Development is the aim of this government: PM Modi

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Development is the aim of this government: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday virtually inaugurated a slew of projects in Kerala and said that development is the aim of the government.

“Development and good governance have no caste, creed, or religion as development is for everyone, and for that, I seek the support of the people of Kerala. Development is our aim,” Modi said while taking part in the inauguration ceremony from Delhi, in which Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also took part virtually.

Modi laid the foundation stone for the Integrated Command and Control Centre, and convert 37 km roads into world-class status.

“To facilitate our growth, we have the Smart City project and it helps in urban planning. So far, 54 Command and Control Centres have become operational,” Modi said.

The Prime Minister also inaugurated the 320 KV Pugalur (Tamil Nadu) to Thrissur (Kerala) power transmission project.

“Thrissur is known as the cultural center of Kerala and now with this project, it will become the power center of the state as this will get connected to the national grid. The transmission gap has to be bridged and it will be done. The High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) equipment used in the project has been made under the Make in India Aatmanirbhar movement,” said Modi.

The project has been built at a cost of Rs 5,070 crore and will facilitate the transfer of 2,000 MW of power from the western region to help meet the demand of power in Kerala.

The Prime Minister also dedicated the 50 MW Kasaragod Solar Power Project that has been developed over 250 acres at a cost of Rs 280 crore to the people.

“India has been going green in solar energy and is putting up a strong fight against climate change which is a boost to our entrepreneurs. Under the PM Kusum Yojana, 20 lakh farmers have been given solar pumps,” added Modi.

Modi also launched the 75 MLD (million liters per day) Water Treatment Plant at Aruvikkara in the capital district, built under the Amrut Mission.

“Under the Amrut scheme, 175 drinking water supply projects at a cost of Rs 1,100 crore have been launched so far, and this new one at Aruvikara will benefit 13 lakh, people,” Modi said.

He began his speech by saying that a few days back he was in Kerala to inaugurate a few projects in the petroleum sector. “Thanks to technology, we are able to connect again. We are taking positive steps for the development of Kerala and we will empower this beautiful state,” said Modi.

Vijayan in his speech said that Friday is a historic day as many projects are being unveiled which will help the development of the state.

“We assure our continued support for the implementation of the projects that are being jointly implemented by the Centre and state. It’s imperative to work together for the benefit of the people,” said Vijayan.

Pinarayi Vijayan prepares to fight anti-incumbency, tread new terrain

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Pinarayi Vijayan prepares to fight anti-incumbency, tread new terrain

No doubt, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is the tallest leader in the CPI-M and has proved himself as the most successful party secretary after being at the helm of affairs for 17 years.

But now Vijayan is preparing to face what could be his most testing moment in a glorious political career since the assembly elections are around the corner.

One reason why the coming weeks would be crucial for Vijayan is that he is definitely treading in the unfamiliar territory of having to lead his party to one of the most keenly awaited electoral fights with the traditional rival: the Congress-led UDF.

When the state went to the polls in 2016, it was never mentioned that it was Vijayan who will become chief minister, should the Left win the polls. As any political student in Kerala would know, the star campaigner then was none other than Vijayan’s bitter foe for many years and his senior in the party, V.S.Achuthanandan.

Practically every candidate who contested the polls then, had the picture of the veteran former Chief Minister and hugely adored Communist Achuthanandan in all their campaign material and despite his advanced age, every Left candidate was desperate to get the veteran at least for one of their election meetings in their constituency. At that time, not many were keen on Vijayan, as his tough demeanor and body language were not the right ones for a candidate, seeking votes for his/ her victory.

Once the votes began to be counted Vijayan grew in stature and prominence. Though Achuthanandan had high hopes, the announcement came that Vijayan would be given the chair of the Chief Minister.

The only solace Achuthanandan had was that the party decided to give him a cabinet post and made him the chairman of the Administrative Reforms Commission, which came with all the paraphernalia of comforts.

But now things are different. ” Yes, will be an acid test for Vijayan, as it’s he who has become the campaign leader. Achuthanandan for all practical purposes is not seen in the public domain for a long time, as he is 97 years old. This is perhaps a new challenge, which Vijayan has not faced as yet,” said a CPI-M leader who did not wish to be identified.

A top Congress leader said it’s made or break time for Vijayan, as he thinks that the recent local body polls which went his way, will be repeated in the assembly polls, but assembly and local body polls may turn out to be like chalk and cheese.

