&w=3840&q=100)
Govt aiming to take number of 'Lakhpati Didis' to 20 mn by Aug 15: Chouhan
In his address, Chouhan said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken a resolve to make every woman a Lakhpati Didi. "Why should any woman remain poor? This campaign is being run across India. Till now, 1.5 crore women have already become Lakhpati Didis and my department is constantly taking steps to make 20 million women Lakhpati Didis by August 15," he said. In Junagadh, there are women who are already earning more than Rs 10 lakh per year, he said. "Women living in rural areas have proven that they can do wonders if they are provided with some opportunity, training and bank linkage. These women are the true torchbearers of 'Vocal for Local'. I am confident that these women will build a Viksit Bharat as envisioned by PM Modi," said the minister, who also handles the Rural Development portfolio.
Chouhan lauded women for their contribution. "Keep pushing forward with courage. PM Modi himself stands with you to ensure all possible support. Plans are underway to increase women's participation in the industrial sector. The hard work of women will help build a Viksit Bharat as envisioned by the PM," he said.
Stating that agriculture is still the backbone of Indian economy and for him, the Union minister said serving farmers is equal to worshipping God. "I don't just sit at my Delhi office. Instead, I visit agricultural fields, interact with farmers and try to provide a solution to their problems. Our PM also gives highest priority to agriculture," he said in his address. Earlier during the day, Chouhan offered prayers at the famous Somnath temple in Gir Somnath district and then visited Devaliya Safari Park near Gir National Park at Sasan.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
15 minutes ago
- Indian Express
‘Purchased' honorary titles, international web of shell firms: How Ghaziabad conman operated fake embassy for 9 yrs
A pristine white bungalow, four flashy sedans with blue and white diplomatic number plates parked in the driveway, national flags from across the world and a man posing as an 'ambassador'. When Uttar Pradesh Police's Special Task Force (STF) raided the 'Embassy of Westarctica' in Ghaziabad's upscale Kavi Nagar neighbourhood earlier this week, they came across an elaborate con job. Far from an an ordinary swindler, Harsh Vardhan Jain, the accused, had been running a fake embassy of a country that doesn't exist, without raising any suspicion for the last nine years. Jain had planned every detail meticulously to build this façade, according to the police. He had allegedly printed fake press cards, doctored photos with top dignitaries and even 'purchased' honorary titles from self-proclaimed micronations. The preliminary investigation, police say, has revealed that Jain was running a multi-nation scam. How did Jain manage to execute such a fraud, undetected for years, right beneath the vigilant gaze of the local Ghaziabad Police is yet to be revealed. How Jain's fake embassy operation was finally exposed is also unknown. According to the UPSTF, Jain is a Ghaziabad-born MBA graduate who claims to have studied in London. His father, JD Jain, was a once reputed industrialist, with marble export businesses operating in Rajasthan. In the early 2000s, Jain reportedly came in contact with self-styled godman Chandraswami, who allegedly introduced him to arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi and Ehsan Ali Syed, another conman posing as a businessman who was convicted in a fraud case in Switzerland. With their help, Jain is said to have established more than a dozen companies in Dubai, London, and Mauritius — many of them shell firms used to collect 'brokerage' for jobs and promises of huge loans before duping them. After a few years in London and Dubai, Jain allegedly returned to India in 2011 and began projecting himself as a diplomat. Police say he leveraged honorary titles from unrecognised micronations — Seborga, Westarctica, and Lodonia — to set up a fake embassy in his Ghaziabad home. He had also been posing as the ambassador of a fictional nation called Poulvia. When STF officers entered the Kavi Nagar bungalow on July 22, they found what appeared to be a diplomatic mission: cars with blue number plates bearing phrases like 'Honorary Consul – Baron Westarctica', flags of different nations on the property, and signages that were creating the illusion of official legitimacy. Inside, they recovered over Rs 44 lakh in Indian currency, foreign currency from the United Kingdom, United States, United Arab Emirates, and Turkey, 20 sets of fake diplomatic number plates, 34 stamps and seals of various fake entities,12 passports (some from unrecognized nations), Fake IDs including press cards and two PAN cards, a laptop, phone, and over a dozen luxury watches. Jain had been running the operation, STF officials said, by posing as a diplomatic representative allegedly by using the fake IDs and doctored photos. His setup included 'morphed' images showing him with late President APJ Abdul Kalam and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, among other leaders, in an attempt to look credible. Through this lavish setup, he had allegedly been luring individuals and companies with promises of jobs and international business deals. To outsiders, the 'embassy' appeared credible, complete with red and green diplomatic license plates and signage that implied ties with multiple global institutions. Officials said he even issued bogus 'diplomatic passports' from micronations and collected money as 'fees' with promises of providing employment in these