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Keen to shed its harassing image, India's tax authorities are taking an unusual approach to encourage people to pay their taxes: awarding certificates and thanking taxpayers for their contribution. Reportedly, the certificates will be signed by CBDT chairman Rani Singh Nair, and call out the taxpayer's name, permanent account number (PAN), and the thank you for contribution "towards building of this great Nation."
Aditya Mehta, a para-cyclist who has won two silver medals at the 2013 Asian Paralympics was asked to remove his prosthetic leg and get it scanned at the security check at the Bengaluru airport. Mehta who was flying to Hyderabad on Tuesday was asked to undo and redo his prosthetics by CISF officials who said, 'It is your problem' when the cyclist protested. Shocked and saddened by the incident, Mehta took to Facebook and shared the humiliation and pain he had to undergo.
The Gujarat Gauseva and Gauchar Vikas Board has issued an advisory recommending cow urine, cow dung and milk for women who want glowing skin. "The queen of Egypt, Cleopatra, considered the most beautiful woman in the world, also used milk for bathing," the advisory said.
With Jayalalithaa continuing to remain in hospital since 22 September, Tamil Nadu Governor C Vidyasagar Rao on Tuesday allocated the portfolios held by her to Finance Minister O Paneerselvam. He clarified that the AIADMK supremo will continue to be the Chief Minister. Paneerselvam, who holds the Administrative reforms portfolio, in addition to Finance, "will also preside over cabinet meetings", a press release said. "This arrangement has been made as per the advice of the CM and will continue until the she resumes her duties".
A medium intensity earthquake measuring 5.3 on the Richter Scale today hit the Lakshadweep Sea region. According to the National Centre for Seismology, the quake hit the Lakshadweep Sea around 4:01 AM at a depth of 10 km. There were no immediate reports of loss of lives or property.
A 61-year-old man playing Hanumana at a Ramleela performance died while climbing down a rope during the act in Bikaner on Tuesday. The actor, one Dhanna Ram was a known local artiste and had been playing Hanumana's role for the last 40 years, police said.
Responding to an RTI application, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has revealed that the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hasn't taken a single leave or off since he came to power. The PMO said that a prime minister of India is 'on duty all the time'.
Samsung Electronics Co Ltd's abandonment of the Galaxy Note 7 after reports of the phones catching fire are likely to touch off a turf war among Android smartphone manufacturers, analysts said, presenting them a rare opportunity to gain share but with less room for archrival Apple Inc. Consumers tend to commit to their choice between Apple's iOS operating system for smartphones and Google's Android, leaving Samsung's fellow Android manufacturers such as LG Electronics and Alphabet Inc's Google in prime position to strike. Both have newly released phones.
When the nation celebrates Vijayadasami by burning effigies of Ravana, his brother Kumbhakarna, and his son Indrajit (Meghnaad) as a mark of victory of good over evil, people in a small pocket of Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur city, people worship Ravana at Dashanan Mandir (temple). The temple, which was built in 1868, opens only once a year — on the morning of Vijayadasami and devotees offer prayers and worship Ravana as per tradition. Devotees consider Ravana an astute scholar and a brave warrior. They believe Ravana had mastery over all the ten 'Mahavidyas' (great wisdoms) or 'Dasha-Mahavidyas' and the people who worship Ravana on this day get great wisdom.
In politics, there are no permanent friends or enemies, and that's the lesson politicians like Rahul Gandhi need to learn from India's corporate leaders, writes Sundeep Khanna in Mint. "A hardening of stance following such an open slugfest in public also makes reconciliation all the more difficult later. In politics, as we are constantly reminded, there are no permanent friends or enemies. That's another lesson the likes of Gandhi need to learn from business. The same Dhirubhai Ambani against whom Nusli Wadia fought his bitter and high-decibel battle in the 1980s turned something of a savior when in 2000 Bombay Dyeing faced a hostile takeover threat from Kolkata-based jute baron Arun Bajoria," he says.
For a country whose telecommunications ministers worry about being labelled 'call drop' ministers, the recent auction of 2,350 megahertz of telecom spectrum was disappointing, says an editorial in The Hindu. "The focus of the existing telcos' strategy for this auction has been to acquire enough spectrum to bolster 4G data services in urban markets, where they expect tough competition from the new player, Reliance Jio. This could have a bearing on the quality of connectivity and the reach of several of the government's ambitious programmes, from Digital India to direct benefit transfer. The government needs to learn from this episode and free the bureaucracy from the fear of the auditor and the investigator soon, for better outcomes in all its plans," it says.
The UP government's move to pay relief to the family of an accused in the Dadri lynching turns the principle of justice on its head, writes Apoorvanand in The Indian Express. "By paying compensation to the family of Ravin Sisodia, a resident of Bisara who was also accused in the lynching on a Muslim man in Dadri, the government clearly gave into the bullying by his family, who refused to cremate Sisodia if their demand was not met... What is also unique in this affair is the arrangement through which this figure has been achieved. The state government pays ₹10 lakh, ₹10 lakh will be given by some NGOs and five lakh by Union minister Mahesh Sharma and Sangeet Som, a BJP MLA who is also an accused in the communal violence in Muzaffarnagar. It was a deal brokered by the minister. The state government agreed as it did not want the impression that Hindu deaths didn't matter to go in an election year. We need to notice that the state government sheepishly allowed its jurisdiction to be violated by the Central minister," he says.
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