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The <keyword id="1575" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="congress" source="Orion">Congress</keyword> on Monday accused the Centre of not accepting the truth and alleged that since May 2020, the Modi government's preferred strategy to deal with the Chinese incursions in Ladakh can be summed up with "DDLJ -- Deny, Distract, Lie and Justify". Congress General Secretary in-charge Communications Jairam Ramesh in a statement on Monday said, "External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's recent remarks attacking the Congress party are simply the latest attempt to divert attention from the Modi government's failed China policy, the most recent revelation being that since May 2020 India has lost access to 26 of 65 patrolling points in Ladakh." He said the fact is that there is no comparison between 1962, when India went to war with China to defend its territory, and 2020 after which India has acquiesced to Chinese aggression with denials followed by 'disengagements' in which India has lost access to thousands of square kilometres of territory. Jairam alleged that "EAM Jaishankar's implied cheap shot at Rahul Gandhi for meeting the Chinese ambassador in 2017 is ironic to say the least coming from someone who as ambassador to the US during the Obama administration presumably met with leading Republicans. "Are opposition leaders not entitled to meet diplomats from countries that are important from a trade, investment and security standpoint?" he asked. The Modi government should have been truthful from the start and taken the opposition into confidence by discussing the China crisis in parliamentary standing committees and debating the issue in Parliament. "At a very minimum it should have held detailed briefings for leaders of major political parties," he said. "It is extraordinary that EAM Jaishankar has admitted on several occasions that he has no idea why China has turned aggressive on the Line of Actual Control, notwithstanding the unusually frequent contacts between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping and the PM's boast that he enjoys a special 'Plus One' relationship with President Xi," Ramesh said. He said, "No amount of obfuscation can hide the fact that the Modi government has sought to cover up India's biggest territorial setback in decades that followed PM Modi's naive wooing of President Xi. "We suggest that EAM Jaishankar and the government spend more time trying to get Chinese troops out of Depsang and Demchok and less time on blaming the opposition for their own incompetence," he said. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/new-patent-suggests-that-apple-could-bring-a-foldable-iphone-with-a-self-healing-display-in-the-future/articleshow/97302738.cms">New patent suggests that Apple could bring a foldable iPhone with a self-healing display in the future</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/apples-mixed-reality-headset-could-feature-full-body-facetime-avatars/articleshow/97300580.cms">Apple's Mixed Reality headset could feature advanced hand tracking and may work as a second display for Mac</a>

Centre takes the DDLJ stand on Chinese transgressions: Cong

While speculations are rife about the <keyword id="6354642" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Modi">Modi</keyword> cabinet going in for a possible reshuffle soon after the presidential poll, PM Modi has reportedly asked his ministers to prepare a presentation in the form of a report card highlighting their achievements. The ministers have been given a month’s time to prepare the presentations, which involves comparison of their achievements department during the three years of <keyword id="41281" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="NDA">NDA</keyword> rule with the last three years of <keyword id="6355364" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="UPA">UPA</keyword>. The timing of this performance appraisal has led to observers linking it to a possible ministerial reshuffle. Now that the Modi-led government has spent three years in power, their focus for the remaining two years before the 2019 <keyword id="6355187" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha">Lok Sabha</keyword> polls would be on highlighting their success stories. With <keyword id="6363133" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Manohar-Parrikar">Manohar Parrikar</keyword> returning to Goa as the CM leaving defence ministry in the hands of finance minister <keyword id="42575" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Arun-Jaitley">Arun Jaitley</keyword> and the sudden death of environment minister <keyword id="339802" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Anil-Madhav-Dave">Anil Madhav Dave</keyword> leading to Harsh Vardhan been made the incumbent minister, there’re also some vacancies in the cabinet.

