CABINET APPROVES CREATION OF ADDITIONAL POSTS OF THREE
JUDICIAL MEMBERS AND THREE TECHNICAL MEMBERS IN THE NATIONAL COMPANY LAW
APPELLATE TRIBUNAL
Narendra Modi, has
approved creation of additional posts of three Judicial Members and three
Technical Members in the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT). The
posts will be created in Level 17 (Rs.2,25,000/- fixed) plus allowances as
admissible. The total financial implication will be Rs.2,27,82,096 (Rupees two
crore twenty seven lakh eighty two thousand ninety six only) per annum. This
will ensure to meet the mandate provided to NCLAT by the Finance Act, 2017, the
Companies Act, the IBC, 2016 and the time frame provided for disposal of cases.
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16TH LOK SABHA PASSED 240 BILLS, HAD 312 SITTINGS: REPORT
The outgoing Lok Sabha
passed 240 of the 273 bills introduced during its term While 10 bills were
withdrawn, 23 bills remained pending, said election watchdog Association for
Democratic Reforms (ADR) on Wednesday. On an average, MPs asked 251 questions
and attended 221 of the 312 sittings of the 16th Lok Sabha. Supriya Sule of the
Nationalist Congress Party asked the highest 1,181 questions. Party-wise, the
highest number of questions were asked by 18 Shiv Sena MPs, each of whom on an
average asked 639 questions, while two National People's Party (NPP) MPs asked
the least number of questions, an average of 10. Among states, 50 MPs from
Maharashtra asked the highest number of questions with an average of 534 each,
while two MPs from Nagaland asked the least number of questions, 12 each. Seven
MPs from Delhi had the highest average attendance in the 16th Lok Sabha as they
attended 289 sittings. The ADR said the least attendance was recorded by two
MPs from Nagaland. On an average they attended 88 of the 312 sittings. Among
the political parties, two Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) MPs had the highest
average attendance and attended 264 sittings. The least attendance was recorded
by two NPP MPs, who attended 85 sittings on an average.
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CABINET APPROVES ACQUIRING LAND OF CENTRAL WATER COMMISSION
Narendra Modi, has given
its approval for acquiring 372 sq. yards out of 10 acres of land including compound
wall (about 200m) in the eastern side of Central Water Commission land by the
Telangana State Government for improvement of Radial Road No. 30 by widening of
road with nil charges. The developed road shall be useful for Central Water
Commission, as a Center of Excellence is proposed to be constructed over the
allotted land.
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CABINET APPROVES MOU BETWEEN INDIA AND INDONESIA OM COMBATING
ILLICIT TRAFFICKING
Narendra Modi, has
approved the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and
Indonesia on combating illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs, psychotropic
substances and its precursors. The MoU will help in mutual cooperation in
regulation of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances and in combating drug
trafficking. It will come into force on the date of signing and will remain in
effect for a period of five years. India has signed similar
Conventions/MoUs/Agreements with the 37 countries.
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CIC DIRECTS DOPT TO DISCLOSE NAMES OF IAS OFFICERS ACCUSED OF
GRAFT SINCE 2010
The CIC has directed the
Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) to disclose names of IAS officers
against whom sanction of prosecution has been given in corruption cases since
2010. The information is often disclosed by the Centre in response to questions
raised in Parliament. DoPT Commissioner Divya Prakash Sinha has issued the
order on the petition of Lucknow-based activist Nutan Thakur. She had sought
records, including file noting, communication etc, related to the sanction of
prosecution against IAS officers between 2010 and 2017, but was not provided
information by the Department of Personnel. She argued that the information is
in larger public interest. The Central Information Commission (CIC) rejected
the request for file noting and other records generated while according the
sanction as it would mean diversion of resources. The Commission observes from
the perusal of facts on record that information sought in the RTI
Application(s) is largely unspecific and is required to be gathered from
voluminous records which may entail disproportionate diversion of resources as
per Section 7(9) of RTI Act, Sinha ordered. He however directed that the names
of IAS officers for whom prosecution sanction has been granted as well as
denied for the period starting from year 2010 till date of RTI application
should be provided. It is not the first time that the transparency panel has
taken a decision to disclose these records. The then Information Commissioner,
Shailesh Gandhi, had also ordered disclosure of records pertaining to sanction
of prosecution for IAS, IPS and IFS officers. The DoPT had provided the
information to applicant Kishanlal Mittal. The information related to names of
IAS officers for whom sanction of prosecution was granted had been provided in
the Lok Sabha by the UPA government in a reply on December 12, 2011.
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CURRENCY IN CIRCULATION AS PERCENTAGE OF GDP DECLINES SINCE
DEMO: FINMIN OFFICIAL
Currency in circulation as
percentage of GDP declined by over 1 percentage points to 10.48 per cent in the
two years after demonetisation, a finance ministry official said. In terms of
GDP, notes in circulation declined from 11.55 per cent as on November 8, 2016,
to 10.48 per cent as on November 8, 2018, reflecting that it has actually
contributed in reducing the currency in circulation, an official said. This
reflects a decline of 1 percentage point or 100 basis points. Post note ban, Rs
15.31 lakh crore worth demonetised notes were deposited in banks within a
stipulated time. This was 99.3 per cent of the Rs 15.41 lakh crore worth of Rs
500 and Rs 1,000 notes in circulation on November 8, 2016. As on November 4,
2016, notes in circulation was Rs 17.74 lakh crore, which increased to Rs 21.22
lakh crore as on March 22, 2019. According to the finance ministry calculation
the notes in circulation would have grown to Rs 24.55 lakh crore by end of
March 2019, higher by Rs 3 lakh crore than the current level, if the government
had not demonetised currency notes. With regards to digital transactions, the
official said the volume has increased to 210.32 crore in October 2018, from
71.19 crore in October 2016. The value of digital transaction also increased to
Rs 135.97 lakh crore in October 2018 from Rs 87.68 lakh crore in October 2016.
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FARMER SUBSIDIES IN INDIA VERY LOW AS COMPARED TO WESTERN
COUNTRIES: COMMERCE SECY
Subsidies provided by
India to its farmers are quite low as compared to billions of dollars given by
western countries a top government official said on Wednesday. Anup Wadhawan
said India provides only about USD 250 per annum per farmer but unfortunately
our subsidies run into trouble as they are not structured properly, so there is
a need to learn from other countries. Developed countries, including the
European Union (EU) and the US, have alleged in the World Trade Organization
(WTO) that India provides huge subsidies to its farmers. India always maintains
that its farm subsidies are well below the WTO's cap of 10 per cent. The US has
also dragged India to the WTO's dispute settlement mechanism over export
subsidies being provided by New Delhi. If you look at the kind of budgetary
support which developed countries provide to their economic agents, the numbers
are mind-boggling, Wadhawan said at a function. In the agriculture sector, he
said, the EU and the US provides huge subsidies but cleverly put those in boxes
which are WTO compatible. Citing a joke, he said, cows in the EU get so much of
subsidy that a cow can be flown around the world in business class twice. Our
subsidies in agriculture, for instance, are only about USD 250 per annum per
farmer, compared to billions of dollars which western countries give, he said.
