'Gehri dosti' says PM Bennett as Israel and India mark 30 years of diplomatic ties

Israel and India have a "gehri dosti" (deep friendship), Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on 29 January, 2022, and thanked his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi for his "deep commitment" to the "strong and robust friendship", as the two nations celebrated 30 years of establishment of diplomatic relations.

Describing the opportunities of collaboration between the two countries as "endless", Bennett stressed that "the ties between Israel and India are strong and together they will only grow stronger".

"There is something I wanted to tell to all of the people of India. Israel and India have a "gehri dosti", Deep Friendship. Today we honour 30 years of diplomatic relations between Israel and India. Thirty years of a wonderful partnership, a deep cultural connection, and military and economic cooperation", Bennett said in a special video message released on the evening of 29 January, 2022.

Though India had recognised Israel on 17 September, 1950, full-fledged diplomatic relations between the countries were established on 29 January, 1992.

"I would like to thank my dear friend, Prime Minister Modi, for his leadership and deep commitment to this strong and robust friendship. Our countries may be different in size but we share much in common – our rich history, the inherent warmth of our peoples, and our cutting-edge innovation and technology", the Israeli prime minister said amidst a series of activities under way to mark the occasion.

The video was tagged to a tweet which said, "Today, we celebrate 30 years of diplomatic relations between Israel & India. We celebrate a strong partnership, An incredibly deep friendship, & optimism for the future!".

To his friend Narendra Modi, he wrote in Hindi, "Together we will continue to achieve more remarkable achievements".

Today, we celebrate 30 years of diplomatic relations between Israel & India.

We celebrate a strong partnership,
An incredibly deep friendship,
& optimism for the future!@NarendraModi, my friend — हम साथ मिलकर उल्लेखनीय उपलब्धियां हासिल करते रहेंगे।
🇮🇱 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/m3PwiVSeVy

— Naftali Bennett בנט (@naftalibennett) January 29, 2022

On the occasion the Masada Fortress was lit up with the flags of both countries.

Masada Fortress lit up to celebrate 30 years of India-Israel friendship#MasadaFortress #IndiaIsraelFriendship #DiplomaticRelations #NaorGilon
Watch Video : https://t.co/ikoJ6mt5HH pic.twitter.com/oshAOb4sfM

— ANI Multimedia (@ANI_multimedia) January 30, 2022

In New Delhi, Prime Minister Modi, in his special video message, said there cannot be a better time to set new goals for taking forward India-Israel relations and asserted that the importance of the relationship has increased amid significant changes in the world.

Modi said people of India and Israel have always shared a special relationship.

"This day holds importance in our relationship as full diplomatic ties were established between the two countries 30 years ago. A new chapter between the two countries had begun. It was a new chapter but history between us is age-old," he said.

"For centuries, the Jew community has stayed in India in a harmonious environment without any discrimination and has grown. It has made an important contribution in our developmental journey," Modi said.

Earlier this week, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Israel's foreign minister, Yair Lapid, penned op-eds in an Israeli and an Indian newspaper emphasising that "friendship and trust" are not only positive traits, but also "real assets" with which the two countries have worked together to "deepen their roots" for the last three decades, expressing hopes that their achievements together will continue to bear fruit.

The celebrations to commemorate 30 years of diplomatic ties are likely to continue through the year but anniversary celebrations have been marked by illumination of historic sites in both countries – the Gateway of India and Teen Murti Haifa Chowk in India and Masada in southern Israel's Judean desert which is a popular tourist site.

With input from PTI

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Budget 2022: Government should try to address farmers’ income and agri sustainability concerns

The Budget 2022 will have competing demands from various sectors given the crisis and uncertainty related to the pandemic that continues to impact lives and livelihoods. It will be a tightrope walk for the government in allocating resources for the agriculture and food sector that address multiple concerns related to growth, income, social welfare and safety net, and long-term sustainability of farming.

The Budget will be tabled close to elections in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa, and political parties are already promising loan waivers, MSP for all crops, free electricity, among others, which is likely to influence the budget towards some populist announcements. Also, with year 2022 being the last year for achieving the target of doubling of farmers’ income by 2022-23, and the repeal of recent farm laws in November 2021, the government will have to reinforce the confidence of the farmers in its commitment towards making farming profitable for them, and the markets to deliver the economic gains.

