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Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
‘Seen difficult time, now want to move ahead': Jaishankar at meeting with Wang
NEW DELHI: India and China need a 'candid and constructive' approach based on mutual respect and sensitivity to drive their relations forward after a difficult period, external affairs minister S. Jaishankar said on Monday, reiterating New Delhi's call to take the de-escalation process along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) forward. External affairs minister S Jaishankar at a meeting with Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi in New Delhi on Monday. (ANI Grab) Besides discussing economic and trade issues, river data sharing, border trade, connectivity and bilateral exchanges at a meeting with visiting Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi, Jaishankar brought up 'particular concerns' he had raised at his last meeting with his counterpart in Beijing in July. Wang, who is on a two-day visit for talks with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval under the Special Representatives mechanism on Tuesday, is the first Chinese minister to travel to India since the two sides reached an understanding last October to end the military standoff on the LAC that began in April-May 2020. The face-off and a brutal clash in Galwan Valley in June 2020 took bilateral ties to a six-decade low. 'Having seen a difficult period in our relationship…our two nations now seek to move ahead. This requires a candid and constructive approach on both sides. In that endeavour, we must be guided by the three mutuals – mutual respect, mutual sensitivity, and mutual interest,' Jaishankar said at the start of his meeting with Wang. Noting that Wang will discuss border issues with Doval on Tuesday, Jaishankar said: 'This is very important because the basis for any positive momentum in our ties is the ability to jointly maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas. It is also essential that the de-escalation process move forward.' Doval and Wang are the designated Special Representatives for the border issue, and this is the highest bilateral mechanism for addressing the long-standing border dispute between India and China. Two days after the understanding on ending the face-off on the LAC, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping met in the Russian city of Kazan and agreed to revive several mechanisms to normalise bilateral relations and address the border dispute. Jaishankar said differences between India and China 'must not become disputes' and competition should not lead to conflict. Besides discussing economic and trade issues, river data sharing, border trade, connectivity, bilateral exchanges, pilgrimages and people-to-people contacts, he said he would 'follow up on some particular concerns' that he brought up with Wang during a visit to China in July. At that earlier meeting, Jaishankar had said the two sides should avoid 'restrictive trade measures and roadblocks' to economic cooperation. He was apparently referring to China's curbs on exports of rare earth minerals – used in everything from smartphones to electric vehicles and in many of which Beijing has a near monopoly – and fertilisers. The restrictions on rare earth exports have impacted manufacturers of electric vehicles. Jaishankar also referred to the fight against all forms of terrorism as a 'major priority' for India and said the discussions will contribute to building a 'stable, cooperative and forward-looking relationship' with China that serves the interests of both sides and addresses each other's concerns. He added that India and China seek a fair, balanced and multipolar world order, including a multipolar Asia. 'Reformed multilateralism is also the call of the day. In the current environment, there is clearly the imperative of maintaining and enhancing stability in the global economy as well,' he said. Wang said the 'shared confidence' between the two sides has helped 'dispel interference, expand cooperation and further consolidate the momentum of improvement and development of China-India relations'. Both sides, he said, can 'contribute to each other's success and provide the most-needed certainty and stability to Asia and the world'. In an apparent reference to the geopolitical and economic churn caused by the policies of the Donald Trump administration in the US, Wang said 'unilateralism is running rampant' and 'free trade and the international order are faced with severe challenges'. India and China, as the two largest developing countries with a combined population of more than 2.8 billion, should shoulder the responsibility of seeking 'strength and dignity' for developing countries and contribute to building a multipolar world, he said. Wang added that exchanges and dialogue at all levels between the two sides have maintained peace and tranquillity in the border areas. The thaw in bilateral relations has led to India and China resuming the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra to the Tibet region after a gap of five years. India has also resumed tourist visas for Chinese nationals for the first time since 2020 and the two sides are in advanced negotiations to resume direct flights and border trade. Following the Special Representatives' talks on Tuesday, Wang will meet Prime Minister Modi. The meeting assumes significance as Modi is expected to travel to China for the first time since the start of the face-off on the LAC to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin on August 31 and September 1. Modi is also expected to have a bilateral meeting with Xi on the margins of the summit.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Amit Shah to issue special postal stamp to commemorate Vithalbhai Patel
