BUDGET SESSION : RAFALE JETS WILL STRENGTHEN OUR AIR FORCE, SAYS KOVIND

The Budget session is expected to be a stormy one, with Lok Sabha elections just around the corner. Catch LIVE updates on Budget 2019 session

Interim Budget 2019: The Budget session of Parliament began on Thursday, a day before the Interim Budget 2019 will be presented by Finance Minister Piyush Goyal.

With the Lok Sabha elections around the corner, this year’s Budget session is expected to be a stormy one. The Budget session began with President Ram Nath Kovind addressing a joint session of Parliament. The President said, “India was going through “uncertain times” ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls and the Narendra Modi government after assuming power resolved to work towards a ‘New India’, giving hope to the people.”

He said the NDA government has been trying to pass the triple talaq bill to empower Muslim women so that they can live a life without fear. The government has been working to fulfil hopes and aspirations of all sections of people, he said. Highlighting the government’s achievements and various welfare schemes, Kovind said 21 crore poor people were covered under the PM’s life insurance scheme, while over 2 crore households got power connection as part of the PM’s Saubhagya scheme.

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

• President Ram Nath Kovind leaves for Rashtrapati Bhawan.
• After decades, Indian Air Force will use ultramodern Rafale aircraft in coming months: Kovind
• President Ram Nath Kovind concludes his speech.
• President Kovind said, “6.8 crore Indians are filing income tax returns”
• Kovind says India is world’s second largest manufacturer of mobile phones
• Under Jan Dhan Yojana, 34 crore people have opened a bank account, said Kovind
• GST is a long-term policy and is a boon for the business sector. The taxpayers in the country trust this government: Kovin To enhance the opportunites for high-level professional education, govt is setting up news educational institutions

 Read full source: Budget Session 2019 

India doesn’t need a bold Budget now, populist spending should be avoided

All prime ministers before him have respected the tradition of treating the last budget before elections as just a way to keep the government going for a few months. Modi should too

BS| On Feb. 1 in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government will present its last federal budget before general elections are held in a few months. Unlike most other budgets, this typically isn’t a high-octane affair; governments are discouraged from locking their successors into any new spending or taxes. An “interim” budget, as it’s called, tries to avoid committing spending for the entire financial year, which begins from April.

But, Modi’s finance minister seems ready to break with that requirement. Politicians from India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party insist that there’s no legal requirement to present just a vote-on-account. And the reason’s obvious: They want to pack in as many big-ticket, populist announcements as they can before the election campaign formally begins and governments are forbidden to make new promises outside party manifestos.

Interim Budget 2019 While Modi doesn’t exactly have his back against the wall in his re-election campaign, he won’t be feeling entirely comfortable either. A round of state elections towards the end of last year saw the BJP lose control of three crucial North Indian states — in the very region that propelled him to his landslide victory in the last parliamentary elections in 2014.

The truth is that Modi doesn’t have very many seats to lose. His majority in the lower house of Parliament is both unprecedented by Indian standards and, nevertheless, razor thin. He won 282 seats out of 543 in 2014, and has lost several in by-elections since. A dip in the prime minister’s popularity doesn’t need to be significant for him to lose his majority. And if he has to try and craft a coalition, he may wind up being vulnerable to leadership challenges from within his party…

Read Full Story : Interim Budget 2019

Rs 177-cr GST fraud: Man arrested in Gujarat for issuing fake tax invoices

The accused allegedly obtained GST registration, GST identity cards, login-password, SIM cards, bank accounts and online passwords in the name of dummy owners

Current Affairs: A man has been arrested for allegedly issuing fake invoices to claim Rs 177.64-crore input tax credit, the Central GST department said Saturday. The man, identified as Ehsas Ali Saiyad, a resident of Vadodara, was the mastermind of a scam involving issuing of fake invoices, said the office of the Central GST and Central Excise Commissionerate in a release in Gandhinagar.The 29-year-old allegedly floated 66 fake companies with as many dummy owners in whose name he issued tax invoices to claim input tax credit (ITC), it said.

