- 15 hours ago
Siddaramaiah on Thursday resigned as Karnataka Chief Minister, ending days of suspense after the Congress high command asked him to step down and pave the way for his deputy DK Shivakumar.
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00:00Good evening, hello and welcome. You're with the news today, your prime time destination news,
00:04newsmakers talking points. The big story that we've been tracking is on Karnataka,
00:09where Mr. Sidharam Maya finally officially resigned today and DK Shiv Kumar is padding up
00:15to become the next Chief Minister. Will it be a smooth transition or is turbulence ahead?
00:20Among my other special guests, Sunil Gavaskar will join us on the wonder kid,
00:24Vaibhav Suryavanshi and the country's leading agriculture economist Ashok Gulati will join us
00:31on the impact on agriculture of the West Asia crisis, particularly fertilizers.
00:37News without the noise. Let's get cracking with the nine headlines at nine.
00:44Sidharam Maya steps down as Karnataka Chief Minister. Stage is set for a DKS Sarkara in Karnataka.
00:52DK Shiv Kumar set to take over. His oath ceremony will be in front of Vidhan Souda
00:57with all the Congress Chief Ministers to be invited. Sunday or Monday, the likely dates.
01:05Just hours after the Madhya Pradesh High Court cancels bail, CBI arrests Visha's mother-in-law,
01:12Giribala Singh. High Court had cited non-cooperation and heinous nature of the offence to cancel bail.
01:22Politics speaks over the CBSE evaluation portal. Rahul Gandhi demands a judicial probe.
01:28Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan admits responsibility for lapses.
01:33Calls Rahul, though, a frustrated politician for raising false charges.
01:39Ahead of NEET's UG retest on June 21st, centre titans loopholes. PMO officials to monitor the entire examination process.
01:48Prime Minister to personally track the developments.
01:54Vijay concludes his maiden Delhi trip as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister without meeting the Gandhis after scheduling efforts fail.
02:01Congress claims meat postponed to June hasn't been cancelled yet.
02:07A mysterious infectious disease killed seven Asiatic lions in Gujarat's Gir forest.
02:13Seventeen more have been quarantined. Less 700 Asiatic lions alive, all of them in Gir.
02:24Despite from sweltering heat for the national capital and across North India,
02:28rains lashed the national capital reach and IMD predicts more rainfall.
02:32Gusty winds in the coming days.
02:37Amidst ongoing peace talks in West Asia, U.S. ups the ante against Iran,
02:41halts access to landing spots, refueling and ticket sales for Iranian airlines
02:46to intensify pressure on Tehran.
02:51World number one, Yannick Sinner, suffers one of the most dramatic defeats of his career
02:56after collapsing physically in the blazing Paris heat
02:58and crashes out of the French Open in the second round.
03:14With a big story that's breaking at the moment amidst the raging controversy over CBSE and the need UG results,
03:22Dharmendra Pradhan, the union HRD minister, has taken responsibility for what's gone wrong,
03:30for the fiasco particularly in the need UG exams.
03:34Pradhan is claiming what happened was unfortunate.
03:38Listen in to what Dharmendra Pradhan said a short while ago when he spoke to Shweta Singh of Aaj Tak.
03:48The last month that happened in Dhruvhaagyapurna, it didn't happen to happen.
03:52The year has been affected by our children's life and the year has been affected by our children's life.
03:57But we take it to the gym.
03:58That's when I told you, the last time when I met you and said that we take it to the
04:03gym.
04:04And we take it to the gym to the gym.
04:06And the majority are like in India.
04:07The year has gone on 20 June.
04:13OK, let me go straight across to Amit Bhardwaj.
04:16A correspondent joining us on that story.
04:18Amit, it's one thing to say.
04:20I take responsibility.
04:21I take accountability.
04:23But what happens next?
04:24The opposition has been demanding his resignation.
04:28Presumably, that's not happening.
04:30But what about the actual exam itself?
04:33What safeguards are actually being put in place?
04:35What happens to the students, especially in CBSC, who are now mounting their complaints over the marking system?
04:43Rather beyond the opposition versus government political rhetoric, what's happening is that the Union Education Ministry have held high-level
04:52meetings in the past two days,
04:53including the one that was held by Dharmir Pradhan today at the CBSC headquarters.
04:58And the ray of hope for students would be the expert panel that has been formed by the Education Ministry,
05:06which has professors from IIT Madras as well as digital experts who will be now working on the portal functionality,
05:13you know, making sure that the portal is seamless, the payment gateways work fine,
05:17the capacity of the servers are ramped up in order to tackle the queries of the students,
05:21or rather those who are wanting to see their answer sheets right now and who are failing to do so
05:26because the system was not working properly.
05:28So that particular expert committee has been formed.
05:31Having said that, the government is also talking about as to how 18 lakh students were there,
05:3690 lakh answer sheets were uploaded, 4 crore, nearly 2 crore or 4 crore, you know, pages were up on
05:42the system,
05:43and 40 lakh, you know, answer documents of those sort have been accessed by the students already.
05:51So that is a big number. So that's what they are pointing at.
05:54But the minister is also accepting that this is a progress, a work in progress.
05:59We had to shift to the OSN system to move, make a digital move, and there are lapses which need
06:05to be fixed.
06:06Rajiv.
06:07There are lapses that need to be fixed.
06:09The question, of course, is that the lapses will be fixed after some would say the horse has bolted.
06:13What happens to those who lost out?
06:15Amit Bhardwaj, thank you very much for joining me.
06:18Now remember, this CBS evaluation controversy is slow-balling into a full-blown political storm.
06:24With over 4 lakh students reviewing answer sheets, questions are now being raised over the company behind the software.
06:31Rahul Gandhi targeted the centre and demanded a probe.
06:34The BJP hit back, accusing Congress governments in Telangana and Karnataka of using the same firm in their own states.
06:42India Today with that story.
06:50CBSC Class 12 board exam evaluation, riddled with flaws, has sparked nationwide outrage.
