Latest news with #JagdeepDhankhar
The Hindu
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
India has shown world that terrorism will no longer be tolerated: Dhankhar
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday (June 5, 2025) said India has shown the world that terrorism will no longer be tolerated and that the nation's rise is now "unstoppable, incremental and full of possibilities". Addressing students at Sainik School Chittorgarh — his alma mater — on the occasion of his visit, Mr. Dhankhar said, "Enough is enough! No more tolerance of terrorism. Those who will commit barbarity, use terrorism as a weapon, will be taught the lesson of their life like Bahawalpur and Muridke." Citing India's recent military operations, he said, "Operation Sindoor did not target civilians, did not wantonly destroy property. Only the terrorist hideouts were targeted. Precise, calibrated, accurate and we all had the occasion to see it." Lauding the Indian armed forces, he said, "The Pahalgam barbarity has been avenged to the accolades of the entire world. Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, who defined terrorism, their locations in Bahawalpur and Muridke, deep inside the territory of Pakistan, beyond international border were destroyed." "You must have seen coffins being escorted by terrorists, their army and their politicians. That was the greatest success of our defence forces," he remarked. Calling the present times a transformational phase for the country, the vice president said, "We are a nation on the rise, the rise is unstoppable, the rise is incremental. We are no longer a nation with potential. "Our potential is getting exploited. We are no longer a nation that dreams, No." "Viksit Bharat is our destination, we are marching towards that and we will succeed," he asserted, urging the youth to contribute by making optimal use of their time and talent. He said India's achievements in science and defence reflect this growing strength. "What I did not dream. I never thought Bharat will rise so much that we will be the first nation in the world to land our Chandrayaan-3 at the South Pole of the Moon." Welcoming the increased participation of women in all sectors, the vice president said a big change has taken place. The Sainik Schools were meant only for boys and 50% of humanity was ignored. "Can you succeed in the world without 50% of the talent not being recognised?" he asked. He said Indian girls are combat pilots, they are in the police force and in the CAPFs (Central Armed Police Forces). He said those girls involved with ISRO are called rocket women. Participation of girls in equal measure is fundamental, he said. Appreciating Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, he said, "I must appreciate Prime Minister Modi for achieving something which did not happen for three decades earlier — an epochal development, a game-changing development -- one-third reservation for women in Lok Sabha and state legislatures." He also highlighted the establishment of all-girls Sainik Schools, including one in Mathura, as a major milestone. Calling Sainik School Chittorgarh his true birthplace, Mr. Dhankhar said, "I was born in village Kithana, district Jhunjhunu, but that was my biological birth. My real birth took place in Sainik School, Chittorgarh." "Sainik School taught me values, discipline, decorum, friendliness, care for the environment, to be one amongst many and not to be alone ever." The vice president encouraged students to overcome fear and failure. "Never fear, never have tension, never have stress because these only slide you down. There are no failures in life. Failure is a message: do more." He invoked Swami Vivekananda's call to action, "Arise, Awake and stop not till the goal is reached."
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Collegium system reforms can't be at cost of judicial independence: CJI
Amid a clamour for legislative revamp of the judges-selecting-judges system, fuelled by Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar's statements, CJI B R Gavai has said no reform in the collegium system could be at the "cost of judicial independence" and that judiciary should retain its primacy in appointments to Supreme Court and high courts. At a round-table in UK Supreme Court on Tuesday evening, CJI Gavai said, "There may be criticism of the collegium system, but... judges must be free from external control." CJI said SC had struck down National Judicial Appointments Commission Act in 2015 as the law attempted to dilute judiciary's independence by giving primacy to the executive in court appointments. Unwarranted interference led to collegium system, says CJI Tracing the evolution of the collegium system through two SC judgments in 1993 and 1998, the CJI said the executive had the final say in appointment of judges to Supreme Court and HCs till 1993 and that system saw two senior-most judges of SC getting superseded in the appointment of CJIs (both by the govt headed by Indira Gandhi) in breach of established traditions. He said the collegium system evolved as judiciary's response to the executive's excesses and unwarranted interference in appointments to constitutional courts. As per the two judgments concerned, the collegium was to act in unanimity and its decision was to be final, Justice Gavai said, adding that this "sought to ensure independence of judiciary, reduce executive interference and maintain judiciary's autonomy in its appointments". Quoting B R Ambedkar's words - "our judiciary must both be independent of the executive and must also be competent in itself" - the CJI said the fact that constitutional courts drew salaries from the Consolidated Fund of India made judges independent of the executive. Referring to Kesavananda Bharati judgment of 1973 that propounded the basic structure doctrine by a 13-judge bench through seven to six majority, CJI Gavai said, "This ruling established a significant judicial precedent, affirming that certain fundamental principles, such as democracy, rule of law, and the separation of powers, are inviolable and cannot be altered."