“The Kerala electorate is known for their electoral acumen, when it comes to pressing the button on the voting machine, as they think differently when it comes to Lok Sabha, assembly, and local body polls. Vijayan is certainly on the back foot, as Achuthanandan, their all-time biggest star campaigner will not be seen for the campaign. The Congress has a few star campaigners, who certainly have started drawing huge crowds, as was seen in the ongoing statewide yatra of Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala,” said a Congress leader.

However, Vijayan is optimistic about rewriting electoral history by becoming the first chief minister in the state to retain power in an assembly election, even as the Congress appears to be on a strong footing as voters may choose the party in the light of Vijayan’s perceived “arrogance.”

Patole row: Cong says it won’t stop shooting or release of films

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Patole row: Cong says it won’t stop shooting or release of films

A day after Maharashtra state President Nana Patole said that Congress workers will not allow the shooting and release of films by Amitabh Bachhan and Akshay Kumar, Congress Chief Spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said that the party respects freedom of speech but raised questions about the two actors.

He said the cause of concern is that many celebs have been tweeting in a similar pattern in favor of the government.

He assured that Congress workers will not obstruct films or the shooting of Bachchan and Kumar. “The Congress believes in freedom of speech. I have spoken to Nana Patole and he has assured me that no such thing (stopping shooting or release) will happen.”

The Maharashtra Congress had on Thursday warned that it would stop shooting or screening of Amitabh Bachchan and Akshay Kumar films as “they have failed to speak up” on burning public issues.

In a strong statement, Patole said that the Bharatiya Janata Party government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has hiked petrol-diesel-gas prices exorbitantly, while farmers have been protesting outside Delhi for the past nearly three months. However, in the midst of these grave crises, many celebs including Amitabh Bachchan and Akshay, who had raised their voices against the Congress-led UPA Government in the past on various issues, are now absolutely silent. He warned that the party would stop their film shootings/screenings for keeping aloof.

“The Modi regime has hiked fuel prices with petrol going up to Rs 100, domestic cooking gas cylinders up to Rs 800. Life has become miserable for the common masses. Even the farmers are protesting outside Delhi, demanding the revoking of the three new farm laws,” Patole said.

Attempts were made to erase Netaji’s contributions: Shah

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Attempts were made to erase Netaji’s contributions: Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who is on a two-day visit to poll-bound West Bengal, said on Friday that attempts were made to erase the contribution of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, but he still continues to inspire the citizens.

Shah, who on Friday attended a ‘Shauryanjali’ program at the National Library in Kolkata to pay tribute to Bengal’s icons, inaugurated an exhibition titled ‘Biplabi Bangla’. Besides, the Home Minister also flagged off a ‘cycle yatra’ in three groups, which would travel 900 km to create awareness about Bengal’s icons among the masses.

Shah said the country remembers Netaji with a lot of affection and his sacrifices and bravery would be remembered for generations.

“Everyone remembers Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and the sacrifices he made for the country. Attempts were made to erase his contributions but he continues to inspire generations,” Shah added.

To pay tribute to Netaji on his 125th birth anniversary this year, the Union government has formed a committee under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Shah said.

Appealing to the youth to read about the life of Netaji, Shah said “his life would teach you a lot”.

“The future of the country can be only created by the younger generation who understands the history of the country and respects those who sacrificed their lives for the nation,” Shah said.

One group of the cycle yatra flagged off by Shah is named after Netaji, while the other two groups are named after freedom fighters Rash Behari Bose and Khudiram Bose.

He said the cycle yatra would visit villages across West Bengal and tell the people about the sacrifices made by the freedom fighters for the country.

One must be restrained and sensitive while in power: Modi

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One must be restrained and sensitive while in power: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that one has to be restrained and sensitive while in power.

Addressing the Visva-Bharati University convocation virtually, the Prime Minister said, “Responsibility comes with knowledge and power. Just as one has to be restrained and sensitive while in power, every scholar also has to be responsible towards those who do not have knowledge.”

Addressing the students, he said, “Your knowledge and skill can make a nation proud or can push society into the darkness of slander and ruin.”

“Many who are spreading terror and violence across the world are highly educated, highly skilled. On the other hand, there are people who are risking their lives and are stationed at hospitals and labs to save people from a pandemic like Covid,” Modi said.

