Tag: Politics

Pro-China Muizzu’s ruling party wins clear majority in Maldives Parliament

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Maldives’ main ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) party has won a clear majority in parliament, results showed on Sunday.

President Mohamed Muizzu’s PNC won 66 of the first 86 seats declared, according to the Elections Commission of Maldives results, which is enough for a super-majority in the 93-member majlis, or parliament.

The vote was key for Muizzu’s aim to strengthen economic ties with China. With the PNC and its allies holding just eight seats in the previous parliament, Muizzu’s plans were hampered after his presidential win in September due to the lack of a majority.

Also Read: Maldives votes in election key to its India and China relations

Muizzu’s election as president last year saw Malé leaning towards Beijing, with the new leader taking a pro-China stand and acting to remove Indian troops stationed on one of the country’s islets.

Six political parties and independent groups had fielded 368 candidates for 93 seats in Parliament.

The main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) — which had previously had a majority of its own — was headed for a defeat with just a dozen seats.

Muizzu, 45, had been among the first to vote Sunday, casting his ballot at a school in the capital Male and urging Maldivians to turn out in high numbers.

His earlier campaign theme for the presidential election was “India out,” accusing his predecessor of compromising national sovereignty.

Also Read: After ‘India Out’ campaign by Maldives, visitors to island nation plummet

Earlier, Indian military personnel stationed in the Maldives operated two aircraft donated by India and assisted in the rescue of people stranded or faced with calamities at sea. Muizzu has taken steps to have civilians take over those activities.

Relations strained further when Indian social media activists started a boycott campaign of Maldives tourism. That was in retaliation for three Maldivian deputy ministers making derogatory statements about Prime Minister Narendra Modi for raising the idea of promoting tourism in Lakshadweep, India’s own string of islands similar to the Maldives.

According to recent Maldives government statistics, the number of Indian tourists has fallen, dropping that country from being the top source of foreign visitors to No. 6. Muizzu visited China earlier this year and negotiated an increase in the number of tourists and inbound flights from China.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Year Ender | Landslides to fresh formations, top 10 political developments of 2023

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The year 2023 saw some significant political developments that will continue to shape the course of the world’s largest democracy in times to come.

Here’s a look at the 10 biggest political events of the year:

1) BJP scores landslide victory in the semi-final

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) scored landslide victories in the Hindi belt states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan Assembly elections whose results were declared on December 3. While BJP ousted Congress from power in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, it retained its position in Madhya Pradesh.

The election re-emphasised BJP’s dominance in western and central India. The two regions provide a major bulk of MPs to the saffron party. Brand Modi is still impregnable. The results underline his electoral appeal, even in local contests. The results showcase the inherent strengths of the BJP’s cadre and its ability to reach the last mile with the voter, which matters in close contests. A tribal surge for the BJP has been noticed in all the three northern states. This reversed the traditional voting pattern.

Voters seem to have rejected the nationwide caste survey idea initiated by Nitish Kumar, with Rahul Gandhi strongly advocating it. The victories in the three states have given a booster to the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2024.

2) First Congress CM in Telangana

Telangana got its first non-BRS chief minister after Congress leader Revanth Reddy took oath at the LB Stadium in Hyderabad. MLA Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka was sworn in as the deputy chief minister, creating history as the first Dalit person to occupy the post.

The grand ceremony was held in the presence of senior party functionaries like Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge, Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, former president Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar, and Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, among others.

The Congress Party strikes a historical win in the Telangana Assembly polls by winning 64 seats, bringing an end to the nearly 10-year-old rule of the K. Chandrasekhar Rao-led Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) party. The Congress garnered 64 seats while BRS won 39 seats. BJP managed to win eight seats, AIMIM won seven seats and one seat was won by CPI.

Telangana Congress Party Chief Revanth Reddy, who won from Kodangal constituency with a margin of over 32,000 votes, defeated his nearest BRS rival Patnam Narender Reddy

The Indian National Congress is set to form its government in Telangana as it crosses the majority mark of 60 seats, as per the Election Commission of India (ECI).

3) Bihar caste survey

Nitish Kumar led the Bihar government in conducting the Bihar caste survey, popularly known as Bihar Jaati Adharit Ganana this year. At the time of release of this report, both Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav termed the occasion as a “historic moment.”

