NEW TAX RETURNS: ANGEL INVESTORS GET FURTHER RELIEF
There may be relief from
notices for angel investors with the government mandating disclosure of
holdings in unlisted companies in tax returns. This data will be matched with
filings of startups, which have been asked to disclose the list of investors
along with some of their details. The moves initiated through the tax return
forms come after the revenue department got down to clearing the clutter on the
issue that had been bothering several investors in startups. With investors
getting notices from tax authorities for acquiring shares at a hefty premium in
companies, the finance ministry as well as the department for promotion of
industry and internal trade allowed more investors to invest in startups
without being subjected to questioning in future. This is the next step in
making life simpler for startups. With the two sets of data in their
possession, tax authorities need not approach investors with notices explained
a senior officer in the tax department. In recent months, there has been a
clampdown on these companies through the Companies Act as well as by the tax
department. People may not be willing to disclose their holdings in these
companies and these companies too will be monitored for the shareholders that
they have, an official said. Sources said that the new filing mechanism for
startups was part of the government’s strategy to ensure faceless assessment
while trying to ensure that there was not undue scrutiny of honest taxpayers. Similarly,
the government has also asked some of the businessmen to disclose the details
of the outward supplies made under GST against the GST numbers that they have.
An individual can use one PAN to generate multiple GST numbers for registration
of several businesses or even register entities across many states, especially
the services sector. The move will only impact larger businesses as entities
with turnover up to Rs 40 lakh are exempted from GST, an official said.
__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
GAPS IN E-WAY BILL REPORTING MECHANISM MAY BE CLOSED
After detecting mismatches
in some e-way bill submissions the Centre is now examining more GST Network
(GSTN) data to see if such evasions are increasing sufficiently enough to
consider withdrawing the facility of generating multiple e-way bills on a single
invoice, an official source said on Monday. The Goods and Services Tax (GST)
authorities are now sifting through GSTN data retrieved through return filings
and e-way bills to match these with the summary reconciliation statements of
estimated tax liability, thereby, forcing businesses to explain discrepancies
like under-reporting distances, the official said. He, however, said the
officials are yet to come across any pattern of deliberate evasion by
transporters during the exercise which is still at its early stages. The
reconcilation issues can also be due to typo errors, discontinued supply and
the expiry of e-way bills before delivery, and not just owing to tax evasion,
he said. We will seek clarification once we come across differences between the
taxes paid and the liability which the tax officer has ascertained after
analysing the sales return GSTR-3B and the e-way bill data for the period in
question, and the assessee will be given time and opportunity to make his or
her case, he added. Designed as an anti-evasion measure, the e-way bill system
was rolled out on April 1, 2018, for moving goods worth over Rs 50,000 from one
state to another.
__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
ICAI’S CONTRIBUTION IN GST RECOGNIZED BY GOODS AND SERVICES
TAX NETWORK
The Goods and Services Tax
Network (GSTN) on the occasion of its foundation day on 5th April, 2019
felicitated The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) in
recognition of its contribution and support in development of GST ecosystem. The
dignitaries discussed the working of GSTN along with the major focus areas
like:
> _Linking of E-way
Bill with GST Invoices and its data mining_
> _E- Online invoicing
and auto return utility_
> _Faster processing of
refund under GST_
> _Increase in Tax to
GDP ratio from present 10.5 % to 16%, which is equivalent to the world GDP
ratio_
> _E-initiatives of the
Government for increasing its revenue, data mining etc._
The ICAI has been
regularly providing its support to GSTN by providing suggestions on various GST
forms and participating in the testing of various utility’s/ software’s. The
representatives from ICAI have been regularly interacting with them, making
presentation and providing suggestions for improvement of IT platform of GST
ecosystem. It may be noted that the Goods and Services Tax was implemented in
India from 1st July, 2017. The Institute has been supporting the Central
Government as well as State Government(s) in this historical taxation reform by
providing its suggestions regularly, starting from Constitutional Amendment
(GST) Bill, dissemination of knowledge among all stakeholders through technical
publications, Newsletters, E-learning, Live webcasts, courses, programmes,
conferences and workshops
__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
I-T DETECTS RS 281-CR RACKET OF SLUSH FUNDS IN MP RAIDS;
RECOVERS RS 15 CR
The Income-Tax Department
on Monday said it had detected a widespread and well-organised racket of
collection of unaccounted cash of about Rs 281 crore during raids against close
aides of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath and others. It said the
sleuths have recovered Rs 14.6 crore of unaccounted cash and seized diaries and
computer files of suspect payments made between Madhya Pradesh and Delhi. The
Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) said the department had also detected a
trail of Rs 20 crore suspect cash allegedly being moved to the headquarters of
a major political party in Delhi from the house of an important person who
lives on Tughlaq Road, home to many VIPs. Rs 14.6 crore of unaccounted cash has
been found so far, besides 252 bottles of liquor, few arms and tiger
hide-skins, the CBDT said in a statement issued late night. The CBDT frames
policy for the I-T Department. Searches in Madhya Pradesh have detected widespread
and well-organised racket of collection of unaccounted cash of about Rs 281
crore through various persons in different walks of life, including business,
politics and public service. A part of the cash was also transferred to the
headquarter of a major political party in Delhi, including about Rs 20 crore,
which was moved through hawala recently to the headquarter of the political
party from the residence of a senior functionary at Tughlak Road, New Delhi,
the CBDT said. It, however, neither identified the political party nor the
senior functionary. The statement added that records of collection and
disbursement of cash in the form of handwritten diaries, computer files and
excel sheets were found and seized and it corroborates the above findings. It
added that the searches in Delhi in the group of a close relative of the senior
functionary have further led to the seizure of incriminating evidence,
including cash book recording unaccounted transactions of Rs 230 crore,
siphoning off money through bogus billing of more than Rs 242 crore and
evidence of more than 80 companies in tax havens.
__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
BUYERS STILL CONFUSED OVER NEW GST MATH
With the new fiscal year
kicking off, home buyers are a confused lot, with many having a tough time with
recently revised Goods and Services Tax (GST) calculations. The GST Council, in
its 34th meeting, had finalised the modalities for the transition to new tax
rates on residential flats, providing a flexible option for builders to choose
from. According to the new scheme, developers have the option to apply for
either the new GST rates -- 1 per cent for affordable under-construction houses
and 5 per cent on other houses -- or old rates on ongoing projects where
construction and actual bookings both began before April 1, 2019. Real estate
firms have time until May 10 to communicate to their respective jurisdictional
officers whether they want to continue with the old GST rates with an input tax
credit, failing which they will be deemed to have migrated to new tax slabs.
Most developers have already expressed their intent to go with the old rates.
