India under Modi has been fantastic, says World Bank President

 New Delhi, Jun 30 (PTI) India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership has been fantastic, says World Bank President Jim Yong Kim calling himself a "big fan" of Modi who like great leaders sets ambitious targets and deadlines.

Kim, who on the last day of his two-day visit called on Modi and pledged full support to government's programmes particularly in areas of nutrition and renewable energy, said India is not just the fastest growing major economy in the world but has also proved extremely resilient in face of UK exiting European Union.

"I am a big fan of Prime Minister Modi and the reason I'm such a big fan is because he does something that all great leaders should do, that is set ambitious targets, set deadlines for those targets and then hold your staff accountable for those targets. That is tried and proved method of getting results," he told reporters here.

Results of Modi's endeavours have started to show, as evident from the World Bank's ease of doing business report, he said.

"We just released an Index of Logistics on how easy is logistics in any country and found from 2014 to 2016 India's rank went from 54th place to 35th place. Logistics in India is better than Portugal," he said.

Kim said one can always find things that are not going as quickly as even Modi would like to.

"These accomplishments are real. India under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi has been fantastic but that challenges us to be better," he said.

During his meeting with Modi today, Kim promised proactive and full support of World Bank for his agenda including smart cities, Ganga rejuvenation, skill development, Swachh Bharat and power for all.

"I met Prime Minister Modi seven months after he took over as Prime Minister. I think he understands the World Bank almost better than we do ourselves because he began making very specific demands on priority areas like Swachh Bharat, 24/7 power for all," he told reporters here.

These twin initiatives, for which Modi had sought World Bank support, have moved very quickly, he said.

"India is the fastest growing economy in the world.

Brexit happened and India proved to be extremely resilient.

The inflation rate has been down. Growth has been extremely strong, balance of payment in better shape. Overall, you have to say that economically he has done well," he said.

Calling the cleanliness drive Swachh Bharat "amazing", he said there already are open defecation-free areas.

Open defecation is a critical problem, he said, adding Modi talks about women's dignity by addressing the problem through building toilets.

"As a medical doctor, I can tell you that it has everything to do with levels of malnutrition, everything to do with community engagement... these were really important changes that took a long time," he said.

Priyanka says she and Deepika are still friends

Mumbai, Jun 30 (PTI) Actress Priyanka Chopra says there is no change in her equation with Deepika Padukone contrary to reports of a fight between them.

It was reported that since there is a competition between Priyanka and Deepika - both are trying to make a mark in Hollywood - their friendship has gone kaput.

"You (media) said we are friends. Earlier, you all (media) used to write we are BFF (best friend forever) so how did this change, why and how it changed? I did not say it (equation) has changed, you said it has changed," Priyanka told reporters here at an event.

"I am clarifying that whatever was earlier it is same today also. Your perspective has changed and that shouldn't have happened," the 33-year-old actress said, dismissing suggestions that their friendship has turned sour.

The "Bajirao Mastani" co-stars have umpteen times in the past said they are friends. In fact, Deepika had said Priyanka was her first friend when she entered Bollywood nearly a decade ago.

Priyanka has made a name for herself on small screen in the US through her television show "Quantico" and now she will be making her debut in Hollywood with "Baywatch".

Apparently, it was reported that the team of "Piku" actress is trying to get good projects for her. Asked about this, Priyanka said, "Ask her team. My team is not trying. It doesn't make sense for me to answer about someone else...I don't pay attention to what others are doing.

"My career has been very solitary. My career has nothing to do with the success and failure of others." 

The former Miss World said she is trying to open doors globally for Indian actors.

"I am trying to open doors for others (Indian actors) by representing Indian film industry (at the international level). I hope a lot of south Asian actors get entry on global level. Whoever gets good work I will always wish them well. I would wish them more success than me." 

According to gossip mills were abuzz "Bajirao Mastani" stars apparently declined to to perform on "Pinga" at the recently concluded IIFA Awards at Madrid.

Quiz the "Don" actress on this and she says, "I have no idea... It would be better to ask IIFA team. All I know is that it was suppose to happen but then I don't know what happened and why it did not happen. I have no idea... You have to ask IIFA I am sure they would know." 

Priyanka was talking to the media at special edition launch of Maxim magazine, in which she has topped the list for the hottest woman of the decade.

The Union HRD Minister launches ‘Prashikshak’- a teacher education portal

The Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Smt. Smriti Irani addressing at the launch of the ‘Prashikshak’ teacher education portal for District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs), in New Delhi on June 30, 2016. The Minister of State for Human Resource Development, Shri Upendra Kushwaha and the Minister of State for Human Resource Development, Prof. (Dr.) Ram Shankar Katheria are also seen.

