A series of major reforms undertaken over the past year will allow real GDP growth to reach 6.75 percent this fiscal and will rise to 7.0 to 7.5 percent in 2018-19, thereby re-instating India as the world’s fastest growing major economy. This was stated in the Economic Survey 2017-18 tabled in Parliament today by the Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Shri Arun Jaitley. It said that the reform measures undertaken in 2017-18 can be strengthened further in 2018-19.

The survey underlines that due to the launch of transformational Goods and Services Tax (GST) reform on July 1, 2017, resolution of the long-festering Twin Balance Sheet (TBS) problem by sending the major stressed companies for resolution under the new Indian Bankruptcy Code, implementing a major recapitalization package to strengthen the public sector banks, further liberalization of FDI and the export uplift from the global recovery, the economy began to accelerate in the second half of the year and can clock 6.75 percent growth this year. The survey points out that as per the quarterly estimates; there was a reversal of the declining trend of GDP growth in the second quarter of 2017-18, led by the industry sector. The Gross Value Added (GVA) at constant basic prices is expected to grow at the rate of 6.1 per cent in 2017-18 as compared to 6.6 per cent in 2016-17. Similarly, Agriculture, industry and services sectors are expected to grow at the rate of 2.1 per cent, 4.4 per cent, and 8.3 per cent respectively in 2017-18. The survey adds that after remaining in negative territory for a couple of years, growth of exports rebounded into positive one during 2016-17 and expected to grow faster in 2017-18. However, due to higher expected increase in imports, net exports of goods and services are slated to decline in 2017-18. Similarly, despite the robust economic growth, the savings and investment as a ratio of GDP generally declined. The major reduction in investment rate occurred in 2013-14, although it declined in 2015-16 too. Within this the share of household sector declined, while that of private corporate sector increased.

The survey points out that India can be rated as among the best performing economies in the world as the average growth during last three years is around 4 percentage points higher than global growth and nearly 3 percentage points higher than that of Emerging Market and Developing Economies. It points out that the GDP growth has averaged 7.3 per cent for the period from 2014-15 to 2017-18, which is the highest among the major economies of the world. That this growth has been achieved in a milieu of lower inflation, improved current account balance and notable reduction in the fiscal deficit to GDP ratio makes it all the more creditable.

Though concerns have been expressed about growing protectionist tendencies in some countries but it remains to be seen as to how the situation unfolds. Some of the factors could have dampening effect on GDP growth in the coming year viz. the possibility of an increase in crude oil prices in the international market. However, with world growth likely to witness moderate improvement in 2018, expectation of greater stability in GST, likely recovery in investment levels, and ongoing structural reforms, among others, should be supporting higher growth. On balance, country’s economic performance should witness an improvement in 2018-19.

The survey highlights that against the emerging macroeconomic concerns, policy vigilance will be necessary in the coming year, especially if high international oil prices persist or elevated stock prices correct sharply, provoking a “sudden stall” in capital flows. The agenda for the next year consequently remains full: stabilizing the GST, completing the TBS actions, privatizing Air India, and staving off threats to macro-economic stability. The TBS actions, noteworthy for cracking the long-standing “exit” problem, need complementary reforms to shrink unviable banks and allow greater private sector participation. The GST Council offers a model “technology” of cooperative federalism to apply to many other policy reforms. Over the medium term, three areas of policy focus stand out: Employment: finding good jobs for the young and burgeoning workforce, especially for women. Education: creating an educated and healthy labor force. Agriculture: raising farm productivity while strengthening agricultural resilience. Above all, India must continue improving the climate for rapid economic growth on the strength of the only two truly sustainable engines—private investment and exports.

NEW DELHI: In a U-turn, External Affairs Ministry on Tuesday shelved its decision to issue a passport with orange colour jacket to passport holders with Emigration Check Required (ECR) status and to do away with the printing of the last page of the passport booklet containing address. 

“The MEA has received several individual and collective representations requesting to reconsider these two decisions,” an official press release said. 

