Report FCRA violations by NGOs, govt. asks CAs

 Report FCRA violations by NGOs, govt. asks CAs

The Hindu Bureau

 

NEW DELHI 02.01.2025

The Union Home Ministry on Wednesday notified that chartered accountants filing audit returns on behalf of NGOs need to specify if the organisation violated provisions of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 (FCRA) or not.

The Act requires a CA to certify if an association or NGO has utilised foreign contribution received for the purposes it was registered for and the annual statements are to be uploaded on the FCRA portal.

In a December 31 notification, the Ministry said that CAs will have to mention the name, email address, and registration number of the auditor while issuing the audit certificate and specify if the NGO has “violated the provisions of FCRA, 2010 or rules made thereunder or notifications issued thereunder,” with the details of the violations.

The auditors will also have to specify if the NGO has not made any violation.

“I have examined all relevant books and records, including the items mentioned in column 8 of FC-4, and to the best of my knowledge and belief (name of the person/ association) has not violated any provisions of the FCRA, thereunder or notifications issued thereunder,” the CAs will have to specify. The notification amends the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Rules, 2011.

A member of a voluntary group said the Home Ministry notification will make it more difficult for NGOs who are critical of the government to find auditors to file returns on their behalf. “Even if you find an FCRA donor, CAs will be scared to prepare certificates on the behalf of NGOs who are perceived to be not in the good books of the government,” said the member.

Earlier in 2021, the Ministry advised chartered accountants to ensure that foreign funds are received and utilised by NGOs “within the four corners of law”.

State cancels smart metering tender awarded to Adani Group

State cancels smart metering tender awarded to Adani Group

The Hindu Bureau

CHENNAI  02.01.202

Tamil Nadu’s ambitious smart meter project to modernise electricity billing has been stalled, after the Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (TNPDCL) cancelled the tender awarded to Adani Energy Solutions Limited, part of the Adani Group.

Confirming the cancellation of the tender for procuring smart meters, a senior official of Tangedco said that currently, Adani was the only company making smart meters in the country.

Officials of TNPDCL conducted negotiations with the company officials, and found that the price quoted was high.

The senior electricity official said that at a time when several States were planning to install 30 crore smart meters, with Tamil Nadu alone needing nearly 1.20 crore smart meters, it was not possible to stick to the delivery schedule.

Modernisation project

TNPDCL had planned to modernise electricity meters at a cost of ₹19,000 crore for nearly 1.20 crore customers in three phases. The smart meter project was to be implemented under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS).

Adani Energy Solutions Limited has presence in various facets of the energy domain, including power transmission, distribution, smart metering, and cooling solutions.

As per an investor presentation made by Adani Energy Solutions, the company has a smart meter portfolio of 22.8 million, with a contract value of ₹27,200 crore. In an earnings call in October last year, the company said it expected the Tamil Nadu bid to be closed in a couple of months.

The tender cancellation comes in the wake of the indictment of Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani in New York over allegations of bribery and fraud. The group has denied the allegations.

The names of several State discoms, including that of Tamil Nadu, were included in the indictment.

‘T.N. govt. and Governor should set aside their differences for welfare of students’

‘T.N. govt. and Governor should set aside their differences for welfare of students’

E. Balagurusamy

The Hindu Bureau

Chennai  02.01.2025

The sexual assault on a student of Anna University was a result of “anarchy in the university system”, former Vice-Chancellor E. Balagurusamy said on Wednesday.

In a statement, he urged the Governor-Chancellor and the Higher Education Minister-cum-Pro Chancellor “to avoid confrontational attitude and work in tandem in the overall interest of higher education in the State”.

Ten days ago, a girl student residing in one of the hostels on the university campus was sexually assaulted, allegedly by an outsider. The issue has since attracted media attention from across the country. Anna University was ranked the best State university by NIRF in 2024.