Hon’ble Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani dedicated ‘Prashikshak’ - a teacher education portal, to the nation at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi today. ‘Prashikshak’ is launched with a vision to strengthen District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs) and bring quality teachers into the Indian school education system. 

Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani, Minister for Human Resource Development addressed the gathering at the launch of the programme. She highlighted the fact that though the Prashiskshak has started only for DIETs, it will cover Block level institutes in the future and identify gaps at the bottom of the pyramid. The Union HRD Minister also announced that the Ministry of Human Resource Development also has plans for enhancing Prashikshak to cover all Govt. Teacher Education Institutions in the country, which are recognized by the NCTE. She also made an appeal to all State Government teacher education functionaries to make full use of the ‘Prashikshak’ to bring about transformative changes in the monitoring system of these institutions. 

The event also saw live interaction about ‘Prashikshak’ through Video Conference with DIET Principals across 6 States - Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh. During the interaction, State Education Ministers of Assam and Madhya Pradesh appreciated the initiative and extended support along with their state functionaries. Also, suggestions received like sharing of materials in regional languages, creating a corner for ‘solution exchange on issues related to teacher education’ were also well noted and appreciated by the Union HRD Minister. 

Prashikshak is thus, a first of its kind in the country, a unique IT initiative which will contain a comprehensive database of all DIETs in the country with all relevant performance indicators. It will help benchmark DIETs to enable aspiring teachers to make informed choices about their future. At the same time, it will give the opportunity to Central and State Governments to do real time monitoring of the institutions. 

Prashikshak was established through joint collaboration between Ministry of Human Resource Development and Central Square Foundation. The objective of Prashikshak is to define the quality benchmark and thus, helping DIETs to make informed decisions about their institutes, compare the performance of their institute against other DIETs in the state/country as well as helping aspiring teachers make informed decision making. 

Teacher education system has seen a phenomenal expansion during the last two decades and today it is the single largest professional educational system in the country which turns out the highest number of ‘trained personnel’ for our schools. 

DIETs were created in the early 1990s to strengthen elementary education and support the decentralization of education to the district level, under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme on Teacher Education. DIETs offer pre-service and in-service teacher training programmes for Government elementary school teachers. They also undertake studies in education, annual academic planning and reviews and function as resource centres for teaching learning and material development. As on 31.05.2016, 588 DIETs are functioning in the country with an annual intake capacity of 49026 students. 

Dr. Ram Shankar Katheria, MoS, (HRD) and Shri Upendra Kushwaha, MoS, (HRD), also addressed the gathering and appreciated Prashikshak as a milestone in strengthening the quality of teachers’ education. The event was also graced by 11 State Education Ministers from the States of Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand. Dr. S.C. Khuntia, Secretary, School Education and Literacy, Smt. Rina Ray, Additional Secretary, School Education, Education Secretaries of various states, Directors SCERTs, Principals DIETs, senior policy makers and representatives of Autonomous Bodies such as NCTE, NCERT, CBSE and NUEPA, also attended the programme. 

Cabinet approves Implementation of the recommendations of 7th Central Pay Commission

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the implementation of the recommendations of 7^th Central Pay Commission (CPC) on pay and pensionary benefits.   It will come into effect from 01.01.2016.

In the past, the employees had to wait for 19 months for the implementation of the Commission’s recommendations at the time of 5^thCPC, and for 32 months at the time of implementation of 6^th CPC.  However, this time, 7^th CPC recommendations are being implemented within 6 months from the due date.

The Cabinet has also decided that arrears of pay and pensionary benefits will be paid during the current financial year (2016-17) itself, unlike in the past when parts of arrears were paid in the next financial year. 

The recommendations will benefit over 1 crore employees. This includes over 47 lakh central government employees and 53 lakh pensioners, of which 14 lakh employees and 18 lakh pensioners are from the defence forces.

Highlights:

1.     The present system of Pay Bands and Grade Pay has been dispensed with and a new Pay Matrix as recommended by the Commission has been approved. The status of the employee, hitherto determined by grade pay, will now be determined by the level in the Pay Matrix. Separate Pay Matrices have been drawn up for Civilians, Defence Personnel and for Military Nursing Service. The principle and rationale behind these matrices are the same.

2.     All existing levels have been subsumed in the new structure; no new levels have been introduced nor has any level been dispensed with. Index of Rationalisation has been approved for arriving at minimum pay in each Level of the Pay Matrix depending upon the increasing role, responsibility and accountability at each step in the hierarchy.

