Narendra Modi LIVE: PM Interacts With Young Innovators, Start-Up Owners Via NaMo App

"Startups are no longer only in big cities. Smaller towns and villages are emerging as vibrant start-up centres," says PM Modi. One of the youngsters is talking about how tax incentives from the Government of India have helped his team in the last few years.

Speaking about startups in India, Modi praised India's young entreprenuers for their making a mark in the twin fields of innovation and startup. In what was his second tweet related to the due event, he said: "India has emerged a hub for start-ups and innovation. Indian youngsters have distinguished themselves due to their futuristic and out-of-the-box thinking. During tomorrow’s interaction youngsters from leading incubation centres and tinkering labs will be taking part as well."

Tomorrow at 9:30 AM, I will take part in an exciting interaction with youngsters from the world of start-ups & innovation. The interaction offers a wonderful opportunity to hear directly from pioneering young innovators who have excelled as start-up entrepreneurs.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 5, 2018

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said he will be interacting with young innovators and startup-owners at 9 am today. Making the announcement on Twitter yesterday, the PM had said: "Tomorrow (June 6) at 9:30 AM, I will take part in an exciting interaction with youngsters from the world of start-ups & innovation. The interaction offers a wonderful opportunity to hear directly from pioneering young innovators who have excelled as start-up entrepreneurs."

"Adequate capital, courage and connecting with people are required for excelling in the start-up sector. I am also learning from innovative thinking of the youth in business ideas," Modi says.

India is a youthful nation. Today's youngsters are becoming job creators. We are committed to harnessing of demographic dividend, says PM Modi as he interacts with youngsters who have distinguished themselves in the fields of start-up and innovation.

Minister Calls Farmers’ Protest an Attempt to Grab Media Attention, Case Filed | A case was lodged against Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district on Monday for "insulting farmers", a lawyer said. Social activist Tamanna Hashmi filed the case in the Chief Judicial Magistrate's court. It will be heard next week. Commenting on the ongoing nationwide agitation by thousands of farmers demanding loan waiver and higher price for their produce among other things, the minister had said some farmers are doing it for media attention. "There are crores of farmers in the country but only a few farmers have been staging protest. It has no relevance at all," he had said. Radha Mohan Singh's comments that farmers were committing suicide just for media coverage have been widely criticised.

In Mandsaur and Pipliyamandi towns, nearly 225 km from Indore, elaborate security arrangements have been put in place to prevent a rerun of last year. “I will make a quiet dash for the exit after the rally gets over. Who knows what might happen once the leaders leave the venue,” Noor Mohammed told Business Satndard, as he sipped his cup of tea at a stall in Pipliyamandi. Pipliyamandi, near Mandsaur town, was the scene of pitched battles between the police and agitating farmers last year. Rahi Singh, another local, echoed Mohammed as he joined in the conversation: “Nobody here wants a repeat of last year’s violence.” The rally venue is the sprawling government school ground in Pipliyamandi, barely a few kilometres from the town’s main thoroughfare that witnessed the violence last year. Congress leader and Madhya Pradesh legislator Jitu Patwari, along with former Lok Sabha member Meenakshi Natarajan, are overseeing preparations for the rally.

Preparations are on in full swing for Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s public rally in Madhya Pradesh’s Mandsaur today, the first anniversary of the farmers’ agitation in the state in which five protesters were killed. Gandhi will address the public at a PG College in Khokhar village at Piplyamandi, around 20km from Mandsaur, the epicentre of the stir. Sources said the Congress is in touch with the kind of farmers killed in police firing last year. Party leaders have reportedly compiled details of the families to invite them to the event for a meeting with the Congress president. Keeping in mind the sensitivity of the event, the police force is on high alert. Two helipads have been prepared near the venue for Gandhi’s arrival. To combat possible inclement weather, the organisers have planned to increase the size of the dome erected at the venue, which is under the surveillance of 50 CCTV cameras and two drone cameras. Former Mandsaur MP Meenakshi Natrajan and MLA Jitu Patwari are supervising the arrangements. The borders of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have also been sealed.

RECAP | The fourth day of the ongoing farmers' stir in Madhya Pradesh on Sunday saw a mixed response with some traders claiming the supply of vegetables at the agriculture markets had weakened while others termed it normal. A senior police official said the situation in the state today was largely peaceful. Several farmers' organisations have been agitating since June 1 as part of the 10-day "Gaon Bandh" (village shutdown) stir demanding remunerative prices for produce and waiver of farm loans. In Mandsaur, where six people were killed in police firing on June 6 last year, only 200 farmers reached the local Mandi to sell their produce on Sunday, said an official. "On normal days, over 4,000 farmers arrive at the Mandi. On Sunday only 200 farmers came in with their produce," said Mandsaur Krishi Upaj Mandi inspector Balwant Singh Rathore. Traders, however, claimed there was no shortage of fresh farm produce at the Mandsaur Mandi.

