Live! It is wiser to be India, says PM Modi in London

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Thu, 12 November 2015

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23:44 It is wiser to be India, says PM Modi in London

Highlights of Prime Minister Narendra Modi address to the city of London at Old Library in Guildhall:

"Many of you belong to India, many of you are there already. But those who are not, let me say to them, it is wiser to be India."

"Results of our hard work are visible.Our growth rate last year was 7.3%, World bank has recently projected our growth rate at 7.5%. To make India a global manufacturing hub, we have fast tracked approvals & clearances for industry and infrastructure."

"Democracy, Demography and Demand is our basic strength."

"New technology and renewable is our new mantra. Whatever we do, we will do in a clean and green way."

"I would like to assure you that India is committed to protect Intellectual Property Rights."

"The hallmark of our strategy now is policy-driven government."

"To make India a global manufacturing hub, we have fast tracked approvals & clearances for industry and infrastructure."

"Results of our hard work are visible.Our growth rate last year was 7.3%, World bank has recently projected our growth rate at 7.5%."

"Particularly, we have been working to make India an easy & simple place to do business."

"Since my Govt took over, we have been working relentlessly to put the economy on track."

"We are particularly keen to develop sectors where UK is strong, we are working hard to create conducive conditions for this engagement."

"We have to effectively leverage the mutual interest which is there for each other."

"There is significant potential for India-UK to further strengthen their economic ties."

"Our institutions know how to interact with each other, ppl know how to work with each other & business know how to grow with each other."

"I must confess that there has been a delay in my visit to this great country, but good news his I & PM Cameron have been in constant touch."

"UK & India have known each other very well since a long time."

Around 46 British MPs, including opposition Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn, have signed a parliamentary motion asking Prime Minister David Cameron to raise human rights issues with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.

"Given the UKs so-called special relationship with India as declared by the Prime Minister, these concerns should be raised with the Indian government; and urges the Government to investigate the reports and raise concerns with the Indian government," the motion says.

It also calls for the release of "multiple political prisoners" held by India and points out that Greenpeace activist Priya Pillai was banned from coming to Britain by Modi to address British MPs.

Corbyn was not in the royal gallery when Prime Minister Modi addressed the MPs, but he will meet the Indian leader on Saturday, Guardian quoted Labour sources as saying.

The outspoken Labour leader will challenge Modi on the issue during their meeting, media reports said, citing party sources.

Other signatories of the motion include John McDonnell and Alex Salmond.

Also, over 200 prominent authors including Salman Rushdie had asked Cameron to raise the issue of "rising climate of fear" and "growing intolerance" in India with Modi, in second letter from the PEN International within a month.

Highlights of PM Narendra Modi's address to the British Housee of Commons:

"There should be no distinction between terrorist groups, there should be a resolve to isolate those who harbour terrorists."

"We must add up a comprehensive convention on international terrorism in United Nations, without delay."

"World must speak in one voice and act in unison to combat this challenge of our times."

"We want an Afghanistan shaped by the dreams of the Afghan people."

"Ours is an age of multiple transitions in the world. We are yet to fully comprehend the future unfolding before us."

"The progress of India is the destiny of one-sixth of humanity."

"Much of India that we dream of still lies ahead of us. Housing for all, bank accounts, connected and prosper villages -- these are goals with a definite date and not just a mirage of hope. Change has begun with us, there is transparency and accountability in governance. There is speed in decision making."

"Terrorism and extremism are global forces that are larger than their changing names, groups, territories and targets."

"Many makers of modern India including many of my distinguished predecessors from Nehru ji to Dr Manmohan Singh passed through those doors."

"Many freedom fighters of India found their calling in institutions of Britain."

"India is a new bright spot of hope and opportunities for the world."

"We are two democracies, two strong economies and two innovative societies."

"UK remains a preferred destination for Indian students."

"On way to this event, PM Cameron paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi. I was reminded of a question I was once asked. I was asked, how is that Mahatma Gandhi's statue stands outside British Parliament. I replied, British are wise enough to recognize his (Mahatma Gandhi) greatness & Indians are generous enough to share him.

"I know that British Parliament is not in session, PM Cameron looks relaxed and relieved."

"I'm delighted to be in London, I'm truly honored to speak at British Parliament."

Highlights of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart David Cameron's joint press conference:

Narendra Modi says:

"Both our nations will work for the people and to create more opportunities for them, also to overcome challenges against us"

"We will launch a fast track mechanism for UK investments in India; UK is already a leading investor."

"It's a matter of joy for me that we are going to launch railway rupee bond in London for Indian railways."