Prof. Balagurusamy said the Tamil Nadu government and the Governor had been “at loggerheads for a long time over the constitution of search panels” for selecting Vice-Chancellors, as a result of which many universities had been headless for more than two years. Also, in the next few months, almost all universities will become headless, he added.

Given that many universities did not have regular registrars, controller of examinations, and finance officers, their functioning had been severely crippled, “creating chaos”, he said.

A further delay in appointing V-Cs will affect the welfare of the students, and the quality of education and research, he said.

Several universities had not held convocations on time, and degree certificates were signed by bureaucrats, which degraded the value of the certificates in the job market, he said.

Prof. Balagurusamy said the Supreme Court judgments on V-C appointments were inconsistent. “In one case, the Supreme Court cancelled the appointment of a Vice-Chancellor for not following the guidelines of the University Grants Commission,” he said.

In the case of Madurai Kamaraj University, the Madras High Court dismissed the Vice-Chancellor for not following UGC regulations, but the Supreme Court ruled against the High Court order and reinstated the same person, saying the appointment was made as per the Act of the university, he said.

“It is high time the government and the Governor kept their egos aside and found an immediate and amicable solution,” he said.

In a first in India, Air India rolls out in-flight Wi-Fi net

In a first in India, Air India rolls out in-flight Wi-Fi net

 TIMES NEWS NETWORK 0.01.2025

New Delhi : Air India has become the first Indian airline to offer in-flight Wi-Fi internet to passengers on domestic and international routes aboard its Airbus A350, Boeing 787-9, and select A321neo flights. “Wi-Fi is complimentary for an introductory period and will progressively roll out on other aircraft in the fleet over time. It will enable passengers to browse, access social media, catch up on work, or text friends and family,” Tata group company said. 

The service allows passengers to connect multiple devices simultaneously when flying above 10,000 feet, subject to factors such as satellite connectivity, overall bandwidth usage, flight routes, and govt restrictions. “Connectivity is now an integral part of modern travel. For some, it is about the convenience and comfort of real-time sharing, while for others, it is about greater productivity and efficiency. Whatever one’s purpose, we are confident that our passengers will appreciate the option to connect to the web and enjoy the new Air India experience on board these aircraft,” said Rajesh Dogra, AI’s chief customer experience officer. 

The deployment of Wi-Fi on domestic routes follows an ongoing pilot program on international services aboard Airbus A350, select A321neo, and Boeing 787-9 flights to destinations such as New York, London, Paris, and Singapore. Passengers will need to enter their PNR and last name to connect to the Wi-Fi.

PhonePe, GPay get 2 years more to cut UPI mkt share

PhonePe, GPay get 2 years more to cut UPI mkt share 

NPCI Lifts 10Cr User Cap On WhatsApp Pay 

Mayur.Shetty@timesofindia.com 01.01.2025

Mumbai : NPCI has extended by two years the deadline for third-party apps PhonePe and Google Pay to bring down their market share in UPI. The apex payments body has also lifted the onboarding limit, capping the maximum number of users at 10 crore for WhatsApp in respect of UPI. This is the second time NPCI has extended the timeline, even as PhonePe and Google Pay increased their market shares to 48% and 37%, respectively, despite the entry of new players. In Nov 2020, NPCI had announced that no single thirdparty app provider should have a market share of more than 30% of total UPI transaction volumes by Dec 31, 2024. The cap was introduced following the moratorium on Yes Bank, which impacted PhonePe transactions and led to UPI volumes dropping nearly 40% overnight. The cap aimed to reduce the risk of single-point failure. Since then, PhonePe has partnered with multiple banks to process UPI transactions. 

However, PhonePe and Google Pay’s shares con tinued to rise as the third-largest player, Paytm, faced challenges due to RBI action on Paytm Payments Bank. As of Dec 30, there were 1,613 crore UPI transactions worth Rs 22.3 lakh crore for the month. “We welcome the extension of the market cap as we believe that people will choose from dozens of new UPI apps available. Paytm is regaining market share, and new apps like Naavi, Cred, Bhim, WhatsApp Pay, and others are growing strongly. Banks are also getting their UPI app strategy in place. I believe that in the next two years, the market will resolve this market cap issue on its own. Blocking growth of incumbents is not the right strategy and would have surely slowed UPI’s growth,” said Vishwas Patel, chairman, Payment Council of India (PCI). 

