Moving Beyond Defence, India-Israel Say 'History In Making': 10 Points

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu have hailed the visit as historic.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi and the Prime Minister of Israel, Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu at the Israeli Museum for Exhibition on India-Jewish Heritage, in Jerusalem, Israel on July 05, 2017

JERUSALEM: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu talked of "shared priorities" and a partnership that "can help global peace and stability," after holding back-to-back meetings over four hours and signing seven deals, including pacts on agriculture and water management. PM Modi thanked Mr Netanyahu for his warm welcome and hospitality and invited the Israeli Prime Minister and his wife to India. Mr Netanyahu immediately accepted the offer to a round of applause. This is the first visit to Israel by an Indian Prime Minister.

Here are your 10-point guide to PM Narendra Modi's Israel visit:

1. After their meetings the two leaders met Moshe Holtzberg - an Israeli child who as a toddler survived the 2008 terror attack at a Jewish centre in Mumbai. Moshe, now 11, read out a welcome note for PM Modi, saying "Dear Mr Modi, I Love you". 

2.Mr Netanyahu said both countries are "challenged by forces of terror" and that their meeting with Moshe Holtzberg is an "expression of our commitment to fight the bad and defend the good."

3."Ours is a partnership to seek good, defend good and achieve good. This is indeed a good day," said Mr Netyanhu, adding, "We spoke about so many fields where we can make a big difference - agriculture, water, health...today, India and Israel are changing our world and parts of the world." "We are making history together," Mr Netanyahu said.

4. PM Modi said Mr Netanyahu  and he "agreed to do much more together to protect our strategic interests." He said they discussed "the situation in West Asia and the wider region", adding that "it is India's hope that peace, dialogue and restraint will prevail."

5.PM Modi also said that thriving two-way trade and investment flows were the bed-rock of a strong partnership. The two leaders will meet top CEOs from both countries tomorrow.

6.Earlier today, PM Modi, who is on a three-day visit, met Israeli President Reuven Rivlin in his first formal engagement and tweeted a photo, saying, "The President of Israel welcomed me so warmly, he broke protocol. This is a mark of respect for the people of India." Mr Rivlin recalled his visit to India last year and said PM Modi is "one of the greatest democratic leaders."

7."I for I, India for Israel and Israel for India," said PM Modi, who was greeted with a warm hug by President Rivlin. PM Modi has said it is a "singular honour" to be the first Indian PM to undertake "this groundbreaking visit. "

8."We've been waiting for you a long time. We've been waiting almost 70 years in fact...The connection between us is natural, so natural that we might ask, what took so long?" said Mr Netanyahu on Tuesday. PM Modi had said hello in Hebrew and Mr Netanyahu spoke in Hindi after a grand welcome at the airport that Israel reserves for US Presidents.

9.Mr Netanyahu, who usually meets visiting heads of government for a meeting and over dinner or lunch meeting, is accompanying PM Modi, who he has fondly and frequently referred to as "my friend", to most engagements. This gesture, he said, "befits the leader of the largest democracy in the world".

10.The Israeli Prime Minister will also accompany PM Modi this evening when he addresses the Indian community in Jerusalem where a crowd of over 5,000 is expected. Singers from Bollywood are also expected to perform at the event.

PM Narendra Modi becomes first Indian PM to visit Israel : 3 day historic visit begins

Narendra Modi has arrived in Tel Aviv, becoming the first Indian prime minister to visit Israel.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi being received by the Prime Minister of Israel, Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu, on his arrival, at Ben Gurion Airport, in Tel Aviv, Israel on July 04, 2017.

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Israel today for his three-day visit. He is the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Israel, making it a historic trip. PM Modi met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and will meet with President Reuven Rivlin. The leaders are seeking to strengthen India-Israel relationship on a range of areas including defence and technology. Wide-ranging delegation-level talks have been planned between the two countries to enhance India-Israel ties in security, agriculture, water, energy and defence, among others. PM Modi and Prime Minister Netanyahu will also discuss measures to counter terrorism and increase cooperation in sharing of intelligence in this regard. Economic, cultural and people-to-people ties are also scheduled to be discussed and a number of agreements are expected to be signed between India and Israel. During his visit, Prime Minister Modi will address around 4,000 Indians settled in Israel and pay homage to Indian soldiers at the memorial in Haifa. The two prime ministers will also visit the Yad Vashem Memorial Museum to honour the memory of the victims of the holocaust that counts among the greatest tragedies in human history.


