Star Trek

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January 20, 2019

Team India first suffered injury and later, the team members are facing inquiries and all the players are just waiting for IPL season to start. For some cricketers, this gentleman’s game has become a playboy game; the very sad state of affairs. Perhaps, with easy money – and that too in plenty – comes all vices. To add salt to the wound, Indian cricket team lost the first one day match to Australia by 34 runs with keeping both Rahul and Hardik Pandya out of the team and sending back home.

The crass comments on women made by cricketers Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul on a television show could make the two players susceptible to approaches by bookmakers through honey traps. At least, the comments such as the ones that have been made would definitely have painted a large, red target on the back of the players for potential recruiters for the organised syndicates, who attempt to indulge in match-fixing across the globe.

Thus, the playful Indian cricketers in a playboy style pay a heavy price for their petty comments.They are not kids, they represent the country. There is a code of conduct to be followed by the team members, especially the celebrity class in the side, but unfortunately they get carried away with the money and followers and suffer. They paid the penalty which they richly deserve for their outspoken comments on weaker sex. Easy money has spoiled the mind of these young cricketers. From eat cricket, sleep cricket now we face the situation of weep cricket as well.

In addition to this, we think Team India does not need KL Rahul. Hardik Pandya should focus on performance after a serious injury in Asia Cup. Already Hardik missed a very crucial Australia tour. Hardik is a very important asset for Team India because of his all-rounder skill. So both the players must focus on their Performances rather than creating controversy or conflict or comments. Maybe it will affect our team’s performance in the ongoing tour. Young players should keep away from such shows which will not enhance their performance but on the other hand bring a name for the players and the country.

When you are on the field, it is easy to get carried away. But TV shows are not field. The player should be aware of what they say on national television. Don’t care attitude has to be avoided and for those who don’t take it seriously, strict penal action has to be taken. In this direction, COA Vinod Rai recommendations are appropriate. Star trek actions and reactions on and off the field bring disrepute not only to the players but also to the country.

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

Letters to the Editor: January 20, 2019

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Web Team

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January 20, 2019

Increase frequency

The train number 17309/17310 Yesvantpur-Vasco da Gama Bi-weekly Express runs from Bengaluru via Hubballi-Londa-Madgaon Junction. The train has now formed as an important lifeline connecting to Goa especially during festivals and holiday seasons. As the train links Madgaon which acts as a prominent transit station on Konkan Railway and helps the passengers to quickly connect towards Mumbai and its suburb stations like Navi Mumbai, Belapur, Vashi, Panvel, Vasai Road, Kalyan, and Thane.

Since a long time the train has been operating only on a bi-weekly basis without much change in either increase in the frequency or extension of the train to run on a daily basis. This has caused an inconvenience to many regular passengers as there is now an urgent need for a daily train to Madgaon from Bangalore. Though the arrangement to connect to Vasco and Madgaon exists through slip coach from Bangalore by 16589/16590 Rani Chennamma Express, it is of little help as the slip-coach consists of just one AC 3 Tier and one Sleeper class.

As Bangalore is now witnessing a heavy influx of passengers to Goa all through the year due to the holiday season, festivals and popular events like International Film Festival of India held every year in Goa, there is a now a high necessity for daily train connectivity to Madgaon. The connectivity may be arranged with a suggestion to increase in the frequency of the existing 17309/17310 Yesvantpur-Vasco Bi-weekly Express to run as a daily train.

Hence, this is a kind request to the concerned authorities of Konkan Railway administration (headquartered at Belapur CBD, Navi Mumbai) to urgently consider the suggestion to increase the frequency of 17309/17310 Yesvantpur-Vasco Express from the existing bi-weekly service to a seamless daily service. Upon commencement of the daily services, the present slip coaches arrangement by Rani Chennamma Express may also be merged, into its existing rake for further optimum utilisation.

Varun Srinivas

Failure of Macaulay ‘s Edusystem

Before British invasion, India followed Gurukul education system which resulted in 99 per cent literacy rate. Different types of 64 arts and 16 subjects were taught in Gurukul, which evolved 360-degree progress in an individual. Very soon Britishers learnt about the greatness of the Gurukul system and injected Macaulay’s education method in India. Even after independence we follow Macaulay’s education method resulting into decline in literacy rate. “53 per cent of nation’s students, studying in 8th standard, fail to learn simple mathematics” stated the report of NGO “Pratham” working in the education sector. Ancient India invented zero and modern India fails to learn zero, such a shameful thing it is. Rejecting Macaulay’s method and accepting Gurukul system will definitely make future generation a learnt and ideal one.

