Talking to reporters Congress spokesperson Rashid Alvi: “The government is committed to a strong Lokpal but it is for Parliament to decide what kind of law has to be made. Anna Hazare is free to fast but the government is sincerely working towards Lokpal Bill. Parliament is supreme and it will make the law. Anna can’t dictate government.”

Replying to Team Anna’s charge hat the UPA government is not committed to a strong Lokpal, Alvi said people can have different view on things.

Large crowds gathered at the Jantar Mantar Sunday as Hazare began his day-long fast at 11 am in the capital.

Tricolours, Anna caps, patriotic songs — a day-long protest by Anna Hazare at Jantar Mantar demanding justice for whistleblowers, who were killed fighting corruption, had all its usual ingredients. The dharna hotspot was almost full before 74-year-old Hazare emerged on the dais with his close aides at 11:15 am roaring ‘Vande Mataram, Bharat Mata ki Jai and Inquilab Zindabad’ in his inimitable style.

Waving tricolour and clapping to patriotic songs, the crowd responded to the chants of slogans raised by the India Against Corruption activists.

The mood was enthusiastic and passions were aroused as the protest started around 11 am with Team Anna member Kumar Vishwas challenging ministers to sent their children to streets to fight corruption.

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Mr. Jacob would be sworn-in MLA on Thursday. The United Democratic Front leadership has already made it clear that it would stick to its commitment of inducting Mr. Jacob into the Oommen Chandy ministry. The commitment was made prior to the by-election. The only issue that needs to be decided is the portfolio that Mr. Jacob would handle. The UDF leaders are playing the cards close to their chests. But there are sufficient indications that the Kerala Congress (Jacob) would get back the Food and Civil Supplies portfolio.

Sources said that the decision to field a Kerala Congress (Jacob) candidate in Piravom was taken in the larger interests of maintaining the unity of the UDF in the context of the slender majority it has in the House. The Kerala Congress (Jacob) nominated Anup for the seat, but could not get the UDF leadership to agree to induct him as Minister prior to the by-election.

In the meantime, the Chief Minister gave the temporary charge of the Food and Civil Supplies portfolio to Shibu Baby John, representing the coalition partner RSP (B), instead of handing it over to a Congress Minister. This was viewed as an indication that the portfolio would go to the Kerala Congress (Jacob) eventually.

Moreover, the reasons for allotting the Piravom seat to the party has acquired more significance in the context of the upcoming by-election to the Neyyatinkara seat, where the UDF would try once again to capitalise on its “united” image.

In this context, it is unlikely that the Chief Minister would take a different stand on the allocation of the Food and Civil Supplies portfolio, sources said.

[Hindu Report]

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Highlights of Placement report of Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode:
· Number of Students: 317
· Number of Participating Companies: 135
· Highest International CTC: $150,000
· Highest Domestic CTC: Rs. 32 lacs
· Percentage of New Recruiters: 47%
· Average CTC grew by 7%
· Number of Offers per Company: 2.6

This year saw most of the regular recruiters and a good number of new recruiters visiting campus. For a batch size of 317 students, 135 companies participated in the process with offers across the sectors of Finance, Marketing, Operations, Consulting, General Management, IT and HR.

IIM Kozhikode strived to carve out a niche for itself as India’s leading B-School by placing its 14th batch in several reputed companies like Deutsche Bank, Nomura, Goldman Sachs, ICICI, Deloitte Consulting, HUL, ITC, Cognizant, Wipro Consulting and Amazon.

Many medium sized companies such as MAQ software, V2 Solutions, Neudesic, Mind Matters, Customer 24*7 Labs participated in the placement process for the first time and offered senior managerial positions to students with relevant work-experience. The highest salary offered on campus was by a European based Investment bank and the average salary per student saw a marginal rise of 7% over last year.

Amazon, ebay, Flipkart, Yebhi.com, Zynga were some of the leading e-commerce giants that recruited from IIM Kozhikode for the first time bringing in a new hope and optimism in an otherwise slow economy. Along with IT services firm, product companies such as Facebook, Yahoo, Microsoft etc showed interest in IIMK students. IT companies recruited in numbers with Capgemini, HCL, HP, TCS, Wipro, IBM, Mindtree and Aricent leading the pack.

