New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Sunday stepped up its attack on the Women’s Reservation Bill, alleging that the party opposed greater political representation for women and worked against the passage of the 33 per cent quota bill.Addressing a rally in Bengal’s Bankura, PM Modi said, “Women of Bengal wanted 33% reservation. Modi ensured it… but TMC did not want more daughters of Bengal to become MLAs and MPs,” alleging that the party “conspired” with the Congress to stop the law and describing it as “Maha Jungle Raj” in the state.He further said that the core political identity of BJP is based on women empowerment and security. Taking a dig at the bill’s failure in the Lok Sabha, he said the opposition parties had “once again betrayed the sisters of Bengal” by blocking the bill in Parliament.Additionally, taking aim at the state government over governance and welfare delivery, the Prime Minister said that the BJP gives priority to “sisters’ safety, respect for mothers and sisters and your prosperity”. She alleged that women in Bengal were not getting benefits compared to BJP-ruled states, and promised that the change in government would ensure stronger welfare delivery, including free ration assistance for poor women.Promising other incentives like aid to pregnant women, the PM urged people to vote for the BJP. He said, “If BJP government is formed in Bengal, women will get free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh. If someone in a woman’s family has kidney disease? Then she will also get free dialysis in government hospitals. Not a single rupee will be spent on this.”“Sisters of Bengal will get Rs 36,000 every year. Pregnant women will be given Rs 21,000.” The central government will also give Rs 5,000 to the sisters for the education of their daughters if they have a child. Will get Rs 50 thousand… Under Mudra Yojana, women will get Rs 20 lakh for self-employment. Women involved in agriculture will get an additional Rs 9,000 annually…BJP’s double engine government is going to give a double mandate to the sisters of Bengal,” he said.PM Modi also used the crowd at the rally to highlight the rising public sentiment and said that the crowd reflected both enthusiasm and anger. Praising the crowd, he said that “this atmosphere… also symbolizes anger against a brutal government,” claiming that public support for the BJP was growing across the state.Stepping up his political attack, the Prime Minister also alleged that the TMC is hostile towards tribal women and girls, and cited the election of President Draupadi Murmu as an example of the BJP’s commitment to empowering marginalized communities. While rival parties had opposed her elevation, she said she now represents India on the global stage.

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New Delhi: The distress call from one of the Indian oil tankers that came under fire in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday has come after two India-flagged ships came under fire, forcing several ships to halt transit and turn back.Audio from the captain of the Indian-flagged tanker, shared by an ABC News reporter, captures the moment the ships tried to retreat amid gunfire and conflicting passage instructions.“This is the Motor Tanker Sanmar Herald… You cleared me to go. My name is second on your list. You are now firing. Let me go!” The captain of the India-flagged “Sanmar Herald” tanker can be heard saying in audio widely circulated on social media.

what has happened so far

Two Indian ships were targetedAccording to maritime security inputs and tracking data, two India-flagged ships, oil tanker Sanmar Herald and bulk carrier Jag Arnav, were targeted by Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) gunmen while attempting to transit the strait.At least one ship suffered minor damage, including broken window glass. No injuries have been reported.Convoy disrupted, ships turned backA convoy of 14 India-bound ships carrying crude oil, LPG and fertilizers was hit in the incident. Thirteen ships were forced to stop or change course at various points in the Persian Gulf.Several ships, including Sanmar Herald, Desh Vaibhav, Desh Vibhor and Jag Arnav, returned near the chokepoint, while some are now drifting near Larak Island awaiting clearance.India lodged a protestIndia summoned Iranian envoy Mohammad Fathali, with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri expressing “deep concern” over the incident and stressing the need to ensure the safety of merchant shipping.New Delhi urged Tehran to resume safe passage facilities for ships bound for India. Iran said it would convey its concerns to its officials.mixed signals on routeAmidst the disruption, an India-flagged tanker, Desh Garima, managed to cross the strait and is now heading towards India.However, ship tracking data showed confusion over navigation, with ships receiving conflicting signals on whether or not they were allowed to transit.Global shipping has been disrupted by the Hormuz tensionIran has tightened control over the strait, citing a US naval blockade and alleged violations of armistice terms. Security agencies said several commercial vessels, including Greek tankers, were also turning back following the firing and radio warnings.The Strait of Hormuz handles about a fifth of global oil and gas flows, and the latest disruption has added to the uncertainty, with ships across the region idling, changing course or awaiting evacuation.

