Parliament passes Interim Budget 2019-20

Parliament has approved the Narendra Modi government’s sixth and final Budget that gave an income tax rebate to those earning up to Rs 5 lakh, an annual cash dole of Rs 6,000 to small farmers and pension for unorganised sector workers. While the Lok Sabha passed the Appropriation Bills that gave the Centre authorisation of spending certain sums till the next government presents the full Budget for 2019-20, and the Finance Bill after full debate, the Rajya Sabha passed them without discussion on February 13 - the last day of the session. The 13-day Budget session was a washout in the Rajya Sabha as Opposition parties stalled proceedings over issues ranging from Rafale fighter jet deal to Citizenship Bill.

NDA’s Rafale deal ‘cheaper’ than UPA’s

The Rafale deal negotiated by the NDA government to procure 36 fighter jets was 2.86 per cent cheaper than the UPA’s 2007 offer, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) said in its report. With regard to India-specific enhancements, the deal was 17.08 per cent cheaper, said the CAG report, which was tabled in Parliament on February 13. In terms of engineering support package and performance-based logistics, the deal was 6.54 per cent expensive, it stated. However, the CAG has highlighted the drawbacks of settling for a ‘Letter of Comfort’ rather than a sovereign guarantee by the French government in the deal. Highlighting its concerns, the CAG observed that in case of a breach of agreement, India will have to first settle the matter through arbitration directly with the French vendors.

Lok Sabha nod for Bill against ponzi scams

The Lok Sabha on February 13 passed a Bill to protect gullible investors from ponzi schemes, with Finance Minister Piyush Goyal saying the government will ensure that no loophole is left while framing rules. The Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2018, seeks to put in place a mechanism by which such depositors can be compensated. It has incorporated recommendations of the Standing Committee on Finance. Goyal said out of the total 978 cases of unauthorised deposit schemes, 326 are from West Bengal, which is more than one-third of the total such schemes. The government expects the Bill will effectively tackle the menace of illicit deposit-taking activities, and prevent such schemes from duping the poor and gullible people of their hard-earned savings.

Contentious Bills set to lapse on June 3

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill and the one banning triple talaq are set to lapse on June 3 when the term of the present Lok Sabha ends as they could not be passed in the Rajya Sabha, which adjourned sine die on February 13. The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 provides for according Indian citizenship to minorities from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on January 8 and has been awaiting the Rajya Sabha’s nod. The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, which makes the practice of instant triple talaq a penal offence, is being opposed by Opposition parties on the grounds that jail term for a man for divorcing his wife is legally untenable.

India issues EoI for 111 naval helicopters

The defence ministry has issued an expression of interest to shortlist potential strategic partners and foreign OEMs for the procurement of 111 naval utility helicopters (NUHs). These will replace the Chetak model and utilised for search, rescue and evacuation ops. Ninety-five out of the 111 helicopters will be made in India by a local strategic partner. The multi-billion dollar proposal was approved by the Defence Acquisition Council last August. The OEMs have been mandated to set up a dedicated line, including design, integration and manufacturing processes, for NUHs in India and make the line a global exclusive facility for the NUH platform.

Govt offers to sell 100% stake in AIATSL

The government has offered to sell 100 per cent stake in debt-laden Air India subsidiary Air India Air Transport Services Ltd (AIATSL). Restarting the divestment process for the ailing national carrier, the preliminary information memorandum for disinvestment of AIATSL - the ground handling arm - was issued on February 12. The government would offload 98 per cent stake through strategic sale and the rest would be offered to the employees. AIATSL posted a net profit of Rs 711 crore in 2017-18, higher than Rs 334 crore recorded in the same period a year ago. As on January 1, 2019, AIATSL had 1,372 permanent and 11,790 contract employees. AIATSL has been providing services to 46 airlines, including Emirates, GoAir, Qatar Airways and Lufthansa, as on January 1.

Retail inflation dips to 19-month low

Retail inflation fell to a 19-month low of 2.05 per cent in January due to a decline in prices of food articles, mainly fruits and vegetables, coupled with the easing of fuel cost, government data showed on February 12. The Consumer Price Index (CPI)-based retail inflation was revised downwards for December to 2.11 per cent from the earlier estimate of 2.19 per cent, showed data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO). In January 2018, retail inflation was at 5.07 per cent. Fruits, vegetables and eggs continued to witness a deflationary trend during January, with their prices declining 4.18 per cent, 13.32 per cent and 2.44 per cent, respectively, according to CSO data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. The rate of price rise in the ‘fuel and light’ category was 2.20 per cent in January, compared with 4.54 per cent in December.

TRAI gives TV viewers time till March 31

TRAI has given consumers time till March 31 to opt for channels of their choice under the new framework for broadcasting and cable services. The regulator said it has asked all distribution platform operators (DPOs) to create a ‘best fit plan’ for subscribers who have not exercised their options yet. It shall be designed based on consumers’ usage pattern, language spoken and popularity of channels. There are about 100 million cable service TV homes and 67 million DTH TV homes and approximately 65 per cent of cable TV subscribers and 35 per cent of DTH subscribers have already exercised the option of selecting channels. TRAI said though the new framework promotes consumer choice and enables them to pay for what they wish to view, “non-exercise of the option” should not create any inconvenience to viewers.