micronations. Micronations are self-proclaimed countries not recognised by any sovereign state. While any associations with these micronations are often symbolic, Jain had allegedly used his associations with them to create an aura of legitimacy. Seborga, one of the micronations of which he had been posing as an ambassador, is a self-declared principality in Italy. In its statement, it said that it appointed Jain as an honorary councilor in good faith after he had contacted them. The statement also clarified that it was a symbolic post with no legal or diplomatic standing. The principality said that over the years Jain had aso 'recommended individuals to represent Seborga in India' some of whom had been appointed by the micronation. Westarctica, which claims to be a non-profit organisation working towards the cause of preserving the Antarctic ice sheet, confirmed that Jain was given the honorary title of 'Consul to India' after he made a donation in 2016. However, he violated protocol by calling his residence an embassy and printing unauthorised materials like diplomatic number plates and passports, according to a statement. 'He was indefinitely suspended,' the group said in a statement. Ladonia, another micronation, which claims to provide a cultural identity for people who believe in free speech and artistic expression and has clear boundaries but mostly 'non-resident' citizens denied any ties with Jain. forged documents to claim he was its Ambassador to India and harassed officials after they refused to recognize him. In a detailed response to questions asked by The Indian Express, Ladonia's Press Officer, Julia Andersson, said Jain became a 'symbolic citizen' on November 12, 2016, and had 'purchased' an honorary barony title. The micronation alleged that in November 2017, Jain had forged a certificate falsely claiming to be Ladonia's Ambassador to India, backdating it to September 15, 2016, in an attempt to predate the symbolic appointment of another Indian individual and had been 'harrassing' its officials by spamming them with texts and mails requesting for Ladonian paraphernalia, a request that was denied by the micronation. According to STF and police officials, Jain's network spanned multiple countries. He alleegdly maintained 11 bank accounts in the UK, UAE, Mauritius, and India; set up shell firms like Island General Trading Co. LLC (Dubai), East India Company UK Ltd and State Trading Corporation Ltd (UK); claimed to help clients get international contracts or jobs abroad; charged hefty 'brokerage'and used these fake diplomatic affiliations that he had purchased to appear credible enough to seek business clients. Police sources said that he made over 30 trips to the UAE alone and visited over 40 countries in the past decade to build a globe-trotting con operation. Police are currently trying to determine the number of people defrauded. An FIR (No. 671/2025) has been registered at Kavi Nagar police station under sections 318(4), 336(3), 338, and 340(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, relating to forgery, impersonation, and cheating. Jain was remanded to judicial custody on July 23, where the STF seeked custodial remand to trace the full extent of his hawala network. Officials also said that the Income Tax Department would be informed about the seized cash and foreign currency. Further investigation is on into his multiple PAN cards, international accounts, and fake documentation.
Indian Express
17 minutes ago
- Indian Express
India unlikely to import US genetically modified agricultural items under trade deal: Sources
During the ongoing trade negotiations, India is unlikely to agree to US demands to accept genetically modified (GM) agricultural products such as corn and soya, a source closely monitoring the talks has indicated. 'Some things are matters of principle. We can't import GM,' the source said in response to a query over the government's position on GM imports from the US. This assumes significance since agriculture remains one of the contentious issues between the two countries, and the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has previously flagged restrictions on its GM products by countries as discriminatory. 'The Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006 includes specific provisions for regulating food products derived from genetically engineered (GE) sources; however, as of December 31, 2024, the FSSAI was still in the process of establishing its regulations. India's biotechnology approval processes are slow, opaque, and subject to political influences, and do not appear to take into account science-based approval processes for GE products in exporting countries,' the USTR report had said. While India is seeking greater market access for its textiles, leather and footwear, the US is pushing for access to India's agricultural and dairy markets — a major hurdle, as Indian farmers often operate on small land parcels with limited technological support. In contrast, the US has demanded that India should drop its GM regulation. There is significant resistance to genetically modified (GM) crops in India. Only one GM crop — Bt cotton — is approved for cultivation. No GM food crop is commercially grown, although experimental trials continue. However, imports of GM soybean oil and canola oil are permitted. A 2013 report by the European Network of Scientists for Social and Environmental Responsibility (ENSSER) emphasised that many studies deeming GM foods safe were industry-funded, and that long‑term, independent studies were lacking. New Delhi‑based think tank GTRI said: 'Environmental studies have shown that widespread use of Bt crops can lead to pest resistance, such as in the pink bollworm, and pose risks to non‑target species such as monarch butterflies, as suggested in a 1999 Nature study. Additionally, the overuse of glyphosate with herbicide-tolerant GM crops has led to 'superweeds' and increased herbicide use.' The GTRI said that GM and non‑GM crops may intermingle at various stages of the supply chain — during transport, storage or processing. 