The Evening Wrap: PM Modi says Congress dividing people over caste, language, region

The Congress is trying to “create a divide among people in the name of caste, language and region” in its attempt to regain power, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on February 11, addressing a rally of tribal communities in Jhabua, Madhya Pradesh. Modi said that the Congress and its friends could already see their defeat, and hence are resorting to their “last tricks”. “I have to make you aware of the Congress’ conspiracy. The Congress and its friends have only two strengths. When they are in power, they loot. When they’re out of power, they create foot (divide) and get people to fight. Loot and foot are oxygen for the Congress. The public has already shut the doors for their loot in most States, so to regain power, they are busy creating a divide among people in the name of caste, language, and region,” he said. Modi also claimed that while the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was sure to get more than 400 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha election, the BJP alone would cross the 370-seat mark. The Prime Minister, however, said that he had not come to Jhabua to campaign for the Lok Sabha polls, instead, as a “servant” to thank the people of Madhya Pradesh for ensuring the BJP’s victory in last year’s Assembly election. Seeking the support of the tribal community in the general election, Modi said that it was the BJP government led by former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee that had established a separate Ministry and budget for the interests of the community. He accused the Congress of not doing anything for the tribal community, whose children have been suffering from sickle cell anaemia in children, despite being in power at both the Centre and the State for several years. Earlier in the day, Modi inaugurated or laid the foundations for development works worth ₹7,550 crore, including the inauguration of road development projects worth more than ₹3,275 crore. Comprehensive India-specific approach needed for growth of medical education: Parliamentary panel Bridging the widely varying quality of medical education across India, enhancing the number of under- (UG) and post-graduate (PG) medical seats, optimal use of existing infrastructure to expand medical education facilities, chalking out a comprehensive India-specific approach for the creation of seats for specialists and streamlining the recruitment process to prevent “ghost faculty” (teachers who exist only on paper but paid a salary) in medical colleges are among the top recommendations in a report on the quality of medical education in India presented by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare in Parliament earlier this week. The report, prepared under the chairmanship of BJP Rajya Sabha MP Bhubaneswar Kalita, says that as the demand for competent healthcare professionals continues to rise, ensuring that medical education meets the best standards is crucial to address multifaceted challenges in the healthcare sector. India has one of the largest medical education systems in the world, and according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, there were 702 medical colleges in the country at the time of this study in 2023-24, the report states. “However, the quality of medical education in India varies widely, and the system faces several challenges, the most prominent among them being the uneven distribution of medical colleges. Medical colleges in India are concentrated in urban areas which creates a vacuum in the rural areas. Additionally the current situation regarding medical seats both in UG and PG in our country is a critical issue that warrants immediate attention. With an annual influx of approximately 2 million aspiring medical students at UG and only 1/20times available seats, the demand far exceeds the availability of seats, similarly, the number of available seats at PG level is far less than the demand,” the committee said. India also needs to chalk out a comprehensive India-specific approach for the creation of seats for specialists, the report said. The committee has recommended that, in the case of the current scenario, modalities for the fair distribution of the doctors‘ workforce across the country, especially in underprivileged areas, can be worked out by the National Medical Commission (NMC) by offering incentives, which could be monetary or otherwise. On the NMC guidelines on Competency-Based Medical Education Regulations, 2023, the committee said that they were comprehensive and comparable to best global practices. However, it added that there were some areas where the guidelines could be improved to make them more feasible and effective in the Indian context. BJP-RSS spreading hatred, while love is in India’s DNA, says Rahul Gandhi The BJP and RSS are spreading hatred while love is in India’s DNA, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said as his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra resumed in Chhattisgarh on February 11 after a two-day break. Addressing a gathering in Kevdabadi Chowk in