06:57Over 4 lakh students are reviewing their answer sheets.
07:01The digital on-screen marking system introduced by the CBSC is under scrutiny after many students claimed the answer sheets
07:09they got were either not theirs or not properly marked.
07:14And now, Coempt, EduTech Private Limited, the company that provided the software to CBSC, is facing the flak.
07:22The controversy dates back to the 2019 Telangana Intermediate Examination Results case.
07:28At the time, the Telangana State Board of Intermediate Education had awarded the contract for processing examination results to Globe
07:36Arena Technologies Private Limited.
07:39After the results were announced, large-scale discrepancies were reported, including students allegedly being incorrectly marked as failed, awarded zero
07:50marks or missing practical scores.
07:52A government-appointed inquiry committee later identified technical and administrative lapses and raised concerns over the company's software design and
08:03result processing mechanism.
08:05Globe Arena Technologies subsequently changed its name to Coempt EduTech Private Limited.
08:13Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi posted a video questioning the selection of Coempt EduTech for the evaluation contract.
08:22For some hidden reason, the CBSC chose the same company again.
08:28It took us 30 seconds to figure out that this company was earlier called something else.
08:34I'm absolutely certain that the people in CBSC and the government of India were aware of this company's background.
08:40The major concern here remains where the students and the parents are demanding transparency and accuracy in the digital evaluation
08:50or CBSC exam evaluation, where lakhs of students have appeared for this particular exam.
08:56The CBSC rejected allegations of irregularities in awarding the contract for digital evaluation to Coempt EduTech.
09:05In a statement, the CBSC claimed the entire tendering process was carried out in accordance with the general financial rules.
09:14Coempt EduTech CEO, VSN Raju, also denied the allegations in an interview to a newspaper.
09:21Education Minister Dharamendra Prathana accused Rahul Gandhi of playing politics.
09:27The
09:40Department of Health and Health
09:44The
09:45Department of Health
09:47Department of Health
09:57Rahul Gandhi, however, has hardened his stand.
10:00He is demanding the resignation of Dharmendra Pratham.
10:04Coming close on the heels of neat mess,
10:07the CBSC class evaluation Rao has thrown up a fresh challenge for the Narendra Modi government.
10:13With Anmol Bali and Abdul Bashir, Bureau Report, India Today.
10:21Okay, let's turn from there to our other big story,
10:24where after months of suspense, political signaling,
10:27Karnataka's leadership transition was finally declared official today.
10:32Long-serving Chief Minister Siddharth Amaya stepped down as Chief Minister,
10:36clearing the way for D.K. Shiv Kumar to now be set to take charge.
10:41And despite years of rivalry and intense power tussles,
10:44the Congress is projecting this handover as smooth, united and fully under High Command control.
10:51But will that actually happen on the ground?
10:53Take a look.
11:13The long-standing leadership tussle in Karnataka has finally reached its climax.
11:19The baton is set to pass from Sidh Ramaiya to DK Shivakumar.
11:23And the transition, at least on camera, appears smooth, cordial and carefully choreographed.
11:32Sidh Ramaiya has stepped down as Karnataka Chief Minister, clearing the decks for the Shivakumara
11:37Sarkara.
11:38He submitted his resignation to the Governor's Special Secretary in the absence of Governor
11:44Thawarchan Gehlot.
11:47And confirmed the inevitable, DK Shivakumar will be the Chief Minister.
12:06He also thanked the Gandhi family for the opportunity he got to serve as CM.
12:34Sidh Ramaiya also rejected High Command's Delhi Darbar offer, insisting he has more to give
12:40active in Karnataka politics.
12:42I will continue in active politics.
13:08The resignation was preceded by a breakfast meeting at Siddharamaya's residence where
13:14he informed cabinet colleagues of his decision.
13:17For now, the Congress High Command appears to have pulled off what many believed would
13:23be impossible.
13:24A smooth transfer of power without open rebellion, resignations or a split in the Karnataka unit.
13:33Bureau Report, India Today
13:39Now, interestingly, the Congress has taken some tough decisions because the three southern
13:46states, three major political moves in the last month, Karnataka, the latest example.
13:52Siddharamaya, Karnataka's longest serving chief minister stepping down their OBC phase, clearing
13:58the way for Shiv Kumar to finally take over.
14:01Before that, remember Kerala, where despite resistance within sections of the party, the
14:06Congress leadership backed VD Satishan as the party's chief ministerial face because the
14:12workers in Kerala wanted him.
14:15And they even set aside KC Venugopal, the close aide of Rahul Gandhi.
14:20And before that came perhaps the biggest and boldest move where the Congress in Tamil Nadu walked
14:26away from its decades-old alliance with the DMK and quickly aligned with Vijay's TVK to
14:32become part of the Tamil Nadu government after nearly six decades.
14:36Three major decisions in just 30 days.
14:39What's happening with the grand old party?
14:41Is the Congress finally not scared of taking risky decisions?
14:45Are we seeing some kind of a generational change at least at the state level in the Congress?
14:51Will this be smooth transition or turbulence ahead?
14:54What really are the challenges now for DK Shiv Kumar?
14:58Joining me now, Dr. Sudhakar is the Lok Sabha MP of the BJP.
15:01He's been a former congressman and a minister in the Karnataka government.
15:04Sandeep Shastri is a leading election analyst from Bengaluru.
15:09Also joining me, Dinesh Gundu Rao, Minister of Health and Family Welfare in the Karnataka government.
15:14And to you, I come, Mr. Gundu Rao.
15:16How am I to interpret what has happened in Karnataka?
15:20All of a sudden, after months of this internal power tussle, finally, Mr. Siddharamaya leaves
15:26and DK Shiv Kumar takes over.
15:28What are we to make out of it?
15:30Is the Congress finally willing, as I said, to take some tough calls?
15:39I think what has happened today I think is really an eye-opener because the way it has
15:46been conducted, the coordination and the clarity of thought and action has been very clear.
