LIVE! ISRO launches GSAT-29 on board GSLV-MkII D2

17:15  ISRO launches GSAT-29 on board GSLV-MkII D2:  

JUST IN: Indian Space Research Organisation launches GSLV-MK-III D2 carrying GSAT-29 satellite from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

GSAT-29 carries Ka and Ku band high throughput transponders intended to meet the communication requirements of users, including in the North East and in Jammu and Kashmir. — ANI

17:04  Cyclone Gaja: Schools in Rameshwaram, Cuddalore to remain shut :   The Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday announced that all schools in Cuddalore and Rameswaram will remain shut on Thursday as cyclone Gaja gathers strength in the Bay of Bengal.Speaking to media, Cuddalore District Collector V Anbuselvan said, “All private and government schools in Cuddalore to remain closed tomorrow due to cyclonic storm ‘Gaja’.

“Cyclone Gaja is expected to make a landfall between Pamban and Cuddalore tomorrow. In an attempt to mitigate damage to properties and human lives, the state administration headed by chief minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami has planned to evacuate around 20,000 people residing on the coastal line and moving them to relief camps. For the safety of the people, the state government has also formed 19 interdepartmental zonal teams for the rescue operations. Not only Tamil Nadu, states liked Andhra Pradesh and union territory Puducherry are also bracing for the impact of the cyclone which is likely to bring heavy downpour and strong winds to several parts of the region for next couple of days. — ANI

Representational image only.

The BSE Sensex swung nearly 365 points both sides on heavy buying and selling during the session. The 30-share index, after a gap-up opening at 35,330.14 points, hit a high of 35,351.88 points at the outset on the back of sliding global crude oil prices and recovery in rupee.

However, a weak trend in most other Asian markets and a lower opening of European markets, triggered selling on the domestic bourses, dragging the Sensex into negative terrain to hit a low of 34,986.86. The index finally settled 2.50 points, or 0.01 per cent down at 35,141.99. It had rallied 332 points on Tuesday. — PTI

16:34  West Bengal celebrates “Rosogolla Dibas”:  The West Bengal government is celebrating Wednesday as “Rosogolla Dibas” to commemorate the first anniversary of the sweetmeat getting Geographical Indication tag as ‘West Bengal’s Rosogolla’. As a mark of its celebrations, different varieties of rosogollas are being showcased in the stalls of the ‘Mishti Hub’, set up in one part of the Eco Park in New Town area.

“Banglar Rosogolla got the GI tag last year on this day. We are observing this day as #RosogollaDibas at #MistiHub in #Kolkata to mark this sweet occasion. Everyone is welcome,” Banerjee tweeted today.

On November 14 last year, West Bengal received the GI tag for Rosogolla. The GI tag is a sign that identifies a product as originating from a particular place. — PTI

16:31  No plans to grant MFN status to India: Pak govt:  Pakistan has “no immediate plans” to grant Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to India, a senior aide to Prime Minister Imran Khan has said, amid the chill in bilateral ties. Asked whether the government was considering granting MFN status to India and that Prime Minister Khan was keen to hold peace talks with the Indian government, Adviser to the Prime Minister for Commerce, Textile, Industry and Investments, Abdul Razak Dawood said, “No such plans at the moment”.

“At present we have no immediate plans to grant MFN status to India,” he said at an event in Lahore on Tuesday. However, he said Pakistan is working out free trade agreements with different countries, especially China, and hopes to complete the second FTA with China by June, 2019.

Pakistan is yet to award the MFN status to India and it maintains a negative list of 1,209 items which are not permitted to be imported from India. As per a World Trade Organisation rule, every member of WTO is required to accord this status to other member countries. India has already granted this status to all WTO members, including Pakistan. — PTI

The incident took place around 9 am at Bijapur Ghati in the district, located around 450 km from state capital Raipur, Bijapur Superintendent of Police Mohit Garg told PTI.

After completing their duty in the first phase polling on Monday, the BSF personnel, along with the local police, left in a convoy from Modakpal to Dhamtari district for deployment for the second phase of polling on November 20, he said. When they reached Bijapur Ghati, Maoists blew up the truck leading the convoy with an improvised explosive device hidden beneath the road, he said. — PTI

15:36  Delhi HC extends interim relief to Rakesh Asthana :  The Delhi High Court on Wednesday extended the interim relief from arrest to Central Bureau of Investigation Special Director Rakesh Asthana till November 28 in connection with alleged bribery case.