Raigarh, Gandhi said his party wants a “Hindustan for the future generation where hatred and violence does not exist”. “The Bharatiya Janata Party and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh are spreading hatred, while love is in the DNA of this country. In this country, people belonging to different faiths and having different thoughts live together peacefully with love,” he said. Gandhi slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not visiting strife-torn Manipur so far despite hundreds of people dying and scores of houses getting torched since May last year. There is civil war underway in the north eastern state and the Union government is not in control, Gandhi claimed. Offering toffees to children who clambered onto his multi-utility vehicle, Gandhi asked a girl if she wanted justice or injustice. Justice, the girl replied and also told Gandhi she wanted a “mohabbat ka Hindustan” as she loves India very much. Slamming the Agniveer process in which soldiers are recruited in the armed forces for a short term, Gandhi said his party will ensure 1.5 lakh youth get justice. During his address, Gandhi showed a phone to the crowd and said it was manufactured in China, while it was being sold in India by “people like Ambani”. “The Chinese and Ambani are making money from such phones. I want this phone to be manufactured in Chhattisgarh,” he said. Since the media does not show issues like farmers’ deaths, labour problems etc but focusses on weddings of children of Adani and Ambani and World Cup cricket, Gandhi said he decided to embark on the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra to connect with the people directly. Trinamool announces candidature of Sagarika Ghose, Sushmita Dev, two others for Rajya Sabha polls The Trinamool Congress on February 11 announced the names of journalist Sagarika Ghose, party leader Sushmita Dev and two others for the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls from the State. Elections to the five Rajya Sabha seats from West Bengal will be held on February 27. “We are pleased to announce the candidature of @sagarikaghose, @SushmitaDevAITC, @MdNadimulHaque6 and Mamata Bala Thakur for the forthcoming Rajya Sabha elections”, the party posted on X. “We extend our heartfelt wishes to them and may they work towards upholding Trinamool’s enduring legacy of indomitable spirit and advocacy for the rights of every Indian”, it said. While Nadimul Haque, a two-time Rajya Sabha MP, finds himself back in the limelight, the decision not to renominate three sitting MPs — Subhasish Chakraborty, Abir Biswas, and Santanu Sen — marks a notable shift in the party’s strategy. Sagarika Ghose, a renowned journalist, is yet to officially join the party. Former Congress leader Sushmita Dev, who had joined the Trinamool Congress in 2021, has been the party’s Rajya Sabha MP from October 2021 to August 2023, after TMC leader Manas Bhunia vacated the seat to join the West Bengal Cabinet. However, the nomination that’s captured significant attention is that of former Lok Sabha MP and Matua leader Mamata Bala Thakur. A two-time Lok Sabha MP, Thakur faced defeat in the Matua-dominated Bongaon seat to BJP’s Shantanu Thakur, a relative, in 2019. Pope canonises first female Argentine saint before meeting with Milei Pope Francis elevated to sainthood the first female saint from his native Argentina on February 11, an event that brought to the Vatican his former vocal critic, Argentine President Javier Milei. Milei, a right-wing libertarian, called Pope Francis an “imbecile” and accused him of “preaching communism” before he ran for president, but has softened his tone since taking office in December. The Pope, for his part, has said he did not pay too much attention to the insults, telling Mexican broadcaster N+ that what matters is what politicians do in office, rather than on the campaign trail. Pope Francis led a canonisation Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica for Maria Antonia de Paz y Figueroa, better known as “Mama Antula”, an 18th century consecrated lay woman who renounced her family’s riches to focus on charity and Jesuit spiritual exercises. The ceremony came as Argentina faces its worst economic crisis in decades, with inflation at more than 200%, and after the country’s Parliament rejected Milei’s major reform package. Milei had a front row seat for the service, and at the end of it, exchanged a few words with the pope, as they shook hands and hugged. The President is due to have a private audience with the Pope on February 12. In brief Congress’ Rajya Sabha MP from Jharkhand, Dhiraj Prasad Sahu, appeared before the Enforcement Directorate for the second consecutive day on February 11 for questioning in connection with a money laundering case, officials said. Sahu entered the ED office in Ranchi around 3 pm. The ED, on February 10, interrogated him for around 11 hours in connection with the money laundering case linked to alleged land fraud, in which the agency had recently arrested former CM Hemant Soren. