Snehal khanna Blog

According to DMRC, the crash happened because of human error as a trial train moved from the workshop without testing the brake system that had been disabled LATEST NEWS : With Prime Minister Narendra Modi set to inaugurate Delhi Metro's magenta line, Tuesday’s incident of a train crashing into a wall at Kalindi Kunj metro station has now raised concerns about the safety of driverless trains and its technology. The line will be the first one to have driverless metro in India. Experts, however, believe that the technology implemented by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is one of the best in the world and the incident was not a technical but a human error. The route will be implementing Computer Based Train Control (CBTC) based signalling system, which compared to the conventional signalling has the ability to determine the location of a train independent of track circuits. “This is indeed a reliable and proven technology and we are doing it in many countries ...

The court rejected the government's argument that overcharging for pre-packed or packaged products was an offence under the Legal Metrology Act LATEST NEWS :  Can a hotel or a restaurant charge for a bottle of drinking water more than the maximum retail price marked on the container? The answer is yes. In a major blow to consumers, the Supreme Court on Tuesday held that hotels and restaurants are not bound by the maximum retail price (MRP) when they sell bottled mineral water and packaged food items. The court rejected the government’s argument that overcharging for pre-packed or packaged products was an offence under the Legal Metrology Act, which attracts a fine of Rs 25,000 or a jail term, according to ET. A bench headed by Justice Rohinton Nariman said the provisions of the law will not apply to hotels and restaurants, and these establishments cannot be prosecuted for selling such items above the MRP. “It is not a case of simple sale. Nobody goes to a ho...

According to the legal notice, Nissan said repeated requests to state officials for the payment, due in 2015, were overlooked LATEST NEWS :  Japanese automaker Nissan Motor has begun international arbitration against India to seek more than $770 million in a dispute over unpaid state incentives, according to a person familiar with the matter and documents reviewed by Reuters. In a legal notice sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year, Nissan sought payment of incentives due from the Tamil Nadu government as part of a 2008 agreement to set up a car manufacturing plant in the southern state. According to the notice, Nissan said repeated requests to state officials for the payment, due in 2015, were overlooked and even a plea by the company's chairman, Carlos Ghosn, to Modi in March of last year seeking federal assistance did not yield any results. The notice, sent by Nissan's lawyers in July 2016, was followed by more than a dozen meetings between fed...

The app is now globally available on the Google Play Store for all phones running Android 5.0 (Lollipop) and higher, Google said LATSET NEWS : Google on Thursday launched an app designed to help Android phone users understand, control and save on their expensive mobile data. This app, called Datally, allows users to track their data usage in real time, and get personalised recommendations on saving data along with notifications of public Wi-Fi spots available nearby. The app is now globally available on the Google Play Store for all phones running Android 5.0 (Lollipop) and higher, Google said. Datally is an initiative of Google's Next Billion Users division that aims to make Internet services more accessible even in countries with limited technology infrastructure. "Mobile data is expensive for many people around the world. And what's worse, it's hard to figure out where it all goes. "That's why we built Datally, an app that ...

The Reuters poll of 52 economists over past week showed GDP growth likely rose to 6.4% LATEST NEWS : Indian economic growth likely rebounded in the July-September quarter from the slowest growth in three years, with demand picking up modestly as the effects from a shock Note ban on high-value currency notes eased, a Reuters poll showed. If that's correct, the data will be the latest evidence of a broad-based global economic upturn across Asia and most of the world that has many major central banks poised to move away from ultra-easy monetary policy. India was the world's fastest-growing major economy in 2016. But already-slowing growth was made weaker by the surprise cash clampdown late in 2016 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, which has hurt consumer spending ever since. In July, the government introduced a goods and services tax that made sweeping changes to the way businesses across Asia's third largest economy charge taxes, deliverin...