Mr Modi, who recently said India and the Jewish state share a "deep and centuries-old" connection, is expected to agree military and cyber security deals.

Observers note he will not travel to Ramallah or meet Palestinian leaders, as visiting dignitaries often do.

The visit is seen by some as a turning point on India's position on Israel.

Mr Modi called the visit "ground-breaking" as he was met at the airport by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. They will have dinner this evening ahead of formal talks on Wednesday.

Here is what the focus will be on over the next three days:
Defence deals will be top of the agenda

For years, Israel and India have been working closely together on counter-terrorism and defence issues and India has been a regular customer of arms from the Jewish state.

Working to modernise its military to counter China and Pakistan, India is now Israel's biggest arms market, thought to be worth about $1bn (£770m) per year, according to Reuters news agency.

The co-operation ranges from a jointly built air defence system to India buying drones, radar, cyber security and communication systems.

Aside from defence deals, the two countries also want to expand co-operation in other areas, notably Israel helping India to improve agricultural productivity and food security.

Markets cheer GST rollout; Sensex vaults 300 points

Mumbai, Jul 3 (PTI) Indian markets rejoiced at the far- reaching tax reform GST, sending the benchmark Sensex higher by over 300 points -- its biggest single-day surge in a month -- on emergence of a big rally in FMCG and auto counters.

The across-the-board buying helped the BSE flagship index close at a fresh one-week high of 31,221.62 and took the broader Nifty to finish 94 points higher at 9,615.

Overall business sentiment was buoyed by expectations that the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) will provide the much needed stimulant to the country's economic growth by transforming the earlier multi-pronged indirect taxation into a 'one nation one tax' system.

"Market welcomed the new tax regime with a positive note while shrugging off the initial hiccups of investors during the last couple of weeks where market witnessed consolidation.

Spending is likely to increase due to the impact of lower tax and increased sales volume will continue to benefit the earnings potential in the future," Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Financial Services Ltd, said.

The biggest tax reform since independence, the GST, was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and catapults India into a select league of nations that have a single national sales tax.

Instilling optimism among investors, Moody's said the GST implementation will be positive for India's rating as it will lead to higher GDP growth and increased tax revenue.

Robust capital inflows from foreign institutional investors (FIIs) and positive global cues further supported the momentum.

Shares of the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) firms led the rally, followed by telecom, metal, realty and auto counters.

Cigarette maker ITC was the top gainer in Sensex, rising 5.70 per cent to end at a 52-week high. This is mostly because taxation for cigarettes under the GST is around 5-6 per cent lower than the previous tax structure.

The 30-share Sensex resumed with a gap-up at 31,156.04 and touched a high of 31,258.33 and a low of 31,017.11 before concluding at 31,221.62, showing a smart rise of 300.01 points or 0.97 per cent.

Similarly, the NSE 50-share Nifty also finished with a solid gain of 94.10 points at 9,615 after briefly reclaiming a high of 9,624.00.

Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) sold shares worth a net Rs 160.48 crore last Friday, as per provisional data.

Domestic institutional investors (DIIs) bought shares worth a net Rs 1,195.71 crore last Friday.

In the Asian region, financial markets in Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore rose in the range of 0.02 per cent to 0.17 per cent.

European indices were also trading higher in their opening trade.

Among the other gainers at BSE, besides cigarette maker ITC, were Hero Motoco 2.17 per cent, Maruti 1.96 per cent, Coal India 1.95 per cent, Infy 1.68 per cent, Adani Ports 1.55 per cent, HUL 1.29 per cent, Asian Paints 1.27 per cent, M&M 1.21 per cent, ONGC 1.11 per cent, Tata Motor DVR 1.01 per cent and Tata Steel 0.93 per cent.

Among the laggards, NTPC fell by 1.17 per cent, Kotak Bank 0.72 per cent, Cipla 0.60 per cent, Sun Pharma 0.54 per cent and Lupin 0.50 per cent.

Sector-wise, MCG jumped 3.40 per cent, followed by telecom 1.86 per cent, metal 1.85 per cent, realty 1.48 per cent, auto 1.33 per cent, industrials 0.87 per cent and teck 0.86 per cent.

