PM Modi and Brazilian Prez hold talks to boost bilateral ties

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Brazilian President Jair Messias Bolsonaro on Saturday held wide-ranging talks with an aim to inject a new momentum into strategic ties between India and Brazil.

In the talks, the two leaders focused on boosting bilateral ties in key areas of trade and investment, energy, defence and security, medicine and scientific research, officials said.

The two countries are expected to ink around 15 agreements providing for enhancing cooperation in a range of areas.

Earlier, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called on Bolsonaro and discussed ways to further broaden cooperation between the two countries.

After the meeting, Jaishankar, in a tweet, said Bolsonaro's visit will open "new opportunities" for bilateral cooperation.

The Brazilian president was given a ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in presence of President Ram Nath Kovind and Modi.

Bolsonaro arrived here on Friday, accompanied by his daughter Laura Bolsonaro, daughter-in-law Leticia Firmo, eight ministers, four members of the Brazilian parliament and a large business delegation.

The Brazilian president is in India primarily to grace the Republic Day celebrations on Sunday as chief guest and explore ways to boost trade ties with India at a time when both the large economies are hit by slowdown.

India's ties with Brazil, the largest country in Latin America, has been on an upswing in the last few years. The country has a population of 210 million with USD 1.8 trillion economy.

This is the first visit of President Bolsonaro to India.

Bolsonaro, a former army captain, won a landslide victory in Brazil's presidential election in October 2018 and took the reins of the country in January last year.

India-Brazil ties have been on an upswing in the last few years.

The volume of bilateral trade was USD 8.2 billion in 2018-19. This included USD 3.8 billion worth of Indian exports to Brazil and USD 4.4 million as imports by India.

Both the governments feel there is huge potential to enhance the bilateral trade further.

Major Indian exports to Brazil include agro-chemicals, synthetic yarns, auto components and parts, pharmaceutical and petroleum products. Brazilian exports to India include crude oil, gold, vegetable oil, sugar and bulk mineral and ores.

Indian investments in Brazil were around USD 6 billion and Brazilian investments in India are estimated at USD 1 billion in 2018.

Brazilian investments in India are mainly in automobiles, IT, mining, energy and biofuel sectors. India has invested in Brazil's IT, pharmaceutical, energy, agri-business, mining and engineering sectors.

Source: https://www.dailypioneer.com/2020/top-stories/pm-modi-and-brazilian-prez-hold-talks-to-boost-bilateral-ties.html

Speak to me 'hashtag without filter': PM to students during 'Pariksha Pe Charcha'

Reaching out to students in their own language, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday addressed 200 of them during a "Pariksha Pe Charcha" and said his conversations with them will be "hashtag without filter".

Assuring students of his complete focus, Modi said they could speak to him openly.

"Speak to me hashtag without filter," he said at the interaction held at the Talkatora Stadium here.
Modi said everyone should keep abreast of the latest technology but it should not be allowed to govern lives.

"We should have the strength to keep technology under our control and ensure it does not waste our time. One room in our homes should be technology free. Whoever enters will not carry any gadgets," he told students while stressing that exams are not everything.

The prime minister also urged students to spend their spare time with the elderly.

He also said students should not be afraid of failure and take it as a part of life.

"Was told I shouldn't attend Chandrayaan landing as there was no guarantee of success but I needed to be there," the prime minister said.

Good marks in exams are not everything, he told the students in the interaction. "We have to come out of the thinking that exams are everything," the prime minister said.

The PM also highlighted the importance of taking on extra-curricular activities and said there is a growing tendency among parents to push their children into activities considered "glamorous".

"Parents should take time out to find out what their children want to do instead of pushing them into activities that are considered glamorous which they can discuss in their conversations with their friends," he said.

Source: https://www.dailypioneer.com/2020/top-stories/speak-to-me--hashtag-without-filter---pm-to-students-during--pariksha-pe-charcha-.html

PM hails valour, professionalism of Army after it escorts pregnant woman to hospital in valley

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday hailed the valour and professionalism of the Chinar Corps personnel who escorted a pregnant woman to a hospital through heavy snowfall in the Kashmir Valley.

The Chinar Corps, an infantry field formation of the Indian Army which is presently located in Srinagar and responsible for military operations in the valley, posted a video on Twitter showing Army personnel and civilians escorting the woman on a stretcher. https://www.dailypioneer.com/

"During heavy snowfall, an expecting mother Mrs Shamima, required emergency hospitalisation. For 4 hours over 100 Army persons & 30 civilians walked with her on stretcher through heavy snow. Baby born in hospital, both mother & child doing fine," it tweeted tagging Modi.

Replying to the tweet, Modi hailed the Army's humanitarian spirit.

