Modi, Patnaik banking on marketing to continue in power in Odisha: Congress

 

on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, senior Congress pioneer A Chellakumar on Wednesday blamed them for exclusively putting money on advertising to be in influence as opposed to working for the individuals.

Congress, then again, needs promoting itself, the AICC in-control for Odisha told columnists here.

Congress isn't reliant on advertising, however it will devise its own techniques to interface with the majority to win back their certainty and counter BJP and BJD in the state, he said.

We have hopelessly fizzled in conveying our accomplishments to the average person … We need advertising, said Chellakumar, who is on a visit to Odisha in front of the by-survey to Balasore Sadar and Tirtol get together seats in the state.

Without taking any kind of action, Narendra Modi and Naveen Patnaik have been effectively advertising …. Congress on its part, isn't reliant on promoting. Our gathering will chalk out its own system to counter BJP and BJD, the senior Congress pioneer said in the wake of holding a gathering with partys recently delegated area unit presidents.

In any case, Congress will put forth deliberate attempts to fortify its own association directly from the state level down to the grassroots and once the gathering set up gets restored and is in appropriate structure, a mass contact program will be dispatched across Odisha, he said.

Chellalumar said he himself will embrace a concentrated visit through the state which will start from the Hinjili Assembly fragment in Ganjam locale, the main priests voting demographic.

Notwithstanding being the body electorate of the central priest, the region doesn't have a legitimate clinic to give medical services offices to the individuals, he said.

Naveen Patnaik has not done anything to support the individuals of Ganjam area, especially his own voting public Hinjili, he guaranteed.

Hitting out at the BJD government in the express, the senior Congress pioneer said no significant water system venture has been taken up by the Naveen Patnaik system during the most recent 21 years of its standard. All the significant water system ventures and large dams were built when Congress was in power, he asserted.

This separated, the gathering is good to go to embrace a few agitational programs over the state. On October 31, a program to feature the reason for ranchers will be composed, he said including that party laborers will dispatch a mark crusade against the argumentative homestead charges which were passed in Parliament as of late, he said.

The Congress chief additionally encouraged Patnaik to acquire reasonable enactment the state to defend the interests of ranchers if the Biju Janata Dal(BJD) is truly stressed over the government assistance of the cultivating network and contradicted to the draconian homestead bills.

So as to reinforce the gathering association in the express, the locale unit presidents have been given an objective of finishing the arrangement of square and stall level boards of trustees inside two months to guarantee that Congress is in a legitimate structure to take on both BJD and BJD in the 2024 decisions in the state, he included.

Overambitious leaders quitting Cong as they feel party won't win: Adhir

Pioneer of the Congress in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury feels a segment of youthful "overambitious" pioneers is getting progressively eager and abandoning the gathering because of the developing discernment that it won't come back to control at the Center at any point in the near future.
Yielding that their exit may antagonistically affect the gathering "briefly", the veteran Congress MP, be that as it may, said party "control and philosophy can't be undermined to fulfill the individual yearnings of pioneers who need ideological responsibility.
The Congress chief alluded to the chance of some increasingly youthful pioneers stopping the gathering after the prominent departure of Jyotiraditya Scindia and defiance by Sachin Pilot.
"There is a sure area of overambitious youthful leaders…..they are getting eager and feeling they are not getting their due in the gathering and are searching for different choices to fulfill their individual aspirations.
"This is going on because of a developing recognition that as the Congress wont come back to control (at the Center) without further ado, so the gathering wont have the option to fulfill every one of their requests. So they are either hopping the boat or are wanting to do as such, Chowdhury told PTI in a meeting.
Discussing Scindia and Pilot, he said they were never ignored or given quick work by the gathering.

He said there have been pioneers with extraordinary potential in a few ideological groups who didn't get their due. "In any case, did they leave their gathering to appreciate the products of intensity? The appropriate response is no. The issue is the absence of duty," he said.

