Front Page
The Amarnath Yatra begins today, and pilgrims are ready, but ‘a little worried’, The Indian Express reports. The J&K governor’s adviser had said the threat perception was high as this year’s yatra comes days after the BJP pulled out of the alliance with the PDP, forcing Governor’s Rule in the state. Security agencies have also said that the Amarnath Yatra is a target for militants.
Vijay Mallya Tuesday sought to clear the air on what he called the “controversy unfortunately surrounding me”. The fugitive businessman issued a press statement through social media that said he had sent letters to the PM and finance minister in 2016 but received no reply.
After two years of silence, I have decided to issue a comprehensive press statement … 1/5 pic.twitter.com/klbeh4rF8G
— Vijay Mallya (@TheVijayMallya) June 26, 2018
Days after the Enforcement Directorate moved a special court to declare Mallya a fugitive economic offender, The Indian Express reports that the businessman claims to have pleaded with the Karnataka High Court on 22 June to allow his firms to sell assets worth Rs 13,900 crore “under judicial supervision” and repay his dues to public sector banks.
PM Narendra Modi thinks the Congress hasn’t changed since the days of Indira Gandhi’s Emergency. A day after the 43rd anniversary of the Emergency was marked on 25 June, Modi told BJP workers, “The Congress’ mentality during the Emergency was the same as the one that was visible while bringing the impeachment [motion of CJI Dipak Misra],” The Hindu reports.
The PM also said Tuesday that the Indian economy was in a ‘bright spot’, and that his government was committed to the path of “fiscal consolidation”. After addressing the third annual meeting of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, Modi also spoke separately to top CEOs to reiterate India’s place as “the growth engine of the world”, The Indian Express reports.
Turns out India is no longer home to the largest number of poor, at least according to a study published in the ‘Future Development’ blog of research group Brookings. At the end of May 2018, their “trajectories suggest that Nigeria had about 87 million people in extreme poverty, compared with India’s 73 million”, The Times of India reports. The daily also tells us that about 44 Indians come out of extreme poverty every minute, making India’s one of the fastest rates of poverty reduction in the world.
Now there’s an app to apply for passports. External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj launched a Passport Seva app Tuesday that will allow people to apply for the travel document from anywhere across the country through their mobile phones. Hindustan Times tells us that, until now, applicants had to apply at the passport seva kendras (PSKs) in the areas where they lived and the application could only be made on a laptop or a personal computer.
Business Class
PSU banks more prone to fraud, says RBI: In its latest financial stability report, the RBI has noted that more than 85 per cent of the frauds that hit the banking sector in recent years happened with public sector banks, “which significantly exceeded their relative business share in credit of around 65 per cent”, reports Business Standard.
News it’s just kinda cool to know
Mumbai continues to top the list of costliest Indian cities to live in, according to Mercer’s annual cost of living survey, which forms the basis for determining compensation packages for the global workforce. Hindustan Times reports that Hong Kong tops the worldwide list, with Tokyo, Zurich, Singapore and Seoul rounding up the top 5.
Point of View
The Indian Express, in an editorial, lauds Sushma Swaraj’s poise in dealing with trolls. “It is the way in which she has handled bullies, those who would misuse the anonymity and the distance of the internet, that is an example for anyone on social media to emulate,” it writes.
Ashok Alexander, the founder of NGO Antara Foundation, notes in his column for Livemint the curious similarities between the public health sectors of Kerala and Cuba. According to him, the two case studies show that “accessible, good healthcare services can be provided through innovation in front-line service delivery and involvement of the community within the overarching umbrella of political will”.
In an editorial, The Tribune says that the Delhi High Court underscored the importance of eco-sustainable development when it stayed the axing of at least 14,000 trees. “Good housing for people is certainly imperative, but it cannot come at the cost of destroying forever the Capital’s tree cover. The contractor concerned needs to imaginatively work his way around,” it says.
Former India football captain Bhaichung Bhutia, in his column for Hindustan Times, predicts that England could have a smooth ride till the knockouts in the FIFA World Cup. “With both England and Belgium likely to rest a few regulars in their FIFA World Cup encounter later this week, Harry Kane’s team’s real test could happen in the pre-quarterfinals where one from Japan, Senegal and Colombia could lie in wait,” he writes.
Prime Time
Of jobs, railways, and delays
Ravish Kumar began his prime-time show on NDTV India with the claim that politicians made sure to avoid topics about which India’s youth had questions. For example, the Railways’ Group D and C examinations, for which the last date of application was 31 March, is yet to be held. He referred to railway minister Piyush Goyal’s tweet that there was a “tsunami of 90,000 jobs in the organisation”, and then went on to explain the problems plaguing recruitment and why trains were delayed, especially in northern India.
Congress’ Emergency baggage
On CNN News 18, Bhupendra Chaubey discussed Modi’s attack on the Congress on the 43rd anniversary of the Emergency, and asked, “Is Congress still struggling to shed the baggage of Emergency?” Congress’ Rohan Gupta replied that Modi had failed to fulfil the promises he made to the public. “Will Congress-bashing help people? No,” said Gupta. RSS ideologue Rakesh Sinha sought to know three instances where the public had protested against the present government like it had against Indira Gandhi.
BJP talks about Emergency, a lot
“Why is BJP talking about Emergency?” asked Preeti Choudhry on India Today TV. While the BJP’s Narendra Taneja said there was nothing wrong in it, adding that talking only helped “educate the youth of India”, Congress’ Tom Vadakkan said people “accepted Mrs Gandhi by giving her a mandate again”.