The accused obtained GST registration, GST identity cards, login-password, SIM cards, bank accounts and online passwords in the name of these dummy owners, said the commissionerate. “The accused would issue fake bills in the name of the entities created by him. He issued tax invoice of taxable value of Rs 1,210 crore to claim input tax credit of Rs 177.64 crore,” it said.

He was arrested under provisions of the CGST Act and further investigation was on, said the release.Under Goods and Services Tax, input credit is the tax benefit manufacturers get for the GST they pay on purchase of goods. Unscrupulous elements use fake bills to claim higher ITC.

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Interim Budget 2019: What’s in store for investors, taxpayers, economy?

From doling out sops for the farm sector and providing some relief to the individual income-tax payers, here’s what leading brokerages expect from the budget

Interim Budget 2019: With barely a few days left for the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) government to present the Interim Budget 2019, most domestic and foreign brokerages expect the measures to have a populist undertone ahead of the general elections scheduled for April / May 2019. From doling out sops for the farm sector and providing some relief to the individual income-tax payers, here’s what leading brokerages expect.

CLSA

The pressure to further expand the farmer welfare programme ahead of the 2019 national elections is high for PM Modi. A possible announcement of a nationwide direct farmer support scheme is quite likely, or possibly even earlier. A Telangana-style scheme could cost ~ Rs1.2trn, further complicating fiscal maths, as it could be a recurring liability. The RBI’s possible large dividend might help just one time.

The GST-led tax revenue shortfall of 75-80bps of GDP is not reflected in the reduced government expenditure for FY19 due to off-balance-sheet funding, which is not a sustainable solution and will create its own problems later and distort the reported fiscal deficit for FY19…

Bank of America Merrill Lynch

We expect the Center to target a fiscal deficit of 3.5% of GDP in FY20, after ending FY19 at 3.7%, 40bp higher than target. This should be funded by running down the Center’s surplus with the RBI without additional issuance. While a pre-election Budget should ideally not propose new direct taxes, the finance minister should take steps to alleviate stress in rural India (metaphorically Bharat) via subvention or direct income transfer and for small industries via subvention…

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What 2019 Budget can do to help India clean its air, reduce coal addiction

Addressing policy issues are important if India is to fulfill its commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement 2015 to install 175 giga watt (GW)

Interim Budget 2019: India has one of the world’s largest programmes to expand renewables–a doubling of capacity over the next four years–but India’s ambitious 2022 target of generating enough non-coal energy to replace the equivalent of 175 coal-powered plants is veering off track

On February 1, 2019, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has a chance to get things back on track, help India reduce its addiction to coal, help clean the country’s air and meet the global climate-change commitments of the world’s fourth-fastest growing carbon polluter

After record growth in the installed capacity of renewables over the four years to 2017, capacity addition slowed down in 2018. The main reasons: an anti-dumping duty imposed by the government on imported solar modules to aid domestic manufacturing, higher rates of taxation under the goods and service tax (GST) and unclear policy. So, the last budget before 2019 general elections is of particular significance to the renewables sector, which comprises electricity from solar, wind, hydro and bio power.

These are the issues the budget must contend with:

• Due to a 2018 slowdown, the government will have to install 3.5 times more capacity every month than its average speed for the last four years.
• A new duty on imported solar modules–which meet more than 80% of the country’s need–increased production costs and threaten the competitiveness of solar tariffs against those of coal.
• Higher GST rates on solar modules and services are driving away investors and manufacturers. Delays in a long-term policy to remove uncertainty from the sector is holding back new investment.

Why the renewables budget is important

Addressing policy issues are important if India is to fulfill its commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement 2015 to install 175 giga watt (GW)–a GW is 1000 mega watt (MW)–of renewables power capacity by 2022. This is enough to replace 175 coal-fired power plants of 1,000 MW each and reduce India’s dependence on fossil fuels.

