Jaitley to represent Indian govt at historic palace reception

London, Feb 23 (PTI) Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will arrive here tomorrow to represent the Indian government at a historic reception hosted by Queen Elizabeth II to launch the UK-India Year of Culture 2017.

Bilateral talks with Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond are among the ministerial meetings confirmed on his agenda, during which a wide range of issues will be discussed.

The extradition of embattled liquor baron, Vijay Mallya, from the UK to India may be among the topics that come up during the discussions, according to sources in London.

Jaitley will also hold a series of meetings with UK-based investors and CEOs during the five-day visit.

"Arun Jaitley will speak on India's current economic and financial climate, from the government's high-profile 'Make in India' campaign to its recent, radical demonetisation of Indian currency. This will be the first such speech by the Finance Minister since the presentation of the new Budget," said the London School of Economics (LSE), where the minister will officially kick off his visit on Saturday with a lecture entitled 'Transforming India: Vision for the Next Decade'.

On Sunday, February 26, Jaitley will be the chief guest at a reception organised by the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), British Council and High Commission of India to celebrate UK India Year of Culture.

Jaitley will then attend the market opening ceremony of the London Stock Exchange on February 27 followed by a round-table with investors, issuers of Masala Bonds and tech experts, among others.

He will then address CEOs and senior business leaders from the India-UK sphere at an event titled "In Conversation with Arun Jaitley" organised by FICCI and UK India Business Council (UKIBC).

"Through a dialogue with James Kynge, Emerging Markets Editor at the 'Financial Times', Arun Jaitley will share his views on the investment opportunities in India, how his recent Budget will impact UK businesses, and on the future of the UK-India trade and investment relationship," UKIBC said.

I don't form personal equations at work: Kangana Ranaut

New Delhi, Feb 22 (PTI) Kangana Ranaut is rarely seen mingling around with her co-stars and the actress says the call is intentional as she does not like forming personal relationships at the workplace.

The 29-year-old actress says she does believe in making her co-actors comfortable but avoids being over-friendly.

"There should be a comfortable environment on set. But I won't recommend one should form personal equations at work. I don't do that as I feel it will come in the way of your work.

"Comfort with co-stars is good but too much comfort is not good. It is good to be formal at work. I prefer sticking just to my work but at the same time I like being someone who is approachable," Kangana told PTI.

The actress believes working women should always carry the "I mean business" attitude if they want their colleagues to respect them.

"I don't say it only for movie sets, I recommend it to all the women as I believe when you come with 'I mean business' attitude, you get respect. I feel that respect is very important to operate in the most dignified way.

"We keep complaining about the fact that we don't get respect but I believe one needs to maintain the dignity. There is a very fine line between being friendly and over-friendly." 

The actress will next be seen in Vishal Bhardwaj's "Rangoon" which also stars Shahid Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan.

Reports of a cold war between Kangana and her "Rangoon" co-star Shahid Kapoor have been doing the rounds since they started promoting the film. While Shahid said he shares a "strictly professional" relationship with Kangana, she called him "moody" on a TV chat show recently.

Asked about her experience of working with Shahid and Saif, Kangana, praises them as "amazing actors". She says "Rangoon" turned out to be one of the best experiences of her career because of the cast.

"I feel you need very good actors to support the script because if every character is activated it will just bring the script alive and that is very important. That is what we as actors look forward to.

"We have a great cast. They (Shahid and Saif) are not just stars, they are amazing actors as well. I feel this is by far the best opportunity I have had to work with a great team." 

The actress, who also has Hansal Mehta's "Simran" and Ketan Mehta's "Rani Laxmi Bai" lined up, is elated with the way things are going in her professional life.

"In terms of career, it is the best phase. I am getting good opportunities and also the central roles where I have the possibility of constant growth," she says.

