National - The Digital Indian

Jan122017 by Team - The Digital IndianNo Comments

CAG Shashi Kant Sharma takes over as UN audit chair for next two years

National

Comptroller and Auditor General Shashi Kant Sharma took over as the chairman of the United Nations’ Board of Auditors from January 1 for a period of two years. The CAG of India is the lead auditor for the UN headquarters at New York and some other UN agencies, including the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the UN Joint Staff Pension Fund (UNJSPF) and the UN Compensation Commission (UNCC), besides auditing six missions of UN peacekeeping operations across the world. The CAG is also the external auditor of the World Intellectual Property Organization. Two years ago, India had replaced China in the United Nations Board of auditors, with the CAG appointed as a UN auditor for six years. The UN Board of Auditors is one of the key oversight organs of the international agency, and its importa...

Jan122017 by Team - The Digital IndianNo Comments

Niti Aayog has strongly advocated use of genetically modified seed varieties for agriculture growth in the country

National

Niti Aayog has strongly advocated wider use of genetically modified (GM) seed varieties to revive agriculture growth in the country. The assertion came even after RSS’s economic wing — Swadeshi Jagran Manch — questioned the role and two-year contribution of Niti Aayog and raised serious questions about the think tank supporting use of GM seeds. Arguing that the key to green revolution was highyielding crops, the government’s think tank said, “It is time for us to return to allow massive research into improving seed varieties including genetically modified one.” In an appraisal document of 12th Five Year Plan, the Aayog said, “Elsewhere in the world, most notably the United States, GMO seeds have been in use for over two decades with no adverse effect on either crops or those consumin...

Jan122017 by Team - The Digital IndianNo Comments

Amazon removes Indian Flag dormats after Sushma Swaraj Warning

National

Following India's threat of blocking visa to any Amazon official if the company did not withdraw an Indian flag-themed doormat from its Canadian platform, the e-commerce website removed the article from the online marketplace on Thursday. A spokesman for Amazon based at its headquarters in Seattle contacted The Washington Post to say that the doormat was no longer for sale on its website. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday said Amazon must tender an unconditional apology and withdraw all products insulting the Tricolour, otherwise no Amazon official will get an Indian visa. https://twitter.com/SushmaSwaraj/status/819192573134680064 https://twitter.com/SushmaSwaraj/status/819177814037512193 https://twitter.com/SushmaSwaraj/status/819192941130326016 Do...

Jan112017 by Team - The Digital IndianNo Comments

Indian Railways tunes in to revenues with music, films

National

The railways will put up ATMs on platforms in stations, offer music and movies in trains and ‘brand’ trains to boost advertising revenue, opening up new revenue streams. These and other initiatives on revenues for Indian Railways from non-fare sources were announced by Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu on Tuesday. The Minister unveiled the Railways’ first non-fare revenue policy, out-of-home advertising policy, train branding policy, content-on-demand and rail radio policy along with an ATM policy. The ATMs are likely to be located at the end of platforms or at a prominent place in the circulating area of stations. “ATMs require round-the-clock security so setting up such facilities at rail platforms will reduce the security cost,” Mr. Prabhu said at a press conference here. “The ...

Jan112017 by Team - The Digital IndianNo Comments

Sushma Swaraj’s warning to Amazon over sale of tricolour doormats

National

Foreign minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday threatened to refuse visas to Amazon officials and withdraw visas already given to Amazon employees in India, if the global e-tailer did not stop selling doormats with the Indian flag on them. "If this is not done forthwith, we will not grant Indian Visa to any Amazon official. We will also rescind the Visas issued earlier," Swaraj said in a series of tweets after she received a complaint on Twitter. While seeking an unconditional apology, the minister also asked the Indian embassy to take up the matter with Amazon Canada. https://twitter.com/SushmaSwaraj/status/819177814037512193 https://twitter.com/SushmaSwaraj/status/819192941130326016 https://twitter.com/SushmaSwaraj/status/819192573134680064 "Amazon must tender unconditiona...

