Rahul Gandhi accuses Modi government of excluding Dalit, tribal and OBC entrepreneurs from major public contracts. india news
‘Why have Bahujan entrepreneurs been kept out?’ Rahul Gandhi targets Center over contract data gap
New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi Asking the Modi government why no data is maintained on the share of public works contracts worth over Rs 16,500 crore awarded to Dalit, tribal and OBC-owned businesses, he has accused the Center of promoting a “deliberately constructed exclusionary system” after Parliament had told him no such record existed.In an unstarred question in the Lok Sabha, Gandhi sought details on public works and infrastructure contracts awarded under the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in the last five years, specifically asking how many were secured by SC, ST and OBC-owned enterprises.
Government response
In a written reply, Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Tokhan Sahu said that though the government can provide the total number and value of contracts awarded year-wise, “there is no existing mechanism to track contracts awarded to enterprises owned by persons belonging to Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs).”The government also clarified that all such contracts fall under construction contracts, and it is “not mandatory” for them to maintain caste-based data. On a question on extending the purchase mandate for SC/ST owned enterprises, the minister replied: “In view of the above, the question does not arise.”
‘Deliberate boycott’: Rahul Gandhi
Responding to the government’s response on social media, the opposition leader said the response was “deeply worrying”.“The government does not maintain any data in this regard,” Gandhi said. “The policy says 25% of public procurement should be sourced from MSMEs, of which 4% is earmarked for Dalit and tribal entrepreneurs. However, when it comes to the largest and most lucrative contracts, public works, the government says this requirement is not ‘mandatory’.”He argued that this is “not just an administrative lapse; it is a system of exclusion deliberately created through the policies of the Modi government, which undermines social and economic justice.”“The question is simple: Why are Bahujan entrepreneurs being kept out of the country’s biggest public contracts?” He added.Rahul Gandhi further explained in his post that the government’s public procurement policy for MSMEs states that 25 percent of procurement by central ministries and public sector undertakings will be from micro, small and medium enterprises, of which four percent is specifically earmarked for SC/ST-owned enterprises.However, the government has now clarified in Parliament that this provision is not mandatory for public works contracts, which are generally among the largest and most profitable government tenders. These contracts are awarded through open tender processes, and no centralized database is maintained on the social category of contractors.This exchange has taken place ahead of assembly elections in many states. Gandhi’s office said the absence of such data raises broader concerns about equal access and transparency in government spending.Gandhi said, “Modi government will have to answer this.”
Rift in the Indian faction? Congress condemns Mamata’s collusion allegation, says she has ‘lost her control’ india news
Congress MP Manickam Tagore on Tuesday criticized the Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee for making what he called “irresponsible allegations” after hinting at collusion between BJPCongress and DMK.In an ex-post, Tagore asserted that while the Congress and the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) are allies in the India faction at the Centre, they are competing against each other in West Bengal.”Mamata Banerjee’s recent remarks are extremely irresponsible and condemnable. At a time when we need to be united to fight against the BJP, baseless allegations will only serve to weaken the unity of the opposition parties. Making such allegations without any evidence shows that Mamata Banerjee has lost her mental balance. It should not be forgotten that it was the Trinamool Congress – not the Congress Party – which was in alliance with the BJP in 1998 and 1999, and which fought the 2004 elections in partnership with the RSS-BJP alliance,” Tagore wrote.He said, “targeting coalition partners and casting aspersions on institutions without any factual basis is not an act of leadership – it is a distraction. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi has consistently stood firm and fought against the ideology of the RSS and the BJP. More than 25 cases have been filed against him; he was disqualified from his membership in Parliament, and he was evicted from his official residence. This is the price he has paid for standing against the RSS and the BJP.”Tagore also called for unity and responsibility from TMC as an ally of Congress at the Centre. “The congress party There is no need to learn from anyone how to fight against BJP. This is not the time for irresponsible allegations. This is a time for unity, responsibility and clarity of purpose.”The Congress leader’s comments come after Mamata Banerjee hinted at collusion between BJP and TMC allies, the Congress and the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister. mk stalin. TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee also alleged, “Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s Congress is openly distributing votes with the full protection of Amit Shah’s central forces.”The statements highlighted potential rifts within the Indian faction, with leaders such as Sagarika Ghosh and Udhayanidhi Stalin promoting Mamata Banerjee and MK Stalin as leaders of the alliance respectively.Voting for the 294-member West Bengal Assembly will be held in two phases on April 23 and April 29, with counting taking place on May 4. The elections are expected to be a high-voltage contest between TMC and BJP, while the Congress and the Left also look to increase their influence in the state.
