The Income-tax department has conducted searches at multiple premises of Chinese telecom company Huawei in the country as part of a tax evasion investigation, official sources said on Wednesday.

The raids were launched at the company's premises in Delhi, Gurugram (Haryana) and Bengaluru in Karnataka on Tuesday.

Sources said the officials looked at financial documents, account books and company records as part of a tax evasion investigation against the company, its Indian businesses and overseas transactions.Some records have been seized too, they said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/sovereign-right-to-tax-this-is-what-nirmala-sitharaman-said-about-indias-cryptocurrency-tax-in-parliament-452425">'Sovereign right' to tax: This is what Nirmala Sitharaman said about India's cryptocurrency tax in parliament</a> 
&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; 
The company said its operations in the country were "firmly compliant" with the law. "We have been informed of the visit of Income Tax team to our office and also of their meeting with some personnel.

Huawei is confident our operations in India are firmly compliant to all laws and regulations. We will approach related Government departments for more information and fully cooperate as per the rules and regulations and follow the right procedure," the company said in a statement.

The government has kept Huawei out of trials for 5G services. However, telecom operators have been allowed to source telecom gear from Huawei and ZTE under their old agreements for maintaining their networks but they will need approval of the government before getting into any new business agreement as per National Security Directive on Telecommunication Sector.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/how-will-tax-on-virtual-digital-assets-impact-crypto-investors-in-india-coinswitch-ceo-answers-451545">How will tax on virtual digital assets impact Crypto investors in India? CoinSwitch CEO answers</a>

The tax department had last year conducted searches against Chinese mobile communication and handset manufacturing companies like Xiaomi and Oppo and their linked persons and claimed to have detected alleged unaccounted income worth over Rs 6,500 crore due to violation of the Indian tax law and regulations.

Earlier this week, the Information and Technology ministry blocked 54 more apps with Chinese links, including Tencent Xriver, Nice Video baidu, Viva Video Editor, and gaming app Garena Free Fire Illuminate, citing security and privacy concerns.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has also conducted searches and frozen assets of Chinese-controlled companies and non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) dishing out instant loans through mobile apps in India.

The Income-tax department has conducted searches at multiple premises of Chinese telecom company Huawei in the country as part of a tax evasion investigation, official sources said on Wednesday.

The Income-tax department has conducted searches at multiple premises of Chinese telecom company Huawei in the country as part of a tax evasion investigation, official sources said on Wednesday. The raids were launched at the company's premises in Delhi, Gurugram (Haryana) and Bengaluru in Karnataka on Tuesday. Sources said the officials looked at financial documents, account books and company records as part of a tax evasion investigation against the company, its Indian businesses and overseas transactions.Some records have been seized too, they said. Also read | 'Sovereign right' to tax: This is what Nirmala Sitharaman said about India's cryptocurrency tax in parliament The company said its operations in the country were "firmly compliant" with the law. "We have been informed of the visit of Income Tax team to our office and also of their meeting with some personnel. Huawei is confident our operations in India are firmly compliant to all laws and regulations. We will approach related Government departments for more information and fully cooperate as per the rules and regulations and follow the right procedure," the company said in a statement. The government has kept Huawei out of trials for 5G services. However, telecom operators have been allowed to source telecom gear from Huawei and ZTE under their old agreements for maintaining their networks but they will need approval of the government before getting into any new business agreement as per National Security Directive on Telecommunication Sector. Also read | How will tax on virtual digital assets impact Crypto investors in India? CoinSwitch CEO answers The tax department had last year conducted searches against Chinese mobile communication and handset manufacturing companies like Xiaomi and Oppo and their linked persons and claimed to have detected alleged unaccounted income worth over Rs 6,500 crore due to violation of the Indian tax law and regulations. Earlier this week, the Information and Technology ministry blocked 54 more apps with Chinese links, including Tencent Xriver, Nice Video baidu, Viva Video Editor, and gaming app Garena Free Fire Illuminate, citing security and privacy concerns. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has also conducted searches and frozen assets of Chinese-controlled companies and non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) dishing out instant loans through mobile apps in India.

I-T department conducts searches on China's Huawei over tax evasion investigation

A Swedish information technology firm said on Tuesday a database containing patient data, including COVID-19 test results, had been breached but it was unclear if any contents had leaked. 
 
InfoSolutions said in a statement that it had identified a breach last week but it had since identified and solved what made the intrusion possible. 
 
"It cannot be ruled out that personal data has been read, but InfoSolutions considers the risk to be very low," it said, adding that no information had been lost or altered. 
 
The firm provides digital journals, including test results, for 15 of Sweden's 21 regions on behalf of the Public Health Agency, which has twice shut the database in recent months and reported suspected breaches to the police.

A Swedish information technology firm said on Tuesday a database containing patient data, including COVID-19 test results, had been breached but it was unclear if any contents had leaked.

A Swedish information technology firm said on Tuesday a database containing patient data, including COVID-19 test results, had been breached but it was unclear if any contents had leaked. InfoSolutions said in a statement that it had identified a breach last week but it had since identified and solved what made the intrusion possible. "It cannot be ruled out that personal data has been read, but InfoSolutions considers the risk to be very low," it said, adding that no information had been lost or altered. The firm provides digital journals, including test results, for 15 of Sweden's 21 regions on behalf of the Public Health Agency, which has twice shut the database in recent months and reported suspected breaches to the police.

Swedish IT provider says COVID-19 test database breached

Microblogging platform Twitter has lost its status as an intermediary platform in India as it does not comply with new IT rules. As per the government sources, Twitter is the only social media platform among the mainstream that has not adhered to the new laws.

Microblogging platform Twitter has lost its status as an intermediary platform in India as it does not comply with new IT rules. As per the government sources, Twitter is the only social media platform among the mainstream that has not adhered to the new laws. There are numerous queries arising as to whether Twitter is entitled to safe harbour provision. However, the simple fact of the matter is that Twitter has failed to comply with the Intermediary Guidelines that came into effect from the 26th of May. — Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) June 16, 2021 × The new laws were introduced by the government of India during the month of February. The code is a framework to regulate tech companies in India. The Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology earlier said that it had given Twitter one last notice to comply with the new rules. Also Read: India's new IT rules set to come into effect, will US big tech comply? As per the new laws, platforms like Facebook and Twitter have to appoint three officers who will cooperate with law enforcement agencies in India, according to the new regulations. This team must be available 24x7 to respond to any demand. Also Watch | Twitter says it is making efforts to comply with rules in India These officers must be residents of India and their details must be clearly published on the company's website. If any complaint is received, these officers must respond within 24 hours and the complaint itself must be disposed of within 15 days. Also, social media platforms are required to deploy tools to identify content that depicts rape or child sexual abuse. They must publish a monthly compliance report that lists the complaints that they received and the action that was taken. Twitter has 17.5 million Indian users. In 2019, it earned more than 560 million rupees in revenue from India which is $7 million. Twitter's profits rose to more than 58 million, almost $800,000 which is a spike of more than 100 percent. Social media giants earn big money from India since they have user bases that exceed the population of some countries

Twitter loses its status as intermediary platform in India due to non-compliance with new IT rules

The government on Saturday issued a notice to Twitter giving it one last chance to 'immediately' comply with the new IT rules and warned that failure to adhere to the norms will lead to the platform losing exemption from liability under the IT Act.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) said that Twitter's refusal to comply with the rules demonstrated the microblogging site's 'lack of commitment and efforts towards providing a safe experience for the people of India on its platform'.

"Despite being operational in India for more than a decade, it is beyond belief that Twitter Inc has doggedly refused to create mechanism that will enable the people of India to resolve their issues on the platform in a timely and transparent manner and through fair processes, by India based, clearly identified resources," the IT ministry said.

The ministry said that though with effect from May 26, 2021, 'consequences follow' given Twitter's non-compliance with rules "however, as a gesture of goodwill, Twitter Inc is hereby given one last notice to immediately comply with the rules, failing which the exemption from liability available...Shall stand withdrawn and Twitter shall be liable for consequences as per the IT Act and other penal laws of India."

The notice, however, did not given a specific deadline to comply with the rules.

(With inputs from agencies)

The government on Saturday issued a notice to Twitter giving it one last chance to 'immediately' comply with the new IT rules and warned that failure to adhere to the norms will lead to the platform losing exemption from liability under the IT Act.

The government on Saturday issued a notice to Twitter giving it one last chance to 'immediately' comply with the new IT rules and warned that failure to adhere to the norms will lead to the platform losing exemption from liability under the IT Act. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) said that Twitter's refusal to comply with the rules demonstrated the microblogging site's 'lack of commitment and efforts towards providing a safe experience for the people of India on its platform'. "Despite being operational in India for more than a decade, it is beyond belief that Twitter Inc has doggedly refused to create mechanism that will enable the people of India to resolve their issues on the platform in a timely and transparent manner and through fair processes, by India based, clearly identified resources," the IT ministry said. The ministry said that though with effect from May 26, 2021, 'consequences follow' given Twitter's non-compliance with rules "however, as a gesture of goodwill, Twitter Inc is hereby given one last notice to immediately comply with the rules, failing which the exemption from liability available...Shall stand withdrawn and Twitter shall be liable for consequences as per the IT Act and other penal laws of India." The notice, however, did not given a specific deadline to comply with the rules. (With inputs from agencies)

Indian govt issues 'one last notice' to Twitter to comply with IT rules

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday announced a number of Income Tax reforms to further digitise the tax-paying system and add more transparency.

What is Faceless tax assessment? Everything you need to know

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../google-sparks-criticism-as-it-redesigns-it-search -page-makes-ads-look-like-organic-results-276570">Google</a> parent Alphabet missed revenue expectations in the fourth quarter despite stellar growth at YouTube and in the cloud, earnings figures released Monday showed.

Also read-&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coronavirus-outbreak-google-joins-hands-with-who-to-provide-sos-alert-trusted-info-and-safety-tips-278181">Coronavirus outbreak: Google joins hands with WHO to provide SOS alert, trusted info and safety tips</a>

Detailing its cloud computing and YouTube revenues for the first time, Alphabet reported that profits rose 19 per cent from a year ago in the quarter to nearly $10.7 billion as revenues increased 17 per cent to $46 billion.

Alphabet and Google chief executive <a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../google-ceo-calls-for-artificial-intelligence- regulation-275642">Sundar Pichai</a> touted YouTube as a revenue star at the company, with ad revenue reaching $15 billion last year in an increase of about 36 per cent from 2018.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../latest-world-news-social-media-applications- tackling-false-claims-against-coronavirus-278258">YouTube</a> music and television premium services now have more than 20 million paid subscribers, according to Pichai.

Despite assurances by executives that Alphabet sees plenty of money-making potential ahead and is investing to capitalize on long-term trends, Alphabet shares slipped more than four per cent in after-market trades that followed release of the earnings figures.

The California tech giant, which dominates online search and makes the Android mobile operating system, has been working to reduce its dependence on digital advertising which delivers most of its cash.

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"Our investments in deep computer science, including artificial intelligence, ambient computing and cloud computing, provide a strong base for continued growth and new opportunities across Alphabet," said Pichai.

The company said its cloud computing services took in $2.6 billion in revenue during the last three-month period -- up more than 50 per cent -- and nearly $9 billion for the year.

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Chief financial officer Ruth Porat said Alphabet will ramp-up hiring this year. Much of that will be engineering talent for its cloud division which competes with cloud market-leaders <a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../amazons-slow-climate-action-defying-company -policy-over-300-employees-speak-out-277288">Amazon</a> and Microsoft.

"We are leaning into investing for longterm growth," Porat said.

"That has been a key principle here and continues to be."

Google advertising took in the majority of revenue at $38 billion in the quarter and more than 80 per cent of its annual revenues of $162 billion.

Colin Sebastian, an analyst at Baird, said the earnings report showed "a deceleration" in growth for Google, which may have been due to the impact of fewer holiday shopping days.

Despite that, Sebastian said he sees "no change to our positive long-term thesis" for Alphabet.

Analyst Nicole Perrin at eMarketer said the results highlight the significance of YouTube, the popular video service for which Alphabet had not up to now disclosed financial data.

"This is something investors have been looking for, but the information should also give advertisers valuable information about the importance of YouTube as a digital ad vehicle," Perrin said.

"YouTube is growing strongly according to this report, and revenues are above where eMarketer had thought they were."&nbsp;

Alphabet's "other bets" which include Waymo autonomous vehicles, life sciences and drone delivery, took in $172 million in revenue in the final three months of the year, ending the 12 months with a big operating loss.