At a meeting, presided over by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, and attended by Minister of State Gen. (Retd) V K Singh on Monday, the decision on both these issues was reviewed. After discussions with various stakeholders, “the MEA has decided to continue with the current practice of printing of the last page of the passport and not to issue a separate passport with orange colour jacket to ECR passport holders.” 

The Modi government has come under criticism by opposition parties on its decision of issuing a separate orange colour jacket passport with ECR status. Congress President Rahul Gandhi had attacked the BJP, saying it showed a “discriminatory mindset” of the ruling party towards migrant workers.

New Delhi: The term Office of Profit is widely used in the Parliament as it is one of the disqualifications for being a Member of Parliament or a Member of State Legislature. Though a very commonly used term it has not been defined either under the Constitution of India or under the Representative of People’s Act, 1951, but under the provisions of both these statutes it is a ground for disqualification of an MLA or MP.

The term office of profit means holding an office either under the State Government or under the Central Government, from which some income or some profit is earned by the holder of office. Test for this is the appointing and removing power of the Government, or paying for holding the office and the type of Control which the Government can exercise on the holder of office of profit.

 The origin of this term can be traced back to the English act of Settlement 1701 and the Act of Union 1707. Under the provisions of these acts, a person is disqualified from being a Member of the Commons if he holds any office of profit under the king. Similar provisions were incorporated in the Constitution Of India under Article 102 (1)(a) and Article 191(1)(a) which explains that a Member of Parliament or Member of State Legislature (as the case may be) would be disqualified from being chosen or from being said Member if he holds an office of profit either under the State Government or under the Central Government, except for those offices which are exempted by the Parliament or the State Legislature (as the case may be) from time to time in accordance with the law for time being in force. An explanation to these articles exempts Ministers either under the Union or States from the scope of holders of office of profit. The qualifications prescribed for the President (Article 58(2)) and the Vice President (article 66(4)) also provides the similar provisions relating to the Office of Profit.  

The fundamental principle behind including the condition of office of profit is to ensure the credibility of the Member. If a person is holding an office from which he is earning some remuneration or some profits, he might be more focused towards this office than from discharging his duties for which he is originally elected. Also this would increase the independence of the Members of Parliament as they would not be working under the executive or earning some profits from the executive. For the purpose of this disqualification, the profits may include any pecuniary gain.

In the case of Jaya Bachchan v. Union of India (2006) it was held by the apex Court, that if the holder of office of profit is entitled to any pecuniary gain in connection with his office, it becomes a disqualification even though the actual monetary gain was not received by him.

In the recent news, the term of office of profit again came to light because it became the reason for the disqualification of 20 AAP MLA’s after the recommendation of the Election Commission which was accepted by the President of India.

Taking into the account the probable reason for having the Office of Profit Clause as a disqualification for Member of Parliament and State Legislature, it is essential to have such a ground. It is true, if a person is holding a post or an office from which he is earning some profit or from which he has some monetary gain there are chances of his being dependent on the office and for that matter be under the instruction of his employer (Central Government or the State Government in this case) and would injure his seriousness or independence in working for the people who have elected him. 

(The writer is a budding lawyer)

New Delhi : As the UK prepares to host the Commonwealth Summit 2018 in April this year, it’s hopeful that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the multilateral meet which has not seen an Indian head of government attend it in nearly a decade. The last Indian PM to participate in the Commonwealth heads of Government (CHOGM) meet was Manmohan Singh in 2009 in Port of Spain, the capital of Trinidad and Tobago.

As the UK moves to revitalise the Commonwealth, it’s looking towards India to play a lead role in this grouping, it’s keen that there is representation at the prime ministerial level by India, the largest member state of this grouping. Indicative of the significance London attaches to India’s role in re-energising the Commonwealth-a grouping comprising 52 member states–Prince Charles was in New Delhi in November last year to extend an invite to PM Modi to participate in the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). 