15:54And in the last three years, if you notice, Rajdeep, our government has been functioning
15:59smoothly.
15:59Whether it is DK Shukumar who has always been an aspirant for the chief ministerial post.
16:04But there was never any, at any given point of time, any dissidents in the Congress party
16:08or in the government.
16:10The chief minister and the deputy chief minister and all the other ministers were working together
16:16and they were handling everything together.
16:18So, this issue of the chief ministerial change was always, whenever it was mentioned, our
16:24chief minister Sidramayaji always told that whatever the high command decides, I will go
16:28by that.
16:31And the high command has taken a decision based on various inputs and has called Sidramayaji,
16:40had a word with him and today Sidramayaji is very gracefully out.
16:43Sir, I know you have to play politically safe but I must ask you, what has suddenly changed?
16:48Because the fact is that this tussle has been going on for the last year at least.
16:52The supporters of both sides have been coming to Delhi.
16:55Suddenly, it seems the ground reality has changed.
16:59DK Shukumar takes over from Sidramayaji until now we were told Sidramayaji is your big mass
17:04leader OBC face, what has changed?
17:10Sidramayaji remains a mass leader, Sidramayaji remains an OBC face and he remains to be in
17:17active politics.
17:18He even mentioned it today that he is going to be in active politics, he is going to fight
17:22this dictatorial government that is there at the center, India is becoming an electoral
17:27autocracy, we need to fight that and he is won by the constitution and he has said that
17:32he will continue to fight for those values.
17:36So see, now decisions are made in the Congress party based upon various inputs.
17:40Maybe there is a need for a newer leadership, a generational change and Shukumar has also
17:47been a contributor factor in the last election when we won the election handsomely and we
17:54routed the BJP in Karnataka.
17:55So I think that coordination is always there between them.
17:59They work together before the elections, they work together after the elections.
18:03And today the handover also if you see, Sidramayaji hugging Shukumarji and then doing the press
18:08conference with him.
18:09And, you know, it just shows that…
18:12That's not a made for camera moment.
18:14But at the same time…
18:15That's not a made for camera moment.
18:16You are actually saying that the two leaders will be able to work together.
18:23I am 100% sure that we will work together.
18:26People thought, especially the BJP and even various people in the media thought that this
18:30is going to make up a big, you know, problem and a big situation like we saw, you know,
18:36in Punjab what happened, Rajdeep.
18:37You remember how things went wrong in Punjab.
18:39So I think the Congress also, the high command was able to manage it very well, spoke with everybody
18:45and a decision was taken at the right time and this is not made for the cameras.
18:51This is something that we all feel.
18:53If you look at all the MLAs, all the ministers, we were all there with Sidramayaji because we
18:58respect him and, you know, we have great regard for him.
19:01And I think he is going to play a bigger role in the future also.
19:04So I think, you know, there is generally, if you look everywhere around the state, people
19:08of the, the workers of the Congress party are also enthused and this has been a wonderful
19:14transition and I must credit Sidramayaji for the way he has handled it.
19:18I think it is, you know, really marked him up at a higher level.
19:22He is the tallest leader in Karnataka and he has become even more taller today.
19:26Interesting, the way you are putting it, Mr. Sudhakar, you were once with the Congress,
19:29you switched to the BJP, you were seen to be close to Sidramayaji and now the BJP seems
19:34to be fishing in troubled waters, claiming that there will be an open war once again in
19:39the Congress.
19:39But the truth is, at least the imagery today, as of today, are the two leaders say they
19:44will work together.
19:45You are not convinced or is the BJP, shouldn't the BJP be more worried about your own, putting
19:50your own house in order in Karnataka instead of worrying what is happening in the Congress?
19:55If there is one party which is very happy with the present political development in Karnataka,
20:02it is our BJP party which has to be very happy politically.
20:08Secondly, Mr. D.K.
20:10Shukumar, the deputy chief minister, may have won the chair, the chief minister chair, but
20:17it has come with political handcuffs.
20:20Why I say handcuffs is he has to balance.
20:24He has to take on Mr. Sidramayaji's camp on one side.
20:30The challenge of his cabinet expansion is there on the second.
20:35He has to manage the Delhi High Command and there is an election which is not less than
20:4424 months away.
20:45And at the same time, for the first time, he will be put to test about his governance skills.
20:53All along these so many years, Mr. D.K.
20:57Shukumarji was known for his organization skills, political strategy as a political strategist, as
21:06somebody who could manage the resources, who could troubleshoot the party at a time when they required.
21:15But this is the first time he has to handle the state machinery, state governance, which is not as easy
21:25as the political management.
21:28At the same time, when Mr. Sidramayaji, the honorable chief minister, has politely denied the national role as asked by
21:39the high command.
21:40And this itself creates a problem for Mr. D.K. Shukumar to, you know, actually function as a chief minister.
21:48So you are saying, you are saying, knowing both very well, I am damn sure he will be put to
21:56test because now there will be a pressure tactics.
21:59There will be a lot of pressures on him about the expansion, as it is, the media, they are speculating
22:07that there will be four deputy chief minister.
22:10Out of four deputy chief minister, three would be from Mr. Sidramayaji's camp.
22:15That itself shows, Mr. D.K. Shukumar will not be given a free hand.
22:21He will not be given a unilateral powers.
22:26You are saying, we don't know, okay, I take your point, you are claiming that he will be handcuffed, that's
22:32how the BJP sees it.
22:33Sandeep Shastri, will D.K. Shukumar become chief minister with his hands tied?
22:41Or do you believe that he has 24 months to prove himself, this is the real test for D.K.
22:46Shukumar?
22:47And do you believe he will be able to handle the challenges of the various camps in Karnataka?
22:55Rajdeep, the new chief minister definitely will have only 24 months because the election is due in 2028 and he
23:05will be seen as the one who will lead the party in the 2028 elections.
23:10Will the new chief minister have challenges?
23:13No shadow of doubt that there will be challenges and a range of challenges.
23:19As was said, he would have to do a very delicate balancing act of various factions within the party.
