Happy Media

The Economic Times August 30, 2018 India has rejected Pakistan's objections on its two hydropower projects on the Chenab river, a Pakistani official said today, as the crucial high-level bilateral talks on the Indus Waters Treaty concluded here.  After the conclusion of talks, the first official engagement between India and Pakistan since Imran Khan became Prime Minister on August 18, Pakistan's Commissioner for Indus Waters Syed Meher Ali Shah told reporters that there would be no briefing and statement on the issue.  "It is a sensitive matter and we were conveyed (by the Foreign Office) not to speak on it. The Foreign Office will issue a statement in this regard," Shah said.  Another official of the Pakistani side, on the condition of anonymity, said India rejected Pakistan's objections on the construction of the 1,000MW Pakal Dul dam and 48MW Lower Kalnal hydropower projects on the Chenab river.  "India has hinted at continuation of

The Economic Times August 31, 2018 Individual city, region and company commitments in India could reduce emissions to 225-255 MtCO2e/year by 2030, more than the emissions generated by the country's industrial processes in 2014, a new international study said on Thursday.  International cooperative initiatives could reduce emissions by eight to 13 percent (280-490 MtCO2e/year) in India more than what it will be achieved through current national policies.  By 2030, global greenhouse gas emissions could be 1.5 to 2.2 GtCO2e/year lower if existing sub-national commitments are fully implemented, compared to what would be achieved through current national policies, it said.  The study comes from Data-Driven Yale, New Climate Institute, PBL Environmental Assessment Agency in partnership with CDP and is the most comprehensive assessment to date of sub-national commitments to reduce greenhouse gases.  The report "Global climate action from cities, regions, and

The Hindu August 31, 2018 The RSS-affiliated Swadeshi Jagran Manch has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi opposing mandatory fortification of foods on the ground that some micronutrients are sourced from animals and are against the cultural beliefs and practices of vegetarians and may lead to “law and order issues.” The group has also claimed that the import of technology and raw material for fortifying foods with micronutrients could have an adverse impact on the national economy. The letter suggests that the food industry not have a role in decision-making because of their vested interests in fortification. It names Tata Trusts, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Clinton Health Initiative, Food Fortification Initiative and Nutrition International, International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) as those companies or agencies that may have or are known to have vested interests in fortification. The Food Safety and St

dailyhunt August 31, 2018 PM Modi met Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina at the BIMSTEC summit in Nepal. Making a strong pitch for enhanced regional connectivity, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday, 30 August, that India was committed to working with the BIMSTEC member states in the critical sector and to combating the menace of terrorism and drug trafficking. "I believe that there is a big opportunity for connectivity - trade connectivity, economic connectivity, transport connectivity, digital connectivity, and people-to-people connectivity," Mr Modi said, addressing the inaugural session of the fourth BIMSTEC summit. The prime minister said the region had become a meeting point for India's 'Neighbourhood First' and 'Act East' policies. "India is committed to working with the BIMSTEC member states to enhance regional connectivity," he said. Reference- https://m.dailyhunt.in/news/india/english/the+quint-epa

FIRSTPOST August 31, 2018 22-year-old Suvarna Hilam, who recently became a mother, is among 600 women who have not received financial assistance under a centrally sponsored scheme in Thane district’s Shahapur taluka. She has been told that the amount – Rs 600 under the Janani Suraksha Yojana – would be given to her if she opens a bank account and seeds it with Aadhaar number. However, at present, she is unable to open the bank account as her old Aadhaar card contains her maiden name and she would have to make a new one instead. It is a similar story for other women – who have not got their entitlements either because they don’t have an Aadhaar number, or because it is not linked to their accounts. In Suvarna’s case, the problem is that her gram panchayat record mentions her new name. Due to this discrepancy, the bank has asked her to get another Aadhaar card issued which bears her name after marriage. Only then they will open her bank account. She has not yet received the a

