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Srinagar, Pakistan on Tuesday violated the LoC ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district and Indian troops were returning the fire, the Indian Army said. According to an army statement, Pakistan initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation, firing with small arms and shelling with mortars along LoC in Shahpur and Kirni sectors of Poonch. "Indian Army is retaliating befittingly," the statement added. A civilian was killed and four others injured in firing by Pakistan in the Tangdhar sector of Kupwara in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday night. According to reports, Pakistan resorted to indiscriminate shelling and firing on Indian defence positions and villages close to the Line of Control. Some of the shells landed in the residential areas in which one civilian was killed and the others were injured. Some houses were also damaged in the shelling. On February 2, there were multiple ceasefire violations by Pakistan in Tangdhar, Gurez, Balakot and Mendhar sectors in which one Indian soldier was injured.

Pakistan violates ceasefire in Kashmir's Poonch area and we are responding says Indian Army

<ul><li>On June 27, India paid homage to the first Field Marshal of the Indian Army, <keyword id="192885" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sam-Manekshaw">Sam Manekshaw</keyword>, MC on his 11th death anniversary. </li><li>The hero of the 1971 Bangladesh liberation war died in 2008 in Wellington, Tamil Nadu. </li><li>Actor <keyword id="2618061" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vicky-Kaushal">Vicky Kaushal</keyword> is set to essay Field Marshal’s role in an upcoming film directed by <keyword id="7471" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Meghna-Gulzar">Meghna Gulzar</keyword> of ‘Raazi’ fame. </li></ul>As India paid homage to Late Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, MC on his 11th death anniversary, Bollywood actor Vicky Kaushal broke the Internet with a social media post, announcing his next film based on him. Meghna Gulzar of Raazi fame will direct the movie which will be produced by Ronnie Secrewala. Kaushal shared his first look from the movie, and the social media is in awe of the striking resemblance. <div type="twitter" handle="vickykaushal09" handlename="Vicky Kaushal" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1072474080593485824/1VKHX9rg_normal.jpg" favoritecount="26161" retweetcount="2990" status="The swashbuckling general &amp; the first Field Marshal of India- SAM MANEKSHAW. I feel honoured &amp; proud of getting a c… https://t.co/N8oZqb3w1L" createdat="1561611414000" id="1144107310857383936"></div>

 ‘Sam Bahadur’ Known widely as Sam Bahadur, he was the Chief of Army Staff during 1971 Bangladesh Liberation war. He was the first general of the modern Indian army to be made a field marshal. Manekshaw’s career lasted four decades, and saw five wars. He also successfully masterminded the Indo-Pakistan war of 1971. He died on June 27, 2008 at the age of 94, in Wellington, Tamil Nadu. “General Bipin Rawat COAS and all ranks of the Indian Army pay homage to Field Marshal SHFJ Manekshaw on his 11th death anniversary. Field Marshal Manekshaw, one of the world’s leading military professionals developed Indian Army into an effective instrument of war,” <a href="https://twitter.com/adgpi/status/1144198766783651842">tweeted</a> ADGPI-Indian Army. The Burma Campaign The Field Marshal was born on April 3rd, 1914 and did his early schooling in Amritsar. He was amongst the first batch of 40 cadets to be selected for the Indian Military Academy (IMA) in Dehradun and was <a href="https://indianarmy.nic.in/Site/FormTemplete/frmTemp1PTC2C.aspx?MnId=1+DDxl9H3tErntKfyLzp0w==&amp;ParentID=sJd1OldpEVzlIcnANQnk0g==&amp;flag=8CKP966uzg96kLov0aWdfQ==">commissioned</a> into the 12 Frontier Force Rifles in 1934. He earned fame early on in his career when he led his soldiers despite being severely wounded, during the first Burma campaign in World War II. In a rare case of its kind, his divisional Commander, Sir David Tennent Cowan, pinned his own <keyword id="6775404" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Military-Cross">Military Cross</keyword> on to the Captain’s chest saying, “ A dead person cannot be awarded a Military Cross.” Manekshaw was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1968 for his service to the nation.

