AWAKENINGS

The Budget Speech delivered by Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman on the 1 st February 2020 in the Lok Sabha was the longest ever at 2 hours and 41 minutes and it is her second budget presentation. She is also the second women to present the budget for a second time after Indira Gandhi. She could not complete her budget speech due to exhaustion.  It indicates that she should have restricted her speech but due her over enthusiasm to touch all points had cost her this embarrassment. Though she pleaded to complete her speech – stating that there were only two pages left, she was advised not to stress too much both by Rajnath Singh, our Defence Minister and then even by our Prime Minister who were seated next to her on the front bench. In January 2020 Nobel Laureaates Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo advised the Government of India thus: The critical problem in the Indian economy is demand. We should forget about Budget deficits and meeting targets. We...

71 st Republic Day Celebration across Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh was unique and historic, as this was the first Republic Day after Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh were made Union Territories after withdrawing special status under Article 370 and 35 A on August 5, 2019. For the first time separate flag of Jammu & Kahsmir – was banished with the replacement of our National Flag throughout the length and breadth of J & K which is the real factor to indicate that J & K’s special status was completely abolished and J & K was integrated into India by due process of Law. And hence this 71 st Republic Day Celebration was special to J & K and Ladakh people in particular. Lt Governor G C Murmu unfurled the tricolour at the jam-packed Maulana Azad Stadium in the heart of the city, inspected the parade and took salute at an impressive march past. He also addressed the function, witnessing cultural and sports programmes by young boys and girls, and scinti...