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.

NEW DELHI: Jammu and Kashmir Governor N. N. Vohra on Sunday strongly advocated establishing a National Security Administrative Service (NSAS) as the country cannot afford to follow adhoc and disparate approaches in managing the national security.

Delivering the R.N. Kao Memorial Lecutre here, Mr. Vohra also felt the need to set up a dedicated, new, separate Ministry of

National Security Affairs which is entirely devoted to effectively safeguarding the country on every front.

He pointed out that in the past two decades, since the empowered Group of Ministers considered the recommendations of the three Tasks Forces, which were set up consequent to the Kargil Review Committee Report, worrying developments have taken place in our security environment.

“There have been significant shifts in the geo-political environment in our neighbourhood and beyond and there are new threats to our country’s interests and security,’’ he told the select gathering at the headquarters of the Research and Analysis Wing (RA&W). The annual lecture is organised in memory of the founder-director of the external intelligence agency of India.

The J&K Governor, a veteran of national security affairs, said that the proposed National Security Administrative Service can have constituents, selected on the basis of a pan-India competitive examination and they should be got especially trained in the various required areas and deployed to man the Government of India’s security administration system.

“Thereafter, members of this Service could also be progressively allocated to the States for managing security management machinery,’’ he said.

In another key observation, he stressed upon the need to establish a new Ministry, entirely dedicated to the efficient implementation of every component of the National Security Policy and to keep a close and constant watch to see that the States effectively maintain Internal Security in their domains.

Mr. Vohra, himself a former Home and Defence Secretary, felt that the Union Ministry of Home Affairs is faced with ever increasing day to day pressures on varied fronts and its senior echelons are required to deal with a horde of subjects, of which one relates to Internal Security management.

“With its existing responsibilities it would be impractical to expect this Ministry to devote whole time attention only to security management related issues, all of which require zero delays and immediate decisions. In this context, if national security is to be effectively managed, the time has come to establish a dedicated Ministry of National Security Affairs which is led by a senior experienced Cabinet Minister and manned by handpicked and especially trained functionaries drawn from the National Security Administrative Service,’’ he suggested.

Among other suggestions made by Mr. Vohra, who has been serving as J&K Governor since 2008 and has faced many difficult times and sensitive situations in the border State, said the Centre should take urgent steps, in close consultation with the States, to evolve and promulgate the National Security Policy. He said that a time-bound action plan should be chalked out to fill all existing gaps and establish a country wide institutional framework for safeguarding the country on every front.

Emphasising upon efficient implementation of the National Security Policy, he said it was essential to protect the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of country by ensuring that the Union and States act in very close concert.

Pointing to the urgency to implement reforms in the entire framework of the criminal justice system, Mr. Vohra said it was needed if internal security is to be effectively maintained and the country is to move towards assured national security management.

“Unless this system functions with speed, efficiency and visible fairness, it would not be possible to reduce criminality and establish a healthy respect of the law. As the very first step, the criminal courts shall need to achieve a significantly improved disposal rate and also stem the decline in the conviction rates, which is due to the prolonged delays in investigations and trials,’’ he said.

In a candid assessment of the logistical inadequacies which adversely affect the proper functioning of courts, Mr. Vohra said there is also a subsisting question mark about the integrity of the subordinate judicial services.

“Unfortunately, in the past years, allegations have been raised even against those who man the higher judiciary, including up to the august level of the Chief Justice of India. Indisputably, urgent and effective steps shall be needed to clean up the system to enforce judicial standards and deliver speedy, clean and effective justice,’’ the J&K Governor said.

Another area of serious concern, he pointed out, is that while a plethora of obsolete and outdated laws exist, the country is still to enact comprehensive laws to deal with terrorism, cyber crimes, economic offences and to tackle the growing criminality which is perpetrated by organized crime, drug trafficking and mafia groups, many of which have close connectivities with terrorist organizations.

The unprecedented turmoil in the Supreme Court in the wake of the four senior most judges taking exception to CJI Dipak Misra’s style of functioning nine days back on January 12 has underlined the need for urgent judicial reforms. 

