Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has called for increased investment by international institutions and bodies in the Indian Highways and MSME sectors. He said, automobile and MSME are the two growth engines of Indian economy. 

Addressing the Indo-Australian Chamber of Commerce and Womennovator on Trade Investment and collaborations in Road infrastructure and MSMEs yesterday, the Minister said, India and Australia are already co-operating in the road safety sector. He said, this cooperation has provided better designs for roads and awareness opportunities for the public.

Under Indian Road Safety Assessment Programme, 21 thousand km roads have been assessed and about 3000 km road length is under technological upgradation. He said, better road engineering and increased public awareness have brought improvement. He added that it is estimated that these upgradation programmes will bring about 50 per cent reduction in Road accidents. Mr Gadkari informed that the objective is to set out to achieve zero road fatalities by 2030.

India conducted the highest ever single day Covid tests at over seven lakh 33 thousand in the last 24 hours. This has taken the cumulative tests to more than two crore 60 lakh. Union Health Ministry said, the country’s Test, Track and Treat strategy has achieved another peak with 18 thousand 852 tests per million.

The graded and evolving response has resulted in a testing strategy that steadily widened the testing net in the country. The testing lab network in the country is continuously strengthened with one thousand 421 labs in the country, 944 labs in the government sector and 477 private labs.

The country also reported the highest ever single-day COVID-19 recoveries of over 56 thousand patients in the last 24 hours. The Health Ministry said that 16 lakh 39 thousand 599 people have recovered till date. The Recovery rate has reached another high of 70.38 per cent.

The actual case load of the country is over six lakh 43 thousand, which is only 27.64 per cent of the total positive cases. It said, a single day spike of 60 thousand 963 COVID-19 cases has taken the virus caseload to over 23 lakh 29 thousand. In the last 24 hours, 834 deaths pushed the death toll to 46 thousand 91.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the platform for Transparent Taxation – Honoring the Honest through video conferencing today. This platform will further carry forward the journey of direct tax reforms. The Central Board of Direct Taxes, CBDT has carried out several major tax reforms in direct taxes in recent years.

Last year, the Corporate Tax rates were reduced from 30 per cent to 22 per cent and for new manufacturing units the rates were reduced to 15 per cent. Dividend distribution Tax was also abolished. Our Correspondent reports that the event will be witnessed by various Chambers of Commerce, Trade Associations, Chartered Accountants’ associations and also eminent taxpayers, apart from the officers and officials of Income Tax Department. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Minister of State for Finance Anurag Singh Thakur will be present on the occasion.

AIR correspondent reports, several initiatives have been taken by the CBDT for bringing in efficiency and transparency in the functioning of the IT Department. This includes bringing more transparency in official communication through the newly introduced Document Identification Number, wherein every communication of the Department would carry a computer generated unique document identification number.

The focus of the tax reforms has also been on reduction in tax rates and on simplification of direct tax laws. With a view to provide for resolution of pending tax disputes the IT Department also brought out the Direct Tax ‘Vivad se Vishwas Act, 2020’ under which declarations for settling disputes are being filed currently.

To effectively reduce taxpayer grievances and litigation, the monetary thresholds for filing of departmental appeals in various appellate Courts have been raised. Several measures have also been taken to promote digital transactions and electronic modes of payment. 

SAHAJ SABHARWAL OF DPS JAMMU WINS INTERNATIONAL ACCLAIM FOR HIS POETRY

Sahaj Sabharwal (batch 2019-20), a published author and a budding poet from Delhi Public School, Jammu has once again brought laurels to his Alma Mater, his parents and his country by winning International Acclaim for his creative work named ‘Stay Cool’ sent to ‘Write to Unite’ publishing house in Peterborough, U.K.Sahaj was among 4000 adults, children and families who were involved to spread positivity and record their thoughts during lockdown. Sahaj’s work will soon be publishing in U.K. The poetry written by him was an advice to people to stay cool and to have their own creative ideas rather than copying others. One of his story ” Bampu and the Bear ” which was written to spread awareness to “Save Wildlife”, also won 4th prize and the Certificate of Appreciation for the school in National level Mega Story Writing Competition organised by “The Children Magazine” in which different schools across the country took part. Earlier too, Sahaj has been writing poetry and articles for many publishing houses and received honours such as Certificates of Appreciation, Merit Certificates, Certificates of Achievement. Now Sahaj is a co-author of more than ten anthologies  and author of his own book named ” Poems by Sahaj Sabharwal ” which is available worldwide for sale as e-book and paperback. It is noteworthy that Sahaj had also written a poem for the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Sh. Narendra Modi Ji which also won many appreciations.In this crucial period of pandemic, he has contributed to the Nation as “CORONA WARRIOR” and got many recognitions for his social work.Not only this, Sahaj has done a valuable scientific research titled ” COVID19: CAN SURGICAL MASKS OR RESPIRATORS PREVENT CORONA VIRUS? ” in which he explained the solution for   protecting against Coronavirus in an advanced way for social awareness and it was also appreciated by various organisations and Doctors. His research article got selected  for the 2nd INTERNATIONAL  EUROPEAN CONFERENCE ON INTERDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC RESEARCHES in Ankara, Turkey for his paper. Sahaj’s work is available online on Amazon, Flipkart, Snapdeal and Google Playstore.Principal, DPS Jammu, Ms. Ruchi Chabra congratulated and appreciated Sahaj for his creative work and hoped that in future he will rise to greater heights and win greater fame in the field of creative writing.Hon’ble President, RCT, Sh. M.K Ajatshatru Singh Ji, Hon’ble PVC, Kunwrani Ritu Singh Ji and Hon’ble Director, Sh. S.S Sodhi Ji extended their best wishes to Sahaj and his parents.