India Gazette
2 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
Deeply pained by loss of lives at tragic stampede in Bengaluru: VP Dhankhar
New Delhi [India], June 5 (ANI): Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar said that he was deeply pained by the loss of lives at the tragic stampede in Bengaluru that claimed 11 lives, with over 30 others injured. He called on everyone to always remember to prioritise safety and celebrate responsibly. 'Deeply pained by the loss of lives at the tragic stampede in Bengaluru. My heart goes out to the bereaved families in this hour of grief. I pray for the early recovery of the injured. Let us always remember to prioritise safety and celebrate responsibly,' posted Dhankhar on X. Earlier, following the tragic incident, the Karnataka government announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the families of each deceased in the stampede near the Chinnaswamy stadium. Addressing a press conference, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that the government will also provide free treatment to the injured. 'A major tragedy occurred during the victory celebrations. It happened near the Chinnaswamy Stadium. The government has announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the deceased. The government will provide free treatment to the injured,' the CM said. Expressing deep sorrow over the incident, CM Siddaramaiah said, '11 died and 33 were injured in the stampede. This tragedy should not have happened. The government expresses deep sorrow over this incident.' The Karnataka CM further asserted that he has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the matter. 'I don't want to defend this incident. Our government will not do politics on this. I have ordered a magisterial inquiry and given 15 days' time. People even broke the gates of the stadium. There was a stampede. No one expected such a huge crowd. The stadium has a capacity of only 35,000 people, but 2-3 lakh people came,' CM Siddaramaiah said. (ANI)
India Gazette
29-05-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
Caste-based enumeration will be game-changing, bring about social justice: VP Jagdeep Dhankhar
New Delhi [India], May 29 (ANI): Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Thursday said that the government has taken a bold decision to include caste-based enumeration in the upcoming decadal census and called it a 'transformative' and 'game-changing' step. Dhankhar said, 'The Government has made a great decision. And the decision is to include caste-based enumeration in the upcoming decadal census. It will be a transformative step, game-changing. It will help bring about social justice. It will be an eye-opener. It will satisfy people's aspirations. It's a very broad decision of the government. There was a caste-based census earlier. Last time, I think it was conducted in 1931. I looked up the census many times to know about my caste. I therefore realise the importance of caste-based enumeration.' Addressing the Indian Statistical Service (ISS) Probationers of the 2024 and 2025 batches in New Delhi, Dhankhar said, 'Far from being divisive, thoughtfully collected caste data will be an instrument of integration. Some people are debating it. We are mature minds. How can information collected by itself be a source of the problem? It is like getting your body MRI. You will know about it when you stand. People will realise. And this mechanism will transform abstract constitutional commitments to equality into measurable, accountable policy outcomes.' The Vice President drew a vivid analogy highlighting the value of precise and current data in governance, saying, 'Effective policy planning without robust statistics is like a surgery in the dark. You can imagine how relevant your work is. Every digit in our national database represents a human story. Every trend line charts the trajectory of things. Let me give you a small illustration.' 'And what it portends for our future is that you will have rich experiences every moment of your service career. What you took for granted, you will find, is on a fragile premise. It's a mirage, because data does not lie,' he noted. The Vice President reiterated that India's aspirations for becoming a developed nation are firmly rooted in evidence-based planning. He said, 'We, as a nation, are looking for 'Viksit Bharat,' which is not our dream. It is our objective, defined destination, our goal. Bharat is no longer a nation with potential. It's a nation on the rise, and the rise is unstoppable. And therefore, the path to a developed India is built with statistical insights marked by evidence-based milestones. In togetherness, we must create a nation that thinks empirically, as I indicated earlier, but is driven by hardcore evidence.' He urged timely and relevant data collection and usage for informed policymaking, saying, 'Statistics is not merely about numbers. It is much more than numbers. It is about identifying patterns and drawing insights that inform wise policy decisions. Now, there is always urgency. If your data must be in sync with contemporaneous situations. Otherwise, it has a tendency to be stale. How detailed? It is about identifying patterns and growing insights. Have informed policy decisions based on data that is currently acceptable. A delayed or misguided policy can have serious consequences, and a timely intervention. Well-informed decisions can yield results that are exponential, not just incremental.' Affirming the human-centric nature of statistics, he stated, 'Numbers are not cold abstractions; they are warm testimonies to our collective aspirations. These are the numbers. The future belongs to those who master the art of reading societies, statistical signatures. And only you make those signatures available. In the convergence of statistical science and democratic values lies the secret to India's continued rise.' The Vice President emphasized that statistical accuracy empowers governments to shift from reactive measures to strategic foresight, saying, 'This diagnostic precision transforms reactive governance into proactive stewardship. Otherwise, we will always be in reaction mode. Reaction mode is