Sunday, 15 January 2017

Barkha Dutt resigns from NDTV

barkha_dutt
COMPANIES NEWS |  Well-known senior TV journalist Barkha Dutt on Sunday decided to quit NDTV after 21 years of service to explore "new opportunities".
"It's been a super ride at NDTV but new beginning in 2017. I shall be moving on from NDTV to explore new opportunities and my own ventures," she wrote on Twitter.
Dutt, who was working as a Consulting Editor at NDTV, went on to add that she was "hugely excited to start New Year on a new slate, diversify my interests and build my own independent projects".

ICICI Bank blocks transactions through Flipkart wallet PhonePe

1484487370-4609
Latest news | ICICI Bank has blocked transactions on Flipkart-owned digital payments app PhonePe, accusing it of indulging in restrictive practices and breaking the Unified Payment Interface (UPI) guidelines of interoperability.
The bank began blocking transactions on PhonePestarting Friday, with Flipkart Online CEO Sameer Nigam taking to twitter to protest the move. He claimed that the bank hadn’t provided the company with any prior warning or information, saying the move was “on purpose”.
Nigam said, “PhonePe has not received any official notice in this regards from NPCI or its banking partner YES Bank yet. Since Friday afternoon, ICICI Bank has blocked all their customers from using PhonePe, and even blocked any other bank’s customers from sending money to ICICI Bank’s customers using PhonePe.”

Thursday, 12 January 2017

Rajasthan: India's seventhlargest state, lowest in female literacy

1451854304-0095.jpg
LATEST NEWS : Rajasthan–a state that has India’s fourth-lowest literacy rate–has signed understandings with the Tata Trusts (an Indian trust) and Khan Academy (a global nonprofit) to improve learning levels of students in government schools.
The interventions are aimed at addressing the education crisis in Rajasthan, which recorded an overall literacy rate of 67%–less than Cameroon, Egypt and Ghana–and the country’s lowest female literacy rate (52.66%), according to Census 2011. Rajasthan’s female literacy rate is worse than the average for the Arab world and “fragile and conflict-affected” countries, according to World Bank data.
India’s seventh most populated state (68.5 million people), with 24% of its population between the ages of six and 14, Rajasthan also has many children out of school (5%), according to government data.

Wednesday, 11 January 2017

Stung by jawan's video, BSF issues guidelines for maintaining food quality

1484040973-6864.jpg
Breaking News : Left red-faced, BSF today came out with fresh guidelines for maintaining high quality of food for its personnel along the border as the Union Home Ministry directed it to file a complete report on allegations of substandard food made by a soldier posted along the LoC.
BSF Director General K K Sharma met Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi and submitted a second interim report on the allegations made by Tej Bahadur Yadav on a video that was uploaded on social networking sites.
The BSF Jawans video chief avoided queries from waiting media after his meeting but the paramilitary force came out with a statement in the evening announcing six measures for providing quality food for its jawans posted along the border.
"Issues related to diet of jawans, issues of ration purchase procedures and pilferages thereof are the issues of prime concern for any organisation.

Tuesday, 10 January 2017

BSF jawan video: Home Ministry seeks full report by today

1475636287-1873.jpg
The Union Home Ministry has asked BSF to submit a fact report by today in the case involving a jawan, who claimed poor quality food was being served to soldiers on the LoC, whose social media video posts have prompted authorities to initiate action into the allegations.
Officials said the Border Security Force (BSF) headquarters here has already submitted a preliminary report in the case to the Home Ministry on Tuesday and a full report is being prepared by a Deputy Inspector General (DIG)-rank officer who is based in Jammu and Kashmir. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had also taken note of the video on Monday and ordered an "appropriate action" into the incident.
"I have seen a video regarding a BSF jawan's plight. I have asked the HS (Home Secretary) to immediately seek a report from the BSF & take appropriate action," Singh had tweeted.Earlier in the day, BSF said the constable, Tej Bahadur Yadav of the 29th battalion, who posted these videos was court-martialed in 2010 for indiscipline and aiming a gun at a senior officer even as it assured of a thorough probe into his allegations.

