khurshid-mahmud-kasuri-foreign-minister-pakistan-peace-narendra-modi

Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, Foreign Minister, Pakistan, Peace, Narendra Modi

New Delhi, Jan 21 (ANI): A court has ordered the government to release blocked funds of Greenpeace India, the environmental group said, months after being accused of running campaigns that were hurting the country’s economy. India's intelligence service in June said Greenpeace and other lobby groups were damaging the country's economy by campaigning against power projects, mining and genetically modified food. While Greenpeace denied the allegations, India asked its central bank to tighten controls on moving funds from abroad into Greenpeace's Indian accounts. Greenpeace said the Indian government had "arbitrarily barred" it from receiving foreign funds from Greenpeace International and Climate Works Foundation in June 2014. The government's move to restrict the movement of funds had raised concerns that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's new government will be tough on foreign-funded activist groups. Jan 21, 2015

Govts banking for all scheme surpasses target: Jaitley

New Delhi, Jan 21 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s promise to end “financial untouchability” with a scheme to ensure majority of households in the country of nearly 1.3 billion people has a bank account has almost been fulfilled, according to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. Jaitley announced that the scheme called Pradhanmantri Jan Dhan Yojna (PJDY) or Prime Minister’s National Mission on Financial Inclusion, has achieved its target well before the deadline. According to the ministry of finance, by January 17, 2015 a record number of 115 million bank accounts have been opened in the country. Jaitley acknowledged the role of bank employees in achieving this ambitious target. Jan 21, 2015
franc-surge-casts-shadow-on-geneva-luxury-watch-fair

Franc surge casts shadow on Geneva luxury watch fair

Geneva's luxury watch show where shop owners search out such brands as Cartier and Piaget opened Monday under a cloud as the franc surged after the Swiss central bank abandoned its bid to hold down its value. Duration: 01:08 Jan 21, 2015

Students in Varanasi create sand sculptures on sensitive issues

Varanasi, Jan 20 (ANI): Students in temple town of Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh created sand sculptures on sensitive and burning issues on bank of holy River Ganges. Schoolchildren from around the town converged at the banks and created their artwork with coloured sand to give their work a different look. One of the sculptures commemorated the ill-fated AirAsia flight that crashed in December last year, killing all passengers and crew on board. Indonesia AirAsia Flight QZ8501 lost contact with air traffic control in bad weather on December 28. Meanwhile, another student created a sculpture on Clean India mission with an aim to create awareness among young generation to keep surroundings clean. Jan 20, 2015
government-to-boost-public-spending-on-infrastructure

Government to boost public spending on infrastructure

Chennai, Jan 19 (ANI): Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday (January 19) said that the government will increase public spending on infrastructure in months to come. The government estimates the country needs to spend $800 billion on infrastructure to grow seven percent per annum, sharply higher than around 5.5 percent projected by the Reserve Bank of India for the current fiscal year that ends in March. Addressing Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) summit in India's southern Chennai city, Jaitley said that the public spending on infrastructure would have to increase because the old Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) model was under stress and needed to be revived. Jaitley had promised imminent changes pushing ahead key reforms such as the introduction of a nationwide sales tax. Jan 19, 2015
World Bank President Jim Young Kim and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Govt Adjusts Disinvestment Plan: IOC Stake Sale Possible

The government is likely to bring IndianOil stake to the disinvestment table, as continued uncertainty over policy affecting Coal India and ONGC would prove an impediment to its plans, even as it struggles to limit itself to the 4.1% fiscal deficit. Jan 17, 2015

PM Modi says committed to meeting budget deficit goal

New Delhi, Jan 17 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that he is committed to meeting this year's budget deficit target, welcoming a cut in interest rates by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on the back of falling inflation. In a speech, Modi said his government would cut wasteful spending, streamline the payment of welfare benefits and raise investment in roads and railways to boost economic growth in Asia's third-largest economy. Modi's comments signalled his assent to RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan's call for "sustained high quality fiscal consolidation" as a condition for further monetary easing after a surprise quarter-point cut on Thursday. The 64-year-old prime minister said it would be difficult to revive economic growth but promised to deliver incremental reforms. Jan 17, 2015