The Indian Express August 31, 2018 Underlining that “singing from the same book is not a benchmark of patriotism” in a democracy and “people should be at liberty to show their affection towards their country in their own way”, the Law Commission has said that a person should not be charged with sedition for “merely expressing a thought that is not in consonance with the policy of the Government of the day”. In a consultation paper on the sedition law (124A IPC) — in which it has spelt out multiple issues that require wider discussion — the Law Commission, headed by Justice (retired) B S Chauhan, has said that the stringent sedition law should be invoked only in cases “where intention” behind the act is to “disrupt public order or to overthrow the Government with violence and illegal means”. “The Commission hopes a healthy debate will take place among the legal luminaries, lawmakers, Government and non-Government agencies, academia, students and above all, the general pu

SABAH August 30, 2108 The experts have said that it is vital to turn Pakistan’s strategic location from being a liability to a major driver of the country’s economic uplift by overcoming political expediencies. They said that the Government of Pakistan (GoP) needs to remove the choke points at Gwadar (Balochistan) by taking the Balochand Iranians into confidence on the mutual use of Chabahar and Gwadar Ports. The experts further said that the United States (US) and India are uncomfortable with the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), hence, spreading misperceptions and propaganda, especially against CPEC to subvert the projects and foment political instability in Pakistan. They said that the US is exploiting Pakistan’s economic vulnerability through the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF); while India is using hybrid warfare techniques to subvert CPEC projects. These points were highlighted

Financial Express August 30, 2018 In stock market investing, the rise in share price of a particular stock in a specific time-period is generally taken as a parameter to identify best stocks as far as the stock market returns are concerned. Other than capital gains on shares, companies also distribute dividends. In India, there are many companies which declare dividends regularly since their respective debut on stock exchanges such as Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys, Maruti Suzuki, Bharti Airtel, etc. We take a look at best dividend paying PSU stocks in India. The stocks that are mentioned have the highest dividend yield with respect to the dividends announced for the financial year 2017-2018 and the current market prices of the stocks. Indian Oil Corporation: India’s largest PSE (Public Sector Enterprise) by turnover and the biggest oil marketer Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has declared a dividend of Rs 21 for the financial year 2017-2018. With a collective dividend

The Hindu August 30, 2018 No need to panic, says East Siang district official. High discharge of water from China, the highest in 50 years, is threatening to submerge at least 12 villages flanking river Siang in Arunachal Pradesh. T. Tatak, the deputy commissioner of Arunachal Pradesh’s East Siang district, had on Wednesday issued an advisory warning the people of the 12 villages to be on alert because of the sudden surge in the Siang’s water level. The villages are near district headquarters Pasighat, about 560 km northeast of Guwahati. He cited a report received by New Delhi from the Chinese government saying the Yarlung Zangbo (Tsangpo) was swelling with an observed discharge of 9,020 cumec due to heavy rainfall in Tibet. But the “incremental discharge of 950 cumecs” compared to a discharge of 8,070 cumecs in the Tsangpo reported on August 14 “should not be cause for panic”, he said. But people in the 12 vulnerable villages in Mebo circle of East Siang distri

Eurek Alert August 30, 2018 Wolbachia bacteria are widely studied for possible properties to block transmission of viruses like chikungunya, dengue and zika. In a new study with PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, researchers have created a new diagnostic tool using cellphone cameras to test mosquitos for their species type and Wolbachia. Yellow fever mosquitoes, Aedes aegypti, are estimated to infect about 100 million people annually with devastating illnesses such as dengue and zika. Originally thought to affect only tropical regions, mosquito-transmitted viruses are increasingly become a worldwide health challenge due to increased global movement and insecticide resistance. One approach to reduce viral transmission is to simultaneously infect mosquitoes with Wolbachia, a bacterium that can curb pathogen transmission. Since there are no visual signs of Wolbachia infection in Aedes aegypti, and current diagnostic tests are hard to read and difficult for researchers with