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Farmers & Housewives need not worry: FM

  A day after the government announced the withdrawal of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 banknotes in the country’s biggest crack down against black money, corruption and counterfeit currency, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said, housewives, farmers with genuine savings need not worry. He assured people that usage of smaller currency denomination won't be affected. He also suggested that the decision had the potential to change the mood of the nation. "This will have an effect on the economy in the long term and this bold step will changes the mood of the nation", he said. He encouraged people to use cheques instead of cash for transactions whenever possible. The Finance Minister further said that housewives and farmers with genuine savings need not worry about depositing cash in their bank accounts. “The small amounts that people will deposit like Rs. 25,000, 30,000 or 50,000 lying in house for expenses, whatever money could be there for meeting normal family expenses they need not worry. They can go to banks,” he said. The Finance Minister said for first one or two weeks replacements may be less but after 2-3 weeks as more currency notes come in market then normal replacement will be available.

Rs.1000 ban:Why you shouldn't panic

  ATMs ran out of Rs 100 notes within hours of Prime Minister Modi's address to the nation about the ban on Rs.500 & Rs.1000 notes. This in turn led to full-blown alarm among the general public. But most of this panic is unwarranted. While there may be some discomfort - there is nothing to worry for the ordinary pubic. Anyone in possession of a large stash of black money should be worried. In fact, an impact is already being felt in sectors like real estate, where cash transactions make up a significant percentage. There is a wide window available for you to exchange your older notes at the bank. Also, till November 11 midnight, there are a lot places where you can use your stock of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes. The government also announced that new Rs 500 and Rs 2000 currency notes will go into circulation starting November 10. So there is nothing for the general public to worry about. All ATMs and other cash machines will remain shut on November 9, 2016 to facilitate recalibration and some may also be shut on November 10.

Bollywood reacts to PM’s war on black money

  Bollywood went gaga over the surgical strike by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on black money in India. The big names of the film world were all praises for the PM's move to ban Rs.500 & Rs.1000 notes and also curb the black money menace in the nation. Filmmaker Karan Johar described the decision as a "masterstroke move". He tweeted, "This is truly a masterstroke move!!! @narendramodi hits it out of the stadium!!!". Big B Amitabh Bachchan wrote, "The new 2000 Rs note is PINK in colour...the PINK effect!!!". "Today the Samsung Note 7 is the third worst note to have in India. #Modi #CleanTheRupee" tweeted Siddharth. "PM Modi ji. Ball out of the stadium. Wohaaaaaa!!!! De monetisation is the right answer. Congratulations!" said Rishi Kapoor, Ranbir Kapoor's father. "Bold move by PM @narendramodi ji as the #1000rs #500rsnotes become invalid/redundant. #NewIndia", tweeted Ritesh Deshmukh. "This is PHENOMENAL @PMOIndia @narendramodi!!! #RESPECT #IndiaFightsCorruption" tweeted beauty queen Dia Mirza. 

Donald Trump Wins; Celeb reactions to it!

Donald Trump is on his way to become the President of America. And this has sent the celebrity world into a tizzy. With some rooting for him and the other pitching against him, Trump eventually emerged victorious. Bollywood actress Huma Qureshi said, "Dear America, Trump is what happens to you when you watch too much Reality TV". While Twinkle Khanna, Akshay Kumar's wife tweeted saying, "Donald Duck waddling to the White House doesn't seem to be just a surreal nightmare. Misogyny plays its trump card and wins". Beauty queen Dia Mirza tweeted saying, "A man that refuses to believe that #ClimateChangeIsReal may just lead the world! #USElection2016". Tollywood heartthrob Siddharth also didn't have a pleasant opinion on the win either, he tweeted, "Hey America, you're FIRED! #immigrants #TrumpAmerica#Doomsday #HateWins #Shame #Misogyny #LGBT#AmericaSoWhite". "All those people who thought Trump was nonsensical are now proved to be nonsensical Ha ha" tweeted Ram Gopal Varma.

Trump new US President; PM congratulates him

Donald Trump has been elected as America's 45th president on Tuesday in an astonishing victory. His triumph over Hillary Clinton will end eight years of Democratic dominance of the White House and threatens to undo major achievements of President Barack Obama. Having being accused of racism throughout his campaign the post-win Trump even talked of his campaign "being a movement comprising people of all races and backgrounds". He needed to win nearly all of the competitive battleground states, and he did just that, claiming Florida, Ohio, North Carolina and others. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has congratulated Donald Trump on his landslide victory. "Congratulations @realDonaldTrump on being elected as the 45th US President". "We appreciate the friendship you have articulated towards India during your campaign, @realDonaldTrump." he tweeted. Senate control means Trump will have great leeway in appointing Supreme Court justices, which could mean a major change to the right that would last for decades.

