Impact of Donald Trump's win as 45th President of United States

Modi said nearly 13,000 hospitals would provide treatment under this scheme Business Standard  : Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi on Sunday launched the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana in Ranchi. The scheme aims at providing tertiary health care of up to Rs 500,000 for 500 million. Treatment for all beneficiaries started on Sunday across the country. Modi said, “People can give it any name — Modicare or whatever — but I consider it service to the poor. People will have to study this scheme across the world and it will be the model health scheme.” “This scheme covers more people than the US, Canada, and Mexico put together.” The PM said the launch happened two days before the scheduled date because September 23 was poet Dinkar’s birthday and it was Sunday, because of which he was free.  BS  From the ramparts of the Red Fort, the Prime Minister on Independence Day said the scheme would be launched on September 25. Modi attacked the Opposition for p...

Vajpayee is under the supervision of Dr Randeep Guleria, a pulmonologist and currently the Director of AIIMS. Guleria has served as personal physician to Vajpayee for over three decades Former prime minister  Atal Bihari Vajpayee  's condition continues to remain critical, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) said in a statement on Thursday. Vajpayee's health worsened on Wednesday and he is on life support system. "Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's condition continues to remain the same. He is critical and on life support systems," the statement by the hospital read. Senior BJP leaders Lal Krishna Advani, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh paid visits to the AIIMS on Thursday to enquire about the health of the former prime minister. Earlier in the morning, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu visited AIIMS to enquire about the condition of Atal Bi...

IPPB would become one of the largest banking networks in India. India Post has 154,000 post offices, of which 139,000 are in rural areas Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch  India Post Payments Bank  (IPPB) on August 21. The event will take place at the capital's Talkatora stadium. The bank is running pilot services in Raipur and Ranchi. It will tie up with other banks and financial companies to offer loans, mutual funds and insurance policies, said sources. The Department of Posts was one of the 11 entities to get the in-principle nod from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in 2015 for setting up a payments bank. Many private firms such as Airtel, Fino, Paytm, etc, have launched these services. But IPPB missed the September 2017 deadline to open 650 branches because it failed to get a system integrator (SI) on board. IPPB would become one of the largest banking networks in India. India Post has 154,000 post offices, of which 139,000 are in rural areas. The...

The government is more concerned with Telegram, fast becoming the preferred medium for many people The government has said it expects popular social media applications such as WhatsApp and Facebook, which have large user bases in the country, to be responsible. In a bid to check the spread of fake news through social media and messaging platforms — leading to mob lynching in some cases — the government is exploring the possibility of blocking WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and Telegram. The government is also trying to curb child abuse and pornography spread through these platforms. The government has already issued notices on WhatsApp to keep a check on content. But, it is more concerned with Telegram, fast becoming the preferred medium for many people. Sources said the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) had expressed concerns about Telegram to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). Based on the letter from MeitY, DoT had asked the telecom an...

During the no-confidence motion debate, Gandhi had accused the Modi government of changing the deal to benefit 'one businessman' Latest News  :  Billionaire Anil Ambani has written to Congress President Rahul Gandhi refuting allegations of his Reliance Group lacking experience to get the Rafale fighter jet deal and said the government had no role in French Group Dassault picking up his company as a local partner. In a two-page letter written on December 12, 2017, Ambani explained to Gandhi, who has been attacking the government over the  Rafale deal  , why his Reliance Group bagged the multi-billion dollar project. Invoking his family's "respectful relationship" with the Gandhi family over generations, Ambani said he was "personally saddened" by the "unfortunate statements" against him and his group by several functionaries of the Congress party. "Not only do we have the necessary experience but we are also the lead...

Modi, the first Indian prime minister to visit the East African country, announced that India will soon open its mission in Rwanda India on Tuesday extended $200 million lines of credit to  Rwanda  as Prime Minister Narendra Modi held wide-ranging talks with President Paul Kagame and discussed measures to boost the bilateral strategic ties by strengthening cooperation in trade and agriculture sectors. After the one-on-one talks with president Kagame, Modi, the first Indian prime minister to visit the East African country, announced that India will soon open its mission in Rwanda. We are going to open a High Commission in Rwanda. This will not only establish communication between our respective governments but also enable facilities for consular, passport, visa, Modi said at a joint press statement. He noted that India and Rwanda relationships have stood the test of time. It is a matter of honour for us that India has stood with Rwanda in their econo...

