DDCA probe on even if Centre strikes it down: Kejriwal

December 29, 2015

New Delhi, Dec 29: Striking a defiant note, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today said the Commission of Inquiry ordered by his government will probe alleged irregularities in DDCA even if it is struck down by the Centre.Arvind

Kejriwal said the file pertaining to setting up of the commission has been forwarded to the PMO by the Home Ministry even as head of the probe panel Gopal Subramanium has written to National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, seeking a list of five officers each from IB, CBI and Delhi Police to assist him in the inquiry.

"Is it true that MHA has sent DDCA file to PM to decide whether to declare Enquiry Commission illegal. What will PM do- declare it illegal or allow enquiry? Though it will have no impact on ongoing enquiry commission," Kejriwal tweeted.

Delhi's Lt Governor Najib Jung had questioned the legality of appointment of the probe panel by the AAP government to probe the affairs in Delhi and District Cricket Association, triggering a new round of confrontation with Kejriwal dispensation.

The Delhi Chief Minister also made a fresh allegation against DDCA officials who he did not name, suggesting that they had sought sexual favours in selection of players. The AAP has been targeting Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, alleging that wrongdoings took place in the DDCA during his 13-year tenure till 2013 as its head.

On his part Subramanium, a former Solicitor General, also wrote to Kejriwal requesting him to send the names of five "outstanding" investigative officers from the Anti-Corruption Branch with their dossiers.

Subramanium told Kejriwal that he has written to Doval as the Central government "itself called upon the Delhi government" to get an investigation done into alleged irregularities in the DDCA.

"Obviously, this means that the Central government would render all possible assistance in this regard," the top lawyer wrote. In his letter to Doval, Subramanium said that "some of the disclosures may also pertain to national security".

"It is important that I must ask you to step in and offer suitably qualified officers who will also be morally endowed to assist the Commission," he wrote.

From Doval, Subramanium sought shortlisted dossiers of five of the "best officers of the IB, who should be of the level of joint director and below", five officers from the CBI and five officers of the Delhi Police, with their records.

"I would leave it to your discretion to choose any officers(s) from any of the other state cadres, you believe to be competent," he added.

Asked what will be his move if the enquiry panel is declared null and void by the Centre, Subramanium said, "Prima facie all the procedures have been followed in institution of the enquiry."

"But still if something happens or somebody overturns it, I cannot refuse. I am not here to fight or adjudge the defamation of the Constitution. I can proceed on basis of what has been granted to me and ensure that a transparent enquiry is held," he said.

Subramanium said he wants to pick someone "who is competent enough". This is part of any enquiry procedure that one needs to have have logistical infrastructure in place at the beginning of the probe, he added.

"The reason to seek his (Doval's) help is also his ability to judge if there is any issue relating to the security which I am very particular about in the matter as anything may come up during the investigation," he added.

Yesterday, the former Solicitor General had strongly pitched for live telecast of the proceedings to make it transparent.

Formally accepting to head the Commission, Subramanium had said that its formation was in tune with provisions in the Constitution, notwithstanding Lt Governor Najeeb Jung's reservations over it.

The Delhi Cabinet had on December 21 approved setting up of the one-member Commission of Inquiry under Subramanium to probe alleged irregularities in DDCA.

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News Network
January 7,2020

Jan 7: India’s monetary authority allowed banks to offer foreign-currency transactions outside of local market hours, a move aimed at boosting trading volumes at home.

Interbank deals, as well as those with customers in and outside India, can be undertaken by banks or their overseas branches and units at all times, the Reserve Bank of India said in a statement late Monday. It stopped short of saying whether the timing of the onshore over-the-counter market has been extended from the current 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The move is in line with recent recommendations to reverse the trend of the partially convertible rupee being traded more abroad than in India. London has overtaken Mumbai to become the top center for trading the rupee, adding to a sense of urgency among local authorities to deepen the onshore market.

Average daily volumes for rupee in the U.K. soared to $46.8 billion in April, a more than fivefold jump from $8.8 billion in 2016, according to a survey from the Bank for International Settlements published in September. That exceeded the $34.5 billion recorded in India.

Analysts say more trading abroad could amplify volatility in the domestic market and reduce the effectiveness of policy actions.

India’s decision comes as the London Stock Exchange Group Plc has started asking market participants if they want the bourse to function fewer hours, signaling it’s open to an argument driven by changing trading patterns and calls for a better work-life balance.

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News Network
January 1,2020

New Delhi, Jan 1: Newly-appointed Chief of the Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat on Wednesday said the armed forces stay away from politics and work as per the directives of the government of the day, remarks that come amid allegations that the forces were being politicised.

Gen Rawat also said that his focus as CDS will be to integrate the efforts of the three services and to work as a team.

"We keep ourselves away from politics. We act according to the directives of the government of the day," he said.

Gen Rawat said his focus will be to ensure best and optimal use of resources allocated to the three services.

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Agencies
June 16,2020

As the Indian workforce navigates a shrinking job market in lockdown times, two in five professionals believe that the number of jobs and scheduled interviews will decrease in the next two weeks, a new LinkedIn survey said on Tuesday.

The news comes as bittersweet for Indian professionals as more than one in three stated they will now spend more time working on their resumes and preparing for interviews.

Professionals from healthcare, manufacturing and corporate service industries anticipate a decrease in personal spending and personal investments in the next six months, according to the findings of the fortnightly LinkedIn Workforce Confidence Index based on responses from 2,903 professionals in the country.

This findings showed that while India's overall confidence remains steady, the country's confidence in jobs is beginning to trend downward.

However, employees at large enterprises (firms with over 10,000 workers) are more confident about the future of their employers when compared to their peers from mid-market and SMB companies.

The findings showed that 41 % of enterprise professionals think their companies will do better in the next six months, while 63 % think their companies will be better off one year from now.

However, "the enterprise professionals are least confident about the future of their jobs, finances and careers, when compared to their SMB and mid-market peers".

The findings showed that 52 % of healthcare, 48% of corporate services, and 41 % of manufacturing professionals anticipate a decrease in investments in the next 6 months.

Over the past three months, many organizations have shifted to a remote working model to circumvent the pandemic and ensure business continuity.

Three in five marketing professionals feel confident about being effective when working remotely, joined by more than half of project management and engineering professionals, who are also confident about the effectiveness of remote working.

In contrast to this optimism, only 39 % of HR, 36% of finance, and 31 % of education professionals think they would be effective when working remotely, said the survey.

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