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News18
6 days ago
- Business
- News18
CAIT hails India-UK trade pact as major step forward for Indian traders, farmers
Agency: PTI New Delhi, Jul 24 (PTI) The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) on Thursday welcomed the signing of the India–UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA), calling it a major step forward for Indian commerce and a new gateway for small traders, farmers and manufacturers to enter global markets. The agreement will offer duty-free access to nearly 99 per cent of Indian goods exported to the UK. Key sectors like textiles, gems and jewellery, engineering goods and handicrafts are expected to gain from the move. 'This is more than just a trade pact; it is a transformational moment for Indian traders and farmers," said CAIT secretary general and Member of Parliament Praveen Khandelwal, adding that under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, Indian enterprise is stepping confidently onto the global stage. He said that a major feature of the agreement is the removal of tariffs on over 95 per cent of India's agricultural and processed food exports, including spices, turmeric, marine products and mango pulp. The move is expected to increase rural incomes and give a significant push to farm economy. Khandelwal added that the government has rightly protected sensitive sectors like dairy, showing a balanced approach that blends opportunity with caution. According to him, CAIT would actively support India's vast trader network in understanding and making use of the new trade framework. 'The FTA opens fresh opportunities for those who once viewed international trade as out of reach," he said, adding that it is not only about figures and exports, but about dignity, confidence, and building a stronger self-reliant India. The CAIT also added that the agreement will help boost employment, increase bilateral investments and support innovation and entrepreneurship in both countries. The India–UK FTA is being seen as a landmark in India's foreign trade policy and part of a broader effort to build a values-based and mutually beneficial economic partnership. PTI SHB SHB KSS KSS view comments First Published: July 24, 2025, 20:15 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hans India
20-07-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Monsoon Session: Oppn to corner Centre on Op Sindoor, Bihar SIR issue
New Delhi: As the Monsoon Session of Parliament kicks off on Monday, July 21, and continues till August 21, political leaders across party lines on Sunday expressed optimism for a smooth and productive session. The session, expected to be a stormy one, will be the first since Operation Sindoor, and the Opposition has already signalled its intent to raise several pressing issues -- significant among them the recent Pahalgam terror attack. Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, following an all-party meeting, called on both the ruling and Opposition parties to ensure the smooth functioning of Parliament. "It is everyone's responsibility to ensure that Parliament runs smoothly," he said. Speaking to IANS, BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal said, "There are many legislative works to be completed in the Monsoon Session, including the passage of about eight bills. I hope the Opposition will play a constructive role." Stressing the importance of debates, he added, "If the Opposition comes with a positive attitude, we can fulfil the aspirations of the people through Parliament." BJP MP Chandra Prakash Joshi also called on the Opposition to ensure smooth conduct, without disruptions, stating, "Several important issues will be discussed. It is hoped that all political parties will work together to ensure the House functions without disruption, so every representative gets the opportunity to raise constituency concerns." However, Opposition leaders have made it clear that they will not hold back from raising sensitive national issues. RJD Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Kumar Jha told IANS that the Opposition will demand an explanation for the Pahalgam terror attack and seek a broader discussion on Operation Sindoor. "What is the purpose of Parliament? It is meant to address public concerns in the Parliament. We must remember the pain of the Pahalgam terror attack before Operation Sindoor, and also consider how, after the operation, our global diplomatic standing has been affected. These issues are not about targeting any one party or political group. They are about the nation. Why did these circumstances happen? No one has an explanation," he said. "There should be open, honest discussion, not criticism, but course correction," Jha added. Earlier in the day, Congress Rajya Sabha member Pramod Tiwari also said that in the INDIA bloc meeting, held on Saturday, it was decided to raise several issues, including the Pahalgam terror attack and Bihar voter list revision. Speaking to IANS, Tiwari said, "With one voice, it was collectively decided that we must give top priority to the Pahalgam terror attack. The intelligence failure will be raised. We will also question the government's silence on this issue." "In addition, we will raise the issue of how, in Bihar, names of Dalits, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, minorities, and poor upper castes are being deleted from the voter list; we will also raise the issues of Gaza," he added. The CPI also came down heavily on the government during the all-party meet. In a statement following the all-party meet, the party said its Rajya Sabha MP P. Sandosh Kumar criticised the "grave security and intelligence failure" that led to the Pahalgam attack, which claimed the lives of several tourists. He demanded that the Prime Minister "come clean before the nation through the floor of Parliament." The CPI also raised concerns over US President Donald Trump's repeated claims of having mediated a ceasefire between India and Pakistan after Operation Sindoor -- assertions that the party said have "emboldened international interference in Kashmir," a matter it described as "purely internal." Kumar also flagged electoral roll manipulation in Bihar, particularly the alleged misuse of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, which he said has" disenfranchised" the poor. The party further demanded a probe into serious allegations of mass killings and rapes in Dharmasthala, Karnataka, urging that the case be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Meanwhile, BJP MLA Ram Kadam expressed confidence that the government will not be rattled by opposition pressure. "Over the past 11 years, the Opposition has repeatedly tried to corner our government but failed," he told IANS, adding, "Parliament is for discussion, not disruption." JD(U) leader K.C. Tyagi also struck a balanced tone, expressing hope that Parliament "functions smoothly, important bills are passed, and issues raised by the Opposition are also discussed."
