President Ramnath Kovind has given assent to as many as 33 bills of different state Governments in the last year except one bill passed by the West Bengal assembly.

In fact, he had withheld his assent and communicated to the Government of  West Bengal in the month of January last year. But to date, West Bengal Government has not taken any initiative to pursue the bill which relates to taking over of sick private owned company Dunlop India limited.

The other bills given assent will have a far-reaching impact on the society as well as in the functioning of the Government. The controversial Land Acquisition bill of the Centre was not allowed to be passed by the opposition in Parliament but finds a place in some of the state governments ruled by BJP and their allies. The land acquisition and fair compensation bills were passed by the Karnataka, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu assemblies and were given due assent by the President.

Gujarat assembly passed a controversial bill earlier named as the Gujrat Control of Organised Crime bill, failed to get the Presidential assent since 2004. Now 16 years later after the first version of it was passed by the Gujarat Assembly has become law.

The Bill provides for the admissibility of evidence collected through interception of mobile calls of an accused or through confessions made before an investigating officer, in a court of law.  Clause 16 makes confessions before police officers admissible in court.

The Bill empowers police to tap telephonic conversations and submit them in court as evidence. It extends the period of the probe from stipulated 90 days to 180 days before the filing of the charge sheet.

The legislation makes offenses under the Gujarat Control of Terrorism and Organised Crime Act, 2015, non-bailable. Opposition parties have been crying foul on the merit of the bill but have not been able to get their grievances redressed. 

It is also heartening to note that finally, President has given his assent to a law related to violence against media personnel as non–bailable one passed by the Maharashtra assembly during the tenure of BJP Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

President has also given assent to a bill passed by Rajasthan’s Congress Government to prohibit hookah smoking in public places. In the bill, its mentioned that the menace of hookah smoking in the so-called hookah bar is rapidly growing in urban and semi-urban areas. It poses serious health hazards not only to the young generation but adults also.

President has also given assent to a bill passed by the Rajasthan assembly to separate cow and buffalo from the list of Bovine animal export or migration act. This move to amend the 1955 act may bring relief to meat traders in Rajasthan from cow vigilantes as the present act makes no distinction between cow and buffalo.

Among the bills which got assent from President Gujarat has the highest number of five. Next in the list is Tamil Nadu with four bills followed by Karnataka which got assent to three important bills. Andhra Pradesh also received assent to three bills. Two bills each from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Jharkhand. Haryana, Maharashtra and one from Tripura got the Presidential assent. 

(The author is a senior journalist based in New Delhi) 

For the first time since 1950, the country will miss the tubulur bells that reverberate the North and South blocks on the historic Raisina Hills and as the hymn ‘Abide with Me’ is played out at the Beating Retreat ceremony, marking the closure of the Republic Day celebrations. The hymn `Abide with Me”, said to be a favorite of Mahatama Gandhi, is set to be replaced by Vande Mataram at the ceremony this year.

Written by Scottish poet Henry Francis Lyte in 1847, the song has been an annual feature at Beating Retreat ceremony year after year which swathes the Rashtrapati Bhawan atop the Hill. The hymn draws its opening words from the Bible, Luke 24:29, “Abide With Us, for its toward evening, and the day is spent.

It’s last but one verse draws from the Bible again, 1 Corinthians 15:55, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”  But that is only an incidental detail. The verse has grown from out of human loss, deprivation, sorrow, Lyte, it is said, wrote it after visiting a dying friend, as Lyte sat beside him, kept saying “Abide with me.” The song wafts on its tune, Indeed, without that tune, the song would have lain on paper. The melody composed by William Henry Monk in 1861 goes by the name of ‘Eventide’ meaning, evening, And if the song has to be among the world’s most moving hymns, that tune has to be among the most heart-wrenching melodies.

‘Abide With Me’, for the last half-a-century, became Beating Retreat’s most memorable passage. As the last note of the hymn subsides, the bells from the Church of Redemption, nearby, peal in pure pathos, The experience is deeply moving.  It is said when Mahatma Gandhi visited the kingdom of Mysore in 1934, the hymn was played by Mysore Palace Band and became his favorite and was propagated by the Father of the Nation.

             Abide with me,

             First falls the eventide,

             The darkness deepens,

             Lord, with me, abide,

             When other helpers fall

              and comforts flee,

              Help of the helpless,

              Oh, abide with me,

The words are universal, the tune human.  The somber tune, which came to India via the British will see an end this year. Just before dusk falls on January 29 every year, as soon as the buglers sound the retreat and the tricolor is lowered at the Beating Retreat ceremony to mark the conclusion of Republic Day celebrations. The great hymn will be taken out of the sequence of music at Beating Retreat on January 29, 2020.