Budget 2021 made an allocation of Rs 1,31,531 crore to the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare (MoA&FW), a 14 percent increase over 2019-20. Of this, Rs 1,23,018 crore were allocated to DoA&FW, and Rs 8,514 crore to the Department of Agricultural Research and Education, 14 percent and 6 percent increase over 2019-20, respectively. There may not be any flagship reform-oriented announcements this time. However, the government will continue the momentum of policies and resource allocation it has been pursuing to boost growth as well as address the risks confronting the sector, and farmers in particular.

In the context of doubling farmers' income by 2022-23, it is expected that the Budget will emphasise on diversification towards high-value crops and integrating production systems including livestock and fisheries. The reason being that MSP aided cereals and pulses procurement and marketing have limited scope for enhancing farmers’ income. Diversifying into high-value crops such as fruits and vegetables, dairy, poultry, and fisheries will enable farmers to earn higher incomes provided there are opportunities for value addition, processing, and markets for the same.

Under the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme, with an outlay of Rs 10,900 crore for 2021-22 to 2026-27, the food processing sector will play a critical role in incentivising diversification, bringing back traditional cereals, and linking farmers to markets. It is anticipated that agricultural credit will be increased from Rs 16.5 lakh announced in the budget FY 2021 to around Rs 18.5 lakh in FY 2022. The Ministry of Co-operation should be given sufficient resources to scale up the cooperative structure across high-value commodities and create successful farmer-market linkages. The scope of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, which is already undergoing a revamp, will have to be stepped up to address the risks associated with farming and marketing of high-value commodities.

Agricultural diversification will also address the concerns related to the environmental and financial sustainability of intensive paddy and wheat cultivation in the northern states. Natural farming under the Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (with an allocation of Rs 450 crore in FY 2021) and other national programs on organic farming, as well as the National Project on Soil Health and Fertility can receive a boost in terms of scope and financial resources.  This will be in line with the pursuit of the government to move towards environmentally benign farming practices and reduce the dependence on agrochemicals. Diversification towards high-value crops and natural farming will have a favourable long-term impact on both the food and fertiliser subsidy burden.

FY 2020-21 witnessed a huge escalation in food and fertiliser subsidies compared to their budget allocations. Food and fertilizer subsidies amounted to Rs 2.43 lakh crore and Rs 79,630 crore, respectively in FY 2021-22. While it is desirable to rationalise these subsidies and push for direct income and benefit support, it may be difficult for the government to cut down these subsidies significantly right away. With the threat of the pandemic still looming, Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana extended up to March 2022 might continue for some more time until the situation stabilises. International prices of fertilisers are significantly higher than usual, and it is unlikely that the government will be able to rationalise fertiliser subsidies immediately.

Against the backdrop of opposition and agitation around the Farm Laws 2020 (now repealed), and the upcoming elections in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, the government will be tactful in handling the sentiments of the farmers. Nonetheless, it will continue to strengthen agricultural markets by upgrading infrastructure and services. Through the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), the government will continue to support infrastructure development including APMC and private markets, warehouses, cold chains, among others.

This will be important to reassure the farmers that APMC markets are an important part of the marketing network, and the reforms are targeted towards creating alternative marketing channels. Also, MSP will continue as price support for the existing 23 commodities, but whether it will be extended to all crops, and/or made legally binding, is not certain. The income concerns of the farmers should be addressed better by expanding the coverage of PM-Kisan to include the vulnerable groups within the farming community as well as significantly enhancing the allocation of Rs 6,000 per farmer family.

There are likely allocations and incentives for further boosting innovations and the start-up network, which will have a favourable impact on the agriculture and food sectors. As agriculture diversifies, there will be demand for improved supply chain management leveraging technology for higher resource use efficiency. The issue of environmental sustainability will also drive innovations that can reduce the resource footprint of agriculture without productivity losses, ensure safe food for consumption, and allow farmers to adopt such practices.

Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) will continue to be an important grassroots institution for mobilizing farmers to access alternative markets as well as linking them to the start-up ecosystem. The Ministry of Co-operation can play an enabling role in revitalizing farmer collectives that make technology and markets more accessible to the farmers. The Budget 2022 should be able to fuel the evolving ecosystem of farmer collectives, agritech start-ups, and agribusiness players with the government playing an enabling role.