a weakness of policy--it reveals a void in foresight. But proactive stewardship is fundamental.' He further said, 'We are also required to use data to address demographic trends. Demographic trends are beyond statistics. They are dependent on the analysis of statistics. In several ways, these variations define the pulse of the nation's transformation. And therefore, understanding statistics from the perspective of demographic variation will help policymakers address the security of the nation. Preserve our sovereignty also. Analyse the threat perception. Help us devise policies. You come to know more about demography only from statistical analysis of raw figures. It's a compass that will guide the nation's journey for sustainable development.' Encouraging the young officers to see themselves as agents of equality, he reflected on their role in democratizing access and opportunities. Dhankhar said, 'You are probationers. Statistical cartography reveals the hidden geometries of inequality. I stressed--I reiterated on a number of occasions--democracy has meaning only if those who cannot help themselves are helped. They don't have to question others that I need help, which means you must bring about equality and sublimity. Your cartography helps. Governance is enabled by your efforts to craft targeted interventions, where interventions are most needed.' He then reflected on the vital role of civil servants in India's journey, saying, 'In the vast canvas of India's progress, civil servants functioned as the silent yet formidable architects contributing to the socio-economic development and progress of our dynamic nation. Thanks to the vision of the Prime Minister, his mission, that execution has been executed by the bureaucracy. The performance of our bureaucracy will always be optimal if the political leadership is in the right framework. We are living in times, where the political framework is indicating hope and optimism. We are on the right path. And that is why India is a nation at the moment with an unprecedented economic upsurge, phenomenal infrastructure growth. This is a mix of political vision and bureaucratic execution. I therefore say that India takes pride in its bureaucracy. It is the finest in the world. And that is why our aspirations get fructified.' Concluding his address, the Vice President touched upon India's linguistic diversity and its role in national unity, 'India is uniquely positioned in the world when it comes to languages. We have multiple languages that make us proud -- Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Bangla, Sanskrit, Hindi, and several others (I may forget some), all of them including Odia and other languages. Eight of them are classical languages. Our languages generate unity. Some of them have a global impact; their literature is a goldmine of knowledge. Our inclusivity is reflected in our languages, and if you go to the constitutional scheme of things, it is provided in the Constitution that for official work, there will be a progressive decline in the use of the English language and, similarly, an incremental trajectory for Hindi. Our National Education Policy stands out for giving primacy to the mother tongue. Education in technical subjects like medicine and engineering is now being imparted in the vernacular. Our languages are our spinal strength. Our languages can never be a source of divisiveness. Our languages are a unifying force. I appeal to everyone in the country to have a soothing approach with wholesome motivation toward this fundamental cultural aspect of our nation.' Saurabh Garg, Secretary, Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation, PR Meshram, Director General, Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion. (ANI)
United News of India
29-05-2025
- Politics
- United News of India
Caste-based census is game-changing, like 'body MRI': VP
New Delhi, May 29 (UNI) Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Thursday described as ''transformative and game-changing'' the government's decision to include caste-based enumeration in the upcoming decadal census and said it was like ''getting your body an MRI''. 'The Government has made a great decision. And the decision is to include caste-based enumeration in the upcoming decadal census. It will be a transformative step, game-changing. It will help bring about social justice. It will be an eye-opener. It will satisfy people's aspirations,'' the Vice President said addressing the Indian Statistical Service (ISS) Probationers of the 2024 and 2025 batches here. Describing it a ''very broad decision of the government,'' he said there was a caste-based census earlier. ''Last time, I think it was conducted in 1931. I looked up to that census many times to know about my caste. I, therefore, realise the importanceof caste-based enumeration.' Dhankhar said far from being divisive, thoughtfully collected caste data would be an instrument of integration. Some people were debating it. ''We are mature minds. How can information collected by itself be a source of the problem ? It is like getting your body MRI. You will know about it when you stand.'' He said this mechanism would transform abstract constitutional commitments to equality into measurable, accountable policy outcomes. The Vice-President drew an analogy to highlight the value of precise and current data in governance saying effective policy planning without robust statistics one could compare it like a surgery in the dark. ''Every digit in our national database represents a human story. Every trend line charts the trajectory of things. And what it portends for our future, you will have rich experiences every moment of your service career. What you took for granted, you will find, is on a fragile premise. It's a mirage, because data does not lie', he noted. Reiterating India's aspirations of becoming a developed nation as firmly rooted in evidence-based planning, he said 'Viksit Bharat' is not a dream but the objective, defined destination and goal. Bharat is a nation on the rise and the rise is unstoppable. And therefore, the path to a developed India is built with statistical insights marked by evidence-based milestones. UNI RB SSP
