NOW INDIAN ENTITIES CAN ALSO FILE AND TRACK COMPLAINTS AGAINST
FOREIGN ENTITIES: DGFT
Online filing and tracking
of quality complaints or trade disputes relating to international trade is now
available to Indian entity also, said Directorate General of Foreign Trade
(DGFT). Now, DGFT has launched an upgraded online filing for tracking Quality
Complaints / Trade Disputes relating to International Trade, both for Indian
and foreign entities. In a notification, DGFT said The online module for online
filing and tracking of quality complaints or trade disputes relating to
international trade has been upgraded and now the Indian entities can also
file/track complaints against foreign entities.
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GOVERNMENT UNEARTHS RS 49,158 CRORE OF INDIRECT TAX EVASION IN
FY19
Days after government
announcing record high Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections for the first
time in two years, revenue intelligence wing of Central Board of Indirect Taxes
and Customs (CBIC) and Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI) is learnt
to have detected 85.10 percent increase in tax evasion in FY19 as against last
fiscal. DG GST Intelligence in a recent detailed report to CBIC has said that
it detected 3,767 cases worth Rs 49,158 crore of tax evasion in FY19 as against
2,313 cases of Rs 26,557 crore in FY18, across India. Of this Rs 49,158 crore,
the government detected Rs 27,378 crore of service tax evasion, Rs 19,396 crore
of GST evasion and Rs 2,384 crore of central excise duty evasion, DGGI in its
report said. However, when it comes to the realisation of tax evasion, DGGI
said that tax realisation has increased by 306.76 percent in FY19 as against FY
18. Of these 3,767 cases detected in FY19, intelligence wing realised Rs 11,853
crore in 2,522 cases against 1,453 cases of Rs 2,914 crore in FY18, across
India, the report added. In the month of March 2019, DG GST Intelligence has
detected duty/tax evasion of Rs 9,593 crore and had realised Rs 2,779 crore. Of
this Rs 9,593 crore, GST evasion was worth Rs 8,624 crore and recovery of GST
evasion was of Rs 2,421 crore, the report added.
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ICAI RELEASES E-VERSION OF COMPENDIUM OF REVISED INDIAN
ACCOUNTING STANDARDS
ICAI on Thursday said it
has released the e-version of compendium of revised Indian Accounting Standards
that incorporates new standard on leases among other amendments. As part of
annual improvements, the Ind AS (Indian Accounting Standards), which is based
on International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), undergoes regular
upgradation due to issuance of new standards or amendments in existing
standards by IFRS, the accounting body said in a release. The e-version of
compendium of Ind AS includes amendments that were made in Companies (Indian
Accounting Standards) Amendment Rules and became effective on April 1. During
the previous year there have been certain amendments to Ind AS which have all
been incorporated in appropriate places and relevant standards in this updated
version of compendium, the release said. The existing standard on leases has
been replaced in the new accounting standards (Ind AS 116). In the new lease
accounting model for lessees, leases will be recognised on balance sheet by
recognising a lease liability with a corresponding 'right-of use' asset, it
said. Ind AS 116 will have an impact on the financial statements of the firms.
The extent of impact would vary across industries depending on the financing
and leasing structures prevalent in an industry, the release added. Similarly,
the compendium also includes changes that provide guidance as to how
uncertainty about a tax treatment should be reflected in the accounting for
income tax. The compendium of Ind AS will be highly useful to all stakeholders
in particular prepares and auditors of financial statements. ICAI will also
continue to engage in disseminating knowledge of these standards and the changes
through a series of initiatives including webcasts, workshops, training
programmes and certificate courses, Prafulla P Chhajed said.
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GST RELIEF FOR HOMEBUYERS, BUILDERS IN BENGAL AFTER RULE
CHANGE ON SERVICES
Home builders and buyers
will get relief as they will be paying reduced GST rate after factoring
abatement for services associated with construction of dwellings, at least in
West Bengal. The state-based Authority for Advance Rulings (AAR) has ruled that
services such as preferential location charges (PLC), space for parking, common
area maintenance services could be bundled with the main construction services.
Before the recent changes, builders attracted 18 per cent GST for their
services. However, the effective tax rate came down to 12 per cent. Many
builders are charging 18 per cent GST on ancillary services. Explaining the
case, Harpreet Singh, said Bengal Peerless Housing Development Company
approached the AAR, saying that it bundles the PLC services, right to use car
parking space and common area maintenance services with the principal services
of construction. The revenue department too agreed with the submissions of the
applicant and echoed a similar view that the overall activity should qualify as
a composite supply with the construction service being the principal supply.
The AAR held that it was reasonable to conclude that services provided by the
applicant are naturally bundled and offered in conjunction with one another in
the ordinary course of business and the other services of the bundle are ancillary
to the supply of construction service
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AAR RELIEF FOR FLAT BUYERS, RULES PLC TO ATTRACT 12% GST
Giving a breather to flat
buyers, the Authority for Advance Rulings (AAR) has held that services such as
preferential location charge will be eligible for concessional rate of goods
and services tax (GST) for under-construction units, while no tax will be
levied on those sold after completion. Some builders have been levying higher
GST on preferential location charges (PLC) and other add-on services. Prior to
April 1, 2019, the GST for real estate was 12% (18% less one-third deduction
for land). However, there was ambiguity on whether other charges such as PLC
can be considered as composite supply and taxed at 12% or would be taxed at
18%. Bengal Peerless Housing Development Company Limited, a joint venture of
the West Bengal Housing Board and Peerless General Finance and Investment
Company Limited, had approached AAR on whether such services would qualify as a
composite supply and can avail a reduced rate of 12% GST. The authority has
held that the applicant is providing service of construction of a dwelling unit
in a residential complex with services relating to PLC, parking charges. It is
a composite supply, construction service being the principal supply and hence,
entire value would be taxable at 12%, it held.
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19 FIRMS SUSPECTED OF INVOLVEMENT IN BOGUS BILL RACKET RAIDED
The State Goods and
Service Tax (SGST) department raided 19 firms of Rajkot, Mundra and Gandhidham
after a bogus billing racket was busted in Bhavnagar in February. The
department had arrested two persons in this connection and following the investigation
officials have raided 19 firms in Saurashtra region which are allegedly
involved in bogus billing racket. According to a statement issued by the SGST
department, the 19 firms have done transaction of Rs 935 crore on paper. The
GST numbers were obtained in the names of the people who were not involved in
any kind of business activity. In fact, the SGST officials said that the people
in whose names the GST numbers were issued, were not aware of the development.
The bills were issued for different sectors like ferrous and non-ferrous
metals, waste material, machinery parts and scrap.