For projects which were launched before April 2019, developers would prefer to
stick to the old GST rates. It may not be possible to work on financial matters
if the new GST rate is applied on older projects, Harvinder pointed out.
Experts had already warned of the potential for confusion. Customers prefer
reduced rates whereas developers might prefer higher rates with input tax
credit. We can expect many more disputes and cases in the anti-profiteering
authority in the coming days, Ankur Dhawan, had predicted post GST ruling.
__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
CAG RAPS I-T DEPT FOR SPENDING RS 1,000 CR ON RENT DESPITE
HAVING OWN LAND
The income-tax department,
grappling with tax slippages seems to be also lagging when it comes to optimum
utilisation of its own assets. The department’s spends on office spaces in
Mumbai — considered to be the most expensive real estate market in India — have
been objected to by the Indian Audit and Accounts Service. The audit office, a
department of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, in its draft
report, has highlighted that the tax department spent Rs 1,000 crore on rentals
despite possessing a huge land bank at Nariman Point since the 1990s, sources
said. The audit office has sought details of the department’s rental expenses
in the past two decades for compiling a final report, they said. The tax
department was given the land at Mumbai’s posh location, measuring 2,786 square
metre, with a minimum capacity of 100,000 sq ft, in 1992. Instead of
constructing an office building, the department recently took a few floors on
rent at the nearby Air India building. The department has at least five lease
properties in prime locations such as Piramal Chambers at Lower Parel, Mittal
Court at Nariman Point. The rental expenses of these properties run into crores
of rupees. After the audit office’s objection, the Mumbai tax department is
learnt to be preparing a preliminary estimation to construct an office building
with advance facilities for officers and even taxpayers. A proposal will soon
be sent to the Central Board of Direct Taxes for approval.
__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
EC ASKS REVENUE SECY, CBDT CHAIRMAN TO EXPLAIN TAX RAIDS ON
POLITICIANS
The Election Commission
has called the revenue secretary and chairman, Central Board of Direct Taxes on
Tuesday to discuss ongoing income tax raids Revenue Secretary A B Pandey and
CBDT Chairman P C Mody have been called to explain the raids amid allegations
by the Congress that the ruling BJP was using enforcement agencies to target it
during the poll season. The EC had on Sunday strongly advised the Finance
Ministry that any action by its enforcement agencies during election time
should be neutral and non-discriminatory and officials of the poll panel should
be kept in loop about such actions. The EC's advice had come against the
backdrop of Income Tax Department's raids in Madhya Pradesh Sunday and in
Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh in the recent past on politicians and
people connected to them. Since the Model Code Conduct came into force on March
10, the I-T Department has carried out several raids on political leaders and
their associates which the opposition has dubbed a misuse of central agencies
during poll season. The Income-Tax Department Monday said it has detected a
widespread and well-organised racket of collection of unaccounted cash of about
Rs 281 crore during raids against close aides of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister
Kamal Nath and others. It said sleuths have recovered Rs 14.6 crore of
unaccounted cash and seized diaries and computer files of suspect payments made
between Madhya Pradesh and Delhi.
__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
SHORTFALL IN PERSONAL LEVY HITS DIRECT TAX COLLECTION
A shortfall in the
personal income tax collection resulted in the union government closing the
financial year with the direct tax mop-up at Rs 11.38 lakh crore as compared to
the target of Rs 12 lakh crore for 2018-19. The direct tax includes personal
income tax and corporation tax. While the corporate tax collection stood at Rs
6.71 lakh crore, personal income tax took a beating last year. The I-T
department collected Rs 4.67 lakh crore against the target of Rs 5.29 lakh
crore in personal income tax. This included Rs 11,000 crore on account of
securities transaction tax. The entire shortfall of Rs 62,000 crore is on
account of personal income tax. It is harder to get people to pay taxes than to
make them file returns, said a senior official in the finance ministry. The
direct tax collection showed a growth of 13.6% over last year as against the
target of 20.1% for 2018-19. In the Interim Budget, the direct tax collection
target for the past year was revised at Rs 12 lakh crore, up from the budget
estimate of Rs 11.5 lakh crore which represented a growth target of 15%. The
higher revised target was seen as unrealistic by many in the government. As
many as 6.78 crore tax returns were filed during the last year. However, the
number of people who filed returns were only 5.43 crore. This is mainly due to
many taxpayers filing their returns twice, mostly to make corrections.
According to the government, the taxpayers' base has gone up exponentially in
the past four years with the number of return filers almost doubling in a short
time. This has, however, not resulted in higher tax collections in similar
proportion, pointed out the official. A taxpayer is a person who has either
filed I-T return or in whose favour tax has been deducted at source. The number
of people under the taxable category is expected to further decrease as anyone
earning up to Rs 5 lakh will not have to pay income tax during the current
financial year 2019-20. The income-tax threshold limit was increased to Rs 5
lakh per annum in the Interim Budget. In fact, individuals with annual gross
income up to Rs 7-8 lakh are likely to avail the benefit if they make
investments under the instruments such as Public Provident Fund (PPF) as well
as pay home loan. This would lead to over 3 crore people getting tax exemption.
The impact on the exchequer is likely to be around Rs 22,000 crore or more. The
Interim Budget 2019-20 has estimated to collect Rs 13.80 lakh crore from direct
taxes, representing a growth of 15%. With lower direct tax revenue growth seen
in 2018-19, the growth target of 15% for the current year will also have to be
revised upwards to maintain the tax collection target.
