Cong ousted in Assam, Kerala; Jaya, Mamata retain power

New Delhi, May 19 (PTI) BJP was today set to create history in Assam by ousting Congress which also lost Kerala to the Left front while incumbents AIADMK and Trinamool Congress retained power in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal for a second consecutive term.

The tiny Union Territory of Puducherry appears headed for a hung house with the ruling AINRC and Congress-DMK alliance locked in a close fight.

Assam voted for change with Congress, which had been in power for the last 15 years, being routed by the BJP-led alliance which is ahead in 80 out of 126 seats.

Marking a new surge, BJP, which had five seats in the last elections, was on its own leading in 56 seats now. Its allies AGP and Bodo People's Front were ahead in 15 and 12 constituencies. The Congress, which had bagged 78 seats in the last elections, was struggling by leading only in 27 seats.

AIUDF, led by Badruddin Ajmal, was leading in 09 seats while Independents were ahead in 6 constituencies.

The major surprise in the Assembly elections in four states and Puducherry was a strong show by AIADMK, which several exit polls had projected to lose.

Bucking tradition, the Jayalalithaa-led party was well on way to retaining power for a second term in a state which had not returned a ruling party to power since 1989. But it was also not a washout for the opposition DMK, which put up a reasonably good show by leading in 87 seats as against AIADMK's 130 in a house of 234. AIADMK has won one seat.

The Congress was ahead in 10 seats and IUML, a DMK ally, PMK and PT were leading in one seat each. The third front of parties headed by Vijaykant's DMDK has failed with even the actor himself trailing in his seat. 

‘Government has taken pollution seriously, remains committed to reduce pollution’: Environment Minister

Javadekar proposes establishment of a pollution research institute

Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Prakash Javadekar, has said that the Government has taken pollution seriously. He expressed the government’s commitment to reduce pollution. Addressing the two-day Conference of Chairmen & Member Secretaries of Pollution Control Boards & Pollution Control Committees, being held here since yesterday, Shri Javadekar proposed the establishment of a new Pollution Research Institute to look into all pollution-related aspects. However, he added that the establishment of the Institute is in a conceptual stage. He also gave a call for more widespread participation of State Pollution Control Boards and suggested that such Conferences should be held every six months, both at the central and regional level.

The Environment Minister said that the Ministry’s emphasis will be on establishing a compliance regime and to send a message that violations will prove to be expensive. Shri Javadekar also stated that the government wants to provide ‘Ease of Doing Responsible Business’, but pollution-related challenges will have to be addressed.

The Minister said that a discussion on the concept of development without destruction, sustainable development; discussion on air pollution, industrial pollution, sand mining, pollution of rivers and waste management is a good development, as it increases awareness in the society. He emphasised that there is a need to be more responsive on tackling pollution, as the Ministry’s mission is to maintain balance between five elements of nature and protect them. He highlighted that for the first time, the Ministry has moved National Green Tribunal (NGT) against five municipalities in Uttar Pradesh for not responding to the directions issued for sewage treatment.

Speaking on the occasion, Chairman, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Shri A.K Mehta said that the forests and mangroves coverage have increased. He said that online monitoring of polluting industrial units and Comprehensive Environment Pollution Index (CEPI) has been revised and a fresh classification of industries has been done.

Some of the issues discussed at the Conference held on May 17-18, 2016 include – restoration of water quality of 302 identified polluted river stretches, re-categorisation of industries and actions for control of pollution, management of online data from 17 categories of industries and taking actions based on violations, action to be taken against municipalities for sewage and solid waste management and monitoring progress on implementation of action plans in critically polluted area based on revised formula.

The States have also agreed to implement the new Waste Management Rules notified by the Ministry in March 2016. 

India to deploy Eastern Fleet Ships to South China and North West Pacific

In a demonstration of its operational reach and commitment to India’s ‘Act East’ policy, the Indian Navy’s Eastern Fleet, under the command of Rear Admiral SV Bhokare, Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet, sailed out today, 18 May 16 on a 2½ month long operational deployment to the South China and North West Pacific. During this overseas deployment, the ships of Eastern Fleet will make port calls at Cam Rahn Bay (Vietnam), Subic Bay (Philippines), Sasebo (Japan), Busan (South Korea), Vladivostok (Russia) and Port Klang (Malaysia). 