Trump's promise on new immigration action creates confusion, contradictions

President Donald Trump is promising new executive action on immigration as he returns to the defining issue of his administration. But Trump has offered contradictory and confusing statements about his plans in recent days.
His comments come after the Supreme Court rejected his efforts to end the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, programme, which protects young immigrants brought to the country as children.
Trump said last month that he would quickly be filing paperwork to address the court's concerns, but has yet to make a move.
The latest confusion about Trump's thinking started with a Telemundo interview earlier this month in which the president said he would soon be signing an immigration bill" a very good bill and merit-based bill and that one of the aspects of the bill is going to be DACA." "We're going to have a road to citizenship, he added.
The problem: No such bill exists to sign and there is zero appetite in Congress to wade into the divisive issue with four months to go before the election and in the middle of a pandemic.
Elsewhere in the interview, Trump said he would instead be signing a big executive order that would include DACA.
But, we put it in, and we'll probably going to then be taking it out. We're working out the legal complexities right now, but I'm going to be signing a very major immigration bill as an executive order," he said.
White House spokesman Judd Deere quickly tried to walk back the meandering comments, saying that Trump was working on an executive order to establish a merit-based immigration system to further protect US workers."
Trump, he added, has long said he is willing to work with Congress on a negotiated legislative solution to DACA" one he said could include citizenship but not "amnesty. Trump apparently did not get the message.

We're going to take care of DACA because I'm going to be doing, in the not-too-distant future, pretty soon I'm going to be signing a new immigration action very, very big merit-based immigration action that, based on the DACA decision, I'll be able to do, he said Tuesday, adding to the confusion.

BJP-led Uttarakhand govt abolishes quota in promotion for employees

International News
Uttarakhand government on Wednesday abrogated reservation in advancement in the state government occupations. The Trivendra Rawat-government took the significant choice on fruition of three years of its residency.
Following the express government's structure, the representatives from the General-OBC classes finished their strike. The state government likewise gave orders in regards to departmental advancement board of trustees (DPC).
The administration workers from General-OBC classification in the state had been arranging a dissent, requesting the usage of the Supreme Court's choice on the issue.
The strike seriously influenced the work in government workplaces. The state Chief Secretary had on Tuesday called the striking workers for talks. During the gathering, the Chief Secretary consented to lift the prohibition on advancements.
Boss Minister's Secretary Radhika Jha interfaced with the representatives. She guaranteed that the request to evacuate the boycott in advancements would be given with quick impact.

Plus, leaves will be conceded to the striking representatives for the time of the strike. The express government's structure said that according to the Supreme Court's choice, the legislature has abrogated the advancement boycott dated September 11, 2019. Furthermore, the state government request dated September 5, 2012 restricting reservation in advancements has additionally become effective. Further move will be made according to the request…Read More

Congress ignored Mamata's warning, kept criticising her: TMC on Scindia

Current Affairs
Blaming the Congress for not paying attention to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's admonition with respect to the BJP's mentality, a senior Trinamool Congress pioneer on Wednesday claimed that the Congress has kept on making her and not the saffron outfit the primary objective of its assault in the state.
"Mamata Banerjee had cautioned of this disposition of the BJP long back. Today she has been demonstrated right. Be that as it may, here in Bengal, the Congress makes her the principle focus of assault," Trinamool Secretary General Partha Chatterjee said here.
"Congress in the state isn't in any event, saying ten words against the BJP. Be that as it may, it saying hundred words against Mamata Banerjee and Trinamool," said Chatterjee, likewise the state's Education Minister.
The Trinamool pioneer's remarks came at a public interview when media people looked for his response on Jyotiraditya Scindia betraying the Congress and traverse to the BJP.
Chatterjee additionally blamed the CPI-M for a similar methodology.
"The CPI-M is additionally doing likewise. At the point when they see her (Mamata) in Delhi, they attempt to charm her. Be that as it may, right now, are just worried about returning to control. On the off chance that you just consider returning to control, this is inescapable.

"Individuals who partition the general public, will they reconsider before separating the gathering?" asked Chatterjee...Read More

Kejriwal's AAP projected to retain Delhi crown; BJP rejects exit polls

Current Affairs
All the exit polls discharged after the finish of surveying for the 70-part Delhi Assembly races on Saturday evening anticipated an exhaustive success for the occupant Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The tallying of votes will occur on Tuesday.
The Election Commission (EC) said voter turnout until 9 pm was recorded at 59.91 percent, a decrease of around 7 percent over the 2015 Assembly surveys' 67.5 percent.
The India Today-Axis exit polls, which has had moderately better precision contrasted and most other such polls in the ongoing past, anticipated a scope for AAP and a defeat for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). It gauge 59 to 68 seats for AAP and 2 to 11 seats for the BJP. As per the survey, AAP may sack a vote portion of 56 percent, the BJP 35 percent, the Congress 5 percent, and others 4 percent. Other leave surveys anticipated to some degree better numbers for the BJP, however none put it anyplace close to the midway characteristic of 35 seats.
In the 2015 decisions, AAP had won 67 of the 70 seats with a vote portion of 54.3 percent, while the BJP won three seats with a 32 percent vote share. The Congress couldn't win any seats however it had a vote portion of 9.6 percent.

