Latest news with #ArvindKejriwal
NDTV
2 days ago
- Health
- NDTV
BJP's Arogya Mandir, AAP's Mohalla Clinics: Here Are The Key Differences
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday, May 31, dedicated the first of the Urban Ayushman Arogya Mandir to the national capital. It is located at the premises of the Tis Hazari Court. The BJP-led government, which has marked 100 days in office, is working towards introducing 33 such healthcare facilities across multiple locations in the city. The objective behind this is to provide comprehensive primary healthcare to the residents, similar to the 'Mohalla Clinics' initiative of the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government. But the two of them are quite different from each other. Arogya Mandir: Key facilities to be made available Screening for five types of cancer Pre and post care facilities for pregnant women 12 types of vaccinations for children 105 medicines and 14 different types of tests 79 types of tests through outsourcing. 8 types of blood tests Diabetes and hypertension tests Free of cost medicines Yoga classes to be held twice a week What did people get from Mohalla Clinics? Treatment for Cold, fever, cough and flu Necessary vaccinations for children and adults Patients get free medical consultation and essential medicines Basic tests like blood sugar Pregnant women provided with early check-ups and care facilities No delivery facility for pregnant women Consultation and necessary medicines available for mental health-related problems Arogya Mandir vs Mohalla Clinics: What's the difference? One of the key highlights of Arogya Mandir is that pregnant women will be provided a care facility both for delivery and after that. This was not available in Mohalla Clinics. The Rekha Gupta government's focus here is to provide better primary health services to the urban population. The government is paying special attention to ensure that people get better health services. In the first phase, 33 Arogya Mandir will be built in the city. People will be able to avail health services from 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM at these facilities. Family planning counselling People will be able to get 14 different types of tests done here, with all of them being made available free of cost. Interestingly, patients will not have to wait for their reports for a long time, as they will be made available in just 30 minutes. Also, parents will be able to get their children vaccinated at these centres. A total of 79 types of tests can be done free of cost in Arogya Mandir through outsourcing. Apart from these, people will be provided with family planning counselling at the centres. Moreover, there will be two yoga classes per week. Mohalla Clinics: Treatment for common diseases only Unlike the all-new Arogya Mandir, the Mohalla Clinics of the former Delhi government used to provide treatment for common illnesses like fever, cough and flu only. The previous AAP government in Delhi started this concept in October 2015. The objective of this flagship healthcare scheme of Arvind Kejriwal was to provide free and easy treatment to the general public. Besides medical consultation, free medicines are also made available in these clinics. These facilities also provided vaccination for children, while certain tests were also made available. In total, there are over 500 Mohalla Clinics in Delhi that give information regarding the prevention of diseases to the patients.
India.com
3 days ago
- Politics
- India.com
Meet Pulkit Kejriwal, Arvind Kejriwal's son, got 96% in CBSE Class 12th board exams, cracked IIT-JEE, earned Bachelor's degree from..., he is now…
Every year, thousands of aspirants appear for competitive exams such as UPSC, CA, SSC, JEE, CUET, NDA, and banking exams in the hope of securing admission and building a successful career. While these exams are undoubtedly challenging, some students successfully clear both their board exams and entrance tests with determination and hard work. This individual scored 96.4% in Class 12th board exams, cracked JEE, and went to IIT Delhi for graduation; his father's name is a politician; he is… Pulkit Kejriwal, son of Arvind Kejriwal, delivered an exceptional performance in the 2019 CBSE Class 12 Board Exams, scoring 96.4%. Expressing pride in his son's achievement, IIT alumnus Arvind Kejriwal shared that Pulkit would be part of the same IIT batch as Vijay Kumar, the son of a tailor, who benefited from free coaching provided by the Delhi government and earned a spot at IIT.
