NEW DELHI: While stressing that terrorism remains an important global concern, India on Friday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention in the coming BRICS summit may touch upon the scourge of terrorism.

Replying to questions at a media briefing on the Prime Minister’s visit to China from September 3 to 5 to attend the IXth BRICS summit to be held in Xiamen in China’s Fujian province, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said that it would be for the Prime Minister to raise any issue in his intervention.

The host China advised that India’s concerns over Pakistan’s support to terror were not an appropriate topic to be discussed at the BRICS summit. The spokesperson said that he could not be preempt what the Prime Minister would say at plenary and other sessions of the summit.  He added that India’s stand against terror was “very clear’’ and the issue has been raised by the country’s top leaders at various global and regional forums.

On the prospects of a meeting between Mr. Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, the spokesperson pointed out that it is a common practice to arrange such meetings on the sidelines of multilateral forums.He added that details and timings of bilateral meetings of the Prime Minister with other leaders on the sidelines of the BRICS summit were being worked out.

The BRICS nations represent 42 per cent of the world’s population, have a share of  23 per cent of the global GDP and 17 per cent share in the world trade. At the 9^th summit, Thailand, Mexico, Egypt, Guinea and Tajikistan will be present as guest or observer nations.

Mr. Modi will travel to Myanmar on September 5 for a three-day visit, his first bilateral visit to India’s neighbour in the North-East. He is visiting Myanmar at  the invitation of President U Htin Kyaw. The Prime Minister will hold discussions with State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on matters of mutual interest. Apart from his engagements in the capital city of Nay Pyi Taw, he will also visit Yangon and Bagan and address the Indian community in Myanmar. He will also review the progress of the ongoing projects in Myanmar which have been undertaken with India’s assistance. As the new government in Myanmar has laid stress on sectors like energy, power, communication and trade, it would be for India to hold discussions with the leaders in Myanmar to work out the modalities of offering assistance in projects. Myanmar has been an important partner in India’s Act East policy and is also a partner of BIMSTEC grouping.  

India’s four north-eastern states share 1,600 km-long border with Myanmar and both the countries have shared traditional ties of kinship.

Replying to questions, Sripriya Ranganathan, Joint Secretary (Bangladesh-Myanmar) said the issue of Rohingya refugees could also come up for discussion as their plight and situation in Rakhin state was of great concern to India. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked tax administrators to fix clear targets to improve the country’s tax administration by 2022.

He said, the government is working towards creation of an environment which shatters the confidence of the corrupt, and instills confidence among the honest taxpayers.

Inaugurating the Rajasva Gyan Sangam at New Delhi today, Mr. Modi mentioned steps taken by the government including demonetization, and implementation of stringent laws against black money and benami property.

He said, human interface must be kept to a minimum in the tax administration’s dealings and asked for a push to e-assessment so that vested interests do not impede the due process of law.

Mentioning the benefits of the GST, Mr. Modi said, besides economic integration and transparency in the system, over 17 lakh new traders have been brought into the indirect tax system within two months.

He said, there is a need to work towards ensuring that all traders including even relatively smaller ones register with the GST system. He also expressed dismay at the huge pendency of tax-related cases in adjudication and appeal.

The Prime Minister said, big sums of money that is locked up in these cases, could have been used for the welfare of the poor. He also asked officers to come up with an action plan to eliminate pendency.

The politician-spiritual guru nexus which on occasions has led to mayhem with the state government abdicating its responsibility in maintaining law and order. Politicians should not allow the weakening of the state at any cost. 

The nexus between politicians and Babas or so called spiritual gurus is nothing new in this country because the latter wield considerable influence on their followers who blindly do their bidding undeterred by the consequences.  

The vote bank of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh running into lakhs makes all the difference between winning and losing assembly elections particularly in Haryana and Punjab. This has attracted politicians in seeking the Guru’s favour. As a quid pro quo it entails protection and rendering favours to the Baba of Dera Sucha Sauda by the state government. 

It was no different when BJP won in Haryana for the first time during the assembly elections in October 2014 since the state was formed on November first, 1966. The help rendered by Baba in ensuring his vote bank favoured the BJP has been acknowledged by the top party leaders in no uncertain terms. 

At the same time Gurmeet Singh’s colourful gurudom has come crashing down having been sentenced for two decades — longer than life imprisonment — along with being slapped with a fine by the judge of the CBI special court earlier this week on August 28 for betraying the trust of two vulnerable women. 