Jan102017 by Team - The Digital IndianNo Comments

We can’t be dependent only on politicians or political party to bring good days. – Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev

National

Hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi for demonetising Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 currency notes, Yoga guru Baba Ramdev today said printing of Rs 2,000 currency notes should also be stopped in future. ”The adverse effect of high denomination currency is evident as the fake currency in the denomination of Rs 2,000 notes has arrived (in the market). The bigger value note has the same problem for which Modiji has scrapped the other ones,” Ramdev told reporters here. “Fake currency note in high denomination is convenient for printing, transportation and difficult to trace. I feel the printing of Rs 2,000 note should be stopped in future,” he added. “In future, wherever there will be a strong need, cash should be used otherwise we should move towards a cashless economy. As we move ahead toward d...

Jan92017 by Team - The Digital IndianNo Comments

If you don’t scream nobody gives a damn, says Arnab Goswami

Karnataka

“Republic is a movement, not a channel… it’s not just a media venture, it’s a revolution,” Arnab Goswami, founder of upcoming news channel Republic said at the 4th edition of the Under 25 Summit in Bengaluru on Sunday. The summit claims to be India’s largest youth festival that brings entrepreneurs, creators, designers, developers, musicians, and food enthusiasts – under one roof. Goswami began by talking about the mass molestation incident in Bengaluru on New Year’s eve which managed to touch the right chord with the youth who continued to applaud throughout his speech. Goswami took on the politicians who tried to “cover up” the molestation incident by blaming the nature of the festivals and western clothes. In his gripping speech, Goswami sought support from the youth who will b...

Jan92017 by Team - The Digital IndianNo Comments

Shipping ministry aims to enable the port authorities to function like a corporate entity

National

The Major Port Authorities Bill, which seeks to provide significant operational autonomy to the major ports, will allow the 12 state-run entities to work like a corporate with full flexibility, says a research report. Terming the proposed law as a significantly positive step for the state-run ports, domestic rating agency ICRA in a report said “the Union shipping ministry aims to enable the port authorities to function like a corporate entity and provide autonomy and flexibility to operate, besides bringing in a professional approach in their governance.” K Ravichandran, senior vice-president at Icra, said the move will give autonomy to ports in raising loans sans government approvals, which is a potential positive as in the past some major ports have struggled to implement expansion...

Jan92017 by Team - The Digital IndianNo Comments

PM Narendra Modi woos NRIs, calls for investment at 14th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas

National

PM Narendra Modi reached out to the young NRIs by calling them a valuable partner in the journey of development as he delivered the keynote address at the 14th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Bengaluru. While lauding the Indian diaspora for extending their support in the government’s fight against corruption and black money, Modi urged them to first develop India by investing and contributing its expertise in the land of its origin. Catch the highlights here: – Remittance of close to 69 billion dollars annually by overseas Indians makes an invaluable contribution to the Indian economy. We want to turn ‘brain-drain’ into ‘brain-gain’ and your support in this is very important. – NRIs and PIO have made outstanding contributions. Among them are politicians of great stature, scientists ...

Jan92017 by Team - The Digital IndianNo Comments

PM Modi extends deadline to convert PIO cards to OCI cards

National

PM Modi government on Sunday extended the deadline for applying for conversion of Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) card to Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cards till June 30. “We have extended the deadline for PIO card conversions to OCI from 31 December 2016, until June 30, 2017 without any penalty,” PM Modi said at the 14th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention in Bengaluru. “The Indian government is working to put in place procedures for making descendants of the indentured labour living in Fiji and other countries eligible for OCI cards. Starting with Mauritius, we are working to put in place procedures so that descendants of Girmitiyas could become eligible for OCI Cards. We remain committed to addressing similar difficulties of PIOs in Fiji, Reunion Islands, Suriname, Guyana and oth...