Notifications & Circulars
Press Information Bureau
08.11.2017
Environment
Health Ministry issues pollution advisory for citizens
MANU/PIBU/1341/2017
The Union Health Ministry has issued a health advisory in view of the severe air pollution in the city. People have been advised the following:
1. Remain indoors if you have breathing difficulty and try to keep children indoors as much as possible.
2. Avoid morning walk or any other strenuous outdoor activity that increases breathing rate
3. Drink plenty of water and fluids
4. Avoid smoking.
5. Minimize the use of deodorants and room sprays as much as possible.
6. Avoid the areas with smoke or heavy dust.
7. If you have any heart ailments or chronic respiratory disease or asthma, continue your medication as advised by physician
8. In case of any difficulty in breathing, increase in breathing rate, palpitations or severe bout of coughing and/or sneezing consult for medical assistance.
Tags : Pollution Advisory Issuance
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Telecom Regulatory Authority of India
08.11.2017
Media and Communication
Direction regarding display of registered satellite TV channels on landing page
MANU/TRAI/0098/2017
1. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) today issued a direction to all the broadcasters and distributors of television channels to restrain from placing any registered satellite television channel, whose TV rating is released by TV rating agency, on the landing LCN or landing channel or boot up screen.
2. Landing channel or the landing page refers to the Logical Channel Number (LCN) which is displayed first when the set top box is switched on. The landing page is, normally, used by the distributor of television channels for providing information to consumers and promotion of its distribution platforms. However, in recent past, a number of representations from stakeholders have been received wherein it has been reported that the practice of placing a registered satellite TV channel, whose TV rating is released by TV rating agency, on the landing page has the potential to affect the viewership data of that channel, and therefore it is susceptible to influence the television audience measurements / television ratings.
3. The Authority has, on examination of the issue, reached to a conclusion that placement of registered TV channel, whose TV rating is released by TV rating agency, on landing page may affect orderly growth of the sector and is against the spirit of the policy guidelines for TV ratings agencies. Accordingly a direction is issued to all the broadcasters and distributors of television channels, to restrain from placing any registered satellite television channel, whose TV rating is released by TV rating agency, on the landing LCN or landing channel or boot up screen. The broadcasters and distributors are required to comply with the direction within fifteen days.
4. Full text of the direction is available on TRAI's website.
Tags : TV channels Display Direction
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Press Information Bureau
07.11.2017
Civil
Coal India's New App "Grahak Sadak Koyla Vitaran App" for the benefit of customers lifting coal through road mode
MANU/PIBU/1335/2017
This app is a step towards transparency in the system of loading programme and despatch. The app also helps in logistics planning for lifting of coal in tune with the loading programmes. The app provides date-wise, truck-wise quantity of coal delivered against the Sale Orders.
Shri Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Railways & Coal has launched 'Grahak Sadak Koyla Vitaran App' benefitting customers of Coal India Limited (CIL) lifting coal through road mode.
The customer friendly app, launched recently in Kolkata on CIL's Foundation Day, helps achieve transparency in despatch operations, as a tool to monitor, whether the despatches are made on the fair principle of 'First in First Out' and keeps track of all the activities from issuance of Sale Order to physical delivery of coal by road.
The main benefits of the App for the customers, against the Sale Orders issued, include easy accessibility of the information at the click of the button, apart from transparency in the system of loading programme and despatch. The app also helps in logistics planning for lifting of coal in tune with the loading programmes. It further helps in improved planning of procurement, production and stock management by the customers.
The main features of the app are that it provides date-wise, truck-wise quantity of coal delivered against the Sale Orders and information related to Scheme-wise, Colliery-wise, Grade-wise, customer-wise details of Sale Orders issued during a period.
In terms of loading it provides allotment verses lifting status in details from different sources truck by truck and summary of the despatch.
Coal India is addressing its customer needs in a big way and made 'ease of doing business' a major consumer commitment. The launching of the app is also one of the initiatives of CIL towards achieving the much cherished goal of 'Digital India' and transparency.