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SFIO ARRESTS BHUSHAN STEEL’S FORMER CFO NITIN JOHRI ON CHARGES
OF FINANCIAL FRAUD
The country’s top fraud
watchdog SFIO has arrested Bhushan Steel’s former chief financial officer and
director Nitin Johri, according to a senior official. The late evening arrest
occurred on Friday and Johri has been remanded to two-day custody by the
Patiala house court. He has been arrested by the SFIO in connection with the
ongoing investigations at the company. Johri was in charge of raising funds
from banks for the company and reported directly to its promoters Neeraj Singal
and Brij Bhushan Singhal. SFIO probe found that Bhushan Steel had manipulated
its accounts and entered into several fraudulent transactions by getting
letters of credit worth Rs 20,000 crore from various banks by producing false
documents. The steel maker filed for bankruptcy proceedings in 2017 and was
subsequently acquired by Tata Steel. SFIO found Johri’s direct involvement in
inflating the inventories of the company for availing enhanced working capital
limits.
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ROBUST PLAN IN PLACE TO IMPORT OIL: MEA
India has a robust plan to
import oil from other countries, the Ministry of External Affairs said, even as
the deadline for the U.S. sanction waiver for oil imports from Iran expired on
Thursday without an extension from the U.S. The U.S. re-imposed sanctions on
Iran, prohibiting countries from importing oil from it, but waived these
sanctions for eight countries, including India. That waiver has now expired and
the U.S. announced last month that it would not be extending it. The U.S.
refused to change its stance despite a last-minute call by External Affairs
Minister Sushma Swaraj to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Saturday.
Whatever decisions we take will be a combination of a number of factors
[including] commercial negotiations and keeping our legitimate security interests
and economic interests in mind, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson
Raveesh Kumar said. We continue to engage with the U.S. on this matter. But a
decision has been taken by them and accordingly we have responded. We have a
robust plan in place to import oil from other countries, Mr. Kumar added. This
is a decision that will be taken in a considered manner. Indian oil companies,
meanwhile, have stopped placing orders for Iranian oil. The oil companies do
not take a decision on this, that is taken by the government, a spokesperson
for the Indian Oil Corporation said. The official position is what was stated
by the MEA. But we have not placed any further orders with Iran. Prior to the
sanctions and the subsequent reduction in the quantity of oil imported from
Iran, Iran accounted for about 10% of India’s oil requirements.
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I-T DEPARTMENT PROBES BANGALORE AUTO DRIVER WHO OWNS RS
1.6-CRORE VILLA
The Income-Tax department
is looking into the income sources of a Bangalore auto-rickshaw driver who now
lives in a Rs 1.6 crore-villa in an elite gated society in Whitefield.
Nalluralli Subramani, however, attributes his good life to the largess of one
of his passengers. An official from the I-T department said the 37-year-old
auto driver has been under close watch from mid-April in the light of the
parliamentary elections. We had shortlisted sources from where unaccounted
money would come into play for the elections. As soon as this case reached us,
we decided to go forward and search his property at Jatti Dwarakamai in
Mahadevapura of Whitefield, the official said. The official said an investigation
is underway and a notice has been served under Prohibition of Benami Property
Transactions Act, 1988. Information has also been sought from the developer of
the colony which includes 15 villas. However, all documents of the property
indicate this is not a benami case as he has furnished appropriate proof, he
said, adding that confirmation will have to wait till completion of the
investigation. Please spare me from such embarrassment, the former minister
said in a Facebook Live video. He added that the accused had participated with
him in a public function long back and allegations should not be made based on
that. He urged the I-T Department to take stringent action if the accused is
found guilty.
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INDIA AGAIN EXTENDS RETALIATORY TARIFF DEADLINE ON US PRODUCTS
TILL MAY 16
The government has again extended
its deadline to impose retaliatory import duties on 29 US products, including
almond, walnut and pulses, till May 16. A notification of the finance ministry
has said that implementation of increased customs duty on specified imports
originating in the US has been postponed from May 2 to May 16 this year. This
extension comes in the backdrop of the US decision to withdraw export
incentives being provided to them to Indian exporters under Generalised System
of Preferences (GSP) programme, which is expected to impact India's exports to
the US worth $5.6 billion under this scheme. America has given 60 days notice,
which would end this week, to withdraw these benefits. Amid this, US commerce
secretary Wilbur Ross and commerce minister Suresh Prabhu will hold bilateral
meetings on May 6 to discuss trade-related issues.
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AGUSTAWESTLAND CASE: COURT EXTENDS JUDICIAL CUSTODY OF SUSHEN
GUPTA TILL 9 MAY
The Rouse Avenue court on
Friday extended the judicial custody of alleged defence agent Sushen Mohan
Gupta, arrested in the AgustaWestland VVIP choppers scam case, till 9 May.
Gupta was produced by Tihar Jail authorities before a special Central Bureau of
Investigation (CBI) judge Arvind Kumar today, after his bail plea was rejected
last month. The Enforcement Directorate arrested Gupta on 26 March in the ₹3,600-crore
VVIP choppers deal case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. According
to the agency, Gupta's involvement came to light following disclosures made by
Rajiv Saxena, who recently turned approver in the case after he was deported
from the United Arab Emirates and arrested by the Enforcement Directorate. Lawyer
Gautam Khaitan and alleged British middleman Christian Michel were also
arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in the case. Hindustan Power Projects
Pvt Ltd chairman Ratul Puri was also summoned by the probe agency after he was
named by both Rajiv Saxena and Sushen Mohan Gupta in the chopper scam. Ratul
Puri is the nephew of Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath.
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FIRST THEY MOCKED, THEN PROTESTED, NOW SAY ‘ME TOO’: PM ON
CONGRESS’ CLAIM OF SURGICAL STRIKES
Challenging the Congress
over their claim of carrying out six surgical strikes under former Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh’s tenure, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday said
first they mocked the strikes, then protested against them, and now they say
‘me too’. Modi said, What kind of strikes were these of which neither the
terrorists knew, nor Pakistan knew, or even Indians didn’t know about? When the
surgical strikes happened for the first time, they (Congress) refuted the
claims saying ‘there is nothing like that. The army does this daily’. Only
Congress can carry out surgical strikes on paper while sitting in an
air-conditioned room, he said. Rajeev Shukla gave detail of six instances of
surgical strikes under the Congress regime. 6 surgical strikes were conducted
during the Manmohan Singh government. PM Modi also said, When you carry out a
surgical strike on paper, or in a video game what difference does it make if it
is done 3 times, or six times, or 20 or 25 times.