Vicky Kaushal to play India’s ‘greatest war hero’ Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, MC in upcoming film; check out the striking resemblance

New Delhi, Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="narendra-modi" source="Orion">Narendra Modi</keyword> on Monday recounted the journey of Parliament right from the framing and adoption of the <keyword id="18821055" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="constitution-in-1950" source="Orion">Constitution in 1950</keyword> to the abrogation of Article 370 while addressing the special session.As the operations of Parliament are set to begin from the new building from Tuesday (September 19), PM Modi, while recalling his emotional moments when he first arrived in <keyword id="116809" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="parliament-house" source="Orion">Parliament House</keyword> as an MP in 2014, during his 50 minute address, recounted several historic moments which have been witnessed by Parliament in the last 75 years. "It is the occasion of the past meeting the present," the Prime Minister said, while addressing the Lok Sabha on the last day of functioning in the old building. He informed the House that in the current 17th Lok Sabha, there is the oldest MP in Samajwadi Party's Shafiqur Rehman Barq, who is 93 yearsold, while in Chandramani Murmu of the Biju Janata Dal, the House has the youngest MP at 30 years. The Prime Minister recalled that right from first PM <keyword id="6360386" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="jawaharlal-nehru" source="Orion">Jawaharlal Nehru</keyword>'s iconic "Tryst with Destiny" speech, which he delivered on the eve of Independence in the Central Hall, to Manmohan Singh, Parliament has seen the contributions of 14 Prime Ministers (including himself). Parliament has also seen the sorrow of three Prime Ministers having passed away during their tenures, namely Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri and Indira Gandhi. The Parliament, he informed, also saw sittings of the Constituent Assembly for two years and 11 months, which framed and adopted the Constitution. PM Modi also recounted the contribution of all the 17 Speakers, who have led the proceedings of the Lower House with dignity and ensured order, right from first Speaker Ganesh Mavalankar to the current incumbent Om Birla. "Their conduct over the years has been a point of reference," the Prime Minister said. PM Modi also lauded the framing of the nation's first water policy and industrial policy by B.R. Ambedkar and Shyama Prasad Mookerji under first Cabinet of Jawaharlal Nehru. Right from the resolution of 1965 Indo-Pak war, to Bangladesh's war of Liberation to the Green Revolution, the Parliament has been a witness to several historical moments. "It is a House where a party with four MPs has been in the opposition while a party with 100 MPs has represented the treasury benches," the Prime Minister said. The PM also recalled the moment when bombs thrown by Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt in Parliament had awakened the British Empire. The formation of three states, namely Jharkhand, Uttarakhand and Chhattisgarh, was also witnessed by this Parliament. However, Modi rued the fact that the division of Andhra Pradesh with the creation of Telangana, which was also witnessed in Lok Sabha, was not an occasion of celebration, as it resulted in a lot of acrimony. He also remembered the attack on Parliament, which he said, was an attack on the spirit of India. Highlighting the momentous occasions witnessed in Parliament, PM Modi said that right from abrogation of Article 370, to adoption of the GST regime, to the liberalisation policy which was unleashed by former Prime Minister Narsimha Rao, to the dubious occasion when the cash for vote incident rocked Parliament, the Lower House has seen it all. He also recalled the speeches of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in the Lok Sabha and the policies introduced by him like Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, to the creation of the ministries of Northeast and tribal affairs.

Modi recalls Nehru's 'Tryst with Destiny' speech and other moments on last day at old Parliament House

