POLITICAL PARTIES TAKING SHORTCUTS BIGGEST ENEMIES OF TAXPAYER: PM MODI

Flagging off infrastructure and development projects worth Rs 75,000 crore in Nagpur, including Phase-1 of the Samruddhi Expressway to Mumbai and the Nagpur Metro, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday hit out at political parties that, he said, were indulging in the “politics of shortcuts” and destroying the country’s economy for their “personal interest”.

Addressing a gathering at the MIHAN (multi-modal international passenger and cargo hub airport at Nagpur), the Prime Minister called for “sustainable development and sustainable solutions” so that the country can emulate the progress charted by nations such as Singapore and South Korea which, he said, were once considered poor.

“I also want to caution the people of Maharashtra and the people of the country about a distortion coming in the politics of India. This is the deformity of shortcut politics. This is the deformity of looting the country’s money for political interests. This is the deformity of looting the hard-earned money of taxpayers. These political parties who are adopting shortcuts, these political leaders are the biggest enemies of every taxpayer of the country. Those whose aim is only to come to power, whose aim is only to grab the govt by making false promises, they can never build the country. Today, at a time when India is working on goals for the next 25 years, some political parties, in their personal interest, want to destroy India’s economy,” Modi said.

Referring to the popular saying in Hindi, “Aamdhani atthanni kharcha rupaiya”, on expenditure far in excess of income, Modi said, “The political parties, which have adopted this bad policy, will make this country hollow from inside. In many countries of the world, we have seen the entire economy being ruined because of such bad policies. Together, we have to save India from such bad policies… on the one hand, there is this directionless politics and only selfishness, which believe in the bad policy of half income and full expenditure. On the other hand, there is patriotism and dedication, and pursuit of sustainable development and sustainable solutions.”

Modi did not name any party or individual but he has previously spoken out against the politics of “freebies” — a call that his party has seized on to mainly target the Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi, which won the MCD elections last week. Moreover, the BJP was unable to counter the Congress’ poll promise in Himachal Pradesh for a return to the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), which played a key role in the Opposition party’s return to power last week.

RUSSIA WELCOMES INDIA'S DECISION NOT TO JOIN OIL PRICE CAP

Russia has welcomed India’s decision not to support the price cap on its oil and has offered help on building large-capacity ships in order not to depend on the ban on insurance services and tanker chartering in the European Union and Britain.

In a meeting with Ambassador of India Pavan Kapoor in Moscow, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak noted that in the first eight months of 2022, Russian oil exports to India grew to 16.35 million tonnes; in the summer, Russia ranked second in terms of oil shipments to India. Deliveries of oil products and coal also increased.

“The introduction of a price cap on Russian oil is an anti-market measure. It disrupts supply chains and could significantly complicate the situation in global energy markets. Such non-market mechanisms disrupt the international trading system as a whole and set a dangerous precedent in the energy market. As a result, the problem of energy poverty is being aggravated not only in the developing world, but also in the developed countries of Europe,” said Novak.

In order not to depend on the ban on insurance services and tanker chartering in the EU and Britain, he offered cooperation on leasing and building large-capacity ships, said a Russian readout of the meeting.

The two sides also noted the record growth in trade between the two countries and resolved to increase cooperation on trade in energy resources, such as oil, petroleum products, liquefied natural gas, coal and fertiliser, it added.

ERA OF CLASSIFYING TERRORISTS AS 'BAD, 'GOOD' ON BASIS OF POLITICAL CONVENIENCE MUST END IMMEDIATELY: INDIA IN UNSC

The era of classifying terrorists as "bad" or "good" on the basis of "political convenience" must end immediately, a concept note circulated by India in the UN Security Council here has said, underlining that categorising terror acts by intent as religious or ideologically motivated will dilute the shared global commitment to fighting terrorism.

India, the current president of the 15-nation UN Security Council, will hold two signature events on reformed multilateralism and counter-terrorism to be chaired by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on December 14 and 15.