Cabinet to have its performance appraisal soon

Prime Minister <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/topic/narendra-modi">Narendra Modi</a>-led Indian Government is going to complete three years in power on May 26 and since then, it has portrayed an image of a zero tolerance for corruption government, which is also fearless in taking on Pakistan, and has empathy for the poor. This <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Modi-government-contemplating-a-digital-platform-for-Indias-voice/articleshow/58042038.cms">government</a> also clearly focussed on tagline-'gaon, garib aur kisaan' (village, poor and the farmer). The government is going to harp on the same issues and include some more in its vision document, which it will unveil on its third anniversary. “The government is free from any taint of corruption, totally different from the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/UPA-government-hid-vital-facts-about-VVIP-helicopter-scam-an-Italian-court-reveals/articleshow/51976339.cms">UPA tenure</a> riddled with scams. This will be the dominant message," a senior government official aware of the details told <a href="http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/modi-govts-3-year-anniversary-zero-tolerance-on-corruption-surgical-strike-on-pakistan-/articleshow/58724130.cms">ET</a>. As per sources, the document will also include steps that the government took to handle corruption, highlighting the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Post-demonetisation-tax-officials-detected-Rs-5400-crore-of-black-money-carried-out-over-1100-searches/articleshow/58140962.cms">demonetisation</a> drive, which "strengthened the hands of the common citizen and the government in the fight against corruption, terror funding, Naxalism, human trafficking, black money and counterfeit notes." Also read: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Remonetisation-substantially-completed-will-expand-tax-base-Jaitley/articleshow/58576226.cms">Remonetisation substantially completed, will expand tax base: Jaitley</a> Earlier, welfare programmes were marred by leakages, which led to beneficiaries being kept away from the money promised to them. This has been corrected by direct benefit transfer, where the subsidy amount is directly transferred to their bank account. This also saved the government Rs. 50,000 crore. This would, therefore, of course be mentioned in the document. Other steps to fight corruption mentioned in the document would be putting a Rs. 2,000 cap on cash donations to parties, blocking the Mauritius, Singapore and Cyprus channels of black money, and agreement on real-time transaction data with Switzerland. Also read: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/21-billion-of-black-money-taken-out-from-India-in-2014-says-report-by-Global-Financial-Integrity/articleshow/58491181.cms">$21 billion of black money taken out from India in 2014, says report by Global Financial Integrity</a> Another measure that would find a mention in the document would be the allocation of 82 coal blocks through a transparent auction. The government earned Rs. 5 lakh crore with this auction.

Modi completes three years! Here is what the anniversary document might include

Being an Indian, you may take pride. Because your <keyword id="155319" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Aadhar">Aadhar</keyword> card is a part of the world’s largest biometrics-based identity programme. The meek and humble 12-digit number during the <keyword id="6355364" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="UPA">UPA</keyword> government was made to stop fraud and pilferage from India’s social welfare programmes. Move to 2017! The <keyword id="6354642" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Modi">Modi</keyword> government is gradually making it mandatory for every citizen to use our Aadhar cards from buying railway tickets, filing tax returns to marriage certificates, entrance exams mobile phone cards to banking. 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/heres-why-linking-aadhar-to-all-servicesisnt-much-of-a-sensible-step-by-the-modi-government/articleshow/57893415.cms">ALSO READ: Stop comparing India's Aadhar with USA's social security number. Govt needs to bring a privacy law for citizens before linking aadhar to PAN</a> 
 
Good enough! So Aadhar has a different <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/heres-why-linking-aadhar-to-all-servicesisnt-much-of-a-sensible-step-by-the-modi-government/articleshow/57893415.cms">objective altogether</a>. Aadhar card has your iris and finger print stored in a central database. Given the not-so-strong cyber security laws in the country, you often think how safe your banking transactions are; given the fact even your telecom operator store has your Aadhar number. But then someone would just poke their nose into your business and inform that even the <keyword id="6355055" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="USA">USA</keyword> has <keyword id="6379493" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Social-Security">social security</keyword> number to keep a count on the citizens. That’s it! You need to step out in war footing and make this person understand how India’s Aadhar cannot be compared to the USA’s Social Security Number. 
 
Here’s why: 
 
Structural difference between Aadhar and SSN 
You know about Aadhar card very well. But what about the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/heres-why-linking-aadhar-to-all-servicesisnt-much-of-a-sensible-step-by-the-modi-government/articleshow/57893415.cms">USA’s Social Security Number or SSN</a>? In 1936, SSN was a 9-digit number that was used by the government to track ac citizen’s income and ensure the social benefit on the basis of the same. That’s quite much like Aadhar of ours. Gradually more government agencies and incorporates started storing the records of SSN. In 1961, just like Aadhar, the <keyword id="6555575" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Internal-Revenue-Service">Internal Revenue Service</keyword> of USA started using SSN for identifying taxpayers. 
 Until then, there was no legal framework that would prevent any credit card company to judge a person basis their SSN. However in 1977, under <keyword id="6459158" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="jimmy-carter">Jimmy Carter</keyword>, the 39th President of the <keyword id="6356955" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="united-states">United States</keyword>, it was decied that SSN cannot be used as an identification document. Rather, it should only be used as a legal permit to work. 
 On the Social Security website of the USA government, under the <keyword id="4374443" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="social-security-testimony-before-congress">Social Security Testimony Before Congress</keyword>, it is clearly mentioned: “The card was never intended to serve as a personal identification document – that is, it does not establish that the person presenting the card is actually the person whose name and SSN appear on the card.” 
 