__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
GET READY TO FILE MORE DETAILS IN NEW ITR FORMS
The disclosure requirement
in the income tax return (ITR) forms have been rising in recent years as the
income-tax (I-T) department has been using technology extensively to track tax
evasion and process returns. But this year, the number of changes made to the
ITR forms notified for the assessment year (AY) 2019-20 is probably the highest
in the recent time. The changes have been made regarding disclosure of
information and computation of income, inter-alia, change in method to disclose
salary income, property-wise disclosure of arrears/unrealised rent, and many
more for business owners. Several changes have been made in the forms seeking
additional details, which will help in automatically validating or
cross-checking the income and other details that the tax authorities may have
from other sources, says Kuldip Kumar, ITR-1 form is meant for residents that
have an income of up to Rs 50 lakh from salary, one house property and sources
such as interest income etc. But this year onwards this ITR form cannot be used
by an individual who is either a director of a company or has invested in
unlisted equity shares. It is now mandatory for every taxpayer (except super
senior citizen) to file the return electronically The option available to a
taxpayer, whose income was below Rs 5 lakh during the previous year, to file
the physical return has been withdrawn. For the AY 2019-20, every taxpayer will
need to file the income-tax return electronically except a super senior citizen
(whose age is 80 years or above during the previous year 2018-19). In the new
ITR-1, if you have a house, you are now required to specify if it is
self-occupied, let-out or deemed to let-out. You are also required to provide
details of income from other sources this year. Earlier, the taxpayer had to
only specify the income. The new ITR forms have changed the mechanism of
reporting salary income. Up to AY 2018-19, an individual was required to report
salary amount excluding all exempt and non-exempt allowance, perquisites and
profit in lieu of salary. These items are reported separately in the same
schedule and had no impact on the calculation of net salary income. The new ITR
forms have changed this reporting mechanism, which is now in sync with the
columns of Form 16 (TDS Certificate issued by the employer). Now, an individual
must mention his gross salary and then the amount of exempt allowances,
perquisites and profit in lieu of salary shall be deducted or added to arrive
at the taxable figure of salary income. Further, the new ITR forms seek
separate reporting of all deductions that are allowed under Section 16, which
include standard deduction, entertainment allowance and professional tax. If an
individual reports capital gains from transfer of immovable property in
income-tax return, it is now mandatory for him to furnish details of the buyer
including name, PAN, percentage share, amount, and so on. In new ITR forms,
besides specifying the residential status -- resident, resident but not
ordinarily resident, or non-resident -- the assessee is now required to provide
additional information with respect to his residential status, such as, the
number of days stayed in India, and jurisdiction of his residence and tax
identification number in case he is a non-resident. The tax department has also
increased the scope of foreign assets Besides foreign bank accounts, details of
foreign depository accounts are also required. The assessee is also now
required to furnish various details such as the name and code of the country in
which custodial account is held and account opening date and peak balance
during the year, etc. Custodial account is an account which is set up for the
benefit of any other person called beneficiary and is managed and administrated
by a representative known as a custodian. The new schedule requires the
assessee to provide information regarding the investments made by him in equity
or debt funds of a foreign entity. Accordingly, information relating to the
entity and investment made therein is required to be reported.
__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
SETBACK FOR VIJAY MALLYA AS UK COURT DENIES PERMISSION TO
APPEAL AGAINST EXTRADITION
In a major setback for liquor
baron Vijay Mallya, a UK court has rejected his plea against extradition.
Mallya had filed an application in a UK court seeking permission to appeal
against the Home Secretary's order on extradition of the embattled businessman.
In February, UK's Home Office said the British government had signed an order
to extradite Mallya, soon after the 63-year-old business tycoon had been found
to have a case to answer before the Indian courts by Westminster Magistrates'
Court in London on December 10, 2018. The UK court said it was satisfied with
the various assurances provided by the Indian government, including a video of
the jail cell, which had not only been recently redecorated but was also far
larger than the minimum requirement threshold. Mallya later filed an
application in the court seeking permission to appeal against an extradition
order signed by the British Home Secretary. He made the application in the
Administrative Court division of the High Court in February, 10 days after Home
Secretary Sajid Javid signed off on the order triggering a 14-day window for
his appeal application.
__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
US PLANS TO SEEK UK BANKRUPTCY COURT’S AID IN NIRAV MODI’S
CASE
A US bankruptcy court
plans to seek assistance from a UK bankruptcy court to help it serve judicial
documents to fugitive jeweller Nirav Modi, who was arrested in London last
month. The development comes after the US bankruptcy court charged Modi and two
of his associates under a tough law, Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt
Organizations Act (RICO), which was used by the US government to nail mobster
families. This court requests assistance from the appropriate judicial
authority in the United Kingdom to serve judicial documents on Nirav Deepak
Modi, said a letter, dated 5 April, from Richard Levin, managing trustee, US
Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. Richard Levin, not
individually, but solely as chapter 11 trustee for the above-captioned Debtors,
submits this application for the issuance of a Letter of Request to the Senior
Master of the Royal Courts of Justice of the United Kingdom for judicial
assistance with service of the Complaint Against Insiders, Summons and Notice
of Pretrial Conference in an Adversary Proceeding, and Motion to Approve Order
Regarding Nirav Deepak Modi’s Time to Respond to the Complaint, reads the 5
April letter. The senior master is the central authority responsible for
approval of requests from foreign countries. This Application is made under 11
U.S.C. § 105(a), Rule 7004(a)(1) of the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure,
and Rule 4(f)(1) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Service will be
effected in accordance with Article 10(b) of the Hague Service Convention of 15
November 1965 on the Service Abroad of Judicial and Extrajudicial Documents, to
which the United States and the United Kingdom are signatories. Last week,
Levin had filed a complaint in the bankruptcy court against Modi, Mihir
Bhansali and Ajay Gandhi, top executives of the three bankrupt US companies,
and accused them of breach of fiduciary duty, aiding and abetting breach of
fiduciary duty, corporate waste, and violations of the RICO Act.
__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
SC SAYS IT CANNOT PASS ORDER ON PLEA SEEKING STAY ON 'PM
NARENDRA MODI' BEFORE CBFC CERTIFICATION
The Supreme Court Monday
said it cannot pass an order at this stage on a plea seeking a stay on the
release of a biopic on PM Narendra Modi as the Censor Board was yet to certify
the film. The apex court said it will hear the matter today and possibly can
pass an order if the petitioner brings on record that what the film depicts is
highly objectionable. A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi refused the
plea of the petitioner, a Congress activist, that the copy of the film should
be given to him. Why should we direct that individual be given a copy of the
film, the bench also comprising Justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna said.
We fail to understand why such a direction be given, the bench said. Taking
note of his submission, the bench said the producer may have come out with such
a statement on the release of the biopic on April 11 anticipating that the film
would get the certification from the Censor Board.
__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
WILL REVISE INCOME TAX BRACKETS IF RE-ELECTED, BJP'S 'SANKALP
PATRA' SAYS
Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) on Monday pledged to revise income tax (I-T) brackets to help the
middle-class if the party retained power in an upcoming general election. We
are committed to further revise the tax slabs and the tax benefits to ensure
more cash and greater purchasing power in the hands of our middle income
families, the BJP said in its election manifesto released on Monday. We aspire
to make India the third largest economy of the world by 2030. This implies that
we commit to make India a $5 trillion economy by 2025 and $10 trillion economy
by 2032, BJP said. When compared to all governments post-1991, this government
has delivered the highest rate of average GDP growth (7.3 per cent) over the
last five years and maintained lowest rate of average consumer infation (4.6
per cent), it added. BJP said, Our economic policy has been guided by the
principle of lowering the tax rate and improving compliance; thereby broadening
of the tax base. With improved compliance and increased tax base, the tax to
GDP ratio has reached 12 per cent, highest in the recent past, up from 10.1 per
cent in 2013-14. BJP's manifesto further promised capital investment of Rs 100
lakh crore in the infrastructure sector by 2024.