India proposes to organise a briefing of the Security Council on December 15 on ‘Global counter-terrorism approach – principles and the way forward’ under the ‘Threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts'.

Ahead of the meeting, India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj, in a letter to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, asked that a concept note intended to guide the discussions on the topic be circulated as a document of the Security Council.

“The terrorist attacks in New York on September 11, 2001 were a turning point in the global approach to counter-terrorism. Since then, London, Mumbai, Paris, many parts of West Asia and Africa have also experienced terrorist attacks,” the concept note last week said.

It added that these attacks highlight that the threat of terrorism is grave and universal and that terrorism in one part of the world seriously impacts peace and security in other parts of the globe.

PRIVATE MEMBER BILL SEEKS PM-LED PANEL FOR SELECTING CEC

Pointing out that there was “growing concern” with regard to the independence and autonomy of the Election Commission, Congress MP Manish Tewari has introduced a private member’s Bill in Lok Sabha, which seeks formation of a high-level committee headed by the Prime Minister and consisting of the Leader of the Opposition and the Chief Justice of India to select the Chief Election Commissioner and the Election Commissioners.

Incidentally, the Bill also seeks more power to the Election Commission to “regulate, monitor and superintend” the internal functioning of all political parties, including internal elections of all registered political parties. He has argued that the internal functioning and structures of a large number of political parties have become very “opaque and ossified” and there is a need to make their functioning transparent, accountable and rule based.

The tabling of the private member Bill seeking setting up of a committee – consisting of the Prime Minister, Home Minister, Leader of Opposition or floor Leader in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and Chief Justice of India and two senior-most judges of the Supreme Court — comes at a time when the Supreme Court is hearing petitions on the need for reforms in the appointment of Chief Election Commissioner and the Election Commissioners.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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CHINA EXPANDS HOSPITALS, ICUS AS INFECTIONS SOAR

Facing a surge in Covid-19 cases, China is setting up more intensive care facilities and trying to strengthen hospitals as Beijing rolls back anti-virus controls that confined millions to their homes, crushed economic growth and set off protests. The latest moves suggest the ruling Communist Party will tolerate more cases without quarantines or shutting down travel or businesses as it winds down its “zero-Covid” strategy.Acabinet meeting was called on Thursday for “full mobilisation” of hospitals to ensure their “combat effectiveness” and increasing drug supplies, according to state media. Officials were told to keep track of the health of everyone aged 65 and older.

It isn’t clear how much infection numbers have increased since Beijing last week ended mandatory testing as often as once a day in many areas. But interviews and social media accounts say there are outbreaks in businesses and schools across the country. Some restaurants and other businesses have closed because too many employees are sick.

Official case numbers are falling, but those no longer cover large parts of the population after mandatory testing ended Wednesday in many areas. On Sunday, the govt reported 10,815 new cases, including 8,477 without symptoms. That was barely one-quarter of the previous week’s daily peak above 40,000 but only represents people who are tested after being admitted to hospitals or for jobs in schools and other higher-risk sites.

AF FORCES SHELLED BORDER TOWN, KILLED 6: PAK ARMY

Deadly shelling from Afghan forces killed six people in a border town on Sunday, Pakistan’s military said, as relations continue to sour between the neighbouring countries. The violence hitting Chaman in southwestern Pakistan follows a series of deadly incidents and attacks that have skyrocketed tensions with Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers. Chaman is the main border crossing for trade between the countries. The Pakistani army’s media wing said the fire wounded 17 people and blamed the casualties on the “unprovoked and indiscriminate fire” of heavy weapons by Afghan forces on civilians.

In Afghanistan, a spokesman for Kandahar’s governor, Ataullah Zaid, appeared to link the clashes with the construction of new checkpoints on the Afghan side of the border. He said one Taliban fighter was killed and 10 were hurt. Pakistan’s army said troops responded to Afghan fire, but its media wing didn’t give further details. It said Pakistan has approached authorities in the Kabul over the border incident.