"The conclusion of the civil nuclear agreement shows our resolve to combat climate change."

"I am happy to inform that UK will be participating in international fleet review to be held in India in February 2016."

"We have today signed civil nuclear agreement, which is a symbol of our mutual trust."

"Our relationship is getting bigger constantly in area of trade, investment, defence, clean energy, health, tech, innovation, culture."

"I am very happy to be here, this relationship is very important to India. Historically we know each other."

"I am thankful to UK PM for his contribution to development of UK-India ties."

"We both have big ambitions for our relationship."

Shortly after the joint statement, the two leaders take select questions from the media.

Prime Minister Modi's response to a query on intolerance: "India is the land of Gandhi & Buddha. India's Constitution protects freedom & thoughts of every individual. Every incident taking place in any corner of nation is a serious incident; law takes its course, strict action is taken."

During the bilateral talks between the two countries, PM Modi told Cameron: "I am confident that Indo-UK relationship will further deepen under your leadership."

"I hope ties between both our nations will be productive, beneficial for each other, the world and the humanity," he further says.

The two leaders will shortly address a joint press conference after which the visiting Indian prime minister will head for the British Parliament to address lawmakers.

During the bilateral talks between the two countries, PM Modi told Cameron: "I am confident that Indo-UK relationship will further deepen under your leadership."

"I hope ties between both our nations will be productive, beneficial for each other, the world and the humanity," he further says.

The two leaders will shortly address a joint press conference after which the visiting Indian prime minister will head for the British Parliament to address lawmakers.

20:09

"Opening the door to a special partnership. PM @David_Cameron welcomes PM @narendramodi at 10 Downing Street," tweets MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup

19:58 Delay Swachh cess levy in certain sectors till Dec 1: Assocham

Government should postpone levy of Swachh Bharat cess on services offered by sectors like telecom, banking and airline by 15 days in view of procedural difficulties, industry chamber Assocham said today.

"The point of taxation for the levy of this cess for sectors like telecom, banking, airlines and similar sectors should be notified as from December 1, 2015," Assocham said in a letter to Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia.

Alternatively, it suggested that these sectors should be permitted to recover the due from November 15-30 in the next month together with the subsequent month's billing.

The government had proposed to levy Swachh Bharat cess at the rate of 0.50 per cent with effect from November 15.

"The lead time allowed to the tax payers to implement this by changing the computer system for billing and recovery from customers is inadequate and will cause hardship in some sectors," Assocham said.

Giving example, the chamber said in case of telecom companies who have already issued pre-paid cards, the recovery of tax from their customers will be difficult.

Modi inspects the Guard of Honour, accompanied by British PM David Cameron.

Next up, Cameron-Modi talks at 10, Downing Street -- the UK prime minister's official residence

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today congratulated Myanmar's pro-democracy crusader Aung San Suu Kyi whose National League for Democracy party was on the verge of capturing power following its landslide triumph in the historic parliamentary polls.

The prime minister said India will be delighted to welcome Suu Kyi, who led her party to a resounding electoral victory trouncing the ruling camp.

"Spoke to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi & congratulated her. India will be delighted to welcome her," Modi tweeted, soon after arriving here on a three-day visit.

Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy has swept elections as per as incoming results from the polls.

In an interview last month Suu Kyi, who had spent around 15 years under house arrest between 1989 and 2010, said she was saddened when India was "turning back" on democracy to maintain good ties with military government in Myanmar.

But she had added "changes" are taking place in the right direction and that the historic friendship between the two neighbours will continue.

PM Modi to receive Guard of Honor at Treasury Quadrangle, Kings Charles Street (London), shortly.

18:32 Modi meets Sikh community members in London

Prime Minister Modi's UK visit begins with a meeting with the Sikh community in London.

MEA spokersperson Vikas Swarup tweeted: "Deepening diaspora linkages. Before formal engagements, PM finds time to meet members of the Punjabi community."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with supporters as he arrived at the St James' Court Hotel.

Speaking to news agency ANI outside the hotel amid slogans of 'Modi, Modi' and 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' by Modi supporters, a British national termed the prime minister's UK tour as 'inspirational' and said that it is a great opportunity for London and New Delhi to become very united.

Modi's integrity, honesty, love of people & hard working nature is what impresses me, I think he is wonderful, said another British national waiting to catch a glimpse of the Indian prime minister.

17:19 Tipu row: Karnad, BJP MP receive death threats

Jnanpith awardee Girish Karnad and Bharatiya Janata Party Member of Parliament Prathap Simha have allegedly received death threats on social media as the controversy rages in Karnataka over the birth anniversary celebrations of 18th century Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan.

