assets include the effect of appreciation or depreciation of non-dollar currencies like Euro, UK’s Pound Sterling and Japanese Yen held in the foreign exchange reserves.

The value of gold reserves dipped by $215 million to $42.519 billion during the week under review. It had dropped by $507 million during the week ended April 1.

The other two components of the forex reserves also declined. The value of India’s Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) fell by $141 million to $18.738 billion.

India’s reserve position in the IMF fell by $34 million to $5.101 billion during the week ended April 8, the RBI data showed. (ANI)

3,000 Ukrainian Soldiers Have Been Killed: Zelenskyy

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that some 3,000 Ukrainian soldiers were killed and about 10,000 were injured in the course of Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine.

“As to our military, out of the numbers we have, we think that we have lost 2,500 to 3,000… We have about 10,000 injured. It is hard to say how many will survive,” Zelenskyy told CNN.

Zelenskyy found it difficult to name the number of civilian casualties due to a lack of information from the “blocked” territories in the south and east of Ukraine.

On March 12, Zelesnkyy said that some 1,300 Ukrainian troops were killed. Oleksiy Arestovich, an adviser to the head of Ukraine’s presidential office, said at the end of March that Kyiv is no longer providing information about its army losses as it is a military secret.

Russian Defense Ministry said in March that about 14,000 Ukrainian troops were killed and 16,000 injured in the course of the operation. (ANI/Sputnik)

Afghan Officials Allege Pak Air Strikes In Khost, Kunnar

The local officials of Afghanistan’s Khost and Kunar provinces confirmed that the Pakistani aircraft launched the airstrikes on different parts of the provinces, killing five children and a woman.

Officials of the Khost province said that the Pakistani aircraft bombed the Pesa Mila, and Mir Safar areas of the province on Friday night, Khaama Press reported.

While, the local residents of the province said that the airstrikes were conducted in the Spera district of Khost province, killing 33 members of two families.

Meanwhile, the local residents of Shaltan district of Kunar province said that five children and a woman were killed in the airstrike conducted by Pakistan.

Upon this, Pakistan government nor the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan has commented on the bombing but the Pakistani media said that the bombings have targeted the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Pashtun Islamist militant groups in those provinces, as per reported by Khaama Press.

TTP, a conglomerate of ethnic Pashtun Islamist militant groups, operates from Pakistan’s north-western tribal area of North Waziristan and has been fighting the Pakistani state in various forms since 2007.

While the local residents in Afghanistan Nimroz province said that the Pakistani forces have opened fire at Afghan drivers killing at least one, reported Khaama Press.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Ministry of the Foreign Affairs has summoned the Afghan charge d’affaires in Islamabad to lodge a protest over the cross-border attack on Thursday, reported local media.

Expressing serious reservations over the rise in provocations from the Afghan border security forces, the Foreign Office (FO) in a statement said that Pakistan strongly condemned such cross-border firing incidents and demanded strict action against those responsible.

Pakistan also demanded from the Afghan charge d’affaires to ask the Kabul administration for enhancing the security measures in the border areas and make bilateral contacts more effective to avoid such incidents. (ANI)

Vivek Agnihotri Announces Next Project: ‘The Delhi Files’

Filmmaker Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri, whose last release ‘The Kashmir Files’ proved to be a smash hit at the box office, has shared that he will soon start working on his next project, ‘The Delhi Files’.

Agnihotri took to his Twitter handle on Friday and expressed gratitude to the people who watched ‘The Kashmir Files’ and said, “It’s time for me to work on a new film.”

He wrote, “I thank all the people who owned #TheKashmirFiles. For last 4 yrs we worked very hard with utmost honesty & sincerity. I may have spammed your TL but it’s important to make people aware of the GENOCIDE and injustice done to Kashmiri Hindus. It’s time for me to work on a new film.”

In a subsequent tweet, Agnihotri added, “#TheDelhiFiles.”

Interestingly, this film had been announced by the filmmaker last year even before the release and success of ‘The Kashmir Files’.

A motion poster of ‘The Delhi Files’ was also unveiled in which a Sikh kid could be seen on the Emblem of India logo that is coloured red, indicating that the film will deal with another compelling tale of a dark and unread chapter from Indian history.