“Today, on Gandhi Jayanti, we all have become witness to this historic moment. Despite many conspiracies by the BJP and legal hurdles, the Bihar government released the caste-based survey,” the former Bihar CM Lalu Yadav posted on X.

The survey says that the Other Backward Classes (OBCs), Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs), Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) from 85% of Bihar’s population. Out of this, OBCs and EBCs together constitute 63% of the state’s total population.

The ‘forward castes’ or General category, at 2.03 crore, form only 15.5% of Bihar’s population, the survey indicated.

CM Kumar has always been vocal about a caste survey, calling it an important instrument for social justice. He also wrote to PM Modi demanding a caste survey. The socialist leader is said to be a believer in the economic and social empowerment of the backward classes.

The move is termed as “masterstroke” by the Mandalite socialist parties against the Hindutva consolidation project of the BJP. The caste survey resurrects the politics of reservation in the politically crucial Hindi heartland before the general elections in 2024.

This move further aims to check the BJP, which has been making inroads among the OBC and Dalit communities over the last few years while the Opposition is trying to win back its lost ground.

4) Formation of ‘INDIA’ 

India’s 26 Opposition parties came together in July this year to form INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) to oust Narendra Modi’s government from power in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The Opposition parties argued that they had formed an alliance to challenge the BJP, which is assaulting the character of the republic. They further pledged to “safeguard the idea of India as enshrined in the Constitution.” Soon after the announcement of the coalition, the alliance said it would focus on fighting rising prices and unemployment.

The alliance managed to capture headlines for some time. However, differences soon emerged.

During the recently-concluded Assembly elections, a lack of coordination was seen among the members of this alliance. The alliance failed to put forward a joint candidate against the BJP.

Additionally, two key members of the alliance — TMC and AAP — pitched for Malliarjun Kharge as the alliance’s prime ministerial candidate — a move seen as a snub the Gandhis.

5) Inauguration of new Parliament building

Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially inaugurated the new Parliament building on May 28, 2023. The demand for a replacement has been overdue for quite some time.

The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha halls now boast an increased capacity of 888 seats and 384 seats, respectively. This enlargement facilitates joint sessions of Parliament with a combined seating capacity of up to 1,272 seats.

The proceedings of the House commenced on September 19, 2023. It was marked by PM Narendra Modi leading a walkathon of MPs from the old building to the new Parliament building.

The British era building has concerns about its structural safety with the seismic classification for the region being Seismic Zone IV. Also, the old structure suffers from limited seating capacity for members of Parliament (MPs), insufficient workspace for key government figures, outdated communication systems, safety issues among others.

However, one of the most glorious days in Indian history was not untouched by controversies. A total of 20 Opposition parties decided to boycott the inauguration ceremony, alleging the sidelining of President Droupadi Murmu.

6) NCP split

In a significant development that could impact the politics of the country’s second-largest state in terms of population, NCP Leader Ajit Pawar split the party on July 2, 2023, to align with the ruling BJP-Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena government.

Pawar was inducted into the government as another deputy chief minister soon after he switched his loyalty with 40 other MLAs.

Soon after the split, Ajit Pawar also staked a claim to the party’s name and election symbol before the Election Commission. He has changed all the office bearers and made fresh appointments in a bid to strengthen his hold over the party.

Sharad Pawar has staked claim over the NCP party and its assets, asserting that he is the founder of the 25-year-old party.

“There was an ideological difference within the NCP which had nothing to do with the Pawar family,” said Baramati MP and Sharad Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule on the split.

The Pawar family has long maintained that political separation will have no impact on family relationships.

7) Manish Sisodia arrested

Delhi’s former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia was arrested by the CBI on February 26 for his alleged wrongdoings over the liquor policy. The arrest forced him to resign from his post. AAP MP Sanjay Singh and former minister Satyendar Jain have also been jailed.

Soon after, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) also arrested Sisodia in a money laundering case after questioning him in Tihar.

The AAP government implemented the Delhi Excise Policy 2020-21 on November 17, 2021, but scrapped it in end-September 2022 amid allegations of corruption. As per the allegations, under the new excise policy, the profit margins of wholesalers were arbitrarily increased from 5% to 12%. The central investigation agencies further said the new policy resulted in cartelisation and those ineligible for liquor licences were favoured for monetary benefits.

8) Rahul Gandhi returns 

Former Congress president and Lok Sabha MP from Wayanad Rahul Gandhi lost his lawmaker status in March after he was sentenced to two years in jail in the ‘Modi surname defamation case.’

