In the times of demonetization when the Modi Government is urging people to move towards electronic modes of payments, the factor that will matter most in making digital payments successful is uninterrupted internet access, particularly in rural areas where reliable mobile network are still a big issue.  While top mobile operators, including government-owned BSNL, is striving hard to ensure uninterrupted mobile network for better voice and uninterrupted data transfer, a Gurgaon-based telecom company – Vihaan Networks Ltd or VNL – has shown the way that could help realise Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream of “Digital India”.

Through its unique and ‘green’ mobile solutions, VNL has set up broadband networks in three villages in Rajasthan that provide seamless Wi-Fi coverage free of cost. These networks are literally maintenance-free that can be managed by any villager and are not dependent on government power supply as they are solar powered,

Though the villages of Karenda, Phalsa and Bahadari are yet to get good roads and proper supply of water, what they can boast of is uninterrupted Wi-Fi network that delivers good broadband speed and is free of cost. Students here can be seen visiting various websites related to education and jobs though they sometimes do visit entertainment and sports website for recreation. VNL has also provided broadband services to government school and ‘panchayat ghars’ in these villages that helps school and gram panchayats to get their official work done.

“We have created high-speed wireless internet services solutions especially for rural areas. Our ‘Rural Broadband Solution’ is totally solar-powered and standalone wireless broadband solution that provides seamless Wi-Fi coverage anywhere. It needs no shelter, air conditioning, connection to power grid, generator or diesel fund, and is ready for business in days providing fully-functional broadband,” says VNL Chairman Rajiv Mehrotra.

Another interesting innovation from VNL is ‘Gurukul’, village internet kiosk solution that enables rural communities to access high speed broadband internet without the need for connection to power grid or diesel generators. “High speed broadband internet access enables children to take advantage of distance learning and other e-learning initiatives. Villagers can also access the internet for e-finance and e-governance related tasks. Our modern and ‘green’ broadband solutions will help the government in speedy realization of the ‘Digital India’ goals,” adds Mr. Mehrotra.

Being close to Delhi, these villages had access to mobile networks and broadband, but erratic mobile connectivity and power supply besides high data packages made it difficult for them to freely use internet. “But for almost two years VNL has been providing us uninterrupted broadband access. Villagers, particularly children, are happy that they can use internet for education and other purposes. It has also helped us to get crucial information related to agriculture and weather. With the government scrapping old Rs.1000 and Rs.500 notes, people are now learning internet banking and other modes of e-transaction, thanks to good broadband network,” says a village elder.

VNL, which also has to its credit of supplying cost-efficient and reliable mobile network in Naxal-affected states, is planning to take its rural broadband solution to other remote areas of the country. “Our rural solution can bring broadband revolution across India, particularly in remote villages and far off places in states like Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Northeast, Andaman and Nicobar Islands. These easy-to-maintain and cost-effective Wi-Fi solutions can provide uninterrupted internet access to people. It can also help in running administration as we have demonstrated in these villages,’ Mr. Mehrotra adds.

Government sources say the Telecom Department and the BSNL have taken VNL’s experiment very positively and is mulling over starting a pilot project by using the technology. “VNL’s low-cost, and maintenance-free broadband solution looks ideal for taking Prime Minister’s Narendra Modi’s ‘Digital India’ campaign to the next level. The Prime Minister is pushing for e-payments and e-transactions post scrapping of old currency, the challenge for the government is to see that every Indian gets uninterrupted internet access. And to make it possible, we need solutions like the one being provided by VNL,” a senior DoT official adds.

New Delhi: Both the Houses of Parliament were adjourned sine die today. During the session, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha passed several important legislations, including four bills related to Goods and Services Tax (GST) and held debates on several key subjects.

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan described the second part of the Budget session as productive and constructive. She said during the session, 24 bills were introduced out of which 23 were passed by the Lok Sabha. She said over eight hours were wasted due to disruptions during the session but the members sat 28 hours and 40 minutes extra to dispose of the urgent government business.