__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
SIAM URGES GOVT TO REDUCE GST ON AUTOMOBILES TO 18 PC
Auto industry has
approached the government to cut GST on passenger vehicles and two-wheelers
from 28 per cent to 18 per cent to compensate the sector, which is expected to
see price hike in range of 10-15 per cent with the coming of new emission and
safety regulations. The industry fears that with the increase in prices, the
demand for their products would be impacted. Currently, automobiles attract
peak GST rate of 28 per cent with additional cess ranging from 1 per cent to 15
per cent, depending on the length, engine size and type. We want the government
to be sensitive to the fact that BS-VI emission introduction (from Apri1, 2020)
and other safety regulations will add to the cost. If it adds to the cost it is
likely to lead to slowdown in the demand, Society of Indian Automobile
Manufacturers (SIAM) President Rajan Wadhera told reporters here. If the demand
goes down, government collection of taxes would also go down, he added. Therefore,
for a win-win situation, we are seeking a 18 per cent GST (Goods and Services
Tax) in automobiles, Wadhera said.
__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
INDIA PROBES DUMPING OF 'ALUMINIUM, ZINC COATED FLAT PRODUCTS'
FROM CHINA, VIETNAM, KOREA
India has begun a probe
into alleged dumping of aluminium and zinc coated flat products from China,
Vietnam and Korea following a complaint from a domestic player. The commerce
ministry's arm Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) initiated the
investigation on an application filed by JSW Steel Coated Products. The company
asked for an anti-dumping probe and imposition of duty on imports of flat
rolled product of steel, plated or coated with alloy of aluminum and zinc, from
these countries. If established that dumping has caused material injury to
domestic players, DGTR would recommend imposition of antidumping duty on the
imports. In a notification, DGTR said it has found sufficient evidence of
dumping of the goods by these countries. Dumping impacts price of that product
in the exporting country, hitting margins and profits of manufacturing firms.
__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
VICTORY FOR GRIDCO AS SC QUASHES NTPC PLEA IN POWER BILLING
CASE
The Supreme Court has dismissed
a petition filed by NTPC Ltd to review an order of the Appellate Tribunal for
Electricity (ATE) in a case pertaining to declaration of Commercial Operations
Date (COD) at its Barh super thermal power station in Bihar. NTPC and Gridco
had locked horns over announcement of COD for the Barh thermal power plant. Gridco
had vigorously contested NTPC's decision to unilaterally declare COD and start
billing infirm power, in the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC).
After the Commission pronounced its ruling in Gridco's favour, NTPC moved the
ATE. The ATE in its January 2019 order, upheld CERC's order, dealing a body
blow to NTPC's pleas. The Supreme Court has upheld the ATE's order. The court
found NTPC's petition untenable and dismissed it. There was no merit in their
arguments, said a Gridco source.
__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
RAHUL GANDHI PROMISES REMOVAL OF FEES ON APPLICATION FOR
GOVERNMENT EXAMS, JOBS
Just two days ahead of the
first phase of Lok Sabha elections, Rahul Gandhi on Monday announced that if
his party is voted to power, he will drop the fee on applications for
government examinations and jobs. The Congress president shared this
information in a post on his official Facebook page. He also shared the policy
of his party related to public health, stating that he will bring a new law
Right to Health for all citizens of the country. We will increase the budget on
health to three per cent of gross domestic product (GDP), Gandhi said.
__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
BJP PROMISES A COLLATERAL-FREE CREDIT & RS 20K CR SEED STARTUP
FUND IN ITS 2019 MANIFESTO
The Bharatiya Janta Party
(BJP) has promised a new scheme to provide collateral-free credit of up to Rs
50 lakh for entrepreneurs in its manifesto for 2019 elections. It said that 50%
of the loan amount will be guaranteed towards female entrepreneurs, while 25%
will be for male entrepreneurs. The ruling party also said it will create a
seed startup fund of Rs 20,000 crore to back early-stage companies. However,
according to the Startup India status report, less than 20% of the corpus has
been allocated to alternative investment funds as of November 2018, with the
total commitment standing at Rs 1,611 crore. The report also noted that around
170 startups have received funding from these investments funds. In its
manifesto, BJP has envisioned facilitating setting up of at least 50,000 new
startups and 500 new incubators and accelerators by 2024. It has also promised
to create 100 innovation zones in urban local bodies. Apart from this, the
party plans to set up a new 'Entrepreneurial Northeast' scheme to provide
financial support to the micro, small, and medium industries and for employment
generation in the Northeastern state. It also plans to support entrepreneurs
from scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, other backward communities or
economically weaker sections and take forward its Stand-up India initiative.
__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
BJP MUST ISSUE 'MAAFINAMA', NOT MANIFESTO: CONGRESS
The Congress on Monday took
a dig at the BJP for putting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's picture on the
cover of its Lok Sabha election manifesto and said the party should instead
issue a 'maafinama' (apology). The difference between the BJP and Congress
manifestos can be seen from the cover page. Ours has a crowd of people and
BJP's has just one man. Instead of a manifesto, the BJP should have come out
with a 'maafinama', party leader Ahmed Patel tweeted. Patel said the Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP) was repeating the promises made in its 2014 manifesto simply
by pushing the deadlines in the 2019 election manifesto released on Monday. For
its 2019 manifesto, the BJP has copy pasted its 2014 manifesto and changed all
previous deadlines from 2019 to 2022, 2032, 2047, 2097. Luckily, they didn't
shift any deadlines to the next century. Patel said that it was the BJP's
arrogance that it did not take any questions after releasing the manifesto.
After we presented our manifesto, we held a detailed Q&A session. After the
BJP presented its manifesto, all their leaders went home without even taking a
single question. It is this arrogance which will bring them down on May 23,
Patel said.
__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
MODI PLEDGES $1.44 TRILLION ON INFRASTRUCTURE IN RE-ELECTION
BID
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party pledged spend $1.44 trillion on
infrastructure to boost the economy and raise living standards, in a bid to
match its main rival’s populist promises. The BJP, which is seeking to retain
power in elections starting April 11, released its manifesto in New Delhi on
Monday, reiterating its pledge to double farmers’ income by 2022, improve GDP
share from manufacturing and double exports. It will also scrap Article 370 of
the Indian Constitution which grants special concessions to the disputed state
of Kashmir. India’s 263 million farmers are a key voting bloc in the world’s
largest democracy. The main opposition Congress Party has promised to write off
farm loans throughout the country. To match it, BJP said it would invest 25
trillion rupees ($359 billion) in rural development and offer farmers 6,000
rupees per year in income support. The manifesto lists banking reforms and
lower inflation as achievements that can help raise funds for building
infrastructure, but gives no details of how the party will ensure funds will be
raised. The essence of the manifesto is to deplete poverty to single digits in
next five years and then eventually eliminate it, said Finance Minister Arun
Jaitley. This manifesto has been prepared with a strong nationalist vision. It
also promised to take its flagship programs -- providing toilets, electricity
connections, houses, cooking gas, crop insurance and loans for small businesses
-- to more beneficiaries by allocating additional resources. It’s banking on the
support of around 220 million Indians who have benefited directly from the
government’s flagship programs, as well as a 750 billion rupees ($10.8 billion)
income support program for small farmers and lower taxes for middle-class.
