GST REVENUE COLLECTION FOR APRIL, 2019 RECORDED HIGHEST
COLLECTION SINCE GST IMPLEMENTATION
The total gross GST
revenue collected in the month of April, 2019 is Rs 1,13,865 crore of which
CGST is Rs 21,163 crore, SGST is Rs 28,801 crore, IGST is Rs 54,733 crore
(including Rs 23,289 crore collected on imports) and Cess is Rs 9,168 crore
(including Rs 1,053 crore collected on imports). The total number of GSTR 3B
Returns filed for the month of March up to 30th April, 2019 is 72.13 lakh The
government has settled Rs 20,370 crore to CGST and Rs 15,975 crore to SGST from
IGST as regular settlement. Further, Rs 12,000 crore has been settled from the
balance IGST available with the Centre on provisional basis in the ratio of
50:50 between Centre and States. The total revenue earned by Central Government
and the State Governments after regular and provisional settlement in the month
of April, 2019 is Rs 47,533 crore for CGST and Rs 50,776 crore for the SGST. The
revenue in April, 2018 was Rs 1,03,459 crore and the revenue during April, 2019
is a growth of 10.05% over the revenue in the same month last year. The revenue
in April, 2019 is 16.05% higher than the monthly average of GST revenue in FY
2018-19 (Rs 98,114 crore).
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I-T DEPT., GSTN TO SIGN MOU FOR SHARING DATA TO PREVENT
ANOMALIES
The Income Tax Department
and the Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) are all set to sign an MoU that
will allow the two to match their data regarding company financials so as to
pin down any anomalies. The department order provides for the Principal Director
General or Director General of Income Tax (Systems) to sign an MoU with the
GSTN allowing them to send information on assessees to the nodal officer in the
GSTN. The order, dated April 30, states that the GSTN can ask for and be
provided data relating to an assessee’s status of filing income tax returns,
turnover, gross total income, financial ratios, and any other data with the I-T
Department to be decided at a later date. The order also provides for the
automatic exchange of such data, and not just based on requests, the modalities
of which will be decided. While furnishing the information, the specified
Income Tax authority shall form an opinion that sharing of such information is
necessary for the purposes of enabling the specified authority in GSTN to
perform its functions under the Goods and Services Tax, the order said. The MoU
will also include the rules pertaining to the modalities of the exchange, the
confidentiality of the data, and the weeding out after usage.
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DEMONETISATION MYTH DESTROYED: FALL IN TAX BASE MAY HURT
GOVERNMENT FISCAL PLANS
The debate on the success
or failure of Narendra Modi’s demonetisation may again gain steam, with the
recent data from income tax department showing a fall in income tax e-filing
which the government expected to increase post demonetisation. The number of
returns filed in the last financial year FY19 were at 66.8 million against 67.5
million in FY18, according to the e-filing website of the Income Tax
Department. The fall in returns might throw challenges for the Modi government
which has shifted its focus to compensatory expenditure in the recent budget
2019, said a Kotak Economics Research report. The data raises the question
whether compliance was weaker in the latter part of FY19 given that the number
of registered filers has continued to see steady growth, said the report. If
the fall in return filing is due to weak compliance, the new government coming
to power post general elections in 2019 should aim to increase the tax base and
collections, the report added. Out of the 23.5 lakh persons, total 4.15 PANs
had never filed income-tax returns A relatively muted tax filing growth may
pose fiscal challenges for the government if it needs to fulfil its budget
promises of direct transfers, while simultaneously sticking to its fiscal
consolidation path. The debt markets are already burdened with heavy government
and public sector enterprises’ borrowings. Since the 55 percent of the central
government expenditure is fixed in nature, the eventual impact could be on
further lowering capital expenditure, the report noted. While the missing tax
collections will hurt the overall tax buoyancy, the continued high borrowing
costs for financial institutions and companies (given crowding out by the
government sector) will weigh on the near-term aggregate demand in the Indian
economy, according to the report. Therefore, the report suggested the government
to gear up its efforts to improve the tax base, without which the medium-term
growth path will be at risk.
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LEGAL BATTLE OVER RELIEF FOR EXPORTERS ON PRE-IMPORT
CONDITIONS TO INTENSIFY
The Central Board of
Indirect Taxes & Customs (CBIC), the apex policy-making body for indirect
taxes, seems to be in no mood to consider giving exporters exemption
retrospectively from the pre-import conditions to avail I-GST (Integrated Goods
and Services Tax). The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court had upheld the
circular of October 2017 in its order dated October 29, 2018, but the Gujarat
High Court, in its order of February 4, 2019, struck down the pre-import
condition with retrospective effect from the date of imposition — October 13,
2017 — declaring the condition as ‘ultra vires the Advance Authorisation
scheme.’ The CBIC might move to higher court against such an adverse order. The
legal cell of the Board, in its instructions, said, Since a number of petitions
on similar issues have been filed in various High Courts the High Courts
concerned may please be apprised of the fact the Madurai Bench of the Madras
High Court has upheld pre-import conditions so that any adverse interim/final
order by the respective High Courts may be avoided. It also said that in case
of any adverse order, appropriate action for filing review petitions/writ
appeals and if these are not possible then forwarding of Special Leave Petition
(SLP) proposal to the board may also be examined. The CBIC notification dated
October 13, 2017, prescribed certain conditions, which denied benefits to
exporters who import input goods after their finished products are exported.
The notification was challenged in the High Court. The Finance Ministry then issued
another notification in January to remove pre-import conditions and include
specified deemed export supplies for exemption from integrated tax and
compensation cess for materials imported against Advance Authorisations and
Advance Authorisations for Annual Requirement. However, this relief was given
prospectively, while demand was to allow relief from October 2017 itself.
Accordingly, the petitioners continued challenging the issue in the High Court.
It was said that exporters importing duty-free items under Advance
Authorisation licences have been going through unfair and undue hardships ever
since the GST was introduced on July 1, 2017. While BCD (Basic Customs Duty)
exemptions continued under GST, the Government did not extend the exemption to
IGST on imports under Advance Authorisation. Though, the Government extended
exemption to IGST as well, when imported against valid Advance Authorisation
licences but with ‘pre-import’ condition. It has been alleged that the
‘conditions were arbitrary and violative of Article 14 of the Constitution.’
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PROBE RECORDS SHOW CHANDA KOCHHAR ‘MISLED’ RBI ON GIVING LOAN
TO ESSAR FIRM
Chanda Kochhar, is alleged
to have misled the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in 2014 on a $365-million loan
disbursed by the bank to a Mauritius-based holding company of Essar Steel
Minnesota LLC, even as the central bank found several irregularities in the
lending. As early as July 2014, the RBI had raised questions regarding ICICI
Bank’s approval for an increase in Essar Steel Minnesota’s project capacity —
manufacturing steel pellets — from 4.1 MTPA (metric tonnes per annum) to 7
MTPA.’ The RBI claimed that the bank’s approval to extend the commencement time
of the pellet project indicated ever-greening of loans — the bank was lending a
second time to pay off an earlier loan. Also, the RBI recommended to ICICI Bank
that it classify its loan to Essar Steel Minnesota as a sub-standard asset.