Delhi BJP President Manoj Tiwari tweeted that all exit polls would be refuted on the tallying day. "It would be ideal if you spare this tweet. The BJP will frame the legislature in Delhi with 48 seats. Kindly don't fault EVMs (electronic democratic machines) at that point," Tiwari said. There could be suggestions on his continuation as the Delhi unit BJP boss if the gathering performs inadequately....READ MORE

Delhi HC stays hike in auto fares; set back to AAP govt ahead of polling

Current Affairs
A day prior to Delhi Assembly races, the Aam Aadmi Party government got a shock from the Delhi High Court which remained the activity of its choice of June a year ago to expand auto-rickshaw tolls.
The court was hearing an appeal recorded by NGO, Aiding Hands Foundation, looking for that the warning overhauling the auto tolls be put aside as it was given without the endorsement of the able power, that is the Lieutenant Governor, and the climb would seriously affect the individuals.
A seat of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar stated, "We thus remain the activity of the June 12 warning gave by the Delhi government till the following date of hearing, that is, May 21." The seat said it was of the by all appearances conclusion that the applicant has a case in and the Transport Department of the Delhi government couldn't give the notice as the LG was the skillful position.
"We are not worried about the debate between both of you (Delhi government and LG). Yet, on the off chance that you can't do anything, it implies you can't do."
Backer D P Singh, showing up for the NGO, contended that the Delhi government doesn't have the ability to issue such a notice and it had the right to be put aside being awful in law. Focal government standing guidance Jasmeet Singh likewise upheld the request and said the notice can't be given by the Delhi government and it must be saved.

Delhi government's guidance Shadan Farasat, nonetheless, contradicted the request saying auto passages fall under the Transport Department thus it has the ability to give the notice to update the rates. The court on July 8 a year ago had given notification to the Center, the Delhi government, its vehicle office and admission modification commission on the PIL....READ MORE

Delhi elections: Poll body tightens security; extra vigil in Shaheen Bagh

Current Affairs
Riding on technically knowledgeable components like QR codes and versatile applications, survey specialists have prepared for the decisions to the 70-part Delhi gathering on Saturday, making tight security game plans over the national capital and keeping an additional vigil in Shaheen Bagh and other delicate surveying regions.
Over 1.47 crore voters are qualified to practice their establishment in the discretionary fight for Delhi, which is to a great extent being viewed as a triangular challenge among the decision AAP, a vivacious Congress and the restriction BJP which has battled forcefully in front of the political decision.
In perspective on the progressing hostile to CAA dissents in Shaheen Bagh, the Delhi CEO Office has put each of the five surveying stations in the territory under the "basic" classification, and certainty building measures are ceaselessly being attempted to console voters, authorities said. Delhi Chief Electoral Officer Ranbir Singh repeated that the region is under "tight vigil" and "there is no obstacle" in territories where survey exercises will be led, so voters will confront no issues.
He said 1,47,86,382 individuals are qualified to cast a ballot in the Delhi surveys, and 2,32,815 are in the age gathering of 18-19. Voters in different classifications incorporate guys (81,05,236), females (66,80,277), administration voters (11,608), third sex voters (869), and senior residents (matured 80 or more) voters (2,04,830), authorities said.

