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The Bihar Cabinet has approved the Centre`s scheme of 10 per cent reservation for economically weaker general candidates in government jobs and educational institutions in the state on Friday.

The cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has also passed 58 agendas placed before it.

Earlier on January 22, Nitish Kumar chaired a high-level meeting at his 1 Anne Marg residence here in Patna in which he discussed the issue with Chief Secretary Deepak Kumar and Secretary to the Chief Minister Manish Kumar Varma along with others.

Gujarat, Jharkhand, Uttar-Pradesh are the other states that have implemented the centre`s scheme.

The Lok Sabha recently passed the Constitution Bill, 2019 in Parliament to grant 10 per cent reservation in education and government jobs to economically weaker individuals belonging to the general category across religions.

The Bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha, with 165 votes in favour and seven against.

The Bihar Cabinet has approved the Centre`s scheme of 10 per cent reservation for economically weaker general candidates in government jobs and educational institutions in the state on Friday.

The Bihar Cabinet has approved the Centre`s scheme of 10 per cent reservation for economically weaker general candidates in government jobs and educational institutions in the state on Friday. The cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has also passed 58 agendas placed before it. Earlier on January 22, Nitish Kumar chaired a high-level meeting at his 1 Anne Marg residence here in Patna in which he discussed the issue with Chief Secretary Deepak Kumar and Secretary to the Chief Minister Manish Kumar Varma along with others. Gujarat, Jharkhand, Uttar-Pradesh are the other states that have implemented the centre`s scheme. The Lok Sabha recently passed the Constitution Bill, 2019 in Parliament to grant 10 per cent reservation in education and government jobs to economically weaker individuals belonging to the general category across religions. The Bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha, with 165 votes in favour and seven against.

Bihar cabinet approves Centre's 10% quota for economically weaker general category

Budget 2019: Arun Jaitley speaks on Budget 2019

Exclusive: Sudhir Chaudhary speaks to Piyush Goyal on Budget 2019

Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora on Friday sought an explanation from the Kolkata Police commissioner Rajeev Kumar after he skipped the two-day Election Commission’s review meeting in the state.

“Kolkata Police commissioner was replaced by the special commissioner. We asked him where was he and said that he doesn’t know the whereabouts of the commissioner and added that he had been asked to attend the meet. We have sought an explanation from the controlling officer of the Police Commissioner. They will give us in writing why he skipped the meet,” said Arora, adding “Someone told me it was his birthday.”

&nbsp;According to sources, the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) had asked the ADG Law and Order to convey to the Kolkata Police Commissioner that he must attend the meet on the second day, however, he stayed away today too. Reacting strongly to the move of the Kolkata Police Commissioner staying away from the meeting, the CEC sought an explanation from the home secretary – the controlling officer of the police commissioner.

On being quizzed whether the present prevailing conditions in the state are conducive to hold free and fair polls, the CEC said that there is room for improvement.

Sources reveal that commission was unhappy with the police in relation to the execution of non-bailable warrants. “The Commission has directed the District Magistrates and police officers to carefully look into law and order concerns. They have been asked to ensure speedy execution of non-bailable warrants (NBWs) and speedy disposal of pending cases of the electoral offences from last elections,” added Arora.

The full bench of Election Commission of India (ECI) was on a two-day visit to Kolkata to review poll preparedness in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections.

On the first day of the visit, the Election Commission officials held a meeting with all the political parties in the state. The second meeting was held with all the district Superintend of Police, District Magistrate and DEOs. The third meeting was held with the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) and nodal officers from the Bengal Police.

On the second day, the Election Commission held meetings with the Excise department, IT department, transport department. Later in the day, the commission held a meeting with the West Bengal Chief Secretary and Director General of West Bengal Police.

Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora on Friday sought an explanation from the Kolkata Police commissioner Rajeev Kumar after he skipped the two-day Election Commission’s review meeting in the state.

Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora on Friday sought an explanation from the Kolkata Police commissioner Rajeev Kumar after he skipped the two-day Election Commission’s review meeting in the state. “Kolkata Police commissioner was replaced by the special commissioner. We asked him where was he and said that he doesn’t know the whereabouts of the commissioner and added that he had been asked to attend the meet. We have sought an explanation from the controlling officer of the Police Commissioner. They will give us in writing why he skipped the meet,” said Arora, adding “Someone told me it was his birthday.” According to sources, the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) had asked the ADG Law and Order to convey to the Kolkata Police Commissioner that he must attend the meet on the second day, however, he stayed away today too. Reacting strongly to the move of the Kolkata Police Commissioner staying away from the meeting, the CEC sought an explanation from the home secretary – the controlling officer of the police commissioner. On being quizzed whether the present prevailing conditions in the state are conducive to hold free and fair polls, the CEC said that there is room for improvement. Sources reveal that commission was unhappy with the police in relation to the execution of non-bailable warrants. “The Commission has directed the District Magistrates and police officers to carefully look into law and order concerns. They have been asked to ensure speedy execution of non-bailable warrants (NBWs) and speedy disposal of pending cases of the electoral offences from last elections,” added Arora. The full bench of Election Commission of India (ECI) was on a two-day visit to Kolkata to review poll preparedness in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections. On the first day of the visit, the Election Commission officials held a meeting with all the political parties in the state. The second meeting was held with all the district Superintend of Police, District Magistrate and DEOs. The third meeting was held with the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) and nodal officers from the Bengal Police. On the second day, the Election Commission held meetings with the Excise department, IT department, transport department. Later in the day, the commission held a meeting with the West Bengal Chief Secretary and Director General of West Bengal Police.

CEC seeks explanation from Kolkata Police commissioner over his absence in poll review meet

As many as 11 trains coming into Delhi were delayed on Friday owing to the dense fog blanketing northern India.

The minimum temperature was recorded at 11 degrees Celsius -- three notches above the season's normal, a meteorological department official said.

Very light rain, thundershowers may occur with generally cloudy skies during the day. Maximum temperature is expected to hover around 21 degrees Celsius, he said.

In addition to the extreme weather conditions, air quality continued to remain very poor.

According to System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of the national capital was recorded at 351 till 8.00 am, which falls in the 'very poor'&nbsp;category.

According to the AQI data, major pollutants PM 2.5 was at 186 and PM 10 was at 298, in 'Poor'&nbsp;and 'Very Poor'&nbsp;category respectively.

At Mathura road, major pollutant PM 2.5 was detected at 369 (very poor). In Lodhi road and Ayanagar area, the air quality dipped to the 'very poor'&nbsp;category at 328 and 308, respectively.

AQI in the range of 51 to 100 is considered as satisfactory, 101-200 is moderate, 201-300 falls under the category of poor, 300-400 is considered 'very poor'&nbsp;and 401-500 falls under the 'hazardous'&nbsp;category.

As many as 11 trains coming into Delhi were delayed on Friday owing to the dense fog blanketing northern India. The minimum temperature was recorded at 11 degrees Celsius -- three notches above the season's normal, a meteorological department official said.

As many as 11 trains coming into Delhi were delayed on Friday owing to the dense fog blanketing northern India. The minimum temperature was recorded at 11 degrees Celsius -- three notches above the season's normal, a meteorological department official said. Very light rain, thundershowers may occur with generally cloudy skies during the day. Maximum temperature is expected to hover around 21 degrees Celsius, he said. In addition to the extreme weather conditions, air quality continued to remain very poor. According to System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of the national capital was recorded at 351 till 8.00 am, which falls in the 'very poor' category. According to the AQI data, major pollutants PM 2.5 was at 186 and PM 10 was at 298, in 'Poor' and 'Very Poor' category respectively. At Mathura road, major pollutant PM 2.5 was detected at 369 (very poor). In Lodhi road and Ayanagar area, the air quality dipped to the 'very poor' category at 328 and 308, respectively. AQI in the range of 51 to 100 is considered as satisfactory, 101-200 is moderate, 201-300 falls under the category of poor, 300-400 is considered 'very poor' and 401-500 falls under the 'hazardous' category.

