Budget 2018-19

  Sonia Gandhi attacked Adityanath government over death of Hathras gangrape victim, saying she “did not die but was murdered by ruthless government” and “her body was consigned to flames forcibly”. Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday attacked the Yogi Adityanath government over the death of Hathras gangrape victim, saying she “did not die but was murdered by ruthless government” and “her body was consigned to flames forcibly”. “Crores of people in this country are sad and angry over the brutal incident of Hathras, which is a blot on our society. I want to ask, being a girl is a crime? Being a poor girl is a crime? What was UP government doing that they could not hear the voice of the family seeking justice? They tried to suppress the matter. Right medical facilities were not provided to the victim on time,” Sonia Gandhi said in a video statement. She described 19-year-old victim, who died in Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital on Tuesday, as Nirbhaya of Hathras. “A girl has left ...

  The data offers some hope for Yoshihide Suga’s efforts to achieve an economic revival from the crisis and pave the way for hosting next year’s Tokyo Olympic Games TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese business sentiment improved in July-September from a 11-year low hit three months ago, a key central bank survey showed, in a sign the economy is gradually emerging from the devastating hit from the coronavirus pandemic. The data offers some hope for new Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s efforts to achieve an economic revival from the crisis and pave the way for hosting next year’s Tokyo Olympic Games. But factory activity remained shaky and corporate capital expenditure plans were at their weakest since the 2009 global financial crisis, underscoring the challenge of pulling the world’s third-largest economy sustainably out of its slump. As the pandemic’s pain persists, a ruling party heavyweight signalled Japan’s readiness to compile a “large-scale, bold” additional spending package. The headli...

  BJP workers in the national capital hold protest on Wednesday, demanding the re-opening of weekly markets Current Affairs :  The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers in the national capital hold protest on Wednesday, demanding the re-opening of weekly markets. Weekly markets in the city were closed since March 25 due to coronavirus induced lockdown. Earlier, the Delhi government allowed the opening of the market on a trial basis till August 30. Delhi on Wednesday reported 3,390 new COVID-19 positive cases and 41 deaths. According to the Delhi government bulletin, the total count of coronavirus cases in Delhi has gone up to 2,79,715, including 26,908 active cases, 2,47,446 recoveries/discharges/migration, and 5,361 deaths…

  FM Sitharaman said the government has turned the crisis into an opportunity as directed by the prime minister and has brought in several systemic reforms Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said that the economic recovery in the second quarter has been “patchy” so far and it is difficult to say with any degree of certainty whether the upswing would hold going forward. Dismissing criticism that the government is unwilling to provide fiscal support to revive demand and consumer spending, Sitharaman said the government has an open mind on the issue and a decision on when to spend and how much to spend will be taken at the appropriate time. In an interview to Business Standard, the minister said the intensity of the problem is unique and the government has been engaging with all stakeholders. However, at this point, no firm assessment has been made on the additional fiscal support. Sitharaman said the government has turned the crisis into an opportunity as directed by the prime m...

  CEOs of the world’s biggest trading companies are forecasting a weak recovery for oil demand and little movement in prices TOKYO (Reuters) – Oil prices fell for a second day on Wednesday, extending big losses from the previous session amid rising concerns about fuel demand as the coronavirus pandemic worsens Brent crude dropped 23 cents, or 0.6%, to $41.03 per barrel by 0048 GMT. West Texas Intermediate fell 26 cents, or 0.7%, to $39.29. The benchmarks fell more than 3% on Tuesday as global COVID-19 cases passed 1 million, having doubled in three months. “It is important to keep in mind that moves to the downside have the potential to be supersized,” given rising coronavirus cases and increasing oil supplies around the world, said Bob Yawger, director of energy futures at Mizuho in New York. CEOs of the world’s biggest trading companies are forecasting a weak recovery for oil demand and little movement in prices in the coming months and potentially years. Weighing heavily on mark...