Milk, Vegetables Supply Hit in Rajasthan Due to Farmers' Agitation | Prices of vegetables soared amid disruptions in supplies and procurement of milk was also hit in parts of Rajasthan due to farmers' agitation on Sunday. "Jaipur Dairy alone has suffered a loss of nearly Rs 1 crore as 'anti-social elements' spilled nearly 60,000 litres of milk on roads. Twelve tankers were vandalised. Jaipur Dairy has lodged 8-9 FIRs for damaging and manhandling employees," Jaipur Dairy chairman Om Prakash Punia said. He said that problems are being witnessed in Sikar, Chomu, Kaladera and parts of Jaipur. Vegetable prices have shot up by 25-30 per cent in Jaipur due to ongoing farmers' agitation.  The prices of vegetables have increased by 25-30 per cent in the last three days because of restricted supply due to the farmers' agitation, a vegetable vendor at Muhana vegetable market said.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi will address the Kisan Samriddhi Sankalp Rally in Mandsaur today to mark the first anniversary of farmers’ protest.

हमारे देश में हर रोज़ 35 किसान आत्महत्या करते हैं। कृषि क्षेत्र पर छाए संकट की तरफ़ केंद्र सरकार का ध्यान ले जाने के लिए किसान भाई 10 दिनों का आंदोलन करने पर मजबूर हैं। हमारे अन्नदाताओं की हक की लड़ाई में उनके साथ खड़े होने के लिए 6 जून को मंदसौर में किसान रैली को संबोधित करूंगा। pic.twitter.com/Bv4Hv72jE8

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 2, 2018

Farmers Dump Milk, Vegetables on Road; Block Traffic in Madhya Pradesh Ahead of Mandsaur Anniversary | A day earlier, a group of farmers dumped milk and vegetables on road in Madhya Pradesh's Raisen district as their nationwide agitation entered the fifth day. The incident took place in Salamatpur, about 30 kms from the Raisen district headquarters. They also blocked the Bhopal-Vidisha road, disrupting traffic for at least three hours on the busy stretch. Farmers in several states, including Madhya Pradesh, are on a 10-day strike since June 1, demanding remunerative prices for their produce and loan waiver. They have been dumping their produce on roads as a mark of protest.

On Mandsaur Anniversary, Farmers in Punjab Likely to End Protest | The ongoing protest by farmers continued at isolated places in Punjab and Haryana for the fifth day on Tuesday but the situation is set of ease as farmers of Punjab have decided to call off their stir today. Farmers continued to hold protests at few places in Punjab and Haryana on Tuesday.  However, very few incidents were reported of farmers dumping their produce on roads, as was witnessed during first few days of the stir. The decision to end the stir from today was taken at a meeting of leaders of different farmers' organisations in Ludhiana on Monday. Farmers had begun their agitation from June 1, as part of a nationwide stir, and had stopped supply of vegetables, fruits, milk and other items to various cities protesting the alleged anti-farmer policies of the Centre.

Ahead of Mandsaur anniversary, the Maharashtra government would provide financial grant of Rs 1000 per quintal to those farmers whose tur and gram could not be purchased by the administration before the May 31 deadline, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said. "The government has taken an important decision for farmers. We will provide a financial grant of Rs 1000 per quintal for farmers, subject to verifications, whose tur and chana were not purchased by us," Fadnavis told reporters after the weekly cabinet meet. The state government had set up tur procurement target of 44.6 lakh quintals. Farmers in Maharashtra like their counterparts from other states have been demanding better remunerative price for their produce, a complete loan waiver, and implementation of recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission. The Centre had extended the deadline for tur procurement in Maharashtra till May 31 this year.

Former Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Pravin Togadia Announces Support to Farmers’s Protest | Former Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Pravin Togadia said he would launch a new "religious cum social" outfit in Delhi on June 24 and announced support to the ongoing farmers' protest. The Hindutva leader had quit as international working president of the VHP in April this year after his nominee Raghav Reddy lost a key organisational poll for the post of VHP president to former Himachal Pradesh governor V S Kokje. Speaking to reporters on his future plans, Togadia said he would launch a Hindu movement. He also announced his support to the ongoing farmers' stir for better remunerative prices for agri produce and waiver of farm loans. Togadia said he would join the farmers' protest in Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh on June 8. "I have decided to lead the farmers' agitation, and I will start this from Mandsaur on June 8. I have accepted the invitation given to me by agitators. I extend my full support to this stir and lakhs of our workers will join this movement," he said.