Backed by certain brother judges, the CJI initiated efforts last Tuesday and Wednesday to end the imbroglio. The endeavour was to resolve issues within the four walls of the Supreme Court steering clear of any outside intervention.

The dissenting judges have been attending court since Monday so as not to precipitate matters. Justices J Chalameswar,  Rajan Gogoi, Madan Lokur and Kurian Joseph — maintained they had gone public on the ground that some damage had already been done to the highest judiciary and they were trying to contain it. 

When the apex court reassembled on Monday week after the weekend, CJI Misra as the “Master of the Roster” listed seven cases to be heard by a Constitution bench leaving out the four senior most judges. The five judge bench comprises the Chief Justice himself, Justices A K Sikri, A M Khanwilkar, D Y Chandrachud and Ashok Bhushan. 

It has before it a range of crucial matters like the challenge to the constitutional validity of the Aadhar Act and its 2013 judgement decriminalising gay sex between consenting adults among others. The same combination of judges had heard various Constitution Bench matters in October last year including the power tussle between the Centre and the Delhi government over the administrative jurisdiction and a matter pertaining to passive euthanasia. 

While it was widely believed that the issues raised by the four judges remained an internal matter of the Supreme Court, various Bar councils, retired judges and civil society were emphatic that the matter should be resolved quickly. 

Differences among judges was more than procedural revolving around Bench formation. At the same time there are other organised centres of power including alleged murmurs of political interference. At the end of it all citizens need to be convinced about the Supreme Court’s key institutional role of providing unhindered justice. 

This aspect has taken a beating recently. If the four judges believe ulterior motives have been at play in the constitution of Benches, the people have the right to know the basis on which it is done. Several eminent jurists and respected public figures have been highly critical of the four judges for going public against the CJI. 

A case in point is that of the bench headed by Justice Arun Misra ordering Tuesday last that the PIL seeking an independent probe into the death of special CBI judge B H Loya be put up before an “appropriate bench”. The judge took this stand as he believed that the four senior judges “had ruined his reputation” by projecting his bench as being preferred by the CJI in sensitive cases.

Amid the standoff CJI Dipak Misra decided to hear tomorrow (Monday, January 22) two petitions demanding an independent probe into the death of Judge Loya. 

With internal matters being made public, there is inherent danger of the people losing faith in the courts causing irreparable damage to the the institution. Keeping such matters under wraps comes in the way of people taking a view on the basis of facts. 

The process of the constitution of Benches to adjudicate matters has to be transparent and based on norms even as the Chief Justices have to control that process. Constitution of Benches is an administrative act and the people have the right to know the criteria of its constitution. This will add to their trust in the courts. 

Impartial observers believe the rationale on which the CJI constitutes a Bench may be made known to avoid ulterior motives being at play. There should be no room for any doubt in this regard. 

The issue of allocation of cases to different Benches has been simmering for several months. The problem pertains to the CJI reportedly ignoring senior judges in allocating important and high profile cases. The possibility of this administrative tussle might have prevailed during the tenure of many CJIs in different governments at the Centre. 

The problem stems from allocating important cases to junior judges. This has invariably led to the CJI’s integrity being questioned. Has the much talked about judicial independence led to self preservation of judges and judicial activism. 

On his part, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has time and again drawn attention of the three arms of the democratic system — the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary — impressing upon them to exercise utmost caution in steering clear of stepping on each other’s toes to avoid working at cross purposes. 

What cannot be lost sight of is that the complaint this time is different compared to the past as four senior most judges of the Supreme Court are involved and not a single judge. The importance of  four of the five-member Collegium headed by the CJI have aired their differences cannot be undermined.  

The Collegium is responsible for judicial appointments. The resolution of the current imbroglio must involve discussions among all the judges of the five-member Collegium of the Apex court for reaching a settlement on what the rules of the game must be. In the circumstances ‘Rostering’ cannot be seen as excluding the seniors. 

Meanwhile, advocate Prashant Bhushan told the Supreme Court last Tuesday to invoke its in-house procedure to deal with his demand for a probe against CJI Dipak Misra for “several acts of serious misconduct” that includes anti-dating of a memo asserting the CJI’s administrative powers.  

