Truth will triumph: Kejriwal on graft charges by Mishra

New Delhi, May 8 (PTI) "Truth will triumph," Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today said, ahead of the special session of the Delhi Assembly tomorrow in the wake of corruption charges levelled against him by sacked AAP minister Kapil Mishra.

"Truth will triumph. Its beginning will be made during the special session of the Delhi Assembly tomorrow," Kejriwal tweeted late this evening on the graft charges against him by Mishra that has led to turmoil in the Aam Aadmi Party.

The one-day special session is expected to be a stormy affair as the opposition BJP plans to come down hard on the AAP government over Mishra's graft charges.

The ruling AAP will also seek to corner the BJP and its government at the Centre over alleged EVM manipulation.

AAP sources hinted that the revelations which are being planned by the party tomorrow will be targeted at the BJP.

The Political Affairs Committee (PAC) of the AAP today suspended Mishra from the party's primary membership after he made graft charges against Kejriwal.

Mishra dared the AAP to oust him from the party even as he fired a fresh salvo at Kejriwal, saying a Rs 50 crore deal was arranged for the AAP chief's brother-in-law.

Asserting that a bogus bill amounting to Rs 10 crore was made to favour Kejriwal's brother-in-law, Mishra also alleged that during the Punjab polls, there was massive corruption by AAP in ticket distribution, and supplying of liquor by party members.

'I saw Satyendar Jain giving Rs 2 crore in cash to Kejriwal'

New Delhi, May 7 (PTI) A day after being dropped as a minister, AAP MLA Kapil Mishra today levelled stunning allegations of corruption against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Health Minister Satyendar Jain.

Mishra told reporters at Raj Ghat that he "saw" Jain handing over "Rs 2 crore" to Kejriwal at his official residence.

On being asked, the CM evaded answering where the money came from and said few things in politics cannot be explained, the sacked MLA alleged.

"I kept quiet all this while due to complete faith in Arvind Kejriwal. Day before yesterday, I saw Jain giving Rs 2 crore in cash to Kejriwal. Kejriwal said few things happen in politics. After having seen Jain hand over such a big amount to him, I had to come out. I have handed over the details to Lt Governor Anil Baijal," Mishra said.

"I am also ready to make a statement before the CBI or Anti Corruption Bureau if required," he added.

There was no immediate reaction from the Aam Aadmi Party or the government on the allegations. The BJP demanded the resignation of Kejriwal saying Mishra has "punctured the balloon of his probity".

Mishra further alleged that Jain told him that he "settled land deals worth Rs 50 crore for Kejriwal's relative". The AAP MLA said he was sacked after he confronted Kejriwal over the issue.

Mishra's surprise sacking came days after he sided with senior party leader Kumar Vishwas who has been at loggerheads with the party leadership.

Earlier, as Mishra went to meet the LG at Raj Niwas, the top leadership of AAP remained huddled at Kejriwal's residence. Vishwas, who was also present, left a Little before Mishra made the allegations to reporters at Raj Ghat.

Soon after the move, Mishra had claimed he would "expose" the involvement of certain AAP leaders in an alleged scam on Sunday.

He said he had met the chief minister earlier in the day and handed over documents related to the alleged scam.

"I was not informed of the decision and as per my knowledge, it was taken unilaterally by Kejriwal. The Cabinet or the Political Affairs Committee (the AAP's top decision- making body) was not involved," Mishra told PTI.

A senior government official said the decision to remove Mishra was taken after it was found that consumers were receiving "inflated" water bills.

Sources in the party said Mishra was sacked because of his poor performance. However, the party had considered him as one of the most vocal and active voices in the government until he sided with Vishwas.

"This is being repeatedly said that I have been moved out because water problems have not been solved in Delhi. But both Sisodia and Kejriwal have never raised the issue of water problems earlier," Mishra said. 

