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Limits Pushed, Infinities Explored at SIBM Bengaluru!

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Bengaluru: Revelation 2018 – The Flagship Event of Symbiosis Institute of Business Management ended after three days of magnificence on 21st January 2018. This year, the fest came with the theme of Aether Infinium to convey the message of defining one’s limitless zenith. The 3-day event, which took place from 19th to 21st of January, 2018 had Management, Cultural and Sports festivities celebrated by approximately 1172 participants from around 160 colleges across the length and breadth of the country.

The fest had a total of 17 events, of which Infernum – The Data Analytics Competition was a new addition to the fest this year. There was a mix of indoor and outdoor events which were conducted on SIBM Bengaluru’s campus as well as across Electronic City and Koramangala.

The first day of the event began with Pratishthan – The Business Plan Challenge of the fest. The event was judged by Kritika Murugesan – Director, 10,000 Start-ups, NASSCOM and AkshaySasikumar, Business Head at Greenpool Carpooling.

This was followed by Symposio– The International Student Research Conference of Revelation 2018, with the theme “Innovation and Excellence”. The event went International this time with students from leading international colleges like San Jose State University, California, United States and IESEG School of Business and Management, Lille, Paris presenting their papers at the conference.

Concours – The Business Quiz saw epic battles among 8 participant teamsin which the contestants tested their grey matter while they tried to answer the questions of the Quizmaster MukunthRaghavan.

After the brain wrenching events, the dancing shoes took to enthralling the audience in Razzmatazz – The Dance Competition which witnessed performances intraditional dance forms, hip-hop, salsa, and freestyle among many.

The carnival progressed with mesmerising voices taking the centre stage in Rhapsody – The Singing Competition of the event in the form of solo and duet performances.

The first day of Olympiada – The Sports Event of Revelation 2018 witnessed nothing but passion for sports, enthusiastic participation and above all, sportsmanship in its truest form. The day began with the participants sweating it out on the badminton court at Shuttler, the badminton competition. The healthy competition continued for Slam Jam, where the teams scored one smashing basket after another, proving that the only statistic that mattered was the final score. The football skills of the participants were put to test by Footie on the second day of the event.

Inexspectatus – The Informal Event of Revelation 2018 happened in full swing as the participants ran, bargained and found their way to the treasure. Their enthusiasm transcended the boundaries of SIBM Bengaluru as they raced around the city, all the way to Koramangala to reach their final destination.

En Vogue – The Fashion Show, judged by Ms.Paromita Das, Owner, Urban Purple Fashion Studio, and Ms. EimanGani, a celebrity make-up artist showcased the true definition of fashion – more than just pretty dresses, a mix of elegance, poise and the right attitude. The ramp was lit up by teams from various colleges, in which the team from Bishop Cotton College, Bengaluru took the crown.

After the Cultural Events, it was time for the Model United Nations, a UNIC (United Nations Information Centre) certified event in which students from several schools and colleges debated, deliberated and decided solutions to several world issues.

The Management Events which took place on the second day of Revelation 2018 wereMarkurious(Marketing), Finascere(Finance), Opsathena(Operations), and The Prime Cohort (Human Resources). While the specialisation events put the domain-specific knowledge of the participants to test, Colossal Clash – The Best Manager Event looked for the all-rounder with nerves of steel to excel under pressure.

The third day of Revelation saw a unique event called Wargasm that brought together the participants from all the specialisation events and the finalists from Colossal Clash.

The amazement just ceased to wane on the third day as Euphony – The Battle of The Bands saw 16 bandsfrom Bengaluru and elsewhere enthralling the audience with melodies spread across different genres of music.

After all the rigorous and straining events, it was time to unwind with the DJ Night. DJ Johnson Patrick dropped all the right beats as the audience took to dancing to his tunes.

“Revelation, each year, keeps getting better. Ihave been a part of the Revelation organising team for the past two years and I can vouch for the fact that organising an event as grand as this is a big learning experience.”,Eshani Shah, the head of the organising team, said as she recalled her experiences at Revelation.

The 2018 event surpassed all expectations that the event last year left us with. With intense competition, a healthy competitive spirit and a chance to prove one’s true mettle, the event ended on the note that the theme for this year –AetherInfinium had come to convey – that of proving the eternality of one’s zenith.

