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In a significant <keyword id="20359239" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="political-development" source="keywords">political development</keyword>, <keyword id="19969165" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Atishi" source="keywords">Atishi</keyword> is poised to become the next Chief Minister of Delhi, following the resignation of Arvind Kejriwal. The <keyword id="19935664" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Aam-Aadmi-Party" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Aam Aadmi Party" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Aam Aadmi Party">Aam Aadmi Party</keyword> (AAP) convened a legislative meeting earlier today, where all MLAs unanimously accepted Kejriwal's proposal to nominate Atishi for the top post.<br /><h2>Who is Atishi?</h2>Atishi Marlena, widely known as Atishi, is a prominent figure within the AAP and currently holds multiple key portfolios in the <keyword id="19925995" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Delhi-government" source="keywords">Delhi government</keyword>. A Rhodes scholar, she has long been a key architect of AAP’s <keyword id="20374249" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="education-reforms" source="keywords">education reforms</keyword> in Delhi, which transformed the public schooling system and gained national attention. Her work has earned her recognition as a progressive leader committed to enhancing education, governance, and <keyword id="20228723" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="public-welfare" source="keywords">public welfare</keyword>.<br /><br />Atishi has served as a Delhi MLA, representing the Kalkaji constituency, and has been an essential part of the Kejriwal-led government. She took on many responsibilities when Kejriwal was jailed in connection with the excise policy case, and her reputation for efficiency and dedication helped solidify her as a strong contender for the chief ministerial position.<br /><div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="113312516" title="Supreme Court grants bail to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in Liquor scam case" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div><h2>Kejriwal’s resignation and resultant suspense</h2>The sequence of events leading to Atishi's ascension began with Arvind Kejriwal's sudden announcement that he would resign as Delhi’s Chief Minister. On September 13, 2024, Kejriwal was released from Tihar Jail, where he was lodged for his alleged involvement in the Delhi liquor policy scam. Following his release, Kejriwal took to the public platform to declare that he would step down, pending a “certificate of honesty” from the people of Delhi.<br /><br />In a political gambit that stunned many, Kejriwal pushed for advancing the polls to November 2024, ahead of the originally scheduled February 2025 elections. His rationale was that only a fresh mandate from the people, whom he asked to consider his honesty as the deciding factor, would validate his return to power. Until then, he vowed not to reassume the office of Chief Minister.<br /><br />"I didn't resign (after arrest in excise policy case) because I respect democracy and the Constitution is supreme for me," Kejriwal had said earlier.<br /><div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="113364559" title="Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal announces resignation, demands Delhi elections in November" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>Kejriwal’s resignation prompted a flurry of activity within AAP, as speculation mounted about who would succeed him. The party’s Political Affairs Committee (PAC) and other senior leaders, including Manish Sisodia, Saurabh Bharadwaj, and Gopal Rai, held several rounds of discussions. Names floated for the role included Atishi, Gopal Rai, Kailash Gahlot, Saurabh Bharadwaj, and even Kejriwal’s wife, Sunita Kejriwal. Some sources hinted that a surprise candidate from a minority community could also emerge.<br /><br />However, Atishi was always seen as the frontrunner. She holds a majority of the key portfolios in the Delhi government and was handpicked by Kejriwal to unfurl the national flag on August 15 while he was in jail — a symbolic gesture that hinted at her growing political stature within the party.<br /><h2>Atishi’s nomination and the path ahead</h2>The AAP legislative meeting, held at Kejriwal’s residence earlier today, saw Atishi’s nomination as the new Chief Minister of Delhi. The decision was unanimously accepted by all AAP MLAs, with Kejriwal personally proposing her name. Once Kejriwal officially tenders his resignation later today, Atishi will likely meet Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena to stake her claim for the CM’s office.<br /><br />It is expected that Atishi will not take the oath of office immediately, as the process involves proving majority on the floor of the Delhi Assembly and appointing a new council of ministers. Sources suggest that the swearing-in ceremony may take place closer to the next Assembly session.<br /><br />Atishi’s rise to the Chief Ministerial post comes at a time of political turbulence for AAP. Kejriwal’s resignation, driven by his desire to restore his public image following his incarceration, has put the party in a precarious position. The opposition <keyword id="14666" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bjp" source="Orion">BJP</keyword> has termed Kejriwal’s resignation a "PR stunt" aimed at deflecting attention from the corruption charges.<br /><br />Atishi, with her track record of governance and public service, represents a fresh face for AAP, one that can potentially rejuvenate the party’s image. She will need to navigate a host of challenges, including the corruption allegations surrounding Kejriwal and the upcoming elections. Whether she will be able to maintain the party’s grip on Delhi or lead it to a new electoral victory remains to be seen.<br /><br /><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em><br />

Atishi set to become Delhi's new Chief Minister as Arvind Kejriwal steps down months before the assembly elections

