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India’s Growth Outlook Soars: Fitch Raises Medium-Term Potential To 6.2%

By LokMarg 6th November 2023

In an upward revision, Fitch Ratings has increased India’s medium-term potential growth forecast from 5.5 per cent to a robust 6.2 per cent.

This positive development reflects the country’s growing economic resilience and potential for expansion.

This upgrade places India in the spotlight for its strong growth trajectory.

Additionally, Mexico received a substantial boost in its growth estimate, with Fitch revising it from 1.4 per cent to 2.0 per cent.

These positive changes were underpinned by a more favourable outlook for the capital-to-labour ratio.

The adjustments didn’t stop there. Fitch also revised growth forecasts for other countries. Poland’s potential growth estimate was increased to 3.0 per cent from 2.6 per cent, Turkey’s to 4.1 per cent from 3.9 per cent, Brazil’s to 1.7 per cent from 1.5 per cent, and Indonesia’s to 4.9 per cent from 4.7 per cent.

However, it wasn’t all good news. Fitch Ratings simultaneously lowered the growth estimate for China from 5.3 per cent to 4.6 per cent, reflecting a significant reduction in China’s supply-side growth potential.

Russia’s growth estimate dropped to 0.8 per cent from 1.6 per cent, Korea’s to 2.1 per cent from 2.3 per cent, and South Africa’s to 1.0 per cent from 1.2 per cent.

The overarching trend across the ten emerging markets (EM) in Fitch’s Global Economic Outlook was a drop in potential growth, with the GDP-weighted average falling to 4.0 per cent from the 4.3 per cent estimate in 2021.

The bulk of this decrease can be attributed to the substantial reduction in China’s supply-side growth potential.

Despite this, the unweighted average across the EM10 countries remained at a steady 3 per cent, thanks to upward revisions in other markets.

Fitch acknowledges that lingering pandemic effects and shifting demographic trends are responsible for the overall slowdown in potential growth across EM10 countries.

The agency also made “level shock” adjustments to historical estimates of potential GDP in 2020 and 2021 for Mexico, Indonesia, India, and South Africa, factoring in the lingering scarring effects.

In light of these adjustments and forward-looking growth forecasts, Fitch anticipates that the EM10 potential GDP will be 3.0 percentage points lower by 2027 compared to the trajectory based on pre-pandemic potential growth estimates from 2019.

This reflects the challenges that emerging markets continue to face in their pursuit of sustainable growth.

This positive revision for India’s growth potential is expected to provide a substantial boost to the nation’s economic prospects, reinforcing its position as a promising global player in the mid-term. (ANI)

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Delhi: Odd-Even Norms From Nov 13 To Curb Pollution

By LokMarg 6th November 2023

The Delhi government on Monday decided to reintroduce the odd-even rule from November 13 to 20 in view of the concerns of deterioration in air quality.

Delhi Environment, Forest and Wildlife Minister Gopal Rai told the media after a high-level meeting that the decision will be implemented a day after Diwali, which be celebrated on November 12, and will continue for a week.

He said a decision on further extending the odd-even rule would be taken later.

“In view of air pollution, the odd-even vehicle system will be applicable for one week from 13th to 20th November…,” Gopal Rai said.

He said there is a possibility that the wind speed will increase on November 7, 8 which is expected to reduce the level of pollution.

“As per the forecast, the wind speed will be 12km/hour tomorrow, 7th November and if the speed reaches 10 to 12 km/hour, then there is a possibility that the level of pollution accumulated here might disperse. Similarly, the wind speed will be 8-10 km/hour on 8th November. It is expected that the speed of wind will increase on November 7 and 8 November which will reduce the level of pollution…,” he said.

The odd-even scheme of the Delhi government is a traffic rationing measure under which vehicles with registration numbers ending with an odd digit will be allowed on roads on odd dates and those with an even digit on even dates.

According to the data issued by the System of Air Quality Forecasting and Research (SAFAR-India), the air quality in the National Capital was recorded at 488, up from 410 a day ago.

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on Sunday decided to invoke Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in the entire National Capital Region (NCR) with immediate effect to prevent further deterioration of air quality.The Air Quality Commission said that Stage IV will be implemented in addition to the restrictions placed under Stage I to III.

According to the 8-point action plan, there will be a ban on entry of truck traffic into Delhi (except for trucks carrying essential commodities/ providing essential services and all LNG/ CNG/ electric trucks). Also, a ban will be imposed on the plying of Delhi-registered diesel-operated Medium Goods Vehicles (MGVs) and Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) in Delhi, except those carrying essential commodities/ providing essential services. GRAP Stage-IV restrictions also include NCR and Delhi government may take a decision on discontinuing physical classes even for classes VI-IX, and class XI and conduct lessons in an online mode. (ANI)

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Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah Masjid dispute

SC Adjourns Hearing Of Pleas Of NewsClick Founder

By LokMarg 6th November 2023

The Supreme Court on Monday adjourned until after the Diwali break pleas filed by Newsclick founder and Editor-in-Chief Prabir Purkayastha and website’s human resources head Amit Chakraborty challenging their arrest under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) over alleged Chinese funding to promote anti-national propaganda.

