Now, UIDAI allows face recognition for Aadhaar biometric authentication

The move will enable easy authentication for those individuals who face a difficulty in other biometric authentication like fingerprint and iris

 

The UIDAI on Monday allowed face recognition as additional means of Aadhaar authentication to be used in combination with existing ways such as fingerprint or iris scan. | Today’s Paper

The move will enable easy authentication for those individuals who face a difficulty in other biometric authentication like fingerprint and iris.

The facility is being allowed only in a “fusion mode” that is along with other existing means of authentication, and will be available by July 1, 2018, an official release said.
“This facility is going to help in inclusive authentication of those who are not able to biometrically authenticate due to their worn out fingerprints, old age or hard work conditions,” the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) said.

As of now, two modes of biometric authentication, fingerprint authentication and iris authentication, are allowed under Aadhaar.

“The face authentication provides additional option for all residents to have inclusive authentication.

It shall be allowed only in fusion mode along with one more authentication factor combined with either fingerprint or iris or OTP to be able to successfully authenticate an Aadhaar number holder,” UIDAI said.

The new method will also be allowed “on need basis”.

Monday’s move comes close on the heels of the biggest overhaul of Aadhaar system by the UIDAI last week when it allowed individuals to create and use a virtual ID to avoid sharing their unique identity numbers, when using government and other services.

Users will, from March 1, have the option of generating a 16-digit virtual identity mapped to their Aadhaar number that can be shared with telecom companies and others at the time of authenticating their identity.

From June 1, 2018, it will be compulsory for all agencies, which undertake authentication, to accept the virtual IDs from their users.

In Pics: On Army day, three service Chiefs pay tribute to martyred soldiers

Army Day is celebrated annually on January 15

On the 70th Army Day, Chief of Army Staff Bipin Rawat, Chief of the Naval Staff Sunil Lanba, and Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa paid tribute at Amar Jawan Jyoti in New Delhi on Monday.

The day commemorates the valiant soldiers for their sacrifice to the nation and its citizens.

On the occasion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to extend greetings to the soldiers and their families and paid salute to the army.

"On  Army Day, I convey greetings to the soldiers, veterans and their families. Every citizen of India has unwavering trust and pride in our Army, which protects the nation and is also at the forefront of humanitarian efforts during times of natural disasters and other accidents," Modi wrote on Twitter.
In another tweet, he said, "Our Army always puts the nation first. I salute all those great individuals who sacrificed their lives while serving the nation. India will never forget our valiant heroes." | Today's Paper

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley also honoured the courage and bravery of the soldiers.
"On #ArmyDay we remember the indomitable courage and supreme sacrifices of our soldiers & salute their exemplary dedication & bravery. #ArmyDay2018," Jaitley wrote on Twitter.

Union Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore posted, "Salute to band of brothers.

Nation first, always and every time. #ArmyDay."

Paying tribute to the soldiers, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi wrote, "We salute the valour, courage and sacrifice of our brave jawans on #ArmyDay. Your perseverance defends our freedom; your dedication shields our liberty. It's because of your sacrifices a billion hopes and dreams can take shape."

Union Minister Smriti Irani posted, "On Army Day, a grateful Nation salutes the courage and spirit of selfless service of our armed forces personnel."

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani also took to Twitter and wrote, "Let's salute our real heroes for their indomitable courage, valour, ultimate sacrifice and dedication towards the NATION.

#ArmyDay."

Army Day is celebrated annually on January 15.

Indu Malhotra to be 1st woman lawyer to directly become Supreme Court judge

Indu Malhotra will be the first women lawyer to be directly appointed as a judge of the apex court

The Supreme Court collegium has recommended the name of senior advocate Indu Malhotra as the first woman lawyer to be directly appointed as a judge of the apex court, sources said on Thursday. | Today's Paper

9Along with her, Uttarakhand High Court Chief Justice K M Joseph, who was part of the bench which in 2016 had quashed the imposition of President's Rule in the state, has also been cleared for elevation to the apex court.

Malhotra, who was designated as a senior advocate in 2007, would be the first woman lawyer to be directly appointed as a judge of the top court, instead of being elevated from a high court.

She will be the seventh woman judge since independence to make it to the Supreme Court. At present, Justice R Banumathi is the lone woman judge in the apex court.

The first woman to be appointed as a judge of the apex court was Justice M Fathima Beevi in 1989.
Thereafter, Justice Sujata V Manohar, Justice Ruma Pal, Justice Gyan Sudha Misra and Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai made it to the top court as judges.