Cabinet approves enhancement of capacity from 20,000 MW to 40,000 MW of the Scheme for Development of Solar Parks and Ultra Mega Solar Power Projects

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today approved the enhancement of capacity from 20,000 MW to 40,000 MW of the Scheme for Development of Solar Parks and Ultra Mega Solar Power Projects. The enhanced capacity would ensure setting up of at least 50 solar parks each with a capacity of 500 MW and above in various parts of the country. Smaller parks in Himalayan and other hilly States where contiguous land may be difficult to acquire in view of the difficult terrain, will also be considered under the scheme. The capacity of the solar park scheme has been enhanced after considering the demand for additional solar parks from the States. 

The Solar Parks and Ultra Mega Solar Power Projects will be set up by 2019-20 with Central Government financial support of Rs.8100 crore. The total capacity when operational will generate 64 billion units of electricity per year which will lead to abatement of around 55 million tonnes of CO2 per year over its life cycle. 

It would also contribute to long term energy security of the country and promote ecologically sustainable growth by reduction in carbon emissions and carbon footprint, as well as generate large direct & indirect employment opportunities in solar and allied industries like glass, metals, heavy industrial equipment etc. The solar parks will also provide productive use of abundant uncultivable lands which in turn facilitate development of the surrounding areas.

All the States and UTs are eligible for benefits under the scheme. The State Government will first nominate the Solar Power Park Developer (SPPD) and also identify the land for the proposed solar park. It will then send a proposal to MNRE for approval along with the name of the SPPD. The SPPD will then be sanctioned a grant of upto Rs.25 Lakh for preparing a Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the Solar Park. Thereafter, Central Financial Assistance (CFA) of up to Rs. 20 lakhs/MW or 30 percent of the project cost including Grid-connectivity cost, whichever is lower, will be released as per the milestones prescribed in the scheme. Solar Energy Corporation India (SECI) will administer the scheme under the direction of MNRE. The approved grant will be released by SECI.

The solar parks will be developed in collaboration with State Governments/UTs. The State Governments/UTs are required to select the SPPD for developing and maintaining the solar parks.

Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is already implementing a scheme for development of at least 25 solar parks with an aggregate capacity of 20,000 MW, which was launched in December 2014. As on date, 34 solar parks of aggregate capacity 20,000 MW have been approved which are at various stages of development.

No post-poll alliance with BSP or any party in UP: Amit Shah

Varanasi, Feb 22 (PTI) BJP President Amit Shah today ruled out any post-poll alliance with the BSP or any other party in the event of a hung assembly in Uttar Pradesh, confident that the party will get a "full majority".

As UP gears up for the fourth phase of the seven-phase Assembly elections tomorrow, Shah, 52 , also said that the BJP not naming a chief ministerial candidate was part of the party's poll "strategy".

"Kisi se bhi haath milane ka dur-dur tak koi swaal nahin uthatha (there is no question by far of joining hands with any party)," he said when asked during a wide-ranging interview to PTI if the BJP would be willing to ally with the BSP or any other party to form a government in the politically crucial state if it fell short of a majority.

The comments by Shah come against the backdrop of some poll surveys and political experts projecting a hung assembly in UP given that all the three players the SP-Congress, BSP and BJP have a robust set-up and a loyal social base in the state.

Shah, who has campaigned extensively in UP, acknowledges the importance of the poll outcome in the state to 2019 Lok Sabha polls but at the same time he feels that the results would be even more crucial for the country's development.

Working hard to recreate the magic of 2014 that gave BJP 71 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in the face of stiff competition from the SP-Congress alliance and Mayawati's BSP, the BJP strongman answered a wide range of questions on the elections in UP and four other States and their importance to the party as well as to Prime Minister Narendra Modi who has also campaigned intensely in the country's biggest state.

Shah expressed confidence that his party will form the next government in UP, Uttarakhand and Goa with "full majority" but is unwilling to make a prediction about Punjab, noting that it was a triangular contest there involving the SAD-BJP, Congress and AAP.