A bench of Justices BR Gavai and PK Mishra said, “We will have it immediately after vacation.”

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal told the bench, “Grounds of arrest have to be supplied in writing. Nothing has been supplied.”

Earlier, the top court had issued notice to Delhi police on pleas.

Purkayastha and Chakraborty moved the apex court challenging the Delhi High Court’s order upholding the trial court order remanding them to police custody. They have since been remanded to judicial custody.

They were arrested by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police on October 3 after it searched 30 locations connected with the online news portal and its journalists in a case filed under the UAPA following allegations that it received money for pro-China propaganda.

Purkayastha and Chakravarty subsequently moved the High Court challenging the arrest as well as the seven-day police custody and sought immediate release as an interim relief.

The Court had rejected their pleas and said it is of the view that “the fact that serious offences affecting the stability, integrity, sovereignty and national security have been alleged against the petitioner, this Court is not inclined to pass any favourable orders.”

According to the FIR, a large amount of funds to the news portal allegedly came from China to “disrupt the sovereignty of India” and cause disaffection against the country.

The probe agency also alleged that Purkayastha conspired with a group – People’s Alliance for Democracy and Secularism (PADS) – to sabotage the electoral process during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. (ANI)

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IDF Takes Control Of Military Compound In Gaza

By LokMarg 6th November 2023

The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said it has been conducting extensive operations in the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours and that they targeted approximately 450 Hamas targets, which included tunnels, terrorist positions, military facilities, observation posts, and anti-tank missile launch sites, CNN reported.

The IDF also announced their capture of a Hamas military compound inside Gaza, containing observation posts, training facilities for Hamas operatives, and underground tunnels.

“Over the last day, IDF fighter jets struck over 450 Hamas targets, including tunnels, terrorists, military compounds, observation posts, anti-tank missile launch posts and more,” the IDF said in a statement on Monday.

“Overnight, IDF ground troops took control of a Hamas military compound in the Gaza Strip. The compound contains observation posts, training areas for Hamas operatives and underground terror tunnels,” the statement added.

The Israeli military has been executing a significant offensive in the region, both above and below ground, targeting Hamas infrastructure and leadership. Rear Adm Daniel Hagari, the army’s spokesperson, emphasised the intensity of the operation in response to a previous Hamas attack that claimed 1,400 lives in Israel on October 7.

These strikes have affected civilian areas, including residential neighbourhoods, hospitals, refugee camps, and schools, resulting in the loss of more than 9,700 lives, CNN reported, citing the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah.

Furthermore, telecommunications services experienced disruptions, with Paltel, a telecom company, announcing a “complete interruption” of its services due to the reconnection routes being cut off once more from the Israeli side.

However, there have been reports of the gradual restoration of communication services, including fixed, cellular, and internet services, in various parts of the Gaza Strip. Telecom operators such as JawwaL and Ooredoo Palestine have also shared similar updates on social media.

Netblocks, an Internet monitoring organisation, confirmed that internet access in Gaza is gradually being restored after a near-total blackout on Sunday, which was the second-longest observed since the conflict with Israel began.

“Metrics show that internet connectivity is being restored in the #Gaza Strip after Sunday’s near-total telecoms blackout, the second-longest observed since the onset of the present conflict with Israel; overall service remains significantly below pre-war levels,” the organisation said.

Over 9,700 people have been killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since October 7, CNN quoted Mai Al-Kaila, the Palestinian minister of health in Ramallah as saying, who used data drawn from medical sources in the Hamas-controlled enclave.

The figure included 4,800 children, Al-Kaila said. The updated figures came after a US special envoy, David Satterfield, said Saturday that between 8,00,000 and a million people have fled from the north to southern parts of the Gaza Strip, deepening the humanitarian crisis.

Critical supplies continue to be in short supply during the ongoing Israeli siege on the region, CNN reported. (ANI)

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Hamas Do Not Want People To Evacuate Northern Gaza: IDF

By LokMarg 6th November 2023

Amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war that has now completed a month, Israel Defence Forces spokesperson Jonathan Conricus has said that the Hamas terrorists have made specific efforts to stop Palestinians from moving South.

The IDF spokesperson said that most of the combat operations are going on in Gaza because that is where most of the Hamas has its strong hold.

In a video posted on social media platform X, Conricus said, “Most of the combat operations are going on in northern Gaza. there are still other strikes going on , in other areas as well, but we are focussing on Northern Gaza, because that is where most of the Hamas has its strong hold.”