Click here to read → Indu Malhotra

India to launch 100th satellite into orbit today: All you should know

The Cartosat-2 series satellite launch is a follow-on mission with the primary objective of providing high-resolution, scene-specific spot imagery

 

 

India is set to launch its 100th satellite into orbit. The countdown of the PSLV-C40/Cartosat-2 series satellite mission started on Thursday morning. Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) officials said that they are ready for the historic 100th mission, which is scheduled for Friday morning. | Today's Paper

The 42nd flight of India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C40) carrying the 710-kg Cartosat-2 series satellite is expected to take off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota, at 0930 hours IST on Friday, January 12, 2018.

The Cartosat-2 series satellite launch is a follow-on mission with the primary objective of providing high-resolution, scene-specific spot imagery. It carries panchromatic and multi-spectral cameras operating in time delay integration mode and is capable of delivering high-resolution data. This will be the third satellite in the Cartosat-2 series.

ALSO READ: After many gains & an unexpected loss in 2017, Isro ready for a better 2018

Isro officials said that after the PSLV-C39 failure, the organisation conducted repeated tests to ensure that such problems did not occur again, which is why Isro took slightly more time for the PSLV-C40 launch.

On August 31, following a perfect launch, India's mission to put its backup navigation satellite IRNSS-1H in orbit onboard PSLV-C39 failed after a technical fault in the final leg.

The officials added that the launch of three Indian satellites during the mission would mark the rollout of the 100th satellite from Isro.

The 28-hour countdown activity for the mission started at 05:29 hours IST on Thursday, January 11, 2018, after the Mission Readiness Review committee and Launch Authorisation Board cleared the countdown on Wednesday. After the countdown began, the propellant filling operation of the fourth stage (PS4) of PSLV-C40 was carried out.

ALSO READ: Isro banks on private players as it plans series of satellite launches

The rocket will carry a Cartosat-2 series satellite for earth observation and 30 co-passenger satellites.

Together, the 30 other satellites will weigh about 613 kg at lift-off.

The co-passenger satellites comprise one microsatellite and one nanosatellite from India as well as three microsatellites and 25 nanosatellites from six countries — Canada, Finland, France, the
Republic of Korea, UK, and the US. The total weight of all the 31 satellites carried onboard PSLV-C40 is about 1,323 kg.

ALSO READ: Isro looks to return to Mars, eyes Venus

The 28 international customer satellites are being launched as part of the commercial arrangements between Antrix Corporation Limited (Antrix), a Government of India company under the Department of Space, the commercial arm of ISRO and the international customers.

The co-passenger satellite comprises one microsatellite and one nanosatellite from India as well as three microsatellites and 25 nanosatellites from six countries including Canada, Finland, France, Korea, UK and USA.

Primary Satellite The Cartosat-2 Series Satellite is the primary satellite being carried by PSLV-C40.
This remote sensing satellite is similar to the earlier six satellites of the Cartosat-2 series and is intended to augment data services to the users. After its injection into a 505 km polar Sun Synchronous Orbit by PSLV-C40, the satellite will be brought to an operational configuration, following which it will begin providing regular remote sensing services using its Panchromatic and Multispectral cameras.

The imagery sent by the satellite will be useful for cartographic applications, urban and rural applications, coastal land use and regulation, utility management like road network monitoring, water distribution, creation of land use maps, change detection to bring out geographical and manmade features and various other Land Information System (LIS) as well as Geographical Information System (GIS) applications.

Click here to read → ISRO

9 years after Satyam scam, Price Waterhouse banned from audit for 2 years

Nine years after Satyam scam, Sebi orders Rs 130.9-million disgorgement; audit firm says it is confident of getting order stayed

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) late on Wednesday banned Price Waterhouse (PW) from providing audit services to listed companies and market intermediaries for two years in the Satyam fraud case. Two PW partners have been banned for three years. | Today's Paper

The regulator also imposed a disgorgement of Rs 130.9 million on Price Waterhouse, and two of its chartered accountants — S Gopalakrishnan and Srinivas Talluri. The three entities also have to pay 12 per cent interest on the disgorgement amount since January 7, 2009, in 45 days from the date of the order.

Further, it said that no listed company or intermediary registered with Sebi to be engaged with any audit firm associated with the PW network for issuing any certificate with respect to compliance of statutory obligations which Sebi is competent to administer and enforce, under various laws for a period of two years.

These entities have been charged under Sebi’s prohibition of Fraudulent and Unfair Trade Practices (FUTP) regulation. “I find that the auditors have failed in showing any evidence to the effect that they had done their job with standards of professional duty and care as required. The auditors were well aware of the consequences of their omissions which would make such accumulated and aggregated acts of gross negligence scale up to an act of commission of fraud for the purposes of the Sebi Act and the Sebi (FUTP) regulation,” said G Mahalingam, wholetime member, Sebi, in a 108-page order.

