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Reform, perform, transform define today’s governance: PM Modi

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said reform, perform and transform mantra define today’s governance in the country.

He said during the last eight years, the government with the political willpower brought reforms and they yielded results on the ground due to people’s participation.

He said this while addressing 20th anniversary celebrations and graduation ceremony of the Post Graduate Programme of Class of 2022 at the Indian School of Business (ISB) here.

Addressing students of both Hyderabad and Mohali campuses of the ISB, he said that while the need for reform was always felt in the country, there was always a lack of political willpower.

“Due to the continuous political instability in the last three decades, the country has seen a lack of political willpower for a long time. Because of this the country stayed away from reforms and from taking big decisions. Since 2014, our country is seeing political will and also, reforms are being done continuously. We have shown public support and popular support is assured when reforms are undertaken with determination and political will,” he said.

He cited the example of adoption of digital payments among people. He said in a country where banking was considered a privilege, fintech has changed the life of the common man. He pointed out that today 40 per cent of the world’s digital transactions are happening in India.

The Prime Minister noted that today, India is the fastest growing economy in the group of G20 countries. In the case of smartphone data consumers, India is at number one. India is second in the world in terms of the number of Internet users. India is also second in the world in the Global Retail Index. The world’s third largest start-up ecosystem is in India. The world’s third largest consumer market is in India.

He claimed that even amid Covid pandemic, India proved its resilience. The century’s biggest health crisis disrupted the global supply chain and the war added to the problem.

“Despite all this India is emerging as a major centre of growth today. Last year, the highest ever recorded FDI came into India. Today the world is realising that India means business.”

Modi said it was not the success of the government alone but business schools like ISB, professionals who passed out from such institutes and youth played a big role.

“Be it start-ups or traditional business, manufacturing or service sector, India youth proving they can lead the world. Today, the world is looking at India’s youth with confidence and respect,” he said.

The Prime Minister pointed out that Indian solutions are being implemented globally. “Today on this important day, I would like to ask you to link your personal goals with the goals of the country,” he told the business graduates.

Modi said that resilience and strength of the health sector was proved during the pandemic. He recalled that there were no PPE manufacturers but the country produced 1,100 manufacturers and the Covid infrastructure in no time. There were only a couple of labs for testing but the number went up to 2,500.

“Regarding the Covid vaccines, concerns were being raised here whether foreign vaccines would be available or not. But India developed its own vaccines. In India more than 190 crore doses have been administered. India has also sent vaccines to more than 100 countries of the world,” he said.

Referring to the expansion of medical education in the last eight years, he said the number of medical colleges increased from 380 to over 600 while the number of graduate and post-graduate medical seats went up from 90,000 to over 1.50 lakh.

The Prime Minister stated that bureaucracy has also made firm contributions in the reform process.

“System is the same but results are encouraging. People are coming forward to increase the pace of reforms. When people cooperate, quick and better results are assured. In the system now, the government brings reforms, bureaucracy performs and people’s participation leads to transformation,” he said, and advised the ISB students to study this mechanism of reform, perform and transform as a case study and show it to the world.

He also cited the sport ecosystem transformation. He said after 2014 there has been phenomenal performance in every sport due to the confidence of athletes.

“Confidence comes when the right talent is discovered, when there is handholding of talent, when there is a transparent selection and a better infrastructure is available for training, competition. We can see transformation in sports due to reforms like Khelo India and Olympic Podium Scheme.”

He also cited the Aspirational District Programme as a great example of transformation. He said districts which were once branded as backward were performing better than the districts which were once considered as progressive.

The Prime Minister said that the definition of business is changing and its landscape is widening. Formal, informal, small and large businesses are expanding their horizons and giving employment to lakhs and crores of people.

He stressed the need to give more opportunities for growth to small businesses. He said students passing out of business schools can help them in connecting with the new local and global markets and with technology.

Earlier, Modi paid tributes to those who have contributed to take the institute to its current glory. He recalled that former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee dedicated this institution to the country in 2001.

Since then, about 50,000 executives have passed out from ISB. Today, ISB is among the top business schools of Asia.

Professionals passed out from ISB are helming top companies and giving momentum to the county’s business. Students from here have created many start-ups and played a role in creating several unicorns.

“This is an achievement of ISB and a cause of pride for the entire country,” he said.

Maharashtra

Maharashtra Dy CM Ajit Pawar Meets Muslim Leaders & Senior Police Officials Over Mosque Loudspeaker Controversy In Mumbai

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Mumbai: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP leader Ajit Pawar on Wednesday chaired a crucial meeting at the Sahyadri Guest House to address growing concerns over the removal of loudspeakers from mosques in Mumbai. The meeting was attended by State Director General of Police Rashmi Shukla, Mumbai Police Commissioner Deven Bharti and several prominent Muslim leaders and MLAs, including Nawab Malik, Zeeshan Siddique, Abu Azmi, Waris Pathan, Sana Malik, Jallal Uddin and Siddharth Kamble.

The delegation expressed alarm over what they claim is police overreach in removing mosque loudspeakers, allegedly under pressure from a campaign launched by a former BJP MP. The leaders argued that the issue of Azaan is not new and has existed peacefully for generations. “Someone, some Somaiya, has created pressure in Mumbai. Because of one person, Muslims are being harassed,” said Samajwadi Party’s state president Abu Azmi after the meeting. “All sides were heard, and both the Commissioner and the DGP were present,” he said.

AIMIM leader Waris Pathan also echoed the sentiment, stating that the delegation included Muslim legislators, social workers, and community representatives. “We raised the issue of police forcibly removing loudspeakers from mosques and issuing notices without due process. This is creating unnecessary tension in the city,” Pathan said.