Karan Chaudhari

Safeguards necessary for senior citizens

Latest data released by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) shows a sharp decline in small savings in the first eight months of the financial year 2017-18 when small savings schemes amounted to just Rs 40,429 crore, a seven-fold dip from Rs 2,75,682 crore in the corresponding period of the previous year. Evidently, it is at the cost of more investment in mutual-fund schemes where political and other factors can suddenly harm the investors like happened in investment in properties.

A sharp decline in interest rate was anticipated post demonetisation when Jeevan Akshay pension-plan of LIC of India for the reason witnessed maximum investment in that period. But with currency circulation crossing what it was before demonetisation, the reduced interest rate in government savings schemes should be restored with a total overhaul, rationalisation and simplification.

An exclusive long term government saving scheme to be available in all branches of public sector banks and post offices should be introduced with an annual interest rate of eight per cent where interest may be auto-credited for senior citizens on monthly basis. For others, auto credit of interest may be on annual basis. Deposits under this scheme should be exempted under section 80-C of Income Tax Act. Other savings schemes and pension plans including RBI bonds, Senior Citizens Savings Scheme and Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana can then be discontinued. Other special savings schemes like Public Provident Fund (PPF) should also attract eight per cent annual interest rate.

Subhash Chandra Agrawal

Postal cash receipts should carry stickers for users too

Presently, the system at Department of Posts is to issue computer printed cash receipts where the portion used by the Department of Posts has sticker while the portion given to consumer is without a sticker. Department of Posts for the convenience of users of postal services should have sticker also in the portion given to the consumers so that they may not require gum at their end to affix it on their despatch-registers or documents etc. It will be a benefit to public exchequer also presently appreciable man hours and gum is utilised by various public authorities to paste postal cash receipts on their despatch registers.

Department of Posts will not be burdened extra because even presently, one of the dual portions of same cash receipt still has a sticker on back for the portion kept by Department of Posts itself. Rather, ultimately it may be economical and convenient to print computer stationery for issuing postal cash receipts if the sticker is there on a complete dual portion of cash receipts rather than on single portion only.

Madhu Agrawal

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

Chhattisgarh watershed project promises better income for small farmers

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Web Team

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January 20, 2019

Eyeing economic gains through ecological work, non-profit organisation Pradan, along with Chhattisgarh government, has launched a watershed project in the state to enhance the income of 1 lakh small and marginal farmers, of whom over 40 per cent belong to Scheduled Tribes.

A watershed is a chunk of a land that drains out at a common point. The watershed development approach takes a comprehensive account of the people, land, water and forest resources in that area and makes planned interventions.

According to Pradan, the watershed project in the state will lead to year-round food security for about 76 per cent of the families and an increase in earning in the range of Rs 15,000-25,000 per annum.

For the project, a consortium of 13 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) will facilitate land and water treatment measures in 26 blocks of 12 districts in Chhattisgarh, that will lead to improvement in the cropping intensity in about 3,50,000 hectare of land.

The project was launched in partnership with the Chhattisgarh government, Bharat Rural Livelihoods Foundation and Axis Bank Foundation.

The focus is on initiating a community-led mechanism to enhance the productivity of natural resources to meet demands for food, fodder and fuel wood within the watershed in a sustainable manner.

Pradan Executive Director Narendranath Damodaran said the central and eastern Indian plateau region is home to about 70 per cent of the tribal population in rural India.

Despite being a high rainfall region, it remains unfit for agriculture because of the high run-off rate of rainwater, resulting from hilly terrain, that takes away the fertile soil.

“Unproductive land combined with lack of irrigation infrastructure makes farming highly non-remunerative for tribal communities. Thus, investment in improving the productivity of land and water resources is a necessary intervention in this region,” Damodaran told PTI.

He further noted that Pradan has developed a package of technologies collectively termed Integrated Natural Resource Management (INRM), which holds the potential to provide sustained and enhanced income to farmers.

For the Chhattisgarh watershed project, Pradan will set up a project implementation and management team to facilitate support to Gram Panchayats to mobilise the communities, prepare detailed project reports and technical support for on-field implementation.

It will also provide capacity building and technical support inputs for Block/Panchayat MGNREGA functionaries as well as help CSOs in coordinating with MGNREGA cells at different levels.

In the year 2000, Pradan had collaborated with NABARD for a watershed development project in Tyma Panchayat in Gola Block of Ramgarh district, Jharkhand.