The results come with the company facing intense pressure around the globe over its dominance of the online ecosystem.

It also has been at the centre of a dispute over tax policy for multinational firms. Global negotiators are seeking a new treaty on how to tax digital operations spanning the globe.

"It is something we always need to take a look at," Pichai said on an earnings call with investors and others when asked how regulatory or taxation moves could affect Alphabet's bottom line.

"We are engaged in these issues and we anticipate and structurally work on them early on."

Indian-born Pichai, who had been CEO of Google, was promoted last year to the same role at Alphabet.

Google parent Alphabet missed revenue expectations in the fourth quarter despite stellar growth at YouTube and in the cloud, earnings figures released Monday showed.

Google parent Alphabet missed revenue expectations in the fourth quarter despite stellar growth at YouTube and in the cloud, earnings figures released Monday showed. Also read- Coronavirus outbreak: Google joins hands with WHO to provide SOS alert, trusted info and safety tips Detailing its cloud computing and YouTube revenues for the first time, Alphabet reported that profits rose 19 per cent from a year ago in the quarter to nearly $10.7 billion as revenues increased 17 per cent to $46 billion. Alphabet and Google chief executive Sundar Pichai touted YouTube as a revenue star at the company, with ad revenue reaching $15 billion last year in an increase of about 36 per cent from 2018. YouTube music and television premium services now have more than 20 million paid subscribers, according to Pichai. Despite assurances by executives that Alphabet sees plenty of money-making potential ahead and is investing to capitalize on long-term trends, Alphabet shares slipped more than four per cent in after-market trades that followed release of the earnings figures. The California tech giant, which dominates online search and makes the Android mobile operating system, has been working to reduce its dependence on digital advertising which delivers most of its cash. × "Our investments in deep computer science, including artificial intelligence, ambient computing and cloud computing, provide a strong base for continued growth and new opportunities across Alphabet," said Pichai. The company said its cloud computing services took in $2.6 billion in revenue during the last three-month period -- up more than 50 per cent -- and nearly $9 billion for the year. × Chief financial officer Ruth Porat said Alphabet will ramp-up hiring this year. Much of that will be engineering talent for its cloud division which competes with cloud market-leaders Amazon and Microsoft. "We are leaning into investing for longterm growth," Porat said. "That has been a key principle here and continues to be." Google advertising took in the majority of revenue at $38 billion in the quarter and more than 80 per cent of its annual revenues of $162 billion. Colin Sebastian, an analyst at Baird, said the earnings report showed "a deceleration" in growth for Google, which may have been due to the impact of fewer holiday shopping days. Despite that, Sebastian said he sees "no change to our positive long-term thesis" for Alphabet. Analyst Nicole Perrin at eMarketer said the results highlight the significance of YouTube, the popular video service for which Alphabet had not up to now disclosed financial data. "This is something investors have been looking for, but the information should also give advertisers valuable information about the importance of YouTube as a digital ad vehicle," Perrin said. "YouTube is growing strongly according to this report, and revenues are above where eMarketer had thought they were." Alphabet's "other bets" which include Waymo autonomous vehicles, life sciences and drone delivery, took in $172 million in revenue in the final three months of the year, ending the 12 months with a big operating loss. The results come with the company facing intense pressure around the globe over its dominance of the online ecosystem. It also has been at the centre of a dispute over tax policy for multinational firms. Global negotiators are seeking a new treaty on how to tax digital operations spanning the globe. "It is something we always need to take a look at," Pichai said on an earnings call with investors and others when asked how regulatory or taxation moves could affect Alphabet's bottom line. "We are engaged in these issues and we anticipate and structurally work on them early on." Indian-born Pichai, who had been CEO of Google, was promoted last year to the same role at Alphabet.

Disappointing growth hits Google parent Alphabet shares

Indian benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty rose to a record high in the early hours of trade on Friday.

In the initial trade, Sensex hit&nbsp;a record high of 41, 809.96 and after that, the 30-share BSE index was trading 102.51 points or 0.25 per cent higher at 41,776.43 in the opening session.

Meanwhile, the rupee on Friday opened 10 paise lower at 71.14 against the US dollar after the Reserve Bank of India said it will conduct a simultaneous sale and purchase of bonds, in a move seen by market participants as an attempt to bring longer-term yields lower.

Mid-caps were trading flat with the S&amp;P BSE Mid-cap index up 0.03 per cent. The S&amp;P BSE small-cap index, on the other hand, was up 0.11 per cent.

Indian benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty rose to a record high in the early hours of trade on Friday. In the initial trade, Sensex hit a record high of 41, 809.

Indian benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty rose to a record high in the early hours of trade on Friday. In the initial trade, Sensex hit a record high of 41, 809.96 and after that, the 30-share BSE index was trading 102.51 points or 0.25 per cent higher at 41,776.43 in the opening session. Meanwhile, the rupee on Friday opened 10 paise lower at 71.14 against the US dollar after the Reserve Bank of India said it will conduct a simultaneous sale and purchase of bonds, in a move seen by market participants as an attempt to bring longer-term yields lower. Mid-caps were trading flat with the S&P BSE Mid-cap index up 0.03 per cent. The S&P BSE small-cap index, on the other hand, was up 0.11 per cent.

Sensex hits all-time high of 41,798, Nifty at a record peak of 12,272

Indian shares were largely unchanged on Thursday, with gains in IT stocks offset by losses in financials, as investors awaited fresh cues before making new bets.

The NSE Nifty 50 Index fell 0.08 per cent&nbsp;to 12,211.50 as on 0400 GMT, while the S&amp;P BSE Sensex index was down 0.09 per cent&nbsp;at 41,515.96.

Shares in broader Asia pulled away from multi-month highs, with the MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan slipping 0.2 per cent.

Meanwhile, investors are also weighing a decision by US&nbsp;House of Representatives to impeach US&nbsp;President Donald Trump for <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/impeached-us-president-trump-says-democrats-consumed-with-hatred-269042">abuse of power</a> and obstruction of Congress.

But global market reaction to the development so far has been limited as the Senate is widely expected not to vote to remove Trump from office.

In India, sentiments were also dampened by the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/finance-minister-nirmala-sitharaman-to-chair-38th-gst-council-meeting-today-268815">Goods and Services Tax</a> (GST) Council's decision on Wednesday to leave tax rates unchanged, as the markets were hoping for a rate cut.

The rupee strengthened by 0.06 per cent&nbsp;to 70.98 against the dollar, while the benchmark 10-year bond yield opened at 6.7160 per cent, versus the previous close of 6.7103 per cent.

The biggest laggard on the NSE index was Yes Bank Ltd, which slipped over 2 per cent.

The Nifty PSU Bank index, which tracks the country's state-run lenders, slipped 0.6 per cent, with 10 of the 12 stocks on the index trading in the red.

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/nifty-sensex-end-higher-it-metal-stocks-shine-268969">Nifty IT index</a> rose as much as 0.67 per cent, with HCL Technologies gaining over 1.5 per cent.

Shares in Tata Group companies eked out gains a day after Cyrus Mistry, who had been embroiled in a legal battle with the Group since being ousted in 2016, won backing from a tribunal to be reinstated as executive chairman of its holding company.

Shares of both Tata Consultancy Services and Tata Motors rose over 1 per cent.

Indian shares were largely unchanged on Thursday, with gains in IT stocks offset by losses in financials, as investors awaited fresh cues before making new bets.

Indian shares were largely unchanged on Thursday, with gains in IT stocks offset by losses in financials, as investors awaited fresh cues before making new bets. The NSE Nifty 50 Index fell 0.08 per cent to 12,211.50 as on 0400 GMT, while the S&P BSE Sensex index was down 0.09 per cent at 41,515.96. Shares in broader Asia pulled away from multi-month highs, with the MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan slipping 0.2 per cent. Meanwhile, investors are also weighing a decision by US House of Representatives to impeach US President Donald Trump for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. But global market reaction to the development so far has been limited as the Senate is widely expected not to vote to remove Trump from office. In India, sentiments were also dampened by the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council's decision on Wednesday to leave tax rates unchanged, as the markets were hoping for a rate cut. The rupee strengthened by 0.06 per cent to 70.98 against the dollar, while the benchmark 10-year bond yield opened at 6.7160 per cent, versus the previous close of 6.7103 per cent. The biggest laggard on the NSE index was Yes Bank Ltd, which slipped over 2 per cent. The Nifty PSU Bank index, which tracks the country's state-run lenders, slipped 0.6 per cent, with 10 of the 12 stocks on the index trading in the red. The Nifty IT index rose as much as 0.67 per cent, with HCL Technologies gaining over 1.5 per cent. Shares in Tata Group companies eked out gains a day after Cyrus Mistry, who had been embroiled in a legal battle with the Group since being ousted in 2016, won backing from a tribunal to be reinstated as executive chairman of its holding company. Shares of both Tata Consultancy Services and Tata Motors rose over 1 per cent.

Nifty, Sensex flat as financials offset IT gains

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/nifty-sensex-flat-as-financials-offset-it-gains-269058">Nifty</a> ended 0.31&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;higher at 12,259.70, while the Sensex gained 0.28&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;to close at 41,673.92.

The Nifty IT index climbed 0.7 per cent, while the auto and energy index rose about 1 per cent.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/sensex-nifty-erase-gains-to-trade-flat-268465">YesBank</a> was the top gainer on the Nifty 50 index, ending 6.5&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;higher.

Meanwhile, world stocks drifted down from the week's record highs, while the crown gained as Sweden's central bank became the first to raise interest rates from negative territory.

The Nifty ended 0.31 per cent higher at 12,259.70, while the Sensex gained 0.28 per cent to close at 41,673.92. The Nifty IT index climbed 0.7 per cent, while the auto and energy index rose about 1 per cent.

The Nifty ended 0.31 per cent higher at 12,259.70, while the Sensex gained 0.28 per cent to close at 41,673.92. The Nifty IT index climbed 0.7 per cent, while the auto and energy index rose about 1 per cent. YesBank was the top gainer on the Nifty 50 index, ending 6.5 per cent higher. Meanwhile, world stocks drifted down from the week's record highs, while the crown gained as Sweden's central bank became the first to raise interest rates from negative territory.

Nifty, Sensex end higher; IT, auto stocks gain

No technology is foolproof. Some promise better privacy than others. Signal, Telegram, WhatsApp - &nbsp;they're secure till they're not.

And when they stop being secure, when there's a breach of privacy - who should take the blame?

Is it the Messaging Apps? Is it the companies that sell spyware like NSO? Or the governments of the world which are utterly incompetent and thoroughly uninformed on issues such as these?

Or is it 'we the people' who have failed to understand the seriousness of privacy issues. This a classic whodunit question, but I am afraid that the answers are not straight forward.

On WION Edit, we will try to understand this rather complex issue. Now, commercial spyware abuse is a global problem and there will never be a complete solution.

This is because Spywares can be placed using multiple vectors.&nbsp;It can be a missed call, a video call. And you don't even have to pick the call to be hacked!

So we're all vulnerable. So who will stop this? Many governments across the world are inept to deal with this. But here's the bigger worry - many governments could be active participants in this surveillance game.

Companies like NSO have been exposed. There could be others doing the same. Who do they serve?

These hackers are employed by governments across the world. Let's talk about India, cybersecurity is a serious issue.

We have the laws. Section 43 of the Information Technology Act says that hackers are liable for 3 years in jail and a fine of upto Rs 5 lakh rupees.

Great law, at least on paper. Last we checked, the government is struggling with encryption. The Supreme Court asked them to explain why they needed the help of companies like Facebook to break the codes. This is because the government is asking for the support of platforms to decrypt messages, or to access messages.

The problem is, these platforms themselves have no solutions to privacy threats. It's quite a mess. Regulation on the internet is a tricky issue. It's always privacy vs security.

But it's safe to say that India's position on both is 'primitive' and 'unevolved' which brings us to you and me - the users.

There are too many pitfalls on your smartphone. All the apps on your phone communicate with each other and share data. So even if one of them is compromised, the others are breached.&nbsp;

What about search engines? Google and Chrome have alternatives like &nbsp;- DuckDuckGo or Tor? What you do on the internet leaves a trail, in ways you may not have imagined.

This is the information era, you leave a digital footprint. As with every revolution - the tech revolution - will truly benefit us when we take an active part - both in usage and vigilance.