During the course of the hearing, counsel for Joint CBI Director AK Sharma sought time to file reply on pleas of Asthana and Deputy Superintendent of Police Devender Kumar seeking quashing of FIR lodged by the probe agency in the case.

Sharma’s counsel told the court that agency has incriminating material against Asthana and Kumar.Asthana and Kumar had earlier approched the high court seeking quashing of FIR registered against them.

The interim order of status quo in the case will continue till next date of hearing, which is November 28. Asthana came under scrutiny after the CBI filed an FIR against him on the charges of extortion, forgery, bribery and corruption. — PTI

15:32  Hindus believe SC decision will be in Ram temple favour: VHP:  Hindus have faith that the Supreme Court will rule in favour of construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, Vishwa Hindu Parishad  international vice president Champat Rai said Wednesday. He said that the people of the country should understand the sentiments of the Hindus.

“The struggle for the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya has been going on for 500 years and now the wait is unbearable,” Rai said. “Hindus have faith that the Supreme Court will rule in favour of construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya,” he said.

He said on November 25, the VHP would organise a Dharm Sabha in Ayodhya and one lakh people would participate in it. In similar event later in New Delhi, over 5 lakh people were expected, he claimed, adding it was being organised to apprise about the sentiments of the Hindus to the government and the court. Replying to a question, he said the work to carve stones for the Ram temple had been completed. — PTI

15:20  How Bancroft was caught ball-tampering:  Tampergate, when Australia’s cricketers were caught in a ball-tampering scandal in March this year, is probably the biggest row to hit international cricket. But the scandal could not have been uncovered without the assistance of the onfield cameras that surround stadiums.   

How exactly Cameron Bancroft was caught tampering the ball, and how the other cricketers were trapped, is revealed by Geoff Lemon in his book, Steve Smith’s Men.   

Lemon was a commentator during the Cape Town test in March 2018, and thus had a ringside view of the scandal as it was discovered.   

‘It was Bancroft they had followed first, tipped off to the possibility of shenanigans and tracking his every movement with or without the ball in hand. An hour or so later, they had the shot.  Cricket lenses have 76 to 95 zoom, able to shoot from the grandstand to track a single bead of sweat running down a batsman’s face. 

15:16  The war that epitomised the callousness of imperialism:  This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Bengal famine of 1943, a heart-rending episode in which three million persons died, and which epitomised the callousness of imperialism. The scale of devastation can be understood if we remember that in the United Kingdom, taking civilian and military casualties together, the total loss of life during the entire Second World War was just 0.45 million and in the United States of America 0.42 million. Read the column here.

15:10  Sadananda Gowda takes charge of chemicals and fertilisers ministry:  Union minister D V Sadananda Gowda Wednesday assumed additional charge of the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers. The move was necessitated following the demise of Ananth Kumar on Monday. Gowda is currently the minister for statistics and programme implementation Gowda took charge of the ministry in addition to the existing portfolio, an official statement said.  — PTI

During the meeting, Prime Minister Modi said that India and the US share the same fundamental values and the two countries should join hands to achieve world peace.

“India and the United States share the same fundamental values. India has always believed that the world is one family and the first condition for that to happen is peace. You must have noted that India has always contributed in a big way for world peace and India’s role is a pro-active one. We would like to work together for world peace, world progress, global economic progress and poverty alleviation which is important for our values,” Prime Minister Modi asserted.

The Prime Minister also reiterated that there was a great opportunity for the US in India in making defence equipment and setting up defence industry.

Conveying his regards to US President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Modi expressed his gratitude for the celebration of Diwali in the White House.

The Prime Minister further offered his condolences on the California wildfire which affected hundreds and thousands of people. — PTI

‘The US military could suffer unacceptably high casualties and loss of major capital assets in its next conflict. It might struggle to win, or perhaps lose, a war against China or Russia. The United States is particularly at risk of being overwhelmed should its military be forced to fight on two or more fronts simultaneously.   

