The Evening Wrap: Outgoing LS took decisions for which many generations had waited for long: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the outgoing Lok Sabha saying many decisions, including the repeal of Article 370 and the passage of women’s reservation bill, were taken during its tenure for which many generations had long waited while game-changing reforms in the period laid the foundation of a strong India. Touching on the discussion on the Ram temple construction in Lok Sabha and the House’s adoption of a laudatory resolution on the development, Mr. Modi said it will give constitutional strength to the future generations to feel proud of the country’s values. Speaking on the last day of Parliament’s Budget session, he said the last five years were a period of reform, perform and transform with the country moving towards “big changes” at a fast pace. In a swipe at the opposition which has constantly targeted the BJP over the temple issue, he said, “This is true that not everyone has the capacity for these things. Some people are brave to face it while others run away from the battlefield. But for the future record, the speeches that were made today have sensitivity, resolve and sympathy... It also takes forward the mantra of ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas’.” He added, “The country has moved towards big changes at a fast pace and all members of the House made an important contribution. Such works were completed for which people had waited for centuries,” he said. For generations, people dreamt of one Constitution but this House made that possible by removing Article 370, which had given the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir special rights, he said and noted that several other important decisions like the criminalisation of instant triple talaq were taken as well. “Several challenges were met and the country was given an appropriate direction. We can say with satisfaction that the work for which many generations waited for centuries was accomplished in the 17th Lok Sabha,” Mr. Modi said. “These five years have been of reform, perform and transform. It is rare that we reform, perform and also see transformation. The country will keep blessing the 17th Lok Sabha,” he said. Throwing light on the significance of the next 25 years for the nation, he said the country has resolved to accomplish its dreams and he can sense it. He said the passage of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act has safeguarded the data of the present generation and given it a tool to make its future. He said thousands of cumbersome compliances were removed in the last five years to make the lives of common citizens easier. Reiterating his belief in “minimum government and maximum governance”, he said the capabilities of any democracy can be maximized by ensuring minimum government intervention in citizen’s lives. EPFO to marginally hike interest on PF deposits to 8.25% The Central Board of Trustees (CBT) of the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has recommended an interest rate of 8.25% on provident fund (PF) deposits for 2023-24. The current interest rate is 8.15%. “The move is a step towards fulfilling PM Modi’s guarantee of strengthening social security for India’s workforce,” said Union Labour Minister Bhupender Yadav after a meeting of the CBT here on Saturday. The meeting also authorised Mr. Yadav to constitute the new executive committee of the CBT. The CBT has recommended to the Union Finance Ministry that the new interest of 8.25% could be applied to the accumulations in subscribers’ accounts for 2023-24. Once the Finance Ministry accepts the approval, the new rate will be officially notified in the government gazette. “Subsequently, the EPFO will credit the approved rate of interest to its subscribers’ accounts,” the Union Labour Ministry said in a press release. “The CBT has recommended a distribution of historic income amount of ₹1,07,000 crore to EPF members’ accounts on a total principal amount of about ₹13 lakh crore, which were ₹91,151.66 crore and ₹ 11.02 lakh crore respectively in 2022-23. The total income recommended for distribution is the highest on record,” the Centre said, adding that the income had grown by more than 17.39% and principal amount had increased by 17.97%, which is a healthy financial performance. "The EPFO's apex decision making body Central Board of Trustees (CBT) has decided to provide 8.25% rate of interest on EPF for 2023-24 at its meeting on Saturday,” a source said. AAP to announce candidates for Punjab, Chandigarh in next fortnight The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday reiterated that it will contest all 13 seats in Punjab in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, dismissing the possibility of alliance with its Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance partners in the State. The party also intends to go it alone in Chandigarh, which has one parliamentary seat. The AAP would announce its candidates for all the 14 Lok Sabha seats in the next fortnight. AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann made it clear that in the upcoming Lok Sabha election the party will go solo in Punjab as well as in Chandigarh, the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana. Interestingly, the Congress and the AAP recently jointly contested the mayoral elections for Chandigarh Municipal Corporation against the Bharatiya Janata Party. They faced a setback after their joint candidates lost to the BJP. Addressing a gathering in Punjab’s Khanna, Mr. Kejriwal said Lok Sabha elections are approaching, and there are 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab, besides one in Chandigarh, and in the next 10-15 days, the AAP will announce its candidates for all these 14 seats. “I urge all of you that the way you blessed us two years ago (2022 Assembly election), the same way make us win all these 14 seats by voting for the party,” he said. Mr. Kejriwal, who was speaking