Talking about special economic zones (SEZs), he said there is a need to make
these zones as zones of excellence, which should be investor friendly, having
state-of-the-art infrastructure. We need to transform our SEZs into that model,
he said adding that competitive economic zones are not based on fiscal
incentives but based on easy regulatory environment and single-window system.
There is also a need to look at Chinese model of these zones which are spread
in a much wider space, Wadhawan said adding India's SEZ policy does not get
implemented entirely as envisaged. India is not as successful story as China
and other countries but India has a relative decent start. The exports (from
SEZs) are about Rs 6 lakh crore per annum and has created 2 million direct
jobs, he added.
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RAGHURAM RAJAN SAYS HE WILL RETURN IF THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY
TO BE OF USE
Amid speculation that he
may be the finance minister if an opposition alliance wins the ensuing general
elections the former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan has said he is willing to
return to take an opportunity where he could be of use. Rajan, said he is very
happy where he is, but is open to opportunities. I am very happy where I am.
But if there is an opportunity to be of use I will always be there, he said.
Rajan, who is currently the Katherine Dusak Miller Distinguished Service
Professor of Finance at the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business in
the US, was asked if he would like to return to India in public service or even
a political role. Speculation in political circles has been that he may be a
choice for finance minister if the 'Grand Alliance' of opposition parties such
as TMC, Samajwadi Party, BSP and TDP were to win the April/May general
elections. Rahul Gandhi had on Tuesday stated that Rajan was among top
economists that his party had consulted to draft its minimum income guarantee
scheme, Nyuntam Aay Yojana or NYAY. A number of economists, of which I was one,
have put together a set of policy ideas and they are out there for anybody to
read. They are coming out in a book but let me say very quickly that certainly,
I would focus on short-term actions that could put a lot of projects back on
track, he said. Also, cleaning up the banks as quickly as possible and set them
back on credit growth, and finding two or three key reforms that could unleash
growth would be his focus, he said. Certainly one of them has to be how we
review agriculture in a way that reduces distress. Second would be the issue of
land acquisition. Can we learn from the best practices of the states and find
methods that seem fair and in a sense also give states the freedom to pick the
method that works best for them so that we learn from each other's experiments?
Land acquisition and bank cleanup, as well as, trying to find some key policies
that would revive agriculture - these would be top priorities, he said.
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RAHUL ANNOUNCES THREE YEAR EXEMPTION FROM GOVT REGULATIONS FOR
NEW MSMES
Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday
said a key promise of his party’s manifesto to be unveiled in the coming days,
would relate to helping the MSME sector. He said a Congress government at the
Centre would allow any person to start a business with nearly no government
permission required for three years. The Congress government in Rajasthan
notified an ordinance to facilitate the MSME (micro, small and medium
enterprises) sector in starting new projects. It notified the facilitation of
establishment and operation ordinance to enable businesspersons to set up
factories by filling up a self-declaration form. Other necessary approvals
would need to be sought from the government within six months of the expiry of
the three-year period. M V Rajeev Gowda, who is a member of the party’s
manifesto drafting committee, said the Congress promises to liberate
entrepreneurs, MSMEs, and start-ups from inspector raj. They will be exempt
from all applicable laws and regulations (except Minimum Wages Act and tax
laws) for three years or, for new businesses, from the date of commencement. For
its manifesto drafting exercise, the Congress reached out to several MSME
businesspersons who complained of having suffered because of the double whammy
of demonetisation and goods and services tax (GST). Our MSMEs need this healing
touch after demonetisation & GST. This will spur job creation and unleash
animal spirits, Gowda, who is a Rajya Sabha member, said. Ashok Gehlot had
announced the move for his state on March 4, and the ordinance notified a
couple of days later. While announcing the step, Gehlot said the newly notified
norms allow businesspersons to start a new enterprise with mere
self-declarations and would not have to seek any approval or inspection of any
department for the next three years. Gehlot said this would save them from
hardship of legal and administrative scrutiny of government departments. He
said simplifying the process of establishing new businesses would save time,
efforts and resources of entrepreneurs. He hoped that the step would attract
more investment in Rajasthan. Rajasthan’s Bureau of Investment Promotion (BIP)
is to as a nodal agency at the state level and the district industries centres
at the district level, respectively.
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CHANGES IN APEDA ACT, ESSENTIAL COMMODITIES ACT REQUIRED FOR
FARMERS TO GET BETTER CROP PRICES: KANT
Changes are required in
the APMC Act and the Essential Commodities Act to help farmers get better
prices of their produce, Amitabh Kant said Wednesday. Amul succeeded because of
professional management, it was able to do forward and backward linkages, it
was able to bring in technology, it was able to do value addition, Kant said. And,
that is what Indian agricultural cooperative movement requires -- better
technology, better marketing, better seeds, better fertiliser and with that, I
have no doubt in my mind that the returns to Indian farmers will not only
double but triple. Challenge is to get professional management and better
technology, he said. However, there are constraints to the Agricultural Produce
Market Committee (APMC) Act and the Essential Commodities Act which curtail the
movements of goods from one place to another, and there are challenge of better
marketing in the agricultural cooperative sector, he said. Kant also said the
cooperative federations must get the best price for their farmers. Without
this, it will be difficult for farmers to double their income, he added.
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INDIAN BUSINESSES STRUGGLE TO FIND RECRUITS WITH DESIRED
SKILLS: ILO
More than half of India’s
business houses are finding it harder to recruit people with the skills they
need according to a survey by the International Labour Organisation. ILO said,
Globally, employers and businesses are increasingly encountering challenges in
locating, hiring and retaining talent. However, skills requirements and ease of
recruiting varies widely across regions, defying any obvious patterns of
developed versus emerging economy. A large proportion of businesses in the
United States of America (61 per cent), Brazil (70 per cent), India (66 per
cent) and Germany (65 per cent) agreed that businesses are looking for quite
different skills in new recruits than three years ago, the report said. In
India, 53 per cent of the businesses surveyed also said that it is becoming
harder to recruit people with the skills needed, the report added. Explaining
the reason for this mismatch, the ILO report said that education systems are
partially responsible for the dearth of capable and skilled workers. Many
countries feature educational systems that are poorly equipped to adapt to
changes in the workplace, whether due to inaction in policy, a lack of funding,
lack of coordination with the private sector or other factors. This resonates
strongly with businesses, with 78 per cent of executives indicating that
updating the school and education curriculum to match the economy’s needs would
provide them with the skilled employees they need, the report said. The
potential for automation is the highest in Japan where 55.7 per cent of the
work activities could be automated by adapting current technology. In India,
survey respondents feel that 51.8 per cent of the work can be automated.