The case dates back to 2009, when chairman of Satyam Computer Services (Satyam) B Ramalinga Raju admitted and confessed to large scale financial manipulations in Satyam’s book of accounts to the tune of Rs 50.4 billion. Soon after this, Sebi initiated investigation and later on issued showcause notices to PW and its associates in February 2009. Further notices were issued to PW in 2012 under FUTP regulations. Sebi, which has been probing PW for nearly a decade, and was asked by the Supreme Court in January 2017 to expedite the matter, held a series of hearings with the auditing major and its officials during May-June this year. The Supreme Court had directed Sebi to complete in six months its enquiry proceedings against PW.

Click here to read → Satyam Scam

Kamala Mills fire: Two '1 Above' pub owners nabbed, one still absconding

The Sanghvi brothers, who were on the run since the incident, were arrested from the Andheri area

Jigar Sanghvi and Kripesh Sanghvi, '1 Above' pub co-owners wanted in connection with the December 29 Kamala Mills fire that claimed 14 lives, were arrested on Wednesday, police said. | Today's Paper

The Sanghvi brothers, who were on the run since the incident, were arrested from the Andheri area here, additional commissioner of police S Jaikumar told PTI.

The police had on Tuesday arrested Vishal Kariya, a hotelier, for allegedly giving shelter to the Sanghvi brothers and Abhijeet Mankar -- owners of the '1 Above' pub.

ALSO READ: Fix fire safety: 15 measures to prevent Kamala Mills tragedy like situation

The trio has been booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder and other offences under the Indian Penal Code.

Police had also announced a reward of Rs 100,000 for information about their whereabouts.
Mankar was still absconding.

ALSO READ: Kamala Mills fire to Chennai floods: Why India's regulations aren't working

On December 29, a fire had swept through the '1 Above' and adjacent Mojo's Bistro resto pub in Kamala Mills compound in central Mumbai, resulting in the death of 14 people.

Click here to read → Kamala Mills Fire

Fix fire safety: 15 measures to prevent Kamala Mills tragedy like situation

There is a need to instil responsibility and for stricter laws to ensure effective implementation

The recent ghastly fire tragedy that occurred at the Kamala Mills compound in Mumbai should set the alarm bells ringing. This is yet another wake-up call for us to consider the issue of fire safety seriously. | Today's Paper

Mumbai has witnessed a boom in restaurants, pubs, bars and lounges, with industrial areas being turned into commercial zones. The fire has the potential to grow on the surface area much faster. The biggest challenge is the need to evacuate instantly as the percentage of people in a commercial building is greater.

Once a restaurant is opened, the fire brigade officials visit the premises and give a no-objection certificate (NOC). After that, every year, restaurants renew their licences.

With the development of Tier II and Tier III cities, the growth is immense. There is a need to instil responsibility and for stricter laws to ensure effective implementation. The government should invest more in the education and training of the fire safety departments, especially in the Tier II and Tier III cities.

Fire safety measures to avoid such situations in future:

1. Installation of intelligent high-quality fire detection systems: Most important and the basis of any fire is its detection so that further action is initiated automatically and manually.

2. Intelligent high-quality escape route emergency lighting system for a compulsory escape route(s): Escape routes are becoming a challenge; they must be planned and installed.

3. Adequate fire-fighting systems: Sprinkler systems, hydrant systems, gas suppression systems, leak detection systems, mist systems and many other fire-fighting systems are available and must be employed as per the application.

4. A complete ban on fire jugglery at restaurants, award shows or any event.

5. A complete ban on flammable building material.
Avoidance of flammable fabrics used in curtains, blinds, chairs, sofas and the like.

6. Use of flame retardant paints on the walls.

7. Very strict rule on use of fire retardant cable, its proper laying, use of cable trays, conduits and laying as per the permissible rules of high and low voltage systems.

8. Extensive use of circuit breakers of adequate specifications and load.

9. Extensive use of fire exit doors where applicable and strict no-change policy of these doors on change of interior design.

10. Complete ban on hookah lounges and bars which can cause fire: This is a must as we lack disposal etiquette and this will come after a lot of effort.

11. Strict fire training for building and restaurant staff.

12. Only registered companies should be allowed to install fire-prevention systems. The engineers must have certificated training.

13. More engagement of fire brigade department and OEMs where mutual meetings and training can take place.

14. Very strict maintenance of all fire systems.

15. Linking of main fire alarm systems of the building with the fire detection systems inside office, restaurant premises. It has been observed that the main fire alarm systems are not linked with fire systems in offices of the same buildings and thus there is a huge big disconnect.

Click here to read → Kamala Mills Tragedy

Blinded by pellets, Kashmiri teen Insha Mushtaq clears class 10 boards

The 16-year-old, who has undergone several surgeries, was hit in the face after she opened her window during the Kashmir unrest in 2016

In a remarkable feat, 16-year-old Insha Mushtaq, who became the face of pellet victims who lost their vision during the 2016 uprising in Kashmir, has cleared her class 10 board examinations. The results were declared on January 9. | Today's Paper

The teen gave the examinations with the aid of a helper who wrote the answers as she dictated. Despite being declared ‘qualified’ in her mathematics paper, Insha will have to appear for it again as it was noted that ‘she needs to improve’.