ICICI Bank, however, in September 2014, informed the RBI that although the bank
had approved the capacity increase, it had not participated in any additional
funding. This, records reveal, was incorrect as the bank, in June 2014, had
extended a $365-million foreign currency term loan to Essar Steel Ltd,
Mauritius. The loan to the Mauritius firm, according to the minutes of the
credit committee meeting of ICICI Bank that approved the loan, was for infusion
of funds into Essar Steel Minnesota. Records show that Kochhar, misled the RBI
vide the RBI response by claiming that the bank had not participated in any
additional funding required by the change in scope of the Essar Steel Minnesota
Project. Kochhar was part of this credit committee meeting that gave the loan
to the Mauritius company. Records reveal that funds loaned to Essar Steel
Mauritius were allegedly used to make payments to Essar Projects (see chart),
for invoices raised by it against Essar Steel Minnesota. Subsequently, Essar
Projects transferred these funds to Essar Global Fund Ltd, promoter of Essar
Steel Minnesota, which finally used it to service its debt obligation to ICICI
Bank. Kochhar, according to investigators, violated her fiduciary duty under
the Companies Act 2013 and SEBI listing norms by making inaccurate and
misleading statements to the RBI. Between April 2009 and March 2018, the bank
sanctioned 71 loans to the group and Chanda Kochhar participated in as many as
35 meetings of various committees that dealt with loan sanctions to Essar,
sources said. Records show that ICICI Bank continued to lend to Essar Steel
Minnesota and ignored several red flags including an external complaint against
the Essar Group, negative credit ratings by agencies and quarterly waivers of
numerous defaults sought by the group from the bank. Between 2012 and 2014, ICICI
Bank also condoned repeated alleged breach of loan covenants by Essar Steel
Minnesota, records show. These waivers were given after requests by the
borrower. The CFO had written to the bank for waivers because Essar Steel
Minnesota was raising $400 million from the US bond market. ICICI’s Committee
of Senior Management waived off these breaches and defaults in their meeting on
April 10, 2014, records show. Records show that the Essar Group was close to
defaulting on its debt obligations when the bank, to assist the Essar Group,
identified Essar Steel Mauritius, the holding company for the group’s steel
assets as a recipient for more debt. The Bank has designed and implemented a
board approved revised Risk Management Framework with effect from March 2016. As
per this framework, a hard limit was stipulated on corporate borrower groups as
well as lower rated companies. Under this framework, about 80% of the
incremental loans sanctioned and disbursed by the Bank, have been to borrowers
with a credit rating of A- and above. This was a sharp departure from the
previous framework followed by the Bank. Hence, your contention that the bank
did not act on the concerns raised is totally wrong. The spokesperson said that
the bank won’t comment on client specific queries. However, we would like to
assure you, that all the issues raised by you have no impact on our balance
sheet as of now, said the spokesperson. You have also referred to the conduct
of the former MD & CEO of the Bank. We would like to state that the Board
had initiated an enquiry and based on the findings, the Board had taken the
strictest possible action against the concerned person. This decision of the
Board reflects the highest standards of governance that the Bank adheres to,
the spokesperson said. Essar Group spokesperson said: While we are not aware of
the investigation report referred by you in your mail and it remains undisputed
that no investigating authority has ever approached us for our version, the
facts remain as follows. Loans taken by Essar Steel Ltd, Mauritius from ICICI
Bank were used in full compliance with the terms of their sanction. A auditors
certificate confirming the end use was provided to ICICI Bank immediately
following their disbursement. These loans, together with interest thereon, have
already been fully repaid. Essar Steel Ltd, Mauritius and Essar Global Fund Ltd
do not have any dues to ICICI Bank on account of the loans taken by them. All
necessary permissions were obtained by Essar Steel Minnesota from ICICI Bank as
well as other project finance lenders prior to the bond issue. Overall as a
group Essar has repaid Rs 1,39,000 back to the banking system over the last two
years.
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ED GETS MORE TIME TO REPLY IN MONEY LAUNDERING CASE AGAINST
ROBERT VADRA
The Delhi High Court on
Thursday granted more time to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to file an
affidavit regarding the maintainability of Robert Vadra's plea seeking quashing
of a money laundering case in which he was questioned by the probe agency. A
bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Vinod Goel directed the ED to file the
response within a week and listed the matter for further hearing on July 18.
The court asked Vadra and his close aide Manoj Arora to file their rejoinder to
the ED's affidavit in two weeks thereafter. Central government standing counsel
Amit Mahajan, appearing for the ED, said the short affidavit was almost ready
and they require some more time to file it.
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NIRAV MODI TO MAKE ANOTHER BAIL PLEA IN UK COURT ON MAY 8
Fugitive diamond merchant
Nirav Modi is making another bail plea at the UK court where he is undergoing extradition
proceedings to India in the USD 1-billion Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud and
money laundering case. The 48-year-old, who has been behind bars at Wandsworth
prison in south-west London since his two previous bail applications were
rejected following his arrest on March 19, is to appear before Chief Magistrate
Emma Arbuthnot at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London on May 8 for a third
attempt. The next hearing will be on 8 May. The application for bail will be
heard before Judge Emma Arbuthnot at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, said a
spokesperson for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which is representing the
Indian authorities in the extradition case.
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I-T SEARCHES 70 SITES, QUESTIONS ‘LOTTERY KING’ OVER TAX
EVASION
The investigation wing of
the I-T department on Tuesday started searches on at least 70 premises
belonging to businessman Santiago Martin, known by the moniker ‘Lottery King’.
Though a resident of Coimbatore, Martin operates primarily in Kerala and
north-eastern states, where lottery business is still permitted. He had suffered
a setback when Tamil Nadu banned sale of lotteries in 2003. I-T officials said searches
were being conducted on 22 premises in Coimbatore, 10 in Chennai, 18 in
Kolkata, five in Mumbai, three in Delhi, and two each in Hyderabad, Guwahati,
Siliguri, Gangtok, Ranchi and Ludhiana. We started the searches around 12.30pm.
Premises belonging to his family members are also being searched. Our officials
were keeping a watch on the movements of Martin, his son, daughter and other
family members for some time now, said an I-T official. I-T sleuths took Martin
for questioning from Kolkata airport when he reached there from a north-eastern
state on Tuesday. He was on his way to Chennai. As of now, we have seized Rs40
lakh cash from one of his premises. There are more seizures, but it would take
some time to collate information trickling in from various places, said the
official.