This Budget should make the best use of the financial resources towards attracting greater investments in the agriculture and food sector that will catalyse the resilience of farming amidst concerns of climate change and environmental degradation; strengthen markets that allow farming to be more aligned to the actual demand, and expand direct benefit transfers to deliver the financial support directly to the farmers. Despite the repeal of farm laws, the government should pursue marketing reforms, which are in the interest of the farmers. Given the fiscal pressure, rationalising subsidies will be inevitable and critical to augment agri R&D.

The author is a Senior Research Fellow at Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations, ICRIER. Views are personal.

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Budget 2022: PLI scheme for e-bikes may be on Nirmala Sitharaman’s radar to boost production, exports

India's EV industry is projected to grow at an astronomical CAGR of 90 percent and touch $150 billion by 2030, according to a recent report by consulting firm RBSA Advisors. In the face of these numbers, the time is ripe for the 2022 Budget to augment the growth of the EV industry.

On the cusp of a major transformation, this new ecosystem is already disrupting the existing vehicle market. More green mobility options will not only provide environmental benefits but also boost the technology industry and provide ample job creation opportunities in the coming years.

As per JMK Research and Analytics, electric vehicle registrations surpassed 50,000 units in a month in December 2021 alone. The electric two-wheeler category has seen especially positive growth, with an increase of 132 percent over 2020. As the e-bike segment continues to grow, the inclusion of low-speed electric two-wheelers amongst EVs and a larger manufacturing base, and the availability of labour and parts will give it the potential to scale up faster.

The Union Budget 2022-23 will play a crucial in setting the tone and blueprint for India's economic restoration in FY 2022-23. The government recently expanded the parameters for the production linked incentive (PLI) scheme to the automotive sector companies to increase the country's self-reliance and boost domestic manufacturing – which is likely to be the prologue to the Union Finance Budget. This action extends the possibility of a PLI scheme being offered to the e-bikes sector, helping manufacturers boost production and export capabilities.

Make available increased EV charging infrastructure

To meet the demands of the market, the simplicity and availability of EV charging infrastructure will be crucial to mainstream adoption of electric vehicles – ideally, one charging station every 3x3km area and every 20 km on motorways – hence incentivising infrastructure development and rules and schemes to promote battery swapping. Rationalising the tax (GST) system on batteries and other components used in the production of electric vehicles will help to contain costs, with the advantages being passed on to consumers.

Unified policy needed to encourage EVs

To boost the EV industry, the Indian Government has issued policies and regulations such as FAME (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles), which was meant to finish in March 2022, but has been extended until 2024. However, the industry still needs a unified policy to encourage EVs across the country, making it easier for green transportation-focused enterprises to expand their presence.

In the coming years, EV financing will become the most important enabler for electric vehicle adoption. Attractive economics and government support have already boosted demand for EVs. Still, the commercial EV market, which is predicted to be a key growth vertical, is hindered by a lack of financing and incentivisation, which remains the biggest hurdle. With the potential to grow to $150 billion by 2030, further efforts to make financing, incentives, and subsidies more accessible would benefit the sector.

Electric vehicles (EVs) have acquired a lot of traction in recent years. The future looks bright, not just due to reduced carbon emissions but also the additional benefits to manufacturing and other ancillaries that faster adoption has to offer. As signs point to the EV sector taking centre stage, it is with great hope that EV, and especially e-bike, manufacturers look forward to Budget 2022.

The author is Co-Founder & CEO, EMotorad-ebike manufacturing startup.

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Martyrs Day or Shaheed Diwas: History, significance and how the day is observed

Martyrs' Day, also known as Shaheed Diwas, is observed across the country on 30 January every year. The day marks the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

On this day, Indians remember the slain freedom fighters who laid down their lives for the country's independence. Various events are organised across the country to pay respect to the fallen.

Like every year, the Centre has directed all state governments and union ministries to observe two minutes of silence on the day at 11 am in the memory of martyred independence heroes.

History and Significance of the day

This year, India will commemorate 74th death anniversary of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi. The day is observed to remember Mahatma Gandhi's contributions to India’s fight for independence. Bapu led countless freedom movements and advocated non-violence.

In 1948, The Father of the Nation was killed by Nathuram Godse during his evening prayers in the Birla House. Godse held Gandhiji responsible for India-Pakistan partition which led to the loss of thousands of lives.

How the day is marked

On the occasion of Martyrs Day, the top-most leadership of the country including President, Prime Minister and Defence Minister gather at New Delhi's Rajghat and pay tribute to Gandhiji. They are also joined by the service chiefs of the three defence forces to lay floral wreaths at his memorial.