India Gazette
4 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
"Opposition has habit of raising questions": Delhi CM Rekha Gupta presents 100-day report card of her govt
New Delhi [India], May 31 (ANI): Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday presented her government's 100-day report card at the '100 Din Seva Ke' program in delhi, where she said that the opposition has a habit of raising questions. While speaking to the media after the event, CM Gupta said, 'We had a discussion on the works done by the Delhi government in 100 opposition has a habit of raising Samriddhi Yojana will be released after all the legal proceedings are completed.' She highlighted the major developmental initiatives and public welfare schemes. She said the government had taken decisions in the people's interest and reaffirmed its commitment to completing legal formalities for the Mahila Samriddhi Yojana. 'We presented the report card of the work done by the Delhi government in 100 days. We took decisions keeping in mind the public have worked for the development of Delhi in 100 days,' Gupta added. The Chief Minister listed several initiatives undertaken during her tenure and stated that despite continuous criticism from the opposition, her govenment had remained focused on performance and delivery. The Mahila Samriddhi Yojana, which aims to promote women's welfare and financial empowerment, was among the key promises made by the government. CM Gupta assured that all legal procedures related to the scheme were underway and that its rollout would happen soon. Meanwhile, several senior BJP leaders presented a report card highlighting their work and achievements at th The leaders claimed that the government delivered visible results across various sectors in just over three months, from pollution control and education reforms to women's welfare and governance. Delhi Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh praised the government's efforts and took a dig at Arvind Kejriwal. 'We felt very good when the Chief Minister of Delhi told us about the achievements of the Delhi government in 100 have done what Arvind Kejriwal could not do in 10 triple-engine government will provide solutions to all the problems of the public of Delhi,' the mayor said. Delhi Minister Ashish Sood listed key initiatives taken during the period, saying, 'The Delhi government has been working on all government has made a law on 'fees mafia' in 100 days...A sprinkler has been installed on every building to control pollution. ' BJP MP Manoj Tiwari praised the cooperation between the Centre and the Delhi government. He said, '...The double engine government is working on the development of Delhi, and we will transform Delhi in five years...' Delhi BJP President Virendraa Sachdeva called the 100-day report card a sign of change, stating, 'The 100-day report card shows the changing picture of Delhi. Our government is committed to the development of Delhi and we are continuously working in that direction...' After attending the Delhi government's programme to celebrate 100 days of the government, Actor Anupam Kher said, 'My questions were the questions of the public of Delhi...I collected the questions from my relatives, friends and other people of Delhi. She (Delhi CM Rekha Gupta) answered them truthfully and vocally...I hope that what she spoke about today with truth, resonates also after four years of her completion.' (ANI)
The Print
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Print
Punjab is new Kingdom of Kejriwal as CM Mann plays host but Delhi AAP takes over power corridors
Since the Delhi debacle, Kejriwal has made only three public appearances in Delhi. However, in Punjab, he has made roughly a dozen appearances, flying in a state government chopper with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on board. Currently without a steady abode in Punjab, Kejriwal enjoys the hospitality of party MLAs, whose places he stays in during visits. Starting with ten days of 'vipassana (meditation)' at Hoshiarpur on 4 March this year, Arvind Kejriwal has been launching campaigns, inaugurating centres, and laying foundation stones of buildings—nearly every week in Punjab. Chandigarh: More than a hundred days after the Aam Aadmi Party lost power in Delhi, AAP national convener and former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has shifted his focus to Punjab, where the party remains in power. In March this year, during an interaction with the media in Amritsar, Kejriwal laid all speculations to rest about the possibility of his taking over as the new chief minister of Punjab, saying that CM Mann will continue to remain at the helm for the full five-year term, hinting that his presence in Punjab is merely nominal. However, it is not his presence in public ceremonies alone that is raising eyebrows. Arvind Kejriwal's growing control over the Punjab administration has led to the Opposition terming him the 'de facto chief minister' now. On X, Congress MLA Pargat Singh said that it was now 'routine for ministers, officers, and the entire machinery to treat @ArvindKejriwal as the de facto chief minister'. Senior Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia wrote on X that the recent appointments made by the Punjab government to various boards and corporations have filled the posts with the Delhi AAP team members, which, he said, illustrated that Arvind Kejriwal rules Punjab. Within the government too, it is widely believed that there has been a palpable increase in Kejriwal's interest in what is happening in Punjab at the micro-administrative level. Apart from CM Mann, senior-most officers are purportedly reporting to Kejriwal, who, simultaneously, has been appointing men loyal to him in key positions, increasing his footprint in Punjab. Also Read: 'Just a game of Rs 2-3 crore'—tales of gangs, guns & gold in 'audio of Amritpal' released by Majithia CM Mann no longer the frontman On Tuesday, Arvind Kejriwal, along with CM Mann, launched a pilot project in Mohali on 'easy registration' of sale deeds, streamlining the process to reduce corruption in the tehsils. Kejriwal walked through the tehsil office with CM Mann, speaking to the public to gather first-hand information from the ground, posing for