Airbus is all set to showcase its best-in-class military products and cutting-edge defence technologies at next month’s DefExpo in Lucknow. 

Exhibits of Airbus at the prestigious show will demonstrate its capabilities and commitment to kick-start a defence industrial base in India.

Visitors to the Airbus stand will find scale models of the highly versatile C295 aircraft which is proven around the world as a tough, reliable and high-performance workhorse with outstanding lifecycle costs and excellent performance on short or unpaved runways. Airbus has bid to manufacture the C295 in India together with Tata Advanced Systems. The combat-proven A330 MRTT, the only new generation aerial refueller in full-service today, will also be on display.

In addition, exhibits of the AS565 MBe Panther, the H145M and the H225M helicopters will be on display. Airbus has offered to build the Panther or the H145M in India under the government’s Strategic Partnership (SP) model for the Naval Utility Helicopters (NUH) programme. The H225M has been offered as part of the Naval Multi-Role Helicopter (NMRH) programme. Designed to cater to all the needs of India’s armed forces, these helicopters would be produced in India in partnership with Mahindra Defence.

“Airbus is uniquely placed to participate in the ambitious growth journey of the Indian defence industry and take it to new heights. DefExpo is a key platform to showcase our commitment to the country’s ever-growing aerospace and defence needs,” said Anand Stanley, President and Managing Director, Airbus India and South Asia.

 The European consortium said that its defence projects in India will lead to creation of thousands of jobs, skilling of people, technology absorption and will catalyse the local supplier base. Airbus currently works with more than 45 suppliers in India, and the annual procurement from them is worth more than $650 million. Airbus’ network of dedicated Indian suppliers provides engineering and IT services, aerostructures and materials for several of Airbus’ leading aircraft. Over 7,000 people, including 1,500 engineers, are currently employed across Airbus projects in the country, a statement of Airbus India said here.

A global leader in aeronautics, space and related services, Airbus in 2018 generated revenues of € 64 billion and employed a workforce of around 134,000 world over. Airbus offers the most comprehensive range of passenger airliners and is also a European leader providing tanker, combat, transport and mission aircraft, as well as one of the world’s leading space companies.

Lockheed Martin, the global security and aerospace company, is showcasing its robust and diverse portfolio of defense and civil capabilities at the 11th biennial edition of DefExpo India-2020 which is taking place in Lucknow from February 5.

“We are proud to participate in the show, where we can showcase our commitment to ‘Make in India’ directly to the largest gathering of defence and aerospace partners in the country,” said William Blair, vice-president, and chief executive of Lockheed Martin India.

“Lockheed Martin continues to build upon its more than three decades of partnership with India, expand collaborations with local industry to support the evolution of indigenous defence manufacturing ecosystem, and further advance India’s strategic security and industrial capabilities,” he said here on Wednesday.

Mr. Blair added that Lockheed Martin’s goals at the show include building on the company’s existing foundation in India by identifying additional strategic partners from across the country, to include companies of all sizes — large, Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and start-ups. “For the past decade, we have supported the growth and development of India’s innovation and start-up ecosystem, and look forward to strengthening those partnerships to support the advancement of India’s defence industry well into the future,” Mr. Blair said.

The F-21 fighter aircraft, which is on offer to the Indian Air Force, takes center stage at Lockheed Martin’s display. The F-21 demonstrates Lockheed Martin’s commitment to delivering an advanced, scalable single-engine fighter to the Indian Air Force that also provides unrivaled industrial partnership opportunities ? for India, from India.

Another prominent platform will be the MH-60R “Romeo” SEAHAWK helicopter, also on offer to the Indian Navy. The MH-60R is the world’s most advanced maritime helicopter and will bring vital anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare capabilities to the Indo-Pacific region.

Boosting Lockheed Martin’s presence at the show is the C-130J Super Hercules and the S-92® multi-role helicopter, both of which represent a strong legacy of partnership with India and the Indian defence industry. The Indian Air Force operates 12 C-130Js, using the tactical airlifter to go anywhere to do everything. India also is connected to the C-130J through Tata Lockheed Martin Aerostructures Limited, a joint venture, that has the distinction of being the single-global source of C-130J empennage assemblies included on all new Super Hercules aircraft. All C-130Js now built have major components manufactured in India.

On display will be the Javelin Anti-Tank Guided Missile system. This versatile and effective one-man-portable and platform-employed anti-tank and multi-target precision weapon system provides the capability to defeat a broad spectrum of close combat threats on the modern battlefield. Using fire-and-forget technology, the weapon guides itself to the target without external commands, allowing soldiers to take cover or reposition.