IoT also under non-discriminatory treatment, but with a rider exempting critical services identified by DoT LATEST NEWS  : Telecom sector regulator Trai has recommended upholding the basic principle of keeping internet free and not allowing any discrimination based on content. However, the regulator has proposed to exempt specialised services, which are optimised for specific content and are not internet services. Department of Telecommunications (DoT) may identify these specialised services. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has also included internet of things (IoT) to fall under the non-discriminatory treatment but with a rider saying critical IoT services, which may be identified by DoT, would be exempted. Also, the regulator has exempted content delivery networks (CDNs), which enable mobile operators to deliver content within its network without going through the public internet as also allowing telecom operators to deploy traffic management practic...

The first phase comprises 30 km and 24 stations LATEST NEWS  : Larsen&Toubro has sought "additional financial support" from Telangana to cover cost overruns in the Rs 16,000-crore metro rail project that stemmed from delays in its implementation, sources privy to the development said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the first phase of the 72-km project tomorrow, touted to be the world's largest such project on public-private partnership in the sector. L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) Ltd, the developer of the project, has sought "additional financial support" from the Telangana government to cover the cost overruns due to delays in projects, leading to an extension of time, the sources said. The cost overruns work out to over Rs 3,000 crore, the sources added. "The company is also learnt to have sought an extension period of two years," an industry source said, adding that any decision is likely afte...

The metro's daily average ridership came down to 24.2 lakh in October from 27.4 lakh in September, translating to a fall of around 11 per cent LATEST NEWS :  Delhi Metro lost over three lakh commuters a day after a steep fare hike came into effect in October, an RTI query has revealed. The metro's daily average ridership came down to 24.2 lakh in October from 27.4 lakh in September, translating to a fall of around 11 per cent. The Blue Line, considered the metro's busiest, lost over 30 lakh commuters, according to data shared by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) in response to an RTI query by a PTI correspondent. The 50-km corridor connects Dwarka to Noida. The metro currently has 218-km network across Delhi-NCR. The fall, in terms of absolute numbers, was over 19 lakh on the Yellow Line, another busy corridor which connects Gurgaon to north Delhi's Samaypur Badli, DMRC said. Ridership has come down several notches below the numbers ob...

One of the message written on fort wall adjacent to the body read - Hum putle nahin jalate....latkate hain (we don't burn effigies, we hang them) LATEST NEWS :  The body of a 40-year-old man was found hanging from the outer walls of Nahargarh Fort here on Friday morning, with the message " 'Padmavati' ka virodh" - in protest against the film "Padmavati". The message, written on the stones near the fort wall adjacent to the body, read, "Hum putle nahin jalate....latkate hain" (we don't burn effigies, we hang them). "It is early to comment on it as the matter is under investigation. The identity of the man, around 40-years-old, is yet to be ascertained," Satyendra Singh, DCP Jaipur (North), told IANS. Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Padmavati" has been mired in controversies since its shooting started. Activists of the Karni Sena, a Rajput community, besides other groups have been protesting against the...

Jai Corp, Purvankara, Kolte-Patil Developers, Speciality Restaurants, Gitanjali Gems, Sterling Tools and Aptech from the S&P BSE Smallcap index rallied more than 25% in past one week. LATEST NEWS  : Jai Corp , Purvankara, Kolte-Patil Developers, Speciality Restaurants, Gitanjali Gems, Sterling Tools and Aptech are among 12 stocks from the S&P BSE Smallcap index that have rallied more than 25% in past one week. BF Investment, Action Construction Company, Arshiya, Nila Infrastructure and RattanIndia Power surged an over 25% during the period. At 12:18 PM; the S&P BSE Smallcap index, the largest gainer among broader indices, was up 0.65%, as compared to 0.20% rise in S&P BSE Midcap & 0.14% gain in S&P BSE Sensex. In past one week, the smallcap index was up 3% against 1.9% rise in midcap and 1.5% gain in the benchmark index. Speciality Restaurants locked in upper circuit of 20% to Rs 168, also its 52-week high on the BSE. The stock rallied ...