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ENFORCEMENT DIRECTORATE QUIZZES RAJIV KOCHHAR FOR THIRD DAY IN
ROW
The Enforcement
Directorate (ED) questioned Rajiv Kochhar, Chanda Kochhar’s brother-in-law, for
the third consecutive day on Tuesday. He is being questioned at the agency
headquarters in Delhi. Meanwhile, the agency has allowed his brother Deepak
Kochhar’s request to make a personal appearance on May 11. The ED, which had
earlier summoned Deepak on April 30 and Chanda on May 10 for questioning, will
now interrogate the couple on May 11, sources in the know told. Rajiv has been
asked to join the probe after the agency recently received an anonymous letter,
which claimed that advisory (consultancy) fees for the restructuring or
arranging of loans received by his Singapore-incorporated firms — Avista
Advisory Partners and Avista Holdings — from various corporate promoters were
actually kickbacks for the loans granted by ICICI Bank, when Chanda was at its
helm.
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NYAY WILL REMONETISE ECONOMY, WON'T BURDEN MIDDLE CLASS: RAHUL
GANDHI
Rahul Gandhi Wednesday
said the Nyay minimum income guarantee scheme proposed by his party will remonetise
the economy which he said has been adversely affected by demonetisation. Nyay
scheme (Nyuntam Aay Yojna) will remonetise the country's economy as it will
give money to people and will give them purchasing power. Demonetisation
affected the nation's economy as people were left with no money, Gandhi said. Modi
said the Congress would take money from the middle class and give to the poor
(to implement Nyay). Narendra Modi ji, you lied again. Not a single paisa will
come from the middle class for the Nyay scheme, Gandhi told the gathering. It
will come from Anil (Ambani), Mehul (Choksi), Nirav (Modi), Lalit (Modi), Vijay
(Mallya) and the last name, Narendra, Gandhi said.
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CHUDASAMA ELECTION CASE: INITIATED PROCEEDINGS AGAINST
ELECTION OFFICER, EC TELLS HC
The Election Commission
told the Gujarat High Court Wednesday that it had initiated departmental
proceedings to impose a penalty on Returning Officer Dhaval Jani of the Dholka
Assembly constituency for non-compliance with its instructions during the
counting of votes. The EC submitted the letter, dated April 30, it wrote to the
Chief Secretary of Gujarat seeking action against Jani. Justice Paresh
Upadhyay, however, noted that the court had not enquired or sought any such
submission from the ECI. The High Court was hearing a petition challenging
senior cabinet minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama’s win from the Dholka
constituency in the 2017 Assembly Elections. In the previous hearing, the High
Court had directed that the Election Commission be made a party in the case. In
its order on April 2, the court noted that the facts are so glaring that this
court has thought it prudent to put the facts to the notice of the ECI so that
it can consider and look into it and take appropriate corrective/preventive
measures, if it so desires. Meanwhile, Vinita Bohra, who was an EC-appointed
general observer, sought more time from the court to assign herself a legal
representative. The court agreed to her request and the matter has now been
adjourned for further hearing to May 8.
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EC GIVES MODI CLEAN CHIT FOR SPEECH ON RAHUL CONTESTING FROM
WAYANAD
The Election Commission
(EC) said Tuesday Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech in which he criticised
Rahul Gandhi for contesting from Kerala's Wayanad, where Hindus are a minority,
didn't violate election laws. The matter has been examined in detail in accordance
to the extant guidelines/provisions of the Model Code of Conduct, the
Representation of the People Act and the report of the Chief Electoral Officer,
Maharashtra. Accordingly, the commission is of the considered view that in this
matter no such violation has been noticed, an EC spokesperson said.
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AMIT SHAH ATTACKS MAMATA BANERJEE
Amit Shah on Wednesday
said the West Bengal chief minister has extended her support to those who wish
to Shah said the BJP will continue its fight to ensure that Kashmir remains an
integral part of India, no matter who is in power at the Centre. Today we are
in power, Narendra Modi is the prime minister. In the coming days, too, he will
continue as the PM. But if a day comes when the BJP is no longer in power, its
workers will still fight to ensure that Kashmir remains an integral part of
India, he said. Shah also insisted that Banerjee should also clear her stance
on former Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah’s demand for a separate prime
for his state. Mamata didi is supporting those who wish to divide India. We
want to know what is her stand on Omar Abdullah’s demand for two prime
ministers in the country, he said. Referring to infiltrators as termites, who
are eating into the country’s resources, Shah said his party will throw them
out after coming to power at the Centre for a second term. He iterated that
lawlessness has increased in the state, with the Trinamool Congress (TMC)
dispensation making Bengal a safe haven for the infiltrators. Other than bomb
manufacturing units, no factory has been set up in the state under the Mamata
Banerjee government, he stated. Talking about the Balakot air strikes, which
was carried out in retaliation to Pulwama attack in Kashmir, Shah said the
entire country celebrated the strikes, apart from Pakistan and two other
individuals – Rahul Gandhi and Mamata Banerjee. Only Rahul Gandhi and Mamata
Banerjee mourned the air strikes. They are more interested in securing their
vote banks than strengthening our national security, he said.
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CONGRESS WILL NOT CUT INTO UP GATHBANDHAN’S VOTE, WILL DAMAGE
BJP: PRIYANKA GANDHI VADRA
The Congress is not at all
cutting into votes of the SP-BSP-RLD alliance in Uttar Pradesh as the party has
fielded candidates either with prospects of victory or having potential to
damage BJP’s chances in the state, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said Wednesday. Asked
whether she was afraid of contesting against Prime Minister Narendra Modi from
Varanasi, Priyanka said she was not scared at all and that she joined politics
for good. If Priyanka Gandhi gets scared, she will sit at home and not do
politics. I am in politics for good and will be there, she said. Priyanka said,
We have carefully chosen candidates so that either Congress wins or they cut
into BJP’s votes. Congress is not at all cutting into votes of the ‘UP
gathbandhan’. Priyanka was talking to the media during her campaign trail in
Amethi where her brother Rahul Gandhi is seeking re-election. I am not dejected
that I am not contesting from Varanasi. I wanted to campaign and strengthen
Congress in eastern Uttar Pradesh. Had I contested from Varanasi I would have
got confined to Varanasi alone and would not have been able to work for
strengthening the party, she said. There is a lot of work to do in eastern
Uttar Pradesh and we have to defeat the BJP in Uttar Pradesh and strengthen the
Congress, she said. The Congress fielded Ajay Rai from Varanasi, ending weeks
of speculations that the constituency may witness a blockbuster contest between
Modi and Priyanka. I am not fighting elections or campaigning for myself. I
have a lot of work to do here and every Congress candidate wants me to campaign
for them, she said.
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NAVJOT SINGH SIDHU SERVED NOTICE FOR REMARKS AGAINST PM MODI
The Election Commission
has issued a show cause notice to Navjot Singh Sidhu for his remarks against
Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Citing a complaint by a BJP worker in Gujarat,
the EC notice reproduced excerpts of his speech in which the Congress star
campaigner had described the prime minister as a ‘thief’ while addressing an
election meeting on April 17 in Ahmedabad. The Commission reminded Sidhu of a
provision in the model code which bars candidates and leaders from making
personal remarks against rivals during electioneering. The notice, issued on
Tuesday, gave Sidhu time till May 2 evening to respond, failing which EC would
take a decision without further reference to him.
