New Delhi: A Planning Commission report on Gujarat has revealed that the state's growth may not be as "inclusive" as its Chief Minister Narendra Modi claims. The reports states that while Gujarat had a good record in infrastructure development, its health and education sectors did not fare well.
The report further reveals that poorer states, like Odisha, did better than Gujarat in lifting people from below the poverty line. Odisha reduced poverty by 20 per cent as opposed to Gujarat's 8.6 per cent in same period. Poverty reduction among STs and Muslims is among the lowest in Gujarat.
At the same time, the growth in Gujarat's annual state gross domestic product (SGDP) during the period between 2004 and 2013 is second to just Uttarakhand, showing imbalance in the state's development. The Planning Commission had rated the states on health, education and infrastructure sectors.
However, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia hailed Gujarat as one of the country's better performing states after meeting Modi in the national capital on Tuesday. "Performance has been good in Gujarat but needs to pay special attention on social sector. We agree (with Gujarat's view) that more flexibility is needed for centrally sponsored schemes," Ahluwalia further said at a joint press conference with Modi....
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06:18 PM, Jun 18, 2013
Mumbai: Popular TV actor Anuj Sachdeva, who has stepped in the shoes of fellow Farhan Khan in daily soap 'Chhanchhan' as a replacement, says he was in two minds initially to accept the show. Anuj is known for his role in TV serials like 'Sabki Laadli Bebo' and 'Phir Subah Hogi'. "When I was offered this show (as a replacement) I was not sure if I should accept it. As...
06:15 PM, Jun 18, 2013
Mumbai: He wears many hats and choreographer-actor-director Prabhudeva says being a dancer he relates more to romance than action and wonders how he became an action film director. After directing two action movies in Bollywood - 'Wanted' and 'Rowdy Rathore', he dealt with his favourite genre in his forthcoming film 'Ramaiya Vastavaiya', a romantic drama. "As a choreographer, I am actually related to the romantic part because songs happen only...
03:24 PM, Jun 18, 2013
Mumbai: Sporting a beard, Shahid Kapoor was spotted at a suburban theater on Monday evening with a friend. The duo, after spotting the shutterbugs did not stop to smile for the camera. The actor is currently shooting for Prabhudeva's 'Rambo Rajkumar' opposite Sonakshi Sinha. ...
12:12 PM, Jun 18, 2013
San Francisco: Longer-lasting batteries are crucial for a new crop of wearable computers whose rise may upend Apple and Google's dominance of mobile devices, two of the field's pioneers say. Wearable devices - from bracelets that monitor physical activity and sleeping patterns to clothing with built-in sensors and Web-ready glasses - may mark the next big technology shift, just as smartphones evolved from personal computers. That transition has put the...
10:27 AM, Jun 18, 2013
London: Somdev Devvarman missed chances galore, including a match point, as he crashed out of the Wimbledon qualifiers after losing a gruelling and energy-sapping first round match against Australia's Matt Reid, here on Monday. Somdev, who is ranked 78 places above the Reid at 135, frittered away a good start to lose 6-7 (4) 6-4 16-18 in his opening round of the only Grass Court Grand Slam of the season....
07:36 PM, Jun 17, 2013
Bhubaneswar: Terming Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's allegation of Odisha's neglect by the Centre as "baseless" and a ploy to hide his "inefficiency", Congress on Sunday demanded a white paper on central funds released to the state and their utilisation. "The Chief Minister is misleading people with wrong information on central funds to Odisha. This strategy is aimed at covering the BJD government's inefficiency," Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Jayadev...
02:24 AM, Jun 17, 2013
Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday urged that courts should be "a little more reluctant" in giving stay orders on recruitment or development process which affect delivery of services to the people. "It has become almost impossible for us today to complete a process of recruitment or a development project without somebody or the other being able to stay almost the entire process on extremely flimsy...
12:10 AM, Jun 17, 2013
New Delhi: While earlier reports have already suggested that tech giants including Samsung, Google and Apple are working on wearable devices, a new report claims that Acer also has plans to come up with a wearable device sometime next year. Acer's smartphone chief, ST Liew, in an interview with Pocket-Lint, said that the company will launch its first wearbale device next year. "We are looking at wearable, I think every...
03:57 PM, Jun 16, 2013
New Delhi: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi will visit Srinagar on Saturday to inaugurate 'Umeed', a Rs 900 crore programme dedicated to skill development for women. The Congress leader will be accompanied by Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh. Rahul will also travel to Doda, Kishtwar and Bhaderwah along with Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad to meet the recent earthquake victims. ...