Changes to help prevent wilful defaulters from bidding for stressed assets LATEST NEWS : The government will come out with an ordinance to make certain amendments to the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code , Corporate Affairs Minister Arun Jaitley said on Wednesday. The Code, which became operational in December last year, provides for a market-determined and time-bound insolvency resolution process. It is implemented by the corporate affairs ministry. The Cabinet approved bringing in an ordinance to make "some changes" in the Code, Jaitley told reporters. Details about the proposed changes could not be immediately ascertained. The move also comes at a time when there are concerns in certain quarters about various aspects of the law, including the possibility of promoters wresting back control of a company under the insolvency process. The ministry has already set up a 14-member committee to identify and suggest ways to address issues faced in impleme...

The senior officials from Pakistan and China on Monday decided to formally move ahead despite hurdles and finance at least three special economic/industrial zones Latest news :  Pakistan has refused to allow free use of the Chinese yuan on the lines of the US dollar in the country as officials from the two nations met to decide on a long-term developmental plan under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The meeting of senior officials from Pakistan and China on Monday decided to formally move ahead despite hurdles and finance at least three special economic/industrial zones (SEZs) and some important rail, electricity and road projects. The Dawn reported quoting a senior government official that Pakistan was not ready to allow the Chinese yuan (renminbi) for free use in Gwadar or its treatment on a par with the US dollar in the country and this was disappointing for the visiting Chinese officials. He said the use of yuan for common use in any part of Pakis...

The GST Council is likely to cut the tax rate on electronic items such as washing machine, refrigerator and air conditioner, which are in the top 28 per cent slot, in the next round of rationalisation. Last week, the Council overhauled the new tax regime, reducing the 28 per cent tax levied on 178 items to 18 per cent or lesser. Most important of them all, the Council decided to slash the GST rate on AC and non-AC restaurants to 5 percent from the current 18 per cent slab. The new rates have been effective since November 15. According to The Times of India, a fresh round of rate cuts is likely as the GST Council, chaired by Finance Minister, hinted that only luxury or sin goods are going to stay in the top slot. The move will be a big relief for consumers who might have felt the pinch. While rejecting the idea of the single tax system, Arun Jaitley said, “Rationalisation process in the transition will always continue. So, wherever there is scope for improvement and procedural...

The stock was listed at Rs 311, a 7% premium against issue price of Rs 290 per share on the BSE. It was opened at Rs 310 on the National Stock Exchange. LATEST NEWS :  HDFC Standard Life Insurance Company (HDFCSL) made a positive debut by listing at Rs 311, a 7% premium against issue price of Rs 290 per share on the BSE. The stock opened at Rs 310 on the National Stock Exchange (NSE). At 11:36 AM; the stock was trading at Rs 340 on the BSE and NSE, after hitting an intra-day high of Rs 369, up 27% against its issue price. HDFCSL's Rs 8,695 crore initial public offer (IPO) was oversubscribed 4.9 times to its issue size. The issue got strong response from the qualified institutional buyers (QIBs), which saw 16.6 times more demand than shares on offer. Barring the QIB portion, most other categories saw a lukewarm response. The retail portion was subscribed 94%. The high net worth individual (HNI) portion was subscribed 2.3 times, the stock exchange data show...

Under the PMAY-U, the Centre aims to provide houses to all the urban poor by 2022 LATEST NEWS : The Centre on Thursday approved the enhancement of the carpet area of houses for the middle-income group (MIG) category under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana- Urban (PMAY-U)  . Under the MIG-I category, the carpet area of the houses has been enhanced from 90 sq.mtr to 120 sq.mtr, while under the MIG-II segment, it has been increased to 150 sq.mtr from the current 110 sq.mtr, Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters while briefing them about the Union cabinet decisions. Under the MIG-I category, a four-per cent interest subsidy is provided to the beneficiaries, whose annual income is between Rs 6 lakh and Rs 12 lakh, on a loan of up to Rs 9 lakh. Similarly, under the MIG-II category, the beneficiaries with an annual income of Rs 12 lakh to Rs 18 lakh get an interest subsidy of three per cent on a loan of up to Rs 12 lakh. Under the PMAY-U, the Centre aim...

