Latest news with #AshwaniVaishnaw
News18
3 days ago
- Politics
- News18
Dream Of Rail Link To Kashmir Now A Reality Due To PM Modi's Determination: Vaishnaw
Last Updated: PM Modi inaugurated Chenab Bridge in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday. Railway Minister Ashwani Vaishnaw lauded the Prime Minister for this. Railway Minister Ashwani Vaishnaw on Friday lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the inauguration of Chenab Bridge – the highest railway bridge in the world – and said that the dream of connecting Kashmir to the rest of the country through a railway link has become a reality. 'The nation had nurtured the dream of the Jammu-Srinagar-Baramulla railway line for decades. There were many difficulties, like tall mountains and deep valleys. But we do not have to fight nature… through a network of bridges and tunnels, this railway line has become a reality," Vaishnaw said at the inauguration event of the Vande Bharat train to Kashmir by PM Modi in Katra. 'It has become possible due to the strong will, determined endeavour, and laser-sharp focus of the PM," the Railway Minister added. PM Modi unveiled the Bridge today and also flagged off two Vande Bharat trains. He then addressed a public meeting, his first in Jammu and Kashmir since the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, and slammed Pakistan for the terror attack. First Published: June 06, 2025, 15:04 IST
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Dream of rail link to Kashmir made possible due to PM's determination: Vaishnaw
Railway Minister Ashwani Vaishnaw on Friday said the dream of connecting Kashmir to the rest of the country through a railway link has become a reality due to the determination and sharp focus of Prime Minister Narendra Modi . "The nation had nurtured the dream of the Jammu-Srinagar-Baramulla railway line for decades. There were many difficulties, like tall mountains and deep valleys. But we do not have to fight nature... through a network of bridges and tunnels, this railway line has become a reality. "It has become possible due to the strong will, determined endeavour and laser sharp focus of the PM," Vaishnaw said at the inauguration of the Vande Bharat train to Kashmir by Modi in this pilgrim town. Vaishnaw said it was a historic day as "another jewel has been added to Maa Bharti's crown", referring to the rail line.
Economic Times
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Economic Times
Cabinet calls for caste count in next census
The NDA government has decided to include caste enumeration in India's next census, a significant political move ahead of upcoming elections. Union minister Ashwani Vaishnaw criticized the opposition, alleging past Congress governments opposed a caste census. The census will capture data on OBCs, household information, and access to resources, aiming for transparency and social equity. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads OBC Data Too Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Political Repercussions Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads India's next census will include caste enumeration , marking a major political shift by the NDA government . The decision was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and comes ahead of the Bihar assembly polls later in the year. The committee includes key NDA coalition allies, including Jitan Ram Manjhi, former chief minister of Bihar, and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu's Telugu Desam a statement on the decision, Union minister Ashwani Vaishnaw hit out at the opposition, alleging that Congress governments in the past had opposed a caste census while using it as a political tool. The exercise will be conducted in a transparent manner to ensure the social fabric is not disturbed, he October last year, ET reported the Centre aimed to begin conducting the much-delayed decadal census in aware of developments said work on the census has been going on for some time and that a draft cabinet note was prepared last this year, the home secretary held a meeting with top officials to finalise the format of the questionnaire for the census. Suggestions were sought from almost all ministries on this, while caste-related suggestions were sought from the social justice now, the census has captured such data under the scheduled caste and scheduled tribe (SC/ST) categories. The next one will likely capture data of other backward castes (OBCs) as well. The Registrar General of India will carry out the census and seek a variety of is expected to include the number of persons residing in a household, if the head of the household is a woman and whether members have phones and access to an internet will also ask if the household members own mobile phones and what kind, as well as any kind of vehicle. There could also be questions on education qualifications, whether the person lives in a brick and mortar dwelling or not (pucca or kaccha home) or is a recipient of government census is also linked to the key issues of delimitation and the Women's Reservation Act On the former, the southern states, led by Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin, argue that redrawing parliamentary representation based on numbers through delimitation would penalise those that have done well on population control. He has called for a 30-year freeze at the current level. The latter sets aside a third of the seats in the Parliament for the census comes under the purview of the Centre, Vaishnaw said some states had conducted caste enumeration in surveys "non-transparently," creating doubts in the mind of the people."Considering all these facts and to ensure the social fabric is not disturbed by politics, caste enumeration should be transparently included in the census, instead of surveys," he said, adding that this will strengthen the social and economic structure of the opposition INDIA bloc had made the caste census a major poll plank in recent elections, with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi pledging that this would provide data to make benefits more that have conducted such counts include Bihar, Telangana and Karnataka, the last of which hasn't made the results last nationwide census was completed in 2011 and the next was to have commenced in April 2020 but got delayed due to the pandemic. Though home minister Amit Shah said late last year that the census would be conducted "very soon," there is no clarity as yet on when exactly the exercise will be carried out. "A message of strong commitment towards social equality and rights of every section has been given by deciding to include caste census in the upcoming census," Shah wrote on X in Hindi. "This decision will empower all economically and socially backward classes, promote inclusion, and pave new paths for the progress of the deprived."Vaishnaw said that in 2010, then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had assured the Lok Sabha that a caste census would be considered by the Cabinet. A group of ministers was formed after most political parties had recommended such a census. "The Congress government decided to conduct only a survey, instead of a caste census. That survey is known as SECC," said Vaishnaw. "It is well understood that the Congress and its INDI alliance partners have used caste census only as a political tool."The first caste enumeration in independent India was conducted in 2011 and was known as the Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC) exercises during British rule between 1881 and 1931 included caste enumeration. After Independence, the government decided in 1951 not to include caste in the census, except for SC/STs.