3.     The minimum pay has been increased from Rs.  7000 to 18000 p.m.  Starting salary of a newly recruited employee at lowest level will now be Rs.  18000 whereas for a freshly recruited Class I officer, it will be Rs.  56100.  This reflects a compression ratio of 1:3.12 signifying that pay of a Class I officer on direct recruitment will be three times the pay of an entrant at lowest level.

4.     For the purpose of revision of pay and pension, a fitment factor of 2.57 will be applied across all Levels in the Pay Matrices. After taking into account the DA at prevailing rate, the salary/pension of all government employees/pensioners will be raised by at least 14.29 % as on 01.01.2016.

5.     Rate of increment has been retained at 3 %. This will benefit the employees in future on account of higher basic pay as the annual increments that they earn in future will be 2.57 times than at present.

6.     The Cabinet approved further improvements in the Defence Pay Matrix by enhancing Index of Rationalisation for Level 13A (Brigadier) and providing for additional stages in Level 12A (Lieutenant Colonel), 13 (Colonel) and 13A (Brigadier) in order to bring parity with Combined Armed Police Forces (CAPF) counterparts at the maximum of the respective Levels.

7.     Some other decisions impacting the employees including Defence & Combined Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel include :

·        Gratuity ceiling enhanced from Rs.  10 to 20 lakh. The ceiling on gratuity will increase by 25 % whenever DA rises by 50 %.

·        A common regime for payment of Ex-gratia lump sum compensation for civil and defence forces personnel payable to Next of Kin with the existing rates enhanced from Rs. 10-20 lakh to 25-45 lakh for different categories.

·        Rates of Military Service Pay revised from Rs.  1000, 2000, 4200 & 6000 to 3600, 5200, 10800 & 15500 respectively for various categories of Defence Forces personnel.

·        Terminal gratuity equivalent of 10.5 months of reckonable emoluments for Short Service Commissioned Officers who will be allowed to exit Armed Forces any time between 7 and 10 years of service.

·        Hospital Leave, Special Disability Leave and Sick Leave subsumed into a composite new Leave named ‘Work Related Illness and Injury Leave’ (WRIIL). Full pay and allowances will be granted to all employees during the entire period of hospitalization on account of WRIIL.

8.     The Cabinet also approved the recommendation of the Commission to enhance the ceiling of House Building Advance from Rs.  7.50 lakh to 25 lakh. In order to ensure that no hardship is caused to employees, four interest free advances namely Advances for Medical Treatment, TA on tour/transfer, TA for family of deceased employees and LTC have been retained. All other interest free advances have been abolished.

9.     The Cabinet also decided not to accept the steep hike in monthly contribution towards Central Government Employees Group Insurance Scheme (CGEGIS) recommended by the Commission. The existing rates of monthly contribution will continue. This will increase the take home salary of employees at lower levels by Rs. 1470. However, considering the need for social security of employees, the Cabinet has asked Ministry of Finance to work out a customized group insurance scheme for Central Government Employees with low premium and high risk cover.

10. The general recommendations of the Commission on pension and related benefits have been approved by the Cabinet. Both the options recommended by the Commission as regards pension revision have been accepted subject to feasibility of their implementation. Revision of pension using the second option based on fitment factor of 2.57 shall be implemented immediately. A Committee is being constituted to address the implementation issues anticipated in the first formulation. The first formulation may be made applicable if its implementation is found feasible after examination by proposed Committee which is to submit its Report within 4 months.

11. The Commission examined a total of 196 existing Allowances and, by way of rationalization, recommended abolition of 51 Allowances and subsuming of 37 Allowances. Given the significant changes in the existing provisions for Allowances which may have wide ranging implications, the Cabinet decided to constitute a Committee headed by Finance Secretary for further examination of the recommendations of 7th CPC on Allowances.  The Committee will complete its work in a time bound manner and submit its reports within a period of 4 months. Till a final decision, all existing Allowances will continue to be paid at the existing rates.

12. The Cabinet also decided to constitute two separate Committees (i) to suggest measures for streamlining the implementation of National Pension System (NPS) and (ii) to look into anomalies likely to arise out of implementation of the Commission’s Report.

13. Apart from the pay, pension and other recommendations approved by the Cabinet, it was decided that the concerned Ministries may examine the issues that are administrative in nature, individual post/ cadre specific and issues in which the Commission has not been able to arrive at a consensus.

14. As estimated by the 7th CPC, the additional financial impact on account of implementation of all its recommendations in 2016-17 will be Rs. 1,02,100 crore. There will be an additional implication of Rs. 12,133 crore on account of payments of arrears of pay and pension for two months of 2015-16.

Could never do what Priyanka has done: Kareena on Hollywood

 Mumbai, Jun 28 (PTI) Kareena Kapoor Khan says having a career in Hollywood like fellow actress Priyanka Chopra is not feasible for her as her priorities in life are different than the "Quantico" star.