__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
HAVE 'IRREFUTABLE EVIDENCE' THAT OUR MIG-21 SHOT DOWN
PAKISTANI F-16, SAYS IAF
The Indian Air Force (IAF)
on Monday said it has irrefutable evidence that its MiG 21 Bison shot down a
Pakistani F-16 during an aerial skirmish on February 27. RGK Kapoor said that
there is no doubt that two aircraft went down in the aerial engagement on
February 27, one of which was the Bison of the IAF while the other was F-16 of
the PAF, conclusively identified by its electronic signature and radio transcripts.
The Air Vice Marshal also showed radar images to assert that an F-16 of the
Pakistan Air Force (PAF) was shot down by the Indian Air Force. He added, Have more
credible evidence that is clearly indicative of the fact that Pakistan has lost
one F-16, however, due to security and confidentiality concerns, we are
restricting the information being shared in the public domain.
__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
BJP USING RAM MANDIR IN MANIFESTO TO SHARPEN COMMUNAL
POLARISATION, SAYS SITARAM YECHURY
The mention of the Ram
Mandir in the BJP manifesto is no surprise, CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram
Yechury said Monday, alleging that the saffron party has been using it for the
last 30 years in a bid to sharpen communal polarisation. Prime Minister
Narendra Modi Monday released the manifesto, titled ‘Sankalpit Bharat, Sashakt
Bharat’ (Determined India, Empowered India), which includes including
expeditious construction of a Ram temple, a firm hand in dealing with terrorism
and doubling farmers income in the next three years. This point was
continuously being repeated. Every election they did it. Their whole agenda is
that of sharpening communal polarisation and hoping that it would garner them
some votes. But they are sorely mistaken, Yechury told. Their only target is to
consolidate the Hindutva communal vote bank. But this time that is not going to
happen, he claimed. The CPI(M) general secretary further said the ruling
party’s manifesto was a fresh set of jumlas which have been unleashed upon
India. But the people will never forget the disaster that this Modi government
unleashed on their lives and livelihoods in the past five years. No fresh set
of tamasha can hide the truth, he said. In the manifesto, the BJP also resolved
to annul Article 35 A of the Constitution which says no outsider can own
property in Jammu and Kashmir.
__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
LOK SABHA ELECTIONS 2019: MODI DEFENDS EC AS BJP TARGETS
ELECTORAL GAINS IN NORTH BENGAL
Narendra Modi claimed vilifying
institutions like the Election Commission of India (ECI) reflected insecurity
of political parties. This comes after Modi’s comments against the WestMamata
Banerjee. Earlier, he had claimed that Mamata Banerjee aka Didi was losing
political ground in the state. The Prime Minister’s strong rebuttal comes
within 24 hours of Banerjee criticising the ECIas being biased and motivated
for transferring four senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officers in the state.
These four - Commissioners of Kolkata Police and Bidhannagar Police, as well
as, Superintendents of Police of Diamond Harbour and Birbhum - have not been
replaced, but, also barred from any poll duty. In a letter to the ECI,
Mamata Banejee wrote, The decision of the Commission is highly arbitrary,
motivated and biased. We have every reason to believe that the decision of the
Commission is at the behest of the ruling party at the centre, i.e, the BJP.
Few days back, the BJP leaders commented in a press statement that senior
officers of the state in the police administration would soon be replaced by
the ECI. The war of words between Banerjee and Narendra Modi has been going on
for a while. When the Prime Minister referred to Banerjee as a speed breaker to
development; Banerjee named him expiry Babu and ex- Prime Minister.
__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
IF NOT TAUGHT LESSON TIMELY, CONGRESS WOULD GIVE ALLOWANCE TO
STONE PELTERS IN KASHMIR’
Yogi Adityanath on Monday
attacked the Congress, saying if the party was not taught a lesson timely it
would start giving allowance to stone pelters in Kashmir. Ze also slammed BSP
chief Mayawati, saying her party would get zero seats in this Lok Sabha polls
like 2014. It’s important to teach a timely lesson to Congress otherwise it
will start giving allowance to stone pelters in Kashmir as it sympathises with
them, Adityanaa taking a dig at Mayawati, he said, Those contesting on 38 seats
are dreaming of becoming the prime minister. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP),
Samajwadi Party (SP) and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) have forged an alliance to
take on the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections in the state.
__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
OPPOSITION GRAND ALLIANCE A RESULT OF FRUSTRATION OF ITS
MEMBERS, SAYS UP CM YOGI ADITYANATH
Yogi Adityanath Monday
said the opposition grand alliance is a result of the frustration of its
constituents — BSP, SP and RLD — as they faced defeat in the last general
election. He alleged that the alliance members are resorting to telling lies
instead of raising real issues like riots and lawlessness during their rule.
The chief minister also asserted that the voters will reject the anti-BJP
alliance comprising the Bahujan Samaj Party, the Samajwadi Party and the
Rashtriya Lok Dal. The frustration of defeat (in the previous elections) has
prompted them to forge an alliance. The public will not accept them. In 2014
Lok Sabha elections and in 2017 UP Assembly elections, they were badly
defeated, Adityanath said. The rally at Deoband exhibited this frustration. I
was amazed that the leaders at the rally, be it Mayawati, Akhilesh or Ajit
Singh, did not raise the issue of riots in western Uttar Pradesh, he said. On
Sunday, the alliance held its first joint rally in Saharanpur’s Deoband, where
its leaders not only slammed the BJP but also castigated the Congress for
allegedly trying to divide votes. Why did they not raise the issue of anarchy
and lawlessness in western UP during their rule? Adityanath asked. The farmers
who were not given electricity during the BSP-SP rule in the name of dark zone,
the non-payment of dues to sugarcane farmers, why were these points not touched
upon by the leaders in the rally. All these facts indicate that their focus is
not on the real issues, he alleged. He further said, Why was there no
discussion on Muzaffarnagar riots? Where were the people of SP, BSP, RLD or the
Congress then? It is sad that they do not have the guts to place the facts
before the public. To save their existence, these parties are resorting to
lies. Adityanath said, The entire country is rallying behind Prime Minister
Narendra Modi and there is no alternative to Modiji. Mayawati made the remarks
last month after the Centre told the Supreme Court that documents related to
the Rafale fighter jet deal with France had been stolen. In a dig at Prime
Minister Narendra Modi’s self-designated ‘chowkidar’ (watchman) tag, she had
said it was an instance of irresponsible chowkidari. Those who had plundered
the resources of the state are commenting on the Rs 6,000 given to farmers
annually by the NDA government, Adityanath said. How come Mayawati forgot that
21 sugarmills were sold at throwaway prices during her tenure and now the case
is pending in the Supreme Court, he said.
