The Evening Wrap: India at 75 | PM Modi sets sights on developed India by 2047

Addressing the country from the ramparts of Red Fort in New Delhi, marking 75 years of the nation's Independence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India was entering a decisive phase in its war against corruption and that nepotism and misogyny were some of the big challenges that were not just a political issue but existed in other institutions of society and public life, and needed to be combated. In his ninth consecutive speech from the Red Fort, Mr. Modi said it was a historic day for India and the completion of 75 years of Independence was a time to step towards a new direction with a new resolve. "Our nation has proved that we have an inherent strength from our diversity and the common thread of patriotism makes India unshakeable," Mr. Modi said, as he termed India the "mother of democracy". He also gave a call for setting big resolutions and spelled out " Panch Pran" (five resolves) to fulfil the freedom fighters' dreams for the country at India's Independence centenary by 2047. India at 75 | Looking back, looking ahead... Iran denies being involved in attack on Salman Rushdie An Iranian government official denied on Monday that Tehran was involved in the assault on author Salman Rushdie, in remarks that were the country's first public comments on the attack. Nasser Kanaani, the spokesman of Iran's Foreign Ministry, made the remarks in a briefing to journalists. “We, in the incident of the attack on Salman Rushdie in the U.S., do not consider that anyone deserves blame and accusations except him and his supporters,” Mr. Kanaani said. “Nobody has right to accuse Iran in this regard.” Mr. Rushdie, 75, was stabbed on Friday while attending an event in western New York. He suffered a damaged liver and severed nerves in an arm and an eye, his agent said. He was likely to lose the injured eye. China announces new drills as U.S. delegation visits Taiwan China announced more military drills around Taiwan as the self-governing island’s president met with members of a new U.S. congressional delegation on August 15, threatening to renew tensions between Beijing and Washington just days after a similar visit by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi angered China. Ms. Pelosi was the highest-level member of the U.S. government to visit Taiwan in 25 years, and her trip prompted nearly two weeks of threatening military exercises by China, which claims the island as its own. In those previous drills, Beijing fired missiles over the island and into the Taiwan Strait and sent warplanes and navy ships across the waterway’s midline, which has long been a buffer between the sides that split amid civil war in 1949. China accuses the U.S. of encouraging the island's independence through the sale of weapons and engagement between U.S. politicians and the island’s government. Washington says it does not support independence, has no formal diplomatic ties with the island and maintains that the two sides should settle their dispute peacefully — but it is legally bound to ensure the island can defend itself against any attack. India at 75 | PM Modi let nation down by not talking about unfulfilled promises made in last eight years: Congress The Congress on Monday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi following his address to the nation on the 76th Independence Day, saying he has let the country down by not discussing the promises made by him in the last eight years and by not giving an account of his tenure. Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera also took a swipe at Mr. Modi over his remarks against nepotism during the Prime Minister’s speech on the 75th anniversary of Independence, and said he was actually talking about internal politics of the BJP and attacking his own Ministers whose sons are occupying high positions in the fields of cricket and politics despite not having expertise. He also said the Prime Minister is becoming a victim of his own words and there is no enthusiasm or zest in his speech or heart as most of the promises made in the last eight years remained unfulfilled. The Congress leader also alleged that the BJP has made no contribution to the freedom struggle and they are now trying to "whitewash" history. Nitish aims to provide 20 lakh jobs; Bihar Cabinet expansion on August 16 A day before his government’s cabinet expansion, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar while delivering Independence Day speech at Patna’s Gandhi Maidan on Monday announced that his government aimed to create 20 lakh jobs---within and outside the government---in the state. “We’re now together and our concept is that we should at least make it (jobs) to 10 lakh but we’ll arrange jobs and employment on such a scale within the government and outside it that it is to take up to 20 