Rendering impartial justice cannot be compromised. Tradition and jurisprudence deny power to a Chief Justice to send cases to the courts of his own preference thereby avoiding being a gate keeper for justice as an interested party in favour or against anyone. That is why a system is in place seeking to minimise the risk of injustice. 

If there is an anomaly whereby the system fails to deliver justice, then it must be remedied expeditiously. What cannot be lost sight of amid all this is the massive backlog of cases in the Supreme Court. As a delicate situation has arisen, it is also a moment of reckoning for other institutions in the democratic system encompassing the Executive and the Legislature. 

There is urgent need for revamping the judicial administration along with the system of appointment of judges. The present crisis has underlined the imperative need for bringing about direly needed judicial reforms. The question is will the Supreme Court be able to evolve a consensus on this issue which brooks no delay.

In a massive setback to the Aam Aadmi Party, the Election Commission has recommended to disqualify 20 AAP Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) for holding ‘office of profit’ as Parliament Secretaries. The EC has sent the recommendation to the President of India, Ramnath Kovind. 

The controversy over the “office of profit” stirred in 2015 after a 30-year old lawyer Prashant Patel Umrao filed an application to the President’s office, questioning the appointment of AAP MLAs as Parliamentary Secretaries. The then President Mr. Pranab Mukherjee asked the Election Commission to look into the matter. 

The recommendation, if accepted by the President, will cut down the AAP strength from existing 67 seats to 47 seats in the Delhi State Assembly. 

Sanjay Singh of AAP attacked the BJP and EC as he said to a TV interview, “The Election Commission is working like an agent of the Modi government. There is no such profits entertained by any members of the Aam Aadmi Party.”

“This must be the first ever recommendation in EC history where a recommendation has been sent without even hearing the main matter on merits. No hearing took place in the EC on the point of office of profit,” AAP spokesperson Nagendra Sharma tweeted.

In March 2015, the AAP government passed an amendment in the name of ‘Removal of Disqualification Act, 1997’, to exempt the posts of Parliamentary Secretary from the definition of office of profit with retrospective effect. AAP had argued that there is no monetary benefit attached to the posts. But the then President refused But then President Pranab Mukherjee refused to give assent, following which the appointments were set aside by the Delhi High Court in September 2016, declaring them illegal since the order had been passed “without concurrence/approval of the Lt Governor”.

Reacting on the matter, opposition parties Congress and BJP have demanded immediate resignation of Arvind Kejriwal as the Chief Minister of Delhi. 

BJP has criticised that ‘AAP’ came driving on the plank of ‘India Against Corruption’, now they are ‘I am Corruption’. 

The List of Disqualified MLAs (Source: The Economic Times)

1. Praveen Kumar was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Education Minister 

2. Sharad Kumar was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Revenue Minister 

3. Adarsh Shastri was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Information and Technology Minister 

4. Madan Lal was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Vigilance Minister 

5. Shiv Charan Goel appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Finance Minister 

6. Sanjeev Jha was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Transport Minister 

7. Sarita Singh was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Employment Minister 

8. Naresh Yadav was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Labour Minister 

9. Rajesh Gupta was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Health Minister 

10. Rajesh Rishi was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Health Minister 

11. Anil Kumar Bajpai was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Health Minister

12. Som Dutt was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Industries Minister 

13. Avtar Singh Kalka as Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Gurudwara elections 

14. Vijender Garg Vijay was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of PWD 

15. Jarnail Singh (Rajauri Garden) was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Power 

16. Kailash Gahlot was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Law 

17. Alka Lamba was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Tourism 

18. Manoj Kumar was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Food and Civil Supplies 

19. Nitin Tyagi was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Women and Child and Social Welfare 

20. Sukhvir Singh was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Languages and Welfare of SC/ST/OBC respectively

Mumbai : The photograph of  two-year-old Moshe Holtzberg safely ensconced in the arms of his nanny, Sandra Samuel, minutes after she emerged from Nariman House after the 26/11 terror attacks was one of the defining and haunting images of the murderous rampage India’s commercial capital witnessed a little over nine years ago.