IT IS RAINING HEAVILY OUTSIDE SINCE 5 ‘O CLOCK OF THE MORNING AND THE WEATHER IS THE BLISS . BUT , UNFORTUNATELY , TODAY , I AM UNABLE TO MEET MY MORNING FRIEND WHICH IS NEWSPAPER , AS IT IS STILL RAINING HEAVILY , DUE TO WHICH , NEWSPAPER DISTRIBUTOR DID N’T COME . I DECIDED NOT TO BREAK MY MORNING ROUTINE DUE TO SUCHA A BLISS . SO , I READ THE NEWS FROM THE NEWS APP , GOING TO THE DIFFRENT SEGMENTS , MY EYES WENT ON THIS HEADLINE WHICH ITSELF CONCLUDES , HOW MUCH IN THE FAVOUR OF PEOPLE IT IS !. FURTHER , I STARTED READING IT SENTENCE BY SENTENCE , IT IS THE CHANGES IN THE TAX REFORMS , FEW INTRODUCTIONS AND FEW ADDITIONS TO THE REFORMS.

IF WE TALK ABOUT THE TAX REFORMS OF 2019 , CORPORATE TAX LAST YEAR WAS CUT DOWN FROM 30% TO 22% WHICH IS WELCOMED BY MOST AS IN ANTICIPATING MORE FUNDS IN OUR HANDS. AT PRESENT , THAT IS IN THE YEAR 2020 , THE CORPORATE TAX IS FURTHER CUT DOWN FROM 22% TO 15% , WHICH IS IN MY OPINION IS A RATIONAL DECISION . AS WE ALL KNOW , WE ARE GOING THROUGH THE MOST DIIFICULT TIME AND SURVIVING IT , THE ECONOMIC DISRUPTION HAPPENING THIS YEAR IS THE WORST . THE SCHOLARS ARE SAYING THAT THE GDP GROWTH OF THIS YEAR IS GROWING TO THE WORST , MORE DISRUPTED THAN THE GDP GROWTH IN THE YEAR OF 1947. SO , THIS MOVE IS IEVITABLE TO MAKE.IN ADDITION TO THIS , DIVIDEND DISTRIBUTION TAX WAS ALSO ABOLISHED IN 2019.

THE MAIN FOCUS OF THEESE REFORMS IS ON THE REDUCTION IN THE TAX RATES , SIMPLIFICATION OF THE DIRECT TAX LAWS , THERE SHOULD BE MORE TRANSPARENCY IN THE COMMUNICATION , TO MAKE IT HAPPEN , A NEW IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WILL BE ALLOTED TO THE IUNDIVIDUALS. MOREOVER , IT IS ALSO HELPING IN THE PENDING TAX DISPUTES , UNDER THE SCHEME ‘ VIVAD SE VISHWAS ACT 2020 ‘ INTRODUCED IN THEESE TAX REFORMS FOCUSING ON TO REDUCE TAXPAYER GRIEVIANCES AND THE LITIGATION , STATUTORY FILING OF DEPARMENTAL APPEALS . IT IS ALSO HELPING TAX PAYERS IN COVID-19 PANDEMIC BY EXTENDING STATUTORY TIMELINES FOR FILING RETURNS , RELEASING FUNDS EXPEDITIOUSLY TO INCREASE LIQUIDITY IN THE HANDS OF THE TAX PAYERS.

