DELETE AND RESET: MODI’S BIG RESHUFFLE

His govt’s image hit by a crisis of capacity and credibility during the second Covid wave, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday signalled a reset effecting the most sweeping change in his Council of Ministers since he took charge for the first time in 2014.

As many as 36 new faces were inducted and 12 sitting ministers were shown the door taking the tally in the Council of Ministers to 78 (including the PM), just a notch short of the statutory limit of 81.

The changes mark, arguably, the largest-scale purge in recent times with the Prime Minister divesting six of 23 sitting Cabinet ministers — over one fourth — and one Minister of State (Independent Charge) of their ministerial responsibilities.

Social Justice Minister Thaawarchand Gehlot can draw solace from the fact that he was sent to Raj Bhavan in Karnataka. Health Minister Harsh Vardhan’s exit has a ready and convenient cover: the Govt’s thinly veiled acknowledgment of mismanaging the Covid crisis and an attempt to course-correct through a fresh set of hands.

But many in the ruling establishment are searching for reasons behind the exit of others: DV Sadananda Gowda, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank, and Prakash Javadekar (all Cabinet Ministers) and Santosh Gangwar (MoS Independent Charge).

Incidentally, five of the seven senior exits happened from social sector ministries – Health, Education, Social Justice, Labour, and Environment – while leaving most of the core economic ministries unchanged. This despite the fact that the economy has sputtered even before the pandemic and now faces a string of challenges – from growth to inflation.

Five more Ministers of State exited paving the way for new faces from their respective states: Babul Supriyo, Debasree Chaudhari (both from West Bengal); Sanjay Dhotre (Maharashtra); Ratan Lal Katariya (Haryana); and Pratap Chandra Sarangi (Odisha).

At a broader level, there are 11 women, about 27 OBC Ministers in the council while 12 belong to SC and eight are from Tribal communities. and 11 women. The Council also spans a wide geography, from North-east to the south.

Janata Dal-United (JD-U) national president Ramchandra Prasad Singh and Pashupati Kumar Paras, leader of a faction of Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) that walked away with most of the party’s Lok Sabha MPs, are now part of Modi cabinet.

CABINET RESHUFFLE: FULL LIST OF MINISTERS IN NARENDRA MODI’S GOVT

Hours after the PM effected a major overhaul of the Union cabinet, the ministers’ new portfolios were announced:

Mansukh Mandavia was appointed as the new Health Minister and bureaucrat-turned-politician Ashwini Vaishnaw the new Railway Minister. Jyotiraditya Scindia has been made the Civil Aviation Minister, while Home Minister Amit Shah has been given the charge of the newly-created Ministry of Cooperation. Piyush Goyal will now be the Minister of Textiles, while Dharmendra Pradhan has been given the portfolios of Education Ministry and the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. Kiren Rijiju will be the Minister of Law and Justice while Hardeep Singh Puri will be the Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Housing and Urban Affairs Minister.

Among the new ministers who were inducted into the Union Cabinet are BJP’s Narayan Rane, Sarbananda Sonowal, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Ajay Bhatt, Bhupender Yadav, Shobha Karandlaje, Sunita Duggal, Meenakshi Lekhi, Bharati Pawar, Shantanu Thakur and Kapil Patil; JD(U)’s R C P Singh, LJP’s Pashupati Paras, and Apna Dal’s Anupriya Patel.

The seven ministers of state who were promoted are Anurag Thakur, G Kishan Reddy, Paroshottam Rupala, Kiren Rijiju, Hardeep Singh Puri, Mansukh Mandaviya and Raj Kumar Singh.

Here is the complete list of ministers of cabinet rank

CABINET MINISTERS

1.         Shri Raj Nath Singh       Minister of Defence

2.         Shri Amit Shah  Minister of Home Affairs; and Minister of Cooperation

3.         Shri Nitin Jairam Gadkari           Minister of Road Transport and Highways

4.         Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar  Minister of External Affairs

5.         Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman           Minister of Finance; and Minister of Corporate Affairs

6.         Shri Narendra Singh Tomar       Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare

7.         Shri Arjun Munda          Minister of Tribal Affairs

8.         Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani   Minister of Women and Child Development

9          Shri Piyush Goyal         Minister of Commerce and Industry; Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution; and Minister of Textiles

10.       Shri Dharmendra Pradhan         Minister of Education; and Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship

