Dipa put under 'house arrest' ahead of vault finals

Rio de Janeiro, Aug 8 (PTI) Faced with the gigantic expectations of an excited nation, India's trail-blazing gymnast Dipa Karmakar has been put under "house arrest" at the Olympic Games Village by her coach Bishweshwar Nandi as she gears up to script history in the vault finals on August 14.

More than 35,000 kilometers away from her hometown Agartala in Tripura, Dipa is set to turn 23 tomorrow but is unlikely to receive birthday greetings except for the ones from her parents.

Her only companions are roommate Saikhom Mirabai Chanu -- the only Indian woman weightlifter -- and of course Nandi who's been with her for the last 16 years.

"I've removed the SIM card from her mobile. Only parents are allowed to talk to her. I don't want her to lose focus," Nandi told PTI from the Games Village, a day after Dipa became the toast of the nation by making the final of artistic gymnastics' vault finals.

"Her birthday celebration can wait for the moment. It's only her parents who are allowed to talk to her at the moment during the small breaks I give her."

"But she does not miss it. She likes to stay aloof from friends, her friends circle is very small, thanks to her tough regimen in gymnastics," Nandi said of Dipa who trains in SAI New Delhi.

Dipa had become the first Indian woman gymnast to qualify for Olympics.

She has also caught attention for performing the risky Produnova vault -- a double-front somersault which has the highest degree of difficultly for a women's vault.

"Every event in gymnastics is a risk, accident may happen anytime but Dipa has mastered the Produnova and we're very hopeful," Nandi said.

Dipa and her coach follow a strict regimen with training sessions of four hours each in the morning and evening sessions.

Nandi is grateful to the Government of India and Sports Authority of India for their help.

"We got three months time but I'm grateful to SAI director (Injeti Srinivas) and project officer (Inderjeet Singh Pabla) who went all out to help us."

Daughter of a weightlifting coach in Agartala, Dipa, youngest of two sisters, started gymnastics at the age of three under Nandi's wife Suma, a SAI coach.

"She brought Dipa to me and we have never looked back since then," Nandi said recollecting her formative years at the Netaji Subhas Regional Coaching Centre in Agartala.

Nandi said Dipa won't disappoint in the final slated to be held at 2.47pm local time on August 14.

"By the time she will finish, it will be August 15 in India -- a time difference of 8 hours and 30 minutes -- and a medal in gymnastics can be the greatest Independence Day gift to the nation. We can have her birthday celebration then," Nandi concluded.

Nifty at over 15-mth high, Sensex up 104 pts on global cues

 Mumbai, Aug 8 (PTI) Rising for the third straight session, the NSE Nifty closed at an over 15-month high of 8,711.35 and the BSE Sensex jumped over 104 points to 28,182.57 on firm global cues coupled with optimistic buying by investors ahead of the RBI policy meet tomorrow.

Sentiment remained upbeat throughout the day on account of positive Asian cues and a higher opening in the European stock markets, tracking record closing on the US bourses on Friday on the back of strong jobs data.

The domestic bourses have been witnessing a positive trend since the passage of long-pending Goods and Services Tax (GST) Constitutional Amendment bill by Rajya Sabha last week, brokers said.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley moved the bill in Lok Sabha today.

The broader NSE Nifty again went past the 8,700-mark to end at 8,711.35 by surging 28.20 points, or 0.32 per cent, its highest closing since April 15, 2015 -- when it had closed at 8,750.20.

The 30-share BSE barometer rose 104.22 points, or 0.37 per cent, to close at 28,182.57. Intra-day, it shuttled between 28,226.38 and 28,128.06. The Sensex has gained 380.84 points in the last two days.

Brokers said even as the Reserve Bank is expected to keep its policy rates unchanged at its review tomorrow, some investors indulged in building up positions, largely in step with a firm trend overseas, contributing major gains to the key indices.

Moreover, country's largest two-wheeler maker Hero MotoCorp today posting 18.13 per cent jump in standalone net profit at Rs 883.10 crore for the first quarter ended on June 30, 2016, came as a positive.