The legislations which have been passed include, four GST Bills, Payment of Wages (Amendment) Bill, the Specified Bank Notes( Cessation of Liabilities) Bill, the Maternity Benefit (Amendment Bill) Bill, the Enemy Property ( Amendment and Validation) Bill, the Mental Health Care Bill and the Motor Vehicles ( Amendment) Bill. The Union Budget and relevant Appropriation Bills were also given approval.

Rajya Sabha Chairman Mohammed Hamid Ansari said the Upper House passed or returned 14 bills during the session which generated lively debates. He said Union Budget 2017-18 and the working of the Railway Ministry were discussed at length. He said the issues relating to electoral reforms and Aadhaar saw animated debates in the House.  
The members also asked 260 supplementaries which is about 48 per cent of the total supplementaries asked. The second part of Budget session had begun on March 9. 

New Delhi: Almost all governments are under pressure to give VIP security protection to politicians and high-profile persons. The present NDA government has doled out VIP security cover to nearly 300 persons, often seen as a status symbol by several politicians. 

The top Z plus security cover has been provided to 26 persons, while Z category security cover has been given to 58 persons. The next category of Y plus protection has been given to 144 persons and the Y category to two persons, the last category of X security cover has been provided to 68 persons. 

The Lok Sabha was told today that security is provided on the basis of threat assessment done by Central Security Agency. It is subject to periodic review. Based on such review, the security cover is continued, withdrawn or modified. Hence, the number of protectees is not static and varies over time. 

Presently, the elite “Black Cat Commandos” of the National Security Guard (NSG) provide mobile security cover to 14 ‘Z+’ category protectees. NSG has deployed 551 security personnel for the protection of these protectees. Among the Z plus protectees are RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, BJP President Amit Shah, BJP patriarch L K Advani and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. 

The Lok Sabha was told by Minister of State for Home Hansraj Ahir, in a written reply, that it was difficult to assess the expenditure on security precisely as  it includes salary and allowances to security personnel, communication, transport vehicles, etc. which are accounted for under respective budget heads of different security agencies, including State Government agencies, providing security cover. Such details are not compiled centrally. 

There are special instructions for security of the President, the Vice President and the Prime Minister, which are contained in their respective Blue Books, issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs. The Prime Minister is provided proximate security by the Special Protection Group (SPG). 

Security arrangements for other individuals are made as per the guidelines laid down in the ‘Yellow Book’ titled ‘Security arrangements for the protection of individuals’. The security arrangements for such individuals are made after careful assessment of their threat perception by the Central Security Agency. Depending on the level of threat, security is provided in Z+,Z,Y+,Y and X categories. 

Certain categories of individuals, such as Union Ministers, State Chief Ministers and Judges of Supreme Court and High Courts, are provided positional/statutory security cover to facilitate bold and impartial decision making. Their security is withdrawn after they demit their office.

New Delhi: India’s outrage over handling down of death sentence by a Pakistani military court to Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav on the charges of espionage and subversion continued to find its echo in Parliament today. 

In a statement in the Rajya Sabha, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said that India’s position on the matter was clear. She asserted there was no evidence of wrongdoing by Mr. Jadhav. “If anything, he is the victim of a plan that seeks to cast aspersions on India to deflect international attention from Pakistan’s well-known record of sponsoring and supporting terrorism. Under these circumstances, we have no choice but to regard the sentence, if carried out, as an act of pre-meditated murder,” she said.

The Minister said that Foreign Secretary had conveyed India’s position to the High Commissioner of Pakistan on Monday. 

In a stern message, she stated that the Government and people of India would view very seriously the possibility that an innocent Indian citizen is facing death sentence in Pakistan without due process and in violation of basic norms of law, justice and international relations. 

Ms. Swaraj cautioned the Pakistan Government to consider the consequences for Indo-Pak bilateral relationship if they proceed on this matter.

She informed the Rajya Sabha that she had been in touch with the parents of Mr. Jadhav and the government is extending its fullest support to them in this difficult situation. 