Online posts directed at the duo appeared even as the toll in the violence at Madikeri over the row climbed to two after a youth succumbed to bullet wounds.

Karnad, who came under severe attack for his remarks that Bengaluru international airport should have been named after Tipu Sultan rather than the city's founder, Kempe Gowda, received a threat on Twitter that he would meet with the same fate as rationalist MM Kalburgi, who was gunned down recently by two men at his residence in Dharwad in north Karnataka.

Security has been posted at the residence of Karnad, a noted Kannada playwright and actor, in the wake of the controversy over his remarks with several organisations, particularly those connected with the dominant Vokkaliga community to which Kempe Gowda belonged, Kannada bodies, right-wing outfits and BJP, targeting him.

Mysuru-Kodagu BJP MP Prathap Simha, who received a threat to his life in a Facebook post, has approached Mysuru police.

A tweet posted on the twitter handle, 'Intolerant Chandra' allegedly said that Karnad will meet with the same fate as Kalburgi if he enrages Kannadigas with such comments.

A senior police official said they have received information about a post making a threat against Karnad and are looking into the matter.

16:56 Air quality in Delhi 'severe' post Diwali

Air quality in Delhi plunged to a "severe" level following the Diwali celebration with pollutants rising a whopping 20 times in certain areas owing to incessant fireworks and bursting of firecrackers, notwithstanding appeals by authorities.

As per the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), an agency under Ministry of Earth Sciences, the air quality in the capital has turned "severe", a category used to describe the highest level of pollution.

Noise pollution was also on the higher side in most of the areas in the city.

Though the Delhi government claimed the pollution level on the Diwali night was less than last year, experts said it was too early to draw a conclusion.

Areas scattered across the megapolis saw alarming levels of pollution in the night with Anand Vihar, R K Puram, Mandir Marg, Punjabi Bagh breaching all safety standards not in terms of air but also noise.

At Anand Vihar, level of PM 10 breached the 2,000 microgram per cubic metre around midnight, which is 20 times more than the safe level of 100. R K Puram recorded the same as 1,333 at around 1 AM.

PM 2.5, finer and more harmful to those susceptible to ailments of the respiratory tract, was at 734 at R K Puram and 619 at Punjabi Bagh around the same time as opposed to the permissible limit of 60.

An Apple manager has apologised to six teenagers of African descent after staff kicked them out of an Australian store citing concerns they "might steal something", with a video of the incident going viral on Facebook.

The video, recorded by one of the students from Maribyrnong College in the southern city of Melbourne, has been viewed almost 60,000 times after it was posted on Facebook on Tuesday with the caption "simply racism".

"These guys (security guards) are just a bit worried about your presence in our store," an Apple employee at the Highpoint Shopping Centre store is heard saying in the footage.

"They are just worried you might steal something."

When one of the high school students asked why they would steal something, the employee said, "end of discussion, I need to ask you to leave our store".

Apple Australia confirmed today that the store's manager had apologised to the students and their school principal Nick Scott when they returned to the shopping centre yesterday.

Scott said it was not the first time his students, who were at the mall dressed in school uniform, were treated in such a manner.

15:50 PM Modi arrives in UK for 3-day visit

Seeking to strengthen Indo-UK economic ties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday arrived in Britain on his first visit to the country during which he will have a hectic schedule that will start with talks with his British counterpart David Cameron.

Later on Thursday, Prime Minister Modi will have talks with Cameron at 10 Downing Street. He will address a joint press conference at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) after the bilateral talks.

A brief stop to pay tributes at the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Parliament Square will be followed by speeches at the Houses of Parliament and then at the Guildhall in the financial hub of London.

His talks with Cameron will carry on at the British Prime Minister's country residence of Chequers in Buckinghamshire, where he is being hosted overnight.

On Friday, Modi returns London for a CEOs round-table which is likely to include representatives from major British companies like Rolls-Royce and Vodafone.

The pomp and ceremony attached to the visit is expected to include a special tricolour flypast by the Red Arrows Royal Air Force (RAF) Aerobatic Team over Buckingham Palace before the Prime Minister sits down for lunch with Queen Elizabeth II on Friday afternoon before making his way to Wembley Stadium in north London for the mega Diaspora reception.

A Correspondent: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley spent more than half an hour with Bharatiya Janata Party veteran Lal Krishna Advani on Diwali day.

Sources say, the two leaders probably discussed the recent tension in the BJP following the electoral defeat in Bihar.

