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Time of India
19-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Union minister flags off 435MW solar project
Jaipur: Union minister for new and renewable energy, Pralhad Joshi, Saturday inaugurated the 435-MW Gorbea Solar Power Project, developed by Zelestra India, in Rajasthan. He said, "With every megawatt we generate, we are not just producing power, we are building a New India. " The Gorbea Solar Power Project, delivered in under eight months, spans 1,250 acres and is backed by a 25-year power purchase agreement with Solar Energy Corporation of India. Joshi noted that almost 70% of Rajasthan's power capacity is now sourced from renewable energy, with over 35.4 gigawatts installed, 29.5 gigawatts from solar and 5.2 gigawatts from wind. He praised the state's proactive role in India's renewable energy growth. The minister highlighted that the project has turned farmers into partners in India's energy journey, as the land used was leased from them, offering stable income. "Our farmers are no longer just food providers. They are now energy providers as well," he said. Joshi lauded CM Bhajan Lal Sharma for accelerating policy and investment reforms. Rajasthan has adopted the Integrated Clean Energy Policy 2024 and operationalised the Rajasthan Green Hydrogen Policy. Investment commitments worth over Rs 6.57 lakh crore were signed last year with a major focus on renewable energy and green hydrogen. Under PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, over 49,000 rooftop installations were completed in Rajasthan, with over Rs 325 crore in subsidies disbursed. Joshi urged faster implementation, given the 2.7 lakh applications already received.
The Hindu
18-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Maharashtra Council extends deadline for Privileges Committee report on Kunal Kamra, Sushma Andhare
The Maharashtra Legislative Council on Friday (July 18, 2025) approved a motion granting the Privileges Committee additional time — until the end of the State legislature's next session — to submit its report on stand-up comedian and satirist Kunal Kamra and Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sushma Andhare over remarks allegedly targeting Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The motion was moved by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLC Prasad Lad, who also chairs the Privileges Committee. The case arises from a breach of privilege notice moved by BJP MLC Pravin Darekar during the Budget session, in which Mr. Kamra was accused of insulting Mr. Shinde during a parody performance. The act allegedly used the word 'gaddar' or 'traitor in reference to Mr. Shinde's 2022 defection from the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena and was deemed offensive by the complainant. Ms. Andhare had allegedly expressed support for the performance, which was construed as contempt of the legislature. The show in question was performed and recorded at the Habitat Comedy Club in Mumbai's Khar area and was later uploaded online on March 23, under the title Naya Bharat (New India). Following the release of the video, members of the Shiv Sena, including party functionary Rahul Kanal and eleven others, allegedly vandalised the venue in protest. Subsequently, show-cause notices were issued to both Mr. Kamra and Ms. Andhare by the Legislative Council Secretariat. However, the notices could not be delivered due to incomplete address details. Legislative Council Chairman Ram Shinde had referred the breach notice to the Privileges Committee in June for further inquiry. On March 24, an FIR was lodged against Mr. Kamra at Khar police station under Sections 353(1)(B), 353(2) and 356(2) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita by Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel, accusing him of defaming the Deputy Chief Minister. Mr. Kamra later approached the Madras High Court, stating that he had been residing in Tamil Nadu since 2021. In his petition, he submitted that he had received over 500 death threat calls and messages since the video was uploaded and expressed fear of arrest by Mumbai Police. The High Court extended his interim anticipatory bail till April 17. Mr. Kamra, however, has not responded to two summonses issued by the Mumbai Police. Editorial: No country for comedy: On Kunal Kamra and Maharashtra On June 7, Mr. Lad told The Hindu that the 11-member Privileges Committee had approved the proposal with a full majority. 'Once the show-cause notice is issued, the respondent is asked to give a written reply within 15 days. Failure to do so leads to a second show-cause notice, and in case the respondent does not respond to three notices, the committee can ask the police to arrest them,' he said. 'Thereafter, their statement is recorded in front of the committee. The respondent can choose to apologise, or be represented by a lawyer if we give them permission, or put forth their side by themselves. Whatever decision the committee takes thereafter, it is the final decision. Even the courts have no jurisdiction in the matter,' Mr. Lad added.
