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Fri, 10 November 2017
Recommendations of GST Council will benefit people: PM

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23:42   Recommendations of GST Council will benefit people: PM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the recommendations made by the GST Council will further benefit the people and add strength to the tax regime.
Modi also said public participation was at the core of the government's functioning and that all its decisions were "people-friendly and people-centric".
"The recommendations made by the GST Council today will further benefit our citizens and add strength to the GST. These recommendations are in spirit of the continuous feedback we are getting from various stakeholders on GST," he said on Twitter.
The prime minister stressed that the government was working "tirelessly" for the country's economic integration.
In the biggest GST rejig yet, tax rates on over 200 items, ranging from chewing gum to chocolates, to beauty products, wigs and wrist watches, were today cut to provide relief to consumers and businesses amid economic slowdown.
The Council met in Assam's Guwahati earlier in the day.
As many as 178 items of daily use were shifted from the top tax bracket of 28 per cent to 18 per cent, while a uniform 5 per cent tax was prescribed for all restaurants, both air- conditioned and non-AC, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said after the GST Council meeting.
Currently, 12 per cent GST on food bill is levied in non-AC restaurants and 18 per cent in the air-conditioned ones. All these got input tax credit, a facility to set off tax paid on inputs with final tax.
The GST, implemented from July 1, has five tax slabs of 0 per cent, 5 per cent, 12 per cent, 18 per cent and 28 per cent. -- PTI
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23:09   Rahul taking over as Congress chief is a matter of days: Moily
It's a matter of days before Rahul Gandhi takes over as Congress president, and the decision to appoint to him to the post is unanimous, senior party leader M Veerappa Moily has said.
Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi's elevation to the post -- taking over from his mother Sonia Gandhi -- has long been the subject of intense speculation.
It is not clear whether the change will happen before or after the Gujarat elections next month.
Asked if Rahul Gandhi will assume charge as party president after the Gujarat elections, Moily told PTI: "He will take over. The decision is, of course, unanimous. He will take over...(it's) a matter of days."
The former Union minister and Karnataka chief minister said the prospects of his party in Gujarat are "looking up very well".
The poll outcome, he added, will hit the BJP like a "hurricane".
"There is a total trust deficit between the people of Gujarat and the government of Gujarat, and also people of Gujarat and Central government and more particularly the prime minister. That (the result) is going to hit them back as a hurricane," Moily claimed.
He said the strategy adopted by the Congress under Rahul Gandhi's leadership in poll-bound Gujarat is the model for strengthening the party's base in the country.
"What we are doing in Gujarat, that's the model we may have to replay in every state. What Rahul Gandhi has been doing...impressive and aggressive campaigning and raising right voices of people and also the response he got from people, this is the only answer ultimately," Moily said.
According to Moily, galvanising the party's cadre is the first step for the Congress to come back in any state. -- PTI
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22:43   Cabinet nod to setting up National Testing Agency
The Union Cabinet today approved setting up of National Testing Agency to conduct entrance examinations for higher educational institutions, an official release said.
The NTA would initially conduct entrance tests that are currently organised by the Central Board of Secondary Education, while other examinations will be taken up gradually, it added.

Currently, the Central Board of Secondary Education conducts National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test or NEET on behalf of the Medical Council Of India and Health Ministry and the National Eligibility Test or NET on behalf of the University Grants Commission, an official said.
"It (the move) will relieve the CBSE, the AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education) and other agencies from responsibility of conducting these entrance examinations, and also bring in high reliability, standardised difficulty level for assessing the aptitude, intelligence and problem-solving abilities of the students," the release said.

The entrance examinations will be conducted online at least twice a year, thereby giving adequate opportunity to candidates to bring out their best, it added.
In order to serve the requirements of the rural students, it would locate the centres at sub-district/district level and as far as possible would undertake hands-on training exercise for the students, the release said.
The NTA will be given a one-time grant of Rs 25 crore from the government to start its operation in the first year  and thereafter, it will be financially self-sustainable, itadded.
 
It will be chaired by an educationist appointed by the human resource development ministry.
The establishment of the NTA, an autonomous organisation, will benefit about 40 lakh students appearing in various entrance examinations, the release said.
It will be established as a society registered under the Indian Societies Registration Act, 1860.
In view of the need to have a specialised body in India like the most advanced countries, the finance minister in the Budget speech of 2017-18 had announced setting up of NTA to conduct all entrance examinations for higher educational institutions. -- PTI
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22:21   Pawan Hans to sprinkle water aerially to control pollution in Delhi?