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GOVT TO CRACK DOWN ON SUGAR SALES BELOW FLOOR PRICE
The Indian government has
asked regional cane commissioners to take action against sugar mills selling
sugar below a government-mandated price. The sugar mills are facing a cash
crunch as they also have to pay stipulated prices to buy cane from farmers at a
time when there is a glut of sugar, and they are heavily in arrears in those
payments. They are under intense pressure from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's
ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to make those payments as failure to do so
could turn the sugar farmers, a powerful voting bloc, against it in the general
election in April-to-May. The world's biggest sugar consumer introduced a floor
price for the sweetener last year to help the mills and the farmers. Last month
it raised the minimum selling price (MSP) of sugar to ₹3,100
($45.01) per 100 kg from ₹2,900 but despite that order several mills sold sugar below
the MSP, which threatens to undermine the initiative. The sugar price control
order allows the government to conduct searches in factories, and penalties
include the possible seizure of stocks of mills violating the rule. In
Thursday's meeting the sugar commissioner of Maharashtra will review how mills
are subverting the law, said Sanjay Khatal.
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IN 2018, OFFICIAL SECRETS ACT INVOKED IN 5 CASES
The Ministry of Home
Affairs (MHA) issued five prosecution sanction orders last year under the
Official Secrets Act (OSA), 1923. On October 8, Nishant Agrawal an engineer
working at the BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited centre in Nagpur was arrested
on charges of illegally possessing highly sensitive and secret documents the
Uttar Pradesh police alleged. Police recently filed a complaint (technical term
for chargehseet under OSA) in a Nagpur court against the accused but did not
press any charges under the British-era Act for sending the sensitive
information to Pakistan, a claim widely reported in media. The Nagpur court
also sought legal advice on the complaint. We got the prosecution sanction from
MHA last December. We filed a complaint against him only for possession of
secret documents of BrahMos missile in his personal computer, said Asim Arun,
Inspector General, Anti Terrorist Squad, U.P. A senior police officer said Mr.
Agrawal stored the information in his personal computer and he had also
downloaded certain web-based applications which launched a spyware in the
machine. Through the spyware, some Pakistani agents stole the crucial documents
from his computer but we have not booked him for that. He should have known and
taken adequate precautions. We have charged him only to the extent we can
prove, said the official. Mr. Agrawal’s bail plea was rejected on Tuesday.
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FINANCE MINISTRY UNCONVINCED ABOUT BSNL 4G ALLOCATION PLAN
The Department of
Telecom’s (DoT) proposal to allocate 4G Spectrum worth Rs 13,885 crore to
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) has not gone down well with the Union Ministry
of Finance, which is not in favour of allocating 4G Spectrum to the state-run
telco in lieu of preferential equities to the government. BSNL, which operates
telecom services all across India except in Delhi and Mumbai, has requested 5
MHz of 4G Spectrum on the 2,100 MHz band. It has already sent an approved
proposal to DoT in this regard. The estimated cost of the spectrum is Rs 13,885
crore and BSNL proposes 50 per cent payment to be done upfront and the
remaining in 10 equal instalments. However, the finance ministry is not in
favour of BSNL’s payment plan said sources in the ministry. BSNL wants upfront
payment to be met through the equity route, where government will be given
preferential equities in lieu of the spectrum, valued at Rs 6,942.5 crore. The
ministry is not in favour of it, given the current financial condition of BSNL,
a senior finance ministry official told this publication. Another reason for
the finance ministry’s disapproval is that the government is working on a
financial package for the rescue of crisis-ridden BSNL. In that context, the
preferential equity option would increase the financial burden on the total
bailout. However, finance ministry is not alone in its disagreement with the
BSNL proposal. Even NITI Aayog has questioned the relevance of allocating 4G
Spectrum in lieu of equities to government. The finance ministry official said
that Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) will start consultation on
BSNL’s proposal and will give its final report by the end of May or the first
week of June.
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GOVT MAY EASE NORMS FOR EVS TO QUALIFY FOR FAME INCENTIVES
The government is looking
to make it easier for electric and hybrid vehicle makers to qualify for
subsidies after realizing that none of the firms would be able to meet the
existing specifications. The ministry of heavy industries and public
enterprises may decide to change the vehicle specifications, such as the
minimum speed and range, required to qualify for incentives under the second
phase of Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric and Hybrid Vehicles
(FAME) scheme, because none of the existing or forthcoming electric four-wheelers
to be used in commercial fleets will be able to avail the incentives under the
existing norms. According to the proposed revisions in draft guidelines,
electric and hybrid vehicles with a range of 120km and minimum speed of 70km
per hour will be eligible for FAME, as opposed to the earlier requirement of
140km in the first draft. At the moment, the government will provide incentives
to commercial fleet operators under the scheme, although none of the
manufacturers boasts of a passenger vehicle with a range of 140km and minimum
speed of 70kmph. Additionally, the price of the vehicle has to be less than ₹15
lakh—but a product with a bigger lithium-ion battery is not likely
to be in that price range. If these changes go through, most of the funds earmarked
for electric vehicles under the scheme will remain underutilized or will now be
used to incentivize other vehicles in other categories.
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OMBUDSMAN DK JAIN TO DOUBLE UP AS BCCI'S ETHICS OFFICER: COA
The BCCI's newly-appointed
ombudsman, Justice (Retd) DK Jain, will also be its ad-hoc Ethics Officer, the
Committee of Administrators (COA) running Indian cricket said on Thursday. The
COA, in its 10th Status Report filed on October 28, 2018, had requested the
Supreme Court to appoint an Ethics Officer in addition to an Ombudsman for
looking into the matters of Conflict of Interest. The Ld. Ombudsman of the
BCCI, the Hon'ble Mr. Justice D.K. Jain (retd.), shall discharge the functions
of the BCCI Ethics Officer, in addition to his role as the BCCI Ombudsman, as
an ad-hoc arrangement till such time that an Ethics Officer is appointed, the
COA said.