Martyrs Day on 23 March

Martyrs' Day is also commemorated on 23 March to pay homage to freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Shivaram Rajguru and Sukhdev Thapar. On this day in 1931, these three courageous revolutionaries were hung by the British.

The trio was hung for assassinating British officer John Saunders in 1928. Their saga of sacrifice became a source of inspiration for millions of Indians.

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How conditional market authorisation to Covishield and Covaxin will change India’s COVID-19 vaccine drive

India’s COVID-19 vaccination drive is about to witness a change after the drug regulator on Thursday granted a conditional market authorisation for Covishield and Covaxin, the two coronavirus vaccines widely used in the country.

We take a look at what is conditional market authorisation and how this affects the COVID-19 vaccine drive.

What does conditional market authorisation mean?

To date, Serum Institute of India's Covishield and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin has been available under 'Emergency Use Authorisation'.

Through the EUA route, the vaccines are available only in emergency situations; for instance in a public health emergency like the pandemic. In this case, the drug regulator, based on initial data from phase 3 of clinical trials, permits the use of vaccines.

According to officials, as the two vaccines now meet the high standards of safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality that the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 requires of a new vaccine, they have been upgraded to “conditional market authorisation”.

One must note that it is ‘conditional’, which means there are still some stipulations that need to be met.

What are these conditions?

The approval is an upgrade from the emergency use authorisation and largely represents a regulatory endorsement of the safety doses.

Soon after approval was granted, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya tweeted, "The @CDSCO_INDIA_INF has now upgraded the permission for Covaxin and Covishield from restricted use in emergency situations to normal new drug permission in the adult population with certain conditions."

The @CDSCO_INDIA_INF has now upgraded the permission for COVAXIN and Covishield from restricted use in emergency situations to normal new drug permission in the adult population with certain conditions.

— Dr Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) January 27, 2022

So, what are these conditions? According to officials, as per a PTI report, the firms shall submit data of ongoing clinical trials and the vaccines to be supplied for programmatic setting besides recording all vaccinations done within the country on the CoWIN platform.

Adverse event following immunisation will continue to be monitored as part of the conditions.

The firms will also have to submit data of overseas ongoing clinical trials of the product with due analysis.

The conditional market authorisation came after the Subject Expert Committee of the Central Drugs Standard Standard Control Oraganisation had on 19 January recommended upgrading the Covishield and Covaxin vaccines.

It advised grant of new drug status to the two vaccines from Emergency Use Authorisation permission granted earlier.

So, what changes?

As of now, nothing much changes.

A person aware of the decision said the approval does not mean the vaccines can be sold over-the-counter by pharmacies, in the way that fully approved doses are. “Conditional access does not permit that; in fact, people wanting to take the shot will still have to approach a COVID vaccination centre. Pharmacies will not be able to stock it just yet,” a senior government official was quoted as saying to Hindustan Times.

However, highly-placed sources said to NDTV that in the future to come, the two vaccines will be available in private clinics and hospitals at pre-decided MRP and people can buy those.

Gradually, the vaccine will be available in the market at a price lower than at what it was being sold earlier at private hospitals, sources added.

However, the sources said, as and when a private hospital or clinic administers a dose, it will still have to capture it on CoWin, the government’s digital vaccination platform.

News agency PTI quoted a source as saying, "The idea is that those who are keen to get a booster dose can now avail it through private clinics as the vaccine available in private clinics can be used for any purpose, whether it's first dose, second dose or a booster as one wishes."

Coronavirus in India

On Friday, 2,51,209 people tested positive for coronavirus in a day, taking India's total tally to over 4.06 crore, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday. In the same time period, the death toll has climbed to 4,92,327 with 627 fatalities reported.

The daily positivity rate was recorded at 15.88 per cent, while the weekly positivity rate was 17.47 percent.

Meanwhile, the cumulative number of anti-COVID vaccine doses administered in the country so far has crossed 164.44 crore.

With inputs from agencies

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‘Bihar Bandh’ declared today in protest of new Railways recruitment process: What the row is all about

The states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are on alert after a clutch of student organisations have called for a Bihar Bandh today against alleged ‘irregularities’ in the Railway Recruitment Board's examination process.