He explained that this is not about ideology but the mindset, whether it is positive or negative, there is scope for both and paths are open for both.

He urged the students to decide whether they want to be part of the problem or the solution. “If you put the nation first, then every decision will move towards some solution,” he said.

The Prime Minister advised the students not to be afraid of making a decision. “As long as the youth of the country have the passion to innovate, take risks, and move forward, there is no worry about the future of the country,” he said.

Calling Bengal an inspiration for “Ek Bharat-Shreshth Bharat”, the Prime Minister said that the Visva Bharati University will play a big role in the 21st-century knowledge economy, taking Indian knowledge and identity to every corner of the world.

Modi called upon the students of the prestigious institute to prepare a vision document for the next 25 years about the 25 biggest goals of Visva Bharati in 2047.

The PM also urged the students to always remember that knowledge, thought and skill is not static but a dynamic and continuous process.

He pointed out that Visva Bharati for Gurudev (Rabindranath Tagore) was not just a knowledge imparting institution but an attempt to reach the topmost goal of Indian culture, which is to achieve oneself.

“Success and failure do not determine our present and future. You may not get the results you thought after a decision, but you should not be afraid to make a decision.”

Highlighting the importance of knowledge, Modi said, “You will always have to remember that knowledge, education and skill’ are not static, it is a continuous process. There will always be scope for ‘course correction’.”

Highlighting Bengal’s contribution to education, Modi said, “Bengal has led the country in advancing India’s rich knowledge and science in the past. Bengal has been the site of inspiration for the best of India and also a place of work.”

Referring to the National Education Policy (NEP), the Prime Minister said, “The new NEP, apart from breaking the old shackles, has given the students complete freedom to show their ability. This education policy gives you the freedom to read different subjects in your language.”

“The policy promotes entrepreneurship and self-employment, research and innovation. This education policy is a major milestone in the making of an Aatmnirbhar Bharat,” said the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister mentioned that scholars have recently been given free access to lakhs of journals by the Government.

“This year’s Budget has proposed Rs 50 thousand crores in five years for research through the National Research Foundation. This Education Policy has made provision for the Gender Inclusion Fund that will give girls new confidence. A higher dropout rate of girls was studied and arrangements made for entry-exit options and yearly credit in the degree courses,” he said.

The Prime Minister called upon students to find ways to make nearby villages Aatmnirbhar and take their products globally.

Maha Cong threatens to stall Amitabh, Akshay’s films for ignoring public causes

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Maha Cong threatens to stall Amitabh, Akshay’s films for ignoring public causes

The Maharashtra Congress on Thursday warned that it would stop shooting or screening of Amitabh Bachchan and Akshay Kumars films as “they have failed to speak up” on burning public issues.

In a strong statement, state Congress President Nana Patole said that the Bharatiya Janata Party government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has hiked petrol-diesel-gas prices exorbitantly, while farmers have been protesting outside Delhi for the past nearly three months.

However, in the midst of these grave crises, many celebs including Amitabh Bachchan and Akshay, who had raised their voices against the Congress-led UPA Government in the past on various issues, are now absolutely silent, and he cautioned that the party would stop their film shootings/screenings for keeping aloof.

“The Modi regime has hiked fuel prices with petrol going up to Rs 100, domestic cooking gas cylinders up to Rs800. Life has become miserable for the common masses. Even the farmers are protesting outside Delhi, demanding the revoking of the 3 new farm laws,” Patole said.

“Compared with the rates during the UPA government, the prices of fuel are nearly double now in the 7 years of BJP rule At that time all these celebs spoke out against the government, but now they are scared of the BJP and keeping mum,” Patole said.

He was speaking at a bullock cart-cum-tractor rally in Bhandara to support the farmer’s agitation and the four-hour-long all-India rail-roko stir by farmers organizations.

“The UPA Government was a democratic and constitutional administration, that is why Bachchan and Kumar and many other celebs were raising their voice without fear against it. Today, when they are expected to speak out, they have become puppets of the BJP,” alleged Patole.

Now, the celebs no longer talk about or speak out against inflation, spiraling fuel prices, atrocities against farmers, and other sections of society though people from all over the world have tweeted and thrown their weight behind the farmers of India, he said.

