
RJD MP Manoj Kumar Jha questions Govt on Hunger Index, Income inequality amidst economic growth
New Delhi [India], May 25 (ANI): Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Kumar Jha on Sunday questioned India's growth as the world's fourth largest economy would translate to progress and prosperity for every household in the country, which continues to battle persistent issues of hunger and income inequality.
The CEO of Niti Aayog BVR Subrahmanyam on Saturday said that India has overtaken Japan to become the world's fourth-largest economy.
The RJD MP said, 'The common citizen understands the economy better when progress and prosperity reaches every home. What will happen to the hunger index? Where are we on the inclusive growth index? Why is income inequality increasing so much? All these things should happen simultaneously.'
NITI Aayog Chief Executive Officer (CEO) BVR Subrahmanyam on May 25 said that India has overtaken Japan to become the world's fourth-largest economy, citing data by the International Monetary Fund.
Addressing a press conference of the 10th NITI Aayog Governing Council Meeting on 'Viksit Rajya for Viksit Bharat 2047', Subrahmanyam stated that India's economy has reached the USD 4 trillion mark.
According to the IMF's April edition of the World Economic Outlook report, the nominal GDP for fiscal 2026 is expected to reach around USD 4,187.017 billion. This is marginally more than the likely GDP of Japan, which is estimated at USD 4,186.431 billion. India was the fifth largest economy in the world till 2024.
Meanwhile, RJD leader Manoj Kumar Jha also termed as 'astonishing' Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's comments on Jawaharlal Nehru.
Sarma had on Saturday while addressing the 10th Governing Council meeting of the NITI Aayog alleged that despite opportunities, Jawaharlal Nehru failed to include Chittagong into India and Indira Gandhi was unable to negotiate a broader and more secure geographical corridor to the Northeast.
'Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's recent statement is quite astonishing. He claims that Nehru failed to merge with India and Indira Gandhi failed to secure a more stable corridor. It's concerning that some scholars seem to lack a deep understanding of our country's history and its complexities. They appear to have a limited grasp of the events that have shaped our nation since 1947. As someone who has held positions in the past, one would expect a certain level of awareness and appreciation for the country's journey. However, the Chief Minister's statement suggests a rather narrow perspective, implying that India's history began in 2014, and that we had no army, government, or freedom fighters before that. This perspective is not only inaccurate but also worrisome,' Jha said. (ANI)
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
NITI Aayog includes Koraput Coffee under ‘vocal for local' campaign
Koraput: Recognising indigenous enterprise and sustainable farming, Koraput Coffee has been featured by under its 'Aakanksha' initiative, which aims to promote rural livelihoods, ecological harmony and the 'Vocal for Local' campaign. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Lauding Koraput Coffee, NITI Aayog wrote on its X handle, "From the mist elevations of Koraput, Odisha, nestled at 3,000 feet in the Eastern Ghats, emerges a brew that is rich in flavour as it is in heritage — Koraput Coffee." "Koraput Coffee — A flavour born of the highlands, rooted in tradition and grown with pride," it added. The post praised Koraput Coffee for its premium Arabica beans, directly procured from tribal farmers by the Tribal Development Co-operative Corporation of Odisha Ltd (TDCCOL), ensuring fair prices and dignity for the growers. Tracing its origins, NITI Aayog highlighted that coffee cultivation in Koraput dates back to the 1930s during the reign of the Jeypore king. The practice was further institutionalised through govt support in 1958 and large-scale land allotments to tribal families between 1989 and 2016. By 2015-16, the coffee-growing area had expanded to over 1,400 hectares. The Coffee Development Trust, set up in 2017 along with the Coffee Board, has been instrumental in promoting ecological sustainability and tribal empowerment through training programs, land access and market linkages. Women self-help groups (SHGs) play a critical role in nurturing coffee seedlings and contributing to both economic and social development in the region. Reacting to the recognition, Koraput collector Keerthi Vasan V said, "It's a proud moment for the district and everyone associated with Koraput Coffee. Under the Aakanksha programme of NITI Aayog, we had submitted the proposal, and we are happy that Koraput Coffee now finds a place in their list." Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The administration has ambitious plans to scale up cultivation. For 2025-26, the district aims to undertake shade plantation on 4,000 hectares and coffee cultivation on 800 hectares. There is also a proposal to involve more local womens SHGs in coffee processing to boost production and make the product more widely available in retail outlets. At present, Koraput boasts 3,500 hectares under coffee cultivation, including 778 hectares of private plantations managed by nearly 4,300 tribal farmers. A govt study has identified 1.46 lakh hectares of land in the district as suitable for coffee farming, underscoring the massive untapped potential for Koraput Coffee in the domestic and global markets.