Several students' organisations, including the All India Students Association (AISA), called for the state-wide bandh on Friday to protest against the alleged irregularities in the Railway Recruitment Board's Non-Technical Popular Categories (RRB-NTPC) exam 2021.

We take a look at the students’ allegations, why violence erupted and what happens next.

Violence erupts on 26 January

The country’s celebrations of Republic Day were marred when reports emerged of thousands of students taking to the streets of Bihar to protest against alleged irregularities in the Railway Recruitment Board's examination procedure.

Initially, the protests were seen in Bihar's districts of Patna, Nawada, Muzaffarpur, Buxar, Sasaram, Sitamarhi, Arrah, and Bhojpur. They squatted on railway tracks and disrupted train services across the state.

Several trains in Bihar had to be cancelled or rescheduled.

Protests were also reported in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh.

Protests soon became violent with the protesters torching the Rajgir-New Delhi Shramjeevi Express in Gaya.

Gaya, Bihar | Aspirants vandalized train over alleged irregularities in Railway exam

CBT 2 exam date was not notified; no update on Railway exam which was notified in 2019...Result is still awaited...We demand cancellation of CBT 2 exam & release of exam result: Protester pic.twitter.com/9eyW8JphYa

— ANI (@ANI) January 26, 2022

In Patna city, the police fired tear gas shells and used water cannons to disperse students protesting against the alleged irregularities in the results, news agency ANI reported.

Several persons were injured as students clashed with the police at Sitamarhi railway station, ANI reported. The police had reportedly opened fire in the air.

In Uttar Pradesh, the police on Tuesday cracked down on students who allegedly tried to stop a train at the Prayag Junction in Prayagraj city as a mark of protest, the Hindustan Times reported. The personnel reportedly used mild force to disperse the students.

What’s their grouse?

The protests are a result of students claiming that there were discrepancies in the RRB recruitment process. For the unversed, the Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) is a government agency for the recruitment of candidates to Group C and Group D non-gazetted civil service and engineering posts in the Indian Railways under the Ministry of Railways.

The students are angry because the government decided to conduct two computer-based tests (CBT) for the RRB Non-Technical Popular Categories (NTPC).

They claim that the second stage is unfair to those who have cleared the first stage, results for which were released on 15 January.

They further allege that the two-stage exam involving CBT-2 is designed to favour those with a higher qualification, even for jobs that require lesser qualification.

An IndiaToday report further quoted the protesters as saying that it was unfair of the RRB to ask them to appear for another examination. They accused the officials of “playing with the future of the students”.

The protesters also claimed that even the results released on 15 January were inaccurate.

How the government reacted

The Ministry of Railways refuted these allegations, with Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw saying, “The employment notification has legal sanctity. For those with grievances, we have to find a solution and deal with sensitivity. We cannot legally bar graduates from applying to posts which require 10+2 qualification.”

The board asserted that the question of depriving any deserving candidate of selection did not arise.

Eventually, on Wednesday, the Railways decided to suspend the tests.

Further, it also formed a high level committee to examine the grievances of those who have cleared the exams under different railway recruitment boards (RRBs) and those who have failed the same.

The candidates can lodge their concerns and suggestions to the committee at rrbcommittee@railnet.gov.in, the ministry said. Candidates have been given three weeks' time, up to 16 February, to submit their concerns. The committee, after examining these concerns, will submit their recommendations by 4 March, 2022.

Bihar bandh call

Students union body AISA in Bihar called for a statewide ‘bandh’ today in wake of the recently declared NTPC stage 1 exam results.

AISA termed the committee formed by the railway ministry to look into the concerns raised by the aspirants of alleged irregularities in Railway Recruitment Board's NTPC stage 1 exam results as a "hoax", and refused to bog down despite the formation of the committee.

On Thursday, the All Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) parties also announced their support for the Bihar Bandh'.
In a joint statement issued on Thursday, the RJD, Congress, CPI and CPI(M) said, Bihar has the most number of young people in the country and has the highest unemployment rate. Students are being cheated by the Central as well as Bihar governments.

"It keeps promising jobs for them but when they come out on the streets demanding jobs, the Nitish Kumar government rains baton on them."

All parties which form the grand alliance have decided to support the Bihar bandh call given by students union on 28 January. They also demand that "all FIRs registered against students or coaching institutes by the state police must be withdrawn immediately".

Who is Khan sir?