selfies with people and shaking their hands. Punjab Chief Secretary K.A.P. Sinha and ex-chief secretary and current Additional Chief Secretary of Revenue Anurag Verma accompanied them during the walk. As Kejriwal and CM Mann headed to the stage to address the media, Kejriwal and Verma caught up with each other, with the former seemingly issuing a series instructions to the latter. Just when CM Mann began his address, Sinha walked up to Kejriwal, seeking his permission to leave. Bowing his head and shaking hands, he exited the stage, without waiting for the CM to end his address. K.A.P. Sinha and Anurag Verma—known for their rivalry within the administrative circles in Punjab—are considered confidantes of Kejriwal. Anurag Verma, the former chief secretary, was removed in an administrative reshuffle at the top level last year, paving the way for K.A.P. Sinha to occupy the position. Their appointments have also come after an explicit nod from the ex-Delhi CM. Multiple government officials ThePrint spoke to said that Kejriwal now vets nearly every significant decision taken by the chief secretary—be it about transfers of officers, state finances and possible sources of revenue, governance reforms, and Punjab-Centre relations, among other issues. Kejriwal, it is said, was consulted before the latest series of administrative reshuffles of the IAS and Provincial Civil Service (PCS) officers, including 43 officers in one go. Once considered the blue-eyed man of Preneet Kaur, the wife of ex-CM Captain Amarinder Singh, K.A.P. Sinha purportedly grew close to Kejriwal after Sinha became the excise commissioner of Punjab. Sinha was among the three officers quizzed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED)—at least twice—during the investigation of the 'liquor scam' case, for which Kejriwal went to jail briefly. While seeking Arvind Kejriwal's remand, the ED alleged that Punjab officials 'arm-twisted' wholesalers in the national capital after they refused to pay bribes in connection with the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy 2021-22. According to sources in the Punjab government, Kejriwal has also been monitoring the workings of the chief minister's office, and some officers have been staying in touch with the controversial private assistant to Kejriwal, Bibhav Kumar. Swati Maliwal, an erstwhile staunch AAP supporter who earlier brought assault charges against Bibhav Kumar, wrote on X Wednesday that she sought information under the Right to Information (RTI) Act about the exact role Kumar was playing in Punjab, including information about the facilities provided to him, if any. However, she said on X, 30 days later, she is yet to receive a response. The contention that Kejriwal is taking the spotlight away from CM Mann was also apparent Saturday when the two laid the foundation stone of the Maharaja Agrasen Smarak in Nabha, Patiala, in an event organised by the Aggarwal community. While the name Arvind Kejriwal prominently featured on the plaque in large bold font, CM Mann's name, written in a tiny font, remained nearly lost in the rest of the text. Later, the two addressed the audience, and during his speech, Kejriwal highlighted his 'bania' credentials, even saying that he would ensure there was never a dearth of funds in Punjab since he was the son of a 'bania'. Despite his frequent visits, Arvind Kejriwal so far does not have a permanent residence in Punjab. During his visit to Amritsar in March this year, he stayed with former AAP minister Inderbir Singh Nijjar at his house. During his visit to Mohali last week, Kejriwal stayed at the palatial residence of Mohali MLA Kulwant Singh. Sources in the government said that a section of a government guest house in Mohali underwent renovation to accommodate Kejriwal during his future visits. Kejriwal's control over vigilance In police administration, according to sources, DGP Gaurav Yadav has so far had a free hand when dealing with law and order. 'However, the Delhi team has a huge interest in vigilance and intelligence, both of which have seen major upheavals ever since Kejriwal focused his entire attention on Punjab,' said a top police officer. In barely two months, the vigilance bureau chief in Punjab has changed three times. The last vigilance chief, S.P.S. Parmar, was suspended last month, allegedly for inaction. Sources in the police department said Arvind Kejriwal called Parmar to Delhi and issued specific instructions on tackling corruption. However, a week later, the ex-Delhi CM gave the nod to Parmar's suspension after Parmar failed to meet Kejriwal's expectations. After Parmar's suspension, 1994-batch IPS officer P.K. Sinha—made the state intelligence chief earlier after the AAP government transferred intelligence chief R.K. Jaiswal—was also given the additional charge of the vigilance bureau. Also Read: 2 states, 2 dams & a political slugfest: The Nangal water sharing dispute between Punjab, Haryana Prominent Delhi faces in Punjab Manish Sisodia—formerly Delhi's deputy CM and currently Punjab's AAP in-charge—has also been guiding Punjab education department officials on improving school education, according to government sources. Punjab AAP co-incharge Satyender Jain is doing the same in the health department. Both operate from the government housing complex in Sector 39, Chandigarh. 