Now contrast this with our Aadhar, which is a single digital identity number and you will find that any government and private bodies may use the same as a identity card to authenticate you as an Indian citizen. Also, anyone who has stayed in India for 182 days can apply for enrolling oneself for <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/heres-why-linking-aadhar-to-all-servicesisnt-much-of-a-sensible-step-by-the-modi-government/articleshow/57893415.cms">Aadhar card</a>. However SSN is only given to the US citizens who have permit to work in the country. 
 
The process of registering people on Aadhar was executed through private enterprises known as enrollers who operated freely without any government supervision at the field level. The qualifications needed to become an enrolment agency were quite low and nobody was from a recognized name. 
 
Your biological data is stored in Aadhar 
In Aadhar, from finger print to iris, everything is stored. However in SSN, the US government didn’t collect finger prints. To support their logic, the Social Security website reads: “The use of fingerprints was associated in the public mind with criminal activity, making this approach undesirable.” SSN doesn’t even contain any photograph for that matter. In 2007, there were talks to include these details to act against terrorism, but the country who have experienced terrorist attacks in its worst form and often behave cynical on this matter actually went against it. 
 
“A biometric identifier, such as a fingerprint, can be an effective and highly accurate way to establish the identity of an individual, but it can also facilitate a much higher degree of tracking and profiling than would be appropriate for many transactions,” said Marc Rotenberg, Executive Director, Electronic Privacy Information Center a research organisation, while the hearing on the Use and Misuse of the Social Security Number before the Subcommittee on <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/heres-why-linking-aadhar-to-all-servicesisnt-much-of-a-sensible-step-by-the-modi-government/articleshow/57893415.cms">Social Security Committee </a>on Ways and Means U.S. House of Representatives. 
“The problems that will arise when biometric identifiers are compromised are severe. What will happen at the point that your biometric identifiers no longer identify you?” he added. 
 
Aadhar is linked to central database 
However SSN is never seeded. “Department of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/heres-why-linking-aadhar-to-all-servicesisnt-much-of-a-sensible-step-by-the-modi-government/articleshow/57893415.cms">Homeland Security program</a>s shall not collect or use an SSN as a unique identifier; rather, programs shall create their own unique identifiers to identify or link information concerning an individual,” reads the Privacy Policy Guidance Memorandum of the Homeland Security in the USA. 
 
SSN cannot be used openly by private companies 
 
SSN is required by private businesses on two cases: 
 (1) you are involved in a transaction in which the Internal Revenue Service requires notification, or (2) you are engaged in a financial transaction subject to federal <keyword id="4374444" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="customer-identification-program">Customer Identification Program</keyword> rules. 
 
However for Aadhar, even the mobile store that operates from a small kiosk would ask you to authorise for a sim card or the travel agent booking your railway tickets or the bank agent insisting you for a credit card.

For
God’s sake stop comparing India's Aadhar with USA's Social Security Number

An Italian court has found out that the UPA government concealed some critical issues in the <keyword id="1560103" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="VVIP-chopper-scandal">VVIP chopper scandal</keyword>, hiding several documents with investigators. The court has also found out that the main accused, the then Italian Prime Minister <keyword id="826514" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Mario-Monti">Mario Monti</keyword>, had tried to reach out to his Indian counterpart <keyword id="6359397" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Manmohan-Singh">Manmohan Singh</keyword>. 
 In the 225-page order, which was accessed by ET, the <keyword id="3336940" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Court-of-Appeals-of-Milan">Court of Appeals of Milan</keyword> has given in depth details of its grounds for conviction. About the UPA government hiding important details, it observed: "This showing (of) a substantial disregard to arrive at a full explanation of facts (was) effectively demonstrated by the procedural behaviour of the Indian Ministry of Defence." 
 
The Italian court, which is equivalent to the High Courts of India, further speculated if all this was connected to a handwritten note that was recovered in March 2013 from former Finmeccanica head Giuseppe Orsi's prison cell. 
 
The note said, "Call Monti or amb. Teracciano in my name to ask him to call the PM Singh." Monti was the then Italian PM and Teracciano was his diplomatic advisor. 
 