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RAHUL’S REVENGE AGAINST PM MODI MIGHT TURN AGAINST CONGRESS:
ARUN JAITLEY IN BLOG
Arun Jaitley Friday took a
jibe at him saying that Rahul’s revenge against PM Modi might not succeed and
as well may turn out against his own party. Jaitley wrote that the Congress
president’s unacceptability of a commoner (PM Modi) challenging the dynast and
defeating him led to both envy and revenge. Jaitley termed PM Modi as ‘one of
the greatest communicators of his times’ and said that Rahul has a
‘disproportionate impression’ about his oratorical skills. The finance minister
also targeted Rahul on the Rafale case and wrote that the Congress president’s
belief in his falsehood has led him to ‘dream’ that he has destroyed his
opponent. Jaitley attacked Congress and wrote that the party has a sense of
entitlement that they were ‘born to rule’ and that losing to PM Modi in the
general elections of 2014 was unacceptable to them. Jaitley added that the
party took more than three years to come out of the 2014 election shock.
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RAHUL GANDHI PENS EMOTIONAL LETTER TO PEOPLE OF AMETHI
Rahul Gandhi has written
an emotional letter to the people of Amethi, asking them to vote for him and
promising development of the region as soon as Congress forms government at the
Centre. The letter is addressed to 'Mera Amethi Parivar' and says that the BJP
has been setting up 'factory of lies' and is distributing 'rivers of cash' to
entice voters. He says that the strength of Amethi lies in its honesty,
integrity and simplicity. It is being distributed in every house in Amethi
which goes to polls on May 6 in the fifth phase. Gandhi has not been able to
devote sufficient time to his constituency since he has been busy campaigning
across the country. His sister and Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi
Vadra, however, has been campaigning for her brother. 69159884, 69158326,
69156862. In his letter, Gandhi said: It is my promise to the people of Amethi
that the moment the Congress comes to power at the Centre, the schemes blocked
by the BJP will be started. On May 6, vote in large numbers to bring back this
member of the family. He further said that Amethi has been his family and it
gives him courage to stand by the truth. He says he can hear the pain of the
poor and will continue to raise his voice in their support. The Congress
President also wrote about 'two ideologies in the country. The first is the
Congress that works for farmers, youth, the weak, women and small traders and
the second is the BJP which wants to work for 15-20 industrialists. Rahul
Gandhi has won from Amethi in 2004, 2009 and 2014 and this time he is being
challenged again by Union Minister Smriti Irani, who is the BJP candidate again
after 2014.
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JAYANT SINHA SAYS HE AND OTHER BJP MEMBERS HELPED JHARKHAND
LYNCHING CONVICTS WITH LEGAL FEES
Jayant Sinha has said he
and some other BJP leaders provided financial assistance to pay the legal fees
of the persons accused of lynching a meat trader to death in Jharkhand’s
Ramgarh in June, 2017. They (accused) came from a poor family. Their family
members requested us to assist them financially in order to help them in hiring
an able advocate. I, along with other members of the party (BJP) helped them in
paying for the advocate’s fees, Sinha said. Sinha’s admission comes a year
after he was photographed felicitating the six accused in July when the
accused, who after coming out on bail, were taken straight to Sinha’s residence
in Hazaribagh, where the union minister welcomed them with garlands and sweets.
Sinha said although he has sympathy for the victim’s family, the accused in the
case were innocent. I have great sympathy for the victims’ family. Whatever
happened is tragic but the people who came to my house were innocent. You’ve
made this assumption that they were the perpetrators. This assumption of yours
is flawed. If anybody studies this case, thinks about it and reads the bail
order of the High Court, it will be evident that the people who came to my
house were innocent. And, when I talk about absolute justice, I mean that the
victim should definitely be provided justice but the people who were innocent,
punished wrongly and were sent to jail for a year should also be given proper
justice. Replying to a question whether he should have waited for the acquittal
of the accused individuals before felicitating them, Sinha said various
opposition leaders are garlanded across the country despite being accused in
various cases.
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11 GIRLS ALLEGEDLY MURDERED BY BRAJESH THAKUR, OTHERS: CBI TO
SC IN MUZAFFARPUR SHELTER HOME CASE
In a sensational
revelation by CBI in the Supreme Court on Friday, 11 girls were allegedly
murdered by key accused Brajesh Thakur and his accomplices and bundle of bones
recovered from a burial ground in the Muzaffarpur shelter home sexual abuse
case. In its affidavit filed in the top court, CBI stated that from the
statement of victims recorded during the probe, names of 11 girls have emerged,
who were said to be allegedly murdered by Thakur and his accomplices. The
agency said that on the pointing out of one of the accused, a particular spot
in a burial ground was excavated from where a bundle of bones was recovered.
Several girls were allegedly raped and sexually abused at an NGO-run shelter
home at Muzaffarpur in Bihar and the issue had come to light following a report
by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). The probe into the case was
transferred to CBI and the agency has chargesheeted 21 people, including
Thakur. During investigation, from the statement of victims recorded by IOs (investigating
officers) and NIMHANS (National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences)
team, names of 11 girls emerged who were said to be allegedly murdered by the
accused Brajesh Thakur and his accomplices, the CBI said. Based on the facts
revealed by one accused, namely Guddu Patel during his interrogation, a
particular spot in burial ground as identified by accused Guddu Patel was
excavated and a bundle of bones were recovered from the spot, CBI said in the
affidavit filed on an application which had alleged that it had not conducted a
proper probe in the case. The matter came up for hearing on Friday before a
bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Deepak Gupta. The bench
said that it would issue a formal notice to the CBI on the application and the
agency would file its response within four weeks. Advocates Shoeb Alam and
Fauzia Shakil, appearing for the petitioner, told the bench that the CBI has
not done a proper investigation about larger conspiracy in the case and has not
chargesheeted the accused under stringent provisions of law. Can we issue
directions without hearing them (CBI)?, the bench said. K K Venugopal,
appearing for CBI, told the court that the agency has already filed a reply on
the application. The CBI has filed the reply. Each of the allegations in the
application are without substance and are baseless, Venugopal said. The bench,
after hearing the brief submissions, posted the matter for hearing on May 6.
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HINDUS ARE VIOLENT, RAMAYANA & MAHABHARATA ARE PROOF OF
THAT: SITARAM YECHURY
Sitaram Yechury said that
Hindu mythologies like Ramayana and Mahabharata prove that even Hindus can be
violent. Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur said that Hindus don't believe in violence Many
kings and principalities have fought battles in the country. Ramayana and
Mahabharata are also filled with instances of violence and battles. Being a
pracharak, you narrate the epics but still claim Hindus can't be violent?
Sitaram Yechury said in public meeting yesterday. He said that it is a fallacy
to say that Hindus don't engage in violence as historicity doesn't verify this
claim. What is the logic behind saying there is a religion which engages in
violence and we Hindus don't, Yechury said. Yechury also attacked the BJP for
fragmenting the society for votes through its divisive policies. After the
initial phases of election got over, they came back to the core Hindutva agenda
- Aboloition of Article 35A and 370, Construction of Ram Mandir on the disputed
sight, Uniform Civil Code and NRC. On the back of such issues, the decision to
bring in Sadhvi Pragya Thakur to contest from Bhopal after the third phase is a
step taken based on hyping up the sentiments of the people, Yechury added.
