India News
Sonia Gandhi birthday special: From Right to Education to Right to Information know key social welfare measures under her watch as UPA boss
Under Sonia Gandhi’s stewardship, the Congress emerged as the single largest party in the 2004 General Elections. Here are key social welfare measures under her tenure as UPA boss.
Today is Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s 75th birthday. Gandhi, Congress’s longest-serving president, has experienced many highs and lows throughout her political career.
Gandhi was elected president of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) in 1998 and a Member of Parliament from the Amethi parliamentary seat in 1999. She went on to become the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha after that.
Her journey from a young grieving widow to the centre-stage of India’s politics, speaks volumes of her leadership skill in a country with which she was not familiar but became a naturalized citizen of. Her Italian origin continues to be a bugbear for her leadership.
Under her stewardship, the Congress emerged as the single largest party in the 2004 General Elections and formed the government in the Centre with a rainbow coalition also comprising of the Left parties. Gandhi has led the Congress for more than 20 years. In 2017, she resigned from the post of UPA chairperson and her son Rahul Gandhi was named party president. However, Sonia Gandhi was back in the saddle when Rahul Gandhi decided to step down following the party’s defeat in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
Key social welfare measures under Sonia Gandhi’s tenure as UPA boss:
Right to Information Act 2005 (RTI): Makes information accessible to citizens. Right to Information Act 2005 mandates timely response to citizen requests for government information.
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005 (MNREGA, now MGNREGA): MGNREGA is also known as the UPA’s signature programme. Under this act, every rural family that demands employment, within 15 days of their demand and within 5 km of where they live. And instead of a dole, MGNREGA pledges the dignity of work that would also build the rural infrastructure. Despite mocking it, the NDA government has continued with it by increasing its grants as a useful tool.
Read Also: Sonia Gandhi turns 75 today, here are some throwback pictures of longest serving Congress president
Right to Education Act 2009 (RTE): This Act provides for free and compulsory education for children aged between 6-14 years in India under Article 21 (A) of the Constitution of India. Under this, no school can deny admission to a child in the age bracket of 6-14.
National Food Security Act 2013 (RTF): When the Congress returned to power in 2009 on the basis of the government’s pro-poor policies. The UPA chairperson spelt out her priorities ‘Food for All.’ The law was passed in 2013, became the largest social security programme backed by law in the world.
Bihar news
Bihar: 2 die, 3 lose eyesight after consuming spurious liquor in Muzaffarpur
Two people died while three people lost their eyesight in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur after consuming spurious liquor, as per the police.
Two people died while three people lost their eyesight in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur after consuming spurious liquor, as per the police.
Police have received information that two people died after their health suddenly deteriorated. In the prima facie inquiry, it has been told that they both had consumed country-made liquor. We have arrested two people. Further probe underway, the Superintendent of Police Abhishek Dixit said after two people died after allegedly consuming spurious liquor in Muzaffarpur.
According to reports, one of the victims, Dharmendra Ram, has revealed that he consumed spurious alcohol after purchasing from Shiv Chandra Paswan, who generally sells adulterated and low-quality liquor, due to which he lost his eyesight.
He started losing his vision after consuming two glasses of low-quality liquor, which cost him Rs 100.
Police, based on the victim’s statement, have arrested two people. One of the arrested persons is a local resident and has been jailed in the past as well in a liquor-related case.
For interrogation, police have also detained accused Shiv Chandra Paswan’s wife and daughter.
Police confirmed that the deaths and loss of eyesight happened due to the consumption of spurious alcohol.
Earlier this year in April, a shocking case was reported from Bihar’e Motihari district where at least 5 people died after consuming illicitly made liquor while twelve others were rushed to a local hospital in critical condition.
The incident was reported from Laxmipur Village of Motihari district in Bihar. The cases of spurious liquor creating hazardous health problems and death of people in Bihar have been in focus for quite some months now. Earlier in January this year it was reported from Siwan that four people died post consuming the spurious liquor after which the Police arrested 16 people who were involved in the storage and trading of alcohol in the state.