Out of 30-share Sensex pack, 21 stocks ended higher and 9 finished in the negative terrain.

Major gainers were Adani Ports (2.80 pc), HDFC Ltd (1.70 pc), Reliance Ind (1.49 pc), Dr Reddy's (1.11 pc), Lupin (1.09 pc), Infosys (1.07 pc), M&M (1.03 pc), Power Grid (0.99 pc), Wipro (0.95 pc) and Maruti Suzuki (0.88 pc).

Big B wishes Dharmendra, Shatrughan Sinha on friendship's day

 Mumbai, Aug 7 (PTI) Megastar Amitabh Bachchan today wished his friends from the film industry, Dharmendra and Shatrughan Sinha, a Happy Friendship's Day.

The 73-year-old "Piku" star shared a few pictures of himself along with the two veteran actors on his Twitter page, captioning it, "Happy friendship day... ever." 

Bachchan and Dharmendra, 80, redefined the bond of friendship on screen with the 1975 blockbuster "Sholay", where they played best friends and partners-in-crime Jai and Veeru.

Bachchan posted a shot in which he is holding a photoframe having his and Dharmendra's still from "Sholay".

"Kuch pal yadgar ho jaate hain... Humesha ke liye...

(Some moments become memorable forever) Happy Friendship Day." 

He shared another picture, showing him greeting his "Dostana" co-star Sinha, 70, with a bouquet.

Referring to Sinha's famous dialogue 'Khamosh', Bachchan wrote, "Aye dost teri dosti ki kami, Har pal mehsoos hoti hai... Jab sunte hai KHAMOSH! lafz kisiki juban se. Tumhari yaad aapne aap aajati hai...

Shooting - American Thrasher wins first gold of Games

2016 Rio Olympics - Shooting - Final - Women's 10m Air Rifle Finals - Olympic Shooting Centre - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - 06/08/2016. Virginia Thrasher (USA) of USA reacts.

American teenager Virginia Thrasher won the first gold medal of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games on Saturday, holding her nerve against two Chinese Olympic champions to clinch the women's 10m air rifle event.

The 19-year-old American edged out China's Du Li, gold in Athens in 2004, with an Olympic-record score of 208. Defending Olympic champion Yi Siling, also of China, took the bronze medal.

Thrasher was awarded the first gold of the Games by International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach.

Competing in her first Olympics, Thrasher established an early lead after battling with the Russian shooter Daria Vdovina, who stumbled midway through the competition and finished fifth.

(Reporting by Mary Milliken; Editing by Ossian Shine and Clare Fallon)

Govt to develop 300 villages as growth centres, says PM

 New Delhi, Aug 6 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said his government plans to develop 300 villages across the country as growth centers for the area by creating city like infrastructure, from education and healthcare to digital connectivity

The National Rurban Mission aims to provide better quality of life and employment in villages, he said at the townhall organised to mark the second anniversary of myGov app

There is no dearth of smart cities, but shouldn't the scenario of villages change, he asked. "Facilities available in cities must be made available to villages." 

Rurban Mission is 'Smart City Plus', he said, adding 300 villages have been identified, which will be developed as growth centre for the area

All infrastructure identical to cities like digital and physical connectivity as well as quality healthcare and education will be provided, he said. "The idea is that the soul of a village is retained while amenities of cities are provided." 

These villages are the ones where rural people may visit for healthcare, education or attending to other needs like repairing or recharging mobiles

Villages, he said, can become the growth centre of the rural economy

On the eve of Handloom Day, Modi urged 125 crore Indians to use khadi and handloom for 5 per cent of their clothing needs

This would boost the textile sector, which is the second biggest employment provider in the country, he said. "This will help the poor." 

Rural economy will change if the sector is provided holistic support, e-platform for global marketing and facilities to weavers, he added.

Vijay Rupani new Guj CM, Nitin Patel deputy

 Gandhinagar, Aug 5 (PTI) In a surprise decision, BJP state unit chief Vijay Rupani, a Amit Shah loyalist, was today chosen as the new Chief Minister of Gujarat to succeed Anandiben Patel, pipping Nitin Patel who was considered a sure pick for the top job in the poll-bound state.