Local police officers, however, told PTI that the cremation was being carried out as per the wishes of the family. hATHRAS RAPE CASE:  The family of the 19-year-old Dalit woman, who died in a Delhi hospital a fortnight after she was gang-raped here, alleged on Wednesday that the police were forcibly trying to get her body cremated in the middle of the night. Local police officers, however, told PTI that the cremation was being carried out as per the wishes of the family. The woman was raped in a village in Hathras by four men on September 14. After her condition deteriorated, she was referred to Delhi’s Safdarjung hospital where she breathed her last on Tuesday. As news of her death spread, protests broke out in Delhi as well as in Hathras with all sections of society, including politicians, sports and cine stars and activists, expressing their anguish and demanding justice for her. The family left from Safdarjung hospital in Delhi on Tuesday night amid heavy police deployment. The...

  Moderna COVID-19 vaccine appears safe, shows signs of working in older adults – study CHICAGO (Reuters) – Results from an early safety study of Moderna Inc’s coronavirus vaccine candidate in older adults showed that it produced virus-neutralizing antibodies at levels similar to those seen in younger adults, with side effects roughly on par with high-dose flu shots, researchers said on Tuesday. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, offers a more complete picture of the vaccine’s safety in older adults, a group at increased risk of severe complications from COVID-19. The findings are reassuring because immunity tends to weaken with age, Dr. Evan Anderson, one of the study’s lead researchers from Emory University in Atlanta, said in a phone interview. The study was an extension of Moderna’s Phase I safety trial, first conducted in individuals aged 18-55. It tested two doses of  Moderna’s vaccine  – 25 micrograms and 100 micrograms – in 40 adults aged...

  This is the second such investment by General Atlantic in a Reliance venture following a Rs 6,598.38 crore investment in Jio Platforms announced earlier this year General Atlantic, a leading global growth equity firm will invest Rs 3,675 cr in Reliance Retail Ventures Limited, RIL said in a BSE filing on Wednesday. General Atlantic’s investment will translate into a 0.84% equity stake in RRVL. The deal values Reliance Retail at a pre-money equity value of Rs 4.285 trillion, said RIL in a media release. Reliance Retail Ventures Limited is a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited, and holding company of all the retail companies under the RIL Group. It reported a consolidated turnover of Rs 162,936 crore ($ 21.7 billion) and net profit of Rs 5,448 crore ($ 726.4 million) for the year ended March 31, 2020. General Atlantic had also invested Rs 6,598.38 crore in another RIL subsidiary, Jio Platforms earlier this year. ALSO READ: Mubadala in advanced talks to invest up to $1 bn in R...

Andhra Pradesh minister said that Rs 6,790 crore have been released for the YSR Cheyutha scheme, under which women are given Rs 18,750 cash for handholding for their business needs Andhra Pradesh Minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy on Monday said that Rs 6,790 crores have been released on September 11 for the YSR Cheyutha scheme, under which women are given Rs 18,750 cash for handholding for their business needs. “Amount of Rs 4,643 crores were allotted for the scheme last year. Rs 6,790 crores are released on September 11 for the present year. This scheme is intended for women empowerment. The government has discussed with many business entities and banks and encouraging women to become entrepreneurs,” said Andhra Pradesh Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Minister during a ministerial-level review meeting of  YSR Cheyuta scheme. “Almost 21 lakh women have applied for various businesses. 8 lakh women said that they will continue their old shops. The ministers will continue revi...

  The Tianfu project was approved a year after Fan arrived, bringing an influx of government support that helped boost property prices Just outside the southwestern city of Chengdu, China is building an urban paradise bigger than Houston. Visitors are greeted by a sea of manicured grass encircling a man-made lake, dotted with water lilies, that is almost the size of New York’s Central Park. This is Tianfu Park City, one of hundreds of “eco city” developments taking over farms and rural land in China as the government tries to accommodate the 100 million people it had planned to move from villages into urban areas by 2020. After decades of unbridled urbanization that allowed concrete high-rise suburbs to sprawl around its big cities, eating up farmland and creating pollution, China is trying to find a more sustainable way to grow and provide citizens with a better lifestyle. “The air here is really good and wherever you go it’s green,” said a 56-year-old resident surnamed Fan, who m...

  Five of the eight high-frequency indicators compiled by Bloomberg News gained last month, while two were unchanged and one deteriorated India’s economy showed signs of stabilizing in August with manufacturing and services gradually improving even as coronavirus cases escalated across the country. Five of the eight high-frequency indicators compiled by Bloomberg News gained last month, while two were unchanged and one deteriorated. That kept the needle on a dial measuring so-called animal spirits steady at 4 — a level arrived at by using the three-month weighted average to smooth out volatility in the single-month readings. A strong rebound is still a far way off though as a surge in virus cases continues to disrupt activity and has led many economists to downgrade their growth forecasts for the year. Business Activity Activity in India’s dominant services sector continued to pick up, with the main index rising to 41.8 in August from 34.2 in July. While that’s a marked improvement...