Govt ready for debate on any issue raised by political parties: PM Modi Calling for extensive discussion in Parliament's  Monsoon session  which began on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that his government was ready for debate on any issue raised by political parties. Modi told reporters that discussion on several issues is necessary in national interest and urged political parties to make maximum use of the time available in the session, which will continue till August 10. He said he had always hoped for a productive session and striven for this and his government would continue to do so. "Any party wants to raise any issue, this government is ready for a discussion," he told reporters just before the beginning of the session. Article Source →  BS

Washington is said to have indicated to New Delhi that the Trump administration is favourably considering the invite India has invited US President Donald Trump to be the chief guest for next year's  Republic Day 2019  parade, the Times of India reported on Friday. An official response from the US is still awaited. However, in the past few weeks, Washington is said to have indicated to New Delhi that the Trump administration is favourably considering the invite, the daily reported. The invite was sent in April and followed up by several rounds of diplomatic engagement. The invitation by the Narendra Modi government comes amid difference with the US over trade tariffs and the latter's sanctions on Iran. Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama, was the chief guest for the 2015 Republic Day parade and celebrations. Leaders of all the 10 countries of the ASEAN bloc were the chief guests for the 2018 parade. Article Source :  BS  

The PM will deliver a speech and perform yoga, along with an estimated 50,000 participants The choice of Dehradun, the capital of Uttarakhand, as the venue of the fourth edition of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s yoga day celebrations on Thursday, has been picked with much thought for its religious and spiritual symbolism, but also has electoral significance for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with it being the last yoga day celebrations before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. On Thursday morning, the PM will deliver a speech and perform yoga, along with an estimated 50,000 participants, at the sprawling and salubrious campus of the 112-year-old Forest Research Institute here. The first international day of yoga, after it was recognized by the UN in end-2014, was held in New Delhi in 2015. Also Read :  Yoga Day 2018: How India's answer to western fitness regimes originated Also Read :  Peru, Japan also celebrate fourth edition of International Yoga Day Chand...

Modi says he also walks "on a track inspired by the Panchtatvas or 5 elements of nature..." The PM appealed to every Indian to "devote some part of the day towards fitness" Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday shared a video that showed his morning exercises, including yoga and breathing practices, responding to Indian cricket team skipper Virat Kohli, who had thrown a fitness challenge at him. On Twitter, Modi said he also walks “on a track inspired by the Panchtatvas or 5 elements of nature - Prithvi, Jal, Agni, Vayu, Aakash. This is extremely refreshing and rejuvenating”. The Prime Minister appealed to every Indian to “devote some part of the day towards fitness”. In a separate message, he nominated Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, table tennis player and 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Manika Batra and the "entire fraternity of brave IPS officers, especially those above 40" for the #fitnesschallenge, which has ...

A mix of clever railway ticket pricing and fortunate global conditions pushed thousands of Indians to start flying There are a few things about the  Indian Railways  ’ performance and the boom in India’s aviation sector under the Narendra Modi government that catch the eye. For one, in an unprecedented development, the number of rail passengers travelling in 2nd AC compartments in 2016-17 saw a steep decline from a year earlier. Secondly, fewer people have been using the Indian Railways services than during the last few years of the Manmohan Singh-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. Thirdly, the exponential growth seen in the number of India’s air travellers lately has as much to do with the pricing of railway tickets as with rising incomes and falling jet fuel prices leading to air tickets being more affordably priced. And, finally, if India’s per capita income continues to increase at the pace it has over the past decade, and airlines cont...

In a joint petition in Supreme Court, the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) had sought a stay on the oath-taking taking ceremony of BJP's chief ministerial candidate Yeddyurappa Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader  B S Yeddyurappa  took oath as the 23rd chief minister of Karnataka on Thursday after the Supreme Court, in a post-midnight hearing, decided not to put a stay on the swearing-in. Top BJP leaders, including Union Ministers JP Nadda, Dharmendra Pradhan and Prakash Javadekar were present at Raj Bhavan in Karnataka during the swearing-in ceremony. Earlier, while hearing a plea filed by Congress, the Supreme Court refused to stall the swearing-in of Yeddyurappa. The court, however, made it clear that the swearing-in and the government formation would be subject to the final outcome of the case before it. The top court sought the letters which Yeddyurappa had written to Karnataka Governor informing him his election as BJP legislature party and pos...

After results to the Karnataka Assembly election 2018 threw up a hung Assembly on Tuesday, both BJP and Congress-JD(S) combine are targetting each other with allegations of poaching of legislators A day after the  Karnataka election results 2018  threw up a fractured mandate, some members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were reported to be claiming that they were in touch with several of elected members of legislative Assembly (MLAs) from the Congress and the JD(S), and that the BJP would definitely form the next government in the state. The BJP, apparently, is in talks with at least seven of the 10 Lingayat legislators of the Congress who are unhappy with the party for dividing the Lingayat community votes and are unwilling to accept Kumaraswamy, a Vokkaliga, as their chief minister. Sources in the BJP told Business Standard that the party was also in touch with about half a dozen JD(S) MLAs who might be willing to abstain from voting at the time of the floo...

Karnataka election result 2018 LIVE updates: With Narendra Modi wave still riding high, trends show BJP snatching another state from Congress Karnataka Legislative Assembly Election 2018  – The high-stakes battle for the 222-seat Karnataka Assembly ended on Saturday and India will soon know the outcome. The counting of votes is underway, and according to the procedure, postal ballots were counted first. Initial trends hint that Karnataka is headed for a hung Assembly. “All arrangements have been made for counting of votes in 222 seats from 8 am onwards at 38 centres in 30 districts, including five in Bengaluru where polling was held in 26 of the 28 segments,” Chief Electoral Officer Sanjiv Kumar said. A record 72.36 per cent of the 50.7 million electors cast their votes, with 27,908 in defence services exercising their franchise through postal ballots. The Election Commission has deployed 16,662 personnel for counting of votes amid tight security. “Postal ballots will...

