1. Govt Steps in to Comfort Investors, Revive Economy
In a bid to counter the growing negativity about the economy and revive growth, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday announced a slew of measures, including scrapping surcharge on foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) and domestic market players and steps to improve the flow of loans and overall cash in the system, while promising easier rules and lower compliance burden on companies.
The minister also offered to review the income tax surcharge on those with taxable income of over Rs 2 crore by 2022 and unveiled steps to boost demand for the automobiles sector, which has seen sales slump at the fastest pace in 18 years, leaving companies with unprecedented inventory and forced job cuts.
(Source: Times Of India)
2. No Place for Loot, Terror & Nepotism in New India: PM in Paris
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the BJP’s resounding mandate in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls was meant to build a “new India”, and asserted that in a new India, there was no place for corruption, nepotism, loot of people’s money and terrorism.
“This mandate is not only to run a government but to build a new India. A new India which is prosperous and whose civilisation and culture are respected by the world, where it also takes the lead in modernity. An India where the focus is on ease of living as much as ease of doing business,” Modi said.
Addressing the Indian community in Paris, Modi said the government had acted quickly on several issues.
(Source: Times Of India)
3. INX Media Case: Chidambaram Gets Arrest Shield for Now From SC in Case Filed By ED
The Supreme Court Friday granted interim protection from arrest to Congress leader P Chidambaram in an alleged money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate. The case is an offshoot of the INX Media case in which the former Union Minister has already been arrested by the CBI and remanded in its custody till August 26.
The bench of Justices R Banumathi and A S Bopanna, after hearing Solicitor General Tushar Mehta who appeared for the ED, and senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi for Chidambaram, said “having regard to the fact that the petitioner was also granted interim protection on 25.07.2018 and that the co-accused were also granted bail by the High Court, the petitioner is granted interim protection, in so far as the Enforcement Directorate case is concerned… till the next date of hearing”.
(Source: The Indian Express)
4. Rahul, Oppn Leaders Plan J&K Visit Today
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will go to Srinagar on Saturday along with a delegation of leaders from the Left, Trinamool,
DMK, RJD and NCP in response to Jammu & Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik’s “invitation” to the leader to visit the state. The leaders are expected to reach Srinagar a little after 1pm. The visit is seen as a political point as the delegation may be turned back from the airport itself.
The J&K government put out a tersely worded tweet, advising the political leaders to stay away.
(Source: The Times Of India)
5. Singhvi & Tharoor Back Jairam on Not ‘Demonising’ PM, Rest in Cong Disagree
Three months after its defeat in the Lok Sabha elections, the Congress seems divided on its approach towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the strategy to deal with him.
A day after the party’s Rajya Sabha member Jairam Ramesh said Modi’s governance model was not a “complete negative story” and “demonising him all the time” was not an effective strategy, at least two of his party colleagues supported him, while three others disagreed and said that “without criticism, there will be no democracy”.
(Source: The Indian Express)
6. 5 Air Force Officers Found Guilty in 27 Feb Friendly Fire Incident
An Indian Air Force (IAF) probe has found five officers blameworthy for shooting down a Mi-17 V5 helicopter near Srinagar on February 27, the day Islamabad launched its jets to target Indian installations in Jammu and Kashmir in response to an Indian airstrike on a terror camp in Pakistan’s Balakot, two officers familiar with the development said on Friday.
A surface-to-air missile brought down the Russian-origin utility helicopter and left six IAF personnel on-board and a civilian on ground dead, raising questhe tions about whether ground crew, including air traffic controllers, had followed standard operating procedures (SOPs). The Mi-17 is the mainstay of the IAF’s utility fleet.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
7. Niti Aayog Can’t Ban Petrol and Diesel Vehicles: Gadkari
Lashing out at Niti Aayog’s proposal of banning petroland diesel-run vehicles of some classes, Union minister for road transport Nitin Gadkari on Friday said the Centre will not impose any such restriction and that the decision has to be taken by the transport minister and not the think-tank.
Niti Aayog had proposed to ban sales of three-wheelers using petrol or diesel by 2023 and two-wheelers with petrol engines smaller than 150cc by 2025.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
8. PV Sindhu Assured of a Record Fifth Medal at Worlds
Indian badminton has won a medal at the World Championships or Olympics in every year of this decade starting 2011, and has assured itself of two more at the Basel World Championships with PV Sindhu and B Sai Praneeth entering the semi-finals.
Scrolls of history got written at the St Jakobshalle in Roger Federer’s hometown Friday. Jwala Gutta-Ashwini Ponappa (2011 Worlds bronze), Saina Nehwal (2012 Olympic bronze & 2015, 2017 Worlds bronze), P V Sindhu (2013, 2014 Worlds bronze, 2016 Olympic and 2017, 2018 silvers at Worlds) along with Sai Praneeth now complete India’s nine years of badminton excellence at the top-most level.
(Source: The Indian Express)
9. 100% Air India Stake May Go on Sale
It can’t get fuel in six airports — supply has been stopped on account of payment issues — and has no money to pay salaries beyond October, making a ministerial group’s meeting next week to decide on the next steps in privatising it, all the more important for Air India.
Reconstituted after the NDA returned to power in May, the group of ministers (GOM) is likely to meet next week to decide on the modalities of sale of the state-owned airline. The government is likely to go for 100% sale this time, people in the civil aviation ministry said.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
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