The S&P BSE Mid-Cap index rose 1.13 per cent and Small- Cap index gained 1.05 per cent. Both these indices outperformed the Sensex.

The market breadth remained positive as 1,788 stocks ended higher, 871 closed lower while 175 ruled steady.

The total turnover on BSE amounted to Rs 3,189.86 crore, higher than turnover of Rs 3,079.94 crore registered during the previous trading session.

PM’s upcoming visit to Israel and Germany

New Delhi :The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi will be visiting Israel on 4-6 July, 2017. Prime Minister will also be visiting Hamburg in Germany on 6-8 July, 2017 to attend 12th G-20 Summit.

In a series of Facebook posts from his account, the Prime Minister said:

“I will be visiting Israel on 4-6 July, 2017 upon invitation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

As the first Indian Prime Minister to do so, I am greatly looking forward to this unprecedented visit that will bring our two countries and people closer. This year, India and Israel are marking 25 years of our diplomatic relations.

I will have in-depth talks with Prime Minister Netanyahu on the full spectrum of our partnership and strengthening it in diverse fields for mutual benefit. We will also have the chance to discuss major common challenges like terrorism.

I will meet President Reuven Ruvi Rivlin - who I had the pleasure of receiving in New Delhi in November last year, as well as other senior leaders.

My programme during the visit gives me an opportunity to engage with a cross-section of Israeli society. I am particularly looking forward to interacting with the large vibrant Indian diaspora in Israel that represents an enduring link between our two peoples.

On the economic side, I will join with leading Indian and Israeli CEOs and start-ups to discuss our shared priority of expanding business and investment collaboration on the ground. In addition, I hope to get insights into Israel’s accomplishments in technology and innovation through on-site visits.

During my stay, I will visit the Yad Vashem Memorial Museum to honour the memory of the victims of the holocaust that counts among the greatest tragedies in human history. Later, I will also pay my respects to the courageous Indian soldiers who laid down their lives during the liberation of Haifa in 1918.

On the evening of 6 July, I will commence my visit to Hamburg for the 12th G-20 Summit hosted by Germany. Over two days on 7th and 8th July, I look forward to engaging leaders from other G-20 countries on the vital issues affecting our world today that have a bearing on economic growth, sustainable development, and peace and stability.

We will review progress on decisions since the Hangzhou Summit last year and deliberate on issues of terrorism, climate, sustainable development, growth and trade, digitalisation, health, employment, migration, women’s empowerment, and partnership with Africa. The theme chosen for this year is “Shaping an Inter-connected World”.

As in the past, I look forward to the opportunity to meet leaders on the side lines of the Summit to exchange views on bilateral matters of mutual interest.” 

President of India receives first copy of book “PRESIDENT Pranab Mukherjee – A Statesman”

The President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee addressing at the ceremony to release a photo book titled “President Pranab Mukherjee - A Statesman”, at Rashtrapati Bhawan, in New Delhi on July 02, 2017. The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi is also seen.

The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee received the first copy of a book “President Pranab Mukherjee – A Statesman” today (July 2, 2017) from Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi who formally released it at a function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan. 

Speaking on the occasion, the President expressed his gratitude to The Statesman for bringing out a photo essay on the 13th Presidency. He confessed that he was initially unwilling when the idea of the photo essay was first suggested by The Statesman. He wondered about the benefit the photo essay would have since the engagements of the President are all in public domain. However, he was convinced by Shri Ravindra Kumar and Shri R. P. Gupta from The Statesman in this regard who stressed that it was necessary to archive important events for posterity. This was so because the day -to- day news coverage of the Presidency has currency only till the next headline comes along. He was also persuaded to agree by the fact that a request had come from The Statesman, a newspaper that he literally grew up with as a Bengali. He said that he has had a long association with The Statesman and most of the time they had agreed to disagree. 

The President said that art and creative abilities transcend the boundaries of time and geographical borders. Their appeal is universal. He appreciated the wonderful photos taken by Shri Varun Joshi from The Statesman that feature in the photo essay. He also expressed his gratitude and deep appreciation to Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi who was present on the occasion to release the book. 

Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi said that the photo essay was important from the historical prospective. The photographs in the book immortalize history and also show the humane side of the President of India who is an inspiration for all of us. 

The book “President Pranab Mukherjee – A Statesman” has been published by The Statesman, one of India’s oldest English-language newspapers. This book, a comprehensive photographic record of India’s 13th President, covers Shri Mukherjee’s Presidency and documents his various roles including those as a humane first citizen, as a thought-leader , as a patron of educational institutions & the arts and as the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces etc. 

GSTN unveils excel template

GSTN unveils excel template for to help taxpayers perform easy data entry offline before uploading on the GST portal; Excel template together with an offline tool will make uploading large numbers of invoices much easier and quick; Offline Tool to be unveiled on July 17, 2017.

Goods and Services Network (GSTN) has unveiled a simple excel based template that will facilitate the taxpayers in preparing and filing their monthly returns with maximum ease and minimal cost.

The excel template is a part of GST Council’s approach to make tax compliance highly easy and convenient for taxpayers and also reduce the time of compliance to improve ease of doing business. This excel workbook template can be freely downloaded from the GST Common portal (www.gst.gov.in), and can be used by taxpayers to collate all invoice related data on a regular basis.

The Excel format can be used by businesses to start maintaining their data. The taxpayer can prepare the details of his outward supply on weekly or any other suitable regular interval which can then be uploaded on GST portal on or before the 10th of subsequent month. The GSTR1 excel template workbook can be used to prepare the data for GSTR 1 return without connecting to internet in offline mode. This also benefits taxpayers in remote areas where Internet connectivity might not be good.

The template comprises of eight worksheets. Summary of key values in each worksheet has been provided at the top to help taxpayers easily reconcile the data entered in the worksheets with that recorded in his accounting system/books to accurately prepare the return. Based on data entered in the Excel sheet, offline tool will prepare a file which will have to be uploaded by the taxpayer on GST Portal to create GSTR-1. Only while uploading the file on the GST portal, Internet connectivity will be required. 

India launches new economic era with GST roll out : Sweeping Tax Reform

The President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee and the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi pressing the buzzer to launch the Goods & Service Tax (GST), in Central Hall of Parliament, in New Delhi, in the midnight of June 30- July 01, 2017.

New Delhi: The much-awaited Goods and Services Tax (GST) was rolled out from midnight tonight from the historic Central Hall of Parliament in the presence of President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, finance minister Arun Jaitley and other Cabinet ministers, many chief ministers and senior government officials. The Congress and the Left parties have decided to skipped the launch though some opposition parties attended the event.

The GST has replaced more than a dozen central and state taxes or Value Added Tax (VAT) with an aim to create a seamless unified market for the $2 trillion Indian economy.

Here are the live updates to the GST launch:

■ President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi press button to officially launch GST. (PTI)

■ President Pranab Mukherjee said the ambitious central tax is a “tribute” to the maturity and wisdom of India’s democracy.

“The new era in taxation, which we are about to initiate in a few minutes, is the result of a broad consensus arrived at between the Centre and states,” Mukherjee said minutes before the GST roll-out in his speech at a special function in the central hall of Parliament.

“This consensus took not only time but also effort to build. The effort came from persons across the political spectrum who set aside narrow partisan considerations and put the nation’s interests first. It is a tribute to the maturity and wisdom of India’s democracy,” he said.

The President termed the GST a disruptive change.

“It is also a moment of some satisfaction for me because, as the Finance Minister, I had introduced the Constitution Amendment Bill on 22 March 2011,” he said.

“It is similar to the introduction of VAT when there was initial resistance. When a change of this magnitude is undertaken, however positive it may be, there are bound to be some teething troubles and difficulties in the initial stages,” he said.

Mukherjee said these issues have to be solved with understanding and speed to ensure that they do not impact the growth momentum of the economy.

“Success of such major changes always depends on their effective implementation. In the months to come, based on the experience of actual implementation, the GST Council and the Central and state governments should continuously review the design and make improvements, in the same constructive spirit as has been displayed till now,” he said. (PTI)

■ Prime Minister Narendra Modi today termed the GST as a ‘good and simple tax’ which will end harassment of traders and small businesses while integrating India into one market with one tax rate.

In the historic Central Hall of Parliament, Modi said the indirect tax reform is a result of combined efforts of various political parties at different points of time.

