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Cabinet reshuffle on Sunday, new faces likely

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7 years ago

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New Delhi, Sep 2 (IANS) At least 10 new faces could be inducted into the Union Council of Ministers on Sunday when Prime Minister Narendra Modi undertakes an expansion and reshuffle of his ministry, said to be crucial ahead of assembly elections in some states and the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

The swearing-in ceremony has been fixed for 10.30 a.m. at the Rashtrapati Bhawan, a slight change from 10 a.m. that was originally planned. Prime Minister Narendra Modi held discussions with BJP chief Amit Shah late in the evening to give finishing touches to the exercise.

Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari also met Modi. He refused to comment on speculation that he was being shifted to railways, saying it was the Prime Minister’s prerogative to induct and drop ministers.

Though there has been no official word on the changes that are likely, there is speculation that the Prime Minister could appoint a Defence Minister since the portfolio has been with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley as additional charge.

Three Ministers — Rajiv Pratap Rudy (Skill Development), Kalraj Mishra (Micro, Small, Medium Enterprises) and Sanjeev Balyan (Water Resources) — have already resigned and about a half-a-dozen are believed to have offered to resign.

Apart from naming a new Defence Minister, Modi could shift Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu to some other ministry like environment while possibly dropping Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh whose performance is said to be lacklustre. Prabhu had offered to resign late last month after two back-to-back train derailments, including in Muzaffarnagar in which over 20 people lost their lives.

Manoj Sinha, Minister of State in Railways, is being tipped to be promoted as the Railway Minister. Like Sinha, Power Minister Piyush Goyal and Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan are likely to promoted as cabinet ministers in their portfolios. Pradhan had a meeting with Shah in the evening, like Delhi MP Pravesh Verma, who was also called.

Some reshuffle of the portfolios are likely with ministers, including Narendra Singh Tomar and Smriti Irani, holding additional charges. Tomar, who is Rural Development Minister, holds additional charge of Urban Development while Textiles Minister Irani holds additional charge of Information and Broadcasting.

With elections approaching in Himachal Pradesh, Health Minister J.P. Nadda may be shifted to the state, and be projected as a chief ministerial candidate.

The new faces likely to join the union government include Bhupendra Yadav or O.P. Mathur (both Rajya Sabha members from Rajasthan), Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, (Rajya Sabha member from Madhya Pradesh) and Satyapal Singh, Prahlad Patel, Nishikant Dubey and Pravesh Verma (all Lok Sabha).

Some election-bound states, including Congress-ruled Karnataka, could get greater representation in the Council of Ministers. Prahlad Joshi and Suresh Angadi, both MPs from Karnataka, could make a debut at the Centre. Likewise, Anurag Thakur, Lok Sabha member from Hamirpur in Himachal Pradesh, could get the nod. Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections are due later this year, while Karnataka Assembly polls are slated for next year.

Ally Shiv Sena may get one more berth with Anil Desai, a Rajya Sabha member, making the grade. However, the other new ally AIADMK, about which much has been speculated, is unlikely to get berths for now in view of the fact that the party is undergoing a period of crisis.

The reshuffle is mostly likely to see the entry of Janata Dal-United (JD-U) nominees into the ministry but party President and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar kept the suspense up, saying no proposal has yet come to him for inclusion in the union cabinet. If the party gets a call, Rajya Sabha MP R.C.P. Singh and Lok Sabha member from Purnea, Santosh Kumar, are likely to be inducted.

Kalraj Mishra, 77, claimed that he was not being dropped as Union Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises because of performance but on grounds of age.

–IANS
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Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok

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2 months ago

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September 19, 2024

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Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.

The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.

Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.

Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.

For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.

During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.

Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.

Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .

Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.

In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.

In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.

He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.

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