India ends year on a high with a record streak

leap of joy: Captain Virat Kohli celebrates India’s victory in the fifth Test against England in Chennai on Tuesday. India won the match by an innings and 75 runs.  

India had the last laugh at an iconic venue. It is not often that a team scores 477 in the first innings and still loses a game but such was England’s fate.

When Virat Kohli’s men secured an innings and 75-run victory over England in the fifth and final Test at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium here on Tuesday, it helped them clinch the series 4-0, an outcome that capped a wonderful stint in cricket’s longest format.

Exactly at 4.32 p.m., 35 minutes after left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja nailed his seventh wicket to gift India a much-savoured triumph, a mail from the International Cricket Council landed in the in-boxes of cricket correspondents. It was official, India has ended the year as the number one Test team. An impressive finish to a young squad that is busy forging a bright path.

Coming as it does after disastrous results against England — losses away in 2011 and 2014 and at home in 2012, the current golden run offered overwhelming relief and joy to Kohli and company.

The nation’s cricket team is on a roll and the hot streak it nurses now is the best it ever had. India has remained undefeated for 18 consecutive Tests and has won 14 of those games. Its earlier fine show was from 1985 to 1987 when in 17 Tests, it had four wins, 12 draws and a tie.

Wearing whites and plying their wares in Tests, India’s current generation of players have humbled Sri Lanka, South Africa, West Indies, New Zealand and now England.

The playing eleven is almost set with solid openers, a strong middle-order, a tail that lasts and an attack, ominous especially at home. Kohli and R. Ashwin have been outstanding and new heroes have been found. If this Test was about K.L. Rahul, Karun Nair and Jadeja, in the previous weeks, men like Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara, Mohammed Shami and Jayant Yadav have sparkled.

Under Kohli and coach Anil Kumble, India is chasing higher benchmarks and rivals are wary. A vanquished England skipper Alastair Cook said: “When you lose games of cricket, it becomes very hard and it can be quite a lonely place. You have got to give credit to India. They have played some good cricket on the way. We just haven’t been good enough to put India under pressure for long periods.”

Appraising his men, skipper Kohli said: “I am proud to be part of such a good year, especially with the team in transition. But this is just the foundation that’s been laid for us to carry on for a lot many years. It’s just the beginning.”

Source:The Hindu

I-T raids on premises of TN Chief Secretary

The Income Tax department on Tuesday conducted a raid at the premises of Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary P. Rama Mohana Rao.

The raids were conducted first at his residence in the morning. A senior investigating officer told  that the Chief Secretary has been under the scanner for quite some time now.

Mr. Rao was appointed Chief Secretary in June this year.

Source:The Hindu

Berlin attack suspect was asylum-seeker from Pakistan

German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere speaks during a press conference on Tuesday in Berlin following a terrorist attack the killing of 12 people when a speeding lorry cut a bloody swathe through a Berlin Christmas market.  

The suspect in the truck attack that killed 12 people at a busy Berlin Christmas market came from Pakistan and had applied for asylum in Germany, the country’s top security official said Tuesday.

Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said the suspect, who denies involvement, entered Germany on Dec. 31 last year and arrived in Berlin in February.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel described herself as “shocked, shaken and deeply saddened” after what she said the government must assume was a “terrorist attack.” Mr. De Maiziere said that as far as officials know, the Islamic State group has not claimed responsibility.

In addition to those killed, nearly 50 people were injured when the truck ploughed into the popular Christmas market filled with tourists and locals outside the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church near Berlin’s Zoo station late Monday.

“There is still a lot that we don’t know about this act with sufficient certainty,” Ms. Merkel told reporters in Berlin, in her first personal statement following the incident. “But we must, as things stand, assume it was a terrorist attack.”

Ms. Merkel, who has been criticized for allowing in large numbers of migrants, addressed head-on the possibility that an asylum-seeker was responsible.

“I know that it would be particularly hard for us all to bear if it were confirmed that a person committed this act who asked for protection and asylum in Germany,” Ms. Merkel said. “This would be particularly sickening for the many, many Germans who work to help refugees every day and for the many people who really need our help and are making an effort to integrate in our country.”

Authorities arrested a man about 2 kilometres from the crash site on suspicion of having been at the wheel of the truck. Footage showed the suspect, his head covered in a white sheet, being pushed into a police car shortly after the attack. Berlin’s Tagesspiegel newspaper reported that the man was known to police for minor crimes.

A spokesman for Berlin’s office for refugee affairs said police conducted a large-scale search overnight at a large shelter for asylum-seekers at the city’s now-defunct Tempelhof airport. Four men in their late 20s were questioned but nobody was arrested, Sascha Langenbach told The Associated Press.

Among the dead was a man in the truck, who succumbed as paramedics treated him, Berlin police spokesman Winfried Wenzel said. Police said later that the man was a Polish national, but didn’t give further details of who he was or what happened to him.


The Polish owner of the truck said he feared the vehicle may have been hijacked. Ariel Zurawski said he last spoke with the driver, his cousin, around noon, and the driver told him he was in Berlin and scheduled to unload Tuesday morning. “They must have done something to my driver,” he told TVN24.