23:30There are a lot of ministerial aspirants and not enough positions.
23:36There will be unhappiness with the allotment of portfolios and the number of ministers made.
23:45And that will have to be dealt with besides the fact that Sidramaya has said that he will not be
23:51going into national politics.
23:53So he will continue to be an important force in state politics, though he may sit on the back bench
24:00of the ruling party in the assembly.
24:02He will be an important rival center of power within the party.
24:08All these are a reality which the new chief minister will need to deal with.
24:14And I would believe that the new chief minister, who is in all likelihood going to be D. Keshav Kumar,
24:22has the skills, has the acumen, has the capacity to handle this.
24:27He has always been seen as the troubleshooter of the Congress party.
24:32But the fact that he is a Vokaliga in a state where Sidramaya had crafted a wider social engineering coalition
24:41of Dalits or backwards, Kurubas, for example, Muslims, you don't think that's a disadvantage?
24:49Now, that's where Sidramaya's role continues to be important.
24:53The holding back of the OBC vote and Rajdeep, we have seen this earlier, in the last assembly election, a
25:02segment of the non-dominant OBC vote went away from the Congress to the BJP.
25:08And if the Congress was able to do well, it had to do with the vote of the Dalits, with
25:15the votes of the minorities, a segment of the vote of the Lingayat community, and, of course, the division and
25:22a significant chunk of the Vokaliga vote.
25:24Now, yes, this balancing of these various factions will have to be done.
25:29Karnataka has had three deputy chief ministers in the past.
25:33So, it's nothing new to have multiple deputy chief ministers in the state.
25:37But that is political accommodation.
25:40But political accommodation, for me, is not the management of the Rainbow Social Coalition that needs to be done.
25:48Places have to be given to people.
25:50But the mere giving of places to people does not automatically translate itself into support from a particular social group.
25:59The chief minister will have to maintain that social coalition through the way in which he gets the MLAs on
26:07his side and the way they take forward the welfare programs in the next two years.
26:12Final word from you, then, Dinesh Gundu Rao.
26:15Do you concede that this is going to be a big challenge, taking along rival power centers?
26:20According to Minister Sudhakar, there are going to be four deputy chief ministers.
26:24So, already there is a tug-of war that has begun even before the new chief minister is sworn in.
26:29Isn't that a perception problem and a real problem on the ground?
26:37No, I think Dr. Sudhakar has got a personal hotline to what the high command is thinking and I'm not
26:43aware of that.
26:45But be that as it may, see, every position is a challenge and to be a chief minister, it's sort
26:51of a challenging job.
26:53And it's not that we've seen how BJP utterly failed.
26:57When the last time when they changed, Mr. Diorappa brought in Bumai, it was a total flop and we saw
27:02what happened.
27:02But today, see, Shukubar also is not an inexperienced person.
27:08He has been a minister multiple times.
27:10He has held many portfolios.
27:12He has done an excellent job as a minister and as a party president.
27:17And tomorrow, I'm not saying it's official yet.
27:19We don't know.
27:20It has to be, there is a procedure.
27:22CLP meeting will take place and it will be, a person will be elected, left to the high command.
27:27All those procedures will follow.
27:29But whatever, let's assume that Shukubar is becoming.
27:33So, Shukubar has been targeted by BJP.
27:35They put him in jail.
27:36They harassed him.
27:38They wanted him to join the BJP.
27:39He, you know, all kinds of tricks were tried by the BJP's, you know, dirty works department.
27:44So, he never yielded.
27:45So, he's a tough guy.
27:46So, I think Sudhakar, if he thinks that, you know, he'll not be able to handle it, I think he'll
27:52be in for a surprise.
27:53Second surprise will be the coordination.
27:55I think Sidramanji is, you know, a very mature politician.
27:58I just, I just said, he will not be given a free hand.
28:03I didn't interrupt when you said.
28:05No, no.
28:05He says he will not be given a free hand.
28:07He says he will not be given a free hand.
28:09If a character cannot get his team members, how will a captain perform?
28:15A chief minister, a chief minister is first amongst equals, that's all.
28:21And we are in a democratic system, not like a dictatorial party like the Bharatiya Janta party, where whatever high
28:27command says, we don't even know the names of chief ministers of many states today.
28:30Because they are so inconsequential.
28:32But here, let me assure you, it's a smooth transition.
28:36We will work together.
28:38And I think, you know, we will be able to do a good job.
28:42Let me leave it there.
28:43And we will continue to do a good job.
28:452028 is the real challenge.
28:46There will be challenges.
28:47But I think we are ready for it.
28:49Okay.
28:50We'll wait and see how that plays out.
28:51But I appreciate my guests joining us.
28:53It's been a big move that the Congress has made there in Karnataka.
28:57The old order yielding place to a slightly less old order.
29:02Let's put it that way.
29:04Okay.
29:05Let's move from there to another focus.
29:07Right through this week, we've been focusing on the state of the economy.
29:10The real question that should be asked.
29:12The West Asia conflict, thousands of kilometers away, is now beginning to hit India's farmers.
29:18With tensions around the state of Hormuz, disrupting global fertilizer supply chains, pushing up prices.
29:24Farmers in Punjab and Haryana say they are already facing shortages ahead of the crucial paddy sowing season.
29:31Take a look at this report.
29:33And then I'll be joined by India's leading agriculture economist.
29:37Take a look.
29:42The blockade of the state of Hormuz is impacting global fertilizer prices and their supply as well.
29:51Farmers in Punjab and Haryana are getting ready for paddy sowing, but are facing shortage of fertilizers,
29:57especially diamonium phosphate or DAP and urea.
30:02In Shriwala Bharar village in Virospur, Jaswan Singh says he needs 45 to 50 bags of fertilizers for his 15
30:10-acre land.
30:11But shops are giving only 2 to 4 bags.
30:32The situation is similar in Amritsar and Gurdaspur.
31:01The Bhagwan Taman government claims there is adequate supply of fertilizers.