He will shortly be arraigned for charges of murder. What brought his downfall pertained to politicians seeking to grant him immunity from crimes outside the Dera gates. This led to the make believe world of  the ‘premis’ or his followers come crashing. Compounding matters was the encouragement to the ‘Premis’ indulge in riotous frenzy. 

Without taking any risks or antagonising the Baba’s vote bank, politicians are known to overlook indiscretions by these self anointed gurus. In this instance the entire country witnessed the abject failure of the Manohar Lal Khattar government in containing the violence in the wake of Gurmeet Singh being found guilty by the special CBI court. 

People continued to gather in Panchkula for nearly a week before the judgement last Friday onSeptember 25 . The mayhem resulting in no less than 38 lives being lost not to speak of the burning of vehicles and damage to property. 

The opposition’s demand that Khattar be removed as chief minister having failed miserably in controlling the law and order situation for the third time in as many years in Haryana was rejected by the Prime Minister. 

Having miscalculated in the first instance, the state government had enough time on its hands to plan and make the necessary arrangements on the day of sentencing on May 28 so that things did not get out of hand. Shoot at sight orders were given to contain violence, if any. 

What is shocking is that dangerous implements including firearms were recovered from the convict’s followers coupled and lawlessness being carefully nurtured. 

In this case the BJP government was in direct breach of its duty in upholding the law. The Punjab and Haryana High Court was up front in the scathing criticism of the Khattar government. It accused the chief minister of deliberately allowing dera followers and “anti-socials” to gather in their thousands for no less than a week inspite of the court’s warning. 

The Court’s observations drew attention to the administration’s connivance in turning a blind eye to a criminal outfit in quasi religious garb. Of course the supporters of the Dera had gathered in greater numbers in Panchkula and Sirsa, the headquarters of the sect in Haryana. 

At the same time nothing remotely can explain the inadequacies of Haryana’s response to last Friday’s mayhem. Neighbouring Punjab and Delhi also witnessed violence but the preparedness of the law enforcers were of a higher order in both these areas.  

In the last decade the rise of Gurmeet Singh has been phenomenal. He became a saint, doctor, Insaan and what have you — focussing on the messages of peace and harmony while leading a degenerate life. His self promotion through movies and biography lists his felicity in more than two score arts and sports. 

Considering his reach in the constituencies of South Punjab and Haryana, the Shiromani Akali Dal, BJP and the Congress have patronised him. Groups of Premis (Dera’s followers) and Sikhs have clashed but he seemed above the law. He remained a power broker unto himself in Haryana and Punjab. 

Even though the so called spiritual leader had played the role of a kingmaker during the elections in the past, the authorities are now keen to attach Dera Sucha Sauda’s properties to pay for the damage caused by the Baba’s followers. 

It would also be appropriate to probe the Dera’s financial affairs. Gurmeet Singh might have paid the price but it is too little too late. Whatever the situation, politicians in power should not allow the weakening of the state at any cost.

(The Views are Personal.)

Minister of State Rajiv Pratap Rudy has reportedly resigned from his position at the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. 

Uma Bharti and Nirmala Sitharaman have also offered to resign along with Rudy 

The development comes after BJP chief Amit Shah met Prime Minister Narendra Modi amid speculation of a cabinet reshuffle. A party leader played it down, saying Shah meets Modi regularly and also pointed out that the meeting comes a day ahead of the beginning of a three-day meeting of the RSS and its allied organisations in Vrindavan.

A rejig of the government has been due for months now, especially after vacancies and transformed alliances. The last cabinet reshuffle took place in July last year in which Modi inducted 19 new faces and elevated Minister of State for Environment Prakash Javadekar to cabinet rank. Five junior ministers were also dropped.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is all set to launch its navigation satellite IRNSS-1H this evening. 

The satellite will lift off at 7 PM from the second launch pad of the Satish Dhavan Space Centre at Sriharikotta, on board the rocket PSLV C39. The 29-hour countdown for the mission that began at 2 PM yesterday is progressing smoothly. 

The satellite IRNSS-1H is a part of the indigenous navigation system called ‘NavIC,’ that was initially planned to have a constellation of seven satellites. 

As the rubidium atomic clocks of the first satellite in the series called IRNSS-1A malfunctioned, the eighth one is being launched today to take up its mantle. 

NavIC system is equivalent to the GPS service, having footprint over the whole of India and about 1500 kilometers from its borders on all sides. It helps user agencies to plan and monitor their vehicular movement on the road and on the sea. 

It can alert fishermen while approaching international maritime boundaries and help public to locate precisely the addresses they require. ISRO says, telecom and power grid operations can also benefit immensely from the data of the NavIC system. 

Accurate survey of territories will be another area where it will provide valuable contributions.