Source:The Hindu

5th Test: Ravindra Jadeja Powers India To 4-0 Series Win Vs England

India 759 for 7 dec (Nair 303*, Rahul 199) beat England 477 (Moeen 146, Root 88, Jadeja 3-106) and 207 (Jennings 54, Cook 49, Jadeja 7-48) by an innings and 75 runs

In Mumbai, England had slipped to an innings defeat after batting first and scoring 400. In Chennai, they batted first again and scored 477. At lunch on the fifth day, they were 97 for no loss in their second innings, trailing by 185. This was a flatter pitch than Mumbai, less bouncy and a lot slower. Surely it couldn't happen again?

It did. This time, they lost by an innings and 75 runs, their punishing seven-Test tour of the subcontinent ending at 3.56pm IST, with a draw nine overs away. In Mirpur, they had lost all ten wickets in one session. Here, in less frightening conditions, they lost all ten in 48.2 overs, for the addition of 104 runs, after their openers had added 103.

Ravindra Jadeja was India's matchwinner, taking seven wickets for the first time in a Test innings and ten for the first time in a match as well as grabbing two catches, including what was surely the catch of the series. England, though, were their own worst enemy, batsman after batsman getting himself out to hasten India to a 4-0 series win.

England still had six wickets in hand when the final session began, and, in Moeen Ali and Ben Stokes, batsmen at the crease with three hundreds between them in the series. But Jadeja hounded them, pounding the rough outside their off stump relentlessly. Moeen stepped out, looking to hit him off his length, and only found a leaping R Ashwin at mid-on. Stokes went on the back foot, looking to work him with the turn. The ball stopped and popped to midwicket.

This was no longer an entirely flat pitch. It still wasn't doing much for the bowlers from the Pattabiraman Gate End, but there was something in it now for those approaching from the Anna Pavilion End. England could have negotiated it if the decisions made by their top order hadn't exposed Nos. 8 and 9 to it. Amit Mishra bowled the No. 8, Liam Dawson, with a googly as he looked to drive against the turn. Umesh Yadav had the No. 9, Adil Rashid, caught off the leading edge, at point, by, who else, Jadeja.

Out of the attack for seven overs, Jadeja returned with 12 overs remaining. Stuart Broad saw out the first over of his spell, but could do nothing about the first ball of the second; it jumped out of the rough as he stretched out to defend, and popped up off the glove to leg slip. Three balls later, it was all over. Turn and bounce again, this time to the right-handed Jake Ball. The No. 11 poked, and it was Virat Kohli, fittingly, who caught the ball at slip.

Broad and Ball, the Nos. 10 and 11, were the only two England batsmen dismissed while trying to defend. It was an indictment of their approach after they had made the best possible start to the fifth day, a wicketless first session.

Both sides of lunch, Jadeja had threatened to dismiss Alastair Cook for the sixth time in the series. He produced a loud lbw shout with his first ball of the day, turning the ball past the inside edge when Cook, on 25, pressed forward to defend. India did well not to review umpire Marais Erasmus' not-out decision: replays suggested the ball struck Cook in line with off stump but would probably have spun past leg stump. Then, on 47, Cook shuffled across his stumps and missed a flick; this time India reviewed, and ball-tracking suggested the ball was turning too much to hit leg stump.

Eventually, Cook's shuffling unease about getting lbw caused him to play at a ball fired a long way down the leg side, and he effectively glanced the ball straight to leg slip. He fell one short of a half-century in his final innings of this long and difficult tour of the subcontinent, and what might possibly be his final innings as England's captain.

It was a typical innings in cussedness if not in length, taking no risks and forcing India to bowl their best balls at him even as he struggled against both Jadeja and Ashwin, who had beaten his outside edge frequently in the first hour. There was a dropped catch too, Ashwin finding dip and turn in the third over of the day to find his outside edge, but not the desired support behind the wicket, the ball bouncing off Parthiv Patel's gloves.

Keaton Jennings had played the spinners well, sweeping and reverse-sweeping confidently and also using his feet to try and get to the pitch and work Jadeja and Amit Mishra with the turn. This enabled him to clip both of them for fours through midwicket, but having done this to go from 50 to 54, he stepped out again, premeditatedly, and Jadeja fired it in low and full. The ball hit Jennings on the front foot, and then bounced up into the face of his bat, and looped back for a simple return catch.

Joe Root, England's best batsman of the series, got himself out six overs later, sweeping unwisely off the line of the stumps. The ball was too full for the shot, and it sneaked under his bat and hit his front pad instead. India reviewed Simon Fry's not-out decision - a fair call, given it wasn't immediately apparent whether the ball had straightened enough to hit the stumps - and ball-tracking said it was hitting more than 50% of leg stump.