In her recent interview to fashion and lifestyle magazine Vogue, where the actress has also appeared on the cover, Kareena said she does not want to conquer the world.

"My priorities are very different. I think it's amazing what Priyanka has done. But I don't think I could ever do something like that. I want to be a married working woman. My responsibilities are a lot more different than hers. I have a husband, I would like to start a family.

"I can't give up everything and move to LA. That's not me. The kind of work that these girls have put in, you need to have that kind of dedication of wanting to achieve so much and do it so wonderfully. Also, maybe I'm lazy. I don't want to conquer the world but I don't mind having a little place of my own. It's as simple as that," she said.

The "Ki & Ka" star, 35, and the 33-year-old former Miss World shared screen space in 2004 romantic-thriller "Aitraaz".

India, Pak entry may shift SCO focus: Chinese daily

 Beijing, Jun 28 (PTI) As India and Pakistan moved a step closer to join Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, an official Chinese daily today raised concerns that their "territorial and religious" disputes may disturb the bloc's functioning and shift its focus.

"Generally, including new members can help the SCO expand its clout. But the inclusion of the two South Asian powers might also lead to some problems," an article in the state-run Global Times said today.

"First of all, the inclusion may have an impact on the SCO's principle of consultation-based consensus. The principle of consultation-based consensus has been widely recognised and adhered to by the members," it said.

"In this sense, the inclusion of India and Pakistan may bring into the SCO their long-existing disputes over territorial and religious issues and disturb the organisation's efforts to carry out the principle," it said.

"For the possible problems that may arise after India and Pakistan become full members, the SCO cannot just ignore but instead deal with them in a positive and rational manner," it said.

The daily underlined that SCO founding members should be given some special rights to dispel their concerns caused by the expansion.

"Requirements can be proposed to the new members in terms of mechanism-building so as to avoid cooperation bottleneck after the expansion," it said.

Today's article, second in the daily in recent weeks, said the inclusion of India and Pakistan may divert the focus of the SCO.

"As four out of six founding members of the SCO are in Central Asia, the SCO has always concentrated on the region.

But the joining of India and Pakistan may split the focus of the SCO, and hence the four Central Asian members will reduce their dependence on the SCO," it said.

"Moreover, giving full memberships to India and Pakistan will affect the SCO mechanism. The working languages of the SCO are now Chinese and Russian, and there has already been massive language workload in current meeting mechanisms. If India and Pakistan are taken in, the organisation's daily work is likely to increase exponentially," it said.

But at the same time it said "the inclusion of India and Pakistan will undoubtedly enhance the influence of the SCO, and the member states also highly value and support the wills of observers and dialogue partners to step up their cooperation with the organisation," it said.

India and Pakistan last week signed Memorandum of Obligations to join the six-member organisation at the Tashkent summit as part of lengthy process to join the grouping.

The SCO formally decided to admit the two countries in Ufa summit last year but the Indian officials say the process of admission is still continuing as both the countries have to ratify all the documents of the group since it was founded in 2001.

SCO, focussing mostly security related issues like terrorism in Central Asia, has China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan as full members.

Afghanistan, Belarus, India, Iran, Mongolia and Pakistan have observer status.

Grave injustice to Rajan, says PM

Breaking his silence over the Raghuram Rajan episode, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said people who have questioned the patriotism of the outgoing Reserve Bank of India governor were doing him “great injustice”. The PMtermed the attack on Rajan and other Finance Ministry officials as “improper” and declared that “no one is bigger than institutions”. The PM didn’t refer to anyone by name but said those indulging in “publicity stunts” should not think that they were furthering the cause of the nation. 

The PM strongly advocated the need for the Goods and Services Tax (GST) reform and hoped that the arithmetic, after the recent biennial elections to the Rajya Sabha, could pave the way for its passage in the forthcoming monsoon session. He singled out the Congress for stalling the government’s legislative agenda in the Upper House, including the GST constitution amendment, and termed those opposing the Bill as “anti-poor”. 

The PM responded to questions on a range of issues, from foreign policy to poor job growth, in an 85-minute interview to private news channel Times Now. Nowhere did he refer to his party’s Rajya Sabha member Subramanian Swamy by name, but seemed to say much both on Rajan as well as the GST that runs counter to Swamy’s statements on either of the two issues. 

