"This is the third year in a row that India makes to top 10 in Doing Business, which is a success which very few countries have done over the 20 years of the project, Without exception, the other countries that have done this are very small, population-wise, and homogeneous," Simeon Djankov, Director of Development Economics at the World bank told PTI in an interview.
Mobile broadband subscriptions have grown more than 20 per cent annually in the last five years and are expected to reach 4.3 billion globally by the end of 2017.
Opponents of the CAA and NRC have gone to town accusing the BJP of an ulterior motive (read, disenfranchisement of Muslims) in implementing the NRC. By the same token it can be alleged that anti-CAA opponents have a nefarious agenda in mind that would be scuttled by the implementation of the NRC: Namely the accrual of dedicated vote banks and the restoration of Muslim hegemony over at least parts of India, especially Bengal and Assam, argues Vivek Gumaste.
There are constituencies in the remote, far-flung corners of certain parts of Gujarat with only a handful of registered voters. Why, there is just one voter, who lives amid the lions and leopards in the Gir forest. But the Election Commission of India ensures that every eligible citizen gets to participate in the country's five-yearly democratic rite.
As per official data released on Friday, the national capital witnessed a whopping 200 per cent increase in crime in the last two years and Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi attributed the spurt to police registering all the complaints unlike in previous years.
During his 37 year rule, the nation's lush fields became wastelands, disease and hunger became rampant and the economy registered a negative growth of six per cent.
Entrepreneurship, education and training will be provided in 2,200 colleges, 300 schools, 500 government ITIs and 50 vocational training centres through massive open online courses.
In 2012, with one million deaths, China reported the highest toll from PM2.5 and PM10 pollution. At the time, India followed, reporting 621,138 deaths, nearly 10 per cent of the global toll associated with outdoor and indoor air pollution
'On January 17, we had our first meeting with the Cabinet secretary.' 'Different secretaries belonging to different departments attended it.' 'It was only two weeks when China had said there is a new disease.' 'So, we gave the quickest response.'
Besides, less than 200 applications have been received by the authorities challenging the inclusion of the names of suspected illegal immigrants in the NRC, a list of Assam's residents, two months after a window was opened for claims and objections.
The constituencies spread across lower and central Assam will have 12,699 polling stations where 1,04,35,271 voters will be able exercise their franchise.
Official sources said that besides arms and ammunition, two maps showing general area of Uri were recovered from the four slain terrorists, who are now believed to be from Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Tayiba.
Around 52.46 per cent of the patients have recovered, the health ministry said. The number of active cases stood at 1,53,178 while 1,80,012 patients have recovered, it said in the daily COVID-19 update.
Delhi Police faced a tough time in 2016 when crime cases surged by over nine per cent in the national capital while 73 per cent cases remained unsolved.
Describing it as a "game changer", Modi said the scheme was a step towards serving the poor people of the country and it would come into effect from Sunday.
'The people of India have not only challenged the ruling dispensation with the constitution, they have also opened the eyes of the leadership that sits in the Opposition.'
'Yes, we are angry, we are frustrated, but not all our anger is directed towards Delhi.'
The Centre has expressed concern at re-emergence of leprosy cases in certain pockets of the eighth North Eastern states which have reported 747 new cases.
'The NRC had an effect on Assam and I think to cover up or make up for that, CAB has been brought in.'
'A proposal to do away with labour laws is not feasible.' 'That's why we wanted to have a dialogue with the states.'
'Mobs are entering north Indian homes and threatening families to leave Gujarat or face consequences.'
'Under the guise of Maoism, the State is presently determined to clear out the whole Bastar area of its tribal population.'
'An army general is not supposed to speak on political issues.' 'He should be keeping away from politics.'
World's 300 largest metropolitan economies account for nearly half of global economic output.
Last-mile verification with Aadhaar-Based Biometric Authentication have the worst record among other options available to check PDS pilferage. So the Centre's insistence on that option is bewildering, says Reetika Khera.
'This government has made it compulsory to teach some languages that have died.' 'You can't keep languages alive by making them compulsory.'
The political turmoil in Bihar has pushed the law and order to the back burner.
Muslims across the country have joined the agitation, apprehending that the move could be a precursor to a country-wide NRC.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has ordered a probe into the matter.
The highest number of confirmed cases are from Maharashtra (748), followed by Tamil Nadu at 571 and Delhi with 523 cases. Cases in Telangana have gone up to 321, in Kerala to 314, in Uttar Pradesh to 305, while the number of cases has gone up to 274 in Rajasthan.
The Bill, which was already approved by the Rajya Sabha, defines child pornography, making it punishable.
Teams of National Disaster Response Force were trying to find out any person still trapped under the debris, officials said.
Isn't National Intelligence Grid and UIDAI engineered by vested interests, asks Gopal Krishna.
'India, by virtue of its gigantic population and geography, stands at the very front line of this climate catastrophe.' 'But this is a threat that our easily distracted national mind is ill-equipped to think about, let alone plan for,' says Rahul Jacob.
Imagine being a part of a country, but being discriminated against by the majority community and atrocities being committed against you by the state. This is the deplorable conditions that the Rohingyas of Myanmar live in where they are cut off from their livelihoods and sources of income, unable to access markets, hospitals and schools, and have little or no access to relief aid. In order to understand the situation and the genesis of the tragedy unfolding, Rediff.com's Archana Masih speaks to Ambassador Vijay Nambiar, the United Nations' Chef de Cabinet (Chief of Staff), who had served a long stint with the UN in New York on the issue.
'"It is not corruption, but destruction that we fear. We fear for our lives and the BJP has not been able to convince us otherwise," Muslims and Dalits tell me.' Does a high turnout indicate anti-incumbency or does it indicate minority consolidation against a particular leader or party? Neeta Kolhatkar explains the situation in Maharashtra.
As the country readies to go to polls on July 25, one can't deny the role of the military, but there are other factors too.
'Though the river is cleaner than what it was five years ago, a lot more needs to be done.'
As of now, just about 10 lakh people, out of the total 40 lakh, who were excluded in the draft of the NRC have submitted applications for inclusion of their names in the list of Assam's citizens.
After going through more than 78,000 photographs from over 4,700 photographers, the expert judges of the World Press Photo contest have announced the finalists of the 2019 competition. The panelists have selected 43 photographers from 23 countries to represent the best in photojournalism.