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EC BARS GUJARAT BJP CHIEF JITUBHAI VAGHANI FROM CAMPAIGNING
FOR 72 HOURS FOR USING ABUSIVE LANGUAGE
The Election Commission
has barred Gujarat BJP president Jitubhai Vaghani from campaigning for 72 hours
starting for violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). The ban will come in
effect from 4 pm on May 2, an EC order said.
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GANDHI IN RAHUL'S NAME NOT ASSOCIATED WITH MAHATMA GANDHI BUT
FEROZE GANDHI: UMA BHARTI
In an apparent reference
to Congress president Rahul Gandhi and his family, Uma Bharti on Tuesday said
the surname 'Gandhi,' associated with the family is not of Mahatma Gandhi but
of Feroze Gandhi husband of late former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Our
former Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh calls himself 'Raja,' (King) but stood up
in queue outside Sonia Gandhi's house. Naradutta Dutt Tiwari used to pick up
Sanjay Gandhi's shoes. Big leaders used to fold hands in front of Indira
Gandhi. What is the specialty of this family? Bharti asked addressing a rally
here. The word 'Gandhi,' which is associated with this family, is not of
Mahatma Gandhi but of Feroze Gandhi. Feroze was not on good terms with
Jawaharlal Nehru. They don't even have the right to use this surname, but they
thought this surname will earn them respect. Modi ji is the one, who is
following Mahatma Gandhi's footsteps, she said.
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BJP DELEGATION MEETS EC OVER POLL ISSUES RELATED TO ODISHA, WB
AND DELHI
A Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) delegation including Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and senior Delhi
BJP leader Vijender Gupta met Election Commission official on Wednesday and raised
several issues concerning states of Odisha, West Bengal and Delhi. Pradhan
told, We have objection over the Chief Electoral Officer of Odisha. He is very
partial and we have previously also apprised Election Commission about it. We
demand that re-polling must be done at the booths where anomalies have been
reported in the fourth phase. He accused BJD of misusing 'Fani' related
relaxation and said, Election Commission has allowed relaxation in model code
for relief and restoration work in the state. However, the BJD is going to lose
badly and they are conspiring to loot thousands of crores through old bills. We
have apprised the Election Commission about it.
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NO PERSONAL ATTACKS, FOCUS ONLY ON DEVELOPMENT IN THE CITY OF
NAWABS
It is a unique election in
Lucknow, and very different from the bitterness that has come to dominate the
2019 Lok Sabha polls. In the city of nawabs known for its tehzeeb (civility),
there are no personal attacks against each other by the main candidates;
instead, the debate is on development, and the BJP is especially seeking the
support of Muslims. He also held a rally in Aminabad which has a good
population of Muslims. While Singh has not made any personal remark against his
nearest rival from the Samajwadi Party, Poonam Sinha, he has raised the
development pitch saying he and BJP brought development works worth 25,000
crore to Lucknow in the past five years. Sinha has also not resorted to any
personal attack against Singh. I don’t do such a thing as my husband Shatrughan
Sinha has taught me that — what he had learnt from the likes of Atal Bihari
Vajpayee and LK Advani, Sinha told. Lucknow is a city of tehzeeb (civility) and
a virasat of Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji which Rajnath Singh is now carrying
forward. Everyone is welcome here to come contest and we will not personally
attack anyone- but we will say that we will win by a record margin, Rajnath
Singh's son and UP MLA Pankaj Singh said.
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MANISH SISODIA ACCUSES BJP OF INDULGING IN HORSE TRADING;
ALLEGES SAFFRON PARTY ATTEMPTING TO ‘BUY’ 7 AAP MLAS AT RS 10 CRORE EACH
Manish Sisodia Wednesday
alleged that seven of his party MLAs in the national capital have been offered
Rs 10 crore each to join the saffron party The BJP however rubbished the claim
terming it bizarre allegation and a desperate bid to gain attention. Sisodia
alleged the BJP had earlier too tried to buy AAP MLAs and they were given
appropriate response by the public, and claimed that this time also they will
get a befitting reply. Since the BJP does not have any development issue to
raise, it has now come down to indulging in horse trading by attempting to buy
seven of our MLAs at Rs 10 crore each, he said. Sisodia also hit out at Prime
Minister Narendra Modi for his comment that 40 Trinamool Congress MLAs in West
Bengal are in touch with him and will desert their party once the BJP wins the
general elections. It does not suit the prime minister to make such comments. He
(Modi) should realise that India is a democratic country and he is here because
of democracy, the AAP leader said, alleging the BJP is trying to do the same
thing in Delhi.
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DIDN'T WANT TO TWEET ONLY, SO ENTERED POLITICS TO DO
SOMETHING: GAUTAM GAMBHIR
Cricketer-turned-politician
Gautam Gambhir, says he entered politics because he wanted to implement what he
has been tweeting about. Gambhir, a left-handed batsman who pursued cricketing
career for about 15 years, feels politics is also going to be an exciting and
challenging field. I don't want to be someone who keeps on tweeting on every
issue in the country and then forgets about it. I am someone who is different.
I am someone who takes that plunge and does something what I tweet about,
Gambhir told. There are two kinds of people -- one who tweet about everything
and the other who want to tweet and try to go on the ground and implement those
(ideas). So, I feel that I have taken the other side and I have the courage to
do it, said the former player, who has been very active on social media, mostly
tweeting about the nationalistic issues. Contending that he focuses on how to
push development, he said, I think on how quickly we can deliver and fulfill
the promises we make to the people.
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MODI FRUSTRATED, HAS DEGRADED POST OF PRIME MINISTER:
CHANDRABABU NAIDU
Continuing to demand that
50% of the voter verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) slips should be matched
with 50% of the votes in electronic voting machines (EVMs), Andhra Pradesh chief
minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday asked why the Election Commission of
India (ECI) was not agreeing to it if EVMs are believed to be working perfectly
Naidu also took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, rhetorically asking if a
separate set of rules apply for Modi, who Naidu said made objectionable
statements which the ECI is ignoring, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ruled states
seem to have different rules from non-BJP ruled states. The model code of
conduct doesn’t seem to apply to the prime minister, who is talking about
Balakot (the air strike), deceased army men etc, Naidu said. Stating that Modi
is frustrated, Naidu said that the former has degraded the prime minister’s
post, unlike previous incumbents like Jawaharlal Nehru, Atal Bihari Vajpayee
and Manmohan Singh. He wants a new dress during breakfast, lunch, and for the
evening every day. The opposition will come together and choose a prime
minister after we come to a consensus (after winning the elections), Naidu
asserted. Naidu said that over 30 countries across the world have reverted to
ballot paper. Since a full paper trail (of VVPAT) could be time-consuming, we
are asking for 50% only. The Supreme Court, however, said five EVMs per
assembly seat should be counted if any discrepancy is found in a machine. And
as per the rules, it is the count of the paper trail that will be taken as the
final count if there is any mismatch, Naidu explained.