11.       Shri Pralhad Joshi         Minister of Parliamentary Affairs; Minister of Coal; and Minister of Mines

12.       Shri Narayan Tatu Rane Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises

13.       Shri Sarbananda Sonowal         Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways; and Minister of AYUSH

14.       Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi         Minister of Minority Affairs

15.       Dr. Virendra Kumar       Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment

16.       Shri Giriraj Singh           Minister of Rural Development; and Minister of Panchayati Raj

17.       Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia        Minister of Civil Aviation

18.       Shri Ramchandra Prasad Singh Minister of Steel

19.       Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw  Minister of Railways; Minister of Communications; and Minister of Electronics and Information Technology

20.       Shri Pashu Pati Kumar Paras     Minister of Food Processing Industries

21.       Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat Minister of Jal Shakti

22.       Shri Kiren Rijiju Minister of Law and Justice

23.       Shri Raj Kumar Singh    Minister of Power; and Minister of New and Renewable Energy

24.       Shri Hardeep Singh Puri Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas; and Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs

25.       Shri Mansukh Mandaviya          Minister of Health and Family Welfare; and Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers

26.       Shri Bhupender Yadav   Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; and Minister of Labour and Employment

27.       Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey        Minister of Heavy Industries

28.       Shri Parshottam Rupala Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying

29.       Shri G. Kishan Reddy    Minister of Culture; Minister of Tourism; and Minister of `Development of North Eastern Region

30.       Shri Anurag Singh Thakur         Minister of Information and Broadcasting; and Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports

KEY COVID NUMBERS

Current Active Cases Countrywide: 4,54,865

New Cases in last 24 hours: 45,664

Recovered in last 24 hours: 44,498

Change in no. of Active cases in last 24 hours: + 349

No. of deaths in last 24 hours (Total Covid Deaths so far): 817 (4,05,057)

Daily Tests (Tuesday): 19,07,216

Daily Positivity Rate (Proportion of Positives among total Tested): 2.3%

Percentage of Population Vaccinated (At Least One Dose / Two Doses): 22.0% / 5.1%

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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TALIBAN STORM CAPITAL OF NW PROVINCE OF AF

The Taliban pushed their way into a provincial capital in Afghanistan’s northwest on Wednesday, freeing prisoners there and threatening to overrun the city itself. Details were murky from the city, Qala-i-Naw, the capital of Badghis province, where fighting was widespread. Videos posted on social media showed some residents welcoming Taliban fighters on motorbikes as they entered.

“The entire city is under control of the Taliban,” said Abdul Rahim Rahin, a member of parliament from Badghis. Reports from the city in the afternoon said that airs-trikes by the Afghan air force had helped push back the Taliban fighters.

Despite dire reports from the ground, a statement from the ministry of defence on Wednesday afternoon said that the Taliban were “fleeing” and that “in the next few hours, all parts of the city will be cleared.” The assault on Qala-i-Naw is the latest in the Taliban’s recent offensive, which began in earnest as US and international forces began withdrawing from the country in May. In the span of just over two months, the Taliban have managed to seize at least 150 of Afghanistan’s roughly 400 districts.

JAPAN SET TO PLACE TOKYO UNDER EMERGENCY

Japan is set to place Tokyo under a state of emergency that would last through the Olympics, fearing an ongoing COVID-19 surge will multiply during the Games.

The govt officials have proposed a plan to issue a state of emergency in Tokyo from next Monday to Aug. 22. The Summer Olympics, already delayed a year by the pandemic, begin July 23 and close Aug. 8.

The Games already will take place without foreign spectators, but the planned six-week state of emergency likely ends chances of a local spectators also. A decision about fans is expected Friday when local organisers meet with the International Olympic Committee and other representatives.

Tokyo is currently under less-stringent measures that focus on shortened hours for bars and restaurants but have proven less effective at slowing the spread of the coronavirus.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is to formally announce the emergency plans later today.

THE REST

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DILIP KUMAR LAID TO REST WITH FULL STATE HONOURS

Thespian Dilip Kumar’s death on Wednesday has left the entire Indian film fraternity shocked and in mourning. The legendary actor who passed away at the age of 98 has left a void in cinema and a huge body of work behind, for future filmmakers and actors to learn from. The actor was laid to rest at Juhu Qabarastan in Mumbai with full state honours on Wednesday evening.

Popularly known as the ‘Tragedy King’ of Bollywood, Kumar was known as a method actor who was never limited to genres. In a career spanning more than five decades, the prolific legend was part of comedies, dramas, romance, and so on.