Jonny Bairstow was next to go, perhaps unfortunate to see a perfectly acceptable flick, off a full, leg-stumpish Ishant delivery balloon into the air, the ball perhaps stopping on him. He was even more unfortunate that Jadeja was the fielder sprinting from midwicket towards the square leg boundary with his back to the pitch, looking over his shoulder to keep his eye on the ball. Perhaps no one else on the field would have been able to pull off the catch.

Source:ESPN CRICINFO

Railway services must be paid for, says Arun Jaitley

New Delhi, Dec 20: Weeks before he presents India's first combined general and railway budget, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Tuesday said rail commuters must pay for the service they receive even as he made a strong case for outsourcing of non-core functions like hospitality services. 

He said year after year, the success of Railway Budget was measured by subsidising consumers and making populist announcements regarding trains. "Railways got caught in a battle where populism prevailed over performance and the basic principle on which any commercial establishment is to be run, the first essential principle is that consumers must pay for the services that they receive," he said.

Speaking at a conference on Accounting Reforms in Railways organised by CII, Jaitley said unless the railways strengthen its performance and internal management system, they will lose out to competition from other sectors like highways and airlines in passenger and cargo transportation.


"The core competence of railways is really to drive trains, to provide those services. Hospitality may not be the core competence of the railways and therefore, what is not within its core competence, the principle of outsourcing -- which is accepted world over -- can be a logical addition to those activities of railways," Jaitley said.

Citing example of power and highway sectors which started doing well only after consumers paid for services they got, Jaitley said worldover, only those services have succeeded where there is a financial model which says that consumers pay for what they receive. " (But) We turned this whole theory upside down by a self imposed indiscipline that populism requires that I require that consumers not to pay for service that they receive. Therefore any establishment will start crumbling in its own weight and contradictions," he said.

The government had in September scrapped the 92-year old practice of presenting a separate railway budget and decided to present a combined general and railway budget for 2017-18 on February 1, 2017. 

Speaking at a conference on Accounting Reforms in Railways organised by CII, Jaitley said that the shift towards accrual system of accounting from cash system will better reflect its performance. 

"Your accounting systems really must reveal more instead of concealing the reality. What is the kind of investment in infrastructure that is coming in, what is the kind of investment in railway safety, what is the kind of outcome of outlay that you have planned, I think those accounts must really reflect the reality," he said.

Source:One India

Taimur Ali Khan: Saif and Kareena become parents, name him as well

The wait is over. Kareena Kapoor Khan and Saif Ali Khan are parents to a healthy baby boy.

Kareena Kapoor Khan is finally a mother!


The prince of Bollywood has arrived. Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan are now the blessed parents to a baby boy. And his name is Taimur Ali Khan.

The couple got hitched together on October 16 four years. After an extensive media coverage of Kareena's pregnancy over the last nine months, the wait is finally over.

Saif Ali Khan spoke to Pinkvilla.com and confirmed saying, "Yes. We are blessed with a baby boy. My manager will release a statement soon."

Moments later, statement from Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan which said that the baby's name is Taimur Ali Khan.

The statement read, "We are very pleased to share with you all the wonderful news about the birth of our son : Taimur Ali Khan Pataudi, on the 20th of December 2016. We would like to thank the media for the understanding and support they have given us over the last 9 months, and of course especially our fans and well wishers for their continued affection. 

Merry Christmas and a happy new year to you all...With love, Saif & Kareena."

While female actors, once pregnant, are traditionally media-shy and don't come out too often, Kareena broke all the rules and did not turn away from the paparazzi. Her public appearances and maternity fashion inspired many a women across the country.

A picture of Saif and Kareena's newborn Taimur is yet to arrive. The story will be updated when the first photos come in.

"We are extremely excited and very happy for my daughter and my grandson and I want to thank all the well-wishers who have prayed and wished all their very best to Kareena and Saif," grandfather Randhir Kapoor was quoted as saying to Pinkvilla.com.

Randhir further added the mother and the newborn are doing well.

Earlier, Randhir Kapoor had told that the baby was due on December 20.
"Kareena has handled her pregnancy very well. We're all waiting to hold her little one in our arms. She's extremely healthy and the baby is doing fine. Yes, she is due on December 20. At the moment, we can't say whether she will opt for a surgery or follow the natural procedure. Her doctors will take a call closer to the due date depending on the baby's position and Kareena's health. For now, we're just preparing to welcome our grandkid," Randhir Kapoor was quoted as saying.

According to reports, the royal couple, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Saif Ali Khan had been busy making arrangements for the past few months to welcome their bundle of joy. A report in DNA said that Saif bought what is considered to be the Rolls Royce of prams- a Peg Perego stroller with matching accessories, said to be worth Rs 30,000.


Saif was also said to be consulting a Delhi-based children's boutique store owner to prepare for the baby nursery.

Source:India Today

Terror attacks a global jihad against Christians, says Trump

The U.S. President-elect condemns the killing of the Russian ambassador to Turkey and the terror attack in Germany.

The U.S President-elect Donald Trump on Monday termed the terror attack in Germany a part of a global jihad against Christians and called the assassin of the Russian ambassador to Turkey a “radical Islamic terrorist” even as the Obama administration condemned the incidents in a more measured tone.