The Print
18-07-2025
- The Print
A temple, mosque & week-long power cut. Land dispute in Delhi's Jai Hind camp is taking political shape
The crackdown stems from a Delhi district court order issued in May 2024, which directed BSES to remove all illegal electricity connections in the area. The court had observed that BSES had failed to inspect the premises or assess whether power was being illegally diverted. New Delhi: More than 5,000 residents of Jai Hind Camp in Delhi's Vasant Kunj have been without electricity since Tuesday last week after BSES officials, accompanied by the police, removed three power meters, two installed at a temple and the other at a mosque, that were supplying electricity to the entire settlement through questionable sub-meters. 'No effort has been made… to assess whether any electricity is being diverted from the electricity meters in question to any premises other than the premises where it is sanctioned,' the order reviewed by ThePrint noted, adding that BSES 'did not care to conduct any inspection at the premises in question'. The case involves allegations by landowners that the occupants have set up unauthorised jhuggis and obtained electricity and water connections in their own names. 'The connection was taken in the name of a mosque and a temple. They were supplying electricity to the entire camp. That violates the terms and conditions. The connection was not meant for the entire camp. It was meant only for the premises of the temple and mosque,' a senior police official said to ThePrint. ThePrint has also learnt that outstanding electricity dues—approximately Rs 4 lakh for a meter at the mosque and Rs 11 lakh for one of the meters at the temple—were a factor in the disconnection. A member of the temple committee said to ThePrint that the main electricity meter had been installed in the temple, but it was meant to serve the entire camp, adding that people paid their share based on sub-meter readings. 'When electricity couldn't be provided across the whole area, it was divided between two main meters and distributed accordingly,' the member said. Another person aware of the matter and who lives in the area asked if electricity was meant just for the temple and the mosque, why were three meters with a capacity of 40kW were installed, when the requirements of the premises were much lower? The person asked not to be named. There was no word from BSES on this matter or on whether they were aware if the sub-meters existed in the area. Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee criticised the move. 'There are over 1.5 crore migrant workers in Bengal who live with dignity. But the same cannot be said for BJP-ruled states, where Bengalis are being treated as infiltrators in their own country. Speaking Bengali does not make one a Bangladeshi. These individuals are as much citizens of India as anyone else, regardless of what language they speak.' ThePrint reached BJP MP and party spokesperson Praveen Khandelwal via calls and text. This report will be updated if and when a response is received. The matter of the disputed land was set for hearing on 18 July, 2025, which, according to sources, was one of the reasons why the electricity was cut now despite the order being more than a year old. Explaining the sequence of events, the police official added: 'BSES had sent us a letter. They had tried to disconnect it earlier too. This time, they requested a police force for assistance. We provided it so they could carry out their duties safely.' Residents said that around 3 to 4 months ago, nearly 20 BSES officials had come to disconnect the electricity, but they did not let them do so and requested them to leave. Also read: After yrs of recurring floods in Northeast, Brahmaputra Board plans digital tracking of weak embankments Disputed land The land in question is in Masoodpur Village, Vasant Kunj. The landowners, in their suit, say their names have been recorded in official government revenue records (Khatoni) from 1984-85 until 2014, and that the land was traditionally used for cultivation by them and other co-owners. In 1982, Masoodpur was declared an urban village under the Delhi Municipal Act. Although much of the village land was acquired by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) in 1980, this particular parcel was left out of the acquisition process. The ownership dispute began in 2004, when the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) transferred the land to the Gaon Sabha, citing non-agricultural use—a decision the landowners challenged in court. In 2015, the landowners discovered three electricity meters functioning within the settlement, one at a mosque and two at a temple, and filed a suit. The court found these connections to be unauthorised and used to distribute electricity across the camp through sub-meters. Electricity bills running into lakhs—Rs 3.48 lakh for the mosque, and Rs 6.52 lakh and Rs 11 lakh for the two at the temple—within a short span, were cited as evidence of large-scale, unregulated use, which the court acknowledged. The court noted the absence of any documentation proving that either religious structure existed before the installation of these meters in 2014. 'It is unlikely that a temple would consume electricity worth over Rs 3 lakh a month,' the court observed in a 2024 order. It stopped short of ordering demolitions and did, at the time, exempt three long-settled families from eviction, granting them relief until the next hearing. At the same time, the court clarified that even though unauthorised occupants may be entitled to certain essential services, that does not include illegal or unregulated electricity use. 