Baby Moshe had survived the terror strike on Nariman House in which his parents Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg perished, thanks to some quick thinking by his nanny who hid baby Moshe when gunmen stormed the building and then brought him out safe.

Cut to Mumbai, January 16 and Moshe was back in Mumbai, under siege by eager reporters who thrust their mikes before the shy and dazed 11-year-old in their scramble to get a byte, any byte, from the boy who had returned to the city where he was born and where his parents lost their lives in 2008.

And if the mad scramble around the slightly built Moshe with huge glasses wasn’t bad enough, the questions being flung at him were worse. For instance, sample this insensitive one flung at him by one TV reporter, ‘Are you watching Hindi movies?’ Perhaps to the relief of the media badgering the child for a byte/quote, Moshe actually said ‘Bahut Khushi’ in what appeared to be tutored words.

Which brings me to my main point—was it really necessary for the Indian and Israeli governments to parade Moshe like this? First in Israel where he met PM Narendra Modi last year during his visit to that country and now in Mumbai where he will unveil a memorial to the victims of 26/11 at Nariman House with PM Netanyahu.

For God’s sake, the child has suffered a horrible tragedy in his life, losing his parents to terrorists’ bullets! As India and Israel get into an even closer clinch and Modi and Netanyahu  address each other as ‘My friend, Bibi’ and ‘My friend, Narendra’ respectively, why should a little boy be unnecessarily dragged not once but twice into this bilateral relations building exercise?

For sure, diplomacy thrives on the mood, atmospherics, optics, etc when two leaders meet. But is it really necessary to milk the tragedy of Moshe’s life, again and again? Instead of photo-ops for the two leaders, what was required was some sensitivity in dealing with a mere child who’s probably yet to realise the magnitude of his loss, given his tender years. His grandparents who are bringing him up too need to share a portion of this blame for allowing their grandson to be part of this.

In Tel Aviv, during PM Modi’s visit last year, Moshe met him along with his grandparents in the presence of Netanyahu. But just a meeting with the little boy clearly wasn’t enough as far as the optics of the visit go. So Moshe was made to read a statement in “halting English” as reported by The Times of Israel in which he said: Â“I hope I will be able to visit Mumbai, and when I get older, live there. I will be the director of our Chabad House”.

Expectedly, the young boy was extended an invite to visit Mumbai and so here he is as India rolls out the red carpet for his country’s PM. The homecoming to the city of his birth could’ve waited and perhaps have been done in a more quiet, solemn manner. But photo-ops clearly couldn’t wait.

NEW DELHI : India is aiming at a two-fold hike in exports of food items in next five years which will help in doubling the income of farmers and those associated with the food and agro industry. To give further boost to India’s agro and food exports, the Department of Commerce in association with Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI) is organizing ‘Indus Food’– a Mega International Food and Beverage Trade show at India Expo Mart In Greater Noida from January 18, 2017.

The two-day event will be inaugurated by Union Commerce and Industry Minister Mr. Suresh Prabhu. Indus Food will see participation of over 400 exhibitors including representations from over 12 states and Departments. Global Buyers from 43 nations will visit the show. The event is expected to provide a good platform to Indian exporters to access global market without having the trouble of going to overseas trade fairs.   

“Doubling of farmers’ income is possible only when our agri exports grow by 18-20% and for this we need integration with global marketplace. If this happens our food exports will cross $60 billion which stood at $31 billion in 2015. India’s food market stood at $193 billion in 2016, which is estimated to grow to $540 billion by 2020,” Santosh Sarangi, Joint Secretary in Department of Commerce said at a press conference here.

“Indus Food, which is a mega show is line with other global food events, will give a much needed fillip to Indian food exports. Moreover, we are formulating Agri Export Policy which will make India a preferred destination for sourcing food and agri products. We are also talking with Invest India to attract investments to facilitate agri exports. Our autonomous bodies are also working with exporters to boost exports, while state governments are also being roped in to prepare grounds for exports of their produce,” Mr. Sarangi said.