It may be recalled that CIL in a move to rush more coal to power stations, coal supplies to plants located in shorter distances have been offered through road mode from available pithead stock. As a result, power plants located within 50 Kms to 60 Kms from the mines may take as much coal from the nearest mines as they can.
During 2016-17 despatch of coal through road mode had been about 140 Million Tonnes (MTs) out of the total despatch of 542 MTs by CIL accounting for 26%. The impetus given in the current fiscal has improved movement of coal through road considerably. As of end of October 2017 the movement of coal through road mode at a little over 93 MTs accounted for 29% of the total coal despatch of 317 MTs.The road despatch during the current fiscal till October 2017 went up by 12 MTs compared to same period last fiscal.
Tags : New App Benefit customers Road mode
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Press Information Bureau
07.11.2017
Education
India Signs Loan Agreement with World Bank for US$ 119 Million for "Odisha Higher Education Programme for Excellence and Equity (OHEPEE) Project
MANU/PIBU/1337/2017
A Financing Agreement for IBRD loan of US$ 119 million (equivalent) for the "Odisha Higher Education Programme for Excellence & Equity (OHEPEE) Project" was signed with the World Bank here today. The Financing Agreement was signed by Mr. Sameer Kumar Khare (Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs) on behalf of Government of India and Mr. Hisham A. Abdo Kahin, Acting Country Director, World Bank (India) on behalf of the World Bank. A Project Agreement was also signed by Mr. G.V.V. Sarma, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Government of Odisha and Mr. Hisham A. Abdo Kahin, Acting Country Director, World Bank.
The Objective of the project is to improve the quality of 'students' equitable access to selected institutions and enhance governance of the higher education system in Odisha. Project Component : Result Areas are (I) Improved quality of and students' equitable access to selected institutions of higher education : Institutional Development Plan (IDP) Grants (performance -based Financing (II) Enhanced governance of the higher education system: (i)Improvement of governance in colleges (ii)Improvement of financial and procurement management and accounting in all government and government-aided colleges. The closing date for the project is 30th November, 2022.
Tags : Loan Agreement World Bank Signing of
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Press Information Bureau
07.11.2017
Direct Taxation
Third Protocol to the Convention between Government of India and New Zealand notified
MANU/PIBU/1339/2017
The Third Protocol for amendment of the Convention between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of New Zealand for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income was signed by both countries on 26th October 2016. The Protocol entered into force in India on 7th September 2017 and has been notified in the Official Gazette on 2nd November 2017. The Protocol updates the existing framework of exchange of tax related information to latest international standard which will help curb tax evasion and tax avoidance between the two countries and will also enable mutual assistance in collection of taxes.
Tags : Protocol Convention Notified
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Press Information Bureau
07.11.2017
Media and Communication
Affordable tariff structure for rural and remote areas to promote Digital India
MANU/PIBU/1334/2017
BharatNet, a flagship project of the Government of India to provide Broadband services in rural and remote areas has entered in service provisioning phase. As on 05.11.2017, Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) connectivity has been achieved in 1,03,275 GPs by laying fibre for 2,38,677 km. Due to several measures initiated to accelerate the end-to-end connectivity, GPON equipment has been installed in 85,506 GPs and 75,082 GPs are Services Ready.
Digital India, to provide Digital Services in rural and remote areas, is one of the priority areas of the Government. In order to provide affordable broadband services in rural India under the dynamic leadership of our Hon'ble Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi, a new attractive and affordable tariff structure has been decided with the principle of more you use, less you pay. This tariff structure is expected to be reflected in the tariffs to be charged from the consumers by the service providers.
For asymmetrical bandwidth between block to GPs the charges per annum varies from Rs.700/- per Mbps for up to 10Mbps and Rs. 200/- per Mbps for 1 Gbps. However, for symmetrical bandwidth between block to GP, charges have been prescribed as Rs.1000/- per Mbps up to 10Mbps, and Rs.500/- per Mbps for 100 Mbps per annum. Tariff for any intermediate Bandwidth shall be calculated on pro-rata basis.
