Apple iPhone 8 launched, buyers to get 70% of price when selling it back to Jio

Akash Ambani said the buyback offer would be available for customers of iPhone8 or iPhone 8 Plus

 

Reliance Jio has a big surprise for those interested in buying Apple's iPhone 8 in India. Jio will buy back Apple Inc's latest iPhone models from its customers within a year for 70 percent of the retail price of the smartphone, the company announced on Friday.

Reliance chairman Mukesh Ambani's son Akash Ambani said the buyback offer would be available for customers of iPhone8 or iPhone 8 Plus through Reliance Digital, Jio.com or the Jio Store.

Under this scheme, users will receive 70 percent of the purchase price of the devices upon using it with a Jio SIM card and returning it after a year. In other ways, this buyback scheme allows iPhone users to get 70 per cent of their money back when they upgrade to next iPhone.The buyback offer is valid for one year.

This partnership between Apple and Jio brings two companies that have revolutionised their respective industries, because we both think customer first," said the Ambani scion.

Chairman of Reliance Industries Mukesh Ambani and Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook addressed people through video messages.

Cook spoke about the partnership with India's newest telco and the customisation that the latest devices from stables of Apple have for India.

"We’ve added new keyboards for India so we now support 11 local languages, and iPhone now takes dictation in Hindi. We’re excited to be building so many new relationships in India, including tens of thousands of developers across the country now writing apps for iOS," the CEO added.

The newly launched phones from the stables of Apple will be available for purchase from Friday onwards at a starting price of Rs 64,000....Read More

FM Arun Jaitley hits back, calls Yashwant Sinha 'job applicant at 80'

In a newspaper article on Wednesday, Sinha had criticised Jaitley for running the economy aground

 

On Thursday, a day in the wake of getting fire from party associate Yashwant Sinha, Finance Minister (FM) Arun Jaitley portrayed his ancestor as "a vocation candidate at 80".

At the arrival of a book, India @70 Modi @3.5, the FM stated, "Likely, a more fitting title for the book would have been India @70, Modi @3.5 and a vocation candidate @ 80."

Ceasing from taking names, he blamed Sinha for acting working together with previous back clergyman P Chidambaram in condemning him.

Jaitley, who is confronting feedback for directing the economy to slip to its slowest pace of development in three years, said he had done a little research to haul out what Sinha and Chidambaram needed to say in regards to each other previously. "One said of the other: Chidambaram should be conceived again to coordinate my record as back priest. He at that point connected fund serve Chidambaram to a bumbling specialist for neglecting to control India's disturbing financial deficiency. And afterward went on and said I blame him for running the economy down to the ground," he said in a clear reference to remarks made by Sinha.

Sinha, he stated, had blamed Chidambaram for being "the most vain individual" who bothered his telephones.(economy policy)

Not to be abandoned, Chidambaram had called Sinha's residency amid the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government as the "most noticeably bad years since advancement", he reviewed.

Jaitley said he didn't have the extravagance so far of being a previous back clergyman (Sinha) nor did he have the advantage of being a previous fund serve who has turned a reporter (Chidambaram). Being a previous back priest, "I can advantageously overlook a strategy loss of motion (amid UPA-II). I can advantageously overlook the 15 for each penny NPAs of 1998 and 2002 (amid Sinha's term as back clergyman). I can helpfully overlook the $4-billion hold left in 1991 and I can switch over and change the account."

READ MORE 

Jayant Sinha takes on father Yashwant; defends Modi's economic policies

Jayant Sinha argues critics have missed the fundamental structural reforms that are transforming the economy 

A day after senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha hit out at Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for creating an economic mess, his son and Union minister, Jayant Sinha, has defended the government's economic policies, stating that it is undertaking structural reforms that are "necessary to create a 'New India' and provide good jobs for our billion-strong workforce".

In a Times of India blog post, Jayant wrote that stories on the challenges faced by the Indian economy are "conclusions drawn from a narrow set of facts".

"They have simply missed the fundamental structural reforms that are transforming the economy," he said.(economy today)

Here is how he defended the Narendra Modi government:

1) The Union minister argued that one, or two, quarters of GDP growth were quite inadequate to evaluate the long-term impact of the structural reforms underway.

Former finance minister Yashwant Sinha, for his part, has said, "For quarter after quarter, the growth rate of the economy has been declining until it reached the low of 5.7 per cent in the first quarter of the current fiscal, the lowest in three years.

And please note that the methodology for calculation of the GDP was changed by the present government in 2015 as a result of which the growth rate recorded earlier increased statistically by over 200 basis points on an annual basis. So, according to the old method of calculation, the growth rate of 5.7 per cent is actually 3.7 per cent or less."

(READ MORE)

Modi govt's approach U-turn may hurt 'Make in India' drive

GE won a $2.6 billion contract in 2015 to supply 1,000 diesel locomotives

 

Astonishment arrangement shifts, for example, an obvious U-turn over a train manage General Electric, hazard undermining Prime Minister Narendra Modi's lead 'Make in India' activity, which plans to make a huge number of employments and lift development, industry officials say.

GE won a $2.6 billion contract in 2015 to supply 1,000 diesel trains - the greatest direct interest in India by a U.S. firm and the primary arrangement granted to a remote firm after India permitted 100 percent outside interest in its railroads - part of endeavors to upgrade its squeaking, pilgrim period foundation.

Be that as it may, the railroads service said a week ago it wouldn't require diesel after all - planning to save money on fuel and support costs - and proposed GE might need to make electric motors.(economy news)

Electric motors are typically utilized for traveler trains, while diesel is utilized for cargo. Around 25-30 percent of India's trains are diesel-engined.

