Budget 2016: Times guide to corporate tax

Proposal (P): New manufacturing companies incorporated on or after March 1, 2016 have been provided an option either to adopt a reduced corporate tax of 27.55% (where the income exceeds Rs 1 crore but does not exceed Rs 10 crore) or 28.84% (where income exceeds Rs 10 crore) provided such companies do not claim profit-linked / investment-linked deduction or do not avail of investment allowance and accelerated depreciation.

Impact (I): Whereas this move is intended to provide the much needed boost to the manufacturing sector and the 'Make in India' initiative of the government, considering the capital-incentive nature of the manufacturing industries, the benefit of reduced rate may be of little help in the initial years. Thus, the companies may prefer to claim the deductions and incentives which may result in reduced effective tax rate rather than opting for lower rate of tax.

P: New startups, involving innovation development, set up before April 1, 2019 proposed to be provided with 100% deduction of profits for a period of 3 years out of 5 years (subject to satisfaction of certain conditions). However, the MAT would be applicable on such startups.

I: This move will incentivise development of new technology in India. The new startups would also generate employment and bring innovation in India.

P: Effective corporate tax rate for small companies having turnover less than Rs 5 crore reduced to 31.96%.

I: This move will encourage entrepreneurship in India. MSMEs and SMEs are major job creators and the reduced corporate tax rate will boost growth.

P: Introduction of reduced rate of tax of 10% on income by way of royalty in respect of a patent developed and registered in India.

I: This would encourage innovation among Indian residents. For example, a large company would have paid a tax rate of 34.61% but income from royalty on patents developed would attract a lower tax rate of 10%.

P: Provisions of Taxes Deducted at Source (TDS) rationalized. Threshold limits for TDS on various payments increased. Further, withholding tax rates have been lowered in respect of certain payments.

I: The move is aimed at rationalizing TDS provisions and reduce tax outflow in the hands of small tax payers.

P: Taxes to be collected at source at the rate of 1% on purchase of luxury cars exceeding value of Rs 10 lakh and purchase of goods and services in cash exceeding Rs 2 lakh.

I: This proposal would help the tax department to monitor and curb use of black money. At the same time, this would increase the compliance burden of the vendors.

P: The income-tax department cannot file appeal against the directions issued by the Dispute Resolution Panel .

I: This proposal would reduce long drawn litigation. At the same time, it may discourage the DRP from deciding even slightly debatable issues in the taxpayer's favour.

P: Increase in threshold limit for presumptive taxation from Rs 1 crore to Rs 2 crore for persons having income from business.

I: Currently, 8% of the turnover (of up to Rs 1 crore) is presumed to be income against which a tax levy is imposed at the applicable rate. With increase in threshold limit it will reduce the compliance burden for small businessmen.

P: Long-term capital gains arising from transfer of unlisted shares of a company in which the public are not substantially interested (eg, private companies) taxable at a reduced rate of 10% in the hands of non-residents.

I: This would bring certainty in respect of taxability of gains arising from transfer of shares of unlisted companies and is likely to incentivise corporate reorganization in India.

P: Provisions relating to place of effective management (POEM) come into effect from April 1 2016.

I: POEM provisions were introduced last budget and applied to the current financial year (2015-16). However, draft guidelines were issued only in December. Thus the delay in introduction of POEM to April 2016 will help Indian companies having overseas subsidiaries.

P: A person resident in India or a non-resident having a permanent establishment in India, making payment exceeding in aggregate Rs 1 lakh in a year towards online advertisement to a non-resident, who does not have a permanent establishment in India would have to withhold tax at 6% of gross amount paid, as an equalization levy which is to be discharged by way of withholding.

I: This provision is aimed at alignment of domestic tax law with the OECD recommendations on BEPS action plan on the digital economy. This provision would impact the income of non-resident e-commerce giants providing online advertising services (such as, Google, Yahoo, etc) or other services to the companies in India.

P: The Income Declaration Scheme, 2016 is proposed to be introduced with effect from June 1, 2016 for disclosure of undisclosed income subject to certain conditions. Tax is proposed to be charged on the undisclosed income at the rate of 30% on the declared income plus surcharge at the rate of 7.5% and a penalty at the rate of 7.5%, thus, making effective tax rate to 45% of the undisclosed income.

Immunity from prosecution and prosecution under the Benami Transaction (Prohibition) Act, 1988 is also proposed subject to fulfilment of certain conditions. Further, no scrutiny assessment/ enquiry is to be initiated in such cases.

I: Considering the immunity from prosecution and scrutiny assessment /enquiry, the proposed scheme could be a good opportunity for some errant taxpayers for disclosure of their undisclosed income.

P: Introduction of 'The Direct Tax Dispute Resolution Scheme, 2016'. Under the scheme, the cases pending before the Commissioner (Appeals) for certain category of persons, would be deemed to be withdrawn upon payment of tax plus interest (up to date of assessment) and penalty of 25%.

I: This is a welcome move to enable government to expeditiously collect tax arrears and to reduce the huge backlog of pending cases before the Commissioner (Appeals). This would also benefit tax payers as it would help reducing litigation.

P: Securities Transaction Tax on sale of options has increased from 0.017% to 0.05% of the option premium.

I: The increased rate will increase the costs of option transactions which may adversely impact transaction volumes.

P: Existing penalty provisions levying penalty on account of concealment or furnishing inaccurate particulars of income from 100% to 300% at the discretion of the tax official, to be scrapped from April 1, 2017. As per the new provisions, penalty shall be levied @ 50% on the tax payable on under reported income and @ 200% in case of misreported income.