In recent past, Swamy has doubted the patriotism of not just Rajan but also of Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian, attacked other finance ministry officials and made disparaging tweets that seemed directed at Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. The Finance Minister’s defence of officials was met by Swamy announcing that Jaitley can say whatever but he speaks only with the PM and party president Amit Shah. Swamy, brought into the Rajya Sabha earlier this year at the behest of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and a section of the Bharatiya Janata Party leadership, told industry lobby Indian Merchant Chamber on June 17 that the GST will be “no game changer”, and reminded the audience that Modi as Gujarat chief minister had opposed the tax reform. 

Party officials, in off the record briefings, have been conveying to media persons that the BJP doesn't agree with Swamy’s views but also that only the PM or Shah can make him fall in line. In a message that seemed aimed at both Swamy as well as his backers in the RSS, the PM asked people to conduct themselves responsibly and said anybody who thought they were bigger than institutions were wrong. “It is my clear message. I have no confusion about it,” he said, indications that the rift between a section of the RSS and Modi government was widening. 

In the interview, the PM stoutly defended Rajan. The PM pointed at the plethora of media reports in May-June 2014 that had wondered whether he will allow Rajan to complete his term. “But Rajan completed his entire tenure…,” Modi said. In an echo of Rajan’s statement that had announced that he was unlikely to pursue a second term at the RBI but will always serve his country, the PM said Rajan’s patriotism “is no less than any of ours”. Modi said his experience with Rajan was good and he appreciated the work Rajan had done. In comments that should assuage Non-Resident Indians willing to work for the government but unnerved after Swamy's attack, Modi said: “As much as I know Raghuram Rajan, whatever post he holds, wherever he is, he is someone who will continue to serve the country. He is someone who loves his country. Therefore, it's not like the nation won't get Rajan's services. Rajan is not that kind of a person,” the PM said. 

On other issues, Modi reiterated the need for simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, asserted that the Uttar Pradesh polls will be fought on the issue of development and advised the media to not make “heroes” out of those who claim to be BJP spokespersons and make irresponsible statements. He said development was the panacea to communal tensions as well. Modi said the investigation into the Agusta helicopter scam was on, and that it will be conducted professionally without targeting people. Modi said the scam was pulled off by those who had perfected this art and it was evident that they enjoyed a “shield”. On willful defaulters like industrialist Vijay Mallya who have gone overseas, the PM said: “I will show them what rule of law is.” 

The PM bemoaned the parliamentary logjam. He, however, said it was wrong to paint the entire opposition with the same brush as there were several non-NDA parties that have supported the legislative agenda of the government. He said GST will help the poor of UP, Bihar, Odisha and Bengal and its chief ministers – Akhilesh Yadav, Nitish Kumar, Naveen Patnaik and Mamata Banerjee – were keen for it to be passed. Modi said that only one party, the Congress, made opposing the GST a “prestige issue”. “But I will keep trying to convince…even if I have to go to someone’s house,” he said. 

On the issue of unaccounted money, Modi accused the UPA government of allowing people with ‘black money’ opportunities from 2011 to 2014 to conceal it. The PM defended his Pakistan outreach and said his government was engaging with the democratically elected government in Islamabad, but there were other non-state actors that were also at play in that country. On India-US relations, Modi said India has been late in realizing that it was no longer a bipolar world. 

On New Delhi’s bid for an entry to the Nuclear Suppliers Group, the PM said the process has started on a “positive note” and will be pursued in conformity with the rules of the 48-member grouping. He said India and China disagreed on several issues but dialogue will continue. The important change, Modi said, was that India was keeping its concerns in unambiguous terms in front of China. Modi defended his frequent overseas tours. He said it was important for him to meet foreign leaders to dispel any misconceptions that they might have about him as an individual by reading media coverage about him. 

The PM said the cornerstone of his government’s policies was ‘Antyodaya’ or the welfare of the poorest. On the criticism that his government has failed to generate jobs, the PM said the data on job generation has failed to capture the job growth spurred by the MUDRA scheme, that has disbursed loans to nearly 3.48 crore people. 

The PM said a correct assessment of his government’s two years in office should be made by comparing it with the last 10 years of the UPA, and not at the altar of the expectations that his election campaign had generated. On the promise that each Indian would have Rs 15 lakh in their bank accounts, Modi said: “That is something the opposition raises during elections. Let them have some issue to talk about.” 

Sensex stays flat after worst fall in four months

Mumbai, Jun 27 (PTI) After its biggest drop in over four months last week, market on Monday remained sandwiched in a tight band by ending with measly gains amid mixed global conditions.

There was an element of choppiness too ahead of the June derivative contract expiry coming up on Thursday.

Investors still are a worried lot as they tried to digest the full impact of the Brexit fallout.

However, the broader markets came up a little better as they outperformed Sensex, with the small-cap index rising 1.52 per cent and the mid-cap 0.80 per cent.