Look at it, the most popular apps are the most vulnerable and yet we use them because they have the first-mover advantage or more features or speed.

At some point, we have to understand that privacy is a bigger issue than all these attractive 'baits'. So, it is time to think about the open source where one company or app doesn't set the rules.&nbsp; 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) &nbsp; 
 
&nbsp;

No technology is foolproof. Some promise better privacy than others. Signal, Telegram, WhatsApp - they're secure till they're not. And when they stop being secure, when there's a breach of privacy - who should take the blame?

No technology is foolproof. Some promise better privacy than others. Signal, Telegram, WhatsApp - they're secure till they're not. And when they stop being secure, when there's a breach of privacy - who should take the blame? Is it the Messaging Apps? Is it the companies that sell spyware like NSO? Or the governments of the world which are utterly incompetent and thoroughly uninformed on issues such as these? Or is it 'we the people' who have failed to understand the seriousness of privacy issues. This a classic whodunit question, but I am afraid that the answers are not straight forward. On WION Edit, we will try to understand this rather complex issue. Now, commercial spyware abuse is a global problem and there will never be a complete solution. This is because Spywares can be placed using multiple vectors. It can be a missed call, a video call. And you don't even have to pick the call to be hacked! So we're all vulnerable. So who will stop this? Many governments across the world are inept to deal with this. But here's the bigger worry - many governments could be active participants in this surveillance game. Companies like NSO have been exposed. There could be others doing the same. Who do they serve? These hackers are employed by governments across the world. Let's talk about India, cybersecurity is a serious issue. We have the laws. Section 43 of the Information Technology Act says that hackers are liable for 3 years in jail and a fine of upto Rs 5 lakh rupees. Great law, at least on paper. Last we checked, the government is struggling with encryption. The Supreme Court asked them to explain why they needed the help of companies like Facebook to break the codes. This is because the government is asking for the support of platforms to decrypt messages, or to access messages. The problem is, these platforms themselves have no solutions to privacy threats. It's quite a mess. Regulation on the internet is a tricky issue. It's always privacy vs security. But it's safe to say that India's position on both is 'primitive' and 'unevolved' which brings us to you and me - the users. There are too many pitfalls on your smartphone. All the apps on your phone communicate with each other and share data. So even if one of them is compromised, the others are breached. What about search engines? Google and Chrome have alternatives like - DuckDuckGo or Tor? What you do on the internet leaves a trail, in ways you may not have imagined. This is the information era, you leave a digital footprint. As with every revolution - the tech revolution - will truly benefit us when we take an active part - both in usage and vigilance. Look at it, the most popular apps are the most vulnerable and yet we use them because they have the first-mover advantage or more features or speed. At some point, we have to understand that privacy is a bigger issue than all these attractive 'baits'. So, it is time to think about the open source where one company or app doesn't set the rules. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

WION Edit: Data theft and hacking - what are the solutions

Ready to meet the demonic clown Pennywise again? Well, actor Bill Skarsgard recently revealed that he is open to playing the role of Pennywise in a third 'It'&nbsp;movie, if the story works out. The second part of director Andy Muschietti's 'It'&nbsp;is currently in theatres and so far, 'IT: Chapter Two'&nbsp;is performing well at the box office. 
 
A major part of the 'It'&nbsp;movies&nbsp;ability to induce fear in its audience is due to Pennywise, played by Skarsgard. With 'IT: Chapter Two', the demonic clown has reached the end of his tale - or has he? During a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Skarsgard said that he would be willing to portray Pennywise again, but only if it "had the right type of approach to it. 
 
"It would have to be the right type of approach to it. The book ends where the second movie ends, so that is the final chapter of this story," Skarsgard said. The actor added that a prequel, exploring things in the past, could work as an interesting plot for the next film. "There is this interesting aspect of going back in time before all this happened. There might be a story there that might be worth exploring. 
 
Obviously that would be a story that's not in the book, it would be a freestanding story, but obviously within the same universe. So, there might be something interesting out of it. I think it would be fun," he said. 
 
Muschietti helmed 'It: Chapter Two', which picks up 27 years after the events of the first installment 'It'. The sequel features the Losers Club, now adults, who return to face the evil clown Pennywise. The Losers&nbsp;Club returns home to Derry, Maine (a fictional town created in the film) 27 years after the events shown in the first movie. 
 
Most of them have left their small town behind, as well as their childhood trauma. But they made a pact: If Pennywise ever returns, they are all to finish off what they started and that time has come! James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain, Jay Ryan, Bill Hader, Isaiah Mustafa, James Ransone, and Andy Bean play the grown-up versions of the gang known as The Losers` Club. 
 
Skarsgard also returned to portray the evil Pennywise. Sophia Lillis, Finn Wolfhard, Jack Dylan Grazer, Wyatt Olef, Jeremy Ray Taylor and Jaeden Martell will all reprise their roles as the younger counterparts. The sequel had hit the big screens on September 6. 
 
The first installment, 'It', is based on Stephen King's beloved 1986 novel about a group of children terrorized by a monstrous entity that takes the form of a demonic clown. Directed by Muschietti, the first film became one of the biggest genre hits of all time, earning USD 700 million worldwide and USD 327.5 million domestically. It remains the fourth highest-grossing R-rated movie until now.

Ready to meet the demonic clown Pennywise again? Well, actor Bill Skarsgard recently revealed that he is open to playing the role of Pennywise in a third 'It' movie, if the story works out.

Ready to meet the demonic clown Pennywise again? Well, actor Bill Skarsgard recently revealed that he is open to playing the role of Pennywise in a third 'It' movie, if the story works out. The second part of director Andy Muschietti's 'It' is currently in theatres and so far, 'IT: Chapter Two' is performing well at the box office. A major part of the 'It' movies ability to induce fear in its audience is due to Pennywise, played by Skarsgard. With 'IT: Chapter Two', the demonic clown has reached the end of his tale - or has he? During a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Skarsgard said that he would be willing to portray Pennywise again, but only if it "had the right type of approach to it. "It would have to be the right type of approach to it. The book ends where the second movie ends, so that is the final chapter of this story," Skarsgard said. The actor added that a prequel, exploring things in the past, could work as an interesting plot for the next film. "There is this interesting aspect of going back in time before all this happened. There might be a story there that might be worth exploring. Obviously that would be a story that's not in the book, it would be a freestanding story, but obviously within the same universe. So, there might be something interesting out of it. I think it would be fun," he said. Muschietti helmed 'It: Chapter Two', which picks up 27 years after the events of the first installment 'It'. The sequel features the Losers Club, now adults, who return to face the evil clown Pennywise. The Losers Club returns home to Derry, Maine (a fictional town created in the film) 27 years after the events shown in the first movie. Most of them have left their small town behind, as well as their childhood trauma. But they made a pact: If Pennywise ever returns, they are all to finish off what they started and that time has come! James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain, Jay Ryan, Bill Hader, Isaiah Mustafa, James Ransone, and Andy Bean play the grown-up versions of the gang known as The Losers` Club. Skarsgard also returned to portray the evil Pennywise. Sophia Lillis, Finn Wolfhard, Jack Dylan Grazer, Wyatt Olef, Jeremy Ray Taylor and Jaeden Martell will all reprise their roles as the younger counterparts. The sequel had hit the big screens on September 6. The first installment, 'It', is based on Stephen King's beloved 1986 novel about a group of children terrorized by a monstrous entity that takes the form of a demonic clown. Directed by Muschietti, the first film became one of the biggest genre hits of all time, earning USD 700 million worldwide and USD 327.5 million domestically. It remains the fourth highest-grossing R-rated movie until now.

Bill Skarsgard open for playing demonic clown Pennywise in third 'IT' movie

A coalition of US states unveiled on Friday an antitrust investigation of Facebook, the first of what is expected to be a wave of action against dominant technology firms.

New York State Attorney General Letitia James announced the action on behalf of seven other states and the District of Columbia to probe "whether Facebook has stifled competition and put users at risk."

The case may be the first in a series of antitrust actions against Big Tech firms and highlights growing "techlash," based on worries about platforms that control the flow of online information and dominate key economic sectors.

"We will use every investigative tool at our disposal to determine whether Facebook's actions may have endangered consumer data, reduced the quality of consumers' choices, or increased the price of advertising," James said.

Joining the action were attorneys general of Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, and Tennessee, said, James.

Earlier this year the US Justice Department said it would launch a "review" of major online platforms to determine if they have stifled innovation or reduced competition.

It was not immediately clear if the states would be working in coordination with federal officials.

'Rising fears'

Facebook offered no immediate comment, but in the past, it has claimed it is not a monopoly and that consumers have many choices for how to connect with people online.

The new probe "shows how unease with large tech companies is spreading beyond Congress and the federal government agencies to the states," said Michael Carrier, professor of antitrust law at Rutgers University.

"With each passing day, there are greater fears about these companies controlling our online lives."

Yet the legal basis for an antitrust action remains unclear, said Eric Goldman, director of the High Tech Law Institute at Santa Clara University.

"It remains to be seen if the (attorneys general) has any merit to their complaints or if they will be conducting a fishing expedition hoping to find some damning evidence," Goldman said.

"Companies as large as Google or Facebook probably have minor problematic practices the AGs could target, but I'm still waiting for any evidence that would support more structural challenges to the internet giants' practices."

'More on Monday'

A separate coalition of states was set to launch another antitrust initiative, with Google reportedly a target.

The office of the Texas attorney general scheduled an event Monday in Washington with a "broad coalition of states" to unveil a probe into "whether large tech companies have engaged in anticompetitive behaviour that stifled competition, restricted access, and harmed consumers."

Google spokesman Jose Castaneda said the company's services "help people every day, create more choice for consumers, and support thousands of jobs and small businesses across the country" and pledged to "work constructively with regulators."

'What's the remedy?'

Maurice Stucke, a University of Tennessee law professor, said he expects one of the areas being investigated will be online advertising markets, which are dominated by Google and Facebook.

"This is a great area to look at because the market has been criticized as being opaque," Stucke said.

Stucke said the investigations may go further by looking at how tech platforms control data, potentially examining "the intersection between competition law and privacy."

Amazon and Apple may also be in the crosshairs. Critics have complained that Amazon wields too much power in online retail and that Apple may disadvantage rivals offering services in its app store.

In the European Union, Google has faced a series of antitrust actions and Amazon is now being targeted by enforcers.

Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren has made a breakup of the big tech firms a part of her campaign platform.

But some analysts say the case against the tech firms faces challenges because the companies have in many cases provided services for free and brought prices down, making it hard to prove they harmed "consumer welfare," a longstanding judicial precedent.

Jessica Melugin of the Competitive Enterprise Institute said the state officials are stretching the limits of antitrust.

"This sort of high-profile activism may benefit state AGs' political ambitions, but impose harmful costs on consumers, businesses, and the economy," she said in a statement.

But Stucke said it would be wrong to view antitrust law as solely focused on consumer prices, and that it may be applied to questions of competition and innovation.

The probes could end up with a variety of outcomes including fines, restrictions on conduct or a breakup, Stucke maintained.

"You'd have to show how the remedy would address the concerns," he said.

A coalition of US states unveiled on Friday an antitrust investigation of Facebook, the first of what is expected to be a wave of action against dominant technology firms.

