7:15 pm. It is dark outside.
I step out of office and I am at the stairs outside the building when a young looking man comes up to me and asks me to give him some food to eat.
Purely by instinct and thinking that he is fit enough to find work, I chose to ignore him and walk away
Thread—-Women safety in Delhi.
Writing this because it rattled me and hit home just how vulnerable a woman can be within seconds of stepping out of office/home and how she can never let down her guard.
7:15 pm. It is dark outside.
I step out of office and I am at the stairs outside the building when a young looking man comes up to me and asks me to give him some food to eat.
Purely by instinct and thinking that he is fit enough to find work, I chose to ignore him and walk away
IAS officers from 410 districts- from Arunachal to Haryana, MP, Bihar- red flag inadequate health infrastructure to combat COVID 19 👇🏼
Dibang valley district said that the closest testing centre was 379 km away
Panna district has no ventilator
CHERNOBYL
“What is the cost of lies? It's not that we'll mistake them for the truth. The real danger is that if we hear enough lies, then we no longer recognize the truth at all”.
Valery Legasov’s lines will live- and long
Faced with strong criticism of its handling of the second wave, Centre calls meeting of all secretaries to ensure ‘effective’ communication on govt efforts.
When Mukesh Ambani makes a presentation himself on the proposed
#JioInstitute
and has the recently retired HRD Secretary in his team. The back story to how
#Reliance
bagged the
#InstitutesOfEminence
status. Reporting.
First in ET👇🏼
Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa wanted EC to write to the PM seeking his cooperation in implementing the model code.
When his suggestion set aside and clean chit given to PM, Lavasa asked his dissent be recorded in reasoned orders.
Saumya Vishwanathan studied journalism with me.She was the most clear headed, go getter girl always.All that changed because she couldn’t get back home safely after finishing work at office.This city failed her then.Are we doing any better today?
Reporting this👇🏼
#BJP
biggest beneficiary of
#electoralbond
scheme in 2017-18, bagging 94.5% of bonds in the maiden tranche-Of Rs 222 Cr bonds issued in March by SBI,Rs 210 crore went to BJP.The richest party raised Rs 1027 crore,over 50% anonymous funds.
Finance ministry veto for the ₹4000cr Breakfast
@School
plan to check malnutrition in children
- Education ministry tells parliamentary panel
Backdrop- NFHS survey showed alarming drop in child nutrition levels between 2015 to 2019
@ETPolitics
First in ET-
Was there any warning given to GoI on the second wave?
Yes, the National COVID 19 supermodel committee warned in 1st week of March on the onset of the surge.
2nd wave onset in Maharashtra, Kerala, Chhatisgarh flagged, says panel chief
Centre makes strategic campus moves in
#Kashmir
. After bringing diplomat Parthasarthy as Chancellor to Jammu Central Univ, it’s LtGen Syed Ata Hasnain for Kashmir Univ.
EC asks I&B ministry how
#NaMo
TV was launched during model code period.
Govt likely to say
#NaMo
tv is not really a TV channel, but an advertising portal of service providers (DTH platforms)- paid for by BJP.
Reporting.
While it took me some time to get over the shock of the situation, I also know I was lucky.
Made me realise that sometimes there is not even time to pull out your pepper spray or your phone from the bag to make that SOS call.
While I do think the presence of a beat constable or police patrol in the vicinity -my office is 1/2 km off Delhi Police Headquarters- could have prevented this incident and worse; this evening reminded me of all self defence techniques we were told of,years back in a workshop
ET Scoop-
World Bank’s draft India Development Update, 2020 says-
1) India at "risk of losing its hard-won gains against poverty”
2) several households are "likely to slip back into poverty due to income and job losses triggered by Covid-19
Mumbai Press Club issues a statement expressing solidarity with women journalists who have pointed to sexual harrassment in the profession. To organise a debate on the issue.
How
#Modi
's education ministers violated their own KV admission quota ceiling year after year since 2014. Over 15,000 admissions recommended in last two years against 450 limit. Over 8,000 accommodated by Central Schools. Reporting.