  Pre-orders for the Galaxy S20 FE 5G and S20 FE have started and the phone will be available globally from October 2. The smartphone’s India availability is not yet confirmed by the company Samsung Electronics on Wednesday unveiled the Galaxy S20 FE (Fan Edition), a new model in the Galaxy S20 series, starting at $699 for the 5G variant. Pre-orders for the Galaxy S20 FE 5G and S20 FE have started and the phone will be available globally from October 2. The smartphone’s India availability is not yet confirmed by the company. Samsung took select features of the Galaxy S20 series, such as the super smooth scrolling display, an AI-powered camera, advanced chipset, hyper-fast connectivity, all day battery, expandable storage, with a streamlined premium design, in order to create the all-new  Galaxy S20 FE . “The S20 FE is an extension of the Galaxy S20 family and is the start of a new way to bring meaningful innovation to even more people to let them do the things they love with t...

  Firefighters have been rushed to the spot to control the raging fire A massive fire broke out at an Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) plant in Surat, Gujarat in the wee hours of Thursday, ANI reported. No one has been injured in the accident so far,  ONGC  said. The reason for the massive fire is being attributed to three consecutive blasts that took place at two terminals of the Hazira-based ONGC plant in Surat at around 3:30 am. The sound could be heard at a distance of over 10 km. “The activity of depressurising the pressurised gas system underway by ONGC officials,” said Dr Dhaval Patel, Surat Collector Firefighters were rushed to the spot, who have brought the fire under control…

Earlier, Silver Lake had invested Rs 7,500 cr into Reliance Retail Ventures, valuing the business at about Rs 4.2 trillion Global investment firm KKR will invest Rs 5,500 crore in Reliance Retail for 1.28 per cent equity share, Reliance Industries Limited said in a BSE filing on Wednesday. This marks the second investment by KKR in a Reliance subsidiary, following a Rs 11,367 crore investment in Jio Platforms announced earlier this year. KKR’s investment values Reliance Retail at a pre-money equity value of Rs 4.21 trillion. “I am pleased to welcome KKR as an investor in Reliance Retail Ventures as we continue our onward march. KKR has a proven track record of being a valuable partner to industry-leading franchises and has been committed to India for many years,” said Mukesh Ambani in a statement issued by RRVL. Reliance Retail runs supermarkets, India’s largest consumer electronics chain store, a cash and carry wholesaler, fast-fashion outlets and an online grocery store JioMart. The ...

  Sources said that the international community is concerned about the hypocrisy of Pakistan which is pretending to take action against terrorists but is funding them In a big revelation exposing the double standards of Pakistan, the country, despite the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) sword hanging over its head, continues to harbour terrorists and is giving VIP treatment to many of them including underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and Pakistan-based Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) terrorist Ranjeet Singh Neeta, according to ANI. Sources said that the international community is concerned about the hypocrisy of Pakistan which is pretending to take action against terrorists but is funding them. According to the sources, the Pakistan government is giving VIP security to 21 dreaded terrorists including those sanctioned last month.

  Maharashtra, Manipur, Jharkhand, Mizoram, Sikkim and others are yet to take a final decision on resuming classes. Here’s a list of states will will allow schools to re-open and those that won’t After a hiatus of six months, schools in India are set to re-open partially from today. According to the latest standard operating procedure (SOP) issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, schools across the country are allowed to partially reopen for students of Class 9 to 12 from today. However, in view of the worsening Covid-situation in the country, several states have decided against re-opening schools. Schools will not re-open in the following states until further notice: Delhi, Gujarat, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Kerala, Goa, West Bengal, Karnataka, Odisha and Tamil Nadu have announced that they will not allow classes to resume for now. In Punjab, only higher education institutes will reopen for PhD and post-graduate students pursuing technical and professional c...