A coalition of US states unveiled on Friday an antitrust investigation of Facebook, the first of what is expected to be a wave of action against dominant technology firms. New York State Attorney General Letitia James announced the action on behalf of seven other states and the District of Columbia to probe "whether Facebook has stifled competition and put users at risk." The case may be the first in a series of antitrust actions against Big Tech firms and highlights growing "techlash," based on worries about platforms that control the flow of online information and dominate key economic sectors. "We will use every investigative tool at our disposal to determine whether Facebook's actions may have endangered consumer data, reduced the quality of consumers' choices, or increased the price of advertising," James said. Joining the action were attorneys general of Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, and Tennessee, said, James. Earlier this year the US Justice Department said it would launch a "review" of major online platforms to determine if they have stifled innovation or reduced competition. It was not immediately clear if the states would be working in coordination with federal officials. 'Rising fears' Facebook offered no immediate comment, but in the past, it has claimed it is not a monopoly and that consumers have many choices for how to connect with people online. The new probe "shows how unease with large tech companies is spreading beyond Congress and the federal government agencies to the states," said Michael Carrier, professor of antitrust law at Rutgers University. "With each passing day, there are greater fears about these companies controlling our online lives." Yet the legal basis for an antitrust action remains unclear, said Eric Goldman, director of the High Tech Law Institute at Santa Clara University. "It remains to be seen if the (attorneys general) has any merit to their complaints or if they will be conducting a fishing expedition hoping to find some damning evidence," Goldman said. "Companies as large as Google or Facebook probably have minor problematic practices the AGs could target, but I'm still waiting for any evidence that would support more structural challenges to the internet giants' practices." 'More on Monday' A separate coalition of states was set to launch another antitrust initiative, with Google reportedly a target. The office of the Texas attorney general scheduled an event Monday in Washington with a "broad coalition of states" to unveil a probe into "whether large tech companies have engaged in anticompetitive behaviour that stifled competition, restricted access, and harmed consumers." Google spokesman Jose Castaneda said the company's services "help people every day, create more choice for consumers, and support thousands of jobs and small businesses across the country" and pledged to "work constructively with regulators." 'What's the remedy?' Maurice Stucke, a University of Tennessee law professor, said he expects one of the areas being investigated will be online advertising markets, which are dominated by Google and Facebook. "This is a great area to look at because the market has been criticized as being opaque," Stucke said. Stucke said the investigations may go further by looking at how tech platforms control data, potentially examining "the intersection between competition law and privacy." Amazon and Apple may also be in the crosshairs. Critics have complained that Amazon wields too much power in online retail and that Apple may disadvantage rivals offering services in its app store. In the European Union, Google has faced a series of antitrust actions and Amazon is now being targeted by enforcers. Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren has made a breakup of the big tech firms a part of her campaign platform. But some analysts say the case against the tech firms faces challenges because the companies have in many cases provided services for free and brought prices down, making it hard to prove they harmed "consumer welfare," a longstanding judicial precedent. Jessica Melugin of the Competitive Enterprise Institute said the state officials are stretching the limits of antitrust. "This sort of high-profile activism may benefit state AGs' political ambitions, but impose harmful costs on consumers, businesses, and the economy," she said in a statement. But Stucke said it would be wrong to view antitrust law as solely focused on consumer prices, and that it may be applied to questions of competition and innovation. The probes could end up with a variety of outcomes including fines, restrictions on conduct or a breakup, Stucke maintained. "You'd have to show how the remedy would address the concerns," he said.

Antitrust probe of Facebook may be first step against Big Tech

The government has dismissed from service 12 senior income tax officers, including one of the ranks of the joint commissioner, on <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/former-pakistani-president-asif-ali-zardari-arrested-on-corruption-charges-225991">charges of corruption</a> and professional misconduct, sources said.

The list is topped by a Joint Commissioner rank officer against whom there are serious complaints of corruption and extortion from businessmen accused of helping self-styled godman Chandraswami.

It also includes an IRS officer in the post of Commissioner (Appeal) in Noida, who was accused of sexual harassment to two lady IRS officers of Commissioner rank.

Another IRS officer who compulsory retired had acquired movable and immovable assets worth over Rs 3.17 crore in the name of self and his family members. These movable and immovable properties had allegedly been acquired by abusing his official position and by corrupt and illegal means.

A Commissioner Income Tax, who had a Disproportionate Assets case registered against him by the anti-corruption branch of the CBI, and was suspended from service in October 2009 pending criminal prosecution was also compulsorily retired by the government.

Another officer involved in cases of corruptions and extortion and who had passed many wrongs and malafide assessment orders which were later on reversed by the appellate authorities too was dismissed from the service.

An officer amassed disproportionate assets to the tune of Rs 1.55 crore, which is 133.71 per cent of his known sources of income and using hawala channels for transferring the ill-gotten money too was compulsorily retired from the service.

Another officer of Commissioner rank, accused of demanding Rs 50 lakh bribe for giving relief to a businessman in a shell company matter, and abusing his official position as a public servant to acquire immovable/movable assets from his ill-gotten money amounting to Rs 3.13 crore was also compulsorily retired. 
&nbsp;

The government has dismissed from service 12 senior income tax officers, including one of the ranks of the joint commissioner, on charges of corruption and professional misconduct, sources said.

The government has dismissed from service 12 senior income tax officers, including one of the ranks of the joint commissioner, on charges of corruption and professional misconduct, sources said. The list is topped by a Joint Commissioner rank officer against whom there are serious complaints of corruption and extortion from businessmen accused of helping self-styled godman Chandraswami. It also includes an IRS officer in the post of Commissioner (Appeal) in Noida, who was accused of sexual harassment to two lady IRS officers of Commissioner rank. Another IRS officer who compulsory retired had acquired movable and immovable assets worth over Rs 3.17 crore in the name of self and his family members. These movable and immovable properties had allegedly been acquired by abusing his official position and by corrupt and illegal means. A Commissioner Income Tax, who had a Disproportionate Assets case registered against him by the anti-corruption branch of the CBI, and was suspended from service in October 2009 pending criminal prosecution was also compulsorily retired by the government. Another officer involved in cases of corruptions and extortion and who had passed many wrongs and malafide assessment orders which were later on reversed by the appellate authorities too was dismissed from the service. An officer amassed disproportionate assets to the tune of Rs 1.55 crore, which is 133.71 per cent of his known sources of income and using hawala channels for transferring the ill-gotten money too was compulsorily retired from the service. Another officer of Commissioner rank, accused of demanding Rs 50 lakh bribe for giving relief to a businessman in a shell company matter, and abusing his official position as a public servant to acquire immovable/movable assets from his ill-gotten money amounting to Rs 3.13 crore was also compulsorily retired.

Government dismisses 12 senior I-T officers for corruption, misconduct

Indian shares ended higher on Monday boosted by IT stocks, after paring some of the early gains on optimism from the US-Mexico migration deal last week that averted a potential tariff war.

The broader NSE Nifty ended up 0.44% at 11,922.70, while the benchmark BSE Sensex closed 0.43% higher at 39,784.52.

Shares of Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys Ltd and Tech Mahindra Ltd ended between 1.9% and 2.5% higher, boosting the Nifty IT index, which closed 1.57% higher.

Britannia Industries Ltd ended as the top gainer among the bluechips, closing up 3.47% to 3,000 rupees, an over three-month high.

Oil and gas companies such as Indian Oil Corp Ltd, Gail (India) Ltd and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd were among the top losers, dragged by a rise in crude prices due to tighter supply.

Financials, which gained at the opening bell, reversed course to end in the red. The Nifty banking index closed 0.1% lower, with Yes Bank Ltd finishing the day down 2.43%. 
&nbsp;

Indian shares ended higher on Monday boosted by IT stocks, after paring some of the early gains on optimism from the US-Mexico migration deal last week that averted a potential tariff war.

Indian shares ended higher on Monday boosted by IT stocks, after paring some of the early gains on optimism from the US-Mexico migration deal last week that averted a potential tariff war. The broader NSE Nifty ended up 0.44% at 11,922.70, while the benchmark BSE Sensex closed 0.43% higher at 39,784.52. Shares of Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys Ltd and Tech Mahindra Ltd ended between 1.9% and 2.5% higher, boosting the Nifty IT index, which closed 1.57% higher. Britannia Industries Ltd ended as the top gainer among the bluechips, closing up 3.47% to 3,000 rupees, an over three-month high. Oil and gas companies such as Indian Oil Corp Ltd, Gail (India) Ltd and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd were among the top losers, dragged by a rise in crude prices due to tighter supply. Financials, which gained at the opening bell, reversed course to end in the red. The Nifty banking index closed 0.1% lower, with Yes Bank Ltd finishing the day down 2.43%.

Nifty, Sensex close higher, IT firms lead gains

The BSE Sensex rebounded 279 points while the NSE Nifty reclaimed the 11,250 level Thursday, propelled by gains in IT and financial stocks amid mixed global cues.

Both the key indices rallied in the last hour of trade after trading on a tepid note through most part of the day.

The 30-share <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/sensex-nifty-start-on-a-tepid-note-219066">BSE benchmark</a> closed 278.60 points or 0.75 per cent, higher at 37,393.48. It hit an intra-day high of 37,518.94 and a low of 37,052.30.

Similarly, the broader Nifty rose 100.10 points, or 0.90 per cent, to settle at 11,257.10. During the day, it hit a high of 11,281.55 and a low of 11,143.35. 
Bajaj Finance was the biggest gainer in the Sensex pack, spurting 3.64 per cent, after the company reported a jump of 50 per cent in standalone net profit at Rs 1,114 crore for the March quarter.

Tata Motors, Infosys, Vedanta, ONGC, PowerGrid, NPTC, Axis Bank, ICICI Bank, Kotak Bank, SBI, HDFC Bank, Tata Steel, TCS and RIL too rose up to 3.48 per cent.

On the other hand, Yes Bank was the top loser, cracking 4.07 per cent, followed by Bharti Airtel, IndusInd Bank, Coal India, ITC, M&amp;M, HDFC, Maruti and Asian Paints, shedding up to 1.87 per cent.

Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) net sold shares worth Rs 1,142.44 crore on Wednesday, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) purchased equities to the tune of Rs 671.77 crore, provisional data available with stock exchanges showed.

Bourses in China, Japan and Korea ended on a mixed note after US slapped sanctions on Chinese telecom major Huawei. European stocks opened in the red.

Meanwhile, the Indian rupee appreciated by 27 paise to 70.07 against the US dollar intra-day.

Global oil benchmark Brent crude was trading 0.56 per cent higher at $72.17 per barrel.&nbsp;

The BSE Sensex rebounded 279 points while the NSE Nifty reclaimed the 11,250 level Thursday, propelled by gains in IT and financial stocks amid mixed global cues.

The BSE Sensex rebounded 279 points while the NSE Nifty reclaimed the 11,250 level Thursday, propelled by gains in IT and financial stocks amid mixed global cues. Both the key indices rallied in the last hour of trade after trading on a tepid note through most part of the day. The 30-share BSE benchmark closed 278.60 points or 0.75 per cent, higher at 37,393.48. It hit an intra-day high of 37,518.94 and a low of 37,052.30. Similarly, the broader Nifty rose 100.10 points, or 0.90 per cent, to settle at 11,257.10. During the day, it hit a high of 11,281.55 and a low of 11,143.35. Bajaj Finance was the biggest gainer in the Sensex pack, spurting 3.64 per cent, after the company reported a jump of 50 per cent in standalone net profit at Rs 1,114 crore for the March quarter. Tata Motors, Infosys, Vedanta, ONGC, PowerGrid, NPTC, Axis Bank, ICICI Bank, Kotak Bank, SBI, HDFC Bank, Tata Steel, TCS and RIL too rose up to 3.48 per cent. On the other hand, Yes Bank was the top loser, cracking 4.07 per cent, followed by Bharti Airtel, IndusInd Bank, Coal India, ITC, M&M, HDFC, Maruti and Asian Paints, shedding up to 1.87 per cent. Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) net sold shares worth Rs 1,142.44 crore on Wednesday, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) purchased equities to the tune of Rs 671.77 crore, provisional data available with stock exchanges showed. Bourses in China, Japan and Korea ended on a mixed note after US slapped sanctions on Chinese telecom major Huawei. European stocks opened in the red. Meanwhile, the Indian rupee appreciated by 27 paise to 70.07 against the US dollar intra-day. Global oil benchmark Brent crude was trading 0.56 per cent higher at $72.17 per barrel.

Sensex surges 279 points; IT, finance stocks shine

The Income-Tax Department has attached a house of hardline Kashmiri separatist Syed Ali Shah Geelani located in Delhi in connection with an over Rs 3.62 crore tax evasion case against him.

The flat is located in south Delhi's Malviya Nagar area and the Tax Recovery Officer (TRO) of the department has sealed the house for allegedly "failing" to pay Rs 3,62,62,160 income tax for assessment years 1996-97 to 2001-02, as per an order accessed by PTI.

The department has undertaken the action under section 222 of the I-T Act (assessee deemed in default of tax payment) and it has "prohibited and restrained" the Hurriyat Conference leader from transferring the asset.

The TRO is an enforcement action taking arm of the tax department and it deals with cases of wilful defaulters. The authority is empowered to attach an asset and subsequently auction it to realise the tax dues.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED), last month, had levied a penalty of Rs 14.40 lakh on Geelani in a 17-year-old case of illegal possession of USD 10,000 in alleged contravention of the foreign exchange law, officials said Friday.