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MISSION SHAKTI OPERATION WAS A DIFFICULT TARGET TO ACHIEVE BUT
WAS COMPLETED SUCCESSFULLY WITHIN THREE MINUTES
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi on Wednesday in an address to the nation claimed that India successfully
tested its anti-satellite (ASAT) missile system in a classified exercise
code-named 'Mission Shakti.' Mission Shakti operation was a difficult target to
achieve but was completed successfully within three minutes of launch, he said,
adding that India successfully targeted a live satellite in LEO (low earth
orbit). India’s success comes a good 12 years after China tested a similar
technology, and India has become only the fourth country to have such a
technology, with the US and Russia being the other two. While Wednesday’s test
is pegged as a major success, India has been working on this technology for at
least a decade, with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)
seriously pursuing it from 2012. Avinash Chander, said: This is an extension of
the DRDO’s long-range ballistic missile programme of the extra-atmospheric
interception. While we had been working on this technology for long, the
current programme was initiated some time recently. Scientists with DRDO said
the project had not got the final sanction under the previous UPA government.
Chander further explained that unlike the Agni-V and the long-range
anti-ballistic programme, bringing down a satellite has several other
challenges. However, no country that has boasted of ASAT in the past has ever
used it to bringing down satellites belonging to other countries. Modi too
reiterated this and said: India has always been for peaceful space endeavours
and that policy has not changed. This is only to demonstrate that we are
capable of doing it if the need arises. While the PM said that India hit a live
satellite, Isro has not yet confirmed this, although sources said that it could
either be the Microsat-R (launched in January 2019) or the Microsat-TD
(launched last year) satellites. Neither DRDO nor any other agency confirmed
the location from which the missile was launched.
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4,426 CASES OF POLL CODE VIOLATION FILED IN MAHARASHTRA SINCE
MARCH 11
More than 4,400 FIRs have
been registered in Maharashtra since March 11 in connection with violation of
the model code of conduct which is in force for the next month's Lok Sabha
polls, an official said Wednesday. The model code of conduct (MCC) came into
force on March 10 when the Lok Sabha election schedule was announced. These
cases, numbering 4,426, have been filed by the Election Commission (EC) flying
squads and also the excise department across the state, said the official from
the office of the state CEO. The largest number of cases pertained to
defacement of public property and liquor stocks that were being transported
without licence, he said. In some cases, liquor was seized in dry areas like Chandrapur
district in Vidarbha, the official said. The office of the Chief Electoral
Officer (CEO) has constituted three flying squads for each assembly
constituency in the state and they are accompanied by video recording teams. So
far, 32,797 licenced weapons have been surrendered and 131 licenced weapons
seized for violation of norms, the official said. Also, 46 firearm licences
have been cancelled, he added.
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CABINET APPROVES FIVE YEAR’S EXTENSION OF BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH
CAREER PROGRAMME
Narendra Modi, has
approved the continuation of the Biomedical Research Career Programme (BRCP),
and Wellcome Trust (WT) / DBT India Alliance beyond its initial 10-year term
(2008-09 to 2018-29) to a new five year phase (2019-20 to 2023-24) with
Department of Biotechnology (DBT) increasing its commitment to two times that
of WT. The total financial implication will be Rs. 1092 crore with DBT and WT
contributing Rs.728 crore and Rs.364 crore respectively. Over its 10 years of
funding in a 1:1 partnership, the Programme has fulfilled its objectives of
building and nurturing talent of highest global standards in cutting-edge
biomedical research in India, which has led to important scientific
breakthroughs and applications to meet societal needs. BRCP has made it
attractive for high quality Indian scientists working abroad to return to
India, and has increased the number of locations geographically within India
where world-class biomedical research is undertaken. In the extending phase,
the Programme would continue to build this capacity as also strengthen clinical
research and work towards addressing important health challenges for India. Continuation
of the Programme with increased stake from the Government of India is important
to bring about these returns.
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CABINET APPROVES MOU BETWEEN INDIA AND REPUBLIC OF KOREA ON
STARTUP COOPERATION
Narendra Modi, has given
its ex-post facto approval on the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between
India and Republic of Korea on Startup Cooperation. The MoU was signed in
February, 2019. The MoU would facilitate and promote bilateral cooperation
between the startups of both countries, subject to their national laws and
regulations and any applicable international treaties, conventions and
agreements to which the two countries are party.
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CABINET APPRISED ABOUT MOU BETWEEN INDIA AND SAUDI ARABIA FOR
COOPERATION IN THE FIELD OF HOUSING
Narendra Modi, was
apprised about an MoU signed in February, 2019 between India and Saudi Arabia
for cooperation in the field of Housing The MoU will promote technical
cooperation in the field of Housing, including affordable/low income housing
and enhance participation of authorities and companies in the housing and infrastructure
projects undertaken in both the countries. It will also promote sharing of
knowledge and experiences in development and transfer of modern construction
techniques and encourage R&D in the fields of housing development.
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CABINET APPRISED ABOUT MOU BETWEEN INDIA AND MOROCCO TO
PROMOTE EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION AND TECHNICAL COOPERATION
Narendra Modi, was
apprised about an MoU signed in February, 2019 between India and Morocco to
promote exchange of information and technical cooperation in the field of
Housing and Human Settlement. Implementation of the MoU would strengthen
bilateral cooperation between the two countries in the areas of Housing &
Human Settlement. Both countries will cooperate to address the challenges faced
by cities, with the aim of promoting sustainable inclusive urban growth, whilst
improving commercial and trade relations between the two countries. This will
primarily include, but not limited to, low cost and mass affordable housing,
water supply and sanitation, urban transport and smart cities development.
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CABINET APPRISED ABOUT MOU ON ANTARCTIC COOPERATION BETWEEN
INDIA AND ARGENTINE
Narendra Modi, was
apprised about an MoU signed in February, 2019 between India and Argentine on
Antarctic cooperation. The MoU will help scientific cooperation on projects in
the fields of Earth sciences, as well as those related to the protection and
conservation of the natural environment of Antarctica and the Southern Oceans.
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Cabinet apprised about MoU
for cooperation on youth matters between India and Morocco
Narendra Modi, was
apprised about an MoU signed in February, 2019 on youth matters between India
and Morocco. The objective of the MoU is to strengthen and encourage
cooperation between the two countries on youth matters through participation in
events and activities, information and knowledge sharing and youth exchanges. The
areas of cooperation on Youth matters include:
·
organisation of youth
programmes;
·
exchange of invitations to
international conferences and seminars;
·
exchange of printed
materials, films, experiences, research and other information;
·
participation in youth
camps, youth festivals and other cooperative youth events.
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CABINET APPROVES MOU BETWEEN INDIA AND CROATIA IN THE FIELD OF
TOURISM
Narendra Modi, has given
its ex-post facto approval on the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between
India and Croatia in the field of tourism. The MoU in the field of Tourism will
help the two parties in creating an institutional mechanism for enhancing
cooperation in the tourism sector. The MoU has been signed on 26 March, 2019
during the visit of President of India to Croatia.