Sharing her concern, the Minister stressed that the death sentence by a Pakistani military court martial was given on concocted charges, “I would like to inform the House that Shri Jadhav was doing business in Iran and was kidnapped and taken to Pakistan. The exact circumstances are unclear and can only be ascertained if we have consular access to him. Accordingly, from the time his abduction was known, our High Commission in Islamabad has continuously pressed Pakistani authorities for such access. Although this is provided for by international law and is deemed a norm in international relations, the Government of Pakistan did not permit it. That itself should tell us much about the strength of the case against Mr. Jadhav,” she said. The Minister said that a senior Pakistani leader has himself expressed doubts about the adequacy of evidence in this case.Earlier this year, the Pakistan Government had sought India’s assistance to obtain evidence and other materials for the investigation process. In doing so, they levelled ridiculous charges against senior Indian officials who had no connection to this issue. Thereafter, they linked providing consular access to our acceptance of their position. Nevertheless, in the hope that some forward movement could be made, our response was constructive. We pointed out that consular access to Mr.  Jadhav would be an essential pre-requisite in order to verify the facts and understand the circumstances of his presence in Pakistan. Ms. Swaraj said. 

1. 
   Driving without licence get ready to pay fine of Rs. 5000
2. Do not think of driving if you have been disqualified from getting licence Rs. 10,000 fine
3. Drunken driving fine raised to Rs. 10,000
4. Not using safety accessories, pay fine up to Rs. 1000 and Disqualification for 3 months for licence
5. Offences by Juveniles: Guardian / owner shall be deemed to be guilty. Rs 25,000 fine with 3 yrs imprisonment. For Juvenile – to be tried under JJ Act. Registration of Motor Vehicle to be cancelled
6. State governments will issue licenses to taxi aggregators as per Central government guidelines.  Currently, state governments determine guidelines for plying of taxis.  There could be cases where state taxi guidelines are at variance with the Central guidelines on aggregators.
7. It is proposed to create National Register for Driving Licence and National Register for Vehicle registration through “Vahan” & “Sarathi” platforms.

The Aam Aadmi party’s mind boggling victory in the assembly elections in Delhi caught them unawares. What jolted them was that they not only ensured the rout of the Congress which failed to win even a single seat along with the BJP suffering its most humiliating defeat with only three seats in the 70-member assembly in the city state. 

For Prime Minister Narendra Modi this was his first defeat in nearly a dozen years since he became chief minister of Gujarat and in 2014 single handedly scripted BJP regaining power on the majestic Raisina Hill in Lutyen’s Delhi. His invincibility at the hustings took a severe beating with the prestigious Delhi assembly remaining a far cry. 

The Lotus party secured a majority in the Lok Sabha for the first time since it was formed 35 years back. The National Democratic Alliance with the saffron brigade in the vanguard crossed the rubicon of 300 and tallied 340 seats in the 543-member 16th Lok Sabha. 

These were stellar achievements for the BJP and a huge wake up call for the grand old Congress party which finished with a measly 44 seats in the House of the People in the country’s highest legislature, the lowest since independence. It denied the 129-year-old party the right to be the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha as it did not meet the requirement of having at least one-tenth of the strength of the Lok Sabha. They were ten short and had to stomach the ignominy despite emerging as the second largest political entity after the saffron brigade in the House of the People. 

The AAP and its supremo Arvind Kejriwal who is presently the chief minister of Delhi for the second time managed an incredible achievement with hardly any parallel in this country. Even though the activists and volunteers of the fledgling party deliberately moved away from the beaten path in politics seeking to replicate the Swiss system of direct democracy with direct interface with the people. 

In a huge country like India this limited experiment succeeded overwhelmingly. Kejriwal and his AAP caught the imagination of the people of Delhi which is essentially a pot pourri of migrants from all over the country particularly North India including the Hill states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. 

Author and political editor of Outlook magazine Saba Naqvi, who has closely followed the AAP since its inception, painstakingly provides valuable insight into its ingenious election campaign bringing to the fore the crucial factors that compelled the electorate in Delhi to overwhelmingly vote for the fledgling party the second time around. 