Union Home Minister Amit Shah is set to release a special postal stamp at the upcoming All India Speakers' Conference to commemorate the centenary of freedom fighter Vithalbhai Patel, assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta said on Sunday. Union Home Minister Amit Shah. (ANI Grab) The conference is being organised by the Delhi Assembly and will be held on August 24 and 25. Patel was also the first elected Indian speaker of the central legislative assembly in 1925. 'Honouring our parliamentary pioneers is not just about remembering history, but also about drawing inspiration for the future. In this spirit, this stamp is being released as a centenary tribute to Vithalbhai Patel. Issued by the Ministry of Communications in collaboration with India Post, this special stamp will honour the distinguished parliamentary legacy and monumental contributions of Vithalbhai Patel,' Gupta said. The theme of the speakers' conference will be 'Virasat se Vikas ki Ore' (From heritage to development) and Union Minister of Communications and Development of North Eastern Region, Jyotiraditya M Scindia will also join the event. Speaker Gupta said that earlier, on September 27, 1973, a commemorative postal stamp had been released on Patel's birth centenary. 'The release of this stamp will form an integral part of the All India Speakers' Conference 2025, which will bring together speakers, deputy speakers, chairpersons and deputy chairpersons from legislative assemblies and councils across the country. The conference will deliberate on important issues such as constitutional foundations, the growth of democratic institutions, and the integration of Artificial Intelligence in parliamentary functioning,' Gupta said.
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Modi launches ₹1L-cr scheme for private sector job seekers
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday announced the roll-out of a ₹1 lakh-crore scheme for new job seekers in an Independence speech that focused squarely on the need for more self-reliance and local manufacturing to cope with 'rising economic selfishness' in the world. Prime Minister Narendra Modi salutes during address to the nation from the ramparts of Red Fort on 79th Independence Day. (ANI Grab) The Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rojgar Yojana will provide a one-time incentive of ₹15,000 to first-time private-sector job seekers, targeting approximately 35 million beneficiaries, Modi said. The stress on the economy comes against the backdrop of US President Donald Trump's decision to impose a 50% tariff rate on India, much higher than its neighbours and peers, which disadvantages exports and could hurt nearly one per cent of the nation's gross domestic product, according to some analysts. Local manufacturing will add jobs to the economy, he said, urging a boost to building everything, from fertilisers and jets to EV batteries. 'Today, I bring good news for the youth of our country. From today, under the PM Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana, our sons and daughters getting their first job in the private sector will be given ₹15,000,' he said. The PM stressed that this initiative would transform India's demographic potential into real economic and social prosperity, strengthening the bridge from 'Swatantra Bharat to Samriddha Bharat (free India to a prosperous one)' and empowering the youth to 'actively contribute to the nation's progress and development'. In his 12th consecutive Independence Day address from the Red Fort, Modi outlined new economic and security initiatives, including a GST overhaul, indigenous semiconductor production and Mission Sudarshan Chakra, which is aimed at safeguarding strategic and public sites. On July 1, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday approved the much-awaited employment-linked incentive (ELI) scheme proposed in the 2024-25 Budget, which will offer fresh recruits in private-sector jobs a month's wages, while firms hiring them will get financial incentives -- steps aimed at boosting job opportunities and enhancing skills of working-age people. The sops, aimed at creating 35 million new jobs in two years, will provide direct financial benefits up to ₹15,000 in two instalments to 19.2 million first-time employees. According to the government's Economic Survey 2024, India needs to create 7.85 million non-farm jobs every year until 2030 to absorb its expanding labour force, way higher than the current rate of employment. While one part of the scheme deals with one-off payments of a month's wages as direct benefit transfer to all first-time employees entering the workforce in formal sectors, up to a salary ceiling of ₹1 lakh, the second component is aimed at contributing a share of salaries. The scheme has been designed to calculate a baseline of employee strength and firms with less than 50 employees will need to hire two additional staffers to be eligible for the incentives. Employers with more than 50 workers will need to add five new employees to the payrolls. All employees need to be registered with the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation, the state-backed retirement-income manager, according to the statement. According to the details of the scheme, for new employees with a provident-fund base wage of ₹10,000, the incentive for hirers will be ₹1000 and for those who fall in the base wage slab of between ₹10,000 and ₹20,000, the incentive will be ₹2000. For salaries of between ₹20,000 and ₹1 lakh, the benefit will be ₹3000. The scheme therefore will offer incentives tied to EPFO contributions to both employers and first-time employees in the manufacturing sector in the form of funds linked to a specified pay scale for the period during which the plan will be in force. The benefits would be applicable for jobs created between 1 August 2025 and 31 July 2027.