The news has spread joy in Kashmir. Insha’s father, Mushtaq Ahmad Lone, who was engaged as a driver with the state-run Motor Garages Department, started receiving congratulatory calls and messages soon after the results were declared and the news of Insha’s success began to spread online.

“We are very happy today,” Lone tells The Wire, adding that Insha worked hard to memorise her lessons with the help of her teachers. Over the past year, Insha recorded the lessons she had with a home tutor, later listening to them again in order to memorise them. “Everyone supported her to continue her studies, including her teachers, classmates and our relatives,” says Lone.


Soon after the news broke, social media congratulated her, with people sharing photos and calling her an inspiration for continuing to study despite the grievous pellet injuries she suffered.

Living in the dark

Insha was hit by pellets on the evening of July 11, 2016, three days after Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was killed when she opened a window to look outside her home in Sedow village of south Kashmir’s Shopian district.

“I was at home when I was hit by hundreds of pellets, mostly on my face,” Insha was quoted as saying in an Amnesty International report titled “Losing Sight in Kashmir”, on the impact of pellet-firing guns. The report had also noted that many school and university students who had been hit in the eyes continue to have learning difficulties.

Click here to read → Insha Mushtaq

Relief for Indian techies, US says no change in H-1B visa extension

The USCIS "is not considering a regulatory change that would force H-1B visa holders to leave the United States by changing interpretation of section certain language in Section 104 C of the American

In a relief for Indian techies, US authorities today said that the Trump administration is not considering any proposal that would force H-1B visa holders to leave the country.

The announcement by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) came days after reports emerged that the Trump administration was considering tightening H-1B visa rules that could lead to deportation of 7,50,000 Indians. | Today's Paper

The reports had said it was mulling ending extensions for H-1B holders.

The USCIS "is not considering a regulatory change that would force H-1B visa holders to leave the United States by changing interpretation of section certain language in Section 104 C of the American Competitiveness in the 21st Century Act (AC21) statute that states that USCIS may grant the extensions," an official said.

This provides for H-1B extensions beyond the 6 year limit.

"Even if it were, such a change would not likely result in these H-1B visa holders having to leave the United States because employers could request extensions in one-year increments under section 106(a)-(b) of AC21 instead," Jonathan Withington, Chief of Media Relations at the USCIS, said in a statement.

"The agency is considering a number of policy and regulatory changes to carry out the Presidents Buy American, Hire American Executive Order, including a thorough review of employment based visa programmes," Withington said.

Click here to read → H-1B Visa

Kamala Mills fire to Chennai floods: Why India's regulations aren't working

Year after year, people are dying in incidents that are termed 'accidents' but are actually man-made disasters

India’s cities – big and small, in the north and south – are sitting around a bonfire of regulations, basic tenets of urban planning and precious human lives. The December Mumbai fire is the latest reminder. We haven’t learnt our lessons from the gruesome Uphaar Cinema fire that killed 59 people and seriously injured 103 people in the national capital in 1997. | Today's Paper

Here are some of the major fire incidents that took place in the last 14 years. Some places that are frequent victims – temples and firecracker units in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, for example – don’t even come under the strict demographic definition of urban areas.

• Carlton Towers, Bengaluru, 2010; nine dead, 70 injured.
• SUM Hospital, Bhubaneswar, 2015; 22 dead, 120 injured.
• Surya Sen street market, Kolkata, 2013; 19 dead, ten injured.
• Amri (Dhakuria) Hospital, Kolkata, 2011; 73 dead.
• The Park Street, Kolkata, 2010; 16 dead.
• Kurla (West), Mumbai, 2015; eight dead.
• Kumbakonam, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, 2004; 83 dead, 27 injured – all school children.
• Srirangam, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, 2004; 57 dead, 50 injured.
• Nand Nagri, east Delhi, 2011; 15 dead, 65 injured.
• The Victoria Park, Meerut, 2006; 65 dead, 81 injured.
• Paravur, Kollam, Kerala, 2016; 111 dead, 350 injured.
• Mudalipatti, Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu, 2016; 38 dead, 33 injured.
• Mudalipatti, Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu, 2012; 54 dead, 78 injured.
• Khusropur, Patna, Bihar, 2005; 35 dead, 50 injured.

According to National Crime Records Bureau figures, 17,700 Indians died – 48 people every day – due to fire accidents in 2015. Of those who died, 62% were women. Maharashtra and Gujarat, our two most highly urbanised states, account for about 30% of the country’s fire accident deaths. There is a close correlation between deaths due to fire-related accidents and population density associated with urbanisation.

