Month: July 2014

The much-awaited maiden budget of the Narendra Modi government failed to meet high investor expectations of big-bang reforms, with the benchmark sensex on Thursday ending 72 points down to nearly two-week low level after witnessing a rollercoaster ride.

The Budget, which is the first official road-map of the Modi-led dispensation for fiscal consolidation and growth strategies, committed to medium-term consolidation and announced measures to attract capital inflows and boost investments.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley Thursday proposed exempting colour picture tubes and LCD/LED televisions of less that 19 inches from basic customs duties to increase their domestic manufacture and employment opportunity.

“The duty concession will help revive manufacturing of TVs in the SME (small and medium enterprises) sector and create employment opportunities,” Jaitley said.

The duty exemption is expected to make the old model colour TVs cheaper.

In order to clear extra rush of passengers during Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) examination, two RRB Exam Special Trains will be run between Santragachi and Secunderabad.

As per the schedule, the Train No. 08045 Santragachi-Secunderabad RRB Exam Special Train will depart Santragachi at 04:05 PM on 11th July (Friday) and arrive Secunderabad at 05:30 pm o¬n the next day. In the return direction, Train No.08046 Secunderabad- Santragachi RRB Exam Special train will depart Secunderabad at 03:30 pm on 13th July (Sunday) and arrive Santragachi at 07:15 pm o¬n the next day.

Deputy Chief Minister Dr T Rajaiah has directed the medical staff to remain alert to deal with the possible outbreak of diseases during monsoon season.

Speaking to media persons after visiting the offices of Directorate of Medical Education at Sultan Bazar here on Thursday, Rajaiah said that the medical teams have been asked to prepare an action plan to deal with the seasonal diseases. He said that 108 and 104 services too would be alert. He said that the government would take stern action against the staff found negligent.

The Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India (CREDAI) has expressed confidence that with liberal norms for FDI and tax incentives for the REITs , besides the focus on low cost housing, infrastructure development and the budget allocation of Rs. 7060 Crores for development or up gradation of 100 smart cities along with the promise to deliver ‘pucca’ housing for all by 2022 will bring “Acche Din” for the real estate sector.

The mid-length bob is turning out to be a much loved hairdo this season among celebrities like Kylie Jenner, Jessica Alba and Gemma Arterton. With some easy-to-do hairstyles, you can get your look right at home too.

Stylists at hairdressing brand Nicky Clarke Electricals have put together some styles, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

* Kylie Jenner’s smooth and sleek style: Roughly blow dry hair. Section hair into layers and use the straightener from the root to the ends, shaping round the face as you go through the hair. Fix with hairspray.

India today expressed “deep concern” over the steep escalation of violence between Israel and Palestine and asked both sides to resume direct talks at the earliest and avoid taking actions that may threaten the security of the region.

“India is deeply concerned at the steep escalation of violence between Israel and Palestine, particularly, heavy air strikes in Gaza, resulting in tragic loss of civilian lives and heavy damage to property,” the Spokesperson in the External Affairs Ministry said.

While welcoming Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s initiatives to revive the derailed economy and fulfill people’s aspirations, Loksatta Party national President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan said the Union finance budget is short on specifics in some matters and outright deficient in some others.

Federation of Andhra Pradesh Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FAPCCI) President Shiv Kumar Rungta welcomed the maiden budget presented by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday.

Taking the plunge, Kashmiri girls are all set to prove their mettle in the game of soccer as the ongoing FIFA World Cup in Brazil has gripped the youth across the globe.

Under-19 girls participated in the open soccer tournament organised by football association of the province in Srinagar.

This is for the very first time that a football tournament is being organised exclusively for college girls of the province in a bid to expose them to the international standards of playing the game.

Former Union Minister Bandaru Dattatraya has welcomed the Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Arun Jaitely on Thursday.

Pune Police Commissioner Satish Mathur on Thursday that three people have been injured in the blast outside Faraskhana police station near Dagadusheth Halvai Ganesh Temple.

“One person has been hospitalized and two have received minor injuries. We are taking the matter seriously. We did not have any specific inputs. We have found the remnants of the device. We appeal the public to maintain calm. We will bring the culprit to justice. We have found out who all are injured, to whom the bike belongs and that it was stolen,” said Mathur.

There has been a substantial hike of 46.5 percent in the budget for the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports for the 2014-15 fiscal. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley Thursday allocated a total of Rs.1,769 crore in the first budget of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government.