The harshly battled high-octane crusade that went on for more than three weeks finished at 6 pm on Thursday, only 38 hours before the beginning of deciding in favor of the high-stakes Delhi get together political decision. There are 672 applicants in the fight for 70 gathering seats. Tight security courses of action have been made over the national capital and police power and paramilitary faculty have been sent....READ MORE

Vote for BJP to prevent more Shaheen Baghs: Amit Shah in election speech

Current Affairs
Delhi's kin will forestall "a huge number of occurrences like Shaheen Bagh" in the event that they vote in favor of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on February 8, said Union Home Minister Amit Shah, alluding to the spot in the city where ladies have stayed outdoors since December to challenge another citizenship law.
Shah, at a political decision rally on Sunday, denounced Delhi boss clergyman Arvind Kejriwal, who drives the Aam Aadmi Party, and Congress pioneer Rahul Gandhi of supporting individuals purportedly antagonistic to the nation.
"Is it accurate to say that you are their vote bank? For what reason do Rahul Baba and Kejriwal need to spare tukde posse that raised trademarks for discontinuity of the nation. They do this on account of dread of their vote bank," said Shah in Rohtas Nagar voting demographic, utilizing a Hindi expression his gathering utilizes for gatherings or individuals it says are backstabbing to the nation.
Shah was talking about the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the disputable law that plans to quick track citizenship for oppressed Hindus, Parsis, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and Christians who landed in India before December 31, 2014, from Muslim-dominant part Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan. The death of the bill on December 11 a year ago activated exhibitions the nation over. Shaheen Bagh, in south Delhi area, has earned features for fight by ladies who have joined by understudies and activists.

"Your vote to BJP applicant will make Delhi and the nation safe and forestall a large number of episodes like Shaheen Bagh. At the point when you press the catch (of EVM) on February 8, do as such with such outrage that its current (survey result) is felt at Shaheen Bagh," the BJP pioneer said...Read More

Boeing messages disclose 'very disturbing picture' of 737 Max planes

Election News
A new batch of messages between Boeing Co. employees on the development of the 737 Max paints a “very disturbing picture” of concerns about the plane, according to an aide to a House committee.The documents were turned over to the Federal Aviation Administration on Monday, the agency said in a statement. The disclosure came the same day that Boeing ousted its chief executive officer.
At least some of them were written by the same Boeing pilot whose 2016 messages were released in October and were the subject of sharp questioning by lawmakers, according to a person familiar with their contents who wasn’t authorized to discuss them.The communications haven’t been released publicly. The staff of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee are still reviewing the messages and didn’t provide specific details about what they contain.
“But similar to other records previously disclosed by Boeing, the records appear to point to a very disturbing picture of both concerns expressed by Boeing employees about the company’s commitment to safety and efforts by some employees to ensure Boeing’s production plans were not diverted by regulators or others,” a committee aide said in a statement.
“The committee will continue to review these and other records provided by Boeing as part of the committee’s ongoing investigation,” the aide said.
Boeing brought the emails to the FAA and Congress “as part of our commitment to transparency with our regulators and the oversight committees,” the company said in a statement.

“As with prior documents referenced by the committee, the tone and content of some of these communications does not reflect the company we are and need to be,” the company said. Boeing has made changes to enhance safety, it said....Read More

Uddhav set to take charge of Maharashtra with a deputy from NCP

Election News
Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray will make vow as boss clergyman of Maharashtra on Thursday evening at the Shivaji Park here.
With the swearing-in of 59-year-old Thackeray, the state will have a main pastor from the Sena following 20 years.
The promise taking function will be held at the rambling Shivaji Park, where his dad and Sena organizer Bal Thackeray tended to his celebrated Dussehra rallies. The last Sena man to involve the central priest's seat was Narayan Rane in 1999, after Manohar Joshi, who in 1995 turned into the principal CM from the gathering.
The swearing-in function pursues long stretches of emotional political advancements, which incorporated a three-day government shaped by a sudden help from NCP pioneer Ajit Pawar, who has since come back to the Sharad Pawar-drove party overlay. The Sena, alongside the NCP and Congress comprised the 'Maha Vikas Aghadi' to frame a non-BJP government in the state. There is theory that Ajit Pawar might be accepted into the new Cabinet.
NCP pioneer Praful Patel on Wednesday said his gathering will get the vice president clergyman's post in the new Shiv Sena-drove government. The Congress will get the Assembly Speaker's post while the NCP will get representative Speaker's post, he said after a gathering of the 'Maha Vikas Aghadi'.
He likewise said that alongwith Sena boss Uddhav Thackeray, a couple of individuals from every one of the three gatherings will make vow as pastors.