"In Goa, Uttarakhand and UP, we will form governments with full majority. It is 'trikoniay muqablaa hai (triangular contest) in Punjab, so it is difficult to make a guess who will win," he added. .

B'desh says will not allow anti-India forces to operate

Dhaka, Feb 21 (PTI) Bangladesh today assured India that its soil will not be allowed to be used by anti-India elements and denied existence of any camp of Northeast insurgent groups.

This was conveyed to the Director General (DG) of the Border Security Force (BSF) K K Sharma by chief of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Major General Abul Hossain during the 44th border coordination conference held here.

According to a joint statement, "DG BGB stated that there are no Indian Insurgent Groups camp/ hideout inside Bangladesh. DG BGB further mentioned that Bangladesh does not allow her soil to be used by any entity or element hostile to any country which stems from the principle position of the highest leadership of the country".

DG BSF sought further cooperation from BGB for destruction of reported hideouts of (Indian Insurgent Groups) in Bangladesh and safe release of Indian nationals whenever abducted by them, it said.

The five-day meet highlighted the importance of Coordinated Border Management Plan (CBMP) in curbing the menace of trans-border crimes like smuggling of arms, ammunition, explosives, drugs and narcotics including Yaba (Amphetamine), fake currency notes, gold and cattle, breaching of IBB (Indo-Bangladesh Border) fence, dacoities, theft, abductions etc and both sides agreed to implement CBMP in letter and spirit.

Both sides agreed to take effective steps to prevent human trafficking and illegal crossing.

Both the delegation agreed to enhance joint capacity building of personnel from either side, sharing of information regarding organised criminal activities, increased surveillance in areas vulnerable to crimes of the border.

In this regard, mapping of vulnerable areas to trans- border criminal activities will be updated as and when required and before each DG-level talk, the statement said.

The chief of Border Guard Bangladesh expressed grave concern on the incidents of firing and killing of Bangladeshi nationals and emphasised the need for bringing the death toll to zero through exercising extreme caution by BSF and sensitising Indian nationals.

Highlighting the fact that though the non-lethal strategy has proved extremely successful in reducing deaths in the border, DG BSF said that it has also resulted in an alarming increase in incidents of attacks by the criminals on BSF personnel.

He also conveyed that BSF personnel fire with non-lethal weapon only in self-defense. DG BSF sought cooperation of BGB in stopping Bangladeshi nationals from crossing the IB, the joint statement said.

Govt not to support Bill to declare Pak a 'terror state'

New Delhi, Feb 21 (PTI) A Private Member's Bill, which seeks to declare Pakistan a country sponsoring terrorism, will be opposed by the government in Parliament.

'The Declaration of Countries as Sponsor of Terrorism Bill, 2016', moved by Independent member Rajeev Chandrasekhar in Rajya Sabha, "seeks to call out states like Pakistan that continue to associate, promote, patronise and sponsor terrorism against our nation" and provides for snapping all economic and trade relations with that country.

"India can't declare any country a 'Terror State' as it has to maintain diplomatic relations with all countries.

Besides, in principle it is very rare that government supports any Private Member's Bill," a Home Ministry official said.

The Home Ministry has conveyed to the Rajya Sabha Secretariat about its opposition to the Bill, saying such a move may "jeopardise" international relations.

While moving the Bill on February 3, Chandrasekhar had stated that for decades, India and other countries in the region have been victims of terror attacks from organisations and individuals based in and with the support of elements in Pakistan.

"Yet for decades we have remained engaged with Pakistan in an attempt to draw it into the mainstream. This Bill is to finally put into motion the process of calling terror sponsors to account," Chandrasekhar said.

He also quoted data to say that from 1998 to 29, January 2017 14,741 civilians have been killed in terror attacks in this country, 6,274 security force personnel lost their lives and we have 23,146 terrorists.