31:35Farmers in Haryana are taking place in African forests.
31:35who registered online under Meri Fasal Meri Yojna say they are still waiting.
32:02The fertilizer crisis in Punjab and Haryana are a direct fallout of geopolitical tensions
32:10and supply disruptions.
32:12While the ministers of both Punjab and Haryana say that all is well,
32:17but it's the farmers on the ground who say the crisis is real and palpable.
32:23The next few weeks are crucial as paddy will be sown in these states.
32:29With Bureau Inputs and Aseem Bassi, this is Kamal Jeej Sandhu in Chandigarh for India Today.
32:36Okay, let's then go straight across to Professor Ashok Gulati,
32:41distinguished professor, Agriculture, ECRIA, one of the country's leading agriculture economists.
32:45Appreciate you joining us, Dr. Gulati.
32:48The Union Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitaraman, earlier this week mentioned three critical Fs.
32:54Foreign exchange and fuel have been in the news.
32:56What has not been is the challenge of fertilizer.
32:59As you are seeing, the crisis now is serious, particularly the mounting fertilizer budget,
33:05which is now projected to exceed 2.5 lakh crores, could even cross 3 lakh crores if the state of
33:13hormones disruption persists.
33:14Is that the major challenge in your view?
33:17Well, thanks for having me, Rajdeep, on your show.
33:22Fertilizer crisis, two parts we need to see.
33:26One is the stock situation for the Kharif crop.
33:30That's reasonably good news that we have ample stocks right now.
33:36But think about urea, which is our primary macronutrient.
33:44We are consuming about 40 million tons of urea.
33:49Last year, we imported about 11 million tons out of that.
33:54So 11 million, that's about 25%, 26% of the total.
34:00The latest tender that was invited by the government for imports of 2.5 million tons,
34:07the rate that has been quoted is $1.935 delivered on West Coast.
34:16This is the minimum price.
34:18And we are selling to our farmers at about $65, less than $70.
34:24So you can imagine that if the prices do not increase, then the subsidy, which was kept in the budget
34:33at 1.71 lakh crores for 26-27,
34:37is definitely going to blow up.
34:40As per our calculations already, 2.4, 2.5 lakh crores is likely to be the subsidy given today's condition.
34:51But very recently, we had a roundtable on this issue.
34:57And the Joint Secretary of Ministry of Fertilizers said that if things don't improve quickly,
35:04then it's going to hit even 3 lakh crores.
35:07So from 1.71 lakh crores, which is budgeted,
35:12you are definitely going to touch about 2.4, 2.5, as on today's conditions.
35:19But if it continues the state of Hormuz blockade for another 2 months, 3 months,
35:26then it is going to be disastrous as far as subsidy is concerned.
35:31My worry is even more.
35:32And the worry is that we are almost 70% import dependent for our fertilizers.
35:41When you count not just the finished product of urea,
35:46but the urea production at home,
35:49all the gas that is coming to produce that,
35:5285% of the gas is being imported.
35:55So the production of urea is going to be impacted.
35:59It is going to be very high cost.
36:01So the entire thing,
36:03I think somewhere in the middle of Kharif season
36:06or towards the end of Kharif season,
36:09we are going to have a serious crisis.
36:11That's what my reading has on today.
36:14So your warning of a serious crisis ahead of the Kharif season
36:18when it comes to urea and fertilizers.
36:21And you've been also,
36:22I've been reading your writings talking of reforms,
36:25saying give the farmers an income subsidy,
36:28don't give them a fertilizer subsidy.
36:30But as we've seen, Professor Gulati,
36:32when the government tries to introduce agricultural reforms
36:35as they did a few years ago,
36:36there was enormous resistance.
36:38Even today, if you are to reduce the fertilizer subsidies,
36:41there could be a political backlash.
36:43Which government is willing to take that political risk?
36:49You know, you don't have a free lunch in a system.
36:54When the prices internationally of the gas and urea
36:59have gone through the roof,
37:01either you say, okay, my physical deficit,
37:04let it go, explode,
37:07and then the macroeconomic environment will worsen,
37:11all your FDIs and exchange rate,
37:13all those issues, spillover effects would be there.
37:17Or you think that this crisis is an opportunity for reforming.
37:22There are different ways to reform.
37:24One, what I'm saying is from price subsidization to income support.
37:29So you have to communicate with the farmers first
37:31that we are not letting you down,
37:34we will give you that income support.
37:36We are trying to plug the leakages in the system.
37:39Because once the prices go at a natural level of markets,
37:44then all those leakages will disappear.
37:47You have created,
37:48for the last 15 years plus,
37:51the urea prices have not been increased.
37:54Is there any commodity,
37:56whether it was the MSP of rice or wheat
37:59or any other commodity,
38:00they have been continuously rising.
38:02But urea prices have remained constant.
38:04So you can't have these types.
38:07Otherwise, if you are going to subsidize this much,
38:10then you have to put quantity restrictions
38:12that, okay, per hectare or per acre,
38:15we will give you this,
38:16depending upon what crop you are growing.
38:18So link it with the land size
38:22and the crop that is being produced.
38:25You know, you're saying something interesting.
38:27You're saying that make fertilizer prices
38:30fully subject to market forces.
38:32Don't give farmers the subsidy on fertilizer prices,
38:34but create a system by which the farmer benefits
38:38in terms of income subsidies,
38:40not fertilizer subsidies.
38:42That's the major reform.
38:44Am I correct?
38:47That's right.
38:48It is switching from price subsidization
38:50to income policy
38:51and merge it with PM Kisan also.
38:55And you can still spend 2 lakh crores
38:57for subsidizing farmers.
39:00So that's not a problem.
39:02But then at least you will still save 40,000 crores
39:06which are being leaked away today.
39:09Okay.
39:10I take your point,
39:11Professor Gulati.
39:13I appreciate you joining us.
39:14You can watch that full interview,
39:16of course,
39:16on India Today's website.
39:19Thanks very much.
39:20Let's turn to tonight's good news,
39:22today's story.
