Vice-President Dhankhar calls on corporates to share profits with farm sector
Bengaluru (PTI): Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday stressed the critical role played by the farm sector in the nation's growth trajectory and called on corporates to share their profits with them.
Interacting with industry leaders and entrepreneurs here, he said, "Time has come for corporates to share their profits with the farm sector. Your investment in research or farmland is not charity - it is a gainful investment."
He also urged the political parties in the country to bring down the political temperature and said, "The dialogue between political parties cannot be a confrontation - the dialogue has to be soothing. Democracy is defined, friends, by dialogue and discourse."
According to him, India is a thriving federal society where there has to be sync between the Centre and the States. Dialogue between leaders and political parties is vital--absence of dialogue will not be good for our national mindset.
"Issues of national security, issues connected with our nationalism, and issues connected to our development must be viewed from a national prism, not a partisan one. I do not doubt the political sagacity of people across the spectrum--they are available in all political parties," he was quoted as saying in a statement issued by Vice President Secretariat.
Invoking the Vedantic principle of freedom of expression, the Vice-President stated, "Democratic values--cannot be described without freedom of expression and debate. If someone attacks, frustrates or regulates your right to expression, then there is a deficiency in democracy."
He noted that people in industry, unlike politics, are satisfied by balance sheets. "But greenfield projects are not emerging at the pace they should. Please think, converge in clusters to ensure equitable employment and growth," Dhankhar said.
Speaking on farm-sector integration with industry, the Vice-President, said, "I come from a farming community. The farm sector plays a critical role in the nation's growth trajectory. But at the moment, it is only producing agro-products - it is not part of the marketing chain."
Calling for industry-farm convergence, he added, "Industry must brainstorm to bring greater synergy with the farm sector. Farmers need to be hand-held; agripreneurs must emerge, but they cannot do so without support."
On the future of India's growth, Dhankhar underscored the role of research and innovation and said, "We must engage in research of the highest order. Our research capacity will define Bharat's global standing. Our technological innovation will define how secure we are."
Touching upon strategic peace, he observed that, "peace is fundamental to business and people's harmony. But peace is never bargained--it comes from strength. The greatest peace is secured when we are ever prepared for war."
Highlighting the evolution of industry's role in national security, he noted, "There was a time when industry only manufactured armoury. Now, it must lead in technology. Research is the spine of long-term growth."
Declaring that Bharat is on an unstoppable rise, the Vice-President stated, "Bharat is no longer a country of potential - it is a country on the rise. 'Viksit Bharat' is no longer our dream - it is our objective. But we must take a quantum leap by increasing per capita income manyfold."
Urging a practical outlook, he added, "We must juxtapose our economic status with our demographic size -1.4 billion people. On empirical estimates, there must be an eightfold increase in per capita income."
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3 Indians arrested in Canada for shooting outside home
Ottawa (PTI): Three Indian nationals have been arrested by Canadian police on an anti-extortion patrol and charged after bullets were fired at a home.
Harjot Singh (21), Taranveer Singh (19) and Dayajeet Singh Billing (21) face one count each of discharging a firearm, and all have been remanded in custody until Thursday, the Surrey Police Service (SPS) said in a statement on Monday.
The suspects were arrested by patrol officers after an early morning report of shots fired and a small fire outside a home in Surrey's Crescent Beach neighbourhood, the LakelandToday reported.
On February 1, 2026, the SPS members were patrolling in Surrey’s Crescent Beach neighbourhood when reports came in of shots being fired and a small fire outside a residence near Crescent Road and 132 Street.
The three accused were arrested by SPS officers a short time later, the statement said.
SPS’s Major Crime Section took over the investigation, and the three men have now been charged with Criminal Code offences, it said.
All three have been charged with one count each of discharging a firearm into a place contrary to section 244.2(1)(a) of the Criminal Code.
The investigation is ongoing, and additional charges may be forthcoming. All three have been remanded in custody until February 5, 2026.
The SPS has confirmed they are all foreign nationals and has engaged the Canada Border Services Agency, it said.
One of the suspects suffered injuries, including two black eyes, the media report said.
Surrey police Staff Sgt. Lindsey Houghton said on Monday that the suspect had refused to comply with instructions to get out of the ride-share vehicle and started to "actively resist."
"As we were trained, he was taken to the ground and safely handcuffed," said Houghton.
A second suspect with a black eye was also injured in the arrest after refusing to comply, Houghton said.
The arresting officers were part of Project Assurance, an initiative that patrols neighbourhoods that have been targeted by extortion violence.
Houghton said the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is also involved because the men are foreign nationals, and the trio may face additional charges.
It's not clear if the men are in the country on tourist visas, a study permit, or a work permit, but Houghton said CBSA has started its own investigation into the men's status.
Surrey has seen a number of shootings at homes and businesses over the last several months, but there's been an escalation since the new year.
