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In a major technological breakthrough, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has successfully developed a state-of-the-art Regeneration System through in-house R&D efforts, for Railways’ fleet of conventional electric locomotives.
The country’s first such regenerative 5000 HP WAG-7 Electric locomotive was flagged-off by Ghanshyam Singh, Member Traction & Ex-Officio Secretary to the Ministry of Railways, in the presence of Atul Sobti, Chairman & Managing Director, BHEL from the company’s Jhansi plant. Directors on the board of BHEL and senior officials from Indian Railways were also present on this occasion.
The idea of developing the energy efficient Regeneration System was mooted by Railways and BHEL responded to it by successfully developing the technology in-house, giving an impetus to the ‘Make in India’ initiative.
With this, a new line of business has opened for BHEL and the company has expanded its footprint in the transportation sector.
BHEL has developed a system introducing the regenerative braking concept in these locomotives, that will feed the energy back to the overhead power lines. This will result in significant saving in energy consumption for Indian Railways. The system has already been tested in a 5000 HP, WAG7 Type, electric locomotive of Indian Railways at Jhansi.(UNI)

The NDA government and the BJP on Friday slammed Congress and especially its chief Rahul Gandhi for raking up the Rafale row yet again and said the opposition party was unnecessarily giving credence to a section of media that only carried a biased report.
“We want to allege that Rahul Gandhi and Congress are working with a single point agenda to get the Rafale aircraft deal cancelled,” BJP leader and Union Prakash Javadekar told reporters here.
“They are playing into the hands of foreign power and the vested interests of the multi national companies. They are least bothered that the Indian Air Force will be weakened by their stance,” he said.
In 2011, it was the Congress-led UPA regime only that had selected and finalised the deal with Rafale but they stalled it at a later stage. “Question is why it was stopped,” he said adding perhaps they realised there will not be adequate commission in the deal.
In this context, he said Congress never entertained any defence deal without ‘commission’.
“Today also, they seemed to have grievance that there was no kickback or commission,” Mr Javadekar mocked.
The BJP leader also wanted to know that the Congress president should clarify which defence manufacturers he had met during his recent European visit.
Mr Javadekar said – “The newspaper report they are quoting has also reported only on the noting of bureaucrat…The response to it from the then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has not been reported”.
“In his response, the then Defence Minister (Parrikar) had clarified that after two nation heads meet and held Summit talks and the progress of such meetings are monitored by the PMO. Even French President’s office also monitor such parleys and it’s all correct,” he said.
Mr Javadekar charged that Mr Gandhi is not showing faith in the Supreme Court also.
“The top court has made it clear that there was no corruption in Rafale deal,” the Union Minister said.
“In the end, it will be proven that Rahul Gandhi who chants Rafale-Rafale will turn to ‘Rafale Fail’,” he said.
Responding to opposition members’ sloganeering and persistent demand for JPC in the Lok Sabha, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also said that the opposition parties were not interested in strengthening the Indian Air Force.
“They are playing into the hands of MNCs and the vested interests,” she also alleged.
Ms Sitharaman said the opposition leaders and also a section of media were only “flogging a dead horse”.
The Minister said during the debate on Rafale on January 4 during Winter Session, she had already answered to all queries and controversies on the Rafale deal with France.
Moreover, she said the media report smacks of motivation as it did not include in the report the noting from the then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar who had said categorically that there was “nothing wrong and everything was on right track”.
“The routine queries on any matter from the Prime Minister’s Office should not be taken as interference….,” she said adding if that was the case, what was Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council (NAC) doing.