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SUKHWINDER SUKHU TAKES OATH AS HIMACHAL'S 15TH CM, AGNIHOTRI DY CM

Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, a son of a bus driver and four-time Congress MLA, was on Sunday sworn in as the 15th Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh at a ceremony in Shimla attended by senior party leaders including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administered the oath of office and secrecy to Sukhu (58), as also to Mukesh Agnihotri (60), the leader of opposition in the outgoing assembly, who will be the state's first deputy chief minister.

The elevation of grassroots leader Sukhu, the MLA from Nadaun, marks a generational shift in the state Congress which has been under the shadow of former chief minister Virbhadra Singh who guided the party in the state for five decades.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Sukhu on his swearing-in and assured "all possible cooperation from the Centre to further the development of Himachal Pradesh".

This will only be a third Congress govt in states across the country currently after Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, and both their chief ministers -- Bhupesh Baghel and Ashok Gehlot -- joined party president Mallikarjun Kharge at the oath-taking ceremony.

“The Congress has won HP on the promise of implementing the OPS. It will be interesting to see how they fulfil this promise because they haven’t implemented it in Rajasthan or Chhattisgarh, where the party is still in power. If not, this could be their last term for a long time,” BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya said after the new CM said the state govt would implement OPS restoration in the very first cabinet meeting.

AAP PLAYED SPOILER IN GUJ, LIKE IN UTTARAKHAND AND GOA: CHIDAMBARAM

The Congress is best placed to be the "pole" around which a non-Bharatiya Janata Party front can be built for the 2024 general elections, senior party leader P Chidambaram said on Sunday and asserted that the Aam Aadmi Party does not have much appeal outside Delhi with the exception of Haryana and Punjab.

Chidambaram also stressed that there were lessons to be learnt by the Congress from the Gujarat loss, saying there is no such thing as a "silent" campaign in a hard-fought election.

In an interview with PTI, he also said the Aam Aadmi Party played spoiler in Gujarat, like it did earlier in Goa and Uttarakhand.

Asked whether the Bharat Jodo Yatra had any impact on the recently concluded polls and whether it would pay any electoral dividends to the party going forward, he said Rahul Gandhi made it clear at the outset that the aim of the Bharat Jodo Yatra was not to reap political benefits. "Its goals were larger and with a long time view. I did not expect the BJY to influence the election in a state that the Bharat Jodo Yatra did not traverse. What impact it may have in the states that it traversed remains to be seen," Chidambaram said.

Meanwhile, ahead of the swearing in of Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel on Monday, Aam Aadmi Party’s newly elected MLA from Visavadar constituency Bhupat Bhayani showered praises on prime minister Narendra Modi amid intense speculation that he was in touch with the ruling BJP and might jump ship. “I have not yet made up my mind (on joining the BJP or not) and I am very much with AAP. I will talk to my supporters on what I should do and then take a call,” he said.

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PM INAUGURATES GOA'S NEW AIRPORT NAMED AFTER MANOHAR PARRIKAR

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the first phase of the international airport at Mopa in north Goa yesterday. He named the airport after late Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar.

"The state-of-the-art airport in Mopa will significantly improve connectivity as well as boost tourism in Goa. Manohar Parrikar International Airport is proof of the changed govt thinking and approach towards infrastructure in the country today. We took the initiative to take air travel to the smallest cities in the country," PM Modi said.

The airport at Mopa in north Goa, being built at a cost of ₹ 2,870 crore, will be the second facility in the state in addition to the existing airport at Dabolim. The airport will have the capacity to handle 44 lakh passengers a year in the first phase and it will go up to one crore passengers a year after the entire project is complete.

The airport will start operations from 5th January.

WORLD RETURNING TO AYURVEDA AFTER TRYING VARIOUS TREATMENTS: PM MODI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the world tried various treatment styles and is returning to the ancient treatment methods of Ayurveda. He virtually inaugurated the Goa-based All India Institute of Ayurveda, Ghaziabad-based National Institute of Unani Medicine, and Delhi-based National Institute of Homeopathy from Goa.