 

Date19th – 21stJanuary, 2018.
Time: 8:30 A.M. to 6:00 P.M.
Venue: Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (SIBM) Bengaluru

#95/1, #95/2, Electronic City Phase-1, Hosur Road, Bengaluru 560100

Website:http://revelation.sibmbengaluru.edu.in/

MEP’s Dr. Nowhera Shaik campaigns for upcoming elections in Chikkaballapur

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Newly launched All India Mahila Empowerment Party’s (MEP), leader Dr. Nowhera Shaik kickstarted her party’s drive for the Assembly elections from Chikkaballapur district, challenging the political bigwigs on her campaign.

Addressing to a Public meeting, Dr. Shaik said:

  1. Mahila empowerment is founded on the main principle of JUSTICE FOR HUMANITY, the party works to build such a nation where all the people works for respecting Humanity, irrespective of Religion, caste, creed, culture, region, we are humans, we shall work for the better life of every human.
  2. Mahila empowerment party focus on all the issues irrespective of sects and cults, its main objective is to CHANGE THE NATION WITH A NEW DIMENSIONS.
  3. Mahila empowerment party aims to bring back the cultural heritage, historicallegacy of this great BHARAT.
  4. Mahila empowerment party contesting for all the 224 seats of Karnataka State legislative Assembly.
  5. Many faces who have been in the service of society for decades, who are dreaming to change INDIA, who are dreaming to make INDIA where the people live with harmony are joining their hands together with MEP.
  6. Mahila empowerment party wish to bring a new face to Karnataka with its own vision.
  7. Karnataka even in 5th place in the country but all the places in Karnataka state are not in the development path, except few places in Karnataka majority places are still facing many problems.
  8. Karnataka state facing regional disparity, many regions in Karnataka are away from the development since the formation of the state.
  9. MEP focus on the special provisions to bring the development in all regions of Karnataka.
  10. MEP focus on Better Employment for all the Youth, Better living standards for unorganised sectors, better irrigation methods, the best medical facilities to all the rural poor, better power supply, better transportation, better infrastructure with a new project of CONNECT KARNATAKA- CONNECT INDIA, better safety methods for all the working women, better law and order, speedy legal actions against the accuses, special courts for women cases, special women police in all the Taluk Levels….. MEP works to full the dreams of KARNATAKA people.
  11. CHIKKABALLAPURA called Panchagir the people of chikkaballapura facing many problems.
  12. Chikkaballapura is a rain-fed area where only 11% area is sown with the present irrigation facilities.
  13. Majority of chikkaballapura farmers have meagre land holdings that are facing water scarcity…. MEP initiates a special project to bring major portion of land under water available zone.
  14. Interest free loans for all the farmers who are engaged in Floriculture, Horticulture, further provide modern scientic farming methods.
  15. Farmers are provided self marketing systems at each Taluk Head quarters, where farmers can directly sell their products.
  16. Minimum supportive price for all crops will be enhanced to meet the needs of the farmer.
  17. Special encouragement will be given to Animal Husbandry to increase the Dairy Produts.
  18. One more major problem the Chikkaballapura villagers especially facing is power cut, many Villages in Chikkaballapura have no electrication even today…. MEP will launch special programmes of Alternative Energy generation schemes to provide electrication to all the people in Chikkaballapura District. 100% electrication in the entire District by the end of 2020.
  19. Industrialist facing severe power cut problem….. Which brings huge losses to their productivity….? MEP promises to provide power cut free for the industrialists in Chikkaballapura District.
  20. Industrialists will be encouraged with special awards who established alternate power generation units in their industrial units.
  21. Un-organised workmen are more…. better legislation will be initiated to bring the better living standards of un-organised workmen. 
  22. Out of 49% of women in the District, majority are working as the agricultural labourers, where perfect wage system not available, MEP will launch a special project to give equal wages to women labourers in the agricultural sectors. 
  23. Encourage Women groups towards manufacturing of Alternate energy generation 
  24. units, Women Groups encourage towards social forestry to utilise the products of the social forestry.
  25. MEP focus on the better living standards and effective production standards of the people of Chikkaballapura who mainly linked with Dairy farming, Sericulture, Floriculture.
  26. MEP provides INTEREST FREE LOANS to all the above farming sectors, provide better marketing provisions to their produce, open markets will be launched where the farmer can directly sell their produce.
  27. MEP focus on alternative power generation systems linking with all farming zones to free from the power cut issues.
  28. MEP invites MULTI NATIONAL COMPANIES in the District, to improve the employment and living standards of the people of Chikkaballapura.
  29. MEP guarantees local reservations for the Chikkaballapura District people in the employment at Industrial City.
  30. MEP aims to establish women police station in each police circle in Chikkaballapura district to reduce the crime against women.
  31. MEP will implement better plans for Youth employment generation.
  32. MEP will provide FREE EDUCATION FROM LKG TO PG.
  33. MEP will launch MODEL Schools in the place of all existing government schools to bring the international standards in the education.
  34. MEP will establish SUPER SPECIALITY HOSPITALS in Chikkaballapura District with a view to avail the super speciality medical facilities to all the people under BPL
  35. Chikkaballapura District has LOKSABHA constituencies and 6 Legislative
  36. Assembly seats….. MEP going to contest in all the 6 Legislative Assembly seats in the upcoming Assembly Elections 2018 to bring the new dimensions to the state of KARNATAKA.
  37. MEP experiencing a fabulous love and affection from the people of all communities across the Karnataka……. People of Karnataka wants a big change in their lives by encouraging and Blessing MEP with their valuable vote in the Upcoming Assembly elections…… I appeal the people of Chikkaballapura to extend their big support by voting maximum to DIAMOND.