The court then said that while it's not in a "position to determine what was the message that Orsi, during his detention, intended to send to the head of Government of India but the same can be guessed if we think about the outcome of requests for judicial assistance sent to Indian authorities." 
 
A footnote said that in April 2013, Italy had requested full documents related to the case from Indian government, but only three documents were provided and that too by as late as March 2014. The judgement, which also questioned the involvement of British middleman Christian Michel, makes extensive referrals to CAG’s report about the matter. 
 
In its ruling in the case, the Italian court had stated that the 2010 deal to purchase 12 VVIP helicopters by India from AgustaWestland involved corruption at international levels, which is why it had ordered a four-and-a-half-years jail term to the former head of the company, Giuseppe Orsi. 
 
It was in 2013 that the UPA government had cancelled the deal, saying that the integrity pact was violated. After that, most of the money paid to the Italian company has been recovered, while three VVIP choppers that were delivered to India are lying dormant. 
 
<a href="http://files.foreignaffairs.com/legacy/images/Singh2.jpg">Image source</a>

UPA government hid vital facts about VVIP helicopter scam, an Italian court reveals

Keeping aside the Whatsapp jokes that Indian Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> barely spends a night in the country, the number of foreign trips that Modi and his Cabinet colleagues have taken in the last financial year (2015-16) has cost the exchequer Rs 567 crore. This amount is 80% more than what was spent on foreign trips the previous year, and doesn’t include the sum of Rs 500 crore that his bureaucrats spend on their travel each year on an average. 
 
This travel bill of the Cabinet and the PM includes the expenditure on travel by ministers, ministers of state and ex-PMs and the aircraft used by VVIPs, including the PM, President and Vice-President. 
 
At the beginning of the 2015-16 fiscal, the budget estimated this sum to be Rs 269 crore, however, the revised estimates have shown the amount to be Rs 567 crore. Other than this, the total tour expenditure of bureaucrats in the three years up to 2014-15 was over Rs 1,500 crore. 
 
The last government’s cabinet and former PM Manmohan Singh spent almost Rs 1,500 crore on travel between 2009-10 and 2013-14, in comparison to which the travel bill of the NDA government has already been estimated to be Rs 1,140 crore. 
 
To keep things under control, Modi has pledged that he would be cutting down on his foreign trips expenditure by over 54% in the next financial year, maintaining a balance with the level of UPA government's expenditure towards the end of its term. 
 
Even though Modi’s Cabinet has a lesser number of members (64) as compared to UPA's 75, his ministers have got 25% more salaries last year as compared to 2013-14. Other than this, their allowances were also respectively increased by 8% and stood at Rs 10.20 crore. 
 
Another interesting fact about these travel bills is that every year, the finance ministry announces a 10% cut in non-plan expenditure, restricting the first class travel and five-star stays by bureaucrats and a cut on foreign delegations of Union ministers, but the restrictions are lifted in the second half of the fiscal, every single year.

Modi’s cabinet is globetrotting too, spends 80% higher on travel
than last year

Exit polls bring good news for Congress as their coalition partner, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) will sweep the state, winning over 25 seats. Today’s Chanakya and India Today and India Today-Axis’ polls foretell that they will cross 30 seats. BJP’s poll partner, on the other hand, AIADMK (All India Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) might find it tough to win more than ten seats, according to most polls. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 0pt 2pt 0pt;">TamilNadu Exit Poll 2019 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;"> </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;"> </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;"> </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;"> </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">Party Names </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">TimesNow - VMR </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">India Today Axis </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">C -Voter </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">News 18 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">AIADMK +BJP </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">9 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">3 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">11 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">14 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">DMK+Congress </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">29 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">34 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">27 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">23 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">Others </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">0 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">1 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">0 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;">1 </td></tr></tbody></table> Tamil Nadu is the southernmost state of the Indian subcontinent. Bordered by Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh on three sides, Tamil Nadu has a 940 km coastline along the Bay of Bengal, which is the third longest in India. Tamil Nadu is the eleventh largest state in India in terms of area and the sixth largest in terms of population. The total number of eligible voters in the state is 5,89,78,232 consisting of 2,91,92,130 males and 2,97,80,641 females in addition to 5,461 third gender voters. In 2014 general elections for the Parliament, Tamil Nadu elected the AIADMK from 37 seats giving 1 seat each to BJP and PMK. In 2009 Lok Sabha elections, DMK secured 18 places giving 9 places to AIADMK, 8 seats to the Congress and 4 seats to other candidates. In 2004 general elections for the Lok Sabha, the state elected DMK from 16 constituencies, INC form 10 seats, PMK from 5 places and other candidatesfrom 8 seats. The total number of Lok Sabha constituencies in Tamil Nadu is 39 and hence it sends 39 MPs to the Lok Sabha. 7 among them are reserved seats for the scheduled castes. 18 Members represent Tamil Nadu in the Rajya Sabha. The state has 235 assembly constituencies and the latest state elections were held in May 2016. For the Lok Sabha 2019 elections, Tamil Nadu voted in a single phase on April 18, 2019 when the country voted during the second round of polling.