The case against Mr Gandhi was filed over comments he made about the Modi surname in a 2019 election rally. Speaking at a rally in Karnataka state in 2019, Gandhi had said: “Why do all these thieves have Modi as their surname? Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi, Narendra Modi.”

Nirav Modi is a fugitive Indian diamond tycoon while Lalit Modi is a former chief of the Indian Premier League who has been banned for life by the country’s cricket board.

However, later the Supreme Court stayed the decision in August, after which Rahul Gandhi once again became eligible as a member of Parliament.

Besides the Congress party, leaders of other Opposition parties celebrated his return. Some political observers say his reinstatement as a lawmaker is a boost for the INDIA bloc.

9) Congress victory in Karnataka 

The Congress’ winning streak in the South began with Karnataka this year. In the Assembly elections held in May in Karnataka, the grand old party registered a landslide victory with 135 out of 224 seats in the Assembly. The Congress managed to bag a remarkable 43% vote share. In the outgoing Assembly, Congress had 69 seats.

The party, which battled infighting, managed to run a united campaign under the able leadership of D.K. Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah. However, differences did emerge after the victory, which required intervention from the highest level.

The BJP got only 66 seats in the elections, down from 118 seats in the outgoing Assembly. The party’s plan to replace popular leader B.S. Yeddyurappa fell flat on its face.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge dubbed the victory as “BJP mukt Dakshin Bharat (BJP free South India).” It is one of the rare moments for the Congress to hand over defeat to its arch-rival BJP in the Assembly elections.

After 35 years, we got such a thumping majority, which we should always remember,” he added.

10) BJP wins Tripura again

Five years after it ended the 25-year-long run of the Left Front in the state, BJP has come to power once again in Tripura as it bagged a majority of 32 seats, followed by TIPRA Motha with 13 seats. Tribal party TIPRA Motha is led by royal scion Pradyot Debbarma.

CPI(M) got 11 seats and Congress bagged three, an improvement over last time when it had failed to open its account. Other Left parties — Forward Bloc, CPI and RSP — failed to open their account this time.

Manik Saha was awarded Tripura’s top post again for his role in ensuring BJP’s victory. The former Congress leader, who joined the saffron party seven years back, defeated his former party’s veteran leader Ashish Kumar Saha, by a margin of 1,257 votes from Bardowali.

From Saha joining the saffron party in 2016 to being made CM for the first time in 2022, it has been a short but upward journey for the 69-year-old dental surgeon-turned-politician.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) lost power in 2018 after winning only 16 seats last time around. This time they contested in 47 seats and won 11, with a vote share of 24.62%.

Also Read:PM Modi interacts with diverse group of beneficiaries as part of Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

‘Meri Mati Mera Desh’ Campaign: India sets Guinness World Record with 10 lakh selfies

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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India has now set a new world record for the maximum number of selfies under the Central government’s ‘Meri Mati Mera Desh’ campaign. Maharashtra’s Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) made it to the Guinness World Records for more than 10 lakh selfies with soil under the ‘Meri Mati Mera Desh’ campaign.

The university found a place on the Guinness World Records for 1,042,538 selfies under the campaign. Earlier, the record was held by China in 2016 with approximately 1,00,000 selfies.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis were present at a ceremony held at Mumbai University on November 9 to receive the Guinness World Records.

Sharing a few photos from the event, Deputy CM Fadnavis tweeted, “Guinness World Records Certificate awarding ceremony for ‘Meri Maati Mera Desh’ (Online Selfie World Record).”

🕜 1.30pm | 9-11-2023 📍 Mumbai | दु.१.३० वा. | ९-११-२०२३ 📍 मुंबई.

🔸Guinness World Records Certificate awarding ceremony for ‘Meri Maati Mera Desh’ (Online Selfie World Record)
🔸’मेरी माटी मेरा देश’ अंतर्गत गिनीज वर्ल्ड रेकॉर्ड्स प्रमाणपत्र प्रदान सोहळा कार्यक्रम ( ऑनलाईन… pic.twitter.com/W78f68syXC

— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) November 9, 2023

“It’s a proud moment for us, and SPPU has created this world record. We call this nation Mother, and this Maa is Mitti (soil), and the ‘Meri Matti Mera Desh’ campaign is all about respecting the people who have sacrificed their lives for the nation, we worship our soil,” Fadnavis said, reported Hindustan Times.