I: These rationalized provisions are aimed at bringing objectivity, certainty and clarity in the penalty provisions and reduce arbitrary action by the tax authorities.

P: The revision of belated return has been allowed within one year from the end of the relevant assessment year.

I: The proposal should ensure timely compliance. At the same time, the genuine tax payers who would miss the return filing deadline due to unforeseen circumstances, should be able to revise their belated return of income.

P: Processing of return is made mandatory before completing assessment proceedings.

I: This is a welcome move which would require tax authorities to mandatorily process the return and release timely refunds to tax payers, if any.

P: The time limit for passing rectification order by the Appellate Tribunal is reduced from 4 years to 6 months.

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Arun Jaitley Budget 3 Focuses On Farmers, Poor And Small Tax Payers; Cars Costlier

New Delhi: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley unveiled a budget for farmers and the poor on Monday, announcing a string of farm measures, rural aid and health programmes. He also announced measures that he said would help more than two crore taxpayers.

Cars will be costlier, with the Finance Minister proposing a new cess on cars. And cigarettes too will cost more as he proposed a hike in excise duty on tobacco.

Stock markets traded choppily through his speech, the Sensex sinking at one point by 660 points when the minister announced a 10 per cent tax on dividends of over Rs. 10 lakh a year. They pared much of the losses after he ended his speech.

Investors are relieved that the government is sticking to the roadmap for fiscal consolidation; Mr Jaitley has fixed next year's fiscal deficit target at 3.5 per cent of the GDP.

Presenting his third budget, Mr Jaitley pledged to "spend prudently and wisely for the people, especially for the poor and downtrodden."

He outlined what he said were the nine pillars on which the government would base its "transformative agenda" for the economy in the coming year, first among them agriculture and farmers' welfare. Mr Jaitley said the key areas of policy focus would be farming, social reforms, infrastructure and recapitalising the banking system.

"We need to give back to our farmers. We need to think beyond food security to income security...will double income of farmers by 2022." He has allocated Rs. 35,984 crore for farmers' welfare.

The minister has also announced a 228% jump in funds for rural transformation, allocating Rs. 38,500 crores for MGNREGA, a rural employment scheme that was a flagship of the previous Congress-led UPA government.

Among major announcements was one for LPG connections for poor women, which he said would benefit 1.5 crore households this year.

The Finance Minister has raised the deduction limit for those with total income of less than Rs. 5 lakh from 2000 to 5000. He has also announced relief for tax payers who do not own a house and don't get house rent allowance from employers.

The Finance Minister began by saying he is presenting the Union Budget at a time when the global economy is in serious crisis, emphasising that "India has held its ground firmly" in tough times. 

"We inherited an economy of slow growth, high inflation and low faith in government...amidst global headwinds, the Indian economy has held its own," said Mr Jaitley, much of speech seated.

Beside him sat Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had described the Union Budget as an examination in which "125 crore Indians are going to test me."

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Woman Says Gang-Raped In Murthal During Jat Agitation, Case Filed

New Delhi:  A woman has come forward and told the Haryana Police that she was pulled out of a car and gang-raped in Murthal on the night of February 22. The police have registered a case, a senior official said on Sunday.

Deputy Inspector General of Police Rajshree Singh said the survivor, who is from Narela in Delhi, came to the women's police station in Murthal and a case was registered. The woman told the police she was accompanied by her 12-year-old daughter, who was let-off unharmed, when they were pulled out of the car by seven men including her relative.

"The police will now investigate the charges," Ms Singh said. Another police official said that the incident took place after midnight.

After reports of sexual assault on a number of women at Murthal during the violent agitation demanding reservation for Jats, the state had formed a three-member team headed by Ms Singh to probe the allegations. The Punjab and Haryana High court took suo motu cognisance of a newspaper report in The Tribune.

After the police said they had received no complaints, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had also issued an appeal to the people to cooperate with the police.

Police officials said while some men had called to say they saw women being dragged into the fields, but they did not come to record a statement. A truck driver claimed yesterday that he saw dozens of women being dragged to a field near Murthal, but said he didn't know if they were sexually assaulted.

"I saw almost 50 women. They were being taken to the farms. I didn't see what was done with them," he told news agency ANI on Saturday.

Another truck driver said he saw women being dragged to field near the highway. He also said he could not lodge a police complaint as he was thrashed by the protesters.

Innerwear scattered on the highway near Murthal and the account narrated by the truck drivers gave a chilling face to reports that women were raped near this popular pit-stop for travelers.

 
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Mann ki Baat Check out pm Modi Sachin and Vishwanathan Anand's Exam Tips for Students

"I have an exam tomorrow," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday referring to presentation of General Budget in Parliament as he gave a pep talk to motivate students appearing for board exams for which he even roped icons like Sachin Tendulkar and Vishwanathan Anand.

Modi said he was "full of confidence" ahead of his "examination" by 125 crore people, a trait which he wanted students to emulate when they appear for their examinations for Class X and XII starting Tuesday.

In his monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat', he emphasised that students should appear for the exams with a "positive approach" having free and calm mind without any anxiety. He also asked parents not to put pressure on them.

In this context, he cited his example in the context of presentation of Budget which all the countrymen closely monitor and analyse. "Friends, your exams are starting. I too have exam tomorrow. The country's 125 crore people are going to take my examination," the Prime Minister said, while pointing out that Budget is being presented tomorrow. "But you must have seen how healthy I am feeling, how full of confidence I am. Let my exams take place tomorrow and yours day after and may all of us succeed so that the nation succeeds...Move ahead with a free mind, without any tension of success or failure," he said in his 35-minute programme.