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SHIV SENA SLAMS CONGRESS FOR QUESTIONING TIMING OF JEM CHIEF
MASOOD AZHAR’S LISTING
Shiv Sena Friday lashed
out at the Congress for questioning its timing. In an editorial in its
mouthpiece ‘Saamana’, the party said there is no timing in the fight against
terror The UN on Wednesday had designated Azhar as a global terrorist after
China lifted its hold on a proposal to blacklist the Pakistan-based JeM chief,
a decade after New Delhi approached the world body for the first time on the
issue. Pakistan runs a factory of terrorism and Masood Azhar is its director. He
is the number one enemy of India. He is the chief of Jaish-e-Mohammed, a
Pakistan-based terror organisation. He is not only responsible for the terror
activities in Kashmir, but was also behind the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai, the
Sena said. Breaking India into pieces is Azhar’s dream. This satan was also
behind the deadly Pulwama terror attack that killed 40 jawans. Although he
claimed the responsibility for the attack, the Congress leaders and Modi
opponents alleged that it was done for political gains ahead of the Lok Sabha
elections, the Uddhav Thackeray-led party said. It added that it was
unfortunate that the Congress even asked what did India gain by the UN’s
listing of Azhar as a global terrorist. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal
Nath went to the extent of questioning the timing of the UN move. There might
be a fear in his mind that it may benefit Modi during the ongoing Lok Sabha
polls. But he should ask the UN about its timing, the Sena said. One should not
think about the timing and emotions while dealing with terrorists, it added.
The Sena praised Modi over the UN move saying, This is a victory of Indian
diplomacy.
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ALL MEMBERS OF BURHAN WANI'S GROUP ELIMINATED AS 3 TERRORISTS
KILLED IN SHOPIAN ENCOUNTER
Security forces in the
Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir have killed three terrorists during an
encounter which erupted in the wee hours after specific inputs about their
presence in Imam Sahab area of restive Shopian district in south Kashmir.
Sources told that a search operation was launched by a joint team of 34
Rashtriya Rifles, a counter-insurgency forces of the Indian army, Jammu and
Kashmir police and CRPF. Soon an exchange of fire broke out in which one army
man sustained injuries. The sources added that top Hizb-ul-Mujahideen Commander
and the last surviving terrorists of the former Commander Burhan Wani group,
Latief Tiger, was among the killed. Apart from him, sources say two other
terrorists were also killed including Tariq Moulvi. However, there was no
confirmation from the forces about their identity. The clashes have erupted
around the encounter spot between protestors and security forces after the
encounter broke out. Mobile internet, train service between Srinagar-Banihal
will also remain shut given the situation. The last leg of Anantnag Lok Sabha
election is scheduled to be held in the district on Monday and the encounter
has made the situation difficult for the administration. The Election
Commission had decided to hold elections in three phases for the one seat, in a
first since the independence of India, given the fragile situation in south Kashmir.
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PAKISTAN GIVES 70 ACRES LAND TO SET UP VARSITY NAMED AFTER
GURU NANAK
Pakistan's Punjab province
government has allocated 70 acres of land for setting up an international
university named after Guru Nanak in Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of the first
Sikh Guru. The funds for the construction of the Baba Guru Nanak International
University (BGNIU) in Nankana Sahib, about some 80 kms from Lahore, will be
allocated in the budget of financial year 2019-20, Punjab Chief Minister Usman
Buzdar said in a statement here on Thursday. The chief minister said this
project will be part of the coming development budget in the province. He said
the government would also establish a police lines, a prison and National
Registration Database Authority (Nadra) in Nankana Sahib. There has been a
demand from Sikhs living in Pakistan to construct a university named after the
founder of their religion Guru Nanak at his birthplace in Nankana Sahib.
Proposal of university was first surfaced during the Punjab government of
Pervaiz Elahi in 2003. Two years ago in the government of PML-N, the Evacuee
Trust Property Board (ETPB) gave a final approval to the project. Then ETPB
chairman Siddiqul Farooq said this varsity would help promote religious tourism
in Pakistan and also portray the country's good image at the international
level.
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ASSANGE BEGINS LEGAL FIGHT AGAINST US EXTRADITION, TOUTS HIS
WORK FOR PROTECTION
WikiLeaks founder Julian
Assange told a London court on Thursday his work had protected many people and
refused to agree to be extradited to the United States to face trial for one of
the largest compromises of classified information in history. The United States
has requested the extradition of Assange, who was dragged from the Ecuadorean
Embassy in London on April 11, and has charged him with conspiracy to commit
computer intrusion which carries a maximum penalty of five years. Asked at a
preliminary hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court whether he agreed to be
extradited to the United States, Assange, appearing via a video link from a
British prison, said: I do not wish to surrender for extradition. I'm a
journalist winning many, many awards and protecting many people. Assange made
international headlines in early 2010 when WikiLeaks published a classified
U.S. military video showing a 2007 attack by Apache helicopters in Baghdad that
killed a dozen people, including two Reuters news staff. To some, Assange is a
hero for exposing what supporters cast as abuse of power by modern states and
for championing free speech. To others, he is a dangerous rebel who has
undermined U.S. security. On Wednesday, he was sentenced to 50 weeks in prison
by a British court for skipping bail after fleeing to Ecuador's Embassy in
London, where he remained for seven years until police dragged him out last
month.Assange had sought refuge in the embassy in June 2012 to avoid
extradition to Sweden to face an allegation of rape, which he denies, saying he
feared he would be sent to the United States to face action over the WikiLeaks'
release of classified U.S. diplomatic cables. Hours after his arrest last
month, U.S. prosecutors said they had charged Assange with conspiracy in trying
to access a classified U.S. government computer. The charge relates to one of
the largest compromises of classified information in the history of the United
States, said Ben Brandon, the lawyer representing the United States. He said in
early 2010, former U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning had
downloaded 90,000 activity reports relating to the Afghan war, 400,000 relating
to the conflict in Iraq, 800 Guantanamo Bay detainee assessment briefs and
250,000 U.S. diplomatic cables. The vast majority of these were later released
on WikiLeaks.