11 trains delayed as cold wave grips Delhi; air quality continues to remain very poor

Anand Mahindra the chairman of the Mahindra Group, a Mumbai-based business conglomerate was the first to congratulate the finance minister for presenting the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/budget-2019-full-text-of-finance-minister-piyush-goyals-speech-in-parliament-194373">interim Budget 2019</a>.

Referring to the popular tagline from the "Uri" movie starring Vicky Kaushal, Mahindra asked, "How high was Piyush Goyal’s Josh?’ the answer would not be in doubt..."&nbsp;

"I was bracing for a populist ,profligate&nbsp;Budget driven by ‘election panic.’ &nbsp;I’m just grateful that the reliefs to the key middle class &amp; farmer segments were delivered in a measured way without risking bankruptcy of the economy. This was a controlled, pump-priming exercise..."

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Before any discussion on the numbers around the budget, it’s clear that if anyone were to ask ‘How high was Piyush Goyal’s Josh?’ the answer would not be in doubt...
— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) <a href="https://twitter.com/anandmahindra/status/1091236400437981184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
I was bracing for a populist,profligate budget driven by ‘election panic.’ I’m just grateful that the reliefs to the key middle class &amp; farmer segments were delivered in a measured way without risking bankruptcy of the economy. This was a controlled, pump-priming exercise...
— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) <a href="https://twitter.com/anandmahindra/status/1091252955632652293?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The phrase was also used by Piyush Goyal in the Parliament during the presentation of the Budget.

"How's the josh" has also been previously used by several leaders including PM Modi and Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

Chairman, Adani Group also hailed the interim Budget 2019. He tweeted, "India's middle class, small traders and farmers are the lifelines of its economic growth. By catering to these ambitions #Budget2019 infuses hopes for millions of dreams.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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India's middle class, small traders and farmers are the lifelines of its economic growth. By catering to these ambitions <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Budget2019?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Budget2019</a> infuses hopes for millions of dreams.
— Gautam Adani (@gautam_adani) <a href="https://twitter.com/gautam_adani/status/1091263706858545152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2019</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Anand Mahindra the chairman of the Mahindra Group, a Mumbai-based business conglomerate was the first to congratulate the finance minister for presenting the interim Budget 2019.

Anand Mahindra the chairman of the Mahindra Group, a Mumbai-based business conglomerate was the first to congratulate the finance minister for presenting the interim Budget 2019. Referring to the popular tagline from the "Uri" movie starring Vicky Kaushal, Mahindra asked, "How high was Piyush Goyal’s Josh?’ the answer would not be in doubt..." "I was bracing for a populist ,profligate Budget driven by ‘election panic.’ I’m just grateful that the reliefs to the key middle class & farmer segments were delivered in a measured way without risking bankruptcy of the economy. This was a controlled, pump-priming exercise..." Before any discussion on the numbers around the budget, it’s clear that if anyone were to ask ‘How high was Piyush Goyal’s Josh?’ the answer would not be in doubt... — anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) February 1, 2019 × I was bracing for a populist,profligate budget driven by ‘election panic.’ I’m just grateful that the reliefs to the key middle class & farmer segments were delivered in a measured way without risking bankruptcy of the economy. This was a controlled, pump-priming exercise... — anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) February 1, 2019 × The phrase was also used by Piyush Goyal in the Parliament during the presentation of the Budget. "How's the josh" has also been previously used by several leaders including PM Modi and Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Chairman, Adani Group also hailed the interim Budget 2019. He tweeted, "India's middle class, small traders and farmers are the lifelines of its economic growth. By catering to these ambitions #Budget2019 infuses hopes for millions of dreams. India's middle class, small traders and farmers are the lifelines of its economic growth. By catering to these ambitions #Budget2019 infuses hopes for millions of dreams. — Gautam Adani (@gautam_adani) February 1, 2019 ×

Budget 2019: How high was Piyush Goyal’s josh, asks Anand Mahindra

The government has allocated a sum of Rs 3,18,931.22 crore to Defence out of the total outlay of Rs 27,84,200 crore of the interim Budget 2019-2020 announced on Friday. The Rs 3.18 lakh crore&nbsp;does not include the Defence Pension which stands at Rs 1,12 lakh crore&nbsp;in Budget estimates for financial year 19-20. The allocation of Rs 3.18 lakh crore&nbsp;represents a growth of 7.93 per cent over Budget estimates of FY 2018-19 of Rs 2.95 lakh crore&nbsp;and 6.87 per cent over revised estimates at Rs 2. 98 lakh crore. &nbsp;

While announcing the Budget Interim Finance Minister Piyush Goyal said," Our Defence Budget will be crossing Rs 3,00,000 crore for the first time in 2019-20. For securing our borders and to maintain preparedness of the highest order, if necessary, additional funds would be provided."

According to an Army release, "the total defence allocation including the defence pension accounts for 15.48 per cent&nbsp;of the total central government expenditure for the year 2019-20".

The release explained that out of Rs 3.18 lakh crore&nbsp;allocated for financial year 2019-20, Rs 2.10 lakh crore&nbsp;is for revenue (net) expenditure and Rs 1.08 lakh crore&nbsp;for capital expenditure for the defence services and the departments under the defence ministry. The Rs 1.08 crore amount allocated for capital expenditure includes the amount for modernisation.

Piyush Goyal while speaking in the parliament on Friday also said that the current government has disbursed over Rs 35000 crore for implementation of One Rank One Pension (OROP).

He added," The Government also announced substantial hike in the Military Service Pay (MSP) of all service personnel and special allowances given to Naval and Air Force personnel deployed in high risk duties"

The government has allocated a sum of Rs 3,18,931.22 crore to Defence out of the total outlay of Rs 27,84,200 crore of the interim Budget 2019-2020 announced on Friday.

The government has allocated a sum of Rs 3,18,931.22 crore to Defence out of the total outlay of Rs 27,84,200 crore of the interim Budget 2019-2020 announced on Friday. The Rs 3.18 lakh crore does not include the Defence Pension which stands at Rs 1,12 lakh crore in Budget estimates for financial year 19-20. The allocation of Rs 3.18 lakh crore represents a growth of 7.93 per cent over Budget estimates of FY 2018-19 of Rs 2.95 lakh crore and 6.87 per cent over revised estimates at Rs 2. 98 lakh crore. While announcing the Budget Interim Finance Minister Piyush Goyal said," Our Defence Budget will be crossing Rs 3,00,000 crore for the first time in 2019-20. For securing our borders and to maintain preparedness of the highest order, if necessary, additional funds would be provided." According to an Army release, "the total defence allocation including the defence pension accounts for 15.48 per cent of the total central government expenditure for the year 2019-20". The release explained that out of Rs 3.18 lakh crore allocated for financial year 2019-20, Rs 2.10 lakh crore is for revenue (net) expenditure and Rs 1.08 lakh crore for capital expenditure for the defence services and the departments under the defence ministry. The Rs 1.08 crore amount allocated for capital expenditure includes the amount for modernisation. Piyush Goyal while speaking in the parliament on Friday also said that the current government has disbursed over Rs 35000 crore for implementation of One Rank One Pension (OROP). He added," The Government also announced substantial hike in the Military Service Pay (MSP) of all service personnel and special allowances given to Naval and Air Force personnel deployed in high risk duties"

Budget 2019: Defence gets Rs 3.18 lakh crore; 7% higher than last year

Jayaram Chigurupati, Director Coastal Bank and MD, Express TV (a Telugu channel) was found dead in a car parked on a Highway near Aitavaram village on Thursday night. The deceased has been found with a head injury, the police said.