"Our Army is known for its valour and professionalism. It is also respected for its humanitarian spirit. Whenever people have needed help, our Army has risen to the occasion and done everything possible! Proud of our Army. I pray for the good health of Shamima and her child," the prime minister posted on Twitter.

Source: https://www.dailypioneer.com/2020/top-stories/pm-hails-valour--professionalism-of-army-after-it-escorts-pregnant-woman-to-hospital-in-valley.html

SC stays NCLAT order restoring Cyrus Mistry as executive chairman of Tata Group

The Supreme Court on Friday stayed the NCLAT order restoring Cyrus Mistry as executive chairman of the Tata Group, observing that there were "lacunae" in the orders passed by the Tribunal.

At the outset, a bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justices B R Gavai and Surya Kant said the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) decision suffers from "basic errors and we have to hear the matter in detail".

The bench also said, "You (Cyrus) have been out of the saddle quite a long time. Does this hurt you....How does it hurt you today". https://www.dailypioneer.com/

The bench said there was no prayer in the petition for reinstatement of Mistry but the tribunal went ahead with it and ordered his reinstatement.

"We find there are lacunae in the judicial orders passed by the NCLAT," the bench said issuing notices to Mistry and others.

Tata Sons Private Ltd (TSPL) challenged the December 18 decision of NCLAT that gave a big relief to Cyrus Investment Pvt Ltd and Mistry, restoring him as the executive chairman of TSPL.

The bench posted the matter after four weeks.

The top court also ordered that the Tatas will not exercise power under Article 25 of the Company Law for pushing out shares of minority holders in the company.

Senior advocate C A Sundaram, appearing for the company Cyrus Investment Pvt Ltd, submitted that instead of staying the NCLAT order, notice should be issued and two weeks be given for filing the reply.

However, the bench said,  "Our first impression is not good about the order of the tribunal. The tribunal granted the prayer which was not prayed".

The Mistry's side wanted to place a note about interim arrangement which was not accepted by the bench.

Senior advocate N K Kaul appeared for Mistry while senior advocate Shyam Divan was appearing for the shareholders which were on Mistry's side.

During the hearing, Sundaram said he was not pressing for the consequential relief of reinstatement of Mistry but was against the wrongful removal of Mistry from Tata.

Senior advocates A M Singhvi, Harish Salve, Mukul Rohatgi and Mohan Parasaran represented the Tatas.

Source: https://www.dailypioneer.com/2020/top-stories/sc-stays-nclat-order-restoring-cyrus-mistry-as-executive-chairman-of-tata-group.html

President honours Amitabh Bachchan with Dadasaheb Phalke Award

President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday presented megastar Amitabh Bachchan with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, Indian cinema's highest honour, in a special ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhawan here.

Bachchan was earlier supposed to receive the honour at the National Film Awards ceremony last Monday, but the actor was unable to attend the event due to ill health.

Information & Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar had announced at the awards that the Hindi cinema veteran will be bestowed with the honour in a special ceremony hosted by the President on Sunday.

The award, named after Dhundiraj Govind Phalke who is revered as the Father of Indian cinema, was instituted in 1969, the year Bachchan made his debut in Hindi film industry with "Saat Hindustani".
The Dadasaheb Phalke Award comprises a Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus) medallion, a shawl, and a cash prize of Rs 10,00,000.

"I would like to thank the government of India, Information & Broadcasting ministry and the jury members of the National Film Awards for finding me deserving enough for the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.

"God has been kind, there have been blessings of my parents, the support of the filmmakers, producers, co-actors from the industry, but I'm most indebted to the love and constant encouragement by the Indian audience. That's the reason I'm standing here. I accept this award with utmost humility and gratitude," Bachchan said in his acceptance speech.

The 77-year-old actor attended the ceremony with his wife, veteran actor-MP Jaya Bachchan and son, actor Abhishek Bachchan. Also present were the winners of the National Film Awards.

President Kovind is hosting a high-tea for all the winners at this residence on Sunday.

In a career spanning five decades, Bachchan has stayed at the top, surprising fans with memorable performances film after film.

Born to renowned Hindi poet Harisvanshrai Bachchan and Teji Bachchan in 1942, Bachchan started his cinema journey as a voice-over artiste for Mrinal Sen's Bengali film "Bhuvan Shome" and made his debut as an actor with "Saat Hindustani", which was not a box office success.

After a series of flops, the actor finally tasted success in 1973 as a lead hero with Prakash Mehra's action film "Zanjeer".

The movie established him as the 'Angry Young Man', a persona created by scriptwriters Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar, that embodied the frustrations and disappoinments of that generation.

He channelled the avatar in films such as "Deewar", "Sholay", "Mr Natwarlal", "Lawaaris", "Muqaddar Ka Sikandar", "Trishul", "Shakti" and "Kaala Patthar".