AN HONOURABLE MOVE

I WAS READINNG NEWSPAPER IN THE MORNING WHEN MY EYES STUCK ON THIS HEADLINE AND MY HAPPINESS KNEW NO BOUNDS.NOW , DAUGHTERS ARE EQUALLY INHERITABLE FOR THE INHERIT PROPERTY IN THE TRADITIONAL FAMILY BUSINESS THAT IS IN THE JOINT HINDU FAMILY SYSTEM . IT WILL HAVE RETROSPECTIVE EFFECT TO A 2005 AMENDMENT TO THE HINDU SUCCESSION ACT OF 1956 . IT IS THE BEST NEWS WHICH I HAVE READ TODAY AND NOT ABLE TO RESIST MYSELF FROM SHARING IT WITH ALL THE READERS . IN ADDITION TO THIS , I ALSO HAVE A THOUGHT IS N’T TOO LATE ? IF TI WOULD HAVE PASSED IN THE LAW WHEN IT WAS BEING MADE , THEN , DAUGHTERS HAVE HAD THIS RIGHT SO FAR , IS N’T ? . WELL , ITS VERY LATE BUT THE DECISION MADE IS THE BEST , SHOWING THE UPGRADATION IN THE LEVEL OF THINKING IN THE MINDS OF FEW PEOPLE.

IN THE HINDU SUCCESSION ACT OF 1956 , NOW , DAUGHTERS ARE THE COPARCENERS IN THE HINDU UNDIVIDED FAMILY AND HOLD THE COPARCENERY RIGHTS IRRESPECTIVE OF WHETHER FATHER IS ALIVE OR NOT. THIS AMENDMENT WAS MADE IN 2005 , AT PRESENT GIVING THE RETROSPECTIVE EFFECT FOR THE AMENDMENT MADE . MOST OF THE FAMILIES MUST HAVE PUZZLED OUT THE ACCOMODATION OF THE SHARE OF BUSINESS THAT IS TO BE GIVEN TO THEIR DAUGHTERS. THE ISSUE LIES WHERE THE FAMILY DOES N’T ACCEPT THE RIGHTS OF THE DAUGHTERS .IN THE TRADITIONAL SENSE , SOME OF THE FAMILIES MAY NOT GREET THEIR DAUGHTERS IN FAMILY BUSINESS WHICH IS DEFEATING THE OBJECTIVE . MR RAMACHANDRAN ALSO ADDED ABOUT THE JOINT AND LARGE FAMILY BUSINESS , SHOULD BE OPEN TO RECOGNISE THE RIGHTS OF THE DAUGHTER .

FROM NOW ONWARDS , EVERY DAUGHTER HAS EQUAL RIGHT IN BEING THE PART OF THEIR BUSINESS .

THE JUDGEMENT SAYS ”THE DAUGHTERS CAN NO LONGER BE DEPRIEVED OF THEIR RIGHTS T0 ANCESTRAL PROPERTY , NO MATTER WHEN THEY WERE BORN ” .

In India women have a prominent place in society. They are treated with respect and considered as equal partners of men. Most women are talented and they make the best use of their talents. There are poets, scholars and even warriors among women. Even during the time of Ramayana and Mahabharata there were women of wisdom, bravery and virtue.

But in the medieval period women were considered to be slaves of men and were deprived of respect and honour. They were expected to live within the four walls of the house, doing household chores and looking after their children. Education and other opportunities were just not meant for them.

Today the Scene has changed. The status and condition of women has improved. However, it cannot be emphatically said that women are at par with men in all spheres of life. Since ours is a male dominated society, women are forced to be dependent on men. Women work both inside and outside the house. They might augment the income of the family: but in most cases, their purse strings are controlled by their husbands. All major descision in the family are taken by the man without consulting the woman.

This situation should and must change. Women can play a part in bringing gender equality In our society. Woman can play role in gender sensitization, as a mother, as a wife, as a sister, as a daughter or as a teacher.

At home, as a mother she should give equal opportunity while bringing up the girl child and boy child. A girl child should be given those errands that are said to be the boy’s job. Errands such as going to shop, buying household items and dealing with money should also be given to girls. There should be nothing like ‘a boy’s job or girl’s job’. Just as girl learn to deal with matters relating to money, I boys should also be taught to cook, clean etc. This will be helpful to mothers and will help them [boys and girls] in the future.

Man and woman at the two wheels of steel carriage. The life of one Is not complete without the other. Neither man nor woman can be true to what they are if either of them leads an isolated life. Man and woman contribute equally to each other’s development.

In the last six years, the Government has taken many important decisions on Defence.

Ending a four decade long wait of veterans, Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government announced the ‘One Rank One Pension’ scheme for ex-servicemen. Government’s guideline that women should be considered for command roles and that all women officers are entitled to permanent commission is a major boost to empower women.