“These Indian celebs remained quiet even when the BJP and its IT Cell denounced the farmer’s protests, labeling them as terrorists, Khalistanis, Maoists, etc. But at the behest of the BJP and its IT Cell, they resorted to anti-farmer tweets. Have the celebs become mere ‘parrots’ of the IT Cell..?” Patole demanded.

Patole’s warning came barely two days after State Home Minister Anil Deshmukh announced that a preliminary Mumbai Police probe has revealed the involvement of the BJP IT Cell chief and 12 other influencers in the recent controversy surrounding celeb tweets.

Earlier, Congress state Spokesperson Sachin Sawant said that the Congress charge of pressure being put on celebs to tweet in favor of the government now stands exposed.

“After our demand to probe if the BJP had arm-twisted the celebs to speak up in favor of the government vis-a-vis the farmer’s protests, not a single celebrity has come forward to declare that it was his/her opinion,” Sawant pointed out.

Though BJP President J. P. Nadda, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar, and state Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis tried to cover up the BJP’s conspiracy with regard to the celeb’s tweets, the silence of these renowned celebrities has spoken by itself, Sawant said.

Paytm Money opens F&O trading for all at Rs 10, receives over 1 lakh early access requests

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Paytm Money opens F&O trading for all at Rs 10, receives over 1 lakh early access requests

India’s homegrown digital financial services platform Paytm on Thursday announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary Paytm Money has opened Futures & Options trading for all. It aims to empower the masses with F&O trading as an important wealth management product.

The company said that it received an overwhelming response for F&O trading on its platform with over 1 lakh requests for its Early Access Program. Trading is now live on the Paytm Money app and website for all.

The company said that it has enabled users with the lowest and most competitive brokerage at Rs 10 for F&O, which is in line with its intraday charges of Rs 10, and zero for delivery. The pricing disruption will benefit experienced as well as first-time traders to seamlessly trade in futures & options with a best-in-class product, on their mobile and in a secure environment. The F&O platform has seamless UI and easy onboarding that makes F&O trading accessible and feasible for every Indian.

Paytm Money said that during the Early Access Program the company witnessed massive interest coming from tier-III, tier-IV, and the rest of India towns in F&O trade. It has also seen a rise in interest in wealth products in the user base below the age of 30 and women investors. Paytm Money aims at simplifying stock trading for all Indians, be it seasoned traders or new to a market investors by offering them the flexibility to invest and trade via both the app and its website.

Varun Sridhar, CEO – Paytm Money said, “We are delighted to share that more than 1 lakh users were granted access during the first few weeks of the F&O early access phase in January after its early access launch. The platform witnessed greater adoption by users from Tier 1 cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Hyderabad, and Kolkata. Amongst the smaller cities that showed maximum interest were Patna, Kota, and Guntur. Additionally, more than 50 per cent of users belonged to the age group of 20-30 years. Our pricing of Rs 10 flat per order without any contracts or commitments brings the overall cost of trading significantly lower and makes it super transparent. With this, Paytm Money is taking one step further to become India’s most comprehensive & top digital wealth management platform.”

F&O Trading in India is a highly competitive arena that hosts a number of old and young players. This widespread adoption of F&O Trading on Paytm Money in such a short span holds considerable significance for us and indicates recognition towards our efforts to democratize digital trading for every Indian. Along with simplified trading in the futures and options segment, the platform offers ample opportunities to the user to research the markets, explore market movers, create customizable watchlists, and set price alerts for as many as 50 stocks.

Also, with the built-in Brokerage Calculator, the investor can discover the transaction charges & know the exact breakeven price to sell stocks profitably. Besides, the Advanced Charts and other options like Cover Order & Bracket Order have been added to make the stock trading experience more rewarding. All this and a lot more would be available with absolute data privacy to keep investors’ personal data safe with bank-level security. Apart from this, the company is planning to come up with more value-adding features and intends to launch a few more exciting products on its platform very soon.

Paytm Money is a wholly-owned subsidiary of One97 Communications that owns and operates Paytm. It is the largest online investment platform in the country and has now added F&O to its current offerings of Stocks, ETF, IPO, Digital Gold, Direct Mutual Funds & NPS for its users.

It aims to become a full-stack investment and wealth management platform and bring wealth creation opportunities to millions of Indians. Headquartered and operating from Bengaluru, the team is 300+ members strong.

Google removes Trump’s campaign app from Play Store

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Google removes Trump’s campaign app from Play Store

Google has removed former US President Donald Trump’s 2020 campaign app from its Play Store for violating its policies.