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Halal internet? This browser promises to be compliant with Islamic values

SalamWeb relies on community-vetted content filters that mark web pages as appropriate, neutral or inappropriate, while warning users when they approach sites with gambling or pornography

Current Affairs: A Malaysian startup is betting that there’s plenty of pent-up demand for a new browser that’s compliant with Islamic values, at a time of mounting concerns over privacy, bias and online abuse over the internet.

SalamWeb, a mobile browser, is designed to deliver a Muslim-friendly web experience. The app, which includes messaging, news and other features, is aimed at users in Malaysia and Indonesia, according to Hasni Zarina Mohamed Khan, managing director at Salam Web Technologies MY Sdn.

Her goal is to eventually capture 10 per cent of the 1.8 billion global Muslim population. She pointed to some of challenges facing the web, as the world’s largest technology companies from Google to Facebook Inc. face criticism for doing too little to address harmful content and false information. Human rights group Amnesty International looked at abusive interactions and concluded that Twitter is a “toxic place for women.”

“We want to make the internet a better place,” Hasni Zarina said. “We know the internet has the good and the bad, so SalamWeb offers you a tool to create this window that lets you go to the internet to see the good.”

SalamWeb relies on community-vetted content filters that mark web pages as appropriate, neutral or inappropriate, while warning users when they approach sites with gambling or pornography. It also has Muslim-specific functions, such as prayer times and an indicator for Qibla, or the direction that a Muslim must face when praying…

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Madhya Pradesh farmer gets Rs 13 instead of Rs 24,000 as loan waiver

The government, on the other hand, said flaws are rising due to irregularities at the stage of loan disbursal

Latest News: A Madhya Pradesh farmer, Shivlal Kataria, was shocked to see Rs 13 marked against his name, instead of Rs 24,000, on the list of beneficiaries for the farm loan waiver issued by the authorities on Wednesday.

“The state government had promised to waive loans up to Rs 2 lakh. Forms were filled and I was expecting a complete waiver of my loan amount of Rs 23,815. But the list that has come to the panchayat says only Rs 13 have been waived,” he said. Kataria, a resident of Nipania Baijnath village in Agar Malwa district, 120 km north of Indore, was excited when Congress, which made the loan waiver promise before the assembly polls, came to power as he thought it would provide some relief.

“I am an honest farmer. I have been regularly paying my dues. On questioning, the staff said that I did not have loan on me on the date of loan waiver. There are major irregularities in the loan waiver scheme. I have reported the matter to the authorities,” he said. The government, on the other hand, said flaws are rising due to irregularities at the stage of loan disbursal. Cabinet minister Omkar Singh Markam said, “Irregularities which happened at the stage of loan disbursal are now surfacing. We are taking required action.”

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Mercedes-Benz forays into luxury MPV with V-Class: Check prices, features

Continuing Mercedes-Benz’s BS-VI transition efforts, the V-Class will be available in a 2-litre BS VI-compliant diesel engine

Automobile News: German auto major Mercedes-Benz Thursday made a foray into the luxury multi-purpose vehicles segment in India with the launch of its V-Class at a starting price of Rs 68.40 lakh. The V-Class will be available in both six-seater long-wheelbase (Exclusive) and seven-seater extra-long-wheelbase (Expression) variants, Mercedes-Benz India said in a statement. While the V-Class Expression starts at Rs 68.40 lakh, the V-Class Exclusive starts at Rs 81.90 lakh (all prices ex-showroom India), it added.

Continuing Mercedes-Benz’s BS-VI transition efforts, the V-Class will be available in a 2-litre BS VI-compliant diesel engine, the company said.”The launch of the V-Class in India firmly underscores our pioneering spirit as we introduce the ‘Luxury Multi-Purpose Vehicle’ segment for our discerning Indian customers,” Mercedes-Benz India Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Martin Schwenk said.