Although most of the historical sites under ASI were opened, Agra Fort and Taj Mahal remained closed as they fell under the containment zone After being shut for tourists for around six months, one of the seven wonders of the world, Taj Mahal reopened from Monday. It was closed on March 17 after all heritage monuments protected under the Archeological Survey of India, after discussion with the union ministry of culture, were asked to close for the visitors following the rapid outbreak of SARS-CoV-2. One of the first few visitors to step inside the Taj Mahal’s premises Debargha Sengupta, 25 arrived in Prayagraj on September 19 for SSB exam and later took a train to Agra to visit the monument for the first time ever. “The government locker room was closed for which I had to keep my luggage in a private shop but as I took entry and saw  Taj Mahal  for the first time ever I remained speechless. It is mesmeric. Moreover, less crowd had added more essence of its majestic presence,” ...

  This would help the proposal get cleared in the GST Council in case of voting The Centre has received support from 21 states and Union Territories (UTs) for its offer of the Rs 97,000-crore Reserve Bank of India (RBI) window giving them compensation under the goods and services tax (GST) regime. This will help clear this proposal at the GST Council in case of vote. The 21 states and UTs are Andhra Pradesh,  Arunachal Pradesh , Assam, Bihar, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Puducherry, Sikkim, Tripura, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh (UP), said finance ministry sources. The sources acknowledge that the GST Council needs only 20 states to pass any resolution in case voting is required, according to the GST Act. This may leave those not opting for any of the two options offered by the Centre before the GST Council meet scheduled for October 5 in the lurch. Sources said it is cl...

  Navalny fell violently ill on a flight in Russia last month and was airlifted to Berlin for treatment The nerve agent used to poison Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was detected on an empty water bottle from his hotel room in the Siberian city of Tomsk, suggesting he was poisoned there and not at the airport as first thought, his team said on Thursday. Navalny fell violently ill on a flight in Russia last month and was airlifted to Berlin for treatment. Laboratories in Germany, France and Sweden have established he was poisoned by a Novichok nerve agent, a poison developed by the Soviet military, though Russia denies this and says it has seen no evidence. A video posted on Navalny’s Instagram account showed members of his team searching the room he had just left in the Xander Hotel in Tomsk on Aug. 20, an hour after they learned he had fallen sick in suspicious circumstances.”It was decided to gather up everything that could even hypothetically be useful and hand it to t...

  Investment between the US and China tumbled to a nine-year low in the first half of 2020, hit by bilateral tensions that could see more Chinese companies come under pressure to divest US operations HONG KONG (Reuters) – Investment between the United States and China tumbled to a nine-year low in the first half of 2020, hit by bilateral tensions that could see more Chinese companies come under pressure to divest U.S. operations, a research report said. Investment, both direct investment by companies and venture capital flows, between the two countries fell 16.2% to $10.9 billion in January-June from the same period a year earlier – also hurt by the  coronavirus pandemic , according to figures from consultancy Rhodium Group and the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, an NGO. That’s a far cry from half-yearly totals of nearly $40 billion seen in 2016 and 2017. Flows are unlikely to recover this year, regardless of the outcome of the U.S. presidential election, the repor...

  The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise A New Jersey-based staffing company has agreed to pay USD 345,000 to settle allegations that it has violated immigration and employment regulations concerning continuous employment and wage requirements of workers it had brought to the US on  H-1B visas . The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. H-1B visas are most sought-after among Indian IT professionals. ALSO READ:  US judge refuses to grant preliminary injunction against H-1B visa ban The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Department of Labour and the US Attorney for the District of New Jersey ordered Savantis Solutions to pay USD 345,000 to resolve allegations against H-1B relat...

  Union Minister for Atomic Energy and Space Jitendra Singh said there are 32 earth observation sensors with advanced capabilities, which are currently in orbit Union Minister for Atomic Energy and Space Jitendra Singh on Thursday said there are 32 earth observation sensors with advanced capabilities, which are currently in orbit. In a written reply in Rajya Sabha, the minister said a total of five earth observation satellites and five communication payloads were realised since January 2018. “The information support was provided for all the major disaster events like floods, cyclones and forest fires occurred since January 2020,” he said. Singh added, “About 2,51,000 value-added data products were disseminated to users since April 2020. The value-added products comprise of geophysical and remote sensing data products derived using the data from meteorological, oceanographic and land remote sensing  satellites .” The minister further said that the total number of satellites lau...