14:16  Rafale pricing can be discussed only if facts of deal come into public domain: SC:  The Supreme Court Wednesday said a discussion on the pricing of Rafale fighter jets can only take place if the facts of the deal are allowed to come into the public domain.

The apex court, which began its hearing on pleas seeking a court-monitored probe into the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets from France, also said it was dealing with the requirements of the Air Force and would like to hear from an Air Force officer and “not the official of the Defence Ministry”.

“The decision we need to take is whether to bring the fact on pricing in public domain or not,” a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said. The bench, also comprising Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph, told Attorney General K K Venugopal that there is no question of any debate on pricing without making the facts public. The bench clarified that any discussion on price will be considered if it thinks the issue should enter the public domain. The top court also sought the assistance of an Air Force officer on the issue.

“We are dealing with the requirements of the Air Force and would like to ask an Air Force officer on Rafale jets. We want to hear from an Air force officer and not the official of the Defence Ministry on the issue,” the bench said when the attorney general began his arguments on behalf of the Centre in the pre-lunch session. The SC has resumed hearing the case as you read this.

In his arguments, Venugopal defended the secrecy clause relating to the pricing of the Rafale jets, saying adversaries may get an advantage if the entire details are disclosed. Refusing to divulge details on the pricing aspect, he said he would not be able to assist the court further on the pricing issue. “I decided not to peruse it myself as in a case of any leak, my office would be held responsible,” Venugopal said. The bench then told him there is no question of any debate on pricing without making the facts public. Venugopal said these matters are for experts to deal with. “We have been saying that even Parliament has not been told about the complete cost of the jets,” he said.

The hearing saw Venugopal opposing advocate Prashant Bhushan who wanted to submit information on the secrecy clause of the Rafale agreement. “Secrecy agreement has to be secret and how is he producing it in court?” Venugopal asked when Bhushan raised the issue. Bhushan, appearing on behalf of himself and former Union ministers Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie, alleged that the government was hiding behind the secrecy clause and had not disclosed the price of the fighter jets. The CJI told Bhushan, “We are giving you full hearing. Use this opportunity carefully and cite only those things which are necessary.” — PTI

Acting on a credible input, the security forces arrested the duo at a check point at Panzgam in Awantipora area, a police spokesman said.

“During checking, security forces recovered arms and ammunition from their possession which includes UBGL, grenades and live rounds and other incriminating material,” he said.

The arrested militants have been identified as Jan Mohammad Sheikh and Nasir-ul-Islam, both affiliated with Hizbul Mujahideen, the spokesman said. A case has been registered under relevant sections of law. — PTI

13:11  PM did not inform defence minister on changes in Rafale deal: Bhushan:  Senior Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan’s submission in the court on the Rafale case.

Appearing on behalf of himself and former Union ministers Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie, Bhushan alleged that the government was hiding behind the secrecy clause and has not disclosed price of the Rafale jets. CJI  Ranjan Gogoi told Bhushan, “We are giving you full hearing. Use this opportunity carefully and cite only those things which are necessary.”

The bench, also comprising justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph, is likely to peruse the pricing details of the jets submitted by the government in a sealed cover.

During the hearing, Bhushan said the price per aircraft was 155 million Euro and now, it was 270 million Euro. This shows that there was hike of 40 per cent in its price, the advocate said. He said the CBI is bound to register an FIR in this case. The lawyer alleged that there was a conspiracy with French company Dassault, which granted the offset right to Reliance, and it amounts to gratification and constitutes an offence.

He said Reliance has no competence of executing the offset contract. Bhushan said the petition by them has been filed after the CBI did not register the FIR under the Prevention of Corruption Act. He said this matter needs an investigation and argued that how can somebody say there was no need of the court-monitored probe.

Bhushan quoted ex-French president Franois Hollande and other Dassault officials to impute criminal motive in granting the offset contract to Reliance.

FIR is the legal requirement of the law and this court should order registration of the FIR, he added.

The activist-lawyer submitted that the NDA government “short circuited” the acquisition process by taking the Inter Government Agreement (IGA) route to avoid giving tender. He said there was no sovereign guarantee from the French government in the deal and argued that initially the Union Law Ministry flagged the issue and later gave in to the proposal of entering into IGA.