To lay stress on a positive and tension-free approach, Modi roped in Sachin, Anand besides Bharat Ratna scientist C N R Rao and spiritual leader Murari Bapu, whose messages were played during the programme. They gave their own examples of how they approached their exams in their respective fields, keeping tension aside. Underlining that "positive approach" and "positive frame of mind" help in all aspects of life, the Prime Minister talked about himself and said when he comes across some issues which he is not familiar with, he concentrates to deal with them.
Narendra Modi

"Sometimes I feel tension within. Then I feel that I should relax a bit so that I feel good. So I have developed my own technique. I do some deep breathing. I take deep breath three times, five times. It may take a few seconds but my mind becomes ready to deal with the situation with a calm mind. This may be my experience but this may help you too," he told the students. Modi, a practioner of yoga, also referred to this art and mentioned how it helps in improving concentration and strengthening inner peace. To motivate the students, the Prime Minister also invoked Thomas Alva Edison, who invented electricity, and J K Rowling of Harry Potter fame, saying their success had possibly come after many failures.

"There is success in failure too" if there is a positive approach, he said, while asking students to have dedication, determination and diligence to achieve success. Giving example of Sachin, Modi asked students not be burdened by expectations of others but set their own targets with "free thinking, free mind and independent capability".



He told students that nobody can stop them if they set out to break their own records. The students should link their efforts to acheive big goals like Sachin and even if the targets are not achieved, do not be demoralised but try harder, Modi said. Sachin, in his message played during the programme, said, "I understand that exams are starting in a few days. Many of you must be tense....I want to say that your thinking needs to be positive, then positive results will follow. So be positive. God will give you good results... Write the exams with free mind and results will be good." He said there will be many expectations of the students from their parents, teachers, family members and friends who all will keep enquiring about their preparations and their expected percentage.

"I will only say that you yourself set your targets and don't come under pressure of expectations of others. Work hard but set a realistic achievable target and try to achieve it," said the cricket icon.

Giving his own example, he said, "When I played cricket, there were many expectations from me. In the last 24 years, there have been many tough moments and at times good moments also. But people's expectations kept rising with time. So I had to find a solution. I thought that I will keep only my expectations and set my own targets.

"If I am able to achieve those targets, then I am able to do some good for the country... I always focussed on the ball and with time my targets were achieved.

Emphasising that students should have sound sleep before appearing for exams, the Prime Minister said himself sleeps less, which was his "shortcoming" and he was trying to rectify it. "I agree that sleeping on time and deep sleep are as important as other activities during the day. I am lucky that I sleep less but I have deep sleep. This helps," he said.

Underlining the need for discipline and focus in life, Modi gave the example of world chess champion Vishwanathan Anand, saying his concentration is always intense when he plays the game and checkmates others, like Arjun's target of the eye of a fish. Anand asked students to have good sleep, eat well and be calm when they appear for examinations. "It is important not to put too much pressure on yourself, don't keep your expectations too high. Just see it as a challenge... Don't be over-confident. But don't be pessimistic either," he said.

Modi added that if a person lacks confidence, then there is no peace within, which affects work. Rao asked students to decide what they want and try to achieve it through their "doggedness, dedication and tenacity.

With all these qualities, you will succeed in all examinations and all other endeavours." The Prime Minister noted that the country on Sunday celebrates the National Science Day to commemorate the announcement of Nobel Laureate C V Raman's discovery 'Raman Effect' in 1928.

This year's theme is 'Make in India Science and Technology Driven Innovations', he said as he pitched for innovation. He also said that Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) was being established in India, becoming only the third country in the world to have it. He lauded the Indian scientists for being part of the recent discovery of Gravitational Waves which had confirmed Einstein's theory.

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Jat stir: Women police team visits Murthal to probe rape allegations

The three-member committee of women police officers constituted to receive complaints regarding alleged rape of women at Murthal near Sonepat during the Jat stir today visited the site of the alleged incident.

The women police officers team led by DIG Dr Rajshree Singh and two women DSPs, Bharti Dabas and Surinder Kaur, visited the site to gather first hand information about the alleged incident, over 50 km from Delhi.

Asked about recovery of some clothes belonging to women at Murthal on the Delhi Ambala National Highway, Rajshree told reporters, "These had been sent to Forensic Science Laboratory for examination".

"Let us see, what comes out," she told reporters in Murthal.

Probe panel members in Sukhdev Dhaba(Murthal)as part of inquiry into reports of rapes during #JatReservationprotests https://t.co/6DNGSDDUW6

— ANI (@ANI_news) 1456560503000

Asked how challenging would it be for the police to identify culprits of the alleged incident, she said police was visiting the "scene of the crime" to collect clues and talking to people in this regard.

"It is challenging. But let us see, what happens," she said, asserting, "It will be our endeavour that truth comes out."

"We appeal to all citizens who have any clue to forward. They should meet us and tell us whatever they have seen, they should share with us all details and we will try to bring out the truth. We are visiting the scene of crime and meeting people," she said.

Samples of cloth pieces were sent,let's see what comes out. It is a challenge-DIG Rajshree Singh #JatReservation https://t.co/5PSaAtixtN

— ANI (@ANI_news) 1456559328000

The state government, had yesterday said it would act "swiftly" as and when it receives complaint on alleged sexual assault during Jat agitation.