For his contribution to cinema, Dilip Kumar was conferred with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India’s highest award in the artform. He also received the Padma Vibhushan, the second-highest civilian award of the country.

Along with Shah Rukh Khan, he held the record for winning the most Filmfare Awards in the Best Actor category: 8.

Dilip Kumar also possessed the distinction of being the only Indian recipient of Pakistan’s highest civilian award, Nishan-e-Imtiaz.

Personalities from govts. cinema, politics and sports paid tributes to Dilip Kumar.

NORTHERN ARMY COMMANDER FLIES OVER 'BATRA TOP'

To commemorate the sacrifice of Captain Vikram Batra, Northern Army Commander Lt Gen YK Joshi on Wednesday flew over 'Batra top' in Sukhoi 30MKI.

Captain Batra, who had on July 7, 1999, was killed in action while capturing Pt 4875, a mountain top, along the Line of Control (LoC), which has been named after him, who has been awarded the Paramveer Chakra.

#IndiaSalutesKargilHeroes On 7th July Capt Vikram Batra @SherShah led the capture of Pt 4875 & made supreme sacrifice. To commemorate his Balidan Diwas, #LtGenYKJoshi, #ArmyCdrNC, the then CO flew over Batra Top in Sukhoi 30 MKI & paid rich tributes to his Kargil War comrade," Northern Command said in a tweet and shared images of the sortie.

Captain Batra continues to motivate the present generation of officers and would continue to do so till eternity, the Army said in a release.

STEPPING INTO PRASAD’S IT SHOES: IITian, EX-IAS ASHWINI VAISHNAW

Former IAS officer, alumnus of IIT-Kanpur and Wharton Business School, entrepreneur, Rajya Sabha MP from Odisha. Meet Ashwini Vaishnaw, 51, who has taken over as the new Union Minister for Communications, Electronics and Information Technology, and Railways.

Vaishnaw served as District Collector in Balasore and Cuttack, and played a key role in rehabilitation efforts following the devastating super cyclone in 1999. He also worked in the Prime Minister’s Office when the late A B Vajpayee was at the helm — and was appointed as Vajpayee’s private secretary after the NDA’s loss in 2004.

Vaishnaw went on to complete his MBA in 2008 and became the managing director of GE Transportation, and then head of Urban Infrastructure Strategy at Siemens.

In 2019, he joined the BJP and became a Rajya Sabha MP with support from the BJD.

While Vaishnaw takes over the Rail Ministry from Piyush Goyal, who remains in the Cabinet, his entry into Telecom and IT in place of Ravi Shankar Prasad, who resigned Wednesday, comes amid a high-profile tussle between the Govt and tech giants Twitter and Facebook-owned WhatsApp — from the new IT rules to the fallout of police searches at Twitter’s offices over the alleged “Congress toolkit”.

MAMATA BANERJEE FINED ₹5 LAKH FOR SEEKING RECUSAL OF HC JUDGE

The Calcutta high court on Wednesday imposed a penalty of ₹5 lakh on West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee for seeking recusal of Justice Kaushik Chanda from her Nandigram election petition over the judge's alleged links with the BJP. Her application was rejected by Justice Chanda himself. He, however, decided to step away from the case on his own personal discretion and released the case from his bench.

Mamata Banerjee is facing a fine of ₹5 lakh for painting the judiciary "in a bad light", the court order said.

“We live and learn. We live in a world where the cost of speaking the truth now comes with a staggering price tag : Rs 5 lakhs. We live in a world where propaganda and falsehood are also meted out. The price : FREE. Got the reference? Modi hain to Mumkin Hai,” tweeted TMC Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien.

INDIA RULED BY LAW, NOT SHASTRAS, SAYS HC ON STREAMING OF RITUALS

Days after the Uttarakhand high court put a stay on the Char Dham yatra and asked for the rituals to be livestreamed, the court on Wednesday took exception to the submission by the advocate general (AG) that “shastras might not permit livestreaming of the rituals”. To this, the court replied: “India is a democratic country ruled by law, not by shastras.”

The bench of Chief Justice RS Chauhan and Justice Alok Kumar Verma asked AG SN Babulkar to not get into religious arguments as they have no legal backing. “If there is a bar in the IT Act then please show me those provisions of the Act which say no livestreaming can be permitted from the temple,” the CJ said.

The AG had submitted that a decision on allowing livestreaming would be taken by the Devasthanam board — which manages temples in the state — but added that according to some priests Hindu shastras do not permit live-streaming of rituals.