NEW DELHI: Giving more teeth to the Modi government’s crusade against tax evasion and crackdown on funds illegally stashed away in tax havens abroad by the rich and mighty, India looks set to get the crucial financial account information from Switzerland. It will pave the way for lifting the veil of secrecy over Swiss bank accounts held by influential business tycoons of India away from the prying eyes of tax sleuths.

The two countries today emphasized their willingness to further boost cooperation against in the fight  against tax fraud and tax evasion. The first concrete result of enhanced cooperation in finance and tax matters will show up with India getting the long-awaited financial account information. The exchange of information has been facilitated by the signing of the joint declaration in November last year on the implementation of Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI).

In this context, the visiting Switzerland President Mrs. Doris Leuthard briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the ongoing parliamentary procedure in Switzerland. Both the leaders held talks here today  and acknowledged the importance of a global level playing field for effective implementation of the international standards on tax transparency.   

Prime Minister Modi welcomed the steps taken by the Swiss side to expedite the execution of tax information sharing request by India and hoped that the two sides resolve outstanding issues expeditiously through bilateral dialogue at competent authority level. He also expressed his expectation that Switzerland will implement the recommendations of the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information in Tax Matters with the view to further improve mutual administrative assistance in tax matters.

Both leaders agreed for enhanced engagement, closer convergence and stronger cooperation in tax and financial matters. Both sides also recognised the importance and potential benefits of cross-border investment and financial services and agreed to continue cooperation on these matters through regular dialogue, according to a joint statement issued here.

President Leuthard is currently on a state visit to India from August 30 to September 2. She is accompanied by the State Secretary for Economic Affairs Mrs. Marie-Gabrielle Ineichen-Fleisch, State Secretary for International Financial Matters, Mr. Jörg Gasser and other officials. A high level business delegation from Switzerland is also accompanying the President.

Prime Minister Modi held a one-to-one meeting and delegation-level talks with President Leuthard. The Vice President of Venkaiah Naidu, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj called on her. Several other ministers will also separately call on President Leuthard.

Prime Minister Modi along with President Leuthard addressed the business leaders of both countries and held a fruitful exchange with them, the joint statement said. During the meeting with Prime Minister Modi, CEOs of Swiss companies expressed strong support for India’s economic reforms and highlighted their interest in contributing to India’s Flagship Programmes like Make in India, Smart Cities, Digital India, Swachh Bharat, Startup India, Skill India and other initiatives.

Both the leaders agreed that India’s policy of non-alignment and Switzerland’s traditional policy of neutrality had helped to develop a close understanding and solid grounds for constructive cooperation between the two nations on international and bilateral issues.

In light of the upcoming 70th Anniversary of the Swiss-Indian Friendship Treaty, Prime Minister Modi and President Leuthard resolved to strengthen the two country’s close, broad and longstanding friendship. They reiterated their commitment to democracy, rule of law, free trade, respect of human rights, pluralism and rule-based international order and agreed that the Swiss-Indian Friendship Treaty has strengthened bilateral relations by further enhancing trust and mutual respect.

Both leaders acknowledged the need for deepening and expanding bilateral ties through exchanges at various levels. They further agreed to continue with regular political consultations at official level between the two Foreign Ministries for exchanging views on major bilateral, global and regional issues of mutual interest.

Mr. Modi reiterated that Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is an important component to realize India’s growth target and said that India especially welcomed Swiss investors. In this context, both Leaders agreed on the need for continuing negotiations on a new Bilateral Investment Treaty.  

Referring to green solutions and clean technology which can become one of the key areas of bilateral cooperation President Leuthard briefed Prime Minister Modi about the involvement of Swiss cooperation and companies in these initiatives, particularly on enhancing energy efficiency in buildings, sustainable development of mountain regions, and capacity building in Smart Cities Mission.

Both leaders applauded the existing cooperation in the domain of Internet Governance and digitalization, and reiterated the importance of a multi-stakeholder approach in this regard. Switzerland invited India to actively participate at the 12th UN Internet Governance Forum, to be held in Geneva in December. India hopes for a high level participation from Switzerland in the fifth edition of Global Conference on Cyber Space to be held in New Delhi in November.

The two sides welcomed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on technical cooperation in the railway sector. The envisaged technical cooperation in the areas of railway safety and technology will promote efficiency and sustainability in the transport sector, Both sides believe that India’s ongoing railway modernization and expansion plans offer ample opportunities for the Swiss rail industry to engage with Indian railways and industry. A MoU was signed between Konkan Railway Cooperation Limited (KRCL) and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zürich (ETH Zürich).