Police had earlier maintained that no concrete evidence had been found so far which could prove sexual assault or rape of women took place at Murthal during the Jat stir for quota.

Punjab and Haryana High Court had taken suo motu cognisance of a media report which had said that several women were allegedly raped at a highway in Murthal during Jat stir. 

Members of probe panel formed to inquire reports of rapes during #JatReservation protests, reach Murthal (Haryana) https://t.co/R0WPGxrdUH

— ANI (@ANI_news) 1456558303000

The court had asked the Haryana DGP and Home Secretary to submit separate detailed report on this incident.

However, the state government had been maintaining that no such incident had taken place.

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Black flags, protest welcome Arvind Kejriwal in Punjab

Chandigarh: Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi convenor Arvind Kejriwal, who is on a five-day visit to Punjab, faced protest, black flags and 'Go Back Kejriwal' posters on Friday.

Hundreds of Shrimoni Akali Dal (SAD) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers staged protest at Teja Ruhela, Paakan and Mhatam Naar village in Fazilka. As per reports, the protest was held against the Delhi CM for allgedly backing JNU students, accused of raising anti-national slogans.

However, Kejriwal, who later visited the residence of Bheem Tank, a Dalit youth who was murdered, was given a warm welcome by BJP state secretary Sandeep Rinwa.

Despite the protest launched by SAD and BJP parties, Kejriwal's public meeting attracted huge crowd, that cheered for him. According to a report published in Indian Express, AAP leader Bhagwant Mann tagged the protestors as 'Goons of Punjab deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal'.

Addressing to people, Kejriwal reportedly said that 'similar goons were hired by BJP to cause disruptions to AAP during Delhi Assembly polls'. He also attacked Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and accused him of organising protest against him during his Punjab visit.

“Let Sukhbir Badal organise protests against me. He will see the miracle in 2017 polls, when there will be no opposition (for AAP) at all in the Vidhan Sabha,” Indian Express quoted Kejriwal as saying.

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India or Pakistan — Whose bowling attack is better?

India and Pakistan will face off in the fourth game of the Asia Cup 2016 T20 2016 at Dhaka on Saturday. Both the nations are up on their feet and all set to witness the captivating encounter between arch-rivals India and Pakistan. As Twenty20 (T20) is acknowledged as a batsman’s game yet there are certain bowlers who prove their worth in gold with their immaculate bowling. The three matches played so far in the Asia Cup witnessed green top pitches and have assisted the pace bowlers massively. This means a team’s success will highly depend on how their bowlers fare. 

Suraj Choudhari introspects the bowling attack of both the sides and suggests Pakistan’s armour looks more dreadful. The pitches so far have been uncharacteristic in nature and not the typical Bangladeshi wickets. It has hardly assisted the spinners, which has been India’s strength. They have produced enough bounce and the batsmen have found it difficult to get away when the ball is pitched on right areas. Surprisingly, all the three games of the tournament played so far didn’t see any big score barring the Indian innings. Wickets kept tumbling and fast bowling has been the key behind every successful team.

Pakistan’s pace battery hails of Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Irfan, Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Sami. It is likely that they would play the likes of Riaz, Irfan and Aamer in the playing XI for their first game of the tournament against India. These names wear a fearsome look on paper and inspire confidence on the field. Though the troika of these three are left-arm pacers but all of them are different bowlers. 

Riaz has led the Pakistan’s pace battery with unparalleled confidence in the recent times and has enhanced as a bowler. He looks astute and adapted to the conditions in order to meet the requirements of such format. He was instrumental for his side Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) where he had 15 scalps to his name in nine outings at a confounding average of 16.33 and decent economy of 7.13. His forte is control and ability to move the ball both ways especially away from the right-hander. Riaz’s is also one of the best short ball bowlers of the game and if there is any help in the wicket he will be the man for Pakistan to get it exploited.

Irfan on the other hand, is one bowler who relies on bounce and is well capable to extract that extra bit of bounce from any surface using his lanky height. His tall composure also allows him to bowl effective Yorkers in the death overs. Aamer on his comeback has looked good, the pace still exists and the late movement can prove to be lethal on bowling friendly wickets of Bangladesh. Pakistan will have enough options as compared to India when it comes to pace bowling.

For India, they would prefer not to disturb their winning combination and will probably go in with the same playing XI. Their pace artillery consists of Ashish Nehra, Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya. They have done a commendable job with the ball in chipping early wickets and keeping the batsmen under check but when a comparison is drawn, Pakistani’s attack holds an upper hand by far. 

Nehra has been impressive and stunned everyone with his comeback at this age. He’s a testament to the belief that ‘age is just a number’. He steamed in and got the ball to swing but has been erratic on many occasions. Nehra means business as he has been among the wickets and has immense experience in his basket but on a whole, Pakistan’s bowling attack is definitely better. Pandya has been more of a back up bowler and is yet to make an impression with the ball, whereas Pakistan has all three established bowlers in their line up. Bumrah lacks experience; he has shown enough mettle and has the makings of a great bowler. His unique action is deceiving and possesses raw pace, equally equipped to bowl in death but lack of experience in pressure situations might get the better of him. Still Nehra and Bumrah are match-winning bowlers and have done it in last few matches.