Gujarat Congress to Join Farmers' Stir on Friday | Congress workers in Gujarat would join the ongoing nationwide farmers' stir from June 8 and organise various programs across the state to "wake up the BJP government". Alleging that the ruling BJP government has "failed" to address issues concerning farmers, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Paresh Dhanani said Congress workers would hit streets with farmers on June 8, 9 and 10. Farmers launched a nationwide ten-day protest on June 1 for demands like a complete loan waiver, implementation of recommendations of Swaminthan Commission, and better remuneration for agriculture produce. "The Congress supports farmers' demand of remunerative prices for their produce and waiver of farm loans. To raise these issues, Congress workers will hold protests on June 8 in all talukas of Gujarat. We will also submit a memorandum to authorities," Dhanani told reporters in Gandhinagar.

Modi Govt  'Anti-poor', Meting Out Injustice to Farmers, Says Cong | The Congress on Monday dubbed the Modi government as "anti-poor" and claimed that farmers across the country have been forced to take to the streets as "injustice" was meted out to them by the dispensation. Congress general secretary Mohan Prakash accused the government of denying a loan waiver to the farmers suffering the brunt of unremunerative prices of their produce in the absence of adequate minimum support price and waiving of loans of big industrialists. He said the Congress expresses its solidarity with the country-wide farmers’ agitation who are fighting for their rights and asked why the central government was shying away from announcing a loan waiver for them.

Amid Farmers' Protest, What's Happening in Other States | Bihar Cabinet on Monday gave its nod to "Bihar Rajya Fasal Sahayta Yojana" to provide financial assistance to farmers for their crop damage, an official said. The new scheme will replace the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana and will be implemented from Kharif 2018, Cooperative Department's Principal Secretary Atul Prasad told reporters. Making it clear that this is an assistance scheme and not an insurance scheme, he said farmers, both ryot and non-ryot, have been included in the scheme. Prasad said any farmer registered under the scheme will not have to pay any premium but will be able to avail the benefits he/she incurs crop damage due to natural calamities. The earlier insurance scheme benefited insurance companies more than the farmers, he said. Providing the figures of Kharif 2016, he said both the state and the central government provided Rs 495 crore each as premium besides two per cent of premium given by farmers under the old insurance scheme, but only Rs 221 crore was paid by insurance companies as crop damage in the state. The state government did not even get back the amount what it invested as premium amount (Rs 495 crore) for crop insurance, he said.

Why RSS-affiliated Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (BKS) is Not a Part of Protest | The RSS-affiliated Bharatiya Kisan Sangh has decided not to join farmer protests in eight states, calling the 10-day strike “politically motivated”. Farmers’ unions in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Haryana and Chhattisgarh launched the protest on Friday morning, shutting down supply of milk, vegetables and essential farm produce to cities to press the government on their demands. Mohini Mohan, national secretary of the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, told News18.com that issues were “compromised” during the Mandsaur agitation. “This is a political agitation and not about farmer’s issues. The last time, we were able to reach some positive results with the state government in Madhya Pradesh, but the planned violence spoiled the efforts,” Mohan said.

Shiv Kumar Sharma, nicknamed Kakkaji, is the angry farmer leader who has been railing against the government for last several years and, as many believe, is the person behind the ongoing violent farmer stir.

Ahead of the farmers' protest, Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Mahasangh national president Shivkumar Sharma ‘Kakkaji’, who had organised the Mandsaur protest, claimed that the incentives introduced by the government are an "eyewash", and they are committed to dislodge Shivraj Singh Chouhan from power. Alleging that measures like farm loans on 0% interest have not benefited farmers, ‘Kakkaji’ said, “I dare anyone from RSS or Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to tell us a single pro-farmer measure implemented in the 15-year rule of the saffron party.”

In March, the farmers in Mumbai were also on a protest to press for their demand of an "unconditional waiver of loans and electricity bills". The agitation was called off after the farmers reached an agreement with the Devendra Fadnavis government. The government agreed to give written assurances that it would address their grievances within the next two months.  The decision was taken after 12-member delegation of the farmers met a six-member committee formed by the state government. Apart from the two main demands, they had also demanded implementation of the Swaminathan Commission recommendations, including an announcement of minimum support price for agriculture produce and a pension scheme for farmers.