after the launch of the ‘Ghar Ghar Muft Ration’ scheme, aimed at free delivery of ration to the people at their doorsteps, took a dig at opposition parties, alleging that for the last 75 years, the ration through Public Distribution System never reached the beneficiaries. He said that neither Shiromani Akali Dal nor Congress took a single step for the well-being of people in the last 75 years, adding that the ration meant for the common man was looted by the political parties and their leaders. He said that from today the theft of ration will stop in Punjab and from now onwards the beneficiaries will get full benefit of the scheme that too at their doorsteps. He said that though the AAP government in Delhi had planned to introduce this scheme in the State but the Union government thwarted the move. Israel deploys new military AI in Gaza war Israel’s Army has deployed some AI-enabled military technology in combat for the first time in Gaza, raising fears about the use of autonomous weapons in modern warfare. The Army has hinted at what the new tech is being used for, with spokesman Daniel Hagari saying last month that Israel’s forces were operating “above and underground simultaneously”. A senior defence official told AFP the tech was destroying enemy drones and mapping Hamas’s vast tunnel network in Gaza. New defence technologies including artificial intelligence-powered gunsights and robotic drones form a bright spot in an otherwise dire period for Israel's tech industry. The sector accounted for 18% of GDP in 2022, but the war in Gaza has wreaked havoc with an estimated 8% of its workforce called up to fight. "In general the war in Gaza presents threats, but also opportunities to test emerging technologies in the field," said Avi Hasson, chief executive of Startup Nation Central, an Israeli tech incubator. "Both on the battlefield and in the hospitals there are technologies that have been used in this war that have not been used in the past." But the rising civilian death toll shows that much greater oversight is needed over the use of new forms of defence tech, Mary Wareham, an arms expert at Human Rights Watch, told AFP. "Now we're facing the worst possible situation of death and suffering that we're seeing today — some of that is being brought about by the new tech," she said. In brief India and Maldives would resolve the issues between them “bilaterally” said Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, emphasising that while Maldives has allowed a Chinese ‘research’ vessel into the Male harbour, no Chinese troops had been allowed in. Speaking to The Hindu on the sidelines of the Indian Ocean Conference, Mr. Wickremesinghe also confirmed Sri Lanka’s decision to join the 15-nation ASEAN-led Regional Comprehensive Economic Cooperation (RCEP) agreement that includes China in the free trade zone, a grouping India walked out of in 2019. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. [logo] The Evening Wrap 10 February 2024 [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]( Outgoing Lok Sabha took decisions for which many generations had waited for long: PM Modi Prime Minister Narendra Modi [lauded the outgoing Lok Sabha saying many decisions]( including the repeal of Article 370 and the passage of women’s reservation bill, were taken during its tenure for which many generations had long waited while game-changing reforms in the period laid the foundation of a strong India. Touching on the discussion on the Ram temple construction in Lok Sabha and the House’s adoption of a laudatory resolution on the development, Mr. Modi said it will give constitutional strength to the future generations to feel proud of the country’s values. Speaking on the last day of Parliament’s Budget session, he said the last five years were a period of reform, perform and transform with the country moving towards “big changes” at a fast pace. In a swipe at the opposition which has constantly targeted the BJP over the temple issue, he said, “This is true that not everyone has the capacity for these things. Some people are brave to face it while others run away from the battlefield. But for the future record, the speeches that were made today have sensitivity, resolve and sympathy... It also takes forward the mantra of ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas’.” He added, “The country has moved towards big changes at a fast pace and all members of the House made an important contribution. Such works were completed for which people had waited for centuries,” he said. For generations, people dreamt of one Constitution but this House made that possible by removing Article 370, which had given the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir special rights, he said and noted that several other important decisions like the criminalisation of instant triple talaq were taken as well. “Several challenges were met and the country was given an appropriate direction. We can say with satisfaction that the work for which many generations waited for centuries was accomplished in the 17th Lok Sabha,” Mr. Modi said. “These five years have been of reform, perform and transform. It is rare that we reform, perform and also see transformation. The country will keep blessing the 17th Lok Sabha,” he said. Throwing light on the significance of the next 25 years for the nation, he said the country has resolved to accomplish its dreams and he can sense it. He said the passage of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act has safeguarded the data of the present generation and given it a tool to make its future. He said thousands of cumbersome compliances were removed in the last five years to make the lives of common citizens easier. Reiterating his belief in “minimum government and maximum governance”, he said the capabilities of any democracy can be maximized by ensuring minimum government intervention in citizen’s lives. EPFO to marginally hike interest on PF deposits to 8.25% The Central Board of Trustees (CBT) of