<ul class="summary-list"><li>An Israeli strike hit Isfahan in Iran, multiple outlets reported, citing unnamed senior US officials.</li><li>It came after Iran fired drones and missiles at Israel in its first-ever direct attack.</li></ul><p>The relatively restrained nature of the apparent Israeli attack on Iran suggests both sides are seeking to step back from the brink of a regional war, analysts say.</p><p>Several explosions caused by an <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/israel-iran-missile-strikes/">Israeli attack</a> were heard Friday in the central province of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnn.com/middleeast/live-news/israel-hamas-war-gaza-news-04-18-24/index.html">Isfahan</a>, unnamed senior US officials told multiple outlets.</p><p>They said the exact nature of the strike, which hit key military targets, was unclear. The International Atomic Energy Agency said none of Iran's nuclear sites in the region were damaged.</p><p>Initial reports from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/iranian-official-says-military-shot-down-3-israeli-drones/">Iranian officials</a> suggest Israel may have used small drones, or quadcopters, for the attack. But US officials told <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/israel-iran-missile-strikes/">CBS News</a> that Israel used missiles.</p><p>"If the extent of Israel's retaliation is a small drone (quadcopter) attack inside Iran, the current escalation might be contained within the boundaries of the pre-7th Oct status quo," Andreas Krieg, an expert on the Middle East at King's College London, wrote on X.</p><p>It came after more than 300 Iranian drones and missiles were fired at Israel on Saturday. That was itself a response to an Israeli strike on Iran's consulate in Damascus, Syria.</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/did-iran-show-restraint-will-israel-2024-4">Iran warned for weeks that the attack was coming</a> — giving Israel's allies time to prepare — and avoided targeting civilian locations.</p><p>"I would actually think that we will be surprised and that things may very well wind down," Charles Miller, a security expert at Australian National University, told <a target="_blank" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/04/19/israel-iran-strike-isfahan/">The Washington Post</a>.</p><p>"It seems that actually, both sides want to be seen to be doing something without actually undertaking the risks of doing anything that's too provocative," Miller added.</p><p>The terrorist attacks by Iran's ally Hamas on Israel on October 7 sparked the latest conflict in the Middle East, with Israel responding by launching an attack on Gaza and Iranian proxies in the region.</p><p>Krieg pointed to the fact Iran's media had downplayed the attack, "suggesting they won't have to respond."</p><p>The Iranian state media outlet Press TV posted footage of what it described as "a tranquil atmosphere in the Iranian city of Isfahan, with residents going about their usual routines, despite the recent explosions heard near the city."</p><p>Analysts on Israeli TV echoed that assessment.</p><p>"Israel can do elegant military maneuvers that are not noisy or cause significant military damage but which deliver the message Israel wants," said Dana Weiss, a diplomatic-affairs analyst for Israel's Channel 12, according to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/19/world/middleeast/israel-iran-reaction.html">The New York Times.</a> "And that is what we have seen them do."</p><p>If the use of drones is confirmed, it wouldn't be the first time Israel targeted Iran using uncrewed aerial vehicles. In January 2023, Israel was accused of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/blast-heard-military-plant-irans-central-city-isfahan-state-media-2023-01-28/">attacking a military factory in Isfahan</a> in the same way.</p><p>Other analysts said the attacks were apparently designed to signal that Israel could do far more damage to Iran's nuclear program if it wanted.</p><p>There remain fears that the conflict between the countries could spiral into a broader regional war. Before Friday's strikes, Israel's Western allies had urged the country's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to be moderate in his response.</p><p>Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Iran's foreign minister, had previously said in a CNN interview that the Iranian response to an Israeli attack would be "immediate and at a maximum level."</p>

Israel seems to have stuck to small drones when it hit Iran &mdash; suggesting it wanted only a minor retaliation

<br /><ul><li><strong>Over 800,000 people from the minority sections were extended employment opportunities via Employment Oriented <keyword id="1941841" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Skill-development-schemes">Skill Development Schemes</keyword> in the last five years.<br /></strong></li><li><strong>According to the Minority Affairs Ministry, the Indian government extended scholarships to over 30 million students from the minority groups — and three in five scholarships went to girls. <br /></strong></li><li><strong>In June 2019, the government also announced a scholarship fund of ₹50 million for the education of minorities.<br /></strong></li></ul>Amid the citizenship act row and rising unemployment concerns in the country, the Indian government is stepping up efforts for the welfare and empowerment of minorities. <br /><br />Over 800,000 people from the minority sections of the country were extended employment opportunities via Employment Oriented Skill Development Schemes over the last five years, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Union Minister for Minority Affairs <a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1596884">said </a>on the occasion of Minority Right Day 2019.<br /><br />This includes government initiatives such as ‘Gharib Nawaz Employment Scheme’, ‘Seekho aur Kamao,’ ‘Nai Manzil’ and ‘Nai Raushni.’ <br /><br />According to the Minority Affairs Ministry, the Indian government extended scholarships to over 30 million students from the minority groups — and three in five scholarships went to girls. <br /><br />“Under the Pradhanmantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK), the government has constructed schools, colleges, ITI, polytechnics, hostels, hospitals, common service centres, hunar hub and residential schools in minority concentrated areas across the country,” he said.<br /><br />In June 2019, the government also announced a scholarship fund of ₹50 million for the education of minorities over the next five years, dedicating half of this amount for girls. The programme will cater to all students in the economically-weaker sections, regardless of caste.<br /><br /><br />See also:<br /><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/modi-government-announces-50-million-scholarship-for-minority-students/articleshow/69750288.cms">Indian government introduces ₹50 million scholarship for minority students — dedicating half of it to girls</a><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/education/news/on-national-education-day-heres-a-look-at-the-recent-reforms-in-india/articleshow/72001598.cms">On National Education Day, here’s a look at the recent reforms in India</a><br />

Over 30 million minority students received government scholarships — and 60% of them were girls