Full text: Barack Obama's farewell speech

1484108234-9709


It’s good to be home. My fellow Americans, Michelle and I have been so touched by all the well-wishes we’ve received over the past few weeks. But tonight it’s my turn to say thanks. Whether we’ve seen eye-to-eye or rarely agreed at all, my conversations with you, the American people – in living rooms and schools; at farms and on factory floors; at diners and on distant outposts – are what have kept me honest, kept me inspired, and kept me going. Every day, I learned from you. You made me a better President, and you made me a better man.

I first came to Chicago when I was in my early twenties, still trying to figure out who I was; still searching for a purpose to my life. It was in neighborhoods not far from here where I began working with church groups in the shadows of closed steel mills. It was on these streets where I witnessed the power of faith, and the quiet dignity of working people in the face of struggle and loss. This is where I learned that change only happens when ordinary people get involved, get engaged, and come together to demand it.

Top 5 biggest life insurance myths

1483596410-6028.jpg
There are several misconceptions about life insurance. It is a popular notion that older or married individuals with kids should invest in one, or that the insurance only offers post-death benefit. Here we debunk some of the biggest life insurance myths… 

Life insurance policy is critical to any financial planning. Yet it is never prioritized and is often considered complicated to decode. But it is always a good idea to invest in life insurance, more so sooner than later. Especially, since not having one when you need it can be devastating.

While there are quite a few common myths about life insurance, here is a list of the five biggest ones.

Myth 1: Single, without dependents. I don't need coverage

At the risk of sounding morbid, singles too need enough coverage to cover the costs of personal debts and medical bills. If uninsured, they could leave unpaid expenses for families to deal with. Even if single people are not saddled with such dire situations, it is a good way to leave a legacy to some cause. Also, many policies allow insurers to purchase additional coverage in the future. For example, HDFC Life offers Life Stage Protection – under Life option where the insurer can increase the insurance cover on certain key milestones of life like marriage, child birth without fresh medical test. So, the policy can be continued with changes if and when he or she decides to have a family.

Sunday, 8 January 2017

Only Rs 75,000 cr in old notes still remains out of banking system: Report

1481696585-2115
With about Rs 14 lakh crore in old Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency being deposited with banks since November 8, 2016, only Rs 75,000 crore in demonetised currency remains to be out of the banking system, the Indian Express reported on Monday citing a top government official.


"We also now know for sure that another Rs 50,000 crore in old notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 were already available with banks when Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the decision to demonetise the high-denomination currency,” the official told The Indian Express.

As on November 8, of approximately Rs 17.50 lakh crore currency in circulation, the Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes made up about Rs 15.50 lakh crore, or 88 per cent of the total.

Midnight truce: Petrol pumps to accept debit and credit cards till Jan 13

1455248375-9941.jpg
Petrol-pump owners on Sunday night deferred till January 13 their decision to not accept credit- and debit-card payments for fuel sales, after banks put off the move to levy a charge on every plastic transaction. 

The roll-back was announced within hours of petrol-pump associations saying they would not accept card payments from Monday. The decision covers a majority of the 56,000 outlets in the country. The four banks that had said they would levy a charge on card usage at fuel pumps are HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, ICICI Bank and Punjab National Bank.

A D Sathyanarayan, president of the Consortium of India Petroleum Dealers, had earlier told this newspaper: “We have been informed by these four banks that we will be charged one per cent on all credit card transactions and between 0.25 per cent and one per cent on all debit card transactions from January 9. Reports suggest even State Bank of India is planning to charge the same. We feel banks are using this as an excuse to improve their bottom line through transactions at fuel stations. Hence, we have decided not to accept any card transactions from Monday.”

Friday, 6 January 2017

Supreme Court proposes to cancel Aircel's 2G licence

1482739575-6529.jpg

Business News India | Market News

The Supreme Court on Friday proposed to cancel the 2G licence granted to Aircel if the owner of Maxis, the Malaysia-based Anantha Krishnan, who bought the majority shares of the Indian telecom company, and his one-time key aide and Director Augustus Ralph Marshal fail to present themselves before it.
A Bench headed by Chief Justice JS Khehar also restrained the transfer of 2G spectrum originally granted to Aircel to any other entity.
Proposing to cancel the licence, the court said Krishnan and Marshal would not be allowed to frustrate the due course of law by avoiding to appear before the court.
The court said the Ministry of Information Technology would devise ways and means by which the 2G licence originally granted to Aircel could be provisionally transferred to any other service provider, so that subscribers might not suffer any adverse consequences.