There will be just a single representative CM's post in the administration, he included. An extraordinary session of the fourteenth state Assembly was held here on Wednesday where vow was managed to 285 recently chose individuals by professional tem Speaker Kalidas Kolambkar.....READ MORE

US House passes Hong Kong 'Democracy Act'; move may infuriate China further

International News
The US House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a bill sought by pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong that aims to defend civil rights in the semi-autonomous territory.
The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, which will now move to a similar vote in the Senate before it can become law, has drawn rare bipartisan support in a polarized Congress.
Its passage is likely to further aggravate China which has accused "external forces" of fuelling weeks of unrest in the global financial hub.
"Today we're simply urging the Chinese president and the Hong Kong Chief Executive, Carrie Lam, to faithfully honor the government's promises" that Hong Kong's rights and autonomy would be protected, Republican
Representative Chris Smith, prime sponsor of the bill, said on the House floor.Millions have taken to the streets of Hong Kong, initially against a now-dropped bid by its leaders to allow extraditions to the authoritarian Chinese mainland.
The months-long movement has expanded into a broader pro-democracy push in the territory where activists say freedoms are being eroded by Beijing, despite a deal that outlined Hong Kong's 1997 return to China from British colonial rule.

 The Hong Kong Rights and Democracy Act would end Hong Kong's special trading status with the United States unless the State Department certifies annually that city authorities are respecting human rights and the rule of law.It also requires the US president to identify and sanction people who are responsible for the erosion of autonomy and serious abuses of human rights in Hong Kong....READ MORE

Why has Unnao rape accused been given political protection, asks Priyanka

International News

In an apparent attack at the BJP, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday asked why people like BJP MLA and rape accused Kuldeep Singh Sengar are given the "protection of political power", while their victims are abandoned to battle for their lives alone.
Priyanka Gandhi's poser in a tweet came a day after the Uttar Pradesh police filed a murder case against Sengar and nine others following a complaint by the Unnao rape survivor's family, alleging "conspiracy" behind the Sunday's car crash in which the victim was severely injured and two of her family members were killed.The Congress leader also tagged portions of the FIR filed along with the tweet.
"Why do we give people like Kuldeep Sengar the strength and protection of political power and abandon their victims to battle for their lives alone?" Priyanka Gandhi tweeted.
"This FIR clearly states that the family was threatened and apprehensive. It even mentions the possibility of a planned accident," she said, tagging a copy of the FIR.
Unnao Superintendent of Police Madhav Prasad Verma had said on Sunday that the rape survivor, her paternal and maternal aunts along with their advocate met with an accident while on their way to meet her uncle, who is lodged in Rae Bareli jail.

 A woman belonging to Makhi police station area in Unnao had alleged that Sengar, a four-time MLA who represents Bangermau in the UP Assembly, raped her teenage daughter at his residence in 2017.The case had come to light after the victim allegedly attempted self-immolation outside Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's residence.Sengar, who is an accused in the rape case, was arrested on April 13 last year...Read More

Kushner, top US officials to address India-centric business conference

International News

Reflecting the new Indo-US bonhomie, the White House has lined up its top officials, including the all-powerful Jared Kushner, for a India-centric business conference here this week.
The move comes close on the heels of the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump in Japan last month.
The event featuring House of Representative Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the most powerful Democratic leader, would send an unmistakable signal that Indo-US ties enjoys a strong bipartisan support on the lines of that of the US-Israel relations.
The White House is sending two of its Cabinet ministers, Energy Secretary Rick Perry and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, for the second annual Leadership Summit of the US India Strategic and Partnership Forum (USISPF).
Headquartered in Washington DC, with branches in several US cities and in India, USISPF has emerged as the top India-centric advocacy group in the United States for both corporate sector and strategic community in just a few years.
Observing that Modi's re-election has given rise to an unprecedented opportunity and commitment to furthering our bilateral ties, USISPF president Mukesh Aghi told PTI that the daylong, July 11 conference will focus on two broad areas, defense and energy security, which are critical to both the countries.