(Eds: Adds details) New Delhi, Jun 16 () Maha Vir Chakra awardee Lt Gen (retd) Raj Mohan Vohra has died due to COVID-19, senior officials said on Tuesday. The decorated officer breathed his last on June 14, they said, adding that he was 88. "He was admitted initially to a private hospital for stent procedure. He died on June 14 due to COVID-19 infection," a senior official said. His cremation was held on Sunday, the officials said. Then a lieutenant colonel, Vohra commanded the elite Hodson's Horse in the Shakargarh Sector during the Indo-Pak War of 1971 and was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra for his conspicuous bravery and leadership. During the Battle of Basantar, the regiment came under heavy fire from the enemy and faced huge resistance, but 27 enemy tanks were destroyed under his able command, the officials said. The Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) is the country's second highest gallantry award. It is awarded for acts of conspicuous gallantry in the presence of enemy whether on land, at sea or in the air. Vohra had received the coveted award in 1972. In his long and illustrious career, he tenanted many prestigious appointments, including GOC-in-C Eastern Command and GOC 31 Armoured Division, the official said. Born in 1932 in Shimla, the veteran officer was from the pioneer course of the National Defence Academy, and was commissioned into the 14 Horse in December 1952, they said. An alumnus of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, the officer fought in the Punjab sector during the Indo-Pak War of 1965, officials said. KND ANB ANB

1971 war hero, MVC awardee Lt Gen Vohra dies of COVID-19

India will be celebrating 72nd <keyword id="96226" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Army-Day">Army Day</keyword> on 15 January 2020. Preparations are already underway will rehearsals being conducted in the national capital, New Delhi. Not only will soldiers display their prowess marching in parades all over the country, but the Army will also showcase its arsenal of weapons — including the BLT T-72 ‘Bharat Rakshak’ tank, the 155mm Soltum Gun, Advanced Light Helicopters and the BhaMos Missles. <div type="image" title="armyday6_edited" msid="73243484" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Army soldiers march during the 71st Army Day Parade at Cariappa Parade Ground, in New Delhi &amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>

 Why does <keyword id="8562177" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="india-celebrate">India celebrate</keyword> <keyword id="8562178" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="army-day-on-january-15">Army Day on January 15</keyword>? The Indian army was officially established on 1 April 1895. However, it was only in 1949 — after independence — that the Army got its first chief. On January 15, command of the Indian Army was handed over from General Sir Francis Butcher to Lieutenant General KM Cariappa. Cariappa led the Indian Army on the western border in the Indo-Pak war in 1947. He was the second person to receive the title of Field Marshal of India on 14 January 1986 — the first went to Sam Manekshaw in 1973. <div type="image" title="armyday9_edited" msid="73243617" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Field Marshal Kodandera Madappa Cariappa, the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army, 1949.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>

 How do we celebrate Army Day? The transfer of power from the British to India signifies an important moment in Indian history. Army Command headquarters in the national capital, as well as in other parts of the country, celebrate the occasion by organising military parades and other shows of strength. The main event is always the parade at Cariappa Parade Ground at Delhi Cannt. which kicks off when the Indian Army Chief takes salute. Bravery awards like unit credentials and Sena medals are also distributed on the day. <div type="image" title="armyday3_edited" msid="73243650" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat inspects the guard of honour during the 71st Army Day Parade at Cariappa Parade Ground, in New Delhi &amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>

 Does India celebrate Veterans Day? The celebration of Army Day on January 15 is akin to Veterans Day celebrations in the US on November 11. Both events celebrate all the army soldiers who served to protect the country’s citizens. On Army Day, the country pays tribute to Indian Army soldiers at the ‘Amar Jawan Jyoti’ at India Gate in New Delhi. <div type="image" title="armyday2_edited" msid="73243679" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;71st Army Day parade&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>

 What’s special about India’s 72nd Army Day in 2020? The 72nd Army Day will be the first time that a woman army officer will lead the Army Day Parade. Tania Sher Gill is a fourth-generation army officer who joined the armed forces in 2017 after graduating from the Officers Training Academy in Chennai. As the Parade Adjutant, she will be leading an all-men contingent on January 15. <div type="image" title="armyday1_edited" msid="73243691" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;71st Army Day parade&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>

 Who has the largest army in the world? China has the largest army in the world but India isn’t too far behind coming in second with 1.4 million active military personnel. However, when it comes to being powerful, India falls fourth behind the US, China and Russia. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/defense/news/indias-budget-allocation-for-defence-has-remained-fairly-static-for-the-past-five-years/articleshow/73153930.cms">Budget 2020: Five charts that explain what you can expect from India’s defence expenditure this year</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/defense/news/india-defence-expenditure-in-2020/articleshow/72822974.cms">India’s ready to spend on defence — just not on modernisation</a>