He further stated that there were 25 lakh selfies, but Guinness World Records approved only 10,42,538 selfies. He added that it was Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s Maharashtra that broke this record held by China, and there is a need to break more records.

Chief Minister Shinde also congratulated those involved in this initiative and highlighted the patriotic spirit that the campaign demonstrated. He thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making the country’s presence felt internationally.

CM Shinde also added that the government made special arrangements to take these ‘Amrit Kalash’ to Delhi by train.

On the success of the ‘Meri Mati Mera Desh’ campaign, Maharashtra BJP president, Chandrashekhar Bawankule tweeted, “I congratulate all the people of Maharashtra on this occasion. Also, I express my gratitude to all the people who uploaded selfies. This world record was possible only because of you all.”

On the call of respected Prime Minister @narendramodi ji, the ‘Meri Mati Mera Desh’ campaign was completed with great enthusiasm across the country.

Under this campaign, Maharashtra created a world record for the largest selfie album of 10,42,538 selfies through the ‘Selfie with… pic.twitter.com/gSmCyltgT5

— Chandrashekhar Bawankule (@cbawankule) November 9, 2023

The Meri Mati Mera Desh campaign was launched by PM Narendra Modi to pay tribute to the martyrs of the country as a part of the Azaadi ka Amrit Mahotsav programme. Under the campaign, sacred soil was collected from the native places of the martyrs from across the country and brought to Delhi in containers known as ‘Amrit Kalash’.

The final event of the Amrit Kalash Yatra was held in Delhi on October 31. Under the campaign, soil was collected from over 6 lakh villages across the country and brought to the national capital.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Insensitivity | The phenomenon that changes the task of ‘governing’ to ‘ruling’

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Rishabh Pant, who emerged from a blazing car, following a severe car accident is currently recovering at a hospital.  Unfortunately, the steady stream of visitors beyond the official visiting hours is not allowing the cricketer to get much needed rest, both physical and mental, shares his parents.

Again, during an earthquake or a flood, badly needed resources is diverted to manage VVIP visits to the affected site rather than the disaster management team to focus on the calamity itself. In today’s day and age, on ground live video coverage should be quite sufficient for senior authorities to support logistics and decision making. Sadly, while that seems the intent, the real reason for visiting is a PR activity.

Alarmingly, narcissistic leaders have come to recognise the potency of the social media to amplify their personalities and public image, and have taken to this new, like the proverbial ‘fish to water’.  A well-planned campaign thru media is orchestrated by a few well known planners who claim they are ‘King Makers’. Narratives is key here and he that controls it holds sway over the masses.

The inner drama

Psychoanalytically speaking where does such behaviour originate from? We are a country with a colonial past and have been ruled. Even post-Independence, and introducing secular democracy, our leaders continue to believe they are ‘rulers’. It is quite clear that those who gets perceived as contextually more powerful, invade the contextually less powerful. You see evidence of VVIPs invading citizens’ rights, and the primary task changes from governing as people’s representatives to ruling. VVIP’s travel in cars fitted with flashing red beacon, to allow faster right of way on crowded roads, even if it holds up a struck ambulance that tries to quickly access the emergency hospital. They breeze past bypass tolls, often when they are not allowed to, are whisked through security at airports, often delaying scheduled flights, and the more recent status of z class security. Even public works like a flyover to be opened, gets delayed as the cabinet minister from the centre is to inaugurate it and his schedules do not permit an early visit.

Today, instead of invasions and colonisation, economic supremacy establishes itself by invading the territory of the less powerful (mostly the Developing) nations, either by taking advantage of a globalised economy or politically through coercive trading concessions. Quite recently our Foreign Minister had to assert our own rights (import of oil from Russia) to take care of our own economic interests rather than take sides.

As invaders, to be free from the ensuring guilt, the myth of ‘inferiority–superiority’, perpetuated and alongside purity and pollution is added to embellish it even further. The Caste or Jati system entrenched in the Indian psyche permeates all regions in India. The feudal structures of the past, were established on authority and were in essence ‘to exploit the majority and any dispensation when provided, was merely to keep the majority healthy to produce wealth for the minority in the upper echelons’.  When the collectivity is disregarded and management is seen to be reserved for a group of senior personnel, others fall into roles of supervisors, while the bottom become ‘workers. The Stanford experiment, involving students as make-believe prison guards clearly illustrates how roles create unacceptable behaviour. In my work using organisational simulations (inspired by Barry Oshry) I have had direct experience of seeing this phenomenon play out repeatedly.