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Spain's prime minister was targeted by a letter bomb, the interior ministry said on Thursday.</li><li>The envelope and its contents were similar to those used in four other incidents, it said.</li></ul><p>Spain has been rocked by a spate of letter bombs that have targeted the country's prime minister and military-related sites, as well as Ukraine's embassy in the country.</p><p><a href="https://www.interior.gob.es/opencms/en/detail-pages/article/La-Policia-comunica-a-la-Audiencia-Nacional-la-interceptacion-de-un-sobre-con-material-pirotecnico-dirigido-al-presidente-del-Gobierno/">Spain's interior ministry said in a statement</a> on Thursday that an envelope containing explosives was addressed to Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, and was detected and neutralized by his security services.</p><p>It added that the envelope was received on November 24, and that the envelope and its contents were "similar" to those sent to other targets in Spain.</p><p>One was sent to the Ukrainian embassy in the capital city Madrid, which <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/envelope-blast-ukrainian-embassy-spain-madrid-injures-worker-2022-11">exploded</a> on Wednesday, with an embassy worker receiving minor injuries, the ministry said.</p><p>Another was sent to an air base in Madrid, and another to the headquarters of Instalaza, a military equipment company in the northern city of Zaragoza. Spain's defense ministry also said it had been targeted.</p><p>According to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/01/spanish-police-investigate-four-devices-ukraine-embassy-blast-madrid">The Guardian</a>, Instalaza has been manufacturing rocket launchers that have been sent to Ukraine.</p><p>Investigations are underway, the interior ministry said.</p><p>A government official said that the letter sent to the Instalaza headquarters, which was neutralized by the national police, and the one sent to the Ukraine embassy had the same email address written down as the sender, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/europe-spain-madrid-zaragoza-13c5a78403729f02512133574528e4f6">The Associated Press reported</a>.</p><p>Another envelope was detonated by security at the Ministry of Defense headquarters on Thursday, which was addressed to the defense minister, Spain's Secretary of State for Security said, <a href="https://elpais.com/espana/2022-12-01/interceptado-un-tercer-sobre-con-explosivo-en-la-base-aerea-de-torrejon.html">according to Spanish newspaper El Pais</a>.</p><p>Spain has ramped up security around public buildings in response, the interior ministry said.</p><p>On Wednesday Ukraine's Foreign Affairs Minister Dmytro Kuleba <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/envelope-blast-ukrainian-embassy-spain-madrid-injures-worker-2022-11">ordered security to be beefed up</a> at all Ukrainian embassies around the world, following the explosion at the Madrid address.</p>

Spain rocked by wave of letter bombs, with the country's prime minister among those targeted

<h2 style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:18pt;margin-bottom:6pt;"><br /></h2>Narendra Modi, who led the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to a spectacular victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, on Thursday took oath as the Prime Minister.<br /><br />President Ram Nath Kovind administered the oath of office and secrecy in Hindi to Modi at a ceremony attended by thousands of people at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan<br /><br />Sushma Swaraj, Suresh Prabhu, V.K. Singh, Mahesh Sharma, Jayant Sinha and Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore were among the Union Ministers missing from the dais for ministers to be inducted in the new Modi government.<br /><br />Hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his 57-member council of ministers were sworn in by President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday, Here are the portfolio for Cabinet Minister is:<br /><br /><table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.6em; box-shadow: none; width: 1023.33px; font-family: Merriweather; padding-bottom: 10px !important; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"><tbody><tr><td style="border-width: 1px 0.742187pt 0.742187pt; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221) rgb(197, 197, 197) rgb(197, 197, 197); padding: 4pt 6pt; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;"><strong>Modi Cabinet 2.0: List of new Council of Ministers 2019</strong></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-right:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:4pt 6pt 4pt 6pt;"></td><td style="border-left:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-right:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:4pt 6pt 4pt 6pt;"><br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-right:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-top:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:4pt 6pt 4pt 6pt;">Portfolio<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-right:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-top:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:4pt 6pt 4pt 6pt;">Cabinet Ministers<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-right:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-top:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:4pt 6pt 4pt 6pt;">Minister of Home Affairs<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-right:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-top:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:4pt 6pt 4pt 6pt;">Amit Shah<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-right:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-top:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:4pt 6pt 4pt 6pt;">Minister of Defence<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-right:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-top:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:4pt 6pt 4pt 6pt;">Rajnath Singh<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-right:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-top:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:4pt 6pt 4pt 6pt;">Ministry of Road Transport and Highways<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-right:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-top:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:4pt 6pt 4pt 6pt;">Nitin Gadkari<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-right:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-top:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:4pt 6pt 4pt 6pt;">Minister of Finance and Minister of Corporate Affairs <br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-right:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-top:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:4pt 6pt 4pt 6pt;">Nirmala Sitharaman<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-right:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-top:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:4pt 6pt 4pt 6pt;">Minister of Women and Child Development and Minister of Textile<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-right:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-top:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:4pt 6pt 4pt 6pt;">Smriti Irani<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-right:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-top:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:4pt 6pt 4pt 6pt;">Minister of External Affairs<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-right:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-top:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:4pt 6pt 4pt 6pt;">S Jaishankar<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-right:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-top:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:4pt 6pt 4pt 6pt;">Minister of Law and Justice, Minister of Communications and Minister of Electronics and Information Technology<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-right:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-top:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:4pt 6pt 4pt 6pt;">Ravi Shankar Prasad<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-right:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-top:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:4pt 6pt 4pt 6pt;">Minister of Chemical and Fertilizers<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-right:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-top:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:4pt 6pt 4pt 6pt;">D.V. Sadananda Gowda<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-right:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-top:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:4pt 6pt 4pt 6pt;">Minister of Food Processing Industries<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-right:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-top:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:4pt 6pt 4pt 6pt;">Harsimrat Kaur Badal<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-right:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-top:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:4pt 6pt 4pt 6pt;">Minister of Skill development and Entrepreneurship<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-right:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-top:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:4pt 6pt 4pt 6pt;">Mahendra Nath Pandey<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-right:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-top:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:4pt 6pt 4pt 6pt;"><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-right:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-top:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:4pt 6pt 4pt 6pt;">Arvind Sawant<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-right:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-top:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:4pt 6pt 4pt 6pt;">Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Minister of Coal and Minister ofMines<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-right:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-top:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:4pt 6pt 4pt 6pt;">Prahlad Joshi<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-right:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-top:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:4pt 6pt 4pt 6pt;">Minister of Railways and Minister of Commerce and Industry<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-right:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-top:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:4pt 6pt 4pt 6pt;">Piyush Goyal<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-right:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-top:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:4pt 6pt 4pt 6pt;">Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Minister of Information and Broadcasting<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-right:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-top:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:4pt 6pt 4pt 6pt;">Prakash Javadekar<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-right:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-top:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:4pt 6pt 4pt 6pt;">Minister of Minority Affairs<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-right:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-top:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:4pt 6pt 4pt 6pt;">Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-right:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-top:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:4pt 6pt 4pt 6pt;">Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-right:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-top:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:4pt 6pt 4pt 6pt;">Ram Vilas Paswan<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-right:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-top:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:4pt 6pt 4pt 6pt;">Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-right:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-top:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:4pt 6pt 4pt 6pt;">Thawar Chand Gehlot<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-right:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-top:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:4pt 6pt 4pt 6pt;"><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-right:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-top:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:4pt 6pt 4pt 6pt;">Giriraj Singh<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-right:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-top:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:4pt 6pt 4pt 6pt;"><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-right:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-top:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:4pt 6pt 4pt 6pt;">Gajendra Singh Shekhawat<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-right:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-top:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:4pt 6pt 4pt 6pt;">Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare , Minister of Rural Development and Minister of Panchayati Raj<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-right:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-top:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:4pt 6pt 4pt 6pt;">Narendra Singh Tomar<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-right:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-top:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:4pt 6pt 4pt 6pt;"><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-right:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-top:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:4pt 6pt 4pt 6pt;">Arjun Munda<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-right:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-top:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:4pt 6pt 4pt 6pt;"><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-right:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-top:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:4pt 6pt 4pt 6pt;">Dr Harshavardhan<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-right:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-top:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:4pt 6pt 4pt 6pt;"><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-right:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-top:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:4pt 6pt 4pt 6pt;">Dharmendra Pradhan<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-right:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-top:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:4pt 6pt 4pt 6pt;"><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-right:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;border-top:solid #c5c5c5 0.7421872500000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:4pt 6pt 4pt 6pt;">Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />

Narendra Modi announces Union Cabinet portfolio

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="11911533" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="boris-johnson" source="Orion">Boris Johnson</keyword> issued a new foreword to an updated version of the <keyword id="13506520" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ministerial-code" source="Orion">Ministerial Code</keyword>.</li><li>In August 2019, Johnson wrote that to "win back the trust of the British people," the highest standards must be upheld.</li></ul><p>Prime Minister Boris Johnson has removed an instruction to ministers in his foreword to the Ministerial Code, the handbook of rules for how ministers should behave, to "uphold the very highest standards of propriety."</p><p>The <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministerial-code">updated foreword</a> came alongside a minimally changed edition of the Code, the first update since the first edition released under Johnson's premiership in August 2019.</p><p>In Johnson's first foreword, he stressed how ministers must "win back the trust of the British people."</p><p>"We must uphold the very highest standards of propriety — and this code sets out how we must do so. There must be no bullying and no harassment; no leaking; no breach of collective responsibility. No misuse of taxpayer money and no actual or perceived conflicts of interest," it said.</p><p>"The precious principles of public life enshrined in this document — integrity, objectivity, accountability, transparency, honesty and leadership in the public interest — must be honoured at all times; as must the political impartiality of our much admired civil service."</p><p>Since August 2019, Johnson has had:</p><ul><li>One independent advisor resign over a failure to take action against Home Secretary Priti Patel when she was found to have bullied a senior civil servant.</li><li>A string of leaks and subsequently announced leak inquiries.</li><li>MPs alleging the government of being "complacent" about COVID-19 loan fraud.</li><li>A number of allegations of conflicts of interest for senior members of his government, such as meetings between housing minister Robert Jenrick and the developer and Conservative donor Richard Desmond, on whose behalf Jenrick ruled in a planning decision. </li></ul><p>But in his most recent foreword, Johnson merely notes that "thirty years after it was first published, the Ministerial Code continues to fulfil its purpose, guiding my Ministers on how they should act and arrange their affairs."</p><p>Johnson's reference to "my Ministers" is unusual, as ministers are ministers of the Crown, appointed on the advice of the Prime Minister. References to "my Ministers" are most frequently seen in the Queen's Speech, when the monarch reads from a government-written speech to outline the legislative plan for the coming year in Parliament.</p><p>The minor changes to the Code relate to new terms of reference for Johnson's independent advisor on ministers' standards, <keyword id="12897101" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="lord-geidt" source="Orion">Lord Geidt</keyword>.</p><p>Despite widespread calls, including by the Committee on Standards in Public Life, for Geidt to be given the ability to open his own investigations into breaches of the code, Johnson has not provided Geidt with this new power.</p><p>Instead, the new terms of reference state that the prime minister will "normally give his consent" to a request to open an investigation, but it remains the case that the request can be denied if the prime minister sees fit.</p><p>Johnson has also watered down the punishment for breaches of the Ministerial Code.</p><p>Previously, a breach of the code was meant to be followed by resignation or dismissal from post, but options such as public apologies and loss of ministerial salary are now stated in the code.</p><p>Tim Durrant, associate director at the Institute for Government think tank, <a href="https://twitter.com/timd_IFG/status/1530169373100589057">tweeted</a> that the new terms of reference for Lord Geidt were "another missed opportunity to show they are serious about tackling failures of standards in public life."</p>