International consultations on the situation in Venezuela must not turn into a “dialogue on capitulation” but should be aimed at the reconciliation of opposing political forces in the country, Director of the Latin American Department at the Russian Foreign Ministry Alexander Shchetinin said in an interview with Sputnik.
“What does Russia propose in the context of what is happening in Venezuela? To respect [Venezuela’s] sovereignty. To prevent a destructive, including forceful, foreign intervention. To establish a dialogue. If international assistance is needed to do this, we support it. Therefore, we welcome the initiative of Mexico, Uruguay, and the CARICOM [Caribbean Community] countries,” Shchetinin said.
“However, we believe that this cannot and must not be a ‘dialogue’ on some kind of capitulation. This should be a dialogue on reconciling [political forces in Venezuela] and overcoming the crisis,” Shchetinin the diplomat stressed.(UNI)

India and Bangladesh on Friday held the Joint Consultative Commission meeting here.
“Time-tested good neighbourly relations based on trust and mutual understanding,” tweeted MEA spokesman Raveesh Kumar.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj welcomed her Bangladeshi counterpart Dr Abdul Momen ahead of the India Bangladesh Joint Consultative Commission meet.

“Our solid ties have their genesis in War of Liberation of Bangladesh,” he stated.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said India is committed to work with Bangladesh for good bilateral relations and to build on the existing momentum.
He made the remarks when the visiting Bangladesh Foreign Minister called on him here.

Momen is leading a high-level delegation for the meeting.

Department of Economics Affairs Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg on Thursday called the RBI announcement of cutting repo rate a “very balanced and pragmatic policy”, saying the Government welcomes the decision.

He said the assessment of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) for growth and inflation outlook is consistent with the Government’s assessment of inflation and growth.

“The Government welcomes the assessment of the MPC and its decision to reduce the Policy Rate and change of Monetary Policy Stance,” he said in a statement here.

Soon after the RBI cut the repo rate, Mr Garg took on the social media and tweeted, “A very balanced and pragmatic policy statement. Assessment of growth and inflation is quite realistic and underlines low inflation and high growth path for India for 2019-20. Welcome change of stance to neutral and rate cut by 25 bps. Also welcome removal of FPI restriction.”

Earlier in the day, the MPC in its sixth bi-monthly statement on the basis of its assessment of the current and evolving Macroeconomic situation, decided to reduce the Policy Repo Rate under the Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF) by 25 basis points from 6.5 per cent to 6.25 per cent with immediate effect.

Consequently, the Reverse Repo Rate under the LAF stands adjusted to 6.0 per cent, and the Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) Rate and the Bank Rate to 6.5 per cent.

The MPC also decided to change the Monetary Policy Stance from Calibrated Tightening to Neutral.

As against the GDP growth projection of 7.4 per cent for 2018-19 in the fifth Bi-monthly resolution in December, 2018, the Central Statistic Office has estimated GDP growth at 7.2 per cent. However, the GDP growth for 2019-20 is projected at 7.4 per cent.

The actual Inflation outcome at 2.6 per cent in Q3: 2018-19 was marginally lower than the projection. The projections of inflation for 2018-19 and H1:2019-20 have been revised downwards from the December resolution.(UNI)

Under Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI) route, the Government is aggressively collecting information about foreign assets accumulated by people in foreign countries and for this, it has signed treaties with various countries such as Hong Kong, Switzerland to plug in the loopholes, informed Sushil Chandra, Chairman, Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) at an event – ‘National Conference on Recent Challenges in Taxation and the Way Forward’ organised by ASSOCHAM in New Delhi today.

Maintaining the rationale that there could not be exceptionally high tax rate, Mr Chandra said, “Last year we got 6.85 crore returns and the number of people who had filed the returns were around 5.44 crore, so if in just four years we could increase the tax return filers from 3.5 crore to 5.44 crore, it was a very big achievement of the department and right tax policy.”

He added that the direct tax to GDP ratio was 5.98 per cent last year which was highest in the whole decade.

As per the data of the Income Tax Department, in this year, about 6.31 crore returns have been filed while 95 lakhs new tax payers have been added into the tax net, out of which 33,000 new taxpayers have been added in the last 15 days. About 1.50 lakh persons filed returns with income over Rs 1 crore; as against 88,000 persons in the FY 2013-14. Talking about the efforts to encourage taxpayers disclose their foreign assets, Mr Sushil Chandra added that the Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act has a triggering impact and as part of the Common Reporting System (CRS), it has helped the Income Tax Department to identify many people who have created many undisclosed foreign assets.