BS-VI grade petrol, diesel to be sold from April 2018 LATEST NEWS : With both the Delhi and Union governments facing heat over Delhi’s smog, the Centre on Wednesday said the introduction of BS-VI grade automobile fuel in the capital would be advanced by two years to April 2018. BS-IV emission norms for both fuel and automobiles were implemented across the country from April 1, 2017. “Taking into account the serious pollution levels in Delhi and adjoining areas, the petroleum ministry in consultation with public sector oil marketing companies has decided on introducing BS-VI grade fuel in Delhi from April 1, 2018, instead of April 1, 2020,” an official statement said. The government had earlier decided to leapfrog to BS-VI by April 1, 2020, skipping BS-V. Oil refining companies have been asked to examine the possibility of introducing BS-VI fuel in the National Capital Region from April 1, 2019. Previously, fuel meeting Euro-IV, or Bharat Stage (BS)-IV, specific...

Economists have long had a notion that psychological factors affect investor decisions LATEST NEWS :  The price of Bitcoin has dropped to around A$8,000 in the last few days, after almost hitting A$10,000 in the past month, and rising over 1,850% since 2015. All of this shows how volatile the currency is, prompting the question, what leads to such huge movements? Our ongoing research reveals four factors that affect the price of Bitcoin. These include media hype and uptake by peers, political uncertainty and risk (such as the election of Donald Trump or the vote for Brexit), moves by governments and regulators, and the governance of Bitcoin itself. It is likely the last factor that has driven the latest drop in the price, as a proposed Bitcoin split (or “fork”) failed to gain support from developers towards the end of last week. The split would have doubled the number of coins in circulation (as previous splits have) and increased transaction speed. 1) Anima...

LATEST NEWS : Ahead of the Uttar Pradesh local body elections, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has begun the election campaign from the newly-constituted Nagar Nigam, Ayodhya. Talking exclusively to ANI on Tuesday, the firebrand Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader talked about his reasons behind it, and also explained his view on the visit of Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to Ayodhya in a bid to mediate between the stakeholders of Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute. "Ayodhya is a holy place, and the first phase of elections will be held there. The name Ayodhya means - where no war takes place, so what better place is there than Ayodhya to start the campaign as well?" Adityanath said, and added that the credit for making Ayodhya a Nagar Nigam goes to the BJP. Further underscoring the importance of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, he said, "In India, nothing can be undertaken or accomplished without the mention of Lord Rama. He represents our fait...

The IP68-certified water and dust resistant device will go on sale exclusively on Flipkart starting mid-night tonight Latest news  :  Motorola has launched Moto X4 starting at Rs 20,999 for the base model and Rs 22,999 for the premium model with 64 GB storage and 4 GB RAM. The IP68-certified water and dust resistant device went on sale last night. The Moto X4 sports a dual camera set-up on the back, which utilises a 12-megapixel shooter with f/2.0 aperture and an 8MP ultra-wide angle shooter with f/2.2 aperture. The cameras on the back are assisted with phase detection autofocus (PDAF) and dual LED flash. On the front, the smartphone houses a 16 MP selfie camera with f/2.0 aperture. The selfie camera is supported with flash and comes with features such as beautification mode, pro mode, filters, panorama and adaptive low-light mode.  Moto X4 sports a 5.2-inch fullHD IPS screen covered with Corning Gorilla Glass for protection against scratches and ac...

In the first half of the meeting in Guwahati, the Council decided to trim the 28% bracket to just 50 items, against 227 currently LATEST NEWS  : The GST Council on Friday decided to keep only 50 items, mostly demerit, sin and luxury goods, in the top 28 per cent tax bracket, Bihar Deputy CM Sushil Modi said. In the first half of the meeting taking place in Guwahati, the Council decided to trim the 28 per cent slab to just 50 items as against 227 items currently. ALSO READ: 177 items to become cheaper as GST Council decides to trim 28% slab The second half will see discussions on easing compliance burden on taxpayers and making the composition scheme more attractive. Here are the other developments expected from the meeting: 1) Rate cut for AC restaurants: Those in the restaurant business are hoping for a much-needed relief to come their way. (Read more here) The GST Council meeting is likely to witness deliberations on a number of topics, includin...