Modi also addressed the valedictory session of the 9th World Ayurveda Congress (WAC) and Arogya Expo. Representatives from more than 50 countries took part in the Ayurveda Congress.

“The world has tried many treatment methods and now it is returning to the ancient way of Ayurveda. Ayurveda not only talks about physical health but about overall wellness,” he said.

PASSENGERS HIGHLIGH HUGE CROWDS AT DELHI AIRPORT

Many passengers continued to experience long waiting hours at the Delhi airport on Sunday. Some passengers took to social media and also shared pictures of crowd at Terminal 3 (T3) of the Indira Gandhi International Airport there.

In response to a tweet by a passenger, Delhi airport said that it has deployed officials on the ground to assist the passengers and minimise any inconvenience.

“Please be assured that passenger experience is paramount for us and we always strive to enhance our flyers experience. “Also, we have duly noted the remarks and have shared it with the concerned agency. Further, you may also share your direct feedback with CISF headquarters...,” Delhi airport said in the tweet.

In another tweet, it said the team ensures efficient coordination with other stakeholders for smooth travelling experience at the airport.

Amid long queues and waiting period for passengers at the airport, civil aviation ministry officials on Saturday said an action plan was being implemented to address the congestion, including reducing the number of peak hour departures to 14.

IGIA, also the country’s largest airport, has three terminals—T1, T2 and T3. On an average, it handles around 1.90 lakh passengers and about 1,200 flights daily.

COUGH ONTO PHONE FOR CHECKING LUNG HEALTH

Ever thought of a specialised app which will ‘listen’ to your cough, and within seconds diagnose the health of your lungs. Sounds futuristic, but a Hyderabad-based company has developed an award-winning software to do just that.

Meet, ‘Swaasa,’ an AI driven software that can assess if human lungs are abnormal using an algorithm. And all it takes is a user to cough thrice near the phone. Swaasa, which won the prestigious Anjani Mashelkar award for innovation in November, is developed by Hyderabad-based Salcit Technologies.

Salcit founder Narayana Rao Sripada’s interaction with a professor at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) five years ago was the foundation for this innovation. It was then he realised the need in the medical sector for devices to screen and diagnose lung health in real time with non-invasive technology. It pushed him to think along the lines of developing Swaasa.

Currently, spirometry is one of the most common and standardised methods used to test lung health. But it requires expensive spirometers and trained technicians.

MUSK HINTS AT UNVEILING TWITTER’S ‘DARKEST SECRETS’

Twitter CEO Elon Musk created a stir among the microblogging site’s users with yet another cryptic series of tweets. Taking to the platform, the multibillionaire wrote, “Twitter is both a social media company and a crime scene”. This was followed by the Tesla owner sharing a meme, showcasing a gravestone with the words ‘Twitter’s darkest secrets’ written on it. The other image shows a man with a shovel in his hand, who is labelled as ‘Elon’.

In his pursuit to bring more transparency to the microblogging platform, Musk had earlier come up with a new update to the platform after the second instalment of the so-called ‘Twitter Files’ revealed how the company build blacklists and actively limited the visibility of certain accounts. “Twitter is working on a software update that will show your true account status, so you know clearly if you’ve been shadowbanned, the reason why and how to appeal,” Musk tweeted.

Journalist Matt Taibbi in collaboration with Musk had published ‘Twitter Files’, documenting Twitter’s internal communications to disclose links with political actors and with a focus on how the social network blocked stories related to Hunter Biden’s laptop in the lead-up to the 2020 US presidential election.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance. - Will Durant

OFF TRACK

A man was telling his neighbor, 'I just bought a new hearing aid. It cost me four thousand dollars, but it's state of the art.. It's perfect.'

'Really,' answered the neighbor .. 'What kind is it?'

The man looks at his watch and say 'quarter past two.'