The Delhi government is in talks with Pawan Hans, an aviation entity under the Centre, for aerially sprinkling water in the city to settle particulate matter, authorities on both sides said today.
Responding to a letter written by the city's Environment Minister Imran Hussain on possibility of such an exercise, Vanrajsinh H Dodia, the general manager (BD and marketing) of Pawan Hans said the company has the "capacity" to take it up.
Pawan Hans Chairman and Managing Director BP Sharma told PTI that the talks are at a "preliminary stage".
"They asked if we can do this and we said yes. But there are certain procedures they will have to follow," he said.
In its response, the company, which comes under the civil aviation ministry, said it has carried out similar exercises in the past for washing insulators of high tension lines and spraying over agricultural fields.
"Sprinkling water aerially through helicopter to settle particulat matters in Delhi shall require a comprehensive feasibility study and approvals from various authorities such as the DGCA, the AAI, the defence, the Delhi administration," Dodia wrote.
He also suggested a joint working group of the Delhi administration and Pawan Hans be set up to work out the proposal, adding that proposed sprinkling will require specialised equipment to be attached with choppers.

The idea of aerial sprinkling of water was first floated by the National Green Tribunal in November last year.
"Why can't you use helicopters to create artificial rain to control dust pollution. Are they only meant to carry your officials?" a bench headed by NGT Chairperson justice Swatanter Kumar asked. -- PTI
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21:34   Nawazuddin's ex-girlfriend slaps Rs 2 crore legal notice
Nawazuddin Siddiqui's former girlfriend Sunita Rajwar, whom the actor had called his 'first love' in his now withdrawn memoir, has filed a legal notice against him and demanded a compensation of Rs 2 crore.
Sunita, a television and theatre personality, said that she sent a legal notice to Nawazuddin on November 4, for tarnishing her image and causing mental agony.
"The damage is done, nothing can't be changed. He has apologised but it seems more like a disclaimer. The way he has taken the names in his book and made story around it, is not right.
"He said the book is withdrawn but it is available online. I ordered two books I got the first one on November 4 and the second on November 7. The circulation of the book is going online. So it is one lie, after another," Sunita told PTI.
She said that the actor has not yet responded to her notice.
"He is doing such great work, I don't understand why he had to do all this? He has hurt me badly but still I had forgiven him.
"Now suddenly after 14-15 years, you are talking about us and that too by making up great stories, it is not done. I have a family, I can't sit like this and take it all," she added.
The seven-page legal notice notifies Nawazuddin, co-author Rituparna Chatterjee and publishers of the book.
When contacted, Nawazuddin was not available for a comment.
Nawazuddin had earlier issued an apology for "hurting the sentiments" of women whose names he had mentioned in his memoir, allegedly without their consent and had decided to withdraw the book. -- PTI
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21:28   MHA forms new divisions to check radicalisation, cyber fraud
The Union home ministry today created new divisions to check radicalisation and cyber fraud as part of a major rejig of some of its crucial wings.
Two new divisions, Counter Terrorism and Counter Radicalisation and Cyber and Information Security, have been created.
The CTCR division will devise quick strategies for de- radicalisation and to check terrorism, an order issued by the home ministry said.
It will prepare action plans for combating terrorism and radicalisation with definite deliverables and timelines, officials said.
Threats to internal security from increased radicalisation, mostly online, and terrorism were growing, the officials said, adding that the new wing will focus on assessing the reach of global terrorist outfits besides shaping strategies to counter their propaganda and activities.
It will also hire domain experts for the purpose.
The other new wing, CIS, has been created to monitor online crimes and threats, including cyber fraud and hacking, and suggest ways to minimise and fight them.
This division will track and counter online fraud, hacking, identity theft, dark net, trafficking and cyber attacks on critical information infrastructure, the officials said.
Several division have also been merged as part of the administrative changes.
At present, the home ministry has three divisions on internal security -- Internal Security I, II and III (or IS-I, IS-II and IS-III).
The home ministry has merged its Internal Security-I and Internal Security-III divisions, besides modifying the work of the IS-II division, which will now be known as the CTCR. -- PTI
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21:19   All Indian citizens in J-K are stakeholders: Dineshwar Sharma
Dineshwar Sharma, the centre's special representative for Kashmir, today said all Indian citizens in Jammu and Kashmir were "stakeholders" in the dialogue process and that he would keep coming to the state in the future.
Sharma, who arrived in Jammu last evening on the second leg of his visit to J&K, said the centre had given him the task to restore peace in Kashmir and find some solution.