In a major boost to the armed forces, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) yesterday approved the procurement of defence equipment for an approximate cost of  over 8 thousand 7 hundred 22 crore rupees , including 106 basic trainer aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF). The step will strengthen the armed forces by relying on indigenous capability to take forward the initiative on Atma Nirbhar Bharat.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s recent  announcement of a negative import list of 101 defence items as a major step towards self-reliant India is in line with this thinking of making the country self-reliant in defence production.

Speaking to AIR News, Director of Society for Policy Studies, Commodore Uday Bhaskar said, the recent announcement by the Ministry of Defence regarding the new policy about enforcing an embargo on 101 inventory is a significant policy decision.

Government is giving emphasis on positioning India among the top countries of the world in Defence and Aerospace sectors, from design to production, with the active participation of the public and private sector fulfilling the twin objectives of self-reliance and exports. 

Israel has given state-of-the-art Artificial Intelligence-based technologies and high-end equipment to AIIMS, Delhi as part of Israel-India cooperation to fight the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Israeli Ambassador to India Dr Ron Malka formally handed over the high-end equipment and technology solutions to Director of AIIMS, Dr Randeep Guleria in the presence of Chief Guest Sanjay Bhattacharya, Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs yesterday.

It also includes a 12-hour disinfection product called CPD that stays active to protect the surface against new attacks of contamination, a non-invasive remote patient monitoring system which aids as a preliminary screening tool of respiratory indicators of suspected COVID-19 patients and recovering patients and AI-based software for Ultrasound use and designed especially for fighting COVID-19.

Dr Guleria said India-Israel relations are strong. Earlier, India helped Israel with medicines and safety gear. Now Israel has sent equipment including robotic teleconsultation and telemonitoring equipment.

Lok Sabha has started a beginner-level course in French for the officials and staff of the Lok Sabha Secretariat at the Parliament House. As many as 57 officials registered for the course.

Inaugurating the course, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said, knowledge of language is extremely relevant in today’s interconnected world and is a necessary skill for success in different fields. Observing that language brings people together and helps improve their efficiency and skill, he said the languages enrich us and bring people together.

Birla appreciated the initiative undertaken by the Parliamentary Research and Training Institute for Democracies (PRIDE). He said that PRIDE must remain committed learning and research. He added that in the near future, courses in German, Spanish, Russian and other important world languages would also be organised.

The festival of Janmashtami, which marks the birth of Lord Krishna, is being celebrated in different parts of the country today. At Mathura and Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh, Janmashtami will be celebrated with all the rituals but the devotees will not be allowed entry to the temples due to CoronaVirus. However, arrangements have been made to live stream the puja for devotees.

President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have greeted people on the occasion.

In a message, President said, Lord Shri Krishna inspires us to establish a society that is just, sensitive and compassionate. Mr Kovind said, Lord Krishna’s message of Karmayoga is a call to focus on our responsibilities rather than caring for rewards. This spirit has been evident in the working of all our corona warriors who act at the forefront of our fight against Corona, he said.

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has greeted people on the occasion of Janmashtami.  In a tweet Mr Naidu said, the tales of the young Krishna’s mischiefs and his heroic acts have captivated our collective imagination since time immemorial.

He said,  the eternal message of performing our duties sincerely without attachment to results, elaborated by Lord Krishna in the Bhagwad Gita has been a source of inspiration for the entire humanity. He said, Janmashtami, which is usually celebrated across the country with great fervor and gaiety, would have to be celebrated in a modest manner this year due to Covid-19.

On this auspicious day, the Vice President called upon everyone to perform our duties faithfully and to seek the path of righteousness. He hoped that the festival would bring peace, harmony and prosperity to everyone.

In a tweet, the Prime Minister said Best wishes on the auspicious occasion of Janmashtami.

Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has unearthed money-laundering worth over 1,000 crore rupees involving Chinese and Indian nationals. The Income Tax Department has conducted searches on premises of Chinese entities, their close confederates and a couple of bank employees.

CBDT said, based on the credible information that few Chinese individuals and their Indian associates were involved in money laundering and hawala transactions through a series of shell entities, a search action was mounted. Search action revealed that at the behest of Chinese individuals, more than 40 bank accounts were created in various dummy entities, entering into credits of more than one thousand crore rupees over the period.

A subsidiary of Chinese company and its related concerns have taken over 100 crore rupees bogus advances from shell entities for opening businesses of retail showrooms in India. Incriminating documents in respect of hawala transactions and laundering of money with active involvement of bank employees and Chartered accountants has been found as a result of search action.