South Asian Satellite: PM says dream & commitment fulfilled

New Delhi, May 6 (PTI) The launching of South Asian Satellite was "a dream and a commitment" which India has fulfilled, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today, a day after the country crafted history.

Touted as India's "priceless gift" to its South Asian neighbours, the GSAT-9 launched yesterday will provide communication and help in disaster management in Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Afghanistan.

Pakistan refused to be a part of the project.

"..It was a dream and a commitment, which India has adhered to," tweeted Modi who had made a unilateral proposal of India launching such a regional satellite soon after he became the Prime Minister in 2014.

The Prime Minister tweeted in response to a message by a follower who congratulated him, saying that his dream had come true.

To another tweet, Modi said, "Through science, we can transform the lives of the poor and marginalised." 

The Rs 235 crore satellite has been built by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) as part of a Rs 450 crore project.

The cuboid-shaped 2,230 kg satellite named SAS will enable a full range of services to the neighbours, including in telecommunication, television, direct-to-home, VSATs, tele-education and telemedicine. The South Asian Satellite (SAS) mission life is 12 years.

If anyone can resolve Kashmir problem, it is PM Modi: Mehbooba

Jammu, May 6 (PTI) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today said only Prime Minister Narendra Modi can resolve the Kashmir problem as he has a strong mandate and appealed to him to pull the valley out of morass.

Mufti, whose government is battling spiralling protests in the valley, said the situation is the result of pent up anger due to failure of the UPA government to continue with the policy started by the previous NDA government in Jammu and Kashmir during her father Mufti Mohmmad Sayeed's rule. 

"I say today with authority and I will be criticised for it also. If anyone can find a solution to Jammu and Kashmir problem, it is Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"He (PM) has a strong mandate. Whatever decision he takes, the country will support him," said Mufti, whose party is running a government in coalition with the BJP.

"If anyone can take us out of the sticky spot, it is Prime Minister Modi. The nation will support whatever he decides...it is may earnest appeal...," she said.

The CM was addressing a gathering after inaugurating a flyover here.

Hailing the Prime Minister's decision to visit Lahore on December 25, 2015, she said that it was a sign of strength not weakness.

"He has the mandate of the people. This is his biggest power. He went to Lahore and met the PM of that country. This is not a sign of weakness but an indication of strength and power," she said.

She took a dig at former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, saying he did not have the courage to visit Pakistan.

"Before him (Modi), a Prime Minister had also desired to go to Pakistan for over ten years. He wanted to see his home there," she said, with naming Singh.

"He also would have tried to end the confrontation between the two countries, and bring J&K out of this unfortunate situation, but he had no courage to do that." 

She gave credit to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and former chief minister Mufti Sayeed for starting the "chapter of peace" in Jammu and Kashmir in 2002.

"They tried their best to bring out Kashmir out of this unfortunate situation. He was successful to a large extent in shortest of period," Mehbooba said. 

"There was ceasefire (along Indo-Pak border) during Vajpayee's rule. There were talks with L K Advani (in Kashmir). There was beginning of the process of opening (cross -LoC) roads." 

The chief minister said militancy declined during that period and there was peace on the borders.

"These were not small developments. But unfortunately Mufti was out of the government and Vajpayee ji left, and the process came to grinding halt," the PDP leader lamented.

She alleged that the UPA regime at the centre and the state government did not carry forward the process thinking "everything is peaceful and there is no need to do anything further".

"There was pent-up lava. It started to come out when the youths were out on the streets in 2008 and then 2009 and 2010.

This lava has now spread to the streets and we are forced to face this situation," she said. 

The CM said while her government is trying to improve the situation in Kashmir, there are some forces which do not want it.

"Mufti sahib, who had seen a dream, shook hands with the Prime Minister of our country Narendra Modi, who has got the mandate of the people," she said.

As the chief minister was speaking, former Minister and senior Congress leader Gulchain Singh Charak interrupted her speech and demanded setting up of two civil secretariat in Jammu and Srinagar capital cities.

