Andhra CM writes to Jaishankar about ill-treatment of workers in Bahrain

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Andhra CM writes to Jaishankar about ill-treatment of workers in Bahrain

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has written to external affairs minister S. Jaishankar about several Indian workers being ill-treated by their employers in Bahrain.

The Chief Minister sought the assistance of the Centre for the return of the workers to their respective home towns.

In a letter to the central minister on Monday, Jagan Mohan Reddy pointed out that among the impacted workers, a sizeable number belongs to Andhra Pradesh.

“In this regard, I would like to bring to your kind notice that the Government of Andhra Pradesh will extend all possible support to Government of India in repatriating the affected workers, belonging to Andhra Pradesh, from Bahrain,” he wrote.

“I request the officials from your good office to reach out to Resident Commissioner, Andhra Pradesh Bhavan or officers from my office (Chief Minister’s Office, Andhra Pradesh) for any assistance needed for repatriating affected workers belonging to Andhra Pradesh,” he added.

Modi to lay foundation stone of Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh university in Aligarh

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Modi to lay foundation stone of Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh university in Aligarh

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh state university in Aligarh on Tuesday.

The Prime Minister will also visit the exhibition models of the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor and Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh State University in Aligarh.

The university is being established by the state government in the memory and honour of the great freedom fighter, educationist and social reformer, Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh.

The University will be set up in a total area of over 92 acres in the Lodha village and Musepur Kareem Jarouli village of Aligarh’s Kol tehsil.

The university will provide affiliation to 395 colleges of the Aligarh Division.

In February 2018, the Prime Minister had announced the establishment of a Defence Industrial Corridor in the state during the inauguration of the UP Investors Summit in Lucknow.

A total of 6 nodes — Aligarh, Agra, Kanpur, Chitrakoot, Jhansi and Lucknow — have been planned in the Defence Industrial Corridor.

In the Aligarh Node, land allocation process has been completed and land has been allotted to 19 firms, who will invest Rs 1,245 crore in the node.

The Defence Industrial Corridor of Uttar Pradesh will help in making the country self-reliant in the field of defence production and promoting ‘Make in India’.

Priyanka in Rae Bareli to meet party workers, leaders

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Priyanka in Rae Bareli to meet party workers, leaders

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has extended her visit to Uttar Pradesh by two days and will be in Rae Bareli on Sunday.

According to party sources, Priyanka, who is in-charge of Uttar Pradesh, will discuss election strategy, organisation status, names of potential candidates and many other issues with senior leaders in Rae Bareli which is also her mother, Sonia Gandhi’s parliamentary constituency.

She will address meetings with the district Congress committee, block presidents, Nyaya Panchayat presidents and city president on Sunday morning.

Thereafter, she will meet the PCC members and later in the evening, Priyanka will interact with former legislators and senior party members of the area.

A meeting with zila panchayat members is also on the cards.

She will have an interaction with eminent citizens in the evening and another one with social organisations, including representatives of industry, JCC, Rotary Club, IMA, Rae Bareli Club and chemist association will be there.

The Congress has been facing tough times in Rae Bareli-once considered a party bastion.

Sonia Gandhi has been unable to devote much time to her constituency, reportedly due to health issues.

The two Congress legislators, Aditi Singh and Rakesh Singh, have revolted against the party leadership and their loyalties now lie with the BJP.

PM, Odisha CM greets people on Nuakhai festival

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PM, Odisha CM greets people on Nuakhai festival

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and other senior leaders of the country on Saturday extended their greetings to the people of the state on the occasion of Nuakhai festival.

Nuakhai, an agricultural festival, is usually celebrated one day after the Ganesh Chaturthi in Western Odisha.

In a tweet, the Prime Minister said: “Nuakhai Juhar! Greetings to everyone on this auspicious occasion. On Nuakhai we laud the outstanding efforts of our industrious farmers and their role in nation building. I pray for everyone’s good health and well-being.”

In a video message, Patnaik said that Nuakhai is not only a festival but an identity of the state’s art, culture and tradition.

“I pray to Maa Samaleswari that you all have a happy and prosperous life,” he said.

Also extending his greetings, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said: “My deepest gratitude to our farmer friends whose hard work has ensured food security to the nation. May this auspicious occasion bring about prosperity and good health to everyone.”

Similarly, BJP President J.P. Nadda wished the people of Odisha, saying: “I extend my warm wishes on the auspicious occasion of Nuakhai Juhar! The ancient festival marks the worship of foodgrains and celebrate our farmer’s hardwork. May this festival brings good health, happiness, peace and prosperity.”

Many other senior leaders including Odisha Governor Ganeshi Lal and Union Ministers Amit Shah, Dharmendra Pradhan, Arjun Munda and Aswini Vaishnaw also greeted the people of the state.