Bhushan, referring to the process of defence acquisition, said the Air Force needed 126 fighter jets and had intimated it to Defence Acquisition Council (DAC). He said initially, six foreign companies had applied and two firms were shortlisted during the earlier process. Later, the deal went to French firm Dassault and state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd was part of it. But, suddenly a statement was issued which said there will be no technology transfer, and only 36 jets would be procured, the lawyer told the court.

Bhushan submitted that nobody knows about the alleged change in the deal done by the prime minister, and even the defence minister was not aware about the change. Advocates M L Sharma, Vineet Dhanda and AAP MP Sanjay Singh, also advanced their arguments before Bhushan.

Sharma, who opened the argument, told the court that the IGA was “illegal” and sought an investigation into the matter. Dhanda sought a proper reply from the Centre on his plea questioning the Rafale deal.

AAP leader’s counsel Dheeraj Singh asked as to why the government reduced the deal of 126 jets to 36. He said the government should have increased the number of jets when there was a concern that adversaries were inducting more fighter jets.

Bhushan also raised the same point as Singh and said three and a half years have passed since the deal was signed on 36 Rafale jets but no aircraft have been received till now. The first jet is to be delivered in September 2019 and delivery to continue till 2022, he said.

“If the 126 aircraft deal was still on, at least 18 jets would have been delivered by April 2019,” he submitted. Hearing is currently underway in the top court. The petitions in the matter have been filed by advocates M L Sharma, Vineet Dhanda. — PTI

Image: Prashant Bhushan told the court that the PM made changes in the Rafale deal and the defence minister was not aware of them. Manohar Parrikar was the defence minister at the time.

12:10  Govt short-circuited Rafale acquisition process to avoid tenders: Bhushan :  The Supreme Court Wednesday commenced its crucial hearing on pleas seeking a court-monitored probe into the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets from France. A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph is also likely to peruse the pricing details of the jets submitted by the government in a sealed cover.

During the hearing, advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing on behalf of himself, and former union ministers Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie, submitted that the NDA government “short circuited” the acquisition process by taking the Inter Government Agreement  route to avoid giving tender. He said there was no sovereign guarantee from the French government in the deal.

Bhushan argued that initially the Union Law Ministry had flagged the issue, but later gave in to the proposal of entering into the IGA. The Air Force needed 126 fighter jets and had intimated the Defence Acquisition Council about it, he said referring to the process of defence acquisition. Initially, six foreign companies had applied and two firms were shortlisted during the earlier process.

Later the deal went to French firm Dassault and state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd was part of it. But, suddenly a statement was issued and it said there will be no technology transfer, and only 36 jets would be procured, the lawyer told the court.

Bhushan submitted that nobody knows about the alleged change in the deal done by the prime minister and even the defence minister was not aware about the the change.

Advocates M L Sharma, Vineet Dhanda and AAP MP Sanjay Singh, also advanced their arguments before Bhushan. Sharma, who opened the argument, told the court that the IGA was “illegal” and sought an investigation into the matter. Dhanda sought a proper reply from the Centre on his plea questioning the Rafale deal.

AAP leader’s counsel Dheeraj Singh questioned as to why the government reduced the deal of 126 jets to 36. He said the government should have increased the number of jets when there was a concern that adversaries were inducting more fighter jets.

Bhushan also raised the same point as Singh and said three and a half years have passed since the deal was signed on 36 Rafale jets but no aircraft has been received till now. He said the first jet is to be delivered in September 2019 and delivery to continue till 2022. “If the 126 aircraft deal was still on, at least 18 jets would have been delivered by April 2019,” he submitted.  —  PTI

11:49  Trump draws flak for leaving out Hindus in Diwali tweets :   United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday made a resounding error while tweeting about the Diwali celebrations at the White House. In a glaring error, President Trump completely missed out mentioning the main and largest religious group which celebrates Diwali, that is, Hindus, while giving out his Diwali greetings.

Trump tweeted, “Today, we gathered for Diwali, a holiday observed by Buddhists, Sikhs, and Jains throughout the United States and around the world. Hundreds of millions of people have gathered with family and friends to light the Diya and to mark the beginning of a New Year.”