The probe authorities are yet to ascertain whether it was an accidental death or a murder. They have collected all the CCTV footages of Jayaram`s car from several toll gates for carrying out the probe.

Chigurupati was arrested in January last year on the charge of non-payment of salaries to employees.

He was accused of non-payment of salaries/compensation amounts to the removed employees as per the agreement between them. He was allegedly involved in other cases which were being investigated by the CID of Telangana Police.&nbsp;

Jayaram Chigurupati, Director Coastal Bank and MD, Express TV (a Telugu channel) was found dead in a car parked on a Highway near Aitavaram village on Thursday night.

Jayaram Chigurupati, Director Coastal Bank and MD, Express TV (a Telugu channel) was found dead in a car parked on a Highway near Aitavaram village on Thursday night. The deceased has been found with a head injury, the police said. The probe authorities are yet to ascertain whether it was an accidental death or a murder. They have collected all the CCTV footages of Jayaram`s car from several toll gates for carrying out the probe. Chigurupati was arrested in January last year on the charge of non-payment of salaries to employees. He was accused of non-payment of salaries/compensation amounts to the removed employees as per the agreement between them. He was allegedly involved in other cases which were being investigated by the CID of Telangana Police.

Andhra Pradesh: TV channel MD found dead in car, probe underway

The Supreme Court Friday asked RBI to respond to an application looking to implead it as a party in a matter seeking directive to US-based WhatsApp to comply with data localisation norms for providing payment service in India.

A bench of Justices R F Nariman and Vineet Saran issued notice to the RBI on an impleadment application by NGO, Centre for Accountability and Systemic Change (CASC), which has filed a petition in the court claiming that WhatsApp has not fully complied with the central bank's circular which prescribed data localisation norms.

The norms relate to storing of payment related data within India, which has 200 million WhatsApp users.

"Issue notice on the application for impleadment of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) as respondent," the bench said and posted the matter for hearing on March 5.

On January 14, the top court had permitted advocate Virag Gupta, appearing for the petitioner, to file an application for impleading RBI as a party in the case.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, had also told the court that RBI was needed to be made a party in the case as issue pertains to data localisation.

In its petition, the NGO has sought direction to restrain the instant messaging platform from proceeding with its payment service unless it fully complied with the provisions of the RBI.

The Centre and WhatsApp had earlier told the court that a grievance officer for India has been appointed by the instant messaging service company.

However, the NGO has claimed that grievance officer has been appointed in the United States of America, which is "preposterous and against the sovereignty of India".

In its plea, the NGO has referred to IT (Intermediary) Rules of 2011 and IT (reasonable security practices and procedures and sensitive personal data or information) Rules 2011 wherein provision is made for appointment of grievance officer.

It has also said in its affidavit that it would be a paradox if data localisation norms are prescribed in India but companies are allowed to keep data officers in USA.

On August 27 last year, the apex court had agreed to examine the plea which alleged that WhatsApp does not comply with the Indian laws including the provision for appointing a grievance officer.

WhatsApp reportedly has over 200 million users in India and almost one million people are "testing" its payments service. India is one of the largest bases for the Facebook-owned company that has over 1.5 billion users globally.

In its plea, the CASC said that to open a bank account, a customer needs to comply with KYC norms laid down by the RBI and various other formalities.&nbsp;

"WhatsApp is a foreign company with no office or servers in India. To run Payments Service in India, WhatsApp is obligated to have its office and payments in India," it said.

"Moreover, it is also required to have a Grievance Officer for users in India. Yet, it is being allowed to continue with its payments and other services, without any check," the plea claimed.

The petition also alleged that the social media giant does not comply with tax and other laws of India, but its reach was such that it is used by everyone, be it a commoner or even the judges of the apex court.

It said every user has a number on WhatsApp but the messaging platform has no number through which its user can contact it for any grievance redressal.

Pointing to alleged cases of Internet-based crimes, it has claimed that the growth of such incidents was directly proportional to the growth of the user base of messaging services like WhatsApp.

The Supreme Court Friday asked RBI to respond to an application looking to implead it as a party in a matter seeking directive to US-based WhatsApp to comply with data localisation norms for providing payment service in India.

The Supreme Court Friday asked RBI to respond to an application looking to implead it as a party in a matter seeking directive to US-based WhatsApp to comply with data localisation norms for providing payment service in India. A bench of Justices R F Nariman and Vineet Saran issued notice to the RBI on an impleadment application by NGO, Centre for Accountability and Systemic Change (CASC), which has filed a petition in the court claiming that WhatsApp has not fully complied with the central bank's circular which prescribed data localisation norms. The norms relate to storing of payment related data within India, which has 200 million WhatsApp users. "Issue notice on the application for impleadment of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) as respondent," the bench said and posted the matter for hearing on March 5. On January 14, the top court had permitted advocate Virag Gupta, appearing for the petitioner, to file an application for impleading RBI as a party in the case. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, had also told the court that RBI was needed to be made a party in the case as issue pertains to data localisation. In its petition, the NGO has sought direction to restrain the instant messaging platform from proceeding with its payment service unless it fully complied with the provisions of the RBI. The Centre and WhatsApp had earlier told the court that a grievance officer for India has been appointed by the instant messaging service company. However, the NGO has claimed that grievance officer has been appointed in the United States of America, which is "preposterous and against the sovereignty of India". In its plea, the NGO has referred to IT (Intermediary) Rules of 2011 and IT (reasonable security practices and procedures and sensitive personal data or information) Rules 2011 wherein provision is made for appointment of grievance officer. It has also said in its affidavit that it would be a paradox if data localisation norms are prescribed in India but companies are allowed to keep data officers in USA. On August 27 last year, the apex court had agreed to examine the plea which alleged that WhatsApp does not comply with the Indian laws including the provision for appointing a grievance officer. WhatsApp reportedly has over 200 million users in India and almost one million people are "testing" its payments service. India is one of the largest bases for the Facebook-owned company that has over 1.5 billion users globally. In its plea, the CASC said that to open a bank account, a customer needs to comply with KYC norms laid down by the RBI and various other formalities. "WhatsApp is a foreign company with no office or servers in India. To run Payments Service in India, WhatsApp is obligated to have its office and payments in India," it said. "Moreover, it is also required to have a Grievance Officer for users in India. Yet, it is being allowed to continue with its payments and other services, without any check," the plea claimed. The petition also alleged that the social media giant does not comply with tax and other laws of India, but its reach was such that it is used by everyone, be it a commoner or even the judges of the apex court. It said every user has a number on WhatsApp but the messaging platform has no number through which its user can contact it for any grievance redressal. Pointing to alleged cases of Internet-based crimes, it has claimed that the growth of such incidents was directly proportional to the growth of the user base of messaging services like WhatsApp.

Supreme Court seeks RBI response in data localisation matter of WhatsApp payment service

Robert Vadra Friday moved a Delhi court seeking anticipatory bail in a money laundering case lodged by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

A lawyer from the prosecution team confirmed that Vadra has sought anticipatory bail in the case in which his close aide Manoj Arora was granted interim protection from arrest till February 6 by the court.

The case relates to allegations of money laundering in the purchase of a London-based property -- located at 12, Bryanston Square -- worth 1.9 million pounds, which is allegedly owned by Vadra, the brother-in-law of Congress President Rahul Gandhi.&nbsp;

Vadra's anticipatory bail application is likely to be heard by the court on Saturday.

On January 19, the ED had told the court that Arora was cooperating in the probe.

Arora had earlier alleged before the court that the case was foisted on him by the NDA government out of "political vendetta".

However, the ED had refuted the allegations, asking that "should no authority investigate any political bigwig because that will be called a political vendetta?"