Meanwhile, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) P.K. Jena has appealed to the people to celebrate the festival while strictly adhering to the Covid-19 norms and must avoid gatherings.

He requested people not to overcrowd temples during the festive period.

Telangana becomes first state to launch drone trials for deliveries

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Telangana becomes first state to launch drone trials for deliveries

Telangana became the first state in the country to launch a trial run for delivering vaccines by drones to healthcare centres in remote areas.

The two-day trial run of drones under the state government’s ‘Medicine from the Sky’ project began on Thursday in Vikarabad town.

Vikarabad District Collector K. Nikhila formally inaugurated the trial run in the parade ground.

Boxes weighing 2-3 kgs took off from the Vikarabad district hospital for primary healthcare centres 500 metres away, flying to an altitude of up to 400 feet.

“This is the first time in India that trial run is being conducted to use drone technology to deliver vaccines or medicines to remote areas,” she said.

The three-phase trial will see six flights a day, with each drone carrying 175 vaccines in temperature-controlled boxes.

The project will be formally launched on September 11 by Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and Telangana Industries and Information Technology Minister K.T. Rama Rao.

The ‘Medicine from the Sky’ is an initiative of the Telangana government, spearheaded by the Emerging Technologies Wing of the ITE&C Department, in partnership with World Economic Forum, NITI Aayog, and HealthNet Global (Apollo Hospitals).

The project entails undertaking experimental Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone flights for delivery of vaccines using the identified airspace of the Vikarabad district.

The project has received the final regulatory nod from the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

Three of the eight selected consortia, namely Bluedart Med Express Consortium (Skye Air), Hepicopter Consortium (Marut Drones), and CurisFly Consortium (TechEagle Innovations), have already reached Vikarabad and have started testing of their drones, via VLOS and BVLOS flights.

With the launch, the consortia would continue to further test the endurance of their drones over increasing longer distances and heavier payloads to establish the reliability, officials said.

The project is first of its kind in India as it is the first organised BVLOS drone trials in the country and the same are being conducted in healthcare as the domain.

Indian drone delivery start-up firm Skye Air Mobility, which is a part of the consortium for the project, will conduct the majority of drone flights. Skye Air has joined hands with Blue Dart Express to provide drone-based delivery and drone flights to conduct these trials.

MFTS Project’s first two days of the trials will be flying in the visual line of sight, which involves drones flying between 500 to 700 meters from the base and they can be seen with the naked eye.

From September 11 onwards, BVLOS drone flights will take place for 9-10 km distances. These flights will be with consignments of vaccine, medical samples, and other healthcare items.

“We are extremely delighted to be a part of this project with the Telangana government and our tie-up with leading firms to give the first live demonstration trials which are being conducted in real time with real vaccines & medicines being carried,” Skye Air Mobility Co-Founder Swapnik Jakkampundi said

KTR highlights Telangana’s IT initiatives before Parliamentary panel

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KTR highlights Telangana’s IT initiatives before Parliamentary panel

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology was on Wednesday briefed on Telangana’s initiatives in the sector.

Information Technology and Industries Minister K.T. Rama Rao highlighted the state’s IT ecosystem and the IT initiatives taken up by the government.

The committee, chaired by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, had the meeting with the state minister and other officials as part of their study tour to Hyderabad.

The committee members included Karti P. Chidambaram, Jayadev Galla, Tejasvi Surya, Mahua Moitra, Chandan Singh, and G. Ranjith Reddy.

KTR, as the minister is popularly known, also felicitated Tharoor and other members of the committee on the occasion.

The panel on Tuesday visited T-Hub (Technology Hub), an innovation hub and ecosystem enabler, and the Telangana State Data Centre.

It got a glimpse of Telangana’s innovation ecosystems. Start-ups at T-Hub showcased their innovative solutions and shared how the state’s ecosystem has enabled them create impact.

Principal Secretary, Information Technology, Electronics and Communications, Jayesh Ranjan, briefed the parliamentary panel on the activities of T-Hub and its achievements.

Meanwhile, Tharoor on Wednesday shared on Twitter his views about the visit to ‘very impressive’ T-Hub. The panel also visited the second phase of the facility coming up at HITEC City.

“The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology visited the very impressive T-Hub in Hyderabad (Phase-2 under construction, hence the hard hats) which is already India’s largest incubation centre &will soon be the world’s second largest. Listened to the innovators,” tweeted the Congress leader.

“Some of the brains behind the T-Hub, the women leading key Verticals with IT Secretary Jayesh Ranjan, & the young men who have invented new rockets that will expand the frontiers of space, bring satellite launches into the private sector &are working on reusable rocket technology,” wrote the MP who also posted photographs taken during the visit.

“Heard from some remarkable innovators at the T-Hub, inspiring & heartwarming tales from Indians responding to Indian needs. A schoolgirl who made a biodegradable planter, a computerised incubator to combat infantile jaundice, a digital payment system, visual aid for the blind,” he added.