Purchase, sale and trade of liquor stands banned in Bihar since April 2016 after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar took this move to impose a complete prohibition on the sale and consumption of alcohol in the state.
India News
Mann Ki Baat: PM Modi says India-Middle East-Europe corridor will become future basis of world trade
The India-Middle East-Europe corridor will become the basis of world trade for hundreds of years to come and history will always remember that the corridor was initiated on Indian soil, said PM Modi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his 105th episode of Mann Ki Baat said that the India-Middle East-Europe corridor will become the basis of world trade for hundreds of years to come and history will always remember that the corridor was initiated on Indian soil.
On September 24 in his monthly Mann Ki Baat, PM Modi also talked about Chandrayaan-3’s success and urged all citizens to participate in the Chandrayaan-3 Mahaquiz, a unique opportunity to learn and celebrate India’s lunar mission. Let’s embark on this cosmic adventure together, he added.
PM Modi said throughout the year, programmes related to G20 were held at numerous universities in the country. Now in this series, another exciting programme is about to take place in Delhi, which is G20 University Connect Programme, he said.
Speaking about World Tourism Day, he said two days from now, 27th September, is World Tourism Day. Some people view tourism just as a means of touring and travelling, but a very big aspect of tourism is related to employment, the Prime Minister further said.
He further talked about temples in Karnataka. PM Modi said a few days ago, that Shantiniketan and the holy Hoysala temple of Karnataka have been declared world heritage sites by UNESCO. He extended his greetings to the countrymen on this feat.
During the G20 Summit in New Delhi, US principal deputy national security advisor Jon Finer announced an unprecedented and ground-breaking infrastructure initiative involving a railway and shipping corridor that will improve trade, energy, and digital connectivity.
Speaking to reporters, Finer drew an indirect but striking comparison between China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the project, saying it will close a significant infrastructure gap and be high-standards, transparent, sustainable, non-coercive and based on the demand signal from the region instead of being an imposition.
BRI is heavily attacked for entangling nations in unmanageable debt, as well as for being opaque, forceful, and sacrificing standards.
Finer claimed that the project is consistent with the greater West Asian agenda of the Joe Biden administration.
India News
Man seeking job in Indian Army attempts to breach PM Modi’s security in Varanasi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s security was breached in Varanasi after a BJP worker jumped in front of PM Modi’s convoy asking for a job in Indian Army.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s security was breached in Varanasi. An Indian Army aspirant jumped in front of PM Modi’s convoy, asking for a job in defence. Later, he was held by the police.
After laying the foundation stone of the International Cricket Stadium on Saturday, PM Modi with CM Yogi attended the evening musical show at Rudraksh International Cooperation and Convention Centre.
From there, PM Modi was travelling to Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport, when the incident took place. A man who tried to breach the Prime Minister’s security has been identified as Krishna Kumar, who hails from Ghazipur, allegedly a BJP worker. He is the son of a senior BJP worker Bharat Kumar.
According to reports, Kumar was frustrated as he failed the medical test after clearing the physical test. Kumar tried many times in the past to get recruited into the Indian Army. He also appealed to many people for help but everything failed.
After all this, he decided to meet the Prime Minister in Varanasi regarding his job in Indian Army. Krishna Kumar was waiting for the PM’s convoy to pass at least for an hour, the moment Modi’s convoy crossed beside Kumar, he jumped carrying a file with him asking for a job in Indian Army.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 23 laid the foundation stone of the International Cricket Stadium in Varanasi’s Ganjari, Uttar Pradesh.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was present for the occasion in Varanasi.
Varanasi, PM Modi’s parliamentary constituency also witnessed big names from the cricket fraternity on the occasion. The names include Sachin Tendulkar, Kapil Dev, Ravi Shastri, Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar, Madan Lal, Gundappa Viswanath, and Gopal Sharma.
PM Modi also inaugurated 16 Atal Awasiya Vidyalaya built across Uttar Pradesh, during the programme.
The Varanasi International Cricket Stadium is a step towards realising PM Modi’s vision to develop a modern and world-class sports infrastructure.