Indigenously built guided missile stealth frigates, IN Ships Satpura and Sahyadri, commanded by Captain AN Pramod and Captain KS Rajkumar respectively, INS Shakti, a sophisticated fleet support ship, commanded by Capt Gagan Kaushal and INS Kirch an indigenous guided missile corvette commanded by Commander Sharad Sinsunwal are participating in this deployment. 

The visits to each port will last four days and are aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and enhancing inter-operability between the navies. During the stay in harbour, various activities such as official calls and professional interaction between naval personnel of both the nations have been planned. PASSEX has also been planned at sea with the host navies. In addition to showing the Flag in this region of vital strategic importance to India, these ships will also participate in MALABAR-16, a maritime exercise with the US Navy and JMSDF. 

President of India to inaugurate Intelligent Operations Centre in Rashtrapati Bhavan and launch a mobile app for transformation of President’s Estate into a smart township tomorrow

The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee will inaugurate an Intelligent Operations Centre (IOC) in Rashtrapati Bhavan and launch a Mobile App ‘Monitor’ for transformation of President’s Estate into a smart township at a function to be held at Rashtrapati Bhavan tomorrow (May 19, 2016). 

The IOC is a software solution designed by IBM which helps collect and make sense of the rich data streaming in from several sources within the Estate to provide intelligent insights. It offers integrated data visualization, near real-time collaboration and deep analytics that will help agencies prepare for problems, coordinate and manage response efforts and enhance efficiency of services. 

The “Monitor” mobile application is a Residents collaboration tool of the Intelligent Operation Center. This will help residents and domain (Energy, Water, Horticulture, Waste and Security) supervisors to collaborate in a smarter way for their observations. It will enable residents to report issues such as broken street lights, electricity failure, water wastage etc and check resolution status using their mobile devices. This mobile application will allow residents to report these issues using their mobile devices in the Estate on a real time basis. These reported observations can be used to provide enough details such as location coordinates, address etc to concerned departments. This will help the residents of the Estate become more socially responsible, aware and collaborative. 

Joint issue between Department of Posts and United Nations Postal Administration on UN Women HeForShe postage stamp

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, was apprised of the joint issue of UN Women HeForShe postage stamp. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between Department of Posts and United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA) in February, 2016 for this purpose. 

In this Joint issue, the stamps were printed in the form of sheetlet of 20 se-tenants and Miniature Sheet of two stamps on the occasion of International Women’s Day. 

UN Women HeForShe campaign is a solidarity movement for gender equality that brings together one half of humanity in support of the other half of humanity for the benefit of all in social terms. This Joint issue is dedicated for the empowerment of women around the world. This would promote great cause of gender equality which the Indian government has been championing in the recent times. Thus, Department of Posts and UNPA have arrived an agreement to celebrate and to commemorate International Women’s day on 8th of March, 2016 by releasing a joint stamp. 

Government approves three (3) proposals of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) amounting to Rs. 60.73 crore approximately; recommends one proposal for approval of CCEA involving FDI of Rs. 12,973.14 crore.

Based on the recommendations of the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) in its 234^thmeeting held on 29^th April 2016, the Government has approved three FDI proposals involving FDI of Rs. 60.73 crore (which includes post facto amount of Rs. 0.25 crore), and recommended one proposal involving FDI of Rs. 12,973.14 crore for approval of Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA).

The following three (03) proposals have been approved:

1.                   

S. No	Item No	Name of the applicant	Gist of the proposal	Sector	FDI (Rs.  crore)
1	1	Wockhardt Limited	Post facto approval for issuance of ESOPs to its two NRI employees in July 2015.	Pharma	0.25 (already brought in)
2	2	Aurobindo Pharma Ltd	Clarification and approval regarding grant of ESOPs to NR employee.	Pharma	0.48
3	4	Advanced Enzyme Technologies Ltd	Approval for investment proposed to be made by FIIs / NRIs / FPIs / QFIs / AIF/FVCIs pursuant to fresh issue of and offer for sale of 44,73,470 equity shares by certain NRIs and resident shareholders for an aggregate consideration of Rs.  60 crore.	Pharma	60