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EC REJECTS NOMINATION OF DISMISSED BSF JAWAN TEJ BAHADUR
YADAV'S AS SP CANDIDATE FROM VARANASI
In a big setback to
mahagathbandhan, Election Commission rejected the nomination of former BSF
jawan Tej Bahadur Yadav, who was contesting from Varanasi against Prime
Minister Narendra Modi on the Samajwadi Party's ticket. Yadav accused the BJP
of resorting to dictatorial steps to stop him from fighting elections.
My nomination was
rejected, he claimed. My nomination has been rejected wrongly even though I had
furnished the NOC from BSF that was required by the RO. I was asked to produce
the evidence at 6.15 pm yesterday, we produced the evidence, still my nomination
was rejected. We will go to the Supreme Court, Yadav said after cancellation of
his nomination. While, the district administration said the nomination was
cancelled because Yadav didn't produce the required document in time. A person
who has been dismissed from service from state or central govt within last 5
years has to obtain a certificate from EC stating he/she hasn't been dismissed
due to disloyalty or corruption. Certificate wasn't produced before 11 am, so,
the nomination was rejected, Varanasi district magistrate said. Election
Commission had served him notices pointing discrepancies in the two nominations
filed by him. Former Border Security Force personal Tej Bahadur had filed
nomination as an independent, but was later named by the Samajwadi Party-Bahujan
Samaj Party alliance as candidate from the seat.
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SUSHMA ASKS U.S. FOR IRAN OIL IMPORT WAIVER
Sushma Swaraj spoke with
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during the weekend and asked for a waiver
for continued import of Iranian crude after the May 2 deadline imposed by the
U.S. administration, a source has confirmed. Both sides discussed issues
relevant to bilateral ties including the waiver for energy from Iran, said a
source about a telephone discussion between Ms. Swaraj and Mr. Pompeo on
Saturday. However, there was no indication from the U.S. official for issuing a
new waiver for India. Earlier, India and Turkey had held discussion about how
to avoid a breakdown in the domestic energy markets due to the sanctions.
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OPPOSITION ALLIANCE DIVIDED OVER PM CANDIDATE: RAM VILAS
PASWAN
Lok Janshakti Party chief
and Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan Thursday slammed the opposition alliance
saying no one knows who is their Prime Ministerial candidate as they are
divided on the issue. He said the opposition alliance was speaking in different
voices. Who is prime ministerial candidate of opposition alliance? No one knows
this while in BJP Narendra Modi is there. On the matter of PM, the opposition
alliance is divided, Paswan said. While SP-BSP are saying something, Congress
says something different. Chandrababu Naidu and Mamata Banerjee are also
dreaming of becoming PM. Despite not having an MP in Lok Sabha and not contesting
polls Mayawati is also dreaming of becoming PM. How can she become PM?, he
said.
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PM MODI GETS EC CLEAN-CHIT FOR CITING PULWAMA ATTACK TO APPEAL
FOR VOTES
The Election Commission on
Wednesday concluded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech in Latur last
month, in which he had urged the first-time voters to dedicate their votes in
the name of the Balakot air strike heroes and the soldiers killed in the
Pulwama attack, is not violative of its instructions on invoking armed forces
in poll campaigns. It also found that Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal
Nath's remarks on defence forces were not violative of the model code.
Referring to the prime minister's statement in Latur, the commission said, The
matter has been examined in detail in accordance with the extant advisories,
provisions of the Model Code of Conduct and after examination of complete
transcript of speech of 11 pages as per the certified copy sent by the
Returning Officer, Osmanabad parliamentary constituency. Commission is of the
considered view that in this matter no such violation of the extant
advisories/provisions is attracted. Addressing a rally in Ausa in Maharashtra's
Latur on April 9, Modi had said, Can your first vote be dedicated to those who
carried out the air strike. I want to tell the first-time voters: Can your
first vote be dedicated to the veer jawans (valiant soldiers) who carried out
the air strike in Pakistan. Can your first vote be dedicated to the veer
shaheed (brave martyrs) of Pulwama (terror attack), Modi had said. Local poll
authorities in Maharashtra are learnt to have told the EC here that Modi's
remarks are prima facie violative of its orders, asking parties against using
the armed forces in their campaigns. The EC had sought the report in the
context of the EC advisory issued in March asking parties to desist from
indulging in political propaganda involving actions of the armed forces.
Parties/candidates are advised that their campaigners/candidates should desist,
as part of their election campaigning, from indulging in any political
propaganda involving activities of defence forces, the commission said on March
19.
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ISHRAT JAHAN CASE: EX-COPS VANZARA, AMIN DISCHARGED FOR LACK
OF PERMISSION
A special CBI court in
Ahmedabad Thursday discharged former police officers D G Vanzara and N K Amin
in the Ishrat Jahan alleged fake encounter case. Vanzara and Amin had filed
discharge applications in the court after the Gujarat government refused to
grant sanctions to the CBI to prosecute the two former police officers. Special
CBI court judge J K Pandya said that since the government has not sanctioned
their prosecution, their discharge pleas are allowed and proceedings against
them will be dropped in the case. Under section 197 of the Code of Criminal
Procedure, the government's sanction is necessary for the prosecution of a
public servant for an act done as part of the official duty.
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'SANCTITY, CREDIBILITY' OF UN SANCTIONS BODY PRESERVED WITH
AZHAR'S LISTING: UNSC PREZ INDONESIA
The sanctity and
credibility of the UN Security Council Sanctions Committee have been preserved
with the blacklisting of JeM chief Masood Azhar, Indonesia's envoy to the UN
and Chair of the Committee Dian Triansyah Djani said. The Indonesian Permanent
Representative, who assumed the Presidency of the 15-nation UN Security Council
for the month of May, thanked all members of the 1267 Al-Qaeda Sanctions
Committee after the designation of Azhar as a global terrorist. I just would
like to underline it's not only the function of the Chair, but all members of
the Committee that have been working very hard (on the issue of listing Azhar).
But what is more important is not the role of the Chair but what is more
important is that we have been able to preserve the sanctity and credibility of
the Committee and we have been able to have the listing, Djani said during a
press briefing at the UN headquarters on Wednesday. As I mentioned, we
Indonesians are very humble. I'm just doing my function as the Chair trying to
facilitate, to bring all parties together, of course, in line with the
guidelines, he said. India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed
Akbaruddin specifically thanked Djani in a video statement issued after Azhar's
designation. I'd like to thank the Permanent Representative of Indonesia who
was instrumental in ensuring that the process went smoothly and in accordance
with our agreed understanding, Akbaruddin said. With this, the Sanctions
Committee sanctioned Azhar, slapping an arms embargo, asset freeze and travel
ban on him, 10 years after India first moved to have him blacklisted at the UN.