'AAP's Delhi team members are using at least 10 houses—if not more—assigned to Punjab ministers or chairmen of boards and corporations,' said an officer who did not wish to be named. Jain's right-hand man and former officer on special duty, Shaleen Mitra, recently joined the health department in Punjab to coordinate it's activities. Mitra, whose LinkedIn profile claims he worked as the 'manager of Ayushman in Punjab', is widely believed to be monitoring the 'Yudh Nasha Virudh (war on drugs)' government initiative. As part of the campaign, Shaleen Mitra, along with Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh and other senior officers, often conducts meetings on health and drugs. The health department already had Anurag Kundu, a former Delhi government child rights commissioner. In November 2023, he also became a member of Punjab Development Commission. He has, since that year, been monitoring the activities of both the health and education departments in Punjab. Since the September 2023 launch of the Punjab Development Commission, a think tank to guide the Punjab government, it has had no AAP members from Punjab—except CM Mann, the panel chairperson. Seema Bansal is its vice-chairman, and Shoikat Roy, Anurag Kundu, and Vaibhav Maheshwari are the other members, all from outside Punjab. On 13 May this year, Kundu, a management graduate, coordinated a meeting of civil surgeons, setting the agenda, addressing the gathering at length, and seeking reports. According to sources in the health department, Kundu has been conducting such meetings with civil surgeons and other officers for many months now. When contacted through WhatsApp messages, Anurag Kundu said he did not have anything to say on the set of questions posed by ThePrint. Similarly, Shaleen Mitra did not respond to questions from ThePrint. Adil, another Delhi team member, now holds centre stage in media management for AAP Punjab. He is the key person dealing with journalists, handling advertisements with media houses, and monitoring the release of orders for content production. When contacted with a set of questions, Adil also did not respond to ThePrint. Nawal Agrawal, the lead governance fellow in the Department of Good Governance and Information Technology, Punjab, quit last month. A former vice-chairman of Delhi's Dialogue Development Commission, Jasmine Shah, it is said, replaced him. Nawal Agrawal courted controversy in 2023 when his presence in meetings of senior government officers raised questions, with the then-governor, Banwari Lal Purohit, voicing them. When contacted, Jasmine Shah, who has also authored a book on the Delhi model of governance, did not respond to queries from ThePrint. Reena Gupta, an AAP national spokesperson widely considered close to Kejriwal, has become the chairperson of the Punjab Pollution Control Board, replacing Adarsh Pal Vig, a noted environmental scientist from Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar. Deepak Chouhan, an aide of AAP national organisation secretary and Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) Dr Sandeep Pathak, has become the chairperson of the Punjab Large Industrial Development Board. Kamal Bansal has become the chairperson of the Tirth Yatra Samiti of Punjab. Earlier, he headed the Delhi pilgrimage panel. Opposition questions appointments Punjab Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa has termed these appointments as a clear case of nepotism, sarcastically also calling the phenomenon 'badlav (change)'. Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal wrote on X: 'Never before in the history of the State have outsiders been handed all important posts. The intention is clear. The @AamAadmiParty leadership in Delhi wants to loot Punjab's industry & fill its coffers. Bhagwant Mann has become a willing tool in this systematic policy of plunder.' Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira wrote on X that Kejriwal wanted to control Punjab's industry through these appointments. Double-Blunder by @BhagwantMann surrendering the glorious state of Punjab to @ArvindKejriwal and his Delhi bosses ! After committing a serious mistake of appointing a non Punjabi as Chairman Industrial Board he has now handed over the most vital position of Chairperson Punjab… — Sukhpal Singh Khaira (@SukhpalKhaira) May 19, 2025 'My sympathies for the @AAPPunjab workers, who have been sidelined and marginalised, to accommodate and rehabilitate outsiders,' Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring posted on X. ThePrint could not reach Punjab AAP spokesperson Neel Garg, despite calling him several times and messaging him on WhatsApp. (Edited by Madhurita Goswami) Also Read: Punjab's most ambitious land acquisition exercise yet faces Oppn resistance, SAD promises agitation
NDTV
4 days ago
- Health
- NDTV
Delhi To Get Major EV Boost, 4,000 Electric Buses to Hit Roads
Delhi Transport and Health Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh on Friday promised to induct 4000-plus electric buses in the city by the year-end and promised to unveil a Yoga-based plan to manage diabetes in the coming months. "Pollution is a focus area for our government, and all departments are jointly taking steps to tackle it. At the transport department, we are determined to replace the ageing CNG buses with electric vehicles," he told IANS on completing 100 days in office. Also Read: "The introduction of EV buses is likely to offer a big relief to the public in terms of pollution and connectivity, even in congested areas," he said. He highlighted the implementation of health schemes like Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana (PMVVY) for the elderly, Ayushman Mandir, Ayushman Card, and check on irregularities in drug supply as some of the achievements of the health department in the first 100 days of the government. "The Ayushman scheme, whose benefits should have reached people long ago, was blocked by Arvind Kejriwal's government. We have supplied cards and enrolled beneficiaries through door-to-door drives," he said, adding that about 2.31 lakh beneficiaries have been issued health cards under the two schemes. The Minister hit out at the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government for indulging in publicity rather than serving the people on the ground. "We could not find anything positive in the functioning of the previous government. There are scams in almost everything related to drinking water, road, pollution, Yamuna-cleaning, transportation, hospital drug supply," he said, adding that, under the previous government, just five medical superintendents were running the affairs of all major hospitals in the city. Hitting out at the AAP government and its legislators, he said, "They did not perform and indulged only in the blame game. We are focused on delivering on the promises that we made." Describing diabetes as a common ailment affecting people, he said, "We are working on a new plan named 'Diabetes-plus with yoga'. Very soon, we will share information with the public," he said, adding that the health department is focusing on the smooth functioning of free dialysis centres. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