Android Police first reported that the app was unable to load any content and appeared to have been taken down.

Both the Android version of the app and its iOS counterpart has been left online since the November 2020 elections but hadn’t received recent updates.

The Play Store version hadn’t been updated since October 30.

“The Trump 2020 campaign app recently stopped working and we reached out to the developer multiple times in an attempt to get them to address the issue,” a Google spokesperson was quoted as saying in reports on Wednesday.

“People expect that apps downloaded from Google Play provide a minimum level of functionality and our policy is to remove non-working apps from the store if they are not fixed,” the spokesperson told TechCrunch.

The Trump 2020 app dates back to 2016, where it was used in the former president’s first campaign.

The app allowed users to register for Trump rallies, check into events, contribute financially, keep up to date with campaign news, and earn rewards.

The iOS version was still able to load which means Apple has not suspended the app as yet.

Amid political crisis, Rahul Gandhi lands in Puducherry

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Amid political crisis, Rahul Gandhi lands in Puducherry

As Congress-ruled Puducherry plunged into political uncertainty, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi arrived in the Union territory on Wednesday.

With Puducherry Chief Minister V. Narayanswamy’s close aide A. John Kumar resigning from the party on Tuesday, citing “dissatisfaction with the Congress government” in the Union territory, it has pushed the Congress government to the brink of losing power.

Kumar submitted his resignation to Speaker V. P. Sivakozhunthu in the Assembly, just a day after Puducherry minister Malladi Krishna Rao tendered his resignation.

Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to interact with the fishing community in the Solai Nagar area and meet students of a girls’ college.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also scheduled to visit Puducherry on February 25. Modi will be visiting Coimbatore in neighboring Tamil Nadu on the same day.

Modi’s visit to Coimbatore will include a rally in the city. The trip to Puducherry assumes added significance given the political instability in the Union territory and the recall of Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi ahead of the Assembly election.

Third phase of panchayat polls begin in Andhra Pradesh

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Third phase of panchayat polls begin in Andhra Pradesh

The third phase of the four-phased Panchayat elections in Andhra Pradesh kicked off on Wednesday with voting commencing at 6.30 a.m. in 18 revenue divisions.

The revenue divisions in which polls are being held are Srikakulam, Palakonda, Vizianagaram, Paderu, Rampachodavaram, Yetapaka, Jangareddygudem, Kukunuru, Machilipatnam, Gurazala, Kandukur, Gudur, Naidupeta, Adoni, Kurnool, Ananthapur, Rajampet, Kadapa and Madanapalle.

As many as 2,639 sarpanch posts are being contested, along with 19,553 wards.

In Kurnool district, elections started off on a peaceful note and district collector Veerapandian reiterated that people should exercise their franchise fearlessly.

He advised people to call control room number 1800-4255180 in case any forces are trying to influence the elections.

Similar to the second phase polls, district officials made arrangements to complete vote counting faster in major panchayats.

Starting at 5:30 a.m. on Wednesday, senior officials have been monitoring the election arrangements and polls in the control room set up at the Collectorate.

As many as 14 manuals, comprising 245 panchayats and 2,516 wards are going to the polls at 2,204 polling centers.

Kurnool district administration deployed 2,557 policemen on poll duty.

As many as 219 villages are going to the polls in the district.

Out of the 2,204 polling stations, the district identified 605 polling stations as troublesome ones and another 374 as hyper-sensitive.

Polling and vote counting officials number is 7,250 in the Rayalaseema district.

Zonal officials, shadow teams, striking force teams, route mobile teams, flying squads, drones, and webcasting are deployed to monitor the elections.

Police Act 30 and CrPc Section 144 have been imposed in the district, including banning victory rallies, pyrotechnics, and other musical celebrations.

“Non-locals, newcomers, and people not related to the polls are banned from the villages where polls are occurring,” reiterated an official statement.

In Anantapur district, elections are happening in 19 mandapams. Out of 379 panchayats, 23 sarpanches have been elected unanimously, while 936 contestants are competing for the remaining 356 sarpanch posts.

In a similar fashion, 1,076 wards have gone for unanimous polls, even as polling began for the remaining wards in which 2,620 candidates are contesting.

By 10:30 a.m. Anantapur district witnessed a polling percentage of 48.15 percent.

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