New Delhi, May 30: A PIL was moved in the Delhi High Court for a “detailed investigation” into alleged lapses on the part of the Union government in saving 39 Indians, who were killed by the terror outfit ISIS after their abduction from Mosul in Iraq in 2014.
The matter came up for hearing before a bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar. The bench asked the petitioner, a lawyer, whether the government saved any lives.
During the brief hearing, which remained inconclusive today, the petitioner — advocate Mehmood Pracha — contended that the Centre was aware long back that the abducted Indians had been killed by the terror outfit, but chose not to disclose it and kept taking the stand that they were alive.
He also said that when the bodies were brought back to India in March this year, the government did not allow the families of the victims to open the caskets.
The bench asked him when the government should have declared that the abductees were dead.
It also asked whether any of the family members or relatives of the victims objected to not being allowed to open the casket.
Advocates Manik Dogra, appearing for the Centre and the Intelligence Bureau, that have been arrayed as parties in the matter, told the court that India as a country does not say “missing, presumed dead”.
“Till 100 per cent confirmation of death, we continue to believe they are alive,” Dogra said.
The court will continue to hear the matter next on May 31.
Pracha had earlier in 2015 moved the court challenging a look-out circular issued against him to prevent him and his delegation from going to Iraq.
In his PIL, he has claimed that the reason he was stopped from travelling to Iraq was to ensure that his delegation did not find out about the fate of the 39 Indians, whose bodies were recently exhumed from a mass grave in Badosh, a village near Mosul, and brought back.
New Delhi, May 30: The law under which companies are required to spend two per cent of their profit towards CSR activities provides an “excellent legal framework” to create a bridge between society and corporates, Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu today said.
Under the Companies Act, 2013, certain class of profitable entities are required to shell out at least two per cent of their three-year annual average net profit towards corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities.
He said that India is probably the only country in the world with such a framework.
Corporates that are spending two per cent in CSR activities win goodwill for the industry and “no corporate can ever do good business if it does not enjoy the goodwill of the society,” he said here at a function on ‘promoting scientific interventions for transforming India through CSR’.
He, however, added that this a challenge for businesses to engage in social development activities.
In 2016-17, as many as 6,286 companies incurred CSR expenditure of Rs 4,719 crore, as per official data.
New Delhi/Islamabad, May 30: Director General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of India and Pakistan today agreed to “fully implement” the ceasefire pact of 2003 in “letter and spirit” forthwith to stop cross border firings in Jammu and Kashmir.
The two military commanders reviewed the prevailing situation along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) in J and K during a conversation over the hotline at 6 PM, the Indian Army said.
The special hotline contact was initiated by the Pakistani DGMO.
Following the conversation between Indian DGMO Lt Gen Anil Chauhan and Pakistan’s Maj Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza, the two armies issued identical statements saying both sides agreed to fully implement the 15-year-old ceasefire understanding.
New Delhi, May 30: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Tuesday decided to send its own team of officers for making a fact finding inquiry/investigation into the incident of police firing in Tuticorin district of Tamil Nadu on May 22, causing the death of more than 11 protesters demanding closure of Sterlite Copper plant.
The Commission has asked its Director General (Investigation) to depute a team headed by an officer not below the rank of Senior Superintendent of Police assisted by three more officers of the rank of Deputy SP and Inspectors from its Investigation Division.
The NHRC team would examine all the concerned including family members of the victims and independent witnesses as it deems appropriate and submit a report to the Commission within two weeks.
The Commission has given this direction after considering the representation made by A Rajarajan before the Delhi High Court and the orders of the Court passed on the May 25.
The Commission has observed that its instant direction in the matter is independent of the directions already given by it to the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police, Government of Tamil Nadu, vide its notices issued after taking suo motu cognizance of the incident on the basis of media reports on the May 23.
‘They have been asked to submit detailed reports in the matter along with status of the treatment being provided to the persons who were injured in police firing within two weeks,’ the Commission added.
