Panic Buying,

The speed of road and highway construction in the country has almost doubled in the last 10 years. The number of registered startups in the country has grown to almost one lakh; this was less than 100 in 2014.

India has also seen a number of trade deals with important economies and such deals will open up new markets for our goods and services. They also create countless new opportunities for youths.

Whether it is institutions like the G-20, fighting against climate change or playing a bigger role in the global supply chain, India is being welcomed as a part of every global solution.

“In many ways, due to the local and global factors, this is the best time to be young in India. Make the most of this time to take our country to new heights.”

Underscoring the importance of constant learning, re-skilling and upskilling, he said in a rapidly transforming world, ‘either you drive change or change drives you.’

Modi is the first prime Minister to address the convocation ceremony of the varsity, established in 1982.

In a very brief interaction with a group of students, he asked if anyone was interested to go to Delhi, to which two women students raised their hands and smiled.

The Prime Minister paid floral tributes to a bust of Bharathidasan (1891-1964), hailed as revolutionary Tamil poet, and he posed for a group-photograph with students, Governor R N Ravi and Chief Minister M K Stalin.

Kashmir and Ladakh. The drivers expressed discontent with what they perceive as stringent regulations, citing harsh penalties associated with the current law.

Speaking to media persons, the truck drivers said that they feel sad to see that the essential supply is getting hit due to our protest but they have no other option but to resort to a nationwide strike.

“A truck driver would never wish for an accident to happen. No driver desires to cause harm to anyone. However, if an accident occurs unintentionally, where would the driver get a total of seven lakh rupees? If we had lakhs of rupees at our disposal, we wouldn’t have chosen to become truck drivers; we would have pursued different professions,” a truck driver said. “It is unfortunate that such a law has been framed which will break the back of truck drivers,” he added.

Another truck driver echoed similar sentiments, alleging that this law has been formulated to benefit insurance companies. “We are severely underpaid, and our families depend on us. We earn around ten thousand rupees a month, if an accident occurs, how are we supposed to arrange lakhs of rupees? We will persist with our protest until the law is either abolished or amended,” emphasized the driver.

Earlier, Anand Sharma, president of All J&K petrol tankers owners’ association and J&K fuel station owners’ association said, “All the oil tankers are on strike since Monday morning. No driver has loaded the oil from oil depots because they call the new provisions “black law”, which are not acceptable to them”.

“The situation is going to get worse if the government fails to roll back the black law imposed on us. Ninety per cent of pumps have gone dry and in the next two hours, all the fuel stations will go dry. The government has bitterly failed to address the issue,” he said.

Sharma added that if the situation continues like this, there will be no fuel supply for the armed forces and the public which will badly hit normal life in J&K and Ladakh.

At least 1,500 tankers---800 with Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), 350 with Bharat Petroleum Corporation and 350 with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation replenish supplies in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

Pertinently, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, V K Bidhuri said, “There is an impact of the nationwide strike here as well. But we have 21 days’ stock of diesel and 24 days’ stock of petrol available at the depots in the Valley. We also have over 20 days’ stock of LPG available.”

“I have held a meeting with the representatives of the oil companies as well. There is no need to panic,” he added.