Author: Samikhsya Bureau

(UNI) As per International Energy Agency (IEA), India is the third largest coal producer in the world during 2016-17 and there is no shortage of coal in the country.

As on April 1, 2018, the vendible stock of coal was 55.6 MT and as on December 15, 2018, coal stock was 22.93 MT with CIL, official sources said.

All India raw coal production has increased from 565.77 MT in 2013-14 to 676.48 MT in 2017-18. The all India coal production during April-November 2018 was 433.90 MT with a growth of 9.8 per cent over the corresponding period of the previous year 2017-18.

Under the provisions of the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act 2015 and Rules made thereunder, so far 25 coal mines (24 to private companies and 1 to a Government Company) have been allocated through Electronic Auction till date.

As per the current import policy, coal is kept under Open General License (OGL) and consumers are free to import coal from the source of their choice as per their contractual prices on payment of applicable duty.

Industry body FICCI has welcomed GST Council’s decision of reducing the GST rates on 23 items and taking the landmark reform to the next level by indicating that the 28 per cent bracket is already moving towards a sunset, a statement here stated on Sunday.

The council’s meeting was held on Saturday.

With a reduction in the rates on more items in the offing in the next meeting of the GST Council next month and the indication that the remaining issues pertaining to GST application and administration will be resolved speedily, the tax reform is set to yield larger gains for the economy.

“The GST council has followed a pragmatic policy by bringing down the rates gradually taking into consideration the revenue realisation and affordability and this will stabilise and strengthen GST further. The Government has been proactively engaging with various sectors and I am confident that going forward the Council would continue to address issues,” said FICCI president Sandip Somany, said.(UNI)

Amid speculations on a Mahagathbandhan before the 2019 polls the chief minister of Telengana, K Chandrasekhar Rao has arrived in Bhubaneswar but no source from the KCR camp has lent credence to such possibility. KCR who arrived in Bhubaneswar as State Guest is scheduled to visit Puri for the Darshan of Lord Jagannath. From here he is to visit Kolkata and meet the Bangal chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

His visit to Odisha to be followed by Kolkata has fueled speculations about a non-BJP front for the coming polls in 2019.

(UNI) Most journalists were murdered during BNP-Jamaat regime in Bangladesh, speakers at a discussion on Sunday said Twenty journalists have been killed in Bangladesh since 2000, of them 14 were killed between 2000 and 2006, said Prof Abu Jafar Md Shafiul Alam Bhuiyan of Dhaka
University, referring to the BNP-Jamaat regime.
But investigations into those murders did not progress much, he said while speaking at the discussion, here.
The period from 2002 to 2005 has been marked as the dark times for journalists in the southwestern region, said Gouranga Nandy, a journalist from Khulna.
He said many of the journalists also fled Khulna and took shelter in Dhaka. The much-talked-about incidents during that period were the murders of journalists Manik Saha, Humayun Kabir Balu, Goutam Das, Harun-or-Rashid, Shukur Hossain and Sheikh Belaluddin.

(UNI) The Public Accounts Committee of Parliament has called for expediting the restructuring process within the Archaeological Survey of India and expeditious filling of its vacancies to facilitate the organisation to meet its challenges.
In its 118th report on the action taken by the government on the recommendations of the committee in their 39th report, the PAC also recommended an expeditious setting up of state-level coordination committees for removal of encroachments upon monuments at the earliest without any further loss of time.
It also recommended that the Culture ministry should set up an expert group to examine the feasibility for enhancing revenue generation through premium renting of well-known sites for social and family events with proper guidelines.
Stressing the urgent need for cadre restructuring of the ASI, the committee, in its report presented in Parliament earlier this week, felt that ”the ministry is not serious about it”.
”The committee feels that the Ministry is not serious about cadre restructuring of the ASI. The committee noted that the proposal for cadre restructuring of the ASI was submitted to the Ministry of culture in March 2017 and received back with direction to ‘re submit the same in line with directions issued by the Ministry of Finance.