HC REFUSES TO GIVE INTERIM PROTECTION TO DIGITAL PLATFORMS

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday refused to grant protection from coercive action to The Wire, Quint and other digital media portals that have challenged the new IT Rules after the Centre said it has sought transfer of all such cases from various high courts to the Supreme Court.

As several petitions challenging the IT Rules, 2021 remain pending in various high courts – including the Delhi High Court—the Centre on Tuesday requested the Supreme Court to transfer to itself all such petitions to itself for an authoritative pronouncement on the issue.

On behalf of the portals, senior Advocate Nitya Ramakrishnan urged the court to grant them interim protection as the Centre had not even filed its reply.

BILLIONAIRES MUKESH AMBANI AND GAUTAM ADANI'S LATEST FACE-OFF

India's two richest men - Mukesh AMbani and Gautam Adani - are vying to be at the forefront of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ambition to ramp up green energy capacity in the world's second-most populous country more than four-fold to 450 gigawatts (GW) by 2030.

So far, they have mostly avoided operating in each other's space, and the renewable energy push by Ambani's flagship Reliance Industries and the Adani group of companies will be the highest profile faceoff between them.

Ambani announced last month he will build 100 GW in solar energy capacity over the next nine years. He said his group would spend $10 billion over the next three years in building solar manufacturing units, a battery factory for energy storage, a fuel cell factory, and a unit to produce green hydrogen.

Three days later, Adani announced that his green energy venture would add 5 GW every year this decade, from a current level of about 3.5 GW.

Analysts say there is sufficient space for multiple companies to grow as a part of India's ambitious green energy target, but tariffs could fall further as companies try to outdo each other in aggressive bidding wars to win projects.

Solar tariffs in India are already among the lowest in the world.

WIMBLEDON: ROGER FEDERER KNOCKED OUT IN STRAIGHT SETS

Roger Federer's bid for a ninth Wimbledon and 21st Grand Slam title were ended by Poland's Hubert Hurkacz as the Swiss Maestro was handed a shocking 3-6,6-7,0-6 defeat at Centre Court on Wednesday.

The 24-year-old Hurkacz brought his A-game to the Court in the first set, and he brushed aside Federer easily.

Hurkacz did not drop a single game in the third set, winning it 6-0 and as a result, Federer bowed out of the Wimbledon.

Federer turns 40 next month and never was able to summon the serving and shot-making that have carried him to 20 Grand Slam titles overall.

MEN’S SINGLES QUARTER FINAL RESULTS:

N. DJOKOVIC (1) won 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 against M. FUCSOVICS

D. SHAPOVALOV (10) won 6-4, 3-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-4 against K. KHACHANOV (25)

M. BERRETTINI (7) won 6-3, 5-7, 7-5, 6-3 against F. AUGER-ALIASSIME (16)

H. HURKACZ (14) won 6-3, 7-6, 6-0 against R. FEDERER (6)

EURO 2020: DENMARK KNOCKED OUT AS ENGLAND WIN 2-1 IN EXTRA TIME

England beat Denmark 2-1 after Extra Time in the semi-final of Euro 2020 to book a place in Sunday’s final at Wembley against Italy.

Mikkel Damsgaard gave Denmark a 1-0 lead in the 30th minute with a direct free kick goal. An own goal by Simon Kjaer in the 39th minute levelled the score at 1-1. At the end of 90 minutes, the score was still locked at 1-1. Harry Kane scored from a penalty kick in the 14th minute of Extra Time.

INDICATORS

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Dollar Index 92.76 Brent Crude 73.03  BDI 3,241

Gold world Spot Price USD/aoz 1,798 India (Rs. per gm 24k/22k) 4,797 / 4,697, Silver (Rs. Per KG) 74,100

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

All the beautiful sentiments in the world weigh less than a single lovely action. - James Russell Lowell

OFF TRACK

After a busy day commuters settled down on their train trip home, when a chap hauled out his mobile and loudly started up: "Hi darling, it's John, I'm on the train - yes, I know it's 7.00 and not 5.00 but I had a long meeting - no, not with that floozie from the typing pool, with the boss, no darling you're the only one in my life - yes, I'm sure, cross my heart, etc., etc., etc., etc., etc., blah, blah, blah..."

When this went on more than 15 minutes, a woman sitting opposite him, driven beyond endurance, yelled at the top of her voice, "Hey, John! Turn off that phone and come back to bed!"