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US TO RETURN $200 MILLION IN 1MDB FUNDS TO MALAYSIA: SOURCES
The US authorities will
this month return $200 million stolen from Malaysia's state fund 1MDB,
including money from a stake in a luxury New York hotel and from a Hollywood
movie producer, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said. The US
Department of Justice, in the biggest ever case in its anti-kleptocracy
programme, is pursuing billions of dollars it says were misappropriated from
1MDB, a state fund founded by former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak. Prime
Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who defeated Najib in a shock election result last
year, is working with at least six countries to recover about $4.5 billion the
US Department of Justice says was stolen from 1MDB. I think they know it is our
money, so they will give back our money, Mahathir told a news conference after
confirming the $200 million figure. The tranche of money the United States will
return includes $140 million from the sale of a stake in New York's Park Lane
Hotel, after it was given up by fugitive Malaysian financier Low Taek Jho,
known as Jho Low, the two sources said. Jho Low, the alleged mastermind behind
the looting of 1MDB, is wanted by Malaysian authorities on criminal charges.
Low, whose whereabouts are not known, has denied wrongdoing. The sources said
the rest of the money was $60 million from Red Granite Pictures, co-founded by
Najib's stepson, Riza Aziz, which agreed in March 2018 to pay the US government
to settle a civil lawsuit over allegations 1MDB money was used to finance the
film The Wolf of Wall Street. Separately, Singapore police said on Friday that
$26 million in 1MDB-related funds was in the process of being returned to
Malaysia, the latest tranche in $176 million in cash and properties seized by
the city-state relating to the scandal. Malaysia recouped $126 million last
month by selling a superyacht, Equanimity, which was bought by Jho Low for $250
million with funds allegedly stolen from 1MDB. Malaysia has also filed criminal
charges against Goldman Sachs for its role in raising money for 1MDB.
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INDIA, MOROCCO PREVENT FURTHER TERROR STRIKES IN SRI LANKA
India and its key partner
in North Africa, Morocco, have collaborated to prevent further terror strikes
in Sri Lanka after the Sunday Easter bombings in what can be described as a
major success in counter-terror operations in the subcontinent in recent times.
Morocco, which maintains a substantial information bank on ISIS and its network
provided leads to Sri Lanka in collaboration with India that led to an
operation in Colombo to eliminate terrorists who were planning second round of
attacks after Easter Sunday bombings. Besides additional information was
provided by Morocco to Sri Lanka that helped to preempt other terror attacks
that ISIS was planning to orchestrate, according to persons familiar with the
developments. Morocco has wide-ranging and effective counter partnerships with
leading countries including USA, France, Spain and India among other countries
and signed three counter-terror pacts with Delhi since last year. In February,
Rabat and Delhi during Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj visit signed a memorandum
of understanding to fight terrorism. In fact Morocco that follows a moderate
school of Islam, has one of the successful records of counter-terrorism and
de-radicalization. More than 3,000 people, including 292 individuals with
previous criminal record, have been arrested by Moroccan authorities over the
past decade.
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CALLING OUT SOMEONE WITH FAIR COMMENT NOT DEFAMATION: BOMBAY
HC
A strongly-worded order in
a defamation case against a journalist, the Bombay High Court recently observed
that calling out someone, with fair comment and justification, is not defamation
to put it differently: to say the emperor has no clothes is not defamation, it
never has been. Justice Patel said: The plaintiff has an edifice complex. It
calls this complex ‘New Cuffe Parade’. It is nowhere near the old – and real –
one. It is at Wadala, near the truck terminal. The appellation that Lodha has
adopted is a triumph of imagination over geography. Lodha uses this moniker for
its Wadala development for one reason only: it adds a cachet of desirability
and is supposed to portray excellence, wealth and style. The edifice in
question is named ‘Dioro’ in the usual fashion of this builder, using vaguely
Italian names for all its buildings. This choice of names is neither irrelevant
nor accidental. With other glossy material of a promised lifestyle, it lies at
the core of the dispute: this is a case about a promise the plaintiff is said
to have made, one the defendants say it has not kept, and now cannot keep. The
flats were priced at Rs 2.37 crore and about Rs.3.5 crore. After finding
several deficiencies in the construction, Thard, who had also participated in
protests against the builder, approached Rao in September 2018. After
inspecting the site, Rao wrote on November 12, 2018, embedding photos and
videos of the site. On January 17, Lodha filed the defamation suit seeking a
gag order against them. There is some vague mention of ‘goodwill compensation’.
Lodha says it was ‘not a pittance’. It was apparently ‘without prejudice’.
Lodha says it was for something it calls ‘inconvenience caused due to the work
of removal of upper floors due to reduction in height of the building approved
by Airports Authority of India and other such factors’. This deliberate
woolliness is less than helpful. Several hundred flat purchasers, Lodha says,
accepted this ‘goodwill gesture’. But not Thard. She went about ‘badmouthing’
Lodha. She ‘created a ruckus’. She sent threatening emails. She said she would
take steps that would potentially harm the Lodha sales and brand, the court
noted. Thard, in her affidavit, had stated, There was shortfall in the carpet
area. The construction was substandard. Rao had told the court that
applications filed by residents of the building under the Right to Information
Act, were routed to Lodha by the concerned public information officer. Is the
flat purchaser not entitled to see a sanctioned plan? An occupancy certificate?
Not entitled at all to any information about the flat in which he supposed to
live? Is he supposed to simply pay money and then accept whatever he is given
to him without complaint? I do not see how a builder or developer offering
flats for sale is any different from a manufacturer of plastic buckets or any
other consumer product. There is nothing so very special about Lodha. It has no
special immunity or privileges. It is no answer for the manufacturer or
producer of a defective product to claim commercial secrecy, confidentiality or
to shelter behind trade secrets or intellectual property protection laws,
Justice Patel observed.
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TRUMP WON’T NOMINATE MOORE FOR FED BOARD
Donald Trump said Thursday
that he would not nominate Stephen Moore for a seat on the Federal Reserve
board the second time in a month that concerns over a potential nominee’s
treatment of women have torpedoed Trump’s attempt to place a loyalist at the
Fed. The withdrawal of Moore, a conservative commentator and Trump campaign
economic adviser, came after Republican lawmakers criticized his past comments
about women, including that they should not earn more than men, along with
financial issues stemming from a 2010 divorce. Several senators relayed those
concerns to the White House this week and made clear that Moore did not have
the votes to clear the Republican-controlled Senate. I think it’s probably a
good thing; I think it’s an important thing, said Sen. Trump’s decision to cut
Moore loose appeared to come as a surprise to his potential nominee, who had
spent the morning telling several news media outlets, including The Wall Street
Journal, that he would not withdraw and that he retained the full backing of
the White House, which was all in. This is the second time in recent weeks that
one of Trump’s Fed picks was forced to withdraw over concerns about his views
and attitudes toward women.