__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
ARUN JAITLEY TO VISIT US IN THE HEAT OF ELECTION
Arun Jaitley is headed to
the US to attend IMF-World Bank Group Spring Meetings during 9-14 April in
Washington DC, as he seeks to assess global economic outlook, study the impact
of US-China trade wars on India’s exports, scouts for more foreign investment
into the country, looks for growth opportunities for India, and raises key
issues concerning Indian economy on global fora. Arun Jaitley, who is going for
the meetings along with Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das and
Finance Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg, will be away from India for as much as
up to a week, a Finance Ministry official told. He will leave Delhi for
Washington DC on 8 April, and will return to India on 15 April, the official
said. The IMF-World Bank Group spring meetings are organised every year to
discuss key issues surrounding the global economy. The IMF-World Bank meet is
significant in the backdrop of ongoing trade talks between the two economic
giants US and China and Brexit which can have an impact on India’s exports too,
a government official told Financial Express Online. The issues flagged at
IMF-World Bank meet may also form the bedrock for discussions in other forums,
and will be taken up further in the G20 and BRICS countries summit which are
organised on the sidelines of IMF-World Bank meet every year. Finance Minister
Arun Jaitley is a Governor representing India in IMF and World Bank both. He
will represent as finance minister in G20 and BRICS both.
__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
KARAMBIR SINGH'S APPOINTMENT TO NAVAL CHIEF ARBITRARY, SAYS
VICE ADMIRAL BIMAL VERMA IN PETITION
Vice Admiral Bimal Verma
on Monday moved the Armed Forces Tribunal stating that the government had in an
arbitrary and whimsical manner ignored the recommendation of the Chief of Naval
Staff and appointed his junior Vice Admiral Karambir Singh as the next chief of
the Indian Navy. The Commander-in-Chief of the Andaman and Nicobar Command in
his petition has sought to know why he was overlooked as the next Navy chief
despite being the senior most in terms of the length of service. In a letter
dated March 23, he stated that the government has illegally and in a wrongful
manner appointed his junior Karambir Singh as the next Navy chief. Verma will
be represented by his daughter Rhea Verma at the Armed Forces Tribunal. The
Government has appointed Vice Admiral Karambir Singh, Eastern Naval Commander
as the next Chief of Naval Staff in place of Admiral Sunil Lanba who vacates
the office on 31 May 2019, Defence Ministry spokesperson Col Aman Anand said
earlier on Monday. Vice Admiral Karambir Singh Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief
(FOC-in-C) East will be the first helicopter pilot of Indian Navy to become
Chief Naval Staff. Verma said that he feels that the respondents (government)
have illegally and in a wrongful manner used the two letters of Severe
Displeasure, which were issued to him in 2005 and 2007, to deny him the post of
the Navy chief.
__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
INDIA IN TALKS WITH NETHERLANDS TO AMEND BILATERAL TAX TREATY
After successfully
plugging the loopholes in tax treaties with Mauritius and Singapore, India is
now negotiating with the Netherlands to amend the bilateral tax treaty in an
effort to gain more powers to tax the sale of shares of Indian companies by
Dutch firms. The move tracks a surge in investment in Indian companies by Dutch
corporates. We are in talks with the Netherlands to amend the treaty,
especially on matters of capital gains taxation. But we cannot predict the
outcome now, a government official said on condition of anonymity. In the first
nine months of 2018-19, India had received $2.95 billion foreign direct
investment from Netherlands, topping the $2.8 billion investment in 2017-18. The
Indian government wants to widen its tax base by ensuring share transactions
involving Indian entities do not escape taxation in India. India is amending
tax treaties, because what was meant to prevent taxation of the same income in
both countries, had given rise to concerns that investments in many cases had
resulted in a situation where an entity had escaped taxation in both countries.
__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
CHINA’S MARCH FOREX RESERVES RISE 7-MONTH HIGH TO $3.099
TRILLION
China’s foreign exchange reserves
rose for a fifth straight month in March, with the increase exceeding
expectations, as growing optimism about the prospects for a U.S.-China trade
deal offset concerns over slowing economic growth. Chinese reserves, the
world’s largest, rose by nearly $9 billion in March to $3.099 trillion, its
highest since August last year, central bank data showed on Sunday. Economists
polled by Reuters had expected reserves would rise $5 billion to $3.095
trillion. The State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) added that with
the economy expected to maintain reasonable growth and improved flexibility in
the yuan exchange rate, the country’s forex reserves will remain stable. The
yuan fell 5.3 percent against the dollar last year as trade relations with the
United States deteriorated and the Chinese economy slowed. But it has rebounded
over 2 percent so far in 2019 on hopes Washington and Beijing will reach an
agreement to end their bruising trade war In March, the yuan fell 0.3 percent
against the dollar due to the strength of the greenback. The dollar was up 1
percent against a basket of major currencies. U.S. and Chinese negotiators
wrapped up their latest round of trade talks on Friday and were scheduled to
resume discussions this week to try to secure a pact that would end a
tit-for-tat tariff battle that has roiled global markets. But the outlook for
the dollar is expected to remain soft after the Federal Reserve last month
abandoned projections for further interest rate hikes this year on signs of an
economic slowdown in the United States. The value of China’s gold reserves fell
slightly to $78.525 billion from $79.498 billion at the end of February.
__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
FISHERIES SUBSIDY PROPOSAL BY AUSTRALIA, US NOT IN INDIA’S
INTERESTS
A proposal by the US and
Australia, for member specific limits on subsidies given to fishing folk, is a setback
to developing and least developed countries’ attempts to retain special
provisions in international trade. Officials in India fear that negotiations
over fisheries are simply a testing ground and developed countries will attempt
to do away with special and differential treatment (S&DT) altogether.
Developed nations are averse to S&DT and fisheries is the only current
multilateral negotiation taking place at the World Trade Organization (WTO). The
capping proposal categorises nations into three tiers based on share of global
marine capture and seafood exports. India, China and most developing countries
fall in tier 1, which comprises members that account for either 0.7% or more of
global marine capture production or 0.7% or more of global seafood exports.
According to the proposal, they would be required to negotiate with other
members individual subsidy caps on a request-offer basis in monetary terms at
the WTO. We are not supporting this proposal, said an Indian official privy to
the negotiations. There is no development concern in the proposal. Instead, it
asks countries to take reduction commitments.