‘We kill Muslims’: Far-right Greek group threatens Muslim NGOs

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A migrant holds a sign decrying neo-Nazis in the Greek capital [Alkis Konstantinidis/Reuters]

by Al Jazeera

A neo-Nazi organisation has threatened the Muslim Association of Greece and pro-migrant organisations, amid an uptick in anti-immigrant violence in the Greek capital.

On Thursday, the organisation said it had received a menacing phone call from Crypteia, a far-right group that attacked the home of an Afghan child last year.

“We are the group that kills, burns, hits and tortures immigrants, mainly Muslims,” the caller said, according to Anna Stamou of the Muslim Association of Greece.

The caller contacted the organisation from a blocked number and identified himself as part of Crypteia.

He boasted of the group’s attack on the home of an 11-year-old Afghan refugee, identified only as Emir in Greek media, in November.

Then, masked men had attacked the boy’s home after he gained national attention for being prevented from carrying a Greek flag during a school parade. They threw beer bottles and stones at the home, shattering the windows, and left a note reading: “Go back to your village. Leave.”

“We reported [Thursday’s phone call] to officials here, then late at night we discovered that many organisations had the same threat,” Stamou told Al Jazeera, explaining that the Greek Forum for Migrants and others received similar phone calls.

Other civil society groups, which requested anonymity, confirmed that they were among those threatened.

“We are not intimidated as groups, Muslims or anti-fascists. The whole society is being targeted by these actions,” Stamou added. “We don’t accept threats.”

Crypteia’s name is an apparent reference to a group of ancient Spartans who were notorious for attacking slaves. The vigilante outfit is believed to have stemmed from the neo-fascist Golden Dawn party, which has 16 seats in the Greek parliament.

Greek police were not immediately available for comment.

There are around 200,000 Muslims in Athens, according to the Muslim Association of Greece, a civil society group advocating for indigenous Muslims, Greek converts, refugees, migrants and others.

In 2010, the Pew Research Center said there were 500,000 Muslims in the country, but this number has increased with refugees and migrants, most of whom come from Muslim-majority countries.

Tina Stavrinaki, legal officer at the Racist Violence Recording Network, said it was clear that “Muslims are the target”.

“They said the same thing [to all the groups threatened],” she told Al Jazeera.

“They said they take responsibility for attacks against migrants almost everywhere.”

Rising hate crimes
Racist violence is rising in Greece, targeting migrant labourers in neighbourhoods in Piraeus, a port city near Athens.

Between December 25 and January 5, the anti-racist activist group Keerfa recorded attacks on the homes of more than 30 migrant labourers, mostly Pakistanis, in Renti and Nikaia, two neighbourhoods in Piraeus.