New Delhi, May 30: Banking services including ATM services in the country will be hit as unions have given a call for two-day strike from Wednesday to press for their demands including early revision of the wages which is due since November 1, 2017.
ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, YES Bank and IndusInd Bank will not be impacted by the strike. These five banks have no trade unions.
As per the estimates over 10 lakh bankers in government and private sectors will go on a two-day strike from Wednesday to protest against the meagre two per cent wage hike proposed by the Indian Banks’ Association.
The bank strike is being spearheaded by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU).
The bank employees decided to go ahead with the strike after the failure of final round of negotiations on Monday. Foreign bank employees will also participate in the nation-wide strike as they are members of these unions, but not their bank officers.
The largest public sector lender State Bank of India (SBI) has informed the stock exchanges that Indian Banks Association (IBA) has communicated to the bank that the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBA) has served a notice to go on a nationwide bank strike on 30-31 May, 2018.
Several banks, including SBI, Bank of Baroda and Canara Bank, have cautioned that their services and normal banking operations would be impacted by the strike.
Kolkata, May 29 : With the aim of increasing the green density in the State, the West Bengal Government has decided to plant more than 3.5 lakh saplings in the Buxa forest in north Bengal.
The planting of the saplings by the Forest Department’s administration in Buxa is taking place across two divisions of Buxa Tiger Reserve – East and West.
The West Division covers 75 hectares and the East Division covers 50 hectares.
The department has plans to plant three types of grass in the deep forest, covering an area of 40 hectares.
Buxa Tiger Reserve is also one of the few reserves where mixed varieties of trees have been planted.
The 3.5 lakh saplings include saplings of amlaki, hartaki, chalta, bahera, volker, raidak, turturi, gamari, chikrami and other trees.
It has been noticed that fruits of many of these trees are preferred by wild animals like elephants and bison.
Similarly, the varieties of grass being planted, like chepti, dhadda, purundi and ekka, are also preferred by many of the herbivorous animals.
Incidentally, a similar a project is on the verge of completion in the Rajabhatkhawa forest.
Kolkata, May 29 : To make the people of rural regions self-sufficient, the West Bengal Swarojgar Corporation Limited (WBSCL) has decided to develop 76 villages across the State as model villages.
The villages have been selected in such a way that two each have been chosen from 38 subdivisions, across 11 districts.
In collaboration with various departments, Swarojgar Corporation will undertake various developmental projects in these villages like cultivation of fish, digging of ponds, animal husbandry, and others.
As it is, unemployed youths across the State are given loans under Swami Vivekananda Swanirbhar Karmasuchi Prakalpa.
Under this new project, rural youth would be given a certain preference. They would be given, free of cost, fish, chicken and duck hatchlings, and cows, buffaloes and goats. Taking up animal husbandry would enable rural youths to earn Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000 per month, according to Government officials.
Based on the results from these 76 villages, such coordinated inter-departmental activities would be undertaken across many more villages.
According to WBSCL officials, as a result of this project, thousands of youth will find self-employment.
The 11 districts to be covered in the first phase are North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Purba Bardhaman, Paschim Bardhaman, Howrah, Hooghly, Nadia, Murshidabad, Jhargram, Purulia and Paschim Medinipur.
Nine more districts have been planned to be covered next year.
Soon after coming to power in 2011, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had made self-employment for the jobless one of her priorities, and the State Government’s efforts have been bearing positive results.
From giving stipends to the jobless to set up business to setting an Employment Bank to giving loans under Swami Vivekananda Swanirbhar Karmasuchi Prakalpa to various other projects, the developments have been numerous and far-reaching.
New Delhi, May 29 : Top RSS leaders held a crucial round of meeting with BJP chief Amit Shah and six cabinet ministers here on Monday to discuss issues concerning governance and implementation of several issues.
Besides Mr Shah, senior leaders Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, Ram Madhav and Ram Lal were present along with ministers Maneka Gandhi, Thaawarchand Gehlot, Rajyavardhan Rathore, J P Nadda, Mahesh Sharma and Prakash Javadekar.