The approach move could cost New Delhi in remuneration - GE is as of now constructing an industrial facility for the diesel locos - yet administrators and financial specialists say it is additionally an essential test for a legislature that requirements remote speculation to make occupations and reboot development in front of a 2019 general race...Read More

Fear based oppressors execute BSF jawan Ramzan Parray, harm relatives in Kashmir

The militants, after forcing their way into the house in Parrey Mohalla, fired indiscriminately at the family

 

Activists on Wednesday raged the home of a Kashmiri BSF constable in the midst of a furlough, shooting him dead and causing gunfire wounds on four of his relatives in Hajjan in north Kashmir, police said.

Rameez Parrey (30) had a place with the 73rd contingent of the BSF.

The activists, in the wake of compelling their way into the house in Parrey Mohalla, let go aimlessly at the family.

The jawan passed on the spot. Four of his relatives - his dad, two siblings and an auntie - endured gunfire wounds, police said.

The state of the jawan's close relative was expressed to be not kidding, while that of the three others was steady.

The Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police, S P Vaid, named the occurrence as "savage and uncaring" and said the blameworthy would be rebuffed.

Parrey served the BSF for a six years.

The BSF, India affirmed the news on Twitter: "Prahari Pariwar remains by the group of one of our part Constable Md Ramzan who was fearful killed by psychological oppressors today.He was on clear out"

Nitish Kumar, who heads the police in North Kashmir, tweeted that the four were "fundamentally harmed"....Read More 

Chhattisgarh govt to give free cell phones to more than 5.5 mn people

A plan of Rs 230 crore has been prepared in order to provide free mobile phones

economy news: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh has wanted to give free cell phones to more than 5.5 million individuals inside over two years in the state.

Under the Chhattisgarh Communication Revolution Scheme (SKY), the most elevated need of Chief Minister Raman Singh, an arrangement of Rs 230 crore has been set up to give free cell phones to 5,560,000 individuals inside more than two years in the state.

Out of this, 5,080,000 recipients will be appropriated cell phones in the current budgetary year 2017-18 and the following money related year 2018-19.

These will incorporate 5,100,000 understudies of specialized and non-specialized universities, including 4,010,000 provincial recipients and 560,000 urban poor. In the principal stage, it is evaluated to cost Rs 1,128 crore.

The staying 480,000 families will be given cell phones in the monetary year 2019-20, which will cost an expected Rs 102 crore.

In a declaration, Chief Minister Raman Singh educated that the Department of Electronics and Information Technology of the State Government has begun arrangements for the execution of the plan

"The office has issued a warning for the Chhattisgarh Communication Revolution plot from the service (Mahanadi Bhawan) here," said the authorities.

They additionally said that the execution of the plan will be done through the 'chips' of the express government's gadgets and data innovation foundation.....READ MORE

Cigarettes, tobacco shops can never again offer chips, bread rolls, confections

The move is aimed at preventing exposure of children to tobacco products

 

In what may come as a help for guardians, shops authorized to offer tobacco items won't be permitted to offer any non-tobacco items.

The move is gone for anticipating presentation of youngsters to tobacco items.

As indicated by a letter flowed by monetary counsel in the service of wellbeing and family welfare, Arun Kumar Jha, expressed, "It is felt that the control of tobacco items can be made more powerful. It will be suitable to build up a system to give consent or approval through Municipal Authority to the retail shops who are offering tobacco items"

"Further, it would likewise be proper to make a condition or arrangement in the approval that the shops approved for offering tobacco items, can't offer any non-tobacco items, for example, toffees, confections, chips, bread rolls, soda pops, and so forth., which are basically implied for non-client, particularly youngsters," Jha said in the letter.

The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003, disheartens deals.

What Section 6 of the Control of Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) 2003 says

— Prohibition of smoking in all public places

— Prohibition of direct and indirect advertisement, promotion and sponsorship of cigarettes and other tobacco products

— No person shall sell, offer for sale or permit sale of cigarette or any other tobacco product

— to any person under 18 years

— within a radius of 100 yards of any educational institution

"The focal government has established the Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulations of Trade and Commerce Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003 (COTPA), to demoralize the utilization of tobacco, with accentuation on assurance of youngsters and youngsters from being dependent on the utilization of tobacco, with a view to accomplish change of general wellbeing when all is said in done," expressed Jha....READ MORE

Full content: Data is new oil, we have in wealth, says Ambani at IMC 2017

Ambani adds that the Indian economy would grow from $2.5 trillion to over $7 trillion over the next 10 years to become one of the top 3 economies in the world

 

Tending to the inaugural release of the India Mobile Congress on Wednesday, Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani said information was the new oil, and India did not have to import it. The nation just expected to guarantee each Indian approached information.

Ambani additionally said that the Indian economy would develop from $2.5 trillion to over $7 trillion throughout the following 10 years to wind up noticeably one of the best 3 economies on the planet. Development in India's versatile information showcase, he stated, was unparallelled on the planet.

Bullish on the 4G communication in India, the executive of RIL, which possesses the problematic Reliance Jio Infocomm, said 4G scope in the nation would wind up plainly bigger than 2G in next a year. He likewise underlined the need to soften storehouses to contribute up making cutting edge innovation and fashion more up to date partnership.

Hailing India as one of the greatest telecom advertises on the planet, Ambani said that information is a 'crucial life-maintaining asset' which ought to be given to all Indians and no more attainable cost...READ MORE

Past shot prepare: Will India blessing Japan's Abe the precious stone of his fantasy?

