New Delhi, Dec 1,2020: The gross Goods and Services Tax (GST) revenue collected in the month of November is over Rs 1.04 lakh crore, the Ministry of Finance said here on Tuesday.
The gross GST revenue collected in the month of November is Rs 1,04,963 crore of which CGST is Rs 19,189 crore, SGST is Rs 25,540 crore, IGST is Rs 51,992 crore (including Rs 22,078 crore collected on import of goods) and Cess is Rs 8,242 crore (including Rs 809 crore collected on import of goods), the Ministry said in a statement.
The total number of GSTR-3B Returns filed for the month of November up to November 30 is 82 lakhs.
The government has settled Rs 22,293 crore to CGST and Rs 16,286 crore to SGST from IGST as regular settlement. The total revenue earned by Central Government and the State Governments after regular settlement in the month of November is Rs 41,482 crore for CGST and Rs 41,826 crore for the SGST.
In line with the recent trend of recovery in the GST revenues, the revenues for the month of November are 1.4 per cent higher than the GST revenues in the same month last year.
During the month, revenues from import of goods was 4.9 per cent higher and the revenues from domestic transaction (including import of services) are 0.5 per cent higher that the revenues from these sources during the same month last year.
New Delhi, Dec 1 ,2020: Maintaining that the Government has never spoke about vaccinating the entire country against Covid-19, Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan on Tuesday said it was important that scientific issues should be discussed based on factual information only.
“I just want to make this clear that the government has never spoken about vaccinating the entire country. It’s important that we discuss such scientific issues, based on factual information only,” the Health Secretary replied whem asked how much time it would take to vaccinate the entire country during a press briefing in the national capital.
“If we’re able to vaccinate a critical mass of people and break the virus transmission, then we may not have to vaccinate the entire population,” added Dr Balram Bhargava, Indian Council of Medical Research Director-General, who was present.
The officials said vaccination would depend on the efficacy of the vaccine and our purpose is to break the chain of Covid-19 transmission.
To another query, Mr Bhushan replied that there was an inherent issue of vaccine hesitancy among a certain section of people and said, it was the collective responsibility of the Union Government, state governments, media, NGOs, vaccine manufacturers, pharma companies and other stakeholders to educate people and create awareness about the effectiveness and safety of vaccines. In this connection, he stated that the Health Ministry was preparing a detailed guideline which would be shared with the states shortly, and one of the chapters in it dealt with communication addressing issues of vaccine safety.
MUMBAI,nov 30,2020: India’s novel corona virus cases rose by 38,772, the health ministry said on Monday, making it the 23rd straight day that daily cases have stayed below the 50,000 mark.
The country now has 9.43 million cases, the second-highest in the world after the United States, but daily cases have been dipping since hitting a peak in September.
Deaths rose by 443 in the last 24 hours, and now total 137,139.
Nov 28 (PTI) A low pressure area over south Andaman Sea and adjoining Bay of Bengal was “very likely” to concentrate into a depression in the next 48 hours and intensify further before moving towards the Tamil Nadu coast, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Saturday. Under its influence, various parts in southern states were likely to receive rainfall starting December 1, the IMD said in a series of tweets. “A Low Pressure Area lies over South Andaman Sea adj SE (south east) Bay of Bengal and Equatorial Indian Ocean. It is very likely to concentrate into a depression during next 48 hours and likely to intensify further thereafter,” it said. It is likely to move nearly westwards and reach south Tamil Nadu coast around December 2, it said. Under its influence, scattered to widespread rainfall activity was “very likely” over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karaikal, Kerala, Mahe, Lakshadweep, south coastal Andhra Pradesh and south Rayalaseema on Tuesday and Wednesday, the weather office said. IMD also forecast isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall with moderate thunderstorm and lightning over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal during this period. Isolated heavy falls with moderate thunderstorm and lightning was also very likely over south coastal Andhra Pradesh during December 1 and 2 and over Rayalseema and Lakshadweep area on Wednesday, it added.
Nov 27,2020:Tamil Nadu-based The Lakshmi Vilas Bank Ltd. with pre-independence lineage on Friday lost its identity after its merger with the Indian subsidiary of Singapore’s DBS Bank. The debt-ridden 94-year old old bank’s fate was sealed with Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approving Scheme of Amalagamation on Wednesday. The Reserve Bank of India had announced Nov. 27 as the effective date of merger for LVB with DBS Bank India Ltd.
All the branches of LVB will function as branches of DBIL with effect from Nov. 27, the RBI had said in a statement.
Although depositers of the bank now have clarity, promoters and investors of the bank have been left high and dry. LVB was asked to write off Rs 318-crore Tier-II Basel III bonds by ahead of its merger with DBS Bank by RBI on Thursday citing Section 45 of the Banking Regulation Act, resulting in losses to the investors of these bonds.
Besides, the shares of the bank are going to be delisted as per the Scheme of Amalgamation — Lakshmi Vilas Bank Ltd. (Amalgamation with DBS Bank India Ltd.) Scheme, 2020.