Wife stabbed husband in UP

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Web Team

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January 20, 2019

A 40-year-old man was allegedly stabbed to death by his wife with the help of her paramour, police said on Sunday.

The incident took place on Saturday night when the man, identified as Sunil Kumar, was sleeping in his house at Shahpur town here, Circle Officer Hariram Yadav said.

A case was registered against Kumar’s wife Sudha and her paramour, and later they both were arrested. Kumar was killed for allegedly opposing his wife’s “relationship” with another man. Police have recovered a knife which was allegedly used to commit the crime, the officer said.

Karnataka BJP MLAs flew state from Gurgaon

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Web Team

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January 20, 2019

Karnataka BJP MLAs have returned to the state from Gurgaon where they were lodged in a private resort for the past a few days. State BJP president B S Yeddyurappa had asked all 104 party MLAs to return and they flew back to the state on late Saturday night. Some of them have directly flown back to their constituencies and others including former deputy chief ministers R Ashoka and K S Eshwarappa returned to Bengaluru, BJP MLC Lehar Singh told reporter.

With the Congress on tenterhooks to keep its numbers intact, the party’s MLAs are remaining sequestered in a resort on the city outskirts fearing a poaching bid by BJP. Yeddyurappa had said that the BJP would not destabilise Karnataka’s ruling coalition. Let the Congress-JD(S) leaders not have any doubt about it, he said that, after chinks in the ruling coalition were exposed when four MLAs skipped the Congress Legislature Party meet on Friday.

As the fissures became evident, the Congress on Friday swiftly moved all its MLAs to the resort in a bid to escape the BJP’s alleged bid to woo its MLAs. Top Congress sources had said on Friday that at least eight party MLAs have committed themselves to BJP. The BJP also announced that a seven-member team led by Yeddyurappa would tour drought-hit districts from Monday.

Congress minister D K Shivakumar said that he was in touch with all the MLAs. Asked about senior ministers resigning to accommodate disgruntled legislators in the cabinet, he said that ‘I have voluntarily offered (to resign), in the interest of the party. If my leaders want, I’m ready.

CLP leader Siddaramaiah had welcomed Yeddyurappa’s decision to call back all BJP MLAs and asked him to “walk the talk” on not trying to destabilise the ruling coalition. I welcome Yeddyurappa’s decision to call back the BJP legislators from Delhi and send them to monitor the drought management in the state.

#Budget2019: Govt to hike agriculture credit target to Rs 12 lakh crore

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Web Team

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January 20, 2019

The farm credit target is likely to be raised by about 10 per cent to a record Rs 12 lakh crore in the 2019-20 Budget to be presented on February 1. For the current fiscal, the government has set a credit target of Rs 11 lakh crore. The government has been increasing the credit target for the farm sector every year. This time too, the target is likely to be increased by around 10 per cent or Rs 1 lakh crore to Rs 12 lakh crore for the 2019-20 fiscal, the sources said.

The agricultural credit flow has increased consistently over the years, exceeding the target set for each fiscal. For instance, credit worth Rs 11.68 lakh crore was given to farmers in 2017-18, much higher than the Rs 10 lakh crore target set for that year. Similarly, crop loans worth Rs 10.66 lakh crore were disbursed in the 2016-17 fiscal, higher than the credit target of Rs 9 lakh crore. Credit is a critical input in achieving higher farm output. Institutional credit will also help delink farmers from non-institutional sources where they are compelled to borrow at usurious rates of interest, the sources added.

The interest subvention is given to public sector banks (PSBs), private lenders, cooperative banks and regional rural banks (RRBs) on use of own funds and to Nabard for refinancing RRBs and cooperative banks.

Normally, farm loans attract an interest rate of 9 per cent. However, the government has been providing interest subvention to make available short-term farm credit at an affordable rate and help boost farm output. The government is providing 2 per cent interest subsidy to ensure farmers get short-term farm loan of up to Rs 3 lakh at an effective rate of 7 per cent per annum. An additional incentive of 3 per cent is being given to farmers for prompt repayment of loans within due date, making the effective interest rate 4 per cent.

Pakistan beats South Africa in first ODI

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Web Team

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January 20, 2019

Imam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Hafeez hit half centuries as Pakistan cruised to a five-wicket win over South Africa in the opening one-day international on Saturday.

Opener Imam hit 86 while Hafeez finished on an unbeaten 71 as Pakistan chased down their 267-run target with five balls to spare.