Along with the tweet, President Trump also shared pictures of him participating in the Diwali ceremonial lighting of the Diya and a YouTube link of the celebrations.The mistake of missing Hindu religious group was immediately pointed out to the US President by Twitteratis.

Trump, however, rectified his mistake and recognised Diwali as the Hindu Festival of Lights.”It was my great honor to host a celebration of Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights, in the Roosevelt Room at the @WhiteHouse this afternoon. Very, very special people!,” he tweeted. India’s Ambassador to the United States, Navtej Singh Sarna, was also present at the event along with his wife, Avina Sarna.

Image: US president Donald Trump at the Diwali celebrations at the White House.

The draft resolution, taken up in the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian, Cultural) of the General Assembly Tuesday, was approved with a recorded vote of 123 in favour, 36 against and 30 abstentions. India was among the countries that voted against the resolution, which would have the Assembly call on all States to respect international standards on the rights of those facing death penalty and ensure that it is not applied on the basis of discriminatory laws or as a result of discriminatory or arbitrary application of the law. — PTI

11:40  International-level sprinter commits suicide, SAI orders inquiry:  
Parvinder Chaudhary, an 18-year-old athlete who represented India at international level, committed suicide by hanging himself from a ceiling fan at the capital’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, prompting the Sports Authority of India to order a “departmental inquiry”.

Chaudhary was found hanging from the ceiling fan in his hostel room at the athletics academy of JLN stadium. “We have ordered a departmental inquiry as the incident happened in our premises. The inquiry will be headed by Secretary SAI Swarn Singh Chabra and it should be completed within a week,” SAI Director General Neelam Kapur told PTI.

Hailing from Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh, the athlete was brain dead by the time he was rushed to the Safdarjung Hospital, and could not be revived. Apparently, he took the extreme step after an argument with his father over monetary issues, the top SAI official said. His fellow trainees and staff at the stadium were shocked as the athlete showed no signs of depression while training through the day. — PTI

Image: Athlete Parvinder Chaudhary’s father. Pic: ANI

Pahlaj Nihalani responds: “Gratitude is for the elites; sophisticated filmmakers who produce films such as #Mastizaade forget how they received the certificate finally. But they say, Opportunists will keep trolling on social media. You made the most then, Make the most now!

11:19  Lankan parliament votes against PM Rajapaksa:  In a major setback to President Maithripala Sirisena, the Sri Lankan parliament on Wednesday voted against newly-appointed Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa’s government. The parliament has approved a no-trust vote against Prime Minister Rajapaksa, speaker of parliament Karu Jayasuriya announced in the House. “According to the voice, I recognise that the government has no majority,” Jayasuriya announced as Rajapaksa backers protested. — PTI

11:18  Petitioner tells SC govt has already revealed Rafale pricing details:  Update: The Supreme Court Wednesday commenced its crucial hearing on pleas seeking court-monitored probe into procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets from France. A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph is likely to peruse the pricing details submitted by the government in a sealed cover.

The initial arguments are being commenced by advocate Manohar Lal Sharma, who told the court that the Inter Government Agreement was “illegal” and sought an investigation in the matter.     

Besides Sharma, another lawyer Vinnet Dhanda has also filed a plea in the matter. Later, AAP MP Sanjay Singh had also filed a petition. Former Union ministers Yashwant Sinha, Arun Shourie and activist lawyer Prashant Bhushan also filed a joint petition.  Hearing is currently underway in the top court.

Petitioner advocate ML Sharma tells the Supreme Court that the report filed by the government in the court reveals that there has been serious fraud while making the decision after May 2015.

The petitioner urges the court that the matter be heard by a five-judge bench.

Counsel appearing for AAP leader Sanjay Singh tells the apex court that pricing of the 36 Rafale aircraft deal was revealed in the Parliament twice, hence, the submission of government that pricing details cannot be made public was not acceptable. He points out MPs defence Subhash Bhamre has told the Parliament that cost of a Rafale aircraft is Rs 670 crore.

10:41  SC begins hearing on Rafale deal pricing details :  The Supreme Court has just begun hearing the sensitive pricing details of the 36 Rafale fighter jets, submitted by the centre in a sealed cover.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices SK Kaul and KM Joseph will hold a crucial hearing in the case during which the petitioners, who have sought a court-monitored investigation into the deal, will also make submissions.