He also referred to the terror attack on Parliament, the Indian 'temple of democracy', on December 13, 2001, to press his point.

Stating that "Pakistan's history and track record of fostering terrorism and terrorists is long and indeed distinguishable and incontrovertible," he added, "It is time that we stop running to other countries to declare Pakistan a terror state and stood up and did this job ourselves." 

Asserting that the world is getting tired and has lost patience with "rogue nations", he said as the global opinion consolidates around the conduct of some countries like Pakistan, the focus will naturally come on what India and the Indian Parliament's approach to that threat is.

Chandrasekhar said the Bill can apply in the future also to other countries that directly or indirectly aid terror attacks against India.

WHO congratulates India on successful assessment of India’s National Regulatory Authority

Big boost to Government’s efforts towards quality healthcare: J P Nadda

“The successful outcome of the WHO conducted assessment of the National Regulatory Authority (NRA) of India is a big boost to the Government’s efforts towards quality healthcare, for which the Government is committed to”. This was stated by Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare Shri J P Nadda, here today, as WHO congratulated him and the Ministry for successful assessment of the country’s National Regulatory Authority (NRA). He stated that the Ministry under the dynamic guidance and leadership of the Hon. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modiji is poised for more such laurels in the healthcare sector. 

WHO, in its letter to the Minister, has applauded the country’s NRA being declared “functional’ with a maturity level of 4, i.e., the highest level as per currently evolved definitions in respect of 5 functions, and maturity level 3 in respect of 4 functions. While, maturity level 4 indicates good results and sustained improvement trends, maturity level 3 reflects systematic process based approach, early stage of systematic improvements, data availability regarding conformance to objectives and existence of improvement trends. Shri Nadda has termed this as the result of hard work of all the health functionaries who have collaborated with the Ministry in its efforts. 

The Minister informed that WHO has termed the 100% compliance in the WHO assessment (benchmarking) of the Indian vaccine regulatory system as another ‘landmark achievement’. The previous WHO assessment (benchmarking) of the Indian vaccine regulatory system was conducted in 2012 during which institutional development plan (IDP) and the road map for strengthening the NRA were developed. Pointing out to the introduction of newer vaccines in the country’s full immunisation basket through the nationwide introduction of pentavalent vaccine, and the phased roll-out of Rotavirus vaccine and Measles Rubella vaccine, Shri Nadda stated that the Ministry is confident that India shall meet all its global commitments in the healthcare sector as a result of these focussed endeavours. In addition, Mission Indradhanush has strengthened the full immunisation drive of the Government, the Health Minister stated. 

WHO accords high importance to equitable access to quality, safe, efficacious, and affordable medical and health products. In view of India being one of the main global suppliers of drug and biological medicinal products including vaccines, medical devices, and traditional medicines, and as it is supplying several vaccines to UN agencies, the ‘successful assessment will go a long way in strengthening global confidence in medical products from India’. WHO also notes that this shall ‘give an impetus to the “Make in India” mantra of the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India’. 

A fully functional NRA is a pre-requisite for WHO prequalification of vaccines. One of the requirements to become eligible and retain prequalification status is to have the National Regulatory Authority (NRA) assessed as functional against the WHO published NRA indicators. WHO Prequalification Programme, as such, facilitates access to vaccines that meet the unified standards of quality, safety and efficacy as well as programme needs. The vaccine manufacturers can only apply for WHO vaccine prequalification if the NRA meets the standards of the WHO NRA published indicators i.e. WHO Global benchmarking Tool on functional regulatory system for vaccines. 

Recently, WHO has completed the assessment of the status of the Indian vaccine regulatory system against WHO NRA Global Benchmarking Tool (GBT) for benchmarking and measured the maturity of the system. The assessment has been carried out by a WHO team comprising lead experts in different areas from WHO Headquarters Geneva, WHO India Country Office, experts drawn from the regulators of USA, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Indonesia, Thailand and Egypt. The assessment has been done in respect of nine different functionalities. 