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INDIA'S BOYCOTT OF BRI NOT TO AFFECT TRADE TIES WITH CHINA:
INDIAN ENVOY
India's decision to not
join China's Belt and Road Initiative over sovereignty concerns related to the
CPEC has not affected the bilateral trade ties which have seen an exponential
growth, India's Ambassador to China Vikram Misri has said. India skipped
China's 2nd Belt and Road Forum (BRF) held from April 25 to 27 aimed at
showcasing its trillion dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) over its
objection to USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which
passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). India had also boycotted the
first BRF held in 2017. New Delhi's reluctance to join the BRI has become a
major irritant in the relations between the two countries. We feel that the
infrastructure connectivity should be aligned with national priorities and
should respect and follow certain well respected or broadly accepted (norms) in
the world, which include the elements of transparency openness, level playing
field, social, environmental and financial sustainability, Misri said. These
are the principles we follow in our own initiatives. The most important thing
is that (they) must be aligned with national priorities. That is one basket.
The other basket is that these initiatives can be sustainable and successful
only in so far as they respect issues related to sovereignty and territorial
integrity, he said in an interview to China's state-run CGTN. Misri signalled
India's plans to stay out the conference which was attended by 37 heads of
state and governments, including Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan. Misri said
India had its own infrastructure connectivity projects in the neighbourhood and
New Delhi's view is that all such projects should be aligned with national
priorities. With regard to trade and BRI, despite the fact that we are not part
of the BRI, there has been no impact on the bilateral trade between India and
China. We have seen an exponential growth in bilateral trade with China, he
said. So, we don't necessarily need to look at India-China trade, or indeed the
larger economic and commercial relationship through the prism of BRI. I think
we can very well progress on that front, Misri said. The bilateral trade has
grown to about USD 95.5 billion, inching towards the USD 100 billion mark, a
target set by Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to
be achieved by 2020. Misri said India has had its concerns over the way the BRI
has been put out and New Delhi's views are not unknown or a secret. These have
been made known to the Chinese authorities and we have had conversations with
regard to this and I am quite sure that the Chinese authorities understand our
position and our point of view, he said.
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MASOOD AZHAR BAN: UN CAN, INDIA CAN’T
While the United Nations
Security Council (UNSC) has just designated Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood
Azhar a global terrorist, India can’t do the same for individuals, only
organisations. A proposed amendment to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act
(UAPA) that would allow persons to be named as terrorists has been pending with
the cabinet secretariat since last year and may only be taken up by the next
government. Unlike India, the US State and Treasury Departments can designate
individuals as terrorists, imposing travel bans on them and freezing their
assets. Similarly, the European Union can list persons, groups and entities
engaged in terrorism to ensure that restrictive measures are put in place
against them. It may be recalled that the US designated Hizbul Mujahideen chief
Syed Salahuddin and Islamic State (IS) recruiter from Bhatkal in Karnataka,
Shafi Armar, as global terrorists last year. While Salahuddin, chief of the
largest militant outfit in Jammu & Kashmir and chairman of the United Jihad
Council, was responsible for recruitment in the Valley, Armar was instrumental
in online indoctrination and luring Indian youths to join IS. Officials said
the proposal to amend UAPA was mooted by the Union home ministry in 2016. The
decision, sources said, was taken after youths from different parts of India
started migrating to Syria and Iraq to join IS. As many as 85 persons across
India have been arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for their
alleged links to IS but not all have been directly affiliated to the
organisation, officials told. The Bill, Unlawful Activities Prevention Bill,
2019, once cleared by Parliament, will help the government ban terror
chieftains like Hafiz Saeed, Masood Azhar and Dawood Ibrahim, a senior home
ministry official said.
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KEEN TO MEASURE REVENUE LOSS FROM E-TRANSMISSIONS IN NEW
TECHNOLOGIES, DIGITAL PRINTING: INDIA TELLS WTO
India on Friday took a dig
at developed countries for wriggling out of past commitments by demanding
additional information and obligations from all countries. At a meeting of
heads of delegation, New Delhi said the World Trade Organization (WTO) is being
burdened with endless debates which is a recipe for failure. It also said it is
keen to assess the extent of sacrifice of revenue involved in electronic
transmissions, and the distribution of this loss among countries, due to new
technologies. Technologies such as additive manufacturing will result in
electronic transmissions cascading and many dutiable goods being manufactured
by digital printing, it said. India and South Africa have questioned the extant
multilateral work programme on e-commerce that prohibits countries from
imposing customs duties on electronic transmissions, citing revenue loss to
developing countries. Further, we fear the impact of some of the e-commerce
rules being proposed under the joint Initiative on e-commerce, on existing trade
rules which protect our industry, and provide us useful flexibilities, India
said. It added that the 'high standard' e-commerce elements could lead to a
weakening of the existing agreements on goods and services. India’s statement
comes ahead of a mini-ministerial meeting of twenty developing countries and
least developed countries which it is hosting on May 13-14. The two day talks
are expected to culminate into a Delhi Declaration after intense discussions on
reforms, e-commerce, agriculture and special and differential treatment
(S&DT). We are disappointed at the absence of active engagement of the
member holding appointments to the Appellate Body hostage on proposals for
resolving the Appellate Body impasse, India told the global multilateral trade
body.
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CHINA POSSIBLY MORE INTERESTED IN A NUCLEAR DEAL THAN TRADE:
TRUMP
China has expressed
interest in joining a nuclear deal between US and Russia, President Donald
Trump said Friday. We're talking about a nuclear agreement where we make less
and they make less, Trump told reporters after his telephonic conversation with
the Russian President Vladimir Putin. China, he said, has also expressed
interest in joining a nuclear deal between US and Russia, he said in response
to a question. Beijing possibly is more interested in a nuclear deal than
trade, Trump said. In reply to another query, Trump also said he did not
confront Putin on allegations of the Russian interference in the 2016 US
presidential elections. We didn't discuss that. Really, we didn't discuss it,
he said, adding they went into great detail on issues such as Venezuela, North
Korea and nuclear arms control. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told
reporters that the two leaders had a very good discussion. They spoke for a
little over an hour, she added. They discussed nuclear agreements, both new and
extended, with the possibility of having conversations with China on that front
as well, she said. They discussed trade and the fact that it has increased
between the two countries since the president has come into office. They also
talked about North Korea. They also spoke about Ukraine and Venezuela - an
overall very positive conversation, Sanders said. Sanders said there was a
discussion on extending the current nuclear agreement, besides possibly
starting a new one that could include China as well.