'Once GM material enters, there is a high risk it could leak into local farming systems or processed food chains, posing risks to food safety, environmental integrity, and India's export reputation — especially in GM‑sensitive markets such as the EU,' the think tank warned. It said the import of GM products, such as animal feed, could negatively affect India's agricultural exports to the EU, which enforces strict GM-labelling rules and faces strong consumer opposition to GM‑linked products. Although GM feed is permitted, many European buyers prefer fully GM‑free supply chains. India's fragmented agri‑logistics and lack of segregation infrastructure increase the likelihood of cross‑contamination and trace GM presence in export consignments. This could result in shipment rejections, higher testing costs, and erosion of India's GM‑free image, particularly in sectors such as rice, tea, honey, spices and organic foods, the GTRI said. Ravi Dutta Mishra is a Principal Correspondent with The Indian Express, covering policy issues related to trade, commerce, and banking. He has over five years of experience and has previously worked with Mint, CNBC-TV18, and other news outlets. ... Read More
The Hindu
17 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Rajasthan govt. announces ₹10 lakh each to kin of children killed in Jhalawar school building collapse
Amid demands for the resignation of State Education Minister Madan Dilawar, the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Rajasthan on Saturday announced an ex-gratia assistance of ₹10 lakh each to the next of kin of seven children killed in the school building collapse in Jhalawar district. One member of each family will also get a contractual job with the State government. The bodies of six children were cremated together in Piplodi village, where a portion of the government school in which they were studying collapsed on Friday morning, amid the cries of grieving families. The seventh child was cremated in Chandpura Bheelan village, situated nearby. The police stopped Congress MLA from Khanpur, Suresh Gurjar, and student leader from Jaipur, Nirmal Choudhary, on the Kota-Jhalawar road when they were going to meet the injured students admitted to the hospital. Another political leader, Naresh Meena, was detained when he staged a dharna outside the District Hospital in Jhalawar. Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma announced the formation of a permanent committee to review the safety of government schools, colleges, hostels and Anganwadi centres and undertake the repairing of dilapidated buildings. He also announced an increase from 15% to 20% in the permissible allocation for these buildings in the Dang, Magra and Mewat regions. Mr. Sharma said at a high-level meeting here that a provision of Rs.375 crore was made in this year's budget for repairing of schools and construction of new school buildings, besides the release of Rs.3 crore to each Assembly constituency for the purpose. 'The MLAs will also be entitled to recommend an expenditure of 20% of their annual allocation under the local area development fund in schools,' Mr. Sharma said. Civil rights groups in the State have termed Friday's mishap in Piplodi village an instance of 'gross administrative negligence' and demanded an immediate resignation of Education Minister Mr. Dilawar, holding him responsible for the deaths. The death of seven children and serious injuries to several others reflected the State government's utter failure, said the activists. People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL)-Rajasthan president Bhanwar Meghwanshi said there was a widespread danger to children studying in the dilapidated buildings amid the deterioration of school infrastructure. 'On the other hand, Mr. Dialwar's sole focus has been on communalising educational institutions,' Mr. Meghwanshi said. According to the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) 2023–24 data, 78 out of 94 students in the Government Upper Primary School in Piplodi belonged to tribal communities, as it is situated in the predominantly tribal area. 'This makes it clear that the government is not serious about the safety and education of children from tribal and backward regions,' Mr. Meghwanshi said. The PUCL urged the State government to learn from the Piplodi accident and immediately conduct a comprehensive safety audit of all school buildings. Mr. Meghwanshi said the dilapidated schools must be vacated, and children shifted to safe and secure learning environments without delay. The Opposition Congress also criticised the BJP government over the children's death, with Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi demanding a probe and strict punishment for the culprits. While pointing out that most of the victims were from the Bahujan community, Mr. Gandhi asked if their lives held no value for the BJP. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said in a post on X: 'A government that cannot even repair the roofs of schools for children, who are our country's future, despite complaints, shows big dreams of 'Viksit Bharat'.' The BJP, which boasts a lot about development, had ruined the country, Mr. Kharge said. (EOM)