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IN KOLKATA, HUNDREDS OF JOB ASPIRANTS SITTING ON FAST FOR LAST
28 DAYS; MAMATA GOVT FAILS TO END DEADLOCK
As political parties in
West Bengal are busy organising campaigns and bringing out their manifestos
days ahead of Lok Sabha elections – right in the heart of the state capital,
Kolkata, around 350 government job aspirants are sitting on an indefinite relay
hunger strike since last month. The protest which entered its 28th day on
Wednesday, has been going on in front of the Kolkata Press Club, and a stone’s
throw away from where CM Mamata Banerjee staged a 26-day-long hunger strike on
the Singur land issue, which shook the base of CPI-M’s 32-year-long rule in
Bengal. After weeks-long protest, the state education minister Partha
Chatterjee held three meetings with the protesters – and assured them to form a
five-member committee to investigate into the matter. However, the protesters
complained, as they went to meet the committee at Bikas Bhavan on Tuesday,
instead of five there were only two members present. The protesters will be
submitting their demands in written format, as requested by the committee
members on Wednesday. According to the 1:1.4 ratio, during the final selection,
140 candidates should be shortlisted for every 100 seats – 100 of whom will be
empanelled and 40 will be waitlisted. The government did not follow this rule,
and shortlisted around 400 candidates for every 100 seats, she explained. The
fast started with 400 protesters, who all qualified the School Service
Commission (SSC) exam for the post of assistant teachers and have been
waitlisted by the government. The notification of the recruitment was brought
out in 2016, the selection test was conducted in 2017 and the result was
brought out in March 2018. Around 80 protesters who had joined in the sit-in
protest have been sent home as they have been diagnosed with dengue, dysentery,
among other ailments, while two of the female candidates even had miscarriages.
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OBC ALLOTS 13.89 CR SHARES TO GOVT FOLLOWING CAPITAL INFUSION
Public sector Oriental
Bank of Commerce (OBC) Wednesday said it has allotted 13.89 crore equity shares
to the government following capital infusion of Rs 1,186 crore into the bank.
Pursuant to the approval of the board of directors, the bank has allotted
13,89,89,804 equity shares of Rs 10 each at an issue price (including premium)
of Rs 85.33 per equity share aggregating up to Rs 1,186 crore to Government of
India on preferential basis on March 26, 2019, OBC said in a regulatory filing.
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MAHARASHTRA SAYS HAS NO DUES TOWARDS PRIVATE POWER PRODUCERS
Maharashtra State
Electricity Distribution Co Ltd Wednesday said it has no outstanding towards
private power generators and dues reflecting on a government portal are
unilaterally uploaded by private without validation from distribution
companies. Responding to reports of 12 power generating companies belonging to
firms such as GMR and Adani Group and public sector generators like NTPC having
about Rs 41,730 crore outstanding from state distribution companies (discoms),
it said, the figures posted by generators on this website may be misleading. It
said the report was based on the data available on PRAA port of the government
of India. On this website, power generators are allowed to upload the payment
dues against distribution companies unilaterally without validation from
Discoms, it said in a statement. Discoms, it said, are not given any login
facility on the website and power generators are uploading the due amount on
this website including the disputed amounts under litigation. PRAA or Payment
Ratification and Analysis in Power procurement for bringing Transparency in
Invoicing of generators is a web portal launched by Union Ministry of Power. It
showed Maharashtra having outstanding of Rs 4,739 crore and takes 591 days to
clear its dues. As on today, MSEDCL does not have any outstanding of thermal
independent power products (IPPs) including Adani Power Maharashtra Ltd (APML)
and NTPC, the statement said.
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NUMBER OF CANDIDATES AND ELECTORS IN SUCCESSIVE GENERAL
ELECTIONS
In the General Elections
2014, 8251 candidates contested the elections for which Election Commission set
up 9,19,452 polling stations. The National average of voter turnout is 66.4%,
Nagaland being the leading state with 87.82%. There has been a marked increase
in the total number of candidates contesting the elections. While in 1952 there
were 1,874 candidates for 489 seats, the number steadily increased to 2,784 candidates
in 1971. The 1980 elections saw an increase in the number of candidates to
4,629. The 9th General Elections had 6,160 candidates in the fray, while in the
10th General Elections 8,668 candidates contested for 543 seats. In the
Eleventh General Elections, 13,952 candidates contested for 543 seats, which
were reduced drastically to 4,750 candidates in 12th Lok Sabha, because of
increase of security deposit amount in August 1996.
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ALL-WOMEN POLLING BOOTHS IN EVERY LS CONSTITUENCY OF
MAHARASHTRA
An all-women polling booth
will be set up in every Lok Sabha constituency of Maharashtra during the next
month's polls in a bid to encourage more female voters to exercise their
franchise. As per the Election Commission's (EC) directions to set up polling
stations entirely managed by women, such booths will be set up in all 40 Lok
Sabha seats of the state, a release issued by the election office here said.
All those deployed at such polling stations - police, election officers and
other employees - will be women. These booths, an initiative towards gender
equality and involving women's participation in the electoral process, will be
called as 'Sakhi Matdan Kendras', it said. As per the EC's guidelines, there
would be no specific colour code for such polling stations, the release said,
adding that their security will be a top priority. The number of women voters
this time has increased to 911 per 1,000 men, as against 889 per 1,000 men in
2014, as per official figures. Out of the total 8,73,29,910 voters in the
state, 4,57,01,877 are men, 4,16,25,950 women and 2,083 third gender voters.
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MOBILE NUMBER PORTABILITY REQUESTS AT 9-MONTH HIGH OF 5.9
MILLION IN JAN
The minimum recharge plans
introduced by telecom operators Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea (VIL) to cut
out low revenue subscribers and increase the base of high revenue customers are
creating a churn in the market Mobile number portability (MNP) requests were at
a 9-month high of 5.9 million in January, according to data shared by Telecom
Regulatory Authority of India (Trai). Analysts suggest that subscribers are
moving to their primary SIM card as a reaction to the minimum recharge plans.
MNP requests have been stable in metros, while A, B and C-circle markets have
seen a sharp pick up. We expect requests to rise further in subsequent months
as more subscribers choose their primary mobile operator, writes Deepti
Chaturvedi. Total number of MNP requests increased from 411.98 million at the
end of December 2018 to 417.82 million at the end of January 2019. In April
2018, 6.73 million subscribers made MNP requests around the time Reliance Jio
introduced a large number of new data bundle plans. The highest number of
requests have been received in Karnataka (about 39.18 million) followed by
Tamil Nadu (about 35.56 million). A study by UBS Evidence Labs has revealed
that ownership of multiple SIM cards has declined from 1.33 times to 1.22 times
in nine months across 13 cities, setting the stage for rationalisation of
competition. On a bright note for telcos, while Jio still leads on customer
satisfaction in the metro cities, Bharti Airtel and VIL are catching up in the
non-metros.