Asked whether he considered the Hurriyat Conference a stakeholder in the dialogue process, he said, "All Indian citizens in Jammu and Kashmir are stakeholders."
Sharma, who was appointed the centre's special representative last month for consultations with various groups and political parties, called on state governor N N Vohra and Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti last night and
discussed the ways to reach out to the stakeholders, officials said.
On the issue of a meeting with Hurriyat leaders, he said, "Let us see."
Asked further, the former Intelligence Bureau chief said, "I am going to visit Jammu and Kashmir again and again."
Replying to a question, he said his visit to the state had been "successful".
He had arrived In Jammu yesterday after spending four days in the Valley, during which he met various delegations and political leaders which included former chief minister Omar Abdullah, state Congress chief G A Mir and CPM leaders among others.
Representatives of the Bar Association of Jammu, who met him today, said they raised the issue alleged threat to the state due to the presence of Rohingya Muslims.
Other delegations, which called on him, included those from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Jammu (CCIJ) and the West Pakistan refugees.
Meanwhile, Panun Kashmir, an organisation representing displaced Kashmiri Pandits, boycotted a meeting with Sharma, claiming that the invitation to them was extended in a "disrespectful manner".
The delegation of refugees, headed by West Pakistani Refugees Front president Labha Ram Gandhi, said Sharma was informed about the discrimination meted out to them, despite having lived in the state for 70 years.
The CCIJ delegation, led by its president Rakesh Gupta, said they referred to issues of unemployment and development.
PDP leaders from the Jammu region and those from the JK Panthers Party also called on him.
He also met a BJP delegation, led by the party's state president Sat Sharma. The Centre's special representative is scheduled to return to the national capital tomorrow. -- PTI
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20:30   No shortage of arms & ammunition; ready to give befitting reply: Gen Rawat
Chief of Army Staff General Bipin Rawat today said there was no shortage of arms and ammunition to the forces and they are fully prepared to give befitting reply to enemies.
The army chief, who was in Varanasi to attend the bicentenary celebrations of the 9 Gorkha Rifles at 39 Gorkha Training Centre, also assured the nation that the borders are fully secured.
"The army is fully prepared to deal with our enemies and give them befitting reply," he told mediapersons.
"There is no shortage of arms and ammunition with the army and the need of the hour was to continuously upgrade to latest technology. And the army was getting itself equipped with the modern weapons," he added.
Gen Rawat arrived in Varanasi with his family on Thursday to attend the two-day bicentenary celebrations from November 9 to 11.
An official press statement said that the Gen Rawat took part in the event also in the capacity of the president of the Gorkha Brigade.
A galaxy of senior officers, both serving and retired, and 500 veterans, many of whom came from far-flung areas in Nepal, attended the event along with their families.
Gen Rawat also laid wreath at the war memorial to pay homage to the martyrs of the regiment and released the First Day Cover to mark the occasion, the statement added. -- PTI
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20:04   Pak relents, allows Kulbhushan Jadhav to meet his wife
In a big relief, Pakistan today agreed to arrange former Indian naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav to meet his wife.

In a note sent to the Indian high commission in Islamabad, Pakistan has said that it has decided to arrange a meeting purely on 'humanitarian grounds'. 

"The government of Pakistan has decided to arrange a meeting of Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav with his wife, in Pakistan, purely on humanitarian grounds. A Note Verbale to this effect has been sent to the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, today," said the note. 

Pakistan claims its security forces arrested Jadhav from its restive Balochistan province on March 3 last year after he reportedly entered from Iran.

However, India maintains that he was kidnapped from Iran where he had business interests after retiring from the Indian Navy.

Jadhav was in April sentenced to death by Pakistan's Field General Court Martial on charges of "involvement in espionage and sabotage activities" against the country.

However, the International Court of Justice restrained Pakistan from executing Jadhav after India approached it.
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19:38   Eating out to be cheaper as GST on all restaurants cut to 5%
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley addresses the media after the conclusion of 23rd GST Council Meeting in Guwahati, Assam.

The FM said that the new GST rates which were announced earlier will be applicable from November 15.

Here are some of the highlights:-

- 178 items moved from 28% to 18% GST slab, changes will be applicable from November 15.

- 228 items were in the 28% GST category, which were then rationalised by the committee

- We have been rationalising 28% GST tax bracket items into lower slabs

- 13 items moved from 18% to 12%, 6 items from 18% to 5%, 8 items from 12% to 5%, 6 items from 5% to nil

- All restaurants in the country to be levied GST of 5%, no ITC benefit to any restaurant

- Starred hotels will be taxed at 18% with the benefit of input tax credit

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18:59   Govt nod to panel to look into salary hike of lower court judges
The government today approved setting up a panel to look into the salary hike of lower court judges, official sources said.

The decision was taken during a meeting of the Union cabinet. 

The law ministry will now notify the appointment of the Second National Judicial Pay Commission, which will recommend salary hikes for the 21,000 lower court judges. -- PTI
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18:32   Tamil Nadu CM kickstarts shooting of biopic on MGR
A movie tracing the history of the late Chief Minister and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam founder M G Ramachandran went on the floors today with Chief Minister K Palaniswami formally inaugurating the shooting in Chennai.
     
Palaniswami formally tapped the clapper board in the presence of Minister for Information and Publicity Kadambur Raju, Minister for Tamil Official Language and Tamil Culture, K Pandiarajan, Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan at a function at the MGR Film City.
     