 Republican Senator Dan Sullivan, Deputy US Trade Representative Jeffrey Gerrish, and India's Ambassador to the US, Harsh V Shringla, are among the other top speakers to the summit...Read More

BJP, Congress among parties yet to submit electoral bond details to EC

Current Affairs

The BJP, the Congress and the DMK are among the parties which are yet to submit details of donations received till date through electoral bonds to the Election Commission, sources said Tuesday.
May 30 was the deadline to submit the details as per a Supreme Court directive.Last month, the EC had written to all recognised political parties to comply with the Supreme Court directives.Sources aware of the development said the BJP, Congress and DMK "at least" have not yet complied with the direction.
Lifting the veil of anonymity from the government's political funding scheme, the Supreme Court had on April 12 directed parties to furnish by May 30 all details of funds received through electoral bonds to the Election Commission in a sealed cover.Explaining its stand, the EC said it was "exclusively confined to one of transparency in political funding and not on merits of the scheme".
As per the scheme, electoral bonds may be purchased by a person, who is a citizen of India or an entity incorporated or established in IndiaA person being an individual can buy electoral bonds, either singly or jointly with other individuals.
Only parties registered under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 and which secured not less than 1 per cent of votes polled in the last general election to the House of the People or the Legislative Assembly of the State, will be eligible to receive electoral bonds.

 As per the notification, electoral bonds will be encashed by an eligible political party only through a bank account with an authorised bank.The State Bank of India (SBI) in the 6th phase of sale had been authorised to issue and encash electoral bonds through its 29 authorised branches from November 1-10, 2018.

Legislation to protect work authorisation of spouses of H-1B visa holders?

International News

Two influential lawmakers from California have introduced a legislation in the US House of Representatives to protect work authorisation of H-4 visa workers, a significant number of whom are Indian-American women.
The introduction of such a legislation comes days after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said that it would publish this month the long-promised regulation that would prevent the work authorisation to spouses on H-4 visas.
H-4 visas are issued to the spouses of H-1B visa holders, a significantly large number of whom are high-skilled professionals from India.
This week, the Trump administration announced plans to overturn the current DHS regulations that allow certain H-4 dependent spouses of H-1B visa holders who are stuck in green card backlogs to obtain employment authorisation, pursue their own professional goals and contribute to the US economy, said the lawmakers Anna G Eshoo and Zoe Lofgren.
Many H-4 visa holders are highly skilled professionals, and the DHS previously extended eligibility for employment authorisation to them recognising the economic burdens of families of many H-1B workers, particularly those who live in high cost areas like Silicon Valley on a single income as they await green card approvals, they said.
Since the rule was implemented, over 100,000 workers, mainly women, have received employment authorisation, and the H-4 Employment Protection Act prohibits the Trump administration from revoking this important rule.

 "H-4 visa holders deserve a chance to contribute to their local economies and provide for their families," Eshoo said."This is a matter of economic fairness and this legislation ensures it will continue," she added.

Clean air: One of the biggest challenges for PM Modi in second term

Economy News

One of the biggest challenges facing Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he begins his second term is ensuring clean air in a country that’s home to some of the most polluted cities in the world.
The country is burning up more coal to supply cheap electricity to its 1.3 billion people, resulting in polluted air across vast stretches. That’s costing lives and denting the nation’s economic productivity, prompting a policy rethink. Air pollution and how political parties plan to tackle it figured in their manifestos for the first time in national elections that ended May 23.
Efforts in the past to clean up the environment have struggled to clear the test of affordability. India’s fleet of coal-burning power plants, among the biggest sources of air pollution and a dominant provider of cheap energy, have dragged their feet over implementing emission standards, citing cost. A campaign to replace firewood with clean cooking fuel in rural homes needs to be affordable to have greater adoption.A look at what the Modi administration needs to do:
Strengthen the electricity distribution companies. Rejuvenating the power retailers will be crucial for transitioning to cleaner, although costlier electricity. Their losses rose from April to December, reversing a declining trend. Efforts to revive them during Modi’s first term have met with some progress but haven’t been completely successful.
Ensure timely implementation of emissions norms for thermal power plants. One of the reasons this process has moved slowly is a possible reluctance by lenders to finance retrofits in a sector already stressed with a mountain of bad debt. Fixing the money-losing power retailers would be key to resolving the bad loan mess.