Good News for UPA in Tamilnadu as per all Exit poll 2019

To influence voters in Bihar, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Prime+Minister+Narendra+Modi+">Prime Minister Narendra Modi</a> announced on Tuesday a package of whopping Rs 1.25 lakh crore for the state and promised that it would touch new heights of development if the BJP is voted to power. 
 
Modi also attacked <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Bihar+Chief+Minister+Nitish+Kumar+">Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar</a> for putting the prestige of Bihar at stake by pleading with the previous <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=UPA+government+">UPA government</a> for packages and getting only Rs 12,000 crore, reported PTI. 
 "I am here today to fulfill my promise to you. I am announcing a package of Rs 1.25 lakh crore for Bihar. Now you give me your blessings to change the fate of Bihar," he said at a government function in <keyword id="1076700" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Arrah">Arrah</keyword> district, where several projects were launched. 
 
The PM also made it clear that the Rs 1.25 lakh crore package will be in addition to the ongoing projects worth Rs 40, 657 crore, announced previously. 
 In the wake of high-stakes state assembly polls, the BJP is banking heavily on the Centre's development package to wrest power from <keyword id="6358190" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Nitish-Kumar">Nitish Kumar</keyword>, its one time ally-turned-rival, who has now joined hands with <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Lalu+Prasad%27s+RJD+">Lalu Prasad's RJD</a> to take on the saffron combine. 
 
Attacking Kumar for his claim that Bihar was no longer a 'bimaru' state as claimed by Modi in his previous rally in Bihar, Modi wondered why he had been seeking packages all the time. 
 
He said: "Our chief minister turned very angry and said who is Modi to call Bihar a 'bimaru' state. He said with authority that Bihar is no longer a bimaru state. If it is true, then I will be the happiest person. I welcome this.” 
 
"Tell me, if somebody is healthy, will he go to a doctor. If somebody's stomach is full, will he go anywhere seeking food? I am surprised that on the one hand he says Bihar is not bimaru and on the other he keeps asking for something or the other. Let the people of Bihar decide," Modi said. 
 
He further cited the previous two packages of Rs 10,000 crore and Rs 12,000 crore given to the state in 2003 and 2013 and said the CM could not utilize them properly. 
 
Referring to Kumar's split with BJP in 2013, he said the chief minister then went to 'Delhi Durbar' and pleaded that please give me something to keep my honour. 
 
"For political benefits, he put at stake the prestige of Bihar," Modi said, adding that Rs 12000 crore given by UPA was like giving a candy to a child who cries too much. 
 
Invoking freedom fighter Babu Veer Kunwar Singh, who hailed from Arrah, and seeking <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Jayaprakash+Narayan">Jayaprakash Narayan's</a> blessings, he went on to ask people, "Should it be Rs 50, 000 crore or more, Rs 60, 000 cr, Rs 70, 000 cr...," he said as the crowd cheered and then stood up as he made the final announcement of Rs 1.25 lakh crore. 
 Wooing the electorate, he said people of Bihar were bestowed with "sharp intellect" and mentioned that <keyword id="120638" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="chanakya">Chanakya</keyword> was born here. 
 
He also spoke about the "comprehensive work" being done by his government, especially regarding skilling youth and training women, to develop the country and took a jibe at the previous dispensations, saying they had a "piecemeal" approach to progress. 
 
The CM, who had gone to receive Modi at <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Patna+Airport">Patna Airport</a>, was not present at the Arrah function where the PM inaugurated &amp; laid foundation stone of 11 National Highway projects of 700 km at a cost of Rs 9,700 crore. 
 
(Image: Indiatimes)

Bihar to soon be flooded with cash! Rs 1.65 lakh cr handed out for the state

After 2G and Coalgate continuing to be a horrendous nightmare for the UPA in general and Congress in particular, one more nail on the coffin has been put. The <keyword id="6354889" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Central-Bureau-of-Investigation">Central Bureau of Investigation</keyword> (CBI) has initiated a probe into the alleged loss of Rs 4,200 crore to the Railways in freight, according to an Economic Times. 
 