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. [logo] The Evening Wrap 11 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]( Congress dividing people over caste, language, region: PM Modi The [Congress is trying to “create a divide among people in the name of caste, language and region” in its attempt to regain power, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said]( on February 11, addressing a rally of tribal communities in Jhabua, Madhya Pradesh. Modi said that the Congress and its friends could already see their defeat, and hence are resorting to their “last tricks”. “I have to make you aware of the Congress’ conspiracy. The Congress and its friends have only two strengths. When they are in power, they loot. When they’re out of power, they create foot (divide) and get people to fight. Loot and foot are oxygen for the Congress. The public has already shut the doors for their loot in most States, so to regain power, they are busy creating a divide among people in the name of caste, language, and region,” he said. Modi also claimed that while the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was sure to get more than 400 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha election, the BJP alone would cross the 370-seat mark. The Prime Minister, however, said that he had not come to Jhabua to campaign for the Lok Sabha polls, instead, as a “servant” to thank the people of Madhya Pradesh for ensuring the BJP’s victory in last year’s Assembly election. Seeking the support of the tribal community in the general election, Modi said that it was the BJP government led by former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee that had established a separate Ministry and budget for the interests of the community. He accused the Congress of not doing anything for the tribal community, whose children have been suffering from sickle cell anaemia in children, despite being in power at both the Centre and the State for several years. Earlier in the day, Modi inaugurated or laid the foundations for development works worth ₹7,550 crore, including the inauguration of road development projects worth more than ₹3,275 crore. Comprehensive India-specific approach needed for growth of medical education: Parliamentary panel Bridging the widely varying quality of medical education across India, enhancing the number of under- (UG) and post-graduate (PG) medical seats, optimal use of existing infrastructure to expand medical education facilities, chalking out a comprehensive India-specific approach for the creation of seats for specialists and streamlining the recruitment process to prevent “ghost faculty” (teachers who exist only on paper but paid a salary) in medical colleges are among the top recommendations in a [report on the quality of medical education in India presented by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare]( in Parliament earlier this week. The report, prepared under the chairmanship of BJP Rajya Sabha MP Bhubaneswar Kalita, says that as the demand for competent healthcare professionals continues to rise, ensuring that medical education meets the best standards is crucial to address multifaceted challenges in the healthcare sector. India has one of the largest medical education systems in the world, and according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, there were 702 medical colleges in the country at the time of this study in 2023-24, the report states. “However, the quality of medical education in India varies widely, and the system faces several challenges, the most prominent among them being the uneven distribution of medical colleges. Medical colleges in India are concentrated in urban areas which creates a vacuum in the rural areas. Additionally the current situation regarding medical seats both in UG and PG in our country is a critical issue that warrants immediate attention. With an annual influx of approximately 2 million aspiring medical students at UG and only 1/20times available seats, the demand far exceeds the availability of seats, similarly, the number of available seats at PG level is far less than the demand,” the committee said. India also needs to chalk out a comprehensive India-specific approach for the creation of seats for specialists, the report said. The committee has recommended that, in the case of the current scenario, modalities for the fair distribution of the doctors‘ workforce across the country, especially in underprivileged areas, can be worked out by the National Medical Commission (NMC) by offering incentives, which could be monetary or otherwise. On the NMC guidelines on Competency-Based Medical Education Regulations, 2023, the committee said that they were comprehensive and comparable to best global practices. However, it added that there were some areas where the guidelines could be improved to make them more feasible and effective in the Indian context. BJP-RSS spreading hatred, while love is in India’s DNA, says Rahul Gandhi The [BJP and RSS are spreading hatred while love is in India’s DNA, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said]( as his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra resumed in Chhattisgarh on February 11 after a two-day break. Addressing a gathering in Kevdabadi Chowk in