Niti Aayog’s Kant denies saying India is ‘too much of a democracy’, Twitter users share event clip
Vartha Bharati | 08-12-2020 | 21:19:00 IST
NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant (File photo | PTI)
Niti Aayog Chief Executive Officer Amitabh Kant on Tuesday denied that he had said that India was “too much of a democracy” to undertake tough reforms in response to a question about the manufacturing sector during an online event.
Kant tweeted a Hindustan Times article about his statement, claiming that it was “definitely not” what he had said.
This is definitely not what I said. I was speaking about MEIS scheme & resources being spread thin & need for creating global champions in manufacturing sector. https://t.co/6eugmtoinB
The report cited by Kant has since been withdrawn.
The report had cited a section of Kant’s answer to a question during an event organised by Swarajya magazine. The think tank head was asked about the Centre’s policies for the manufacturing sector amid the pandemic and if the crisis was a “second chance” for India to make its mark.
Kant replied:
“Tough reforms are very difficult in the Indian context...we are too much of a democracy. For the first time, the government has had the courage and determination to carry out very hard-headed reforms across sectors...Mining, coal, labour, agriculture. These are very, very difficult reforms. The easier reforms were done away with. You needed a huge amount of political determination and administrative will to carry out these reforms which have been done.
And many more reforms still need to be done...across logistics, across power. But this government has at least demonstrated its political will to do hard-headed reforms and we need to see them through to become a major manufacturing nation. It’s not easy to compete with China...It’s not easy to become a manufacturing nation...It doesn’t happen by holding seminars and webinars. It requires a very hard-headed ground-level approach which has been attempted for the first time in India.”
— Niti Aayog Chief Executive Officer Amitabh Kant
In the full clip of the online event, Kant can be heard making the comments at the 33-minute mark.
Following Kant’s denial, Twitter users posted the specific clip of his speech to point out that his statement seemed to be along the same lines as the quote that he was denying.
All reports of Amitabh Kant, CEO, Niti Aayog commenting that Indian reforms are hampered by "too much democracy" have been withdrawn by all media because of... too much democracy : )
SC to hear on May 4 PIL seeking stringent guidelines for issuing Aadhaar to adolescents, adults
03-05-2026 ¦
03-05-2026 IST
Representational image
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday a plea seeking a direction to the Unique Identification Authority of India to issue new Aadhaar cards only to citizens up to the age of six years, and frame stringent guidelines for its issuance to adolescents and adults to stop infiltrators from masquerading as Indian citizens.
As per the apex court's causelist of May 4, the plea would come up for hearing before a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi.
The Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by lawyer Ashwini Upadhyay has also sought a direction to the authorities to install display boards at common service centres stating that the 12-digit unique identification number is only a "proof of identity" and not a proof of citizenship, address or date of birth.
Besides all the states and Union Territories, the plea has made the UIDAI -- which is the authority that issues Aadhaar -- and the Union ministries of home, law and justice, and electronics and information technology as parties.
The plea, filed through advocate Ashwani Dubey, said Aadhaar, originally intended as a proof of identity, has increasingly become a "foundational document" enabling individuals to obtain other identification documents, such as ration cards, domicile certificates and voter identity cards.
"The UIDAI has issued 144 crore Aadhaar and 99 percent Indians have been enrolled. Therefore, the petitioner is filing this writ petition as a PIL under Article 32, seeking a direction to UIDAI to issue new Aadhaar to children only and frame new stringent guidelines for adolescents and adults, so as to stop infiltrators from getting it and masquerading as Indian citizens," the plea said.
It said the need to file the plea arose when the petitioner came to know the manner in which infiltrators are able to procure Aadhaar through a verification process that is weak and can be easily manipulated.
"Foreigners apply for Aadhaar under the 'foreign' category. But infiltrators apply for Aadhaar under the 'Indian citizen' category and get it easily made. Thereafter, they obtain a ration card, birth and domicile certificate, driving licence, et cetera, essentially becoming indistinguishable from Indian citizens…," it said.
Besides seeking other directions, the plea has raised legal questions, including whether the Aadhaar Act 2016 has become "temporally unreasonable" for failing to keep up with the legislative intent of distinguishing foreigners from Indian citizens.
It said the alleged misuse of Aadhaar undermines targeted welfare delivery and leads to diversion of public resources.