The V-Class is targeted at a wide array of potential customers comprising large families, sports enthusiasts and businesses, he added. Schwenk further said in 2019, Mercedes-Benz completes 25 years in India and this milestone will be marked with “a wide range of product offensive, starting with the V-Class”…Read More

SC to examine Centre’s move to grant 10% quota in jobs, education to poor

‘We are examining the matter and hence issuing notice returnable within four weeks’, SC bench said

The Supreme Court on Friday decided to examine the Centre’s decision to grant 10 per cent reservation in jobs and education to poor candidates belonging to general category.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Sanjiv Khanna issued notice to the central government on various petitions challenging the validity of the 103 Constitutional Amendment Act which paved the way for grant of quota to poor belonging to general category class.“We are examining the matter and hence issuing notice returnable within four weeks,” the bench said.

The bench, however, did not stay the operation of the Centre’s decision granting quota to the poor in the general category.In poll year, the Narendra Modi government had come out with the constitutional amendment bill giving quota benefits to the poor among general category candidates. The petitions were filed by parties including organisations like Janhit Abhiyan and Youth For Equality challenging the Centre’s decision.

Maruti Suzuki’s 3rd-Gen WagonR is here: What has changed in 20 years?

Wagon R is one of the most trusted workhorses from Maruti’s stable and has enjoyed immense popularity since its launch in 1999. Here’s a look into the upgrades of the newly launched WagonR

Automobile News: Years down the line, Maruti’s Wagon R still remains one of the best selling cars to come out of the Indian manufacturers’ Gurgaon plant. Now, as the manufacturing unit moves on to it’s new location, the WagonR also has grown up. While the ‘Tall Boy’ from Maruti more or less retains the original silhouette of the car, the all new Maruti Suzuki WagonR is bigger now and is wider and longer than its predecessor. while the wheelbase has also been stretched by 35mm, the car is 150mm wider and 56mm longer than the outgoing model.

Based on Maruti Suzuki’s new Heartect platform that underpins the new-gen Swift, Ignis and Baleno among others, the new Maruti Suzuki WagonR is surprisingly lighter (by 40kg) than the old one and safer, thanks to a high-stregth steel construction.

In terms of cosmetic upgrades, Maruti has redesigned the WagonR with new headlamps, a new front grill and redesigned taillamps, but LED DRLs have been given a miss. However, there are no alloy wheels on offer in any of the new variants and the overall design looks a bit beefed up than the old one.

While the dashboard and circular AC vents are the only identical parts borrowed from the outgoing model, Maruti has implemented plenty of updates to the interior of Maruti Suzuki. The all-new ‘x-theme’ design gives the interiors a fresh look. Steering-mounted controls and a new instrument cluster have also been added to enhance the feel. The dashboard also gets a 7-inch SmartPlay Studio infotainment system instead of the normal double-DIN radio setup seen in the older car. Although the infotainment system is below-par when compared to the units present in premium cars from Maruti’s stable, it still supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Apart from that, rear parking sensors, driver airbag and ABS with EBD are now standard on the new WagonR.

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Entry to Sabarimala a big step forward for gender equality? Ask Dalit women

Clearly, the people celebrating this victory at Sabarimala are predominantly dominant caste Hindu women

Current Affairs: Over the past few days, I, as a Dalit woman, have been trying hard to understand the reasons why the entry of two women into the Sabarimala temple was being hailed as a momentous victory for women’s rights in India. I must confess that I attempted in vain to try and see the logic behind this celebration. Finally, the only way I could wrap my head around this was to temporarily stop thinking as a Dalit woman.

I struggled to make this shift in my head. I told myself not to think about ‘intersectionality’. I kept telling myself to analyse this phenomenon in a vacuum (read: without caste). I tried to build a rationale in my head about the need for understanding this only through a ‘gender’ lens. Think as a ‘woman’, not as a Dalit woman, I kept repeating to myself. [I later figured why I could not do this – read on. You will know why.]

What is being celebrated? Who are the folks calling this a big step forward in women’s rights? How does the entry into the Sabarimala temple signal freedom for women?