He said that Hamas wants to keep civilians in densely populated areas in order to meet their purposes.

“Now, what we have seen are roadblocks, hamas has made specific efforts to stop Palestinians from moving south, ..they do not want people to evacuate from the north….they want them to stay in a densely populated areas where there is the most serious and difficult fighting ..because they want the civilians on top of their tunnels,” Conricus said.

In a quick update, focussing on humanitarian efforts taken up from IDF side, Conricus mentioned that the forces are trying to get the Palestinian civilians out of Northern Gaza.

“As we have been saying since last two weeks, we are trying to get Palestinian civilians out of this area and down into the south….more than a million and a half pamphlets and flyers have been airdropped, different colors for different days…so that people can understand that these are different pamphlets… we have done almost 20,000 live phonecalls by Israeli intel officers calling people in various neighbourhoods like Jabaliya, in Gaza city and many other locations, telling them relocate to south, not to stay or remain in northern Gaza,” the IDF spokesperson said.

“The sum total of this is serious, relevant timely effort to get the message to the Palestinian population that they should go from the northern part of Gaza to go to south of Gaza…because it is not safe where they are standing,” he added.

The Israeli Army said on Sunday that “significant strikes” are being carried out and the Gaza Strip has been “cut into two”, Al Jazeera reported.

Army spokesperson Daniel Hagari said that the Israeli forces “have encircled Gaza City” and “now there exists a south Gaza and a north Gaza”.

“Troops reached the coastline and are holding it”, he added. “There are now widespread strikes on terror infrastructure – below ground and above it,” Al Jazeera quoted Hagari as saying.

In another statement, Chief of the General Staff, LTG Herzi Halevi, during a meeting in the Northern Command, said that the IDF is ready to strike in the northern Gaza at “any moment”.

“We have a clear goal of restoring a significantly better security situation at the borders, not only in the Gaza Strip…We are ready to strike in the north at any moment,” IDF posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had declared that Israel will not agree to a ceasefire until the Hamas terror group releases the hostages it is holding, The Times of Israel reported.

“Take this (word ‘ceasefire’) out of the lexicon. We will continue until we defeat them; we do not have an alternative,” Netanyahu is quoted saying in a statement from his office.

Meanwhile, Israeli envoy to the US, Michael Herzog called Gaza as the world’s “biggest terror complex”, Times of Israel reported.

He said that Gaza is “the biggest terror complex in the world,” with tens of thousands of fighters and rockets, among other weaponry — and 310 miles (500 kilometres) of underground tunnels.

“This is what we’re up against. And we have to uproot it, because if we do not, they will strike again and again,” Times of Israel quoted Herzog as saying at CBS’s “Face the Nation” interview. (ANI)

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Kejriwal Announces Rs 7000 Bonus For Govt Employees

By LokMarg 6th November 2023

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday announced a bonus of Rs 7000 to nearly 80,000 Group B non-gazetted and Group C employees of the government ahead of the Diwali

The bonus will incur an expenditure of Rs 56 crore to the state exchequer.

In a video message CM Kejriwal said,”…We will provide Rs 7,000 as a bonus to the Group B non-gazetted and Group C employees of Delhi Government. Currently, around 80,000 Group B non-gazetted and Group C employees are working with the Delhi government”.

“A total of Rs 56 crores will be spent to provide this bonus,” CM added.

CM Kejriwal said that the Delhi government has “done a lot of work” in education, health, infrastructure, and public services in the last eight years.

“In this, the contribution of our workers has been very significant,” Kejriwal said in his address, adding “Due to their hard work, we have been able to transform Delhi into a city of dreams”.

Earlier, on November 1 the Delhi Chief Minister had announced the regularisation of jobs of several workers of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi

CM Kejriwal had said that 6494 sanitation workers had been confirmed in MCD so far adding this is a “big announcement” on the occasion of Diwali.

“Yesterday there was a meeting of the Municipal Corporation House, in which a resolution was passed approving the regularisation of 5,000 sanitation workers of Delhi. Till now we have

confirmed 6494 sanitation workers . BJP had been exploiting the sanitation workers for fifteen

years. Regularization has been their long-pending demand. Now the workers are very happy. Since the formation of our government in Punjab, we have confirmed 30,000 personnel. We will regularise those workers wherever we can,” the Chief Minister had said.

Diwali is the festival of lights. It symbolises the spiritual “victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance”.

Diwali is observed on Amavasya (or the new moon), the 15th day of the month of Kartik, every year. This year, Diwali will be celebrated on November 12. (ANI)

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Rohit Shares Akshay’s First Look From Singham Again

By LokMarg 5th November 2023

On the 2nd anniversary of the action thriller film ‘Sooryavanshi’ director Rohit Shetty shared the first look of actor Akshay Kumar from the film ‘Singham Again’.