The Income-Tax Department has attached a house of hardline Kashmiri separatist Syed Ali Shah Geelani located in Delhi in connection with an over Rs 3.62 crore tax evasion case against him.

The Income-Tax Department has attached a house of hardline Kashmiri separatist Syed Ali Shah Geelani located in Delhi in connection with an over Rs 3.62 crore tax evasion case against him. The flat is located in south Delhi's Malviya Nagar area and the Tax Recovery Officer (TRO) of the department has sealed the house for allegedly "failing" to pay Rs 3,62,62,160 income tax for assessment years 1996-97 to 2001-02, as per an order accessed by PTI. The department has undertaken the action under section 222 of the I-T Act (assessee deemed in default of tax payment) and it has "prohibited and restrained" the Hurriyat Conference leader from transferring the asset. The TRO is an enforcement action taking arm of the tax department and it deals with cases of wilful defaulters. The authority is empowered to attach an asset and subsequently auction it to realise the tax dues. The Enforcement Directorate (ED), last month, had levied a penalty of Rs 14.40 lakh on Geelani in a 17-year-old case of illegal possession of USD 10,000 in alleged contravention of the foreign exchange law, officials said Friday.

I-T dept attaches Geelani's Delhi house on wilful tax evasion charges

Indian IT services bellwether Infosys Ltd on Friday reported a 29.6 per cent fall in third-quarter net profit, well below market expectations.

Profit attributable for the three months through December 31 was 36.09 billion rupees ($511.94 million), missing the average estimate of 41.31 billion rupees from 25 analysts compiled by Refinitiv Eikon.

Last year, it made a profit of 51.29 billion rupees, helped by tax benefits from the firm's deal with the US&nbsp;Internal Revenue Service.

India's second-biggest software services exporter by market cap after Tata Consultancy Services Ltd said revenue from operations in the quarter rose 20.3 per cent to 214 billion rupees.

Indian IT services bellwether Infosys Ltd on Friday reported a 29.6 per cent fall in third-quarter net profit, well below market expectations. Profit attributable for the three months through December 31 was 36.

Indian IT services bellwether Infosys Ltd on Friday reported a 29.6 per cent fall in third-quarter net profit, well below market expectations. Profit attributable for the three months through December 31 was 36.09 billion rupees ($511.94 million), missing the average estimate of 41.31 billion rupees from 25 analysts compiled by Refinitiv Eikon. Last year, it made a profit of 51.29 billion rupees, helped by tax benefits from the firm's deal with the US Internal Revenue Service. India's second-biggest software services exporter by market cap after Tata Consultancy Services Ltd said revenue from operations in the quarter rose 20.3 per cent to 214 billion rupees.

Infosys third-quarter profit falls 29.6%, misses estimates

The ongoing digital transformation taking place globally is making <a href="http://www.wionews.com/opinions/h-1b-visa-row-indian-it-industry-faces-many-challenges-175008">India's information technology (IT) industry</a> stronger, a trend that would continue its growth momentum at least in the foreseeable future, says an expert.

Former President of the industry body NASSCOM (National Association of Software and Services Companies), R Chandrashekhar said 2018 has been a watershed year for the Indian IT industry because in 2016 people were writing its "obituaries."

He said 2017 was a difficult year for the industry and there were many challenges during that period.

"And in 2018 headlines were all about how the IT industry has really made really big strides in digital transformation space globally...Which basically shows that the shift to digital has not killed the IT industry", he told PTI.

"On the contrary, it has actually made it stronger and more important as a partner for its clients," Chandrashekhar said.

"So, that's very big accomplishment by the industry and shows that the growth momentum will continue into at least foreseeable future because this is a trend which is going to remain there for a long time now".

It's a "clear and positive sign" for the industry, he said.

Also, he noted that many big IT companies in India are reporting a very strong deal pipeline and, so, the growth momentum can be expected to continue.

Several companies are forming joint ventures and also acquiring companies which, Chandrashekhar said, are important strategies to keep the growth. "Growth momentum is strong and is expected to continue."

On things in 2019 which could have a dampening effect on the export-dependent IT industry, he said if American economy slows down, it would have an impact, as also a "hard Brexit". Appreciation of rupee would have an impact on the rupee earnings of companies.

But he stressed that one should not be unduly concerned about those factors because they don't fundamentally affect the strength of the Indian IT industry.

Former president of NASSCOM R Chandrashekhar noted that many big IT companies in India are reporting a very strong deal pipeline and, so, the growth momentum can be expected to continue.

The ongoing digital transformation taking place globally is making India's information technology (IT) industry stronger, a trend that would continue its growth momentum at least in the foreseeable future, says an expert. Former President of the industry body NASSCOM (National Association of Software and Services Companies), R Chandrashekhar said 2018 has been a watershed year for the Indian IT industry because in 2016 people were writing its "obituaries." He said 2017 was a difficult year for the industry and there were many challenges during that period. "And in 2018 headlines were all about how the IT industry has really made really big strides in digital transformation space globally...Which basically shows that the shift to digital has not killed the IT industry", he told PTI. "On the contrary, it has actually made it stronger and more important as a partner for its clients," Chandrashekhar said. "So, that's very big accomplishment by the industry and shows that the growth momentum will continue into at least foreseeable future because this is a trend which is going to remain there for a long time now". It's a "clear and positive sign" for the industry, he said. Also, he noted that many big IT companies in India are reporting a very strong deal pipeline and, so, the growth momentum can be expected to continue. Several companies are forming joint ventures and also acquiring companies which, Chandrashekhar said, are important strategies to keep the growth. "Growth momentum is strong and is expected to continue." On things in 2019 which could have a dampening effect on the export-dependent IT industry, he said if American economy slows down, it would have an impact, as also a "hard Brexit". Appreciation of rupee would have an impact on the rupee earnings of companies. But he stressed that one should not be unduly concerned about those factors because they don't fundamentally affect the strength of the Indian IT industry.

Growth momentum is strong for Indian IT companies: Former NASSCOM president

A PIL was filed on Monday in the Supreme Court challenging the government's notification authorising 10 central agencies to intercept, monitor and decrypt any computer system.

The petition filed by advocate Manohar Lal Sharma seeks to quash the government's <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/government-empowers-security-intelligence-agencies-for-mass-surveillance-185626">December 20 notification.</a>

According to the government's notification, 10 Central probe and snoop agencies are now empowered under the Information Technology (IT) Act for computer interception and analysis, Ministry of Home Affairs officials said.

The 10 agencies notified under the new order are the Intelligence Bureau, Narcotics Control Bureau, Enforcement Directorate, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (for Income Tax Department), Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Central Bureau of Investigation, National Investigation Agency, the Research and Analysis Wing, Directorate of Signal Intelligence (in service areas of J-K, North East and Assam) and the Delhi Police commissioner.&nbsp;

A PIL was filed on Monday in the Supreme Court challenging the government's notification authorising 10 central agencies to intercept, monitor and decrypt any computer system.

A PIL was filed on Monday in the Supreme Court challenging the government's notification authorising 10 central agencies to intercept, monitor and decrypt any computer system. The petition filed by advocate Manohar Lal Sharma seeks to quash the government's December 20 notification. According to the government's notification, 10 Central probe and snoop agencies are now empowered under the Information Technology (IT) Act for computer interception and analysis, Ministry of Home Affairs officials said. The 10 agencies notified under the new order are the Intelligence Bureau, Narcotics Control Bureau, Enforcement Directorate, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (for Income Tax Department), Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Central Bureau of Investigation, National Investigation Agency, the Research and Analysis Wing, Directorate of Signal Intelligence (in service areas of J-K, North East and Assam) and the Delhi Police commissioner.

PIL filed in SC against order authorising 10 govt agencies to monitor any computer

The BJP Friday alleged that Robert Vadra had put pressure on Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi for revocation of an Income Tax department order penalising a company that gave a loan to another entity to buy his land in Rajasthan.

Dubbing Vadra a "tained son-in-law", BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra claimed that in 2010, Vadra's Skylight Hospitality Pvt Ltd had bought 70 hectares of land for nearly Rs 70 lakh and sold it to another entity, Allegeny Finlease Pvt Ltd, in 2012 for Rs 5.15 crore, "seven times the original cost".

Bhushan Power and Steel Limited (BSPL) gave an unsecured loan of Rs 5.64 crore to Allegeny Finlease for buying the same land, he claimed.

During the same time, BSPL had got a tax notice that cited anomalies in its returns from 2004-2005 to 2011-12, and was asked to pay Rs 500 crore for the difference, Patra claimed.

"BSPL wrote to the Settlement Commission of the IT (Income Tax) department appealing against the order, which said the company has to pay Rs 500 crore. The commission also granted no immunity to BSPL against prosecution and penalty," the BJP spokesperson told reporters here.

The Settlement Commission reconstituted a bench that rescinded the earlier order and had asked the company to pay Rs 500 crore, he claimed.&nbsp;

"As Bhushan Steel had given money for buying a plot of land from Robert Vadra, he put pressure on Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi to ask the Income Tax department to waive the penalty and save BSPL from punishment. It is a clear case of corruption," Patra said.&nbsp;

"This is case of quid pro quo between Skylight Hospitality, Allegeny Finlease and Bhushan Steel," Patra said, alleging that unaccounted money has been by misusing the powers.&nbsp;

Patra also targeted former prime minister Manmohan Singh and dubbed him a "puppet PM" for overlooking the "corruption" during his time.

He also asked, "How much did the Gandhis benefit (from this deal)?"

Targeting Vadra, the BJP leader said his modus operandi is to buy land at a cheaper price, change the utility of the land and then sell it at a rate several times the original cost.

When asked what his party did as it was in power both in Rajasthan as well as the Centre, Patra said, the BJP governments investigated the case.&nbsp;

"We came to power in 2013-2014. We investigated it. The whole ball started moving since 2015. In early 2015, we had an FIR registered in Rajasthan against the Bikaner land allotment of Mr Robert Vadra.&nbsp;

"Thereafter, the whole thing is moving smoothly according to the law. The ED (Enforcement Directorate) had talked about the whole thing in 2016. In 2017, notices were issued and people were arrested in 2017. In 2018, the settlement commission issue had been taken up and yet again you see how the ED is moving ahead," Patra said.&nbsp;

The ED has summoned Vadra in connection with its money laundering probe in the land scam case in Rajasthan's Bikaner city, agency officials said Friday.&nbsp;

The BJP Friday alleged that Robert Vadra had put pressure on Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi for revocation of an Income Tax department order penalising a company that gave a loan to another entity to buy his land in Rajasthan.

The BJP Friday alleged that Robert Vadra had put pressure on Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi for revocation of an Income Tax department order penalising a company that gave a loan to another entity to buy his land in Rajasthan. Dubbing Vadra a "tained son-in-law", BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra claimed that in 2010, Vadra's Skylight Hospitality Pvt Ltd had bought 70 hectares of land for nearly Rs 70 lakh and sold it to another entity, Allegeny Finlease Pvt Ltd, in 2012 for Rs 5.15 crore, "seven times the original cost". Bhushan Power and Steel Limited (BSPL) gave an unsecured loan of Rs 5.64 crore to Allegeny Finlease for buying the same land, he claimed. During the same time, BSPL had got a tax notice that cited anomalies in its returns from 2004-2005 to 2011-12, and was asked to pay Rs 500 crore for the difference, Patra claimed. "BSPL wrote to the Settlement Commission of the IT (Income Tax) department appealing against the order, which said the company has to pay Rs 500 crore. The commission also granted no immunity to BSPL against prosecution and penalty," the BJP spokesperson told reporters here. The Settlement Commission reconstituted a bench that rescinded the earlier order and had asked the company to pay Rs 500 crore, he claimed. "As Bhushan Steel had given money for buying a plot of land from Robert Vadra, he put pressure on Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi to ask the Income Tax department to waive the penalty and save BSPL from punishment. It is a clear case of corruption," Patra said. "This is case of quid pro quo between Skylight Hospitality, Allegeny Finlease and Bhushan Steel," Patra said, alleging that unaccounted money has been by misusing the powers. Patra also targeted former prime minister Manmohan Singh and dubbed him a "puppet PM" for overlooking the "corruption" during his time. He also asked, "How much did the Gandhis benefit (from this deal)?" Targeting Vadra, the BJP leader said his modus operandi is to buy land at a cheaper price, change the utility of the land and then sell it at a rate several times the original cost. When asked what his party did as it was in power both in Rajasthan as well as the Centre, Patra said, the BJP governments investigated the case. "We came to power in 2013-2014. We investigated it. The whole ball started moving since 2015. In early 2015, we had an FIR registered in Rajasthan against the Bikaner land allotment of Mr Robert Vadra. "Thereafter, the whole thing is moving smoothly according to the law. The ED (Enforcement Directorate) had talked about the whole thing in 2016. In 2017, notices were issued and people were arrested in 2017. In 2018, the settlement commission issue had been taken up and yet again you see how the ED is moving ahead," Patra said. The ED has summoned Vadra in connection with its money laundering probe in the land scam case in Rajasthan's Bikaner city, agency officials said Friday.