After the farmers' protest, textbook economics pertaining to demand and supply made vegetables and fruits costlier in Delhi. Shortage of supply and exhausting stocks in the national capital’s mandis have resulted in surge in retail prices as the farmer protest enters day four.  Trucks carrying vegetables, fruits and other food items reached Delhi on Saturday but one, the quantity was less than usual and two, with worries of the situation deteriorating Monday onwards.  "The mandis in Delhi have stocks of the vegetables and other items. The stocks are enough to meet the demand till Tuesday. After that, if fresh supplies do not arrive, the situation may worsen," said Adil Khan chairman, Azadpur mandi in New Delhi. The retail prices of vegetables in the city's different areas are already up by 20-50 percent, with the buzz of the farmers' strike.

On the eve of the anniversary of Mandsaur firing, a group of farmers dumped milk and vegetables on the road in Madhya Pradesh's Raisen district as their nationwide agitation entered the fifth day. The incident took place in Salamatpur, about 30 km from the Raisen district headquarters. They also blocked the Bhopal-Vidisha road, disrupting traffic for at least three hours on the busy stretch. Farmers in several states, including Madhya Pradesh, are on a 10-day strike since June 1, demanding remunerative prices for their produce and loan waiver. They have been dumping their produce on roads as a mark of protest. Kisan Jagriti Sangathan secretary Irfan Jafari said their protest would continue unhindered till June 10. A group of farmers protested in a novel way in the state capital. They distributed milk to the patients of the JP Hospital. Additional Director General of Police (Intelligence) Rajiv Tandon said no untoward incident was reported from any part of the state during the farmer agitation.

Madhya Pradesh Congress chief spokesperson Manak Agrawal says around 1 lakh people are expected to take part in today’s meeting. Security has been beefed up with Mandsaur Superintendent of Police Manoj Singh saying five companies of the Special Armed Force (SAF) have been deployed across the district ahead of the event. Farmers in Madhya Pradesh launched a 10-day ‘Gaon Bandh’ (village shutdown) agitation from June 1 for various demands, including better remunerative prices for agriculture produce and a complete loan waiver. Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Mahasangh president Shivkumar Sharma 'Kakkaji' had said that BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha, former Union finance minister Yashwant Sinha and former VHP leader Praveen Togadia are likely to join the farmers' stir in Mandsaur on June 8.

Farmers had held statewide protests in Madhya Pradesh last year demanding better prices for their crops. The agitation was marred by violence at many parts in the state, especially in Mandsaur, which emerged as the epicentre of protests. The Congress sources added that Rahul Gandhi would also hold a meeting with senior leaders of Madhya Pradesh Congress. Top Congress leaders from Madhya Pradesh including Pradesh Congress Committee chief Kamal Nath, campaign committee chief Jyotiraditya Scindia and other state leaders would be in attendance. The Congress, which has been in political wilderness for the past 15 years, is seeking to wrest power from the BJP in the state in upcoming Assembly elections.

Former Mandsaur MP and Congress leader Meenakshi Natrajan said her party had urged the families of the deceased to participate in the meeting with Rahul Gandhi. Six people — Kanhaiya Lal Patidar, Satyanarayan Dhangar, Abhishek Patidar, Bablu, Ghanshyam Dhakad and Chintaman Patidar — were killed in the police firing at Pipliya Mandi during the agitation on June 6 last year. Family members of Abhishek Patidar told the Press Trust of India that Natrajan had requested them to attend the event. "Former MP Natrajan approached me with a request to attend the condolence meeting along with my wife Alka. Since it is a condolence meeting, we will attend it," said Patidar's father Dinesh Patidar. The family members of Bablu and Ghanshyam Dhakad have also given their consent to attend the programme. Dhakad's wife Rekha, who was given a state government job after her husband's death, also said that the Congress invited them to attend the condolence meeting.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi will meet family members of the farmers killed in police firing during an agitation in Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh on the first anniversary of the incident today and address a rally. Gandhi, who returned from the United States last night, held a meeting with his party leaders and security forces ahead of his Mandsaur visit. Gandhi is scheduled to address a ‘Kisan Rally’ at Khokhra (Pipliya Mandi) in the district. Family members of three of the six people killed in police firing would share dais with the Congress president. Madhya Pradesh is slated to go to polls later this year and the Congress is seeking to make this rally big ahead of the Assembly elections. The anniversary of the Mandsaur firing comes amid a nationwide 10-day strike by farmers for a complete loan waiver, implementation of recommendations of Swaminathan Commission and better remuneration for agriculture produce.