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CHINA WANTED TO DELAY TERROR DESIGNATION OF MASOOD AZHAR
CITING LOK SABHA ELECTIONS BUT US PREVAILED
China wanted to delay
terror designation of Maulana Masood Azhar until after May 15 citing the Lok
Sabha elections in India but was forced to advance the date after the United
States refused to budge beyond April 30. France, Russia and the UK finally
brokered an understanding by which China got its way to the extent that the
designation was done in May but not on the date Beijing indicated. The deal was
brokered about three weeks back but Washington insisted on a written assurance
before April 23. The US then said it would not wait until beyond a week
starting April 23. China indicated May 6 as a revised date. The US did not
budge. And finally May 1 was settled as the date for China to lift the hold. At
US insistence, sources said, China sent in a written assurance with the date
last week. The space for negotiations, sources said, opened up after China
decided that it did not want the matter to come up for a vote in the UNSC. This
is when the US put April 23 as the deadline. The starting point of this effort
was the UN statement condemning the Pulwama attack. This was the first time
that the UN had condemned a terror attack in Kashmir and that too on security
personnel. Predictably, China put a technical hold to the proposal within the
1267 UN sanctions committee in a show of support to Pakistan. This time the US
decided to take on China after consultations with India on the matter.
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DISAPPOINTED THAT AZHAR'S DESIGNATION DOESN'T MENTION PULWAMA,
J-K: CONGRESS
The Congress Wednesday
welcomed the designation of JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist by the
UN, but expressed disappointment that the listing does not mention Pulwama and
Jammu and Kashmir while recounting his role in terror activities. The Congress
said it expected the Modi government to act with a greater speed in pursuing
the case with China as several precious lives in terror attacks like Pulwama
could have been avoided. The Modi government should now push for a declaration
of bounty on Azhar's head as was ensured by the UPA in the case of Mumbai
terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, the Congress said. In a major diplomatic win
for India, the United Nations designated Pakistan-based Azhar as a global
terrorist after China lifted its hold on a proposal by the US, UK and France to
blacklist him. Azhar's belated declaration as a global terrorist by UN is
surely a welcome step and India's fight against terrorism is resolute and the
entire nation is one in fighting the menace, Congress' chief spokesperson
Randeep Surjewala said in a statement. Designation as a global terrorist is
just the first step and all his sources of funding need to be stopped, he said.
The entire property and terror fund need to be taken over by international
agencies, Surjewala said. We are disappointed that UN listing doesn't mention
Pulwama/J&K while listing Azhar's role in terrorist activities, he tweeted.
We expected Modi government to act at a greater speed in pursuing declaration
of Masood Azhar, but after agenda-less visit of PM Modi to China (Wuhan Summit)
they did not push for this case with China in the entire period of 2018,
Surjewala alleged. Surjewala asserted that Pakistan must be forced to dismantle
the entire terror infrastructure of JeM, as also other terrorist outfits
operating from its soil.
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INDIA WELCOMES UN LISTING OF MASOOD AZHAR AS GLOBAL TERRORIST;
PM MODI CALLS IT BIG SUCCESS
India on Wednesday
welcomed the listing of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a global
terrorist by the UN with Prime Minister Narendra Modi describing it as a big
success for the country's efforts to root out terrorism. Political parties
cutting across ideological divide as well as strategic affairs experts also
hailed the UN action against the Pakistan-based Azhar, nearly a decade after
India first pushed for banning the terrorist, who is the mastermind of several
major terror strikes in India. It is a big success for India's efforts to root
out terrorism. India's voice is being heard globally. India's views cannot be
ignored any longer, it has been proved, Modi said. In its reaction, the
External Affairs Ministry called Azhar's designation as a UN proscribed
terrorist as a step in the right direction to demonstrate the international
community's resolve to fight against terrorism and its enablers.
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FOUND NO OBJECTION TO LIST AZHAR AFTER STUDYING REVISED
MATERIALS: CHINA
China, which lifted its
technical hold on listing JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist by the
UN said on Wednesday that it took the decision after it found no objection to
the listing proposal by the US, the UK and France following a careful study of
the revised materials. In a huge diplomatic win for India, the United Nations
Wednesday designated Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Azhar as a global
terrorist after China lifted its hold on a proposal to blacklist him. The 1267
Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council has detailed criteria
for the listing procedures. China always believes that the relevant work should
be carried out in an objective, unbiased and professional manner and based on
solid evidence and consensus among all parties, a press release issued by
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said. On this listing issue,
China has been communicating with relevant parties in a constructive and
responsible fashion. Recently, relevant countries revised and re-submitted the
materials for the listing proposal to the 1267 Committee. After careful study
of the revised materials and taking into consideration the opinions of relevant
parties concerned, China does not have objection to the listing proposal, he
said. The proper settlement of the above-mentioned issue again shows that in
international counter-terrorism cooperation, we have to uphold the rules and
procedures of relevant UN body, follow the principle of mutual respect, resolve
differences and build consensus through dialogue, and prevent politicising
technical issues, he said. I would like to stress that Pakistan has made
enormous contributions to fighting terrorism, which deserves the full
recognition of the international community. China will continue firmly support
Pakistan's efforts to combat terrorist and extremist forces, Geng said.
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NO PROOF OF INDIA USING AFGHAN SOIL AGAINST PAKISTAN: US
The US on Wednesday
rejected Pakistan's claim that India was using Afghanistan for spreading
terrorism in the country, saying there was no evidence to support Islamabad's
allegations I don't have the evidence what you're referring to, but our policy
is clear that no country should support non-state actors, Alice Wells, said.
Pakistan has long been expressing its concerns regarding India allegedly using
the Afghan soil to create trouble and often presented as evidence the case of
Indian prisoner Kulbushan Jadhav, who has been sentenced to death by a
Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and terrorism in April 2017. Islamabad
claims that its security forces arrested Jadhav from restive Balochistan
province on March 3, 2016 after he reportedly entered from Iran. However, India
maintains that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran where he had business interests
after retiring from the Indian Navy. Jadhav's sentencing had evoked a sharp
reaction in India. We recognise and respect the territorial integrity and
sovereignty of Pakistan. We do not support any separatist or irredentist
movements, she said. India and Afghanistan accuse Pakistan of providing safe
haven to the Afghan Taliban, Haqqani network and other militant groups, which
carry out attacks in the two countries.
