The Afghan security forces conducted the operations with the support of US airpower in Warmama district, 203rd Thunder Corps said, as cited by the Khaama Press.
The spokesperson of the Afgan National Army corp said that the security forces killed at least 90 terrorists during the operations and injured at least 20 others.
Moreover, the 203rd Thunder Corps said the security forces also destroyed 23 motorcycles, a tractor and some weapons during the operations. (ANI)
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She introduced a new scheme for Remission of Duties or Taxes on Export Products (RoDTEP) to replace the current Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS) from next year. However, the existing dispensation in textiles of MEIS and old Rebate on State Levies (RoSL) will continue up to December 31.
“Textiles and all other sectors which currently enjoy incentives up to two per cent over MEIS will transit into RoDTEP from January 1, 2020,” said Sithraman while addressing a press conference here. “In effect, RoDTEP will more than adequately incentivise exporters that existing schemes put together,” she said adding the revenue foregone projected is about Rs 50,000 crore.
The Finance Minister also announced a fully automated electronic refund route for input tax credit in Goods and Services Tax by September-end to monitor and speed up the refunds. The Export Credit Guarantee Corporation (ECGC) will expand the scope of export credit insurance service and will offer higher insurance cover to banks lending working capital for exports. The move will cost Rs 1,700 crore per year to the exchequer.
Sitharaman said that additional Rs 36,000 crore to 68,000 crores will be released for the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises to ensure higher credit availability for exports. At the same time, she said the government is working to reduce ‘time to export’ by leveraging technology further.
An action plan to reduce turnaround time at airports and ports benchmarked to international standards will be implemented by December. An inter-ministerial group will be formed to monitor it.
While an inter-ministerial working group will be formed to monitor export finance, the working group in the commerce ministry will be set up to set standards for imports, said Sitharaman. A free trade agreement (FTA) utilisation mission will be set up to work with the Federation of Indian Export Organisations and export houses to utilise concessional tariffs in each FTA.
In a bid to give a fillip to tourism, small and medium enterprises and export sector, India will hold an annual mega shopping festival like the one held in Dubai. It will happen by March 2020 and themes will vary from textile, handicraft, yoga and others.
In 2018-19, exports out of India totalled 537 billion dollars with merchandise exports at 331 billion dollars and services exports at 205 billion dollars. The country aspires to achieve one trillion dollars of exports in the next five years and needs to increase domestic production and improve competitiveness.For the housing sector, the Union Budget 2019 had announced additional deduction of up to Rs 1.5 lakh on interest paid on loan borrowed for the purchase of house valued up to Rs 45 lakh.
“There will be a relaxation in external commercial borrowing (ECB) guidelines to facilitate the financing of homebuyers eligible under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY),” said Sitharaman adding she will meet bankers on September 19 to discuss on status of measures announced to increase liquidity measures for housing finance companies and repo-linked lending rates.
The Finance Minister announced a special window to provide the last-mile funding requirement for housing projects that are non-NPA and non-NCLT projects and are stuck due to lack of funding. This will be set up with a fund size of Rs 10,000 crore funded by the government.
“This window will be run by complete professional drawn from marketplace and domain specialists like banking or housing finance specialists. They will identify such projects that are affordable and middle-income projects that are low in funding and nearing completion. So that people invested in houses and waiting for possession do not have to wait longer,” she said. About 3 lakh to 3.5 lakh projects all over the country will benefit from this fund.
The government has been working on measures to boost growth in the housing and real estate sector, a major job-creating industry which has been grappling with record unsold inventory and poor sales.
On the other hand, the economic growth hit a six-year low of 5 per cent in the first quarter of current fiscal amid adverse external headwinds such as the US-China trade war and fears of a global recession.
On August 23, Sitharaman had announced steps like the rollback of surcharge on foreign portfolio investors, an upfront release of Rs 70,000 crore to public sector banks and measures to revive the automobile sector. On August 30, she announced a mega consolidation plan for public sector banks, merging 10 PSBs into four financially sound bigger banks. (ANI)
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I have been doing this for the past 20 years now and don’t know how long this will continue. I don’t have anybody in my family. I am alone. I earn Rs 200 daily. I don’t aim to earn money out of selling idli at this price. If I had aimed to become a crorepati by doing this, I could have done that in these many years. But, I decided, no, I only earn my small livelihood.
I go about preparing idlis after waking up before the crack of dawn, working from 5:30 am and continue till noon. Through out the day I sell about 400-500 idlis and earn about Rs 200, which, I believe, is a modest amount for me to live on. I am happy when people come to me and I serve them piping hot idlis.
I serve idlis with chutney and sambar which I prepare myself. if I had to go and earn for my livelihood, I could go out and earn Rs 200 daily, but the same amount I earn by doing this. I sell my stuff to earn the amount which I require.