World Health Organisation has, based on a robust benchmarking tool developed over years of consultation with various experts drawn from across the globe, carried out assessment of the National Regulatory Authority (NRA) of India comprising the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), State Drug Regulatory Authorities, Pharmaco-vigilance Programme of India (PvPI) and Adverse Events Following Immunization (AEFI) structures at the Central and States levels. The nine functions included in the tool are National Regulatory System; Registration and Marketing Authorization; Vigilance; Laboratory Access and Testing; Regulatory Inspection; Clinical Trial Oversight; NRA Lot Release; Licensing Premises; and Market Surveillance and Control. The Global Benchmarking Tool (GBT) so developed has 63 indicators and 288 sub-indicators, out of which 150 are critical. Earlier in 2012, NRA was assessed against 7 functions and 181 indicators. 

Secretary (HFW), Shri C K Mishra also congratulated the entire teams which have really put in very hard work to achieve this for the country. 

India's record satellite launch ramps up space race: Chinese media

Beijing, Feb 20 (PTI) India has done a better job than China in promoting satellite launch technology which could prompt Beijing to fast-track commercialisation of its rocket launches to vie for the world's small satellite market, Chinese officials said today.

"The launch indicated that India can send commercial satellites into space at lower costs, giving the country's competitiveness in the global race for the burgeoning commercial space businesses," Zhang Yonghe, director with the new technology department of the Shanghai Engineering Centre for Microsatellites, said.

China may fast-track the commercialisation of its rocket launches after India's success, Chinese-state run media quoted Chinese officials as saying in a report titled 'India's satellite launch ramps up space race'.

Zhang believes that India did a better job promoting its launch services internationally than China, the report said.

Acknowledging that after reaching Mars ahead of China, India stole the march last week by putting 104 satellites into orbit from a single rocket, Zhang said, "China will likely fast-track the commercialisation of its rocket launches to vie for the world s burgeoning small satellite launch market.

"The Wednesday's launch is India's latest triumph for its space programme"," a Global Times report said.

"In 2014, India became the fourth country to successfully send a spacecraft to orbit Mars, signalling a regional rivalry with China which suffered a failure in its Mars mission in 2012," it said.

"Nearly all of its 103 smaller satellites are from other countries including Israel, Kazakhstan, Switzerland and the US," it said.

After Indian Space Research Organisation's successful feat, the daily, part of the ruling Communist Party of China publications, had said the achievement made Indians proud but it sought to belittle the significance saying that its impact is "limited".

While praising the record launch as "India's triumph", today's report also said "with respect to the research and development of both military and commercial rocket launch services, India lags behind China, the US and Russia".

"India cannot match them yet unless it has enough rockets types to fulfil all satellites launches," it quoted Zhang as saying.

Xue Lijun, general manager assistant of Shenzhen Aerospace Dongfanghong Development Ltd said that India's launch on Wednesday is a breakthrough in terms of numbers, but not in technology.

"Technologically speaking, the launch did not have any big difficulties what [Indian engineers] need to do is to avoid the conflicts among satellites, which involves lots of calculation and data analysis, but is not a tough task," Xue told the daily.

"The 104 satellites are mostly in the same orbit, indicating that India still lacks capabilities of sending multiple satellites into various orbits," the report quoted the "experts" as saying.

Chief minister wins stormy confidence vote in India's carmaking state

Edappadi Palanisamy, a loyalist of interim general secretary of AIADMK party V. K. Sasikala, leaves the Raj Bhavan after swearing in as the Chief Minister of southern state of Tamil Nadu, in Chennai, India February 16, 2017. REUTERS/Stringer

The chief minister of India's southern state of Tamil Nadu won a confidence vote on Sunday after a brawl in the state assembly, triggered when the speaker rejected opposition calls for a secret ballot.