According to sources the meeting was inconclusive and another round of deliberations is expected on Tuesday and also on Wednesday and Thursday.
Top RSS leaders along with central ministers and BJP leaders may also take up issues raised by Swadeshi Jagran Manch and Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh vis-a-vis job scenario in the country.
However, in a statement on Tuesday morning RSS all-India publicity chief Arun Kumar said the meetings between RSS and BJP leaders and other Sanghparivar units will continue till May 31.
He sought to clarify, “These are not Samanvay (coordination) meetings, neither these are decision making meetings.”
“Inspired by RSS, Swayamsevaks are active through 35 different organisations in various walks of social life. The organisations working in the same field occasionally come together to share their experiments, experiences and observations,” Mr Kumar said.
He further explained that to enable detailed discussions these organisations are grouped in various groups working in the same field.
“They are grouped as Seva (Service activities) Vaicharik (Intellectual arena), Arthik ( Economy), Shiksha (Education), Samajik (social activities) etc. Such group meeting are taking place every year since 2007,” he said.
Chennai, May 28 : The Tamil Nadu government today issued a Government Order, directing the state Pollution Control Board to seal the Vedanta group’s copper plant and close it down “permanently” following last week’s violent protests during which 13 people were killed in police firing.
The Government Order (GO) said it endorsed the recent closure direction of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, and also asked the TNPCB to “seal the unit and close the plant permanently”.
The document cited the Constitution’s directive principles of state policy (Article 48-A) enjoining protection of environment and provisions of the Water Act, 1974, to order the permanent closure of the copper factory “in the larger public interest”.
It referred to the PCB order of April 9 refusing to renew its consent to allow Vedanta’s copper smelter plant at Tuticorin to operate.
The order recalled how on May 23 the TNPCB had issued directions for closure of the unit and disconnection of power supply to it. The power supply was disconnected a day later.
Chief Minsiter K Palaniswami said the government has issued the GO in deference to the sentiments of the people.
The locals were protesting for the closure of the factory for 99 days. Protesters turned violent on May 22, the 100th day of their stir, and 13 people were killed in police action against them last Tuesday and Wednesday.
Italy was mired in fresh political chaos after the populist parties’ bid to take power collapsed with the president set to appoint Monday a pro-austerity economist to lead a technocrat government ahead of new elections.
President Sergio Mattarella vetoed the nomination of fierce eurosceptic Paolo Savona as economy minister, enraging the anti-establishment Five Star Movement and far-right League and prompting their prime minister-elect to step aside.
“I have given up my mandate to form the government of change,” said lawyer and political novice Giuseppe Conte, 53, plunging the country into a political crisis nearly three months after March’s inconclusive general election.
Mattarella said he had accepted every proposed minister except Savona, who has called the euro a “German cage” and said that Italy needs a plan to leave the single currency “if necessary”.
The leaders of Five Star and the League, Luigi Di Maio and Matteo Salvini, denounced the veto, decrying what they called meddling by Germany, ratings agencies and financial lobbies.
Mattarella has summoned Carlo Cottarelli, an economist formerly with the International Monetary Fund, for talks Monday, with a temporary technocrat government on the table as Italy faces the strong possibility of new elections in the autumn.
Cottarelli, 64, was director of the IMF’s fiscal affairs department from 2008 to 2013 and became known as “Mr. Scissors” for making cuts to public spending in Italy.
He will struggle to gain the approval of parliament with Five Star and the League commanding a majority in both houses.
New Delhi, May 27 : Heat wave like conditions continued to prevail in the national capital, with the maximum temperature shooting at 45.8 degrees Celsius, five notches above the normal.
The weather office said the maximum temperature recorded at the Palam Observatory was 45.8 degree C.
However, the Safdarjung observatory recorded a maximum temperature of 44.2 degrees C, four notches above the season’s average.