Bachchan tapped into his sensitive side in middle-of-the-road films like "Abhimaan", "Millie", "Kabhie Kabhie" and "Silsila".

He also tried his hand at comedy and went on to deliver hits like "Namak Halal", "Satte Pe Satta", "Chupke Chupke" and "Amar Akbar Anthony" among others.

After a dip in his career during '80s, came the iconic role of gangster Vijay Deenanath Chauhan in Mukul S Anand's "Agneepath" (1990), which earned him his first National Film Award.

The actor switched to character roles in 2000s with Yash Chopra's "Mohabbatein" (2001), where he featured alongside Shah Rukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai as a stern father.

He followed it up with his television debut as the host of the game show "Kaun Banega Crorepati", which enjoys massive popularity and is a programme that the actor continues to host even now.

With age, Bachchan changed gears and started taking up films such as "Aankhen", "Baghban", "Khakee", "Viruddh", "Sarkar" series and "Pink".

"Black", "Paa" and "Piku" earned the veteran star three more Best Actor National Film Awards and they remain a highlight in his storied filmography.

In 2019, he received rave reviews for his performance in "Badla".

The government honoured Bachchan with the Padma Shri in 1984, the Padma Bhushan in 2001 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2015 for his contributions to the arts.

He has also stayed relevant through his campaigns for polio, tuberculosis, the girl child and other programmes.

Source: https://www.dailypioneer.com/2019/trending-news/president-honours-amitabh-bachchan-with-dadasaheb-phalke-award.html

Shah unveils new insignia for CRPF's VIP security wing

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday unveiled a new insignia for the CRPF's VIP security wing that protects 59 high-risk dignitaries, including members of the Gandhi family and a host of Union ministers. https://www.dailypioneer.com/

The logo -- with a "Garuda", sword and shield -- will give a distinct identity to the unit, Shah said.
The home minister unveiled the logo during an event, where he laid the foundation for raising a new headquarters building for the CRPF.

The VIP security wing of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) was raised in 2014 and has four battalions, comprising about 4,000 personnel.

The insignia will bear the motto of the force -- "Always, Aware, Alert".

Of the 59 protectees under this unit, 15 are under the top category of "Z+", 21 under the "Z" category and the remaining 23 under various other categories.

These VIPs include Shah himself, five former SPG protectees recently transferred to it -- former prime minister Manmohan Singh, his wife Gursharan Kaur, Congress president Sonia Gandhi, her children Rahul and Priyanka -- besides Union ministers Nitin Gadkari and Ravishankar Prasad, businessman and RIL chairman Mukesh Ambani and his wife Neeta among others.

"This is a historic day for the unit that serves with utmost dedication and discipline. VIP security is now a core task for us. The insignia will now be worn by all commandos under this unit," CRPF Inspector General (Intelligence) Pradeep Kumar Singh said.

Singh, who has earlier served in the SPG, is also the head of the VIP security wing and has raised the unit after pooling in some of the best commanders and commandos of the force.

The elite wing of the CRPF has bases across the country and is armed with smart assault weapons like MP-5 rifles and Glock pistols, apart from encrypted communication gadgets and armoured protection devices.

Source: https://www.dailypioneer.com/2019/top-stories/shah-unveils-new-insignia-for-crpf-s-vip-security-wing.html

CAA not against Muslim community of India - Gadkari

Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Sunday asserted that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is not against the Muslim community in India.

He said by bringing the new law, the NDA government was not doing any injustice to Muslims in the country.

Gadkari also accused the Congress of spreading "misinformation" over the issue for 'vote bank politics'.

He was addressing a rally here in support of the NDA government's decision to enact a new law, which seeks to provide citizenship to persecuted minorities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

The rally was organised a local body and supported by the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

"The decision taken by the government to give justice to religious minorities from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh is not against the Muslim community of India. We are not talking about sending Muslims out of the country," Gadkari said.

He said the government's only concern was foreign intruders living in the country.

The minister said Muslims should understand that the Congress cannot help in the development of the community.

"What has it (Congress) done for you? I request the Muslim community of the country to understand the conspiracy. Your development can be done only by the BJP and not the Congress," the minister said.

"You used to ride cycle-rickshaw, we gave you e- rickshaw and helped you stand. The Congress considers you as a vote machine so that it can rule afterwards. Don't fall for this misinformation," he said.

"We all are one, our legacy is one. You go to masjid, we don't oppose it. We all will live together and work according to the Constitution framed by Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. This is what we have been saying, not anything new," Gadkari said.

Source: https://www.dailypioneer.com/2019/top-stories/caa-not-against-muslim-community-of-india--gadkari.html