While announcing the project, Agnihotri tweeted, “Few years back, I started telling untold stories of independent India. 1. #TheTashkentFiles – Right To Truth. 2. #TheKashmirFiles – Right To Justice (releasing soon) Happy to announce the last & the boldest of the trilogy: 3. #TheDelhiFiles – Right To Life. Pl bless us.”

Agnihotri’s last film, ‘The Kashmir Files’ which was released on March 11, depicted the struggles and pain of Kashmiri Pandits who were killed, tortured and forced to flee from their own land during the 1990s.

The hard-hitting film starred Anupam Kher, Pallavi Joshi, Mithun Chakraborty, Darshan Kumaar, Puneet Issar, Mrinal Kulkarni, and others. It had crossed Rs 200 crore mark at the box office within two weeks of its release. (ANI)

Indian For Ex Reserves Rise For 1st Time In 5 Months to $562.4mn

FDI In India Likely To Touch $100 Billion In 2022-23: Phdcci

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflow to India is expected to reach $100 billion in the current financial year supported by various ground touching economic reforms and significant ease of doing business in the recent years, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) said in a report.

In the report titled ‘Economy to Resume Normal Growth Curve in 2022-23’, PHDCCI said India’s economic growth in the current financial year would be the highest among the leading economies across the world.

PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Pradeep Multani said various dynamics reforms undertaken by the government during the last two years would support the GDP growth.

Though GDP growth consolidated at around 9 per cent in FY 2021-22 which is the highest among the leading economies; the current financial year 2022-23 is expected to attain a GDP growth of more than 8 per cent, which is again the highest among the top ten economies, Multani said.

However, according to the PHDCCI president, geopolitical conflicts, high inflation and possibilities of new COVID variants are the major worrying factors in 2022-23.

The PHDCCI report envisages that the nominal GDP will grow at 12-12.5 per cent (8 per cent real GDP and 4-4.5 per cent inflation) in the current financial year and the economy will attain a size of $3350-3400 billion in 2022-23.

The size of the economy is expected to touch $5 trillion by 2026-27, the report noted. (ANI)

Fermented Fad: Boosting Immunity, Naturally

There is general agreement that fermented foods are the next big thing. In fact, fermented foods are at the confluence of two current powerful trends — the increasing demand for natural foods and growing popularity of immunity-boosting superfoods.

According to trade journals, the global market for just one fermented product Kombucha Tea was approximately $1.7 billion as of 2019. This tea is prepared with black, green or white tea, flavoured with flowers like hibiscus, jasmine, fruits herbs and spices like ginger or mint. Attractively packaged in 250 ml bottles the ‘refreshing and reinvigorating’ beverage is priced from ₹120 to ₹250 a pop.

Chefs are excited about exploring uncharted territory that gives them a chance to show their creativity and restaurant owners are happy to ride the big rising wave that is bringing in health-conscious millennials to their tables. From cocktail canapes to desserts fermentation is casting its magic spell.

Just before the COVID pandemic hit us and threw life out of gear, modern fermenters had already started creating fizzy bubbles in India. Trendy eateries like restaurants Olive Bar and Kitchen in Mumbai, Delhi’s Greenr Cafe and FabCafe had started organizing fermentation workshops to raise awareness and sustain interest in kombucha and kefir, sauerkraut and much more.

Bengaluru was the first to come up with India’s first ‘fermentary’ called Kobo, an e-shop dedicated to selling ferments only. Qualia in Mumbai relied on its rich repertoire of fermented foods at the time of its launch.

The craze for probiotic drinks and other fermented superfoods is building up once again as we resume life if not after then with COVID. Kombucha, Kimchi, Kefir, Doogh and Sauerkraut from distant lands are available and appear irresistible.

How easily we forget that the process of fermenting was well known to our ancestors who used it to enhance the shelf life and improve the taste of what they consumed. Pickles, cheeses and wines are all fermentation’s gifts.

Fermented foods have long been a part of the traditional Indian diet, especially in rural areas. In Gujarat it is dhokla and in the southern states of India idli, dosai and appam are prime examples of fermented breakfast items. In the east in Bengal and Orissa pantha bhaat aka pakal is slightly fermented rice (cooked the night before and soaked in water) is considered the perfect light meal during the summers. Buttermilk-based dishes are many- Kadi, Kulu, Mor Kuzhambu, etc.

Fermented dishes are prepared with cereals and lentils, milk and dairy, vegetables and fruits. Sweets like jalebi are prepared with fermented batter and Gundruk is immensely popular in Sikkim where the farmers first wilt green mustard and radish leaves for a couple of days then pound these adding a little water.