The movie, produced by Ramana Communications and directed by Balakrishnan, will trace the history of the late chief minister.
     
Balakrishnan had earlier directed the biography 'Kamaraj' on the former Tamil Nadu chief minister, which had actor Sathyaraj essaying the lead role.
     
Born as Marudhur Gopalan Ramachandran in 1917, MGR as he is fondly called, debuted in the film 'Sathi Leelavathi'.      

He acted in several films which were blockbusters, including 'Manthiri Kumari' penned by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Chief M Karunanidhi, 'Malaikkallan' and also in 'Alibabavum 40 Thirudargalum.'
     
Some hits include 'Pallandu Vaazhga', 'Ulagam Sutrum Valiban', 'Enga Vittu Pillai' and a host of other flicks.      

After joining the late Annadurai-led DMK, MGR rose through the party ranks before splitting with the current party Chief Karunanidhi.
     
Ramachandran floated AIADMK in 1972 and later served as Tamil Nadu chief minister under the party headed by him.
     
He passed away on December 24, 1987. -- PTI
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18:22   FM didn't apply mind on GST, PM should remove him: Yashwant
Veteran Bharatiya Janata Party leader Yashwant Sinha today launched a fresh attack on the government, saying Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had not applied his mind while rolling out the goods and services tax and should be removed from his post.
Sinha, who served as finance minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, said demonetisation has not achieved its goal of flushing black money out of the system.
He also charged the current regime with resorting to lies on the note ban and the new tax regime.
"The finance minister did not apply his mind while rolling out the goods and services tax and that's why he is tinkering with GST everyday...," Sinha told reporters on the sidelines of an event organised by former Bihar speaker Uday Narayan Choudhary on reservation.
Jaitley, he added, has made a mess of GST.
"The prime minister should bring a new finance minister. I am saying this with full responsibility," Sinha said.
The former Union minister's comment came on a day the GST Council chaired by Jaitley met in Guwahati to lower the tax rate on many household items -- from the top 28 per cent slab to 18 per cent.
"Now the government is saying that out of 227 items, tax rates will be brought down from 28 to 18 per cent on around 200 items," Sinha said.
He asked whether the reduction would lead to a decline in revenue collections.
"The current structure of GST is a faulty one and that's why the government is making amendments everyday," Sinha alleged.
In his view, "tinkering" with the GST will not serve the purpose, what is needed is a complete overhaul.
In September, Sinha had blamed Jaitley for messing up the country's economy.
Jaitley returned the barb by caustically referring Sinha as "a job applicant at 80".
Sinha has suggested that a committee be formed under economist Vijay Kelkar, who had earlier headed a committee on GST, for advising the government on effective and efficient implementation of the tax.
"After one year of demonetisation, we can say that it could not wipe out black money," he said.
Both demonetisation and GST have brought down the pace of the economy, he said. -- PTI
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17:44   PM Modi brought Indians together as one, says Trump @APEC
United States President Donald Trump today praised India's "astounding" growth after it opened its economy and also lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he has been working successfully to bring the vast country and its people together.
Speaking at a gathering of CEOs on the sidelines of the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Danang in Vietnam, Trump said that countries outside of the grouping were also making "great strides in this new chapter for the Indo-Pacific".
He pointed out that India was celebrating the 70th anniversary of its independence and highlighted that the country was a sovereign democracy with a population of 1.3 billion as well as the largest democracy in the world.
"Since India opened its economy, it has achieved astounding growth and a new world of opportunities for its expanding middle class," Trump said.
"And Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi has been working to bring that vast country and all of its people as one. And he has been working at it very successfully indeed," the US President said.
Prime Minister Modi is leaving for the Philippines on Sunday to attend the India-ASEAN and East Asia summits. Trump is also scheduled to attend the East Asia Summit, a key meeting between ASEAN and eight of its partners.
The US president also used his speech at the APEC business meet to promote his vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
"We have been friends, partners and allies in the Indo-Pacific for a long, long time," he said.
"The story of this region in recent decades is the story of what is possible when people take ownership of their future." -- PTI
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17:30   Swachh Bharat lacked a holistic human rights approach: UN expert
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pet 'Swachh Bharat' mission today came in for sharp criticism by a top United Nations expert who said it "lacked a holistic human rights approach".
United Nation Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation Leo Heller presented a preliminary report of his visit to India at a press conference where he insisted that the Centre's emphasis
on building toilets "should not overshadow" the focus on provision of drinking water to all.
"In the last two weeks I have visited rural and urban areas, slums and settlement camps where undocumented population is residing... and I have found that these initiatives lack a more human rights approach," he said.
A press release by the office of the high commissioner, United Nations Human Rights, on the issue drew strong criticism from the government. The release was distributed at the press conference.
"Everywhere I went, I saw the logo of the Clean India Mission, (Mahatma) Gandhi's glasses. In its third year of implementation, now is a critical time to replace the lens of those glasses with the human rights lens," Heller was quoted in the release as having told the media.
Taking a strong note of his remarks on the logo of the Clean India Mission, the government issued a statement deploring it showed "serious insensitivity towards the Father of our Nation".
The statement said the world knows that the Mahatma was the foremost proponent of human rights. -- PTI
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16:30   Swamy hints at international conspiracy behind Padmavati
BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on Friday hinted at an international conspiracy behind Sanjay Leela Bhansali's magnum opus 'Padmavati' row.


