Amid the ongoing faceoff between Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the alleged liquor scam, Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Monday called AAP a “bewdi sarkar” and alleged that Delhi Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister were involved with the mafia in the liquor scam.

Speaking to media persons in Hamirpur, the Union Minister said they are encouraging the liquor mafia. “The Health Minister of Delhi government is in jail, while the Health Minister of AAP-led Punjab government was also in jail. Imagine the condition of the government whose ministers are in jail for corruption. They are encouraging the liquor mafia. AAP doesn’t have an answer to it. It is a corrupt government. This is the identity of Arvind Kejriwal-led Bewdi sarkar,” said Thakur.

“The AAP government is known for their corruption,” he added, stating,

“Manish Sisodia is involved in a huge scam while Arvind Kejriwal is the kingpin of corruption. AAP is unable to provide an answer till today. Its silence on the liquor scam for 15 days now says a lot,” he said.

The excise policy was passed in Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi Cabinet in the middle of the deadly Delta Covid-19 pandemic in 2021. The Delhi government’s version is that the policy was formulated to ensure the generation of optimum revenue, and eradicate the sale of spurious liquor or non-duty paid liquor in Delhi, besides improving user experience.

The Delhi government’s version is that the policy was formulated to ensure the generation of optimum revenue, and eradicate the sale of spurious liquor or non-duty paid liquor in Delhi, besides improving user experience.

The CBI had filed a case against alleged corruption in the 2021-22 excise policy. The excise policy was subsequently withdrawn by the AAP government.

Earlier this month, CBI raids on Manish Sisodia’s official residence in connection with the alleged corruption in the implementation of Delhi’s Excise Policy.

Sisodia was among 15 others booked in an FIR filed by the CBI. Excise officials, liquor company executives, dealers, some unknown public servants and private persons have been booked in the case.

It was alleged that irregularities were committed including modifications in the Excise Policy and undue favours were extended to the license holders including waiver or reduction in licence fee, an extension of L-1 license without approval etc.

However, Sisodia and the AAP have said the corruption allegations are politically motivated. Sisodia had alleged on August 22, that he has received an offer by the BJP to join them by splitting the AAP in return for getting the cases of CBI and ED against him closed.

On the occasion of Teachers’ Day, President of India, Droupadi Murmu on Monday conferred National Awards on 45 teachers from across the country at a function held at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi.

Speaking on the occasion, the President said, “Science, research and innovation are the basis of development in today’s knowledge economy. The foundation stone for further strengthening India’s position in these areas will be built through school education.”

She said that, in her view, the development of original talent in science, literature, or the social sciences can be more effective through the mother tongue.

“It is our mothers who teach us the art of living in our early lives. That is why mother tongue is helpful in developing natural talent. After the mother, the teachers carry forward our education in our lives,” stated Murmu.

The President also said if teachers also teach in their mother tongue, then students can develop their talent with ease.

“That is why in the National Education Policy 2020, emphasise has been laid on the use of Indian languages for school education and higher education,” she said.

The President said that it is the responsibility of teachers to generate interest in science and research among their students.

“Good teachers can make complex principles easy to explain with the help of living examples that exist in nature,” added Murmu.

She quoted a famous saying about teachers and said “the mediocre teacher tells; the good teacher explains; the superior teacher demonstrates; and the great teacher inspires.”

Murmu said that an ideal teacher has all four qualities. Such ideal teachers build a nation in the true sense by building the lives of the students.

The President urged teachers to encourage the habit of asking questions and expressing doubts in the students. She said that by answering more and more questions and solving doubts, their knowledge would also increase.

On the occasion, President also remembered her teachers and said that they not only taught her but also gave her love and inspiration.

She said that she always feels indebted to her teachers for whatever she has achieved in life.