Muslim organisations from South Mumbai had earlier met with Pawar and submitted their concerns. They alleged that police were harassing mosque committees despite their compliance with High Court-decided permissible noise levels between 45 and 56 decibels. “There is no court order to remove loudspeakers outright,” the organisations pointed out. Action should be taken only if a violation is proven, such as issuing a notice or cancelling a licence. But instead, police are dismantling systems without proper verification, demanded the organisations.

The controversy is said to have intensified following visits by a BJP leader to areas like Govandi, where he reportedly pressured local police to act against mosques using loudspeakers. Muslim leaders have demanded a fair and transparent resolution to prevent communal disharmony and urged the government to issue clear directives to law enforcement based on legal parameters, not political pressure.

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Maharashtra

Case filed against 4 people including Congress leader Vartak for cheating by posing as CBI officer

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Mumbai: The Kasturba Marg police on Friday registered an FIR against four people, including Maharashtra Congress’s environment cell state president Sameer Vartak, who are accused of allegedly forcibly entering the Borivali residence of builder Anil Gupta on September 2, 2024 by posing as Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officers and advising a ‘raid’.

The CBI has registered a case against four people, including a Congress worker, for conducting raids at the builder’s house. After the case was registered, the Congress has sacked Sameer Vartak from his post. Congress leader Harshvardhan Sapkal has resigned. The CBI has registered a case against four people, including a Congress worker, for conducting raids at the builder’s house. Vartak, who heads the environment cell of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee, is accused of raiding the builder’s house along with three unidentified people posing as CBI officers after receiving a complaint and trying to extort money from him.

Gupta, 51, who owns a Vasai-based construction firm and is active in the Vasai-Virar area, lives in Kushal Heritage Building in Borivali East. Recently, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had searched his premises in connection with a land grabbing case related to the construction of 41 unauthorised buildings in Aggarwal Nagar, Vasai East. In his police complaint, Gupta said that on September 2, 2024, two men went to his house and claimed to be CBI officers, saying they were investigating a complaint filed against him by Vartak. They asked him to come down for questioning. When Gupta refused and asked for a copy of the complaint, the men called Vartak, who was allegedly waiting outside the building. Soon after, Vartak and another man who claimed to be a CBI officer arrived there. Gupta alleged that the group of four men threatened to arrest him and demanded a financial “settlement” to settle the case.

Gupta refused, saying he would cooperate with any legal investigation. The men then left, warning him that he would be summoned to the CBI office. Gupta approached the CBI headquarters in Delhi to confirm the claim and was told that no such complaint had been filed by Vartak. On November 19, the CBI wrote a letter to the Maharashtra Director General of Police, requesting him to take action against those involved. Gupta then approached the Kasturba Marg police with a formal complaint and CCTV footage from his residence to identify the accused. The police have registered a case under sections 3(5) (common intention), 204 (cheating by impersonating a public servant), 205 (forgery of official symbols) and 351 (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Naya Sangh (BNS).

Senior police inspector Jiraj Ranavare said, “We conducted a preliminary inquiry and confirmed that these people were not CBI officials. We are confirming the identity of the three people who were with Vartak.” Vartak has denied the allegations. I was called to the spot by some people who introduced themselves as CBI officers. I had filed a complaint against Gupta and was just cooperating. It seems this is part of political vendetta, I am ready to face any investigation.

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Crime

Punjab Vigilance raids residence of Akali leader Majithia in drug case

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Chandigarh, June 25: The Punjab Vigilance Bureau on Wednesday conducted a raid on the private residence of Shiromani Akali Dal’s former minister Bikram Singh Majithia in Amritsar in a drug case.

He has been facing charges under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act since December 2021, ahead of the Assembly elections.

A spokesperson for the government said the raid has been underway as part of the Bhagwant Mann government’s biggest ongoing action against drugs. A team of 30 Vigilance personnel, comprising senior officials, reached the residence when Majithia and his family were present there.

Former legislator Majithia, who is the brother-in-law of Shiromani Akali Dal President Sukhbir Badal, had moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2022 after a Mohali trial court dismissed his anticipatory bail petition in a case under the NDPS Act registered on December 20, 2021.

In a 49-page FIR filed by the state police Crime Branch at the Mohali police station, the SAD leader has been booked under sections 25, 27A and 29 of the NDPS Act.

In his plea, Majithia had termed the case a result of “political vendetta” and argued that there was no credible and legally admissible material against him.

The court, however, had granted an interim bail but allowed the Special Investigation Team to interrogate Majithia.

The High Court had observed that there was no material placed on record showing possession, transportation, storage by or recovery of any contraband from Majithia.

“All recoveries in the concluded trials have been effected from specific individuals and the petitioner was not shown therein to have any role in that regard,” it had observed, referring to convictions of drug seizure cases of Jagdish Bola and others.

However, the High Court clarified in the 26-page judgment that the court’s opinion was tentative and was made only for deciding his bail application and should not be construed as an expression of a “final opinion”.

In March 2025, the Supreme Court had directed Majithia to appear before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) in Patiala after the state government reported that he was refusing to cooperate with the probe. However, in April, the apex court dismissed the petition filed by Punjab, challenging the bail granted to Majithia.

“The respondent (Majithia) was participating in the process of further investigation. In view of the said facts and also taking note that the liberty was granted on August 10, 2022, more than two-and-a-half years ago, at present, we are not inclined to interfere with the impugned order. Accordingly, the SLP stands dismissed,” observed a Bench comprising Justice J.K. Maheshwari and Justice Aravind Kumar, rejecting the state’s petition.

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