While 48 hate crimes motivated by race, skin colour or national origin took place in Greece in 2016, 47 incidents were recorded during the first six months of last year alone, according to police statistics provided to Al Jazeera.

Although Golden Dawn has a long history of attacks on immigrants and political opponents, it has scaled back its violence in recent years.

That decline has coincided with the Golden Dawn’s ongoing trial, which saw 69 of its members arrested and charged with running a criminal organisation after one of the party’s members murdered anti-fascist rapper Pavlos Fyssas in September 2013.

Most of those threatened by Crypteia are witnesses in the Golden Dawn trial, Stamou said.

“This is a hate crime,” she said.

The Muslim Association of Greece has had pigs’ heads thrown at its office entrance in recent years and been mailed threatening letters.

“We will chop you up like chickens,” one of the notes read.

“This is their routine,” Stamou said. “We are not surprised.”

Refugees found frozen in Lebanon near Syria border

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The Lebanese army said it is continuing to search for other displaced people trapped in the snow [Jamal Saidi/Reuters]

by Al Jazeera

The bodies of nine Syrian refugees who crossed into Lebanon were found frozen in a mountainous area near the border with Syria, according to the Lebanese army.

The military said in a statement that the bodies were discovered on a people-smuggling route in the early hours of Friday after a snowstorm hit the Masnaa area, where Lebanon’s largest official border crossing with Syria is located.

“The army saved six other displaced Syrians, one of whom died later in a hospital from frostbite,” the statement added, raising the death toll to 10.

“The bodies were taken to the hospitals in the area, and the army continues to search for other displaced people trapped in the snow, in order to evacuate them and provide medical treatment for them.”

The identities of the Syrian refugees were not immediately known. According to some reports, at least one child was found among the bodies.

Two other Syrian nationals were arrested and charged with people-smuggling, the army added.

‘We are deprived of everything’
Temperatures dropped on Friday as winter storms battered the Lebanon-Syria border, making the lives of the more than 357,000 Syrian refugees living in makeshift tents in the Bekaa Valley, some 60km north of Masnaa, even more difficult.

Reporting from the region, Al Jazeera’s correspondent Zeina Khodr said that Syrian refugees “face many challenges during the winter months”.

“They live in tents that are made out of plastic sheeting, which does little to protect them from the cold and the rain,” she said.

Hammadi Chelbi, a Syrian refugee who has been living in Bekaa Valley after he fled the Syrian conflict in its first year, told Al Jazeera that he and his family are living in misery.

“We have nothing but pain, sickness and suffering,” he said. “We are deprived of everything.”

There are one million registered Syrian refugees in Lebanon, although government officials estimate that the number is closer to 1.5 million.

The UN’s refugee agency (UNHCR) says it is not getting the money it needs to help Syrian refugees in Lebanon through another harsh winter.

Last year, it requested $228m but received less than 60 percent of that, prompting it to warn that life in the camps was getting worse.

Rahul Gandhi to lead from front in Karnataka polls: Dinesh Gundu Rao

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Hyderabad: Rahul Gandhi would lead from the front for the Congress in poll-bound Karnataka, launching the campaign with a three-day tour from February 10, a key state party leader said today.

Working President of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, Dinesh Gundu Rao, also indicated that party MLAs facing anti-incumbency in their constituencies, may not get tickets in polls, due in May.

He added that joining hands with the JD(S) in case Congress fails to get majority is not being looked at as an option as his party is confident of coming to power on its own, and also that the H D Deve Gowda-led outfit is “not dependable”.

Speaking to PTI here, Gundu Rao said Gandhi is going to be a “very key” campaigner for the Congress in the state where, he noted, it also has “very powerful” state leaders like Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, M Mallikarjuna Kharge, G Parameshwara and D K Shivakumar.

“At the same time, I think Rahulji is getting resonance amongst people, and he is leading the campaign for us,” Gundu Rao, who was here to attend an event, said.

The Congress president is starting his campaign with a three-day tour of the state from February 10. He might visit again later next month and also in March.

“In the run-up to the elections, he will be spending lot more time, and he is definitely going to lead from the front for us”, he said.

“We have started our campaign from KPCC and the chief minister has also toured the state”, he said.