New Delhi, Sep 5: Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina arrived here on Monday on a four-day trip to expand overall ties between the two countries.
Hasina will hold wide-ranging talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday following which the two sides are likely to unveil a raft of measures to boost cooperation in areas of defence, trade and river-water sharing.
The Bangladesh PM was received at the airport by Union minister Darshana Jardosh.
Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina is warmly welcomed by MoS Railways and Textiles @DarshanaJardosh on her arrival in New Delhi for a State Visit. The visit will further strengthen the multifaceted relationship between the two countries,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted.
On Thursday, the Bangladeshi prime minister is scheduled to travel to Ajmer in Rajasthan to visit the Dargah of the revered Sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti.
Hasina’s delegation comprises Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen, Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi, Railways Minister Md Nurul Islam Sujan, Liberation War Minister AKM Mozammel Haq and Mashiur AKM Rahman, the economic affairs advisor to the PM.
The Bangladesh prime minister will call on President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar.
Hasina last visited New Delhi in October 2019.
Last month, India and Bangladesh finalised the text of the agreement on interim sharing of the water of the Kushiyara river.
The MoU is set to be inked on Tuesday.
The text of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) was finalised at the 38th ministerial-level meeting of the India-Bangladesh Joint Rivers Commission (JRC) that took place in Delhi on August 25.
India and Bangladesh share 54 rivers, of which seven were identified earlier for developing a framework of water-sharing agreements on priority.
The overall strategic ties between India and Bangladesh have been on an upswing in the last few years.
In March last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi travelled to Bangladesh to attend events organised to mark the birth centenary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and 50 years of the war of liberation of that country.
In reflection of close ties, India also hosted a number of events to mark the 50th anniversary of the 1971 war that led to the liberation of Bangladesh
The two prime ministers have met 12 times since 2015. (Agencies)

The funeral of Cyrus P. Mistry, a scion of the Shapoorji Pallonji Group and former Chairman of Tata Group, shall be held here on Tuesday morning, his family said here.

The last rites of Mistry, 54, who was killed in a road accident in Palghar on Sunday afternoon, shall be performed at the Worli Crematorium at 11 a.m. Tuesday, the family said.

A brief announcement said: “Beloved husband of Rohiqa, father of Firoz and Zahan, son of the late Pallonji Shapoorji Mistry and Patsy Mistry, son-in-law of Iqbal and Roshan Chagla, brother of Laila Rustom Jehangir, Aloo Noel Tata and Shapoor Mistry.”

“A friend to many, loved by all. A life well lived,” the family added, requesting, “No condolence visits please.”

The young tycoon Mistry’s abrupt departure stunned the country and left the Indian corporate world shocked on Sunday.

The estimated economic loss to Pakistan from floods has increased from USD 10 billion to USD 12.5 billion.

The catastrophic floods in Pakistan resulted in the loss of lives. Inflation is projected to go up to the range of 24 per cent to 27 per cent and will touch 30 per cent for the current fiscal year, reported Geo News. Moreover, poverty and unemployment will go up manifold from 21.9 per cent to over 36 per cent.

Some 37 per cent population was hit by poverty after floods in 118 districts, as estimated by the Pakistan government.

A high-profile committee with representation from the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Planning, State Bank of Pakistan, FBR, PIDE and others evaluated that poverty and unemployment have gone up manifold, rising from 21.9 per cent to over 36 per cent.

Unemployment has gone up significantly but the government has decided to share any number after holding consultations with relevant stakeholders.

The unemployment rate stood at 6 per cent before the recent severe floods. Official sources said that the GDP growth would be reduced from 5 per cent to 2 per cent for the current fiscal.

The State Bank of Pakistan revealed that growth would be reduced from 4 per cent to 4.5 per cent to 2 per cent for the current fiscal, The News reported.

Agriculture growth faced a much more severe impact in the aftermath of floods and the value addition of agro growth in the range of over Rs500 billion might evaporate in the current fiscal year. The agriculture growth target and services sector faced severe impacts.

The country’s GDP growth has been projected to evaporate by 3 per cent and it will be hovering around 2 per cent of GDP against the initially envisaged growth rate target of 5 per cent on the eve of the budget for 2022-23, reported Geo News.

The acute losses on the economic front may aggravate as the SBP’s model is estimated to ascertain losses on the basis of disrupted economic activities hit in all districts and tehsils in the flood-affected areas.

The SBP has been using satellite images of SUPARCO to assess the exact losses faced by the agriculture sector. Google has also offered the government to get its services to ascertain the total accumulated losses to agriculture and physical infrastructure.

The last flood that hit the country in 2010 had caused damage in 78 districts but the ferocity of recent floods could be gauged from the fact that it had caused damage in 118 districts of those areas, which are major hubs of economic activities.