The two leaders noted with satisfaction that large number of Indians visit Switzerland as foreign tourists each year. Underscoring the substantial potential for bilateral collaboration in the tourism and hospitality sector, the two Leaders took note of the scope for such cooperation, particularly in mountainous regions.

Both leaders expressed their strong commitment to delivering on the Paris Agreement of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and to cooperate in formulating the guidelines by 2018 for its robust operationalization, reflecting their common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities. In light of different national circumstances President Leuthard appreciated Indian leadership on the International Solar Alliance to address climate change concerns.

India and Switzerland also urged all countries to work towards disrupting terrorist networks and financing as well as preventing violent extremism. They emphasized that the global counter terrorism legal framework should regularly be updated and strengthened to combat the scourge of terrorism. Both leaders urged that all member countries should demonstrate a collective political will to take concrete actions against terrorism and to implement the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Strategy.

The joint statement reaffirmed the need for reform of the UN Security Council, including its expansion, to make it more representative, accountable, effective and responsive to the geo-political realities of the 21st century. Mr. Modi appreciated the valuable support of Switzerland for India’s candidature for the UNSC non-permanent seat in 2021-22. 

The two leaders expressed their commitment to support and strengthen global non-proliferation and disarmament objectives. Switzerland welcomed India’s accession to the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) and welcomed India’s intensified engagement with the Nuclear Supplier Group (NSG), Australia Group and the Wassenaar Arrangement, expressing its support for India’s Accession to these regimes.

The two sides expressed satisfaction with regular high-level contacts between the two countries that further deepens bilateral ties between the two nations. President Leuthard invited President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Modi to visit Switzerland at mutually convenient dates.  

The natural process of healing bone joint injuries is slow. Now scientists at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Guwahati have developed an implantable mat that will help bone joint injuries to heal faster. The mat is made of a layer of silk fabricated onto bioglass and can be implanted at the site of injury. 

A bone joint is an area where adjacent hard and rigid bones are joined to one another by cartilage tissue. Cartilage is flexible and consists of specialized cells called chondrocytes that produce a protein, collagen, which helps bone joint injuries to heal naturally. 

“We isolated natural silk from silk worms and made nanofibrous mats that aid in treating bone joint defects owing to their special properties. They have a porous sponge like structure that helps chondrocyte cells to attach and grow. The cells produce more collagen at the site of bone joint injury, which helps to heal the injury faster,” explained Biman Mandal, professor at the Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering of IIT Guwahati, who led the study. The research has appeared in journal ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces.

Doctors also use autologous chondrocyte implantation in which chondrocyte cells from injured person are extracted, cultured in lab, multiplied, and then transplanted back to the site of injury. This method has high success rate but is expensive. Knee replacement surgery is another option but not affordable by many.

Researchers now plan animal trials in which silk mats will be implanted in goats and sheep to see if it helps to enhance the pace of healing injured joints and to evaluate safety. “If the results are promising, then we will go for human trials,” Mandal told India Science Wire. 

Amit K Dinda, professor at the Department of Pathology of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, who is not connected to the study, commented that while the method appears to be low cost, there will be “greater clarity only after preclinical animal studies to test biocompatibility, toxicity, local tissue reaction at the site of implantation and process of sterilization.” All these steps are necessary to obtain regulatory approval for human use.

The study was done in collaboration with the University College London and was funded by the Department of Science and Technology- UK India Education and Research Initiative (DST-UKIERI) and Department of Biotechnology. The team included Joseph Christakiran, Philip JT Reardon, Rocktotpal Konwarh, Jonathan C Knowles, and Biman B Mandal. (India Science Wire) 

Scientists have fabricated solar panels that could withstand harsh environmental conditions that prevail in upper reaches of Himalayas. These panels have been deployed in the Zanskar valley area to meet energy needs of people living there.

The panels have been designed to provide either warm water or help heat up the people’s homes. They work on the simple principle of solar energy absorption by black coated galvanised iron sheet and aluminum alloy pipe coil through a normal window glass to heat the water or the air. Each panel can heat 100 to 120 litres of water per day. The space heating panels can heat up the air and blow it into living spaces at temperatures of up to 65-70 degrees Celsius. 

A total of 158 panels have been transported from Mandi in Himachal Pradesh traversing eight mountain passes including Tanglangla – the second highest pass in the world at an altitude of 17, 582 feet. 

The project has been implemented by the Shimla-based Himalayan Research Group of the Ministry of Science and Technology, and Highland Agricultural Research and Extension Station at Padum, under the Technology Intervention for Mountain Ecosystem: Livelihood Enhancement through Action Research and Networking (TEAM-LEARN) programme. 