GST, he said, is an example of cooperative federalism as the centre and states together thrashed out the new law with consensus.

Besides being a transparent and fair system that will end generation of black money and corruption, GST will promote new governance culture that will end harassment at the hand of tax officials.

Touching upon initial teething troubles that may be witnessed because of unification of more than a dozen central and state levies into one and switching over to a new online return filing system, Prime Minister said even eyes have to adjust for a couple of days when a sight corrective spectacles are worn.

Modi said GST will eliminate the compounding effects of multi-layered tax system. (PTI)

■ Finance minister Arun Jaitley today said rollout of the GST will ease inflation, make tax avoidance difficult and boost GDP growth.

Addressing the midnight launch event of the GST in the Central Hall of Parliament, Jaitley said the implementation of the landmark unified tax should be seen as the beginning of a new journey that will expand the country’s economic horizon.

He further said that 17 transaction taxes in states and centre and 23 cesses would be subsumed in GST. An assessee will have to file only one return.

“Inflation will come down, tax avoidance will be difficult, India’s GDP will be benefited and extra resources will be used for welfare of poor and weaker section,” Jaitley said.

India is making history with the launch of GST, which is the biggest and most ambitious tax and economic reform in its history, the finance minister said.

“The old India was economically fragmented. New India will create one tax, one market, one nation. It will be in India where Centre and states work together towards the common goal of shared prosperity,” Jaitley said.

Terming GST as an important achievement for the country, he said not only will India write a new destiny, the new tax regime would also strengthen federalism.

“The Constitution says India is a union of states. The union is strong if both Centre and states are strong. That is the real meaning of cooperative federalism.While enacting the GST, neither the states nor Centre gave up their sovereignty. They have pooled their sovereignty to make joint decisions in indirect taxation,” the finance minister said.

In a large and complex federal system of multi-party democracy with Centre and 29 states and 2 UTs, Jaitley said India has implemented a constitutional amendment and brought in a large tax reform.

“We have done this at a time when world is facing a slow growth, isolationism and lack of structural reforms. With the GST, India has showed that these forces can be overcome through display of inclusion, openness and boldness,” he said.

He appreciated the efforts of all members of parliament, state finance ministers and officials in making GST a reality when many had expressed doubts whether it could be implemented from 1 July.

Jaitley also recalled the initiatives taken by his predecessors, including the then finance minister Pranab Mukherjee. He recalled the contribution of former finance Yashwant Sinha and former economic affairs secretary Vijay Kelkar.

“All decisions of GST Council were taken uninamously...We did not want to burden common man and weaker section,” Jaitley said.

GST roll-out – Complete transformation of the Indirect Taxation Landscape; Some minute details of how it happened

The Union Minister for Finance, Corporate Affairs and Defence, Shri Arun Jaitley chairing the 18th GST Council meeting, in New Delhi on June 30, 2017. The Minister of State for Finance, Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar and the Revenue Secretary, Dr. Hasmukh Adhia are also seen

Goods and Services Tax (GST), a historic tax reform, will come into effect from tomorrow i.e.1^st July, 2017. GST will completely transform the Indirect Taxation landscape in the country involving both the Central and State levies. In a departure from the normal practice, GST will be administered together by the Centre and States.

To commemorate the historic occasion, a function will be held in the Central Hall of Parliament on the mid-night of 30th June - 1st July, 2017. The occasion will be graced by the Hon’ble President, Hon’ble Vice President,  Hon’ble Prime Minister, Hon’ble Speaker of Lok Sabha and Hon’ble Union Finance Minister among other dignitaries.

Why is GST so important?

The biggest tax reform since independence - GST - will pave the way for realization of the goal of One Nation - One Tax - One Market. GST will benefit all the stakeholders namely industry, government and consumer. It will lower the cost of goods and services, give a boost to the economy and make the products and services globally competitive, giving a major boost to ‘Make in India’ initiative. Under the GST regime, exports will be zero-rated in entirety unlike the present system where refund of some of the taxes does not take place due to fragmented nature of indirect taxes between the Centre and the States. GST will make India a common market with common tax rates & procedures and remove economic barriers. GST is largely technology driven and will reduce the human interface to a great extent. GST is expected to improve ease of doing business in India.

