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The Tribune Ajay Banerjee March 27, 2019 Enemy can go ‘deaf, blind’ ASAT test provides ability to target surveillance satellites Satellite shot down, PM hails India’s arrival as ‘space power’ Govt has shown courage for surgical strikes on land, in sky and space: Modi India’s Anti-Satellite (ASAT) test conducted and declared on Wednesday now provides the ability to render an enemy country ‘deaf and blind’ by targeting communication, military and surveillance satellites. In case satellites are destroyed, it would be near impossible for the enemy to fire long-range missiles and UAVs; and even its routine communication can be stalled. The significance of Wednesday’s ASAT test is that India has successfully demonstrated its capability to interdict and intercept a satellite in outer space based on complete indigenous technology. The test was done using a ground-fired ballistic missile defence system to hit at an Indian satellite. The test does not violate...

The Hindu MARCH 27, 2019 Pulwama attack: Pakistan seeks ‘more evidence’ from India on Jaish involvement The Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad was called to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the “preliminary findings” on the “Pulwama incident” were shared with him. Pakistan on March 27 sought “more information/evidence” from India on the involvement of the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in the Pulwama terror attack and the presence of camps of the U.N.-proscribed terror outfit in the country. The Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad was called to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by the Foreign Secretary and the “preliminary findings” on the “Pulwama incident” were shared with him, the Foreign Office said. The preliminary findings were shared with India after examining the Indian dossier on the Pulwama attack, the Ministry said in a statement. India handed over the dossier to the Acting High Commissioner of Pakistan in New Delhi on February 27 with specific d...

The Indian Express Ananthakrishnan G March 28, 2019 EC red-flags new poll funding norms to SC: ‘serious impact’ The EC also said that the changes in the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 (FCRA) “would allow unchecked foreign funding of political parties in India, which could lead to Indian policies being influenced by foreign companies”. Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Over 68,000 registered, but official says there are many more The Centre had earlier told the court that the decision to introduce electoral bonds was “a big step towards electoral reform” and the process to acquire/ encash them would “ensure transparency” and “accountability”. (Illustration by Manali Ghosh) Red-flagging the electoral bond scheme, the Election Commission (EC) has told the Supreme Court that it had conveyed to the Centre, in 2017, that the changes made in several laws related to political funding would have “serious repercussions/ impact on the transparency aspect… o...

Business Line Surabhi   Mumbai March 27, 2019   After Aadhaar ordinance, banks aiming to rework digital account-opening process Banks are once again reworking strategies for instant opening of bank accounts using Aadhaar-based authentication and KYC, with some likely to relaunch such facilities in the coming weeks. The move follows the promulgation of Aadhaar and other laws (Amendment) Ordinance 2019 earlier this month, which amended the Aadhaar Act 2016, Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2005, and Indian Telegraph Act 1885, and enabled private banks and telecoms to use Aadhaar for authentication of identity. Private sector lender Kotak Mahindra Bank plans to review its immensely popular digital account opening platform 811 through this method. “Now, with the recent guidelines by the government, we are reworking on offering the consent-based voluntary use of Aadhaar for bank account opening. As we speak, we are in the process of studying the cha...

Business Line March 27, 2019   India, US ink pact to check tax evasion by MNCs India and the US on Wednesday signed an agreement for exchange of country-by-country (CbC) report, a move that is expected to give a huge relief to subsidiaries of US headquartered companies in taxation-related matter. The agreement was signed by PC Mody, Chairman, Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), and Kenneth I Juster, US Ambassador to India. The agreement for exchange of CbC reports, along with the Bilateral Competent Authority Arrangement between the two competent authorities, will enable the two countries to automatically exchange the reports filed by the ultimate parent entities of the multinational enterprises in the respective jurisdictions pertaining to the years commencing on or after January 1, 2016. It will also obviate the need for Indian subsidiary companies of the American multinational enterprises to do local filing of the CbC Reports, thereby reducing the compliance...

Business Line March 27, 2019 Indian businesses struggle to find recruits with desired skills Education systems are partially responsible for the mismatch, says report More than half of India’s business houses are finding it harder to recruit people with the skills they need according to a survey by the International Labour Organisation. In a report titled `Changing business and opportunities for employers and business organizations’ the ILO said, “Globally, employers and businesses are increasingly encountering challenges in locating, hiring and retaining talent. However, skills requirements and ease of recruiting varies widely across regions, defying any obvious patterns of developed versus emerging economy.” “A large proportion of businesses in the United States of America (61 per cent), Brazil (70 per cent), India (66 per cent) and Germany (65 per cent) agreed that businesses are looking for quite different skills in new recruits than three years ago,” the...

Business Line James J Nedumpara / Sparsha Janardhan   March 27, 2019   Farm subsidies: India must keep a vigil Waiving off farm loans is the worst thing to do: Lord Meghnad Desai Fertiliser Ministry seeks additional Rs 23,000 crore to clear Jan-Mar subsidy bill WTO‘s ruling on China’s farm subsidies has important lessons for India and other developing nations. Agriculture is a widely subsidised sector in several countries. Amidst the escalating trade war between the US and China, the WTO gave a notable ruling in February 2019, in a challenge involving certain agricultural policies of China. This ruling is on one of the two disputes filed by the US against China’s farm subsidies on grains. China – Agricultural Producers (DS511) related to China’s compliance with its domestic support commitments under the WTO Agreement of Agriculture (AoA). China not being an original WTO member, but a member that acceded much later, received a certain unique treat...

DAWN | ISLAMABAD Dated: MARCH 28, 2019 Khaleeq Kiani FATF affiliate not happy with steps to block banned groups funding A delegation of the Asia-Pacific Group (APG) on money laundering, a regional affiliate of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), has expressed serious reservations over insufficient physical actions on ground against proscribed organisations (POs) to block flow of funds and activities and is likely to issue a formal warning before its departure on Thursday (today). “The crux of first two days of interactions is that they (APG) consider us very good on paper — legislation, regulation, data collection and notifications — mostly involving the federal government, but highly non-performing at provincial and district levels where such POs and non-profit organisations (NPOs) actually operate,” a senior official told Dawn. The APG delegation is currently on a three-day visit to Pakistan for mutual evaluation as part of second country risk assessmen...

India Brand Equity Foundation February, 2019 Indian Airports Analysis India is the world’s third largest domestic aviation market and third largest aviation market. By 2024, India’s overall aviation market is expected to become the third largest globally. Capacity available in India’s domestic flights, as measured by Available Seat Kilometers, stood at 103,343.2 million kms while demand, as measured by Revenue Passenger Kilometers, stood at 88,270.7 million kms. Capacity available in India’s international flights, as measured by Available Seat Kilometers, stood at 73,083.1 million kms while demand, as measured by Revenue Passenger Kilometers, stood at 58,418.8 million kms. Domestic passenger traffic expanded at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 13.91 per cent over FY06–18. International passenger traffic posted a CAGR of 9.36 per cent over FY06-18. Freight Traffic grew at a CAGR of 7.53 per cent over FY06-18. Freight Traffic is expected to grow at a CAG...