Demonetisation effect:Sensex crashes by 1600 pts

The government decision to withdraw Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes and increasing probability of Donald Trump winning the US Presidential elections has made the sensex take a huge plunge. The Sensex crashed 1,600 points while Nifty plunged 476 points today. Lot of negative triggers could keep the market in check for the next few weeks or even a couple of months say the experts. Real estate stocks have taken a pounding in early trade as the sector is expected to feel the heat of the government's move to phase out the old Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes. The general view is that a lot of purchases may get deferred in the short term. ICICI Bank, BHEL, Adani Ports, Tata Motors and Maruti Suzuki are some of the losers. The real estate index was down 12% as market men fear that the government decision to curb black money will hit these companies the most, leading to a crash in realty prices. The US dollar sank and stock markets slammed into reverse in wild trade on Wednesday as investors faced the real possibility of a shock win by Republican Donald Trump that could upend the global political order. Oil prices also skidded, with benchmark U.S. crude futures lost down $1.05 to $43.93 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Trump races ahead leaving Clinton behind

As the world is keenly following the US presidential election 2016 and is waiting for the verdict with bated breath, projections now show the Republican candidate Donald Trump taking the lead again over Hillary Clinton. Both candidates scored early victories in states where they were expected to win. Trump captured conservative states in the South and Midwest, while Clinton swept several states on the East Coast and Illinois in the Midwest. Reaction to the prospect of a Trump presidency rippled across the globe, with financial markets abroad falling as American television networks raised the prospect that Mrs. Clinton might lose. Asian markets were trading sharply lower, down around two percentage points, and in the United States, Dow Jones futures were down as much as 600 points in after-hours trading. According  to projection reports coming in Trump now has 244 electoral votes while his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton has 209.

ATMs to work from Nov 11

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 40-minute speech on Tuesday evening scrapping the Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes effective midnight of November 8 sent out a loud and clear message in the war on black money and corruption. "The notes of Rs 2000 and Rs 500 will be circulated soon. The RBI has decided to limit the notes with higher value," Modi had said. However, ATMs in the country were seen busier than usual on the night of November 8. People, who didn’t appear to have complete information on the withdrawal of the notes, thronged the ATMs with two purposes — deposit Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes and withdraw Rs 400 at a time so that they have enough money for the next two days when banks remain closed. With banks and ATMs remaining shut on Wednesday and Thursday (November 9 and 10), a large number of people were trying to withdraw Rs 100 currency notes by drawing Rs 400 at a time to avoid ATMs which are programmed to dish out Rs 500 notes for higher withdrawals. Within hours, some ATMs were emptied of Rs 100 notes. All ATMs may start operation from Nov 11 after recalibration, and will dispense Rs 50 notes along with Rs 100 notes said RBI.

Rs 500, Rs 1000 notes Not Valid from midnight

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the government is scrapping with immediate effect the existing currency denominations of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes. In an unprecedented move, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation through Doordarshan, India's state television. He is scheduled to meet President Pranab Mukherjee after his telecast. He said the move was aimed at curbing the negative impact of fake currency, black money, corruption and terrorism on the nation's economy. Currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 can be exchanged in banks and head post offices till December 30, 2016, by producing a valid identity like PAN card, Aadhaar or a Voter ID card. Failing this these notes can be exchanged at a local Reserve Bank of India office till March 31, 2017. New notes of Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 would be released and circulated soon. Government hospitals will continue to accept 500 and 1,000 rupee notes. Medicines can be purchased with these notes for the next 72 hours. Prime Minister Modi said that the RBI will issue notes of Rs 500 and Rs 2,000, but will limit notes with higher value.

