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Business Line July 16, 2019 Goal is to root out terror; won’t look at religion of the accused, assures Amit Shah After a heated debate between Home Minister Amit Shah and several Opposition MPs, the Lok Sabha on Monday passed a Bill to strengthen the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in probing cyber crimes and human trafficking cases. The Opposition accused the government of using central investigating agencies to target political opponents and minorities. Shah, on his part, said the government’s only objective is to combat terrorism ‘regardless of religion’. He targeted the Congress for repealing the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) for ‘vote-bank purposes’. During the debate, Congress’ Manish Tiwari and Asaduddin Owaisi of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) questioned the Constitutional validity of the amendments with the latter accusing the Government of using the law selectively. “I would like to ask the government about the profession...

The Business Line July 15, 2019 By Maitre Porecha Japan-based Takeda, a global biopharmaceutical company that specialises in drugs for rare diseases, announced on Monday that it is introducing in India three therapies — Velaglucerase Alfa for treatment of Gaucher, Agalsidase Alfa for Fabry, and Idursulfase for Hunter Syndrome. It has taken 9-13 years for these crucial drugs to reach the Indian market since their launch in other global markets. But the launch means little, if the government, which is re-drafting its Rare Disease Policy, does not include these costly drugs in their access programmes, said experts. “As of now, the government is not providing access to patients. The launch means that the drugs will now be available in the Indian market, while earlier, patients could import them individually,” said Prasanna Shirol, co-founder and director, Organization for Rare Diseases, India. Access to life-saving drugs While the government earlier said that a ₹100-crore fund ...

The Business Line July 15, 2019 Rutam Bora As yields plummet experts emphasis use of New Gen seeds, better farm practices urged Pest menace and poor farm management, coupled with water scarcity and lack of push for new seed varieties are reducing cotton yields, thereby threatening the future of the country’s cotton production. Repeated pest attacks, including pink bollworm (Pectinophora gossypiella), spotted bollworm (Earias insulana) and American bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera), and other climatic diseases affect cotton fields across India.Experts have voiced concern over the future of cotton production in the country. India’s per hectare productivity of cotton during 2018-19 works out to merely 420.72 kg per hectare or (2.47 bales per hectare), the Cotton Association of India (CAI) has said. Cotton crop is estimated to be the lowest in more than a decade at 312 lakh bales (each of 170 kg) for the 2018-19 season. “Cotton productivity in India this year is the lowest in a d...

Economic Times July 16, 2019 Manu Pubby Swiss firm Pilatus, which has supplied the bulk of trainer aircraft currently in operation with the air force, has been banned for at least one year by the defence ministry, following the registration of formal cases by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into charges that corrupt practices were used by the company to bag the Rs 2,800 crore deal in 2012. The ban, which strictly prohibits any business dealings with the Swiss firm, will mean that the air force needs to find alternate sources for spares and parts for the existing fleet of basic trainers that are used for the initial stage training of its pilots. The air force operates 75 of the Pilatus PC 7 Mk1 aircraft. “Business dealings with the firm will remain suspended for a period of one year for violation of article 6.6 of the PCIP (Pre Contract Integrity Pact) and ongoing investigation by CBI, Delhi Police, ED and Income Tax Department into corrupt practices, unfair means and...

The Hindu July 14, 2019 By AFP Globally, losses from malicious software rose by 60% last year to $8 bn, according to latest data Services in the U.S. cities of Baltimore and Maryland were paralysed earlier this year when a ransomware attack locked up computer networks and made it impossible for residents to make property transactions or pay their municipal bills. Officials refused to meet hacker demands for a ransom of $76,000 to unlock the systems, but have been saddled with an estimated $18 million in costs of restoring and rebuilding the city’s computer networks. The dilemma in such cases highlight tough choices faced by cities, hospitals and corporations hit by ransomware. Two Florida cities reportedly paid a total of $1 million in ransom this year, after which a new attack by the same group hit the State court system in Georgia. Globally, losses from ransomware rose by 60% last year to $8 billion, according to data compiled by the Internet Society’s O...