Vadra put pressure on Rahul, Sonia to revoke I-T order to benefit him: BJP

Companies are offering 10-25 per cent increase in variable pay as incentive to retain and attract talents, especially in the IT, FMCG, e-commerce, BFSI and telecom sectors, according to experts.

"We see an increase ranging from 10-25 per cent during the last 2-3 years. Today for some companies, the variable component is nearly 25 per cent of the fixed salary for employees at junior-mid level," TeamLease Services Head of North Business Mayur Saraswat told PTI here.

This growth in variable component reflects 10-20 per cent on the gross salary, he added.

Companies in sectors like IT, Information Technology Enabled Services (ITeS), FMCG, e-commerce, Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI) and Telecom are increasing variable pay component as a proportion of employee salary to incentivise performance.

"Historically, companies were used to the concept of having fixed pay. But now, with markets getting matured and complex with competition, companies believe talent is one of the key factor for success. To attract and retain talent, one would need to have a culture of high performance as well as incentivising performance," Saraswat said.

Echoing a similar view, Michael Page India MD Nicolas Dumoulin said domestic companies are now increasingly including the variable pay component in employee's salary packages.

"Therefore, the size of the variable pay is larger when it comes to local companies, with an approximate of 20-30 per cent bonuses being offered," he added.

He said, MNCs have always offered this element to their employees across the globe, therefore, they continue to offer this but the extent of compensations have not drastically increased.

Dumoulin said, well-established companies in FMCG and banking, healthcare and life sciences, chemicals, building materials and sales driven roles have started introducing this aspect.

However, Dumoulin said, the variable pay component is not the most effective method to retain or attract talent as it is a one-off amount that employees get, especially for those in a support function role.

Whereas, for results-driven and executive roles, this benefit is a constructive retention tool as employees recognise that their variable pay component can be influenced by their performance, he added.

Apart from the variable pay component, professionals are eager to work with organisations that allow them to take on different roles in the corporation, offer international working opportunities and have flexible working hours, he pointed out.

Meanwhile, GlobalHunt Managing Director Sunil Goel said, variable pay comes as a supplement and opportunity to benefit the resources when company does well and wins lot of projects or business opportunities where employees becomes as direct or indirect stakeholders for good times.

"We have seen in most of the new-age businesses like startup's, technology, BFSI, retail, e-Commerce, chemical, even in FMCG sectors are following this trend but at the same time industries like real-estate and telecom, which is going through consolidation, phase have been able to keep their fix cost as low with not so high variable payout as per the business performance," he added.

Since the fixed component is not increasing more than 10-11 per cent, Goel said the variable pay-outs are reflecting or elevating the gross salary up to 30-40 per cent higher.

Companies in sectors like IT, Information Technology Enabled Services (ITeS), FMCG, e-commerce, Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI) and Telecom are increasing variable pay component as a proportion of employee salary to incentivise performance.

Companies are offering 10-25 per cent increase in variable pay as incentive to retain and attract talents, especially in the IT, FMCG, e-commerce, BFSI and telecom sectors, according to experts. "We see an increase ranging from 10-25 per cent during the last 2-3 years. Today for some companies, the variable component is nearly 25 per cent of the fixed salary for employees at junior-mid level," TeamLease Services Head of North Business Mayur Saraswat told PTI here. This growth in variable component reflects 10-20 per cent on the gross salary, he added. Companies in sectors like IT, Information Technology Enabled Services (ITeS), FMCG, e-commerce, Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI) and Telecom are increasing variable pay component as a proportion of employee salary to incentivise performance. "Historically, companies were used to the concept of having fixed pay. But now, with markets getting matured and complex with competition, companies believe talent is one of the key factor for success. To attract and retain talent, one would need to have a culture of high performance as well as incentivising performance," Saraswat said. Echoing a similar view, Michael Page India MD Nicolas Dumoulin said domestic companies are now increasingly including the variable pay component in employee's salary packages. "Therefore, the size of the variable pay is larger when it comes to local companies, with an approximate of 20-30 per cent bonuses being offered," he added. He said, MNCs have always offered this element to their employees across the globe, therefore, they continue to offer this but the extent of compensations have not drastically increased. Dumoulin said, well-established companies in FMCG and banking, healthcare and life sciences, chemicals, building materials and sales driven roles have started introducing this aspect. However, Dumoulin said, the variable pay component is not the most effective method to retain or attract talent as it is a one-off amount that employees get, especially for those in a support function role. Whereas, for results-driven and executive roles, this benefit is a constructive retention tool as employees recognise that their variable pay component can be influenced by their performance, he added. Apart from the variable pay component, professionals are eager to work with organisations that allow them to take on different roles in the corporation, offer international working opportunities and have flexible working hours, he pointed out. Meanwhile, GlobalHunt Managing Director Sunil Goel said, variable pay comes as a supplement and opportunity to benefit the resources when company does well and wins lot of projects or business opportunities where employees becomes as direct or indirect stakeholders for good times. "We have seen in most of the new-age businesses like startup's, technology, BFSI, retail, e-Commerce, chemical, even in FMCG sectors are following this trend but at the same time industries like real-estate and telecom, which is going through consolidation, phase have been able to keep their fix cost as low with not so high variable payout as per the business performance," he added. Since the fixed component is not increasing more than 10-11 per cent, Goel said the variable pay-outs are reflecting or elevating the gross salary up to 30-40 per cent higher.

Companies increasing variable pay to retain, attract talents: Experts

German auto maker Volkswagen (VW) today said it has initiated a programme in India under which it plans to target professionals from IT, banking and other industries, to push sales in the country.

Under the Volkswagen corporate sales program, the company plans to target individuals from across sectors like information technology (IT), consultancy and banking, Volkswagen India said in a statement.

The automaker is also eyeing doctors, lawyers, architects, chartered accountants, teachers and government employees, with benefits that will extend to immediate family members as well, it added.

The program offers benefits on purchase, servicing of the vehicle, accessories as well as loyalty benefits, the company said.

The initiative covers the entire model range from Volkswagen India, including premium products like ? Tiguan and Passat.

"Through such initiatives, we continue to heighten the accessibility of our globally-acclaimed products, while extending the reach of our comprehensive suite of sales and after sales services to the country's distinctive car buyer," Volkswagen

Passenger Cars Director Steffen Knapp said.

The German automaker, which has been struggling to make its presence felt in India, has now set an aim to almost double its market share in the country to 3 per cent over the next five years.

As part of this ambition, the company has introduced various initiatives, with the Volkswagen Corporate Sales Program being the first step in that direction.

During the last fiscal, the company sold 45,329 units, down 9.41 per cent from 2016-17 where it sold 50,042 units.

Under the Volkswagen corporate sales program, the company plans to target individuals from across sectors like information technology (IT), consultancy and banking

German auto maker Volkswagen (VW) today said it has initiated a programme in India under which it plans to target professionals from IT, banking and other industries, to push sales in the country. Under the Volkswagen corporate sales program, the company plans to target individuals from across sectors like information technology (IT), consultancy and banking, Volkswagen India said in a statement. The automaker is also eyeing doctors, lawyers, architects, chartered accountants, teachers and government employees, with benefits that will extend to immediate family members as well, it added. The program offers benefits on purchase, servicing of the vehicle, accessories as well as loyalty benefits, the company said. The initiative covers the entire model range from Volkswagen India, including premium products like ? Tiguan and Passat. "Through such initiatives, we continue to heighten the accessibility of our globally-acclaimed products, while extending the reach of our comprehensive suite of sales and after sales services to the country's distinctive car buyer," Volkswagen Passenger Cars Director Steffen Knapp said. The German automaker, which has been struggling to make its presence felt in India, has now set an aim to almost double its market share in the country to 3 per cent over the next five years. As part of this ambition, the company has introduced various initiatives, with the Volkswagen Corporate Sales Program being the first step in that direction. During the last fiscal, the company sold 45,329 units, down 9.41 per cent from 2016-17 where it sold 50,042 units.

Volkswagen eyes IT, banking professionals in India to drive sales

Amid the row of data theft by the UK based company, Cambridge Analytica in collusion with social media platform Facebook, Information and Technology minister Ravi Shankar Prasad warned of strong actions against Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday.

Ravi Shankar Prasad said &quot;Mr Mark Zuckerberg you better know the observation of IT Minister of India, if any data theft of Indians is done with the collusion of FB systems, it will not be tolerated&quot;, adding, &quot;we have got stringent powers in the IT Act including summoning you in India&quot;.

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Mr. Mark Zuckerberg you better know the observation of IT Minister of India, if any data theft of Indians is done with the collusion of FB systems, it will not be tolerated. We have got stringent powers in the IT Act including summoning you in India : Ravi Shankar Prasad <a href="https://t.co/tACPLs755F">pic.twitter.com/tACPLs755F</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/976389079146336257?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Ravi Shankar Prasad held a press conference in Delhi on Wednesday during which he also alleged that Congress has also hired Cambridge&nbsp;Analytica for 2019&nbsp;elections and asked about the role of of the data analysis company&#39;s role in Rahul Gandhi&#39;s social media profile.

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Will Congress Party depend on data theft and manipulation to win elections? What is the role of Cambridge Analytica in social media profile of Rahul Gandhi? : Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Minister of Electronics and Information Technology <a href="https://t.co/OgCfg7O91N">pic.twitter.com/OgCfg7O91N</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/976380775846248449?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
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He also warned Mark Zuckerberg against trying to &quot;influence India&#39;s electoral process through undesirable means.&quot;

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We support free exchange of ideas on social media but any attempt by social media including FB of trying to influence India&#39;s electoral process through undesirable means will not be tolerated. Let Facebook note it very clearly: Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Minister <a href="https://t.co/6ryszflHhR">pic.twitter.com/6ryszflHhR</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/976383428248653826?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
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He also asked Congress of &quot;how much data of Indians was shared with Cambridge Analytica&#39;s CEO. As there are serious allegations of data theft against this company in USA, England. The company boasts of having influenced elections in Nigeria, Kenya, Brazil, also in India&quot;.

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We ask Congress that how much data of Indians was shared with Cambridge Analytica&#39;s CEO. As there are serious allegations of data theft against this company in USA, England. Company boasts of having influenced elections in Nigeria, Kenya, Brazil, also in India:Union Min RS Prasad
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/976387976430260224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Earlier in the day Ravi Shankar Prasad also made a series of tweets in which alleged citing media reports that Rahul Gandhi&#39;s social media profile popularity was increased by using bots.

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There were news reports about use of bots to artificially increase the social media following of Rahul Gandhi in recent time: <a href="https://twitter.com/rsprasad?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@rsprasad</a>
&mdash; RSPrasad Office (@OfficeOfRSP) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRSP/status/976365846737178624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Meanwhile, the Congress has denied&nbsp;all allegations regarding the issue.