On the contrary, Dhoni doesn’t have enough options to rotate his bowlers as far as pace attack is concerned. He will have to use them cautiously and save few overs of theirs in the death whereas Shahid Afridi finds himself in a better position. Pakistan has three pacers who can put in the hard yards at any moment of the match; their skipper can manoeuvre his bowlers as per the situation demands –with the new ball as well as death. READ: Asia Cup T20 2016: India do not need to score more than 130 runs to beat Pakistan, says Kapil Dev

If the pitch assists spin, India will definitely have a higher hand as they have Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja in the attack. But Pakistan too possesses quality spin as Afridi, Mohammad Nawaz and Shoaib Malik can bowl some effective spin and get the job done for their team. Afridi is a proven match-winner in this format and will be difficult to deal with. On a whole, looking at the overcast conditions, dew factor and bowler-friendly pitches, Pakistan has a better bowling attack than India.

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#JNURow: Ashutosh Kumar called in for questioning by Delhi police

One more Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student, who has been accused of sedition is under probe over the controversial event of 9 February where anti-India slogans were raised, said a NDTV report. The student, Ashutosh, is among the six students who were wanted by the police in relation to the the events that unfolded on JNU campus earlier this month. After being missing since February 12, five of them surfaced on campus on February 21.

The Delhi Police had accused 19 JNU students of displaying anti-national slogans, out of which 16 are alumni of the university, some of which are pursuing higher education in institutions abroad, according to a DNA report. The list also includes names of students who now teach in several universities across India.

The reports adds that the Delhi Police’s intelligence unit prepared the list a week after the protests erupted, but after it was revealed last week that the video showing students shouting anti-national slogans was doctored, they found themselves in an embarrassing situation.

Accused, arrested and anticipating: JNU's 'seditious six'

After Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested on 12 February, five students on the Delhi Police’s radar went missing. These were students accused of sedition – Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya, Rama Naga, Ananth Prakash Narayan and Ashutosh Kumar – who returned to the JNU campus on 21 February.

While the five have been debarred from the university they were allowed to use the hostels. After their return, they were quoted saying that they left because of the hostile environment that had been created, branding them as terrorists and anti-nationals. However, they returned when they found that the video was doctored and realised the strength of the students protesting in their favour, said a Times of India report.

On 24 February, Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya were arrested on charges of sedition and were sent to police custody for three days. They were sent to custody after a court hearing on 24 February evening, a courtroom that was essentially a make-shift one at the assistant commissioner of police’s office, said an NDTV report.

The two were questioned in the courtroom about the ‘outsiders’ that were involved in slogan shouting on 9 February.

Khalid and Bhattacharya surrendered to the police and with their three-day police custody ending on Saturday, the Delhi police will produce both of them in a makeshift court room following an order by the Delhi High Court to “maintain confidentiality” during their remand proceedings.

Interestingly, the DNA report notes that the original ‘list’ of students accused of shouting anti-national slogans did not include Umar Khalid as ‘volatile and reactive’ but an interview with the students of JNU later revealed that the police only went after Khalid once substantial evidence failed to surface against Kanhaiya. The police have Kanhaiya in custody, whose bail plea is slated to be heard by the Supreme Court on 29 February, as well of Khalid and Bhattacharya even though the original FIR was filed on the basis of the video that surfaced.

Hindustan Times reported that the other three accused of sedition – Rama Naga, Ashutosh Kumar and Anant Prakash – are questioning why they should surrender. They have said that they have given the police all the information they need – their hostel numbers, room numbers and contact details – it is now up to the Delhi Police to take necessary action if they please; they’re in the campus, ready for anything. These three are members of the All India Students' Association and their names were mentioned in the letter the police wrote to the JNU VC on 12 February.

There were two other names on the list — Aishwarya Adhikari and Shweta Raj —  information on whom is unavailable, according to India Today

Meanwhile, the Congress demanded that the case of JNU Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar, who is booked on charges of sedition, should be transferred to a non-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ruled state of either Uttar Pradesh or Bihar, so that the truth in the case is revealed.

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Police didn’t arrest my attacker even after I identified him: Kanhaiya

Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) president Kanhaiya Kumar has said Delhi Police didn’t arrest the person who assaulted him in the Patiala House Court premises even after he identified the attacker.

A video clip aired by television channels purportedly shows Kanhaiya saying: “They (mob) came till the gate of the court and one man came chasing after me to the next room and sat behind me. I told my teacher that this is the man who thrashed me. When the police asked that person for his identity he countered by asking the policeman to show his identity card.”
“I told the police that this man had assaulted me, but he was not arrested and was let off,” he added.

Kanhaiya further said he could identify the attacker because this person was the first one to attack him at the court gate.

“I was told that this person was removed from the courtroom on the direction of the high court authorities. He didn’t pay heed to what the police said. This person left the court in front of the police and police didn’t take any action,” he added.

Narrating the whole episode to the Supreme Court panel Kanhaiya said police took him to the court premises, protecting him from media.

“Then a mob which wore lawyers’ robe, attacked me. It happened just after I entered the gate. It looked as if they were prepared to attack me on my arrival, because those who were beating me, were also calling on others to do the same. The place from where we enter the court, there is a machine, while pushing me through that machine my pants came off, I suffered injuries. They bashed me with punches and kicks to my stomach. I was beaten by one after the another lawyer,” he described.

He further said he was almost disrobed during the entire violence.

The JNUSU president further said the lawyers also thrashed the police personnel escorting him.

“I was not able to see as to what the other policemen were doing, because I was knocked 

down and was beaten,” he said.

Kanhaiya said he doubted whether people who had attacked him were lawyers, pointing out that they may be ‘highly politically motivated persons’.

Kanhaiya’s lawyer, Vrinda Grover, can also be seen in the video, alleging police failure in protecting her client from assault.

