Morning Brief: PM Reviews Performance Of Ministers; Progress On UCC; IAF To Get Tejas Today

Good Morning, Swarajya Readers! Here’s What You Need To Know Today.

PERFORMANCE REVIEW

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed the performance of his ministers in spending budgetary allocations and implementing schemes yesterday in a meeting which reportedly ran for over more than four hours. He asked the ministers to tailor the schemes in a fashion that they have the greatest impact on the masses. He also urged them to implement the promises made in the party’s manifesto in letter and spirit.

PM also held meetings with his party president Amit Shah and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley thus fueling the rumours of a cabinet rejig. It could take place as early as 4 July according to the media reports. However, don’t hold your breath because such reports in the past have turned out to be untrue.

TEJAS FOR IAF

Two aircraft of the made-in-India Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas will be inducted in the Indian Air Force (IAF) today in Bengaluru.These aircraft will be a part of the first Tejas squadron called ‘Flying Daggers’ 45, raised by the IAF. The aircraft will perform sortie during the induction ceremony.

Tejas will feature in combat plan of the IAF next year and will be deployed in forward bases also. All squadrons of Tejas will have 20 planes in total. LCAs are better than the MiGs which are old and their parts are difficult to get.

PROGRESS ON UCC

Modi Sarkar has written to the Law Commission to examine the issue of implementing the Uniform Civil Code. The commission will submit its report on the matter after discussions with experts and stakeholders. Implementing a UCC is one of the poll promises of the BJP, and it has always been in favour of such a code.​

If implemented, the uniform code will have a set of common personal laws governing property, marriage, divorce, inheritance and succession for all citizens. Article 44 of the Indian constitution calls the implementation of UCC as “duty of the state.”

TRACKING MONSOON

The month of June saw a total deficit of 11 percent in monsoon rains. The southern peninsula recorded 26 percent excess rainfall, while the north-west, central, east and north-east India recorded deficit of 7 percent, 17 percent and 28 percent, respectively. The regions hit by the rain deficit are central Maharashtra, Gujarat, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, east Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha, Gangetic West Bengal and the north-eastern states.

But the situation is improving fast. The deficit has come down from around 23 percent to 11 percent within a week. Vidarbha and Marathwada are now receiving normal rainfall. A system has formed and is moving along the Odisha coast which will bring good rainfall in the area.

RAJAN AND JAITLEY MEET

When asked about his views on the tenure of the RBI governor at the hearings of the standing committee on finance yesterday, Raghuram Rajan said the three-year tenure of the RBI governor is insufficient and short. In the US, the tenure of the head of the Federal Reserve is four years. In some other countries, it is five years. Rajan’s comments have revived the debate on the ideal length of the central bank governor’s tenure.

Meeting with FM. Rajan met with Arun Jaitley yesterday and asked him to speed up the process of setting up Monetary Policy Committee (MPC). MPC will set interest rates by a majority. Out of the six members of MPC, three will be from RBI and other three members will be appointed by the government. The RBI governor will have a casting vote in the case of a tie.

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SWARAJYA SPECIAL

What India’s New Education Policy May Look Like: Complete analysis of the suggestions made by the TSR Subramanian committee in its report on new education policy. The draft of the education policy released by the Ministry of Human Resource Development is based on the panel’s recommendations.

We hope you enjoyed reading our morning brief. Have a great day ahead!

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