This isn’t all. The chief executive officer of the 2018 Summit, Tim Hitchens has made no less than three visits to New Delhi in the last six months as part of the Theresa May-led UK government’s diplomatic outreach to India as far as the Commonwealth is concerned. Hitchens, a career diplomat heads the Commonwealth Summit Unit which reports directly to PM May.

During his most recent visit to the Capital last week, Hitchens conceded, “India is the biggest member of the Commonwealth and if it is not fully engaged with it, then the Commonwealth cannot fully work.” He also noted that there is increasing engagement by India in Commonwealth discussions in the last six months.”

For all his diplomatic outreach since becoming PM, Modi had chosen to skip the 2015 Commonwealth Summit held in Malta, sending external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj instead. This time around, all indications are that Modi will be participating in the Summit. 

Hitchens said that the upcoming Summit will be among the best attended with 50 heads of government expected to participate in the meet to be held in the week commencing on April 16. In its endeavour to recast itself to the needs of present times, the Summit will be looking at the role of the Commonwealth in the 21st century and the challenges before it, said Hitchens.

“How do you have respect for the rule of law?  How do you strengthen institutions? How do you deal with the challenges to a rules-based system?” said Hitchens about the issues before the Commonwealth. He further said that “the strength of the Commonwealth can reflect global shifts as it has members globally.” In addition, he said that the role of Asian countries who are members of the Commonwealth is becoming increasingly significant.

The Summit and thereafter the Leaders Retreat at Windsor Castle will see world leaders discuss matters like keeping trade and prosperity growing, said Hitchens. The intra-Commonwealth trade alone is pegged at 800 billion dollars, he noted. And though a free trade area within the Commonwealth poses practical obstacles, the Commonwealth is looking at facilitating free trade between member states, said Hitchens. 

Other issues on the Commonwealth agenda said Hitchens are: how the more vulnerable member states of the Commonwealth can be supported, how new security threats–cyber security for instance–being faced by countries can be tackled and how the challenges posed by climate change to small island states who are Commonwealth members can be dealt with. 

KOLKATA: Weary faces of Karuna Mandal, Sheela Chowkidar and Saraswati Mandal, all in their late 40s or early 50s, are almost devoid of any expression. Clad in their ordinary cotton sarees, they hail from Sunderbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest in the coastal belt of West Bengal which is also abode of royal Bengal tiger. The three women are among several others who are also known as “Tiger Widows.”

Last week, they travelled to Kolkata to attend the launch of Raja Ram Mohan Roy and Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar Foundation which has taken upon itself to improve the lot of such widows by offering them not only financial assistance but also by offering them vocational training to help in t,heir rehabilitation and facilitate them lead a life of dignity

With the help of an interpretor, the three women, sitting in a conference hall of a hotel, give a glimpse of their impoverished lives and how their husbands were stealthily attacked and killed by tigers in forests of Sunderbans. The men usually go out to collect wood, catch fish and other similar activities in jungles to earn their livelihood and face a real threat of being attacked and killed by tigers. The three women lost their husbands to tigers about seven-eight years ago. They say there are thousands of such widows in villages in Sunderbans whose lives are lonely and impoverished as very little help comes from the government. They are left to fend for themselves.  Sunderbans is located at the mouth of the Ganga and Brahmputra rivers between India and Bangladesh. It has also earned the dubious status of being the biggest place for widows.

They were joined by widows from Vrindavan, Navdeep, Uttarakhand and Varanasi where not-for-profit social organization, Sulabh International is working to give a life of dignity to such women who had been living in penury and poor condition. Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak who founded Sulabh International in 1970 has also launched the foundation to campaign for remarriage of widows and their rehabilitation as they are often castigated and literally driven away from their homes.

The workshop, organized by the Raja Ram Mohan Roy-Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar foundation, held discussions on the future course of action on the widows’ issues in Kolkata because of its historic connection with the two legendary social reformers of the 19th century. West Bengal’s Minister for Public Health and Panchayat Subrata Mukherjee urged people to help social organisations engaged in welfare of widows. He said that the State government was ready to join hands with Sulabh International. 

Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak recalled the contribution of both the iconic social reformers and said that their contributions would act as  source of inspiration for carrying forward the mission of giving a life of dignity to the widows so that they can live in the society with respect and dignity. In fact, Dr. Pathak’s  initiative began from Vrindavan, and Sulabh extended the welfare work for widows to Varanasi and Uttarakhand. Sulabh is looking after about 800 widows in Vrindavan, about 200 widows in Varanasi and 154 families, including 32 widows in Deoli-Bhanigram Panchayat of Uttarakhand.

”We strongly feel that all suffering widows should be given stipend and vocational education, so that they could earn their own livelihood and be self-reliant. Above all, they must get respect and all possible help from their own families and the rest of society.  Sulabh’s missionary campaign for widows is meant to emancipate them from all kinds of deprivations, restrictions and humiliations. We have lent our widowed sisters and mothers a healing and helping hand, but much more needs to be done,’’ Dr. Pathak points out. The workshop also witnessed participation from academics, social workers and journalists.

Dr. Niladri Banerjee, a descendant of Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, who teaches Physics in a Cambridge University College in UK also addressed the workshop. He said that common perception about widowhood was still the same as 150 years ago. In his opinion, issue of inheritance was a major problem and women’s education, their skills and jobs would help them evolve and equip them in a better way to face challenges. 

Davos : Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held up his country – its ancient traditions as well as its democratic present – as a model in addressing the great challenges facing the world in 2018 in the opening plenary session of the 48th World Economic Forum Annual Meeting.

Modi identified the three foremost challenges that humanity confronts today: climate change, terrorism and a growing trend towards inward-focused isolationism among nations.

He emphasized the “deep bond between Indian traditions and nature,” and invoked the Upanishads, Buddhism and the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi in calling for a more harmonious relationship with the natural world, based on consumption according to need, and repudiating “greed-based consumption”. He noted that India has set an aggressive target of producing 175 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2022, and that India and France will soon ratify a treaty creating a new International Solar Alliance, with its first meeting to be held in New Delhi.

Modi noted that “many societies and countries are becoming more and more focused on themselves,” and identified this trend as a challenge on par with climate change and terrorism. “We will have to accept that globalization is slowly losing its lustre,” he said, but blamed this in part on the inadequacies of extant transnational organizations and institutions. “These global organizations created after the Second World War – do they even reflect the aspirations and dreams of mankind and the reality of today?” He warned that the gap between these organizations and the needs of developing countries is particularly large.

“The solution to this worrisome situation is not isolation,” said Modi. “The solution is accepting and understanding change and formulating flexible policies in line with the changing times,” he said, suggesting that a globalism that does not seek to sweep away national and cultural differences is needed. “The father of India, the respected Mahatma Gandhi, said, ‘I do not want the walls and the windows of my house to be closed from all directions but that the wind of all countries come in with aplomb. But I will not accept my feet being uprooted by these winds.’ The India of today has accepted this view,” he said.

Modi underscored the openness of India to foreign investment. “We are removing the red tape and rolling out the red carpet,” he said, noting that, in the past three years, the Indian government has abolished over 1,400 “archaic” laws. “I’m sure you can imagine, in a democratic state, how difficult it is to do that,” he added.

India’s reforms will, Modi believes, drive fast growth: He targets a $5 trillion GDP by 2025. “The path my government in India has chosen is revolutionary and development-centric. Our mantra is ‘reform, perform and transform’,” said Modi. But he insists this will be done in accordance with his oft-repeated claim that Indians consider the whole world its family. “India has never had any political or geographical ambitions. We do not exploit the natural resources of any country. We believe in a multicultural and a multipolar world order.”

Alain Berset, President of the Swiss Confederation 2018 and Federal Councillor of Home Affairs of Switzerland, also addressed the opening plenary. He warned that, in the coming year, we may well “reach the paradoxical conclusion that disruption has emerged not from the extremes but from the middle of society, while economic and social progress also comes from the majority.” Berset challenged the idea that the welfare state and the market economy are somehow incompatible or irreconcilable. “The game was all wrong, as well as the assumptions,” he said. “After all, uncertainty and social injustice do not lead to economic prosperity. Fear is not productive. Fear does not drive innovation.”

