Present tariffs not sustainable for sector’s long-term health, says Director General The telecom sector is likely to experience three more quarters of losses, hurt by high levies and “unsustainable tariffs,” Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) director general Rajan Mathews said. “Under the current scenario, I see at least another …

Will take appropriate measures if strongman does not leave office quietly: U.S. Maldives’ judges on Sunday heard a petition by strongman President Abdulla Yameen to have his recent election defeat annulled, potentially triggering U.S. sanctions and plunging the Indian Ocean archipelago into fresh turmoil. Mr. Yameen lost heavily in the …

Beijing’s central bank head calls for ‘constructive solutions’ to end trade spat U.S President Donald Trump said on Sunday that China, under pressure due to Washington’s policies, wanted to have a trade deal with him, but he told them a week ago that they were not ready yet. “I told …

Rejects threats of economic sanctions over Khashoggi case even as Riyadh stocks take a plunge Saudi Arabia warned on Sunday that it would retaliate against any sanctions imposed on it over the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, as the Riyadh stock market plunged on growing investor jitters. From tech tycoons …

Incentives for honest taxpayers on the anvil The government is working on a proposal to help honest and consistent taxpayers enjoy public services and get tax-related work done on priority, officials said on Sunday. A committee under the Central Board of Direct Taxes is working on the proposal. It is …

Centre to develop ‘model shelters’ for homeless The Centre will develop “model shelters” for urban homeless in States, equipped with facilities such as playground, television and common kitchen, an official said. According to the Housing Ministry, two model shelters will be developed in each State under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana …

The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited has launched AskDisha, a chatbot powered by artificial intelligence, to troubleshoot customers’ travel-related queries. AskDisha will support several regional languages and will be voice-enabled. Source : https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/a-chatbot-for-customer-support/article25222779.ece

Soon, an app to file complaints from trains Passengers can soon file complaints through a mobile app from trains. The complaints will be registered as ‘Zero FIRs’ and will be investigated immediately by the RPF. A pilot project on the mobile application is under way, RPF D-G Arun Kumar has …

He will do ‘shastra puja’ along border with Pakistan Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will celebrate Dasara and perform ‘shastra puja’ in Bikaner along the India-Pakistan border, officials said on Sunday. This is for the first time a senior Union Minister will conduct ‘shastra puja’ or worship of weapons along …

The shortlists for the best Indian literary fiction and non-fiction work were also announced. Half the Night is Gone by Amitabha Bagchi, A Day in the Life by Anjum Hasan, All the Lives We Never Lived by Anuradha Roy, Requiem in Raga Janki by Neelum Saran Gour, Poonachi by Perumal …

Total number of cases now stand at 60 Five new cases of Zika virus were detected in Jaipur on Sunday, taking the total number of infected people to 60, a Rajasthan health department official said. The figures were issued after a review meeting chaired by Additional Chief Secretary, Medical and …

Congress has objected to it being located on the Teen Murti Estate premises The foundation stone for a museum of Prime Ministers on the Teen Murti Estate premises will be laid on Monday, despite objections from the Congress. Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma and Minister of State for Housing and Urban …

The multi-agency committee set to finalise the definition of a “shell company” for the purposes of enforcing penal laws for various violations is yet to arrive at a consensus to diverse opinions on yardsticks for identification of such entities. After a large number of entities, classified as a shell company, …

‘Justice in the rule book may not serve the victim’ The victim of a crime should have a say in the punishment of the criminal, the Supreme Court has said in a judgment. A Bench of Justices Madan B. Lokur, S. Abdul Nazeer and Deepak Gupta held that punishment should …

VHP working president says that despite the significance and public impact of the issue, it has not been decided yet The pendency of appeals in the Ram Temple-Babri Masjid case has created uncertainty and kindled animosity between Hindus and Muslims, says the Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s working president, Alok Kumar , …

Adityanath government says it’s a tribute to the Sangam city; Samajwadi worker held for protest What’s in a name? For the BJP-led government in Uttar Pradesh it’s a lot, as it has begun moves to soon change the name of Allahabad to Prayagraj. While the government views it as a …

Talks are on to include them in the first tri-services exercise likely to take place in 2019 The first India-U.S. tri-services exercise is likely to take place in 2019, and talks are on to include the special forces of the two countries in the drill, a senior U.S. defence official …

Verma panel proposed State-level employment tribunal to deal with complaints The Centre recently announced its plan to set up a panel of judges to look into the legal and institutional framework to curb sexual harassment at workplaces following the #MeToo campaign on social media. However, as early as 2013, the …

Bio-fuel from plastic waste soon: Minister A plant to convert plastic waste into bio-diesel will be made operational by January-end at the Indian Institute of Petroleum in Dehradun, said Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan at an International E-Waste Day event on Saturday. This bio-fuel can be used in any diesel vehicle, …

The tractor mounted Happy Seeder machine can cut and lift the previous crop (in this case the rice straw) and sow a new (wheat) crop in its place. It also deposits the straw over the sown area as mulch. The machine can be operated with a 45 hp tractor and …