Another highlight will be the Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor (M-TADS/PNVS), the advanced electro-optical fire control system used by AH-64D/E Apache helicopter pilots for long-range precision engagement and pilotage capabilities in a day, night and adverse-weather missions; and precision-guided munitions.

Lockheed Martin has currently integrated more than 70 Indian suppliers including Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) into our global supply chain. At the expo, the company representatives will seek to discuss partnership opportunities with Tier 1 suppliers and prospective Indian industry partners that strengthen India-U.S. defence industrial ties and “Make in India” opportunities.

As a part of its larger commitment to enhance the growth and development of India’s innovation, Lockheed Martin has sponsored and supported the India Innovation Growth Program (IIGP) since 2007 with the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. In 2019, the company established Memorandums of Understanding with three Indian startups – Terero Mobility, Sastra Robotics, and NoPo Nanotechnologies integrating them in Lockheed Martin’s global supply chain, contributing to the evolution of both the Indian and global aerospace and defence industry.

Eric Jemielita, a world-renowned investor and entrepreneur, has finally decided to shift his focus to the Indian film industry. Looking at the young talents in the country, he believes that this is going to be the biggest film making a market in 5-10 years down the line.

With this trend, the President/CEO of Genesis Financial is looking forward to investing in the right projects and make a grip in the industry in the next couple of years.

“Indian film industry is blooming consistently. The amount of talent these young actors have is simply unbelievable and this gives me an understanding that the market here is going to require more producers in the coming days,” said Jemielita.

“I have always been a big fan of Indian films because of the amount of drama and family connect they show in their movies. This is an ingredient that keeps everyone glued to these movies and actors. I just want to invest in such movies that have an emotional quotient so that we can find a good place in the hearts of our audience,” he added.

He has already joined some project which is based on the life of an urban couple who have some differences between them and how they approach to resolve them. The producer believes, this will engage the current generation in the correct manner and will also help young couples in handling their relationships better.

“I have been watching couples fighting over the smallest of the matters and these quarrels someday lead to their separation. This is really unfortunate that without being wrong, they have to bear a lot of pain. When I read the script, I genuinely felt that this can be an inspiration for many of our young generation couples who lose hope and quit the relationship just because they do not completely understand each other’s perspective,” he added.

Eric has been in India for about a month now and has been meeting several celebs over the past few days. It seems like some big names are being finalized for this project to ensure a broader reach to the audiences.

With the kind of concept the filmmakers have chosen, this surely is going to be a different kind of a love story that might inspire millions in our country. Let’s just wait for the film to arrive.

The world is changing, so is India, the power of the digital world is increasing day by day, and its need is growing at a rapid pace. Today everyone is in search of a promotional guy who can handle business marketing or celebrity or individual marketing via digital marketing, and for that, you need to expert.

Rahul Kyal a young genius who is a master in digital marketing, promotional work of celebs and companies, actually he is known as a digital marketing “guru” at a very young age. He knows how to handle promotional things via the internet. He knows A to Z of digital marketing, and that’s the main reason for his success. He hails from a small town of Bissau, Rajasthan. 

He is already a famous name and leading Entrepreneur in the world of digital marketing in India; He has experience of working with top most companies worldwide and his experience of working with top most companies have helped him to learn every bit of digital promotional things. Besides all these, he manages different -different meme pages on Instagram as well.

What makes Rahul Kyal different from others is his hunger for discovering new things. He is always looking to change the traditional way of digital marketing to new means of digital marketing, and because of this habit, he has learned so many innovative things quicker than others in the business. Which is reflecting in his work and also the amount of work he is receiving in a short time is just incredible. We feel he is deserving too, all thanks to his expertise.

Rahul Kyal has worked with many topmost Bollywood celebrities till now, and he has many more project in pipeline which is commendable, he is so young, and he is getting so many works, must tell you he is a lucky guy whose hard work and talent is helping him grow faster than most of the IT geeks in India. Rahul Kyal is way ahead of may digital markers around India, undoubtedly the most prominent name of Indian as Digital Marketer and in a short time you will see him rising on the top list of Entrepreneurs of India.

Check his activity on his Page – (www.instagram.com/rahulkyalofficial)

With the world facing a new threat with the outbreak of novel Coronavirus in China, India is constantly reviewing the evolving scenario, developments, and preparedness to deal with the situation.