Calling him a modern-day Mir Jafar, Imran Khan said that Sharif was speaking the language of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and cooperating with the enemies of Pakistan Pakistan's ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif set the cat among the pigeons after he publicly acknowledged that militant organisations are active in the country and questioned Islamabad's policy of allowing "non-state actors" to cross the border and "kill" people in Mumbai, in an apparent reference to the 2008 Mumbai attacks. In the wake of the remarks, the Pakistan Army is said to be 'extremely upset' with Sharif, who has come under attack for his statement, and will hold a high-level meeting on Monday to discuss the matter. Meanwhile, Sharif's party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), has issued a statement claiming that his statement has been "grossly misinterpreted" by the Indian media. Without naming Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed and...

On the eve of his visit to Nepal, Modi said India would remain a steadfast partner of the Himalayan nation in its quest for growth and development. Catch all the Modi Nepal visit updates here Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday morning arrived in Nepal for a two-day state visit. Ahead of the visit, Modi had tweeted that the "visit reflects the high priority India attaches to friendly relations with Nepal". Further, Modi said India would remain a steadfast partner of Nepal in its quest for growth and development. Kicking off his tour, Modi offered prayers at the Ram Janaki temple in Nepal's Janakpur and inaugurated the Ramayan Circuit Bus Route, before addressing a civic reception. The prime minister is visiting the neighbouring country on an invitation from his Nepalese counterpart Khadga Prasad Oli. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Raveesh Kumar on Friday tweeted that Modi's Nepal visit would consolidate the principle of neighbourhood ...

With just one more day to go for the Karnataka Assembly election, the voter ID card row continues while the Congress corners BJP over an alleged bribery sting. Catch all Karnataka polls updates here With voting just a day away, the BJP and Congress' high-voltage campaign for the  Karnataka Assembly election 2018  has ended. The campaigning in the run-up to the crucial polls saw everything from a cross-fire of barbs to a voter ID row. On the last day, Congress President Rahul Gandhi slammed the Modi government for issues ranging from atrocities against Dalits to the country's foreign policy as he expressed confidence in winning the Karnataka polls "hands down". BJP President Amit Shah, meanwhile, accused the Congress of making desperate attempts to win the election in an "undemocratic" way, adding that such machinations would not work and that his party would win 130-plus seats. On Saturday, voters in the state will decide who got it right. The ...

With Karnataka Assembly election 2018 now on their heads, the BJP and Congress have just one more day to convince and woo voters. Catch all the updates around the Karnataka election here With the Karnataka Assembly election 2018 just two days away, the BJP and Congress' high-voltage campaigning will come to an end on Thursday at 5 pm. Prime Minister Narendra Modi today interacted with BJP Karnataka's SC/ST/OBC and slum morcha workers, slamming the Congress for disrespecting B R Ambedkar while trying to burnish his own government's record regarding welfare of SC/STs and OBCs. Congress President Rahul Gandhi said that he was confident of his party's victory in the Karnataka election. For the BJP, party president Amit Shah and the party's chief ministerial candidate B S Yeddyurappa will be campaigning in the state today, while Congress chief Gandhi and incumbent Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will campaign for their party on the final day. Apart from Pri...

Three days before Karnataka Assembly election 2018, a 'fake' voter ID row has erupted in the poll-bound state, with BJP and Congress accusing each other of involvement. Catch all the update here Just three days before Karnataka Assembly election 2018, the Election Commission of Karnataka on Tuesday confirmed that its officials recovered 9,746 Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) from an apartment in Bengaluru's Jalahalli area of the Raja Rajeshwari Nagar constituency. Reacting to the development, the BJP demanded cancellation of polling in Raja Rajeshwari Nagar, accusing the Congress of trying to "rig" the polls. Congress hit back, saying that a BJP leader was the owner of the Bengaluru flat from where the 'fake' voter cards had been found. The development came hours after former Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi faced off against each other while campaigning in Karnataka. The prime minister and the UPA chairpers...

With the Karnataka Assembly election 2018 days away, BJP and Congress are running fierce campaigns. Catch today's latest Karnataka election campaign updates here As the  Karnataka Assembly election 2018  draws closer, top Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress leaders are holding back-to-back rallies in the state to boost their respective parties' chances of securing a win in the crucial election. The Karnataka Election Watch and Delhi-based Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) on Monday analysed affidavits of Karnataka polls candidates, filed with the Election Commission (EC). Of the 2,654 candidates in the fray for the May 12 Karnataka Assembly elections, at least 883 are crorepatis and 645 have criminal cases against them, said the two watchdogs. "The average assets of the 883 (35 per cent) crorepati candidates are worth Rs 75.4 million. Of the 645 contestants, 254 (10 per cent) face serious criminal cases and 391 (15 per cent) face criminal cases,...