‘Lottery King’ wife Lima Rose emerges as richest candidate in Tamil Nadu elections 2026. india news
Tamil Nadu elections: ‘Lottery King’ wife Lima Rose richest in the fray with assets worth Rs 1,000 crore
New Delhi: Lima Rose, wife of “Lottery King” Santiago Martin, on Monday filed her nomination as AIADMK candidate from Lalgudi constituency, ANI reported. With declared assets of over Rs 1,049 crore, he is the richest candidate in the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections 2026.According to its election affidavit, Lima Rose reported an income of Rs 9.82 crore for 2024-25. Her husband Santiago Martin declared income of Rs 11.39 crore, while her son Jose Deson Martin declared income of Rs 19.56 crore, ANI said.
The affidavit shows that Lima Rose has movable assets worth Rs 139.62 crore and immovable assets worth Rs 909.94 crore. According to ANI, Santiago Martin’s movable and immovable assets are worth Rs 3,262.01 crore and Rs 887.36 crore respectively, while Jose Deson Martin’s movable assets are worth Rs 225.56 crore and immovable assets worth Rs 439.21 crore.
Lima Rose’s educational qualification is class six.
His nomination comes amid intense political campaigning in Tamil Nadu ahead of polling on April 23, the results of which will be declared on May 4, ANI reported.The main contest is expected to be between the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA), which includes Congress, DMDK and VCK, and the AIADMK-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which has BJP and PMK as its allies. actor turned leader Victory are set to make their electoral debut with TVK, which will potentially turn the election into a three-way contest, ANI said.On Sunday, Union Minister and BJP’s Tamil Nadu election in-charge Piyush Goyal expressed confidence that the NDA will form the next government in the state.“A spectacular campaign has started. Tomorrow, all our candidates will file nominations and there is a lot of excitement on the ground,” Goyal said. “We will definitely defeat the anti-Tamil Nadu, anti-India forces of DMK and Congress and the NDA will be victorious, form the next government in Tamil Nadu and serve the people with welfare and development.”
Rajnath Singh: ‘God knows into how many parts Pakistan will be divided this time’: Rajnath Singh targets Khawaja Asif over ‘Kolkata threat’, recalls 1971 partition. india news
New Delhi: Defense Minister -Rajnath Singh Criticized Pakistan’s Defense Minister on Tuesday Khawaja Asif On his recent warning targeting Kolkata, described the comments as inflammatory and cautioned Islamabad against repeating past mistakes.Singh said, “Pakistan’s Defense Minister should not have made such a provocative statement. 55 years ago, when Pakistan was divided into two parts, he had to suffer the consequences. If he tried to look at Bengal, God only knows into how many parts Pakistan would be divided this time.”The reaction came after Asif warned that Pakistan could attack Kolkata in case of any “future misadventure” by India. Speaking in Sialkot, Asif had said, “If India attempts another false-flag operation, then, God willing, we will take it to Kolkata.”Read this also- ‘We will take it to Kolkata’: Pakistan Defense Minister Khawaja Asif warns India against ‘future audacity’ over attackHe also alleged that New Delhi may be planning a “false flag operation” to blame Islamabad, although he provided no evidence.Tension remains high between India and Pakistan since the Pahalgam attack on April 22 last year, in which 26 civilians, mostly tourists, were killed by Pakistan-backed terrorists. The attack led to a brief but intense military confrontation between 7 and 10 May.Hostilities subsided after Pakistan demanded a ceasefire, which India accepted, while maintaining that its military response under Operation Sindoor was only prevented. New Delhi has also said it will not differentiate between terrorist groups and Pakistan’s military leadership in its response.Earlier, Asif had described Pakistan’s response to any Indian action as “swift, balanced and decisive”, reacting to Singh’s warning that any future “adventure” would invite “unprecedented and decisive” retaliation.The latest comments also follow comments by former Pakistani High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit, who suggested that if Islamabad’s nuclear arsenal was threatened it could target major Indian cities such as Mumbai and New Delhi, arguing that India would become the “next best option”.Basit said, “If anyone casts an evil eye on us, we will attack Mumbai and New Delhi without any hesitation.”