The agency had told the court that it lodged the money laundering case against Arora after his role came up during the probe of another case by the Income Tax Department under the newly-enacted Black Money Act and tax law against absconding arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari.

It had alleged that the London-based property was bought by Bhandari for GBP 1.9 million and sold in 2010 for the same amount despite incurring additional expenses of approximately GBP 65,900 on its renovation.

"This gives credence to the fact that Bhandari was not the actual owner of the property but it was beneficially owned by Vadra who was incurring expenditure on the renovation of this property," the ED had told the court.

Arora, an employee of Vadra's Skylight Hospitality LLP, was a key person in the case and he was aware of the latter's overseas undeclared assets and was instrumental in arranging funds, ED had alleged.

&nbsp;

Robert Vadra Friday moved a Delhi court seeking anticipatory bail in a money laundering case lodged by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). A lawyer from the prosecution team confirmed that Vadra has sought anticipatory bail in the case in which his close aide Manoj Arora was granted interim protection from arrest till February 6 by the court.

Robert Vadra Friday moved a Delhi court seeking anticipatory bail in a money laundering case lodged by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). A lawyer from the prosecution team confirmed that Vadra has sought anticipatory bail in the case in which his close aide Manoj Arora was granted interim protection from arrest till February 6 by the court. The case relates to allegations of money laundering in the purchase of a London-based property -- located at 12, Bryanston Square -- worth 1.9 million pounds, which is allegedly owned by Vadra, the brother-in-law of Congress President Rahul Gandhi. Vadra's anticipatory bail application is likely to be heard by the court on Saturday. On January 19, the ED had told the court that Arora was cooperating in the probe. Arora had earlier alleged before the court that the case was foisted on him by the NDA government out of "political vendetta". However, the ED had refuted the allegations, asking that "should no authority investigate any political bigwig because that will be called a political vendetta?" The agency had told the court that it lodged the money laundering case against Arora after his role came up during the probe of another case by the Income Tax Department under the newly-enacted Black Money Act and tax law against absconding arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari. It had alleged that the London-based property was bought by Bhandari for GBP 1.9 million and sold in 2010 for the same amount despite incurring additional expenses of approximately GBP 65,900 on its renovation. "This gives credence to the fact that Bhandari was not the actual owner of the property but it was beneficially owned by Vadra who was incurring expenditure on the renovation of this property," the ED had told the court. Arora, an employee of Vadra's Skylight Hospitality LLP, was a key person in the case and he was aware of the latter's overseas undeclared assets and was instrumental in arranging funds, ED had alleged.

Robert Vadra moves Delhi court seeking anticipatory bail in money laundering case

Suspense over the next CBI chief continued on Friday as the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-headed selection committee could not reach a decision during its second meeting in Delhi, officials said.

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court said it was "averse" to the arrangement of an interim CBI Director and the Centre should "immediately" appoint a regular chief of the probe agency.

The post of CBI Director is "sensitive" and "important", and it is not good to keep an interim director of the agency for longer period, the top court observed and sought to know as to why the government has not made the appointment yet.

"No decision could be taken during the meeting," a senior government official said, without citing further details on the selection committee's meeting.

The post of the CBI chief has been lying vacant since January 10 after the unceremonious exit of Alok Verma, who had been engaged in a bitter fight with Gujarat-cadre IPS officer Rakesh Asthana over corruption charges.

Both Verma and Asthana had accused each other of corruption.

M Nageswara Rao has been working as the interim CBI chief after Verma's ouster.

Friday's meeting was held at the prime minister's residence -- that lasted for over an hour -- and attended by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge.

The panel's January 24 meeting has also remained inconclusive.

A list of eligible officers along with their dossiers was shared with the panel members in the last meeting.

"The government presented names of 70-80 officers. There was no mention of their career details including relevant experience. We (referring to CJI Gogoi) have asked them to provide all the necessary details. The next meeting will be convened may be by next week," Kharge had told reporters after the January 24 meeting.

Verma, after being removed from the post of CBI director by the PM-led panel, was named as the Director General of Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home Guards -- a less significant portfolio.

Verma did not accept the offer and wrote to the government, saying he should be considered as deemed superannuated as he has completed 60 years age of superannuation on July 31, 2017.

He had taken over as the CBI chief on February 1, 2017 for a fixed two-year tenure that ended Thursday.&nbsp;

Suspense over the next CBI chief continued on Friday as the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-headed selection committee could not reach a decision during its second meeting in Delhi, officials said.

Suspense over the next CBI chief continued on Friday as the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-headed selection committee could not reach a decision during its second meeting in Delhi, officials said. Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court said it was "averse" to the arrangement of an interim CBI Director and the Centre should "immediately" appoint a regular chief of the probe agency. The post of CBI Director is "sensitive" and "important", and it is not good to keep an interim director of the agency for longer period, the top court observed and sought to know as to why the government has not made the appointment yet. "No decision could be taken during the meeting," a senior government official said, without citing further details on the selection committee's meeting. The post of the CBI chief has been lying vacant since January 10 after the unceremonious exit of Alok Verma, who had been engaged in a bitter fight with Gujarat-cadre IPS officer Rakesh Asthana over corruption charges. Both Verma and Asthana had accused each other of corruption. M Nageswara Rao has been working as the interim CBI chief after Verma's ouster. Friday's meeting was held at the prime minister's residence -- that lasted for over an hour -- and attended by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge. The panel's January 24 meeting has also remained inconclusive. A list of eligible officers along with their dossiers was shared with the panel members in the last meeting. "The government presented names of 70-80 officers. There was no mention of their career details including relevant experience. We (referring to CJI Gogoi) have asked them to provide all the necessary details. The next meeting will be convened may be by next week," Kharge had told reporters after the January 24 meeting. Verma, after being removed from the post of CBI director by the PM-led panel, was named as the Director General of Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home Guards -- a less significant portfolio. Verma did not accept the offer and wrote to the government, saying he should be considered as deemed superannuated as he has completed 60 years age of superannuation on July 31, 2017. He had taken over as the CBI chief on February 1, 2017 for a fixed two-year tenure that ended Thursday.

'No decision' on CBI chief in second meeting of PM-led panel

The government will set up a 'Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog' (National Cow Commission) to boost cow milk production and effective implementation of laws and welfare schemes for cows, Finance Minister Piyush Goyal announced Friday.

He also increased the allocation for centrally sponsored scheme Rashtriya Gokul Mission to Rs 750 crore for the current financial year from the Budget Estimate of Rs 301.50 crore.

"The animal husbandry and fisheries sector also needs considerable support. I have increased the allocation for the Rashtriya Gokul Mission to Rs 750 crore in the current year itself," Goyal said presenting the Interim Budget for 2019-20.

The Aayog aims to upscale sustainable genetic up-gradation of cow resources and to enhance production and productivity of cows, he said.

"The Aayog will also look after effective implementation of laws and welfare schemes for cows," the minister added.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Opposition Congress are competing in announcing welfare measures to protect cow, considered to be a holy animal by Hindus in India.

The Central government as well as the BJP-ruled states, including Uttar Pradesh, has announced many schemes to protect cows. The Congress-ruled states, such as Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, have also providing funds to set up cow shelters.

Welcoming the setting up of a cow commission, BJP National President Amit Shah said this would boost cow conservation and productivity.

He also said icons like Mahatma Gandhi and Vinoba Bhave had recognised the animal's significance to the Indian economy and society.

To provide sustained and focused attention towards development of this sector, the finance minister also announced creating a separate Department of Fisheries.

India is the second-largest fish-producing nation in the world accounting for 6.3 per cent of the global production, registering an average annual growth of over 7 per cent in recent years. The sector provides livelihood to about 1.45 crore people at the primary level, he added.&nbsp;

The government will set up a 'Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog' (National Cow Commission) to boost cow milk production and effective implementation of laws and welfare schemes for cows, Finance Minister Piyush Goyal announced Friday.