In majority of supplies of goods, the tax incidence approved by the GST Council is much lower than the present combined indirect tax rates levied [on account of central excise duty rates / embedded central excise duty rates / service tax post-clearance embedding, VAT rates or weighted average VAT rates, cascading of VAT over excise duty and tax incidence on account of CST, Octroi, Entry Tax, etc.] by the Centre and State(s). 

  Journey of GST after the Constitutional Amendment Act, 2016

 After the assent of the Hon’ble President on 8^th September, 2016, the 101^th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2016 came into existence. The GST Council was constituted on 15.9.2016.

Since its formation in September, 2016 the GST Council has held 18 meetings. The Finance Ministers of all the States or their representative along with State and Central govt officials have participated in these extensive meetings and formulated the law and procedure to implement this historic tax reform. It was a mammoth task involving 27000+ man hours of intensive work. More than 200 meetings of the officers of the Centre and States took place in different parts of the country to expedite the implementation of GST.

While framing GST Acts and Rules, enhanced ‘Ease of doing business’ for the taxpayers was a key consideration and accordingly the roles and responsibilities of the States and Central govt have been defined. In a short span of time, the GST council has cleared GST laws, GST Rules, Tax rate structure including Compensation Cess, Classification of goods and services into different rate slabs, exemptions, thresholds, structure for tax administration, etc. All the decisions of Council were taken with consensus. While formulating the Acts and Rules, extensive participatory consultations with trade and industry including other significant stakeholders were undertaken. Feedback was also obtained by posting draft Acts and Rules on the websites and inviting comments from the public.

On 29^th March, 2017, the Hon’ble Finance Minister of India tabled four Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bills for consideration and passage in the Lok Sabha namely The Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) Bill, 2017, The Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST) Bill, 2017, The Union Territories Goods and Services Tax (UTGST) Bill, 2017 and the GST (Compensation to States) Bill, 2017. They were passed by the Lok Sabha on 29^th March, 2017 and by the Rajya Sabha on 6^th April, 2017.

The GST Council has decided the final structure of GST as follows:

·         The threshold limit for exemption from levy of GST is Rs. 20 lakh for the States except for the Special Category, where it is Rs 10 Lakh.

·         A four slab tax rate structure of 5%, 12%, 18% and 28% has been adopted for GST.

·         A cess would be levied on certain goods such as luxury cars, aerated drinks, pan masala and tobacco products, over and above the GST rate of 28% for payment of compensation to the states.

·         The threshold for availing the Composition scheme is Rs. 75 lakh except for special category States where it is Rs. 50 lakh and they are required to file quarterly returns only. Certain categories of manufacturers, service providers (except restaurants) are out of the Composition Scheme.

Other Important Features of GST

·                 GST envisages all transactions and processes to be done only through electronic mode, to achieve non-intrusive administration.  This will minimise tax payers physical interaction with the tax officials.

·                 GST provides for the facility of auto-populated monthly returns and annual return.

·                 It also facilitates the taxpayers by prescribing grant of refund within 60 days, and provisional release of 90% refund to exporters within 7 days. Further facilitation measures include interest payment if refund is not sanctioned in time, and refund to be directly credited to bank accounts.

·                 Comprehensive transitional provisions for ensuring smooth transition of existing taxpayers to GST regime, credit for available stocks, etc.

·                 Other provisions include system of GST Compliance Rating, etc.

·                 Anti-profiteering provisions for protection of consumer rights.

Role of GST Network (GSTN) – IT backbone of GST

GSTN has been created as a section 25 private limited company with Strategic Control with the Government, to function as a common Pass-through portal for taxpayers. On this common portal, taxpayers will submit their registration applications, file returns, make tax payments, claim refunds etc. GSTN has been provided with a robust IT platform and it will provide interface to 80 lakh taxpayers and thousands of tax officials. All filings under GST will be done electronically.  While GSTN remains a front-end, at the back end, the IT systems of CBEC and different states interface with the GSTN IT network to provide a seamless end to end processing of tax returns for the taxpayers. 64,000 officials have been trained on the GST portal from February till June 2017. The GSTN IT systems have undergone load tests, performance tests, vulnerability tests, security and all other mandatory tests.