The following are the main features of the budget for youth affairs and sports:

1. The allocation for the 2014-2015 saw a rise of Rs.561.24 crore — a 46.5 percent hike — from the last fiscal.

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao expressed his dissatisfaction over the union budget presented in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.

The Chief Minister criticized that but for a horticultural university sanctioned to Telangana in the budget no other project has been given. Horticultural university sanction was also mentioned in the State Reorganization Bill and therefore, it is not a new announcement. The union budget simply mentioned that the commitments of the Reorganization Act will be fulfilled but no specific announcement has been made for Telangana.

Congres MLC Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy on Thursday criticised the Union Budget and said that it had nothing to offer for the common man.

Speaking to media persons at the Congress Legislature Party office here, Ponguleti said that Finance Minister Arun Jaiteley’s budget was aimed at benefitting Ambanis and other corporators and not the common man. He said that the common people were shown big dreams before the elections. However, the common men were complete ignored after the elections and no relief was given to them in the Union Budget.

The Goa BJP Thursday welcomed the announcement of an IIT, an AIIMS and a convention centre for Goa in the union budget 2014-15, but the Congress criticised the budget for serving purpose of “private sector”.

BJP MP from South Goa Narendra Savoikar said the setting up of an Indian Institute of Technology, an All India Institute of Medical Sciences facility and a convention centre to host the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) were great news for the state.

In view of the strike by its employees since Wednesday midnight, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has announced some contingency plans to lift garbage from the city.

The government has adopted a balanced approach towards the automobile industry, though without any major policy announcements, prominent players said here Thursday in reaction to the union budget.

PricewaterhouseCoopers partner Abdul Majeed said the excise duty benefits announced in the interim budget have been extended till December 2014 and any further changes would depend on the demand in the automotive sector in the next five months.

Chinese hackers accessed US government computers containing personal information on all federal employees, the New York Times reported today.

The hacking occurred in March and the perpetrators appeared to be targeting the files of people who had applied for top-security clearances, the Times said, quoting senior US officials.

The report came as US Secretary of State John Kerry was in Beijing for two days of high-level talks on thorny issues including hacking.

GHMC Commissioner Somesh Kumar informed that the SBH authorities have assured to pay back Rs 2 crore to the GHCM within 24 hours.

The Commissioner said that the High Court has issued stay orders in transferring of Rs. 2 crores by the SBH issue. However, he expressed confidence that the court will give a favorable judgment to the GHMC. He informed that SBH Managing Director Santanu Mukherjee has paid his courtesy visit to the GHMC office and had a detailed discussion about various issues relating to Bank and Customer relations, Corporate Social Responsibility etc.,

The maiden budget of union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has signalled the new government’s intention to drive the next generation of reforms and put the country on a higher growth path, a top TCS official said Thursday.

“The finance minister’s maiden budget signals, both in sentiment and policy, the new government’s intention to drive the next generation of reforms and swiftly put India on a higher GDP (gross domestic product) growth path,” Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) chief executive N.Chandrasekaran said in a statement from Mumbai.

India’s Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) will invest Rs.2,47,941 crore ($41.3 billion) in the current financial year that will help create a virtual investment cycle, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said Thursday.

“To give a thrust to investment in the economy, PSUs will also play their part constructively. I am assured that the PSUs will invest through capital investment a total sum of Rs.2,47,941 crore in the current financial year to create a virtual investment cycle,” Jaitley said while presenting his maiden general budget.
(IANS)

The Russian government is planning to turn its easternmost Chukotka peninsula into a tourism site, regional authorities said Thursday.

Moscow is going to remove Chukotka from a list of territories under a special border regime, Xinhua reported.

According to Chukotka governor’s press service, the restrictions will be scrapped within the next six months in five areas of the Chukotka Autonomous District, as well as its capital Anadyr.

Regional authorities said the lifting of restrictions will facilitate economic development and tourism in the region.

Describing the general Budget as a ‘sanjeevani’ (new life) to the “moribund economy”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said it converts hopes and aspirations of the people into trust and is in line with his government’s endeavour to bring India out of crisis.

“This Budget is a new ray of hope for the poor and downtrodden sections of society,” he said commenting on the maiden budget of his government presented in Parliament today.

A leading American trade association seeking stronger commercial ties with India has welcomed Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s 2014-15 Union budget “as an overall important first step toward India’s economic revival”.

The US-India Business Council (USIBC) said Thursday it commended several of the reforms put forth in the budget, especially lifting the FDI cap in insurance, as well as policy reforms to reduce transfer pricing challenges and encourage infrastructure investment.