Amid all this, teacher and YouTuber Khan sir — a prominent teacher of Patna — has gained more prominence after he was booked for provoking students.

The action by the police came after he recently alleged that the railway ministry placed an additional exam burden on those who have already cleared their first examination.

News agency PTI reported that aspirants who indulged in violence and damaged railway property in several parts of the state on Monday and Tuesday had reportedly claimed that they were encouraged after a video of Khan Sir wherein he was seen instigating them to intensify their protest to cancel the RRB-NTPC exams started doing rounds on social media.

Train services disrupted

The violence and protests have caused severe disruption to the train services. Protesters allegedly torched four empty coaches of a stationary train in Gaya and blocked rail traffic between Gaya and Jehanabad on Wednesday.

The agitating students had stopped trains like Rajendra Nagar-New Delhi Tejas Rajdhani express, the Sampoorna Kranti express, South Bihar Expres, and Mumbai-bound Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Express.

Political reactions

The protests have evoked several reactions from leaders across the political spectrum.

The Congress on Thursday said it stands with those protesting the alleged irregularities in a recruitment exam by the Railways while stressing there should be no place for violence in these agitations.

Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said her party will support the job aspirants in their protest and urged them to follow the Gandhian principle of non-violence.

She accused the BJP government of "taking away" the employment opportunities by "not keeping the promise of providing two crore jobs every year".

It is "shameful" that instead of creating job opportunities, the BJP government is beating up and threatening the job aspirants for protesting the "irregularities", Shrinate alleged.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had tweeted on Wednesday, "Every youth is free to raise voice for rights. Remind those who have forgotten that India is a democracy."

अधिकारों के लिए आवाज़ उठाने को हर नौजवान स्वतंत्र है,
जो भूल गए हैं, उन्हें याद दिला दो कि भारत लोकतंत्र है,
गणतंत्र था, गणतंत्र है!#JusticeForStudents pic.twitter.com/9rK8I3CEox

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) January 26, 2022

In a following tweet, he called for calm. "I am and will be with you in favour of the truth against the policies of the BJP government. But violence is not our way," he said.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi, too, came out in support of the protesters. "The arrested students should be released. The order banning protesters from jobs [in Railways] should be withdrawn," she tweeted.

Former state chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, who heads the NDA constituent- Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular), also came in support of the protesting students.

Senior BJP leader and former Bihar deputy chief minister, Sushil Modi, on Thursday said the state government should not to take any coercive action against the protesting students. "I personally met the Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in connection with the ongoing students' protests against the RRB-NTPC exam. The railway minister has assured me that the ministry will not conduct two computer-based tests for the RRB-NTPC exam."

With inputs from agencies

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Lala Lajpat Rai Birth Anniversary: History, inspirational quotes of the revolutionary freedom fighter

India remembers Lala Lajpat Rai on his birth anniversary today, 28 January. Born in 1865 in Punjab’s Dhudike village, Rai was one of the most prominent leaders of India’s freedom struggle. He put up a tough fight against the British rule and was given the title of ‘Punjab Kesari’ or ‘The Lion of Punjab’ due his nationalism and zealous ideologies.

Rai is fondly remembered as Lal from the ‘Lal-Bal-Pal’ triumvirate (Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Bipin Chandra Pal) and was a prominent leader of the Congress party.

In 1894, Lala Lajpat Rai also founded the Punjab National Bank (PNB) and Laxmi Insurance Company. In the year 1928, when the Simon Commission was set up by Britishers in India to keep a check on the nation’s political situation, Indians protested against the Commission.

Lala Lajpat Rai led a non-violent march to protest and boycott the British Simon Commission but was unfortunately assaulted and injured by the police lathi charge that occurred against protestors.

Rai was gravely injured and eventually died due to a heart attack on 17 November, 1928.

On the occasion of the 157th birth anniversary of Lala Lajpat Rai, we remember the contributions made by him through some inspiring quotes and slogans of the revolutionary freedom fighter who sacrificed his life for the country.

-The shots that hit me are the last nails to the coffin of British rule in India.

-A person should be courageous and honest in worshipping the truth, without being concerned about receiving worldly benefits.

-Defeat and failure are sometimes necessary steps of victory.

-If I had the power to influence Indian journals, I would have the following headlines printed in bold letters on the first page: Milk for the infants, food for the adults and education for all.

-I always believed that my silence on several topics will be an advantage in the long run.

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