Boris Johnson removes instruction to ministers to 'uphold the very highest standards of propriety' in new Ministerial Code foreword

<br /><ul><li><strong>The Indian government has announced a scholarship of ₹50 million for the education of minorities over the next five years.<br /></strong></li><li><strong>Scholarships worth ₹25 million will be dedicated to education among minority girls.<br /></strong></li><li><strong>The programme will provide free coaching for competitive exams — banking, Staff Selection Commission, railway exams.</strong></li></ul>In a bid to boost education and employment, the Narendra Modi government introduced <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/pms-new-outreach-to-minorities-scholarships-for-5-crore-students-2051619">scholarships for minorit</a>ies — especially girls.<br /><br />The government announced a scholarship of ₹50 million for the education of minorities over the next five years, dedicating half of this amount for girls, Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said. He was attending a general body meeting of Maulana Azad Education Foundation.<br /><br />The programme will cater to all students in the economically-weaker sections, regardless of caste.<br /><br />The outreach programme, which aims at inclusive growth will provide scholarship schemes across courses like pre-matric, post-matric and merit-cum-means, he added. The merit-cum-means scholarship was introduced by the Ministry of External Affairs for meritorious <keyword id="862585" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="minority-students">minority students</keyword> to pursue technical courses. <br /><br />Students will also be encouraged to take up government jobs after their education. In this regard, the programme will provide <a href="https://m.hindustantimes.com/education/scholarships-to-5-crore-minority-students-in-next-5-years-announces-union-minister-naqvi/story-zkBeHEienuLHJFrR9gduwJ_amp.html">free coaching</a> to students to prepare for competitive exams in — banking, Staff Selection Commission, and Railways. <br /><br /><strong>Empowering girls</strong><br /><br />The government is set to launch a campaign to spread awareness amongst families that refuse to educate their daughters.<br /><br />The programme will also introduce bridge courses to engage female school dropouts, and steer them towards education and employment by aiding enrollment into reputed universities.<br /><br />The government also announced a programme to <a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/modi-government-announces-scholarships-to-5-crore-minority-students-in-next-5-years-1546833-2019-06-11">train Madrasa teachers</a> across the country in subjects like English Mathematics and Computers, ANI reported.<br /><br />
	<div type="twitter" handle="ANI" handlename="ANI" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1497864299/ani_mic_logo_normal.jpg" favoritecount="554" retweetcount="111" status="#WATCH Union Minister of Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi: Madrasas which are there in large number across the… https://t.co/HpCA2uDRqv" createdat="1560256531000" id="1138424520207884289"></div>



<br />The Modi government also expanded the scholarships programme under the ‘Prime Minister Scholarship Scheme.’ <br /><br />
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<br />The Ministry of External Affairs too rolled out an educational scheme — Scholarship Programme for Diaspora Children (SPDC) — for <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india-introduces-scholarships-for-indian-expatriates-to-pursue-higher-education/articleshow/69686277.cms">overseas Indian students</a>, enabling admissions into India’s premier institutions.<br /><br /><strong>See also:</strong><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india-introduces-scholarships-for-indian-expatriates-to-pursue-higher-education/articleshow/69686277.cms">Scholarships for Indian students in 66 countries to pursue higher education</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/heres-how-much-does-an-it-employee-makes-in-different-countries/articleshow/69739244.cms">Here’s how much an IT employee makes in different countries</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/automation-will-affect-women-the-most-in-the-indian-job-market-report/articleshow/69674101.cms">Automation will affect women the most in the Indian job market: Report</a><br />

Indian government introduces ₹50 million scholarship for minority students — dedicating half of it to girls