Nitin Patel, seen as the front runner for the top slot after Anandiben offered to resign, was made deputy Chief Minister. It is for the first time that Gujarat will have a deputy chief minister.

The announcement was made by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, who was assigned as the party's observer, after the BJP legislature party meeting which elected 61-year-old Rupani as its leader. The names of Rupani and Nitin Patel were proposed by Anandiben Patel and seconded by several MLAs.

The decision to make Rupani as chief minister and Nitin Patel, the incumbent health minister, as his deputy was taken at hectic parleys involving BJP President Amit Shah and Gadkari.

The BJP legislature party meeting, which was to start at 4 PM began two hours late, apparently due to parleys involving top leaders.

Earlier in the day, Nitin Patel's office had claimed that his name has been finalised by the BJP to fill the position that fell vacant by Anandiben's resignation.

Patel had given a series of interviews to national television channels listing how he intends to take the state forward when it is facing the challenges like Patel quota agitation and dalit unrest. Even sweets were distributed at his residence and a pooja was also organised.

However, in the two hours after BJP national president Amit Shah reached the party office at 4 PM, followed by observers Gadkari and Saroj Pandey, the top leaders of the state remained in a huddle in one of the conference rooms of BJP state headquarters at Koba village on the outskirts of Gandhinagar.

Shah, Gadkari, Pandey, Anandiben, Nitin Patel, Vijay Rupani and BJP joint general secretary (organisation) V Satish were present in the meeting, besides some other leaders.

However, there is no word on what transpired at the meeting.

Rupani, who belongs to Jain Baniya community, is considered to be close to Amit Shah while Patel is said to be close to Anandiben.

GST rate to be optimum, working on time-bound rollout: Jaitley

 New Delhi, Aug 4 (PTI) As government looks to implement the Goods and Services Tax (GST) from April next year, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday said the tax rate will be "optimum" even as there were indications that it may be higher than 18 per cent.

A day after Rajya Sabha approved a constitutional amendment to pave the way for rollout of GST, he said the tax rate will be decided by the GST Council, which will have Union Finance Minister and representatives of all 29 states.

"We are going to try to make it reasonably as quick as possible... it is always good to set stiff targets and try meet them, rather than have no targets at all," he said.

Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia said the Union Government would want half of the states to ratify the bill within the next 30 days so as to allow GST Council to finalise the legislations that will set the rate and other terms.

Jaitley said the government is targeting to bring the legislations -- the Central GST Bill and the Integrated GST (GST) Bill -- before the Parliament in the Winter Session of Parliament in November.

Chief Economic Adviser Arvind Subramanian, who had previously recommended a standard GST rate of 17-19 per cent, said while a GST rate of close to 22 per cent will put inflationary pressure, higher rate of 27 per cent will become totally self-defeating.

Adhia on the other hand said it would be "premature" to expect the GST's standard rate to be 18 per cent saying it would imply significant revenue losses.

Central excise duty and state VAT taken together added up to 27 per cent currently.

"I think what you need is an optimum rate... Currently what the tax payers are paying is phenomenally much higher...

Now it will gradually slide down. But even in the first instance it will come down," Jaitley said.

The GST Bill passed by Rajya Sabha yesterday will have to go to Lok Sabha before it is sent to states for ratification.

On the impact of GST rollout on inflation, Jaitley said over the years, the tax rates will come down and hence the prices of many commodities will also decline.

"Over the long-term, tax rates will come down, and if tax rates come down then it is natural that many commodities will see lowering of prices. In the coming days, we will try that sooner we complete the roadmap and implement it," he said.

Availing of Home Town LTC for other places

Vide DoPT’s O.M. No. 31011/3/2014-Estt.(A-IV) dated 26.09.2014, Government employees have been allowed to convert their Home Town LTC to visit Jammu & Kashmir, North-East Region and Andaman & Nicobar Islands under the present scheme upto 25.09.2016.