Our MLA’s (in reality public servants) act with complete impunity. Once elected, they pay scant attention to those that voted him to power but indulge in horse trading and negotiation that allows them access to power. Quite recently one has seen many elected governments at State level topple because of defection/movement of MLA’s to the other side.

Media exposes sensational crimes and excesses by a few but post the initial cacophony (‘the nation wants to know’) of debates in the media, the matter is soon put aside for the next upcoming sensation. The old phenomena appear like a circus, but while that is legitimate entertainment this is absolutely despairing.

The social media is rife with ‘emotionally charged’ perspectives. Every once in a while, we are witnessing malevolent forms of riotous protest, bus burning, arson and wanton destruction of public property. The practice once used to protest against the ‘invaders’ (British rule) continues to overhang in today’s democracy. India is a litigious country with court cases replete and taking years to complete. I aver, the case is not so much about finding justice and restitution as remedy – more a way of ‘vendetta’ seeking. This destructive authority breeds corruption (a short path to an easy life), destroying others opportunities to succeed (the Indian Crab syndrome), or polluting environment for one’s own ends. The Corporate world is not immune to this – there are enough incidents of inter-corporate rivalry, scant regard for environment as well.

There is much evidence of jealousy and envy about one’s rights, possessions, and privileges. Impatience and greed to make a ‘fast buck’ and achieve more power or fame. Promises are made to colleagues but not met. The gossip mongers abound, fanning the grapevine. Cowards show their face as bullies, and high-handedness and insensitivity become the privilege of those in supervisory power. One learns to laugh at jokes the boss cracks – even if they are poor.

—The author, Steve Correa, is a veteran CHRO, an author and columnist.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Olympic Champion Neeraj Chopra wins CNN-News18 Indian of the Year 2022 — Check full list of winners here

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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CNN-News18 today presented the 12th edition of its flagship Indian of the Year (IOTY) awards to achievers who have brought pride to the country through their tenacity and dedication, honouring the top performers who have excelled in their areas in the last one year.

The initiative celebrated breakthroughs in categories that have come to define the Indian spirit — sports, entertainment, politics, entrepreneurship, social reform, and climate change — through this programme. The Vice President of India, Jagdeep Dhankar, served as the chief guest at the ceremony.

Here is the complete list of the winners from all the categories.

Entertainment

Nominations: Alia Bhatt, Allu Arjun, Kartik Aaryan, Team RRR, Vivek Agnihotri

Winner: Allu Arjun

South superstar Allu Arjun has been named Indian of the Year 2022 in the category of ‘entertainment.’  He was honoured for his gripping performance in Pushpa: The Rise, his 2021 feature, which gained him international acclaim and played an important role in bringing moviegoers back to theatres in 2021, grossing more than Rs 350 crore globally.

His breakthrough comes at a time when South Indian film is gaining popularity nationwide. Union Minister Smriti Irani was on stage with him to present the trophy.

Allu said as he accepted his award, “I’ve been working for 20 years and have earned several awards in the south, but today is the first time I’ve received an award from the north. It’s my first, and being in the country’s capital while getting it makes it much more memorable.”

“India Jhukega Nahi,” said Pushpa Star #AlluArjun as he received the #IndianOfTheYear award in the Entertainment category

Union Minister Smriti Z Irani (@smritiirani) presented the award

LIVE: https://t.co/hEUYGE2Ulw pic.twitter.com/vMESBCyuQD

— News18 (@CNNnews18) October 12, 2022

Climate Warrior

Nominations: Jadav Payeng, Jamuna Tudu, Marimuthu Yoganathan, Prasiddhi Singh, Sumaira Abdulali

Winner: Marimuthu Yoganathan

Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat presented the CNN-News18 Indian of the Year 2022 award in climate warrior category to Marimuthu Yoganathan.