Edappadi Palanisamy won the vote by 121 to 11, which followed a weeks-long power struggle set off by the death of his party leader and former chief minister, filmstar-turned-politician Jayalalithaa Jayaram.

Palanisamy was elected leader of the AIADMK party, which holds a majority in the assembly, and sworn in as chief minister on Tuesday.

The assembly speaker then called a confidence vote, which opposition group DMK petitioned to be conducted via a secret ballot, arguing this would reveal deep divisions in the ruling party.

The speaker refused to grant the request and, after the brawl then broke out, ejected DMK lawmakers from the chamber, footage from Indian broadcasters showed.

One official was injured in the scuffle and was taken out on a stretcher, TV networks said.

The state of more than 70 million people, a magnet for foreign automakers and consumer electronics firms, has been in political limbo since Jayaram died on Dec. 6 without naming a successor.

The subsequent political turmoil, along with rising social unrest, has raised doubts over its attractiveness as a place to do business.

Following Jayaraman's death, her companion V. K. Sasikala was appointed interim general secretary of AIADMK and then sought to take over as leader.

But that bid ended this week when the federal Supreme Court convicted her of corruption and jailed her for four years.

Known as the "Detroit of Asia", Tamil Nadu is India's second-largest manufacturing state. It hosts manufacturers including <BMW BMWG.DE>, Daimler, Hyundai, Ford, Mitsubishi, Nissan and Renault.

Before his appointment as chief minister, Palanisamy served as public works minister, and is little known outside his home state.

GST Council clears law to compensate states for revenue loss

Udaipur, Feb 18 (PTI) Inching towards rolling out of GST, the GST Council today approved a law to compensate states for any loss of revenue from the implementation of the new national sales tax but deferred approval for enabling laws to next meeting.

The all-powerful GST Council will meet again on March 4 and 5 to approve the legally vetted draft of the supporting legislations for Central GST (C-GST) and Integrated GST (I- GST), days before the start of the second leg of the Budget Session where the Centre is hoping to get them approved.

It will also approve the State GST (S-GST) law, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said after the day-long meeting.

After laws are approved, the Council will get down to fixing rates of taxes for different goods and services by fitting them into the four approved slabs of 5, 12, 18 and 28 per cent, he said.

GST, which will replace a plethora of central and state taxes, is a consumption based tax levied on sale, manufacture and consumption on goods and services at a national level.

Under it, C-GST will be levied by the Centre, SGST by states and I-GST on inter-state supply of goods and services.

Different indirect taxes of central excise duty, central sales tax CST and service tax are to be merged with C-GST while S-GST will subsume state sales tax, VAT, luxury tax and entertainment tax.

There was expectation that the GST Council will approve the C-GST, S-GST and I-GST laws to enable the new indirect tax regime to roll out from July 1 but while there was a broad agreement, legal language of some clauses held up the approval, he said. 

Officials said while an array of 53 clauses have been approved, only seven items.

Jaitley said the GST Council approved the Compensation Law that will legally provide for the Centre making up for any loss of revenue to states in first five years of rollout of Goods and Service Tax (GST) regime.

This law will go to Parliament for approval in the second half of the Budget session beginning March 9, Jaitley said, hoping the other supporting legislations of C-GST and I-GST too can be taken up in the month-long session.

S-GST will have to be approved by each of the state legislative assemblies.

The GST Council, headed by Jaitley and comprising of representatives of all states, held its first of the 10 meetings so far outside the national capital.

He said the critical anti-profiteering clause in the draft law to ensure that the benefit of lower taxes gets shared with consumers was not discussed in today's meeting.

Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Isaac said most of the time of the Council was spent over administration of powers over assessees between Centre and the state as the central bureaucracy was feeling left out and wanted a greater share.

Officials said only minor legal vetting of the draft laws is left which after getting the language legally right will be circulated to states by March 1.

Also, a separate UT-GST law, on lines of S-GST, needs to be enacted for Union Territories.