The Centre had on Monday handed over a 14-page document titled “Details of the steps in the decision making process leading to the award of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft order” to the petitioners in the case.

The government had also filed in the court in a sealed cover the pricing details of the Rafale jets.

The petitioners are likely to respond to the contents of the documents in which it has been stated by the government that the deal for 36 Rafale jets were negotiated on “better terms” and the Defence Procurement Procedure laid out in 2013 were “completely followed”.

The centre has also said the Cabinet Committee on Security approval was secured before the deal was inked with France.The details of the decision-making process and pricing were placed in the court in compliance with its October 31 order.

India signed an agreement with France for the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft in a fly-away condition as part of the upgrading process of the Indian Air Force equipment. The estimated cost of the deal is Rs. 58,000 crore. — PTI

10:16  4-day-long Chhath Puja concludes with oblation to rising sun :  The four-day long Chhath Puja celebrations concluded today after lakhs of people across India and the world paid oblation to the rising sun. The festival, which is celebrated across various states-primarily in Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh, began on Sunday and concluded today after devotees offered ‘arhgya’ to the rising sun and ended their 36-hour long fast.

The Chhath Puja is celebrated on the sixth day of the Kartik month of the Hindu calendar which also happens to be the fourth day after Diwali.

As per the Hindu tradition, devotees worship the sun god and his wife Usha to express gratitude and seek their blessings.

According to Hindu mythology, Draupadi, the wife of the Pandavas, was unhappy and troubled. In order to get rid of suffering, she was advised to pray sun god and observe Chhath Puja. She observed the fast and got rid of her sufferings.

Day one of the festival is called Nahai Khai, which begins with devotees taking the holy dip in Ganga River.

On the next day, devotees observe a full-day fast which is completed in the evening after praying to the sun and the moon during sunset.

The third day is called ‘pehla argha’ or ‘saandhya argha’. The devotees and their families go to the river bank and offer prasad to the Sun God during sunset and pray for happiness and prosperity.

On the fourth and the last day, which is the also is known as ‘doosra argha’, devotees offer their prayers to the sun on the river banks before the sunrise and conclude their fast and eat special prasad and delicacies made for the festival.

A large number of people gather on ghats of various rivers and other water bodies since early morning. This festival is connected with purity, devotion to the sun god, who is considered as the source of life on this earth and regarded as the deity who fulfils all wishes. In Patna, people gathered on Ghats of Ganga, Kosi, Gandak and Sone rivers. — PTI

09:24  Have great respect for PM Modi: Trump at WH Diwali celebrations:  

US President Donald Trump said he has great respect for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and would be talking to him very soon.

Trump and Modi are slated to attend the G-20 Summit in Argentina on November 30 and December 1, where there is a likelihood of a meeting between the two. The White House has not made any announcement in this regard so far.

“I’ll be talking to him soon. Thank you,” Trump told Indian Ambassador to the US, Navtej Singh Sarna, during the Diwali celebrations at the White House. 

“He looks forward to seeing you, Sarna replied.

Trump told the top Indian diplomat, who was a special invitee to the White House Diwali celebrations, that he loves India. 

We love your country. I have great, great respect for, as you know, Prime Minister Modi — tremendous respect. So just please give my warmest regards, said the US President. 

Trump and Modi enjoy a strong personal friendship. 

08:58  Modi pitches India as favourite investment destination in Singapore:  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday that financial inclusion has become a reality for 1.3 billion Indians as he pitched India as a favourite destination for investment at the Fintech Festival in Singapore. 

Modi became the first world leader to address the festival which was launched in 2016 and is in its third edition.

“Financial inclusion has become reality for 1.3 billion Indians. We have generated more than 1.2 billion biometric identities- Aadhaar or foundation- in just a few years,” Modi said at the event.

The Singapore Fintech Festival is already the world’s largest event on financial technology or fintech. In 2017, the event drew as many as 30,000 participants from over 100 countries.

The SFF involves a three-day conference, and exhibition of FinTech firms and capabilities, a global competition of FinTech solutions and a platform for matching entrepreneurs and investment capital.