The government will set up a 'Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog' (National Cow Commission) to boost cow milk production and effective implementation of laws and welfare schemes for cows, Finance Minister Piyush Goyal announced Friday. He also increased the allocation for centrally sponsored scheme Rashtriya Gokul Mission to Rs 750 crore for the current financial year from the Budget Estimate of Rs 301.50 crore. "The animal husbandry and fisheries sector also needs considerable support. I have increased the allocation for the Rashtriya Gokul Mission to Rs 750 crore in the current year itself," Goyal said presenting the Interim Budget for 2019-20. The Aayog aims to upscale sustainable genetic up-gradation of cow resources and to enhance production and productivity of cows, he said. "The Aayog will also look after effective implementation of laws and welfare schemes for cows," the minister added. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Opposition Congress are competing in announcing welfare measures to protect cow, considered to be a holy animal by Hindus in India. The Central government as well as the BJP-ruled states, including Uttar Pradesh, has announced many schemes to protect cows. The Congress-ruled states, such as Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, have also providing funds to set up cow shelters. Welcoming the setting up of a cow commission, BJP National President Amit Shah said this would boost cow conservation and productivity. He also said icons like Mahatma Gandhi and Vinoba Bhave had recognised the animal's significance to the Indian economy and society. To provide sustained and focused attention towards development of this sector, the finance minister also announced creating a separate Department of Fisheries. India is the second-largest fish-producing nation in the world accounting for 6.3 per cent of the global production, registering an average annual growth of over 7 per cent in recent years. The sector provides livelihood to about 1.45 crore people at the primary level, he added.

Government to set up commission to protect cows, boost milk output

Five people have been arrested for allegedly burning an effigy of Mahatma Gandhi, in an enactment of his assassination on his death anniversary, officials said Thursday.

The suspects, allegedly belonging to the right-wing All India Hindu Mahasabha, fired at the effigy before setting it ablaze on Wednesday, police said.

They shouted slogans against Gandhi and in praise of his killer Nathu Ram Godse during the act, a video which surfaced later suggested.

The charges against the men include promoting hatred and disrupting harmony, police said.

A purported video of the enactment of Gandhi's assassination was circulated on social media, with the right wing-group drawing massive condemnation.

Police Wednesday registered a case against 13 people, including the group's national general secretary Puja Shakun Pandey, who was seen firing at the effigy in the video, the officials said.

"We are taking this matter seriously and action will be taken against all those found guilty," Aligarh's Senior Superintendent of Police Akash Kulhary said.

Two of the accused, Manoj, who had set the effigy on fire, and Abhishek were arrested Wednesday, another officer said.

"This morning, we arrested Gajendra, who is locally called 'Vakil saheb'. He had also opened fire at the effigy along with Pandey," Additional Superintendent of Police Neeraj Kumar Jadaun told.

"Two more accused were arrested later this evening. They have been identified as Harishankar Sharma and Rajeev, the tall man with a beard and black jacket, as seen in the footage," he said.

They have been booked under the Indian Penal Code Sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) and 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage reli?gious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or reli?gious beliefs), 147, 148, 149 (related to rioting), Jadaun said.

Five people have been arrested for allegedly burning an effigy of Mahatma Gandhi, in an enactment of his assassination on his death anniversary, officials said Thursday.

Five people have been arrested for allegedly burning an effigy of Mahatma Gandhi, in an enactment of his assassination on his death anniversary, officials said Thursday. The suspects, allegedly belonging to the right-wing All India Hindu Mahasabha, fired at the effigy before setting it ablaze on Wednesday, police said. They shouted slogans against Gandhi and in praise of his killer Nathu Ram Godse during the act, a video which surfaced later suggested. The charges against the men include promoting hatred and disrupting harmony, police said. A purported video of the enactment of Gandhi's assassination was circulated on social media, with the right wing-group drawing massive condemnation. Police Wednesday registered a case against 13 people, including the group's national general secretary Puja Shakun Pandey, who was seen firing at the effigy in the video, the officials said. "We are taking this matter seriously and action will be taken against all those found guilty," Aligarh's Senior Superintendent of Police Akash Kulhary said. Two of the accused, Manoj, who had set the effigy on fire, and Abhishek were arrested Wednesday, another officer said. "This morning, we arrested Gajendra, who is locally called 'Vakil saheb'. He had also opened fire at the effigy along with Pandey," Additional Superintendent of Police Neeraj Kumar Jadaun told. "Two more accused were arrested later this evening. They have been identified as Harishankar Sharma and Rajeev, the tall man with a beard and black jacket, as seen in the footage," he said. They have been booked under the Indian Penal Code Sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) and 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage reli?gious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or reli?gious beliefs), 147, 148, 149 (related to rioting), Jadaun said.

Five held for burning Mahatma Gandhi's effigy, enact his assassination

Budget 2019: Amitabh Kant, CEO of the NITI Aayog on Budget 2019

India has said that it is "according the highest priority to the situation" arising out of the detention of Indian students in the United States and has placed a formal request for consular access for the students. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in a release said, "We are monitoring the situation closely and have impressed upon the US Government the need to address the situation at the earliest."

The US Department of Homeland security in order to expose an immigration scam set up a fake university in Farmington Hills, Michigan state of the United States. The student in order to stay in the US enrolled in the university to continue with the student visa status.

Arrest warrants have been issued to 600 students while 100 students connected to the University have been arrested.&nbsp;

The Indian mission is in touch with US State Department and the Department of Homeland Security and has requested for a list of the detained students and other details such as place of detention and Identity.

The Ministry of External Affairs has "highlighted" to the US government "that a distinction should be made between those involved in recruiting or enrolling students and students who have been duped or defrauded in the process."

Indian mission, according to MEA, is rendering "all assistance to Indian students in the US to deal with the emerging situation" and has also involved Indian community organisations in reaching out to the students.

Most of the students are Telugu speaking and are being helped by American Telugu Association (ATA) who met with Indian Ambassador to US Harshvardhan Shingla and the Indian Consulate General of India in Atlanta Dr. Swati Vijay Kulkarni in connection with the development and requested for help.

India has said that it is "according the highest priority to the situation" arising out of the detention of Indian students in the United States and has placed a formal request for consular access for the students.

India has said that it is "according the highest priority to the situation" arising out of the detention of Indian students in the United States and has placed a formal request for consular access for the students. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in a release said, "We are monitoring the situation closely and have impressed upon the US Government the need to address the situation at the earliest." The US Department of Homeland security in order to expose an immigration scam set up a fake university in Farmington Hills, Michigan state of the United States. The student in order to stay in the US enrolled in the university to continue with the student visa status. Arrest warrants have been issued to 600 students while 100 students connected to the University have been arrested. The Indian mission is in touch with US State Department and the Department of Homeland Security and has requested for a list of the detained students and other details such as place of detention and Identity. The Ministry of External Affairs has "highlighted" to the US government "that a distinction should be made between those involved in recruiting or enrolling students and students who have been duped or defrauded in the process." Indian mission, according to MEA, is rendering "all assistance to Indian students in the US to deal with the emerging situation" and has also involved Indian community organisations in reaching out to the students. Most of the students are Telugu speaking and are being helped by American Telugu Association (ATA) who met with Indian Ambassador to US Harshvardhan Shingla and the Indian Consulate General of India in Atlanta Dr. Swati Vijay Kulkarni in connection with the development and requested for help.

Detention of Indian students in US: India places consular request, says 'according highest priority'

Budget 2019: NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Speaks to WION

Two terrorists were killed in an encounter with security forces in Rajpora area of Pulwama, reported news agency ANI.