Raigarh, Gandhi said his party wants a “Hindustan for the future generation where hatred and violence does not exist”. “The Bharatiya Janata Party and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh are spreading hatred, while love is in the DNA of this country. In this country, people belonging to different faiths and having different thoughts live together peacefully with love,” he said. Gandhi slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not visiting strife-torn Manipur so far despite hundreds of people dying and scores of houses getting torched since May last year. There is civil war underway in the north eastern state and the Union government is not in control, Gandhi claimed. Offering toffees to children who clambered onto his multi-utility vehicle, Gandhi asked a girl if she wanted justice or injustice. Justice, the girl replied and also told Gandhi she wanted a “mohabbat ka Hindustan” as she loves India very much. Slamming the Agniveer process in which soldiers are recruited in the armed forces for a short term, Gandhi said his party will ensure 1.5 lakh youth get justice. During his address, Gandhi showed a phone to the crowd and said it was manufactured in China, while it was being sold in India by “people like Ambani”. “The Chinese and Ambani are making money from such phones. I want this phone to be manufactured in Chhattisgarh,” he said. Since the media does not show issues like farmers’ deaths, labour problems etc but focusses on weddings of children of Adani and Ambani and World Cup cricket, Gandhi said he decided to embark on the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra to connect with the people directly. Trinamool announces candidature of Sagarika Ghose, Sushmita Dev, two others for Rajya Sabha polls The [Trinamool Congress on February 11 announced the names of journalist Sagarika Ghose, party leader Sushmita Dev and two others for the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls]( from the State. Elections to the five Rajya Sabha seats from West Bengal will be held on February 27. “We are pleased to announce the candidature of @sagarikaghose, @SushmitaDevAITC, @MdNadimulHaque6 and Mamata Bala Thakur for the forthcoming Rajya Sabha elections”, the party posted on X. “We extend our heartfelt wishes to them and may they work towards upholding Trinamool’s enduring legacy of indomitable spirit and advocacy for the rights of every Indian”, it said. While Nadimul Haque, a two-time Rajya Sabha MP, finds himself back in the limelight, the decision not to renominate three sitting MPs — Subhasish Chakraborty, Abir Biswas, and Santanu Sen — marks a notable shift in the party’s strategy. Sagarika Ghose, a renowned journalist, is yet to officially join the party. Former Congress leader Sushmita Dev, who had joined the Trinamool Congress in 2021, has been the party’s Rajya Sabha MP from October 2021 to August 2023, after TMC leader Manas Bhunia vacated the seat to join the West Bengal Cabinet. However, the nomination that’s captured significant attention is that of former Lok Sabha MP and Matua leader Mamata Bala Thakur. A two-time Lok Sabha MP, Thakur faced defeat in the Matua-dominated Bongaon seat to BJP’s Shantanu Thakur, a relative, in 2019. Pope canonises first female Argentine saint before meeting with Milei [Pope Francis elevated to sainthood the first female saint from his native Argentina on February 11]( an event that brought to the Vatican his former vocal critic, Argentine President Javier Milei. Milei, a right-wing libertarian, called Pope Francis an “imbecile” and accused him of “preaching communism” before he ran for president, but has softened his tone since taking office in December. The Pope, for his part, has said he did not pay too much attention to the insults, telling Mexican broadcaster N+ that what matters is what politicians do in office, rather than on the campaign trail. Pope Francis led a canonisation Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica for Maria Antonia de Paz y Figueroa, better known as “Mama Antula”, an 18th century consecrated lay woman who renounced her family’s riches to focus on charity and Jesuit spiritual exercises. The ceremony came as Argentina faces its worst economic crisis in decades, with inflation at more than 200%, and after the country’s Parliament rejected Milei’s major reform package. Milei had a front row seat for the service, and at the end of it, exchanged a few words with the pope, as they shook hands and hugged. The President is due to have a private audience with the Pope on February 12. In brief [Congress’ Rajya Sabha MP from Jharkhand, Dhiraj Prasad Sahu, appeared before the Enforcement Directorate]( for the second consecutive day on February 11 for questioning in connection with a money laundering case, officials said. Sahu entered the ED office in Ranchi around 3 pm. The ED, on February 10, interrogated him for around 11 hours in connection with the money laundering case linked to alleged land fraud, in which the agency had recently arrested former CM Hemant Soren. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. 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