Ex-finance minister Arun Jaitley passes away at 66

Former Union Minister, ex-finance minister and BJP’s stalwart Arun Jaitley died on August 24, 2019 after a period of illness. He was 66. Jaitley, who has been running unwell for a long time, breathed his last at AIIMS Hospital.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, BJP President and Home Minister Amit Shah, Congress party's Sonia Gandhi were among a gamut of leaders who expressed their grief and offered condolences to the bereaved family.

Source: PIB

From August 9, Jaitley was admitted to the All India Medical Sciences Institute (AIIMS) in New Delhi and handled by a multidisciplinary team of senior physicians.

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Jaitley was a Politician, Lawyer, Cricket administrator, Raconteur and the Quintessential Delhi insider. He was the man who articulated the party line best, in both Hindi and English, the rather affable public face of the party.

Under the Modi government, he held as many portfolios including finance, defence, corporate affairs and information and broadcasting, although he lost the only Lok Sabha poll he ever contested, from Amristar, in 2014. As Finance Minister, his achievements include the implementation and the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime. He was also at the helm when the controversial decision to demonetise high value currency notes was taken in November 2016.

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Journey At A Glance:

• He was graduated from Shri Ram College of Commerce of Delhi University in 1973.

• In 1975, he was detained for 19 months in Tihar jail during emergency.

• He joined the BJP in 1980, later rose to head of the youth wing as its president.

• In 1989, he was appointed as Additional Solicitor General of India.

• He got membership into the National Executive of the BJP in 1991.

• He was the Minister of Law and Justice and Company Affairs in the Vajpayee government in 2000.

• He appointed as General Secretary of the BJP in 2002.

• Again, in 2003 became the Minister of Commerce and Industry and Law & Justice in the Vajpayee government.

• Became the leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha in 2009.

• In 2014, he appointed as Minister of Finance, Defence and Corporate Affairs.

• Due to health issues he opted out of Modi’s  cabinet in 2019.

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4 New Products get GI Tag

Recently, the Geographical Indication (GI), under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade has registered 4 new GIs.

PalaniPanchamirtham from Palani Town in Dindigul District of Tamil Nadu, Tawlhlohpuan and Mizo Puancheifrom from Mizoram and Tirur Betel leaf from Kerala are the latest additions to the list of registered GIs.

PalaniPanchamirtham (Tamil Nadu)

• It is an abishegaPrasadam, from Palani Town is one of the main offerings in the Abisegam of Lord Dhandayuthapani Swamy, the presiding deity of Arulmigu Dhandayuthapani Swamy Temple, situated in palani Hills, Palani Town in Dindigul District of the state.

• It is a combination of five natural substances, namely, banana, jaggery sugar, cow ghee, honey and cardamom in a definite proportion.

• It is prepared in a natural method without addition of any preservatives or artificial ingredients and is well known for its religious fervour and gaiety.

• This is the first time when a temple ‘Prasadam’ from Tamil Nadu has been bestowed with the GI tag.

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Tawlhlohpuan (Mizoram)

• It’s a medium to heavy, compactly woven, good quality fabric from Mizoram is known for warp yarns, warping, weaving & intricate designs that are made by hand.

• In Mizo language, Tawlhloh, means 'to stand firm or not to move backward’.

• Tawlhlohpuan is produced throughout the state of Mizoram, Aizawl and Thenzawl town being the main centre of production.

• It holds high significance in the Mizo society.

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Mizo Puanchei (Mizoram)

• It is a colourful Mizo shawl or a textile, from Mizoram.

• It is considered as the most colourful among the Mizo textiles. It is an essential possession for every Mizo lady and an important marriage outfit in the state.

• It is also the most commonly used costume in Mizo festive dances and official ceremonies.

• The weavers insert the designs and motifs by using supplementary yarns while weaving to create this beautiful and alluring textile.

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Tirur betel Vine (Kerala)

• It is mainly cultivated in Tirur, Tanur, Tirurangadi, Kuttippuram, Malappuram and Vengara block panchayaths of Malappuram District.

• It is valued both for its mild stimulant action and medicinal properties. 

• Even though it is commonly used for making pan masala for chewing, it has many medicinal, industrial and cultural usages.

• Tirur betel Vine is considered as a remedy for bad breath and digestive disorders.

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What is Geographical Indication (GI) Tag?

It is an indication used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin. Such a name conveys an assurance of quality and distinctiveness which is essentially attributable to its origin in that defined geographical locality.

GI products can benefit the rural economy in remote areas, by supplementing the incomes of artisans, farmers, weavers and craftsmen. India’s rural artisans possess unique skills and knowledge of traditional practices and methods, passed down from generation to generation, which need to be protected and promoted.The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade has taken several initiatives in this regard and is actively involved in promotion and marketing of GIs.

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Former Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj died at 67

Sushma Swaraj, the former foreign minister of India and a senior member of the governing Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), died at the age of 67 on August 6, 2019. Approximately 9:30pm, the senior BJP leader was brought to AIIMS and taken to the emergency ward after a huge cardiac arrest.  

Swaraj was renowned for her active social media presence, often responding to Indians abroad's demands for assistance. 

Sushma Swaraj cremated 'People's Minister' with full state honors as nation mourns loss. Hundreds of individuals bade goodbye, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP chairman Amit Shah and veteran party leader Lal Krishna Advani.

                                   

Leader of the opposition Congress Party Rahul Gandhi described Swaraj as "an extraordinary political leader, a talented orator and an exceptional parliamentarian with party-wide friendship."

Politicians, celebrities, and normal Indians went to Twitter to express their grief about the death of Swaraj and pay homage.

National President of Jamaat Ulama-e-Hind Molana Suhaib Qasmi, who came with a group of people from the Nizamuddin area, said, "Her death is a great loss for the party and the country. As a foreign minister, she had helped so many distressed people in the diaspora, whether they were in Saudi Arabia or Iraq or Yemen. She lifted the stature of India as the minister of foreign relations. Her death shocks us, "he said.  

She thanked Modi in her last tweets for introducing a contentious measure to India's parliament to revoke the unique status of India-administered part of the disputed Kashmir territory, a move that came after New Delhi imposed a Muslim-majority clampdown. 

Swaraj graduated from law and in the 1970s started her political career strongly connected with socialist rulers.

She actively opposed the Congress Party's 1975 emergency rule enforced by then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

She entered the BJP later and grew to become one of its top rulers, last serving as India's foreign minister, only the second female in the post-Indira Gandhi position.

From 2014 to 2019, she was Minister of Foreign Affairs in the cabinet of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

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