(UNI) Keeping rumours to rest that the Ram Vilas Paswan-headed LJP is on the verge of exit from NDA ahead of 2019 General Elections, the key constituents of NDA in Bihar — the BJP, JDU and LJP on Sunday agreed to contest the polls together with the saffron outfit and Nitish Kumar’s party contesting on 17 each while the LJP on 6 seats.
In a joint press conference, BJP President Amit Shah announced that his party and the JDU will contest on 17-17 seats while the LJP on 6 seats in Bihar which sends 40 lawmakers to the Lok Sabha.
“We hope to do better than 2014,” said BJP chief Amit Shah, while announcing the agreement in New Delhi.
Nitish Kumar, who managed to get seats equal to that of the BJP, said the decision of the candidates for the seats will be taken later. “We will work together and will improve our performance than 2009 and 2014,” he said.
The NDA will also send Mr Paswan to the Rajya Sabha as per the seat sharing arrangements concluded between all three parties.
It is learnt that the decision was announced after Mr Paswan and LJP Parliamentary chief Chirag Paswan met Finance Minister Arun Jaitley here.
Last week, Chirag Paswan took to micro-blogging site for early settlement of seat sharing formula.
On December 10, Upendra Kushwaha-headed RLSP left NDA after the NDA denied three seats to his party. The RLSP has three members in the Lok Sabha.
Mr Kushwaha joined the grand alliance few days back, has a sizeable nine per cent presence of his caste men in the state.

(UNI) At least 10 Taliban militants have been killed following a NATO-led coalition forces’ airstrike in Afghan western province of Farah, local police said on Sunday.

The strike targeted a militants’ hideout in Bala Buluk district’s Ab-e-Khurma village on Saturday, leaving 10 Taliban militants including their customhouse official named Mullah Nayazi dead.

According to him, three vehicles and a quantity of arms and ammunition have also been destroyed in the sortie.

No government troops or civilians have been hurt during the air-operation, he said.

The Taliban militant group hasn’t make a comment on the report yet.

(UNI) Hours after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said he will show the Modi government on how to treat the minorities, hardliner BJP leader and Union Minister Giriraj Singh lashed out at Islamabad, saying a ‘terror nation’ need not lecture India on how to deal with minorities.

“Ab Pakistan jaisa atanki bikhari desh Hindustan ko batayega ki minority ke saath kaise bartav kiya Jata hae (Now, a terror nation like Pakistan will teach India on how to deal with minorities),” Mr Singh tweeted.

He also wrote that after Independence, the Hindu population in Pakistan came down to two per cent from 23 while India’s Muslim population grew up from eight per cent to 20 per cent.

“In India, everyone has grown and flourished according to their own wishes,” the Union Minister wrote.

The remarks from the Union Minister and BJP lawmaker from Bihar came a day after Pakistan Prime Minister said will he will “show” the Narendra Modi government on “how to treat the religious minorities”.

These utterances come amid Bollywood actor Naseeruddin Shah stating that the ‘poison’ of communal hatred has spread across India and at times, the life of a cow gets more importance than the life of a policeman.

On Thursday at the weekly media briefing, India snubbed Mr Khan for commenting on internal matters of India and said the authorities there should focus on their ‘own business’ as domestic conditions in that country is in “mess”.

“….I think it will be better if they mind their own business. The internal matters in their country is in quite a mess,” MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar has told reporters here.

Mr Kumar was answering questions on recent tweets from Pakistan Prime Minister on the violence in Jammu and Kashmir.

(UNI) The Film Industry ON Saturday welcomed the decision to reduce GST on cinema tickets, exceeding Rs 100 to 18 per cent from 28 per cent and on those up to Rs 100 to 12 per cent from 18 per cent.

Siddharth Roy Kapur, President of Producers Guild of India (PGI) said,’On behalf of the Indian film industry, I would like to thank the government for taking this progressive step. This will help the industry move forward positively with increased investments in both exhibition infrastructure and creative development, enabling even better cinema and greater screen density across the country.’