Charak, who later walked out of the hall in protest, was heckled by some workers after conclusion of the function.

GSLV Successfully Launches South Asia Satellite

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi at the Video Conference with Heads of Government from South Asian Nations, to mark the launch of the South Asia Satellite, in New Delhi on May 05, 2017.

India's Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-F09) successfully launched the 2230 kg South |Asia Satellite (GSAT-9) into its planned Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) today (May 05, 2017). Today’s launch of GSLV was its eleventh and took place from the Second Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR (SDSC SHAR), Sriharikota, the spaceport of India. This is the fourth consecutive success achieved by GSLV carrying indigenously developed Cryogenic Upper Stage. In its oval shaped GTO, the South Asia Satellite is now orbiting the Earth with a perigee (nearest point to Earth) of 169 km and an apogee (farthest point to Earth) of 36,105 km with an orbital inclination of 20.65 deg with respect to the equator. 

Few seconds before the launch countdown reached zero, the four liquid propellant strap-on motors of GSLV-F09, each carrying 42 tons of liquid propellants, were ignited. At count zero and after confirming the normal performance of all the four strap-on motors, the 139 ton solid propellant first stage core motor was ignited and GSLV lifted off at 16:57 IST. The major phases of the flight occurred as scheduled. About seventeen minutes after lift-off, South Asia Satellite was successfully placed in GTO. 

. Soon after separation from GSLV, the two solar arrays of the satellite were automatically deployed in quick succession and the Master Control Facility (MCF) at Hassan in Karnataka assumed control of the satellite. 

South Asia Satellite is a communication satellite built by ISRO to provide a variety of communication services over the South Asian region. For this, it is equipped with Ku-band transponders. 

Following the successful launch, the Honorable Prime Minister of India, Mr. Narendra Modi addressed along with the South Asian leaders. He congratulated ISRO and remarked that today was a historic day for South Asia and a day without precedence. The Prime Minister recalled that two years ago India made a promise to extend the advanced space technology for the cause of growth and prosperity of the people of South Asia and felt that the successful launch of South Asia Satellite today marks a fulfillment of that. 

In the coming days, the satellite orbit will be raised from its present GTO to the final circular Geostationary Orbit (GSO) by firing the satellite's Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM) in stages. The South Asia Satellite will be commissioned into service after the completion of orbit raising operations and the satellite’s positioning in its designated slot in the GSO following in-orbit testing of its payloads. 

Deepika peeved over being mistaken for Priyanka in the West

Mumbai, May 5 (PTI) Actress Deepika Padukone says it is not only ignorance but racist when the foreign media mistakes her for Priyanka Chopra.

International mediapersons often confuse Deepika for the "Quantico" star and have even addressed her as Priyanka.

"It's not just about me being offended. It's you all in this room who should be offended. It's not just ignorance, it's also racist.

"Two people of similar colour are not the same people.

So, you as fellow Indians should actually be calling them out and educating them instead of encouraging it," Deepika told reporters at the L'Oreal event today.

When asked what could be the reason behind this confusion, she says, "Ignorance is ignorance. I feel bad for them." 

Recently Priyanka had said that it was not fair to mistake Deepika for her.

"I guess I'm the most popular brown face that everyone has known. Every brown girl does not look the same. Don't mistake it. Let's try and tell us apart. That was not right and it's not fair. She's a massive star from India," she had said.

State GST Bill passed by 8 assemblies in April-May: Finmin

New Delhi, May 4 (PTI) Eight state assemblies have passed the State Goods and Services Tax (SGST) Bill in April-May as the Centre gears up to roll out the new indirect tax regime nationwide from July.

While Telangana passed the SGST Bill on April 9, the legislation was approved in Bihar on April 24. In Rajasthan, it was done on April 26, Jharkhand - April 27, Chhattisgarh - April 28, Uttarakhand - May 2, Madhya Pradesh - May 3 and Haryana - May 4, a Finance Ministry statement said on Thursday.