He appealed the taxpayers and the tax consultants to fairly disclose the foreign assets and income thereof under the assets schedule of their returns and cautioned that a failure to do so would invite prohibition under the Act. According to the Income Tax Department data, certain cases surfaced where foreign remittances of Rs 10 Lakh were made, but the taxpayers did not file the returns.

He maintained that the Government intends to bring a moderate tax regime with high level of compliances with innovative operational and policy initiatives through technology interventions, many of which have already been undertaken and implemented.

Speaking about initiatives such as limited scrutiny of the Income Tax returns where the back office will seek initial clarification on peculiar aspects they find in the returns and in case of incorrectness of the information, the same will be handed over to the concerned Income Tax Officer (ITO) for further verification, he said.

The Income Tax Department, as Mr Chandra said, is facing the challenge of widening and deepening the tax base, but expected that this initiative will ease the return verification processes, as it is recognising the needs of the taxpayers, social needs and
ease-of-doing-businesses.

Mr Rahul Garg, Chairman, National Council on Direct Taxes, ASSOCHAM said that there has to be convergence between the tax payers and the Income Tax Department with moderate tax regime with the use of technology.

Also present on the occasion were – Binod Kumar, Chief Commissioner of Income Tax (International Tax & Transfer Pricing), S. P. Singh, Co-Chairman, National Council on Direct Taxes, ASSOCHAM and Rakesh Nangia, Co-Chairman, National Council on International Taxes, ASSOCHAM.

The Conference also discussed the scenario of ‘Changing Landscape of Indian and International Tax Systems’. (UNI)

In the first day of Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS), Mamata Banerjee left the Biswa Bangla Convention Centre with a smiling face as ‘Bengal’ receives above 50000 crores of investment proposals from the kingpins of trade circuit. As a sum up BGBS 2019 started with a high note. Mukesh Ambani solely announced of investing Rs 10000 crore in the recent future. Ambani’s Reliance already have invested over Rs 30000 crores in Bengal earlier.

Mr Ambani, showed his eagerness of launching a new commerce platform that will empower three crore small shopkeepers. Reliance made its one tenth of the total investment by the company so far. Sajjan Jindal of JSW has announced a steel plant with a whopping Rs 50000 crores. ITC is eyeing an investment of Rs 4000 crores in agriculture and service industry including food processing facilities at Uluberia and Panchla, said managing director Sanjiv Puri.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos accused the National Enquirer’s owner of trying to blackmail him over publishing indecent pictures unless he stopped investigating how other private photos and messages were obtained by the tabloid.
Mr Bezos said the magazine’s parent company American Media Inc (AMI) wanted him to drop an investigation into how it obtained his private messages.
Mr Bezos and his wife, MacKenzie, said last month they were getting divorced and their announcement came just before the National Enquirer carried reports about the tech titan’s extramarital affair.
In a stunning blog post on Thursday, Mr Bezos posted an email he said had been sent to his intermediaries by AMI’s representatives threatening to publish “intimate photos” of Mr Bezos and his lover.
The billionaire, who also owns the Washington Post, said AMI had wanted him to make a “false public statement” that the National Enquirer’s coverage of him and his mistress was not politically motivated.
According to emails included by Mr Bezos in his blog, an AMI lawyer proposed on Wednesday that the photos would not be published in return for a public statement “affirming that Bezos and his team have no knowledge or basis” to suspect such a motive.
“Rather than capitulate to extortion and blackmail,” wrote Mr Bezos, “I’ve decided to publish exactly what they sent me, despite the personal cost and embarrassment they threaten.”(UNI)

Three major suspects were arrested late Thursday, less than 48 hours after the murder of two local Afghan reporters, Afghan Ministry of Interior Affairs confirmed on Friday.

“Afghan National Police personnel arrested three suspects in northeastern Takhar province in charges of murdering of two journalists of a local radio in Takhar,” the ministry said in a statement.

