BJP Leader Takes Dig at New RBI Chief Shaktikanta Das, Questions Credentials
New Delhi, Dec 13: The term of the newly-appointed Reserve Bank of India governor Shaktikanta Das – who took over the post after Urjit Patel announced his resignation on Monday – is off to a rocky start with questions being raised about his credentials.
According to a PTI report, referring to Das’s master’s degree in history, Gujarat BJP leader and former minister in Narendra Modi’s cabinet, Jay Narayan Vyas said in a tweet on Wednesday that he hoped that the new RBI chief did not make the central bank itself history. Vyas, who was health and family welfare minister in Gujarat till 2012, has now been sidelined in the party. He lost the assembly elections in 2012 and 2017.
Since his appointment on Tuesday, Das – an IAS officer – has been the target of ridicule on social media over his educational qualifications and is being compared to his predecessors Patel and Raghuram Rajan – who hold doctorates in economics.
“To manage RBI you have to have a fair knowledge of the domestic and international economy. I respect IAS, the issue is that they’re exposed to a little of many things but the acceptance among the international community which earlier governors commanded (is not there),” Vyas was quoted by ANI as saying.
“I would wish that a person heading that bank may be a qualified economist. They are trained for general management. The management of the economy especially when it’s going through a rough weather requires altogether different kinds of talents,” he said.
Vyas continued his jibes saying that he “sympathised” with the new RBI governor because has a master’s degree in history and would have to “pull out a lot more at his age that is near retirement. He has to control and steer the RBI and answer issues like the use of RBI reserves.”
Besides a post-graduate degree in history, Das has completed an advanced financial management course from the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore and another in development banking and institutional credit from Pune’s National Institute of Bank Management. Das retired as Economic Affairs secretary last year and was subsequently made a member of the 15th Finance Commission. Das was also India’s Sherpa at the recent G-20 meet in Argentina.
The New RBI Governor Das's educational qualification is MA (History ) . Hope and Pray he doesn't make RBI also a History .May God Bless the New Arrival !!
— Jay Narayan Vyas (@JayNarayan_Vyas) December 12, 2018
Courtesy: thewire.in
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Representative of Iran's Supreme Leader in India calls current situation 'no war, no peace'
Bengaluru (PTI): Representative of Iran's Supreme Leader in India, Abdul Majeed Hakeem Ilahi on Saturday characterised the ongoing tensions between his country and the Israel-US alliance as a state of “no war, no peace”.
Calling for an immediate halt to the conflict, he said the global stability hinges on those who initiated the war.
He questioned why countries affected by the war and suffering from the energy crisis are not pressuring the US and Israel to stop the aggression.
Addressing a press conference here, Ilahi said Iran did not want the conflict, but was compelled to respond amid continued attacks, even as negotiations were expected to continue.
"Iran didn't want this war, but Iran was forced by the war and several times Iran tried to avoid this war... I don't know what is the condition of these people and these countries (US-Israel)... they want to impose on other countries what they want, and who gave them this authority?" he questioned.
Recalling the negotiations Iran held in Oman, he said talks later moved to Geneva and made progress before being disrupted by sudden attacks.
Ilahi claimed that airstrikes and missile attacks led to the deaths of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, ministers, commanders and civilians.
"They killed a lot of civilians… They attacked a primary school, and they killed 175 innocent girls," he said, claiming over 4,000 deaths, more than 40,000 injuries, and widespread damage to houses, hospitals, universities and public infrastructure.
Despite these losses, he said Iran resisted calls for “unconditional surrender” and stood firm and defended itself.
"They wanted unconditional surrender. Which no one—no one can accept it. Iran said, 'Okay, we are ready to be sacrificed,' but we are not ready to submit ourselves," he added.
He argued that they (US-Israel) proposed the current ceasefire only after realising that they could not achieve any of their objectives after 40 days of conflict.
The envoy further claimed that the ceasefire is not an actual ceasefire, but a “no war, no peace” situation.
Explaining the current situation in Iran, he said conditions remain stable and people are going about their daily lives.
"They are working ....(leading) their ordinary life. They are working—they're going farming and they do everything....and they aren't scared of anything. And they are ready to defend themselves," he added.
Addressing the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, he said the situation was stable before February 28 and all countries benefited from it.
"(For) 10,000 years, the Strait of Hormuz was open...and Iran daily yearly spent a lot for providing security in the Strait of Hormuz... so no one even complained anything about the Strait of Hormuz. Everyone was free...and even our enemies their warship was passing through the Strait of Hormuz," he said.
However, he linked the current maritime instability to the actions of the US and Israel.
"So Iran cannot do anything. Those people who initiated, created and started this war, they have to stop it. And everything will go back to normal," he said.
Criticising the mentality of the "great powerful country", Ilahi said, "they think they have the right to do whatever they want. It should change."
He sought to know why the countries affected by the conflict are not exerting pressure on the US and the "Zionist" regime to halt the war.
"Why are they not asking them? This crisis and problem by which a lot of countries are affected was created by them. A lot of factories are closed and even working days in some countries reduced... A lot of restaurants are closed," he said.
Seeking fairness and justice, Ilahi said instead of asking Iran, all those nations should ask those who initiated this war to stop it, by telling them, "we are suffering."
To a query on international mediation, Ilahi, referring to the US, asked, "Is it acceptable and reasonable that one country orders all countries -- you should not deal with this country, You should not purchase from this country. You should not have business with this country. You should not buy from this country."
Ilahi also highlighted Iran's long-standing ties with India and said, "It is a great country and we respect India and Indians."
"We have 5,000 years relationship and friendship. We are connected to India by education, by philosophy, by culture, by civilisation and by the economy," he said.
According to him, the bilateral cooperation remains strong, citing diplomatic engagement.
"At the moment also, our relationship, collaboration, cooperation with India is very good," he said, adding Iran allowing Indian ships to pass through Strait of Hormuz reflects the ties.
"Iran allowed Indian ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Why? A lot of countries couldn't get this permission?... The relationship between Iran and India is very good," he added.
He expressed confidence that in future too, the ties between Iran and India will be strong.