The slain terrorists were identified as Shahid Ahmad Baba and Aniyat Ahmad Ziger.&nbsp;

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Jammu and Kashmir: Two terrorists killed in encounter with security forces in Rajpora area of Pulwama, identified as Shahid Ahmad Baba and Aniyat Ahmad Ziger. Both terrorists are affiliated with Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). One SLR and one Pistol recovered from them. <a href="https://t.co/EDXk1xmvZF">https://t.co/EDXk1xmvZF</a>
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Both terrorists were affiliated with Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), added ANI report.&nbsp;

Security forces recovered one SLR and one pistol recovered from them.

Two terrorists were killed in an encounter with security forces in Rajpora area of Pulwama, reported news agency ANI. The slain terrorists were identified as Shahid Ahmad Baba and Aniyat Ahmad Ziger.

Two terrorists were killed in an encounter with security forces in Rajpora area of Pulwama, reported news agency ANI. The slain terrorists were identified as Shahid Ahmad Baba and Aniyat Ahmad Ziger. Jammu and Kashmir: Two terrorists killed in encounter with security forces in Rajpora area of Pulwama, identified as Shahid Ahmad Baba and Aniyat Ahmad Ziger. Both terrorists are affiliated with Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). One SLR and one Pistol recovered from them. https://t.co/EDXk1xmvZF — ANI (@ANI) February 1, 2019 × Both terrorists were affiliated with Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), added ANI report. Security forces recovered one SLR and one pistol recovered from them.

J&K: Two terrorists killed in encounter with security forces 

The Supreme Court Friday termed as "pre-mature" the issue related to transparency in the selection process for appointing CBI Director in the future, saying the endeavour at present is to ensure that a regular chief of the agency is seated "immediately".

The apex court said it cannot lay down general guidelines on transparency in the selection process at this stage as it was seized with the issue of appointment of a regular CBI director.

It said the issue of transparency in the appointment process can be raised if fresh cause of action crops up pointing to the alleged violation in future appointment.

A bench of Justices Arun Mishra and Navin Sinha said this while hearing a petition filed by NGO Common Cause challenging the Centre's decision to appoint M Nageswara Rao as an interim CBI director.&nbsp;

"You want an immediate appointment. Let us stop there. Let the appointment be made first. If you have any grievance that the process is not followed and transparency was not there then you can challenge it later," the bench told lawyer Prashant Bhushan, who was appearing for the NGO.

"We cannot lay down general guidelines at this stage. When you will challenge it in future, we will consider it. Unless there is a concrete cause of action, we cannot interfere in an administrative action," the bench said.

The court's observation came after Bhushan argued that the court must deal with issue of transparency in the process to appoint CBI director.

Bhushan said he was not saying that appointment of a new CBI director should be delayed but he was on the aspect of transparency in the selection process in future.

"For future, the issue of transparency in the process should be kept open," he said.

To this, the bench told Bhushan, "You can file a petition in future on this. This issue is pre-mature at this stage".

Bhushan then referred to earlier judgements of the apex court on the issue of transparency in such appointments.

The bench referred to the 1997 judgement in Vineet Narain case, in which the top court had fixed a tenure of a minimum of two years for the CBI director to allow the officer to work independently.

Justice Mishra said that judgement delivered by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi on January 8 in the CBI matter also dealt with this issue and Vineet Narain verdict was quoted in it.

"We will ensure the appointment of a regular director. As for transparency, if there is any lacunae, you will have the option of future litigation," the bench told Bhushan.

"When can I raise this issue? There are so many verdicts that transparency must be there," Bhushan said, adding, "You should lay down that these are the minimum norms that must be followed in appointing the CBI director".

"Vineet Narain is not on transparency. It speaks of independence and the high-powered selection committee," he said.

However, Attorney General K K Venugopal told the court that the high-powered committee headed by the Prime Minister would hold a meeting on Friday to select new CBI director.&nbsp;

The last meeting of the committee took place on January 24 but it remained "inconclusive".

The Selection Committee comprises the Prime Minister, the leader of the largest Opposition party and the Chief Justice of India or his nominee judge of the apex court.

Taking account of Venugopal's submissions, the bench posted the matter for hearing on February 6.

Earlier, three judges of the apex court -- CJI Gogoi and Justices A K Sikri and N V Ramana -- had recused themselves from hearing the petition.

In its petition in the apex court, the NGO has sought specific mechanisms to ensure transparency in the process of appointing the CBI director.

It has alleged that Rao's appointment was not made on the basis of the recommendations of the Selection Committee.

The plea alleged that the government order of October 23 last year, appointing Rao as interim CBI director, was quashed by the top court on January 8 but the Centre "acted in a completely mala fide, arbitrary and illegal manner" to appoint him again in "complete contravention" of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act.&nbsp;

The Supreme Court Friday termed as "pre-mature" the issue related to transparency in the selection process for appointing CBI Director in the future, saying the endeavour at present is to ensure that a regular chief of the agency is seated "immediately".

The Supreme Court Friday termed as "pre-mature" the issue related to transparency in the selection process for appointing CBI Director in the future, saying the endeavour at present is to ensure that a regular chief of the agency is seated "immediately". The apex court said it cannot lay down general guidelines on transparency in the selection process at this stage as it was seized with the issue of appointment of a regular CBI director. It said the issue of transparency in the appointment process can be raised if fresh cause of action crops up pointing to the alleged violation in future appointment. A bench of Justices Arun Mishra and Navin Sinha said this while hearing a petition filed by NGO Common Cause challenging the Centre's decision to appoint M Nageswara Rao as an interim CBI director. "You want an immediate appointment. Let us stop there. Let the appointment be made first. If you have any grievance that the process is not followed and transparency was not there then you can challenge it later," the bench told lawyer Prashant Bhushan, who was appearing for the NGO. "We cannot lay down general guidelines at this stage. When you will challenge it in future, we will consider it. Unless there is a concrete cause of action, we cannot interfere in an administrative action," the bench said. The court's observation came after Bhushan argued that the court must deal with issue of transparency in the process to appoint CBI director. Bhushan said he was not saying that appointment of a new CBI director should be delayed but he was on the aspect of transparency in the selection process in future. "For future, the issue of transparency in the process should be kept open," he said. To this, the bench told Bhushan, "You can file a petition in future on this. This issue is pre-mature at this stage". Bhushan then referred to earlier judgements of the apex court on the issue of transparency in such appointments. The bench referred to the 1997 judgement in Vineet Narain case, in which the top court had fixed a tenure of a minimum of two years for the CBI director to allow the officer to work independently. Justice Mishra said that judgement delivered by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi on January 8 in the CBI matter also dealt with this issue and Vineet Narain verdict was quoted in it. "We will ensure the appointment of a regular director. As for transparency, if there is any lacunae, you will have the option of future litigation," the bench told Bhushan. "When can I raise this issue? There are so many verdicts that transparency must be there," Bhushan said, adding, "You should lay down that these are the minimum norms that must be followed in appointing the CBI director". "Vineet Narain is not on transparency. It speaks of independence and the high-powered selection committee," he said. However, Attorney General K K Venugopal told the court that the high-powered committee headed by the Prime Minister would hold a meeting on Friday to select new CBI director. The last meeting of the committee took place on January 24 but it remained "inconclusive". The Selection Committee comprises the Prime Minister, the leader of the largest Opposition party and the Chief Justice of India or his nominee judge of the apex court. Taking account of Venugopal's submissions, the bench posted the matter for hearing on February 6. Earlier, three judges of the apex court -- CJI Gogoi and Justices A K Sikri and N V Ramana -- had recused themselves from hearing the petition. In its petition in the apex court, the NGO has sought specific mechanisms to ensure transparency in the process of appointing the CBI director. It has alleged that Rao's appointment was not made on the basis of the recommendations of the Selection Committee. The plea alleged that the government order of October 23 last year, appointing Rao as interim CBI director, was quashed by the top court on January 8 but the Centre "acted in a completely mala fide, arbitrary and illegal manner" to appoint him again in "complete contravention" of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act.