__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
DONALD TRUMP TO PRESSURE IRAN BY BRANDING ITS REVOLUTIONARY
GUARD A TERROR GROUP
In an unprecedented step
to ramp up pressure on Tehran, the Trump administration is planning to
designate Iran’s Revolutionary Guard a foreign terrorist organisation The move
is expected to further isolate Iran and could have widespread implications for
U.S. personnel and policy in the Middle East and elsewhere. The Trump
administration has escalated rhetoric against Iran for months, but this will
mark the first such designation by any American administration of an entire
foreign government entity. Portions of the Guard, notably its elite Quds Force,
have been targeted previously by the United States. Officials informed of the
step said an announcement was expected as early as Monday. Two US officials and
a congressional aide confirmed the planned move. They were not authorized to
discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. Iran’s foreign
minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, seemed to anticipate the designation, saying in
a tweet Sunday aimed at President Donald Trump that Trump should know better
than to be conned into another US disaster. This would be just the latest move
by the Trump administration to isolate Iran. Trump withdrew from the Obama
administration’s landmark nuclear deal with Iran in May 2018 and, in the months
that followed, reimposed punishing sanctions including those targeting Iran’s
oil, shipping and banking sectors. The Revolutionary Guard designation,
planning for which was first reported by The Wall Street Journal, comes with
sanctions, including freezes on assets the Guard may have in U.S. jurisdictions
and a ban on Americans doing business with it or providing material support for
its activities. Although the Guard has broad control and influence over the
Iranian economy, such penalties from the U.S. may have limited impact. The
designation, however, could significantly complicate U.S. military and
diplomatic work, notably in Iraq, where many Shiite militias and Iraqi political
parties have close ties to the Guard. And in Lebanon, where the Guard has close
ties to Hezbollah, which is part of the Lebanese government. The Pentagon and
U.S. intelligence agencies have raised concerns about the impact of the
designation if the move does not allow contact with foreign officials who may
have met with or communicated with Guard personnel. Those concerns have in part
dissuaded previous administrations from taking the step, which has been
considered for more than a decade. It was not immediately clear whether the
designation would include such carve-outs.
__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
SSC PAPER LEAK CASE: SC DIRECTS CBI TO FILE CASE DIARY, STATUS
REPORT
The Supreme Court Tuesday
directed the CBI to file the case diary and the status report in the
investigation carried out in the 2017 SSC exam paper leak case. A bench headed
by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said it will take up the matter for hearing on
April 11. The apex court had on April 1 allowed the Staff Selection Commission
(SSC) to declare the result of a re-examination of SSC Combined Graduate Level
(CGL) 2017 held last year. It had said the injunction granted on August 31,
last year on the declaration of result for SSC CGL, 2017, would not continue on
a re-examination conducted on March 9, 2018. The top court had said that lakhs
of unemployed youths have suffered because someone from the organisation was
corrupt.
__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
WOMAN DRIVEN OUT OF MATRIMONIAL HOME CAN FILE CASE AT PLACE
WHERE SHE HAS TAKEN SHELTER: SC
The Supreme Court Tuesday
held that a woman driven out of her matrimonial home can file a criminal case
against her estranged spouse and in-laws at a place where she has taken
shelter. A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi delivered an important
judgment with regard to territorial jurisdiction of a place where a married
woman can file cases against her estranged husband and in-laws after being
subjected to dowry harassment and cruelty. The bench said besides the place
where a woman was living before and after marriage, the place of shelter will
also have territorial jurisdiction for filing matrimonial cases. The apex court
verdict came on a plea filed by one Rupali Devi of Uttar Pradesh.
__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
TRUMP WARNS EU OF $11-BN TARIFFS OVER ITS SUBSIDIES TO BOEING
RIVAL AIRBUS
President Donald Trump’s
administration is proposing tariffs on some $11 billion in imports from the
European Union in response to harm the U.S. says is being caused by the bloc’s
subsidies to Boeing Co. rival Airbus SE. In issuing the list, which includes
passenger helicopters, various cheeses and wines, ski-suits and certain
motorcycles, the U.S. Trade Representative’s office cited the World Trade
Organization’s finding that the aid to Airbus has repeatedly caused adverse
effects to the United States, the USTR said in a statement Monday evening. The
Trump administration said, starting Monday, it is beginning a process under
Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 to identify products of the EU to which
additional duties may be applied until the EU removes those subsidies. The
threatened tariffs would be implemented only after the WTO gave the final go-ahead
this summer, the administration said -- a rare show of faith in an institution
that Trump himself has assailed. The move is provocative on a number of fronts,
however. The proposed tariffs come nearly 15 years after the U.S. first
complained to the WTO that Airbus had widely benefited from billions of dollars
in illegal subsidies. A countersuit by the European Union is still winding its
way through the trade court, which found last month that about $325 million in
tax incentives offered by Washington state to Boeing were unlawful.
__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
TERROR FUNDING CASE: SEPARATIST LEADER MIRWAIZ AGAIN APPEARS
BEFORE NIA
Separatist leader Mirwaiz
Umer Farooq Tuesday appeared before the National Investigation Agency for the
second consecutive day for questioning in connection with a case related to
funding of terror groups and separatist organisations in Jammu and Kashmir,
officials said here. Mirwaiz came to the NIA headquarters under police
protection and will be questioned on the matter of funding of his own party --
Awami Action Committee -- and Hurriyat Conference, a conglomerate of several
separatist organisations, the officials said. The Mirwaiz is the chairman of
the Hurriyat Conference which has in the past engaged with the NDA and UPA-led
governments for talks to find a lasting solution to the Kashmir issue. The NIA
has also summoned Naseem Geelani, son of pro-Pakistan separatist Syed Ali Shah
Geelani, on Tuesday but it was not immediately clear whether he was appearing before
the agency or not. The NIA probe seeks to identify the chaion of players behind
the financing of terrorist activities, pelting of stones on security forces,
burning down of schools and damaging of government establishments.
__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
ONLINE CROWDFUNDING: POLITICIANS FIND A NEW WAY TO MEET LS
POLL EXPENSES
Several candidates cutting
across party lines have taken to online crowd funding to finance their election
campaigns, ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Cash-starved, these nominees
are also advocating transparency in poll funding. Online crowd funding, a
popular exercise in Europe before elections, was first witnessed in India
during the 2017 Manipur Assembly polls. The then anti-AFSPA (Armed Forces
Special Power Act) crusader, Irom Sharmila, had resorted to the exercise and
collected Rs 4.5 lakh for her party - People's Resurgence and Justice Alliance.