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New Delhi: Medical devices used every day, from syringes and surgical sutures to implants, may soon face strict regulation, with the Center proposing strict labeling rules and a standardized testing fee system aimed at improving safety and accountability. Under the draft amendments to the Medical Devices Rules, 2017, manufacturers may be required to clearly disclose on the product label, including the license number of the facility where the devices have been sterilized. The move aims to improve traceability so that authorities can quickly identify the source in case of infection or device failure. The government has also proposed to fix testing fees across all categories. According to the draft, implantation test may cost Rs 5,000, sterility test may cost Rs 2,000 and surgical stitches may cost Rs 3,000. These charges will increase by 5% annually, while fees for tests not listed will be decided by authorized laboratories. Officials say the changes are aimed at bringing uniformity to testing and strengthening oversight in the fast-growing medical device sector, where regulation has often been characterized as uneven. However, the industry has raised concerns over feasibility and cost implications. Rajiv Nath, forum coordinator of the Association of Indian Medical Device Industry, said the proposals are a step towards strengthening quality systems, but they may need to be fine-tuned for smooth implementation. “Testing fees may not fully reflect actual laboratory costs, and if decided without consulting NABL-accredited laboratories, testing may become difficult to maintain, leading to delays. This may increase compliance costs and put some pressure on supplies and prices, especially for high-volume items like syringes and consumables.” He said, ”A risk-based approach with strict scrutiny would be more effective for high-risk devices. The sterilization labeling requirement also needs to be reviewed as it may delay exports by 3-4 weeks, the forum coordinator said.

New Delhi: As the government suffered a setback in the Lok Sabha, the Women’s Reservation Amendment Bill, with an increase of 50% seats in the House till 2029, was defeated by the opposition. NDA It is not exactly licking its wounds, but seeing this as an opportunity to burnish its pro-women credentials and take it into battle against its rivals, including in South India, where the opposition is in power in all states except Andhra Pradesh. The PM Modi-led government has shown a willingness to cut its losses in the past when its legislative moves faced political headwinds, as was the case with the farm laws, which were passed by Parliament but were repealed by the government in 2021 due to relentless protests by a section of farmers. Similarly, the government allowed its bill to amend the UPA-era land acquisition law to lapse in its first term amid fears that it risked being seen as pro-corporate. He sensed no such threat when called for the retention of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, despite clear indications that, contrary to the government’s initial projections, the Congress and TMC would not break away from the DMK. Ultimately these bills faced defeat in the Lok Sabha. Of course, with the opposition portraying delimitation as a conspiracy against the southern states, some in the party feel that the DMK will take advantage of this allegation and try to divert attention from its weaknesses on crime and corruption. But he did not anticipate any large-scale damage outside Tamil Nadu. major inside view BJP And its allies admit that the failure has caused embarrassment, giving the opposition a rare moment to celebrate, but they are confident that the setback can be repurposed into an opportunity to deepen the alliance’s connect with women voters, who, in any case, have shown preference for them in many states for reasons ranging from targeted welfare schemes to cash assistance and even law and order, as seen in a series of assembly elections. An NDA functionary said, “There would have been gains if the bills had been passed, but there would have been no loss by failure.” As for the south, it seems that Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah were also able to convey the message with their clear assurance that the BJP would ensure justice to south India in the delimitation, and the strong support from southern allies like the TDP, JDS and AIADMK underlined that the issue would not be viewed through the DMK lens alone. A day after the bill was defeated, Modi stormed the DMK stronghold in Tamil Nadu and launched a strong attack on it. DMK cannot hide its dark deeds by wearing black clothes, he said at a public rally, accusing the regional party of derailing this noble endeavour. He said, a family-run party like DMK would not want other women to gain political power. With the NDA already taking to the streets against opposition parties to defeat the Constitution Amendment Bill, he is understood to have told the Cabinet meeting on Saturday that they will have to pay a political price and called on them to counter their narrative built around alleged discrimination against southern states and delimitation of constituencies to suit the ruling coalition. In Delhi, women members of the BJP, including Union minister Raksha Khadse, marched to Rahul Gandhi’s residence but were detained midway as the party and its allies sought to put the Congress and other members of the Indian faction on the defensive. “We lost in numbers, but our case is that we lost for a good cause,” a BJP member said, claiming that it was always a “win-win” situation for the party. This time, the opposition has also come forward to present its case publicly, evidenced by the pressure exerted by Congress’s Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who has emerged as one of her party’s more vocal voices in Parliament as she accused the BJP of using the quota law as an excuse to change the federal structure through delimitation to remain in power “permanently”.