#IndianOfTheYear 2022: The award in #ClimateWarrior category goes to: #MarimuthuYoganathan, a bus conductor who has planted 3.5 lakh saplings!@gssjodhpur, Union Minister of Jal Shakti presents the award

Watch Live Here: 👇
YT: https://t.co/yaa6k6dYrk | @Zakka_Jacob pic.twitter.com/Hc2aMAjeaf

— News18 (@CNNnews18) October 12, 2022

Yoganathan, a bus conductor, also popular as the Tree Man of Tamil Nadu, has planted over three lakh saplings in the last three decades at his own expense. He distributes the saplings free of cost to passengers travelling in his bus. He has also visited countless schools, colleges and industries to raise awareness about protecting the environment.

While delivering this award, Shekhawa drew parallel between Yoganathan and South actor Rajnikanth, who also began his career as a bus conductor, and said, “He (Yoganathan) is the Rajnikanth of the climate crusaders.”

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Happy birthday Devendra Fadnavis, political powerhouse and one-time model — 10 lesser-known facts

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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According to a popular anecdote, in 2019 when the Shiv Sena decided not to form the government with the BJP in Maharashtra, NCP Chief Sharad Pawar reached out to Prime Minister and BJP leader Narendra Modi and offered the party’s support in the state. However, Pawar had insisted that PM Modi keep one BJP leader out of the picture in Maharashtra — Devendra Fadnavis. PM Modi politely refused.

When Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde recently brought the Uddhav Thackeray-led post-poll alliance between Shiv Sena, NCP and the Congress down, the BJP made Fadnavis deputy chief minister of the state.

Devendra Fadnavis has emerged as the force to reckon with in Maharashtra politics over the past few years. Hailing from Nagpur, Fadnavis served as the 18th chief minister of the state from 2014 to 2019 and was the first CM from the BJP.

Also read: Key political developments in Maharashtra with Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government

On his 52nd birthday today, July 22, here’s a look at 10 lesser-known facts about the Maharashtra deputy chief minister

1. As a child, Devendra Fadnavis refused to study at the local Indira Convent school as his father Gangadhar Fadnavis was jailed when Indira Gandhi declared an Emergency in India between 1975 and 1977. Instead, Devendra Fadnavis enrolled at the RSS-run Saraswati Vidyalaya, from where he did most of his schooling.

2. Fadnavis has a diverse educational background. He holds a five-year law degree from the Law College Nagpur. He is also a post-graduate in business management and holds a diploma in project management from DSE Berlin.

3. Fadnavis has presented papers on disaster management and energy security at international forums in China, Switzerland and the United States.

4. He became the corporator of the Nagpur Municipal Corporation at age 21 and served two consecutive terms.

Also read: Devendra Fadnavis said in 2019 that he’ll be back and does it

5. At age 27, Fadnavis became the youngest mayor of Nagpur in 1997 and the second-youngest mayor in India. He is the only person to be re-elected to the post of ‘mayor in council.’

6. After Sharad Pawar, Devendra Fadnavis was the second-youngest chief minister of Maharashtra. When he took oath as CM of Maharashtra on October 31, 2014, Fadnavis was 44 years old. Pawar was the youngest CM of the state at 38.

7.  In 2006, Fadnavis worked as a model for a garment shop in Nagpur. The ad campaign was a major hit. The deputy CM’s childhood friend and photographer Vivek Ranade had encouraged him to pursue modelling.

8.  In 2002-03, Fadnavis won the Best Parliamentarian Award from the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.

9.  In 2016, he won the coveted Nag Bhushan award for his contribution to the cause of Vidarbha.

10. Devendra Fadnavis and his wife Amruta featured in a T-series music video titled ‘Mumbai River Anthem.’

Also read: Devendra Fadnavis hit multiple targets with one arrow by making Eknath Shinde Maharashtra CM, says expert

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Italian PM Mario Draghi resigns after coalition falls apart

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Mario Draghi, the prime minister of Italy, tendered his resignation to President Sergio Mattarella on Thursday after his unity government disintegrated, throwing the nation’s politics and financial markets into disarray.

On Wednesday, three of Draghi’s key allies snubbed a confidence vote he had scheduled in an effort to mend fences and revive their fractured coalition, which led to the collapse of Italy’s government.

“Thank you for all the work we have done together over this period. After the vote took place last night by the senate of the Republic, I ask to suspend this session because I am on my way to the President of the Republic to communicate my intentions,” Draghi informed legislators before resigning, according to CNBC.

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According to the Guardian, the former head of the European Central Bank wanted to maintain his administration on the condition that his coalition “rebuild a pact of trust” that would allow it to cooperate and overcome significant challenges in the upcoming months.