39:22Just picture this.
39:23A 15-year-old is at the crease.
39:25An eliminator in the IPL is on the line.
39:28International bowlers are searching for answers
39:30because the teenager is toying with them.
39:33Vaibhav Suryavanshi is not just
39:35the brightest prospect in Indian cricket.
39:38He's now quite a phenomenon.
39:40Back home in his village of Samastipur in Bihar,
39:43celebrations erupted.
39:44But Vaibhav isn't just a local folk hero.
39:47He's now the toast of an entire nation.
39:50In a moment,
39:51I'll talk to Sunil Gavaskar on him.
39:53But first,
39:53take a look at this story.
39:57Goes full.
39:58The ball goes longer.
40:01This is massive.
40:04Straight back down the ground again.
40:06A 15-year-old tearing apart bowlers
40:08with international pedigree
40:10is no ordinary occurrence.
40:12Now over third.
40:14In the 2026 IPL eliminator,
40:17Vaibhav Suryavanshi
40:18launched into
40:20a world of his own.
40:2450 in just 16 balls
40:26and 97 of the most mesmerizing runs
40:30in just 29 deliveries.
40:46Miles away in his village of Samastipur,
40:49crackers lit up the night sky
40:51and the celebrations
40:52went deep into the night.
41:01Chris Gale,
41:02the gold standard of T20 cricket,
41:05has now slipped to the second spot
41:07because Vaibhav Suryavanshi
41:08now holds the record
41:10for the most sixes
41:11in an IPL season.
41:13His coach Manoj Oja
41:15recalls how Suryavanshi
41:17was always destined
41:19for greatness.
41:33In many ways,
41:35Suryavanshi has divided the world.
41:38He's making some question
41:39their existence,
41:41while for others,
41:42he's setting teenage goals.
41:44Sports Bureau,
41:46India Today.
41:50Okay, so let's understand
41:52just how good is
41:53Vaibhav Suryavanshi.
41:55Joining me now
41:55is the hero of my generation,
41:57Sunil Gavaskar joins me.
41:59Appreciate your joining us, sir.
42:01Good to have you on the show.
42:02Is Vaibhav Suryavanshi
42:03simply the next big thing
42:05in Indian and world cricket?
42:07Is he a potential phenomenon
42:09of once-in-a-generation cricketer?
42:15He certainly promises to be that
42:17from what we've seen
42:19because, you know,
42:20for somebody to be playing
42:21the kind of shots that he is,
42:23the comfort level
42:24that he's playing it,
42:25means that he's somebody
42:26really, really special.
42:29You're saying he's really special.
42:30What stands out for you?
42:31He's hit the most sixes
42:33in an IPL season,
42:34broken Chris Kale's record
42:35at the age of just 15,
42:37scored 97 in 29 balls
42:40in an eliminator.
42:41Make sense of that.
42:42What stands out for you
42:43about Vaibhav Suryavanshi
42:45at the moment, sir?
42:48Well, the straightness
42:49of his batting.
42:50You know, I think
42:51a lot of batters
42:53who are six-hitters
42:54are basically, you know,
42:55going down to the square leg
42:57and mid-wicket area.
42:58But look at the number
42:58of straight sixes
42:59that he hits.
43:00And when he clears
43:01the front foot
43:02just a little bit,
43:02not too much.
43:03When you clear
43:03the front foot too much,
43:04you tend to play
43:05across the line
43:06and you get either bold
43:07or you top-paste the ball.
43:08But he doesn't clear
43:09the front foot too much.
43:10Just a little bit
43:11to be able to get
43:11that swing straight.
43:12And you have a look
43:13at the straight sixes
43:14that he hits.
43:15Either, you know,
43:15long off or long on
43:17or straight.
43:18And I think
43:18that is the hallmark.
43:20And of course,
43:20the balance.
43:21Because the balance,
43:22when he plays those shots,
43:24he doesn't fall over.
43:25He's there.
43:26His balance
43:26is absolutely terrific.
43:28And I think
43:28that is the most
43:29impressive thing.
43:30But above all else,
43:32there's the fact
43:32that he's 15.
43:34I know that at 15,
43:35he was scoring runs
43:36in school cricket.
43:37But presumably,
43:39hitting Pat Cummins
43:41for three sixes,
43:42hitting the likes
43:42of Stark for sixes,
43:44what does that suggest?
43:45Is there,
43:46is this raw power
43:47or something special
43:48in him?
43:51Something special
43:52to be able to pick
43:52the line and length
43:53of all these great bowlers.
43:54The variety that they had,
43:56you know,
43:56Pat Cummins before this match
43:58had said
43:58that they have not
44:00just got plan A,
44:01they've got plan B
44:02and plan C.
44:03Nothing worked
44:03because,
44:04and he tried it.
44:04He bowled a short ball,
44:06he bowled a slow delivery,
44:07he bowled a yokel
44:08and delivery.
44:09Nothing worked against him.
44:10Which means that,
44:11you know,
44:12Pat Cummins has got
44:12hundreds of wickets
44:13in test cricket
44:14and one-day cricket
44:16and T20 cricket.
44:17But yet,
44:17he wasn't able
44:18to stop him.
44:19And to have been hammered
44:21for three back-to-back sixes,
44:23tells you how special
44:24this young kid is.
44:26You know,
44:27he's left-handed.
44:28He has that big backlift
44:30that you spoke about
44:31and that great bat swing.
44:33Someone today told me
44:34he reminds them
44:35a bit of the legendary
44:36Gary Sobers,
44:37someone from your vintage.
44:38Someone else
44:39more recently told me
44:41he reminds them
44:41of Brian Lara,
44:42another great West Indians
44:44whose,
44:45in fact,
44:46I'm told he was
44:46watching his videos
44:47as a young boy.
44:49Comparisons to be done
44:50or too early
44:51to make these comparisons
44:53with these legends?
44:56No,
44:57just forget comparisons.
44:58I don't think,
44:59you know,
45:00we should be making
45:01any comparisons.