New Delhi: PM Narendra Modi On Saturday he launched a scathing attack on the opposition for thwarting the proposed amendments to the “Women’s Reservation Act”, as he accused them of committing “feticide” in Parliament by thwarting his government’s “honest efforts” to implement a 33% quota for women by 2029 and increase the Lok Sabha seats of every state by 50%. “Women will never forgive you for this sin,” she said in an address to the nation and affirmed that it was only a matter of time before women would be given their fair share in the Lok Sabha and state legislatures. He said, “I assure every woman that we will remove every obstacle that comes in the way of women’s reservation.” He began his 30-minute impassioned speech by apologizing to women for his government’s inability to pass a bill to amend the Women’s Reservation Act despite utmost efforts. Saying that those who defeated the bill had thwarted the upliftment of women and suppressed their aspirations, Modi said, “I apologize to our mothers and sisters.” Soon, he switched gears to specifically criticizing the opposition. CongressTrinamool Congress, SP and DMKHe named four parties for spreading lies to mislead people on the intention of the proposed amendments. He exposed himself before the country, he said. PM Narendra Modi on Saturday launched a scathing attack on the opposition for thwarting the proposed amendments to the “Women Reservation Act”, as he accused them of committing “feticide” in Parliament by thwarting his government’s “honest efforts” to implement 33% quota for women by 2029 and increase Lok Sabha seats in every state by 50%.

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“Women will never forgive you for this sin,” she said in an address to the nation and affirmed that it was only a matter of time before women would be given their fair share in the Lok Sabha and state legislatures. He said, “I assure every woman that we will remove every obstacle that comes in the way of women’s reservation.” He began his 30-minute impassioned speech by apologizing to women for his government’s inability to pass a bill to amend the Women’s Reservation Act despite utmost efforts. Saying that those who defeated the bill had thwarted the upliftment of women and suppressed their aspirations, Modi said, “I apologize to our mothers and sisters.” Soon, he switched gears to criticize the opposition, especially the Congress, Trinamool Congress, SP and DMK, naming the four parties for spreading lies to mislead people on the intention of the proposed amendments. He exposed himself before the country, he said.It is rare for Modi to take aim at his political rivals in his address to the nation, which he has generally used to speak on important policy and governance matters. His departure after the united opposition rejected his repeated appeals and subsequent assurance that his criticism of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha would be addressed would seem to indicate its intention to fight him. Rejecting opposition parties’ charge that delimitation will reduce the share of southern states in the Lok Sabha, he said the purpose of the bill is not to take away anything, but to give something equally to every state, whether big or small. The Women’s Reservation Amendment Bill was the need of the hour, as it also sought to increase the political power of every region, be it North, South, East or West, and have equal percentage in the state. However, he said, family-run parties like Congress, TMC, Samajwadi Party and DMK were afraid that a strong women leadership would threaten the hold of their ruling families. “Members of these parties were thumping their tables after snatching away the rights of women. This was not just thumping the table but was also an attack on the self-respect of women. And women can forget everything except the insult,” she said. “We may not have the required 66% votes to pass the bill, but I know we have the blessings of 100% women,” she said, reflecting an assessment that the BJP can turn this setback into an opportunity to increase support among women. He also believed that his opponents would have to suffer the consequences of his decision. “I want to say clearly that those who opposed the Constitution Amendment Bill are taking women lightly.” He said parties like Congress, Trinamool, SP and DMK are guilty of this feticide, before accusing the main opposition party of historically disdaining reservation for women and being essentially an “anti-reform” party that has criticized every step of his government, be it GST, digital payments, abrogation of Article 370 and triple talaq or CAA. He said, Congress rejects and fails every reform necessary for a developed India in the 21st century. Modi said these parties betrayed their own people and parties like DMK and TMC had a big opportunity to politically empower more people of their state. He said, while the Congress itself has lost its relevance in many parts of the country and is now living like parasites with its allies, yet it has forced them to oppose the Bill to ruin its future. He condemned the government’s attempt to create a North versus South divide despite repeated claims that no state would be harmed. He said Congress has inherited the divide and rule mentality from the British, claiming that every challenge faced by the country is a result of the party being steeped in negativity and anti-reform ethos. He said, “For us, national interest is paramount. But when for some parties, party interest becomes everything and is placed above national interest, then women empowerment and national interest have to suffer as a result.” Modi said that like women, he too is saddened by the failure to bring changes in the early implementation of the Women’s Reservation Act. But they ended with defiance rather than disappointment. He said, “Our morale has not diminished and our courage remains intact. Our resolve is also unwavering. The parties opposing the Bill will not be able to stop us from increasing the representation of women in legislatures. It is only a matter of time. We may lack numbers, but that does not mean we are defeated. Our will is invincible and we will not be stopped until we fulfill our commitment.”