Army Day 2020: Why does India celebrate Army Day on January 15

<ul><li>At present, there are 5,259 active <keyword id="8644408" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Coronavirus-cases">Coronavirus cases</keyword> in the Uttar Pradesh.</li><li>Out of the 14,598 confirmed cases in the state, 8,904 patients have recovered and 435 patients have died.</li><li>Uttar Pradesh reported 507 new cases and 18 new deaths on June 16.</li></ul>Uttar Pradesh reported 507 new cases of <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coronavirus">Coronavirus</keyword> on June 16, taking the total number of cases in the state to 14,598. Out of the 14,598 confirmed cases, 8,904 patients have recovered and 435 patients have died. The state government has revealed that several patients had attended the Tablighi Jamaat meeting in Nizamuddin or had come in contact with someone who attended the event. The Uttar Pradesh government has started pool testing in view of the increasing number of pending samples. Pool testing, which has been approved by ICMR, involves collective testing of about ten samples at one go. If found negative, all the ten persons are declared Corona free but if the sample tests positive, all ten persons will have to undergo individual tests. Prof Gopal Nath, in-charge of the BHU laboratory, said, "We are conducting over 350 tests every day against our capacity of 300 samples per day, for more than a week now. But, the number of samples collected from all 13 districts connected with this lab is accumulating. Pool testing will quicken the pace of testing now." <table style="width: 560pt;"> </colgroup></colgroup></colgroup></colgroup></colgroup> <tbody><tr> <td class="xl63" style="height: 14.4pt; width: 94pt; font-size: 11pt; color: white; font-weight: 700; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; border-top: 0.5pt solid black; border-right-width: initial; border-right-style: none; border-bottom: 0.5pt solid black; border-left: 0.5pt solid black; background: black;">State</td> <td class="xl63" style="width: 175pt; font-size: 11pt; color: white; font-weight: 700; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; border-top: 0.5pt solid black; border-right-width: initial; border-right-style: none; border-bottom: 0.5pt solid black; border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none; background: black;">Total Cases</td> <td class="xl63" style="width: 179pt; font-size: 11pt; color: white; font-weight: 700; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; border-top: 0.5pt solid black; border-right-width: initial; border-right-style: none; border-bottom: 0.5pt solid black; border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none; background: black;">Active Cases</td> <td class="xl63" style="width: 56pt; font-size: 11pt; color: white; font-weight: 700; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; border-top: 0.5pt solid black; border-right-width: initial; border-right-style: none; border-bottom: 0.5pt solid black; border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none; background: black;">Cured</td> <td class="xl63" style="width: 56pt; font-size: 11pt; color: white; font-weight: 700; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; border-top: 0.5pt solid black; border-right: 0.5pt solid black; border-bottom: 0.5pt solid black; border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none; background: black;">Death</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="xl63" style="height: 14.4pt; font-size: 11pt; color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; border-top: 0.5pt solid black; border-right-width: initial; border-right-style: none; border-bottom: 0.5pt solid black; border-left: 0.5pt solid black; background: rgb(217, 217, 217);">Uttar Pradesh</td> <td class="xl63" style="font-size: 11pt; color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; border-top: 0.5pt solid black; border-right-width: initial; border-right-style: none; border-bottom: 0.5pt solid black; border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none; background: rgb(217, 217, 217);">14,598</td> <td class="xl63" style="font-size: 11pt; color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; border-top: 0.5pt solid black; border-right-width: initial; border-right-style: none; border-bottom: 0.5pt solid black; border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none; background: rgb(217, 217, 217);">5,259</td> <td class="xl63" style="font-size: 11pt; color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; border-top: 0.5pt solid black; border-right-width: initial; border-right-style: none; border-bottom: 0.5pt solid black; border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none; background: rgb(217, 217, 217);">8,904</td> <td class="xl63" style="font-size: 11pt; color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; border-top: 0.5pt solid black; border-right: 0.5pt solid black; border-bottom: 0.5pt solid black; border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none; background: rgb(217, 217, 217);">435</td> </tr></tbody></table> 'Pani puri' sale banned in UP district There is bad news for those who crave for 'pani puri'. The sale of 'pani puri' has been banned in Kanpur from Tuesday. District Magistrate Brahmadeo Ram Tiwari said there were inputs that corona safety norms were being flouted at street food carts after the relaxation in curbs under 'Unlock 1.0'. "Besides, there was a lack of social distancing at these stalls and we have banned the sale of pani puri so that there is no further spike in corona cases," he said. Agra faces financial loss, yearns for return of tourists India's global tourist destination Taj Mahal, which witnessed a