“Gandhi would be intensively campaigning and you can say more or less launch of the campaign for the Congress (with his February tour),” the Congress leader added.

He claimed there is no anti-incumbency on the government because out of 165 promises made in the election manifesto, it has implemented 155-156. In fact, Gundu Rao said the Congress is seeing pro-incumbency wave creeping in, adding, it would win more number of seats than the last time.

Gundu Rao, however, said that some Congress MLAs might have “built-up” anti-incumbency in their constituencies.

“That’s what we need to look out for. If they have not done well, we have to change then, that’s going to be the key thing,” he said.

Congress MLAs facing anti-incumbency will be “definitely changed”, as the party’s aim is to field “best available candidates”, he said.

On whether the Congress would look for an understanding with JD(S) in case it falls short on numbers in post-poll scenario, he said, “There is no question of us wanting an alliance because we are clearly in the race to get absolute majority.”

“But post-poll…what happens…who knows? I can’t predict right now. JD(S) is not dependable. They have been with BJP, they have formed government with us, they are not people who can be trusted because they don’t have ideology, don’t have fixed agenda, they can play anything; they are not dependable at all. So, I will not look at that option,” he added.

(PTI)

Pregnant woman gang-raped in Uttar Pradesh

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Badaun: A 32-year-old pregnant woman was allegedly raped by some unidentified men here when she had gone to relieve herself in the field in Kachula village, police said today.

The incident took place yesterday early at 5.00 am. The accused had allegedly tied her hands and feet and also stuffed a cloth in her mouth, Senior superintendent of police Chandraprakash said.

The SSP said that when the woman did not return home after a long time, her family members started searching for her.

Later, they found her from a nearby forest in an unconscious state, following which the family members informed the police and the woman was then admitted to a hospital, he said.

The woman was sent to Bareilly for treatment and her medical examination will also be conducted, the SSP said.

Her statement would be recorded today, he said, adding that the police have launched a search operation for the accused.

(PTI)

Reopening of Loya case inconvenient for BJP

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By Amulya Ganguli

The case relating to the death of B.H. Loya, the judge who was investigating an alleged extra-judicial killing in Gujarat in which Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah was implicated, is the second legal hurdle which the party is facing.

It crossed the first one with relative ease, but it remains to be seen whether the party will be able to do so this time. The first hurdle was posed by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) inquiry into the incidents of mob violence during the Gujarat riots of 2002.

The SIT, headed by a former Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) director, R.K. Raghavan, and acting under the Supreme Court’s supervision, exonerated Narendra Modi, who was the state’s Chief Minister at the time of the outbreak.

However, a Vadodara resident, Prof. J.S. Bandukwala, a Muslim human rights activist, who was nearly killed in the riots, expressed doubts about the fairness of the acquittal while the court’s amicus curiae, Raju Ramachandran, said that several “offences” could have been made out against Modi. Raghavan has recently been appointed High Commissioner to Cyprus.

In the latest case, too, Loya’s successor as a CBI judge exonerated Amit Shah. But the case hasn’t been closed like the earlier one because of the doubts that have been expressed about the factors that may have been responsible for the judge’s death of a heart attack. One of the factors is said to be the considerable stress which the judge was experiencing while handling the high-profile lawsuit.

It is not surprising, therefore, that Judge Loya’s death was one of the reasons behind the decision of four senior Supreme Court judges to go public with their various complaints against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, including one about the allocation of this particular litigation to a “junior” judge.

Dismayed over the imputation, the judge in question has now requested the Chief Justice to let another judge handle the case. But whoever hears it from now on, it will not only be a long-drawn process but also carried out in the full glare of publicity because of the huge public and media interest that has been aroused about it.

Judge Loya’s death had remained mostly in the background till a reference was made to it by one of the four dissenting judges and a report in a magazine a few days ago quoted one of the late judge’s relatives to suggest foul play in his sudden death at the relatively early age of 48. There was also talk about an offer of Rs 100 crore to him.

None of this is likely to be relished by the BJP. The reason is that, for one, the focus will continue to be relentlessly on its president, reputedly the second-most powerful man in the country, and, for another, at least two deaths will be closely scrutinised, especially by the prosecuting lawyers — those of Judge Loya in 2014 and of Sohrabuddin Sheikh, who died in the fake shootout nine years earlier. His wife and a companion also died unnatural deaths.