Joining the ongoing controversy over the film Swamy asserted that it should be enquired if there is international conspiracy behind it.


Speaking to ANI, Swamy said, "Many big budget movies are made these days, we should see if there is conspiracy in it. People from Dubai want Muslim kings to be portrayed as hero; they want to show as if Hindu women wanted relationships (with them).


"This is a controversy, and showing (Queen) Padmini in poor light was its part. They tried the same with Jodha Bai. Many such films have come in the last 10 years. Under UPA regime, such things got a push," added Swamy.


Earlier today, the Supreme Court rejected the petition filed against the release of 'Padmavati', saying the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has not yet issued a certificate to the movie.


The period drama starring Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor has been facing protests from various communal groups, including Shree Rajput Karni Sena, for allegedly tampering historical facts.  -- ANI
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16:23   K'taka celebrates Tipu amid massive security
Bringing the state under a thick security blanket, Tipu Jayanti celebrations were held amid protests across Karnataka today to mark the birth anniversary of the controversial 18th-century ruler of the erstwhile Mysore kingdom, Tipu Sultan.


With a sharply divided opinion over Tipu's legacy and rising political temperature, opposition BJP, several Hindu organisations and individuals opposed the Karnataka government celebrating Tipu Jayanti through statewide protests.


As over 54,000 police personnel and platoons of the Karnataka State Reserve Police, bolstered by the Rapid Action Force, kept a hawk-eyed vigil, functions were held at the district headquarters, where in-charge ministers and others hailed the legacy of Tipu.


There were reports of stones being hurled at a state transport bus and over 100 people, including local BJP MLA Appachu Ranjan, being detained in Kodagu district, where widespread protests and violence had marred the Tipu Jayanti celebrations two years ago, when a local VHP leader died and several others, including policemen, were injured.


Kodagu district observed a shutdown in response to a bandh called by the BJP and certain Hindutva outfits. Prohibitory orders are in place in the district till tomorrow morning.


Tipu was a ruler of the erstwhile kingdom of Mysore and considered an implacable enemy of the British East India Company. He was killed in May, 1799 while defending his fort at Srirangapatna against the British forces.


But, Tipu Sultan is a sensitive issue in Kodagu district as Kodavas (Coorgis), a martial race, believe that thousands of their men and women were seized and held captive during his occupation and subjected to torture, death and forcible conversion to Islam. Kodagu-based writer of historical books C P Beliappa had called the erstwhile ruler of Mysore a "treacherous tyrant".


However, the scale of such suppression is disputed by several historians, who see Tipu as a secular and modern ruler who took on the might of the British. With a sharp polarisation over Tipu Jayanti celebrations, the Karnataka government had made massive security arrangements across the state, deploying over 54,000 police personnel, 20,000 home guards and 212 platoons of the KSRP.  -- PTI
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16:11   CR, BMC should come up with solution for FoB construction: HC
The Bombay High Court today said the Central Railways and the BMC should soon come up with a solution for the construction of a foot overbridge (FoB) in Byculla, saying the common man could not be expected to suffer.


The court was hearing a PIL filed by a city resident which said ever since the Hancock Bridge was demolished in November 2015, pedestrians and suburban rail commuters had no option but to cross the tracks between Sandhurst road and Byculla stations to reach either side.


The plea highlighted the rise in instances of deaths of pedestrians and rail passengers, who were forced to walk across the railway tracks at Sandhurst road in the absence of an alternate bridge.  -- PTI
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16:08  
Winter session of Parliament likely to begin by the end of November.
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15:23   BCCI rejects NADA demand of testing Indian cricketers
In a stern response to India's anti-doping body NADA, the BCCI has said that a government body has no jurisdiction to conduct dopes tests on Indian cricketers.


In a letter written on November 8 to NADA chief Navin Agarwal, BCCI CEO Rahul Johri made it clear that there is no requirement for NADA to tests its cricketers since the board is not a National Sports Federation (NSF) and its present anti-doping system is robust enough.


"It is relevant to mention here that BCCI is not a National Sports Federation. Accordingly, NADA does not have jurisdiction to conduct dope testing of Indian cricketers in any domestic or international event organised or under the aegis of BCCI," Johri wrote in the letter.