Social media and digital communication head, Divya Spandana clarified on Twitter that &quot;news about Congress engaged/engaging with Cambridge Analytica is absolutely false.&quot;

Cambridge Analytica has been accused of harvesting private information from more than 50 million Facebook users in developing techniques to support President Donald Trump&#39;s 2016 election campaign, the New York Times and London&#39;s Observer reported on Saturday (March 18). 
&nbsp;

Ravi Shankar Prasad said 'Mr Mark Zuckerberg you better know the observation of IT Minister of India, if any data theft of Indians is done with the collusion of FB systems, it will not be tolerated'

Amid the row of data theft by the UK based company, Cambridge Analytica in collusion with social media platform Facebook, Information and Technology minister Ravi Shankar Prasad warned of strong actions against Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday. Ravi Shankar Prasad said "Mr Mark Zuckerberg you better know the observation of IT Minister of India, if any data theft of Indians is done with the collusion of FB systems, it will not be tolerated", adding, "we have got stringent powers in the IT Act including summoning you in India". Mr. Mark Zuckerberg you better know the observation of IT Minister of India, if any data theft of Indians is done with the collusion of FB systems, it will not be tolerated. We have got stringent powers in the IT Act including summoning you in India : Ravi Shankar Prasad pic.twitter.com/tACPLs755F — ANI (@ANI) March 21, 2018 × Ravi Shankar Prasad held a press conference in Delhi on Wednesday during which he also alleged that Congress has also hired Cambridge Analytica for 2019 elections and asked about the role of of the data analysis company's role in Rahul Gandhi's social media profile. Will Congress Party depend on data theft and manipulation to win elections? What is the role of Cambridge Analytica in social media profile of Rahul Gandhi? : Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Minister of Electronics and Information Technology pic.twitter.com/OgCfg7O91N — ANI (@ANI) March 21, 2018 × He also warned Mark Zuckerberg against trying to "influence India's electoral process through undesirable means." We support free exchange of ideas on social media but any attempt by social media including FB of trying to influence India's electoral process through undesirable means will not be tolerated. Let Facebook note it very clearly: Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Minister pic.twitter.com/6ryszflHhR — ANI (@ANI) March 21, 2018 × He also asked Congress of "how much data of Indians was shared with Cambridge Analytica's CEO. As there are serious allegations of data theft against this company in USA, England. The company boasts of having influenced elections in Nigeria, Kenya, Brazil, also in India". We ask Congress that how much data of Indians was shared with Cambridge Analytica's CEO. As there are serious allegations of data theft against this company in USA, England. Company boasts of having influenced elections in Nigeria, Kenya, Brazil, also in India:Union Min RS Prasad — ANI (@ANI) March 21, 2018 × Earlier in the day Ravi Shankar Prasad also made a series of tweets in which alleged citing media reports that Rahul Gandhi's social media profile popularity was increased by using bots. There were news reports about use of bots to artificially increase the social media following of Rahul Gandhi in recent time: @rsprasad — RSPrasad Office (@OfficeOfRSP) March 21, 2018 × Meanwhile, the Congress has denied all allegations regarding the issue. Social media and digital communication head, Divya Spandana clarified on Twitter that "news about Congress engaged/engaging with Cambridge Analytica is absolutely false." Cambridge Analytica has been accused of harvesting private information from more than 50 million Facebook users in developing techniques to support President Donald Trump's 2016 election campaign, the New York Times and London's Observer reported on Saturday (March 18).

Ravi Shankar Prasad warns Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg of 'strict actions'

The Income Tax department today said that it had unearthed alleged tax evasion and undisclosed income of Rs 195 crore in its first-ever major action against fish processing businesses in coastal Karnataka.

Making details of the recent operation public, the department also said that it had detected the role of a Chinese firm, in some instances, in &quot;paying commission&quot; to local middlemen, outside India.

This was being routed through hawala channels to countries such as Dubai, Oman and Mauritius, and nations in the Middle East and Africa, it said. It said the department has also detected some foreign account holdings and investments after it conducted searches and surveys at a total of 43 premises across five states in the last week in this case.

&quot;The anti-tax evasion action was undertaken against three major groups involved in fish processing business in Mangalore and Udupi regions of Karnataka. The investigation wing of the department based here spearheaded the operation,&quot; a senior I-T officer said.

The department, till now, has seized &quot;unaccounted&quot; cash to the tune of Rs 88 lakh as part of these operations that were launched on February 8 by involving over 150 sleuths from its various offices in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Hubli, Belgaum and Panaji.&quot;

The searches also resulted in unearthing of nearly Rs 195 crore undisclosed income so far.

&quot;This (total tax evaded amount) is likely to go up further as the department plans to investigate all related parties and concerns, bank transactions in India and abroad and about investments made in the foreign shores,&quot; the department said in a statement. It did not identify the groups.

The department said that during the searches, it was found that &quot;the processing units are, with the help of agents, showing huge bogus creditors in the name of fishermen.

&quot;It was also found that huge cash was paid to the agents in the name of fishermen, violating the provisions of the Income Tax Act,&quot; the department said. It said that tax sleuths also noticed that &quot;various benami entities were floated in the name of relatives and employees to make unaccounted investments&quot;, in alleged violation of the recently enforced Benami Transactions Act.

The searches, it said, also brought forth some of the other malpractices like &quot;the lab reports were being managed for the quality report on the fish food&quot;. &quot;The fish oil is adulterated in a few instances with other lower grade oils and the diesel subsidy is misused by procuring the boats on various benami names, as law regulates only one boat eligible per person for such subsidy,&quot; the department said in the statement. It said the processing units were importing fish meal and the same was &quot;re-exported for making false claim of duty draw back.&quot;

&quot;The plant and machinery imported were under invoiced, causing loss of customs duty,&quot; it said. The department said that sleuths who were part of the raid operations found these firms were maintaining &quot;posh guest houses to extend hospitality to the persons with whom they deal with&quot;.

It was also detected, it said, that many agents and processing units are splitting their income in the name of relatives, employees and fictitious entities, in violation of the tax law. &quot;It was also noticed that some of the fishermen are under impression that their income is exempt, like agriculture income, which is not correct,&quot; it said.

The department, apart from searching the three unidentified groups, also raided the agents who support them in procuring raw fish. It said the taxman also conducted verification with some of the &quot;end users of the processed food.&quot; &quot;A similar modus operandi is believed to be followed by many entities and individuals connected with the fishing industry. All such persons may like to come forward and pay due taxes on their own,&quot; it said.&nbsp;

The department said that during the searches, it was found that 'the processing units are, with the help of agents, showing huge bogus creditors in the name of fishermen'.

The Income Tax department today said that it had unearthed alleged tax evasion and undisclosed income of Rs 195 crore in its first-ever major action against fish processing businesses in coastal Karnataka. Making details of the recent operation public, the department also said that it had detected the role of a Chinese firm, in some instances, in "paying commission" to local middlemen, outside India. This was being routed through hawala channels to countries such as Dubai, Oman and Mauritius, and nations in the Middle East and Africa, it said. It said the department has also detected some foreign account holdings and investments after it conducted searches and surveys at a total of 43 premises across five states in the last week in this case. "The anti-tax evasion action was undertaken against three major groups involved in fish processing business in Mangalore and Udupi regions of Karnataka. The investigation wing of the department based here spearheaded the operation," a senior I-T officer said. The department, till now, has seized "unaccounted" cash to the tune of Rs 88 lakh as part of these operations that were launched on February 8 by involving over 150 sleuths from its various offices in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Hubli, Belgaum and Panaji." The searches also resulted in unearthing of nearly Rs 195 crore undisclosed income so far. "This (total tax evaded amount) is likely to go up further as the department plans to investigate all related parties and concerns, bank transactions in India and abroad and about investments made in the foreign shores," the department said in a statement. It did not identify the groups. The department said that during the searches, it was found that "the processing units are, with the help of agents, showing huge bogus creditors in the name of fishermen. "It was also found that huge cash was paid to the agents in the name of fishermen, violating the provisions of the Income Tax Act," the department said. It said that tax sleuths also noticed that "various benami entities were floated in the name of relatives and employees to make unaccounted investments", in alleged violation of the recently enforced Benami Transactions Act. The searches, it said, also brought forth some of the other malpractices like "the lab reports were being managed for the quality report on the fish food". "The fish oil is adulterated in a few instances with other lower grade oils and the diesel subsidy is misused by procuring the boats on various benami names, as law regulates only one boat eligible per person for such subsidy," the department said in the statement. It said the processing units were importing fish meal and the same was "re-exported for making false claim of duty draw back." "The plant and machinery imported were under invoiced, causing loss of customs duty," it said. The department said that sleuths who were part of the raid operations found these firms were maintaining "posh guest houses to extend hospitality to the persons with whom they deal with". It was also detected, it said, that many agents and processing units are splitting their income in the name of relatives, employees and fictitious entities, in violation of the tax law. "It was also noticed that some of the fishermen are under impression that their income is exempt, like agriculture income, which is not correct," it said. The department, apart from searching the three unidentified groups, also raided the agents who support them in procuring raw fish. It said the taxman also conducted verification with some of the "end users of the processed food." "A similar modus operandi is believed to be followed by many entities and individuals connected with the fishing industry. All such persons may like to come forward and pay due taxes on their own," it said.

Karnataka: IT raids major fish-processing firms, unearths black income worth Rs 195 crore

The IT sector in the country is going through a transformational phase. Technology is changing, services are getting automated and increasingly India&#39;s traditional service based IT industry is shifting to software and innovation based.

But are the colleges and engineering institutions in the country catching up with the changing requirement? The larger opinion is in the negative.&nbsp;

The needs of the fast-changing&nbsp;Indian IT are being met by, what Dr Somdatta, Co-chair of the NASSCOM Product council terms, a robust parallel training and hiring sector.

Institutions are spurting across the country that are picking candidates from underprivileged backgrounds, diploma holders, 12th standard graduates or college dropouts and are training them in web technology, app development and coding.&nbsp;

&quot;Some skills don&#39;t require theoretical education. They can be taught on practical application. That ecosystem is becoming very robust now,&quot; says Dr Somdatta.&nbsp;

Institutions like Zoho in Chennai and Navgurukul in Delhi-NCR are changing lives of students, who have the talent but lack opportunities. Several start-ups in the IT capital of Bengaluru are also choosing to pick candidates purely based on their talent and less on the college that they studied in or the degree that they hold.

One of the biggest reasons for such a demand in a country that produces 1.5 million engineers every year is the quality of talent.

The National Employability Report by Aspiring Minds in 2016 found that only 8% of Indian engineers were employable in core engineering sectors.

The changing technology and lack of quality talent is leaving a huge gap, that is being filled by these trained professionals.&nbsp;

Nikhil Jois, a 27-yr-old entrepreneur from Bengaluru, also an engineering dropout feels that very little of the syllabus taught to them over the 8 semesters has practical usage.

&#39;Most of what is taught is useless on the job. It would be better if colleges encouraged learning rather than ensuring students mug up their way to clearing exams&#39;, says Jois.

His start-up Eventosaur hires candidates from such unconventional backgrounds and trains them extensively over several months. &#39;It&#39;s a clean slate as far as we are concerned.

We only want to know if they have the potential and the hunger in them.

We then assign them to a mentor. They get to shadow their mentor over the next few months where they attend meetings, write mails, draft presentations etc. The learning happens on the job&#39;, says Jois.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The hypergrowth software startups are worlds apart from India&#39;s traditional service-based IT industry and demands candidates who can unlearn, relearn and update quickly.

Also business managers consider&nbsp;such candidates as assets to the company as they are grateful and more loyal to the organisation in comparison to engineering graduates.

MNCs such as BOSCH and HCL have set up their own training centres, whereas other major companies such as PwC and Flipkart have started accepting candidates without a formal degree, at least for some posts.&nbsp;

&#39;Digital means, being able to automate most of the things that are today tangibly handled, over digital.

To be able to do that you need skilled people who can make that happen&#39;, says Dr Somdatta, while reiterating that the trend is a wake up call to colleges across the country to upgrade, or face the threat of becoming irrelevant.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

A parallel hiring ecosystem developing in India. IT firms going for practical knowledge instead of theoretical.