daily footfall of thousands of people, now stands secluded after it was shut to the public exactly three months ago due to the COVID-19-induced lockdown. Taj Mahal is Uttar Pradesh's main attraction and a major source of revenue for the state's tourism industry. According to the Archaeological Survey of India, as many as 15,000 to 20,000 foreigners and Indians used to visit the historical site daily. Superintendent Archaeologist Dr Vasant Kumar Swarnkar told IANS that foreign tourists were charged Rs 1,300 each while domestic tourists paid Rs 250 each for the visit but the pandemic has spelt doom for historical monuments and Agra's economy. It is the first time that the monument has been shut after the devastating 1978 floods. It was previously closed during World War II in 1942 and the Indo-Pak war of 1971. We have effectively checked corona spread: Yogi Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has said that the state had effectively controlled the spread of coronavirus. He said it could be made possible due to the guidance of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a good teamwork in the state. He, however, cautioned against any complacency and said a minor carelessness could be dangerous. In a statement issued here on Wednesday, the Chief Minister said that the lockdown was implemented strictly and the asymptomatic corona patients were kept in the hospitals which helped in stopping the spread of the virus. Unable to manage train seat, man buys car and heads home Lallan, a painter in the NCR city Ghaziabad, waited near a railway station for three days for his turn to get on to a Shramik special. On the fourth day, he went to the bank, withdrew all his savings of Rs 1.9 lakh and headed straight to a second hand car seller. He bought a used car for Rs 1.5 lakh, and travelled back to his home in Gorakhpur along with his family, vowing never to return. A resident of Kaitholia village in PP Ganj in Gorakhpur, Lallan said, "After the lockdown, I stayed on hoping that things would soon return to normal. When the lockdown kept getting extended, I thought it would be safer for me and my family to return to our village. However, we made several attempts to get seats on buses or trains but failed." Aligarh lock industry seeks Yogi help to restart The Aligarh lock industry has sought financial assistance from the Yogi Adityanath government to enable it to pay salaries to its workers. According to Sunil Datta, general secretary of the Tala Nagri Industrialist Association, a meeting with the state government is scheduled this week in this regard. "We are not in a position to support our workers any longer. We had no business during the lockdown, but we paid salaries to them, but now things are out of our hands too. We need some financial assistance to survive," he said. Yogi to give ration kits, Rs 1,000 to each destitute Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed officials to provide ration kits and Rs 1,000 to all destitutes who do not have ration cards. In his meeting with Team 11 officials on Monday, the Chief Minister said that efforts should also be made to provide ration cards to these people. In the rural areas, the ration kits and Rs 1,000 will be given from the funds allotted to village heads while in the urban areas, the same will be provided by municipal corporations, the government spokesman said. UP government to follow Centre's guidelines on 'Unlock 1' The lockdown in Uttar Pradesh will continue till June 30 but as per the guidelines for 'Unlock 1', as issued by the Centre, shopping malls, hotels, restaurants, and places of worship will be allowed to reopen from June 8. Additional Chief Secretary, Home, Uttar Pradesh, Avanish Awasthi told reporters that said that the state government will allow religious places, hotels, restaurants and shopping malls to reopen from June 8 but with safety protocols. He said that no relaxations would be allowed in the containment zones and District Magistrates would also be allowed to take decisions on relaxations and restrictions, depending on the COVID-19 situation in their areas. UP prisoners' parole to be extended amid Covid crisis With Corona showing no signs of receding in Uttar Pradesh, the Yogi Adityanath government has decided to extend by another eight weeks, the parole of 2,257 convicts, sentenced to seven years or less and also those awaiting trial entailing less than seven-year imprisonment. In the last week of March, the Supreme Court had directed states and union territories to consider releasing convicts sentenced to seven years or less and also those awaiting trial entailing less than seven-year imprisonment, in order to decongest jails during the Corona crisis. Yogi govt completes skill mapping of 14.75 lakh migrants The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has completed the task of skill mapping of 14.75 lakh migrant workers who have returned to the state during lockdown. According to the official spokesman, the skill mapping of migrant workers will help in providing employment for them. With inputs from IANS. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/coronavirus-cases-in-hyderabad-telangana-news-and-updates/articleshow/74823424.cms">Coronavirus cases in Telangana</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/coronavirus-cases-in-andhra-pradesh-news-and-updates/articleshow/74828808.cms">Coronavirus cases in Andhra Pradesh</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/coronavirus-cases-in-gujarat-news-and-updates/articleshow/74830845.cms">Coronavirus cases in Gujarat</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/coronavirus-cases-in-bihar-news-and-updates/articleshow/74833815.cms">Coronavirus cases in Bihar</a>