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>China Daily via Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Hubei Provincial Museum in Wuhan, China, in April 2018.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li>Muslims in Xinjiang, China, are being surveilled and locked up en masse by regional authorities who see them as terrorists whose religion are akin to a disease or cancer.</li><li>Meanwhile, India revoked the autonomy of the mostly-Muslim region of Jammu and Kashmir, and is building detention camps for ethnic Bengalis - most of them Muslim - in the northeastern state  of Assam.</li><li>There are several parallels between these two countries' actions - both claim their projects are to prevent violence and explicitly told other countries to butt out of their affairs.</li><li>The rest of the world is too powerless to stop these economic powerhouses from continuing their mass internment projects.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul><p>China and India, two economic powerhouses with some of the largest populations in the world, are brutally oppressing their ethnic and religious minorities. But the international community is loathe to rebuke them.</p><p>In <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/xinjiang">Xinjiang</a>, Chinese authorities have installed the equivalent of a 21st-century police state, with the Uighur ethnic minority monitored by electronic spyware, and locked up en masse in prisons and detention camps. Uighurs call the region East Turkestan.</p><p>In August, Indian authorities revoked the semi-autonomy of the disputed territories of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/kashmir">Jammu and Kashmir</a>, and placed the region under an internet and phone blackout that largely remains today.</p><p>Residents - many of whom are Muslim - have been placed under virtual house arrest, unable to worship on holidays or <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-kashmir-trade-lockdown-ruins-apple-economy-2019-9">harvest crops</a>.</p><p>In Assam, northeast India, officials are also building internment camps to hold hundreds of mostly-Muslim ethnic-Bengalis, whom the state has declared illegal immigrants because their names are not included on the National Register of Citizens.</p><p>Many of them have lived in India their whole lives, but their citizenship documents are nonexistent, lost, or riddled with spelling errors. Indian authorities <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/11/india-implement-nationwide-citizenship-count-191120122109336.html">said this week</a> they want to extend the policy throughout the country, making activists grow more fearful for Muslims' safety.</p><p>"In Assam, the camps are currently set up within existing prisons," Angana Chatterji, co-chair of the University of California, Berkeley's Initiative on Political Conflict, Gender, and People's Rights told Business Insider.</p><p>"Reportedly about 600 to 700 people are being held in them," she said, adding that the prisons and camps being built "are being likened to concentration camps."</p><p>Though Xinjiang, Kashmir, and Assam are hundreds of miles apart, they all seem to follow the same playbook.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Anuwar Hazarika / REUTERS</span></p><p class="caption">Shefali Hajong, a laborer whose name has been excluded from India's National Register of Citizens, at a construction site for a detention center in Goapara, Assam, in September 2019.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><h2><strong>Both countries target Muslims to 'prevent violence'</strong></h2><p>China has repeatedly claimed that its actions in Xinjiang are a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-tries-to-cite-islamophobia-to-export-model-of-muslim-repression-2018-11">counterterrorism measure</a>, and even <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-tries-to-cite-islamophobia-to-export-model-of-muslim-repression-2018-11">cites Islamophobia</a> to justify its actions. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-uighur-detention-camps-cleanse-religion-leaked-documents-nyt-2019-11">Leaked Communist Party documents</a>, published last week by <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/11/16/world/asia/china-detention-directive.html">The New York Times</a>, shows authorities referring to Uighurs' religion as a cancer, disease, or drug addiction.</p><p>Meanwhile, India's External Affairs Minister <a href="https://www.spiegel.de/international/world/indian-external-affairs-minister-on-kashmir-climate-trump-a-1296790.html">Subrahmanyam Jaishankar</a> has said the country cut off Kashmir's internet and communications to fight radicalization and "prevent the loss of life." Locals and law-enforcement officials <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kashmir-villagers-allege-beatings-abuse-electric-shock-india-denies-2019-8">have been involved</a> in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kashmir-man-blinded-pellets-police-insist-no-major-injuries-2019-8">violent clashes</a>, and thousands of people have been detained.</p><p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, which is built on Hindu supremacy, has also capitalized on local Hindu suspicion in Assam of ethnic Bengalis, who have different ethnic identities, religions, and languages, said Meenakshi Ganguly, the South Asia director of Human Rights Watch.</p><p>Amit Shah, the country's home minister, has referred to illegal Muslim immigrants in India as "<a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/india-election-speech/amit-shah-vows-to-throw-illegal-immigrants-into-bay-of-bengal-idUSKCN1RO1YD">termites</a>" and threatened to throw them into the Bay of Bengal. The government has justified its actions in Assam as a matter of national security.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Anuwar Hazarika / REUTERS</span></p><p class="caption">Laborers at a school building at a construction site for a detention center in Goalpara district, Assam, in September 2019.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><h2><strong>Ethnic tensions are an 'internal matter'</strong></h2><p>Both China and India have batted away international criticism by <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-lawmakers-bill-punishing-china-over-uighur-muslim-persecution-2018-11">insisting that those issues</a> are <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-tells-un-to-back-off-after-alleging-xinjiang-has-1-million-in-camps-2018-9">internal matters</a> - and to an extent, their tactics are working.</p><p>The Chinese government forbids foreign journalists from entering Xinjiang to report, opting instead to organize <a href="https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-china-xinjiang-usa/u-s-official-denounces-choreographed-visits-to-chinas-xinjiang-idUKKCN1R503T">heavily-choreographed</a> and chaperoned tours to the region that involve bizarre performances of Uighurs dancing or learning Chinese in classrooms. At least two such trips have taken place.</p><p>Beijing has repeatedly dismissed reports of physical and psychological torture in those camps, claiming instead that they are "<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-calls-xinjiang-uighur-detention-camps-free-vocational-training-2018-10">free vocational training</a>" - even though many of the detainees doctors, journalists, or other professionals.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">A perimeter fence  constructed around a detention camp for Uighurs in Dabancheng, Xinjiang. China calls this a "vocational skills education center."</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>India, meanwhile, has repeatedly said that the Kashmir issue can only resolved bilaterally between India and Pakistan, citing <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-negotiate-in-kashmir-pakistan-india-2019-7">two historic agreements</a> on the matter. The issue of illegal immigration in Assam and elsewhere is <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/11/india-implement-nationwide-citizenship-count-191120122109336.html">a matter of national security</a>, according to Indian politicians. </p><p>In October, Indian authorities took a group of mostly right-leaning Members of the European Parliament on a tightly-controlled trip to Kashmir, which included a stay in a luxury hotel and a peaceful boat ride, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-50231022">the BBC reported</a>. The delegation did not witness any clashes or detentions.</p><p>But Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a vocal critic of Indian policy in Kashmir, was barred from entering Kashmir during a trip to India in early October.</p><p>"I was told it was not a good time" by Indian authorities, Van Hollen told Business Insider. "India's actions are fueling the more extreme elements on the ground," he added, referring to anti-India militants in the region, many of whom are funded by Pakistan.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Adnan Abidi/Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">Smoke rises from teargas shells fired by Indian security forces in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir state, in August 2019.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Darren Byler, a Uighur expert and University of Colorado researcher, said the Chinese and Indian government tours are likely helping quell foreign criticism.