Greens are then packed in air-tight containers. After fermentation, the leaves are taken out and dried in the sun to be used as required. The ubiquitous condiment in North-Eastern states of India is fermented fish paste ngari its vegetarian rendering uses black soya beans. Hawaijar is prepared by fermenting cooked soya beans in banana or fig leaves packets that are put in a closed bamboo basket for three to five days.

This is considered adult food not fit for young children due to its rich protein content. Enduri pitha is a fermented batter based pancake that is steamed in turmeric leaves and served ritually on the Prathamashtami festival. Singal in Uttarakhand (called Seli roti in Nepal) is prepared with semolina or rice flour soaked overnight and mixed with sugar to help fermentation.

Much before Greek Yogurt was a twinkle in the eye of gifted marketers, dahi a rich source of folic acid, riboflavin, vitamin B-complex, and lactic acid bacteria was used by Indians in their daily diet. It is rich in probiotics, or good bacteria, thereby improving gut health. It further impedes the growth of E. coli and other bad bacteria in the gut.

Advocates of fermented foods maintain that fermentation increases the nutritional properties of ingredients enhancing the absorption of vitamins and minerals in the body. Many of these claims are validated by scientific research.

Fermentation helps break complex carbohydrates and sugars making these easily digestible. Probiotic foods certainly improve gut health. But to accept that all fermented foods are superfoods that dramatically boost our immune system and retard ageing or that these can be magic bullets to cure diabetes, blood pressure, etc. doesn’t seem very wise.

AAP Gujarat Invites Sulking Hardik Patel To Join Party

Amid rumours of Gujarat Congress Working President Hardik Patel quitting the party over infighting in the party, Aam Aadmi Party Gujarat chief Gopal Italia on Friday invited him to join a “like-minded party” like his and said that Congress would not have a place for the dedicated people like Patel.

Speaking to ANI, the AAP state chief said, “If Hardik Patel is not liking in Congress, he should join a like-minded party like AAP. Instead of complaining to Congress, wasting his time, he should contribute here… A party like Congress would not have a place for dedicated people like him.”

However, Patel has refuted the rumours of him leaving the party stating that he will give 100 per cent for Congress.

“I have given my 100 per cent to Congress till now, and will give the same in the coming days. We will do better development in Gujarat. There will be small fights and blame games within the party, but we have to work together to make Gujarat a better place,” Patel said.

Patel added, “If speaking truth is a crime, consider me guilty. The people of Gujarat have expectations from us, we have to stand up to them.”

Hardik Patel emerged as the leader of the Patidar agitation demanding reservation for the community in Gujarat in 2015 and later joined Congress. (ANI)

India To Get Record Number Of New Doctors In 10 Yrs: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that the country is going to get a record number of new doctors in the coming 10 years.

His remarks came after he inaugurated the KK Patel Super Speciality Hospital in the Bhuj district of Gujarat via video conferencing.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony, PM Modi said, “Hospital in Bhuj will make good quality healthcare accessible to people at affordable price. Two decades ago, there were only nine medical colleges in Gujarat with only 1,100 seats. Today we have more than 36 medical colleges with 6,000 seats.”

The Prime Minister also assured that India will get a record number of doctors in the coming ten years for better health facilities. “Whether it is the goal of building medical colleges in every district of the country or efforts to make medical education accessible to all, the country is going to get a record number of new doctors in the coming 10 years,” PM Modi said.

Further, he described the meaning of ‘better health facilities’ and said that they are not restricted only to the treatment of diseases.

“Better health facilities are not just limited to the treatment of diseases, they also promote social justice. When a poor get access to the cheap and best treatment, his faith in the system gets stronger,” PM Modi stated.

The hospital has been built by Shree Kutchi Leva Patel Samaj, Bhuj. This is the first charitable super speciality hospital in Kutch and is a 200 bedded hospital, according to PMO.

“It provides super speciality services such as Interventional Cardiology (Cathlab), Cardiothoracic Surgery, Radiation Oncology, Medical Oncology, Surgical Oncology, Nephrology, Urology, Nuclear Medicine, Neuro Surgery, Joint Replacement and other supportive services like laboratory, radiology etc,” PMO said.

Further, the PMO said that the hospital makes medical super speciality services easily accessible for the people of the region, at an affordable price. (ANI)