Four veteran leaders, including Margdarshak mandal members L K Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, issued a stinging statement that the party was being 'forced to kow-tow to a handful', its 'consensual character has been destroyed', and it has been 'emasculated' in the last year.

Although no names were mentioned, the statement is being seen as an unprecedented critique of the leadership of BJP president Amit Shah and Modi.

Jaitley has been playing the role of the moderator, sources say, adding that he was instrumental in getting the official reaction from the three former BJP chiefs.

Jaitley's meeting with Advani seems to be to bring a softening stance from Modi camp, sources say.

Sources add that it was the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh leadership that directed Union Minister Nitin Gadkari to speak against the dissenters, including Advani.

NDTV reports: Playwright Girish Karnad today said he was saddened, but not bothered by the death threats over his comment that the Bengaluru airport should be renamed after 18th century ruler Tipu Sultan, a much-debated figure in history.

"It is not really about Tipu Sultan, it is an example of the state of political discourse in the country. The 'gundaism' (hooliganism) is not led by people on the street but by political leaders, people who we thought had more sense," Karnad, a Jnanpith award winner, told NDTV.

"The controversy does not bother me or surprise me. I have been through it before. If we are a mature democracy then we can have mature dialogue."

Karnad, 77, has apologised for his comment but that has not silenced protesters. Read more about the controversy HERE

Also, Take This Poll: Was Tipu Sultan a tyrant or a freedom fighter?

A 35-year-old woman was allegedly raped by two security guards at the famous Cubbon Park in Bengaluru on Wednesday night, police said.

Police said they have arrested both the security guards in connection with the incident.

The woman hailing from Tumkuru had come to the city to take membership in a tennis club functioning at the sprawling Cubbon Park when the incident occurred, they said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Sandeep Patil said, "The incident came to light when an assistant sub-inspector who was on rounds noticed the woman sitting near Siddalingaiah Circle around 2.30 AM and questioned her."

He said, "Immediately she was brought to the Cubbon Park Police Station and a detailed statement taken from her."

Aviation regulator DGCA has now allowed domestic carriers to roll out "zero bag" fares and charge penalty against check-in baggage for tickets booked under such an offer.

At present all domestic private airlines except national carrier Air India allow a flyer to carry up to 15 kgs of check-in baggage without any cost.

Air India allows its passengers to carry up to 23 kgs of check-in baggage free of cost.

"Airlines are allowed to offer no check-in baggage/hand baggage only fare scheme subject to the condition that the penalty to be imposed on a passenger, who avails such schemes but turns up with baggage for check-in at airline counter, cannot exceed the amount of incentive offered compared to lowest fare," Directorate General of Civil Aviation said in its updated Air Transport Circular for unbundling of services.

The circular was issued early this week.

Reacting to the development, budget carrier SpiceJet, which had first rolled out such a scheme in June this year, said regulator's move is in line with the changing trends in the industry.

Times of India reports: India cricketer Yuvraj Singh has engaged to model-turned-actress girlfriend Hazel Keech at a private ceremony in Bali. Yuvraj, who is currently out of the Indian set-up, plans on getting married by February 2016, according to reports.

Yuvraj and Hazel have been dating for the last three months, but were able to maintain their distance from the media.

Few days ago, Yuvraj had hinted about his marriage on Twitter, during a conversation with Harbhajan Singh, who recently got hitched to actress Geeta Basra. Both Yuvraj and Hazel had even attended the wedding.

"Yuvraj has known Hazel for the last three years, but started dating only three months back," Yuvraj's mother Shabnam Singh told Zee News.

Read more HERE

A court in Dubai has sentenced founder chairman of Atlas Group, and movie producer MM 'Atlas' Ramachandran to three years imprisonment in a case of financial fraud.

Ramachandran was arrested and was being held in a detention centre in Bur Dubai since August 23.

His lawyers told the media that they would appeal against the sentence.

Trouble started brewing for the group after around 15 banks operating in Dubai approached the Dubai police complaining that the group had defaulted on loan payments.

The group had raken loans upto Dh550 million (approximately Rs 1000 crores) and a cheque of around Dh3.5 crore was not honoured. The Dubai police had received five complaints against Ramachandran, two complaints were lodged at Rafaa police station, two at Naif and one at Bur Dubai.

Astronomers have made two new planetary discoveries that they claim expand the known boundaries of our solar system -- and they may be the biggest breakthroughs in the search for alien life.

The two finds, one planet at the edge of our solar system and one just beyond, have both been hailed as major scientific advances.

