All India Radio News Summary: 09 JANUARY 2018
- Prime Minister urges Indian origin lawmakers to be partners in India’s development and act as catalysts in its economic growth.
Objective:
To forge stronger ties with Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) across the world, the first PIO Parliamentary Conference has been organised in New Delhi.
Key facts:
- As many as 124 members of parliament and 17 mayors participated from 23 countries including UK, USA, South Africa, Canada, Fiji, Kenya, Mauritius, New Zealand, Sri Lanka among others.
- The biggest delegation is from Guyana with 20 members of parliament and three mayors. The US delegation will be represented by two mayors as the Senate is in session.
Addressing the first PIO, Persons of Indian Origin, and Parliamentarians Conference, PM said,
- They can help attract more Foreign Direct Investment to India by spreading India’s growth story globally.
- India has moved far ahead and people can see the results of change in every sphere.
- GST is a huge reform and the government has eliminated multiple taxation system.
- The government is committed to eradicating corruption, focusing on infrastructure and transport.
- Today the people of Indian origin are the Prime Ministers in Mauritius, Portugal and Ireland.
- India plays a key role today in shaping global agenda on key issues including black money and terrorism.
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas
The day is celebrated every year to mark the contribution of the overseas Indian community in the development of the nation. It also commemorates the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa to Mumbai on 9th January, 1915.
- Established in 2003, and sponsored by the Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India, the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is held from 7-9 January every year.
- This year a special regional Pravasi Bharatiya Divas to commemorate 25 years of partnership between India and the Association of South East Asian Nations Submit is being held in Singapore.
- Supreme Court says playing of national anthem in cinema halls not mandatory, modifies its earlier order.
The Centre has suggested to the Supreme Court to modify its earlier order, making it mandatory for cinema halls to play the national anthem before screening of feature films.
The affidavit filed by the Centre in the Apex Court said, an inter-ministerial committee has been set up in this regard. It said, the committee will give its recommendations in six months from the date of its constitution.
The Supreme Court today said,
- The playing of national anthem is not mandatory in cinema halls before the screening of a film.
- The court modified its 30th November, 2016 order by which it had made playing of the anthem mandatory.
- A bench headed by Chief Justice said a 12-member inter-ministerial committee, set up by the Centre, would take a final call on the issue, adding that it should comprehensively look into all aspects. The court also allowed the petitioners to make representations before the panel.
- The exemption granted to disabled persons from standing in the halls when the anthem is being played, will remain in force till the committee takes a decision.
- India’s fastest super computer installed at Pune; Will help in better forecast of monsoon and natural calamities.
India’s fastest super computer ‘Pratyush’ (India’s first multi-petaflops supercomputer) meaning the Sun, has been successfully installed at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) in Pune.
- ‘Pratyush’ will be a national facility for improving weather and climate forecasts and services under the umbrella of the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
- It will help better forecast of the monsoon, Tsunamis, Cyclones, earthquakes and air quality among others.
- North and South Korea holding their first official dialogue after two years;
Top officials from North and South Korea are holding talks after more than two years, following months of high tension over North Korea’s weapons ambitions.
North Korea will send a delegation to the Winter Olympics to be held in South Korea next month.
The announcement came as the two Koreas met for their first high-level talks in more than two years at Panmunjom peace village in the demilitarized zone at the border.
The long-stalled talks were held after North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un indicated in his New Year’s speech that Pyongyang was willing to send a delegation to the Games. Seoul responded with an offer of a high-level dialogue, and last week the hotline between the neighbours was restored after being suspended for almost two years.
Ties between both Koreas became increasingly tense since the last talks in 2015. Relations broke down after Seoul suspended a joint economic project at the Kaesong Industrial complex in North Korea following a rocket launch and nuclear test by the North. The incident led to North Korea ending all communication with Seoul, including cutting off telephone lines. Tensions rose after the North continued to advance its banned nuclear weapons programme.
- The country’s wheat production is expected to touch an all-time high of over 100 million tonnes in 2017-18
The country’s wheat production is expected to touch an all-time high of over 100 million tonnes in 2017-18 due to a likely increase in acreage and yields. Rabi sowing is progressing well and as a result wheat production would touch over 100 million tonnes this year.
In the 2016-17 crop year, wheat production had reached a record 98.36 million tonnes.
The previous high was 95.85 million tonnes in 2013-14.
- Direct tax collection has increased by 18.2 percent during April to December last year
Direct tax collection has increased by 18.2 percent during April to December last year as compared to the corresponding period of 2016.
- The government has collected over 6 lakh 50,000 crore rupees during the first nine months of the current fiscal.
- The collection, which includes personal income tax and corporate tax, represents 67 per cent of the total budget estimates in direct taxes for 2017-18.
The Finance Ministry said the gross collections have increased by 12.6 per cent to over 7 lakh 60,000 crores during April to December. Refunds amounting to over 1 lakh crores were issued during the period.
- US says it is not considering any proposal forcing H-1B visa holders to leave the country.
In a relief for Indian techies, the United States said, it is not considering any proposal that would force H-1B visa holders to leave the country. The announcement was made by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, USCIS.
It came days after reports emerged that the Trump administration was considering tightening H-1B visa rules that could lead to deportation of some 7 lakh 50,000 Indians.
The H-1B programme offers temporary US visas that allow companies to hire highly skilled foreign professionals working in areas with shortages of qualified American workers.
- India to showcase enormous business opportunities and path breaking reforms at annual meeting of World Economic Forum at Davos
Minister of Commerce and Industry said, India will showcase its enormous business opportunities and the path breaking reforms at the annual meeting of World Economic Forum (WEF) at Davos in Switzerland.
These include wide ranging FDI reforms which has brought in 195 billion dollars over last three and half years.
The meeting will begin from 23rd of this month and continue till 26th. The theme of the event is Creating a Shared Future in a Fractured World.