The first time in 2013 when the AAP took part in the democratic process it failed to get a majority in the Delhi assembly but emerged as the second largest with 28 seats. The BJP was in front with 32 seats and fell tantalisingly short of a simple majority by four seats. Backed by the Congress having eight seats, Kejriwal formed the government and quit abruptly 49 days after he was sworn in. The people were disappointed and angry that the AAP wasted a huge opportunity to govern Delhi and implement its pledges to the people. 

In the 2014 general elections the AAP came a cropper in Delhi and believed it had a second chance. And they grabbed it with both hands. Saba’s emphasis in winning 67 of the 70 seats in the 2015 Delhi assembly elections, Kejriwal demonstrated how a party that has radically challenged the norms of Indian politics can bounce back trouncing all other contenders particularly the two national parties in the BJP and the Congress with the latter ruling Delhi for three terms or 15 years without a break. 

The AAP campaign ticked all the right boxes with the promise of populism and a city wide network of activists blurring the lines between volunteerism and political activism. In deliberately muting its attacks on the opposition while concentrating instead on the issues that mattered to the people, the once written-off AAP rewrote the rules of the game. 

Even as the BJP won a national mandate, the AAP has only won Delhi. There is a great asymmetry in numbers. But there are certain implications for Indian politics as a whole. Political chemistry does change when a new element is added to the mix. 

The BJP is a fully finished political product while the AAP is still evolving.  

The author has also touched upon the inner struggles of the party especially with regard to founder members Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav. It is widely believed by the core group of the AAP that Prashant has been manipulated by Yadav and his father Shanti Bhushan. 

Kejriwal was blunt and direct in saying he has had enough of them. He chronicled how Prashant, Yadav and Shanti Bhushan betrayed them. “I am here to fight the forces of corruption and communalism. I am not here to fight Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav,” declared Kejriwal. Being witness to many inner party struggles after the 2014 general elections Kejriwal has learnt to shrug things off. 

Interviewed by Saba, Kejriwal stressed “I had not come to set up just another party with a high command culture like the BSP. I had come to change the nature of politics. It is also important to remember that this was a movement that has become a successful political party.”  

He acknowledged that emotions run high in the AAP. At the same time the author believes political parties centre around a charismatic leader. Kejriwal is a leader around whom everything has happened. 

The question is can Arvind Kejriwal be replicated elsewhere? He inspired the young eager beaver volunteers who were at the heart of executing the campaign. 

His experiment in alternative politics for traditional parties was successful. The million Dollar question is can the elections in Delhi change the fundamentals of how politics is pursued in this country. 

After the 2015 Delhi verdict, Modi decided on a wardrobe shift of tailoring his kurtas in the style he prefers. This is a wake up call for both the BJP and the Sangh to move away from a personality and restart the dialogue within the party. As the BJP is currently the ascendant force in national politics, the AAP is clear that it will be positioning its politics as a counter to the ruling national party. 

The key to becoming a real national alternative, Kejriwal believes is to create an entirely new model of governance in Delhi showcasing how the AAP does things differently. The AAP supremo is keen to evolve into an innovative administrator from his previous avatars as activist, campaigner and now politician. The AAP wants to work towards ensuring that each Vidhan Sabha constituency has its own budget. This is revolutionary and more than just thinking out of the box. 

The participative budget has proved that transparent administration of resources is the only way to avoid corruption and mishandling of public funds. The AAP has given the country a blockbuster in electoral politics and issues of governance. Overall Saba’s second book captures efforts to change traditional politics by resorting to interactive and direct democracy which appears to have struck a chord at least with Delhi-ites. The experiment has just begun in this country. 

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi and the Prime Minister of Australia, Mr. Malcolm Turnbull travelling to Akshardham temple in Delhi Metro, in New Delhi

New Delhi: India and Australia today inked six pacts, including one to boost cooperation in counter-terrorism and transnational organised crime.  The agreements were signed after comprehensive talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his visiting Australian counterpart Malcom Turnbull. 