The IT sector in the country is going through a transformational phase. Technology is changing, services are getting automated and increasingly India's traditional service based IT industry is shifting to software and innovation based. But are the colleges and engineering institutions in the country catching up with the changing requirement? The larger opinion is in the negative. The needs of the fast-changing Indian IT are being met by, what Dr Somdatta, Co-chair of the NASSCOM Product council terms, a robust parallel training and hiring sector. Institutions are spurting across the country that are picking candidates from underprivileged backgrounds, diploma holders, 12th standard graduates or college dropouts and are training them in web technology, app development and coding. "Some skills don't require theoretical education. They can be taught on practical application. That ecosystem is becoming very robust now," says Dr Somdatta. Institutions like Zoho in Chennai and Navgurukul in Delhi-NCR are changing lives of students, who have the talent but lack opportunities. Several start-ups in the IT capital of Bengaluru are also choosing to pick candidates purely based on their talent and less on the college that they studied in or the degree that they hold. One of the biggest reasons for such a demand in a country that produces 1.5 million engineers every year is the quality of talent. The National Employability Report by Aspiring Minds in 2016 found that only 8% of Indian engineers were employable in core engineering sectors. The changing technology and lack of quality talent is leaving a huge gap, that is being filled by these trained professionals. Nikhil Jois, a 27-yr-old entrepreneur from Bengaluru, also an engineering dropout feels that very little of the syllabus taught to them over the 8 semesters has practical usage. 'Most of what is taught is useless on the job. It would be better if colleges encouraged learning rather than ensuring students mug up their way to clearing exams', says Jois. His start-up Eventosaur hires candidates from such unconventional backgrounds and trains them extensively over several months. 'It's a clean slate as far as we are concerned. We only want to know if they have the potential and the hunger in them. We then assign them to a mentor. They get to shadow their mentor over the next few months where they attend meetings, write mails, draft presentations etc. The learning happens on the job', says Jois. The hypergrowth software startups are worlds apart from India's traditional service-based IT industry and demands candidates who can unlearn, relearn and update quickly. Also business managers consider such candidates as assets to the company as they are grateful and more loyal to the organisation in comparison to engineering graduates. MNCs such as BOSCH and HCL have set up their own training centres, whereas other major companies such as PwC and Flipkart have started accepting candidates without a formal degree, at least for some posts. 'Digital means, being able to automate most of the things that are today tangibly handled, over digital. To be able to do that you need skilled people who can make that happen', says Dr Somdatta, while reiterating that the trend is a wake up call to colleges across the country to upgrade, or face the threat of becoming irrelevant.

Changing hiring trend? Bengaluru IT firms picking up Class 12 students and college dropouts

New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. on Monday announced a sequel to the horror blockbuster &quot;It&quot; that made waves at the box office recently.

The sequel will be releasing in theatres including Imax locations on September 6, 2019, according to the announcement.&nbsp;

The movie with its Pennywise the Dancing Clown character wowed the audience earlier this month. The movie is originally an adaptation of Stephen King&#39;s book.&nbsp;

SInce its release, the movie has shattered numerous records including becoming the top-grossing horror film of all time. It has earned&nbsp;$266.1 million domestically and $478.1 million globally to date.&nbsp;

In comparison, &quot;It&quot; has surpassed the most loved horror film of all time, The Exorcist which released in 1973 and made&nbsp;$233 million in North America and $441.3 million worldwide.

According to trade numbers, the movie brought back the box office to life after a slow summer season.&nbsp;

As reported by Hollywood Reporter, Gary Dauberman, one of the screenwriters of &quot;It&quot; has&nbsp;closed a deal to pen the screenplay for the follow-up, while director Andy Muschietti is expected to return as well. Producers Barbara Muschietti, Roy Lee, Dan Lin, Seth Grahame-Smith and David Katzenberg are also expected to return for the sequel.

&quot;It,&quot; tells the story of a&nbsp;group of friends who get together to defeat their small town&#39;s demon, first as kids and then as adults. While the first movie&nbsp;focuses on the kids and is set in the past, the sequel will take place in the present but will have&nbsp;flashbacks so that the same kids can be seen in the movie again.&nbsp;

The horror movie surpassed previous records in the genre and helped bring the Hollywood box office to life

New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. on Monday announced a sequel to the horror blockbuster "It" that made waves at the box office recently. The sequel will be releasing in theatres including Imax locations on September 6, 2019, according to the announcement. The movie with its Pennywise the Dancing Clown character wowed the audience earlier this month. The movie is originally an adaptation of Stephen King's book. SInce its release, the movie has shattered numerous records including becoming the top-grossing horror film of all time. It has earned $266.1 million domestically and $478.1 million globally to date. In comparison, "It" has surpassed the most loved horror film of all time, The Exorcist which released in 1973 and made $233 million in North America and $441.3 million worldwide. According to trade numbers, the movie brought back the box office to life after a slow summer season. As reported by Hollywood Reporter, Gary Dauberman, one of the screenwriters of "It" has closed a deal to pen the screenplay for the follow-up, while director Andy Muschietti is expected to return as well. Producers Barbara Muschietti, Roy Lee, Dan Lin, Seth Grahame-Smith and David Katzenberg are also expected to return for the sequel. "It," tells the story of a group of friends who get together to defeat their small town's demon, first as kids and then as adults. While the first movie focuses on the kids and is set in the past, the sequel will take place in the present but will have flashbacks so that the same kids can be seen in the movie again.

'It' to have a sequel, will release in 2019

The Indian government on Monday extended the deadline for filing Income Tax Returns (ITRs) and linking Aadhaar with the Permanent Account Number (PAN) of taxpayers.

ITRs can now be filed by August 5. The Aadhaar-PAN linking can be done till August 31.

The government had initially set July 1 as the deadline to link the two databases for filing of ITRs.

A senior tax department official said the decision was taken after a meeting of senior officers of the revenue department and CBDT held in the finance ministry today to &quot;ease out the panic situation&quot;.

 
The official twitter handle of the I-T department said the move to enhance the time limit for filing ITRs beyond today was made &quot;in view of difficulties faced by taxpayers.&quot;

The dates have been extended after receiving complaints from &quot;some taxpayers&quot; that they were unable to log on to the e-filing website of the IT department, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) said in a statement.

The CBDT said there were also complaints that the assessees were unable to link Aadhaar with PAN because their names were mentioned differently in the database linked to the two documents.

&quot;For the purpose of e-filing returns, it would be sufficient as of now to quote Aadhaar or acknowledgement number for having applied for Aadhaar in the e-filing website. 
 
&quot;The actual linking of PAN with Aadhaar can be done subsequently, but any time before August 31, 2017,&quot; the CBDT said.

The IT department&#39;s policy-making body cautioned, however, that the returns (ITRs) will not be processed &quot;until the linkage of Aadhaar with PAN is done.&quot;

&quot;In order to facilitate the e-filing of return, it is also decided to give extension of five days for e-filing of return. The return can be filed upto August 5,&quot; it said.

The income tax department said yesterday that no extension would be given since already over Rs 2 crore returns have been received and no major glitches on the e-filing portal (http://incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/) had been detected.

&quot;While technical snags have been removed already, the main reason for failure of people to log into the e-filing portal is because of last minute rush and panic in which those who have already logged in want to continue for the entire period for fear of losing it,&quot; it said.

The department has also asked taxpayers to declare cash deposits made of Rs 2 lakh or more made in bank accounts, after demonetisation on November 9 till December 30 last year, in the ITRs.

The ITRs to be filed by July 31 pertain to 2016-17 fiscal or assessment year 2017-18.&nbsp;

ITRs can now be filed by August 5. The Aadhaar-PAN linking can be done till August 31

The Indian government on Monday extended the deadline for filing Income Tax Returns (ITRs) and linking Aadhaar with the Permanent Account Number (PAN) of taxpayers. ITRs can now be filed by August 5. The Aadhaar-PAN linking can be done till August 31. The government had initially set July 1 as the deadline to link the two databases for filing of ITRs. A senior tax department official said the decision was taken after a meeting of senior officers of the revenue department and CBDT held in the finance ministry today to "ease out the panic situation". The official twitter handle of the I-T department said the move to enhance the time limit for filing ITRs beyond today was made "in view of difficulties faced by taxpayers." The dates have been extended after receiving complaints from "some taxpayers" that they were unable to log on to the e-filing website of the IT department, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) said in a statement. The CBDT said there were also complaints that the assessees were unable to link Aadhaar with PAN because their names were mentioned differently in the database linked to the two documents. "For the purpose of e-filing returns, it would be sufficient as of now to quote Aadhaar or acknowledgement number for having applied for Aadhaar in the e-filing website. "The actual linking of PAN with Aadhaar can be done subsequently, but any time before August 31, 2017," the CBDT said. The IT department's policy-making body cautioned, however, that the returns (ITRs) will not be processed "until the linkage of Aadhaar with PAN is done." "In order to facilitate the e-filing of return, it is also decided to give extension of five days for e-filing of return. The return can be filed upto August 5," it said. The income tax department said yesterday that no extension would be given since already over Rs 2 crore returns have been received and no major glitches on the e-filing portal (http://incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/) had been detected. "While technical snags have been removed already, the main reason for failure of people to log into the e-filing portal is because of last minute rush and panic in which those who have already logged in want to continue for the entire period for fear of losing it," it said. The department has also asked taxpayers to declare cash deposits made of Rs 2 lakh or more made in bank accounts, after demonetisation on November 9 till December 30 last year, in the ITRs. The ITRs to be filed by July 31 pertain to 2016-17 fiscal or assessment year 2017-18.

Govt extends deadline for filing Income Tax Returns to ease 'panic situation'

The Indian government&#39;s income-tax (I-T) department has submitted a report to the election commission which states that the audit reports prepared by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for donations of about Rs 27 crore do not match with the actual funds received by it from various donors.

Officials said this could form the basis for the cancellation of tax exemptions given under the I-T Act to the AAP and could also follow a stringent action of deregistration of the party, but all such decisions were exclusively under the domain of the Election Commission, PTI reported.

The report states that the records of donations made to the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP during 2013-14 and 2014-15 are incorrect and have discrepancies, PTI&nbsp;reported. The department has been investigating the donations list of the party for over a&nbsp;year.

Income Tax officials said the AAP treasurer had acknowledged &quot;certain errors&quot; in the records in their communication with the taxman, PTI reported.

The officials said the alleged discrepancies in the donation records of the&nbsp;party&nbsp;were about Rs 27 crore.

Parties prepare audit reports, in consultation with their chartered accountants, and submit a copy to the I-T department as per the law.

The I-T report suggested that the violations were in contravention of tax laws that governed political donations as stipulated under the Income Tax Act, 1961.

AAP chief and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal alleged that it was a &quot;dirty trick&quot; by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to get the AAP deregistered because of fear of losing the state elections in Punjab and Goa, which begin tomorrow.

&quot;Modiji&#39;s dirty tricks. Losing badly in Goa n Punjab, he tries to deregister the winning party 24 hrs before elections. Shameless dictator,&quot; he tweeted.

&nbsp;

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Modiji&#39;s dirty tricks. Losing badly in Goa n Punjab, he tries to de-register the winning party 24 hrs before elections. Shameless dictator <a href="https://t.co/XMSdXj1OSg">https://t.co/XMSdXj1OSg</a>
&mdash; Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) <a href="https://twitter.com/ArvindKejriwal/status/827362823936307200">February 3, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The AAP feels it is in with a chance in the Punjab polls, where it faces a triangular contest with the Congress and the incumbent SAD-BJP combine.&nbsp;

The AAP is hopeful of disturbing the ruling BJP&#39;s prospects in Goa as well.

(WION with inputs from PTI)

In a report to the poll body, the I-T department said the donation records prepared by the AAP do not match with the actual funds received

The Indian government's income-tax (I-T) department has submitted a report to the election commission which states that the audit reports prepared by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for donations of about Rs 27 crore do not match with the actual funds received by it from various donors. Officials said this could form the basis for the cancellation of tax exemptions given under the I-T Act to the AAP and could also follow a stringent action of deregistration of the party, but all such decisions were exclusively under the domain of the Election Commission, PTI reported. The report states that the records of donations made to the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP during 2013-14 and 2014-15 are incorrect and have discrepancies, PTI reported. The department has been investigating the donations list of the party for over a year. Income Tax officials said the AAP treasurer had acknowledged "certain errors" in the records in their communication with the taxman, PTI reported. The officials said the alleged discrepancies in the donation records of the party were about Rs 27 crore. Parties prepare audit reports, in consultation with their chartered accountants, and submit a copy to the I-T department as per the law. The I-T report suggested that the violations were in contravention of tax laws that governed political donations as stipulated under the Income Tax Act, 1961. AAP chief and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal alleged that it was a "dirty trick" by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to get the AAP deregistered because of fear of losing the state elections in Punjab and Goa, which begin tomorrow. "Modiji's dirty tricks. Losing badly in Goa n Punjab, he tries to deregister the winning party 24 hrs before elections. Shameless dictator," he tweeted. Modiji's dirty tricks. Losing badly in Goa n Punjab, he tries to de-register the winning party 24 hrs before elections. Shameless dictator https://t.co/XMSdXj1OSg — Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) February 3, 2017 × The AAP feels it is in with a chance in the Punjab polls, where it faces a triangular contest with the Congress and the incumbent SAD-BJP combine. The AAP is hopeful of disturbing the ruling BJP's prospects in Goa as well. (WION with inputs from PTI)

Aam Aadmi Party donation records inaccurate, could lead to deregistration by Election Commission: I-T department

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