Government servants entitled to travel by air can avail this LTC from their Headquarters to the destination. While, the Government servants not entitled to travel by air may travel by air in Economy class in the following sectors:

(a) Between Kolkata/Guwahati and any place in NER

(b) Between Kolkata/Chennai/Bhubaneswar and Port Blair.

(c) Between Delhi/Amritsar and any place in J&K.

Journey for the non-entitled employees from their Headquarters up to Kolkata/ Guwahati/ Chennai/ Bhubaneswar/ Delhi/ Amritsar will have to be undertaken as per their entitlement.

Reimbursement under the Leave Travel Concession scheme does not cover incidental expenses and expenditure incurred on local journeys.

This was stated by the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh in a written reply to a question by Shri Pramod Tiwari in the Rajya Sabha today.

Rajnath skips lunch hosted by Pak counterpart

 Islamabad, Aug 4 (PTI) Home Minister Rajnath Singh today skipped a lunch hosted by his Pakistani counterpart Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan after the host himself left the venue.

Khan had organised the lunch for the visiting dignitaries, who were here to attend the 7th SAARC Interior/Home Ministers' conference, and had scheduled it after the main meeting.

However, the Pakistani Interior Minister left the venue immediately after the meeting got over despite being the host of the lunch. Singh then took the decision to skip the lunch.

The Home Minister later had his lunch at his hotel room along with the members of the accompanying Indian delegation.

After the lunch, Singh left for India.

The ongoing strain in Indo-Pak relations was also evident at the SAARC Interior/Home Ministers' conference here when Singh came face-to-face with Khan for the first time today and the two leaders barely shook hands.

As Singh arrived at the venue of the conference at the posh Serena Hotel here, Khan was at the gate to receive the dignitaries. The two leaders barely touched their hands, not even a formal handshake, before Singh moved ahead to enter the meeting hall.

Stop glorification of terrorists, encouraging terror groups: Rajnath

 Islamabad, Aug 4 (PTI) India today delivered a blunt message to Pakistan asking it to stop encouraging terror groups and "glorification" of terrorists and also called for "strongest action" against nations supporting terrorism and their isolation.

Without mincing any words amid the strain in Indo-Pak relations, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said mere condemnation of terrorism and terrorists is not enough and that there are "no good terrorists or bad terrorists".

Singh in his address to the 7th SAARC Interiors Ministers Conference said terrorism continued to remain the biggest challenge and threat to the region.

The current strain in Indo-Pak relations was apparently evident when Singh came face-to-face with his Pakistani counterpart Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan for the first time today and the two leaders barely shook hands.

The two leaders barely touched their hands, not even a formal handshake, before Singh moved ahead to enter the meeting hall. 

Members of the Indian media, which came from New Delhi to report the conference, were not allowed to capture the moment or the conference and was kept at a distance by Pakistani officials, leading to a verbal duel between a senior Indian official and a Pakistani official.

The Home Minister also skipped the lunch being hosted by Khan after the meeting as the host had left the venue.

Speaking in Hindi at the conference, Singh said there should be "strongest action not only against terrorists or organisations but also against those individuals, organisations and nations who support terrorism." 

"It also needs to be ensured that terrorism is not glorified and is not patronized by any state," Singh said in a veiled dig at Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Singh's comments came against the backdrop of Sharif's praise of Burhan Wani who was killed in an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir on July 8 and his description of Hizbul Mujahideen commander as a martyr, much to India s ire.

"One country s terrorist cannot be a martyr or freedom fighter for anyone. I also speak for the entire humanity- not just for India or other SAARC members in urging that in no circumstances should terrorists be eulogised as martyrs."

Calling for isolation of countries or individuals who provide any kind of support, encouragement, sanctuary, safe haven or any assistance to terrorists, he said 

"strongest possible steps need to be taken not only against terrorists and terrorist organisations but also those individuals, institutions, organisations or nations that support them.

"Only this will ensure that the forces engaged in promoting the heinous crime of terrorism against humanity are effectively countered.".