Commenting on one of the planets, Brad Tucker, an astronomer from Mount Stromlo Observatory in Canberra, Australia who was not involved in the research, said it "probably gives us the best chance for life outside our solar system right now."

"One of the goals of astronomy and astrophysics and finding these planets is firstly to really find another Earth," he added. "And part of the reason of finding another Earth is that we ultimately do want to find life in the universe. It's a question that weighs on everyone's mind.

Image: This artist's conception of new planet GJ 1132b, provided by NASA, shows the planet in the foreground orbiting a red dwarf star.

Read more HERE

Six black students have accused tech giant Apple of racial profiling after being told they could not come into a store because staff thought they might steal something.

On Tuesday afternoon, the year 10 students from Maribyrnong College in Melbourne's west visited an Apple store at the nearby Highpoint Shopping Centre in their uniforms.

"We were going to Highpoint Apple store [to] check out the new iPhone 6," one of the students, Mohamed Semar, told Hack.

"We walk in, no problem, just got to the nearest table we see and everyone is using the iPhones.

"Then we see two security guards, one standing right next to us and the other circling our table."

Mohamed said he and his friends then left the store, but later returned.

Read more HERE

With the Enforcement Directorate recording statement of Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan in a foreign exchange violations case, investigations into a major case of alleged financial irregularities in T-20 cricket tournament IPL is set to complete soon.

Khan is being probed on a specific charge of irregularities in the sale of shares of Knight Riders Sports Pvt Ltd (KRSPL), a franchise owned by his company Red Chillies Entertainment, to a Mauritius-based company.

Sources said the agency, after this questioning, is expected to issue a final show-cause notice by December or early next year under FEMA in the probe involving Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and related entities.

The sources said the recent questioning happened when the actor reached the agency's office in Ballard Estate in Mumbai on the evening of November 10 and spent over three hours with the investigators probing the case under provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act.

Khan could not be reached for comments.

The case, dating back to 2008-09, pertains to the share sale of KRSPL, co-owned by Khan and his co-actor and friend Juhi Chawla and her husband Jay Mehta, to a Mauritius-based company owned by Mehta.

14:28 Saina wins, Sindhu loses in China Open

Defending champion Saina Nehwal emerged as the lone Indian survivor at the $700,000 China Open Super Series Premier after P V Sindhu suffered a close defeat in the pre-quarterfinals of the women's singles competition in Fuzhou, China today.

Top seed Saina, who had a 2-0 record against Tee Jing Yi ahead of the match, notched up a 21-10 19-21 21-19 win against the World No. 34 Malaysian.

However, the two-time bronze medallist at World Championship Sindhu blew away a first game lead and a 13-7 advantage in the second game to lose 21-18 18-21 16-21 to Shixian Wang of China in a match that lasted an hour and 28 minutes.

In the first game, Saina didn't give any chance to Jing in the opening game as she dominated proceedings from the start to pocket the first game.

However, Jing came back strongly in the second match as she fought back from 5-8 and 8-11 deficit to eventually roar back into the contest.

14:23 Facebook may be making you unhappy: study

People who are on Facebook are more likely to be unhappy and have low life satisfaction than those who do not use the social networking site, according to a new study.

The Happiness Research Institute conducted an experiment on 1,095 people in Denmark. Half of the participants were asked to refrain from using Facebook for one week, while the control group continued their social media activities as usual.

At the end of the week, the participants were asked to evaluate their life satisfaction on a scale of one to ten both before and after the one-week experiment.

The researchers found a significantly higher level of life satisfaction among those who did not visit Facebook.

The control group gave an average 7.67 ranking to their life satisfaction before the experiment. By the end of the week, that had barely changed to 7.75.

However, the other group saw life satisfaction shoot up from 7.56 to 8.12 after their Facebook-free week, the Local reported.

First up, some good news. The Indian Institute of Science Bangalore has broken India's poor ranking spell by making a debut in the world's top 100 universities for engineering and technology.

IISc made its entry at 99th spot in a list that remains dominated by US institutions with Stanford, CalTech and Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the top three positions in the 'Times Higher Education Ranking for Engineering & Technology'.

"This year's stand out success story has to be India, making its debut in this prestigious engineering and technology ranking, which represents the top few per cent of world universities for these subject disciplines.

"Whether you look at high tech sectors such as IT or aerospace engineering or more traditional fields such as steelmaking, India's engineering and technology prowess is highly visible the world over in the shape of companies based in India or run by people born in India, such as Google and Microsoft, Infosys and Wipro or Tata and Mittal," said Phil Baty, Times Higher Education World University Rankings editor.

14:21

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