For over a decade, Japan PM Shinzo Abe has been relationship India to join his proposed 'protection diamond' quad for countering China's would possibly in the Asia-Pacific waters

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's India visit recently would be recalled, in addition to other things, for the dispatch of the goal-oriented shot prepare venture. While the visit demonstrated his sense of duty regarding his nation's ties with India, it additionally featured India's hugeness, prominently, in another of his key responsibilities – building a stabilizer to China's rising may in the Asia-Pacific waters, an activity he started over 10 years prior.

In 2007, amid one of his visits to India, Abe had sought New Delhi to frame a coalition of vote based systems securing 'more extensive Asia' – a geographic and financial develop that would advance into a system traversing the whole Pacific Ocean, and joining the United States of America and Australia.(economy news)

Amid his discourse in India's Parliament, Abe had required the two nations to cooperate and guarantee the Pacific and Indian Oceans progressed toward becoming "oceans of flexibility and success". Specifically, he had talked about India and Japan's shared enthusiasm for the security of ocean paths.

In a December 27, 2012, oped piece that he composed, days before securing a moment term as Japan's head administrator, Abe based upon his 'Conjunction of the two oceans' discourse conveyed in the Indian Parliament five years sooner. Titled 'Asia's Democratic Security Diamond', the oped required "a procedure whereby Australia, India, Japan, and the US province of Hawaii frame a precious stone to protect the sea hall extending from the Indian Ocean district toward the western Pacific".....READ MORE

Even 'Superman' Jaitley couldn't handle economic chaos: Yashwant Sinha

Here are 5 reasons why former FM Yashwant Sinha believes the economy is on a downward spiral and Raid Raj is rampant

Former finance minister Yashwant Sinha, now a dissident voice within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has spoken out against the way his own party has, apparently, dented India’s economy. In a recent column, 'I need to speak up now', written for The Indian Express, Sinha has said that many in the BJP know that the economy is on a downward spiral, but they are not speaking up due to fear. In one of the most scathing criticisms, Sinha said the distress in the economy was so deep that a revival was unlikely before the next general elections, and he also warned of a hard landing.

In hard-hitting words, Sinha said, "The prime minister claims that he has seen poverty from close quarters. His finance minister is working over-time to make sure that all Indians also see it from equally close quarters."

What is the picture of the Indian economy today?

Private investment has shrunk, industrial production has collapsed, agriculture, real estate are in the doldrums, the service sector is in a slow lane, exports have dwindled. In short, according to Yashwant Sinha, the entire Indian economy is under stress.

Sinha added that demonetisation had proved to be “an unmitigated economic disaster”, and that the poor implementation of the Goods and Services Tax had sunk many businesses.(economy news)

Reasons for this decline have been allowed to accumulate over time to cause the present crisis, he said.

Here are five reasons why Yashwant Sinha believes the economy is on a downward spiral:

1. Arun Jaitley, the brightest star in the NDA govt: The finance minister's indispensability was established further when the prime minister rewarded him not only by giving him the finance ministry, including the department of disinvestment, but also the ministries of defence and corporate affairs. Four ministries in one go out of which he still retains three. "Finance ministry, in the best of times, calls for the undivided attention of its boss if the job has to be properly done. In challenging times it becomes more than a 24x7 job. Naturally, even a superman like Jaitley could not do justice to the task", said Yashwant Sinha....Read more

Saubhagya: This is how Modi govt's many 'power for all' schemes have fared

As govt launches the Rs 16,000-crore Saubhagya scheme for complete electrification of India by Dec 2018, we look at the many old schemes on this with many different price tags

Earlier, you had GARV, GARV-II, IPDS, DDUGJY, UDAY and UJALA. And now, SAUBHAGYA has joined the long list of schemes promising ‘power for all’. Right since the government under Narendra Modi took charge at the Centre in May 2014, energy access has been the clarion call.

In the first Union Budget that the Modi government presented in 2014, rural and urban electrification had seen a major thrust, along with a name change and allocation boost. Strict targets were part of these two schemes – Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS) and Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY).

Of the unelectrified 18,000 villages, 14,483 are mentioned as electrified on the GARV dashboard, which captures real-time data for rural electrification. However, while the speed of progress in powering villages is laudable, household electrification data remain dismal. Of the 170 million households, 40 million remain to be fully electrified, show government data. Also, 24x7 power is still a far cry even for the electrified households.

So far, no clause in the rural electrification programme promises 24-hour power supply. Even SAUBHAGYA doesn’t promise to monitor the quantum or quality of power supply, despite the government claiming that India is a power-surplus country.

In this year’s budget, the allocations to IPDS and DDUGJY were the highest ever. Under IPDS, grant is given to states after they submit their proposal for urban power reforms. According to its website, the total grant from the Government of India to the scheme stands at Rs 16,019 crore. Of this, the total released grant is only Rs 3,728 crore – that when, at 60 per cent, budgetary support to IPDS is the highest for any Centre-sponsored programme....read more 

Modi promises to light up all homes by December 2018 with Rs 16000-cr scheme

Saubhagya scheme aims at providing 'last mile electricity connectivity to all rural and urban households'

Setting the bar for higher government spending in the infrastructure sector, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday unveiled a flagship programme called “Saubhagya — Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana” to provide power to all households in the country by December 2018. The Rs 16,320-crore scheme aims at providing “last-mile electricity connectivity to all rural and urban households”.

The announcement, made at the headquarters of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, would reinforce the ruling party’s electricity-for-all target, recently advanced from 2019 to 2018. “Of the 250 million houses that India has, more than 40 million of the houses are electrified. Through Saubhagya, without taking money from the poor, electricity will be provided to these (remaining) families. For this, we expect an expenditure of more than Rs 16,000 crore,” Modi said.