The World Economic Forum’s 48th Annual Meeting is taking place on 23-26 January 2018 in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland. More than 3,000 leaders from around the world are gathering in a collaborative effort to shape the global, regional and industry agendas, with a commitment to improve the state of the world.

In the last decade, the government has implemented several schemes to address issues related to urbanisation and aid the process of urban development.  One of the schemes is the Smart Cities Mission, which intends to take advantage of the developments in information technology in developing the urban development strategy, across 100 cities.  Last week the government announced the list of 9 new Smart Cities, taking the total to 99. In light of this, we look at the Smart Cities Mission and a few issues with it.

What is a Smart City?

The primary objective of the Mission is to develop cities that provide core infrastructure and give a decent quality of life to its citizens, a clean and sustainable environment, and apply ‘smart’ solutions.

However, the Mission document does not provide one definition of a Smart City.  Instead it allows cities to come up with their own solutions of what they identify as a Smart City.  The guidelines suggest that the core infrastructure elements in a Smart City will include: (i) adequate water supply, (ii) assured electricity supply, (iii) sanitation, including solid waste management, (iv) efficient urban mobility and public transport, (v) affordable housing, (vi) robust IT connectivity, and (vii) good governance.  ‘Smart’ solutions may include (i) energy efficient buildings, (ii) electronic service delivery, (iii) intelligent traffic management, (iv) smart metering, (v) citizen engagement, etc.

How were the Smart Cities selected?

The Mission was introduced in the form of a competition, called the Smart City challenge.  The first stage was in July 2015 when states nominated their cities for the competition.  In August 2015, the Ministry of Urban Development selected 100 of those cities to participate in the competition.  These cities were required to develop their smart city plans (SCPs) and compete against each other.  The SCPs were evaluated on the basis of the solutions, the processes followed, the feasibility and cost effectiveness of the plans, and citizen engagement.  Over the last 2 years, the Ministry has announced winner cities in batches.  So far, 99 cities have been selected under the Mission.

What information do these SCPs contain?

The cities had to prepare their SCPs with two primary strategic components: (i) area-based development, and (ii) pan-city development.  The area-based development would cover a particular area of the city, and could have either a redevelopment model, or be a completely new development.  Pan-city development would envisage application of certain smart solutions across the city to the existing infrastructure.

Each city had to formulate its own concept, vision, mission and plan for a Smart City that was appropriate to its local context and resources.  The Ministry of Urban Development provided technical assistance, through consultancy firms, to cities for helping them prepare these strategic documents.

How will the Mission be implemented?

The Mission will be implemented at the city level by a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV).  The SPV will plan, approve, release funds, implement, manage, monitor, and evaluate the Smart City development projects.

The SPV will be a limited company incorporated under the Companies Act, 2013 at the city-level.  It will be chaired by the Collector/ Municipal Commissioner of the Urban Development Authority.  The respective state and the Urban Local Body (ULB or municipality) will be the promoters in this company having 50:50 equity shareholding.

How are the Plans getting financed?

The Mission will be operated as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme.  The central government will provide financial support of up to Rs 48,000 crore over five years, that is, an average of Rs 500 crore per city.  The states and ULBs will have to contribute an equal amount.  The central government allocated Rs 4,000 crore towards the Mission in the 2017-18 budget.

Since funding from the government will meet only a part of the funding required, the rest will have to be raised from other sources including: (i) states/ ULBs own resources from collection of user fees, land monetization, etc., (ii) innovative finance mechanisms such as municipal bonds, (iii) leverage borrowings from financial institutions (such as banks), and (iv) the private sector through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs).

The total cost of projects proposed under the various SCPs of the 90 winner cities is Rs 1.9 lakh crore.  About 42% of this amount will come from central and state funding, 23% through private investments and PPPs, and 19% through convergence with other schemes (such as HRIDAY, AMRUT, Swachh Bharat-Urban).  The remaining will be generated by the cities through the levy of local taxes, and user fees.