45:01Just let him,
45:02you know,
45:03enjoy his cricket.
45:04He is just a young kid
45:06at the moment
45:06and I hope
45:07that the kid in him
45:09never leaves
45:10his cricket.
45:12Because the obvious
45:13comparison,
45:14Mr. Gavaskar,
45:15is, well,
45:15let's say with Sachin Tendulkar.
45:17Simply because,
45:17again,
45:18Sachin at 15
45:19and you know this
45:20as well as anyone
45:21was also a phenomenon.
45:23Scored 100
45:23on his Ranji debut,
45:25played for India
45:25at the age of 16.
45:27The comparisons,
45:28therefore,
45:28are,
45:28is Vaibhav Suryavanshi
45:30as good as a Sachin Tendulkar
45:32or could he even
45:33become better one day?
45:35Is that fair on him
45:36to project him
45:36as the next Sachin,
45:38someone who could be
45:39even better
45:40than the great Tendulkar
45:41one day?
45:43I think we in India
45:45really should stop comparing
45:46because we are the only country
45:48which,
45:48and maybe Pakistan,
45:49which is always forever
45:50comparing,
45:51you know,
45:51players of present generation
45:52with the earlier generation.
45:53We don't see that
45:54in Australia.
45:55Nobody compared
45:56Ricky Panting
45:58with the Greg Chapel
46:00or the Greg Chapel
46:00with the Don Bradman.
46:01Nobody compares
46:02Joe Root
46:03to,
46:04to say,
46:05you know,
46:06Jeffrey Boycott
46:07or Jack Hobbs.
46:09I think we should
46:10just allow the player
46:11to flower on his own
46:12because that is the best way
46:13to take any pressure
46:14off him
46:14and to allow him,
46:16as I said,
46:17to play the game
46:18totally freely
46:19and just enjoy it.
46:20You know,
46:21he's already scoring runs
46:22and breaking records
46:23in the IPL,
46:24but do you see
46:25any obvious weaknesses
46:27in his batting?
46:28The fact that he still
46:28hasn't really played
46:30or done
46:31or shown
46:32his ability
46:34in red ball
46:35cricket
46:35in the long format,
46:37do you believe
46:37that we should
46:38still only see him
46:39as a white ball
46:39superstar
46:40at the moment,
46:41someone who still
46:42needs to prove himself
46:43in the toughest
46:44format of the game?
46:47Look,
46:48whichever format
46:49he's playing,
46:50at the moment
46:50he's playing the white ball
46:51and he's dominating,
46:52it doesn't matter
46:53what he does
46:53in the red ball format.
46:55Let's just enjoy him
46:57watching him
46:58because,
46:58you know,
46:58he really was,
46:59I mean,
47:01you name a single player,
47:03I mean,
47:03single person
47:04apart from the SRH
47:05diehard,
47:06SRH team
47:07and the SRH diehard
47:08supporters
47:08who did not want him
47:10to get that hundred.
47:11All of us,
47:12everybody in that
47:12commentary box
47:13was really dejected
47:14that he didn't get
47:15to that hundred.
47:16But then maybe,
47:17maybe that's a target
47:19for him for the next time.
47:20Okay,
47:21he's already gone
47:22past Chris Kale,
47:23number of sixes
47:26in that innings.
47:27So maybe not going,
47:29getting the fastest
47:30hundred.
47:30Maybe that's for
47:31another day
47:32and who knows,
47:34it might be
47:34maybe even tomorrow.
47:37Let me ask you,
47:38has the great Gavaskar
47:39given any special tips
47:41to Vaibhav Suryabanchi
47:42as to what to do,
47:43how to bat
47:44or have you stayed
47:45away from that
47:45at the moment?
47:50Well,
47:50he came
47:51at the Naman Awards
47:52in Delhi
47:52about a couple
47:53of months ago
47:54and the BCCI
47:55Naman Awards
47:55were there.
47:56He and Ayush
47:56Mathur,
47:56they both came
47:57and the only thing
47:59I said to him
47:59was that
48:00in T20,
48:01I know it's
48:02a little bit difficult,
48:03but in the one-day game
48:04and the red ball game,
48:06the minimum price
48:07you should put
48:07on your wicket
48:08is a century.
48:09I'm not telling you
48:10how to play,
48:10how to play this
48:12and play that.
48:13No,
48:13no,
48:13just put a minimum
48:14price of a century
48:15on your wicket
48:16in the 50-over
48:18and the red ball format.
48:20In T20,
48:21it's not easy
48:21to get a century
48:22every time,
48:23but even if you get
48:23an 80,
48:24that'll be fantastic.
48:26Do you believe also
48:28that he's here
48:29to stay?
48:30I know that's
48:31a strange question
48:32to ask of a 15-year-old.
48:34There are those
48:35who will say,
48:35is he a one-season
48:37phenomenon?
48:38Will bowlers
48:39eventually find out
48:40all his weaknesses?
48:42Do you believe
48:42we will still be
48:43talking about
48:44Vaibhav Suryavanchi
48:4510,
48:4615 years down the line
48:47as he keeps
48:48breaking records?
48:49Or could he be
48:49a one-season wonder?
48:53No,
48:53he's not a
48:54one-season wonder.
48:55He got a century
48:56in the IPL last year.
48:58The second season.
48:59So,
49:00any weaknesses
49:00would have been
49:01found out in the
49:02second season,
49:03which nobody seems
49:04to have found
49:04any weaknesses.
49:05So,
49:05no,
49:06I think we should
49:06be barring injury.
49:08We should be
49:09enjoying his cricket
49:10maybe for the next,
49:11you know,
49:1225 years,
49:13if not more.
49:15You know,
49:16Mr. Gavaskar,
49:17the thing is,
49:17every time I see you
49:19in this interview
49:20talking about him,
49:21there's a smile
49:21on your face.
49:22It suggests something.
49:24There's a smile
49:24on my face.
49:25We've seen
49:26something special.