Sugar companies found themselves in a sweet spot as stocks led by Dalmia Bharat Sugar, Dwarikesh Sugar, Sakthi Sugars and Bajaj Hindusthan soared by up to 20 per cent in an otherwise flat market.

The 30-share Sensex closed at 26,402.96, a marginal rise of 5.25 points, or 0.02 per cent.

The gauge had plunged nearly 605 points on Friday, its biggest single-day fall since February 11, as a shock victory for 'Leave' camp in the UK referendum sent shivers down the spine of global markets.

The NSE Nifty ended higher 6.10 points, or 0.08 per cent, at 8,094.70 after shuttling between 8,039.35 and 8,120.65.

In the Sensex pack, Dr Reddy's was on top of the gainers' list by climbing 3.04 per cent, followed by SBI (2.77 per cent).

"Domestic sentiment was given a bit of a boost after global credit rating agency Moody's Investors Service reportedly said in a note that the Indian government's recent decision to relax FDI rules is credit positive," said Shreyash Devalkar, Fund Manager - Equities, BNP Paribas Mutual Fund.

Meanwhile, foreign portfolio investors sold shares worth net Rs 629.14 crore last Friday, provisional data showed.

In the 30-share Sensex basket, 14 rose while 14 declined and 2 remained unchanged.

I feel proud of Priyanka, Deepika: Anushka Sharma

Mumbai, Jun 27 (PTI) Anushka Sharma may not have any plan to try her luck in Hollywood, but the actress says she is proud of the work her contemporaries Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone are doing in the West.

The 28-year-old actress, who has worked with Priyanka in "Dil Dhadakne Do," said she is happy with her achievements.

"It's great that both Deepika and Priyanka are doing good work there. Priyanka has achieved so much, she is a known name there. I feel proud of them," Anushka said in an interview.

The "NH10" star doesn't have any such dreams and will take things as they come.

"There is nothing like a dream as such (doing Hollywood films). I have never planned things in life, I believe in living life or doing things to the moment.

"I have never planned my career here in Bollywood, so planning to do Hollywood films is a distant thing. You have to see how things come. There is no active work towards getting there (to West)," she said.

Anushka will next be seen in Ali Abbas Zafar-directed "Sultan", which stars Salman Khan in the lead role. The YRF project will hit the theaters this Eid.

The actress is currently working on her next production venture "Phillauri". The movie also stars Punjabi superstar Diljit Dosanjh, who recently made his Bollywood debut with "Udta Punjab".

Sensex zooms 295 points, regains 27k-level in pre-close trade

 Mumbai, Jun 23 (PTI) Making a strong turnaround from the cautious start, the BSE Sensex rebounded 295 points to trade above the crucial 27,000-mark in late afternoon deals, driven by a firming trend in global market as UK voters began to cast ballots on 'Brexit' referendum.

The 30-share index flared up by 295.33 points or 1.10 per cent to 27,060.98 at 1500 hrs.

Sentiment turned better largely in tune with a firming trend in other Asian markets and a higher opening in European shares as Britain began voting in a historic referendum on its future in the European Union.

The rupee strengthening by 21 paise to 67.27 against the American currency (intra-day) at the forex market, too supported the market.

Banking, auto, healthcare, FMCG, capital goods, oil&gas, PSU, IT and Metal, led the rebound.

Also, the 50-share NSE Nifty was quoting higher by 74.80 points or 0.91 per cent at 8,278.50.

Among the 30-Sensex constituents, Tata Motors, Dr Reddy's, SBI, Sun Pharma, ITC, Axis Bank, HDFC Bank, Lupin, Hindustan Unilever, Power Grid, Infosys, Bajaj Auto and M&M gained up to 3.12 per cent.

Globally, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index closed 0.35 per cent higher, while Japan's Nikkei gained 1.07 per cent. European markets were also in the positive zone with London's FTSE 0.67 per cent up, France's CAC 0.93 per cent higher and Frankfurt-based DAX 0.86 per cent in the green.

Britain votes on EU membership after tight and bitter campaign

 London : Britons were voting on Thursday on whether to stay in the European Union in a referendum that has split the nation and is being nervously watched by financial markets and politicians across the world.

Opinion polls taken before the vote indicated the outcome is too close to forecast, although two polls published late on Wednesday suggested a swing towards "Remain".

Much will depend on turnout, with younger Britons seen as more supportive of the EU than their elders but less likely to vote.

Polling stations opened at 0600 GMT (0200 EDT) and will close at 2100, with results expected to be announced by the 382 individual local counting areas between around 0100 and 0300 on Friday.