What are some of the issues to consider?

Financial capacity of cities:  Under the Mission, cities have to generate additional revenue through various sources including market borrowings, PPPs, and land monetization.  The High Powered Expert Committee on Indian Urban Infrastructure and Services (HPEC) had observed that ULBs in India are among the weakest in the world, both in terms of capacity to raise resources and financial autonomy.  Even though ULBs have been getting higher allocations from the centre and states, and tax devolution to them has increased, their own tax bases are narrow.  Further, owing to their poor governance and financial situation, ULBs find it difficult to access external financing.

Such a situation may pose problems when implementing the Mission, where the ULBs have to raise a significant share of the revenue through external sources (PPPs, market borrowings).  For example, the Bhubaneswar Smart City Plan has a total project cost of Rs 4,537 crore (over five years), while the city’s annual budget for 2014-15 was Rs 469 crore.

In order to improve the finances of the ULBs, committees have made various recommendations, which include:

• State governments make legislative changes to give more taxation powers and autonomy to ULBs for improving their revenue collections.
• ULBs could raise their own revenue by tapping into land-based financing sources, and introducing reforms to strengthen non-tax revenues (such as water and sewerage charges, parking fees, etc.).
• Municipal bonds may also be used as a source of revenue for ULBs.

The government has recently introduced a few policies and mechanisms to address municipal financing.  Examples include value capture financing through public investments in infrastructure projects, and a credit rating system for cities.  In June 2017, the Pune Municipal Corporation raised Rs 200 crore by issuing municipal bonds.

Technical capacity of the ULBs:  The Smart Cities Mission seeks to empower ULBs to raise their own revenue, and also lays emphasis on the capacity building of ULBs.  The HPEC had observed that municipal administration has suffered due to: (i) presence of untrained and unskilled manpower, and (ii) shortage of qualified technical staff and managerial supervisors.  It had recommended improving the technical capacity of ULBs by providing technical assistance to state governments, and ULBs in planning, financing, monitoring, and operation of urban programmes.  The central government had allocated Rs 10.5 crore towards the capacity building component of the Mission in 2017-18.

The Ministry of Urban Development has been running several programmes to improve capacity of ULBs.  This includes MoUs with 18 states to conduct training programmes for their ULB staff.

Coverage of the Mission:  The Mission covers 100 cities, of which 99 have been announced as winners so far.  The urban population that will be impacted through the Mission is around 96 million (data for 90 cities excluding the recently announced 9 cities).

As per Census 2011, India’s urban population was 377 million.  The Mission impacts about 25% of this population.  Further, most of the SCPs approved so far focus on area-based development, thus affecting a particular area of the cities.  About 80% of the total project cost proposed is towards this model of development.  In each city, this area-based development will cover up to 50 acres of area. The remaining 20% of the project cost is towards pan-city development proposals, which provide smart planning solutions for the entire city.  It may be argued that even within the selected cities, the Mission will only impact few selected areas, and not necessarily help with development of the entire city.

(Source – PRS Legislative)

”Much of the procedures like medical check up, police clearance that was earlier done in UAE will now be done in India , he said. For this purpose a new mobile app on Android platform was launched today by the Embassy here.

The app which is currently in Hindi and English will soon be rolled out in Malayalam too as a large number of people from Kerala want to go to UAE for jobs.

The envoy also said there was some significant progress in the matter of expediting UAE investment in India. A major breakthrough was in the offing in sorting out problems linked to investments y the DP World, a leading operator of mine and inland ports, and the problems related to Etisalat and Emmar were also being taken up, the envoy said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is going on a three -nation trip of West Asia, which includes UAE. It is understood that Mr Modi will through this visit try to give a push to the 75 billion dollar investment promised by the UAE during his visit to the country in 2015.

Mr Banna said one to 1.5 Billion dollar new investment through FDI was coming to India soon, and it will be separate from the sovereign  fund promised during Mr Modi’s visit. 