India Today
17-07-2025
- Business
- India Today
Betting the farm: Modi's green revolution
(NOTE: This article was originally published in the India Today issue dated Feb 12, 2018)Budget 2018 was a Modi moment. Without doubt. And as with everything he does, he made sure everyone knew it. Soon after the Union budget was tabled in Parliament, the prime minister, pen in one hand and notepad in the other, went on national television and for a good 25 minutes spoke on its highlights with admirable fluency. He was acutely aware that this is his government's last full-fledged budget before the general elections. So every word he spoke had an underlying message for the electorate: I am your prime sevak. I care for you, I care for our country, I am a problem-solver and I am thinking not of the next election but the next Modi has already demonstrated his capacity for big ideas. His newest catch phrases are a 'New India' by 2022, ensuring 'social and economic democracy' and enhancing 'Ease of Living'. He also has an appetite for big risks. Whether it was the surgical strikes against Pakistan, the demonetisation drive against black money or ramming through the Goods and Service Tax, Modi showed he wanted action, whatever the proved to be a political success but was an economic mess. GST was an economic necessity but a political quagmire. As the country's growth slid under the weight of these two back-to-back economic shocks, Modi began to lose his aura of invincibility. But the prime minister showed that he is ever willing to fight back, learn from his errors and make amends speedily. Budget 2018 reflected his ability to take big risks even while managing the inherent conflicts and contradictions between politics and the economy. The economic imperatives before the budget were clear. There was a need to find jobs for a young and burgeoning workforce. The widespread agrarian distress had to be addressed even while raising farm productivity and resilience. Key social sectors like health and education needed urgent reform to develop a skilled and healthy labour force. Economic growth had to be speeded up by stimulating private investment and boosting exports if Modi was to keep the promise of Achhe Din that he had ridden to power with. All this without indulging in what an advisor has termed the mindsets of 'crony socialism' or the 'stigmatised capitalism'.The political compulsions were even more forceful and urgent. Opinion polls, including one done by India Today recently, had shown that while Modi's personal popularity remained high, that of his government had steadily eroded mainly because of the economic slide. If the BJP has to retain its majority in the next election, he would have to win over vast sections of the population. Particularly disgruntled farmers and agricultural labour, who constitute a bulk of the work force and the electorate. He would also need to firmly establish a sympathetic image with every other section of the population that would make a difference at the ballot-youth, women, tribals, Dalits and small businessmen. All this while maintaining the Sangh Parivar's faith in his ability to usher in a Hindutva Modi, there are no half measures. In everything that he does, he strives to be daring, dauntless and dazzling, but this can be disturbing too. So Budget 2018 is daring because Modi went all-out to woo farmers by promising to pay them 1.5 times the Minimum Support Price (MSP). His team also set aside vast sums to bring in much-needed agrarian reform in terms of boosting infrastructure, especially for food processing and was dauntless because although it could result in a rise in prices for consumers, it was a risk the prime minister was willing to take. Also because he was willing to earn the displeasure of big business by not lowering corporate tax and introducing capital gains tax for long-term investments. Nor did he provide any new sops to the influential middle class. The budget was dazzling because it ushered in the world's largest health insurance plan called "Ayushman Bharat". Under this scheme, the government will offer to pay for annual medical costs of up to Rs 5 lakh for nearly 10 crore needy Indian it is disturbing because there is an inherent risk for Modi in assuming the mantle of a Populist Reformer. Among the known unknowns is the rising price of oil. In the first three years of his rule, the windfall of low crude oil prices allowed him to fund a host of infrastructure and welfare schemes while maintaining fiscal discipline. But if oil prices continue to shoot up, it could result not only in loss of revenue that could impact his largesse towards the poor and farmers but also see interest rates harden and inflation spiral out of is also banking on the huge investments in infrastructure his government has made, especially in the transport and housing sectors, to provide employment and stimulate private investment, thereby ensuring economic growth. Yet, there are major dampeners, such as the twin balance sheet challenge, with many corporates heavily in debt and banks overburdened with non-performing assets or bad loans. These are being addressed, but it may take a while before the situation is the added risk that implementation of the big schemes announced in this budget may prove to be tardy. That could cause widespread resentment and dent his re-election prospects. So the risks are high. But fortune, as they say, favours the brave. And in Budget 2018, Modi has showed plenty of that to India Today Magazine- Ends