While the State Department spokesperson did not rule out terrorism as a motive behind the assassination of the Russian envoy, he said the administration would wait for more information before making a more definitive comment.

‘Echoes campaign rhetoric’

Mr. Trump’s statements on the incidents echoed the campaign rhetoric that fuelled his rise and signalled a willingness to follow it up with changes in the U.S policy on fighting Islamist terrorism.

“ISIS [Islamic State] and other Islamist terrorists continually slaughter Christians and their places of worship as part of their global jihad,” Mr. Trump said in a statement on the violence in Berlin that claimed the lives of at least 12 people. “Innocent civilians were murdered in the streets as they prepared to celebrate the Christmas holiday. These terrorists and their regional and worldwide networks must be eradicated from the face of the earth, a mission we will carry out with all freedom-loving partners.”

State Department spokesperson John Kirby said, "We are deeply saddened by today’s horrendous events at a Christmas market in Berlin. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family members of those killed, and we hope for a speedy recovery for the many injured. The United States stands firmly with the German people during this time of national sadness, and we offer any support they may require."

In a separate statement on the assassination of Russia’s ambassador to Turkey, Andrei Karlov, Mr. Trump said: “Today we offer our condolences to the family and loved ones of Russian Ambassador to Turkey Andrei Karlov, who was assassinated by a radical Islamic terrorist. The murder of an ambassador is a violation of all rules of civilised order and must be universally condemned.”

In a tweet later, the President-elect said: “Today there were terror attacks in Turkey, Switzerland and Germany - and it is only getting worse. The civilized world must change thinking!”

‘Support to Bashar regime’

Mr. Trump has repeatedly called for U.S cooperation with Russia and a softer approach toward the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria in the fight against Islamist radicals. The assassin of the Russian ambassador reportedly cited the Russian support for Mr. Assad as the provocation for his action. Two days ago, President Barack Obama blamed Russia and Mr. Assad for the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the city of Aleppo that the regime is trying to seize from the rebels. The Syrian leader, meanwhile, is hoping to find an ally in Mr. Trump. The President-elect said last week at a rally in Pennsylvania that he would get the “Gulf States to give us lots of money,” and “we’ll build and help build safe zones in Syria, so people can have a chance.”

The assassination of the Russian ambassador happened on the eve of a meeting of the foreign ministers of Turkey, Russia and Iran, on the Syrian crisis. Russia and Turkey have termed the assassination an effort to derail their bilateral relations, while some Turkish officials have linked it to Fethullah Gülen, a U.S based detractor of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Asked whether the U.S was concerned about the “inevitable claims from some parts of Turkey that either the U.S. is somehow responsible or that its protection of Mr. Gulen is somehow involved in this (assassination),” Mr. Kirby said: “We always have – and continue to support the democratically elected government of Turkey, and any suggestion that the United States in any way, shape, or form would be responsible for this act of murder and assassination…obviously flies in the face of facts.”

Mr. Kirby also welcomed the tripartite meet on Syria. “…any solutions that can be arrived by any of the parties that can lead to a reduction in the bloodshed, to a cessation of hostilities, to humanitarian aid, and to a resumption of political talks is welcome, whether or not we’re at the table,” he said.

Source:The hindu

Russian ambassador to Turkey shot dead in Ankara

A man gestures near the body of Russia’s Ambassador to Turkey Andrei Karlov after gunning him down at a photo gallery in the Turkish capital of Ankara on Monday.  

A gunman wearing a suit and tie and shouting Allahu Akbar shot and killed Russia’s ambassador to Turkey as he gave a speech at a photo exhibition in Ankara on Monday.

Turkish police fatally shot the gunman, Turkish station NTV reported.


The ambassador, Andrei Karlov, was several minutes into his speech at the embassy-sponsored exhibition in the capital, Ankara, when the gunman fired at least eight shots, according to an AP photographer in the audience. The attacker also smashed several of the photos hung for the exhibition. There was panic as people ran for cover. NTV said three other people were wounded in the attack.

Russia’s Ambassador to Turkey Andrei Karlov speaks at a gallery, minutes before he was shot dead by a man (seen in the background) in the Turkish capital Ankara on Monday. 

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Karlov was shot “when an unidentified assailant opened chaotic gunfire during a public event in Ankara”. She later confirmed he had died. She said Russia was in contact with Turkish officials about the incident.

The gunman has been identified as a Turkish policeman, Ankara Mayor Melih Gokcek  said. 


"The attacker is a policeman," Mr. Gokcek said on his official Twitter account, after numerous reports on social media identifying the gunman.

An unnamed gunman gestures after shooting the Russian Ambassador to Turkey, Andrei Karlov, at a photo gallery in Ankara on Monday.  

The Yeni Safak daily said on its website that the attacker — named as M.M.A. — worked with anti-riot police in Ankara.

Mr. Gokcek told reporters outside the exhibition center that the “heinous” attack aimed to disrupt newly-reestablished relations between Turkey and Russia.