On Tuesday night, two staff of Radio Hamsada based in northeastern Takhar province were shot dead inside their office by unidentified gunmen.

The trios were handed over to related government departments and a judicial investigation will be opened soon, the statement read.

At least 15 journalists and media workers had been killed in separate incidents across Afghanistan in 2018.

Coming down heavily on the Prime minister Narendra Modi’s earlier remark on the Karnataka Government’s loan waiver scheme, Chief minister H D Kumaraswamy said   Modi was grossly misleading the country and the Parliament.
Addressing a hurriedly called press conference the chief minister strongly countered the Prime Minister’s speech in Parliament in which he said that only about 5000 farmers loan had been waived so far as against 44 lakh farmers, is a gross untruth and misleading the country.
Informing that more than 4 lakh farmer’s farm had been waived so far and another 2000 crore had been released in the last two days, Kumaraswamy appealed the Opposition members in the parliament to raise the issue and unfold the real picture and ‘ill intentions’ of the Prime Minister.
Accusing that Prime minister not committed to his own claim to fight against corruption, the Chief Minister charged that “Operation Lotus unleashed in Karnataka by the BJP leaders is being done on the directions of the Prime minister”.(UNI)

Government has implemented 360 degree multimedia campaigns along with mass media to create awareness on HIV/AIDS and promoting services, facilities across the country.

At the inter-personal level, training and sensitization programmes for Self-Help Groups, Anganwadi workers, ASHA, members of Panchayati Raj Institutions and other key stakeholders are also being organised to spread awareness about treatment and other facilities, official sources here said.

In addition, awareness activities are conducted amongst High Risk Groups including female sex workers, men having sex with Men, injecting drug users, transgenders and bridge population like truck drivers, migrants as part of targeted intervention projects.

The Centre has enacted the HIV & AIDS (Prevention and Control) Act, 2017. The Act addresses discrimination against People Living with HIV at workplace, education setting, health setting and public places, they added.

The Act also provides a robust grievance redressal mechanism where compliant against discrimination would be disposed by Ombudsman at the state level.

The steps taken by government to track the patients through HIV diagnosis to care and treatment include adoption of Test and Treat policy under which all patients diagnosed with HIV are put on Anti Retro Viral Treatment irrespective of their CD4 Count; Launch of Mission Sampark to reach out to all the lost to follow patients living with HIV and linking them back as much as possible to Anti Retro Viral Treatment.

In addition, there is software to maintain the details of the patients to enable them on regular treatment. Also, counsellors ensure tracking of HIV positive patients through telephone and home visits in the case of those who drop out between diagnosis and treatment to maintain their adherence to treatment, the sources said.(UNI)

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath ordered the officials, here on Friday, to probe into spurious liquor.

He took a serious note on the death of over 9 people after consuming spurious liquor in Kushinagar and Saharanpur districts during the past couple of days and directed that proper medical care be ensured in the affected persons.
He directed the Principal Secretary Excise to take departmental action both District Excise Officers and directed a 15-day joint operation of Excise and Police to take action against spurious liquor operatives.
A report from Kushinagar said that seven people have died after consuming spurious liquor in the past 48 hours.
Besides in Saharanpur, two people have died after consuming hooch on Thursday.

Auckland, Feb 8 (UNI) New Zealand defeated India in a nail-biting encounter by four wickets in the second T20I of the three-match series to get an unassailable lead of 2-0 here at Eden Park, on Friday.
The hosts managed to reach the target off the last ball of the game. The final match of the series is to be played on Sunday in Hamilton.
Chasing a small target of 136 runs, the hosts got off to a good start as the opening pair of Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates put on 33 runs in 4.4 overs.
Devine was the first batswoman to go for 19 runs off 16 balls. Radha Yadav gave India its first breakthrough.
Soon, right-arm off break bowler Deepti Sharma dismissed Caitlin Gurrey for four runs, reducing the White Ferns to 40/2 in 6.5 overs.
Then, the home side captain Amy Satterthwaite and Bates stitched together a partnership of 61 runs for the third wicket, helping the hosts to get past 100 runs mark.
Poonam Yadav dismissed Satterthwaite in the 15th over for 23 runs off 20 balls. Indian bowlers were quick to pick up three wickets, keeping the spectators on the edge of their seats.
Mansi Joshi and Deepti Sharma kept the things tight for the hosts till the very end. However, the Kiwis kept the score board ticking and achieved the target on the last ball, taking a 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
Bates was the highest run-scorer from the hosts with 62 runs knock, while Satterthwaite scored 23 runs.