"In light of the aforesaid, there is no requirement for any BCCI official to co-ordinate with NADA for dope testing of Indian cricketers either during competitions or out of completions."


The BCCI response was prepared with instructions from Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators. He further claimed that the BCCI is compliant with the WADA Code.
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15:16   Why are women exempt from odd-even: NGT to Delhi govt
Update: The NGT asks the Delhi government to give an undertaking that it will roll out odd-even only when particulate matter levels are over 300. It also asks the Delhi government why two-wheelers and women are exempted from the odd-even scheme. It allows industries engaged in essential services to operate in Delhi-NCR on condition that they would not pollute. 
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14:58   Don't implement odd-even till proven effective: NGT to Delhi govt
The National Green Tribunal which examined the Delhi government's decision to implement the odd-even scheme from November 13 directs the Delhi govt to produce details of ambient air quality during earlier odd-even schemes. 


The NGT also rapped the Delhi govt for announcing the odd-even scheme, despite reports from the Central Pollution Control Board and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee that it was ineffective. 

The NGT directed the Delhi govt not to implement odd-even unless it establishes that the scheme is not counter-productive.

The Delhi  govt has asked the  NGT to exempt industries catering to
essential services from its ban order.


The AAP government had yesterday announced introduction of the odd-even scheme as part of a Graded Response Plan to tackle the alarming pollution situation in the national capital.


A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar directed the Delhi government to submit before it the details of the ambient air quality during the earlier implementation of the odd-even scheme.
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14:41   GST rates on 177 items slashed
Update on the GST rate slash:

The all-powerful council pruned the list of items attracting the top 28 per cent tax rate to just 50 from 227 previously.

Bihar deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi said that in effect, the council, in its 23rd meet today, cut rates on 177 goods.

Facing intense heat from opposition-ruled states over keeping mass used goods in the 28 per cent bracket which was meant for luxury and de-merit goods, the Council pruned the list to 50 as against 62 that was recommended by its fitment committee.

The Goods and Services Tax implemented "from July 1, has five tax slabs of 0 per cent, 5 per cent, 12 per cent, 18 per cent and 28 per cent.

"There were 227 items in the 28 per cent slab. The fitment committee had recommended that it should be pruned to 62 items. But the GST Council has further pruned 12 more items," Modi said.

He said all types of chewing gum, chocolates, preparation for facial make-up, shaving and after-shave items, shampoo deodorants, washing powder detergent and granite and marble will attract lower 18 per cent tax rate.

"There was unanimity that in 28 per cent category there should be only sin and demerit goods. So, today the GST Council took a historic decision, that in the 28 per cent slab there will be only 50 items and the remaining items have been brought down to 18 per cent," he said.
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14:25   28% GST for only 50 items
The all-powerful GST Council at its meeting today in Guwahati decides to keep only 50 items, mostly demerit, sin and luxury goods in the top 28 per cent bracket, says Bihar Deputy CM Sushil Modi.  There were 160 items on this list earlier.


A lower 18% GST will be levied on chewing gums, chocolates, aftershave, deodorant, washing power, detergent and marble, Modi said.


The GST Council headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is looking at restructuring and bringing about tax cuts on many everyday goods for the benefit of consumers and businesses.

It is holding its 23rd meeting in Guwahati today and is expected to offer more relief to small and medium enterprises in terms of compliance burden.
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14:04   CBI probes role of 2nd student in Pradhyumn murder
The Central Bureau of Investigations is probing the role of a second student who accompanied the arrested Ryan Insternational school student, who is accused of murdering seven-year-old Pradhyumn Thakur.


The CBI is also verifying the veracity of a gardener and PT teacher's statement given to local police.


To bring you up to speed, the Class 11 student of Ryan International School, apprehended by the CBI for allegedly killing Thakur, has confessed to his crime in front of his father and an independent witness, the agency has claimed before a juvenile court.


To corroborate the 16-year-old student's statement, CBI sleuths took him to a "certain place' on Thursday, the first day of his three-day remand.A special crime team of the CBI, which is questioning him, remained tight-lipped about the exercise, saying it could affect the probe.


The juvenile court in Gurugram on Wednesday sent the student to three days' CBI custody. He is being kept at the Sewa Kutir, a child welfare home, from where he was brought to the CBI headquarters in Delhi at 10.45 am. 


The CBI has been directed by the court to carry on questioning him for seven hours between 10 in the morning to five in the evening during the custody period.


In its note seeking his remand, the agency said that his custodial interrogation was needed to ascertain if there were other people involved in the crime.