</p><p>"I think the people that go on those tours, they understand that this is being staged for them, at least to some extent," he told Business Insider.</p><p>"But they also see it as a way of justifying, saying they've done their due diligence, and they've taken a look at what's happening on the ground - so they can sign off, check the box, to say they've looked into the box, and say there's nothing there."</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Thomas Peter / REUTERS</span></p><p class="caption">A Chinese police officer armed with an automatic weapon gestures towards reporters in Yining, Xinjiang, in September 2018.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><h2>Criticism will not be tolerated</h2><p>China has repeatedly batted away criticism over Xinjiang, saying that its policies helped clamp down on terrorism and violence in the region. Shortly after The Times published the leaked Uighur files, the Chinese foreign ministry <a href="https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/web/wjdt_674879/fyrbt_674889/t1716742.shtml">said</a> its tactics in the region were "worth learning from."</p><p>India, meanwhile, has <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kashmir-crisis-india-accuses-media-fake-news-using-trump-playbook-2019-9">embarked on a disinformation campaign</a> regarding Kashmir, accusing the BBC and Reuters of lying about massive protests in the region <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kashmir-india-accuse-bbc-reuters-lying-about-protests-despite-video-2019-8">even though they were recorded on video</a>.</p><p>While both China and India's actions are driven by nationalism, it's important to note that they're not coordinating on tactics - the two countries have an <a href="https://thediplomat.com/2019/06/modi-2-0-and-indias-complex-relationship-with-china/">extremely complicated relationship,</a> due in part to China's encroachment near Indian territory and its friendly relationship with India's main rival, Pakistan.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Adnan Abidi</span></p><p class="caption">A signboard on the Indian side of the Indo-China border at Bumla in the northeastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, in 2009. China calls the state South Tibet.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><h2>Too big to punish</h2><p>Another similarity between the Xinjiang, Kashmir, and Assam crises is the lack of tangible, international action against them.</p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/islamic-world-stopped-calling-out-chinas-muslim-persecution-2019-4">Not a single Muslim country is standing up to China over its actions,</a> either to preserve existing economic ties or in response to Chinese threats to suspend future investment. Many Western countries have publicly criticized China's actions in Xinjiang - but have taken limited steps to stop the atrocities.</p><p>The European Union, for example, has told China to "<a href="https://www.france24.com/en/20190509-eu-urges-china-change-situation-xinjiang">change</a>" its actions but has not taken any tangible steps to ensure it. The 28-nation bloc lacks a coherent view toward China - and Beijing has capitalized on this disunity by <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-china-playbook-to-pit-eu-countries-against-each-other-2019-3">pitting EU countries against each other to prevent a united policy</a> that could hamper its plans.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Philippe Wojazer/Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel with  Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Elysée Palace in Paris in March 2019.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Last month the <a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2019-22210.pdf">US Commerce Department blacklisted</a> 28 Chinese companies, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-blacklists-china-ai-startups-2019-10">including eight highly-valued AI startups</a>, in response to their role in the "implementation of China's campaign of repression, mass arbitrary detention, and high-technology surveillance" against Muslims in Xinjiang.</p><p>The sanctions were hailed as a good first step, but there is no evidence of change in China's activities, or any indication that the US will take further measures.</p><p>An executive at Dahua, one of the sanctioned tech firms, even <a href="https://ipvm.com/reports/dahua-strong-sanction">appeared to celebrate</a> after the announcement, telling <a href="http://www.nbd.com.cn/articles/2019-10-18/1379375.html">a business newspaper</a>: "The fact that we are under the US control list shows that we indeed have a strong technological capability."</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Associated Press/Andy Wong</span></p><p class="caption">Xi and US President Donald Trump at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing during Trump's state visit in November 2017.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>"I think there's a lot of rhetoric - people want to care, they want to project that they're caring, but when it actually comes down to some kind of human or economic cost, they're not willing to take that step," Byler, the Uighur expert, said.</p><p>"They also point a finger at the Muslim-majority countries, saying: these countries aren't even taking a stand at all, or they're supporting the Chinese state," he added. "So that helps them feel justified in saying, 'at least we're condemning it, we've taken that step.'"</p><p>Aside from written statements of concern, the US has not taken any concrete action against India over its crackdown in Kashmir and Assam either.</p><p>The House Asia subcommittee <a href="https://sherman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/asia-subcommittee-to-hold-a-hearing-on-human-rights-in-south-asia-on">held hearings</a> on human-rights violations in the region in late October, and the US Commission on International Religious Freedom <a href="https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/2019%20India%20Issue%20Brief%20-%20Religious%20Freedom%20Implications.pdf">issued a report</a> this week noting their concern over India's using the citizenship list to tacitly set a religious requirement on citizenship and oppress Muslims.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Mukhtar Khan / Associated Press</span></p><p class="caption">A Kashmiri woman walks past paramilitary soldiers in Bijbehara, south of Srinagar, Kashmir, in October 2019.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>The US is also "highly unlikely" to impose economic sanctions on India over Kashmir, a former US diplomat specializing in South Asia told Business Insider, noting that Washington hasn't sanctioned Pakistan for harboring militants in Kashmir either. The source had declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue.</p><p>But "that doesn't mean that it's okay to apply a communications blockade on an entire region, and put a bunch of people who are mainstream politicians and who used to be in alliances with the ruling Indian government, into preventive detention," the person said.</p><p>An appropriate venue to raise India's actions in Kashmir would be at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHCR) the diplomat said. </p><p>But the fact that the US, the most powerful country in the world, quit the UNHCR - <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/44537372">calling it "hypocritical and self-serving"</a>  - has effectively neutered its leadership in human rights and leverage to condemn India's human rights abuses.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Denis Balibouse/Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">The UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, in March 2019. The US quit the council in June 2018.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>There is also evidence to suggest that UNHCR condemnations don't work: Earlier this year 22 mostly-Western countries <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-joint-letter-condemn-muslim-oppression-no-islamic-signatories-2019-7">wrote a joint letter</a> slamming China's "arbitrary detention and restrictions on freedom of movement of Uighurs, and other Muslim and minority communities in Xinjiang."</p><p>The harsh language of the letter was outweighed <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/syria-saudi-nk-support-china-uighur-prison-camps-xinjiang-2019-7">by 37 other countries</a> - including Syria and North Korea - standing up for China.</p><p>And in September, amid the Kashmir blackout and Assam's citizenship crisis, Trump <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-plays-unusual-role-of-warm-up-act-at-massive-rally-for-modi-in-houston/2019/09/22/18cf7a2a-dd50-11e9-8dc8-498eabc129a0_story.html">hosted Modi at a rally in Houston, Texas</a>, where Modi defended his government's actions in Kashmir.</p><p>What China and India are doing to their Muslim minorities is bleak. But without powerful countries and international bodies willing to take a stand, these persecutions are likely to continue unimpeded.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/secret-service-boot-camp-training-academy-president-security-2019-11">We went inside Secret Service boot camp where recruits get top secret training for their 'zero-fail mission'</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