At present, residents of the area use the dung from their livestock as the source of heat. Women had to spend nearly three to four hours every day. With the induction of the solar technology, this drudgery would be saved. In addition, it would mitigate the pollution problems caused by burning of dung indoors and help improve the productivity of their farms as the dung would be available as manure.(India Science Wire)

NEW DELHI: Denouncing terrorism as a menace to the society and humanity, the Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu today asserted that terror has no caste and no religion.

“No religion teaches, preaches or supports terrorism. A terrorist is inhuman. In other words a terrorist is a `rakshasa’. Religion and terrorism should not be mixed but some outside forces are doing this. We should be cautious of such attempts,’’ he said. His oblique reference was to Pakistan’s attempts to foment trouble in Kashmir Valley by acts of provocation and terrorism by exploiting religioun. 

Delivering the second Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam memorial lecture, organized by the India Islamic Cultural Centre here, Mr. Naidu came out strongly against casteism, saying it was fast losing its relevance. In his inimitable, extempore style of coining rhythmic phrases, he took a dig at politicians for still sticking to factors like caste for garnering votes.

“I am no longer a politician and I do not belong to any political party. A politicians should be chosen on the basis his or her conduct, character, caliber, and capacity and not by caste,’’ he said amid applause from the select gathering. 

He asserted that there should not be discrimination on the basis of caste, gender, community, language and religion.  He exhorted the teenagers to learn as many languages as they can but first master their mother tongue be it Urdu, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil or Bengali. “All languages are beautiful, all of them connect people,’’ he said.

Mr. Naidu who was elected Vice President of India earlier this month admitted that he was finding it a little difficult to strictly adhere to protocol and reading written speeches. “ I am only deviating from the written text, I speak from my heart.  I am not deviating from my righteous path and duty,’’ he quipped.

Describing Dr. Kalam as a “human being extraordinaire’’ who came from a humble background and became one of the iconic and “People’s President’’, Mr. Naidu said that Dr. Kalam’s vision was to see a transformed, fully developed India by 2020 where the urban-rural divide would be reduced to a thin line.

“It further envisioned a prosperous, healthy secure nation devoid of terrorism -a peaceful and happy nation on a sustainable growth path and one of the best places to live in,’’ he said. He reminded that Dr. Kalam had outlined an integrated action plan in five core areas – agriculture and food processing, education and healthcare, information and communication technology, infrastructure development and self-reliance in critical technologies,

The Vice President said that India has to tap and realize the full potential of unleashing the forces of growth and create wealth. “We have to ask if factors like poverty, illiteracy, corruption, casteism, communalism, terrorism, religious fundamentalism, regional and economic disparities are holding India back,’’ he said.

Mr. Naidu appealed to all citizens to work collectively and individually rise above narrow, selfish mentality and pledge to work with missionary zeal to banish poverty, corruption, communalism, regionalism and any kind of ism that will pull the country backwards. He pointed out that corruption was posing a huge challenge to both the government and the society. “This plague has to be completely eliminated,’’ he said.

Mr. Naidu who is also the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha said the behavior of the people’s representatives should be exemplary and they should be role models for others. He said there cannot be any scope for obstructing the country’s development and there is only one mantra to move forward – discuss, debate, decide and not disrupt.

The President of the India Islamic Cultural Centre (IICC) Sirajuddin Qureshi said the Centre was working for amity and harmony among all religions and communities.  

The Reserve Bank of India today in its annual report says that almost 99 per cent of banned Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes that were demonetised last November have returned to the system. 

In the report for 2016-17, the RBI said that out of 632.6 crore pieces of Rs 1,000 currency notes in circulation, 8.9 crore have not been returned post the note ban last November.

The government had on November 8, banned old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes in an attempt to weed out black money in the country. 

The old notes were allowed to be deposited in banks, with unusual deposits coming under income tax scrutiny.

The government replaced old Rs 500 notes with new ones, but no replacement for Rs 1000 notes has been made. 

Instead, a new Rs 2,000 note was introduced post note ban.

RBI said there were as many 588.2 crore of Rs 500 notes, both old and new in circulation as of March 31, 2017. As of March 31, 2016, there were 1,570.7 crore Rs 500 notes in circulation.

The report further said that the cost of printing of currency notes more than doubled to Rs 7,965 crore in 2016-17 from Rs 3,421 crore in the previous year on account of new currency printing.

Besides, new Rs 500 and Rs 2000 notes, the RBI has also printed new Rs 200 notes.