6. Keep phone well tuned on voice assistant mode, so even if it’s in your bag and you don’t have time to pull it out, you can speak to it and make that call.
ET Exclusive:-
Facing the heat from Opposition and EC over biased coverage of ruling party,
#Doordarshan
requests hour long interview with
#RahulGandhi
- so that “the principal opposition party” may “put forth its views to the citizens of India.
Top corporates heavily funded the
#BJP
in 2016-17. Rs 290 cr for BJP Vs 16 cr for
#Congress
. Among top 10 donors DLF,JSW,Birla’s Grasim & Ultratech,Piramal,Bharti Airtel.
#adr
data
5. When parking your car, keep in mind that even if just next to your office, there is a possibility, yours may be the only car left there when you are back. Check for more ppl presence around before heading in.
The
#EVM
controversy in Botswana where India’s
#EC
could be party. Botswana ruling party wants EVMs for polls, opposition goes to court-Botswana wants EC to depose in their favour and do EVM demo . I report.
3) fiscal impact of the economic stimulus package,though pegged at ₹20 lakh crore,was limited... estimated by experts at 0.7-1.2% of GDP in current financial year.
4) On economic front, says Indian economy will contract in FY21 by over 3% and rebound will be "muted" in FY22
Watch this space-
Congress funding slid down in Lok Sabha election year.
Biggest of funders- Tata backed Progressive Electoral Trust-stayed off Congress in 2019-20.
Progressive gave staggering 356 Cr to BJP and ₹55cr to Congress in 2018-19.
With assembly elections to UP around the corner, any OBC sub-categorisation or inclusion/exclusion could have an electoral impact and hence the political timing of the Central list notification is likely to be closely deliberated
Centre urges Rohini Commission on OBC sub categorisation to send in interim report to help update and notify Central OBC list
Pressure pt- Court orders
Implications- Significant in Hindi heartland going to polls
Details
@ETPolitics
My car’s centralised lock is yet to come into effect and he is watching carefully. He is also trying to pull something out of his pocket, still smiling. I do not how I managed to start my car and pull it out of a tight parking space in full speed and managed to drive out.
I have hit panic button in my head by now and realise I had gear locked my car so can’t start engine immediately. While I unlock the gear and before I can start my vehicle’s ignition,the man has unzipped himself and is saying something.
Luckily the car keys are in my hand. I open it, put my stuff on the passenger seat and the moment I am in the car and close the door, the guy is standing right at my window next to driver seat.
BJP delegation with minister Javadekar and Naqvi has submitted complaints to
#EC
today on
#RahulGandhi
interviews. EC likely to lodge FIR against channels.
@ThePrintIndia
First in ET:-
#PriyankaGandhi
gets going. Finds a campaign advisor- election campaign specialist from Citizens for Accountable Governance who led Modi’s 2014 blitzkrieg. In Team Priyanka- also Varad Pande of UPA era.
Just in- 1980 batch IAS officer from Rajasthan cadre, Sunil Arora has been appointed the next Chief Election Commissioner of India. He will take charge on 2nd Dec and oversee the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
First in ET
What’s in the JNU report to HRD—
1.linking Oct 28 student agitation with Jan 5 vandalism
2. Two groups of students -for registration and against and the former getting aggressive
3. mention of Periyar hostel violence, omission of Sabarmati
Just in- Former NCERT chief of Vajpayee govt era- J S Rajput nominated as India’s representative to the UNESCO Executive Board. Rajput was NCERT head when allegation of saffronisation of textbooks sparked an uproar in NDA 1.
This budget stands out as the first one I can remember with near insignificant mention of Education! Thought the sector key to economy, jobs, 3 trillion dollar economy....
Months before One Election panel,
GoI asked ECI to map out EVM-VVPAT requirement for 2024/2029
2024- 11.8 lakh polling stations. ₹5100 cr needed to meet EVM-VVPAT shortfall
2029- 13.57 lakh polling stations, ₹7950 cr needed
More
@ETPolitics
The Indian Women Press Corps has started a donation initiative for immediate relief to the
#DelhiRiot
victims.