16-year-old search for Lashkar-e-Taiba member among five people caught in Srinagar ends. india news
New Delhi: Security forces in Srinagar have busted an interstate module linked to a Pakistan-based terrorist organization. Lashkar-e-TaibaFive people including two arrested pakistani terroristOfficials told PTI.The operation, led by Jammu and Kashmir Police, involved coordinated raids at 19 locations across several states, including parts of Rajasthan and Haryana. Officials said incriminating material was recovered during the search.Those captured include a key operative named Abdullah, also known as Abu Huraira, a wanted Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist who had been evading capture for nearly 16 years.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri visits Washington to review ‘full spectrum’ India-US ties. india news
New Delhi: Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri is scheduled to visit Washington DC from April 8 to 10. The visit is expected to review the full spectrum of relations between India and the United States, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.The Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement that the visit will provide an opportunity to both sides to assess the ongoing cooperation and discuss ways to further strengthen the bilateral partnership.“The visit will provide an opportunity to review the entire spectrum of India-US bilateral relations and take forward ongoing cooperation in key areas. During the visit, the Foreign Secretary will discuss with senior US Administration officials a range of issues including trade, defence, science and technology as well as regional and global developments of mutual interest,” a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs said.
Assam Assembly Elections: Campaigning will be halted due to imposition of silence period by the Election Commission from today. india news
New Delhi: The Election Commission on Monday announced that the silence period for the Assam Legislative Assembly elections will begin at 5.00 pm today, 48 hours before the conclusion of polling in all constituencies.According to Section 126 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, all types of election campaigning will be prohibited during this period. This includes public meetings, rallies, processions and other campaign-related activities.The commission has also banned dissemination of election-related material through electronic and social media platforms. Promotion through bulk SMS, phone calls and online channels will not be allowed.Additionally, political leaders and party workers brought from outside constituencies, who are not registered voters there, have been directed to leave immediately after the campaign period ends. News agency ANI reported that district and police officials have been directed to ensure strict compliance to maintain a free and fair electoral process.Additionally, under Section 126(1)(b) of the Act, display of election-related material, including opinion polls and survey results, on electronic media such as television during the silent period is prohibited.Chief Electoral Officer of Assam, Anurag Goyal, urged all stakeholders to follow the guidelines, warning that violations will be punished.Meanwhile, Union Minister JP Nadda said, “The atmosphere is in favor of BJP, in favor of NDA. NDA is getting unanimous support from all sections of the society. The work that Modi ji has done in Assam, the blessings he has given to Assam, and the way Himanta Biswa Sarma ji has implemented it at the ground level, the people of Assam are welcoming it.”Voting in Assam will be held in a single phase on April 9 and counting of votes will take place on May 4.Kerala CEO Dr Ratan U Kelkar also announced on Monday that campaigning in the state ahead of the assembly elections will end at 6 pm today, and outlined strict restrictions to be imposed during the 48-hour “silent period”.