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PAKISTAN GOVERNMENT DEBT-TO-GDP SEES SHARP RISE IN 2018; RISES
TO THIS ALARMING LEVEL
In what could signal
heightened risks frontier market debt jumped by over $250 billion in 2018,
according to a report. Notably, Zambia, Vietnam, and Tunisia saw the largest
rise in debt ratios, even as some wealthier markets (e.g. Bahrain, Kuwait)
reduced debt. The government debt has now crossed the crucial 50% of GDP-mark,
up from 39% in 2012. Zambia, Tunisia and Pakistan registered big increases in
2018, noted a report. Notably, the frontier market debt has crossed a whopping
$3.2 trillion (117% of GDP)—up from 100% of GDP in 2012. The public sector has
been doing most of the borrowing: general government debt is up $550 billion
since 2012, followed by non-financial corporates (+$400 billion), said the
report. Taking stock of the government debt-to-GDP in these markets, the report
noted that the ratio is now 15 ppts higher than in 2008. The rise has been most
notable for Zambia and Tunisia, while government debt-to-GDP is highest for
Jamaica, Jordan, Bahrain and Sri Lanka, said the report. The net interest
expense on government debt approximately 3% of GDP in 2019/20, ranging from
less than 2% in Kazakhstan to a hefty 6% in Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Ghana, said
the report. Pakistan’s government debt-GDP ratio has risen to 72.1% in Q4 2018
from 67% one-year ago. However, Jamaica had the largest government-debt to GDP
ratio at 101.1%. Sri Lanka’s government debt to GDP stands at a whopping 84%,
up from 79.1% in the previous year, data from the report showed. Tunisia’s
ratio stood at 77% while Zambia’s ratio stood at 72.4%, up from 62.7% in the
previous year. Apart from the increased debt, the forex denominated bond
issuance has also tumbled. Total bond issuance in frontier markets amounted to
some $120 billion in 2018— down by more than 15% from 2017, said the report. Notably,
hard currency issuance has been particularly soft: in Q1 2019 the share of
issuance in foreign currency dropped to less than 40%, from over 50% a year
ago.
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NISSAN BAGS PATENT RELATED TO WIRELESS CHARGING TECHNOLOGY FOR
EVS
Japanese auto major Nissan
Motor Company has received an Indian patent for its wireless charging
technology for electric vehicle, which could help the vehicle to charge without
connecting with a charging device. The system allows charging an EV without a
connecting cable, simply by parking it on a designated spot, much like charging
an electric toothbrush or shaver, according to the company. The technology, for
which the company filed a patent application on December, 2013, describes a
power feeding coil and a power receiving coil and sensors which could sense the
output values of the power transmission to detect any obstacle between these
two coils. When the vehicle is parked at a specific parking position, the power
feeding coil will be positioned below the power receiving coil under the
vehicle, without both getting into direct contact. Electric power is supplied
through magnetic induction, in which as the power feeding coil is electrically
charged, it would generate a magnetic field that induces current in the
secondary coil, and charges the batteries. The company has also developed an
advanced parking assist, to help the user to park the car properly at the
designated location to help proper charging. The patent office has granted the
application earlier this week, after all the requirements for the procedure
were met and hearing the company's submission. The approval also comes at a
time when the company is expected to launch its electric car, the Nissan Lear,
in India during this year. The company, in January this year, told reporters
that the car will be launched in India as part of its efforts to bring in
eco-friendly technologies to the country. The model is part of Nissan's
Intelligent Mobility offerings across the country.
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CAPEX RECOVERY WILL BE
SLOW: DEMAND SLOWING AS COSTS OF DOING BUSINESS RISE
That
the creation of net fixed assets has slowed substantially in the last five
years, as data from CMIE shows, isn’t surprising. For one, it is the services
sector that has driven the economy over the last decade. Moreover, the general
slowdown in the economy, primarily the result of the twin balance sheet
problem, has left capacity utilisation at levels of 75% or thereabouts, not
necessitating fresh capacity addition in manufacturing. Some sectors such as
automobiles and telecom have seen large investments and companies such as Tata
Steel have set up new facilities. However, by and large, manufacturing
companies have tended to be quiet. While demand hasn’t exactly gone through the
roof, tough labour laws, too, have reined in their ambitions. In the last two
years, promoters with spare cash have opted to pick up assets via the inorganic
and IBC routes, especially steel, cement and power plants. That is probably why
the level of gross fixed capital formation (GFCF) as a share of GDP has
stagnated at around 28-29% of GDP and the manufacturing sector isn’t throwing
up enough job opportunities. Given the economy is losing momentum and demand is
flagging, it doesn’t seem likely private sector capex will pick up meaningfully
in the next two years. Much of the blame for this lies with the government; the
frequent changes in regulations have resulted in turmoil in the telecom sector
while it has been unable to deliver fuel to private sector utilities, pampering
public sector units. Investments into sectors such as renewable energy, too, have
slowed due to operational constraints—falling tariff rates and higher input
costs. In the future, businessmen—and bankers—will be extremely wary of risking
capital in areas which are vulnerable to changes in regulations and difficult
labour laws.
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FACEBOOK OVERHAULS
DESIGN AS IT PIVOTS TO PRIVATE MESSAGING
Facebook
Inc debuted an overhaul of its core social network on Tuesday, taking its first
concrete steps to refashion itself into a private messaging and e-commerce
company as it tries to move past scandals while tapping new revenue sources. Mark
Zuckerberg unveiled a fresh design for the world's biggest social network that
de-emphasized its News Feed. It also ditched the signature blue banner that has
been on the app since its launch. The new design showcases Facebook's messaging
app, online marketplace and video-on-demand site, while giving greater
prominence to the popular photo-driven Stories feature. The company also rolled
out features aimed at encouraging users to interact with their close social
circle as well as with businesses, such as a Secret Crush option for Facebook
Dating and a tool for appointment booking. As the world gets bigger and more connected,
we need that sense of intimacy more than ever. That's why I believe that the
future is private. This is the next chapter for our services, said Zuckerberg. The
social media company is now working on LightSpeed in order to make its
Messenger app smaller and faster. Facebook will also introduce a desktop
version of Messenger for Mac and Windows and launch a feature called Product
Catalogue for WhatsApp Business. The desktop app will be available this fall. Later
this week, Facebook will run a test in Canada for a major change to its
Instagram app that would remove the number of likes on photos as well as video
views from users' feeds, permalink pages and profiles. The online ad market is
largely dominated by Facebook and Alphabet Inc's Google. But the field is more
diverse for messaging, e-commerce and payments, with big players like
Amazon.com Inc , Microsoft Corp and eBay Inc as well as fast-growing Silicon
Valley unicorns like workplace messaging app Slack and video conferencing
service Zoom Video Communications Inc.
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J&J TOLD TO PAY ₹1 CRORE COMPENSATION TO
FAULTY HIP TRANSPLANT PATIENT
In the highest
compensation ordered for medical negligence in India, the Central Drugs
Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) on Tuesday asked Johnson and Johnson Pvt.
Ltd (J&J) to pay over ₹1 crore and ₹90 lakh, respectively, to two patients who suffered from
faulty hip implants made by the company. According to two people aware of the
matter, a central expert committee that studied the cases recommended payment
of ₹1 crore and ₹90 lakh to the two individuals, both from Uttar Pradesh.