This investment will be in logistics, dry ports and port management. Replying to a question, he also said that the ”legacy issues” faced by Etisalat, Emmar and DP World were discussed at the meeting of India-UAE task force on investment in Abu Dhabi on January 14.

Etisalat is a telecommunication giant and Emmar is a real estate major of UAE. Minister for Commerce and Industry Suresh Prabhu and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority(Adia) chairman
 

Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed al Nahyan, who co-chaired the meeting,  also discussed new business opportunities, he said.UAE has so far invested 10 bn dollar in India, out of which four billion dollar is FDI, the envoy said.

He said he was  very happy that Mr Modi would be paying a state visit to his country. He said the new app launched by the  Embassy was a step in the direction of bringing the people of two countries closer by facilitating and simplifying the visa application process.

Mr Banns  said a Centre had been set up for the purpose in Vasant Kunj here and many more such centres would be set up in other cities of India, so that people of these cities do not have to travel to Delhi frequently for getting the visa.

About 1.6 million people visited UAE from India last year. Indian visitors to Dubai alone crossed one million mark in January to September, which  was a 20 per cent increase over the 2016 figures in the same period. UAE has the largest expatriate community in Indians who number more than 2.6 million.

(The writer is freelance senior journalist and is specialised in Foreign Affairs )

Jaipur : The 11^th edition of the ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival, beginning 25 February through 29, will witness the fusion of literature and the performing arts.  

Marking its worldwide premier as part of the 70-year celebration of India’s independence and the UK India Year of Culture, The Troth, presented by Akademi, the UK’s leading producer of Indian dance, is based on a 1915 short story, Usne Kaha Tha by Chandradhar Sharma Guleri. The Troth unfolds the tale of Sardar Lehna Singh’s sacrifice and unrequited love amid the horror of the trenches of Belgium while weaving together the integral part played by Indian soldiers in the Allied war effort. 

Award-winning choreographer Gary Clarke unfolds the poignant narrative through contemporary dance, evocative music and archival film. An intense silent film experience, audiences travel from the repose of rural Punjab in late 1800s to the strife-torn bloodied Belgian trenches.

This is part of the Reimagine India programme supported by The Arts Council of England & the British Council. The Troth features some of the UK’s most exciting and versatile young dancers.

In The Real Thing, Sir Tom Stoppard is in conversation with well-known theatre personality Sanjna Kapoor. Stoppard, one of the greatest living playwrights who has written prolifically for the stage, TV and film, is the author of seminal works such as Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead, Travesties, Every Good Boy Deserves a Favor, Arcadia, Jumpers, The Real Thing and The Invention of Love. He is also the Oscar-winning screenwriter of Shakespeare in Love and The Russia House and recipient of as many as four Tony awards. Stoppard, who began his career as a journalist and a drama critic, has been a key playwright of the Royal National Theatre and one of the most internationally performed dramatists of his generation.

The artistic intensity and heady perfection of dance come alive at the Festival’s session, The Dancer and the Dance, where virtuoso danseuse Sonal Mansingh and biographer Sujata Prasad are in conversation. In A Life Like No Other, Mansingh speaks of the legacy of three dance forms—Bharatanatyam, Odissi and Chhau—as well as the evolution of the classical arts in post-Independence India and her kaleidoscopic life which she continues to live with keenness and unparalleled creativity.

In On Page, On Stage and On Screen, Julia Donaldson, author of the bestselling children’s book The Gruffalo, actor Daryl Shute and Julia’s husband and pediatrician Malcolm Donaldson are in conversation with Nupur Paiva on the vibrant and exuberant parallel world for young readers that The Gruffalo has created. In a joyous session of storytelling, performance and recitation, Donaldson speaks of writing for children, the strong performative element in her work and the process of transforming The Gruffalo and other books into film by Magic Light Pictures.