EC announces crucial bypoll for Mamata on Sep 30

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EC announces crucial bypoll for Mamata on Sep 30

After much speculation, the Election Commission of India announced the date for the bye-elections in Bhabanipur and elections in two other assembly constituencies – Samsergunj and Jangipur in Murshidabad district on Saturday. The elections in these three constituencies will be held on September 30 and counting will be held on October 3.

The elections in Samsergunj and Jangipur were withheld because of the death of the candidates before polls during the recently concluded assembly election in West Bengal. On the other hand, a bye-election in Bhabanipur assembly constituency is scheduled because the existing MLA Sovondeb Chattopadhyay resigned to make room for chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

Banerjee lost to the Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhiakri in Nandigram in the recently concluded polls and is still not an elected member of the legislative body.

The commission in its notification quoting chief secretary H.K. Dwivedi said, “under Article 164(4) of the Constitution of India, a Minister who is not a member of the Legislature of the State for a period of six consecutive months shall at the expiration of that period cease to be a Minister and there will be a constitutional crisis and vacuum in the top executive posts in the Government unless elections are held immediately”.

“He has also informed that in view of administrative exigencies and public interest and to avoid vacuum in the state, bye-elections for Bhabanipur, Kolkata from where Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister intends to contest elections may be conducted,” the notification said.

“Taking into consideration the inputs and views of the Chief Secretaries of the concerned States and respective Chief Electoral Officers, while the Commission has decided not to hold bye-elections in other 31 Assembly constituencies and 3 Parliamentary Constituencies and considering the exigency and special request from the State of West Bengal, it has decided to hold bye-election in 159- Bhabanipur AC,” the notification said.

“Further, the Commission has also decided to hold polls in 3 Assembly constituencies namely 56-Samserganj, 58- Jangipur of West Bengal and 1 Assembly Constituency 110-Pipli of Odisha where the adjourned poll was deferred,” the notification said.

The election in these two constituencies of West Bengal was deferred because of the death of the candidates before the election. The commission has allowed a campaign time of seven days from September 20.

However, there are four more assembly constituencies – Khardah in North 24 Parganas, South Dinhata in Cooch Behar, Santipur in Nadia and Gosaba in South 24 Parganas where bye-election is scheduled but the election commission has kept the elections on hold considering the Covid pandemic situation.

The Trinamool Congress has been pressing for the election for quite a long time and recently a five-member delegation of Trinamool MPs including Sougata Roy, Jwahar Sircar, Sukhendu Sekhar Roy Sajda Ahmed and Mohua Moitra met the election commissioner and demanded for the polls. The announcement is a huge relief for the party.

BJP likely to return to power in Uttar Pradesh

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BJP likely to return to power in Uttar Pradesh

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government is likely to return to power in the electoral contest of 2022 in Uttar Pradesh, the state with significant influence on countrys political landscape, as per the ABP-CVoter-IANS opinion poll.

Other key political players in the state — the Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and Congress are not in a position to dislodge the Yogi Adityanath government in 2022, as things stand today.

The latest round of opinion poll has revealed that incumbent Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath continues to be the most preferred choice for the post of chief minister. Yogi Adityanath continues to be much ahead of his competitors – Akhilesh Yadav, Mayawati and Priyanka Gandhi in the race for top job in the state.

According to the survey data, the ruling BJP is expected to grab 41.8 per cent of vote share in the upcoming assembly polls in the state. Notably, the saffron party has been continuously maintained it vote share of around 41 per cent in the state; in 2017 Assembly elections BJP had garnered 41.4 per cent of the votes polled in the state.

As for other key political players in the state while the vote share of SP is expected to witness a jump of 6.6 per cent from 23.6 per cent in 2017 to 30.2 per cent in 2022, BSP’s vote share is likely to witness a slump of 6.5 per cent from 22.2 per cent in 2017 to 15.7 per cent in 2022. Country’s grand old party — the Congress, out of power in the state since 1989 is expected to get 5.1 per cent of the votes, the party had secured 6.3 per cent votes in 2017.

Translated into seats, BJP+ is likely to grab 263 seats in 2022 Assembly polls. Though BJP and its allies will witness a dip of 62 seats from the figure of 325 seats they had won in 2017, the alliance is expected to cross the majority figure comfortably.

The Samajwadi Party, emerging as main contender is expected to improve its tally from 48 seats in 2017 to 113 seats this time. The survey further shows that the Bahujan Samaj Party is continuously losing the political ground in the state as the party is expected to get 14 seats this time, it had won just 19 seats in 2017. Congress will be reduced to single digit figure of 5 seats.