UP Coronavirus cases rise to 14,598, 435 dead and 8,904 recovered

Many senior Indians love to day dream of how ‘it was back then’. This romanticized nostalgia makes you feel better for a while. However, your reminiscence of how a hotel room once cost Rs. 10 a night and a kilo of Potato would have left you poorer by a few paisa is definitely not an accurate yardstick to gauge how our economy has evolved over half a century. 
 
Business Insider India looks into the Rupee vs. Dollar tussle over the last 69 years to find out how the Indian economy fared since the Brits left and the major economic policies that helped shape India’s economic destiny. 
 
Jawaharlal Nehru (1947 -1964) 
 
Nehru believed in import substitution industrialization and mixed economy, i.e. where the public and private sector happily co-exist. The government invested heavily in steel, iron, coal, and power, promoting them with subsidies and protectionist economic policies. 
 
Not siding with any the US or Soviet Union in the Cold War meant India received help from both. His critics however point out that his idea of import substitution industrialization actually weakened the international competency of Indian manufacturing industries. 
 
India’s GDP grew by around 4% YoY – faster than the US or UK. Indian industry grew 7.0% from 1950 to 1965. However, low income and the population boom were biting at the nation’s knees. 
 
Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri (1964 - 1966) 
 
Shastri was a Socialist, just like Nehru. He led the White Revolution and created the National Dairy Development Board. He also promoted the Green Revolution and the ‘Shastri Vrat’ – the idea of skipping a meal every week. There was a thundering nationwide response with even restaurants downing shutters on Monday evenings. 
 
Smt. Indira Gandhi (1966 - 1977) 
 
There’s a lot of debate around whether Gandhi was a Socialist or not. She has also been accused of implementing populist policies for her political gains. Let’s leave that to the Historians, Politicians and Economists. 
 
Gandhi was handed over an unsettled economy, thanks to the expenses from the 1965 Indo-Pak war. The government responded by liberalizing the economy and devaluing the currency in return for the restoration of foreign aid. The economy recovered and grew by a steady4.1% over 1966–1969. However, as India-US foreign relations strained over the Vietnam issue. This bitter experience taught Gandhi never to depend on foreign aid so much. She now took to building foreign exchange reserves. In 1976 India was officially declared a socialist state and liberalization was dumped altogether. Last but not the least, who can forget the Emergency of 1975 and that it was justified on economic grounds. 
 
Shri Morarji Desai (1977 - 1979) 
 
The Janata government headed by Desai had lesser progress with economic policies than Gandhi. It wanted to promote self-reliance and indigenous industries, however, its foreign-Indian company partnership programmes set off many multinationals like IBM and Coca-Cola. While some corporations exited, others decreased their investment amounts. 
 
The government also failed to stem inflation, unemployment, and the lack of fuel. Also, you have a heady concoction when you mix poverty with the legalization of strikes and empowerment of trade unions. 
 