“When we were entering there was lot of sloganeering, we felt anxious and there was fear in us. I told police and the registrar general to ensure the safety of Kanhaiya as there was a hostile environment. Our phones were taken away, our identity cards were checked,” Grover said.
“The man, who attacked Kanhaiya, came in the court and left the court. I repeatedly made appeals to police to put security for Kanhaiya, but they didn’t do that. They kept nodding and didn’t provide security. The senior most police personnel allow him to go and later they come and tell us that they don’t know who that person was,” she added.

In the video, lawyer Kapil Sibal asked deputy commissioner of police (New Delhi district) Jatin Narwal as to why police didn’t arrest the person Kanhaiya identified.

“When they came to you and told that this person was beating Kanhaiya, why didn’t you arrest him? How did you let the attack take place in the court premises? The person who didn’t even wear a black coat, how could you allow him to enter the courtroom? When Kanhaiya pointed out that person why didn’t you arrest that person?” Sibal asked.

“I immediately rushed as I didn’t know this was the person who had attacked Kanhaiya,” DCP Narwal said.  

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Cops question another JNU student

NEW DELHI: Another JNU student, Ashutosh, who the police was looking out for in connection with the sedition case, joined investigation today after receiving a police summon.

Ashutosh, who is JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar's predecessor, is one of the five students, including Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, who resurfaced in the varsity's campus on Sunday night.

Ashutosh received the summon yesterday night and produced himself today at RK Puram Police Station, where Khalid and Anirban are presently being interrogated, a police official said.

Other two students, Rama Naga and Anant Kumar, are yet to receive any police summon. They had earlier written to police that they are ready to join investigation too.

The five of them resurfaced at the campus on Sunday night and a day later, Khalid and Anirban surrendered before police.

The police was looking out for all five of them in connection with the sedition case which led to the arrest of Kanhaiya Kumar on February 12.

Yesterday, the police interrogated Kumar, Khalid and Anirban together for the first time.


With that, the police have identified around 22 persons who were active participants in the controversial February 9 event, police said, adding Ashutosh, Khalid, Anirban and few others are believed to be organisers of the event in which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised.

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Congress firm on challenging BJP's version of nationalism

Sonia has urged the party to fight the BJP and the RSS over the question of nationalism, sources said.

After Human Resource and Development Minister (HRD) Smriti Irani’s spirited defence against the two controversies that broke out in Hyderabad Central University (HCU) and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), the Congress on Friday decided to remain firm on debating nationalism in Parliament.

Sources said that party president Sonia Gandhi made it clear that “the leadership agrees on principle that they must fight the BJP and the RSS over the question of nationalism.” On Wednesday evening, the party staged a walkout in the Lok Sabha before Ms. Irani began her speech, which was later applauded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

On Thursday, Deputy Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Anand Sharma, objected to Ms. Irani’s repeated attempt to debate Mahishasura, whom she referred to as a demon decapitated by Goddess Durga, saying that the Minister cannot bring up “blasphemous” narratives that are baseless and are confined to campuses.

Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Sharma said the party is interested in debating nationalism as long as the ruling party doesn’t commit “blasphemy” or “misrepresent facts.”

“Why shouldn’t we discuss nationalism? And why shouldn’t we stop them from doing blasphemous talk?” said Mr.Sharma.

“India is a 83 % Hindu majority country. We don’t want religious sentiments to be hurt. Even if something was said about Prophet [Mohammad], Congress would not have kept quiet.”

Mr. Sharma said that the party is pleased to see that there is a “counter narrative” building against the ruling BJP. “You think followers of Nathuram Godse and Veer Savarkar don’t have a counter narrative in republic of India? Still 69 % of Indians voted against the BJP. Let’s not forget that.”  

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Umar, Anirban stayed at friend’s house in Delhi before surrendering

The police have identified more than 20 people who were seen in a video shouting slogans on the JNU campus on February 9. Police said they learnt about the names of the students from the joint interrogation of the three students — Umar Khalid, Anirban and Kanhaiya Kumar.

Video played over 12 times to identify those shouting slogans

Sources said the list of students had been prepared and they would be summoned to join the investigation. According to sources, the video was played over 12 times, even in slow motion, to clearly identify the persons who were seen shouting slogans. Sources said some of the persons who had covered their faces could not be identified.

Police said that it appears that the persons whose faces were covered were the “real conspirators”.

Umar, Anirban stayed a friend’s place in South Delhi before surrendering

Police sources revealed that Umar and Anirban had stayed at a friend’s house in south Delhi before surrendering to the police. The friend will also be called to join the probe. Police said they are looking into role of all persons who helped the accused remain in hiding after incident.

Khalid, Kanhaiya, Anirban gave contradictory versions

According to t he police, Khalid, Kanhaiya and Anirban have been changing their statements and gave contradictory versions on the sequence of events and slogans shouted at the February 9 event. “Both Khalid and Anirban have been kept in separate rooms and were asked to recall the entire sequence of events, including the nature of slogans that were shouted on February 9. While Anirban confidently said that no anti-national slogans were raised, Khalid said no slogans were shouted at all till he was present there,” police sources said.

”Their statement about when Kanhaiya joined the event, whether it was after, before or during the event also differs. While Khalid and Anirban claim that he was there during the event, Kanhaiya said he reached there later. We are examining the statements,” the investigators said.

Police said despite claims by Umar and Anirban that the decision to hold the event was collective and members of Democratic Students Union had contributed to it, it appears that it was them who were the main organisers and went ahead with the event despite cancellation of the permission by university administration. The duo also claimed that they had just ‘conceived’ the idea to hold the event and not actually organise it.