ALSO READ: Kamala Mills fire: Demolition at 314 sites, 7 hotels sealed in Mumbai

In cities after cities, towns after towns, year after year, Indians are getting killed and burnt in fire incidents. Technically speaking, these are not accidents; they are man-made disasters, manufactured by a mix of half-baked regulations and compromised enforcement machinery and powerful interest groups. They are actually planning-made problems.

This is a classic example of India’s ‘disposal problem’ (a phrase borrowed from historical American foreign policy). Let’s see the usefulness of this concept in our context.

The ‘disposal problem’ refers to how a well-entrenched people, practice or protocol (interest groups, professional cliques, sellers or buyers in a market place, rules, laws, standard operating procedures, institutional matrix, collective mores and folkways, etc.) can end up defeating the very purpose for which it was created in the first place. There is an element of “unintended consequence of purposive behaviour” (Robert K. Merton, 1996).

Click here to Read → Kamala Mills fire

Saudi nod for India's plan to ferry Haj pilgrims via sea route: Naqvi

The practice of ferrying Haj pilgrims between Mumbai and Jeddah by waterways existed earlier too, but was stopped from 1995

Saudi Arabia has given its nod to India's plan to revive the option of ferrying Haj pilgrims via sea route to Jeddah, Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said in a statement today. | Today's Paper
Naqvi made the comment after the signing of annual Haj agreement between India and Saudi Arabia in Mecca.

"Saudi Arabia has given its nod to revive the option of sending pilgrims by sea route...Officials from both the countries willdiscuss all the necessary formalities and technicalities so that Haj pilgrimage through sea route can be started in the coming years," Naqvi said according to the statement.

Naqvi said that sending pilgrims through ships would help cut down travel expenses significantly and added that it would be a "revolutionary, pro-poor, pilgrim-friendly decision".

The practice of ferrying Haj pilgrims between Mumbai and Jeddah by waterways existed earlier too, but was stopped from 1995.

Naqvi also said that for the first time Muslim women from India will go to Haj without 'Mehram' (male companion).

"Separate accommodation and transport have been arranged for these woman Haj pilgrims in Saudi Arabia and woman Haj assistants will be deployed for their assistance," he added.

More than 1,300 women have applied to go for Haj without 'Mehram'. All these women will be exempted from lottery system and allowed to proceed to Haj, he added.

Women above 45 years of age, who wish to go for Haj but who don't have a male companion, are allowed to travel for Haj in groups of four or more women according to the new Haj policy of India.

Click here to read →  Ferry Haj Pilgrims

West Bengal man arrested for stalking Sachin Tendulkar's daughter Sara

He called Sara several times and expressed his desire to marry her

A 27-year-old man from East Midnapore district in West Bengal was on Sunday arrested for allegedly harassing cricketer Sachin Tendulkar's daughter, Sara, over the phone, police said. | Today's Paper
Deb Kumar Maiti, a resident of Debkundu village near Geonkhali under Mahisadal Police Station, had gone to Mumbai sometime back to visit his elder brother when he somehow got hold of her number, they said.

He then called Sara several times and expressed his desire to marry her, they added.

A case was filed in this regard by the Tendulkar family in Mumbai, but the entire matter was kept secret by the Cyber Cell of the Mumbai Police.

A team of the Mumbai Police early today arrested Maiti near Andulia and later produced him before a court in Haldia, which allowed them to take him to Mumbai on a three-day transit remand, a senior officer of West Bengal police said in Haldia.

The police claimed that during interrogation the man admitted to calling her and also showed them a tattoo bearing Sara's name on his arm.

Maiti's neighbours, however, said he was suffering from mental issues from 2007.

Click here to read → Stalking Sara Tendulkar

Rajinikanth's political entry is as dramatic as his on-screen ones

Can Thalaivar encash his fan base?

After decades of speculation, Rajinikanth announced on New Year’s Eve that he was finally going to enter politics. Addressing thousands of fans in Chennai, the superstar — considered a demi-god or superhuman by many of his admirers — declared that he would form a political party and contest the state Assembly elections. About the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, he said he would take a call later. Rajini later told journalists: “I, too, want to create a political revolution. If there is a change now, future generations will live better.” Those speculating about whether Rajini’s political foray would be a dud, can take a break for now: A website launched by him on January 1 garnered millions of hits within hours and at least 300,000 registrations. | Today's Paper 

Rajini, of course, has been an influence to reckon with in Tamil politics since the mid-1990s. In 1996, he extended vocal support to the coalition of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC), helping them — according to some political pundits — win the Assembly elections. Notably, the TMC had used a bicycle as their political symbols and many of their posters had the iconic picture of Rajini on a cycle from his 1992 blockbuster Annamalai. His fans have only been too eager to see him enter the political arena and work his magic; some of them even started a political party in 2006, in a bid him take the plunge. Rajini had then desisted.