TN CM to be out of hospital in 2 weeks

"Amma (Jayalalithaa) is well. God has given her good health and we are very happy," AIADMK spokesperson CR Saraswathy  recently told reporters.  Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa+may be discharged fromApollo Hospitals in less than 15 days, a senior AIADMKleader said on Monday according to reports. On Friday, the hospital Chairman Pratap C Reddy had said that the Chief Minister had completely recovered and that it was upto her to decide when to go home."In less than 15 days she might be discharged. All her vital parameters are under control. She is being given physiotherapy exercises," AIADMK spokesperson C Ponnaiyan said. Asked about the decision to shift Jayalalithaa from the critical care unit (CCU) to a private room, he said, "The difference between the two is the existence of emergency equipments." "At home she is the master. Further she may get back into the thick of things and as a result there may be some strain which is not there in the hospital now," Ponnaiyan explained.

LG speaks on Missing JNU student case

Missing Jawaharlal Nehru University student Najeeb Ahmed was on anti-depressants and taking medicines for insomnia and obsessive compulsive disorder, police sources said. Delhi Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung on Tuesday said Delhi Police is doing its best to find missing JNU student Najeeb Ahmed and made an appeal not to politicise the issue. Ahmed, a 27-year-old first-year MSc student, went missing from campus on October 15 after getting into an altercation with members of the RSS-backed Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad. There has been no information about Ahmed’s whereabouts so far. Jung reportedly said that several teams have been sent out to trace Najeeb Ahmed. “After a scuffle with ABVP members, Najeeb reportedly felt depressed and did not sleep a wink that night. He was so upset that he called his mother, crying, telling her that he would leave the hostel soon. His mother, who was aware of his condition, asked him to stay put till she reached the hostel,” a police source said. “His mother even called his roommate, requesting him not to leave Najeeb alone till she reached the hostel. Though his mother has refused that Najeeb was on medication for depression and had neurological problems, his doctor confirmed it,” a police source said.

Jet Airways flight makes emergency landing in Pak

A Jet Airways flight today made an emergency landing in Pakistan after a passenger complained of a serious health problem. According to the airline, flight 9W 202 — operating between Delhi and Doha — was on Monday diverted to Karachi following a medical health emergency on board. The Jet Airways flight 9W 202 took off at 12.05 am. Soon after, a passenger complained of a serious health problem. The pilots had two choices: turn back and head towards the New Delhi airport or land at the nearest runway and save crucial time. The standard operating procedure says that the pilot must land the aircraft at the nearest runway. In this case, it was Karachi, Pakistan. However, the passenger requiring urgent medical attention succumbed when the plane landed in Karachi. As many as 141 passengers were on board the Boeing 737 aircraft. According to the airline, the aircraft is returning to the national capital and the staff are making full arrangements to hand over the body to the authorities as per standard operating procedures. The carrier has also expressed its heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family.

Mid-air snake scare for passengers

A snake gave passengers on a commercial flight in Mexico quite a scare recently. The green reptile emerged suddenly on an Aeromexico flight from Torreon in the country’s north to Mexico City on Sunday, slithering out from behind an overhead luggage compartment. Passengers hastily unbuckled themselves to get clear of the dangling snake before it dropped to the floor, where people trapped it between rows 5 and 6 with blankets provided by a flight attendant. After the pilot radioed ahead, the plane was given priority landing in Mexico City and touched down 10 minutes later. Passengers exited out the rear, and animal control workers came on board to take the stowaway into custody. Aeroméxico said in a statement that "due to the presence of the animal and following security protocols, the flight was given priority to land" at Mexico City International Airport. Once the plane landed, airport personnel "secured the reptile." "The procedures carried out for this flight are currently being evaluated to determine how the animal entered the cabin and measures have been taken to avoid such incidents in the future," Aeroméxico added.  

NGT bans construction in Delhi for 7days

The National Green Tribunal has banned any kind of construction in Delhi/NCR region for the next 7 days owing to high levels of air pollution in the national capital. The order was passed while the NGT was hearing a case relating to the rising pollution levels in the National Capital. The NGT today said that it is banning construction of any type in Delhi for a week. It has also advised all the 5 states to not burn their waste crops and find a solution as soon as possible. Earlier the NGT came down heavily on the governments of Delhi and Punjab for failing to curb pollution. Why are you using cranes to sprinkle water with cranes instead of helicopters, the National Green Tribunal asked the Delhi government.Pulling up the Arvind Kejriwal led Delhi government. “Diwali and crop burning are known factors, did you hold any meeting in August and September to prepare the state to tackle pollution?” the NGT bench asked the government. Doctors urged people to avoid going outdoors unless they wear face masks. There are no official air pollution monitors set up in the Delhi suburban areas, but in both New Delhi and Lucknow, the levels of PM2.5 - tiny particulate matter that can clog lungs - were at least above 400 micrograms per cubic meter on Monday. That's more than 40 times what's considered safe by the World Health Organization, and more than six times the limit set by Indian law.  