Issue of transparency in CBI chief appointment 'pre-mature' at this stage, says Supreme Court

The Delhi-Noida Direct (DND) flyway connecting Uttar Pradesh with the national capital was shut on Friday evening as a huge mass of farmers marched on the road in a rally, officials said.

The Delhi Traffic Police cautioned commuters asking them to take alternate routes between Delhi and Noida suggesting usage of NH-9 instead of the DND to those moving to Ghazipur via Mayur Vihar.

"Due to the rally/protest by farmers, the DND road between Noida and Delhi has been shut," the Delhi Traffic Police tweeted at 5 pm.

&nbsp;Earlier in the day, it issued an advisory stating traffic movement on NH-24, Kalindi Kunj, Sarita Vihar, Mathura Road, and from DND to Ashram was likely to be impacted due to the rally.

The Noida Traffic Police said there could be diversions made on the route as per requirements.

"People are advised to use alternate roads via Mayur Vihar and Kalindi Kunj for movement between Noida and Delhi to avoid inconvenience," it had said in the advisory.

Vehicular movement on the crucial route had come to a crawl this evening, with several commuters sharing their agony on social media.

"Coming back to Delhi from Noida, Avoid roads. Take the metro. The traffic is insane. 2 hours for a 35 min route. And I have still not reached," said a Twitter user.&nbsp;

The Delhi-Noida Direct (DND) flyway connecting Uttar Pradesh with the national capital was shut on Friday evening as a huge mass of farmers marched on the road in a rally, officials said.

The Delhi-Noida Direct (DND) flyway connecting Uttar Pradesh with the national capital was shut on Friday evening as a huge mass of farmers marched on the road in a rally, officials said. The Delhi Traffic Police cautioned commuters asking them to take alternate routes between Delhi and Noida suggesting usage of NH-9 instead of the DND to those moving to Ghazipur via Mayur Vihar. "Due to the rally/protest by farmers, the DND road between Noida and Delhi has been shut," the Delhi Traffic Police tweeted at 5 pm. Earlier in the day, it issued an advisory stating traffic movement on NH-24, Kalindi Kunj, Sarita Vihar, Mathura Road, and from DND to Ashram was likely to be impacted due to the rally. The Noida Traffic Police said there could be diversions made on the route as per requirements. "People are advised to use alternate roads via Mayur Vihar and Kalindi Kunj for movement between Noida and Delhi to avoid inconvenience," it had said in the advisory. Vehicular movement on the crucial route had come to a crawl this evening, with several commuters sharing their agony on social media. "Coming back to Delhi from Noida, Avoid roads. Take the metro. The traffic is insane. 2 hours for a 35 min route. And I have still not reached," said a Twitter user.

DND shut due to farmers' rally in Delhi

Budget 2019: Piyush Goyal addressed press conference

E-commerce rules that went into effect in India on Friday caused widespread disruption for Amazon.com, forcing it to take down an array of items from its India website including Echo speakers, batteries and floor cleaners.

Two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said the products began to disappear from the Amazon India site late on Thursday as it began complying with the revised norms before a midnight deadline.

"The company has no choice, they are fulfilling a compliance requirement ... customers will suffer," said one of the sources.

In December, India modified foreign direct investment (FDI) rules for its burgeoning e-commerce sector, which has drawn major bets from not only Amazon.com but also the likes of Walmart Inc, which last year bought a majority stake in homegrown e-commerce player Flipkart.

India's new e-commerce investment rules bar online retailers from selling products via vendors in which they have an equity interest, and also from making deals with sellers to sell exclusively on their platforms.

By Thursday, numerous items sold by vendors such as Cloudtail, in which Amazon holds an indirect equity stake, were no longer available on the Amazon India site.

Clothing from Indian department store chain Shopper's Stop was also no longer available, as Amazon owns 5 per cent of the company.

Amazon's own range of Echo speakers, its Presto-branded home cleaning goods and other Amazon Basics products such as chargers and batteries had also vanished from the website.

Both Amazon and Walmart had lobbied against the latest rules and pushed for a delay in their implementation, but India late on Thursday said the deadline stood.

The situation in India is "a bit fluid right now," but the country remains a good long-term opportunity, Amazon Chief Financial Officer Brian Olsavsky said on a conference call with reporters following its fourth-quarter earnings announcement.

The company's main goal is to minimize the impact of the new e-commerce rules on customers and sellers, he added.

Growth driver

The US&nbsp;government has also urged India to protect the investments of the two American retailers, Reuters reported last week.

Both companies have bet heavily on India being a big growth driver: Amazon has committed to investing $5.5 billion there, while Walmart last year spent $16 billion on Flipkart.

But Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration is seen as keen to appease small traders in the run-up to a general election due by May.

Many small traders say the e-commerce giants use their buying power and control over inventory from affiliated vendors to create an unfair marketplace where they can offer deep discounts on some products. Such arrangements will be barred under the new policy.

Industry sources have said the new rules will force the big e-sellers to change their business structures, and will raise compliance costs.

Amazon India told Reuters it was "committed to remaining compliant to all the laws of the land", adding that all sellers make their own independent decisions of what to list and when.

Exclusive deals with sellers will be discontinued, the two sources said.

It is unclear how long the disruption will last. Would-be buyers of Echo speakers on Amazon India saw a message reading: "We don't know when or if this item will be back in stock."

The impact of the changes on Flipkart was not clear. It did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In a letter to India's industries department in January, Chief Executive Kalyan Krishnamurthy said the rules required Flipkart to assess "all elements" of its business operations and risked causing "significant customer disruption".

E-commerce rules that went into effect in India on Friday caused widespread disruption for Amazon.com, forcing it to take down an array of items from its India website including Echo speakers, batteries and floor cleaners.

E-commerce rules that went into effect in India on Friday caused widespread disruption for Amazon.com, forcing it to take down an array of items from its India website including Echo speakers, batteries and floor cleaners. Two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said the products began to disappear from the Amazon India site late on Thursday as it began complying with the revised norms before a midnight deadline. "The company has no choice, they are fulfilling a compliance requirement ... customers will suffer," said one of the sources. In December, India modified foreign direct investment (FDI) rules for its burgeoning e-commerce sector, which has drawn major bets from not only Amazon.com but also the likes of Walmart Inc, which last year bought a majority stake in homegrown e-commerce player Flipkart. India's new e-commerce investment rules bar online retailers from selling products via vendors in which they have an equity interest, and also from making deals with sellers to sell exclusively on their platforms. By Thursday, numerous items sold by vendors such as Cloudtail, in which Amazon holds an indirect equity stake, were no longer available on the Amazon India site. Clothing from Indian department store chain Shopper's Stop was also no longer available, as Amazon owns 5 per cent of the company. Amazon's own range of Echo speakers, its Presto-branded home cleaning goods and other Amazon Basics products such as chargers and batteries had also vanished from the website. Both Amazon and Walmart had lobbied against the latest rules and pushed for a delay in their implementation, but India late on Thursday said the deadline stood. The situation in India is "a bit fluid right now," but the country remains a good long-term opportunity, Amazon Chief Financial Officer Brian Olsavsky said on a conference call with reporters following its fourth-quarter earnings announcement. The company's main goal is to minimize the impact of the new e-commerce rules on customers and sellers, he added. Growth driver The US government has also urged India to protect the investments of the two American retailers, Reuters reported last week. Both companies have bet heavily on India being a big growth driver: Amazon has committed to investing $5.5 billion there, while Walmart last year spent $16 billion on Flipkart. But Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration is seen as keen to appease small traders in the run-up to a general election due by May. Many small traders say the e-commerce giants use their buying power and control over inventory from affiliated vendors to create an unfair marketplace where they can offer deep discounts on some products. Such arrangements will be barred under the new policy. Industry sources have said the new rules will force the big e-sellers to change their business structures, and will raise compliance costs. Amazon India told Reuters it was "committed to remaining compliant to all the laws of the land", adding that all sellers make their own independent decisions of what to list and when. Exclusive deals with sellers will be discontinued, the two sources said. It is unclear how long the disruption will last. Would-be buyers of Echo speakers on Amazon India saw a message reading: "We don't know when or if this item will be back in stock." The impact of the changes on Flipkart was not clear. It did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In a letter to India's industries department in January, Chief Executive Kalyan Krishnamurthy said the rules required Flipkart to assess "all elements" of its business operations and risked causing "significant customer disruption".