Of course, in south India, especially Tamil Nadu, cinema and politics have been twined since Independence. MGR, NTR, Jayalalithaa have all served as chief ministers and played a major part even in national politics. Rajini’s entry follows this tradition, where superstars and political leaders are given a larger-than-life status by their fans and supporters. While informing his fans about his intention to enter politics, Rajini reiterated the rhetoric of cleaning up the political landscape that is more than familiar to all of us now. “There is need for a political change,” he said. “In the name of democracy, political parties… are looting people.” Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, too, had promised similar clean-up acts before coming to power.

Click here to read → Rajinikanth Entry into Politics

Jadhav says not tortured in Pak custody, India dubs video as propaganda

He also thanked the Pakistan government for letting him meet his mother Avantika and wife Chetankul in Islamabad on December 25. "This gesture was a positive one... I feel happy."

Pakistan on Thursday released a video in which alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav claimed he was not tortured in custody and accused an Indian diplomat of "yelling" at his mother and wife after they met him last month.

India dismissed the recorded statement as a "propagandistic exercise" with no credibility. | Today's Paper

Sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and terrorism in April 2017, Jadhav, 47, says in the short video clip that he had "not been subjected to any sort of torture in Pakistan".

He also thanked the Pakistan government for letting him meet his mother Avantika and wife Chetankul in Islamabad on December 25. "This gesture was a positive one... I feel happy."

India's External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar accused Pakistan of "simply continuing its practice of putting out coerced statements on video.

"It is time for them to realise that such propagandistic exercises simply carry no credibility.
"The absurdity of a captive under duress certifying his own welfare while mouthing allegations of his captors clearly merits no comment."

Click here to read → Kulbhushan Jadhav

Any disruptive move on H-1B visa will be detrimental for India, US: Nasscom

According to Nasscom, the use of visas by Indian IT firms has fallen by 50% in the last two years

Any disruptive move on the visa front will be detrimental for both India and the US, with reports suggesting that Washington may be mulling new rules to prevent H-1B visa extensions, software body Nasscom has said. | Today's Paper 

Estimates show that such a move could lead to deportation of over one million H-1B visa holders in the US -- many of them Indians -- who are waiting for their green cards.

"It is not only about the Indian IT industry but about all Indians who use H-1B visas... Given that there is a real problem of shortage of skilled professionals in the US, any disruptive move will be detrimental for both India and the US," Nasscom President R Chandrashekhar told PTI.

He was reacting to reports suggesting that the US Department of Homeland Security is considering new regulations, which will prevent H-1B visa extensions during the pendency of green card approvals.

In other words, if this materialises, the move would prevent foreign workers in the US from keeping their H-1B work visas, while their green card application is under processing.

This is being seen as part of US President Donald Trump's 'Buy American, Hire American' campaign that seeks to bring back jobs to the country.

"It is one more step in a series of steps seen over the last one year. While each one individually may have a small impact, cumulatively the impact becomes very significant," Chandrashekhar said.

Meanwhile, Mahindra Group chief Anand Mahindra sought to soothe frayed nerves in a tweet that read "If that happens, then I say 'Swagatam, Welcome Home.' You're coming back in time to help India Rise".

According to Nasscom, the use of visas by Indian IT firms has fallen by 50 per cent in the last two years and that the number now stands below 10,000 (of the 85,000 H-1B visas issued annually).
To brace against the impact, Indians IT firms have also been ramping up local recruitments and training manpower in the US.

Click here to read → H-1B visa

Going from Srinagar to Leh will be easier with this tunnel costing Rs 68 bn

The Project aims at the construction of 14.15 km long two-lane bi-directional single tube tunnel

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the construction, operation, and maintenance of the two-lane bi-directional Zojila Tunnel on Srinagar-Leh section in Jammu & Kashmir on Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) basis.

The construction of this tunnel will provide all-weather connectivity between Srinagar, Kargil, and Leh and will bring about all-round economic and socio-cultural integration of these regions. The project has strategic and socio-economic importance and shall be an instrument for the development of the economically backward districts in Jammu & Kashmir, the official statement said. | Today's Paper 

The construction period of the project is seven years which shall be reckoned from the date of commencement of construction. The civil construction cost of the project is Rs 49 billion.
The total capital cost of the project is Rs 68.09 billion, including the cost of land acquisition, Resettlement & Rehabilitation, and other pre-construction activities as well as Maintenance and Operation cost of the tunnel for four years.

Infrastructure major IL&FS Transportation is likely to get the work for this tunnel as it emerged as the lowest bidder for this crucial project.