Hindustan Times
09-08-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
India shot down 5 Pak fighter jets and one large aircraft during Op Sindoor: IAF chief
At least five Pakistani combat jets and a large surveillance aircraft were shot down by Indian air defence weapons, primarily the S-400 system, during the four days of hostilities between the two countries in May, Indian Air Force chief AP Singh said on Saturday, the first official acknowledgment of such successes by the Indian side. Air Chief Marshal AP Singh made the remarks while delivering a public lecture in Bengaluru.(ANI Grab ) Air Chief Marshal Singh, who was delivering a public lecture in Bengaluru, said attacks by the Indian military also destroyed or damaged at least two Pakistani command and control centres, at least six big and small radars, two surface-to-air guided weapons (SAGW) systems, and the runways and hangars at the airbases in Sargodha, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur, Bholari and Jacobabad. This is the first time that a senior Indian official has publicly revealed the aircraft losses suffered by Pakistan during the hostilities that erupted after India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 to target terrorist infrastructure across the border in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians on April 22. Also Read: Operation Sindoor: 5 first-time facts about India-Pakistan conflict revealed by IAF chief Singh, who made a presentation on attacks carried out by the IAF during Operation Sindoor using satellite imagery and videos from Indian weapon systems, said: '[With] the SAGW systems – mostly [the] S-400 – we have at least five fighters confirmed kills and one large aircraft, which could be either an elint [electronic intelligence] aircraft or an AEW&C [airborne early warning and control] aircraft.' The AEW&C aircraft, he said, was taken out at a distance of almost 300 km, making it the longest ever 'recorded surface-to-air kill'. He described the S-400 air defence system, acquired from Russia, as 'a game-changer' whose range deterred Pakistan's combat aircraft. He said India's military strikes damaged or destroyed at least two command and control centres at Murid and Chaklala, at least six big and small radars, two SAGW systems in Lahore and Okara, the runways at the Sargodha and Rahim Yar Khan airbases, and hangars at the Sukkur, Bholari and Jacobabad airbases. Intelligence reports have indicated that an AEW&C aircraft was destroyed within the hangar at Bholari and some F-16s were damaged at the Shahbaz airbase in Jacobabad, he said. The hangar at the Sukkur airbase housed UAVs, he added. India's air defence systems and missiles had also destroyed a large number of Pakistani drones and long-range weapons, Singh said. The Indian side recovered a lot of wreckage from these drones and missiles which is being studied by the armed forces and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to learn more about the features of Pakistan's weapons systems and their launch sites. Singh said that in the initial stage of Operation Sindoor, the IAF was tasked to target terrorist infrastructure at two sites – the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) headquarters at Bahawalpur and the Lashkar-e-Taiba base at Muridke, both in Pakistan's Punjab province – while the Indian Army asked to target seven other sites located closer to the international boundary and the Line of Control (LoC). Speaking about the Indian government's decision to respond to the Pahalgam attack that was carried out by The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy for LeT, Singh said: 'It was made very clear that this time it should be an emphatic thing that we do. We must send the message across loud and clear to them, it should not be something just limited to [terrorist] launch pads and training areas. The terrorist leadership should be challenged.' India has responded to other recent attacks carried out by Pakistan-based terror groups by carrying our surgical strikes on terrorist bases across the LoC or with an attack such as the air strike on a JeM facility at Balakot in 2019. While Singh didn't give details of the weapons used to strike the JeM and LeT headquarters, reports have said the air-launched version of the BrahMos cruise missile and other missiles were used. He said the IAF decided to 'go with long-range weapons to keep ourselves safe from [Pakistan's] air defences' and since the targets were all 'hardened structures'. After the terrorist infrastructure was targeted early on May 7, India's Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) informed his Pakistan counterpart that only terrorist targets were hit to 'take revenge for Pahalgam'. Singh said India's DGMO also made it clear there was 'no intent to attack any military