India Gazette
2 hours ago
- India Gazette
Madhya Pradesh: Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan offers prayers at Ujjain's Mahakaleshwar temple
Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh) [India], June 7 (ANI): Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan offered prayers at Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain on Saturday. Earlier in the day, Pradhan, Governor of Karnataka, Thaawarchand Gehlot and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav inaugurated a hostel and staff quarters at Prime Minister Shri Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya-2. The Union Minister Pradhan and CM Yadav also performed a ritual and inaugurated the hostel and staff quarters. In an X post, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan shared glimpses of the event and appreciated Navodaya Vidyalaya, Kendriya Vidyalaya and Sandipani Vidyalaya for working to create meritorious students under the National Education Policy 2020. He wrote, 'Today, along with Hon'ble Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav ji, Hon'ble Governor of Karnataka Thaawarchand Gehlot ji and other colleagues, inaugurated the new hostel and staff quarters of PM Shri School Navodaya Vidyalaya-2 in Alot, Ratlam and Sandipani Vidyalaya, Alot.' 'I am happy that the state governments, including Navodaya Vidyalaya, Kendriya Vidyalaya and Sandipani Vidyalaya, are working at a rapid pace on the vision of creating meritorious students in the National Education Policy - 2020,' he also mentioned that Navodaya Vidyalayas have performed excellently, and more than 1100 students from these schools have been selected for IITs all over the country. 'This time, the performance of Navodaya Vidyalayas has been excellent. More than 1100 students selected in IIT from all over the country are from Navodaya Vidyalayas. It is a matter of even more satisfaction for us that more than half of these students are from poor and deprived sections. I have full faith that in the coming years, the students of PM Shri Navodaya Vidyalaya-2, Alot will also make their place in prestigious institutions like IIT, NEET, NIT,' Dharmendra Pradhan wrote. Lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi for NEP 2020, he wrote, 'School is a modern temple for us. Under the National Education Policy - 2020 implemented under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, work is being done to empower our new generation by connecting education through Indian languages, science, sports and other subjects. Prime Minister plans that in the next 2-3 years, all government and rural schools in the country will have broadband internet facilities, and AI-based education will also be made available. Our effort is to provide facilities equivalent to private schools and government schools as well.' (ANI)


India Gazette
2 hours ago
- India Gazette
"We are land of Mahatma, Buddha but also of Krishna...gave befitting reply to those who attacked our country": Priyanka Chaturvedi
Berlin [Germany], June 8 (ANI): Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi has said that India's Armed Forces have given a befitting reply to those who have cast an evil eye on the country and that there will be a firm response to any terror attack. Priyanka Chaturvedi, who is a member of an all-party delegation visiting partner countries to highlight India's zero tolerance policy against terrorism, told members of the Indian diaspora in Germany that India gave a firm response to the Pahalgam terror attack through Operation Sindoor. 'Our armed forces gave a befitting reply to those who have time and again attacked our country . Our response has been mature, responsible,' she said. 'We are the land of Mahatma, we are the land of Buddha, but we are also the land of Krishna,' she added. She said the terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir was targeted in Operation Sindoor. She said India was, in a way, carrying out the work of the UN, by targeting terror camps. Priyanka Chaturvedi also took a jibe at Pakistan getting a position to serve as vice-chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee of the United Nations. 'Do you know what responsibility they got? They have gotten the vice-chairmanship of the Counter-Terrorism Committee. This is like asking Masood Azhar and Hafeez Saeed to fight for global peace and justice. We have to call this out. Not only India but the entire world is suffering. From Masood Azhar to Osama Bin Laden - all have been found there (Pakistan). They have also gotten chairmanship of the Taliban Sanctions Committee,' she said. She said all faiths co-exist peacefully in India. 'The Jinnah inside Asim Munir was woken when he delivered the speech saying Hindus and Muslims cannot coexist. Today, India is a shining example of how 200 million Muslims live in harmony and is a befitting reply to Pakistan,' she said. Chaturvedi said she belongs to a party which is against talks with Pakistan till it supports cross-border terrorism. 'I am proud I come from that party', she said. She gave a call for the diaspora to show support for the Indian armed forces and the diaspora burst into chants praising them. At the start of the community event, the Indian diaspora observed a two-minute silence to pay tributes to people who lost their lives in the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir. Priyanka Chaturvedi told ANI later that it is global responsibility to fight against terrorism. 'We have seen the strength of our diaspora in the six nations we met various officials and we kept forward our views in front of told them the problem of terrorism that we have been facing for decades can also reach your is the responsibility of the world to call out and the various nations that we visited have extended support to us in the fight against terrorism...' The delegation, led by Ravi Shankar Prasad, includes BJP MPs Daggubati Purandeswari, MJ Akbar, Gulam Ali Khatana, and Samik Bhattacharya; Congress MP Amar Singh, Priyanka Chaturvedi from Shiv Sena (UBT,) AIADMK MP M Thambidurai and former diplomat Pankaj Saran. The delegation arrived in Germany after concluding their visit to Belgium. Earlier, Ravi Shankar Prasad, said they raised strong concerns about terrorism during their visit to Brussels and generals of Pakistan 'run that country with the help of a military terrorist coalition', which is a 'threat' to democracy and humanity. The Indian Armed Forces carried out targeted strikes against terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in the deaths of over 100 terrorists. India repelled subsequent Pakistani aggression and pounded its airbases. (ANI)