2.         The following one (01) proposal has been recommended for approval of Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) under para 5.2.2 of the extant FDI Policy, 2015:

S. No.	Item No	Name of the applicant	Gist of the proposal	Sector	FDI (Rs.  crore)
1	3	M/s Axis Bank ltd	Approval to increase foreign investment by FIIs / NRIs/ FPIs / ADRs / GDRs from 62% to 74% on a fully fungible basis subject to the limits prescribed in amended clause 6.2.18.2.2.4(i).	Financial services	12,973.14

3.         The following eight (08) proposals have been deferred:

S. No.	Item No	Name of the applicant	Gist of the proposal	Sector
1	5	M/s Fans Asia Pvt. Ltd.	Post Facto approval has been sought for issue and transfer of 6,000 equity shares to non-resident Subscribers without receiving amount of consideration. The shares were issued on the date of incorporation of FAPL (21.10.2009). Inward Remittance was received in January 2010	Construction
2	6	DCNS	To set up a company in India (IndiaCo) for the purposes of conducting the business of undertaking design and industrialization studies, research and development activities and manufacturing and maintenance in relation to air independent propulsion systems for submarines	Defence
3	8	Wuxi Yushou Medicare Private Limited	Post-facto approval for receiving foreign investment of 0.87 crores from Wuxi Yushou Medical Appliances Co. Ltd in November 2014, without FIPB approval	Pharma
4	9	JCB International Co., Ltd	Approval for set up a wholly-owned subsidiary company in India in order to support coordination in India for its strategic partnership with National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) for undertaking the activity of interacting with NPCI to promote RuPay/JCB cards and acting as a communication channel in relation to issues around systems and operations between JCBI and NPCI, but will not issue cards or act as a merchant acquirer.	NBFC
5	10	Janalakshmi Financial Services Limited	Approval for swap of shares	NBFC
6	12	M/s. Macmillan Publishers International Ltd, UK	Approval has been sought for foreign investment of up to 100% in a new company(‘New Co.)’, proposed to be incorporated in India	Publication
7	13	M/s Jasper Infotech Private Limited	Making downstream investment in M/s Macro Commerce Private Limited by purchasing 50% stake in the company from M/s Den networks Limited, its existing holding company,	Uplinking of Non-news TV channel
8	14	One97 Communications Limited	Approval to operate as a Bharat Bill Payment Operating Unit (BBPOU) pursuant to the implementation of Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS) Guidelines dated 28.11.2014 issued by the RBI.	NBFC

4.                                The following one (01) proposal has been rejected:

S. No.	Item No	Name of the applicant	Gist of the proposal	Sector
1	7	Mr. Rafique Dawood	Transfer of 51,570 shares of M/s Rain Industries Limited allotted to his father, Late Mr. Siddique Dawood in his name.  Mr. Rafique Dawood is the legal heir and son of Late Mr. Siddique Dawood.	Manufacturing

  

5.         The following one (01) proposal does not lie before FIPB:

S. No	Item No	Name of the applicant	Gist of the proposal	Sector
1	11	M/s Funai India Pvt Ltd	Issuance of equity shares of face value of Rs.  10 each (against fair value of –Rs. 58.44 per share) to its holding company, Funai Electric Co. Ltd, Japan by way of conversion of trade payables as on 31.1.2016.	Wholesale Cash and Carry

Pak has no locus standi on map issue: India

New Delhi, May 17 (PTI) India today reacted strongly to Pakistan seeking UN intervention on the Indian draft bill on map, saying it was an "entirely internal legislative matter" and Pakistan or any other party has no locus standi on it.

External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said India "firmly rejects" repeated and increasing attempts by Pakistan to impose on the international community matters that it has always been open to address bilaterally with it.

"The proposed Bill is an entirely internal legislative matter of India, since the whole of the state of J&K is an integral part of India. Pakistan or any other party has no locus standi in the matter.

"The Government firmly rejects Pakistan's repeated and increasing attempts to impose on the international community matters that India has always been open to address bilaterally with Pakistan," Swarup said in response to a question on Pakistan Foreign Office press release on India's Geospatial Bill.