The Union government will provide 60 per cent of the funds, amounting to Rs 12,320 crore. For special category states, the Centre’s contribution will be 85 per cent.

State governments and their utilities will provide 10 per cent funds (in the case of special category states, the share will be 5 per cent). Loans will account for the remaining component....READ MORE 

Egyptian national Eman Ahmed, world's 'heaviest' woman, dies in UAE

Eman was admitted to the Abu Dhabi hospital in May and was under the supervision of over 20 doctors

Egyptian national Eman Ahmed Abdelaty, once known as the world heaviest woman, passed away here on Monday, a media report said.

According to medical experts at Burjeel Hospital in Abu Dhabi, Eman died at 4.35 a.m. due to "complications from the underlying comorbid conditions, including heart disease and kidney dysfunction", the Khaleej Times reported.

Eman Ahmed was admitted to the Abu Dhabi hospital in May and was under the supervision of over 20 doctors from different specialities, who were managing her medical condition from the time she arrived in the United Arab Emirates.

The 36-year-old, who initially weighed 500 kg, had undergone a drastic weight reduction surgery in Mumbai in March.

Eman had shed at least 300 kg since undergoing several medical procedures, according to reports.
She was brought to Mumbai from Alexandria on February 11 by an Egypt Air fully-equipped cargo flight. Eman underwent the weight reduction surgery on March 7 at the city's Saifee Hospital and was put on oral fluids. | Readmore...

 

Newsmaker of the week: Kamal Haasan, a risk Tamil Nadu might want to take

The 63-year-old Haasan, born Parthasarathy - the youngest child in a family of lawyers - is no stranger to the limelight

In the 1996 Tamil hit Indian, Kamal Haasan played the role of a pension-earning freedom fighter, who turns an anti-corruption crusader. His transformation into an executioner of the corrupt begins after losing his daughter to the apathy of a corrupt doctor and ends with him killing his own son, who has become a corrupt brake inspector. The movie, dubbed as Hindustani for the northern markets, ends with the 70-year-old calling in from a foreign land and promising to return whenever he sees corruption rise its head.

The 63-year-old Haasan, born Parthasarathy — the youngest child in a family of lawyers — is no stranger to the limelight, having revelled in it from the tender age of five. But, he was a late starter on Twitter. Beginning reluctantly in early 2016, the tweets were pithy and sometimes cryptic, but few and far between. Sometime after the passing of ailing chief minister J Jayalalithaa in December and during the Jallikattu agitation, the tweets turned sharper, more political and critical even as the game of musical chairs began unfolding in Tamil Nadu. At times, the cryptic tweets became a butt of memes for confusing people, but his appeal to the younger urban population as a clear thinking public-good minded person, who can articulate himself clearly in English and Tamil, is undeniable.

Though Hassan’s Twitter activism was initially brushed aside as a publicity stunt to promote the reality show he hosts, his ambition seems to have swelled beyond being the small screen Big Boss. The painful episode during the 2013 release of his film Viswaroopam, when the Sasikala family made life difficult for him and broke him financially, is a distant memory. Today, he minces no words; openly goes after the chief minister and his colleagues, calling them corrupt, inept and puppets and daring them to quit. Angry responses by AIADMK partymen and ministers have only added fuel to the supporters egging him on social media and otherwise. The excitement around his upcoming release has put on hold the entry of his alter ego, Rajinikanth, who was seen heading towards the Bharatiya Janata Party, which sees the chaos as its best chance to spread roots in the state....Read more

Modi to visit Varanasi today, will flag off Mahamana Express, 17 projects

The train, on its inaugural service, will be run as a special train departing from Vadodara today and reaching  Varanasi  tomorrow

 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi on Friday for a two-day visit during which he will inaugurate several projects covering sectors like infrastructure, railways, financial inclusion and sanitation.

Among the highlights will be the flagging off of the Mahamana Express train, which will connect Varanasi with Surat and Vadodara in Gujarat.

The Prime Minister said in a series of tweets:

Tomorrow I begin my Varanasi visit, during which various development works will be launched. https://t.co/RaV4lpUhi7 

— Narendraodi (@narendramodi) September 21, 2017 

Tomorrow the Mahamana Express will be flagged off, which connects Varanasi to Vadodara and Surat. 

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 21, 2017

Other projects to  Modi (@narendramodi) September 21, 2017 

The Deendayal Hastkala Sankul, a trade facilitation centre for handicrafts will be dedicated to the nation. 

— Narendra Mbe inaugurated include Utkarsh Bank, which specialises in micro finance, Jal Ambulance service and Jal Shav Vahan service. 

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 21, 2017

Mahamana Express train

The flag-off of the third Mahamana Express would be done via video conferencing at 3.30 pm Modi would be undertaking the flag-off during his two-day visit to his parliamentary constituency Varanasi.

ALSO READ: Modi's speech at BJP national executive may set tone for Parliament session

Railways Minister Piyush Goyal would be present in Vadodara in Gujarat, and Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha in Surat, the officials said....Read More 

Dawood is in Pakistan, scared to call family: Brother Kaskar to cops

His brother said, 'Dawood is of late wary of calling his relatives or his men in India on phone for fear of tapping'

Fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim is still in Pakistan, his brother Iqbal Kaskar has told the interrogators from the Intelligence Bureau and the Thane police's crime branch, officials said today.

Thane police arrested Kaskar two days ago in Mumbai in a case of extortion.

"Along with crime branch officials, Iqbal is also being questioned by the IB officials for the last two days and he has provided some vital information related to Dawood and his whereabouts," said a senior official of Thane police.