'Kids can't sleep' As one enters the narrow lane leading to Jai Hind Camp, home to migrants primarily from West Bengal, followed by Assam, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh, proper roads are nowhere in sight. The path is dotted with rainwater puddles, flanked by heaps of garbage and discarded rags. A stagnant pool has formed at the camp's entrance after recent rains, becoming a breeding ground for mosquitoes and waterborne diseases. Most residents here work as domestic helpers, ragpickers, cab drivers, or delivery partners, barely making ends meet. Now, after more than a week without electricity, their already difficult lives have become even harder. 'We've been suffering since then. There are elderly people here, some are unwell, and some women are pregnant. It's been days of living like this, it feels like we're in hell,' said Nabi Hussain, a resident of Jai Hind Camp since 2001. His family is one of three exempted from eviction. One resident, a domestic worker from West Bengal, broke down while speaking to ThePrint. She has two children, a 14-year-old and an 8-year-old, and said life has become unbearable since the power was cut. 'There are so many mosquitoes because of the rains, and it's so hot that my children can't sleep at night,' she said. As a result, neither of them has been going to school. She leaves for work by 6 am every day. 'If I try to wake up my child that early, he begs to sleep a little longer because he hasn't rested. If I don't go to work on time, I get scolded. If I stay back to help them, I risk losing my job,' she explained, torn between earning a living and caring for her children. 'We are in deep trouble. I can't even explain how difficult it is,' she added. 'We're not asking for much, just give us our electricity back. That's all we want, so our children can go to school and we can go to work in peace.' An 8-year-old boy playing near the waterlogged ground said he hadn't been to school since the power outage began. With no electricity, his family's phone couldn't be charged, and he has been unable to complete his assignments. 'Our teacher sends homework on WhatsApp, but the phone is dead,' he said simply, before running off to join his friends. The documentation drive Residents, however, allege that the power disconnection is part of a broader pattern of discrimination. They claim they're being unfairly targeted for being Bengali and suspected of being Bangladeshi nationals—despite having submitted valid identity documents verified in their hometowns. Delhi police had launched a drive following a directive by the Lieutenant Governor's Secretariat to the Delhi Chief Secretary and Police Commissioner on 10 December last year to identify and take action against 'illegal immigrants from Bangladesh' residing in Delhi. 'In the last 6 to 7 months, we have deported 39 undocumented migrants from the Vasant Kunj area alone,' a senior police officer told ThePrint while confirming that none of them had been from the Jai Hind Camp. Multiple verification drives were conducted at the Jai Hind camp as well but nobody from there had been identified as an 'Illegal immigrant', the officer added. The officer said similar document verification drives have been carried out in other parts of the South West district—including in Rangpuri Pahari, where settlements like Sapera Camp, Gulabo Camp, Israil Camp, Shankar Camp, and Nala Camp are located. Drives have also taken place in areas such as Ruchi Vihar, and Nangal Dewat. According to information accessed by ThePrint, approximately 150 people identified as 'illegal migrants' have been deported from the South West district through the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) in Delhi. A team of six police officials was also sent to West Bengal for cross-verification. However, according to the police officer, the lack of cooperation from the local police made their task difficult. 'We are Indians,' said Sheikh Javed Ali, a resident of the Camp for the past 19 years and who works as a domestic help in a nearby farmhouse. 'Most of the people here are Bengalis from West Bengal, not from Bangladesh.' Ali said that despite repeated surveys conducted by police and the other authorities, residents have been doubted as Bangaldeshis. 'They've come here multiple times, even visited our hometowns to verify our identity,' he added. He recalled showing his birth certificate and other documents to prove his Indian citizenship. 'I've submitted everything. I'm not from Bangladesh and I'm ready to follow the law. But if I've already proven my identity, why am I still being harassed?' 'Neither the Congress, AAP, nor BJP has come this time,' said Hussain adding how, during elections, all the parties would show up, walking the same lanes and acting like they were part of the community. 'They promised us electricity connections, government meters in every home, water pipelines, even proper roads. But nothing ever happened.' he told ThePrint. Now, he added, it feels like they don't even recognise the people they once courted. 'If we're asked to leave, where will we go?' he asked. A senior police official, however, denied any link between the power cut and the ongoing drive to identify 'illegal migrants' in Delhi. 'The disconnection has nothing to do with our drive to identify illegal Bangladeshi nationals, which began last year. The power was cut in compliance with a court order,' the official told ThePrint. (Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri) Also read: Obesity care in India is evolving—no longer just diets & surgery, it's all about multi-specialty approach