Kolkata, May 27 : India’s gross defence budget is expected to reach US 112 billion (bn) dollar by FY27 from 45 bn dollar announced by the Central Government in 2018-19, owing to significant steps been taken by the Centre to bolster country’s position as a major aerospace and defence power, noted a recent ASSOCHAM-KPMG joint study.
The study titled, ‘Creating a level playing field to facilitate Make in India in defence,’ jointly conducted by The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) and global professional services firm KPMG also noted that while in 2018-19 the budgetary increase was a meagre 7.8 per cent over the previous year, it is expected to clock an estimated compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 11 per cent until FY27.
The study however raised concerns that about 10 per cent of defence budget is surrendered to Ministry of Defence (MoD) at the end of each financial year owing to underutilisation as the reserved budget is not mapped with capital acquisition, an ASSOCHAM statement today said.
It said that country’s capital expenditure for defence procurement is expected to exceed 250 bn dollar over the next 10 years, primarily to replace the Soviet-era vintage equipment and meet the growing modernisation needs of Indian Armed Forces. However, out of this the domestic industry would only be able to manufacture defence equipment worth just about 80 bn dollar while rest of it would have to be imported.
Thus, the study suggested the government to incentivise private enterprises for developing large scale research and development (R&D) and manufacturing capabilities.
It said that a vibrant domestic manufacturing ecosystem that includes both public and private defence manufacturing entities is essential for success of ‘Make in India,’ in the defence sector.
The study also noted that despite large quantum of opportunities, fast growing economy and availability of skilled talent pool, India has achieved very limited success in terms of aerospace and defence self-reliance.
New Delhi, May 27: Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu met his Russian counterpart Denis Manturov in St Petersburg and discussed ways to further promote trade and investments between the two countries.
“India and Russia share strong trade and investment ties with more potential. We shall work together to strengthen our economic ties to create win-win for all,” Prabhu said in a series of tweets.
He said that businesses of both the countries have immense untapped potential of cooperation in several areas including agriculture, defence and logistics.
The minister was on an official visit to Russia to participate in the St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) 2018.
Prabhu also held discussions with governor of Stavropol Vladimir Vladimirov, Russian minister for the development of far east Alexander Kozlov, and met delegations from different sectors.
To promote trade, India wants Russia to explore opportunities for diamond trade here and use of national currencies for trade purposes in areas like pharmaceuticals, textiles, agricultural commodities and machinery and engineering products.
According to government data, the bilateral trade between the countries increased to USD 7.5 billion in 2016-17 from USD 6.2 billion in the previous fiscal. But the trade is in the favour of Russia.
Dhaka, May 27: Human rights watchdog Amnesty International on Saturday called upon Dhaka and New Delhi to ensure their governments hold rigorous investigations into fatal and targeted attacks on historically and socially marginalised communities, as well human rights defenders in India and against indigenous and secular activists in Bangladesh.
The appeal came hours after high-level interactions between the leaderships of the two nations.
‘Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina should uphold their commitment to human rights under national and international law, ‘Amnesty’s Executive Director for India Aakar Patel told media here.
The two governments, he said, should recommit themselves to human rights ahead of their upcoming elections. Mr Patel also urged the two governments to ensure space for dissent and highlighted the need for a free press.
‘Both leaders should ensure that space for expressing dissent is not compromised. This can be achieved when both nations have a free and independent press, where journalists are not intimidated, harassed and attacked, and repressive laws are not used to silence them,’ he added.
The rights activist congratulated Bangladesh on its ‘exemplary’ actions in opening its doors to nearly a million Rohingya refugees, but expressed his disappointment regarding New Delhi’s reluctance to give them shelter.
‘Indian authorities should follow Bangladesh’s example and adopt effective measures to protect Rohingya people escaping persecution and state violence. It is the shared duty of both nations to ensure refugees in their countries have supportive systems that are responsive to their needs,’ he asserted.
This was, Mr Patel added, especially necessary in the face of targeted smear campaigns and rising anti-immigrant rhetoric.