Surprise checks conducted at 65 locations last week unearthed the fact that goods transported in trains are underweight in connivance with the railway officials and private companies. 
 
"We have carried out surprise checks and found serious discrepancies," CBI spokesperson Kanchan Prasad told the ET. The checks were done along with the vigilance department of the Indian Railways. 
 
The railways is known to have earned around 67% of its total revenues, Rs 85,262 crore by transporting 1,008 million metric tonnes of freight in 2012-13. The ET has reported, the railways collect freight charges from various transporters. The charges are levied based on the weight of the goods that are loaded in the wagons. Railways use both static and in-motion weigh bridges for weighing. 
 
Electronic In-Motion Weigh Bridge (EIMWBs) have been developed by the railways in consultation with Research Development and Standards Organisation (RDSO) to plug the leakage of revenue and to avoid overloading of wagons. A goods trains passing at the speed of 15 kilometres per hour gets automatically weighed by this system. 
 
Explaining the modus operandi to the ET, a senior official said, "The manipulations in weighment was done by tampering of the software, EIMWB hardware. The manual entries by the suspects led to significant loss of revenue for the railways. Even a 5% under-reporting of actual weight of freight leads to a loss of nearly Rs 4,200 crore. Such a manipulation also leads to overloading with adverse consequences for wear and tear of track and railway safety." 
 
These EIMWBs are located at 200 locations out of which CBI conducted checks in Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata among others. During the checks, CBI sleuths also found that the quantum of under-weighment increased with an increase in speed of the rake. 
 
The CBI cops also secured the EIMWBs locations with the help of digital forensic experts to prevent the tampering of the machine. "We also took a forensic image of the hard disc of the EIMWB to enable a digital forensic analysis to locate the 'digital fingerprints' of past manipulation in weighment," said a senior CBI official. 
 
Indian Railway spokesperson Anil Saxena acknowledged the checks were conducted by the CBI. He, however, downplayed the enormity of the scandal. "This is a regular exercise that is carried out by the Indian Railways to check corruption. We had only asked CBI and our vigilance department to conduct the checks," Saxena told the financial daily over phone. 
 
(Image: India Times)

Yet another UPA scam? CBI smells rat in railway freight allocation

NEW DELHI: The incoming BJP government with <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> as PM will withdraw from the <keyword id="6354977" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Supreme-Court">Supreme Court</keyword> the UPA government's petition filed on May 16, when trends had indicated its drubbing in the <keyword id="6355187" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha">Lok Sabha</keyword> polls, seeking recall of the court's direction to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) on black money. 
 
A top BJP source told TOI that they would withdraw the petition. "We will deal with it after the government formation process gets over and law officers are in place," the source said. 
 The UPA government's petition, which sought review of the court's May 4 order, also said it would not divulge the names of LGT Bank account holders to petitioner <keyword id="38062" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Ram-Jethmalani">Ram Jethmalani</keyword> as it would violate the confidentiality clause in the double taxation avoidance treaty between India and Germany. 
 
In fact, the new review petition reiterated the grounds it had raised in its earlier petition seeking review of the court's July 4, 2011 judgment directing setting up of an SIT headed by a retired SC judge as well as revealing the names of LGT Bank account holders. 
 
After the court dismissed the review petition on May 1 and directed the government three days later to notify the SIT headed by Justice M B Shah, with Justice Arijit Pasayat as his deputy, the UPA government moved the petition seeking to wriggle out of the mandate of the July 4, 2011 judgment, which was reiterated in the May 1 and 4 orders. 
 
The review petition listed 53 grounds, including elaborate arguments on separation of power, virtually telling the court that it was encroaching into the executive's domain by passing orders on how to deal with black money. 
 The <keyword id="6360789" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Modi-Government">Modi government</keyword> would have found it difficult to endorse the UPA's last petition in the SC as it has been a votary of acting tough against those who stash illegal money in foreign banks. In fact, it had made it an election issue.