lakh”, announced Nitish Kumar while, looking up at his Deputy in the cabinet Tejashwi Yadav who too was sitting there during flag hoisting ceremony at Patna’s historic Gandhi Maidan. Mr Kumar further said that he (Tejashwi Yadav) is expected to take Bihar to a new path of development and progress. Earlier, it was RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav during state assembly election campaign in 2020, had promised people to provide 10 lakh jobs. When the mahagathbandhan government was recently formed in the state, after Mr Kumar dumped BJP and joined hands with the JD-led mahagathbandhan again, BJP leaders raised questions over providing 10 lakh jobs to unemployed youths of the state promised by Mr Yadav. However, soon after Mr Kumar announced that his government aimed to provide 20 lakh jobs, Tejashwi Yadav tweeted in Hindi to thank Nitish Kumar for the “historic announcement”. “ Many thanks to respected chief minister Shri Nitish Kumar ji for the historic announcement from Gandhi Maidan of arranging 10 lakh jobs and other 10 lakh jobs in Bihar according to the expectations and dreams of the unemployed youth. You and I will take Bihar on the path of development and progress. It’s a pledge!”. In Brief The gates of Hyderi Manzil, or Gandhi Bhawan, as it is called these days, remained closed till 10 a.m. on August 15, 2022, when the caretaker of the building arrived and started wiping a marble statue of Mahatma Gandhi in the courtyard. The national flag was unfurled only after spells of rain stopped, well past 11 a.m., with a dozen people who disappeared as quietly as they had arrived. Clinical trials of Bharat Biotech’s intranasal COVID vaccine candidate as a primary (two) dose and a heterologous booster dose have been completed and the data submitted for approval to national regulatory authorities. BBV154, the vaccine, has proven to be safe, well-tolerated and immunogenic in controlled clinical trials, the vaccine maker said announcing submission of the data on completion of the trials in which nearly 4,000 volunteers participated. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow [logo] The Evening Wrap 15 AUGUST 2022 [The Hindu logo] Welcome to the Evening Wrap newsletter, your guide to the day’s biggest stories with concise analysis from The Hindu. [[Arrow]Open in browser]( [[Mail icon]More newsletters]( India at 75 | PM Modi sets sights on developed India by 2047 [Addressing the country from the ramparts of Red Fort in New Delhi]( marking 75 years of the nation's Independence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India was entering a decisive phase in its war against corruption and that nepotism and misogyny were some of the big challenges that were not just a political issue but existed in other institutions of society and public life, and needed to be combated. [Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves after addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the occasion of the 76th Independence Day, in New Delhi on August 15, 2022.] In his ninth consecutive speech from the Red Fort, Mr. Modi said it was a historic day for India and the completion of 75 years of Independence was a time to step towards a new direction with a new resolve. "Our nation has proved that we have an inherent strength from our diversity and the common thread of patriotism makes India unshakeable," Mr. Modi said, as he termed India the "mother of democracy". He also gave a call for setting big resolutions and spelled out " Panch Pran" (five resolves) to fulfil the freedom fighters' dreams for the country at India's Independence centenary by 2047. [India at 75 | Looking back, looking ahead...Â]( Iran denies being involved in attack on Salman Rushdie [An Iranian government official denied on Monday that Tehran was involved in the assault on author Salman Rushdie]( in remarks that were the country's first public comments on the attack. Nasser Kanaani, the spokesman of Iran's Foreign Ministry, made the remarks in a briefing to journalists. “We, in the incident of the attack on Salman Rushdie in the U.S., do not consider that anyone deserves blame and accusations except him and his supporters,” Mr. Kanaani said. “Nobody has right to accuse Iran in this regard.” Mr. Rushdie, 75, was stabbed on Friday while attending an event in western New York. He suffered a damaged liver and severed nerves in an arm and an eye, his agent said. He was likely to lose the injured eye. China announces new drills as U.S. delegation visits Taiwan [China announced more military drills around Taiwan as the self-governing island’s president met with members]( of a new U.S. congressional delegation on August 15, threatening to renew tensions between Beijing and Washington just days after a similar visit by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi angered China. Ms. Pelosi was the highest-level member