 Other Major Decisions

• Cabinet extends mandatory packaging of foodgrain and sugar products in jute bags for year ending June 2018; it is mandatory to pack 90% of grains and 20% of sugar products in jute bags
• Approval to India’s stand at the recently concluded World Trade Organization ministerial meeting held in Argentina in December last year 

Four companies had bid for the project and IL&FS quoted the lowest amount, which is 10.7% less than the bid amount government had mentioned in the tender document. The project will be built on EPC mode in which government bears the entire cost and makes the payment during construction.
The Project aims at the construction of a 14.15-km-long two-lane bi-directional single tube tunnel with a parallel 14.200-km-long egress tunnel excluding approaches between Baltal & Minamarg in J&K. The construction of approaches of this tunnel is being undertaken separately.

The project will be implemented by Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRT&H) through National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL).

The main objective of the project is to provide all-weather connectivity to Leh region in Jammu & Kashmir which at the moment is limited to at best 6 months because of snow on the passes and threat of avalanches.

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Fodder scam: Sentencing of RJD chief Lalu Yadav tomorrow

Rs 900 crore from the Bihar exchequer were siphoned off under the pretext of purchasing fodder for livestock, during '80s and '90s by Lalu Yadav

A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court was to pronounce the quantum of sentence for former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad who has been convicted in a fodder scam case. However, the sentencing has been postponed to Thursday due to the passing away of advocate Vindeshwari Prasad, according to TV reports.

On December 23, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief along with 14 others was found guilty by the court while seven accused including former Bihar Chief Minister Jagannath Mishra were acquitted. | Today's Paper 

Lalu has been convicted in one of the cases of the fodder scam, wherein Rs 900 crore from the Bihar exchequer were siphoned off under the pretext of purchasing fodder for livestock, during '80s and '90s.

Bhima Koregaon's myth in Maha reinforces identities it seeks to transcend

The resolve to fight Hindutva forces is certainly laudable, but the myth used for the purpose may be grossly counterproductive

Two hundred years ago, the last battle of the Anglo-Maratha war was fought at Koregaon village on the banks of Bhima river near Pune. The battle marked the firm hold of the British Empire in India. The British erected an obelisk at the battleground in the memory of the dead. It has 49 names, 22 of them are identified by their ‘nak’ suffix as Mahars. It was construed as the testimony to the gallantry of Mahar soldiers, and was rightly used by the first batch of Mahar leaders such as Gopal Baba Walangkar, Shivram Janba Kamble and even Ramji Ambedkar, B R Ambedkar’s father, when pleading the British for the restoration of Mahar recruitment in the British army when it was stopped in 1893. The stoppage of Mahar recruitment was a consequence of the Indian uprising of 1857, after which the British reassessed their recruiting strategies to include only those from ‘martial races’ in the army. | Today's Paper

But when Babasaheb Ambedkar painted the Battle of Bhima Koregaon as the battle of Mahar soldiers against their caste oppression in Peshwa rule, he was creating a pure myth. As myths are required to build movements, he perhaps saw its necessity then. But after a century, when it solidifies into a quasi-history and tends to push Dalits deeper into an identitarian marshland, it should become a worrisome matter. Many Dalit organisations recently formed a joint front to observe the 200th anniversary of this battle as a campaign to launch an attack on the new Peshwai, the rising Brahmanic rule of the Hindutva forces. Their long marches culminated into an Elgar Parishad (conference) at the Shaniwarwada at Pune on December 31. While the resolve to fight the Hindutva forces is certainly laudable, the myth used for the purpose may be grossly counterproductive insofar as it reinforces identitarian tendencies whereas the necessity is to transcend them.

As regards history, it is a fact that when the East India Company developed its military aspirations, it recruited Dalits in disproportionately large numbers, perhaps for their unflinching loyalty and faithfulness and also because they were cheaply available. One finds disproportionate numbers of the Namshudras in Bengal, the Parayas in Madras and the Mahars in Maharashtra in its army. If the Dalits wanted to claim significant contribution to the establishment of the British Raj in India, it may not be as such incorrect. But to attribute motive of fighting caste oppression to their soldiery shall be far-fetched and unhistorical.

The East India Company fought and won several battles from the first one in Plassey in 1757 before the last battle of the Anglo-Maratha war. Obviously, all of them were not against the Peshwas. Most of them were not even against the Hindus. They were simply wars between the two ruling powers, which their soldiers fought just as their duty. To make them appear as anti-caste or anti-religion will not only be factually incorrect, but also an erroneous understanding of historical caste. Caste, until after the late 19th century when there was a substantial spread of education among the Dalits, has been the life-world of people. They took caste as a natural order and their oppression as the fate that they had to meekly endure. Therefore, there was no question of any resistance to caste, leave apart physical war against them. Contrary to such myths of bravery, there is no evidence of any militant resistance the Dalits ever posed against the Brahmanic oppression.

