India's growth in next 25 years will be clean, green, sustainable and reliable: PM Modi
New Delhi(PTI): Citing India's commitment to deep economic reforms and ease of doing business, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday asserted that this is the best time to invest in the country as policy-making is focussed on the needs for the next 25 years for a 'clean and green' as well as 'sustainable and reliable' growth period.
In his special address to the World Economic Forum's online Davos Agenda 2022 summit, Modi underlined a host of reform measures undertaken by his government to stress that it has worked to reduce the administration's interference in business by deregulating many sectors and to clear the way for free trade agreements with different countries.
India was once associated with "license raaj", he noted and highlighted the measures, including reduction of corporate tax to boost business and doing away with over 25,000 compliance requirements.
He also mentioned about new challenges, including crypto currencies, facing the world and said they call for different countries to respond together as measures by any one country may be inadequate.
Inflation, climate change and supply chain disruptions were the other challenges cited by the prime minister.
Wondering if various multilateral forums are prepared or have the strength to deal with new challenges in the emerging world order, Modi pushed for reforms in them and said this is every democratic country's responsibility so that these organisations are competent to deal with present and future needs.
The prime minister said India is committed to becoming a reliable partner in the global supply chain and highlighted its export to many countries of medicines and COVID vaccines as part of its "One Earth, One Health" vision that saved millions of lives.
India is today the world's third largest pharma producer and pharmacy to the world, he said.
Highlighting India's democratic credentials, Modi said the country has given the world the beautiful gift of "bouquet of hope" which includes technologies to empower the 21st century, Indians' unbreakable trust in democracy, their temperament and technology.
The fact is that India is a multilingual and multicultural country that has adapted to work for the welfare of entire humanity and just not for itself, he said.
India is sending record number of software engineers across the world while over 50 lakh software developers are working in the country, the prime minister said and noted that its IT sector worked round the clock during the coronavirus pandemic to help the world.
Highlighting the growth in the emerging business sectors in India, Modi said it has globally third largest number of unicorns with over 10,000 startups being registered in the last six months alone.
Entrepreneurship among Indian youngsters has soared to a new high, and Indians ability to adapt to new technologies and innovation can infuse new energy into the country's global partnership, he emphasised.
India has been fighting another COVID wave with full alertness and caution while maintaining economic growth, he said and asserted that the country is brimming with the self-confidence of administering over 160 crore doses of vaccines to its population.
Today India is making policies and taking decisions regarding the present as well as the goals for the next 25 years. In this period, India has set the goals of high growth, saturation of welfare and wellness, Modi emphasised.
"This period of growth will also be green, it will also be clean, it will also be sustainable, it will also be reliable," he said.
Further, he said that India is focused on reforms in the right direction and the global economic experts have praised India's decisions.
"We will fulfil all the expectations that the entire world has from us," he said.
Modi said lifestyle issues are also posing challenges to the climate and the situation has been got further complicated by a 'throw away culture' and consumerism and called for transforming today's 'take-make-use-dispose economy' into a circular economy.
The prime minister also called for making 'Mission LIFE' into a global mass movement and said it cane be done with P-3, which he described as 'Pro Planet People'.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
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
===================
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.