Kaskar, according to the official, confirmed that his brother, wanted in several cases including the 1993 Mumbai blasts case, is in Pakistan.

Dawood is of late wary of calling his relatives or his men in India on phone for fear of tapping, he said.

Kaskar also told the interrogators that he has spoken with his other brother, Anees Ibrahim, who lives with Dawood, only four or five times in the recent past.

The information given by Kaskar will help in the investigation of several cases registered against the members of Dawood gang in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Thane, the official said.

According to the police, Dawood's drug business has spread to Africa and even South America, while Kaskar looks after his 'real estate business' in Mumbai area.

The crime branch has also sent a team to Bihar to probe the present case, as the shooters hired to scare the complainant had been hired from there, the officer said.

Two more persons have come forward to complain about the extortion racket run by the Dawood gang in Mumbai-Thane area since Iqbal's arrest, and the police are expecting at least a dozen more complaints.

The police are likely to give protection to the complainants, the official said.

Kaskar and his associates had allegedly been threatening a prominent builder in Thane in Dawood's name since 2013 and had extorted Rs 30 lakh and four flats from him.

Kaskar was deported from the UAE in 2003.

Dealing in excessive cash no more safe in India: Arun Jaitley

Jaitley assured that the economic indicators are being assessed and appropriate action will be taken soon

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday said corruption no longer exists in the Centre, while lauding its proactiveness in implementing the Goods and Services Tax (GST), the crackdown on excessive cash transactions, benami property, shell companies and so on.

"Corruption in the central government has become a thing of the past. This is happening in states as well. The present government has taken quick decisions whether it is implementing the GST or targeting subsidies are concerned. As far as black money and benami transactions are concerned, it is no safer in India to deal in excessive cash," Jaitley said while addressing the 2nd India Investor Summit organised by JPMorgan here.

Urging timely filing of the GST, Jaitley stated that assesses should file their returns four to five days prior to the due date to avoid last minute glitches.

"India's confidence as a nation has increased tremendously in the last few years. So far, we have been able to contain the impact of inflation post-GST. There has been a positive move towards digitization, and remonetisation has been substantially completed. As far as bringing more items under GST is concerned, I think real estate is the easiest to bring in," he opined.

Jaitley assured that the economic indicators are being assessed and appropriate action will be taken soon....Read More

Dera has Rs 75 cr in 473 accounts; Ram Rahim has Rs 7.72 cr to his name

Haryana govt has frozen 504 bank accounts belonging to the Dera Sacha Sauda and its bodies

With over 500 accounts and close to Rs 75 crore, the Dera Sacha Sauda can hardly complain about the Punjab and Haryana High Court's direction that the cost of damage to public property caused by its members after their leader's conviction in two rape cases would be recovered from its assets.

Multiple bank accounts belonging to the Dera Sacha Sauda hold Rs 74.96 crore, the Indian Express reported on Thursday while citing information compiled by the Haryana government. The report added that jailed Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh has Rs 7.72 crore in 12 accounts in his name, while his adopted daughter Honeypreet, who is currently absconding, has over Rs 1 crore in six bank accounts.

Of close to Rs 75 crore amount, the maximum bank balance of a little under Rs 50 crore is held in 20 accounts, which are in the name of Ram Rahim’s film production unit Hakikat Entertainment, the national daily reported, adding that the Haryana government had compiled information on the 504 bank accounts belonging to the Dera and its bodies. All these accounts have been frozen.

As reported in August, the Gurgaon administration had collected details of direct and indirect properties and bank accounts belonging to Dera chief Ram Rahim Singh.

The move came after the Punjab and Haryana High Court ordered the attachment of all properties owned by the Dera chief to compensate for the loss of property and destruction caused by his supporters in Haryana and other states.

According to an IndiaToday report, the Haryana government, acting on the Punjab and Haryana High Court's orders, has frozen 90 Dera Sacha Sauda bank accounts in Sirsa. Further, the state government has sealed Honeypreet's OBC bank account, while another one with HDFC was yet to be sealed as of September 20.

Ram Rahim's business empire

He may claim to be a Godman, but in real life, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh has hardly kept himself from material interests. Like many other self-styled Godmen in India, the Dera Sacha Sauda chief’s business interest straddles across sectors – from education and healthcare services to FMCG and movie production. And, with 60 million followers across the globe with whom he enjoys a larger-than-life status, Singh is the face of all entities and products. While Singh personally holds a stake in the FMCG business, to the rest he is linked through cross-holdings and related-party transactions. (Read our full report on Ram Rahim's business empire).....read more

BCCI nominates MS Dhoni for prestigious Padma Bhushan award

With two World titles (2011 50-over World Cup and 2007 World T20), nearly 10,000 runs, 90 Test matches, there is no one better than him who could have been nominated said a BCCI official

The Indian cricket board has nominated Mahendra Singh Dhoni for the country's third highest civilian award -- the Padma Bhushan -- for his contribution to the game.

A senior BCCI official confirmed that the Board has only sent one name for the Padma awards this year and it was a unanimous decision to nominate India's most successful captain.

"Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been nominated by the BCCI for the Padma Bhushan award. There was no doubt among the members that Dhoni has impeccable credentials. Two World titles (2011 50-over World Cup and 2007 World T20), nearly 10,000 runs, 90 Test matches. There is no one better than him, who could have been nominated," a senior BCCI official told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

The BCCI has not sent any other nominations for the Padma awards this year.

The 36-year-old has scored 9737 runs in 302 ODIs besides 4876 runs in 90 Test matches. He has also played 78 T20 Internationals, notching up 1212 runs.