01:42 PM, Jun 15, 2013
New Delhi: After hanging fire for six years, the makeover plan for Delhi's Chandni Chowk will finally see the light of the day with the Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure giving its nod to it, said officials. "The Shahajahanabad Redevelopment Plan was sent to Unified Traffic And Transportation Infrastructure and has been approved by it," said Delhi government sources. The Delhi cabinet had approved the plan in 2007 with an...
11:20 PM, Jun 14, 2013
Priya Anand is a model-turned-actress. She predominantly appears in Tamil and Telugu films. Her first appearance on screen was through TV commercials, which later on bagged her offers from filmmakers. She debuted on silver screen with Tamil film 'Vaamanan'. She also acted opposite Jackky Bhagnani in 'Rangrezz'. She was seen in 'English Vinglish', where she played Sridevi's niece. She didn't get many chances to showcase her talent in 'English Vinglish',...
06:14 PM, Jun 12, 2013
Mumbai: 'Phata Poster Nikhla Hero' will see Ileana D'Cruz teaming up with Shahid Kapoor for the first time on the big screen and she seems to be satisfied with the final product. "The film that I have done with Shahid has come out beautifully. I am extremely excited. It is something, which is very different. I am hoping that everyone loves it," Ileana, who moved to Bollywood after making a...
01:19 PM, Jun 12, 2013
The Congress has hit out at the Central Information Commission for proposing to bring political parties under the Right to Information Act. Minister for Information and Broadcasting Manish Tewari said CIC's order is "a bit of a stretch." He was speaking to Karan Thapar on Devil's Advocate. Below is the full transcript of the interview: Karan Thapar: Hello and welcome to Devil's Advocate. Why does the Congress party object to...
11:34 AM, Jun 11, 2013
Handed defeats in their respective tournament-openers, Pakistan and South Africa would be fighting to stay alive in the ICC Champions Trophy when they take on each other in their second group B match. While Pakistan lost their opening match to the West Indies in a low-scoring cliffhanger, South Africa were beaten by India by 26 runs. The match will be a shootout of sorts for both the teams and it...
04:45 PM, Jun 10, 2013
New Delhi: The Congress has hit out at the Central Information Commission for proposing to bring political parties under the Right to Information Act. Minister for Information and Broadcasting Manish Tewari has dismissed the suggestion saying an amendment to the Income Tax Act would work better towards bringing transparency. He was speaking to Karan Thapar on Devil's Advocate. Below is the transcript of an excerpt from the interview: Karan Thapar:...
08:03 AM, Jun 09, 2013
Ahmedabad: Concerned over the rise in the number of suicides, Gandhinagar police have launched a helpline to offer counselling to people and dissuade them from taking the extreme step, a senior police official said in Ahmedabad on Saturday. The helpline named 'Jindagi' was launched by the state capital police on Friday. Its landline number is 1091, while the cellphone number is 9426671096, police said. The tagline of the helpline in...
02:41 AM, Jun 09, 2013
Mumbai: 'Singham' star Ajay Devgn is on a month-long vacation in London with his actress wife Kajol and two kids. Devgn, 44, who was last seen in Sajid Khan's 'Himmatwala', recently completed shooting for Prakash Jha's political drama 'Satyagraha' along with Amitabh Bachchan. "Off today to london. The holiday is finally here. See you guys in a month or so!," Devgn posted on Twitter. There are reports that the star...
04:27 PM, Jun 08, 2013
New Delhi: Paying rich tribute to Shikhar Dhawan for his maiden ODI century against South Africa, former India skipper Kapil Dev said the Delhi left-hander was the future of Indian cricket. The 1983 World Cup-winning captain is so excited with Dhawan's batting performance against a four-pronged South African pace attack during India's Champions Trophy match that he summed up the opener's 114 in just one word, "fabulous". Kapil sees Dhawan...
11:48 PM, Jun 07, 2013
New Delhi: Backing Narendra Modi's Prime Ministerial candidature for the 2014 general elections, Baba Ramdev said the Gujarat Chief Minister is the only person capable of becoming India's Prime Minister and bringing development to the country. "He is the only person capable of becoming India's Prime Minister and bringing development in India. So, the party people should not have any difference in opinion in this issue," Ramdev said. Meanwhile, ahead...
06:11 AM, Jun 07, 2013