Clearly, the people celebrating this victory at Sabarimala are predominantly dominant caste Hindu women. No single person is ever representative of the entire community and the same holds true for Dalit women as well. From an anti-caste feminist stand-point, the savarna-led feminist movement’s pressure to see this as a great victory for women – all the while being caste-blind – is reductionist, self-centred and hypocritical. There are three reasons I say so.

Dismantling patriarchy for gender equality?

For a long time, I assumed that the feminist movement in India aimed to puncture patriarchy. This primarily indicates that the path to gender equality meant freedom from male control, which in turn meant applying the brakes on obeisance to men.

For the life of me, I do not understand how ‘patriarchy’ is attacked when women devotees bow down before male priests and a male celibate god? Where in this spectrum lies the end of misogyny? So can somebody please explain to me how and why is the savarna women-led feminist movement in India claiming this to be a historic win for women rights?

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After calling Mayawati ‘worse than a transgender’, BJP MLA apologises

The BJP lawmaker made the controversial remarks at a rally while referring to the infamous incident when Mayawati was assaulted by Samajwadi Party workers in a Lucknow guest house in 1995

Politics News: After courting controversy over her remarks against BSP supremo Mayawati, BJP MLA Sadhana Singh Sunday issued an apology, clarifying that she did not mean to hurt anyone.Singh, a legislator from Uttar Pradesh’s Mughalsarai had Saturday called the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief a “blot on womankind” and “worse than a transgender”.

“I had no such intention to hurt anyone…. I regret what I said. I just shared a woman’s pain, and didn’t want to insult anyone,” Singh said in a statement after her comments drew flak from from allies and opposition leaders.

The BJP lawmaker made the controversial remarks at a rally while referring to the infamous incident when Mayawati was assaulted by Samajwadi Party workers in a Lucknow guest house in 1995. “I just wanted to remind her (Mayawati) about the help extended by BJP leaders in 1995 to her,” the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader added.

Singh’s apology came immediately after a complaint was lodged against her at the Baburi Police Station by a BSP leader who sought that she be booked under the SC/ST Act. “A complaint was received from BSP leader Ram Chandra Gautam. We have not registered an FIR yet but an investigation will be done,” a police officer said. “We will analyse the video footage of the rally and after that a decision will be taken on whether an FIR should be filed against her (Singh),” the officer added…

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Despite 2-child policy, China sees fewest births in almost 60 years in 2018

The number of babies born last year fell by some 2 million from 2017, to 15.23 million, it was the least since 1961 and the third-lowest since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949

International News: Births in China dropped to the lowest level in almost 60 years in 2018, signaling the country’s looser two-child policy has done little to reverse its slowing birthrate, and worsening the outlook for growth in the world’s second-largest economy.

The number of babies born last year fell by some 2 million from 2017, to 15.23 million, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed on Monday. Demographer He Yafu said it was the least since 1961 and the third-lowest since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949.

The demographics stand to fuel concerns about China’s economy, which is on a long-term slowing trajectory even as signs of stabilization suggest efforts to cushion its deceleration are taking hold. China’s expansion was the slowest since the 2009 financial crisis last quarter, as the government grapples with a debt cleanup and ongoing trade war with the U.S.

Signs of a steep drop in birth numbers had already emerged, as China’s major cities disclosed their birth figures for 2018. Wenzhou, a manufacturing hub and wealthy coastal city, saw its birth number drop to the lowest level in 10 years. A neighboring city, Ningbo, estimated births declined by about 17 percent.

A top Chinese research institution projected the population could start shrinking as soon as 2027 — three years earlier than expected — if the birth rate held steady at 1.6 children per woman. The population — at 1.39 billion in 2017, and the world’s largest — could fall to 1.172 billion by 2065, it said…

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Fighting tuberculosis: Why other states should follow Telangana and Andhra

Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have thousands of unqualified traditional practitioners who mainly work within communities and wield trust among them

Health News: In May 2016, 14-year-old Yesu from Vijayawada city was diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB). The diagnosis came about thanks to the ‘Little Doctors’ Club’ in his school, which is among 139 such health clubs being run in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana by World Vision India, a non-profit organisation, in collaboration with the respective State TB offices.

