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Indian Express
29-05-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Viksit Bharat not defined by Indian economy's ranking; incomes have to increase 8 times: VP Jagdeep Dhankhar
Viksit Bharat or a developed India would not be defined by the rank the Indian economy holds, but an eightfold increase in incomes is required to make it a reality, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar said Thursday. Speaking to the media after paying tribute to late former prime minister Chaudhary Charan Singh on his death anniversary at his memorial, Kisan Ghat, Dhankhar said: 'Today, it is necessary that when we talk about Viksit Bharat, it does not mean the rank at which our economy is. To define Viksit Bharat and make it a ground reality, each person's income has to be increased by eight times. This will happen, but farmers will have to be farsighted'. The Vice-President added that farmers today were limited to production, but should now become involved with trades based on agriculture and animal husbandry. He said the food processing industry was dependent on agricultural production. He said farmers should work on the value addition of agricultural products. He recalled the contribution of Chaudhary Charan Singh towards farmers. The V-P's comments come just days after NITI Aayog CEO B V R Subrahmanyam said India was the fourth-largest economy in the world, with International Monetary Fund (IMF) data showing it as a $4 trillion economy, behind the United States, China, and Germany. Reacting to the V-P's statement, Congress general secretary in charge of communications and Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh said on X that Dhankhar's 'wise words on Viksit Bharat are very timely and appropriate'. 'He should be listened to seriously by those throwing out slogans and filmi dialogues thinking that theatrics is governance. Sadly, he continues to be ignored when he raises concerns of farmers – which he himself is,' Ramesh added.
Indian Express
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Pahalgam, Operation Sindoor show we have no option but to remain united: V-P Dhankhar
Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar Tuesday said Pahalgam and Operation Sindoor had shown 'we have no other option but to remain united and grow stronger'. He also called for political consensus regarding national security and economic progress. The V-P told the Rajya Sabha interns: 'On issues of national security and economic progress, all factions need to put national interest over partisan priorities. I will appeal to everyone in the political spectrum to seriously reflect and come to a conclusion that on issues of national security… growth… our internal security, there must be consensus.' Referring to the Pahalgam terror attack and India's strike on terror sites in Pakistan and PoK in response, the V-P said there was an 'upsurge in nationalism'. 'The recent episode, Operation Sindoor, has changed our mindset massively. We are now nationalistic as never before. This is reflected in participation of all political delegations that have gone abroad to project our message of peace and our complete intolerance to terrorism… We have no other option but to remain united and grow stronger,' he said. 'Targeting only the terrorists because our civilisational essence is 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' (world is one). Therefore India's strategy has been to target only terrorists and not civilians,' he V-P said 'indigenous strength' was needed for national security. 'Peace is secured when you are ever-ready for war.' Earlier in the day, the V-P announced the nomination of Dr M L Raja, an ophthalmologist and historian from Tamil Nadu, as the Rajya Sabha's Dr S Radhakrishnan Chair for 2025-2026.
The Hindu
19-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Pope meets Vance ahead of Ukraine ceasefire push
Pope Leo XIV received U.S. Vice-President J.D. Vance and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Vatican on Monday (May 19, 2025), ahead of a U.S.-led push to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The Vatican released photographs of Mr. Vance and Mr. Rubio smiling as they met with the Chicago-born pontiff, who was elected as head of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics on May 8 — the first pope from the United States. The pair were among the 200,000 dignitaries, royals and faithful who had gathered on Sunday (May 18, 2025) to mark the official start of Pope Leo's papacy at an inauguration mass in St. Peter's Square. Pope Leo, 69, has made peace the key word of his papacy so far and was expected to talk to Mr. Vance and Mr. Rubio about the U.S. administration's role in pushing for an end to the Russia-Ukraine conflict in particular. Mr. Vance handed Pope Leo an invitation from U.S. President Donald Trump to visit the White House, his spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told reporters in Washington, adding that Mr. Trump hoped the visit would happen as soon as possible. Mr. Trump will hold a phone call with Russia's Vladimir Putin later on Monday (May 19, 2025) as part of his efforts to end the war set off by Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Mr. Vance also met on Monday (May 19, 2025) with the Holy See's Secretary for Relations with States, Paul Richard Gallagher, for 'cordial talks' during which they expressed 'satisfaction at the good bilateral relations', the Vatican said. There was also 'an exchange of views on some current international issues, calling for respect for humanitarian law and international law in areas of conflict and for a negotiated solution between the parties involved', it said. There was a flurry of diplomatic meetings on the sidelines of Pope Leo's inauguration, with world dignitaries discussing both Israel's offensive in Gaza and the Ukraine conflict. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was present at the inauguration mass, met with Pope Leo for his first private audience on Sunday (May 18, 2025). He also sat down with Mr. Vance and Mr. Rubio to discuss 'their shared goal of ending the bloodshed in Ukraine,' according to the Vice-President's office. 'Every effort' Pope Leo offered last week to mediate between leaders of countries at war, saying that he himself 'will make every effort so that this peace may prevail'. And the pope's number two, Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, said on Friday (May 16, 2025) Pope Leo 'may offer the Vatican for a direct meeting between the two parties', according to media reports. Mr. Vance's audience with Pope Leo lasted 45 minutes, the V-P's spokesperson said. Before becoming pope, he reposted on his personal X account criticism of U.S. President Donald Trump's administration over its approach to migration and also pilloried Mr. Vance. But Mr. Vance insisted on Sunday (May 18, 2025) that the United States was 'very proud of him', adding that 'our prayers go with him as he starts this very important work'. Mr. Vance converted to Catholicism in 2019, and Mr. Rubio is also a Catholic. Mr. Vance and Gallagher also discussed 'collaboration between Church and State... as well as some matters of special relevance to ecclesial life and religious freedom,' the Vatican said. Pope Leo, who was elected following the death of his predecessor Pope Francis last month, is tasked with tackling a series of pressing challenges facing the Catholic Church. These include a bitter divide between supporters of Francis's reforms and conservative opponents, particularly in the United States, as well as increasingly empty pews in the West.
New Indian Express
26-04-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Governor Ravi vindicating constitutional oath by holding V-C conference: V-P Jagdeep Dhankhar
NILGIRIS: Vice-President (V-P) Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday lauded Governor RN Ravi, who has been in the line of fire from all corners for organising the V-Cs conference. Dhankhar commended Ravi for 'this thoughtful initiative' and said he has acted in accordance with the Constitution. He was speaking at the inaugural session of the two-day vice-chancellors conference of state, central, and private universities of Tamil Nadu at the Raj Bhavan, Udhagamandalam. 'The governor is doing this conference because it is his constitutional ordainment. He has taken oath under the Constitution (Article 159). The oath is to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution and the law. By organising such events, which are extremely relevant to the field of education, Governor Ravi is vindicating his oath. I must commend him for this very thoughtful initiative taken by him in 2022 to have conference of vice-chancellors,' Dhankar said. He said Pahalgam terror attack was a grim reminder that terrorism is a global menace that needs to be addressed by humanity in unison. Dhankhar also appealed to the people to rise above political, personal and other interests to prioritise national interest. Bharat, he said, was the world's most peace loving nation and her civilisation ethos reflected in 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' (the doctrine that sees the world as a family) was getting global resonance. Ravi, and V-Cs joined the V-P in observing a minute's silence in memory of those killed in the in J&K on April 22. 'The visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was our greatest assurance that a nation's rise cannot be handicapped by any situation, internal or external. But we all have to bear in mind that national interest is supreme,' he said. Dhankhar stressed the need to always keep national interest, which cannot be intertwined with partisan interest, uppermost. 'It cannot be subservient to other interests, political, personal or for a group. It was with this spirit that we observed silence,' he said. Speaking about the changing academic landscape, he said, 'Today, not only Bharat but the entire world is faced with formidable challenges, rapid technological disruption. Every facet of life is being affected and it is therefore in the lap of universities, ably led on the front foot by V-Cs, to act as the stewards of India's academic landscape. One challenge which the V-Cs must be facing is faculty availability, faculty retention, and sometimes faculty addition. I would appeal to all of you to engage in sharing with one another. Use technology, don't be an island in yourselves. It is not a time to be standalone because this challenge has to be fixed. We have no time.' About National Education Policy (NEP), he said the most significant aspect of NEP is that it allows students to learn in their mother tongue.
