'Make in India’ has become ‘Fake in India’: Congress
New Delhi: Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has criticised the Modi government's 'Make in India' initiative, labelling it a series of unfulfilled promises or 'jumlas' and asserting that it has devolved into a 'Fake in India programme.'
During a statement on 14 October, Ramesh claimed that the objectives set during the programme's launch in 2014 have not been met, criticising the government's economic policies for the poor outcomes.
"Prime Minister Modi launched 'Make in India' in 2014 with much hype and fanfare, outlining four key objectives. However, ten years later, the reality tells a different story," Ramesh posted on X.
Ramesh highlighted the following:
Jumla 1: Will increase industrial growth to 12–14 per cent annually.
Reality: Since 2014, India's manufacturing growth rate has averaged only 5.2 per cent.
Jumla 2: Will create 100 million industrial jobs by 2022.
Reality: The number of manufacturing jobs has decreased, falling from 51.3 million in 2017 to 35.65 million in 2022–23.
Jumla 3: Will raise the manufacturing sector’s share in GDP to 25 per cent by 2022 (later extended to 2025).
Reality: The sector's share in India's Gross Added Value (GAV) has dropped from 18.1 per cent in 2011–12 to 14.3 per cent in 2022–23.
Jumla 4: Position India as the "new factory of the world" by overtaking China.
Reality: Instead of reducing dependence on China, India's imports from China have increased, with the share rising from 11 per cent in 2014 to 15 per cent in recent years.
Ramesh further accused the Modi government of fostering economic instability and unpredictability over the past decade, citing demonetisation as a key example. He argued that growth in private investment has been hampered by an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty, with only a few large business conglomerates close to Modi prospering.
"Make in India has simply become Fake in India," Ramesh asserted, claiming that competition has been stifled under the current regime.
In contrast, last month, on the 10th anniversary of the 'Make in India' campaign, PM Modi claimed that the initiative had transformed India into a manufacturing powerhouse, emphasising that it reflects the collective resolve of 140 crore Indians and that "Bharat is unstoppable."
Launched by the Modi regime, Make in India aimed to promote the development, manufacturing, and assembly of products within the country while encouraging investments in the manufacturing sector. The initiative's goal was to foster a favourable investment climate, build modern infrastructure, and open up new sectors to foreign capital.
However, the programme has fallen short of its key objectives. One of its primary targets was to increase the share of manufacturing in India's GDP to 25 per cent by 2022. Instead, the manufacturing sector’s contribution has declined, dropping from 16.7 per cent in 2013–2014 to 15.9 per cent in 2023–24.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