targets [and] so we can call it off here' but the Pakistani side made it clear they would respond. Pakistan's drone and missile retaliation foiled by Indian air defences Pakistan retaliated with drones, loiter munitions and missiles. It also attempted to saturate air defence systems at airfields and army installations by using a large number of drones but these were neutralised by anti-drone systems and anti-aircraft guns before they could cause any damage, Singh said. After intelligence reports suggested Pakistan was 'planning something very big' on May 9, the Indian side decided it would respond to attacks on any military installations by targeting key Pakistani military facilities. When the Pakistani attack came, the Indian side responded with strikes on airbases and other facilities across the border, he said. 'That night, we did not have any hold bar and we decided we will go and we will attack pan-front, we will stretch his resources. The idea was to give him an indication that 'Look, we can attack you deep inside, at will, wherever we want to',' Singh said. Thereafter, Pakistan's DGMO sought talks with the Indian side and this led to the stopping of hostilities on May 10. Singh attributed India's success to 'very clear political will' and clear directions to the armed forces without any restrictions. 'If there were any constraints, they were self-made. The forces decided what will be our rules of engagement…what will be the escalation ladder that we want to ride on…There were no, I repeat, no restrictions on us,' he said, adding the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Anil Chauhan, and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval played a key role in strengthening synergy between the military and other agencies. Singh listed several takeaways from Operation Sindoor, including the primacy of air power. 'People have come to realise that air power is the first responder that any country has and air power…can react in quick time, attack deep inside and attack with precision to achieve your objectives without any collateral,' he said. Noting that the effective use of air power resulted in the conflict ending in less than four days, Singh said another takeaway was that the country cannt afford to be continuously at war. 'If we can deter, there is nothing better than that, but if we are forced, if the war starts…we should be very clear that we can reach a stage where we can terminate that,' he said. Singh cautioned against drawing the wrong lesson from the use of drones in conflicts worldwide, and said: 'Drones are very good means for many things but I don't think just drones can win you wars. You will require the bigger weapons, you will require the long-range weapons, you will require the precision strike capability because drones are more of a nuisance.'
Hindustan Times
06-08-2025
- Hindustan Times
Indore biker's milk lid trick to get petrol backfires, pump shut down
In a bid to bypass the 'no helmet, no petrol' ban, a motorcyclist in Indore wore a milk can lid on his head to refuel the two-wheeler at a petrol pump in Indore, leaving netizens in splits and the administration red-faced. A milkman in Indore used a milk can lid as a helmet to get petrol. The stunt went viral, but officials shut the pump for ignoring the helmet rule enforcement. (Representative image)(ANI Grab ) While the witty bid to buy petrol caused a stir on the Internet, the administration was, however, not impressed and sealed the petrol pump for violating the order prohibiting the sale of petrol to two-wheeler riders without helmets. A milkman arrived on a motorcycle at a petrol pump in Palda area of Indore recently. He removed the iron milk can lid and wore it as a helmet. A woman staffer ignored the act and refuelled his two-wheeler. The viral video evoked a barrage of funny memes and messages on social media. The administration, however, didn't take the incident kindly. Also Read: No petrol without helmet from Aug 1 in Indore, legal action warned "After verifying the incident, we sealed the petrol pump for defying the administrative order which prohibits the sale of petrol to two-wheeler riders without helmets," Tehsildar SS Jaroliya told PTI on Wednesday. The 'no helmet, no petrol' order has been enforced since August 1. After Abhay Manohar Sapre, chairman of the Supreme Court's Road Safety Committee and former judge of this court, instructed the administration to launch an intensive campaign in the city to ensure that vehicle riders follow the rule of wearing helmets and seat belts, the administration issued a restrictive order of 'no helmet, no petrol' under section 163 of the Indian Civil Security Code 2023. The onus to follow the order lies on petrol pumps. The flouting of the order can invite imprisonment up to one year or a fine up to ₹5,000 or both.