New Delhi, Feb 8 (UNI) Renewing his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the light of fresh revelations that the Defence Ministry objected to parallel negotiations by the Prime Minister office in the Rafale deal, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday said that it was now clear that the PM stole money from the country and from the Indian Air force and was guilty in the scam.

Addressing a press conference here, Mr Gandhi, referring to a report published in a National daily that the Ministry of Defence objected to parallel negotiations being carried out with French authorities in the Rafale deal, said, ‘we have been saying that the PM is directly involved in the Rafale scam. After the latest revelations, which say that officials in the Defence Ministry raised objections to the parallel negotiations being carried out by the PMO with French authorities in the Rafale deal, it is clear that the PM stole Rs 30,000 cr from the Indian Air force and gave it to Anil Ambani.

“The revelations show that the Ministry of Defence felt that parallel negotiations by the PMO were weakening India’s position. It is crystal clear that the PM is guilty. It is proved now that the chowkidar is chor,” said the Congress president.

Envisaging the significance of the farming sector Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday projected it as heart of the issue making a grand provision of Rs.19.577 cr in the interim budget.

Prime Minister Modi made a scathing attack on the opposition unity calling it a ‘maha millavat mahagathbandhan’ and laughed at the effort to succeed in uprooting his government. He retorted at the allegation replying on Thursday  on the motion on vote of thanks on President’s address, that crores of jobs were created in informal and formal sectors.

Supreme Court on Thursday asked the former interim Director of CBI to be personally present in the Court on February 12 to explain why the CBI officer heading the probe in the case, AK Sharma, was transferred without the leave of the court in connection with the alleged Bihar shelter home cases.

A bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi, said that the former CBI interim director M Nageswara Rao had, seemed prima facie, committed the contempt of court for shifting CBI officer A K Sharma from Muzaffarpur shelter home rape case without taking court approval.

The top court also directed Bashu Ram who is incharge of Director Prosecution in CBI to appear before it. It directs CBI director to give a list of other officers who processed the file to transfer A K Sharma and directs all of them to appear before it on Tuesday.

“Enough is enough. We are going to ask some question if you (counsel of Bihar) are not aware, we will ask Bihar Chief Secretary to appear before us,” CJI Gogoi said after hearing the Muzaffarpur shelter home case.(UNI

Visiting UNHCR special envoy Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie met Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the latter’s official residence Ganabhaban in Dhaka and appreciated Hasina’s government for giving shelter to the Rohingya refugees.

Jolie made the remarks when she paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at

Ganobhaban in Dhaka on Wednesday night.

Prime Minister’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters after the meeting.

Angeline Jolie said, leaders like Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina are a very few in the

world at this moment.

The UN Special Envoy said that huge number of Rohingyas have created serious burden for Bangladesh and it is a very tough task to manage such a big population in shelter camps.

She assured that the UN, UNHCR and the World Bank will work together to lessen pressure on Bangladesh.

Angeline Jolie put emphasis on creating a congenial atmosphere for repatriation of the Myanmar Nationals now staying at refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar.

Jolie expressed concern about the future of Rohingya children saying their future is being destroyed although Bangladesh is trying to cooperate for their education, healthcare and other issues.

She added that she heard about recent incidents of torture and killing of the Rohingya women at Rakhaine state of Myanmar.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister welcomed the UN special envoy’s remark stating the Rohingya crisis must be resolved.

The premier said Myanmar is Bangladesh’s next door neighbour and an agreement has been signed with the country for repatriation of its nationals.

