
Events like Pareeksha pe Charcha can't whitewash stark indices on state of education: Kharge
📚Rank apathy leading to falling learning outcomes. Modi Govt remains apathetic to our future. pic.twitter.com/957WIttotF

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Hindustan Times
25 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
'Ties strong enough to...': India on Muizzu's brother-in-law criticising PM Modi
The relationship between India and Maldives has withstood the test of time, said Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Friday, when asked about a purported now-deleted social media post made by Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu's brother-in-law. Mohamed Muizzu (R), shakes hand with PM Modi after signing a memorandum of understanding between the two countries in Male.(AP) Junking the post as "passing remarks", Misri said India looks forward to strengthening ties with Maldives. "Our ties are strong enough to withstand some of these passing remarks that have been made and have also withstood the test of time. I would prefer to look forward," the Foreign Secretary said. As PM Modi visits Maldives, several media reports had said that Muizzu's brother-in-law Abdullah bin Mohammed Ibrahim made a post on social media criticising PM Modi. The post has now reportedly been taken down. Reacting to a question about it, Misri said India and Maldives have withstood such remarks, adding, "by going with everything that has happened today and especially in the past 9-10 months since President Mohamed Muizzu visited India, the future is undoubtedly and unquestionably bright." Thaw in India-Maldives ties PM Modi's visit to the Maldives marks a significant shift in the India-Maldives relations, which soured in 2023 after Muizzu was elected President, on the back of an 'India Out' campaign. What further triggered a storm was posts criticising PM Modi, made by some members in Muizzu's government, following which Indian tourists started boycotting trips to Maldives, a popular tourist destination. However, ties started to restore by 2024 as both India and Maldives decided to restart diplomatic dialogue. While in Maldives, PM Modi affirmed faith into the India-Maldives diplomatic ties, calling them 'older than history and as deep as the sea.' 'India is the Maldives' closest neighbour. The Maldives holds an important place in both India's 'Neighbourhood First' policy and its Vision MAHASAGAR. India is proud to be the Maldives' most trusted friend," PM Modi said. Mohamed Muizzu also congratulated PM Modi for completing 4,078 consecutive days in office.


NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
"Centuries Old Relations, Key In Neighbourhood 1st Policy": PM On India-Maldives Ties
Male: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday expressed gratitude and reaffirmed the close ties between India and the Maldives during an official banquet hosted in his honour by Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu in Male. Emphasising the depth of the bilateral relationship, PM Modi said, "India-Maldives relations are centuries old. We are neighbours, partners and true friends who stand together in times of need. Maldives holds a special place in India's 'Neighbourhood First' policy... This is not just diplomacy but a relation of deep affinity." He reflected on the continuity of recent high-level engagements, saying, "Last year, the President visited India on a State Visit. Now, I have received the opportunity to be the first State Guest of his tenure." Marking the significance of the occasion, he added, "Arriving here as the Guest of Honour on the 60th Independence Day of the Maldives is an honour for me. For this invitation, I express my gratitude to the President. On behalf of all the people of India, I extend heartfelt greetings to the people of the Maldives." He noted that this visit comes at a symbolic moment for both nations. "This year, the 60th anniversary of India-Maldives relations is also being celebrated. This happy coincidence -- the 60th Independence Day of the Maldives and the 60th anniversary of India-Maldives relations -- has made my visit even more special," PM Modi said. Underscoring the civilisational and cultural bonds, he remarked, "Our shared heritage is as old as the monsoon and as sweet as Addu Bondi. Our languages reflect the depth of our culture. Several words in Dhivehi have come from India... Our tastes are also similar... Absolutely perfect despite being different." He also emphasised the strength of people-to-people ties between the two countries, saying, "The loving relations that have been formed between the people of our two nations for centuries are ever strong even today... Your tourist number 10 lakh this year turned out to be an Indian." Reflecting the warmth of the occasion, President Mohamed Muizzu congratulated Prime Minister Modi for completing 4,078 consecutive days in office, making him the second-longest-serving Prime Minister of India in consecutive terms -- surpassing the record previously held by former PM Indira Gandhi. Speaking at the official banquet hosted in honour of PM Modi during his two-day visit to the Maldives, Muizzu praised the Prime Minister's leadership. "First of all, let me convey my heartiest congratulations to Your Excellency on becoming the second-longest-serving Prime Minister of India today," Muizzu said. "This remarkable milestone, 4078 consecutive days in office, is a testament to your unwavering commitment to public service and dedication to the progress and prosperity of the Indian people," he added. Notably, PM Modi is the first non-Congress Prime Minister to mark this achievement. Additionally, Narendra Modi is the first Prime Minister born after independence and the longest-serving from a non-Hindi state. Narendra Modi, 74, took oath as Prime Minister for the first time on May 26, 2014 and has served a total of 11 years and 60 days in office till date. The erstwhile Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had served for 11 years and 59 days in office in consecutive terms. She held the highest office as Prime Minister of India from January 24, 1966, to March 24, 1977. Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, holds the record for the longest-serving Prime Minister in consecutive terms, spanning 16 years and 286 days, from August 15, 1947, to May 27, 1964. The first Prime Minister born after India's independence, Prime Minister Modi, has previously served as the Prime Minister of India from 2014 to 2019 and from 2019 to 2024. PM Modi is on a two-day visit to the Maldives at the invitation of President Muizzu, where he held a bilateral meeting with Muizzu and announced several agreements to boost cooperation in trade, agriculture, health, and social welfare, providing the South Asian nation with an extra push in its development journey.


Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
'My mistake that caste census was not done in UPA tenure': Rahul Gandhi
NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said it was his mistake that the UPA govt did not conduct the caste census, adding the blame lies with him and not the party. He said he is correcting the mistake now by getting the census done, pointing to the exercise by the Congress-ruled Telangana which he dubbed as a model in social data collection which has created a "political earthquake" that is not visible. At the AICC's OBC convention "Bhagidari Nyay Sammelan", which was attended by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, K C Venugopal, Siddaramaiah, Ashok Gehlot, Sachin Pilot, Bhupesh Baghel, Gaurav Gogoi among others, Rahul said when he looks back at his 21 years in politics, he has scored well on the issues of poor, SCs, STs, minorities and women, but faltered on those of the backward classes. "I can see clearly that I faltered on one issue - the way I should have protected the OBC sections, I didn't do it. The reason was at that time, I did not understand your issues deeply," he said. Rahul said it is easier to comprehend the challenges faced by dalits and tribals because of their history, but those of OBCs are "hidden". "I regret if I knew your issues and history better, I would have got the caste census done. And I am going to correct it (the mistake) now." Modi is no big problem, Rahul tells party meet However, he argued it was a good mistake because a caste count then would not have yielded "the X-ray of society" as done by the Telangana census where now the participation of SC/ST/OBC at various levels of corporates in the state can be easily discerned. At the same time, the Gandhi scion exhorted the backwards to take the reins of the Congress. Pointing to the dais with CM Siddaramaiah, Ashok Gehlot, Sachin Pilot, Bhupesh Baghel, V Narayanasamy, he said they are the 'icons' of the OBCs, but there is a need for more of them. At one point, Rahul said PM Narendra Modi is "all show and no substance", and does not pose a big challenge. He said after meeting, and being in the room, with Modi a few times, he has realised that the PM is a balloon inflated by the media. The remark came when Rahul's rhetorical question - what is the biggest problem of the backward communities -- elicited a stray shout of Modi. "I tell you, you have hyped it in your mind. Modi is no big problem," he said. Rahul said the problem of OBCs is that their history was killed by the RSS-BJP. "When you realise this, you would know that RSS is your biggest enemy," he added. He said BJP leaders claim they will remove English from India, but their own children study in the English medium. Kharge took a swipe at Modi by asking if he would retire at 75 years of age, as suggested by the RSS. He said Modi became OBC only after he became the CM of Gujarat and added his community to the OBC list.