Many stakeholders including bank unions have raised questions on the manner in which the LVB was merged with subsidiary of a foreign bank, saying that RBI has gifted LVB for free.
Bank employees’ union AIBEA has said that the Reserve Bank’s culpability in the failure of the 94-year-old bank needs to be looked into and that the proposed merger of the lender with DBIL will provide a back-door entry for a foreign banking entity into the Indian market.
In a letter to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday, the All India Bank Employees Association said the approach of merger of the Tamil Nadu-based lender with Indian subsidiary of a Singapore-based bank is opposite to the policy of Aatmanirbhar Bharat professed by the government.
DBIL became lucky in the second attempt. In 2018, DBS had approached LVB to acquire about 50% of the stake in karur-based lender for a much higher valuation, Rs 100-Rs 150 per share.
LVB then had appointed JPMorgan to scout for investors for the bank. But, when the DBS approached the RBI with the proposal, it sought an exemption from the stake dilution norms The RBI didn’t agree with the proposal and hence rejected it.
The RBI had superseded LVB’s board on Nov. 17 after the private sector lender was placed under a 30-day moratorium restricting cash withdrawals at Rs 25,000 per depositor.
The RBI simultaneously placed in public domain a draft scheme of amalgamation of LVB with DBIL.
Started by a group of seven businessmen of Karur in Tamil Nadu under the leadership of VSN Ramalinga Chettiar in 1926, LVB has 566 branches and 973 ATMs spread across 19 states and Union Territories.
With non-performing assets soaring, the bank was put under the prompt corrective action framework of the RBI in September 2019.
LVB is the second private sector bank after Yes Bank that has run into rough weather this year.
New Delhi, Nov 27,2020: Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Thursday said the farmers must leave their protests and come forward and talk with the government, to chalk out a solution to their problems.
Mr Tomar told reporters that the government wants to talk to the farmers with an open heart, stating that the government has invited the farmer organisations for talks on December 3.
He further said that there should be no politics over the farmers’ issues and they must not be provoked.
Mr Tomar said the improvements made in the agriculture laws were for the benefit of farmers, as they have been given the freedom to sell their produce wherever they want.
The Union Minster further said the Government is making every possible effort to increase the investment in Agriculture sector.
Mr Tomar said the government’s top officials and he himself spoke to the farmers earlier and have solved problems regarding several issues.
This time too, the government is ready and wants to talk to the farmers with an open mind, he added.
Various farmer organisations in the country are objecting to the new agriculture laws and protesting against
the same, while farmers from Punjab, Haryana and other states are marching towards Delhi, in response to the ‘Chalo Dilli’ call of the ryots, from across the country.
Nov 27,2020:Severe cyclonic storm Nivar, which made landfall early on Thursday at Marakkanam in Villupuram district, between Puducherry and Chennai, left three individuals lifeless and brought on appreciable injury to crops and fields, apart from leaving many areas inundated. The storm system is more likely to transfer northwestwards and weaken right into a low strain by Friday.
A number of inside areas similar to Ambur, Tiruvannamalai, Vellore and Arani skilled rain and robust winds of 50 kmph.
Gentle to reasonable rain could proceed over a number of locations in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal for the following 48 hours.
In keeping with the India Meteorological Division, Nivar, which crossed the TN coast as a really extreme cyclonic storm with wind speeds of 120 kmph and rain-filled, has moved inland and would progressively weaken by Friday.
The Indian Military of Dakshin Bharat Space Headquarters which had positioned 22 rescue groups in Puducherry, Chennai and Tiruchirappalli helped clear uprooted bushes on the arterial roads following landfall. The staff helped the Puducherry administration to renew regular actions with minimal lack of time, a press launch stated.
Onwards: Individuals wade by means of the water-logged streets of Consalpet in Vellore. 1000’s of individuals have been evacutated to storm shelters throughout Tamil Nadu as a consequence of warnings issued in reference to Cyclone Nivar.
Water, the nice equaliser: The historic Madras Warfare Cemetery in Chennai’s Nandambakkam was flooded following two days of rain. Right here, tombstones stand partially submerged on November 26.
BEIJING :25,2020: China resolutely opposes India’s measures to ban more Chinese mobile applications over national security concerns, its embassy in the South Asian nation said on Wednesday.
India banned 43 of the apps on Tuesday, including Alibaba Group Holding Ltd’s e-commerce app Aliexpress, in a new wave of web sanctions targeting China after the neighbours’ months-long standoff on their Himalayan border.
Chennai, Nov 25,2020: The severe cyclonic storm ‘Nivar’ over southwest Bay of Bengal moved west-northwestwards with a speed of seven kmph during past six hours and lay centred over southwest Bay of Bengal about 290 km east southeast of Cuddalore, about 300 km east southeast of Puducherry and 350 km south southeast of Chennai.