Modi said through Aadhaar and cellphones, his government has launched Jan Dhan Yojana and opened 330 million new bank accounts in three years.

“These are 330 million sources of identity, dignity and opportunities. Less than 50 per cent of Indian had bank accounts in 2014. Now, it is nearly universal. So today, more than a billion biometric identities, more than a billion bank accounts and more than a billion cell phones give India by far the biggest public infrastructure in the world,” Modi said.

“We are in an age of a historic transition brought about by technology. From desktop to cloud, from Internet to social media, from IT Services to Internet of Things, we have come a long way in short time,” he said.

— PTI

08:35  Top film body expels Alok Nath amid rape allegations:  

The Cine and TV Artists Association said it has expelled Alok Nath, a month after the actor was accused of rape by a writer-producer. 

Vinta Nanda, best known for the hit ’90s TV show “Tara”, had accused Nath of raping her more than once 19 years ago.

In a statement released on Twitter,  CINTAA, which has previously sent show-cause notice to Nath, said, “In view of the various allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct against Mr Alok Nath, after due diligence and consideration, the Executive Committee of CINTAA has decided to expel him from the Association.”

When contacted, Nath said he is yet to receive any official communication. “I have not received anything from CINTAA yet,” he said. 

Besides Nanda, actor Sandhya Mridul also accused Nath of sexual harassment at an outdoor shoot years ago. 

Nath, who has repeatedly denied the claims, has also filed defamation case against Nanda.

Nath is famous for shows like “Buniyaad” and films such as “Hum Aapke Hain Kaun!” and “Hum Saath Saath Hain”.

— PTI

07:59  India a tough trade negotiator: Trump:  

US President Donald Trump described India as “very good negotiators” as he celebrated Diwali in the White House along with top Indian-Americans and said he is “grateful” for his friendship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“The United States has deep ties to the nation of India and I am grateful for my friendship with Prime Minister Modi,” Trump said before lighting the ceremonial diya in the historic Roosevelt Room of the White House. It is the second consecutive year that Trump has celebrated the largest festival of India and Indian Americans in the White House.

“We’re trying very hard to make better trade deals with India. But, they’re very good traders. They’re very good negotiators. You would say right. The best. So we’re working. And it’s moving along,” Trump said referring to the India-US trade deal negotiations that have started between the two largest democracies of the world.

“Modi is my friend and now her (Ivanka) friend and has great respect for India and the Indian people that I can say,” said the US President as he introduced his daughter to the audience, who was present in the room. 

“Absolutely,” replied Ivanka, who had visited India last year. She was the first top official of the Trump Administration to travel to India.

— PTI

00:22  Crucial hearing on Rafale deal in SC today:  

The sensitive pricing details of the 36 Rafale fighter jets, submitted by the Centre in a sealed cover, is scheduled to be examined by the Supreme Court on Wednesday.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph will hold a crucial hearing in the case during which the petitioners, who have sought a court-monitored investigation into the deal, will also make submissions.

The Centre had on Monday handed over a 14-page document titled ‘Details of the steps in the decision making process leading to the award of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft order’ to the petitioners in the case.

The government had also filed in the court in a sealed cover the pricing details of the Rafale jets.

The petitioners are likely to respond to the contents of the documents in which it has been stated by the government that the deal for 36 Rafale jets were negotiated on ‘better terms’ and the Defence Procurement Procedure laid out in 2013 were ‘completely followed’.

The Centre has also said the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approval was secured before the deal was inked with France.

The details of the decision-making process and pricing were placed in the court in compliance with its October 31 order.

India signed an agreement with France for the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft in a fly-away condition as part of the upgrading process of the Indian Air Force equipment. The estimated cost of the deal is Rs 58,000 crore.

The Rafale fighter is a twin-engine Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) manufactured by French aerospace company Dassault Aviation.

The petitions seeking the probe in the Rafale deal were first filed by advocates Manohar Lal Sharma and Vineet Dhanda.

Later, Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh had also filed a petition.

Former Union ministers Yashwant Sinha, Arun Shourie and activist lawyer Prashant Bhushan had also filed a joint petition in the apex court.  — PTI