The Festival programme also pays tribute to the drama of the stage and the legacy of the playwright. Globe to Globe: Why Shakespeare Works in Every Country of the World is a wildly exciting session where former artistic director of the historic Globe Theatre, Dominic Dromgoole unfolds an incredible journey. For the 450th anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth, the Globe Theatre in London undertook an unparalleled journey to share Hamlet with the entire world. A brainchild of Dromgoole, ‘Hamlet Globe to Globe’ is a tour and an unprecedented experience which in two years has covered 190,000 miles in 197 countries. From performing in sweltering deserts, capital and remote cities, heaving marketplaces and on Pacific islands, despite food poisoning in Mexico, the threat of ambush in Somaliland, an Ebola epidemic in West Africa and political upheaval in Ukraine, the Globe’s players tirelessly pushed on, carrying their own props, instruments and costumes throughout and constructing entire sets in less than two hours.

At the Festival, Dromgoole will introduce his sturdy and impressive cast, recount the highs and lows of their tour and through the lens of this epic theatrical journey, discuss why Hamlet, and Shakespeare in general, has such fascinating universal appeal transcending barriers.  

Performance poetry is a focus at the Festival with Girls Are Coming Out of the Woods, which promises to be a remarkable showcase—half dance, half reading—by one of India’s most acclaimed and talented young poets. In the fascinating session milk and honey, Instapoet and the toast of the internet generation, Rupi Kaur performs for audiences and demonstrates what makes her an unprecedented phenomenon. And then there’s Performance with Janice Pariat, Jeet Thayil, Jovan Mays, Melizarani T. Selva and Nathalie Handal, introduced by John Freeman, where six of the most dazzling performance poets are let loose on the Charbagh stage.

New Delhi : Radical Minds, a leading provider of technology-based solution and customer relationship management services, recently announced the launch of a new, futuristic BPO facility along with other expansion plans in Gurgaon. The solemn occasion of inauguration was attended by the guests includes Pratap Kumar Singh (?President-Operations, ?ibibogroup Pvt. Ltd), Piyush Surana (AVP – Global Growth – ?Zomato) and Mr. Neeraj Pandey (Head Marketing – VLCC).

The new facility, located in the special economic zone in Gurgaon, is yet another feather of the cap of Radical Minds, and it is a strategic move to leverage the power of technology, skilled workforce, innovative product related to AI and Machine learning and growth. The new tech-driven BPO facility would empower Radical minds to meet industry-specific expectations of clients quite competently.

Speaking at the occasion, Mr Sanjoo Sharma, MD, Radical Minds said, “We have achieved the revenue by 250% until December end and expect to end with over 350% as compared to 2016-2017 fiscal years. He also added that “we are happy to announce that we have signed a deal with largest travel company from Middle east i.e. Regency Travel & Tours.”

Mr Sanjoo Sharma, MD, Radical Minds said, “We have come up with the new facility, well-equipped with avant-garde technologies, generating over 750+ employments. We are hopeful to stay ahead of the stiff competition in the outsourcing industry and deliver the best to our esteemed clients.”

According to the NASSCOM study, the flourishing business process units (BPO) industry has been able to set new benchmarks by sustaining its double-digit growth. The Modi-led government has approved the India BPO Promotion Scheme under the Digital India Programme to promote BPO/IT operations across the country. The scheme has also potential to create employment opportunities considering a 1.5-lakh direct job.

The emergence of growth of the BPO/IT industry has been one of the key drivers behind the development of Gurgaon. The city has become a hub of 450 IT-BPO companies and employing close to 2.5-3.0 lakh professionals.

Radical Minds is committed to providing two same kinds of facilities in the coming year, which will generate 2000+ employments.

With the great service, the company also expects to achieve a new height of success in each discipline, which includes Travel, Health &Wellness, Foods, Logistics Industry, and coming up in BFSI sector as well. Radical Minds have been acclaimed to be the best tech-driven company for clients and it would enable them to outrival all the competitors in near future.  

The new facility will undoubtedly strengthen Radical Minds’ platform for consistent growth and expansion towards organizational excellence.