Part of World Vision India’s Focused Approach towards Childhood Tuberculosis (FACT) project, these health clubs have engaged nearly 50,000 children. High school students from class 6 upwards are taught to identify symptoms of TB–weight loss, cough prolonged over two weeks, and fever. The awareness thus created is expected to enhance TB case detection and treatment success rates in schools and communities.

When the health club at Yesu’s school suspected he had TB, he was referred to a government hospital for further tests. Once confirmed, Yesu informed his mother–the family’s involvement being crucial to ensuring that the tough and long treatment regime is completed–and his peers, as part of the programme’s effort to reduce the stigma associated with TB.

Read More: Tuberculosis

31 Rohingya refugees pushed to Indian territory by Bangladesh forces: BSF

On January 18, BSF troops posted at the border observed ‘suspicious movement’ from the Bangladesh territory. Later, the Border Guards Bangladesh made a telephone call and confirmed the activity

Latest News:  The BSF on Sunday said that the 31 Rohingya refugees apprehended from the ‘zero line’ between India and Bangladesh’s border near Tripura’s Rayemura were “pushed” by the Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB).

On January 18, BSF troops posted at the border observed ‘suspicious movement’ from the Bangladesh territory. Later, the BGB made a telephone call and confirmed the activity, discovering a group of Rohingya refugees, BSF DIG Brajesh Kumar told ANI. A total of six men, nine women, and 16 children were found trying to enter into India. The BGB alleged that the Rohingyas were “pushed by the BSF,” into their territory.

“We alerted our troops and next morning approached the BGB to hold a flag meeting. The meeting was held on January 19. They said that there were 31 Rohingyas and claimed they were pushed by the BSF towards Bangladesh,” Brajesh told ANI. Refuting the BGB’s claims, the BSF asked them to identify lapses in the Indian side of the fence and show the place from where the crossing might have happened.

“But they could not justify their allegations. They only keep harping that if they are on the Indian side, the BSF should take care of it. In fact, we later came to know that these people were apprehended by the BGB on their side,” he said.

“It is not known from where they were apprehended, but after apprehending them, they snatched their documents and pushed them about 40-50-metre into the Indian territory from the zero line,” Brajesh said.”We also asked them if they crossed from India to Bangladesh, how are their ID cards with them (BGB)? It indicates they were brought by the BGB,” the BSF DIG added..

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BJP leader killed in MP; party blames Congress after second such murder

BJP leader was shot dead in Mandsaur, prompting the party to claim that its leaders were being targeted

Current Affairs: A BJP leader was found dead in Barwani district of Madhya Pradesh Sunday morning, with the police suspecting that he was murdered. The death of Manoj Thakre (48) came to light three days after another BJP leader was shot dead in Mandsaur, prompting the party to claim that its leaders were being targeted.

Balwadi, where Thakre's body was found, is around 100 km from the district headquarters. "The body had injury marks on the face and around the neck," said district Superintendent of Police Y D Bhutia.

"He had gone out for morning walk in hazy weather. Local police got the information around 6.40 am that a body had been spotted, and within two minutes they reached the spot," the SP said. Prima facie it appeared that Thakre was killed by unknown persons, she said.

A Special Investigation Team headed by an additional superintendent of police has been formed to investigate the killing, she said. "We have picked up some people and are questioning them," Bhutia added. Former state minister and BJP leader Antar Singh Arya's son Vikas told reporters that the killing was fall-out of a "political rivalry", but did not elaborate.

On Saturday, the BJP had submitted petitions to officials in every district seeking improvement in the law and order situation, claiming it had deteriorated under the newly-elected Congress government Prahlad Bandhawar, chairman of the Mandsaur Municipal Council, was shot dead Thursday. According to the police, one Manish Bairagi allegedly shot him over a financial dispute...