Earlier, in Islamabad, Pakistan Foreign Office (FO) issued a statement saying it has expressed "serious concern" to the UN over a draft bill in the Indian Parliament over the map of Kashmir and has asked the world body to uphold its resolutions and urge India to stop such acts which are in "violation of international law".

"Pakistan has expressed serious concern to the United Nations Secretary General and the President of the UN Security Council, through letters by our Permanent Representative in New York, with regard to the Indian government's efforts to introduce a controversial 'Geospatial Information Regulation Bill' in the Indian Parliament," it said.

It further said that "in violation of UNSC resolutions, the official map of India has been depicting the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir as part of India which is factually incorrect and legally untenable".

Wrong depiction of the map of India could land the violators in jail with a maximum term of seven years and impose a fine up to Rs 100 crore, according to the draft 'Geospatial Information Regulation Bill 2016'.

17 May 2016, World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD 2016)

Theme 2016: ICT entrepreneurship for social impact

In 2016, World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD-2016) will focus on the theme: “ICT entrepreneurship for social impact”, in accordance with Resolution 68 and as endorsed by ITU Council 2015.

ICT entrepreneurs and start-ups and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have a particularly relevant role in ensuring economic growth in a sustainable and inclusive manner. They are involved in the development of innovative ICT-enabled solutions with a unique potential to make a long-lasting impact in global, regional and national economies and as an important source of new jobs, especially for youth, in the current knowledge economy.

The theme for WTISD-16 is in line with ITU’s work in unlocking the potential of ICTs for young innovators and entrepreneurs, innovative SMEs, start-ups and technology hubs as drivers of innovative and practical solutions for catalysing progress in achieving international sustainable development goals, with a focus on SMEs from developing countries.

About the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day

The purpose of World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) is to help raise awareness of the possibilities that the use of the Internet and other information and communication technologies (ICT) can bring to societies and economies, as well as of ways to bridge the digital divide. 17 May marks the anniversary of the signing of the first International Telegraph Convention and the creation of the International Telecommunication Union.    World Telecommunication Day World Telecommunication Day has been celebrated annually on 17 May since 1969, marking the founding of ITU and the signing of the first International Telegraph Convention in 1865. It was instituted by the Plenipotentiary Conference in Malaga-Torremolinos in 1973. World Information Society Day In November 2005, the World Summit on the Information Society called upon the UN General Assembly to declare 17 May as World Information Society Day to focus on the importance of ICT and the wide range of issues related to the Information Society raised by WSIS. The General Assembly adopted a resolution (A/RES/60/252) in March 2006 stipulating that World Information Society Day shall be celebrated every year on 17 May.   World Telecommunication and Information Society Day In November 2006, the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference in Antalya, Turkey, decided to celebrate both events on 17 May as World Telecommunication and Information Society Day. The updated Resolution 68 invites Member States and Sector Members to celebrate the day annually by organizing appropriate national programmes with a view to: stimulating reflection and exchanges of ideas on the theme adopted by the Council debating the various aspects of the theme with all partners in society formulating a report reflecting national discussions on the issues underlying the theme, to be fed back to ITU and the rest of its membership WTISD 2016: Message from UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon The international community is now mobilized around the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which recognizes the great potential of information and communication technology (ICT) to accelerate human progress, bridge the digital divide and advance knowledge. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals specifically call for employing ICTs to realize the overall vision of a life of dignity for all people. These technologies provide smart solutions to address climate change, hunger, poverty and other global challenges. They are key instruments for providing mobile health care and access to education, empowering women, improving efficiencies in industrial and agricultural production, and safeguarding the environment. Start-ups and technology hubs in the ICT sector are the drivers of innovative and practical solutions that can contribute to inclusive growth. Small to medium-sized enterprises make up more than 90 per cent of all businesses worldwide, and represent a path out of poverty for many developing countries. Young people are especially fluent in the use of ICTs. Leaders should invest in young innovators, who are part of the largest generation of youth in history. As entrepreneurs, they can pioneer transformative technology, create jobs and benefit whole economies. I call upon governments, businesses and civil society leaders to develop new technologies that have a lasting social impact. ICTs can create more inclusive societies for persons with disabilities. They can help children to learn and the elderly to stay active. And ICTs can connect people around the world in common cause. On this World Telecommunication and Information Society Day, let us resolve to harness the power of technology to create a better future for all.