‘We look forward to continuing to engage with the government on initiatives that will help to unleash the full potential of the film industry. Cinema can be a significant instrument of Indian soft power around the world, while continuing to act as a uniting force for all Indians – a role it has played for more than a centur,’ Siddharth said.

‘In the past one year since Goods and Services Tax (GST) implementation, the Film industry was grappling with changes, challenges and issues arising post implementation of the GST legislation,’ an official statement of PGI said.

‘This was majorly due to cinema tickets placed in the highest tax slab wherein cinema tickets whose price exceeds Rs 100 were subject to GST at 28 per cent while those whose price is up to Rs 100 are subject to GST at 18 per cent. Such high GST rates resulted in high ticket prices for cinema goers,’ it said.

‘The Film Industry truly appreciates the continued endeavours of the GST Council, The Central and State Governments towards resolving issues faced by the stakeholders in the smooth functioning of GST,’ it added.

Actor Ajay Devgn took to Twitter and expressed his happiness saying,’The voice of the film industry was finally heard and immediate action taken, thanks to @narendramodi ji. For movie tickets priced below Rs. 100 the tax has been reduced from 18 per cent to 12 per cent now and for tickets priced above Rs. 100 the tax has been reduced from 28 per cent to 18 per cent now.’

Bhubaneswar: Two melanistic cubs were born on Saturday inside the tiger enclosure of the Nandankanan Zoo bringing cheers to the wildlife lovers and Zoo officials.
Zoo Deputy Director Jayant Das said, Tigress Renuka gave birth to two cubs today, one of them at 3.40 AM and the other at 12 noon in the enclosure number 33.
Both the cubs are melanistic (Black), he said adding that with the two new melanistic cubs, the strength of melanistic tiger in Nandankanan Zoo rose to 4.
Mr Das said, both the mother and cubs are kept in special enclosure and are being monitored through CCTV by the doctors.
The melanistic cubs were the a result of mating with Zoo bred Tiger Samrat about 100 days back. This was the first liter of both Tigress Renuka and Tiger Samrat.
Earlier, two melanistic tigers were born in the Zoo in two separate liter due to the breeding between Sneha and Manish and one of them has already been released inside the Tiger Safari of the Zoo for the visitors.
Mr Das said incidentally, Samrat and Sneha are brother and sister and Renuka and Manish are also brother and sister of Nandankanan Zoo origin.
He said, when melanistic cubs were born due to the successful breeding between Sneha with Manish an attempt was made to go for mating between Renuka, sister of Manish with Samrat, brother of Sneha and it led to the birth of two more melanistic tiger cubs.
With the new born of two cubs, the number of captive tigers at Nandankan Zoo rose to 28 of which 15 are normal, 9 white and 4 melanistic. (UNI )

(UNI) Birth of three tiger cubs in the Sariska sanctuary of Alwar district has brought joy among activists and wildlife lovers, including Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.

The three cubs, delivered by tigress ST-10,–aging around 15-20 days–were spotted by the sanctuary Divisional Forest Officer Hemant Singh and other officials of the forest on Friday.

Elated over the report of new arrivals, Mr Gehlot shared the news with his fans and followers on micro-blogging site Twitter.

“A good news from the wild life! Three cubs of ST-10 Tigress have been seen for the first time in #Sariska Tiger Reserve…,…Warm welcome to the newborn cubs. I Wish them a healthy life..#Rajasthan”, Mr Gehlot said in his tweet.

(UNI) Aanand L Rai’s ‘Zero’ starring Shah Rukh Khan Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma has gone ahead to garner Rs 20.14 crore on day one.

The film is expected to gain momentum over the weekend and is all set to enjoy the Christmas holiday.

The movie has been receiving positive response from single screens also witnessing immense footfalls at the theaters.

‘Zero’ presents the story of Bauua, a vertically challenged man essayed by Shah Rukh Khan. Set against the backdrop of Meerut, ‘Zero’ presents a unique as well as rooted story.