Enrolment of existing taxpayers of the State tax administrations and the Central Board of Excise and Customs to the GST system commenced on 8^thNovember, 2016. More than 66 lakh taxpayers have activated their account at the GST portal.

GST Application on Payment has been operationalized. 25 banks have been integrated with the GST Common portal and will be providing e-payment and Over the counter payment facilities as well as payment through NeFT/RTGS and credit/debit card.

GST OUTREACH PROGRAMME

The Government has stepped up its outreach programme through various events, workshops, media, television to reach masses. Field formations of CBEC, at all levels have been activated to carry out interaction with the trade and industry to help them with the migration to GST and to clear their doubts. The field units of CBEC have run campaigns using mobile vans to reach the assessees at their door-step to help them with the GST migration and transitional issues. A total of 4700 workshops have been conducted across India.

An extensive multi-media campaign through print and electronic media, outdoor hoardings, etc. has been carried out for informing, educating and assisting taxpayers and other stake-holders to enable a smooth transition to GST. 

 RE-ORGANISATION OF CBEC

 Implementation of GST has necessitated reorganisation of the Central Board of Excise & Customs formations for administration of GST. The reorganisation involved bringing about structural changes and redeployment of human resources. Redeployment has been done to ensure outreach to the remotest corner. The Directorates which have significant role under the GST have been adequately expanded and strengthened.

The field formations have been restructured as 21 CGST & CX Zones, 107 CGST & CX Commissionerates, 12 Sub-Commissionerates, 768 CGST & CX Divisions, 3969 CGST & CX Ranges, 48 Audit Commissionerates and 49 Appeal Commissionerates.

TRAINING

 For a smooth roll out of GST, it was imperative to carry out adequate capacity-building exercise and awareness. National Academy of Customs Indirect Taxes and Narcotics (NACIN) have conducted extensive training programs. In the first phase, nearly 52,000 officers were trained during September, 2016 to January, 2017 through a multi-layered training programme across India. A Refresher Training was also conducted on updated Law, Rules and Procedures and a total of 17,213 officials were trained till 23rd June, 2017.  Under the Accredited GST Training Programme, 20 institutes have been certified as ‘Approved Training Partners’ to impart ‘quality training at reasonable cost’ to members of trade/industry and other stakeholders. 2,565 participants have been trained so far (ongoing). NACIN have also trained 2,611 officers from 92 Ministries/PSUs trained so far.  

Besides that, training resources such as 500 FAQs on GST have been released in English, Hindi and 10 regional languages. A number of Flyers on different topics of GST explaining the GST concepts, for dissemination to trade & industry, PPTs and Learning Videos for GST training and other training materials for the officials have also been released.

SERVICE THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA

 A twitter seva started by the Government as an initiative to answer queries of the Tax Payers on a real time basis. The twitter handle askGST_GOI attracts thousands of taxpayer queries every day. A list of FAQs based on frequent questions asked on Twitter has been already got published.

India hits back at China, says India of 2017 different from 1962

New Delhi, Jun 30 (PTI) India today hit back at China for making veiled threats with Defence Minister Arun Jaitely asserting that India of 2017 is different from what it was in 1962, even as New Delhi told Beijing its actions near Sikkim have "serious" security implications for this country.

A day after China's oblique reference to the war the two countries had fought 55 years ago, the defence minister also said the current standoff between Indian and Chinese troops was triggered by Beijing.

Expressing deep concern over China constructing a road in the disputed Doklam area near Sikkim, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said it was essential that all parties concerned display utmost restraint and abide by their respective bilateral understandings not to change the status quo unilaterally.

India's reaction follows a face-off between Indian and Chinese troops in the area, prompting Beijing to take a tough stance and demand withdrawal of Indian troops from the Sikkim sector as a precondition for "meaningful dialogue" to resolve the situation.

Beijing had also accused India of being a "third-party" to the China-Bhutan dispute.

"India is deeply concerned at the recent Chinese actions and has conveyed to the Chinese government that such construction would represent a significant change of status quo with serious security implications for India," the MEA asserted in a press release.

It was also important that the consensus reached between India and China through the Special Representatives process was scrupulously respected by both sides, the ministry added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is travelling next week to Germany for a G-20 Summit where Chinese President Xi Jinping will also be present, is being briefed regularly about the current stand-off between Indian and Chinese troops.