He has 16 international hundreds (6 in Tests and 10 in ODIs) along with 100 international half-centuries.

As a wicketkeeper, Dhoni has held 584 catches across formats (256 in Tests, 285 in ODIs and 43 in T20 Internationals). He has also effected 163 stumpings.

Dhoni is already a recipient of the prestigious Arjuna, Rajeev Gandhi Khel Ratna and the Padma Shri award.

If Dhoni is conferred with Padma Bhushan, he will become the 11th Indian cricketer to get the third highest civilian honour.

Some of the notable international cricketers, who have been the recipients of Padma Bhushan award are Sachin Tendulkar, Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar, Rahul Dravid, Chandu Borde, Prof DB Deodhar, Col CK Nayudu, and Lala Amarnath.

The lesser known names include Raja Bhalindra Singh of Patiala, who played 13 first-class matches, and Vijaya Anand -- the Maharaja of Vizianagram, who was India's captain during their 1936 tour to England.

 

How Dera chief Ram Rahim spends jail time: Growing veggies for Rs 20 a day

He has been lodged in prison since August 25 when he was convicted by the CBI court in Panchkula on 2 counts of rape of female disciples in 1999

 

Used to a life of ultra-luxury, disgraced Dera Sacha Sauda sect chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh will now earn a daily wage of Rs 20 for cultivating a small farm holding near his prison barrack and growing vegetables.

The rapist sect chief, who used to spend millions of rupees on his public appearances and crores to build flashy mansions for his comfort, will now have to survive on his meager earnings from manual work inside the prison, Director General K P Singh, Jails, said on Tuesday.

He told media here that Gurmeet Singh was being treated as a common prisoner in jail and would be assigned farming work from next month as part of the 20-year rigorous imprisonment sentence awarded to him by a CBI special court.

The DG denied reports that special facilities were being given to him inside the prison at the District Jasil at Sunaria near Rohtak town.

"All news reports about special treatment and his health are misleading and divorced from truth," he said.

"Jail rules allow two persons having a blood relation to talk to a prisoner over the phone. The prisoner is allowed to talk after police verification of the phone numbers. Gurmeet Singh gave two phone numbers, one of which belongs to Honeypreet, while the other is his own. Honeypreet's number is not reachable and Gurmeet Singh might have left his phone in the Dera.....Read More

Varanasi-Vadodara Mahamana Express: 7 facts about this Made in India train

Indian Railways to run Varanasi-Vadodara Mahamana Express from September 22

The Indian Railways is starting a new train from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s parliamentary constituency Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh to Vadodara in his home state Gujarat.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off Varanasi-Vadodara Mahamana Express on Friday, when he visits Varanasi on a two-day tour.

Railways minister Piyush Goyal will be present in Vadodara that day while junior railway minister Manoj Sinha is expected to be present in Surat, senior railway officials said on Tuesday. This is India's third Mahamana Express.

On its maiden journey, the train will run from Vadodara (Gujarat) to Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) after the PM will launch it using a remote control, they said.

The Modi government had unveiled the first rake of the Mahamana Express as part of Railways' Model Rake Project in 2016.

Here are top 10 things to know about the Varanasi-Vadodara Mahamana Express

1. 'Mahamana Express' is named after former Hindu Mahasabha president Madan Mohan Malviya, also addressed as 'Mahamana'.

2. Make in India initiative: The Mahamana Express comes with plush interiors. The coaches for the train had been designed by Vadodara-based firm Hindustan Fibre Glass. The model rakes that have been developed are a "refurbished and re-adapted" version of seven types of coaches which have been in use by Indian Railways for the past 10-12 years.

 3. Weekly train: Like the other two sister-trains, Varanasi-Vadodara Mahamana Express is a weekly train that will run from Varanasi every Friday at 6.15am and from Vadodara every Wednesday.

4. Train halt points: Mahamana Express will cover 1,531-km journey between the two cities in 27 hours 30 minutes at an average speed of 55.7 km/hr. It has stops at Bharuch and Surat in Gujarat; Amalner and Bhusawal in Maharashtra; Itarsi, Jabalpur, Katni and Satna in Madhya Pradesh; and Chheoki in Uttar Pradesh....Read More 

Rohingya crisis: We don't fear global scrutiny, says Aung San Suu Kyi

Suu Kyi: After half a century or more of authoritarian rule, now we are in the process of nurturing our nation

Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi on Tuesday said her country "does not fear international scrutiny" over the ongoing Rohingya Muslim refugee crisis and was "aware of the fact that the world's attention is focused on the situation in Rakhine state".

She made the remarks in her first national address on the ongoing violence in Rakhine that has seen 415,000 Rohingya Muslims flee into Bangladesh, reports CNN.

"After half a century or more of authoritarian rule, now we are in the process of nurturing our nation.

"It is not the intention of the Myanmar government to apportion blame or to abdicate responsibility. We condemn all human rights violation and unlawful violence.

"We are committed to the restoration of peace, stability and rule of law throughout the state," Suu Kyi said in front of a packed auditorium of Myanmar government officials and high ranking militarily personnel here.

Responding to the UN labelling the Myanmar Army's actions as a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing", Suu Kyi said that her government still needed to find out "what the real problems are".

"There have been allegations and counter-allegations. We have to listen to all of them. We have to make sure those allegations are based on solid evidence before we take action.

"We want to find out why this exodus is happening. We'd like to talk to those who have fled, as well as those who have stayed," CNN quoted the de-facto leader as saying.

The Rohingya refugees have fled since the ongoing violence broke out on August 25 when Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) rebels attacked police checkposts and killed 12 security personnel.

