Here are the top 5 news updates of February 1, 2021:
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today announced higher capital expenditure for the FY 2021-22 and focused on providing a major boost to healthcare and infrastructure building. In her Budget speech, Sitharaman mentioned that this year's budget focused on six pillars- Health and Wellbeing, Physical and Financial Capital, and Infrastructure, Inclusive Development for Aspirational India, Reinvigorating Human Capital, Innovation and R&D and minimum government and maximum governance.
Presenting the first-ever digital Union Budget, the minister stated that India's fight against COVID-19 continues into 2021 and that this moment in history, when the political, economic, and strategic relations in the post-COVID world are changing, is the dawn of a new era - one in which India is well-poised to truly be the land of promise and hope. An outlay of Rs 64,180 crores to boost healthcare infrastructure, Rs 1,18,101 lakh crore, highest ever outlay, for Ministry of Road Transport and Highways were some of the key highlights of the Budget speech.
Asserting that villages and farmers are at the heart of the Union Budget presented today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said it has put a lot of emphasis on strengthening the farming sector and increasing farmers' income while making an allocation to further empower agriculture mandis.
Lauding the budget, Modi said one hardly comes across a budget that elicits so much positive response within an hour or two of its presentation, and noted that this was tabled under extraordinary circumstances when many experts were of the view that the government will put more burden on the common man. The budget carries the vision of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' and lays a strong foundation as a new decade begins, he said. "This budget has a feel of reality and confidence of development as well and showcases India's self-belief. It will also infuse new confidence in the world in these difficult times," he said, in reference to the Covid pandemic hitting the global economy hard.
Twitter on Monday "withheld" multiple accounts on its social media platform including those linked with the ongoing farmers' protest at Delhi borders against the Centre's contentious three farm laws. Among the accounts withheld are Kisan Ekta Morcha and BKU Ekta Urgahan. Besides these, several other individual and organisational accounts, including one of a media outlet 'The Caravan', were also withheld,
As per reports, the MEITY (IT Ministry) has blocked around 250 tweets or Twitter accounts which were using #ModiPlanningFarmerGenocide and making fake, intimidatory and provocative tweets on Saturday that was January 30. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs and law enforcement agencies had directed the IT Ministry to take relevant action in view of the social media agitation in solidarity with the farmers' protests, the reports added.
A military coup was taking place in Myanmar early today and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi was detained under house arrest, reports said, as communications were cut to the capital. Phone and internet access to Naypyitaw was lost and Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party could not be reached.
It said the reason for takeover was in part due to the government's failure to act on the military's claims of voter fraud in last November's election and its failure to postpone the election because of the coronavirus crisis. The announcement and the declaration of a state of emergency follows days of concern about the threat of a military coup - and military denials that it would stage one - and came on the morning the country's new Parliament session was to begin.
India skipper Virat Kohli and his wife and actor Anushka Sharma, who were recently blessed with a baby girl, have finally revealed the name of their daughter. Sharing the first-ever picture featuring their newborn, the much-in-love couple announced that they have named their daughter 'Vamika'. It is another name for goddess Durga.
Anushka took to Instagram to post an adorable family picture and spoke about her experience of being a mother and how their daughter has taken their life to a new level. She wrote, "We have lived together with love, presence, and gratitude as a way of life but this little one, Vamika has taken it to a whole new level! Tears, laughter, worry, bliss - emotions that have been experienced in a span of minutes sometimes! Sleep is elusive but our hearts are SO full. Thanking you all for your wishes, prayers, and good energy."
(With input from agencies)