The populist Five Star Movement (M5S), the far-right Lega of Matteo Salvini, and Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia, on the other hand, chose not to take part in a confidence vote in the senate on Thursday night that effectively asked parties to endorse a spirit of collaboration.

The political crisis began last week when the Five Star Movement (M5S) party abstained from a vote on a package meant to assist Italians to combat inflation and energy bills on the grounds that it was insufficient. The party was also not pleased with the clause in the package that called for the construction of a huge waste incineration facility in Rome.

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The crisis has disrupted months of stability in Italy, during which Draghi had improved the nation’s position in financial markets and helped define Europe’s firm reaction to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

(With inputs from agency)

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Mamata Banerjee wants to be the Chancellor of state universities in West Bengal

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The West Bengal Cabinet on Thursday approved the proposal to make the Chief Minister the chancellor of state government-run universities.

According the the present system in the country, the Governor is appointed  chancellor of state-based universities. The responsibilities of the Chancellor include appointing Vice-Chancellors as well as making key administrative decisions. Now, the state wants Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to take the place.

However, the state will have to pass a bill in the Assembly to change the present law. The Bill had to get the Governor’s consent before becoming an Act.

According to the law, the Governor is appointed Chancellor of 17 universities in West Bengal, the state’s Bengal Raj Bhavan website states. Some of the universities include  Jadavpur University, University of Calcutta, University of Kalyani, among others.

Punchi Commission first proposed this system in 2010. However, it caught heat last year after tensions between the Chief Minister and the Governor. Earlier, there were allegations that the state government was making vice-chancellor appointments on its own, thereby ignoring the Chancellor (Governor).

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In Tamil Nadu as well, following a tussle between the MK Stalin-led DMK government and the Governor, on April 25 the Chennai University (Amendment) Act 2022  as well as the Tamil Nadu Universities Laws (Amendment) Act 2022 were passed where “Chancellor” was replaced with “government”. Stalin had said that it was not a rare phenomenon and the government in Gujarat too held the power to appoint Vice-Chancellors in state-run universities.

In West Bengal, the tussle between the Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar and the government has been on ever since he took charge as the state’s constitutional head.

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Navjot Singh Sidhu seeks one week’s time to surrender in 1988 road rage case; cites medical condition

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu has sought a week’s time to surrender citing some “medical conditions.” Sidhu has been sentenced to one year jail term in the 1988 road rage case.

The apex court has asked Sidhu’s lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi to move a proper application on this and mention it before the CJI bench.

The development took place after a review petition was filed by the deceased Gurnam Singh’s family. Sidhu was earlier pronounced guilty in May 2018, for which only a fine of Rs 1,000 was imposed.

“We feel there is an error apparent on the face of the record. Therefore, we have allowed the review application on the issue of sentence. In addition to the fine imposed, we consider it appropriate to impose a sentence of imprisonment for a period of one year,” the bench Justices AM Khanwilkar and SK Kaul said while announcing judgement on the review plea.

Sidhu refused to comment when about the judgement after he was pronounced the jail term. He said, “No comment.”

In response to the review petition, Sidhu argued that his conviction in the case should not have been merely for the lesser offence of voluntarily causing hurt. Sidhu also said that it is an abuse of process when the plea seeks enlargement of the scope of notice in the matter relating to a review of the sentence

The Supreme court concluding that the case falls under section 323 of the IPC, had set aside the Punjab and Haryana High Court order of a three-year jail term after convicting him of culpable homicide. Section 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) of the Indian Penal Code entails a maximum jail term of up to one year or with a fine extending upto to Rs 1,000 or both.

The top court had also acquitted Sidhu’s aide Rupinder Singh Sandhu stating a lack of evidence about his presence at the site of the incident with the convict.

Punjab and Haryana HC 2006 had pronounced the former cricketer and his friend guilty under section 304 (II) (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the IPC in December 2006 and sentenced three years in jail and Rs 1 lakh each on them. Patiala District and Sessions court had earlier acquitted them in 1999 of murder charges citing a lack of evidence.

According to the prosecution in the court, on December 27, 1988, both Sidhu and Sandhu were in a Gypsy parked in the middle of a road near the Sheranwala Gate Crossing in Patiala when the victim and two others were on their way to the bank to withdraw money. This resulted to heated exchanges and a physical fight, leading the victim to succumb to his injuries later.

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