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WILL HOLD BY-POLLS ON 3 VACANT ASSEMBLY SEATS IN TAMIL NADU
WITHIN REASONABLE TIME: ECI TO SC
The Election Commission of
India (ECI) Thursday told the Supreme Court that it will hold by-elections on
vacant assembly seats of Tiruparankundram, Ottapidaram and Aravakurichi in
Tamil Nadu within a reasonable time. The counsel appearing for the ECI told
this to a bench of Justices S A Bobde and S A Nazeer which was hearing a plea
filed by the DMK seeking a direction to the poll panel for holding the
by-elections on these three vacant assembly seats. The bench, while taking on
record the submissions of the ECI's counsel, disposed of the petition and
observed that the court cannot determine the timing of elections and it was for
the poll panel to decide. The counsel appearing for the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
(DMK) had earlier told the apex court that there are 21 vacant assembly seats
in Tamil Nadu but the poll panel has notified by-polls for only 18 seats. The
DMK's counsel had said that by-polls on 18 vacant seats are scheduled to be
held on April 18 along with the Lok Sabha polls in the state. He had said that
the ECI should be asked to hold the by-elections on the remaining three
assembly seats along with the general elections.
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ELECTION COMMISSION EXPRESSES DISPLEASURE TO FINANCE MINISTRY
After shooting off a
notice to Niti Aayog vice chairman, the Election Commission of India has now
ticked off the finance ministry for bringing in the critical first half
borrowing plans for the next financial year to it for approval at an extremely
short notice. EC has approved the finance ministry’s Rs 7.10 lakh crore
borrowing plans for the new financial year, but has also conveyed its
displeasure to the ministry in writing, people familiar with the development
told. This was because the ministry pushed the reference to EC for approval in
the last minute instead of allowing the 48-hour window that the commission
requires for processing central government references. EC typically gets
100-150 central government references for vetting and approval during the model
code of conduct period ahead of Lok Sabha polls. EC attempts to clear most of
them within 48 hours of receipt.
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EC FORMS PANEL TO PROBE IF PM MODI SPEECH ON A-SAT TEST
VIOLATED POLL CODE
The Election Commission on
Wednesday set up a committee to examine the matter related to address of the
Prime Minister to the nation in the light of the Model Code of Conduct which is
in force for Lok Sabha polls. An Election Commission spokesperson said the poll
panel has directed a committee of officers to examine the matter immediately in
the light of the model code.
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HOW A SECRET MISSION LAUNCHED SATELLITE KILLER
The test to kill a
satellite accomplished on Wednesday was a technologically complex mission that
synced a host of sophisticated systems even as the mission was kept a tightly
guarded secret known only to a small group right up to the day of the launch.
Typically, we get about less than one second to intercept a satellite given its
velocity. To overcome this challenge, a host of technologies go into guidance
control, mission computer, systems that aid accuracy and relative timing, DRDO
chief Satheesh Reddy told. Former DRDO chief Avinash Chander, who helped
develop India’s missile capabilities, said Wednesday’s mission could be seen as
an extension of DRDO’s long-range anti-ballistic missile programme. However, he
pointed out that the satellite killer project was initiated recently and was
significantly different. The satellite is a different ball game given that the
velocity is much higher, the size is small and you have a very short time to
collect data. You need appropriate booster vehicles that give sufficient
velocity to reach a target in the given time, and you must have an
anti-satellite vehicle that tracks the satellite and corrects the distance. You
will only have 10-15 seconds to do this, Chander said. Reddy said 300 DRDO
scientists and staff worked on the project day and night over the past six
months and yet its scope and objectives were kept under wraps. Even as of
yesterday (Tuesday) evening, not more than five-six people knew about the test
today (Wednesday), he said.
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A-SAT NOT A DERIVATIVE OF PRITHVI MISSILE, HAS A RANGE OF UPTO
1000 KM-PLUS: DRDO CHAIRMAN
The Chairman of the
Defence and Research Organisation (DRDO) that developed the A-SAT or
anti-satellite missile which was tested successfully on Tuesday, rejected
speculative reports that the A-SAT was a derivative of the Prithvi ballistic
missile family. G Satheesh Reddy said that this was a new missile developed
specifically as an anti-satellite weapon. The missile has technologies
developed for ballistic missile defence applications, particularly the kill
vehicle, said Reddy. He added that in addition to this, rocket motors developed
in missile complexes, were all integrated to make a new A-SAT missile. The
A-SAT missile was launched at approximately 11:16 AM on Tuesday from Odisha's
Balasore and within three minutes of launch, it successfully hit the intended
target, a de-commissioned Indian satellite, in a 'Low-Earth Orbit' at roughly
300 km from the Earth's surface. When asked the reason behind choosing a 300
km-altitude range for the target, Reddy said that protecting nearby space
assets had to be considered. As a responsible nation, we wanted to be sure all
space assets were safe and all the debris decayed fast, added Reddy. However,
the A-SAT missile had capabilities of targeting all 'Low-Earth Orbit'
satellites. It has a range of upto a 1000 Kilometres plus. After the successful
completion of the missile test, Prime Minister Narenda Modi made a televised
address on Tuesday. Some time ago, our scientists shot down a live satellite
300 kilometres away in space, in Low-Earth Orbit. It was conducted under
Mission Shakti, which was completed in three minutes, PM Modi said in his
10-minute address. India's Ministry of External Affairs followed up on PM
Modi's address by releasing a detailed note informing the world that India's
actions were only to augment its deterrence capabilities and did not intend to
trigger an arms race in space. The Chinese Foreign Ministry released a
statement responding to India's A-SAT test which read, We have noticed reports
and hope that each country will uphold peace and tranquillity in outer space.
