Month: January 2020

As per news source, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Bipin Rawat feels that to save the youth programs to counter radicalisation should be started. He said that, young children of 10-12 years are being radicalised in Kashmir and there is need to isolate those completely radicalised and put them in deradicalisation camps. He also said that security forces cannot be blamed for injuries caused by pellet guns.   In a panel on countering terrorism at Raisina Dialogue organised by the Ministry of External Affairs and Observer Research Foundation, Rawat…

A sharp shortfall in overall revenues is likely to widen the country’s fiscal deficit in the current fiscal year, a former finance secretary, Subhash Chandra Garg has said. “Actual tax performance has been quite poor. In this, major policy decision of the government to reduce corporate tax rates (desirable as it was considering very high corporate tax rates in the country) has also contributed. Personal income taxes are also growing at a very small rate. GST revenues are also not very robust. There is substantial shortfall visible in excise duties…

India is likely to sign an agreement with the Philippines for export of its supersonic cruise missile Brahmos in the next few weeks, according to a media report quoting Praveen Pathak chief General Manager of Brahmos Aerospace.   If materialized, the Philippines will be the first nation to have the cruise missile apart from India and Russia. The south-east Asian country is likely to acquire two batteries of the missile system through a government-to-government deal.   India, which is aiming to be a major defence exporter, has been carrying out…

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned the chief executive of AirAsia, Tony Fernandes on 20 January in an ongoing probe against the airline for allegedly lobbying the Indian government to secure overseas flight permits and violating rules that bar foreign airlines from controlling Indian carriers.   The agency has also issued summons to other senior officials of the airline under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), said a person with direct knowledge of the matter. The other AirAsia officials however have not been identified by the person.   ED…

In a land like India where Atithi Devo Bhava (Guest is equal to God) is the mantra, Amazon’s founder Jeff Bezos was not given a very warm welcome here.   Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is on a mini India visit. As he landed in Delhi, he went to pay respect to Mahatma Gandhi’s Samadhi at Raj Ghat. He also posted a picture of him paying respects at Raj Ghat on his Twitter handle.   “Just landed in India and spent a beautiful afternoon paying my respects to someone who truly changed the…

According to a blueprint prepared by the government for its Central Vista Redevelopment Project, the Prime Minister’s residence and office are likely to be shifted near the South Block. The vice-president’s residence too will be shifted in the North Block. The redevelopment project proposes a triangular Parliament building next to the existing one, a common Central Secretariat and the revamping of the three-km-long Rajpath—from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate.   This shifting would help in easing traffic in the area as VIP movements often cause inconvenience to the people in…

A recent India Today report says that the second quarter of the year 2019-20 was the seventh consecutive quarter that saw a downward spiral of the Gross Domestic Product. In fact, the GDP fell to 4.5% in the second quarter (July-September) of the year 2019-20.   This data is further supported by the Forbes’ report, which indicates that the government’s limited efforts to clean up the Indian banking system and the poor roll-out of GST had far-reaching effects on the economy. Of course, the most harmful effect on the Indian…

The Uttar Pradesh government on Monday has switched to the commissionerate system of policing for Lucknow and Noida, giving magisterial powers to the top cops in both cities. Lucknow and Noida will now have an additional director general level officer as police commissioner.   “The biggest step towards police reform has been taken by our government today. The Uttar Pradesh cabinet has approved the proposal to set up the police commissionerate system in Lucknow and Noida,” UP CM Yogi Adityanath confirmed after chairing a press conference.   The CM further…

RBI has issued a notice asking Sri Guru Raghavendra Sahakara Bank, a co-operative bank in Bengaluru, to stop doing business with immediate effect, for alleged irregularities. The RBI however, allowed the bank’s savings and current account customers and depositors to withdraw cash up to ₹35,000 only till further notice. The bank has been operational since 1999, as per the bank’s website.   “Sri Guru Raghavendra Sahakara Bank in Bengaluru shall not, without prior approval of the RBI in writing, grant or renew loans and advances, make investment, borrow funds or…