More than 3.5 billion people watched the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia on TV at home, either on home televisions or on digital platforms, FIFA revealed on Friday.
The FIFA World Cup, which ran from June 14 to July 15 this year, has attracted a record combined 3.572 billion viewers, according to audience data for official broadcast coverage of the tournament.
The global in-home TV audience watching at least one minute of coverage totaled 3.262 billion. A further estimated 309.7 million people caught the action on digital platforms, in public viewing areas or in bars and restaurants.
The final between France and Croatia on July 15 attracted a combined global audience of 1.12 billion for at least one-minute of coverage, comprising 884.37 million viewers to linear TV coverage and a further 231.82 million out-of-home and digital-only viewers.
The report, based on scheduling and audience data gathered from official television auditing agencies in markets around the world, also revealed that viewers watching on TV at home engaged with the coverage for longer than in previous FIFA World Cups.(UNI)

(UNI) Reiterating country’s commitment at COP-21 to reduce the pollution levels, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced on Friday that Green corridors will soon be unveiled. ‘By February next year, CNG buses using Type-IV cylinders will be running between Delhi-Chandigarh, Delhi-Agra, Delhi- Haridwar,and Delhi-Jaipur,’ he said.
Pradhan launched various Digital Customer initiatives of Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL) . which

included CNG Queue Management System (QMS) and Social CRM.

He also talked about various initiatives to promote the production and use of Gas, including Ethanol blending, Bio-CNG among others which will improve country’s self-dependence, reduce import bill and clean environment.

(UNI) The GST Council of State Finance Ministers began on Saturday and may look into the issue of filing of returns and the refund processes for small and mid-size businesses and reach a consensus on taxation as Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced that 99 per cent of 1,200 goods and services would be brought under 18 per cent slab or less.
Taking place as it is in the backdrop of the recent Assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, the meeting is seen by analysts as a part of the government plan to boost consumption and increase demand in key sectors of economy ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.
“We are of the opinion of making GST as smooth as possible for the enterprises. In earlier days, the GST was framed according to the existing VAT or excise tax structures exercised in those respective States. (With) the discussions held from time to time, the tax system is getting improved,” Mr Modi had said on Tuesday.

 UNI) The sadhus and saints have warned of launching a march to Ayodhya if the construction of Ram temple does not commence before Lok Sabha elections.

Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad chairperson Mahant Narendra Giri said here on Saturday, “The sadhus and saints would decide on the Ram temple during the Dharam Sansad to be held at the Kumbh mela on January 31 and February 1,” he told reporters.

He said that his Parishad is in touch with the Muslim side, including Iqbal Ansari and Sunni Waqf Board, as mutual agreement could be an easier way for the construction of the temple.

“If there is no mutual agreement on the issue, then there is only two way– first a verdict by the Supreme Court and secondly a law by the Parliament,” he said.

(UNI) The Government has enacted the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act, 1994 and made rules for regulation of removal, storage and transplantation of human organs and tissues for therapeutic purposes.

The exact data regarding demand for human organs in the country and the availability of the same, state, UT wise is not available though, official sources said here.

Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India (ALIMCO) is a Central Public Sector Enterprise(CPSE) under the administrative control of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

It manufactures prosthetics for distribution amongst persons with disabilities free of cost according to need of the beneficiaries under Assistance to Disabled Persons for purchase or fitting of Aids and Appliances scheme of the Centre.

The BJP has stepped up attack against senior Congress leader M Veerappa Moily for his remarks against Chief of Air Force Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa and said the former Union Minister should tender an an apology.

“Moily and Congress should tender apology from Dhanoa for remarks against the Air Force chief. The Congress is now targeting defence forces for cheap politics,” BJP media in charge Anil Baluni said in a statement here.

On Friday, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has lambasted the Congress party for ‘targeting’ the chief of Air Force Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa and suggested that the grand old party needs to ‘mature’. “…. by targeting the Chief of a Service in a political debate, the Congress Party has broken a long-standing unwritten rule of Indian politics. We keep our forces out of political discourse…..After having ruled this country for decades, the grand old party needs to mature,” Mr Jaitley wrote in a blog posted on Facebook.