Those interested can donate at the IWPC complex, Windsor place, New Delhi.
2. Prudent Electoral Trust donated 88.90% or Rs 252.22 cr to BJP while Janta Nirvachak Electoral Trust donated 100% or Rs 25 cr of its total income to
#BJP
3. BJP alone received Rs 290.22 cr or 89.22% of the total donations received by all political parties from Electoral Trusts
Now UIDAI shoots off letter to newspaper on
#Aadharleak
report.Demands to know if reporter could view fingerprints and iris details with aadhar numbers. Says if reply not given by 9thJan 5pm - ‘appropriate inference’ will be drawn by UIDAI.
A red flag raised by an IIT Director woke up India to big inroads Chinese tech Co Huawei had made into our top institutes
What followed👇🏼
Quiet,methodical delinking of every MoU,Grant,Project, Fellowship by Huawei at IITs,NITs,colleges…
@ETPolitics
After all the uproar in Parliament over
#Doklam
,only 9 of 25 parliamentary committeee members attend spl tour to Indo-China border last week. Star MPs skip it.
So many thoughts come to mind on
#MeToo
. Thread.
A journalist’s workplace extends far beyond the office and a woman reporter navigates tricky territories every day, with enough sexual innuendo, queries and several ‘inadvertent’ brushes and touches by many in places of power.
There’s no hurry to get to elections in J&K.
Four months after state bifurcation, no move to set up Delimitation Commission for J&K- just as yet.
@rahultripathi
& I do a status check.
Big socio-political engineering on way with Justice Rohini commission on subcategorisation of 27% OBC quota.
Next month, commission to discuss 4 category formula with states to give benefits to over 2,000 ignored backward castes.
New
#parliament
complex of ‘utmost importance’ even in times of pandemic as there is ‘dire need of retrofitting’ existing Parliament- CPWD tells Environment ministry.
Gets green nod.
Aside-
Ahead of 2014 Lok Sabha polls, then PM Manmohan Singh sought permission to address civil Servant’s day. EC advised against it.
But it was a ‘civil’ matter-here Natl security interests in question.
EC, the model code of conduct and the PM’s Mission Shakti address. Questions under examination:-
*Mass media vs state media use.
* national security & precdents
* Was it necessary for PM to announce it
* MCC on ruling party conduct
EC on counting in Bihar--
Counting likely to go late into the night as arrangements have had to be more elaborate due to pandemic related guidelines.
63% increase in number of polling booths. A total of 1.06 lakh polling booths and EVMs to be counted.
The debate on Mother tongue as schooling medium-
HRD says it’s advisory in nature and continuation of the education policy of 1986, views taken in 1966 and 1994 and also RTE Act 2009.
They all advocate mother tongue as ideal medium of instruction without making it compulsory.
Education ministry working on plan to offer engineering and medicine in the mother tongue.
First up, Hindi at IIT BHU- pilot project planned.
Pilot project on teaching in Hindi to begin at IIT BHU
P.S - do check out the fab cartoon by
@rprasad66
Breaking this- Election Commission set to seek mandatory linking of Voter ID cards with
#Aadhar
number to ‘clean up’ electoral rolls. EC to propose amendment to RP Act to enable the Aadhar linkage.
Modi Govt set to announce the 1st Good Governance Index of states.
Details here first-
Tamilnadu leads the tally, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand at bottom rung.
COVID19 and the offices of the Union govt👇🏼
At least 3 secretary-level officials and their staffers tested positive last week; they are in self-quarantine
Shastri Bhawan C Wing sealed for June 10-11 after HRD ministry staffers test positive. 14 officials now on quarantine.
Coming up- SACRED- an employment exchange for Senior citizens looking for a second inning at the workplace
Full time to project contracts and pro bono work across govt and pvt sector to be lined up.
Detailing here
@ETPolitics
First in ET- The outgoing Chief Election Commissioner holds forth on all that ails elections. Red flags concerns over electoral bonds, money power,fund disparity of political parties & threat of big data.Points to blatant money power in
#Telangana
polls.