Wednesday, 4 January 2017

Congress hints at SP alliance as Akhilesh-Mulayam feud continues

1483548317-9144.jpg



MANAGEMENT NEWS INDIA | COMPANIES NEWS | ECONOMY POLICY NEWS

The Congress made some pro-alliance noises in Uttar Pradesh, even as a patch-up attempt between Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh proved futile.
Ghulam Nabi Azad, in charge of Congress affairs in Lucknow, hinted to party seniors there at a possible alliance with the SP. He said the Congress was preparing to fight in all 403 legislative assembly seats for the coming election but there was also a need for secular forces to come together to defeat the "communal" Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Congress chief ministerial nominee Sheila Dikshit told his newspaper: "I am prepared to withdraw my (CM) candidature if an alliance happens with the SP." At the Congress briefing of journalists here, spokesperson Ajoy Kumar also said the party might go with like-minded players in UP to stop the BJP.


READ MORE.


Opposition demands Budget 2017 be tabled after March 11

1474489257-6751
Opposition parties have demanded that presentation of the General Budget be postponed to after March 11, the date of counting of votes for the five states going to the polls. They have slammed it as a short term political move with an eye on the assembly polls to enable the Narendra Modi government to announce sops before the elections while bypassing the Election Commission's (EC) model code of conduct.

The Election Commission on Wednesday announced poll dates for Uttarakhand, Manipur, Goa, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. Polls in Goa and Punjab will be held in a single phase on February 4, while in Uttarakhand on February 15. Manipur will have a two-phase election with polling on March 4 and 8. Uttar Pradesh will have a seven phase polling from February 11 to March 8. The counting of votes is on Saturday, March 11. The process will be completed before Holi, which this year falls on March 13.

Woo voters through Budget sops: 2017 assembly polls is advantage Modi

1483349675-811.jpg
If the mismanagement of the demonetisation exercise had any negative impact on the fortunes of the BJP in the upcoming assembly elections, the announcement of the Election Commission (EC) of the poll dates in five states would have put those concerns to rest. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is the only party that must be fancying itself to make a big mark in the elections. 
1. Budget sops

Firstly, with the budget having been advanced to February 1, the government has a wonderful opportunity to woo voters through a slew of poll sops through the budget. All the states going to polls – Punjab, Goa, Uttar Pradesh (UP), Uttarakhand and Manipur- do so after the budget announcement.

If the budget was held as per tradition in the last week of February, the government would have missed the opportunity. But this time, the timing of the budget fits the BJP’s strategy better than it has done for most parties in power at the centre in the past.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai launches India first tool for small businesses

1483512821-1321.jpg

In an effort to tap into the 51 million strong small and medium businesses in India, online search major Google today launched a brand new tool My Business.

Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Google who is in the Capital for a day made the announcement. He said that the brand new tool has been introduced in India and it would be taken to other countries from here.
Pichai said that it is an India first tool which would be introducing this year. Google My Business would help small businesses set up website from their mobile devices. All they need is a smart phone, he said.

Tuesday, 3 January 2017

Banks should supply 40% notes in lower denomination to rural areas: RBI

1482505711-0201.jpg
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Tuesday instructed banks to ensure that at least 40 per cent of bank notes are supplied to rural areas, in denomination of Rs 500 or below, as the notes being supplied to rural areas "are not commensurate with the requirements of rural population".

COMPANY RESULT: 

Banks maintaining currency chests should step up issuance of fresh notes to rural branches of regional rural banks, district co-operative banks, other commercial banks, white label ATMs (WLAOs) and post offices in rural areas on priority basis.

Automation, digitisation bigger disruptors than Trump: Vishal Sikka

images

Infosys chief executive Vishal Sikka (pictured) has cautioned that the tidal wave of automation and technology-fuelled transformation could make the traditional information technology services obsolete. And, asked employees to shift their behaviour to adopt to shifts in technology. 