I have been flooded with offers of help from across the country after a video went viral. I have been offered an LPG gas connection too. This is supposed to be issued by Bharat Petroleum Corporation.
But I find my true reward only when people appreciate my food. Many people who come here often find it difficult to believe that the idly cost Re 1. My answer to them is just a smile.
“After BJP came to power for the second consecutive time, there has been continuous attacks on the Tamil language. DMK has been waging its protest against Hindi imposition. Amit Shah’s remarks have come as a jolt to us. Such comments pose a danger to the unity of the country,” he told media persons here.
Earlier today, Shah tweeted: “India is a country of different languages and every language has its own importance but it is very important to have a language which should become the identity of India in the world. If one language can unite the country today, it is the widely-spoken Hindi language.”
The DMK president demanded that Shah takes his comments back and threatened with “next course of action” if his demand is not met.
Stalin alleged that non-Hindi speaking people were treated as “second-grade citizens”.
He said, “We request him to immediately take back his statement. There is an attempt by him to show non-Hindi speaking people as a second-grade citizen. If this is not taken back, DMK will be compelled to prepare itself for the next course of action.”
Meanwhile, several pro-Kannada organisations including Karnataka Ranadheera Pade held a protest in front of the town hall in Bengaluru to protest against the observation of Hindi Divas. (ANI)
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India’s decision to scrap Kashmir’s special status and bifurcate the state has been a shot in the arm for Prime Minister Imran Khan. It has given Pakistan the perfect opportunity to exploit Delhi’s action to its advantage.
India-Pakistan ties will continue to deteriorate. It could go out of hand if there is a major terror strike in Kashmir. Delhi is bound to retaliate and the world community would scramble to restraint the two nuclear armed neighbours. In such a case US President Donald Trump will certainly try to weight in. He has been waiting in the wings nudging both sides to talk.
China is likely to bat for “all weather friend” Pakistan in such an event. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is at the centre of President Xi Jinping’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative. The two countries are now bound not just by strategic ties but vital economic considerations.
Indian and Chinese troops have got into a scuffle in Ladakh this week and is a hint of more aggressive patrolling by China on the border. It possibly has nothing to do with Ladakh becoming a union territory, but China had objected to the Indian move soon after March 5. China already occupies 38,000 sq km of Aksai Chin as well as 5,800 sq km in Shaksgam Valley of J&K. India has constantly made the point that the CPEC runs through Indian territory which Pakistan occupied illegally in 1947.
It was mainly due to China’s efforts that the United Nationals Security Council held a closed door discussion on Kashmir last month. At the end of the Chinese foreign minister Wang Wang Yi’s recent visit to Pakistan, Kashmir was part of the joint statement. All this is not surprising. It will be interesting to see how far China is willing to go in support of Pakistan on Kashmir. Much will also depend on how the second informal summit between Prime Minister Modi and President Xi Jinping pans out later this year. As of now Xi is scheduled to come in October, tentative dates are 11-14, though a formal announcement.
There is no silver lining in sight for India and Pakistan for now. India’s talks and terror cannot go hand in hand, now has Pakistan’s insisting on no dialogue unless Kashmir’s former status is restored. There is no way that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government will do so. Abolishing article 370, is part of the BJP’s ideological commitment.
The international community has given India a long rope on Kashmir. Some in India are crowing that Pakistan has been unable to get the world community to condemn India. That is correct. But human rights issues are looming over the government and despite claims that the internet and mobile services are partially lifted and the curfew like situation will eventually end, the ground reality is different. The murmur on human rights has already begun, and is likely to gather momentum.
Islamabad has been on the backfoot for nearly a decade trying to deflect accusations about the terror networks operating from its soil. Islamabad efforts to hammer the point that it has borne the brunt of terror strikes on its people and security forces did not get much traction. This is mainly because it is well known that Rawalpindi has used terror outfits against both India and Afghanistan. Also both the US and NATO forces had first-hand experience of Pakistan’s double dealing.
Now Islamabad is getting a chance to point fingers at India’s action in Kashmir. For once the world is willing to listen, as Pakistan’s foreign minister as well as its diplomats are putting across their views on Kashmir in America, US and the Gulf to expose India.
At the UN, Pakistan will hope to catch the world’s eye on Kashmir. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be addressing UNGA on the 27th of this month. Pakistan’s leader Imran Khan will speak after Modi’s address. He will certainly talk forcefully on the past UN resolutions in Kashmir, and point to flagrant violations of people’s rights in Kashmir. Much of Indian diplomacy must now necessarily be centred on defending its position on Kashmir.