FBI clears Hillary Clinton in email case

FBI Director James Comey told lawmakers Sunday the agency hasn't changed its opinion that Hillary Clinton should not face criminal charges after a review of new emails. "Based on our review, we have not changed our conclusions that we expressed in July," Comey wrote in the new letter to congressional committee chairmen. Comey said “no reasonable prosecutor” would recommend Clinton face criminal charges for using a private email system while at the state department. Clinton had not commented on the development till the writing of this report but campaign spokesperson Brian Fallon welcomed it in a Twitter post: “We were always confident nothing would cause the July decision to be revisited. Now Director Comey has confirmed it.” The Democratic nominee’s opponent, Donald Trump, reacted with anger at the news, and cast doubt on whether the FBI had even carried out its work. “You can’t review 650,000 emails in eight days,” Donald Trump tolda campaign rally in Sterling Heights, Michigan on Sunday evening.

NGT slams Delhi government on pollution

National Green Tribunal (NGT) decided to knock on the doors of Supreme Court over the issue of air pollution which has affected millions of Delhiites. The National Green Tribunal blamed the Centre, Delhi, Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab for not following guidelines prescribed by the green body– resulting in the thick layer of smog that has engulfed the Capital for a week. “What have you done till now to curb pollution,” the NGT asked. Supreme Court on Tuesday will discuss the eight page report filed as a part of the ongoing MC Mehta case since 1985. The report was submitted by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) over the worsening level of air pollution in Delhi and adjoining areas. Earlier, CSE had approached the apex court and said that SC’s directives to curb pollution have not been followed by the government. Residents in Delhi and its adjoining areas continue to reel under heavy smog cover on Monday even as Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal shut down schools in the city and appealed the office-goers to stay at home for the next three days.

Priyanka to miss UP poll campaign?

In a major blow to the Congress party ahead of Uttar Pradesh assembly polls Congress state leaders are learnt to have turned down a proposal that Priyanka Gandhi campaign. Party core leaders are supposed to have turned down poll strategist Prashant Kishor’s proposal that Priyanka Gandhi campaign for around three months in poll bound state. The proposal that Rahul's yatra be followed up by extended, high-voltage campaigns by Priyanka and the Congress supremo is learnt to have came from poll strategist Prashant Kishor. Priyanka Gandhi has so far confined her electoral campaigning to constituencies of her mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her brother Rahul Gandhi in Rae Bareli and Amethi respectively. “Utter confusion has gripped in the party for 10 days, with few ideas on what can match and further the initial blitz of conventions and roadshows by Rahul and Sonia,” a key party manager reportedly said.

Pak bride thanks Sushma Swaraj for 'wedding gift'

External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj recently ensured that the Indian embassy in Pakistan granted visas to a Pakistan bride and her family to attend her wedding in India. Naresh from Jodhpur was engaged to Priya of Karachi for the past three years and had scheduled their wedding in Jodhpur on November 7. But the visas for the bride and her family were delayed and so the marriage festivities came to a grinding halt. But delays by the Indian embassy in Pakistan in granting visas for the bride and family had cast a shadow over the function. Finally , with the date drawing near, the groom had tweeted a request to Swaraj to intervene and arrange visas for 35 members, including the bride, of the Pakistani family to attend the wedding. "We are thankful for the quick response of the minister.All the 35 members got their visas to come to Jodhpur, though, in two parts," said Naresh.

Unique IDs to track 17,000 Judges

Unique identification numbers have been given to almost 17000 judges by the government to keep track of judicial functions. As part of ongoing judicial reforms and modernisation of courts, digital signatures have also been provided to most judges in the district and subordinate judiciary so that they can sign orders while delivering the judgment, which can then be uploaded in real time. judicial officers have also been given laptops, printers and internet connections to make the task easier.  While the first phase of the project was completed in March 2015, the second phase is underway and will include providing unique identification numbers to the remaining 2,482 judges of district and subordinate courts and extending video-conferencing facilities to all courts. The idea behind giving unique IDs is to bring more transparency in judicial functions by making available all judgments delivered by a judge during his or her career on the publicly-accessible National Judicial Data Grid. The measure will help in effective tracking of judicial work.