Consensus eludes GST Council

 Consensus eludes GST Council

States Can Borrow To Meet Shortfall

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:13.10.2020

For the first time, the GST Council failed to arrive at a consensus due to sharp division along political lines, allowing the Centre to let 20-odd states issue bonds to raise funds and meet the shortfall in collection.

Continuing from where they left, the 10 opposition-governed states and UTs pressed for the Centre to borrow the funds, something that finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman refused to do, arguing that higher-than-announced borrowings will increase the cost of funds for the government and the private sector.

“The impact will be less if states borrow… The Centre will facilitate borrowings to ensure cost is equitable for all states,” she said after the meeting, sticking to the stand taken even before the borrowing calendar for the second half of the year had been finalised.

At Monday’s four-hour meeting, the third on the issue, there were 12 states that supported the Centre’s preferred option to raise Rs 1.1 lakh crore, out of the Rs 2.3 lakh crore, estimated shortfall from the market. “Whoever wants to talk, please talk. As many states also said, further talking, holding other states will only make them appear very poorly back home… they can’t go back to repeatedly say ‘sorry the Council could not arrive at a consensus so till then I’m not doing any expenditure’… Does our conscience allow us to hold back states which have opted for something till the time a consensus is arrived at?” Sitharaman said.

Some of the states such as West Bengal had proposed that the dispute resolution mechanism be invoked to decide on the issue within seven to 10 days. Alternatively, a group of ministers could be set up, others suggested. But the proposals were rejected with some of the states describing the meeting as a show of “majoritarianism”.

“There is no dispute, we can have differences,” the minister said, adding the GST Council had the powers to decide on issues such as an extension of the compensation cess beyond June 2022, which had been done. She said states have been assured that they don’t have to bear the burden from their budget. The opposition-ruled states have, however, not decided their future course of action.

Full report on www.toi.in

Cong mocks FM’s announcements

Congress lashed out at Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s announcements to “stimulate demand”, mocking that “government had only told its employees how to spend their money” without injecting anything extra in the economy that is required to check the steep slump. AICC economists Gourav Vallabh and Praveen Chakravarty said that the provisions about the LTC spelt out by the Centre amounted to nothing while the new announcement on capital expenditure by states was too little to change anything. “These are only meant to manage the headlines with the belief that the economy will respond to the headlines,” the AICC said. TNN

Part 2 of NEET for Covid-hit on Wednesday

Part 2 of NEET for Covid-hit on Wednesday

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:13.10.2020

The Supreme Court on Monday allowed the National Testing Agency (NTA) to conduct the second part of NEET (UG) for those students who could not appear in it either because they were infected by coronavirus or because they resided in containment zones.

Accepting the request made by NTA through solicitor general Tushar Mehta, a bench headed by CJI S A Bobde said, “In view of the circumstances which have necessitated postponement of the examination in the past and in view of the prevailing circumstances, we consider it appropriate to grant permission to the NTA to conduct a second part of the NEET (UG) for Covid affected students and for those in containment zones on October  14. The result may be declared on October 16.”

A senior NTA official said, “Less than 200 candidates will take the test on Wednesday.”

Full report on www.toi.in

Man who went to US on a forged passport 18 yrs ago held on return

Man who went to US on a forged passport 18 yrs ago held on return

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:13.10.2020

A man who returned from the US to India after 18 years was booked for allegedly travelling abroad on a forged passport. Though he moved a Delhi court seeking protection from arrest, the court denied his plea stating “such incidents tarnish the image of India in general and of Indian citizens in particular, travelling abroad”.

Kirti Kumar Patel, 61, allegedly travelled to the US from Ahmedabad on someone else’s passport in 2002 and on his return to India recently, scrutiny of his documents didn’t show any previous travel history as his previous passport details were not available.

“Sustained interrogation of the applicant/accused is required to unearth the modus operandi of the crime,” remarked additional sessions judge Dharmender Rana in an order passed on October 9.

The man’s counsels, Jaitegan Singh Khurana and Uday Bedi, argued that he had been “falsely arraigned” as an accused in the present FIR.

On September 29, the IGI police station had registered an FIR under sections 419 (punishment for cheating by personation), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) and the relevant provision of The Passports Act, 1967 against the man. “Kirti Kumar Patel arrived from Chicago, USA by Air India and approached for arrival immigration clearance. During scrutiny of this travel document, it was observed that his last departure record was not found as his previous passport details were not available...It suggested that he might have departed from India using someone else’s passport. By doing so, he might have cheated Indian immigration,” stated the FIR.

Patel’s lawyers stated that there was nothing incriminating on record to suggest that he had committed an offence and he travelled on someone else’s passport or visa. They sought anticipatory bail on the ground that Patel was apprehending his arrest in the present case and suffered from diabetes and liver problems.

Additional public prosecutor Irfan Ahmed opposed the anticipatory bail plea arguing Patel had travelled abroad on forged documents and had been hiding the identity of travel agent for unearthing the conspiracy.

Judge Rana held, “Considering the nature and seriousness of allegations, I am not inclined to release the applicant/accused on anticipatory bail. Hence, his bail application stands rejected.”