Jharkhand govt bans Popular Front of India

The Jharkhand government on February 12 banned the Popular Front of India (PFI) to curb its anti-national activities and for keeping links with terror outfits like ISIS. According to a government notification, the PFI is banned with immediate effect under the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 1908. The notification says that becoming a member of PFI, giving donation or keeping literature of its extremist policy or publishing them is illegal. The decision has been taken after a review that PFI’s activities have increased and is dangerous to the state and the nation and it has the power to disrupt peace, communal harmony and secular structure, an official said. There are several cases against the PFI in the state at different places for indulging in violent activities and anti-national slogans.

Panel asks Centre to act against tree felling

A parliamentary panel expressed concern over forest degradation, especially in the Northeast, and urged the environment ministry to take stringent steps to curb the illegal felling of trees. The parliamentary standing committee on science and technology, environment and forests, in its 324th report on ‘Status of Forests in India’ tabled in the Rajya Sabha on February 12, said no action plan was prepared by the ministry for controlling the illegal cutting of trees in forests. The panel relied on the India State of Forest Report, 2017, according to which the total forest and tree cover in India was 80.20 million hectares, which was 24.39 per cent of the geographical area. However, there was a reduction of 0.34 million hectares of moderately dense forests, which indicated forest degradation, it said.

‘Padma awards cannot be used as titles’

The Bharat Ratna and Padma awards are not titles and cannot be used as prefix or suffix to names and they can be withdrawn in case of misuse, the government said. Replying to a question in the Lok Sabha, MoS Home Hansraj Gangaram Ahir said awards such as Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri “do not amount to titles within the meaning of Article 18(1) of the Constitution and thus are not to be used as prefixes or suffixes to the name of the recipient in any manner whatsoever”. The Article is about ‘abolition of titles’ and section 1 states, “No title, not being a military or academic distinction, shall be conferred by the State”. In case of misuse, the defaulter shall forfeit the national award conferred, he said.

Jury convicts Mexican drug lord El Chapo

Mexican mobster Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman has been convicted of crimes spanning a quarter-century in a trial that laid bare his lavish lifestyle and penchant for extreme violence as head of one of the world’s most powerful gangs. The 61-year-old former boss of the notorious Sinaloa cartel faces life in prison for smuggling tonnes of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and marijuana into the US. He was also found guilty on money laundering and weapons possession charges during a trial in which witnesses described the mob boss beating, shooting and even burying alive those who got in his way. After sentencing on June 25, Guzman is likely to be transferred to a prison in Colorado, sometimes called the “Alcatraz of the Rockies” and considered one of the most secure in the US.

India inks deal for buying 72,400 assault rifles

India has signed a contract with a US firm for 72,400 assault rifles at a cost of around Rs 700 crore. The rifles, being used by US forces as well as several other European countries, are being bought under the fast-track procurement procedure. India will get around 72,400 7.62 mm Sig Sauer assault rifles in one year. The armed forces are currently equipped with 5.56x45 mm INSAS Rifle. There is an urgent requirement of replacing them with a 7.62X51 mm assault rifle that is compact, robust, modern in technology and simple to maintain in field conditions, officials said. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had earlier this month approved the procurement of the rifles, which will be used by troops deployed along the nearly 3,600-km border with China.

Aussie walnuts set to enter Indian market

Australia and India have concluded a market access agreement to allow the entry of Australian walnuts in the Indian market. According to Australian Agriculture Minister David Littleproud, the countries signed a market access agreement on February 6 with trade set to formally commence once the import conditions are officially gazetted by the Indian authorities. He said in the interim, 10 trial shipments of Australian walnuts will be sent to India before the trade doors officially open. “India is already a large export market for Australian almonds,” he said. The export value for Australia’s agricultural commodities to India has risen by 329 per cent since 2013, and were worth $2.6 billion in 2017. Australia gained market access for blueberries from late 2015, which are available in stores in India.

Automated braking mandatory for cars

Forty countries led by Japan and the EU but not India, the US or China have agreed to require new cars and light commercial vehicles (LCVs) to be equipped with automated braking systems starting as soon as next year, a UN agency said. The regulation will require all vehicles sold to come equipped with the technology by which sensors monitor how close a pedestrian or object might be. The system can trigger the brakes automatically if a collision is deemed imminent and if the driver doesn’t appear set to respond in time. The measure will apply to vehicles at low speeds: 60 km per hour or less, and only affects new cars sold in the markets of signatory countries so vehicle owners won’t be required to retrofit their cars and trucks already on the roads today.

Climate change threatens Bengal tigers

Sundarbans - the iconic Bengal tiger’s last coastal stronghold and the world’s biggest mangrove forest - could be destroyed by climate change and rising sea levels over the next 50 years, scientists say. Spanning more than 10,000 sq km, the Sundarbans region of Bangladesh and India is the biggest mangrove forest on Earth, and also the most critical area for the endangered Bengal tiger, researchers said. “Fewer than 4,000 Bengal tigers are alive today,” said Bill Laurance, a professor at the James Cook University in Australia. “That’s a really low number for the world’s biggest cat, which used to be far more abundant but today is mainly confined to small areas of India and Bangladesh,” he said.