Cancel exams, promote varsity students on past performance: Rahul urges UGC

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Congress pioneer Rahul Gandhi on Friday requested scratch-off of college tests and asked the UGC to advance understudies based on past execution during the coronavirus pandemic.
Blaming the University Grants Commission (UGC) of making disarray, Gandhi said it is unreasonable to lead assessments during the Covid-19 pandemic and the UGC ought to tune in to the voice of understudies.
"Covid has hurt numerous individuals. Understudies in schools, universities and colleges are being made to endure.
"While the IITs and universities have dropped tests and have advanced understudies, the UGC is making disarray. UGC ought to likewise drop the tests and advance understudies based on past execution," he said in a video message.
Gandhi took an interest in the 'SpeakUpforStudents' battle by the Congress party and posted a short video message on Twitter.
"It is amazingly out of line to lead tests during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Additionally READ: Coronavirus LIVE: Not worried about number of cases, says wellbeing clergyman
"The UGC must hear the voice of understudies and scholastics. Tests ought to be dropped and understudies advanced based on past execution," he additionally tweeted.

The Congress has propelled a battle for understudies, requesting wiping out of tests during the pandemic and asking their advancement.

Nationwide lockdown to contain Covid-19 has failed: Rahul Gandhi

Congress pioneer Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said the four periods of across the country lockdown have "fizzled" and not given the outcomes that Prime Minister Narendra Modi anticipated.
Tending to a question and answer session in Delhi, he requested that the focal government explain its procedure most definitely and how it plans to help vagrants and states.
"What is the focal government's arrangement to go ahead as the infection is developing exponentially in the nation," he inquired.
"The four phases of lockdown have not given the outcome that the Prime Minister expected," he stated, including that it is quite evident that the point and motivation behind lockdowns have bombed in India.

"India is the main nation on the planet which is loosening up the lockdown when the infection is 'exponentially rising'," he noted.

Jet board meet, Kwid EV debut, Rahul in Kerala & more: Top news today

Current Affairs

Before you start the day, let's take a quick look at some of the major events in the country that are likely to make headlines today. From Jet Airways board meeting to Rahul Gandhi's rally in Kerala, here are some of the most important news events scheduled for today that will be keenly watched.

1. Polycab India will make a debut on bourses

Wires and cables manufacturer Polycab India will make a debut on bourses on April 16 after a overwhelming response to its public issue last week. The final issue price is fixed at higher end of price band of Rs 533-538 per share.

2. Jet board meets today as lenders refuse funds

India’s first private airline Jet Airways is headed towards a total grounding and a decision could be taken as early as Tuesday after a meeting of its board of directors.

Left with no cash, a seven-plane fleet and fuel to run operations only till Tuesday afternoon, the end is imminent, said sources close to the development. “Jet cannot be saved now. It’s on the ground,” another source in the know said.

This follows Monday’s no-consensus emergency meeting of the lenders’ consortium, led by State Bank of India, to decide on infusion of Rs 1,000 crore immediately. Soon after, the suspension of the international operations was extended till at least April 18.

3. PM Modi to hold roadshow in Bhubaneswar today


 Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a roadshow in Bhubaneswar during his visit to Odisha on April 16. He is also scheduled to address two rallies in Bhubaneswar and Sambalpur on the same day...Read More

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

Narendra Modi unveils national pension scheme for unorganised sector

Current Affairs

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Pradhan Mantri Shramyogi Mandhan Pension Yojana, a pension scheme for workers of the unorganised sector in Gujarat.

Modi targeted Congress President Rahul Gandhi over poverty, saying only those oblivious to sleeping hungry at night can think that it is a state of mind.

For some, poverty is just an opportunity to click photos, Modi said, sharpening his attack on the Congress chief. "This scheme is aimed at uplift of the section of society which has been ignored and left at the mercy of God.

They (Congress) gave slogans of garibi hatao (end poverty).