[indiaeducationdiary.in report]

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Unveiling the Budget proposals for 2012-13 in the Lok Sabha, he also increased the limit to Rs 10 lakh under the 20 per cent tax slab. The current limit is Rs 8 lakh.

“My proposals on direct taxes are estimated to result in a net revenue loss of Rs 4,500 crore for the year,” Mukherjee said.

The Budget also exempt up to Rs 10,000 of interest income from tax.

Individual will have to pay 10 per cent tax on income between Rs 2 lakh and Rs 5 lakh; 20 per cent between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 10 lakh; and 30 per cent for above Rs 10 lakh.

Mukherjee said increasing the exemption limit is a move towards implementation of the Direct Taxes Code (DTC).

The standing committee of Parliament that has scrutinised the DTC Bill had suggested raising the tax exemption limit to Rs 3 lakh.

The exemption limit for the senior citizens between 60 and 80 years of age will be Rs 2.50 lakh; 10 per cent will be levied on income between Rs 2.5-5 lakh, 20 per cent between Rs 5-10 lakh and 30 per cent above Rs 10 lakh.

For very senior citizens (80 years and above), the income tax exemption limit will be Rs 5 lakh; 20 per cent will be levied on income between Rs 5-10 lakh and 30 per cent for above Rs 10 lakh.

On implementation of DTC, Mukherjee said, “We received the report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on March 9, 2012. We will examine the report expeditiously and take steps for enactment of DTC at the earliest.”

The DTC Bill seeks to replace the half-a-century-old Income Tax Act, 1961.

The savings bank account deductions, Mukherjee said, will help small tax payers.

“This would help a large number of small tax payers with salary income of up to Rs 5 lakh and interest from savings bank accounts up to Rs 10,000, as they would not be required to file income tax returns,” Mukherjee said.

[Times of India report]

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According to sources, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee is upset with the increase in fares and wants it to be taken back.

A team of Trinamool Congress MPs met party colleague Dinesh Trivedi soon after he presented the Railway Budget and conveyed to him party chief’s anger over the proposed increase in fares.

With his party coming out in the open against the budget, Dinesh Trivedi is mulling resignation, according to Times Now.

Addressing a press conference after presenting the budget, Dinesh Trivedi said that his party chief Mamata Banerjee was not aware about the increase in passenger fares.

I take full responsibility for the budget, Trivedi said.

Union minister and TMC leader Sudip Bandopadhyay said that the party had not discussed the budget provisions with the railway minister.

“We are opposing because of our party leader Mamata Banerjee who has taught us to protect interests of poor people,” Bandopadhyay said.

TMC MP Derek O’Brien was the first to go public with the party’s anger.

Railway Budget…what was all that about increasing fares across the board? Upper class…maybe ok…but all? Sorry,cannot agree…., Derek O’Brien tweeted immediately after the budget.

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Replying to a notice given by Leader of the Opposition Arun Jaitley seeking suspension of the Question Hour to resume debate on the Lokpal bill, Parliamentary Affairs Minister P K Bansal said the government has studied the 187 amendments moved by Opposition and allies in ruling alliance since debate on the bill was adjourned after the House was adjourned sine die on December 29.

“We want to bring the bill within this part of session itself,” he said. His statement marked a change of stand by government as the minister on the session eve press conference had said it would be difficult to take up the bill in the first part due to financial business.

Bansal said the Lokpal and the Lokayukta Bills have been kept on top of the list of business to be conducted during the Budget session of Parliament.

Listing the priority for the government for first part of the Budget session which ends March 30, he said the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address will be taken up first, followed by passing of General and Rail Budget and Lokpal Bill will be taken up thereafter.

“Notwithstanding the primacy that is accorded to passing of financial business, the government wishes to bring the (Lokpal) bill for further discussion in this part of the session,” he said.

“The government has studied the amendments and we have formulated our views,” he said when Opposition members pressed for a response to the amendments moved.

The Government is committed to put in place a “strong mechanism to check corruption,” Bansal said adding the UPA government wanted to hold consultations with the Opposition on the amendments moved and passing of the bill.

He disagreed with Jaitley who had cited rule 257 to state that discussion on Lokpal Bill has to be taken up since it remained inconclusive when the House was adjourned sine die.