S Jaishankar: Jaishankar tells Iran counterpart: Support efforts to stop war. india news
New Delhi: External Affairs Minister noted the importance of efforts to restore stability and security in the West Asia region S Jaishankar The talks with his Iranian counterpart Seyed Abbas Araghchi emphasized India’s support for the ongoing regional and international efforts to stop the war, according to an Iranian readout released on Monday.Apart from Araghchi, Jaishankar also spoke to his counterparts from Qatar and UAE on Sunday.According to Iran, Araghchi spoke about “heinous crimes” committed by American and Israeli aggressors against the Iranian people, including attacks on Iran’s industrial and production infrastructure as well as its “peaceful and secure nuclear facilities, and rhetoric by US officials openly threatening to attack Iran’s energy infrastructure”. He also reminded the international community and the United Nations of their responsibility to confront “the normalization of law-breaking and war crimes.”Qatar also released a readout of its Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani’s conversation with Jaishankar in which they reviewed the military escalation and its serious consequences on regional and international security and stability.The Qatari minister stressed the need to stop “unwarranted Iranian attacks” on Qatar and other countries, and warned against irresponsible targeting of critical infrastructure, especially those related to water and energy facilities.They also stressed the need to strengthen coordination, intensify joint efforts, return to the negotiating table and give priority to reason and intelligence to control the crisis and ensure global energy security.
AIIMS-B collaborated with Dutch experts to bring personalized medicines to patients. india news
Bhopal: AIIMS Bhopal is stepping into the future of healthcare with a new partnership with Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, Netherlands. Together, they will work on cutting-edge research in pharmacogenomics – the science of how our genes affect the way drugs work.For patients, the collaboration promises more personalized treatments. Rather than relying on a single drug for everyone, genetic testing can help doctors identify which drug will work best for each individual, leading to safer prescriptions, fewer side effects, and faster recoveries.This research aims to evaluate scalability, clinical utility, and health-economic impact with the goal of making treatments more personalized and cost-effective.A high-level delegation from the Erasmus Medical Center led by Professor Peter J van der Spek, Head of Clinical Bioinformatics, visited AIIMS Bhopal and met Dr Madhavanand Kar, Director of the Institute. During the meeting, a letter of intent to strengthen academic cooperation between the two institutions was presented. The proposed project worth over Rs 10 crore will be led by Dr Shubham Atal, Additional Professor, Department of Pharmacology, AIIMS Bhopal, who will serve as the Principal Investigator. Professor (Dr) Madhavananda Kar welcomed the initiative, while Professor Peter J. Van der Spek highlighted the potential of building a strong India-Dutch partnership in precision medicine.
Rajnath lays foundation stone for 3 new centers in R&R, new infrastructure at base hospital. india news
New Delhi: Defense Minister -Rajnath Singh On Monday laid the foundation stone of new infrastructure for ophthalmology, oncology and joint replacement centers at Army Hospital (Research and Referral) and Base Hospital, Delhi Cantonment.Speaking at the 262nd Army Medical Corps Raising Day ceremony, Rajnath said, “Military medical services within the country and neighboring countries have emerged as a powerful testament to India’s soft power.” Encouraging the Army Medical Corps, he said, “Innovation, capacity building and integration of advanced technology is necessary to meet the emerging military medical challenges.”The state-of-the-art facilities at the Army Hospital (Research and Referral) will aim to significantly enhance the tertiary care capabilities of the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS), especially in the area of advanced eye care, cancer treatment and complex joint replacement surgeries, while new infrastructure is being developed at the Base Hospital to create a bed capacity of 998 beds with an additional 100 crisis extension beds to meet the routine and emergency health care needs of Defense Forces personnel.Rajnath said, “In today’s world, security is not just about protecting the borders; health security is equally important. Strong medical support plays a vital role in the success of major operations like Operation Sindoor. When soldiers are assured that they will have access to quality medical facilities in every situation, they can confidently accomplish their missions.”