Modi Set To Lift UPA's Veil On Black Money

Former <keyword id="71" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Prime-Minister">Prime Minister</keyword> <keyword id="6359397" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Manmohan-Singh">Manmohan Singh</keyword> has always been known to be the ‘silent PM’. All throughout his 10-year tenure at the helm of affairs as the Prime Minister of India, from 2004 to 2014, the Prime Minister was accused of not interacting more with either the media or the citizens of the country. Infact, things became too hot to handle once the scams started coming out into the open. First the <keyword id="6446767" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="2G-scam">2G scam</keyword> in 2010, followed by the CWG scam and then the coal scam, severely marred the <keyword id="1575" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Congress">Congress</keyword> party’s reputation and did irreversible damage to even Singh’s reputation, who was till then hailed as the ‘cleanest politician’ and was extended wide acclaim for having brought around the very first round of economic liberalisation to India in 1991 as the <keyword id="6355261" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Finance-minister">Finance Minister</keyword> (under the aegis of Narasimha Rao). 
 Today, just a day after fresh allegations were levelled against him by former Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Chairman, Pradeep Baijal, Singh told a gathering of young, budding politicians of NSUI that most of the claims being made by the <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> and the <keyword id="14666" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="BJP">BJP</keyword> government were all false. 
 
Here, we list down for you the top 5 digs the former Prime Minister leveled at all the allegations that have been made against him, his leadership and his family, in an extremely candid address. 
 
1) Manmohan Singh said, “The UPA has always fought against corruption. We will continue to do so,” and went on to say, “I have never used the office to enrich the coffers of my family, or that of my friends or that of my political party.” 
 2) On the claims that the BJP government has been making about the reforms the NDA government has brought to the economy within a year of its coming to power, Singh said, “We have a duty to our citizens of telling the truth. All of us have an obligation to give out the correct information to our people. You can’t make false talk about the <keyword id="26374" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="UPA-government">UPA government</keyword>.” 
 3) He also claimed that most of the ‘achievements’ that the BJP government was laying claim to was in fact, revamped versions of schemes that were launched by the UPA regime, a claim that many an expert has in the past reiterated. He said, “Be it the <keyword id="6383794" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="national-Rural-Health-Mission">National Rural Health Mission</keyword> or the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission. These were schemes that were launched during the UPA regimen and that have been subsequently revamped and relaunched by the BJP government.” 
 
4) Singh went on to say, “All the talk about improvement in the economy that the BJP is talking about. Just go around and see for yourself and look at the data. Investment is not increasing. Farming sector has seen no increase. 65% of our country is represented by the rural population and they are in distress. When over 65% of a country’s population is in distress, how can you claim that the country is progressing?” 
 5) Singh also took a dig at Modi’s pet project, The Make in India. He said, “What is this Make in India? This is nothing but a revamped version of the UPA’s new National Manufacturing Policy, under which we had promised to increase the share of manufacturing to <keyword id="35050" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="gdp">GDP</keyword> to 25% by 2025. The BJP’s claims are no different.”

5 uncharacteristically strong digs that Former
PM Manmohan Singh took at Narendra Modi and the BJP Govt

The Narendra Modi-led government has scrapped the appointment of six public sector bank CMDs selected by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. The extreme step has been taken as some irregularities were found in the process of selection. 
 The <keyword id="26374" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="UPA-government">UPA government</keyword> had shortlisted chairman and managing directors for Bank of Baroda, Canara Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, Oriental Bank of Commerce, United Bank and Vijaya Bank. The names were forwarded to the Finance Ministry for ratification by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet. 
 "After receipt of the report of the committee, the government has decided to cancel the current selection process of CMDs/EDs of public sector banks (PSBs). The government constituted a committee consisting of secretary, secretary and governor, <keyword id="30067" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="RBI">RBI</keyword> to examine the selection process adopted for the selections to the posts of CMDs/EDs for 2014-15," a Finance Ministry statement said. "...Eight posts of CMDs and 14 posts of EDs would require to be filled-up de novo," it added. 
 
A high-level committee comprising of expenditure secretary, RBI governor and secretary, school education was set up to examine the selections. The posts will now be filled through a fresh selection process. 
 
Images: indiatimes

Modi Govt Overturns UPA's Selection Of Six PSU Bank CMDs

There seems to be some gap between Modi’s ambition and his Home Ministry’s intentions. India’s home ministry is reluctant to launch BRICS Business Travel Card (BBTC), which is aimed to improve public-private partnerships among the five emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. 
 While the <keyword id="71" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Prime-Minister">Prime Minister</keyword> has been pitching for a liberalised travel regime among BRICS countries, the Home Ministry has cited security concerns to express reservations about giving long-term business visas to Chinese nationals. 
 