Bring fuels, such as natural gas, under the national sales tax regime, helping them compete with dirtier options, such as coal and petcoke. Boosting local production of gas will make it more affordable and help raise its share in the mix to 15%, more than double from now.Accelerate capacity addition in renewable energy, while enabling the grid to deal with the rising flow of intermittent power.Increase use of biomass for energy to help reduce the dependence on crude oil imports and prevent burning of crop residue, a leading air polluter in northern India

Modi's second term to lay groundwork for India's next 25 years: US expert

International News

Congratulating Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his election victory, a top American corporate leader has asserted that in the next five years, the PM will lay the groundwork for India's economic growth and prosperity for the next quarter century.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday led his Bharatiya Janata Party to a super-sized victory for a second term in office, winning an absolute majority and on course to touch the 300-seat mark in the 543-member Lok Sabha."Congratulations to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on a decisive election victory. These next five years of Prime Minister Modi's leadership will lay the groundwork for the next 25 years in terms of economic growth and prosperity for the country," John Chambers, Chairman of the Board of Directors at US India Strategic and Partnership Forum (USISPF), said.
Chambers said under Modi's leadership, India will be able to increase its GDP and see economic growth and job-creation, and improve trade and foreign investment.
"The future is bright for India and we at the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum look forward to boosting ties between the two countries like never before," Chambers said, reflecting the views of the American corporate sector, which is increasingly looking at India as an alternative to China when it comes to their manufacturing base.

 Three-term Indian American Congressman Dr Ami Bera issued a statement congratulating the citizens of the country who participated in the elections over the past five weeks."These were the largest democratic elections ever and reflected India's commitment to its founding ideals. I also congratulate Prime Minister Modi on his victory and look forward to working with him and his government to advance the values and interests that bind our two nations," he said.

Oil traders see little to justify the past fortnight's slump in oil futures

International News

Whether it's in the North Sea, West Africa or the Persian Gulf, traders of millions of barrels of crude are seeing little to justify the past fortnight’s slump in oil futures.

Crude on exchanges in New York and London fell as much as 7 percent since late April despite the temporary halt of a pipeline delivering millions of barrels a month of Russian oil to Europe’s refiners. The cessation added to a long list of supply disruptions and curtailments elsewhere in the world.
“There is no true sign of weakness in the physical market,” said Olivier Jakob, managing director of consultant Petromatrix GmbH in Zug, Switzerland. “You have lower exports from Venezuela, you’ve got sanctions form Iran, Libya which is still a risk.”

While futures sold off against a backdrop of concerns about the U.S.-China trade dispute, markets for physical barrels are anchored to the supply and demand of actual cargoes of oil. And, if anything, those are strengthening.

Record Premiums


 In Europe, traders are willing to pay higher premiums to secure immediate supplies of Brent crude, a global benchmark grade. The North Sea’s main loading programs next month will be the smallest in years -- just before northern hemisphere refineries start purchasing more oil for summer processing. Traders in West Africa and the Mediterranean also report bullish markets.Likewise, Asian refiners have been paying record premiums to secure heavy crude from Iraq that should help cover them against declining flows from Iran. They also secured extra crude from Saudi Arabia for June, despite the kingdom’s leading role among oil producing nations in restricting supplies.One fly in the ointment for bulls is the U.S., where production is still expanding and stockpiles continue to swell at Cushing, the nation’s storage hub.

Cong picks 3 agencies to manage digital, social media campaign for LS polls

Opinion News
The Congress party on Tuesday identified three agencies that would manage its digital and social media campaign for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Some more would be hired in the coming days and assigned other tasks.

The publicity committee of the party is headed by party leader Anand Sharma. But there was much disgruntlement in the team — some members complained to Congress President Rahul Gandhi that they were not being kept in the loop. The Congress chief first asked senior leader Jairam Ramesh to take part in the meetings, and when that alone did not help, overseas Congress Chief Sam Pitroda was summoned hastily, which helped break the stalemate.

Scramble to lose

It is unusual for leaders to fight for seats when the chances of victory are bleak. But that's exactly what is happening in the Kerala unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). State leaders are jockeying to contest from Pathanamthitta, the epicentre of the Sabarimala issue.

At least four top leaders including Union Ministers K J Alphons and senior leader K Surendran are vying for a ticket to contest the seat. Interestingly, the BJP has never won a Lok Sabha seat from the state. Also the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and BJP cadres in Kerala do not see eye to eye. Given that, political observers are betting on either the Congress or the Left, despite the mileage BJP gained out of the Sabarimala stir.

Don’t gatecrash


 It’s not unusual to hear stories about students in India gatecrashing weddings. Just for fun or to indulge in a hearty meal when hostel mess food is nothing but torture and the monthly allowance from home is diminishing rapidly. A premier institution in the country has had enough of this...Read More