Although there are a number of players, they have failed to make a significant impact in the market, as they were unwilling to spend to acquire transactions where there was little or no revenue. Google Pay and PhonePe, owned by Alphabet and Walmart, respectively, have invested billions of dollars to gain users on their platforms. NPCI’s Bhim app, launched by the prime minister during demonetisation, lost most of its initial momentum after the company shifted its strategy. 

The app was offered as a white-label service to banks that lacked their own UPI app. Recently, however, Bhim has been spun off as a separate division, and NPCI plans to push the product more aggressively. Industry insiders believe UPI is on track to achieve a billion transactions per day. “Given such volumes and the low operating cost structure, players would be able to make money even if a small charge on large merchants is imposed,” said an executive at a payment company.

State’s healthcare system suffers critical gaps, says CAG report

State’s healthcare system suffers critical gaps, says CAG report 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 01.01.2025

Bengaluru : From a shortage of medical professionals to undelivered equipment and inadequate budget allocation, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has uncovered several shortcomings across multiple areas of Karnataka’s healthcare system. The audit report, tabled in the recent winter session of the state legislature, covers the period from 2016-17 to 2021-22. It reveals a severe shortage of medical professionals, with taluk hospitals operating at 45% below the required staffing levels of Indian Public Health Standards. This deficit is particularly acute in services such as general surgery and anaesthesia, leading to increased pressure on existing medical staff in secondary healthcare facilities.

The CAG findings also reveal that infrastructure and equipment deficiencies plague the system: The state faces a critical shortage of ICU beds, while many taluk hospitals lack functional operating theatres, compromising their ability to provide surgical services. Adding to these concerns, equipment valued at over Rs 95 crore remains undelivered. The audit identifies serious issues in drug management and procurement. Karnataka lacks a “documented” procurement policy for essential medicines, resulting in shortages, particularly in emergency services. 

The report also flags discrepancies in drug quality testing, noting six instances where results from the drug controller conflicted with empanelled laboratory findings. Maternal and infant healthcare services face particular challenges, with shortages in both personnel and essential medications. These deficiencies pose increased risks for premature infants and their postnatal care, as per the report. Scrutinising the financial aspects of healthcare management, the report finds that the state’s health sector received an average budget allocation of nearly 4.3% of total state spending during the review period, falling short of National Health Policy recommendations. Health expenditure as a percentage of gross state domestic product remained between 0.6% and 0.8%, significantly below prescribed benchmarks. The report also noted concerns about the  proper utilisation of allocated funds.

28-year-old man duped of ₹16L in ‘work from home’ fraud

28-year-old man duped of ₹16L in ‘work from home’ fraud

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 01.01.2025

Ahmedabad : A 28-year old man from Thakkarbapanagar filed a complaint with Cybercrime police on Monday, stating that he was cheated of Rs 15.64 lakh in a ‘work from home’ fraud in July and Aug. According to the complainant, he received a call from an unknown man in the second week of July, offering him a work from home job. He was given the task of liking different web portals of various services and was promised remuneration for liking each service. He was then made to join a WhatsApp group where different tasks were assigned. “The fraudsters gained the complainant’s trust by asking him to submit ratings through a fake application under the pretext of completing tasks. Believing the scheme to be legiti mate, the complainant transferred Rs 15.64 lakh to various bank accounts provided by the scammers,” said a Cybercrime police officer. 

However, even after he paid the money, he was not given any remuneration and was repeatedly asked to pay more money. The complainant finally approached Cybercrime police and filed a complaint of cheating and breach of trust under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with charges under the Information Technology Act, and an investigation began