Taking to Instagram, Rohit shared a post which he captioned, “In Singham Again, we are just doing what our fans want us to do! So here it is..Akshay Kumar and a helicopter! As we complete 2 years of Sooryavanshi, VEER SOORYAVANSHI joins the battle with Singham. #SinghamAgain.”

In the first look, Akshay could be seen jumping off a helicopter while holding guns.

The ‘Sooryavanshi’ actor could be seen donning all black outfits.

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Randeep To Marry Lin Laishram In Nov

By LokMarg 5th November 2023

Actors Randeep Hooda and Lin Laishram are expected to seal their relationship by taking the wedding vows soon.

If a source is to be believed, Randeep and Lin will tie the knot this month. However, the official announcement from the actors’ end is awaited.

Even though Randeep and Lin never confirmed their relationship in public, the two often post pictures of each other on social media.

In October 2022, Randeep seemingly made his relationship Instagram official with Lin. On Diwali, Randeep took to Instagram and shared photos with Lin and his parents. In one of the images, Randeep and Lin are seen holding diyas in their hands.

Sharing the photos, Randeep wrote, “Love and light to all around the world#happydiwali #diwali2022”

In August 2023, Lim added fuel to her dating rumours with Randeep by posting an adorable birthday wish for the ‘Sarabjit’ star.

Lin took to Instagram to wish Randeep with a caption, “Happy birthday my hot fudge.”

Lin made her Bollywood debut in 2007 with the film ‘Om Shanti Om’ in which she gave a cameo appearance as Om Kapoor’s friend. She has appeared in other Bollywood films including Mary Kom (2014) as Bem, Umrika (2015) as Udai’s wife, Rangoon (2017) as Mema, Qaidi Band (2017), and Axone (2019) as Chanbi.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Randeep will be seen in the film ‘Swatantra Veer Savarkar’. The project is a biopic of freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, popularly known as Veer Savarkar. Directed and co-written by Randeep Hooda with Utkarsh Naithani, the film is produced by Anand Pandit Motion Pictures and Randeep Hooda Films with Legend Studios and Avak Films.’Pavitra Rishta’ fame Ankita Lokhande will be seen opposite Randeep in the film.

Vinayak Damodar Savarkar was born on 28 May 1883 in Maharashtra’s Nashik. He was a freedom fighter, politician, lawyer, and writer. Savarkar is known for coining the term ‘Hindutva’. (ANI)

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Match Dekho Burger Khao: Varun

By LokMarg 5th November 2023

With Team India’s World Cup match against South Africa, Sunday turned out to be indeed special for cricket lovers. Actor Varun Dhawan also made sure to enjoy the thrilling match and that too by gorging on a burger.

Taking to Instagram, Varun dropped a few pictures of him flaunting his ripped abs. Interestingly, he is seen eating a burger while flexing his muscles.

“Sunday= cheat meals. A lot of hardwork went into earning this burger .Match dekho burger khaoo,” he captioned the post.

Varun’s post has garnered loads of likes and comments.

“Hahaha best way to watch the match,” a social media user commented.

“Cute,” another one wrote.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Varun will be seen headlining Indian version of global series ‘Citadel’. In the project, he will share screen space with Samantha Ruth Prabhu.

It is an Indian adaptation of the Russo Brothers’ series of the same name. Priyanka Chopra and Richard Madden headlined the international version. The release date of the Indian version of Citadel is awaited. Raj and DK have created the Indian version. (ANI)

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Jaishankar Calls On Bhutanese King, Affirms India’s Support

By LokMarg 5th November 2023

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called on the King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuk and affirmed India’s support for the vision of sustainable transformation of Bhutan on Friday.

During their meeting, the Bhutanese King also shared his experience of visiting Assam.

Taking to X, EAM shared about the meeting saying, “Privilege to call on His Majesty, the King of Bhutan shortly after his arrival in New Delhi. Pleased to hear about the experience of his first visit to Assam. India supports the vision of sustainable transformation of Bhutan under His Majesty’s guidance.”

The Bhutan King, who is on an official visit to India, arrived in New Delhi on Sunday and was warmly received by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

The Bhutan King’s visit to India would foster the close bonds of friendship and cooperation between the two countries, Ministry of External Affaira (MEA) said.

“His Majesty the King of Bhutan warmly received by EAM @DrSJaishankar upon his arrival in New Delhi. His Majesty is on an official visit to India. The visit will further strengthen close bonds of friendship and cooperation with a valued partner,” MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi stated on X.

According to the MEA, the Bhutan King will also meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Notably, the Bhutan King on Friday began his 8-day India-visit from Assam. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma received the Bhutan Royal at the Guwahati airport.

During his arrival in Assam, Wnagchuck was accompanied by senior officials of the royal government of Bhutan.

He began his Assam tour with a visit to the reverred Kamakhya Temple atop the Nilachal Hills in Guwahati. (ANI)

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