Indian Express
12-07-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
85 appointments letters distributed at Rozgar Mela in Rajkot
In the 16th edition of the National Rozgar Mela, held in Rajkot on Saturday, 85 appointment letters were handed out to candidates for jobs in various government departments. Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs and Bhavnagar-Botad MP Nimuben Bambhaniya distributed the letters. Similar job fairs were simultaneously conducted at 47 locations across the country, reflecting the Centre's continued focus on employment generation and youth empowerment. Speaking at the event, Minister Bambhaniya said 'Rozgar Melas are not just a means to provide employment, they are platforms that reflect Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'New India', where youth begin a new chapter of their lives with self-confidence, patriotism, and self-reliance. This initiative is a decisive step towards Viksit Bharat 2047.' The appointees will join key government sectors, including railways, postal services, and public sector banks. Bambhaniya emphasised that the inclusion of talented youth in these institutions will strengthen governance and service delivery. Inputs by Jay Jani. The author is currently interning at The Indian Express.
Glasgow Times
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Glasgow Times
Archer return, Gill on a roll – talking points ahead of England-India third Test
Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the key areas for discussion ahead of the game. Will Archer hit the spot? All eyes will be on Jofra Archer as he returns to Lord's (Steve Welsh/PA) It has been over four years since Jofra Archer last donned his England whites but his mystique has barely dimmed during that lengthy break. His memorable spell at Lord's on debut, where he felled Australia's Steve Smith with a blood-curdling bouncer, remains the high watermark and if can summon anything similar it will lend a whole new dimension to a home line-up that has struggled for cutting edge. Where there's a Gill, there's a way New India captain Shubman Gill has enjoyed a barely believable scoring sequence since taking over from Rohit Sharma, banging out 585 runs in four innings so far against England. He has looked remarkably untroubled throughout and seems well placed to have a crack at Sir Donald Bradman's record of 974 in a single series. He has never played at the home of cricket before but England know they will have to work hard or get lucky if they are to keep him off the famous honours board. Tough at the top Ollie Pope (left) and Zak Crawley (right) can expect a tough examination from India (John Walton/PA) England hoped to have put any worries over their top three to bed after Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope both hit form against Zimbabwe and made strong contributions at Headingley. But the pair managed just 43 in four innings in the second Test against India, with Ben Duckett adding just 25. Now the tourists are preparing to recall star seamer Jasprit Bumrah, who was rested in Birmingham, and pair him with Akash Deep, who took a career-best 10-wicket haul. Facing the new ball is about to get even trickier for the top order. Can the Wizard work his magic? 32 wickets at 12.90 Best figures of six for 19 340 runs at 42.50 Best score of 137no Chris Woakes has not been at his best so far and, at 36, will need a decent showing here to dampen down questions over his future. He could hardly hope for a better venue to produce a response, given his remarkable record at HQ. In seven games at Lord's he boasts 32 wickets at a world-class average of 12.90, as well as a batting average of 42.50. On his favourite ground, Woakes needs to roll back the years. Bashir under the microscope Shoaib Bashir could do with a strong performance against India (Joe Giddens/PA) England remain committed to spinner Shoaib Bashir, repeating their mantra that he is a 'work in progress' with a 'high ceiling'. Eight wickets at 59.50 from 120 overs represents a modest return so far, but he has been hampered by their preference for bowling first. He has varied his speeds and developed a new 'carrom ball' but could do with showing his tinkering can be a force against top players. If there is turn at the back end of the game, the 21-year-old must make the most of it, for his own confidence as much as that of the selectors.