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CHINA DEVELOPING COUNTER-SPACE CAPABILITIES EVEN AS INDIA
TEST-FIRES ASAT
While India conducted its
first Anti-Satellite (ASAT) test on Wednesday, China has been developing its
counter-space capabilities by having formed military units that are training
with ASAT missiles and by 2020 is likely to deploy a ground laser weapon to
target space sensors. China also intends to have additional ASAT weapons that
are capable of destroying satellites at Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) at
altitudes of about 36,000 km. It is already making progress in its ASAT missile
system which it tested in July 2014. In 2007 as well it had demonstrated an
ASAT capability, which resulted in international disapproval. All this is a
follow through of the PLA’s emphasis on ‘destroying, damaging and interfering
with the enemy’s reconnaissance and communication satellites’. The PLA also
believes that such systems and navigation and early warning satellites could be
the targets of an ASAT attack, meant to ‘blind’ the enemy. These developments
were shared in recent reports of the US’s Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) on
China. For India, China’s counter-space capabilities mean a threat to its
satellites for communication, earth observation, navigation and scientific
research. India’s space programme is a ‘critical backbone’ of its security,
economic and social infrastructure. It has already undertaken 102 spacecraft
missions. On Wednesday, India entered an elite club of nations by conducting an
ASAT missile test, which successfully hit a satellite in low earth orbit.
Besides China, only Russia and the US have this capability. Russia is pursuing
ASAT missiles to strike low-earth orbit satellites, according to a 2017 report
of the US’s Director of National Intelligence. It is testing such a weapon for
deployment and is also developing an aircraft-launched missile capable of
destroying satellites. Russia is developing an airborne laser weapon for use
against US satellites, said the report.
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NO HOME, NO VOTE: DISGRUNTLED HOMEBUYERS PLAN TO EXERCISE NOTA
OPTION IN LOK SABHA POLLS
Thousands of disgruntled
homebuyers are mulling the None of the Above (NOTA) option in the upcoming Lok
Sabha elections. While some have been waiting to get their homes for over a
decade, others are upset that regulatory mechanisms such as Real Estate
Regulatory Authority (RERA) have not lived up to their expectations. Experts
say that the pain and frustration among homebuyers is understandable, but the
NOTA option may not serve any purpose because buyers would still end up voting
the second best candidate. The solution lies in bringing about electoral
reforms, especially the ‘vote recall’ option wherein homebuyers actually have
the power to recall a candidate who does not fight for their cause or meet
their expectations. Flat buyers under a registered umbrella body, Noida
Extension Flat Owners Welfare Association (NEFOWA), and other associations have
launched the ‘No Home, No Vote’ campaign through which they have decided to
express their anguish over delays in getting possession of flats. In 2014, a
total 3,836 votes were polled for ‘None of the Above’ (NOTA) in Gautam Buddh
Nagar constituency, less than one percent of the total votes cast that year.
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ANGRY FARMERS GIVE KCR'S DAUGHTER KAVITHA TASTE OF HER OWN
MEDICINE
Telangana chief minister K
Chandrasekhar Rao’s daughter, Kalvakuntla Kavitha, had asked 1,000 farmers to
file nominations from Varanasi and Amethi against Prime Minister Narendra Modi
and Congress chief Rahul Gandhi so that they can feel the pinch of agrarian
distress in the country. The Nizamabad MP had said this while addressing a big
election rally in her constituency a few days ago. But Kavitha herself may have
to end up fighting against 250-odd mainly turmeric farmers who filed their
nominations from Nizamabad Lok Sabha seat on Monday. Those who filed papers
include a 28-year-old woman farmer A Rajitha of Balkonda, who wanted to voice
her angst along with thousands of others over the failure of both central and
state governments to come to their rescue. By the time the final tally comes
out, we hope the number will touch more than 300 farmers S Ravi, a farmer from
Balkonda (nomination No 195), told. Apart from turmeric growers, some sugarcane
and jowar farmers from Jagtial also filed papers.
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MISSION SHAKTI: INDIA'S SPACE RESEARCH SPENDING TRIPLES TO RS
11,538 CRORE
India carved its name
among the elite club of four nations with a demonstrable capability of
countering satellites in the space. Russia, China and the US are the other
three nations. According to experts, this space exercise will act as a
deterrent especially against China, since it could increase the cost of
aggression for any entity thinking of using space systems for the purposes of
threatening. But how much does the government spend on space research from the
taxes it collects? The spending on space research as a proportion of total
government spending topped at 0.46 per cent in 2018-19 (FY19). While it was
close to this figure a decade ago at about 0.41 per cent of total spending, it
had reduced to 0.3-0.34 per cent in between, data presented in the Union
Budgets show. Under the current government, it has gradually risen from 0.35
per cent in 2014-15 to 0.46 per cent in 2018-19. In absolute terms, India’s
spending on space research almost tripled from Rs 4,163 crore in 2009-10 to Rs
11,538 crore in 2018-19, going through a trough in between. As a proportion of
gross domestic product (GDP), however, India’s space budget is the lowest among
other space powers, at 0.06 per cent of the GDP in 2018-19. The US and Russia
spend almost 0.23 per cent of GDP on space research and exploration, shows
OECD's data. The jump in spending on space research has mostly been through an
improved focus in capital expenditure From 2014-15 to 2018-19, while revenue
spending on space research grew by 27 per cent, capital spending quadrupled.
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EC UNLIKELY TO SHOOT DOWN MODI'S SPEECH ABOUT SATELLITE:
REPORT
Issues related to national
security and disaster management do not fall under the ambit of the model code
of conduct sources in the Election Commission said Wednesday. They were
responding to queries on whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement of
India's successful demonstration of anti-satellite missile capability violated
the poll code. The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) had met. Decisions taken
by it and issues such as disaster management do not fall under the model code
of conduct and require no prior nod, a functionary said.
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AIR INDIA ASKS PILOTS TO STOP ORDERING SPECIAL MEALS &
TAKE REGULAR ONES
Air India has barred its
pilots from ordering special meals for themselves and asked them to take the
regular meals ordered by the airline. Flight caterers say it is a regular
practice to get special meal requests from AI pilots, something that ranges
from whatever they may wish including very expensive meals. Special meals will
be allowed only for medical reasons. AI’s director operations, captain Amitabh
Singh, wrote a mail to pilots saying: It has been brought to (his) notice that
flight crew are ordering special meal/s which is against rules. The only crew,
who for medical reasons, may order for special meals, (that is) food
recommended by doctor. (as per rules) ‘crew should adhere to the meal schedules
laid down by the company and should not authorise meal uplift on their own’. In
light of the above, all cockpit crew (pilots) are instructed not to order
special meals as and when operating a flight / staff on duty movement.
GM-catering to take note of the same and issue necessary instructions to all
dealing heads. GM-catering to liaise with office of ED-operations to get a list
of pilots, who will be requiring special food for medical purposes only.
ED-operations to get the above instructions uploaded on crew portal on
priority, captain Singh’s order says.