In her speech, Suu Kyi the Nobel Peace Prize winner for her non-violent resistance to the military junta that used to rule Myanmar, did not mention the Rohingya specifically and only used the term in reference to the "Rohingya Salvation Army" which she claimed was "responsible for acts of terrorism".

Suu Kyi said the violence is just one of many complexities her nascent democracy faces, likening it to a sick person who needs to be treated for multiple ailments.

"We are a young and fragile country facing many problems, but we have to cope with them all... We cannot just concentrate on the few."

Suu Kyi said she was making this speech because she was unable to travel to the UN General Assembly later this week, reports the BBC.

She said she wanted the international community to know what was being done by her government to address the situation.....READ MORE

Rohingya crisis a great opportunity for India to set its house in order

India should come out of its policy bottleneck where every act of its generosity is for immediate self-aggrandisement rather than long-term gain.

If India fails to stand with the Rohingya today, will it be able to claim tomorrow that it is rightfully with the people of Baluchistan or Tibet?

If a nation’s resilience is tested by its response to the crisis in its surroundings, then India isn’t the super power it tries to project itself as. A superpower must have enough will to, as Uncle Ben suggested to Spiderman, take “great responsibility,” and should not just assemble state-of-the-art artilleries to flex in its Republic Day parades.

India’s typical response to the Rohingya crisis shows that it still has to build a moral compass to navigate its foreign policy and its foreign policy has hardly changed since the 1990s, even superficially, in the manner in which it deals with urgent humanitarian crises in its neighbourhood and beyond. Like now, India, in the 1990s, had failed to defend the rights of the Bhutanese people of Nepalese origin when they were chased out by the royal government. It even gave tacit support to the Bhutanese royalty by ignoring several appeals by human right groups and activists. The Bhutanese refugee crisis wasn’t an out of the blue thing but a build-up of a series of events since 1988 when Bhutan conducted its southern population census targeting its Nepalese population. With the census, Bhutan re-classified several thousands of its citizens as illegal migrants.

Going further, it introduced several repressive measures including its ‘One Nation, One People’, or Driglam policy, wherein the Nepalese population were forced to wear the northern traditional dress and adopt the culture of majority. It removed the Nepali language from the curriculum of schools. Bhutanese’s refugee activist Tek Nath Rijhal’s Torture Killing Me Softly is a grueling account of the period of his suffering in Bhutan’s prison for raising concerns over the plight of these Nepalese.....READ MORE

Will iPhone X hurt iPhone 8 and 8 Plus sale? Here's what experts say

Apple unveiled both iPhone X and iPhone 8 models, with the "super-premium" iPhone X starting at $999

 

As Apple gets ready to ship iPhone 8 and 8 Plus before it opens iPhone X for pre-orders, a top analyst with Taiwanese business group KGI Securities has warned that iPhone X will cannibalise iPhone 8 orders.

According to Ming-Chi Kuo, the most famous analyst with KGI Securities when it comes to Apple, it is very likely that iPhone X demand will cannibalise iPhone 8 pre-orders.

"While it takes three to six weeks or more to ship new iPhone models after they are available for preorder, they see the iPhone 8 taking less than one to two weeks. This is due to the iPhone X cannibalisation," streetinsider.com quoted the analyst as saying late on Monday.

Apple unveiled both iPhone X and iPhone 8 models, with the "super-premium" iPhone X starting at $999.

Ming, however, said the new Apple Watch Series 3's (GPS + Cellular version) could be a runaway hit.

"We estimate the preorder weighting of the GPS + Cellular version is 80-90 per cent. While not available in all countries, most users have pre-ordered the GPS + Cellular version because it offers phone and internet access functions without an iPhone and given the low premium of $70 over the GPS version," the analyst predicted.

According to the Verge, while Apple Watch shipments are well below iPhone shipments, investors should start keeping tabs on this new product, with shipments expected to surge much higher than previous generation models.

Apple would launch iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, starting Rs 64,000, in India on September 29 while pre-bookings will start on September 22.

The iPhone X will come to India on November 3, starting Rs 89,000.

Apple Watch is available in two different case sizes, 38mm and 42mm from September 29 in India.

Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS) will be available in gold, silver and space grey aluminium cases with a Sport Band, starting at Rs 29,900.

BJP on Manish Tewari's Modi tweet: Congress has lost its mental balance

Tewari is the second Cong leader after Digvijaya Singh to come under fire for using foul language against Modi

 

Congress leader Manish Tewari on Sunday triggered a row with a twitter post using abusive language against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, evoking sharp reactions from the BJP and the twitterati with both demanding an apology from Sonia Gandhi.

Tewari is the second Congress leader after party general secretary Digvijaya Singh to come under fire for using foul language against Modi. Singh had recently retweeted a post which contained expletives against the prime minister.

In his post, Tewari used abusive words and wrote in Hindi, using the Roman script, about how Modi "befooled" people and that "Even Mahatma cannot teach MODI Deshbhakti (patriotism)".

He was responding to a remark made by a person on the micro-blogging website that patriotism is in the DNA of Modi and even Mahatma Gandhi cannot teach him that. It was made in response to a short video clip put out by Tewari about a gaffe purportedly committed by Modi abroad when he had started walking even as the national anthem was being played.