The confession of the student has little meaning as of now as such statements need to be recorded before a court under Section 164 of the CrPC. The agency said his statement was yet to be recorded under CrPC Section 164.
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13:52   CIA tried to kill Fidel Castro with poison pen on day of JFK's assassination
For history buffs:  On the day John F Kennedy died, the CIA was working to kill Fidel Castro with a poisoned pen.


Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas in 1963, but Castro survived a CIA plot to kill him with a lethal ballpoint pen. In the end, the Cuban leader outlasted his American rival by more than five decades.  Read the full report here
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13:05   SC rejects plea seeking stay on Padmavati release
Supreme Court has dismissed a petition filed against release of the film Padmavati.

The plea was seeking a stay on the release of the film directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

While dismissing the petition, the Supreme Court said that the Censor Board has not yet issued a certificate to Padmavati. It is an independent body and therefore SC should not intervene in their jurisdiction.

Meanwhile, the Allahabad high court also asked a petitioner, seeking a ban on Padmavati on the ground that it allegedly propoagates the practice of Sati, to approach the Censor Board with his plea.

The petitioner Kamta Prasad Singhal had pleaded that under the Sati (Prevention) Act, the practice was banned and even its propagation was banned and made punishable.

Declining to go into the merits of the matter, the bench said the petitioner has another forum where he could appeal for his grievance. -- ANI, PTI
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12:47   Modi govt has no option but to change GST rates: Chidambaram
Congress leader P Chidambaram today said a "shower of changes" is expected from the GST Council meeting in Guwahati and the "panic-stricken" Modi government has no option but to change the new tax rates.


The high-powered committee headed by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is meeting in Assam to discuss GST rates.


Chidambaram said the government will be forced to heed the advice of the opposition and experts due to the Gujarat assembly elections next month.


"Expect a shower of changes in GST rates from GST Council meeting today. Panic-stricken govt has no option but to concede demands for change. "Thanks to Gujarat elections, government forced to heed advice of Opposition and experts on flaws in implementation of GST," he tweeted.


Chidambaram said the letter from the finance ministers of Congress-ruled states to Jaitley will set the tone for discussions in the GST Council today.


"Congress FMs letter exposes the structural flaws in the design and implementation of GST. Government can no longer duck these issues," he said. The Congress leader said the government had avoided debate and voting in Rajya Sabha on GST Bills but it cannot avoid a debate in the public domain or in the GST Council. -- PTI


Image: The GST council meeting begins in Guwahati.
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12:24   Show us reason for odd-even: NGT to Delhi govt
The National Green Tribunal today said it would examine at 2 pm today the Delhi government's decision to roll out odd-even car rationing scheme for five days starting from November 13.


The AAP government had yesterday announced introduction of the odd-even scheme as part of a Graded Response Plan to tackle the alarming pollution situation in the national capital. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar directed the Delhi government to submit before it the details of the ambient air quality during the earlier implementation of the odd-even scheme.


The Green panel directed the counsel appearing for the Delhi government to be ready with all the requisite data and show before it the reason for implementing the latest odd-even scheme.


On April 21, last year, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had told NGT that there was no data to suggest that the odd-even scheme has led to a decline in vehicular pollution in Delhi-NCR.


The pollution monitoring body had said that there was no data to indicate that car rationing scheme has any impact on decrease in vehicular pollution and the fluctuations in PM10 and PM2.5 is due to weather and change in wind patterns.


The national capital is experiencing 'severe' air quality under a blanket of thick haze, as pollution levels have breached permissible standards by multiple times. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has recorded 'severe' air quality, meaning that the intensity of pollution was extreme.  -- PTI
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12:08   And it's a six!
King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium played cricket at Mumbai's Oval Maidan and interacted with students. Former cricketer Virendra Sehwag was also present.
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11:21   No shortage of arms for Army: Gen Rawat
Chief of Army Staff General Bipin Rawat on Friday claimed that there is no shortage of arms in the Indian Army.


"The Army has no shortage of arms. We have to keep modernizing weapons, arms as the technology is upgrading, and we are trying to bring in new and modernised technique ones in our Army," General Rawat told the media after attending the bicentenary celebration of 9 Gorkha Rifles at 39 Gorkha Training Centre in Varanasi.


General Rawat also informed that stone pelting incidents in the valley have decreased.


"Stone pelting incidents have come down to some extent. The Army, the Border Security Force (BSF), the Central Reserve Police Force, the Jammu and Kashmir Police are working together in the state. Solution to this can't be achieved overnight. The government, intelligence agencies, state administration all are making efforts. Will be successful if things go in this direction, can say this with belief," he said.


Speaking on nomination of late Field Marshal KM Cariappa for Bharat Ratna General Rawat said, "Final decision depends on the Government, whatever is decided will be acceptable."  -- ANI
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11:16   RBI urges doorstep banking for senior citizens, differently-abled
In a bid to facilitate seamless banking for all sections of the society, the Reserve Bank of India directed all banks to implement doorstep banking facilities for differently-abled citizens and those above 70 years of age by December this year.