As many as four persons have died in China and over 200 affected with the new diseases. Cases have also been reported from South Korea and Thailand. Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) will convene an emergency meeting on the novel Coronavirus (nCoV) under the International Health Regulations to ascertain whether the outbreak constitutes a public health emergency of international concern, and what recommendations should be made to manage it. The committee will meet on Wednesday.

Highly contagious Coronavirus is believed to be transferred from animals to human beings followed by human to human transfer. Its symptoms range from simple cold to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and even lesions in the lungs.  

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has written to Ministry of Civil Aviation to facilitate thermal screening at the International airports of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Cochin for the airlines to follow International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) guidelines for managing and notifying anybody reporting illness on flights originating from China and disembarking in India.

The Health Ministry has also written to Ministry of External Affairs to provide details of travellers from Wuhan city who have sought visa to travel to India, since 31st December, 2019 and to counsel the applicants while issuing visa. They have also been requested to provide daily details. As for E-visa issue Ministry of Home Affairs is being approached.

Ministry of External Affairs has also been requested to disseminate travel advisory (in local languages) to Indian Embassies in China and adjoining countries for wider circulation and passenger information.

The Union Health Secretary has also written to the States/UTs to review their preparedness, identify gaps and strengthen core capacities in the area of surveillance, laboratory support infection prevention and control, logistics, risk communication and in particular, hospital preparedness in terms of isolation and ventilator management of critically ill patients of severe acute respiratory illness (SARI).

The Joint Monitoring Group (JMG) under the Chairmanship of DGHS has met twice (on 8th and 15th January, 2020) to assess the risk and review the preparedness and response mechanisms to manage any case that might get imported to India. WHO, being represented in the JMG is providing Ministry with regular updates and technical information.

A travel advisory has been issued and put up on Ministry’s website and also on the Twitter handle for wider circulation.

Port and Airport Health Organizations have been sensitized and thermal screening has been initiated at the international airports of Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata and will be initiated today at Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Cochin airports. The Airport Health Organizations at the airports of Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata have put up signages at prominent locations informing the public about self-reporting of illness. The hospitals attached to these airports have been reviewed for provision of isolation and critical care facilities. Immigration officers manning the counters have been sensitized at these airports.

Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme has issued advisory to all States/UTs for SARI surveillance to pick up any travel-related case reported in the community and follow up contacts of suspect/confirmed cases, a statement issued by the Health Ministry said.

National Institute of Virology, Pune is fully geared up to test samples of nCoV. Ten other laboratories under the Indian Council of Medical Research’s Viral Research and Diagnostics Laboratories network are also equipped to test such samples if a need arises.

The ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival will explore ‘the internet can end poverty’ and ‘the digital and virtual futures of mankind’ with renowned authors such as Payal Arora, Marcus du Sautoy, John Lanchester and Sanjoy K. Roy.

The 13th edition of the Festival, which is slated to between 23-27 January at its customary home, the Diggi Palace Hotel in Jaipur. It will discuss important topics such as climate change along with science and technology and the themes integral to our times. 

Technology and its constantly evolving aspects, surveillance capitalism, the issues of privacy on digital platforms, data harvesting and the virtual futures of mankind are just some of the topics that will be covered on a panel consisting of globally-renowned personalities like Marcus du Sautoy, John Lanchester and Jaspreet Bindra on the second day of the Festival. 

While magic is something everyone has believed in at some point of time in their life, science is a fact of life. Explaining the blend of both will be Roger Highfield, author, science journalist and Science Director of the Science Museum group, in conversation with author Keshava Guha, he will tell audiences how he blended the beauty of magic and the facts of science into his latest work – The Accidental Magic.

There has always been a connection between science and the arts which has defined much of the progress mankind has made. A history of these vital connections is what Tilly Blythe will be seen discussing at the session on ‘The Art of Innovation’ along with Payal Arora and Tarun Khanna. Another session, ‘Tech Horizons: The Next Billion Users’, will have Payal Arora and Jaspreet Bindra in conversation with Vindu Goel discussing how Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been hyped up when cat videos still tops the list of most popular searches!

A riveting session on Artificial Intelligence and Creativity will see big names from both the genres, Marcus du Sautoy and Sanjoy K. Roy, come together for a gripping session on how Artificial Intelligence and creativity can unite to create something imaginative and futuristic.

Apart from a horde of ideas, the programme will touch upon several themes including economy, translated works of poets and authors, publishing and media along with various aspects of history. For over a decade now, the ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival has hosted almost 2000 speakers and over a million guests from across the globe and this year will be no different. 

Every year, the Festival brings together a diverse mix of the world’s greatest writers, thinkers, humanitarians, politicians, business leaders, sports people and entertainers on one stage to champion the freedom to express and engage in thoughtful debate and dialogue.