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Why Modi govt bought only 36 Rafale jets instead of 126, asks P Chidambaram

The government has compromised national security, said P Chidambaram

Politics News: Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Friday accused the government of compromising national security and asked why did it buy only 36 Rafale fighter jets instead of the 126 required by the Air Force. His comments come in the wake of fresh revelations on the Rafale deal in a media report which claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to buy 36 aircraft instead of the 126 asked for by the Indian Air Force pushed the price of each jet up by 41.42 per cent.

“In the light of new facts and revelations in THE HINDU, the question gains greater urgency: why did the government buy only 36 Rafale aircraft instead of 126 aircraft required by the Air Force?,” Chidambaram asked in a tweet. “The Government has compromised national security by denying to the Air Force the 7 squadrons (126 aircraft) that it desperately needs,” he said.

Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia also took to Twitter to demand answers from Modi on the increased cost of aircraft. “The PM’s unilateral decision to buy 36 Rafales resulted in a price escalation of 41.42% per jet. When will the prime minister answer?” he asked.

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Brexit: Theresa May needs to outline her ‘Plan B’ or risk second referendum

House of Commons to vote on various Brexit options on January 29

International News: Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit deal has been thrown out by Parliament. She’s now in talks with rival politicians to find a way forward before presenting a Plan B on Monday. If her plan isn’t convincing, then British lawmakers will try to take over the process. That could mean keeping much closer ties to the bloc, or even a second referendum. With just 10 weeks to go until the U.K. is due to leave the European Union, what are the most likely scenarios?

Brexit in Name Only, and Not Quite Yet

Keeping close ties to the EU’s single market and customs regime might be the best way of getting a Brexit deal that Parliament can support, though May has ruled it out. It’s known as “Norway-Plus” or “Common Market 2.0” to its supporters and “Brexit in Name Only” to its detractors. Critics have a point: this scenario would leave the U.K. taking rules from Brussels and wouldn’t address one of the main pledges of the referendum campaign — that uncontrolled immigration from Europe would stop. Businesses would mostly be pleased.

To get there, members of Parliament propose motions or amendments that show there’s support for the idea. The government asks for an extension to the Brexit day deadline of March 29 and reopens talks with the EU. The Withdrawal Agreement remains unchanged, including the much-loathed Irish border backstop. But the declaration on future ties is rewritten, making it very unlikely the fallback option will ever be used…

Read More : Brexit Deal

The mutiny against Gillette’s ad shows why we need movements like #MeToo

Critics ignore the explicit message of the advert, which is that gender is culturally constructed, and that we all have a responsibility to shape the future of our society

Latest News: Gillette’s new ad – “The best men can be”, which plays on the razor brand’s long-held motto, “The best a man can get” – is powerful and emotional, a carefully-spun narrative about the role models young boys see in their daily lives. It tackles bullying, sexual harassment, inequality in the workplace, and sexism on screen, by promoting courage, humility, responsibility, and kindness. It says all of these behaviours make up that complicated construct, “masculinity”. And it challenges viewers to question what sort of behaviour defines manliness.

The mutiny against Gillette’s ad reinforces why we need movements like #MeToo and shows how painfully little distance we as a society have covered since it began. In the wake of various high-profile allegations, #MeToo Movement  called out unsavoury behaviour that was somehow condoned by society – behaviour that increasingly comes under the umbrella of “toxic masculinity”. Yet Gillette’s ad, which recognises this drive for change and wants to take positive action, has been met by a major backlash.

The YouTube video of the ad had more than 200,000 comments just a few days after going live. The numbers of likes have hit 387,000. More tellingly, the number of dislikes exceeds 796,000.

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From storms to cold waves, 2018 was 6th warmest year in Indian history: IMD

2018 was also the year when India witnessed several high-impact weather events ranging from cyclonic storms to cold waves

Current Affiairs : The average temperature in India was “significantly above normal” in 2018, making it the sixth warmest year the country has witnessed since 1901 – when it first began recording climate data. The winter season was the fifth warmest.