"The home ministry wants to hold detailed consultations with other stakeholders before giving in to the demand of the external affairs ministry," an official told the Economic Times, requesting anonymity. At present, India gives a two-month single entry visa and six-month multiple entry visas to businessmen from China. 
 During the tenure of the previous <keyword id="26374" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="UPA-government">UPA government</keyword>, a decision was taken to extend the tenure of multiple visas to one year. However, it could not be implemented. 
 
As per the memorandum of understanding on simplification of visa procedures signed between India and China, business persons from China require a letter of invitation from a recognised Indian organisation for multiple entry visa while the single entry visa is issued on production of a letter of request from an authorised Chinese organisation, according to the ET. 
 
India already provides a five-year visa to nationals of the other BRICS nations, apart from multiple entry business visas valid up to one year. 
Home ministry officials said that while there is unanimity over giving five-year business visas to people from the other nations in the bloc, excluding China from the pool will lead to further confrontation with the neighbouring country. 
 
"We also want that China should reciprocate in case a decision to grant longterm visa is taken," said an official, adding that setting up an exclusive zone for BBTC will require technological upgrade and upkeep of records. 
 
For BBTC, it has been proposed that the details of business persons from BRICS countries be in the form of a magnetic chip. This will contain all the information regarding the person including on passport and visa, thus facilitating a paperless journey and stay in India. 
 
(Image: Reuters)

Despite doing business worth billions of dollars with China, Indian Home Ministry jittery in granting long-term visas to Chinese businessmen

After being the favourite target of his government’s misdoings and scams that rocked the Parliament during his term, former prime minister <keyword id="6359397" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Manmohan-Singh">Manmohan Singh</keyword> has been a man who is out of sight, but not out of minds of people yet. Not at least that of the investigating agencies. 
 
There have been those rarest of rare occasions when Manmohan Singh spoken about in the media especially after his retirement from active politics and his life, presumed to be going peacefully, at a low profile residence given to him in Delhi. 
 The latest news on the former prime minister, who led a hectic life as the leading man of UPA through the entire decade before the <keyword id="1575" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Congress">Congress</keyword> and its allies were trounced by Narendra Modi-led BJP in the 2014 general elections, was that he was ‘visited’ by officials from CBI in connection with the coal block allocation scam that cost him both his as well as his government’s reputation. Owing to the sheer size of corruption that is alleged to have taken place, Coalgate will linger on people’s minds for a long time to come. 
 
Last time former prime minister Manmohan Singh grabbed headlines was when he was accorded the highest national order by the government of Japan, which acknowledged his contribution towards strengthening ties between both the countries. 
 
Another ‘little known’ fact that didn’t really make a huge noise was his decision to adopt Pachim Bekeli Gaon Panchayat under Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana. Pachim Bekeli Gaon Panchayat is located in Kamrup district of Assam, from where Manmohan Singh represents the Rajya Sabha. 
 
How is the workaholic politician and economist spending his retirement days? Going by his composure which remained undeterred by the most testing times his government went through while wading through difficult times, Manmohan Singh still presents a picture that involves work primarily. Only, now he gets to stretch his time as much as possible, since it is completely under ‘his’ control. 
 Earlier, as a PM, he met visitors barely for 10 minutes at his official residence. But, at a home that was given to him as a matter of entitlement for all former PMs, Manmohan Singh spends time attending meetings, and meeting people from various walks of life at his residence #3, Motilal Nehru road in New Delhi. This house was earlier occupied by former Kerala governor and Congress loyalist <keyword id="5267" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sheila-Dikshit">Sheila Dikshit</keyword>. Having moved into this humble abode, when compared to the sprawling residence he occupied as the Prime Minister, Singh spends most of his time reading. 
 
In fact, books were among the first few things that were packed and moved after he announced his retirement and decided on staying in this house. There’s nothing very ornate or flashy about the house that has now become home for the retired politician, who still commands a large amount of respect from people within and outside the party. 
 
He still enjoys a large amount of formidable security at this house, which is spread across two-and-half acres of land and gives him protected area to go for his favourite activity, apart from reading – long walks. 
 
Industrialists, economists and visitors – all get some share of his time much more than what they got earlier. Now, the meetings with people stretch up to half an hour, than those touch-and-go meetings that happened in a matter of few minutes when he was a busy man. 
 
Having been less of a politician and more of an economist, Manmohan Singh is still a force to reckon with for all the liberal measures he took during his tenure. He was re-elected as Rajya Sabha member last year, for additional six year tenure. 
 
Image: indiatimes

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