The remaining states/UTs (having Legislative Assemblies) are likely to pass the Bill before the end of this month, it said. Some that get left would be approving it next month.

The GST Council, the top decision making body headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, had approved the model SGST Bill at its 12th Meeting on March 16 this year.

The next GST Council meeting will be held at Srinagar on May 18-19 to fix the tax rates of various commodities.

The central government proposes to roll out the GST from July 1.

The quick passage of the State GST Act by the State Assemblies, the statement said, shows the keenness on their part to ensure timely roll out of the GST.

The tax officials of the centre as well as the states have already launched the outreach programme to create general awareness among people about the new tax regime which will subsume service tax, excise and various other levies.

President likely to promulgate banking ordinance tomorrow

New Delhi, May 4 (PTI) President Pranab Mukherjee is likely to promulgate tomorrow an ordinance giving greater powers to the Reserve Bank to tackle mounting bad loans, a top source said.

The Cabinet yesterday approved promulgation of an ordinance to amend the Banking Regulation Act for resolution of the non-performing asset (NPA) crisis.

The amendments to the Act will help in effectively resolving the bad loans problem, Finance Secretary Ashok Lavasa said today.

"It is not possible for me to put down a number on how this (NPAs) will go down, but certainly we feel that these changes will make the system more effective in handling the bad loans," he told reporters here.

The Cabinet's decision got a thumbs-up from the market as Bank Nifty rallied 1.85 per cent to close at 22,720.10.

"Banks are in a sweet spot due to a new framework to deal with NPAs and better quarterly results," said Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Financial Services.

The secretary further said "we should be able to reach resolution in many of the cases" on the back of professionalism in the banking system and participation of promoters themselves.

He is confident that the amendments will allow regulator Reserve Bank and lenders to take effective steps to deal with the toxic assets.

After discussions with stakeholders, the government felt that some changes were necessary in the statute book to take the problem head-on.

Lavasa, however, did not disclose the details of the proposed amendments.

He is of the view that there is enough appetite in the market to buy stressed assets.

"We should not judge the capacity that is there in the market because people do have appetite for investment in the Indian market. India is probably one of the best destinations for investment at this point of time," he asserted.

Lavasa acknowledged that the NPA situation has not worsened in the recent past and there has been a marked improvement in some of the infrastructure sectors like power and road.

CCRUM holds a three day National Workshop on e-Granthalaya

The Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine (CCRUM) has organized a three-day National Workshop on e-Granthalya 4.0 for Automation and Networking of Government Libraries in New Delhi from 2^nd-4^th May, 2017. With the objective to train library professionals on e-Granthalya 4.0, the latest version of the library management software developed by National Informatics Centre (NIC), the workshop comprises of theoretical and hands-on training sessions on its admin, cataloging, circulation and serial modules. 

 

Inaugurating the workshop, Prof. Vd. K.S. Dhiman, Director General I/C, CCRUM said that we are living in a world where not everyone is able to spare time to visit physical libraries and networking of libraries in such a condition can be very helpful in conducting research and academic activities efficiently. He further said that e-libraries could also be a tool for transmission from physical books to e-books that can preserve our environment apart from saving a lot of money spent on procurement of physical books. He urged the participants to get used to the e-Granthalaya software and adopt it for automation and networking of libraries at their respective institutions in order to ease the dissemination of knowledge.

 

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Ram Kumar Matoria, Technical Director, NIC said that the Government of India provides the free of cost facility of adopting e-Granthalya software and uploading the data on NIC cloud to the government libraries to facilitate their automation and networking. He urged that like CCRUM other institutes of AYUSH should also come forward and adopt this facility extended by the NIC.

 

Earlier in his welcome address, Shri R.U. Choudhury, Assistant Director (CCRUM) said that the CCRUM has already adopted e-Granthalaya software making the catalogues of its eight libraries attached with its various institutes freely accessible to all globally. He further said that since the NIC has launched 4.0 version of the software with various new features, there was a need to organize such a workshop in order to make the library professionals used to it.