the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has recommended[an interest rate of 8.25% on provident fund]( (PF) deposits for 2023-24. The current interest rate is 8.15%. “The move is a step towards fulfilling PM Modi’s guarantee of strengthening social security for India’s workforce,” said Union Labour Minister Bhupender Yadav after a meeting of the CBT here on Saturday. The meeting also authorised Mr. Yadav to constitute the new executive committee of the CBT. The CBT has recommended to the Union Finance Ministry that the new interest of 8.25% could be applied to the accumulations in subscribers’ accounts for 2023-24. Once the Finance Ministry accepts the approval, the new rate will be officially notified in the government gazette. “Subsequently, the EPFO will credit the approved rate of interest to its subscribers’ accounts,” the Union Labour Ministry said in a press release. “The CBT has recommended a distribution of historic income amount of ₹1,07,000 crore to EPF members’ accounts on a total principal amount of about ₹13 lakh crore, which were ₹91,151.66 crore and ₹ 11.02 lakh crore respectively in 2022-23. The total income recommended for distribution is the highest on record,” the Centre said, adding that the income had grown by more than 17.39% and principal amount had increased by 17.97%, which is a healthy financial performance. "The EPFO's apex decision making body Central Board of Trustees (CBT) has decided to provide 8.25% rate of interest on EPF for 2023-24 at its meeting on Saturday,” a source said. AAP to announce candidates for Punjab, Chandigarh in next fortnight The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday reiterated that it [will contest all 13 seats]( in Punjab in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, dismissing the possibility of alliance with its Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance partners in the State. The party also intends to go it alone in Chandigarh, which has one parliamentary seat. The AAP would announce its candidates for all the 14 Lok Sabha seats in the next fortnight. AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann made it clear that in the upcoming Lok Sabha election the party will go solo in Punjab as well as in Chandigarh, the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana. Interestingly, the Congress and the AAP recently jointly contested the mayoral elections for Chandigarh Municipal Corporation against the Bharatiya Janata Party. They faced a setback after their joint candidates lost to the BJP. Addressing a gathering in Punjab’s Khanna, Mr. Kejriwal said Lok Sabha elections are approaching, and there are 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab, besides one in Chandigarh, and in the next 10-15 days, the AAP will announce its candidates for all these 14 seats. “I urge all of you that the way you blessed us two years ago (2022 Assembly election), the same way make us win all these 14 seats by voting for the party,” he said. Mr. Kejriwal, who was speaking after the launch of the ‘Ghar Ghar Muft Ration’ scheme, aimed at free delivery of ration to the people at their doorsteps, took a dig at opposition parties, alleging that for the last 75 years, the ration through Public Distribution System never reached the beneficiaries. He said that neither Shiromani Akali Dal nor Congress took a single step for the well-being of people in the last 75 years, adding that the ration meant for the common man was looted by the political parties and their leaders. He said that from today the theft of ration will stop in Punjab and from now onwards the beneficiaries will get full benefit of the scheme that too at their doorsteps. He said that though the AAP government in Delhi had planned to introduce this scheme in the State but the Union government thwarted the move. Israel deploys new military AI in Gaza war Israel’s Army has [deployed some AI-enabled military technology]( in combat for the first time in Gaza, raising fears about the use of autonomous weapons in modern warfare. The Army has hinted at what the new tech is being used for, with spokesman Daniel Hagari saying last month that Israel’s forces were operating “above and underground simultaneously”. A senior defence official told AFP the tech was destroying enemy drones and mapping Hamas’s vast tunnel network in Gaza. New defence technologies including artificial intelligence-powered gunsights and robotic drones form a bright spot in an otherwise dire period for Israel's tech industry. The sector accounted for 18% of GDP in 2022, but the war in Gaza has wreaked havoc with an estimated 8% of its workforce called up to fight. "In general the war in Gaza presents threats, but also opportunities to test emerging technologies in the field," said Avi Hasson, chief executive of Startup Nation Central, an Israeli tech incubator. "Both on the battlefield and in the hospitals there are technologies that have been used in this war that have not been used in the past." But the rising civilian death toll shows that much greater oversight is needed over the use of new forms of defence tech, Mary Wareham, an arms expert at Human Rights Watch, told AFP. "Now we're facing the worst possible situation of death and suffering that we're seeing today — some of that is being brought about by the new tech," she said. In brief India and Maldives would resolve the issues between them “bilaterally” [said Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe]( emphasising that while Maldives has allowed a Chinese ‘research’ vessel into the Male harbour, no Chinese troops had been allowed in. Speaking to The Hindu on the sidelines of the Indian Ocean Conference, Mr. Wickremesinghe also confirmed Sri Lanka’s decision to join the 15-nation ASEAN-led Regional Comprehensive Economic Cooperation (RCEP) agreement that includes China in the free trade zone, a grouping India walked out of in 2019. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. 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