Prime Minister David Cameron called the vote under pressure from the anti-EU wing of his Conservative Party and the surging UK Independence Party (UKIP), hoping to end decades of debate over Britain's ties with Europe.

The "Leave" campaign says Britain's economy would benefit from an exit from the EU, or Brexit. Cameron says it would cause financial chaos and impoverish the nation.

He voted early, and said on Twitter: "Vote Remain - so that our children and grandchildren have a brighter future."

His main rival, former London mayor Boris Johnson, whose decision to support "Leave" galvanized its campaign, told voters on Wednesday this was the "last chance to sort this out".

It is only the third referendum in British history. The first, also about membership of what was then called the European Economic Community, was in 1975.

Most polls put the "Leave" and "Remain" camps neck-and-neck at the end of a bitter four-month campaign that was dominated by immigration and the economy, and shaken by the murder of pro-EU lawmaker Jo Cox last week.

Modi arrives in Uzbekistan for SCO summit

 Tashkent, Jun 23 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived here today to a warm welcome as he kicked off a two-day visit to attend the annual summit of the SCO with an aim to expand India's engagement with the China-dominated grouping in areas of security, defence and energy.

In a special gesture, Modi was received at the Tashkent international airport by his Uzbek counterpart Shavkat Miromonovich Mirziyoev.

In the two-day summit that begins today, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) will start the process of India's accession to the grouping as a full-fledged member along with Pakistan.

However, the spotlight is on Modi's bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping later in the day during which the Prime Minister is expected to seek China's support for India's membership at the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) that controls access to sensitive nuclear technology.

Giving clear indications of its opposition to India's bid for entry into the atomic trading club, China had yesterday underlined the differences within NSG members, saying "parties are yet to see eye-to-eye on this issue".

It, however, said it will play a constructive role in the discussions.

Coinciding with the SCO summit, the two-day annual plenary of the NSG begins today in Seoul during which India's application for membership of the atomic trading club is set to be deliberated upon.

Prior to his departure from New Delhi to Tashkent, Modi said India looks forward to fruitful outcome from its engagement at the SCO summit.

India's entry into SCO as a full member will provide it an opportunity to have extended cooperation with member countries in areas of defence, security and counter-terrorism.

"I will travel to Uzbekistan for a brief visit to attend the SCO Summit and interact with leaders of SCO nations. India is glad to be a member of the SCO and looks forward to fruitful outcomes particularly in the field of economic cooperation through SCO," the Prime Minister said in a statement before leaving for Tashkent.

He said India attaches great importance to ties with Central Asia and always seeks to expand economic and people-to-people ties with the region.

Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs Sujata Mehta had yesterday said "The process of India's accession to the SCO will start with a signature on the base document which is called the Memorandum of Obligations".

Asked whether India will become a full member of the SCO, she said there was a schedule laid down for India to sign over 30 other documents and it will happen as the year goes by.

Priyanka hits back at trolls with 'pit-stopping' image

 Mumbai, Jun 22 (PTI) Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra has shared a new picture of herself flaunting her armpits, in reply to trolls which claimed they were "too perfect" in her latest photoshoot for a lifestyle magazine.

The 34-year-old "Quantico" star, who is currently vacationing in Paris, took to Instagram to share the photo.

"Heres another 'pit-stopping' picture to add to the debate. #WillTheRealArmpitPleaseStandUp #nofilter #armpitdiaries," she captioned the photo.

Wearing a casual striped top and shades, the actress has posed with her hands behind her head.

Priyanka's cover for a men's magazine recently faced a lot of flak on Twitter for photoshopping her armpits.

Twitter users called it an unrealistic expectation.

On work front, Priyanka will next be seen playing an antagonist Victoria Leeds in "Baywatch" movie, which also stars Dwayne "The Rock Johnson" and Zac Efron.

3rd National Standards Conclave

Department of Commerce, Government of India in collaboration with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and the National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB) and other knowledge partners is organizing the 3rd National Standards Conclave on 23-24 June 2016 in New Delhi. The Conclave will be inaugurated by Commerce and Industry Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman. 

The objective of the two day Conclave is to bring awareness and prepare Industries, Central Government Ministries, State Governments, regulatory/standards setting and conformity assessment bodies on the growing importance of “Standards” in the changing scenario of global trade. The Standards Conclave is being held in the backdrop of diminishing importance of tariffs and rising influence of standards and regulation both in goods and services trade. 

It must be recognized that the days of differential standards – low for domestic market and high for exports - are over and if the Indian industry has to survive and thrive, it has to adopt global standards. The Ministries/regulators/state governments have to also realize that their initiatives and schemes have to be built around global standards if they have to succeed in their objectives. A good standards regime shall fulfill the vision of Hon’ble Prime Minister for “Zero Defect, Zero Effect” and Make in India campaigns. It would also help in preventing flooding of domestic market with unsafe/sub-standard imports at the expense of our domestic industry as well as consumers. 