Smt. Indira Gandhi (1980 - 1984) 
 
When Gandhi was re-elected Prime Minister, she was against handed over an ailing country with the strongest recession in the history of modern India. 
 
With inflation ruling supreme at 18.2%, Gandhi launched Garibi Hatao. Public expense was tightened and State Owned Properties were remodeled for greater efficiency. In 1982, the government launched Operation Forward – its first step into large scale reform. She also managed to bring down inflation to 6.5%, however employment stayed constant. 
 
Shri Rajiv Gandhi (1984 - 1989) 
 
Rajiv Gandhi tried to liberalize the economy again by incentivizing private enterprise. However, he faced stiff opposition from inside the Congress. He increased investment on technology and reduced taxes and import quotas. Telecommunications, airlines and computer prices were lowered. He also tried to taper the infamous License Raj. 
 
Shri. V.P. Singh (1989 - 1990) 
 
The V.P Singh government is best known for the 1990 Reliance controversy. In that year financial corporations like the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) stopped Reliance from gaining control over Larsen &amp; Toubro (L&amp;T). The Ambanis took a step back and Dhirubhai Ambani made way for D. N. Ghosh to be the chairman of L&amp;T. 
 
P. V. Narasimha Rao (1990 - 1996) 
 
Rao’s government was geared towards cutting fiscal deficit, privatization, and increasing infrastructure spending. Most of this was aimed to avoid the possible economic crisis of 1991. He also reformed capital markets, deregulated domestic business and increased foreign trade. 
 
Rao also appointed economist Manmohan Singh as the Finance Minister. The results were visible on paper. India received $5.3 billion foreign investment in 1995-96 as compared to only $ 132 million in 1991-92. The government further cut the strands of industrial licensing. Now, only 18 key industries were subject to industrial licensing. 
 
Shri H. D. Deve Gowda (1996 - 1997) 
 
Deve Gowda was quite unexpectedly chosen as the12th Prime Minister of India after Narasimha Rao lost. While he headed the Steering Committee of the United Front, there’s hardly anything you can do in just about a year’s time. 
 
Shri Inder Kumar Gujral (1997-1998) 
 
Gujral was chosen to be Prime Minister over Lalu Prasad Yadav, Mulayam Singh Yadav and a few others. His government is best known for the Lalu Prasad Fodder Scam and the controversial decision of recommending the President's rule in Uttar Pradesh in 1997. 
 
Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee (1998 - 2004) 
 
The Vajpayee government pushed for privatization of government owned corporations and pro-business, free market reforms. Many of these were envisioned by Narasimha Rao, but were restricted due to the 1997 Asian financial crisis. This transformed India’s economic landscape forever. IT flourished and deregulation of trade and commerce, infrastructural leaps and corporate law reforms made India a lucrative market to invest in. 
 
Dr. Manmohan Singh (2004 - 2014) 
 
The one who saved India from the clutches of the License Raj and promoted liberalization was now on the front seat. Under him India achieved 9% GDP growth rate in 2007 to become the second fastest growing economy in the world. Singh also took on some of the projects Vajpayee left off and worked on reforming key banking and finance laws. In 2005 VAT replaced Sales Tax as the more effective program. However, in 2007 the global inflation hit hard, and Singh had the herculean task of making sure it hit India to the most minimum extent possible. 
 
Narendra Modi (2014-Present) 
 
Modi was elected the Prime Minister with overwhelming majority. His government aims to streamline bureaucratic requirements and ease the burden on companies to make governance more effective and efficient. Modi aims to do that by moving a large chunk of governmental processes online.He envisions this to work best to eradicate corruption and fasten bsuinees processes. He also relaxed India’s foreign direct investment (FDI) policies and championed the Make in India campaign to attract global investment. 
 