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INCOME SCHEME WILL BE ROLLED OUT IN PHASES: P CHIDAMBARAM
The Congress party’s
minimum guaranteed income scheme will be rolled out in phases and the five
crore beneficiary families will be covered in phases, senior leader P Chidambaram
said on Wednesday. Former Finance Minister said that enough economists and
experts in the subject have been consulted and they broadly agreed that India
has capacity to implement the scheme. He said the allocation for the scheme is
expected to constitute 1.8 per cent of the GDP. Our calculation shows that it
will not cross 2 per cent of the GDP, it will be 1.8 per cent of the GDP at any
given point of time, he said. The scheme will rolled out in phases and we will
cover the 5 crore families in phases, he said. Chidambaram said the former RBI
Governor Raghuram Rajan was of the view that the implementation of the scheme
is possible The scheme will be rolled out in phases and we will cover the five
crore families in phases, he added. The senior party leader said the scheme has
to be tested in the field before being rolled out. An expert committee will be
set up for the implementation of the scheme and it will design it at every
stage and we will consult the committee before we move to next stage, he said,
adding, There is enough data to identify the five crore families. When the 100
days employment scheme (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act)
was implemented in 2009, BJP leader Arun Jaitley had said it was not possible
to implement the scheme. Jaitley, however, forgot to say that doubling income
for the farmers was not possible when Modi announced it, he said. I don’t wish
to reply to anyone who criticises a programme intended to wipe out poverty, he
said answering a question on criticism of the scheme.MNREGA eradicated hunger,
income scheme will root out poverty. The Congress alone cannot be blamed for
not eradicating poverty, he said adding the party had taken several measures to
root it out and succeeded in several of them as well. To eradicate poverty, a
minimum income is needed otherwise poverty will not end, he said. Like the
Minimum Wages Act which stipulates minimum wages, every family should have a
minimum income and the government cannot provide the entire income and that was
why the scheme is called the Minimum Income Support Scheme, he said. An amount
of Rs 72,000 a year, a standard amount Rs 6,000 per month is proposed to be
transferred to the account of beneficiaries if the Congress is voted to power
in the coming Lok Sabha elections. He said his party was aware of the
challenges involved in implementing the scheme and added that we will overcome
these challenges. We will insist that every family should open an account in
the name of the woman in the family and the money will be transferred to her
account, he said. Poverty eradication should be accepted as an aram (meaning
dharma in Tamil), it is dharma, it is a moral duty of every government in the
21st century, he said. To a question, he said, don’t compare Kisan Samman
Scheme with this scheme and trivialise our scheme, he said and alleged the BJP
rolled out the farmers plan for elections. Had the scheme been important for
the BJP-led NDA, Chidambaram asked why it did not implement it in full five
budgets, and rolled it out at the fag end of its tenure. He indicated that the
Congress manifesto is likely to be released on April 2.
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BJP WILL BE REMEMBERED FOR BROKEN PROMISES: CHIDAMBARAM
Senior Congress leader P
Chidambaram Wednesday hit out at the ruling BJP, saying the party will be
remembered for broken promises made to the people. By implementing the Goods
and Services Tax, he (Narendra Modi) destroyed the micro, small and medium
enterprises in the country. When people think of BJP, what comes to mind is
that they shook statistics to show that they have produced growth, he alleged.
Continuing his tirade against the BJP, the former Union minister said, The BJP
will be remembered for its broken promises. The promise of depositing Rs 15
lakh into bank accounts, doubling of farmers income, demonetisation and a
flawed GST. If we say BJP, these four come to the mind of people. He also took
a dig at Modi and said there was no Modi government at the Centre and only Modi
in New Delhi. If you believe there is a cabinet. If you believe there is a
government, you are completely wrong. Come and stay in (New) Delhi for seven
days. You will know that there is one person who is the government. That is Mr
Modi, he said. Referring to the BJP's announcement of doubling of farmers
income, he sought to know why nobody asked the Prime Minister as to which
consultant was approached before launching the scheme. Let me tell you a
figure, in 2014, there were 100 crore bank accounts. Rs 15 lakh depositing into
100 crore bank accounts will be Rs 1,500 lakh crore. After he became Prime
Minister, he talked about doubling of farmers income. His term as PM is going
to end in May. Chidambaram, hitting out at Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, said
when the Congress party announced the 100 day job scheme, he said it was not
possible. But he (Arun Jaitley) forgot to inform Modi that it was not possible
to double farmers income, he said. To a query on challenges ahead in
implementing the scheme if the Congress is voted to power in the coming Lok
Sabha elections, he said, There will be design challenges, there will be
administrative challenges. But we are confident that just as we rolled out
MGNREGA, we will overcome those challenges.
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MAIN BHI CHOWKIDAR CAMPAIGN: EC NOTICE TO BJP MEMBER OVER
SHARING VIDEO ON SOCIAL MEDIA
The Election Commission
Wednesday issued a show cause notice to a member of the BJP’s National Election
Committee for sharing an audio-visual advertisement titled Main Bhi Chowkidar
Hun on social media without complying with the directions of the poll body, an
official said. He said Neeraj has been directed to submit a reply within three
days. The poll body’s Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) had
issued a certificate dated March 16 to Neeraj in respect of the said
advertisement subject to the exclusion of the clips depicting Army personnel,
Delhi’s chief electoral office said. On March 16, Prime Minister Narendra Modi
had launched the ‘Main Bhi Chowkidar Hun’ campaign by putting out a tweet, Your
Chowkidar is standing firm & serving the nation. But, I am not alone.
Everyone who is fighting corruption, dirt, social evils is a Chowkidar.
Everyone working hard for the progress of India is a Chowkidar. He had also
tweeted a video that began with the PM addressing the people saying, Your
chowkidar is absolutely alert.
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WILL TAKE LEGAL ACTION AGAINST CONGRESS' CONSPIRACY-DRIVEN
ELECTION CAMPAIGN: NIRMALA SITHARAMAN
A day after a videotape as
part of its sting operation on demonetisation was played out by opposition
parties, Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday hit out at the
Congress and said the BJP will initiate legal action against the
conspiracy-driven election campaign of the Congress. I would like to state
here, BJP is taking legal advice. We are taking every possible advice so that
institutions and individuals who are part of this conspiracy to defame BJP, we
will take them to the court. We will take action on them legally. We are not going
to let this story down, Sitharaman told. Congress did a sting operation and
made it public on Tuesday, through TNN World, a website-based news portal. This
was the same website which showed live Kapil Sibal's press conference on EVM,
in January. This website was registered in December 2018, Sitharaman added. The
minister further claimed a Romanian is the director of the website. The
minister told reporters that the website registered in December 2018 had also
shown live Kapil Sibal's press conference on EVM, in January. The opposition
parties on Tuesday played a videotape at a press conference purportedly showing
an alleged BJP worker in Ahmedabad exchanging the banned notes with the new
denominations in lieu of a sum.
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