Scores in brief:
South Africa 266-2 in 50 overs (H. Amla 108 not out, H. van der Dussen 93) v Pakistan 267-5 in 49.1 overs (Imam-ul-Haq 86, Mohammad Hafeez 71 not out)

Result: Pakistan won by five wickets Series: Pakistan lead the five-match series 1-0 Toss: South Africa.

‘Manikarnika’ producer Kamal Jain admitted to hospital

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Web Team

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January 20, 2019

“Manikarnika – The Queen of Jhansi” producer Kamal Jain, who was admitted to hospital on Saturday, is now recuperating. Jain was taken to the Kokilaben Hospital last evening for the treatment of lung infection. Several reports had stated that his condition was critical after suffering a paralytic stroke, m a source close to the producer said.

But the insider dismissed the reports of a paralytic stroke as a rumour. He is suffering from lung infection. It started as a throat infection but since he was busy with the film he didn’t pay attention to it and it spread. But he’s doing better now. He should be discharged from hospital within three-four days. Paralytic stroke was a rumour, it’s nothing like it, the source told reporter

Certainly not the best time to be in the hospital and not being able to be in the middle of hard work bearing fruit, missing the team of ‘Manikarnika’, Kangana Ranaut, Prasoon ji, Vijeyendra Ji, Shankar Ehsaan Loy, Ankita, Mishti and others in the final leg of promotions.

Fronted by Kangana, “Manikarnika” is slated to be released on Friday.

Four shot dead by police in Pakistan; victim’s family calls it a ‘staged encounter’

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Web Team

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January 20, 2019

The killing of four people, including a man, his wife and their teenage daughter, in what Pakistan’s Punjab police called a shootout with “terrorists” has triggered a public outcry and the victims’ family held a protest against the “staged” encounter.

The family was travelling in a car when the alleged encounter which the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) officials later termed an ‘intelligence-based operation’ took place on a highway in Sahiwal, about 200 km from Lahore, on Saturday.

Those killed in the encounter included grocery store owner Mohammad Khalil, 42, his wife Nabila, 38, their 13-year-old daughter Areeba and their friend, Zeeshan Javed, who was driving the car and police said he was on the country’s wanted terrorist list.

The couple’s minor son also sustained a bullet injury while two other daughters remained safe.

According to CTD, the operation was conducted after intelligence was received that terrorists were travelling towards Sahiwal with arms and explosives.

The CTD claimed in a statement that the law enforcers signalled a Suzuki Alto car and a motorcycle to stop near a toll plaza, but they did not pull over and instead opened fire.

Eyewitnesses and the victims’ family members, however, strongly refuted the CTD’s version, and told Pakistani daily Dawnthat the four were shot dead in “cold blood by the police” in the “staged” encounter.

They claimed that no weapon was recovered from the vehicle after the alleged shootout, the daily reported.

The family members of the victims and area residents held a protesting and blocked a road in Lahore.

Prime Minister Imran Khan has sought a report from Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar over the incident.

The prime minister also directed to hold a transparent and detailed inquiry into the incident to uncover the facts.

The Punjab Chief Minister also ordered the arrest of the CTD officials involved in the shootout, the daily reported.

Punjab Inspector General (IG) has announced the formation of a joint investigation team (JIT) to probe the incident.

Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said the actual picture of the incident will become clear after a thorough investigation into the incident.

“Apparently it seems that the terrorists used ‘human shield’ to protect themselves,” he said.

FPI outflow crosses Rs 4,000 crore in January

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Web Team

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January 20, 2019

Foreign investors have pulled out more than Rs 4,000 crore from the Indian capital markets so far in January, highlighting their cautious stance towards the country. This comes following a collective net inflow of over Rs 17,000 crore in the capital markets; both equity and debt by Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) during November and December, 2018.

Prior to that, they had also pulled out a massive Rs 38,905 crore in October. According to data available with the depositories, FPIs withdrew a net amount of Rs 3,987 crore from equities and a net sum of Rs 53 crore from the debt market, taking the total outflow to Rs 4,040 crore during January 1-18.

Market experts believe that the FPIs are continuing with their ‘wait and watch’ approach towards India. Going ahead, the focus would be on the budget, progress on the economic growth front and general elections. Other factors such as movement in crude prices and currency as well as US-China trade relations will also play a role in FPI flows, they added.

Harsh Jain, COO at Groww, an online MF investment platform, said that India offers better investment opportunities due to consistent growth, supportive global factors and attracts valuations. We should expect positive inflow in coming months. 2019 is likely to see a lot of volatility because of the rate hikes and dollar instability, but the Indian markets may be able to weather the storm.