The Proprietor of Rajlaxmi construction, a leading name in Gujarat, Divyarajsinh Jadeja Vadinar is acing the business that deals with Transport (Rajlaxmi Transport), Petroleum (Rajlaxmi Petroleum), Land Developers (Rajlaxmi Land Developers), or Stone crushers (Rajlaxmi Stone crushers) and has perfected them all. The 26-year-old hails from the city of Gujarat and keeps a keen interest in setting up ownership in various sectors. 

Divyarajsinh’s achievements as a successful business person are worth mentioning. He is already leading in earth moving equipment, transport with a whopping number of 178 trucks and State Petroleum with 5 petrol pumps. He has already set his grounds with highway building construction, flyovers, jetty constructions, etc. Moreover, the benevolent is a preserver to his 850+ staff members. Along with his heavy-duty business calling, the multitasking chap didn’t lose his passion, its interesting how Divyarajsinh owns a jaw-dropping collection of premium cars out of sheer enthusiasm, some of them being Mercedes, Land Cruiser, Prado, Toyota, Audi including Vintage vehicles like 1986 Willy’s. It is said that he is known for owning a maximum number of cars starting with the special number “1111” in Gujarat with a hefty number of 18 and counting. 

He is not only a successful entrepreneur but also proves his mettle in the field of Politics. An active member of Bharatiya Janta Yuva Morcha (BJYM) BJP, and President of Vadinar Dwarka. It’s just amazing how Divya sinh keeps unfolding his interest panels – he is very keen towards launching web series and silver-screen matters.

It was on January 19, 1990, about four lakh Kashmiri Pandits were forced to leave their homes in the valley following a violent separatist movement that selectively targeted the minority community in Kashmir. And to mark the 30th anniversary of the mass exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits from the valley, members of the community took to the social media and started a campaign ‘Hum Vapas Aayenge Apne Watan’, which is trending on Twitter as more and more Kashmiri Hindus joined the campaign and pledged to return to their homes.

Many Kashmiri Pandits took to the social media and posted a video of their saying ‘Hum Aayenge Apene Watan, the phrase used the clip is a dialogue from the upcoming film ‘Shikara’.

The members of Kashmiri Pandits community even shared memories of how they fled, their wistful desire to return to the valley. Having been scattered to different parts of the country and the world since then, the community has now expressed hope of returning to the place where their roots lie.

Different political parties came to power but could not create a conducive atmosphere for their return to the valley. Displaced Kashmiri Hindus are still longing to return to the place where they belong. The exodus of Kashmiri Pandits is not secret. Nothing much has changed for the displaced community. What has changed is their culture, tradition, language among other things. 

It was around 9 pm on January 18, 1990, Sanjay Tickoo sank in his favorite chair in front of the television in a house in downtown Srinagar. He had barely switched on the television when the loudspeakers in the mosque began to blare. The announcement was ‘Ralive, Tsalive, ya Galive.’ (convert, leave the place or perish).

The Islamic jihadis wreaked havoc on the minority Kashmiri Hindus. The terrorists murdered the Kashmiri Pandits. Hindu temples were targeted. Kidnappings and incidents of stone-pelting on the Hindus homes were a common occurrence.

Had the then Governor Jagmohan not called the Army to the valley on January 19, 1990, Kashmiri Pandits would have a tough time, The Kashmiri Hindus were left with no other choice but to migrate to other cities in the country. The horrors of terrorism came home for the Pandits on September 14, 1989, when senior advocate and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Tika Ram Taploo was gunned down in broad daylight outside his house in Srinagar. 

The first disturbances began in the valley in the summer of 1986 when a number of Hindu temples in Anantnag district were vandalized. But there is some disagreement over how the crisis was precipitated, A large section of Pandit’s blame the majority Muslim community for fanning the insurgency and the state for failing to safeguard their safety.

Another strand argues that the responsibility for the exodus lies with the then Governor Jagmohan who allegedly vacillated on initial response. The strategy of opening relief camps backfired because it cemented the migration and failed to reassure the Pandits, at any rate, by January 1990, panic was rising within the community as massive street protests, gun march by militants and dissatisfaction with the government threatened to turn sullen anger into violent furry, On January 4, 1990, the widely read Urdu daily Aftab carried a message, ostensibly by terrorists asking the Pandits to leave the valley.

Kashmiri Pandits are still waiting for justice. This year is the dawn of a new era. The era of hope. Even after three decades in exile, the community’s return to their homeland seems to be a distant dream.