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PREPAID FOREX CARDS HELD BY OVER 1,300 JET AIRWAYS STAFFERS
'FROZEN'
Prepaid forex cards held
by staff members of the grounded Jet Airways were frozen Wednesday. The cards
were given to the Jet staff operating international flights for taking care of
the expenses incurred overseas. Over 1,300 staffers, including 1,000 cabin crew
and 300 pilots, have been affected. The money in the cards was saved over
multiple trips and they have lost money in this difficult situation, one of the
staffers said, requesting not be identified. Some of the employees had savings
of up to $2,000 in the forex cards, the staffer claimed to illustrate the
extent of the problem at hand. Private sector Axis Bank, whose cards were used
by the staff, said they have no role to play in the happenings.
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CENTRE HAD ADVISED MAHARASHTRA TO STAY ALERT AND FOLLOW SOP IN
MAOIST ZONES
The Centre had advised
states affected by Maoist violence, including Maharashtra, to remain alert and strictly
follow the standard operating procedure (SOP), especially during the ongoing
general elections. Rajiv Gauba had shared details of Maosit movement in the
trijunction of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh with the DGPs of
Maharashtra and Chhattishgarh, asking them to be on vigil, sources said. Gauba
in a letter to DGPs and the director generals of central armed forces deployed
in the Maoist areas had highlighted the ongoing tactical counter-offensive
campaign of the Maoists and the need to adhere to laid down SOP. In March this
year, Gauba held a review meeting with the chief secretaries of 11 affected
states, officials said.
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IN US, HALF OF 11.7 LAKH INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS FROM INDIA AND
CHINA
Indian and Chinese
citizens made up nearly half of the total 11.7 lakh international students in
the United States as of March 2019. Other than the large numbers, though,
students from the two countries share little in common, academics say. Those
from India dominated masters courses whereas a larger percentage of Chinese
students had enrolled for bachelors degrees. Collectively, the number of active
students from these countries, at 5.8 lakh, comprised 49.5% of the total
international students who hold an F visa or an M visa for academic and
vocational studies, respectively. The data was released recently in its raw
form by the US department of homeland security and was based on SEVIS figures.
SEVIS or the student and exchange visitor information system is the database
that DHS uses to maintain and manage information on international students.
Nearly 75%, or 1.58 lakh of the total 2.09 lakh active students from India, had
enrolled in masters courses. Of these, 11% were studying for a bachelors degree
and 10% were pursuing a doctorate. While the raw data does not dissect the
numbers into study streams, various other studies and anecdotal references
indicate that a significant number of students from India opt for the science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) stream. Typically,
international students do seek to work in the host country for at least a few
years.
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INDIA APPREHENSIVE IRAN SANCTIONS COULD BOOST OIL PRICES,
INFLATION
US sanctions on Iran could
boost oil prices and inflation to a point that hurts the common person in
India, the country's ambassador to the United States said on Tuesday, after the
Trump administration said it would end waivers for Iran's oil buyers. President
Donald Trump's efforts to sink Iran's oil exports to zero will have a direct
impact on India, the largest buyer of the oil after China, Harsh Vardhan
Shringla, the ambassador, said. We are apprehensive that that impact can
translate into inflation, (and) higher oil prices, that could affect the common
person in India, Shringla said. Trump's sanctions on Iran are intended to curb
its nuclear and ballistic missile programme & reduce its influence in
Syria, Yemen and other countries in the Middle East. Many of India's oil
refineries are calibrated to process crude oil from Iran and it is not possible
to suddenly convert those refineries (to run) some other form of crude,
Shringla said. Cutting off sales of oil from Iran, with which India has long
had business and cultural relations, raises questions about long-term
agreements on pricing and quality in the oil business, he said. The Trump
administration surprised Iran's oil customers, including India, China and
Turkey, last week by saying no waivers on the sanctions would be granted after
May 1, ending six months of exceptions to the sanctions for reductions in
purchases.
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AGENCIES ALLAY FEARS, SAY NO NEW POSTER ISSUED BY ISIS
BANGLADESH
Security agencies tracking
the ISIS Bangladesh group have said that the outfit did not issue any new
poster last week, allaying concerns that a terror attack replicating the Sri
Lanka template could be made in Bengali-speaking regions of the Indian
subcontinent. A photo in circulation on the Telegram channel of ISIS
Bangladesh, purportedly pointing to increased terror activity soon in either
West Bengal or Bangladesh, represents the display picture of the outfit,
security experts told. The channel has been in existence since 2014, and it was
last active in November, 2018. Security sources also said that members of the
group had begun discussions on other platforms highlighting recent Indian media
reports that linked the old channel’s profile picture and impending terror
threat in regions where Bengali is the primary language. A senior official at
Kolkata Police’s Special Task Force said: This is a general e-poster that has
been used by the ISIS (Bangladesh chapter). This poster always comes ahead of
any video or audio release on Al Mursalat and Al Munadi media. This was last
noticed in November, 2018. According to the information we have regarding this,
Al Mursalat is being run by Abu Dujana Al Bangalee.
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IRAQ REMAINS INDIA'S TOP OIL SUPPLIER IN FY19, IMPORTS FROM US
UP 4-FOLDS
According to data sourced
from the Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics, Iraq
sold 46.61 million tonne of crude oil to India during April 2018 and March
2019, 2 per cent more than 45.74 million tonne it had supplied in 2017-18
fiscal. India provisionally imported 207.3 million tonne of crude oil in
2018-19, down from 220.4 million tonne in the previous financial year. Saudi
Arabia has traditionally been India's top oil source, but it was for the first
time dethroned by Iraq in 2017-18 fiscal year. In 2018-19, Saudi exported 40.33
million tonne of crude oil, up from 36.16 million tonne of oil sold in the previous
year. While India stopped importing crude oil from Iran following reimposition
of economic sanctions this month by the US, the Persian Gulf nation was the
third largest crude oil supplier to India. It sold 23.9 million tonne of crude
in 2018-19, up from 22.59 million tonne in the previous year, according to the
data. UAE topped Venezuela to become India's fourth-largest crude supplier. It
sold 17.49 million tonne of crude oil to India, just a tad higher than 17.32
million tonne of oil coming from Venezuela. In 2017-18, Venezuela had supplied
18.34 million tonne and UAE 14.29 million tonne. Nigeria was the next biggest
supplier with 16.83 million tonne of exports in 2018-19, down from 18.11
million tonne in the previous year. Kuwait supplied 10.78 million tonne of oil
and Mexico another 10.28 million tonne. The US, which began selling crude oil
to India in 2017, is fast becoming a major source. Supplies from the US jumped
more than four-fold to 6.4 million tonne in the 2018-19 fiscal year.
#For Source of Information copy and paste the heading in google.
Thanks & Regards,
CS Meetesh Shiroya
Thanks & Regards,
CS Meetesh Shiroya
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