Since then the practice of raising money from people via the Internet has been
adopted by a number of politicians. This will, however, be the first time since
Lok Sabha polls began in 1952 that candidates in large numbers have resorted to
online crowd funding to meet the expenses of their poll campaigns and send out
a message of accountability. Kumar, a former president of Jawaharlal Nehru
University Students' Union, has so far raised Rs 70 lakh from more than 5,500
people. He is followed by Atishi Marlena of the AAP, who has garnered Rs 50
lakh for fighting the polls from the East Delhi parliamentary seat. Pedapudi Vijay
Kumar, who is contesting the election on a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) ticket
from Parchur constituency in Andhra Pradesh, figures third on the list with Rs
1,90,000. Crowdfunding is an alternative to cash-intensive political funding in
India. Not only does it let you raise white money through bank-to-bank
transaction, each contribution is also a form of endorsement.
__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
WOMAN DRIVEN OUT OF MATRIMONIAL HOME CAN FILE CASE AT PLACE
WHERE SHE HAS TAKEN SHELTER: SC
The Supreme Court Tuesday
held that a woman driven out of her matrimonial home can file a criminal case
against her estranged spouse and in-laws at a place where she has taken
shelter. A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi delivered an important
judgment with regard to territorial jurisdiction of a place where a married
woman can file cases against her estranged husband and in-laws after being
subjected to dowry harassment and cruelty. The bench said besides the place
where a woman was living before and after marriage, the place of shelter will
also have territorial jurisdiction for filing matrimonial cases. The apex court
verdict came on a plea filed by one Rupali Devi of Uttar Pradesh.
__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
AYODHYA CASE LITIGANT MOVES SC AGAINST GOVT'S PLEA TO TRANSFER
SURPLUS LAND
Nirmohi Akhara, one of the
litigants in the Ayodhya case, Tuesday moved the Supreme Court opposing the
Centre's plea seeking return of 67.390 acre of non-disputed acquired land around
the disputed Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid site to original owners. The
Allahabad High Court in 2010 had decided that 2.77-acre disputed land at Ram
Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid site would be divided into three equal parts and will
be handed over to -- Nirmohi Akhara, Sunni Waqf Board, and Ram Lalla. The
Nirmohi Akhara, in its fresh plea, has opposed the Centre's application by
which it had sought modification of the Supreme Court's 2003 order to allow it
to return to original owners the 67.390 acre of non-disputed acquired land
around the disputed Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid site in Ayodhya. The
application has said that the Centre has proposed returning of acquired land to
Ram Janambhoomi Nyas and that there are many temples on the acquired land and
their rights would be affected if the land is returned to one party. The apex
court had recently appointed mediators to find an amicable solution to the
vexatious land dispute.
__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
SC TO HEAR ON APR 15 PLEA CHALLENGING HC ORDER ASKING CENTRE
TO BAN TIKTOK APP
The Supreme Court on
Tuesday agreed to hear on April 15 a plea challenging a recent Madras High
Court order directing the Centre to ban the TikTok app over concerns about
access to pornographic content through it. A bench comprising Chief Justice
Ranjan Gogoi and justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna agreed to hear the
plea filed by Chinese company ByteDance, which said there were over billion
downloads of the app and the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court had passed
an ex-parte order.
__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
LALU CONDUCTING POLITICAL ACTIVITIES FROM HOSPITAL: CBI
OPPOSES BAIL PLEA
The CBI Tuesday opposed in
the Supreme Court the bail plea of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav, who is
serving jail term in connection with fodder scam cases, saying he is likely to
indulge in political activities ahead of Lok Sabha polls. The CBI, which sought
nod from a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi to file its response to
the bail plea of Yadav, said the RJD leader is likely to get involved in
political activities and misuse the grant of bail ahead of upcoming Lok Sabha
polls. The probe agency said in any case Yadav has been in a hospital ward for
over eight months and indulging in political activities. During the period in
which the petitioner (Lalu Yadav) remained in hospital, he is not only granted
a special paying ward with all facilities but he is virtually conducting his
political activities from there which would be clear form the list of visitors,
the CBI in its reply said. The agency further said Yadav who claimed to be so
unwell that he cannot even remain in jail has now suddenly become physically
fit and is seeking bail. It is submitted that simultaneous raising of pleas for
bails on medical grounds and bail to guide the party and to carry out all
essential responsibilities as a party president in ensuing Lok Sabha elections
are mutually contradictory and manifest that in the garb of bail on medical
ground the petitioner in essence wants to pursue his political activities which
is impermissible in law, the CBI said. The RJD chief, currently lodged in the
Birsa Munda Central Jail in Ranchi, has challenged the January 10 verdict of
the Jharkhand High Court dismissing his bail plea. The three cases in which
Prasad has been convicted are related to the over Rs 900-crore fodder scam,
which pertains to fraudulent withdrawal of money from the treasuries in the
Animal Husbandry department in the early 1990s, when Jharkhand was part of
Bihar.
__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
PLEA IN DELHI HC TO BAN FAROOQ, OMAR ABDULLAH AND MEHBOOBA IN
LS POLLS FOR 'SEDITIOUS' STATEMENTS
A plea was filed in the
Delhi High Court on Monday seeking a direction to the Election Commission (EC)
to ban Jammu and Kashmir politicians Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and
Mehbooba Mufti from participating in the upcoming Lok Sabha election as their
statements were allegedly seditious. The petition filed by a lawyer alleged
that the seditious and communal statements given by the three leaders were
against the Constitution, adding that the court or the EC should bar or impose
conditions on their entry into the Lok Sabha. The plea is yet to come up for
hearing. All the three leaders are former chief ministers of Jammu and Kashmir.
The petition has arrayed the EC, the Union of India, the Delhi Police, National
Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah, his son Omar Abdullah and Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti as parties to the petition. The
plea moved by advocate Sanjjiiv Kkumaar has also sought a direction to book
them under various charges, including sedition and inciting hatred, of the
Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act. Issue directions to the
respondent number 1 (EC) to ban the NC and the PDP from Lok Sabha election 2019
as respondent number 4 and 6 (the three leaders) are presidents of their
respective parties and represent their parties and their ideologies, it
alleged. Will it not be a mockery of democracy to allow those people and parties
to participate in the Lok Sabha election when people/parties openly call for
sedition to divide Mother India on the basis of religion (Muslim majority) and
two prime ministers (for Jammu and Kashmir and the rest of India), it said.
__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
LOK SABHA ELECTIONS: NO MENTION OF SAARC, BJP VOWS TO WORK
WITH OTHER REGIONAL PLATFORMS
#For Source of Information copy and paste the heading in google.
Thanks & Regards,
CS Meetesh Shiroya
Drop shipping service in India will get affected by the tax updates that will increase the price too.
ReplyDelete