In his statement, Mr. Modi said that he along with his Australian counterpart has reviewed the entire gamut of India-Australia relations and taken a number of forward-looking decisions to further strengthen the partnership between the two nations. 

Mr. Modi said that he and Mr. Turnbull recognize that our future is deeply tied to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. Both the sides agreed on the need for a secure and rule based Indo-Pacific. 

“We are also aware that in this globalized world, challenges like terrorism and cyber security, extend beyond the boundaries of our region. And, therefore, require global strategy and solutions,” Mr.Modi said. 

He noted that Australian Prime Minister’s understanding and insight into regional and global issues brings a new dimension to our cooperation on matters that concern us both. 

“Our cooperation in the area of defence and security has reached new heights. Our maritime exercises and exchanges have been productive. Our bilateral mechanisms on counter-terrorism and trans-national crimes are functioning well,” he said. 

Both the sides also agreed that strong regional institutions are necessary for peace, prosperity and a sense of balance in the region. They agreed to work to cooperate more closely with members of the East Asia Summit and the Indian Ocean Rim countries. 

Mr. Modi said that strong and vibrant strategic partnership with Australia was important for the security and well being of the two societies. But, it is also a major factor for peace, stability and security in our region, he added.

Stressing that terrorism constitutes one of the most serious threats to peace and stability, the two Prime Ministers reiterated their strong commitment to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. They stressed that there can be no justification for acts of terror on any grounds whatsoever. 

They asserted that the fight against terrorists, terror organisations and networks should also identify, hold accountable and take strong measures again stall those who encourage, support and finance terrorism, provide sanctuary to terrorists and terror groups, and falsely extol their virtues. 

The two Prime Ministers emphasised the need for urgent measures to counter and prevent the spread of terrorism and violent extremism and radicalization and expressed their determination to take concrete measures to step up cooperation and coordination among the law enforcement, intelligence and security organisations. 

Noting that both countries have been victims of terrorism, the two Prime Ministers welcomed the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Combating International Terrorism and Transnational Organized Crime. 

“This overarching security understanding will allow links between Australian and Indian law enforcement, border and intelligence agencies to grow – ultimately improving both countries’ ability to address global and regional security threats,” the joint statement said. 

India and Australia already cooperate closely on counter-terrorism through the bilateral Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism. 

President Pranab Mukherjee has urged all citizens to extend their unstinted support to the mission of a less cash India.  He said that all efforts of the Government will achieve their end only has if people were to adopt them pro-actively.

The President was speaking on the occasion of the 100th mega draw of lots for Lucky Grahak Yojana and Digi Dhan Vyapar Yojana at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Sunday. 

”I congratulate each one of you who has contributed in this mission to make India a less cash society.  This will help ensure financial inclusion where every Indian, irrespective of her socio-economic status, is empowered with necessary digital tools to participate in the new age economy,” he said.

Mr. Mukherjee said India is on the cusp of a digital revolution. More than one billion Indians have a unique identity number with a biometric identifier which is unique in its own way. Even countries which are technologically far more advanced than India with comparatively much smaller size population do not have such a system in place. The Aadhaar card initiative is a watershed event in the development story of India.

The President complemented the Government on its bold initiatives for promoting the culture of digital payment in the country. He said it was in line with such bold initiatives that the Parliament made a new beginning in Financial Management through passage of Annual Budget by March 31, 2017.

The book – Chance – is about the science and secrets of luck, randomness and probability. Edited by Michael Brooks, it raises a question which rings out every day that humans exist. “We usually don’t have an answer — at least not one thats correct.” There is no pool of people that didn’t get born, so there is no way to calculate a probability of you existing. Thats not a miracle but just a link in the human chain. The role of chance in the universe cannot be denied. After all it appears to be the most fundamental process in the laws of physics. 

Dig deep into the way everything works and you find yourself dealing with quantum physics. This describes the world of the extremely small things from which all matter is made. Atoms, electrons, protons — all obey the laws of quantum theory. This describes the world of the extremely small things from which all matter is made. There is no cause and effect at the heart of quantum theory: measuring a property such as a spin of an electron might be clockwise or anti-clockwise. But the actual result of any single measurement is entirely unknowable in advance: it manifests at random. 