The collective endeavor has to be in creating an ecosystem where adoption of appropriate standards leads to a sense of pride and has in-built incentive for the Industry. The Conclave would also aim at identifying gaps in our regime so that they are brought either in harmony with the international standards or conform to national requirement. 

The conclave will have 9 sessions spread over 2 days: 

a. Inaugural session 

b. Session 1: Emerging international challenges

c. Session 2: Other international and regional developments

d. Session 3: Standards eco-system

e. Session 4: Challenges for MSME sector

f. Session 5: States Case studies

g. Session 6: Service Standards

h. Session 7: Service Standards

i. Session 8: Setting the right ecosystem– Sectoral analysis

j. Session 9: Way Forward

PSLV-C34 Successfully Launches 20 Satellites in a Single Flight

  

In its thirty sixth flight (PSLV-C34), ISRO's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle successfully launched the 727.5 kg Cartosat-2 Series Satellite along with 19 co-passenger satellites today morning from Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota. This is the thirty fifth consecutively successful mission of PSLV and the fourteenth in its 'XL' configuration. The total weight of all the 20 satellites carried on-board PSLV-C34 was 1288 kg. 

After PSLV-C34 lift-off at 0926 hrs (9:26 am) IST from the Second Launch Pad with the ignition of the first stage, the subsequent important flight events, namely, strap-on ignitions and separations, first stage separation, second stage ignition, heat-shield separation, second stage separation, third stage ignition and separation, fourth stage ignition and cut-off, took place as planned. After a flight of 16 minutes 30 seconds, the satellites achieved a polar Sun Synchronous Orbit of 508 km inclined at an angle of 97.5 degree to the equator (very close to the intended orbit) and in the succeeding 10 minutes, all the 20 satellites successfully separated from the PSLV fourth stage in a predetermined sequence. 

After separation, the two solar arrays of Cartosat-2 series satellite were deployed automatically and ISRO's Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) at Bangalore took over the control of the satellite. In the coming days, the satellite will be brought to its final operational configuration following which it will begin to provide remote sensing services using its panchromatic (black and white) and multispectral (colour) cameras. 

The imagery sent by the Cartosat-2 series satellite will be useful for cartographic applications, urban and rural applications, coastal land use and regulation, utility management like road network monitoring, water distribution, creation of land use maps, precision study, change detection to bring out geographical and manmade features and various other Land Information System (LIS) and Geographical Information System (GIS) applications. 

Of the 19 co-passenger satellites carried by PSLV-C34, two – SATHYABAMASAT weighing 1.5 kg and SWAYAM weighing 1 kg – are University/Academic institute satellites and were built with the involvement of students from Sathyabama University, Chennai and College Of Engineering, Pune, respectively. 

The remaining 17 co-passenger satellites were international customer satellites from Canada (2), Germany (1), Indonesia (1) and the United States (13). 

With today’s successful launch, the total number of satellites launched by India’s workhorse launch vehicle PSLV has reached 113, of which 39 are Indian and the remaining 74 from abroad. 

20 satellites set for launch tomorrow: ISRO

 

Chennai, Jun 21 (PTI) Countdown for the launch of as many as 20 satellites including, India's earth observation Cartosat-2 Series Satellite, is in smooth progress, ISRO said today.

The countdown exercise encompasses spacecraft health checks and preparations for propellant filling operation of second stage (PS2) of PSLV-C34 is in progress.

"Spacecraft health checks and preparations for propellant filling operation of second stage (PS2) of PSLV-C34 are under progress. Countdown is progressing normally," ISRO said.

The 48-hour countdown began yesterday at 9.26 am for the launch of 20 satellites onboard PSLV C-34 from Sriharikota tomorrow.

The countdown began after the launch authorisation board (LAB) gave its nod and filling of Mixed Oxides of Nitrogen (MON-3) of PS4 was completed yesterday.

Cartosat-2 Series is similar to the earlier Cartosat-2, 2A and 2B, and 19 co-passenger satellites together weighing about 560 kg at lift-off would be injected into a 505-km polar Sun Synchronous Orbit.

According to ISRO, the total weight of all the 20 satellites is about 1,288 kg.

The co-passengers include satellites from the US, Canada, Germany and Indonesia as well as two satellites from Indian Universities.

The mission would carry LAPAN A3 of Indonesia, BIROS of Germany, SKYSAT GEN 2-1 of US, MVV of Germany among the micro satellites, ISRO sources had earlier said.