India and Pakistan are back to square one, with each country attacking the other in international forums. This week it was at the Human Rights Council in Geneva where India and Pakistan clashed. Pakistan claims it got 50 countries to support a joint statement at the Human Rights Council Chief, calling for respect and protection of fundamental human rights of the people of Kashmir, lifting of curfew and ending the communication shutdown and released of those detained. It is a throwback to the late 80s and 90s when Kashmir was a constant presence in all bilateral meets in Europe and US. Indian diplomats will have to work overtime to counter Pakistan. Balochistan will be highlighted by India. It will be a grueling few months for foreign minister Jaishankar and his team.
Not that any of this matters in the long run. What is important is for the Modi government to begin talking to the people of Kashmir. Muscular policy and a strong nation is part of the BJPs ethos. But needs to be tempered with concern for their well being. The sooner the government begins to reach out with compassion to the people of Kashmir the better.
The current partial lockdown cannot continue indefinitely. The main aim of the government was to be able to tell the world that there was no major loss of life. That’s commendable, but people’s voices also need to be heard. India is still a democracy and while the rest of the country, as well the Jammu area have welcomed the government move, the voices of the valley need to be heard.
Home Minister Amit Shah has said the removal of article 370, would help the authorities to fight terrorism effectively. He plans to rid Kashmir off terrorism and bring development back to the state. At the same time the Centre hopes to introduce new faces in politics. But for this government needs to begin a dialogue with people. The sooner India begins to take some corrective measures the better it will be able to manage the diplomatic fall out over Kashmir. There is no need for the government to waste energy on convincing the people of the country. Most Indians support Prime Minister Modi’s decision. The first move was meticulously planned but what next, is a legitimate question to ask the government.
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval claims that the majority of Kashmiris are happy with the removal of special status. Who are these people? Possibly, the Hindus of the state who are ardent supporters of the BJP. But they don’t represent the views of the entire population.
Prime Minister Modi needs to take a leaf out of Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s book. The PM is a great orator and should try to convince Kashmiris that India cares for them. Winning hearts and minds of Kashmiris is vital unless Delhi wants to give Kashmir in a platter to Pakistan.
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Addressing a press conference, Singh reiterated what he said at the Congress party meeting earlier: “The country today is in the midst of a dangerously protracted slowdown. This is not the statement made by Congress alone. Everwhere if you talk to industrialists and journalists, the common theme is the economy is going from bad to worse.”
“The dangerous thing about the present economic situation is that the Central government is complacent enough not to realise that we are in the midst of a protracted economic slowdown,” said Singh.
The former Prime Minister said: “The situation our country is faced today where you look at agriculture, whether you look at real estate, manufacturing, all along the line there is a downturn.”
“If this situation is not reversed, then the worst thing could happen on the employment situation. If income growth slows down month after month, quarter after quarter, then the scope of creating more jobs will seriously be affected,” said Singh.
“Agriculture is the cornerstone of the economic activity of our country. Sixty per cent of all people live in agriculture and allied activity area. As per the latest figure, the growth rate of agriculture is 2.7 per cent as against the previous year of over 3.5 per cent,” he said.
“The dangerous point is that the real wage rate in the agriculture sector and the rural sector has been static in the last five years of the BJP government,” he added.
Singh further said: “In the real estate sector, in 8 metropolitan cities, there are 4.5 lakh dwelling units lying vacant. There is no demand for those units. If real estate is affected, construction is affected and the employment will be affected.”
“The rupee is getting weaker and weaker. But instead of taking advantage of pushing up exports, under the BJP government, the exports are sluggish and the result is the balance of payment is getting worse and worse,” added Singh. (ANI)
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Factory output as measured in terms of the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) was recorded at 6.5 per cent in July 2018.
The manufacturing sector grew at 4.2 per cent in July as compared to 7 per cent a year ago, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
The power generation sector grew at 4.8 per cent as compared to 6.6 per cent in July last year. Mining growth was 4.9 per cent in July as against 3.4 per cent in the corresponding month of previous fiscal.
The IIP for the mining, manufacturing and electricity sectors for July 2019 stand at 100.2, 132.9 and 169.7 respectively with the corresponding growth rates of 4.9 per cent, 4.2 per cent and 4.8 per cent as compared to July 2018.
The cumulative growth in these three sectors from April to July 2019 over the corresponding period of 2018 has been 3.4 per cent, 2.8 per cent and 6.6 per cent respectively.
Retail inflation rose marginally to 3.21 per cent in August from 3.15 per cent last month on the back of higher food prices, the government data showed on Thursday.
August’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) food price inflation stood at 2.99 per cent as compared to 2.36 per cent month-on-month, said a statement issued by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
This is the 13th straight month where inflation has remained below the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) medium-term target of 4 per cent.
In August last year, however, the consumer price index stood at 3.69 per cent.
Food prices accounting for about half of the inflation basket have been rising mainly due to the impact of uneven monsoon rainfall across the country.(ANI)
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