The survey data revealed that there isn’t much anti-incumbency against Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath as 40.4 per cent of the respondents said that Yogi Adityanath is their preferred choice for the post of Chief Minister in upcoming assembly elections. During the survey, while 27.5 per cent opined in favour of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav for the top job in the state, 14.6 per cent of the respondents said they waant to see BSP supremo Mayawati as next chief minister.

Interestingly, only 3.2 per cent of those interviewed during the survey wanted Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi to be the next chief minister of the state.

Notably, during the survey, a large proportion of respondents expressed satisfaction with the performance of BJP government in the state. While 45.3 per cent of the respondents said that they were very much satisfied with the performance of the BJP government in the state, 19.9 per cent opined that they satisfied to some extent. 33.7 per cent of those interviewed during the survey said they were not satisfied with the performance of the state government.

As for the performance of the Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, while 43.6% of the respondents expressed satisfaction with the performance of incumbent chief minister, 18.1% said they were satisfied to some extent with his performance; 37.0% of the respondents stated that they were not satisfied the ruling chief minister of the state.

Notably, a large proportion of respondents expressed dissatisfaction with sitting MLAs of their constituencies. During the survey, while 43.8% of the respondents said they were not satisfied at all with the performance of sitting legislators of their constituencies, only 29.0% stated that they were very much satisfied with their work; 20.9% opined that they were satisfied to some extent.

The survey data revealed that unemployment and spiraling inflation are key issues of concern for the electorate at the moment. Out of those interviewed, while 38.6 of the respondents said that unemployment was the main issue for them, 25.7% felt that price rise is the main issue affecting them.

The sample for the poll is 81,006 in five states covering 690 assembly seats. This State Poll is part of the largest and definitive independent sample survey tracker series carried out in India over the last 22 years, conducted by independent international polling agency CVoter, a globally renowned name in the field of Socio-Economic research.

May 2009 onwards, the CVoter Tracker has been carried out each and every week, 52 waves in a calendar year, in 11 national languages, across all States in UTs in India, with a target sample size of 3,000 samples each wave. The average response rate is 55%. Starting 1st January 2019, C Voter is carrying the tracker on DAILY basis, using the rollover sample of 7 days (last 6 days + today) for tracker analysis.

Sonia Gandhi’s popularity declining in poll-bound states

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Sonia Gandhi’s popularity declining in poll-bound states

The popularity of interim Congress chief Sonia Gandhi is on the decile in the five states going to the polls next year — Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur — as per the latest ABP-CVOTER-IANS BATTLE FOR THE STATES – WAVE 1.

In the very much satisfied category with Sonia Gandhi, 11.9 per cent are in Goa, 17.6 per cent in Manipur, 14.2 per cent in Punjab, 25.2 per cent in UP, 19.1 per cent in Uttrakhand, while the all-India average is 18.7 per cent.

In the satisfied to some extent category, the respondents in Goa gave 40.6 per cent to Sonia Gandhi, followed by Manipur at 25.9 per cent, Uttrakhand at 20.1, UP at 15.8 per cent, and Punjab at 15.4 per cent. The overall average is 19.8 per cent.

A total of 41.6 per cent respondents are not satisfied with Sonia Gandhi in Goa, 37.6 per cent in Manipur, 39.7 per cent in Punjab, 51.2 per cent in UP, and 44.6 per cent in Uttrakhand.

The sample size for the survey was 81,006 in five states covering 690 Assembly seats. This state poll is part of the largest and definitive independent sample survey tracker series carried out in India over the last 22 years, conducted by independent international polling agency CVoter.

In the era of social media, voices are suppressed: Rahul

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In the era of social media, voices are suppressed: Rahul

Rahul Gandhi on Friday released a video about how his late father and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi used to meet people, but now in the era of social media, the people’s voices was suppressed, he alleged.

He said, “So the tragedy of politics of today is that, in a world of media, in a world of WhatsApp, in a world of Twitter, in Facebook, that voice is basically suppressed.”

In the second video released within two days, he showed the picture of Rajiv Gandhi, where he can be seen talking to people, “This picture here. He’s listening. Right, so it was constantly listening and he would make these connections — he would be in this crowd, listen and then suddenly, he would say okay this can be transformed with this instrument,” he said.

Rahul said it was a journey where he would go and listen and then go and look around to find instruments that could transform the voice of this nation that he was hearing.

“There is this tremendous voice here, but it is struggling to speak. Of course, that’s been magnified today, it’s not being allowed to speak, and it is being crushed with monopoly, you know media… it’s been crushed with an authoritarian system,” he alleged.

Rahul said, “This voice is… call it God. There’s nothing more than this voice. It’s not a singular voice. It’s millions and millions of voices that speak together… have huge power when they speak and tremendous amount of nuance.”

He said that his father Rajiv Gandhi during the tours was not only connecting with the people, he was actually trying to understand their needs and it was about listening to what they were trying to tell him and I remember a lot of it was just going there and listening.”

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