49:27And you've seen
49:28Indian cricket
49:28for what,
49:2950 years?
49:29You've seen
49:30the great players
49:31over the years.
49:32I know you don't
49:32want to make
49:33comparisons,
49:34but is there
49:34still a player
49:35he reminds you of
49:36that he plays like?
49:37Or is there
49:38a wow factor
49:39that's unique
49:40Vaibhav Suryavanchi
49:41that makes him
49:43completely different
49:44to anything
49:45you've seen?
49:48Absolutely.
49:49I mean,
49:50he's completely
49:50unique because
49:53somebody to be
49:54able to hit
49:54the sixes
49:55with the
49:56regularity
49:56that he does
49:57and the ease
49:58with which he
49:59does,
49:59I think he's
50:00completely unique.
50:01And I think
50:04that is the reason
50:04why he's going
50:05to capture
50:06the imagination
50:08of the cricketing
50:09world.
50:09He already has.
50:10Everybody wants
50:11to talk about him.
50:12Everybody wants
50:13to see him.
50:14so the sky
50:15is the limit
50:15for him.
50:17You know,
50:17my young nephew
50:18was asking me
50:19and he's
50:1913 years old,
50:20where does
50:22Vaibhav get
50:22the power from?
50:23Where do you
50:24think he gets
50:25the power
50:26to play
50:26these shots
50:27that he does?
50:28Where does that
50:28power come from?
50:31I think it's
50:32the timing.
50:33Basically,
50:33it's the timing,
50:34but he also
50:35is strongly built.
50:36When he comes
50:37close to you,
50:38you realize
50:39he's strongly built
50:41and he's
50:44still a growing
50:45lad,
50:45so maybe he'll
50:45grow up
50:46maybe a couple
50:46of inches,
50:47so he'll probably
50:48be six feet
50:48there.
50:49I think he's
50:49five,
50:49nine now.
50:51He might be
50:52six feet,
50:52and that'll
50:54mean that
50:55he doesn't
50:56really have
50:56to reach out
50:57for a lot
50:57of deliveries
50:57because the ease
50:58with which
50:59he'll be able
50:59to get under
51:00the ball
51:00and hit it
51:01will be even
51:02more phenomenal.
51:03You know,
51:04my final question
51:05and I want to
51:06take you into
51:06a time capsule.
51:08Sunil Gavaskar
51:09is batting
51:10with Vaibhav
51:10Suryavanshi
51:11for the Rajasthan
51:12Royals in
51:132026.
51:14You're on the
51:15other end.
51:15You're watching
51:16this 15-year-old
51:17hit all these
51:18sixes.
51:18What would you
51:18do?
51:19What would you
51:19tell him?
51:20How would you
51:21open the batting
51:21with him?
51:23Because I saw
51:24the shots of
51:25him touching
51:26your feet.
51:26Look, I mean,
51:27I played for
51:28Rajasthan Sporting
51:29Club as well
51:31in the Kanga League.
51:32Yes, I remember.
51:33So there is a
51:33Rajasthan connection.
51:35What I would
51:36say to him
51:36is exactly what
51:38I said to him
51:38yesterday when he
51:39came, just
51:40before the match
51:40and we were
51:41doing a show
51:41on the ground
51:43when he came
51:44and, you know,
51:45he touched
51:46my feet and
51:46all I said to
51:47him,
51:48lagero,
51:49bete, lagero.
51:50And that is
51:51exactly what I
51:52would say if I
51:52was batting
51:53with him
51:54down the
51:54other end.
51:57Lage raho
51:58Vaibhav
51:58is what we
52:00can say.
52:00Sunil Gavaskar,
52:01as I said,
52:02you watched
52:02Indian cricket
52:03for the last
52:0450 years.
52:04I don't think
52:05we've, and
52:05I've watched
52:06it for more
52:07than four
52:07decades.
52:07I don't think
52:08we've quite
52:08seen anything
52:09like Vaibhav
52:11Suryavanshi,
52:12at least not
52:12at the age
52:13of 15 in
52:14terms of
52:14white ball
52:15cricket.
52:15But thank
52:16you very much
52:17for sharing
52:17your thoughts
52:18on Vaibhav
52:19Suryavanshi.
52:20Let's hope
52:20that the young
52:20man goes
52:21from strength
52:22to strength
52:22and guess
52:23what?
52:26He's put
52:26Bihar on
52:27the map
52:28of Indian
52:29cricket.
52:30Okay, I
52:30want to leave
52:31you though
52:31with an
52:32image of
52:33the day.
52:33India today
52:34is celebrating
52:35Eidul Adha,
52:36commonly known
52:37Bakri Eid.
52:38Muslim communities
52:39across the country
52:40offering special
52:42prayers.
52:43Mosques in
52:43several cities
52:44decorated as
52:45people gathered
52:46in large numbers
52:47to offer
52:47namaz,
52:48celebrate with
52:49family and
52:49friends.
52:50Forget all the
52:50politics that
52:51is played out
52:52over these
52:53festivals.
52:54Our thoughts
52:55are with our
52:55Muslim brothers
52:57and sisters.
52:57I want to wish
52:58each and every
52:59one of them
53:00today a happy
53:01Eid.
53:02This country's
53:02uniqueness lies
53:04in the fact
53:04that it is
53:05the most
53:05diverse society
53:06you can get
53:07across communities.
53:09Let people
53:10celebrate the
53:11festivals they
53:11want.
53:12Live and
53:13let live.
53:14Ji-yo or
53:15ji-ne-do.
53:16Let me just
53:17say a happy
53:18Eid to each
53:19and every
53:20one of them.
53:21Keep the
53:22politics out.
53:23Let faith
53:24prevail at
53:25times like
53:25this.
53:26Thanks for
53:26watching.
53:27You stay
53:28well.
53:28Stay safe.
53:29Good night.
53:30Shubratri.
53:31Jai Hind.
53:32Namaskar.
53:34Namaskar.
53:35Namaskar.
53:36Namaskar.
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