Latest news with #ExpressoonCulture
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Daily Briefing: EC receives forms of 90% of Bihar's electors; diplomatic win for India as US designates TRF as terrorist organisation
Good morning, We are back with the seventh edition of Expresso on Culture, bringing you Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena, India's G20 Sherpa, and former NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant as guests on the panel this time to explore yet another intersection between culture and governance. While Saxena shares that governance is tough in Delhi, Kant identifies two issues, which he says, plagued the national capital: encroachment and freebies. Here's what the duo has to say as they engage in an insightful conversation with The Indian Express National Opinion Editor Vandita Mishra! With that, let's move on to the top 5 stories from today's edition: 🚨 Big Story The Election Commission has received enumeration forms of 90.12 per cent of Bihar's electors ahead of the July 25 deadline for its special intensive revision (SIR) of the state's electoral roll, and that over 36 lakh were found 'not at their addresses'. As of Friday, the EC said 7.11 crore forms had been received so far and 6.85 crore of them had been digitised. Moreover, as many as 36.86 lakh electors (a little over 4.67% of total voters) had been found to be 'probably' deceased, permanently shifted or enrolled at multiple places. It said 6,978, or 0.01% of the electors, were 'not traceable'. Setting the tone for the National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) Bihar Assembly election campaign, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced that a Central employment scheme providing Rs 15,000 to youth in their first private sector job will be rolled out from August 1. The PM's comments appear to be a counter to nullify the Rashtriya Janata Dal's (RJD) jobs pitch, which was cited for its success in the 2020 Assembly elections. ⚡ Only in Express With the talk of a train arriving in Mizoram's Sairang station, residents find themselves dreaming of a journey. A 51-km railway line is set to connect the Mizoram capital to the Indian Railways' grid for the first time. With that, Aizawl becomes the fourth northeastern capital after Guwahati, Agartala and Itanagar to be linked to the Indian Railways' grid. The operations on the line are expected to begin by September. Dheeraj Mishra travels along the new line, a project with deep strategic value for a landlocked state, where the arrival of the train is marked by both hope and a sense of foreboding. 💡 Express Explained The United States' decision to designate The Resistance Front (TRF) as a terrorist organisation is a diplomatic win for India and a message to Pakistan, but its impact on the ground remains to be seen. The decision comes three months after the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 25 tourists and a local ponywala. The TRF claimed responsibility for the attack on social media channels, however, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) concluded during its investigation that all three attackers were Pakistani nationals. As lines between terror outfits blur in Vallet, we explain the on-ground challenges. ✍️ Express Opinion In our Opinion section today, Sujan R Chinoy delves into the mending ties between India and China after prolonged estrangement caused by the bloodletting at Galwan in 2020. As both countries deliberate on the need for early de-escalation in the border areas to facilitate normalisation of ties, Chinoy writes: 'The positive signs in India-China relations are encouraging. The deep deficit of trust, however, calls for sustained efforts. The two sides must move forward with realistic expectations. The road ahead is arduous. Yet, forging a stable and cooperative relationship between the two Asian neighbours is a goal worth pursuing.' 🎞️ Watchlist Wondering what to watch this weekend? We've got you covered! Vir Das' sixth stand-up special for Netflix, Fool Volume, combines his trademark self-effacing delivery with his signature ambition. In his review, Rohan Naahar writes: 'In Fool Volume, Das gazes inward; he glances at the world around him, and then, he gets down to business. The show isn't so much about a comedian finding his voice again as it is about a middle-aged Indian man finding a new voice.' That's all for today. Have a lovely weekend! Until next time, Ariba
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
For ease of business, restaurants won't need key MCD licence: L-G Saxena
Restaurants in Delhi may no longer need to run from pillar to post every year to seek a key trade licence from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) — this requirement is being done away with to facilitate ease of business, according to Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena. Speaking at The Indian Express Expresso event, Saxena said, 'Today, there is a need for ease of doing business… People should not have to come to the government; the government should go to the people. We have ended the licencing system in the city. We have allowed the three-star and four-star hotels to operate 24 hours… If we talk about the MCD licence, I would like to tell you that it was cleared in the last meeting… MCD licences will not be required for restaurants.' The MCD issues a Health Trade Licence to restaurants, which is mandatory for operation and is renewed annually. Last month, the L-G had passed a notification that Delhi Police clearances would not be required for businesses such as hotels and restaurants. Saxena and India's G20 Sherpa and former NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant were guests at the Expresso on Culture. The session was moderated by The Indian Express National Opinion Editor Vandita Mishra. While Saxena asserted that Delhi is a complex city where governance is tough, Kant identified two issues, which he said, plague the national capital: encroachment and freebies. 'Even to repair a small patch of road, multiple departments have to be involved, as the road might belong to the PWD and the central verge might be under the DDA,' Saxena said. Asked about his image as a non-bureaucratic L-G and the related challenges, Saxena said, 'I am from the corporate sector. I believe that every bureaucrat should undergo training in the corporate sector for at least six months. There is a need to understand the difference between the corporate and the government working system. In the private sector, decisions worth crores are taken quickly in seconds… their focus is on quality and timely execution of the projects… we are trying to fix this responsibility, so as to promote quality…' Speaking about urbanisation, Kant said, 'Politicians have actively encouraged encroachments in Delhi. Before every election, they legalise encroachments. The minute encroachments come up, it is impossible to remove them. Delhi has got to put an end to this encroachment business.' According to Kant, the culture of freebies must also end or people would have to pay a price for it later. 'If you have to provide subsidised electricity and water to people, please do that and charge more from the rich people. But if you start providing 40 per cent of your population with free water and electricity, both Jal board and electricity board will go bust financially. You will pay a huge price for this at a later date,' he said. L-G Saxena, meanwhile, said that in a national capital, people should come to work from NCR towns to the city. 'But people live here and go to NCR cities for work… Delhi is the national capital, it should not look like a slum city,' he said. Saxena, 67, was appointed as Delhi L-G in May 2022 and was at the centre of several conflicts with the previous AAP government in the city. The L-G, however, sought to dispel the perception that his relation with former chief minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal was that of 'enemies'. 'It has always been portrayed by the media that we are enemies but it is not like that…we have had long meetings and conversations… our views might have been different but it is not like whenever we met we would take out our swords,' he said.