Under this scheme, unorganised workers will get a pension of Rs 3000. I am told that over 14 lakh workers have been enrolled under the scheme, Modi said.

Some projected themselves as messiah of workers. But during their tenure they did not launch such a scheme, he said.

"They ruled the country for 55 years and collected votes in the name of poor," he said. "This scheme has been launched by our government as a tribute to the unorganised sector, who can earn some money till their body is fit but are worried about what will happen to them when they get old, Modi said.


 "They thought that poverty is a mental state. See how is this neta who says that there is nothing like poverty but a mental state," Modi said, targeting the Congress president...Read more

'Made in Amethi' AK-203 rifles to help troops fight terror, says PM Modi

Current Affairs

Laying the foundation stone of a Kalashnikov manufacturing unit in Amethi, the Lok Sabha constituency of Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the guns produced in the new facility would be used to fight terrorists and the Naxals , and that the project was the best example of his government’s ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas (together with all, development for all)’ motto.

The prime minister — who landed in Amethi after addressing the pre-poll Sankalp rally in Patna where he slammed the Opposition for doubting the IAF’s strike on a terror camp in Pakistan — accused the Congress-led UPA government of not only delaying the AK-203 rifles’ manufacturing project but also sabotaging the Rafale deal.

Thanking Russian President Vladimir Putin for expediting the project, Modi said it would give a new identity to Amethi. The assault rifles would be manufactured at Korwa Ordinance Factory.
“The assault rifles manufactured here would help our forces against terrorists and Naxal. In due course, these would also be exported, while generating a large number of jobs for local youth and paving the way for economic development,” he said. “Those who voted for us and those who did not, all are ours...This is the mantra of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas." This was Modi’s first visit to Amethi as PM.


 In Patna, he criticised opposition leaders for their scepticism over the surgical strike by the Army post the Uri terror attack, and the air strikes in Balakot after the Pulwama suicide bombing. “Is it appropriate for these parties to speak in a language that suits Pakistan? Leaders of the neighbouring country are using it as a shield to protect themselves against the charge of promoting terrorism. They are clapping gleefully,” the prime minister said...Read More

Why Congress cannot afford speculation of Robert Vadra's political debut

Election News:

Just months ahead of the general elections, the Gandhi family faces a nagging dilemma: pressure from Robert Vadra to enter active politics.

Vadra’s desire to enter politics is hardly a secret. The Gandhi family’s palpable resistance to it is also evident. Vadra is a soft target and his political entry will only delight the BJP.

After Vadra hinted that he could contest in the election, posters have cropped up in his hometown of Moradabad, welcoming him as a Lok Sabha candidate. Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, reacting to his speculated entry, said “Vadra could be important for the Congress but, we would not like to glorify him by reacting to it.”

After Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was appointed as the Congress party’s general secretary, it was only a matter of time before Robert Vadra followed. I asked Vadra if he planned to contest the general elections from Moradabad. Vadra said, “All in time. I will start working on it. But no hurry, as I have to earn it and people need to feel I can make a change.”

This means two things: clearly Vadra is extremely keen to enter politics but he is still hedging his bets by not saying that he will be the Congress’s Lok Sabha candidate from Moradabad.

Even the fevered speculation set off by Vadra’s hints is music to the BJP’s ears. Narendra Modi’s 2014 campaign hinged around the promise to jail the “damaadji” (son-in-law) for various cases of alleged corruption in land deals.


 Vadra, a controversial businessman, is facing several probes by the Enforcement Directorate for money laundering. Soon after Priyanka Gandhi’s entry into active politics, Vadra was summoned, along with his septuagenarian mother, by the ED...Read More

Lok Sabha passes quota Bill for economically weak in general category

Politics News:

A landmark Bill seeking to provide 10 per cent reservation in jobs and education for the general category poor was passed by the Lok Sabha , with most parties backing the measure, described by the government as "historic" and in the country's interest. As many as 323 members voted in support of the Bill and only three voted against it, underlining the cross-party support the politically crucial Bill elicited.