In the case about the latter’s death, Amit Shah was also an accused but was given a clean chit by then Supreme Court Chief Justice P. Sathasivam, who is now the Governor of Kerala.

Clearly, it is a messy situation which will be grist to the mills of both the media and of the BJP’s political opponents if only because, suddenly, out of the blue, the conditions in Gujarat in the aftermath of the riots will once again come into the limelight along with questions about the kind of pressure which Justice Loya may have faced since the staged shootouts, though not uncommon in India, are not a natural event.

For the BJP, the reopening of the case hasn’t come at a convenient time. The party is facing a series of elections during the year, including in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, where the anti-incumbency factor is likely to undermine its prospects. Having narrowly escaped defeat in Gujarat, the party will be nervous about the possibility of suffering further setbacks in the three states.

As is known, the party is heavily dependent on the Prime Minister to draw the crowds and on the party President to keep the organisational machine well oiled. If the latter’s reputation comes under a cloud, his clout is bound to be diminished.

That the Congress saw the opportunity to use the situation to gain political mileage was evident from Rahul Gandhi’s call for a high-level probe into Judge Loya’s death within hours of the press conference by the four judges.

While the BJP’s awareness of the damaging potential for the party of the developing situation has made it generally moderate its responses, the party’s myriad trolls have shown no such restraint, describing the dissenting judges as the “Gang of Four” and demanding their impeachment.

Surprisingly, a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) functionary has echoed the Hindutva netizens by describing what the judges did as a political conspiracy while the BJP’s uneasy ally, the Shiv Sena, has taken the opposite view by saying that the ruling party at the Centre wants the judiciary to be deaf and dumb. The scene could not be murkier.

(IANS)

Police bar people from wearing black at Amit Shah’s Varanasi rally

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Varanasi: People wearing black clothes were not allowed to attend a public rally here to be addressed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

According to a police officer, the move was to prevent any protests from “troublesome elements”.

The police, however, did not explain why even media persons were also stopped from entering the premises.

Shah and Adityanath are in Varanasi to attend an event named ‘Yuva Udghosh’ which is an attempt by the party to connect with 17,000 first time voters.

Angry youngsters said they found the move objectionable as they were humiliated and barred from attending the event.

Over thirty students have also been detained and barred from attending the event, an official confirmed.

State BJP chief Mahendra Nath Pandey and State Organisational Secretary Sunil Bansal are also attending the high-profile event.

Heavy security arrangements have been made at the venue of the event as Congress workers are learnt to be preparing for a massive protest against the BJP leaders, accusing them of letting down the people of Varanasi.

Anti-BJP pamphlets were distributed by Congress workers on the Sigra square on Friday evening.

The pamphlet holds Shah responsible for Justice Loya’s death and also referred to him as a ‘tadipaar’ (Barred from entering the city).

Owing to the apprehensions of protests, massive security arrangements have already been made and 12 Assistant Superintendent rank officials, 35 Deputy Superintendents, seven SHO’s, 350 Sub Inspectors, 2,128 constables and nine companies of Provincial Armed Constabulary have been deployed for the event.

(IANS)

Modi pitches for simultaneous parliament, assembly polls

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New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday made a strong pitch for simultaneous parliament and assembly polls, as he slammed caste politics and decried the abundance of allegations in place of constructive criticism of his economic policy.

In a wide-ranging hour-long interview with Zee News television, PM Modi said the polls should be like festivals such as Holi — you throw colour and even mud on that day and forget about it until the next time.

Instead, “from logistical view, the country always seems to be in an election mode now,” he said. “One election finishes, the second starts.”

Having simultaneous parliament, assembly, civic and panchayat polls, once every five years and completed within a month or so, will save money, resources and manpower, given that a large section of security forces, bureaucracy and political machinery seems to be devoted for 100, 150 to 200 days every year on electioneering, he said.

“If the elections are held together the country will be free from such a big burden,” he said, adding “Otherwise we are spending so much resources, money.”

After the 2014 general election, which brought Narendra Modi to power, the country has witnessed a spate of assembly elections including in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh last year. Several more states will go to polls this year, before the next Parliament elections in 2019.