Commerce & Industry Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman to lead Indian delegation at India-Myanmar Business Conclave at Yangon

Myanmar has witnessed a landslide victory by the National League for Democracy led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in the elections held in November 2015. The new democratic Government in Myanmar has been established. Minister for Commerce & Industry, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman will be the first Minister from India to visit Myanmar after the change of regime in Myanmar. She will lead a high level CEO delegation to Myanmar from 18-20 May,2016 

An India Myanmar Business Conclave is being organized by India at Yangon on 18-20 May 2016 as part of its Act East policy. A 25-member business delegation comprising of whos-who of the business world from India is attending the Conclave. The delegation includes amongst others Dr Naushad Forbes (President CII), Mr Rakesh Mittal (Bharti Enterprises), Ms Shobana Kamineni (Apollo Hospitals), Ms Arundhati Bhattacharya (State Bank of India), Dr Rajiv I Modi (Cadila Pharma) and Mr Madhu Kannan (Tata Sons). The delegation from India will be led by Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Commerce & Industry. Many leading business persons from Myanmar including many Ministers shall attend the Conclave. 

The two days are expected to witness live and involved sessions on various sectors including Agriculture, Manufacturing and Employment, IT, Health, Education, Skill Development, Power & Renewable energy, Connectivity (Air, Sea, Land), Tourism and Hospitality, SEZs, Industrial Zones and Finance. 

Highlight of the event is a Government-Business Round table on the theme: ‘Forging Partnerships for Myanmar’s Development’. The Round table is expected to see leading personalities from the Government and business on both sides. 

Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman is also scheduled to have bilateral interactions with many Ministers of the new Myanmar Government including U Win Khaing, Myanmar Minister for Construction, Dr. Than Myint, Myanmar Minister for Commerce and U Khin Maung Cho, Myanmar Minister for Industry. 

This is the first visit of any Minister from India after the change of regime in Myanmar. With this visit India wishes to give a strong signal of its commitment to partner Myanmar in its new path for economic and social development. 

SP names Amar Singh, Beni Verma for RS election

Lucknow, May 17 (PTI) Over six years after it expelled Amar Singh, the Samajwadi Party today "unanimously" declared him as its candidate for the Rajya Sabha polls, setting the stage for his possible return to the party.

The party also nominated six others, including former Union minister Beni Prasad Verma, an influential Kurmi leader who recently quit Congress and returned to the Samajwadi Party, and realtor Sanjay Seth for the biennial polls scheduled next month.

When asked about when would Singh, a former confidante of Mulayam Singh Yadav, rejoin the party, Shivpal Singh Yadav, a UP Minister and brother of party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav said," It will be decided by Netaji (Mulayam) and Amar Singh. We have earlier also sent Congress leaders Pramod Tiwari and P L Punia to Rajya Sabha."

Amar Singh along with his close associate Jaya Prada were expelled from the Samajwadi Party in February, 2010. He floated his own political party, Rashtriya Lok Manch, in 2011, and fielded a large number of candidates in 2012 assembly polls. However, none of his candidates won. He had joined the Rashtriya Lok Dal and contested the 2014 Lok Sabha poll from Fatehpur Sikri but lost.

Samajwadi Party denied there were "differences" over some candidates and claimed the decision on fielding them for the Rajya Sabha polls was "unanimous".

"The SP parliamentary board has unanimously decided seven names for Rajya Sabha. There were no differences and party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav was authorised to take the final decision. The names were read out in the meeting," Shivpal, also the party spokesman, told reporters.

The board has taken the decision after much thought and it will strengthen the party, he said, refuting reports of certain "objections" raised over some candidates at the meeting held today.

The seven candidates are -- Beni Prasad Verma, Amar Singh, Sanjay Seth, Sukhram Singh Yadav, Reoti Raman Singh, Vishwambhar Prasad Nishad and Arvind Pratap Singh.

Seth is a controversial Lucknow-based builder, who was earlier recommended to be nominated an MLC by the ruling party but his name was not approved by Governor Ram Naik. The governor had also rejected the government's proposal to nominate Rajvijay Singh and Kamlesh Pathak to the Legislative Council, contending that they did not qualify for it due to criminal cases pending against them..