U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby said U.S. officials were aware of reports about the shooting.


“We condemn this act of violence, whatever its source,” Mr. Kirby said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.”

Andrey Karlov, the Russian ambassador to Turkey, lies on the floor after being shot by a gunman during an attack during a public event in the Turkish capital Ankara. 

 

 A gunman gestures after shooting the Russian Ambassador to Turkey Andrei Karlov at a photo gallery in the Turkish capital Ankara on Monday.   | Photo Credit: AP

Pepole react after the Russian Ambassador to Turkey Andrei Karlov was shot at a photo gallery in Ankara on Monday.  

Source:The Hindu

5th Test: Karun Nair scores triple ton (303*), joins Virender Sehwag in elite list

Chennai, Dec 19: Young Karun Nair today (December 19) became only the 2nd Indian batsman to score a triple century in Test cricket.

On Monday, the 25-year-old Karun converted his maiden Test ton into a triple hundred, against England on the 4th day of the 5th Test. Karun remained unbeaten on 303 (381 balls, 32x4, 4x6) as India declared at a mammoth 759/7, a lead of 282 runs.

Karun is only the 2nd Indian after Virender Sehwag to register a triple hundred in Test cricket.

In the third and final session of play at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, the right-handed Karun brought up 300 runs with a boundary off Adil Rashid. This was his second triple century in first-class cricket after having scored 329 for Karnataka in Ranji Trophy last year.


Soon after Karun reached the 300-run milestone, captain Virat Kohli declared India's innings.

Highest individual Test scores for India (Top 6)

319 -  Sehwag
309 - Sehwag
303 not out - Karun Nair
293 - Sehwag
281 - VVS Laxman

270 - Rahul Dravid

Source:One India

EPFO To Give 8.65% Interest On Provident Fund Deposits This Year, 4 Crore Employees Impacted

EPFO at a meeting on Monday decided to give an 8.65% interest rate for 2016-17.

Provident fund subscribers will get lower interest rate on their deposits this year as compared to last year. The provident fund body - the Employees Provident Fund Organisation or EPFO - at a meeting today decided to give 8.65 per cent interest rate for current fiscal year (2016-17). The move will impact over four crore employees who contribute part of their salary towards the provident fund kitty.


Provident fund subscribers had received an 8.8 per cent interest on their deposits last year (2015-16).

For salaried individuals, the employee provident fund is an important tool for savings towards retirement years. Every month, a salaried individual contributes 12 per cent of his/her salary to the EPF account the employer matches this. A part of the employer's contribution goes to into Employee Pension Scheme.

The lower interest rate on provident fund deposits comes in the wake of a general decline in interest rate across different financial savings instruments, including bank fixed deposits and small savings schemes. Analysts say that interest rates on fixed deposits are likely to fall further as the banks' kitty swells after demonetisation.

Despite the lowering of interest rate on provident fund deposits, analysts say that it still remains an attractive investment avenue. Rakesh Bhargava, director at Taxmann, said, "Reduction in rate of interest is a setback for 4 crore employees, yet the rate of interest is still very attractive in comparison to rate of interest on bank fixed deposits, National Savings Certificates, government bonds, public provident funds, etc."


If the provident fund body had retained 8.8 per cent rate of interest for the current fiscal year, it would have faced a deficit of Rs 383 crore. The provident fund body had earlier projected an income of Rs 39,084 crore for the current fiscal year.

The government had earlier this year sharply lowered the interest rate on small savings schemes like Public Provident Fund (PPF), Kisan Vikas Patra and Sukanya Samriddhi Account.

According to the new norms on small savings schemes effective from April 2016, interest rates will be revised every quarter as opposed to earlier norm of annual revision.

The popular Public Provident Fund will fetch an interest rate of 8 per cent for the December quarter. The rate of interest for 5-Year Senior Citizens Savings Scheme and 5-Year National Savings Certificate had been reduced to 8.5 per cent and 8 per cent, respectively.


Earlier this year, the Finance Ministry had had decided to lower interest on provident fund deposits for 2015-16 to 8.7 per cent from the 8.8 per cent approved by the Central Board of Trustees or CBT, headed by the Labour Minister. The Central Board of Trustees is the apex decision-making body of EPFO. Following protests by trade unions, the government later rolled back its decision and approved an 8.8 per cent rate of interest on provident fund deposits for 2015-16.

Source:NDTV

Old notes worth over Rs 5000 can only be deposited once per account till Dec 30

People depositing the old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 in excess of Rs 5,000 will be questioned in the presence of at least two bank officials why this was not deposited earlier.

Old currency notes worth over Rs 5000 can only be deposited once per bank account till December 30, the Reserve Bank of India said today as it made its rule more stringent to check black money.

People depositing the old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 in excess of Rs 5,000 will be questioned in the presence of at least two bank officials why this was not deposited earlier, the RBI said in a notification.


The government said in such cases, the money will be credited to the accounts only after questioning the depositor as to why their money wasn't deposited earlier and after receiving a satisfactory explanation.