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US THINK-TANK DEMANDS HARD DECISIONS AGAINST 'TERROR-SPONSOR'
PAKISTAN
Pakistan continues to
sponsor terror outfits that launched deadly attacks in India because Islamabad
has paid no price for its perfidy, a prominent think-tank expert has told
American lawmakers. Pakistan continues to sponsor terrorist groups that
launched deadly attacks in India. It has paid no price for its perfidy, Bill
Roggio, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies told
lawmakers during a Congressional hearing early this week. We must continue to
combat state sponsors of terror and make hard decisions about countries such as
Pakistan, he added. Referring to Pakistan's unwavering support to Taliban, much
to the detriment of the US in Afghanistan, Roggio also disapproved the US move
to withdraw troops from there. Its support for the Taliban has been unwavering
and is leading us to defeat in Afghanistan. I would argue that we have already
lost Afghanistan. We are merely attempting to negotiate the terms of our exit,
he told the members of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Middle East,
North Africa and International Terrorism. The United States disengaging itself
from the battle fronts would lead to an easy victory of its enemies, he
cautioned. As our enemies have expanded their base of operations and remain
committed to the fight, our will has faltered, he said. This is a long war and
commitment is key. If we hope to end this threat, we must renew our commitment
and to present a united front, he asserted. In his deposition to the panel,
Roggio called for hard decisions by the US. We must rethink our goals and
strategy and recognise our enemies' goals and strategy. We have to figure out a
way to effectively fight our enemies both in the military sphere and the sphere
of ideas, he said. We must continue to combat state sponsors of terror and make
hard decisions about countries such as Pakistan, he added. Roggio also accused
Iran of trying to establish an Islamic state. Iran, which alongside Pakistan,
is amongst the biggest state sponsors of terrorism, also seeks to establish an
Islamic state, he said. It backs loyal militias in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and
Yemen. These militias are organised and trained along the same lines as has
been law. The long-term impact of these militias is still not fully understood,
said the anti-terror strategy and security expert. While Iran primarily backs
Shia groups, it has openly battled the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria and is
not opposed to forming alliances with Sunni jihadists, said Roggio.
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CHINA RELENTED ON MASOOD AZHAR TO PRESERVE ITS IMAGE AMID GLOBAL
PRESSURE
A combination of
international pressure, threat to its national reputation, and transactional
diplomacy forced China to lift its technical hold on the designation of Masood
Azhar, the chief of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), as a global
terrorist by the United Nations (UN). But, this diplomatic victory for India
might not significantly alter the way India has to fight terrorism emanating
from Pakistan. Azhar's listing as a global terrorist by the UN on Wednesday
came after China lifted its hold on the proposal to blacklist him — a
significant U-turn given the stance Beijing had maintained for close to a
decade. India, which had been pushing for Azhar's blacklisting as a global
terrorist since the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, had faced a Chinese veto every time.
Beijing blocked New Delhi's efforts in 2009, 2016, 2017, and also in March this
year. Azhar has been branded as the brain behind various suicide attacks in
India and the terrorist group JeM, which he founded in 2000, has claimed
responsibility for several audacious attacks, including the 2001 Parliament
attack and the recent Pulwama suicide bomb attack. The UNSC designation will
subject Azhar to an asset freeze, travel ban and an arms embargo. China, which
considers Pakistan a major strategic partner, has enthusiastically batted for
it in the international arena except in a few instances. So, what has changed
Beijing's mind this time around? Reports also emerged that the US, UK and
France had fixed April 23 as the deadline for China to lift its hold in the
1267 Committee, failing which they would press for a discussion on the issue at
the UNSC itself. China, for its part, denied the existence of any such
deadline. Such discussions at the UNSC would have led to a public vote, where
China, which had blocked Azhar's listing four times, would have found itself in
a sticky spot defending its stance publicly — and also defending a terrorist by
extension. An unnamed source aware of the developments explained China's
situation to the Indian Express thus: And for China to publicly defend an
individual terrorist would have meant public censure. It would have been
broadcast live. Citing sources, the Express report also said that Beijing felt
that a public discussion on the matter would be best avoided, since it came
with too high a PR cost. Ultimately, China decided to lift its hold after
considering the reputational cost. The proposal to list Azhar had the full
backing of all UNSC members except China. Outside the UNSC, several other
countries like Australia, Japan and Canada were also in favour of the JeM
chief's blacklisting. Towards the beginning of April, the US had reportedly
said that it would use all available resources to designate the JeM chief as a
global terrorist.
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NEPAL ARMY, WILDLIFE OFFICER DISMISS INDIAN ARMY'S YETI CLAIM
The Nepal Army and a
wildlife expert have dismissed the Indian Army's claim that its soldiers have
spotted footprints of Yeti, the mythical beast found in the Himalayas, near the
Makalu Base Camp, saying they were likely that of a bear. On Monday, the Army
claimed its mountaineering expedition team in Nepal found mysterious large
footprints in the snow that they believe belong to Yeti, or the abominable
snowman. In Nepali folklore, Yeti is a mythical ape-like creature taller than
an average human that is said to inhabit the Himalayas, Siberia, Central and
East Asia. For the first time, an Indian Army Mountaineering Expedition Team
has sited (sic) Mysterious Footprints of mythical beast 'Yeti' measuring 32x15
inches close to Makalu Base Camp on 09 April 2019. This elusive snowman has
only been sighted at Makalu-Barun National Park in the past, the Indian Army
tweeted on Monday night. The Army also released photos showing large footprints
in the snow which they claim belong to the creature. However, Director General
of the Department of Wildlife and National Parks Man Bahadur Khadka has
dismissed the Indian Army's claim. According to our experts, it may be the
footprint of a bear found in the Himalayas, he was quoted as saying by the
Kantipur Daily.