Amazon removes numerous products from India site as new e-commerce rules bite

Tax rebate for income upto Rs 5 lakh, no change in slabs

Common perception dictates that the southern states of India are more progressive in comparison to their northern counterparts when it comes to women empowerment.

Women in South India&nbsp;are believed&nbsp;to&nbsp;enjoy more independence, freedom and a say in the household matter.&nbsp;

However, recent figures released by Civil Registration system indicate a serious dip in sex ratio in the otherwise better off South Indian states.

<table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width: 500px;">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>State</td>
			<td>2008</td>
			<td>2016</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Andhra Pradesh</td>
			<td>986</td>
			<td>806</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Karnataka</td>
			<td>1047</td>
			<td>896</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Tamil Nadu</td>
			<td>928</td>
			<td>840</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Telangana</td>
			<td>NA</td>
			<td>881</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Kerala&nbsp;</td>
			<td>952</td>
			<td>954</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

Activists on ground who have been working to spread awareness and rein in female foeticide in Karnataka say that while there have been numerous schemes, officials have been lackadaisical in implementing the PCPNDT act of 1994 that prohibits foetal sex determination.&nbsp;

Mandya, Kollegal and border areas of Karnataka allegedly continue to witness rampant sex determination and elimination.&nbsp;

However, some activists on the ground are sceptic about the data, as it contradicts the National Family Health Survey data of 2016.

Brinda Adige, a prominent women's rights activist in the city blames increased migration to the urban areas as one of the major reasons for rampant sex determination and elimination.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Common perception dictates that the southern states of India are more progressive in comparison to their northern counterparts when it comes to women empowerment.

Common perception dictates that the southern states of India are more progressive in comparison to their northern counterparts when it comes to women empowerment. Women in South India are believed to enjoy more independence, freedom and a say in the household matter. However, recent figures released by Civil Registration system indicate a serious dip in sex ratio in the otherwise better off South Indian states. State 2008 2016 Andhra Pradesh 986 806 Karnataka 1047 896 Tamil Nadu 928 840 Telangana NA 881 Kerala 952 954 Activists on ground who have been working to spread awareness and rein in female foeticide in Karnataka say that while there have been numerous schemes, officials have been lackadaisical in implementing the PCPNDT act of 1994 that prohibits foetal sex determination. Mandya, Kollegal and border areas of Karnataka allegedly continue to witness rampant sex determination and elimination. However, some activists on the ground are sceptic about the data, as it contradicts the National Family Health Survey data of 2016. Brinda Adige, a prominent women's rights activist in the city blames increased migration to the urban areas as one of the major reasons for rampant sex determination and elimination.

Sex Ratio in South India plunges, raises concern

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/budget-2019-india-increases-significant-contribution-to-maldives-bimstec-to-get-similar-funds-as-saarc-194396">Budget 2019: India increases significant contribution to </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/budget-2019-india-increases-significant-contribution-to-maldives-bimstec-to-get-similar-funds-as-saarc-194396">Maldives</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/budget-2019-india-increases-significant-contribution-to-maldives-bimstec-to-get-similar-funds-as-saarc-194396">; BIMSTEC to get similar funds as SAARC</a>

The&nbsp;interim Budget saw India&nbsp;increase its contribution substantially to the Maldives while bringing support to SAARC and BIMSTEC Secretariat at the same level.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/defence-budget-increased-over-rs-20000-crore-crosses-rs-300000-crore-for-first-time-194380">Defence Budget increased over Rs 20,000 crore; crosses Rs 3,00,000 crore for first time</a>

An outlay of Rs 3.05 lakh crore was set aside for the&nbsp;defence Budget for 2019-20&nbsp;which was a hike of around Rs 20,000 crore compared to allocation of Rs 2.85 lakh crore in the current fiscal.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/budget-will-take-india-on-path-to-development-pm-modi-194378">Budget</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/budget-will-take-india-on-path-to-development-pm-modi-194378"> will take India on </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/budget-will-take-india-on-path-to-development-pm-modi-194378">path</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/budget-will-take-india-on-path-to-development-pm-modi-194378"> to development: PM Modi</a>

After the government presented its final Budget,<a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/union-budget-2019-no-income-tax-for-annual-income-upto-rs-5-lakh-says-piyush-goyal-194324">&nbsp;PM&nbsp;</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/union-budget-2019-no-income-tax-for-annual-income-upto-rs-5-lakh-says-piyush-goyal-194324">Modi</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/union-budget-2019-no-income-tax-for-annual-income-upto-rs-5-lakh-says-piyush-goyal-194324">&nbsp;while addressing the n</a>ation said the Budget will bring positive changes in the country. "Various government schemes will help the marginalised section of society," the prime minister asserted, adding,"it will bring down the poverty level in the country."

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/inf-treaty-with-russia-has-been-invalidated-germany-194404">INF treaty with Russia has been invalidated: Germany</a>

Germany said on Friday that&nbsp;Russia had "de facto invalidated"&nbsp;a landmark cold war missile reduction treaty which the US is poised to abandon, with Europe anxious at the prospect of a new arms race.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/firmly-support-eu-efforts-to-safeguard-iran-nuclear-deal-china-194415">Firmly support EU efforts to safeguard Iran nuclear deal: China</a>

China's foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said the country highly appreciates the efforts made by European countries to uphold the Iran nuclear deal and supports the establishment of the new trade mechanism for Iran.

Budget 2019: India increases significant contribution to Maldives; BIMSTEC to get similar funds as SAARC The interim Budget saw India increase its contribution substantially to the Maldives while bringing support to SAARC and BIMSTEC Secretariat at the same level.

Budget 2019: India increases significant contribution to Maldives; BIMSTEC to get similar funds as SAARC The interim Budget saw India increase its contribution substantially to the Maldives while bringing support to SAARC and BIMSTEC Secretariat at the same level. Defence Budget increased over Rs 20,000 crore; crosses Rs 3,00,000 crore for first time An outlay of Rs 3.05 lakh crore was set aside for the defence Budget for 2019-20 which was a hike of around Rs 20,000 crore compared to allocation of Rs 2.85 lakh crore in the current fiscal. Budget will take India on path to development: PM Modi After the government presented its final Budget, PM Modi while addressing the nation said the Budget will bring positive changes in the country. "Various government schemes will help the marginalised section of society," the prime minister asserted, adding,"it will bring down the poverty level in the country." INF treaty with Russia has been invalidated: Germany Germany said on Friday that Russia had "de facto invalidated" a landmark cold war missile reduction treaty which the US is poised to abandon, with Europe anxious at the prospect of a new arms race. Firmly support EU efforts to safeguard Iran nuclear deal: China China's foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said the country highly appreciates the efforts made by European countries to uphold the Iran nuclear deal and supports the establishment of the new trade mechanism for Iran.

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