Kharge criticises Modi government's "Make in India" initiative for manufacturing decline
New Delhi: Mallikarjun Kharge, National President of the Indian National Congress and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, criticised the Modi government's "Make in India" initiative, stating it has negatively impacted the country's manufacturing sector over the past decade. He emphasised that the average growth rate of the manufacturing sector from 2014-15 to 2023-24 is only 3.1%, in contrast to 7.85% during the Congress-UPA regime from 2004-05 to 2013-14.
Kharge highlighted that employment in factories grew at 6.2% annually under the Congress-UPA government, but this rate fell sharply to 2.8% under the Modi government. Between 2011-12 and 2022, the manufacturing sector saw a modest increase in employment, rising from 6 crore to just 6.3 crore workers, which is inadequate given that 1.5 crore youth enter the workforce each year.
He also pointed out that the share of manufacturing in India’s GDP has hit an all-time low of 12.83% in 2023, down from 15.25% in 2013. Kharge noted the failure of Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes in various sectors, including solar PV modules and advanced chemistry cell batteries, citing poor design and lack of clarity as major issues.
Moreover, Kharge expressed concern over the reduction of government jobs, stating that the Modi government has sold stakes in profit-making public sector undertakings (PSUs) and eliminated 5.1 lakh posts. He remarked on the significant increase in casual and contract recruitment within PSUs, along with a decrease of 1.3 lakh posts for SC, ST, and OBC communities.
Kharge concluded that the government's lavish advertisements promoting "Make in India" cannot disguise its substantial failures, including rising joblessness, declining exports, and diminishing savings.
10 years of Modi Govt’s Make in India Stunt has put Break in India’s Manufacturing!
— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) September 25, 2024
10 years ago, PM @narendramodi crafted the slogan of “Make in India” and claimed to build Aatmnirbhar Bharat.
Contrary to BJP's high decibel propaganda, India's Manufacturing sector has got… pic.twitter.com/cQ3orC8L11
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Trump pauses Project Freedom, claims great progress for final agreement with Iran
Washington (PTI): President Donald Trump has suspended “Project Freedom,” to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, claiming progress in negotiations with Iran toward an agreement to end the war.
In a post on Truth Social on Tuesday, Trump said, “Great progress has been made toward a complete and final agreement with representatives of Iran.”
“Based on the request of Pakistan and other Countries, the tremendous Military Success that we have had during the Campaign against the Country of Iran and, additionally, the fact that Great Progress has been made toward a Complete and Final Agreement with Representatives of Iran, we have mutually agreed that, while the Blockade will remain in full force and effect, Project Freedom (The Movement of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz) will be paused for a short period of time to see whether or not the Agreement can be finalized and signed," Trump said.
Project Freedom was launched on Monday to escort ships, stranded due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, out to safety. Trump had announced the operation on Sunday and the US Central Command began implementing it the next day.
However, the Project led to friction in the vicinity of the narrow seaway, a key route for transporting one-fifth of the global oil supplies, with the UAE claiming that its ships were attacked by Iran. The US also claimed to have destroyed several Iranian small boats.
Trump’s statement on Truth Social came hours after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that Operation Epic Fury, launched on February 28, had concluded as its objectives have been achieved.
"Operation Epic Fury is concluded. We achieved the objectives of that operation. We're not cheering for an additional situation to occur. We would prefer the path of peace. What @POTUS would prefer is a deal... that is, so far, not the route that Iran has chosen," Rubio told a press conference at the White House on Tuesday.
On Project Freedom, Rubio said the goal was to rescue almost 23,000 civilians from 87 different countries who were trapped inside the Persian Gulf and left for dead by the Iranian regime.
"This is not an offensive operation. This is a defensive operation, and what that means is very simple: there’s no shooting unless we're shot at first. We’re not attacking them, but if they're attacking us or they’re attacking a ship, you need to respond to that," Rubio said.