Business Standard July 15, 2019 By PTI International drug syndicates orchestrated Sri Lanka's deadly Easter Sunday bombings, the country's leader claimed Monday, despite earlier blaming the attacks on Islamists. The statement comes amid a nationwide narcotics crackdown, with President Maithripala Sirisena aiming to reintroduce capital punishment for drug offences. Authorities have said local jihadist group National Thowheeth Jamaath (NTJ) were responsible for the suicide bombings in churches and hotels that killed at least 258 people in April. The attacks were later claimed by the Islamic State group. Sirisena's office said the day after the bombings that local terrorists and international terror groups were responsible for the attacks. But in a statement issued by his office Monday, Sirisena said the attacks "were the work of international drug dealers". "Drug barons carried out this attack to discredit me and discourage my an...

The Dawn July 16, 2019 Staff Reporter KARACHI: The foreign direct investment (FDI) dipped 50 per cent to hit a four-year low as inflows from Beijing dried out after completion of the first phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Data published by the State Bank of Pakistan revealed that FDI halved to $1.737 billion from $3.471 same period last year. The bleak figures come at a time when the government is struggling to contain significant economic challenges on the back of large fiscal and financial needs and weak and unbalanced growth. Inflows from China, leading investor in the country, during FY19 fell to $540 million compared to $2bn during FY18 as the CPEC enters into the second phase. On the other hand, data showed that US, with inflows of $155m during FY18, reported outflows of $575m during FY19 as relations between Islamabad and Washington have worsened in the last year. Inflows from UK during the period under review remained almost unchanged at $230...

First Post July 15, 2019 By: Praveen Swami Four weeks after his body had been blown apart by a Hellfire missile, Al-Qaeda third-in-command Mustafa Abu al-Yazid delivered his last testament. “I bring you good tidings,” his voice declared, through a tape posted online in the summer of 2010. “Last February’s India operation was against a Jewish locale in the west of the Indian capital, in the area of the German bakeries—a fact that the enemy tried to hide—and close to 20 Jews were killed”. Few Indian counter-terrorism analysts believed the speech made sense: indeed, it was wrong on every significant detail, bar the fact that Pune’s Germany Bakery had indeed been bombed. That operation, though, was known to have been conducted by the Indian Mujahideen’s Mohammed Ahmed Siddibappa, also known as Yasin Bhatkal—with no known connections to Al-Qaeda. Now, it’s clear India should have listened harder. The speech in fact described the first meetings between Indian jihadists an...

First Post July 16, 2019 Jatin Singh The month of July started well in terms of good rainfall across the country. The Southwest Monsoon was very active in central, east and North East India during the first ten days of the month. But, there was a drop of about two to three percent every day in the countrywide rainfall deficiency. If we look at the rainfall data available from 1 June to 13 July, there was 246.3 millimetres of rain in the country against the normal of 279.8 millimetres. This means the cumulative shortfall (countrywide rainfall deficiency) dropped to settle at 12 percent, from 33 percent on 30 June. This is clearly an outcome of some good rains in the first 10 days of July. Below is the latest subdivision wise rainfall deficiency in the country: Subdivisions Rainfall deficiency (1 June-13 July) East and North East India -11% Northwest India -9% Central India -6% Southern peninsula -28% Country -12% However, the situation will change now. As reiterated ...

First Post July 16, 2019 Press Trust of India The government is considering to split state-run gas utility GAIL (India) Ltd by hiving off its pipeline business into a separate entity and selling it off to strategic investors, sources privy to the development said. GAIL is India's biggest natural gas marketing and trading firm and owns more than two-thirds of the country's 16,234-km pipeline network, giving it a stranglehold on the market. Users of natural gas have often complained about not getting access to GAIL's 11,551-km pipeline network to transport their own fuel. The sources said that to resolve the conflict arising out of the same entity owning the two jobs, bifurcating GAIL is being considered. While previously selling of the marketing business, possibly to another state-owned firm, was being considered, the government is now mulling on hiving off the pipelines into a separate entity and selling off a majority stake in it, they said. GAIL has multiple ...