PM Modi LIVE addresses: PM Garib Kalyan Yojana extended till Nov; will cover 80cr Indians

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to address the nation on Tuesday at 4 pm, PMO has informed. This comes after the COVID 19 forced lockdown has been extended across the country till July 31. The announcement also comes on the day when the Ministry of Home Affairs has banned 59 Chinese Apps including TikTok, UC Browser and others in the country amid tensions with China. 

Meanwhile, total cases of COVID-19 in India has reached 5,48,318 of which 2,10,120 are active while 3,21,723 people have recovered. 16,475 people have died so far, according to the Union Health Ministry.

Lockdown extended till July 31

Extending the existing Coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown, the Ministry of Home Affairs on Monday, issued an order that lockdown on containment zones will continue till July 31. The guidelines of 'Unlock 2' prohibits the opening of educational institutions, international air travel, metro rail, cinema halls, bars, auditoriums, swimming pools, gymnasiums, and large congregations. The MHA has shortened the night curfew timing from 10 PM to 5 AM and stated national directives for COVID management still apply.

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to address the nation on Tuesday at 4 pm, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has requested the nation to hear his important address. This comes after the COVID 19 forced lockdown has been extended across the country till July 31 and guidelines for Unlock 2 has been announced. Moreover,  Ministry of Home Affairs has banned 59 Chinese Apps including TikTok, UC Browser and others in the country amid tensions with China.  

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to address the nation on Tuesday at 4 pm, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has requested the nation to hear his important address. This comes after the COVID 19 forced lockdown has been extended across the country till July 31 and guidelines for Unlock 2 have been announced. Moreover,  Ministry of Home Affairs has banned 59 Chinese Apps including TikTok, UC Browser and others in the country amid tensions with China.   

Within hours of being banned by the Indian Government along with 58 other China-origin apps, TikTok India on Tuesday has issued a statement. Nikhil Gandhi, Head of TikTok India, has said that the app is in the process of complying with the government's 'interim order'. 

'Highest importance on user privacy and integrity': TikTok

"We have been invited to meet concerned government stakeholders for an opportunity to respond and submit clarifications. TikTok continues to comply with all data privacy and security requirements under Indian law and has not shared any information of our users in India with any foreign government, including the Chinese government," the statement reads. "Further we are requested to in the future we would not do so. We place the highest importance on user privacy and integrity," it added.

Indian and Chinese militaries has began their third round of talks on Tuesday at Chusul on the Chinese side of the Chushul sector in eastern Ladakh. The two earlier rounds of talks were comprehensive and intense negotiations that lasted for hours. The engagement is an attempt to cool tensions following the violent clashes in Galwan Valley on June 15 that left 20 Indian Army personnel dead.

In the previous Lt General-level talks on June 22, sources had said that India demanded a return to the status quo in April, asking the Chinese to remove the additional buildup done in the Galwan and Pangong Tso areas. The talks had lasted for 11 hours. The Indian delegation at the talks is being led by 14 Corps Commander Lt Gen Harinder Singh while the Chinese side was to be headed by the Commander of the Tibet Military District.

French Defence Minister Florence Parly on Monday wrote to her Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh, condoling the death of twenty Indian soldiers in Galwan Valley clash on June 15-16. She said that this was a "hard blow" against soldiers, their families and the nation.

'Friendly support' from France

She said, "This was a hard blow against soldiers, their families, and the nation. In these difficult circumstances, I wish to express my steadfast and friendly support, along with that of French armed forces," Florence Parly wrote. Recalling that India is France's strategic partner in the region, the Parly reiterated her country's deep solidarity. French Armed Forces Minister also expressed readiness to meet Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in India, at his invitation, to follow up on ongoing discussions.

China issues first statement after Centre's app ban

Hours after India banned 59 Chinese applications, China has issued its first statement on the development even as military-level talks between the two countries are underway in Chushul on Tuesday. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian has said that his country is strongly concerned, and is verifying the situation. He also said that the Indian government has a responsibility to uphold the legal rights of international investors including Chinese ones.

"China is strongly concerned, verifying the situation. We want to stress that the Chinese government always asks Chinese businesses to abide by international & local laws-regulations. Indian government has a responsibility to uphold the legal rights of international investors including Chinese ones," he added.

PM Modi stated that since the beginning of Unlock 1 people had become relaxed when it comes to following rules. He urged the people to not do so since 130 crore lives were on the line.

"Ever since Unlock-One has happened in the country, negligence in personal and social behaviour is also increasing. Earlier we were very cautious about wearing masks, two yards distance, washing hands several times a day for 20 seconds," he said. 

PM Modi stated that be it the central government, state governments or the civil society everyone had made an effort to ensure that none of our poor brothers and sisters would go hungry during the pandemic and subsequent lockdown. 

"In a way, our government has given free food grains to two and a half times more people than the total population of America, 12 times more than the population of Britain, and more than twice the population of the European Union," said PM Modi. 

PM Modi stated that keeping in mind the financial difficulties owing to the COVID crisis and the upcoming festival the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana will now be extended till Diwali and Chhath Puja. 

"Under PM Garib Kalyan Yojana, we announced a package of Rs. 1.75 lakh crore. In the last 3 months, Rs. 31,000 crore deposited in bank accounts of 20 crore poor families. Also, Rs. 18000 crore deposited in bank accounts of more than 9 crore farmers," says PM Modi.

"PM Gareeb Kalyan Anna Yojana will be extended till the end of November, extension to cost over Rs 90 thousand crore," said PM Modi. 

"Today, if the government is able to provide free food grains to the poor & the needy, the credit goes to two sections. First, the hardworking farmers of our country and second, the honest taxpayers. I thank you from my heart," added PM Modi. 

"Now a ration card is also being arranged for the whole of India, 'one nation one ration card'. The biggest benefit of this will be to those poor colleagues who leave their village and go elsewhere for employment or other needs," says PM Modi.