 

The workshop has 43 participants from different institutions including research councils of AYUSH, Banaras Hindu University and University of Kashmir.

CSR Fair 2017 to begin tomorrow

Shri Anant G. Geete, Union Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises will be inaugurating a three day long CSR Fair from tomorrow (4th to 6th May, 2017) at Hall no. 11 Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. This mega event is being organised by The Department of Public Enterprises, Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises; PHD Chamber in collaboration with ONGC, to provide a platform to all stakeholders, including Central Ministries/Departments, CPSEs/State PSUs, Private Companies, NGOs/Foundations etc. to showcase their CSR activities, sharing of their best practices and also an opportunity to connect with other stakeholders.

The uniqueness of this event lies in the activities as there will be:

§   Three days of dedicated information packed sessions on CSR

§   Never before opportunity to meet Who’s Who of CSR

§   Personalized solutions from CSR experts

§   Innovative case study presentations of successful CSR interventions by the leaders

§   Side Events: Exhibition by all stakeholders, including Central Ministries/Departments, CPSEs/State PSUs, Private Companies, NGOs/Foundations etc.

§   Launch of CSR Compendium, it will be an exhaustive review of success stories of CSR initiatives of CPSEs/State PSUs, Private Companies, NGOs/Foundations etc.

The objective of fair is to provide a leading platform to corporate leaders, organizations, implementing agencies and business experts to identify practical solutions for the problems concerning the participatory implementation of CSR projects at the ground level. Besides, this is to brainstorm a way forward to integrate CSR into core business values of the corporate houses, and to give an opportunity to network and build mutually enriching strategic relationships with various stakeholders and key partners.

On this occasion the success stories of creative and innovative CSR interventions will be shared and the stake holders will also be sensitized about leveraging CSR for competitive advantage.

The purpose is to disseminate key information on Section 135 and Schedule  VII of the Companies Act as well as the provisions of the Companies (Corporate Social Responsibility Policy) Rules, 2014 (CRS Rules) for an operational and comprehensive understanding in addition  to the reporting for disclosure of CSR activities and performance.

The agenda of CSR fair includes:

·           Business leaders and Directors of Companies to gain valuable insights into emerging trends and issues concerning CSR

·           CSR Heads, CSR Committee members seeking creative and innovative ideas for CSR planning

·           Compliance managers who wish to seek solutions and advise relating to CSR

·           Civil society groups, development sector organizations to explore partnership opportunities with industries

·           Development sector organizations seeking like-minded corporate houses for CSR projects and collaboration

·           Social entrepreneurs for mutually enriching networking and partnerships

·           CSR consultants for networking and partnerships

·           Academicians, researchers, implementing agencies and other stakeholders.

The importance of this event is in the light of sequences after the introduction of the Companies Act as it has changed the CSR landscape in India by putting in place-legal provisions that have had a domino effect that includes better informed and sensitized stakeholders, and a development sector that has begun to align itself to accepting CSR funds from corporates. In the realm of Business Sustainability, SEBI has mandated Business Responsibility Reporting for top 500 listed companies based on their market capitalization from 1 April 2016. This move is an effort to improve corporate governance practices and transparency in terms of reporting of socially responsible activities carried out by the business houses.

While some companies still view it as compliance, many have started to realize that solely focusing on profit will prevent a holistic and responsible approach to business that involves social goals such as creating livelihoods, making qualitative education available for all and providing health facilities to the people who cannot afford it, etc.

The questions that arise as we look towards a new fiscal year include what will be the way forward in the forthcoming years and the sustainability strategy of the implemented projects through community engagement thereby reducing the dependency on CSR funds. While the transition from legislation to implementation is always challenging and dynamic, the challenge is to ensure the sustainability and mentioned previously by inducing community ownership of projects.