Police prepare the evidence file

Meanwhile, the police have started preparing the evidence file of the case. The file includes the raw version of the video clip obtained from a news channel on the basis of which the case was registered, the letters of communication between the police and the university authorities and the poster of the event.

Ashutosh, one of the three students who are yet to be arrested, has also been called to join the probe, sources said.

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Police, laws should reflect the times: President

President Pranab Mukherjee said that police in the country must become more inclusive and tolerant in its day-day-day functioning. He was delivering the inaugural speech at the valedictory function of the year-long celebrations of the 155th anniversary of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) organised by directorate of prosecution-Kerala, here on Friday evening.

"The police must go beyond its role of being merely a law-enforcing body... The founding fathers of the Constitution had conceived inclusiveness, tolerance, self-restraint, honesty, discipline, respect and protection of women, senior citizens and weaker sections as essential ingredients of our democracy," the president said.

Earlier in the day, inaugurating the bicentenary celebrations of CMS College - India's first arts and science college - in Kottayam, the president said though Kerala has been a pioneer in many fields and has achieved universal literacy and total primary education, it has not been matched by its achievements in higher education. The president also visited Guruvayur temple during his Kerala visit.

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Durga row, Rohith faux pas: Irani is controversy’s favourite child

Human resource development minister Smriti Irani is rushing from one controversy to another to leave the ruling BJP red in the face. The first week of the budget session of Parliament saw the party trying to defend the minister as she faced a barrage of charges including lying on sensitive issues. Here are some instances where she turned out to be an embarrassment for her own party.

Durga row

Irani read word by word from a controversial pamphlet on Goddess Durga which was allegedly distributed during an event at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). Her aim was to take on the Opposition head on. Instead, she left the party MPs squirming in embarrassment. With the BJP’s brand of ‘nationalism’ on display in Parliament, the Congress lapped up the Smriti gaffe and asked for her apology for her words on the goddess. BJP MP Udit Raj, too, made matter worse for the party by openly contradicting the minister’s claim about the Mahisasur Diwas programme he attended at JNU.

Rohith case faux pas

The suicide by Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula in Hyderabad earlier too has put the BJP in a tight spot with Irani leading a spirited but factually incorrect defence of her ministry. Irani contradicted opposition’s allegations over putting pressure on the University of Hyderabad’s administration to take action against Rohith for allegedly assaulting a student affiliated to ABVP. On Friday, Rohith’s mother and brother accused Irani of spreading blatant lies. Rohith’s mother also recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s comment that he regretted the loss of her son and added BJP’s ministers were now calling the Dalit scholar anti-national.

Nailed by a doctor

In the Hyderabad university case, Irani claimed that doctors were not allowed to examine Rohith Vemula and revive him after he hanged himself in his hostel room. Irani’s claim inside Parliament was rejected by a doctor of the university who insisted that she had examined Rohith within minutes of being informed and declared him dead.

Fabricated statement

In January, about a dozen professors at the University of Hyderabad quit their administrative posts, accusing Irani of making “fabricated statements”. They rubbished her claim that a Dalit professor was among the members of the university’s body that suspended Vemula.

Offering her head

Smriti got so carried away by emotion that she promised to offer her head to Mayawati if the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader was not satisfied with her answer on the Hyderabad university row. Mayawati turned the tables on her on Friday saying the minister should keep her promise as she was not satisfied with the government’s response.

Off-campus of IIT

The minister is known to contradict her own claims. While replying to a discussion in the Lok Sabha in April last year, she said the IIT Act was violated to open an off- centre in Mauritius with “Indian taxpayers’ money” in 2013. The same day, in reply to another question in the Rajya Sabha, the minister said that IIT-Delhi did not incur “any expenditure” either on the setting up of the off-campus in Mauritius or in starting academic programmes at the institute.

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Economy set for takeoff, but tick off reforms checklist first: Survey

The Indian economy has the engines for growth to cruise at 8% to 10%, but strong global headwinds mean that in the immediate future it's more likely to grow at somewhere between 7% and 7.75%, said the government's annual Economic Survey, released on Friday.

On the whole, the Survey was bullish on India, describing it as a "haven of stability and an outpost of opportunity" in a gloomy global scenario. It pointed out that "for an economy where exports have declined due to weak global demand and private investment remains weak, India's economy is performing remarkably well". At the same time, though, it cautioned that "if the world economy lurches into crisis or slides into further weakness, India's growth will be seriously affected", because Indian growth is much more aligned with the global economy than in the past.

One risk that India must plan for is a major currency re-adjustment in Asia following the devaluation of the Chinese currency, the survey said, since such an event would spread deflation around the world.

On the other hand, the extra incomes in people's hands from the pay commission awards and a possibly good monsoon this year could come as positives, the Survey noted. In general, it said, India must accept that foreign demand was likely to remain weak and domestic demand must be boosted to make up for that. Giving a detailed analysis of why India's growth potential remains at 8-10%, the Economic Survey has admitted that there is a perception that the government had not done enough to realise this potential. The perception, it added, was partly due to inadequate appreciation of all that has been done, while admitting that there were some genuine disappointments, like the Goods and Services Tax legislation getting stalled and disinvestment not progressing as planned. It also counted incomplete subsidy rationalisation and stressed corporate and bank balance sheets among the disappointments.

"Accelerated structural reforms at the Centre, the dynamism of competitive federalism and good economics being good politics could all combine to maintain the fundamental promise that is India.