There will, however, be no limit on the quantity or value of specified bank notes tendered for payment and deposit under the Taxation and Investment Regime for Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana.

Meanwhile, as demonetisation entered its 41st day today, there is no respite in sight for cash-strapped people as queues outside banks and ATMs for withdrawing money continued across the country.


Serpentine queues have been witnessed across the country after the government's November 8 decision to spike higher currency notes to curb "black money and corruption".

Source:India Today

5 reasons why Lt. Gen. Rawat was appointed army chief

This is the second time in 33 years that the government has not abided by tradition while choosing an army chief. There is a political slugfest on after the government chose Lt. General Bipin Rawat as the next army chief. The bone of the contention by the opposition is the appointment was made after superseding two senior officers.

It may be recalled that former Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi had overlooked General S K Sinha to appoint General A S Vaidya as army chief in 1983. While the Defence Ministry is yet to officially comment on the matter, sources say that a person with experience was needed to fight terrorism and also a proxy war. The Congress has questioned this move and asks why seniority was not followed while making the appointment. Further the Congress also asks why Lt. General Pravin Bakshi and Lt. General Mohamed Ali Hariz had been superseded.

Why was Lt. Gen. Bipin Rawat chosen? 

1.The government has a free hand to chose whomever it wants, but the seniority principle must be followed. 

2.Government sources say he is best suited candidate to handle operational assignments. 

3.An experienced hand who had received the sword of honour at the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun. 

4.Has a balanced approach towards soldiering apart from his compassion and connect with civil society. 

5.Lt. Generals Bakshi and Hariz have lesser experience when compared to Lt. Gen Rawat in Jammy and Kashmir.

The controversy:

 Sources say that due process has been followed and it is the prevailing security situation that had prompted the government to take this decision. While the Congress and the Left have questioned the appointment, the BJP says that this is not an issue that should be politicised. 

Lt. General Bipin Rawat has a good deal of experience and has handled operational responsibilities along the Line of Control, North East and the Line of Actual Control. He has ten years of experience in Counter Insurgency Operations and was also involved in the 1986 operations in the Eastern Sector facing China. The same year he was also posted in the 19 Division in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir.

Sources say that considering the existing situation along the border areas, an experienced hand was needed. Lt. Gen. Bipin Rawat is known for his balanced approach and connect with civil society. His experience as GOC-in-C Southern Army Command in Mechanised Warfare has been focused towards the western borders, in coordination with the other two services, sources also said.


Source:One India

Hollywood actor Zsa Zsa Gabor dies at 99

Hungarian-born Hollywood’s darling actress Zsa Zsa Gabor has died at the age of 99, her former publicist Edward Lozzi has said.

Born Sari Gabor, she ruled the silver screen in the 1950s and 1960s; the actress died on Sunday, ABC news reported.

She got her break in the show business in Europe, competing in the Miss Hungary beauty contest in 1936 and singing in Richard Tauber’s Austrian operetta “The Singing Dream” later that year.

Her first major Hollywood movie was 1952’s “Lovely to Look At.” That same year, Gabor starred in her breakout film, “Moulin Rouge”.

For the next two decades, she captivated audiences in a number of films, including “Lili,” “Touch of Evil,” “Death of a Scoundrel” and “Boys’ Night Out.

Source:The Hindu

Rawat chosen to address security situation: BJP

NEW DELHI: The BJP on Sunday condemned the Congress for its attack on the government over the appointment of the new Army Chief , saying there should be no politics with regard to the defence forces. The party asserted that Lt. Gen. Rawat has been elevated keeping in mind the current security scenario.

Stating that the new army chief had been picked from a pool of five senior-most officers, who are all competent, the party said General Rawat's appointment should not be seen as a negative against others.

“They are all competent officers but under the prevailing security scenario, the government found Lt. Gen. Rawat as the most suitable candidate. We will urge to all political parties to not do politics over it,” BJP national secretary Shrikant Sharma said. “If any party has flouted the democratic norms most, it is the Congress party. BJP has always adhered to democratic norms,” he said.

Congress raises doubts

The appointment of Lt. Gen. B .S. Rawat set off a flurry of reactions with Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari saying every institution has its own dynamics, hierarchy and seniority which is the overriding dynamic of the armed forces — not only in India but everywhere in the world.

“With all due respect to Gen Rawat's professionalism and no personal animus towards anybody, there is a legitimate question on why that supersession taken place,” he said. He said the argument that the Congress too appointed General Vaidya as Army chief over General Sinha (who was the senior in the case) in the 1980s, and, therefore this government too had the right to do so was “complete nonsense.”

“Every situation has its own context and, therefore, nothing can be extrapolated out of context justify a supersession,” Mr. Tewari said.

The Congress leader accused the government of “playing with institutions” and wondered if the appointment was “whimsical cherry picking”.

Contoversial appointments

CPI leader D. Raja also questioned the government's move and said appointments have become controversial. “Appointments in the army have become controversial, the appointments in the judiciary are already controversial, the appointments of Central Vigilance Commissioners, CBI director and to the Central Information Commission — all these top-level appointments are becoming very controversial,” he said. “It is not in the interest of democracy and the country,” he added.