Image credit: Knoema

#IndependenceDaySpl: Rupee’s Journey since
1947

Power play by <keyword id="6358826" type="COUNTRY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Russia">Russia</keyword> has grabbed the global attention yet again. The Ukrainian crisis, particularly the seizure of the <keyword id="901413" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="40" keywordseo="Crimean-Peninsula">Crimean Peninsula</keyword> in southern <keyword id="6355101" type="COUNTRY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Ukraine">Ukraine</keyword> by Russia, is getting more critical every day, with no easy solution in sight. But should it matter to India? And if it does, what would be India’s reasons for getting involved in the crisis, which has been on since centuries, exploding out of control every now and then? 
 The international Press, which is closely observing the civil war that broke out in <keyword id="359731" type="COUNTRY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Crimea">Crimea</keyword> since the end of last year and proceeded well into the first quarter of 2014, predicts that Crimea, the now autonomous republic within Ukraine, is all set to break away from Ukraine sooner or later. The nearest date for this could be March 16 when the people of the republic will vote to decide whether it wants to remain a part of Ukraine or be independent and join the Russian Federation as a federal subject. In all probability, Crimea will vote for the second option instead of staying on with Ukraine. 
 
The ongoing crisis creates a rather sticky situation for the US, which is in a diplomatic soup regarding Crimea, especially after Russia’s imposition on this republic, citing ‘guarding the safety of ethnic Russian people’ living in that small nation by the Black Sea. India has treaded rather cautiously on the issue. The US, for its part, already said it would not recognise the referendum, whatever the outcome might be, and would take further steps against Russia at international forums, should the latter use the referendum to further its interests. 
 When two arms manufacturing powers are locked in an argument, India chooses to remain non-committal. Only when the country runs short of options, it does react after cautiously weighing all pros and cons. <keyword id="818773" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="40" keywordseo="The-situation">The situation</keyword> in Crimea and Ukraine is not an exception either. Weeks into the crisis, India has never made its opinion known to the international community. China has not minced words and stood by Russia in its decision to ‘safeguard’ Crimean interests. But India has chosen to toe the line only now. 
 The reason is simple. Russia has been a key ally of India and has stood by the country post 1998 after India conducted its nuclear tests in dunes of Pokhran. Russia’s (former <keyword id="6365126" type="COUNTRY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Soviet-Union">Soviet Union</keyword>) backing goes back to early 1970s when the Indo-Pak war took place and Bangladesh (earlier, East Pakistan) was born. 
 
As Russia and India had been close allies for years and the latter had hugely benefited from the bilateral relations, India cannot be a mere onlooker now. With Russia about to recover its global position of strength and India looking for strong and strategic partners with whom it can further strengthen bilateral trade, a good relationship with Russia will continue to yield better results. Moreover, when one considers India’s demand for resources increasing with every passing day and the need of developing countries to trade with their strongholds to make ends meet, the logic becomes clearer. 
 
When one looks at the trade relations between India and Ukraine, under which Crimea is legally an autonomous republic till it decides otherwise, the numbers don’t look too impressive – up to $3.1 billion as of now. However, several MoUs have been signed between the two, spanning diplomatic relations, air service, defence, education, culture, tourism, sports, etc. Also, over 4,000 Indian students are studying at various universities and educational institutions in Ukraine. 
 Incidentally, the then Ukrainian <keyword id="2540" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="President">President</keyword> Viktor Yanukovych visited India in 2012 to strengthen trade relations between the two countries. Although the value of trade between the two isn’t very high, it covers a number of strategic areas such as nuclear, space, economic, defence, science and technology, which will help propel India’s growth. 
 
What really matters is the agreement between two countries in the field of agriculture, health and counter-terrorism efforts. For India, where villages abound and agriculture is the main occupation, it makes sense to protect the interests of a country that provides a robust fillip to that field with fertiliser supply. For the sake of record, Ukraine ranks as one of the major producers of fertilisers and India is one of the leading importers of this product. 
 
Boost to the pharma sector will also aid better health facilities within India, increasing its revenues manifold. Both countries work closely as far as the pharma sector is concerned. 
 
Although China, after communicating with key EU leaders, decided to limit its role on Sunday and said a politically viable solution must be reached in Crimea, the Middle East will continue to burn for some more years, placing India in a quagmire of tricky international relations. 
 
Image: Indiatimes

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