“The mountains ahead are tall ones. There is no other way but to get there and go... if we don’t, we will be made obsolete by the tidal wave of automation and technology-fuelled transformation that is almost upon us,” Sikka, the first non-founder chief executive, wrote in a New Year letter to employees.
Sikka, whose letter had the subject: ‘Answers are blowing in the wind,’ cautioned that most of the work done by firms such as Infosys can already be done with artificial intelligence (AI) systems.

Read More....

Monday, 2 January 2017

Cash crunch pushed factory activity into contraction in December

1475487067-4605.JPG
Indian factory activity plunged into contraction last month as a cash crunch following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's currency crackdown severely hurt output and demand, a survey found on Monday.

The Nikkei/Markit Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index INPMI=ECI fell to 49.6 in December from November's 52.3, its first reading below the 50 mark that separates growth from contraction since December 2015.

Management News India: 


It was also the biggest month-on-month decline since November 2008, just after the collapse of Lehman Brothers triggered a financial crisis and brought on a global recession.

"Having held its ground in November following the unexpected withdrawal of 500 and 1,000 bank notes from circulation, India's manufacturing industry slid into contraction at the end of 2016," said Pollyanna De Lima, economist at survey compiler IHS Markit.

Black money chase: Don't panic if you receive a tax notice

1483294803-7567
The government has asked banks to provide information to the Income-Tax (I-T) Department about savings accounts where deposits have exceeded Rs 2.5 lakh (Rs 12.5 lakh in the case of current accounts) after November 8. If the deposits are higher than past levels or deviate significantly from what a person’s savings are expected to be, based on the I-T returns he has filed in the past, he could receive a notice from the tax department. As the government has gone into overdrive against black money, many more notices are expected this year.

Company News : 

Type of notice received

First, you determine the type of notice you have received. Sometimes the tax department sends enquiry notices, where the officer asks for specific information. A tax scrutiny notice is for examining your I-T return in great detail. “For black money-related cases, the department could issue enquiry notices anytime, asking people to explain the source of large deposits in their savings accounts. Scrutiny notices will be issued only after the return is filed,” says Rahul Jain, partner-direct taxation, Nangia & Co.
Read More:

Friday, 30 December 2016

50 days of demonetisation: Cash no longer king, India will save more

1483092866-8517.jpg
As I write, demonetisation is already 50 days old. The past few weeks have seen waves of support, dissent and desperation hit India successively. Repeated changes in rules and clarifications from the finance ministry and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) added to the chaos.

Yes, the pain has not ended. Even as the government hoped to remonetise the currency withdrawn in 50 days, bankers believe that the shortage of cash (and the curbs on withdrawals) will persist for a longer period, with certain studies estimating that it will be at least 6-7 months before the situation normalises. Besides, government officials also hinted that the Centre might only opt for remonetisation according to requirements; it may not print fresh currency worth Rs 15.44 lakh crore that was withdrawn from the economy since November 8.

Read more...

Demonetisation: Cash crunch making some in Modi's party anxious

1482594897-8985
Cash shortages weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to abolish large currency notes are making allies and members of his ruling party anxious, with some distancing themselves from the move ahead of a series of state elections.
Modi removed 500 and 1,000 rupee notes, worth around $7.50 and $15 respectively, on Nov 8, billing it as an attempt to root out corruption, end terror financing and move the country into the age of digital payments.
He promised to replace all old bills with enough new currency notes by the end of this month. But his government has struggled to do that, leading to long lines at banks and a slump in economy activity. Nearly 90 percent of transactions in India used to be in cash.

Wednesday, 28 December 2016

Modi govt to launch Swachh Swasth Sarvatra initiative today

1463931968-708.jpg
Swachh Swasth Sarvatra initiative, aimed at strengthening health centres in opendefecation-free blocks, will be launched on Thursday by the Union Health Ministry in collaboration with the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation and Human Resource Development.

Business News : 

The objective is to strengthen community health centres in 708 open defecation-free blocks across the country to enable them to achieve higher levels of cleanliness and hygiene.

Under it, 10 lakh rupees of financial assistance will be given to the community health centres so that they can be strengthened to meet the standards of sanitation, hygiene and infection control.