It is very likely to intensify further into a very severe cyclonic storm during the next 12 hours, a bulletin issued by the Met office said on Wednesday.
It is likely to move northwestwards and cross Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts between Karaikal and Mamallapuram around Puducherry during midnight of today and early hours of tomorrow as a very severe cyclonic storm with a wind
speed of 120-130 kmph gusting to 145 kmph.
Under its influence, fairly widespread to widespread rains and thunderstorm activity is very likely over coastal and north interior Tamilnadu, Puducherry and Karaikal, south coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema for two days.
Isolated extremely heavy rainfall activity is also very likely over coastal and north interior Tamilnadu and Puducherry.
New Delhi , November 22,2020: To lay to rest the apprehensions arising out incorrect interpretations of the notification issued by Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM) on November 20 regarding streamlining the provisions of the regulations concerning Post Graduate Ayurveda Education, Ministry of AYUSH on Sunday issued clarifications answering the questions that have been raised in the matter.
The Ministry in its clarification said that the said notification relates to the ‘Shalya and Shalakya streams of Post Graduate Education in Ayurveda.’
“The notification specifies (in clearer terms than the earlier notification on the subject) a total of 58 surgical procedures that PG scholars of these streams (cumulatively) need to be practically trained so as to enable them to independently perform the said activities after completion of their PG Degree. The notification is to specific to these specified surgical procedures and does not allow Shalya and Shalakya Post Graduates to take up any other types of surgery,” it stated.
“Since the beginning, Shalya and Shalakya are independent Departments in Ayurveda colleges, performing such surgical procedures. While the notification of 2016 stipulated that the students shall undergo training of investigative procedures, techniques, and surgical performance of procedures and management in the respective specialty, the details of these techniques, procedures, and surgical performance were laid down in the syllabus of the respective PG courses issued by CCIM, and not the regulation per se. The present clarification was issued in the over-all public interest by CCIM by bringing the said details into the regulation. Hence this does not signify any policy shift,” the Ministry started.
On the issue of the controversy around the use of modern terminology in the said notification, the Ministry said it has not received any comments or objections about the use of modern terminology in the said notification and hence not aware of any such controversy.
It also clarified that all scientific advances including standardized terminologies are inheritance of the entire mankind, and no individual or group has a monopoly over the modern terminologies.
“The modern terminologies in the field of medicine, are not modern from a temporal perspective, but are derived substantially from ancient languages like Greek, Latin, and even Sanskrit, and later languages like Arabic. The evolution of terminologies is a dynamic and inclusive process. Modern medical terms and terminology facilitate effective communication and correspondence not just among physicians, but also to other stakeholders including the public. In the instant notification, modern terms are adopted as per the requirement to ensure that the same is understood widely in the medical profession, in the stake-holding disciplines like the medico-legal, health IT, among others, as well as by the members of the public,” the Ministry added.
The Ministry said that the use of modern terminology in the said notification does not amount to “mixing” of Ayurveda with Conventional (Modern) Medicine, and the purpose of all modern scientific terminology was to facilitate effective communication and correspondence among the different stakeholders.
“The stake-holders of the instant notification include not just the Ayurveda practitioners but also professionals of other stake-holding disciplines like the medico-legal, health IT, insurance, among others, as well as the members of the public. Hence the use of modern terminology was required. The question of “mixing” of Ayurveda with Conventional (Modern) Medicine does not arise here as CCIM is deeply committed to maintaining the authenticity of Indian systems of medicine, and is against any such “mixing”,” the ministry added further.
Nov 22,2020:A drastic amendment to the Kerala Police Act, 2011, to give the local law enforcement more teeth to curb defamation has led to an uproar with opposition parties, journalist bodies and civil rights activists seeing a threat to the freedom of the press and free speech in Kerala.
Kerala Governor Arif Muhammad Khan signed an ordinance amending the law to give the police more power to prosecute persons who exploit various communication platforms to slander fellow citizens.
The ordinance has introduced a new provision, Section 118-A, to the Act. The amendment proposes three years of imprisonment and a fine of upto ₹10,000 for those convicted of producing, publishing or disseminating derogatory content through any means of communication to intimidate, insult or defame any person.
The Congress has reacted sharply to the move. Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala said the amendment would reverse the course on media freedom, muzzle free speech and jeopardise civil liberties.
B.G. Harindranath, former Law Secretary, Kerala, said the amendment granted the police untrammelled authority to examine published and broadcast content and register cases even in the absence of a specific complaint. The new law has rendered defamation a cognisable offence.
The amendment had resurrected the “same legal vices” the Supreme Court had “trashed” by scrapping Section 66 A of the IT Act.
“Conferring power on the police to gauge mental injury, loss of reputation and such matters due to dissemination of information would result in widespread abuse. The amendment could curtail the freedom of speech and expression guaranteed under Article 19 (1) of the Constitution”, he said.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the amendment targeted defamatory social media posts and online content. It did not seek to curb reportage, political satire, opinion, free speech, impartial journalism or commentary.