India Gazette
09-07-2025
- Business
- India Gazette
"Absolutely no effect of so-called Bharat Bandh": BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal
New Delhi [India], July 9 (ANI): BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal on Wednesday said that there is no effect of the Bharat Bandh on any commercial market across the country, adding that they are functioning at their regular pace. Bharat Bandh has been called by a joint forum of 10 central trade unions, alleging that the central government is pushing 'pro-corporate' policies. The statement issued by Khandelwal said, 'There has been absolutely no effect of the so-called Bharat Bandh on any commercial market across the country. Trading markets and commercial bazaars are functioning at their regular pace, with normal business activities taking place throughout the day.' The BJP MP further said that traders across India have not supported this call and have chosen to keep their businesses open and running. 'It is evident that *traders across India have not supported this call* and have instead chosen to keep their businesses open and running. The *trading community stands united in its commitment to economic activity and national progress*, and does not endorse such disruptive shutdowns that serve no constructive purpose,' the statement added. Under the 'Bandh', sectors such as state-run public transport, government offices, public sector units, banking and insurance services, postal operations, coal mining and industrial production are likely to be affected. The trade unions have alleged that the central government is implementing reforms that weaken workers' rights. CITU General Secretary Tapan Kumar Sen said, 'On the 17-point charter of the demand, the focus was on the demand to completely scrap the labour ports enacted by the government in 2020, to destroy the country's trade union movement. This will be a very dangerous exercise, and ultimately, the government is aiming to finish the democratic structure. Against that, the trade unions have given a call for a nationwide general strike.' The participating organisations include Congress (INTUC), All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS), Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), All India United Trade Union Centre (AIUTUC), Trade Union Coordination Centre (TUCC), Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA), All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU), Labour Progressive Federation (LPF), and the United Trade Union Congress (UTUC). (ANI)
India Gazette
25-06-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
Samvidhan Hatya Divas has become waterloo for Congress: BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal hits out at Congress over 50th anniversary of Emergency
New Delhi [India], June 25 (ANI): The Bharatiya Janata Party is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Emergency as the 'Samvidhan Hatya Divas'. Hitting out at the Congress party on the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal said that the 'Samvidhan Hatya Divas' has become a 'Waterloo' for the Congress party. The BJP MP mentioned that when the people were imprisoned by the government and used to come to court, they used to sing a song, 'Hathkadiyon ki jhankar sune, jantantra ki lalkaar suno' (Hear the clinking of handcuffs, hear the roar of democracy). An emergency was imposed in India between June 25, 1975, and March 21, 1977, during the tenure of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, due to rising political unrest and judicial developments during that period. 'In 1975, when people were imprisoned and came to court, they sang only one song, hathkadiyon ki jhankar sune, jantantra ki lalkaar words still echo in my ears because I am a witness to them. 'Samvidhan Hatya Diwas' has certainly proven to be a 'Waterloo' for Congress', Praveen Khandelwal told ANI. On June 24, Union Home Minister Amit Shah greeted Sumita Arya, a survivor of the Emergency era, and presented her with a copy of the Indian Constitution during an event commemorating 50 years since the imposition of the Emergency in 1975. The event highlighted the struggles faced by those who endured the dark period in Indian democracy. Sumita Arya, who was imprisoned along with her three children and eight other family members during the Emergency, recounted the harrowing experiences of that time. 'The democracy was being murdered. She (Indira Gandhi) was doing everything as per her will... We could not speak up about the atrocities we were facing. She knew she would lose the power, so she started filling the jails. We faced a food crisis, and the quality of the available food was poor... All 11 members of my family were jailed... We had no rights...' she told ANI. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, while addressing the programme on 50 years of Emergency at Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya, said that former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi imposed the Emergency as she saw a threat to her power, and there was no external danger or internal unrest. After the Emergency was revoked from India, Indira Gandhi ended up losing the elections, wherein for the first time in the history of independent India, a non-Congress government was formed by the Jana Sangh under the leadership of Morarji Desai. (ANI)