China and India are using the same playbook to trample on their minorities, and the rest of the world is too powerless to stop them

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Facebook</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>A Tory Cabinet Minister <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3319765/A-rising-star-David-Cameron-s-Cabinet-sensationally-admitted-affair-claimed-one-Prime-Minister-s-election-aides-tried-blackmail-it.html">has admitted to</a> having an affair with the head of the Conservative Party's youth wing.</p><p>Robert Halfon, who is the deputy chairman of the Conservative Party, confessed to having an affair with Alexandra Paterson, the chair of Conservative Future, after he came to believe there was a plot to blackmail him.</p><p>According to the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3319765/A-rising-star-David-Cameron-s-Cabinet-sensationally-admitted-affair-claimed-one-Prime-Minister-s-election-aides-tried-blackmail-it.html">Mail on Sunday</a>, Halfon, who is 46 and has a partner, conducted the affair with 30-year-old Paterson at the East India Club, a private members club where he stays when he is in London. </p><p>Halfon says he admitted to the affair after <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3318983/Cabinet-Minister-sex-blackmail-plot-Politician-confesses-affair-Cameron-aide-accused-scheme-film-trysts.html">he came to believe that Mark Clarke</a>, the former head of RoadTrip (another Conservative party youth organisation), was planning to photograph him with Paterson in order to gain leverage over him.</p><p>When reached by Business Insider, Clarke said "I deny the allegation," but declined to comment further.</p><p>Halfon's revelation raises all sorts of questions about his past decisions for the party. For instance, back in April 2014, when Paterson was running to be chairman of Conservative Future, Halfon backed her for the role. He told <a href="http://www.theblueguerilla.co.uk/2014/08/exclusive-rob-halfon-mp-backs-team.html">thebluegorilla politics blog</a> that he was "delighted to hear that Alexandra is standing as the National Chairman of Conservative Future. I have every confidence she would make a wonderful CF Chairman."</p><p>Coincidentally, in the same week that Halfon made those comments, <a href="http://thingselliottsays.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Robert%20Halfon">Paterson travelled to his constituency</a> to canvass voters on his behalf. She was taking part in a trip organised by Mark Clarke.</p><p>The details of Halfon's affair also raise more questions about Clarke's <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/baroness-emma-pidding-house-of-lords-mark-clarke-bullying">alleged bullying while he was the head of RoadTrip, an organisation that mobilised young people to support MPs in marginal constituencies. </a></p><p>The Conservative Party is investigating allegations that he <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/baroness-emma-pidding-house-of-lords-mark-clarke-bullying">bullied young Tory activist Elliott Johnson</a> shortly before Johnson committed suicide. Johnson was allegedly threatened by Clarke on at least two occasions before his death. Very little is known about why Clarke felt threatened in the first incident. But Clarke took an audio recorder along for a second meeting with Clarke. On that occasion, Johnson <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3259016/Secret-tape-Tatler-Tory-bullying-suicide-victim-Menacing-blackmail-threats-young-activist-kangaroo-court-revenge-adultery-rumours.html">captured on tape</a> Clarke appearing to threaten to expose a minor mistake Johnson may have made in violation of election law, as a retaliation after the young activist complained to the Conservative Party about the first altercation.</p><p>Prior to Elliott's suicide, Clarke told this reporter in conversation that when he became an MP he would lobby for a position in the Cabinet by leaning on grateful MPs who he had helped propel to power.</p><p>Clarke is being investigated by the Conservative Party as part of a "disciplinary inquiry." If the inquiry finds that Halfon's allegations are true, Clarke will be permanently excluded from the party.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/woman-at-trump-rally-reads-book-about-racism-2015-11">This woman got a prime seat at a Trump rally, and spent the whole time reading a book about racism</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="d0NjlzeDozqnFmnzLKO5jnoBn4lhJESs" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

You Searched For "Minority Affairs Minister" and got 10 results

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China and India are using the same playbook to trample on their minorities, and the rest of the world is too powerless to stop them

Alexandra Ma,Ellen Ioanes,Ell…

A Tory Minister admitted to an affair with a junior party member after fearing he'd be blackmailed

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Here are India’s cabinet ministers who were appointed in 2014

BI India Bureau

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