JUDGE SAYS

Considering the nature and seriousness of allegations, I am not inclined to release the applicant/accused on anticipatory bail. Hence, his plea stands rejected

Covid 19

 

Govt to spend ₹37,000cr, give sops to spur festive demand

Govt to spend ₹37,000cr, give sops to spur festive demand

Cash-For-LTC & ₹10K Advance For Central Staffers

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:13.10.2020

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday announced additional allocation of Rs 37,000 crore towards capital expenditure, and put money into the pockets of government employees ahead of the festival season, hoping to trigger demand of Rs 1 lakh crore in her latest bid to revive economic activity.

The much-awaited “stimulus”, however, did not have measures to address the lack of demand in sectors such as hospitality and tourism.

PM Modi consulted his top economic advisers in July on boosting spending on core sector projects in a bid to spur demand for cement, steel and other inputs, which culminated in this announcements.

Centre hopes states, pvt cos too will offer LTA scheme

The additional capex and leave travel concession and festival loan benefits for central government employees come with riders, and the impact will depend on how many employees opt for this scheme. For instance, the Rs 25,000 crore allocation for additional capex by Marchend will be made for defence infrastructure, roads, water supply and urban development, provided the equipment is manufactured locally.

There was another Rs 12,000 crore support to the states, which is to be provided in the form of interest-free loans for 50 years. But the rider is that the money has to be spent by March and there is a Rs 2,000 crore allocation for states which meet three of the reform criteria announced earlier such as power sector reforms or one-nation one ration card related initiatives.

Similarly, those availing of the LTC benefit need to spend three times their entitlement in purchasing cars, fridge, mixers or vacuum cleaners. The measures marked the government’s fresh efforts to revive sentiment and give some push to the economy which has been battered by the Covid-19 induced lockdown and growth has plunged nearly 24% in the June quarter and full year GDP contraction is estmated at 9.5% in the current fiscal year.

Along with the conditions, Sitharaman has placed a lot of reliance on state governments and the private sector taking a cue from the Centre and come up with similar schemes.

Full report on www.toi.in

•Retail inflation at 8-mth high, IIP contracts, P 13

•Food delivery back to near pre-Covid levels, P 13

•Demand for CAs up 37%, pay also rises, P 13

MUHS UG and PG medical exams for winter session to begin from January 4

MUHS UG and PG medical exams for winter session to begin from January 4

While the theory exams are scheduled to begin from January 4, all other practical and preliminary examinations will be conducted by individual colleges before the theory exams take place.

EDUCATION Updated: Oct 07, 2020 18:46 IST

Shreya Bhandary

Hindustan Times, Mumbai

The Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS), Nashik, has announced that winter exams (theory) for all undergraduate and post graduate medical students except first year MBBS students will commence from January 4, 2021. A circular released by the MUHS late on Tuesday evening further highlights that the theory exams will be conducted in offline mode.

“The university shall conduct theory papers of all UG and PG courses as per a timetable which will be published in due course of time. List of examination centres will be displayed tentatively by end of November 2020 and admit card/hall ticket as well as a college-wise student name list will be uploaded on the university’s website 7 days prior to the commencement of theory examinations,” states the Programme of Examinations (POE) as released by MUHS on Tuesday.

While the theory exams are scheduled to begin from January 4, all other practical and preliminary examinations will be conducted by individual colleges before the theory exams take place. With Covid-19 cases still on a rise, students and parents are still unsure about being able to travel for exams any time soon.

“In some cases, colleges have agreed to conduct preliminary examination online this year, so that’s a relief to most students and parents. However, we hope the MUHS will consider giving students the option of choosing an exam centre closer home since most are still stuck in their hometowns,” said Brijesh Sutaria, parent. He added that students are waiting for more clarity on the examinations to come from their respective medical institutes soon.

The POE released by the university also mentions procedures to be followed by colleges when theory exams begin. This includes allowing students to enter the examination hall 30 minutes before the exams are scheduled to begin in order to ensure students are in their seats in time.

Dismissed PG med students mull appeal - The Times Of India

Dismissed PG med students mull appeal - The Times Of India

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Puducherry:08.10.2020 

The 65 post-graduate medical students of deemed universities and private medical colleges in the Union Territory of Puducherry, whose admission in 2017 was cancelled by Madras high court on Wednesday, have decided to appeal against the ruling in the Supreme Court.

Managements of deemed universities and private colleges have proposed to join the aggrieved students to plead a relook of the order. While most students have already completed the course duration of three years, some of them in colleges affiliated to deemed universities have written their examinations as well. The deemed universities have also declared their results. Meanwhile, a section of students who were denied seats in 2017 submitted a memorandum to the Puducherry government urging it to file a caveat in the Supreme Court so that no interim orders could be passed without hearing it. The students also urged the government to ensure that the judgment is implemented.

Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth (deemed university) chancellor M K Rajagoplan said, "Earlier, the erstwhile Medical Council of India earlier said 25 students were admitted without following rules in our constituent college - Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute. But later said only 11 were admitted without following rules. But the fact is the names of the five of the 11 students are in the list of students recommended by the Centralized Admission Committee (Centac). Three other students had paid the Centac counselling fee but could not attend the counselling due to the commotion in the counselling session.”