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INDIA'S RURAL PAIN GOES BEYOND FARMERS, AND IT MAY BE A
PROBLEM FOR NARENDRA MODI
Three years ago, brick
mason Pundlik Bhandekar was always busy as farmers in his tiny hamlet in
Maharashtra commissioned new houses and nearby towns were undergoing rapid
urbanisation. Now, as the rural economy sinks and the pace of construction
slows, Bhandekar is struggling to get work. I used to get a new construction
project before I could even finish one. People would come to my house to check
when I would be free to work for them, said Bhandekar. From daily wage workers
such as masons, to barbers and grocery shop owners - just about everyone in Zadshi
village, some 720 km (450 miles) from India's financial hub Mumbai, says a drop
in farm incomes has dented their livelihoods. Their woes are symptomatic of a
wider problem across India, where more than half of the country's 1.3 billion
people are dependent on agriculture for their livelihoods, as the slowdown in
the rural economy is felt in the dampening sales of consumer goods, especially
the biggest such as car and motorbike sales. The slowdown has also dented Prime
Minister Narendra Modi's popularity in the hinterland that propelled him to
power in 2014, and political strategists say it may mean he struggles to form a
majority after voting in a staggered general election that began on April 11
concludes on May 19. Zadshi has been almost entirely dependent on annual cotton
and soybean crops that, according to farmers, have given lacklustre returns in
the past few years due to a dip in prices, droughts and pest attacks. And as
incomes have dropped, farmers have cut back on big-ticket spending such as building
new houses, digging wells or laying water pipelines, squeezing employment
opportunities for people such as Bhandkekar. No one is interested in hiring us
We are ready to work even at 250 rupees ($3.60) per day, said Bhandekar, who
charged 300 rupees a day when work was steady, but now gets work only once or
twice in a fortnight. Retail food inflation in the fiscal year ended on March
31 fell to 0.74 percent, even as core inflation stood at 5.2 percent, according
to Bank of America Merrill Lynch Research, eroding the spending power of
farmers. Inflation adjusted wage growth for workers involved in crop sowing was
just 0.6 percent 2018/19 compared with 6.5 percent in 2013/14. The value of
farm produce at constant prices grew 15 percent in the past five years,
compared with 23 percent in the previous five, while the manufacturing sector
grew 40 percent, against 32.6 percent in the previous five years, government
data shows. The government needs to spend more in rural areas to generate
employment and boost incomes, Nitsure said. The main opposition Congress party
has gone much further with its pledges though, saying it would introduce a
basic minimum income, where the country's poorest families would get 72,000
rupees annually, benefiting some 250 million people. What else we can do? Had
work been available in urban areas, we could have moved there but even in the
cities construction has slowed down, said Amol Sontakke. Job opportunities have
slowed even in urban areas and India's unemployment rate touched 7.2 percent in
February, the highest since September 2016, according to data compiled by the
Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE). Official data is unavailable for
recent periods. The mood in Zadshi was glum. While four dozen villagers
interviewed by Reuters were hopeful that if there was a good monsoon this year
it could improve farm incomes, they've been cutting back on spending in the
meantime. In 2018, just four villagers bought new motorbikes compared with as
many as 10 a year about four years ago, said cotton farmer Raju Kohale, whose
son is sitting at home unemployed after graduating as an engineer. They are
building big roads to connect metros and calling it development. How is that
useful for us? he said. Some, though, want to give Modi a second chance. Modi's
intentions are good, it's the bureaucratic system that is not supporting him,
said Gulab Chalakh, who owns a 20-acre farm and is among the richest in the
village. We should give him another chance.
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LINKEDIN’S ADVERTISEMENTS
ON TV RISE TWO-AND-A-HALF TIMES DURING JAN-APRIL
Professional
social networking site LinkedIn’s advertisements on television have gone up by
two-and-a-half times between January and April 20 this year compared to the
same period last year, TAM Media research said, at a time when lack of jobs has
become a top election issue during the ongoing general elections. While the
online networking site had advertised on 17 channels in 2018, this year its ads
were aired on 49 channels, according to data provided by TAM. The company
mostly focused on advertising during films, news bulletin and cricket
tournaments. On TV (HD and SD), we are playing 15-second TV spots with the IPL,
and on Premium English channels (news, movies, entertainment, infotainment). We
are also live on Hotstar, as part of our digital presence during this year’s
campaign, according to LinkedIn India. The campaign is also running on digital
and outdoor platforms in major cities. The Microsoft-owned company has spent Rs
29 crore during the first few days of the Indian Premier League, according to
data sourced from industry sources, although LinkedIn said this number could be
inaccurate. With about 50 million members in India, or about 9% of its global
base, LinkedIn’s earnings per user in the country, at Rs 110, is among the
lowest in the world. While it gets about 10% of its overall members from India,
they contribute less than 2% to its global revenue of $2.3 billion. The social
networking site’s net profit climbed 26% to Rs 38 crore in India last fiscal,
with revenue in its second-largest market globally increasing by a fifth to Rs
547 crore, according to the latest filings with the Registrar of Companies.
LinkedIn made a net income of Rs 30 crore on revenues of Rs 458 crore in FY17.
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GOOGLE REVIEWED OVER 1
MN SUSPECTED TERRORIST VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE, 90,000 VIOLATED ITS POLICIES
In
a bid to crackdown on terror-related content, Google said it has reviewed more
than one million suspected terrorist videos on YouTube in the first quarter of
2019 and found 90,000 of such videos violated the company's terrorism policy.
In a letter sent to the US House Committee on Homeland Security, Google said it
spends hundreds of millions of dollars annually on reviewing content. The House
panel, however, observed that tech companies have failed to provide requested
information on fighting terrorist content The fact that some of the largest
corporations in the world are unable to tell us what they are specifically
doing to stop terrorist and extremist content is not acceptable, said the
panel. As we saw in New Zealand, Facebook failed and admitted as much, it added
in a statement. With these platforms becoming more and more ubiquitous in
peoples' lives, these companies have an obligation to Americans to ensure - and
prove - they are doing everything possible to stop the spread of this vile
content, the panel argued. In a separate letter to the US panel, Twitter said
putting a dollar amount on efforts to combat terrorism is a complex request. We
have now suspended more than 1.4 million accounts for violations related to the
promotion of terrorism between August 1, 2015, and June 30, 2018, added Carlos
Monje Jr., Twitter's director of public policy and philanthropy.
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FACEBOOK CONSIDERING CRYPTOCURRENCY-BASED PAYMENT SYSTEM:
REPORTS
The Wall Street Journal
reports that Facebook plans a cryptocurrency-based payment system that it could
launch for billions of users worldwide. The system would use a digital coin
similar to bitcoin, but different in that Facebook would aim to keep the coin's
value stable. Bitcoin and similar cryptocurrencies have been susceptible to
wild fluctuations in value. It could reportedly undermine credit cards by
sidestepping the processing fees that generate much of their revenue. The
Journal report cited unidentified people familiar with the matter. It said
Facebook is recruiting dozens of financial firms and online merchants to launch
the network. Facebook's plans may include ways to financially reward users who
interact with ads or other features. Facebook says only that it is exploring
many different applications for cryptocurrency technology.
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HUAWEI OVERTAKES APPLE,
BECOMES 2ND BIGGEST SMARTPHONE MAKER IN THE WORLD
Huawei
Technologies Co. overtook Apple Inc. to claim the No. 2 spot in smartphones in
the first quarter, moving a step closer to its avowed ambition of displacing
Samsung at the top of the market. The networking giant, shrugging off a barrage
of accusations that it aids Chinese espionage (which it’s repeatedly denied),
grew shipments 50 percent from a year earlier, research firm IDC estimates. It
was the only name in the top 4 that managed to expand volumes as the overall
market slid for the sixth consecutive quarter. Huawei’s been steadily gaining
on Apple and Samsung Electronics Co with an increasingly high-end line-up of
devices, particularly in its home market of China. The iPhone maker this week
projected quarterly sales that topped analysts’ estimates, suggesting demand
for iPhones has stabilized after a disappointing holiday period. Samsung also
enjoyed a spike compared with the fourth quarter thanks to the launch of the
marquee S10 range in February. IDC reckons Huawei should cling to the No. 2
spot over the rest of 2019.
#For Source of Information copy and paste the heading in google.
Thanks & Regards,
CS Meetesh Shiroya
Thanks & Regards,
CS Meetesh Shiroya
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