Asked if he will be able to achieve his goal of simultaneous elections, PM Modi said: “It is not one party’s, one person’s agenda; for the country’s benefit everyone should work together. Let there be a debate on it.”

PM Modi also spoke about the dangers of caste politics, saying it has been India’s misfortune to be afflicted with this phenomenon.

PM Modi was also asked about the criticism he faced when GDP growth came down.

He replied that “one should never feel bad about criticism. That’s the strength of democracy. Everything should be analysed. The good work should be praised and shortcomings should be criticised.”

“But sometimes criticism is almost non-existent and allegations are more. Still, it is good that the nation is discussing GDP, agricultural growth, industrial growth and (stock) market,” he said.

On expectations of a populist budget on Feb. 1, PM Modi said: “Whether there is budget or not, election or not, first budget or last budget, Modi has one mantra, BJP has one mantra ‘vikas, vikas, vikas: sabka saath sabka vikas.'”

“Whatever is needed for that we have been doing and we will continue to do it,” he said.

PM Modi also praised his government’s work, saying GST and demonetisation are not its only achievements. There are many others like financial inclusion, toilet construction and electrification that can be talked about for days together.

“If you consider only these two things (GST and demonetisation) as my government’s work, it will be a big injustice to me,” he said.

He listed bringing unbanked people into the banking network, construction of toilets in over four lakh schools, cooking gas connections to three crore families, electrification of left-out villages, ramping up of urea supply, low-cost insurance for poor, LED bulbs to save power bills and environment as the other areas his government has focused on.

“I am only talking about work done on the economic front. I can list so many things that Zee News will have to run my interview for the entire week,” PM Modi said.

To a question on job creation, he said just in the formal economy, 70 lakh people have enrolled in the provident fund scheme and 10 crore people have taken loans under the collateral-free Mudra Yojana, while a large number of jobs are also being created elsewhere.

Asked about whether he is confident of winning the 2019 elections, he said “I don’t waste time thinking about elections. I have to worry about 125 crore people.”

(PTI)

Pak raises Jadhav’s case in UNSC debate on Afghanistan

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United Nations: Pakistan raked up the issue of Indian death-row prisoner Kulbhushan Jadhav in the UN Security Council after it was accused by India, the US and Afghanistan, for providing safe havens to terrorists.

Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN Maleeha Lodhi was responding to Indian Ambassador to the UN Syed Akbaruddin who said Pakistan needs to change its “mindset” of differentiating between good and bad terrorists.

India urged the UN Security Council to focus on challenges posed by terrorism emanating from the safe havens from across the border.

In response to India, Lodhi said raked up the case of Jadhav, who was captured in March last year and sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court for alleged spying, an accusation that India has dismissed as concocted.

“Those who talk of changing mindset need to look within, at their own record of subversion against my country as our capture of an Indian spy has proven beyond doubt,” Lodhi told the members of the UN Security Council, without naming Jadhav.

Earlier, the US told the UN Security Council that the status quo regarding continues terrorist safe havens in Pakistan is not acceptable.

The US has said that the status quo regarding continued terror safe havens in Pakistan is not acceptable and insisted that Islamabad join its efforts to bring a resolution to the conflict.

“We seek to work cohesively and effectively with Pakistan, but cannot be successful if the status quo, one where terrorist organisations are given sanctuary inside the countrys borders, is allowed to continue,” US Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan told the ministerial meeting.

And the Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Khalil Karzai reiterated the presence of terrorist safe haven across the border.

But Lodhi continued to be in denial.

“Indeed, with its safe havens inside the country and income from the narcotics trade, the insurgency does not really need any outside assistance or support centers to sustain its efforts,” Lodhi said during a ministerial debate on Afghanistan.

“Afghanistan and its partners, especially the United States therefore need to address these challenges inside Afghanistan rather than shifts the onus for ending the conflict on to others,” Lodhi said.

Afghanistan needed to address the challenges inside the country rather than shifting the onus for ending the conflict to others, she alleged.

“Those who imagine sanctuaries outside really need a reality check,” she said

But there were no takers for Lodhi’s claims that there are no terrorist safe havens inside Pakistan.

None of the more than two dozen speakers came out in support of the Pakistani argument in this regard.

(PTI)

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