“There are other bills which we deferred…which were not concluded,” Bansal said.

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The condition of the actor, who underwent an emergency surgery after the accident on March 10, “is stable at present”, Dr Abdullah Cheriakkat, managing director, Malabar Institute of Medical Sciences Hospital, where he is undergoing treatment, told reporters here today.

The 61-year actor, who suffered multiple injuries in chest, abdomen and leg, was responding to medicines well and his blood pressure and functioning of kidneys are normal. However, he will continue to remain in ventilator for a couple of days more, he said.

He said surgeries for correction of right thigh and right arm fractures would be done “most probably” tomorrow depending on his condition.

Sreekumar,who has acted in over 1,000 films doing a variety of roles, largely as a comedian, met with the accident on his way to Kodagu in Karnataka for the shooting of a new movie when his car rammed into the road median and overturned at nearby Tenhippalam in wee hours on March 10.

Works on about 10 projects in which Sreekumar figures are held up in view of the accident, sources in film industry said.

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It will also link with social media and blogging platforms. The Web site shares the inherent strengths that Kerala has and the policies that the State Government has initiated for laying the foundation for growth.

District profiles provide the socio-economic highlights of each of the 14 districts and opportunities that exist therein from a business and investment perspective.

The Web site also features a section on project ideas and investment opportunities for the entrepreneur, the spokesman added.

These will showcase profiles and ideas from the small opportunities in the SME space to the large ones, especially in the area of infrastructure development.

More of these will be shared through the Web-portal for the benefit of investors, entrepreneurs, corporates and other stakeholders.

The event will have plenary sessions around issues of economic and developmental importance as also breakout sessions around identified core sectors.

These include IT and ITeS; tourism and medical tourism; healthcare; food and agro-processing and value-addition. Others are micro, small and medium enterprises; ports and ship building; and infrastructure, apart from some sunrise sectors. There will be B2B and B2G ‘connects’ on the sidelines of the event.

[as reported in Hindu]

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The 88-year-old CPM veteran’s remarks evoked sharp reactions from women’s outfits, including pro-CPM All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA).

Achuthanandan made the remark to buttress his argument that R Selvaraj, who resigned membership of Kerala assembly and CPM on Friday, would meet a similar fate.

Reacting sharply, Joy said such a remark from a senior leader was most painful and asked the CPM leadership to rein him in. “I am an unmarried woman with no parents. This type of remark will have an adverse effect on my future. Achuthanandan should have remembered he also has a daughter,” she said, adding that she would campaign for the UDF in the Piravom Assembly bypoll.

Joy, who was a firebrand leader of CPM’s students’ wing SFI, left the party just before the Assembly polls last year following differences with the leadership.

AIDWA leader and Rajya Sabha member TN Seema (CPM) said nobody could justify use of such words against women and hoped Achuthanandan would correct himself. But she said it would be improper for Congress-led UDF to use this as a weapon to attack the LDF in the Piravom campaign.

AIDWA state leader KK Shylaja also expressed similar sentiments and said the remark could have been avoided.

Mahila Congress leader Shanimol Usman condemned the remark and demanded an apology from him and said the party should take steps to control Achuthanandan.

Congress leaders, including KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala also came out strongly against the remark, saying it amounted to insulting womanhood.

Meanwhile, later in the day, Achuthanandan clarified his remarks were misinterpreted. He said he was only referring to ‘Congress culture’, which use leaders coming from other parties for temporary gains and later throw them out.

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The Centre also submitted a probe status report to the Court in a sealed envelope.

Appearing before a Bench of Chief Justice S.H. Kapadia and Justice Swatanter Kumar, Attorney General G.E. Vahanvati said the Income Tax Department is currently engaged in assessing the properties of Justice Balakrishnan’s sons-in-law and brother.

The Bench, after going through the report, asked the government what further action it intended to take and granted it three weeks’ time to apprise the court.

The court’s direction came during the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation filed by civil society Common Cause, which alleged that Justice Balakrishnan and his relatives had amassed wealth far exceeding their legal income during his tenure as Chief Justice.

The PIL sought the Supreme Court’s direction to the government to take proper action against the ex-CJI, who is presently chairman of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

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