Source:The Hindu

13 killed in Turkey car bombing

This picture obtained from the Ihlas News Agency shows a police officer and people walking next to the wreck of public bus following an explosion in Kayseri, central Turkey on Saturday.  

Thirteen Turkish soldiers were killed and dozens more wounded in a car bombing targeting off-duty conscripts being taken by bus on a weekend shopping trip, the latest in a string of attacks to rock Turkey in recent months.

Forty-eight soldiers were wounded in Saturday's attack in the central Anatolian city of Kayseri, the army said in a statement, adding that there could also be civilian casualties.

Television pictures showed that the bus had been reduced to a smouldering wreck by the impact of the blast, as wounded were taken to waiting ambulances.

The explosion comes a week after 44 people were killed on December 10 in a double bombing in Istanbul after a football match. The attack was claimed by Kurdish militants.

Deputy Prime Minister Veysi Kaynak said in televised comments that the attack in Kayseri was "unfortunately similar" to last weekend's strikes in Istanbul.

The army said that the bus — carrying low-ranking privates and non-commissioned officers — was attacked after leaving the commando headquarters in the city.

The bus was owned by the municipal transport authorities in Kayersi but was transporting the soldiers who had taken permission to go to a local market for the day, the Dogan news agency said.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been informed of the attack by the chief of staff General Hulusi Akar, Anadolu added.

Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu was on his way to the city, it said.

'Pay a heavy price'

Turkey has seen a spate of deadly bombings in a bloody 2016 blamed both on jihadists and Kurdish militants that have left dozens dead and put the country on daily alert.

In June, 47 people were killed in a triple suicide bombing and gun attack at Istanbul's Ataturk airport, with authorities blaming the Islamic State group.

Another 57 people including 34 children were killed in August in a suicide attack by an IS-linked bomber at a Kurdish wedding in the southeastern city of Gaziantep.

Kurdish militants have twice struck with bombings that killed dozens in Ankara in February and March.

The attacks have come with the civil war still raging in neighbouring Syria, where Turkey is staging its own incursion to force jihadists and Kurdish militia from the border area.

Turkey is also still reeling from a failed July 15 coup blamed on the US-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen that has been followed by a relentless purge of his alleged supporters from all state institutions.

One of the main cities of central Turkey, Kayseri is a key industrial hub with a population of over one million and usually seen as a peaceful area.

It is well west of the southeast of the country that has been hit by months of deadly fighting between the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and the security forces.

There was no immediate indication of who was behind the latest attack.

The government slapped a temporary broadcast ban on footage of the attack, as is becoming typical in the aftermath of major incidents in the country.

The Turkish military has stepped up operations against the PKK after a fragile ceasefire broke down in the summer of 2015. Since then, there has been a dramatic surge in violence that shows no sign of ending.

Last week's double bombing in Istanbul, which targeted police after a match of the Besiktas football club, was claimed by the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK) seen as a radical offshoot of the PKK.

The attack in Istanbul prompted a sharp response from Erdogan, who vowed Ankara would "fight the scourge of terrorism right to the end".


"They should know that they will not get away with it ... They will pay a heavier price."

Source:The Hindu

PSLV-C 37 scheduled for launch on January 27

PSLV project director B Jayakumar.   | Photo Credit: V. Ganesan

The next PSLV-C37 that will put into orbit a record number of 83 satellites is being scheduled for launch on January 27, said PSLV project director B Jayakumar.

Sharing the dais with Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre director K Sivan who came here to receive the 100th nozzle for a PSLV rocket from city based Resins and Allied Productions Mr Jayakumar said that six PSLVs had been launched in 2016.


Mr Sivan said that ISRO was planning to launch 12 to 18 PSLVs in a year. He said the 100th nozzle that was custom-built by Vijayawada based industry Resins and Allied Products (RAP) would be used in the historic PSLV that would launch a record 83 satellites. He said there was demand from foreign countries to send their satellites on PSLV rockets because they were launched as per schedule and were reliable.

Source:The Hindu

Don't hurt poor under the pretext of cashless economy, Rahul Gandhi tells Modi government

People, who used to get full value of Rs 100 in cash, now have to pay 5 to 6 per cent as a commission when they use card for making payment, the Congress vice-president said.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has said that his party is not against moving towards a cashless economy, but maintained that the concept should not be forced on the poor.

"We are not against a cashless economy but we don't want it to be forced on the poor by the government," the 46-year- old Congress MP said.


People, who used to get full value of Rs 100 in cash, now have to pay 5 to 6 per cent as a commission when they use card for making payment, he said, addressing an election rally in Fatorda village near Panaji.

"This 5 to 6 per cent goes in the pockets of the 1 per cent super rich people, who are friends of Prime Minister Narendra Modi," he alleged.


"The poor should not be hurt in the name of cashless economy," he said.

CONGRESS WILL WIN GOA POLLS

Referring to the upcoming Goa elections, Rahul said that his party will emerge victorious and form the next government, which will address the woes of the poor in the coastal state. Goa is slated to go to polls early next year.