In its ‘Statement on Climate of India during 2018,’ the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Wednesday that last year, the annual mean surface air temperature, averaged across the country, was 0.41°C above (1981-2010 period) average. For some states, the temperature soared even well above that – such as in Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh. According to a Quartz report, heatwaves have increased in duration. Global warming could further increase both their frequency as well as intensity. This would, in turn, pose a threat to public health. The national weather forecaster further noted that over 1,400 people died in extreme weather events last year in India, and according to a National Disaster Management Authority report, between 1992 and 2016, nearly 26,000 died.

While 2016 (0.72°C) was the warmest in India’s recorded history, 11 out of the 15 warmest years have so far all been within the last 15 years. The last decade (2001-2010/2009-2018) was also the warmest on record. This “clearly shows that ‘global warming’ is happening and we need to prepare ourselves to face the consequences,” M. Rajeevan, secretary of the earth sciences ministry told Times of India..

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Data shows BJP bagged 92% of corporate donations to political parties

ADR data for FY18: Contribution peaked in the run-up to the Assembly polls in Himachal, Gujarat

Economy News: In 2017-18, corporates contributed as much as 12 times more money to the coffers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) than to those of the other six national parties combined.

The BJP received 93 per cent of all donations of above Rs 20,000 made to the country’s six national political parties in 2017-18 by business groups and individuals, according to a report by election watchdog Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). Donations from corporates formed 91.58 per cent of total donations declared by the BJP, the rest being from individual donors, the ADR analysis of details submitted to the Election Commission by national parties has revealed.

The seven national parties are the Bhartiya Janta Party, Congress, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Trinanmool Congress, Communist Party of India (CPI) and Communist Party of India (Marxist). The BSP declared that it did not receive any amount in excess of Rs 20,000. The current law mandates political parties to declare the identity of all who donate more than Rs 20,000.

Total contributions declared by national parties in 2017-18 was Rs 469.89 crore from 4,201 donations. The BJP declared receiving Rs 437.04 crore from 2,977 donations, while the Congress got Rs 26.658 crore from 777 donations, or 5.67 per cent of total donations above Rs 20,000..

Contain Source by Business Standard or BS

‘Lightest bike’ CB300R India launch confirmed; book now at just Rs 5000

The CB300R is a sport-naked motorcycle that will be imported via CKD route, unlike other premium motorcycles in this segment

Automobile News: Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) has confirmed that the Honda CB300R, a naked sports bike inspired by the Neo Sports Cafe styling will make its debut in India soon, at a price under Rs 2.5 lakh. The bike has been enjoying immense popularity in the international markets.

Available in two colours– Matte grey metallic and Chromosphere red – the bike was unveiled at EICMA last year when Honda showcased their new range of three naked sports motorcycles which are all based on the same neo retro sports cafe design. With the increasing popularity of KTM 390 Duke, BMW G 310 R and Bajaj Dominar, there has been a rising demand of street fighters among the motorcycle enthusiasts and the CB300 will be a great entry in this segment, with its refreshing looks and coming of age tech.

Powered by a 286cc DOHC 4-valve liquid-cooled single-cylinder engine, the bike churns out 30.9 bhp of power at 5,500rpm and 27Nm of torque at 7,500rpm. The engine is mated to a 6-speed manual transmission coupled with a wet multi-plate clutch and Honda promises a fuel economy of 30.2kmpl, which is an impressive figure as far as a 300cc engine is concerned.The CB300R has taken design cues from Honda CB1000R, with a chiselled tank and a round full LED headlamp, giving the bike an appealing look.

Apart from the LED headlamp, the bike also comes with all-digital LCD instrument cluster, 41 mm upside down (USD) forks, seven-step adjustable rear monoshock, a 296mm four-piston caliper equiped front disc and a 220mm rear disc which is coupled to a dual-channel ABS with inertial measurement unit(IMU). All these premium features make the CB300R one of the best equipped motorcycles in the segment that consists bikes like the KTM Duke 390 or the G310R from BMW..,

Source By: Business Standard