SCALE OF INEQUALITY Income Group Average Avg income (K) Wealth Share (%) 2,34,551 Average wealth (K) 1922 Share (%) 13,49,029 Bottom 50% 71,163 15.0 1,73,184 6.4 Middle 40% 1,65,273 27.3 9,63,560 28.6 Top 10% 13,52,985 57.7 87,70,132 65.0 Top 1% 53,00,549 22.6 54,141,525 40.1 *As of 2022-23 SAMBALPUR l thursday l march 21, 2024 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l CITY EDITION Source: World Inequality Lab Modi nudges Putin, Zelenskyy to resolve conflict through talks Putin conveys wishes to Modi for successful elections; Zelenskyy thanks India for its support to Ukraine Y e s h i Se l i @ New Delhi Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday used the opportunity of greeting Vladimir Putin on his reelection as Russian President by nudging him during their telephonic conversation to resolve the ongoing Ukraine war through dialogue and diplomacy. He had a similar message for Ukrainian President Vlodomyr Zelenskyy in his separate conversation with him. “I spoke with President Putin and congratulated him on his re-election and also agreed to work together to further deepen and expand India-Russia Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership in the years ahead,” Modi said. “Both leaders expressed satisfaction with the consistent and dynamic development of mutually beneficial ties in trade, economy energy , , and transport,” a Russian readout of the call said. “An exchange of views was also held on a number of issues on the international agenda, in particular in the context of the situation around Ukraine,” the Kremlin’s statement said. President Putin conveyed his wishes to Modi for the successful conduct of the upcoming parliamentary elections. Modi is one of the few world leaders who have cong ratulated Putin for his reelection. Speaking to Zelenskyy, Modi as- Narendra Modi Vladimir Putin Vlodomyr Zelenskyy I spoke with President Putin and congratulated him on his re-election and also agreed to work together to further deepen and expand India-Russia Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership in the years ahead Narendra Modi, Prime Minister sured India will continue to provide humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, guided by its “people-centric” approach. The prime minister reiterated India’s consistent support for all efforts for peace and bringing an early end to the ongoing conflict. Zelenskyy thanked India for its support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, humanitarian aid, and active participation in Peace Formula meetings. The two leaders discussed ways to further strengthen the partnership in various spheres. 13% of national income pocketed by the top 1% 1982 6.1% of national income went to the top 1% 2022 * 22.6% of national income with top 1% CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI ■ ■ No decision on BJD ‘Inequality today worse tie-up yet, anything than under British Raj’ may happen: Shah Petitions in SC as govt notifies fact check unit ahead of polls E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Bhubaneswar Rak esh ku mar & Parvez sulta n D i pa k M o nd a l @ New Delhi Even as the anxiety over a possible alliance between BJD and BJP is getting intense, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said his party was yet to take a final call on the issue. Asserting the BJP will prove poll pundits wrong this time by significantly improving its position in Odisha both in Lok Sabha and Assembly Shah said at the me, dia conclave by a private TV channel in Delhi that negotiation with BJD is on but no decision has yet been taken on an alliance. BJD leader and state 5T chairman VK Pandian on Tuesday had told the channel that the alliance talks are on right track and it is up to the prime minister to take the final decision. Shah, however, said, “It has not been finalised whether we will forge an alliance (with BJD) or will go alone in If there is an Odisha. Our party president will take alliance, we will a decision on the issue.” fight together as Asked if BJP was strong enough to Naveen Babu is a very popular form government in the state this leader. If we go time, Shah said, “Anything may happen. Let it be decided first whether solo then we will certainly there will be an alliance or we will go fight to form alone. If there is an alliance, we will government in fight together as Naveen Babu is a the state very popular leader. If we go solo then Amit Shah, Union we will certainly fight to form governHome Minister ment in the state.” Shah said one thing was sure that the BJP is going improve its strength significantly in Odisha and will win more seats in Assembly and Lok Sabha irrespective of what the poll pundits have predicted. “People of the state have great love for Modi and BJP workers humbly accept their love and affection for the prime minister,” he said. Responding to the statement made by Pandian on the same platform that neither the BJD or BJP need an alliance to return to power in the state and the Centre respectively Shah said it is not always necessary to , forge an alliance to come to power. Continued on P5 India is more unequal now than it was under the British rule, says a paper released by Paris-based World Inequality Lab. The report, co-authored by Nitin Kumar Bharti, Lucas Chancel, Thomas Piketty, and Anmol Somanchi, also recommends a 2% super tax on the net wealth of the wealthiest families to generate resources for public investment. The report says top-end inequality peaked between 2014-15 and 2022-23, driven by wealth concentration. By 2022-23, India’s top 1% income and wealth shares (22.6% and 40.1%) were at their highest historical levels. For context, the US’s top 1% income share was 21%. The report cautions such high levels inequality could trigger concentration of income and wealth, which could in turn negatively influence the society and the government at large. To arrive at these conclusions, the inequality report has taken into consideration the national income accounts, wealth aggregates, tax tabulations, rich lists, and surveys on income, consumption, and wealth. The report calls for a restructuring of India’s tax system to account for both income and wealth. It also stresses on the need for generating resources for investments in health and education to enable the common man to benefit from the ongoing wave of globalisation. The government should tap India’s wealthiest families to generate resources for public investments, it says, adding that India’s 167 wealthiest families in 202223 would yield 0.5% of national income in revenues. express read Nomination for 102 seats in 21 states begins Rohingyas have no right to stay in India: Govt New Delhi: With the Election Commission of India (ECI) issuing a notification for the first phase of polling for the Lok Sabha elections, the nomination process for 102 parliamentary constituencies spread across 21 states and Union territories began on Wednesday. These constituencies are set to vote on April 19. The final date for filing nomination papers is March 27 | P7 New Delhi: The Centre has told the Supreme Court that illegal Rohingya Muslim migrants do not have a fundamental right to reside and settle in India. In its affidavit filed before the Supreme Court on Tuesday, the Centre said those illegally entering India would be dealt with in accordance with provisions of the Foreigners Act. The Centre filed an affidavit in the apex court | P7 @ New Delhi Ahead of the general elections, the gover nment on Wednesday notified the Fact Check Unit under the Press Information Bureau to monitor content on social media tied to the Centre. The unit was notified under the 2021 IT Rules. According to the new regulation, if a government information is misrepresented on any online platform, the fact-checking unit will flag it. Social media platforms and other online intermediaries will then decide on taking down the content. If they refuse to drop the content, they risk losing the protections granted under Section 79 of the IT Act. This section provides immunity to online platforms from content posted by users and third parties. The notification comes a week after the Bombay High Court rejected a petition filed by Editors Guild of India and others against the fact checker. They argued that the regulations could lead to censorship of free speech in the country . The Editors Guild has now filed a petition before the Supreme Court. “We remain opposed to it because I don’t think that in a democratic country like us, the government alone can’t decide what is fake information,” said Editors Guild general secretary Ruben Banerjee. Political satirist Kunal Kamra, too, has moved the SC.
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