Reacting sharply, Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said a desperate Congress and its leaders have "lost their mental balance" after being rejected by people. He said they are using foul language against the prime minister as they have run out of logic to counter him....READ MORE

India's response to the Rohingya crisis is driven by an 'un-fine' balance

Realist response has taken an upper-hand over a humanitarian response

Myanmar is witnessing a military crackdown against the Rohingya ethnic community. Facing extreme violence, hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas have fled from their homes in Myanmar. It is estimated that more than 300,000 have entered Bangladesh. Even as Bangladesh has been stretched in providing relief to these refugees, the Bangladesh government and activists in India have been pushing the Indian government to admit refugees in India. The Indian government for its part has sent relief assistance to Bangladesh for these refugees but has not agreed to accept more Rohingya refugees in India. What is driving the Indian response to this crisis? What are the factors that make this a complex decision? The author analyses in this Business Standard Special.

‘India remains deeply concerned about the situation in Rakhine State in Myanmar and the outflow of refugees from that region’, began a recent statement by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of India. The rest of this short 166-word note focused on strongly condemning the ‘terrorist attacks on Myanmar security forces’, reminded us of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent aid commitment to the strife torn region, and urged the powers that be in Myanmar to handle the situation with ‘maturity’, focus on the welfare of both civilians and security forces, and restore normalcy ‘expeditiously’. Soon after, New Delhi launched Operation Insaniyat offering aid to Rohingya refugees pouring into Bangladesh. Both the statement and the aid make for fitting examples of how India balances competing domestic and foreign policy advocacies and priorities....READ MORE

Marshal of IAF Arjan Singh's state funeral today; nation mourns air warrior

The national flag will fly at half-mast on Monday as the funeral is held in Delhi

 

 

 

The funeral procession of the sole Marshal of the Indian Air Force (IAF), Arjan Singh, began on Sunday in the national capital.

The procession was followed by the last rites, which were performed at the Brar Square. The wreath laying ceremony was to take place at 9:00 am.

Though no state mourning was announced, the Home Ministry said the national flag would fly at half-mast on the day of the funeral in Delhi on all buildings where it is flown regularly.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday stated that along with a state funeral and an appropriate gun salute, a flypast might take place, depending on the weather conditions, to honour the contribution of the Air Force Marshal.

President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday led the nation in mourning the death of Marshal of IAF Arjan Singh.

Remembered for his role in leading the fledgling IAF in the 1965 war with Pakistan, Arjan Singh died in a hospital in New Delhi on Sunday after a massive heart attack. He was 98. (economy today)

His mortal remains were kept at his residence 7A, Kautilya Marg for people to pay respects to the war hero -- the first five-star officer of the IAF.

President Kovind, also the Supreme Commander of Indian Armed Forces, said he was "extremely saddened to learn about the passing of our great and cherished air warrior -- a hero of World War II who won our nation's gratitude for his military leadership in the 1965 War".

Modi, who was in Gujarat to dedicate the Sardar Sarovar Dam to the nation on his birthday, paid tribute to the "brave soldier".

"Even at the age of 98, he would be dressed in uniform. He would come on a wheelchair but whenever he would see me, he would stand. He was a soldier, he never forgot his discipline."

In Delhi, Defence Minister Sitharaman laid a wreath on the air warrior's body on behalf of the Prime Minister.

Three service chiefs -- Admiral Sunil Lanba, General Bipin Rawat and Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa -- also paid their respects.

Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa said Arjan Singh was a philanthropist to the core and always led from the front and brought many innovative reforms to the IAF....READ MORE

Soon, your driver's licence to be linked with Aadhaar

He also said that digital governance is honest, transparent and efficient governance

 

In another move to make India digital, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Friday asserted that the Government is planning to link the driving licence with the Aadhar card.

Addressing the gathering at the Digital Haryana Summit 2017, Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the Aadhar is a digital, not a physical identity and a digital identity confirms the physical identity.

"We are planning to link the Driving Licence with the Aadhar. I have had a word with Nitin Gadkari regarding this," he said.

He also said that the decision to link the PAN card with the Aadhar was taken to stop money laundering.

Promoting the concept of digital governance, Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the digital governance is 'good governance' and that it ensures fast delivery as well as the welfare of the poor people.

"Digital governance is honest, transparent and efficient governance," Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

"Digital India must lead to digital intrusion; it must lead to a digital society," he added, while appreciating the Indian IT industry.

He further said that the technology must be made available at affordable costs for people.

From defence to bullet train: Where are India-Japan ties heading?

How will Shinzo Abe's two-day visit to India further shape New Delhi's ties with Japan? BS brings you the details

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrived this week in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state of Gujarat for what was the tenth meeting between the two leaders since Modi came to power in 2014.

The centrepiece of the visit has been the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail project. Modi-Abe laid the foundation stone for the bullet train in Ahmedabad on Thursday, with the former lauding Japan as India's friend for having extended a Rs 88,000 crore loan at just 0.1 per cent interest.

Further cementing their bilateral ties, India and Japan on Thursday also signed 15 memorandums of understanding (MoUs), which dealt with wide-ranging issues such as bilateral relations, defence and security cooperation, and supporting each other for a permanent seat on the United Nations’ expanded Security Council.

It remains to be seen if the bullet train will prove to be economically viable and whether India and Japan's joint front against China will yield any dividends for either of the nations going ahead.

Read our entire coverage below:

Japanese firms to invest Rs 5 lakh crore in India

While no figure was released on how much Japanese companies planned to invest in India, some sources said it would be around Rs 5 lakh crore, including the flagship bullet train project. One of the more import MoUs was on civil aviation cooperation and open skies. (Read all the details here)

Apart from fresh investment proposals at the summit, Modi claimed Japan’s foreign direct investment (FDI) to India had actually trebled in the past few years, a testimony to the growing economic ties. So far, around $25.7 billion has flown in as FDI from Japan; the plan now is to double this by 2019....Read More