It is also understood that the government will take a call whether it should make a request for a bilateral or a pull aside on the sidelines of the G-20 conclave in Germany next week between Modi and Xi in the backdrop of the ongoing stand-off.

The two leaders had met last in Astana on the sidelines of the SCO Summit during which Modi had conveyed to Xi that differences between the two countries should be resolved and not allowed to become disputes.

The Chinese action has raised serious security concerns here as it will bring closer the Chinese presence to Indian defence interests and also move forward the India-China-Bhutan tri-junction.

Narrating the sequence of events since June 16, the MEA said a People's Liberation Army (PLA) construction party entered the Doklam area and attempted to construct a road.

"In coordination with the Royal Government of Bhutan, Indian personnel, who were present at general area Doka La, approached the Chinese construction party and urged them to desist from changing the status quo. These efforts continue," the ministry said.

In keeping with their tradition of maintaining close consultation on matters of mutual interest, Bhutan and India had been in continuous contact through the unfolding of these developments, it said.

As far as the boundary in the Sikkim sector was concerned, India and China had reached an understanding in 2012 reconfirming their mutual agreement on the "basis of the alignment", the ministry said, adding further discussions regarding finalisation of the boundary had been taking place under the Special Representatives framework.

While status of Sikkim as part of India has been settled with China, the border is yet to be finalised.

India also treats the June 26 statement by the Chinese foreign ministry that Indian border troops crossed the boundary line in the Sikkim sector of the China-India boundary and entered Chinese territory as factually incorrect.

India has always maintained that there is no China between the Sikkim and Bhutan border.

"It is our understanding that a Royal Bhutan Army patrol attempted to dissuade them (the PLA construction party) from this unilateral activity," it said, adding that Bhutan's ambassador had publicly stated that it lodged a protest with the Chinese government through its embassy in New Delhi on June 20.

It is understood that the Chinese, in response to the demarche, have termed the road construction as routine activity.

Bhutan has also urged China to return to the status quo as on June 16, 2017, the MEA said.

India underlined that the two governments had in 2012 reached an agreement that tri-junction boundary points among India, China and third countries would be finalised in consultation with the countries concerne.

"Any attempt, therefore, to unilaterally determine tri- junction points is in violation of this understanding," it said.

Meanwhile, India has cancelled the Kailash Mansarovar yatra through Nathu La in Sikkim, though there was normal trade activity taking place from there.

While there have been instances of stand-off between Indian and Chinese troops in the past, including in Chumar, a border patrol facility located in southern Ladakh, this time it is different as it involves a third country.

Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir, Priyanka invited to join the Oscar Academy

Los Angeles, Jun 29 (PTI) Indian stars Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Aishwarya Rai, filmmakers Goutam Ghose and Buddhadeb Dasgupta are among the 774 people, who have been invited to join the Academy and vote in the Oscars.

According to The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences website, the 2017 invitees come from 57 countries, with the list comprising 39 per cent female and 30 per cent people of colour.

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan, Irrfan Khan, Deepika Padukone, "Monsoon Wedding" costume designer Arjun Bhasin, writer Sooni Taraporevala and documentary filmmaker Anand Patwardhan are among other invitees from India.

"We're proud to invite our newest class to the Academy.

The entire motion picture community is what we make of it," Cheryl Boone Isaacs, Academy President, said in a statement.

"It's up to all of us to ensure that new faces and voices are seen and heard, and to take a shot on the next generation the way someone took a shot on each of us." 

Indian-origin visual effects director Mohit Kallianpur, behind animated films like "Frozen" and "Tangled", is also on the list.

Elle Fanning is the youngest invitee at 19, while Betty White at 95 is the oldest.

The list of actors also includes Israeli actress and "Wonder Woman" star Gal Gadot, comedian Amy Poehler, "Mr.

Robot" actor Rami Malek, "Rogue One" actor Riz Ahmed, Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

The directors on the list are Barry Jenkins, Jordan Peele, Kim Ki-Duk, Theodore Melfi, David Ayer, Emmanuelle Bercot, Fatih Akin, Derek Cianfrance, Patricia Cardoso, Garth Davis, Lav Diaz, Tom Ford, Anna Hui, Takashi Miike, and Guy Ritchie, among others.