“Indus Food provides us with big opportunity to host the world F&B market in India and showcase to the world big strides that India is taking in the food and agro sector under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Top global from across the globe including Europe, Gulf and CIS countries are taking part in the mega show. Government bodies and representatives from 30 nations including Vietnam, Iran, Oman, Bahrain, Russia, UAE, Philippines are coming. We have planned 9000 business meeting during the two-day event that will lead to future exports tie up and strategic collaboration,” said TPCI Chairman Mohit Singla.

The Commerce & Industry Minister Mr. Prabhu has expressed the hope that “Indus Food expo will not only benefit exporters but also help in improving financial condition of our farmers and those engaged in agri business.”

To promote food exports, TPCI is being supported by Department of Commerce in hosting one of the largest buyer-seller meet in the food segment in India. Many top personalities, including Iran’s Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Ali Akbar Mehrfard, Mr.Saif Sultan Al Sheibany, DG Public Authority for food Reserves of Oman, Al Kafeel religious trust of Najaf & Karbala of Iraq will also take part in the international expo.

Today India stands at sixth place in the global food and grocery market, but India’s share in food items exports is just 12%, which the government is trying to take up to 20%. India has achieved impressive results in exports of some items like prawns which has seen a jump of 17% between 2012-17, while grapes and turmeric exports have grown by 12%.

To give boost to food processing industry, Commerce and Industry Ministry is also formulating an aggressive Agri Export Policy separately. With such a powerful global trade show, India will surely be able to make the best utilization of its huge production and consumption power.

Jaipur : Music theatre and cultural performances will be an integral part at the ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival later this month. Two Heritage Evenings will be organised in association with Rajasthan Tourism.

The Festival will host these grand events at Jaipur’s iconic Amber Fort and Hawa Mahal. Being held on the evenings of January 26^th and 28^th, these events will showcase spellbinding performances against the exquisite backdrop of monuments that celebrate the city’s rich cultural heritage.

`Under the Stars’ at Hawa Mahalfeatures The Troth-Usne Kaha Tha, a multimedia dance and theatre production presented by Akademi, the UK’s leading producer of Indian dance, marking the centenary of World War I. It tells a story of love, loss and sacrifice against the horror and conflict of World War I. Inspired by film noir and the era of black and white films, The Troth will recount the story with use of film and subtitles and unfold the poignant narrative through interplay between image, music and dance. Award-winning choreographer Gary Clarke (winner of a UK Theatre Award 2016 for Achievement in Dance) leads the creative team. Through an intense experience, akin to silent films, audiences travel from the repose of rural Punjab in late 1800s to the strife-torn bloodied Belgian trenches. Part of the Reimagine India programme (Arts Council England/British Council) and the UK-India Year of Culture, The Troth features some of the UK’s most exciting and versatile young dancers.

On January 28^th, audiences can look forward to AMajestic Evening at Amber Fort, which will begin with a sarangirecital byUstad Kamal Sabri.Ustad Sabri Khan is the son of sarangi legend Ustad Sabri Khan and is carrying forward the rich legacy of the Sania gharana of Moradabad with single-minded dedication. Kamal, who is from the seventh generation of a distinguished family of traditional musicians, has demonstrated profound versatility in playing the sarangi.

This will be followed by Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi… a tribute to the late ghazal maestro Jagjit Singh by singer, songwriter and composer Shekhar Ravjiani. The show first premiered at the Esplanade Concert Hall in Singapore to a standing ovation and brought back to life some of Singh’s legendary ghazals including, ‘Hothon se Choo Lo Tum’, ‘Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi’, ‘Tumko Dekha’, ‘Jhuki Jhuki Si Nazar’, ‘Tum Itna Jo’ and ‘Yeh Daulat Bhi Le Lo’. It has since gone to Jakarta, Indonesia and after running its U.S. tour in August 2017, it will now enthrall audiences at the ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival 2018.

Sanjoy Roy, Managing Director of Teamwork Arts, Producer of the ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival said, “The ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival’s Heritage Evenings celebrate the built heritage of the state of Rajasthan and highlight its rich cultural and architectural legacy through performing arts showcases. With support from Rajasthan Tourism, we will present some of the best music and theatre performances against the backdrop of over 1000 years of Indian architecture and heritage. These events are exclusively curated to bring our audience closer to Rajasthan’s spellbinding spirit and landscape.”