"We will eradicate unemployment, protect land and take action against casinos. Whatever Congress will do, it would be for the development of Goa. If we find even a minor case of corruption, we will take strict action."

Rahul said that it would take him only two minutes to crack down against Goa party leaders accused of corruption, once the party comes to power in the coastal state.

The Congress vice-president also said that land conversions and casino-related issues were rampant in the state and that Goa was as much in trouble under the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre and the BJP-led coalition government in the state.


"The manner in which the whole of India is in trouble, so is Goa. I talked about unemployment. I spoke about land, casino issues. I want to assure you that when Congress comes to power in Goa, it will work for the poor and common people. We will work towards building Goa," he said.

Source:India Today

Donald Trump says would rebuild 'badly-depleted' US military

Washington, Dec 16: US President-elect Donald Trump has said that the administration under him would rebuild the "badly-depleted" military and take care of veterans as he vowed to defeat the ISIS terror group "quickly". 

"As part of our commitment to those who serve, we are going to rebuild our badly-depleted military and we are going to finally take care of our veterans. We are going to take care of them, believe me. Our defence policy can be summed up in three very important words: peace through strength," Trump told thousands of his supporters at Hershey in Pennsylvania, the key battleground state that earned him his presidency.

"And we are going to get the military going, folks. And we are going to negotiate tougher deals. Do we agree?," he asked the applauding audience which responded with a cheering yes.


"Where we get more equipment for less money. For instance, you saw the other day about an airplane. Now, I have a nice airplane, but this plane is going to cost USD 4.2 billion, Air Force One. I do not want a plane to fly around in that costs USD 4.2 billion. And I did not order it, please remember this.

"But we are going to work with Boeing, we are going to cut the price way down. And how about the F-35 fighter? It is a disaster, it is totally out of control. So we are going to get more equipment for our military and we are going to get better equipment for our military, at a smaller price. Does that make sense? OK?," Trump said. 

He said his administration is not going to spend time in building new nations. 

"We are also going to stop trying to build new nations in far-off lands, many areas you have never even heard of these places. OK? We are going to stop. We are going to be so strong, we are going to be so respected, we are going to be so powerful. "We are not respected now. And believe me, it is going to turn. And we are going to have this great, incredible, powerful military. But you know what? I do not think we are ever going to have to use it and that would be very, very nice. It is America first, be very, very nice," Trump said.

"Instead, my administration will focus squarely on the vital national security interests of the US. And that means crushing ISIS and defeating radical Islamic terrorism. We are going to defeat it, quickly," he said, adding that to be a strong nation, one must also be a wealthy or a rich nation.


Source:One India

Cash crunch till January, says govt.

The cash crunch being faced by people due to the demonetisation of high-value currency notes could be resolved by the middle or end of January 2017, with about Rs. 12 lakh crore in cash returning to the system by then, NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said on Friday.

Cess mooted

Mr. Kant also mooted an eventual move by the government to a transaction ecosystem where there is no cost associated with digital transactions and cash holdings could attract a cess.

Digital payments by debit or credit cards, for instance, attract a Merchant Discount Rate of 0.75 per cent to 1 per cent that has been waived as a temporary reprieve for cash-starved citizens.

“Around Rs. 3.5 trillion of the Rs. 17 trillion in circulation before demonetisation was pure black money and the increase in digital transactions will reduce the need for cash by about Rs. 2 trillion,” he said.

“So the economy needs Rs. 11-12 trillion in cash to finance normal transactions. This will be back in the system by mid-January or maybe the end of January.”

Separately, the government is working towards linking more and more bank accounts to Aadhaar as it looks to push UID-based payment systems, Electronics, Information Technology, Law and Justice Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

Aadhaar to be pivot of payments

“We are going to promote an Aadhaar-enabled payment system (AEPS) in coordination with the Finance Ministry. About 40 crore bank accounts have been linked to Aadhaar,” Electronics, Information Technology, Law and Justice Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said here on Friday.

Mr. Prasad said 99 per cent of the adult population had Aadhaar numbers at present, and moves were afoot to connect the rest of the bank accounts with the Aadhaar numbers.

Must requirement

The Minister said AEPS was required because around 30 crore people still did not have mobile/smartphones and could not do online transactions or use mobile wallets or e-wallets at any point in time. India had the digitisation infrastructure required to leverage the Jan Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile (JAM) trinity, NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said in an address to the annual general meeting of industry body FICCI, stressing that if the country was to aspire to grow to a $10 trillion economy, it would have to be prepared for disruption.

Biggest disruptor

“Aadhaar-enabled payments are the biggest disruption in India,” Mr. Kant said.

“Nearly 30 crore people in India without mobile connections can use Aadhaar and thumb impression or iris scans for digital payments. In the next 6-7 months, every smartphone user will be able to make Aadhaar-based payments and even will allow each phone to act as an ATM using a device that can attach to the phone and scan fingerprints,” he said.

Source:The Hindu