Replying to an over four and half hour debate, Social Justice Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot sought to allay doubts raised by several Opposition members about the legislation's fate if challenged in the Supreme Court, saying he can say with confidence that the apex court will accept it. The Modi government's policy and intention is good and that is why it has enabled the reservation for the poor in the general category with constitutional amendment, he said, seeking support of all parties for the passage of The Constitution (124th Amendment) Bill 2019.

"Your doubts are unfounded. Put them to rest," he told Opposition members, many of whom dubbed the Bill as "jumla" and "gimmick", questioned its legal standing and accused the government of bringing it in haste with an eye on the Lok Sabha polls. Gehlot claimed that the Bill is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's assertion when he assumed power in 2014 that his government would be devoted to the cause of the poor and work for "sabka saath sabka vikas (With all, development for all)".

"This is an historic decision and in the interest of the country," he said.


 Modi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi were present in the House when the Bill was passed. The government will table the Bill in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

Money laundering case: Vadra appears before ED a day after skipping summons

Current Affairs:

Robert Vadra, brother-in-law of Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Wednesday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case probe, officials said.
He reached the agency's office at Jamnagar House in central Delhi at about 10:30 AM along with his lawyers, they said.

This is a scheduled appearance of Vadra before the investigating officer (IO) of the case in a criminal complaint related to allegations of money laundering to purchase assets abroad.
He had skipped the summons Tuesday, citing bad health.

Vadra has been questioned by the ED in this case for 23 hours over three days of deposition earlier this month.

He has been asked by a Delhi court to cooperate in the probe being conducted by the central probe agency.

The ED case against Vadra relates to allegations of money laundering in the purchase of a London-based property located at 12, Bryanston Square worth 1.9 million GBP (British pounds), which is allegedly owned by him.

The agency had told the court that it has received information about various new properties in London which belong to Vadra. These include two houses, one worth 5 million GBP and the other valued at 4 million GBP, six other flats and more properties.


 Vadra has denied the allegations of possessing illegal foreign assets and termed them a political witch hunt against him. He said he was being "hounded and harassed" to subserve political ends...Read More

Rahul insulted hardwork of railway engineers: Goyal on Train 18's breakdown

Current Affairs:

Hitting back at Rahul Gandhi over his dig at the Make in India programme after Vande Bharat train experienced trouble during its initial run, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said the Congress president has insulted India's intelligence and hardwork by mocking the initiative.

After the semi-high speed train ran into trouble early Saturday, Gandhi tweeted, "Modi ji, I think Make in India needs a serious rethink. Most people feel it has failed. I assure you we in the Congress are thinking very deeply about how it will be done."

In a quick response, Goyal tweeted, "Such a shame that you choose to attack the hard work and ingenuity of Indian engineers, technicians and labourers. It is this mindset which needs a reset. 'Make In India' is a success and a part of crores of Indian lives. Your family had 6 decades to think, wasn't that enough?"

In a Facebook post Sunday, Goyal further said Gandhi has "insulted" India's intelligence and the hardworking engineers of railways who have put in backbreaking effort to build the country's first indigenous semi-high speed train, the Vande Bharat Express.

"Somebody who was unable to explain why Engineers Day is celebrated, he insulted the hardworking engineers of railways who have put in backbreaking effort to build India's first indigenous semi-high speed train, the Vande Bharat Express. Rather than encouraging them, he has taunted them," he said.

 "Vande Bharat Express is developed and designed in India whereas earlier designs (ICF, LHB) were imported. It costs less than half of the cost to import a similar train. It has set the highest standards in Railways & is already fully booked for the next two weeks," he said.