Hyderabad bizman uses fake receipts to deposit Rs 98 cr in banks, arrested

1482436704-4926.jpg
A city-based businessman was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly cheating and generating 'fake and fictitious' advance payment receipts to deposit "black money" to the tune of Rs 98 crore in banks following the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 tenders last month.


Besides Kailash Chand Gupta (65), his kin and others have also been booked by the police under various sections of the IPC for their alleged role in the "conspiracy".

Companies Result: 


Central Crime Station, a wing of Hyderabad Police, arrested Gupta for his alleged involvement in cheating and manipulation of records for illegal gain post demonetisation.


Another businessman, Naredi Narender Kumar (59), MD of a private firm and brother-in-law of Gupta, was also arrested for abetment and hiding Gupta from the police.

READ MORE : 

Alibaba to soon open its first India office

1464838024-3245.jpg
A logo of Alibaba Group is pictured at its headquarters in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China. Photo: Reuters

Alibaba, largest e-commerce entity in China, is setting up its first India office in Mumbai, apparently an indication that it would step up investment in the country in the coming year, to capture a pie of the growing e-commerce market here.

So far, the Jack Ma-founded enterprise has been a preferred platform for small businesses in India to source industrial goods from China. And, for vendors selling their products to customers globally. Alibaba has invested in Indian e-commerce company Snapdeal, and in Paytm, the mobile payments service platform, through Ant Financials, its payment arm.



It has, though, kept its plan to enter e-commerce in India under wraps. By setting up a office at Platina in the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai, closer to that of US rival Amazon,it appears to now be signalling the intent that it is serious on entering. 

“Given the kind of merchant network they have, India is definitely a potential market for them,” says Devangshu Dutta, chief executive of Third Eyesight, a consultancy for e-commerce firms. “There needs to be significant investment from Alibaba because Amazon is on a high and though Flipkart and Snapdeal are on a low, they’ve invested significant money in the delivery network.”

New draft proposal for NSG membership paves way for India, leaves out Pak

1465389104-15851390.jpg
According to a US-based arms control organisation, a draft proposal for accepting new members into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) paves way for India's entry but leaves out Pakistan.

Last week, the US media reported that former NSG chairman Rafael Mariano Grossi had prepared a two-page document, explaining how a non-NPT state, like India and Pakistan, could join the group.


The document prepared by Grossi, acting on behalf of the current chairman Song Young-wan of South Korea, enjoys a semi-official status, reports the Dawn.

Grossi's draft note proposes that "one non-NPT member state should reach an understanding not to block consensus on membership for another non-NPT member state".

Cabinet passes ordinance; fine, jail for holding old notes

1482175291-6988
The Cabinet on Wednesday approved an ordinance to impose penalties on anyone possessing the demonetised Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes. 

The penalty for holding old currency in excess of 10 notes may include financial fines and a jail term of up to 4 years in certain cases.


The ordinance, named as 'The Specified Bank Notes Cessation of Liabilities Ordinance', is to extinguish liability of government and RBI on the demonetised high-denomination notes. 

In a surprise announcement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 8, Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes were declared as illegal currency.

I-T notices to 50 car dealers; seeks details of customers post Nov 8

1461658064-6668.jpg
The Income-tax department has issued notices to over 50 car dealers, asking them to furnish details of customers who have bought cars after November 8, following the demonetisation of 500- and 1,000-rupee currency notes.
The notices are being sent under Section 133(6) of the Income Tax Act, 1961, which empowers the I-T authorities to seek information that could be useful in connection with any pending proceeding or enquiry.
Confirming the development, a senior income-tax official said that the department has observed a significant increase in car sales during the past two months. "This is part of an exercise in which we checking the use of junk old notes and also tax evasion through such buying," the official said.

PokemonGo to Rio2016: The top five social media trends in 2016

pokemon_go-m5ev3hfadsfhtx27jm2.jpg
The year 2016 is nearly over and, like previous years, this one also saw some good, some bad and some strange stuff on social media.

Company News : 

It is not unusual for people to comment on the speed with which an entire year went by, that does not, however, mean that the year was not full of action. Here is a recap of some of the major topics that trended on social media this year to help refresh your memory:

14th BRICS summit to review current global issues, reach key agreements

  At the   14th BRICS summit   which is to be hosted by China in a virtual mode on 23-24 June, the member nations will review the current gl...