Further, discount of 5% to 25% have been offered for taking bandwidth in more than 1000 GPs to more than 25,000 GPs in a single application. Further, to lower the entry barriers, port charges at block and GP have been waived off. Tariffs for dark fibre are prescribed as Rs.2250/- per fibre per km per annum for service providers and Government agencies.
After such initiatives have been taken by the government, Telecom Service Providers have come forward for utilizing the BharatNet connectivity. Airtel has shown interest in 10000 GPs for taking 1 Gbps connectivity on lease while Reliance Jio, Vodafone and Idea are interested in taking 100 Mbps connectivity on lease in about 30000, 2000 and 1000 GPs respectively. The rolling out of services by TSPs in these GPs is expected to trigger the village level eco-system thereby widening the extent to cover more and more number of GPs in near future. This will give an impetus to broadband facilities in rural India.
Tags : Remote areas Tariff structure Digital India
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Press Information Bureau
06.11.2017
Civil
Investigations in cases of 'Paradise Papers' to be monitored through reconstituted Multi Agency Group
MANU/PIBU/1329/2017
Revelations made today in the media under the name 'Paradise Papers' [based upon expose done by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ)] indicate that out of 180 countries represented in the data of offshore entities held by persons of different nationalities, India ranks 19th in terms of number of names. 714 Indians reportedly appear in the tally. The Paradise Papers include nearly 7 million loan agreements, financial statements, emails, trust deeds and other paperwork over nearly 50 years from inside Appleby, a prestigious offshore law firm with offices in Bermuda and beyond. The leaked documents include files from the smaller, family-owned trust company, Asiaciti (Singapore), and from company registries in 19 secrecy jurisdictions.
Names of only a few Indians (legal entities as well as individuals) have appeared so far in the media. Even the ICIJ website (www.icij.org) has not yet released the names and other particulars of all the entities. The website of ICIJ suggests that information will be released in phases and structured data connected to the Paradise Papers investigation will be released only in the coming weeks on its Offshore Leaks Database.
The Investigation units of the Income Tax Department (ITD) have been alerted to take note of revelations for immediate appropriate action. It has been reported that many cases of offshore entities are already under investigation on fast track. As soon as further information surfaces, swift action as per law will follow.
Further, the Government has directed that investigations in cases of Paradise Papers will be monitored through a reconstituted Multi Agency Group, headed by the Chairman, CBDT, having representatives from CBDT, ED, RBI & FIU.
Tags : Paradise Papers Investigation Multi Agency Group
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Press Information Bureau
06.11.2017
Civil
Cases pertaining to 'Panama Papers': Investigation in full swing
MANU/PIBU/1331/2017
Pursuant to revelations made by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), a Washington based organization in April 2016 about certain Indians having linkages with entities in offshore no tax/low tax jurisdictions, the Government constituted a Multi-Agency Group (MAG) on 4th April 2016, inter alia, to facilitate co-ordinated and speedy investigation. The MAG consisted of officers of Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), Enforcement Directorate (ED), Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) and Reserve Bank of India. So far, the MAG has submitted 7 reports to the Government.
The Panama Papers contained brief particulars of about 426 persons, prima facie, Indians or persons of Indian origin. The Income Tax Department conducted enquiries in all 426 cases, inter alia, through making 395 references to 28 foreign jurisdictions. Based on analysis of the information obtained and investigation conducted, the outcome so far indicates 147 actionable cases and 279 non-actionable cases (non-residents/no irregularities etc).
Out of the 147 actionable cases:
Investigations have led to the detection of undisclosed credits of about Rs. 792 crore, so far; Searches have been conducted in 35 cases and surveys in 11 cases; In other cases, the persons have been confronted with the evidences during enquiries; In 5 cases criminal prosecution complaints have been filed; In 7 cases notices under section 10 of the Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income & Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015 have been issued; Further investigation in all the above cases is in progress.
Tags : Panama Papers Investigation
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