Modi govt's Rafale fighter jet deal 2.86% cheaper than UPA's: CAG report

Economy & Policy:

The Narendra Modi government’s agreement with France to buy 36 Dassault Rafale combat aircraft was 2.86 per cent cheaper than the price negotiated by the previous United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in its aborted attempt to buy 126 of these planes, according to the Comptroller and Auditor General of India’s report tabled in Parliament .
Beyond that headline number, the report gave enough talking points to both the government and opposition parties to validate their respective positions.

While the report on capital acquisitions of the Indian Air Force came down heavily on the original 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) deal, it also raised concern that Dassault or France did not offer any company or a sovereign guarantee for the latest government-to-government deal. And, that this will lead to savings for the French company and limit India’s legal remedies in a breach of contract.

The report drew sharp political responses. “It cannot be that the Supreme Court is wrong, the CAG is wrong and only the dynast is right... Satyameva Jayate – the truth shall prevail. The CAG report on Rafale reaffirms the dictum,” Union minister Arun Jaitley tweeted. “The lies of Mahajhootbandhan stand exposed by the CAG report. How does democracy punish those who consistently lied to the nation?”


Congress President Rahul Gandhi said the CAG report did not mention the dissent note by negotiators, and that the government's argument on price and faster delivery of the Rafale had been demolished. The report states the Rafale jets would be delivered only one month faster than they would have if the original deal went through. “You say there was no scam, then why are you afraid of ordering a JPC?” he said, reiterating his demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee to look into the deal.

2019 polls: Why govt should aim to create jobs, not offer basic income

General Election 2019:

During election season, which we’re entering in India, everyone likes the idea of giving voters more money. Congress Party President Rahul Gandhi, the de facto opposition leader, says his party will guarantee a minimum income for the country’s poor if victorious. Reports suggest that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government may compete by announcing some form of direct transfer of cash to farmers in the interim budget to be revealed on Friday, which could cost the exchequer nearly $10 billion annually.

While governments everywhere should take care of their most vulnerable citizens, the idea of guaranteeing a basic income is wrong for India right now. Fundamentally, it would only work if two conditions were met. First, large sections of the population would have to be mired in absolute poverty. And second, all other subsidies and welfare programs for them would have to be abolished in order to free up the necessary funds without completely blowing open India’s fiscal deficit, which is already strained.

ALSO READ: Interim Budget 2019: Before polls, govt wants expansionary economic policy


 Neither condition prevails in India. While there’s no recent government estimate of the number of people living below the poverty line, credible research by the Brookings Institution suggests that extreme poverty in India, defined as those living on less than $2 a day, now afflicts only five percent of the population. Granted, that’s still more than 70 million people. But, for the vast majority of Indians, the challenge is no longer subsistence, it’s aspiration. No basic income guarantee will be able to address rising aspirations unless it’s a very large sum of money. At India’s level of national income, providing anything more than a subsistence income would simply be unaffordable...Read More

Priyanka takes up Congress role in UP after over a decade behind the scenes

Election News:

With the general elections less than 90 days away, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday appointed his sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, general secretary in charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh, which constitutes roughly 40 Lok Sabha seats, including their family bastions of Amethi and Rae Bareli and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Varanasi constituency.

Priyanka, who turned 47 earlier this month, has been an important, behind-the-scenes figure in the party’s decision-making processes for over a decade, but Wednesday’s announcement marks her official political debut. With UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi having already indicated her desire to retire from electoral politics, the move could pave the way for Priyanka’s entry into the electoral arena and she could contest from Rae Bareli, the seat currently represented by her mother, party sources said.

Her appointment, however, opened the Congress to renewed attacks from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over “dynastic politics” and "lack of inner-democracy". BJP Spokesperson Sambit Patra said the Congress had admitted to Rahul Gandhi having “failed” in providing leadership.


 The Congress's allies, including Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav, welcomed the news, though. Congress strategists believe Priyanka's charisma would help the party perform better in key states of UP and Bihar in the Lok Sabha polls. The appointment has ramifications, at least in UP, not just for the principal rival BJP, but also the frenemies Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Samajwadi Party (SP)...Read More