One of the most famous quotes of Eienstein’s reaction to this, a refusal to believe this is how the universe operates. ‘God does not play dice’ he said to physicist Neils Bohr whose response was brilliant. Bohr scolded Einstein for telling God what to do. He was right: our natural intuition that all effects must have a cause is not to be trusted. It evolved over millenia thanks to a need to survive in hostile landscapes. Our ancestors were better off assuming the bush over there is moving because of a tiger waiting to pounce than blithely assuming there is no reason for the rustling leaves. Evasive action may not always be necessary, but it’s the ultimate example of better safe than sorry. 

We marvel at the discovery that two people at a party share the same birthday — another ‘what are the chances’? But if there are 23 or more people in a room, a shared birthday is statistically likely. The editor warns playing the birthday statistician is more likely to make one the party pooper than the event’s life and soul. Thats because dealing properly with chance takes real mental effort, and parties aren’t always the best place to demand that. However, chance is not always about gritty thinking; it can be a gateway to great fun and even unexpected success. Delve into myths of people being naturally lucky, or star-cross’d and thus fated to suffer, and you’ll discover that you can make your luck. 

But scientists are not sitting down waiting for fate to determine their worthiness for a Nobel prize. Instead they are skewing the odds in their favour by analysing serendipity and putting themselves in the best possible position to stumble across new discoveries. Perhaps nowhere is the application of chance more serious than in the courtroom. If you have ever served on a jury, you’ll have had the uncomfortable experience of making a life changing decision (with the small comfort that its always about someone else’s life) based on much less information than you’d like. Rare is the open and shut case; instead the jury’s verdict hangs on its members’ judgement of likelihood and probability. 

Chance brings to the fore these and many other revolutions-in-progress. Chance is everywhere and always has been. It was in the primeordial quantum fluctuations that led to the formation of the Milky Way. It sparked the random genetic mutation that gave the first human brains access to unprecedented supplies of thought-fuelling glucose. Can science show us how to beat the odds from genetic forecasting to winning the lottery. Chances are science can tell us a lot about the perfect bet, sexual attraction, freak accidents and even the random events that led to your own conception. 

All we know about daily life is a roll of the dice. If the odds against winning the lottery jackpot are a mind boggling 14 million to one, why do we persist in thinking that we are in with a chance. Some of New Scientists sharpest minds provide insights into luck, randomness, risk and probability. They explore the world of chance and help explain what chance really means. The universe did not have to produce matter, or a planet with a stable enough climate for life to evolve. Whats more life — especially complex life — did not have to evolve. 

Neither did species. By the time we get to the chance mutations that made humans what they are, you might marvel at how lucky you are to exist. Stephen Battersby and David Shiga are at hand to explain our cosmological luck. This universe it turns out is something of a fluke. It seems an extraordinary accident that matter exists at all: the cosmos could easily have been a bland sea of radiation. That’s because after inflation, the universe was still unimaginably hot and dense. 

The next cosmic accident was the advent of celestial fire. As we now appreciate matter prevailed and the universe cooled. One particular meteorite discovered in 2003 in Bishnupur, India, contained large quantities of Iron-60, a radioactive isotope that decays over a few million years into stable nickel-60. Because iron-60 is so short lived interstellar gas generally holds just a trace of it. The large amounts in the Bishnupur meteorite imply that our solar system formed from a much richer brew. 

Another fluke is the formation of the moon. It was born from the fact that the solar system in which the infant earth found itself was an unsettled environment, filled with lumps of rock whizzing around on irregular orbits. Some 4.5 billion years ago, one of these, something around the size of Mars, clobbered our planet. The result was a comprehensive rearrangement. Some of the impacting material stuck, while the rest was blasted into orbit along with bits of Earth excavated from the collision. There it formed the moon. Indeed, Chance provides quite some food for thought.