PM Sheikh Hasina, however, expressed her disappointment over delaying of implementation of the agreement.

The Prime Minister said, nearly 11 lakh Rohingyas were given shelter in Bangladesh, while some 40 thousand new babies were so far born at the shelter camps.

Referring to her government’s initiative of relocating the Rohingyas, the prime minister said, over one lakh refugees would get temporary shelter with better living condition there.

In this regard, she described the bitter experience of the people of Bangladesh in 1971 when over 10 million people took shelter in neighbouring India.

Premier Sheikh Hasina also described the moments of her life when she along with members of the Bangabandhu family including her mother was in a state of house-arrest in 1971 as well as her life in exile for more than six years after the brutal assassination of Bangabandhu in 1975.

The UN Special Envoy Angeline Jolie expressed her grief over listening to the painful stories from the Prime Minister.

Radwan Mujib Siddiq Boby, nephew of the Prime Minister and Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary Nojibur Rahman were present during the meeting.

In a scathing attack at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday called him a ‘darpok’ (coward) and challenged the Prime Minister for a debate with him on issues like national security and Rafale fighter jet deal.

Addressing a gathering of party’s minority cells from across the country, the Congress president said if the BJP has any courage, they should make Mr Modi stand with him on the stage for a debate.

“When you watch Mr. Modi’s face today, you can see fear. He has realised that by dividing the nation he cannot govern the country, and people will remove him, if he does. I challenge the BJP, let Narendra Modi ji debate with me for 10 minutes on stage. He is scared, he is a ‘darpok’ person,’ Mr Gandhi said.

Alleging that the RSS is trying to capture all the institutions of the country, Mr Gandhi said that Congress governments in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan will remove the persons who have association with the right wing organsation, from the system.

“The institutions of this country are not owned by any political party. They are this country’s institutions and it is the responsibility of political parties to protect them”, said Congress president and pointed out that four Supreme Court judges came out and said that they are not being allowed to work.

“The Judges had mentioned Justice Loya’s case too. This indicates that BJP president Amit Shah is not allowing Supreme Court to function,” the Congress president alleged.

Taking on the ruling dispensation, Mr Gandhi said the RSS and the BJP are thinking that they are above the country.

“The institutions in India do not belong to any party. They belong to the country, and to protect them is our responsibility, be it Congress or any other party. They(BJP) think they are above the nation. In three months, this country will explain it to them that this country is above them,” Mr Gandhi said.

Criticising the Modi government for its policies, the Congress president asked “what did the BJP do in last five years? Demonetisation has destroyed the country and brought down the GDP by two percentages. Then they implemented the ‘Gabbar Singh Tax’ and badly affected the poor and the middle class”.

Referring to the Doklam incident, Mr Gandhi said Mr Modi went to Beijing and had a dialogue with Chinese government without any agenda.

“Chinese government realised that Mr. 56 inch is not even four inches. This is Mr. Modi’s character. He bowed down to China on the Doklam issue”, he alleged.

Mr Gandhi reiterated that once the Congress forms the government at Centre, it will ensure that the country’s poor will get minimum income .(UNI)

K T S Tulsi, the lawyer of industrialist and brother-in-law of Congress president Rahul Gandhi Robert vadra on Thursday charged the Enforcement Directorate (ED) of leaking information in the case of alleged money laundering case.

Talking to reporters outside ED’s office , Mr Tulsi said, “First principle of any investigation is that it’s confidential. But ED here is leaking information as they know they’ve nothing to be investigated. They are calling people only to bring bad name to them.”

The ED on Wednesday questioned Congress’ President Rahul Gandhi’s brother-in-law Mr Vadra for over six hours in connection with the case while on Thursday he was grilled for over two hours.

On Wednesday, he was accompanied by his wife and newly appointed Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to the ED office in the national capital.

The ED case against Vadra relates to allegations of money laundering in the purchase of a London-based property located at 12, Bryanston Square worth 1.9 million GBP (British pounds), which is allegedly owned by him.