In an official notice to banks, the central bank citing Section 23 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 said "in view of the difficulties faced by senior citizens of more than 70 years of age and differently abled or infirm persons (having medically certified chronic illness or disability) including those who are visually impaired, banks are advised to make concerted effort to provide basic banking facilities, such as pick up of cash and instruments against receipt, delivery of cash against withdrawal from account, delivery of demand drafts, submission of Know Your Customer documents and Life certificate at the premises/ residence of such customers.  -- ANI
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11:12  
Pradhyumn murder case: Arrested student brought to CBI headquarters in Delhi.
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10:54   Tipu protests: Stones thrown at Karnataka govt buses
As the Karnataka government gears up to commemorate Tipu Jayanti on 10 November, sporadic incidents of violence is being reported. The state high court has struck down the petition to restrict celebrations this year.


Stones were thrown at a Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation in Madikeri against Tipu Jayanti celebrations.


The District Administration in Kodagu has imposed Section 144 in the area ahead of Tipu Jayanti celebration, even as security has been tightened.


A large posse of policemen have been deployed in the sensitive places. No procession will be allowed in the city that is related to Tipu Jayanti, except for the one organised by the state government, according to the police.
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10:15   There are ways to hold Pak accountable in its fight against terrorism: Mattis
As part of its new south Asia strategy, the United States wants to make sure that there are no terrorist safe havens in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis has said, asserting that there are ways for the US-led NATO member countries to hold Islamabad accountable for its fight against terrorism. The new South Asia strategy comprises of regionalisation, realigning of forces, reinforcing them and to reconciliation, the political goal, he told reporters at the NATO headquarters in Brussels. -- PTI
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10:08   Ryan murder: Conductor's family to sue
A day after a 16-year-old student of Gurugram's Ryan International School was apprehended by the Central Bureau of Investigation in connection with the murder of seven-year-old Pradhyumn Thakur, the family of Ashok Kumar, the school bus conductor who was arrested initially, decided to file a case against police officers who 'framed' him. Read the full story here.
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09:59   Tipu Jayanti: Protests turn violent; Sec 144 imposed in Kodagu
Prohibitory orders have been imposed and security has been tightened in Karnataka's Kodagu in view of Tipu Jayanti celebrations on Friday.

Kodagu district administration said that Section 144 CrPC has been imposed.

Meanwhile, stones were thrown at a Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation bus in Madikeri during protests against Tipu Jayanti celebrations.

More details about the incident are awaited.

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday opposed the Karnataka government's decision to celebrate Tipu Sultan's birth anniversary.

BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain said that the Congress-led government is worried about Tipu Sultan instead of the state's public.

BJP spokesperson Zafar Islam said the Congress performs these kinds of stunts to appease people, but the BJP is not going to join them.  -- ANI
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08:34   Delhi air quality still 'hazardous'; entry of outside vehicles curbed
Residents in the national capital and nearby regions got little respite from the toxic smog on fourth straight day with Air Quality Index of several areas falling into 'hazardous' category.

On Thursday morning too, smog permeated several areas, including Rajpath. Residents said they are continuing to exercise precaution by wearing masks.

In Air Quality Index, Delhi's Mandir Marg stood at 515, Punjabi Bagh at 802, Anand Vihar at 571, and Dwarka at 420, all falling in the 'hazardous' category.

In Haryana, Vikas Sadan Gurugram with AQI 391 and Sector16A Faridabad with 348 were in the 'hazardous' category.

Meanwhile, border entry points from where heavy and medium goods vehicles enter into Delhi have been sealed by Delhi Police since 11 pm yesterday.

"On all borders, we have deployed our traffic staff, local police, PCRs. We are checking all vehicles and directing them to return from Delhi borders. We are also in liaison with neighbouring states so that diversions can take place from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh side also," DCP D K Gupta said.

He said vehicles with essential commodities are not being restricted, they are being allowed.  -- ANI
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00:06   Saudi Arabia says 201 people held in anti-graft swoop
Saudi Arabia's attorney general says at least $100 billion (Rs 6.5 lakh crore) has been misused through systemic corruption and embezzlement in recent decades.

Sheikh Saud al-Mojeb said 201 people were being held for questioning as part of a sweeping anti-corruption drive that began on Saturday night.

He did not name any of them, but they reportedly include senior princes, ministers and influential businessmen.

"The evidence for this wrongdoing is very strong," Sheikh Mojeb said.

He also stressed that normal commercial activity in the kingdom had not been affected by the crackdown, and that only personal bank accounts had been frozen.

Sheikh Saud al-Mojeb said investigations by the newly-formed supreme anti-corruption committee, which is headed by 32-year-old Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, were "progressing very quickly".

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