With regard to the formation of warring armies, they were not purely composed of communal lines. While the Dalit soldiers may be relatively in large numbers in the British army, it is not that they did not exist in Muslim or Maratha armies. As with communities, all castes existed in all the armies. In the Battle of Koregaon, one of the three wings of the Peshawa infantry was Arabs, which had reportedly fought most fiercely and had most casualties. What could be their motivation? Did they want the Peshwa’s Brahmanic rule to triumph? The fact is that they simply fought as soldiers for their masters, as the Dalits did for theirs. It would be grossly erroneous to attribute loftier motives to them than this.

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ATM transactions may get costlier as operators seek hike in inter-bank fees

The representation is being led by National Payments Corp of India after meetings were conducted separately for private and public sector lenders

In a move that might potentially add some more burden on the common man, the automated teller machine (ATM) operators, especially those of the private banks, are demanding a raise in inter-bank charges for ATM transactions, citing demonetisation, an increased cost of operating the channel, and fewer withdrawals.

The representation is being led by the National Payments Corp of India (NPCI) after meetings were conducted separately for private and public sector lenders.

The inter-bank fee is charged by one bank from another for use of its ATMs by the customers of the other. Any raise in this leads to increased cost burden for banks with smaller ATM networks. If banks pass on part of this cost to consumers, the number of free ATM transactions they are allowed to make in a month at their bank or other banks' ATMs might get reworked. | Today's Paper

According to a Livemint report, the demand for raising the rate is being led primarily by private sector banks. Some large public sector banks are against an increase as it would lead to higher costs for them.

A banker from one such large public sector bank was quoted as saying that their charges were already high and if they increased it further, they would be bound to lose. Once they have ascertained the costs, they would discuss it with the stakeholders and fix the rate, he added.

The banker said because private sector banks started putting up ATMs before the public sector ones, the former have a locational advantage but he admitted that the security charges and recalibration of machines due to the issue of new currency notes have led to additional costs for all banks.

Following demonetisation of high-value currency notes and the increase in digital transactions, ATM usage has declined drastically, leading several banks to rationalise their ATM network.

Another reason for seeking the fee hike is that ATM companies are now under stress and think that the management of the machines have increased and not much deployment is happening.

A banker from Union Bank of India was quoted as saying that even though minimum wages of security guards or monitoring charges had shot up, the inter-bank charges had remained the same. The increase they were seeking was marginal, he added.

Triple talaq bill to be tabled in Rajya Sabha today

The BJP has issued a three-line whip for its MPs. The party wants all its MPs' presence in the Parliament on January 2nd and 3rd for the passage of several crucial bills during the period

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017 seeking to criminalise instant divorce, triple talaq, is set to be tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

The Bill, last week, was passed in the Lok Sabha with most of the leading parties in the Opposition, including the Congress, voting in favour, but with caveats. It was passed after the House rejected a string of amendments moved by various Opposition members.

The Centre termed the voting as "historic" and expressed confidence that it would be passed in Rajya Sabha as well. |Today's Paper 

The contentious bill had gathered mixed response from all parties when it was introduced in the lower house.

While Congress extended its support, it also suggested that there were certain lacunae in the Bill that needed to be rectified before being brought into force.

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi opposed the Bill saying that it would violate the fundamental rights of Muslims.

All the amendments moved by Owaisi, Biju Janata Dal's (BJD) Bhartruhari Mahtab, the Congress' Sushmita Dev and the Communist Party of India's (Marxist) A. Sampath were negated in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.

If the Bill gets a green signal in the upper house as well, it will be forwarded to the President for signing it into a law.

In light of the ruling alliance lacking a majority in the Rajya Sabha, there are possibilities of the Bill getting stalled, as Congress, the leading opposition party has objected to the imprisonment and maintenance clauses of the Bill, and therefore may press for the Bill to be sent to the standing committee or a select committee to remove objectionable clauses.

However, the BJP is hopeful the Bill will get clearance.

"I have complete conviction that Congress will support the Bill the same way it did in Lok Sabha, or else the minority women will not spare them," Union Minister Giriraj Singh told ANI on Monday.
Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar echoed the same conviction.

"I believe all our office-bearers will talk to all parties, and all parties will understand the problem faced by our aggrieved sisters. This bill, I believe, will be passed in the Rajya Sabha," he said.

The Bill, if enacted, will make triple talaq a criminal offense. It proposes a three-year jail term for a Muslim man who divorces his wife in any form of spoken, written or by electronic means such as email, SMS, and WhatsApp.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday issued a three-line whip for all its Lok Sabha (LS) and Rajya Sabha (RS) MPs.

The party wants all its MPs' presence in the Parliament on January 2nd and 3rd for the passage of several crucial bills during the period.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017, seeking to criminalise instant divorce, triple talaq, which was passed in the Lok Sabha last week, is set to be tabled in the Rajya Sabha on January 2.

Lok Sabha is also expected to pass the National Medical Commission Bill 2017 today.
A BJP parliamentary party meeting is also scheduled to take place at 9.30 a.m on January 3.
On a related note, the winter session of Parliament ends on January 5.