of the U.S. government to visit Taiwan in 25 years, and her trip prompted nearly two weeks of threatening military exercises by China, which claims the island as its own. In those previous drills, Beijing fired missiles over the island and into the Taiwan Strait and sent warplanes and navy ships across the waterway’s midline, which has long been a buffer between the sides that split amid civil war in 1949. [This picture taken by Taiwan’s Central News Agency (CNA) shows visiting US Representative Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen (C) arriving at the Parliament in Taipei on August 15, 2022. ] China accuses the U.S. of encouraging the island's independence through the sale of weapons and engagement between U.S. politicians and the island’s government. Washington says it does not support independence, has no formal diplomatic ties with the island and maintains that the two sides should settle their dispute peacefully — but it is legally bound to ensure the island can defend itself against any attack. India at 75 | PM Modi let nation down by not talking about unfulfilled promises made in last eight years: Congress [The Congress on Monday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi following his address to the nation]( on the 76th Independence Day, saying he has let the country down by not discussing the promises made by him in the last eight years and by not giving an account of his tenure. Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera also took a swipe at Mr. Modi over his remarks against nepotism during the Prime Minister’s speech on the 75th anniversary of Independence, and said he was actually talking about internal politics of the BJP and attacking his own Ministers whose sons are occupying high positions in the fields of cricket and politics despite not having expertise. He also said the Prime Minister is becoming a victim of his own words and there is no enthusiasm or zest in his speech or heart as most of the promises made in the last eight years remained unfulfilled. The Congress leader also alleged that the BJP has made no contribution to the freedom struggle and they are now trying to "whitewash" history. Nitish aims to provide 20 lakh jobs; Bihar Cabinet expansion on August 16 [A day before his government’s cabinet expansion, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar]( delivering Independence Day speech at Patna’s Gandhi Maidan on Monday announced that his government aimed to create 20 lakh jobs---within and outside the government---in the state. “We’re now together and our concept is that we should at least make it (jobs) to 10 lakh but we’ll arrange jobs and employment on such a scale within the government and outside it that it is to take up to 20 lakh”, announced Nitish Kumar while, looking up at his Deputy in the cabinet Tejashwi Yadav who too was sitting there during flag hoisting ceremony at Patna’s historic Gandhi Maidan. Mr Kumar further said that he (Tejashwi Yadav) is expected to take Bihar to a new path of development and progress. Earlier, it was RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav during state assembly election campaign in 2020, had promised people to provide 10 lakh jobs. When the mahagathbandhan government was recently formed in the state, after Mr Kumar dumped BJP and joined hands with the JD-led mahagathbandhan again, BJP leaders raised questions over providing 10 lakh jobs to unemployed youths of the state promised by Mr Yadav. However, soon after Mr Kumar announced that his government aimed to provide 20 lakh jobs, Tejashwi Yadav tweeted in Hindi to thank Nitish Kumar for the “historic announcement”. “ Many thanks to respected chief minister Shri Nitish Kumar ji for the historic announcement from Gandhi Maidan of arranging 10 lakh jobs and other 10 lakh jobs in Bihar according to the expectations and dreams of the unemployed youth. You and I will take Bihar on the path of development and progress. It’s a pledge!”. In Brief [The gates of Hyderi Manzil]( or Gandhi Bhawan, as it is called these days, remained closed till 10 a.m. on August 15, 2022, when the caretaker of the building arrived and started wiping a marble statue of Mahatma Gandhi in the courtyard. The national flag was unfurled only after spells of rain stopped, well past 11 a.m., with a dozen people who disappeared as quietly as they had arrived. [Clinical trials of Bharat Biotech’s intranasal COVID vaccine candidate]( as a primary (two) dose and a heterologous booster dose have been completed and the data submitted for approval to national regulatory authorities. BBV154, the vaccine, has proven to be safe, well-tolerated and immunogenic in controlled clinical trials, the vaccine maker said announcing submission of the data on completion of the trials in which nearly 4,000 volunteers participated. 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