For now, but not indefinitely, the sweet spot created by a strong political mandate but recalibrated to take account of a weaker external environment is still beckoningly there," it said.

Making a strong pitch for lowering interest rates, the Survey argued that "the benign outlook for inflation, widening output gaps, the uncertainty about the growth outlook and the over-indebtedness of the corporate sector", all implied that that there was room for bringing down rates. On fiscal policy, while the Survey underlined its importance in a medium to long-term framework, it left the issue of whether there should be aggressive action now or a more gradualist approach to bringing down the deficit open. Presenting both sides of the argument, it said, "The Union Budget will carefully assess these options."

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Free-for-all celebrations mark Sanjay Dutt's freedom

A few diehard fans of Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt, who became a free man on Thursday, celebrated his freedom in style here.

Mumbai restaurateur Khalid Hakim, owner of Mughlai eatery Noor Mohammadi Hotel, started doling out free "Chicken Sanju Baba", a signature recipe created by Dutt in 2010, to all patrons and fans. The special limited offer opened at noon on Thursday and would continue till midnight, Hakim said adding that the place was already overcrowded with eager people waiting to gorge on "Chicken Sanju Baba"."It was in 2010 on one of his visits that he created a special gravy-based chicken dish for us and we named it after him as 'Chicken Sanju Baba' on the menu card. Dutt also gave me his written consent to prepare and sell it to our patrons," said Hakim, who is the third-generation owner of the 93-year-old restaurant (opened in 1923).

Bandra's famous eatery "Bhaijaanz Restaurant" was offering a flat 50 percent discount to mark Dutt's release and launched a new dish "Bhai-Baba Chal Mere Bhai" to be served free to all customers."It is a combination of minced mutton and chicken as Salman Khan loves mutton and Sanjay Dutt relishes chicken. This is our humble tribute to their great friendship," said the restaurant manager. Incidentally, "Bhaijaanz Restaurant" is the country's first themed eatery after Salman Khan, opened last year by five fans and friends -- Rahul Kanal, Zafar Yusuf, Tabrez Shaikh, Sohail Siddique and Khursheed Khan -- who also attended the same school where Salman studied.

"Everything in our restaurant is inspired by our beloved Salman, his life, his physique, his roles and characters he enacted on screen, his likes and his famed bikes, memorabilia, etc," said the manager of the eatery which opened last year. The restaurant balcony was designed like the one at Salman Khan's home in Bandra Bandstand where thousands of fans flock daily, the items on the menu were named and designed after his movies or his personal tastes and the eatery has proved popular with its clientele. Colaba's popular Gokul Bar and Restaurant owner Dinesh Pujary -- a Dutt fan -- offered 300 chilled beers on-the-house between 3-6 p.m. to celebrate the actor's release.

"We were overwhelmed to see queues of people outside waiting for their one free bottle of any beer of their choice... We completed the freebie offer within the first two hours," said the hotel's marketing advisor Albert Amanna. An auto-rickshaw driver and hardcore Dutt fan, Sandeep Bachche was celebrating his idol's release differently by offering free rides for the day to commuters in Bandra. 

"Many years ago, I was given medical help by the Dutt family and I am forever indebted to them. When he returned to complete his sentence in May 2013, I vowed that I would roam bare-feet till he comes out of prison. Now, I shall start wearing footwear again," Bachche told media persons. As a tribute to his diehard fan worship of Dutt, Bachche's friends and colleagues have nicknamed him 'Munnabhai SSC', a fact which he proudly tells everybody.

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Fan-tastic News: Shah Rukh Khan fans invited to 'Fan' trailer launch

The first trailer of Shah Rukh Khan's movie 'Fan' is set to release on Monday, Feb 29. Yash Raj Studios, where the event will take place, has given SRK's die-hard fans a great opportunity by opening the gates to them for the launch event. Anyone who has dreamed of meeting King Khan in person, will now be able to meet the 'Badshah' himself at the trailer launch event. The team of 'Fan' is sending out invitations to everyone for the event. The invite reads, 'For the First Time Media Gates Open for Fans' with a picture of Gaurav aka SRK adoring his idol Aryan Khanna! In the movie, Shah Rukh Khan plays a double role- one is a superstar, 'Aryan Khanna' and other his diehard fan, 'Gaurav.' While we are still to catch a glimpse of the trailer.

Success is… playing your own fan in a movie where you are the superstar! Shah Rukh Khan has reached this pinnacle of success in Bollywood. His upcoming film 'Fan' is a testimony to King Khan's success. SRK will be seen in a double role in this film. However, the actor admitted that he used to get quite irritated while shooting for the film. He explained his statement saying that whenever he was playing the role of Gaurav, the obsessed fan, the prosthetics on his face used to make him sweat. This irritated him quite a lot. However, the humble and modest King Khan thanked his film team for bearing with him. He especially thanked Maneesh Sharma, the director of 'Fan', for helping him understand the character of the obsessed and passionate fan. Recently, Shah Rukh Khan was seen in a leaked video which showed the actor's immense energy as he danced carefree on 'Fan' song ‘Jabra fan.’ 

Shah Rukh Khan is creating much curiosity ahead of the release of his film ‘Fan’ which is scheduled to release on April 15, 2016. However, an SRK fan has shared a video of the shooting of a song sequence which shows SRK dancing like crazy in a balcony. And what certainly wins our hearts is his enthusiasm with which he performs, without a pause. Featuring in a double role, SRK will be seen as a diehard fan and a superstar in the film written and directed by Maneesh Sharma. 

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