How would Ola, Uber cause truck sales to plummet: Yashwant Sinha
Indore, Sep 14: Former BJP leader Yashwant Sinha on Saturday questioned Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's claim that rise of Ola and Uber affected the automobile sector, asking why the sales of trucks should also decline.
Those in power were making "weird" statements, the former finance minister said, talking to reporters here.
"People in the government are making weird statements.
These statements will not lead to betterment of economy. But they will definitely affect the government's image," he said.
On Sitharaman's statement about decline in the automobile sector, where she spoke about people using app- based cab services instead of buying car as one of the causes, Sinha asked, "If companies like Ola and Uber caused a drop in passenger vehicle sales, then why there is a slowdown in sales of two-wheelers and trucks?"
"Bihar's finance minister (Sushil Modi) said there is recession due to Sawan-Bhado (the rainy season). A Union minister (Piyush Goyal) is talking about Einstein's law of gravity," the former BJP leader said.
Sinha also raised a question about Sitharaman's announcement to organize a mega-shopping festival in India on the lines of Dubai Shopping Festival to boost exports.
"The economies of UAE (United Arab Emirates) and India are different. India's economy will progress only when farmers in areas like Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh progress," he said.
"We should have grown at a rate of at least eight percent. But in the first quarter of the financial year, the GDP growth has come down to five percent," he said.
The missing three percent growth meant loss of Rs 6 lakh crore in just one quarter, he claimed.
Asked about the government's plan to merge certain public sector banks, he said, "I am not opposed to merger. But it will not reduce their non performing assets automatically."
The process may in fact harm the banks as their officials will get tied up in completing merger formalities instead of focusing on actual banking, Sinha said.
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AIITA welcomes Karnataka’s ban on obscene songs in school events
Bhatkal: The Karnataka unit of the All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has welcomed the Karnataka government’s decision to strictly ban school children from dancing to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes in government, aided, and private schools across the state.
AIITA Karnataka State President M. R. Manvi congratulated the government for taking what he termed an important step to preserve the sanctity of education.
“Such decisions to safeguard the dignity of school children and uphold the values of education are the need of the hour. This rule should not be limited to government schools alone but must be strictly implemented in all private educational institutions as well,” he said.
He further urged the government to address other concerns within school programmes.
“The government should not only prohibit obscene dances in the name of school anniversaries, but also ensure that plays and dialogues that incite religious hatred are avoided. Schools should be centres of harmony, not platforms for spreading hatred,” he added.
According to a recent circular issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, obscene dances are adversely affecting the mental health and moral values of students.
In this regard, schools have been advised to use songs that promote nationalism, positive thinking, the greatness of Kannada culture, and value-based traditions instead of inappropriate content during programmes.
The circular also emphasises that students should be dressed in decent attire.
AIITA also backed the department’s warning that disciplinary action would be taken against head teachers if such guidelines are violated. The association has further demanded that district Deputy Directors of Public Instruction strictly monitor the implementation of these rules.
