The last few years have seen some highly publicised and viciously argued positions for and against the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) and presumed misdemeanours of the government resulting in huge assumed losses to the national exchequer over a 25-year period. In some cases, these losses have been discounted, while in others they have not, for reasons best known to the CAG. If this anomaly arouses doubts about the CAG&rsquo;s motivations, that authority is itself to blame.

Premvir Das: CAG's shot in the dark

Business Standard

As many as five cabinet-level US officials have already visited India this year, most recently US Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta. The message that they have all brought is that, for the US, India will be the major relationship of the 21st century. Whatever this might mean to the Americans is for them to understand, but what is becoming increasingly clear is that the Indians are on a somewhat different wavelength. One of these, that India believes in freedom of passage in international waters, read South China Sea, is a position consistent with the US view.

Premvir Das: US-India defence links: the next level 

Two back-to-back visits in the last fortnight, one to Beijing for a unique India-US-China strategic trilateral dialogue and the other to Washington for a more understandable India-US interface, have been interesting, to say the least. Both were at the track-II level, meaning non-governmental, but the composition of delegations was neither amateur nor academic. Almost all participants had served in high decision-making positions, some were in the &ldquo;business&rdquo; even today, and wielded influence with those in authority.

Premvir Das: Time to catch the high tide

The spectacular launch of Agni V from Wheeler Island off our east coast, a site that has seen dozens of Prithvi and Agni launches over the past two decades, brings to mind all that has gone into the success of India&rsquo;s missile programme. It was in the mid-1980s that our Defence Research and Development Organisation, better known as DRDO, initiated work on what was then called the Integrated Guided Missile Development Project (IGMDP).

Premvir Das: Fire in the sky 

India&rsquo;s defence expenditure for 2012-13 has been budgeted at Rs 1.94 lakh crore, or about $39 billion, representing 1.9 per cent of the country&rsquo;s GDP. This is an increase of 17 per cent over the previous year&rsquo;s Budget estimates and is just more than 13 per cent of the expenditure actually incurred last year, as reflected in the revised estimates. Given our several security compulsions across the border and at sea, it may appear that we are not spending enough on our defence.

Premvir Das: Armed with no doctrine

After this, nothing is unbelievable. The chief of India's army files a writ petition against the government he serves &mdash; after a week of press statements in which he assures the media, and through it the country, that an issue is being made out of nothing, a mountain out of a molehill. At the reception in his home on Army Day, January 15, he gives no impression that anything extraordinary is afoot. A day later, he goes to the highest court of justice through a petition which must have taken several days, indeed, weeks, to plan.

Premvir Das: Self before service?

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 7: AG &amp; P Pratham-THINK Gas, committed to building a clean fuel ecosystem and delivering exceptional customer experiences, has launched its feature packed Mileage+ CNG Fuel Card. The card was launched by Amitava Sengupta, Chairman AG &amp; P Pratham-THINK Gas, in the presence of the senior leadership, during a multi-city live event.

AG &amp; P Pratham-THINK Gas launches its Feature Packed Mileage+ CNG Fuel Card in Partnership with Zaggle

New Delhi [India], January 7: Reaffirming its commitment to accelerating India's clean energy transition, the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) announced three key forward-looking initiatives and partnerships at a high-level stakeholder convening in New Delhi: a Multi-Donor Trust Fund (MDTF) in partnership with the International Solar Alliance (ISA), DUET (Digitalization of Utilities for Energy Transition) and ENTICE 2.0 (Energy Transitions Innovation Challenge). Together, these initiatives bridge financing gaps, enhance institutional capacity and foster cost-efficient scalable solutions to support India's clean energy transition.

GEAPP Announces Three Key Initiatives and Partnerships to Help Advance India\'s Energy Transition Agenda

Chandigarh, Haryana (India), January 7: Kushmanda Cosmetics Pvt. Ltd. has announced the launch of Born16, a need-of-the-hour colour cosmetics brand designed specifically for Indian women. The brand comes as a solution to address long-standing beauty challenges faced by women in the country.

New Colour Cosmetics Brand Born16 Intends to Empower Women Across India

A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court will on January 9 consider the pleas seeking review of its October 2023 verdict declining legal sanction to same-sex marriage.
A bench comprising Justices B R Gavai, Surya Kant, B V Nagarathna, P S Narasimha and Justice Dipankar Datta will take up about 13 petitions related to the matter in chambers.
According to practice, the review pleas are considered in chambers by judges. The top court had refused to allow an open-court hearing on the review pleas.
The new bench was constituted after Justice Sanjiv Khanna, the present CJI, recused from hearing the review petitions on July 10, 2024.
Notably, Justice P S Narasimha is the only member of the original Constitution bench comprising five judges which delivered the verdict, as former CJI D Y Chandrachud and Justices S K Kaul, Ravindra Bhat, and Hima Kohli have retired.
According to the Supreme Court's causelist, the review petitions would be considered at around 1.55 pm  on January 9.
A five-j

SC, Supreme Court

The Budget had assumed nominal GDP to grow 10.5 per cent for FY25

Fiscal deficit

Indices decline over 1.5%; investors lose nearly Rs 11 trn

India’s benchmark indices rallied on Friday, mirroring gains in global equities, after the latest US economic data allayed fears of recession in the world’s biggest economy. The continued buying support from domestic investors added to the market buo

India's benchmark indices rallied on Friday, mirroring gains in global equities, after the latest US economic data allayed fears of recession in the world's biggest economy. The continued buying support from domestic investors added to the market buo

The centre of the quake was 93 km North East of Lobuche, Nepal and struck the region at 06:35:16 IST today

Earthquake

Markets Today Highlights: Among the broader markets, small-cap shares outperformed others, with the Nifty Smallcap100 ending up 1.35 per cent

Stock Market, BSE, NSE, Nifty, Capital

HMPV Cases in India LIVE updates:  Catch all the major news updates on human metapneumovirus cases here

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Zerodha’s chief executive officer Nithin Kamath

Zerodha's chief executive officer Nithin Kamath

Wearing a thick coat and a baseball cap, Thomas Tuchel got down to scouting work in his new role as England soccer coach.
The German's first task? Watching Tottenham play Newcastle in the Premier League on Saturday.
He'll probably be pleased with what he saw.
Inside the first six minutes, two players likely to be in Tuchel's first squad got on the scoresheet  Tottenham striker Dominic Solanke in the fourth minute and Newcastle winger Anthony Gordon shortly after.
Tuchel's contract officially started on Wednesday. He and his support team are due to visit St. George's Park  England's training base and their main place of work  for the first time next week, when they will hold a series of introductory meetings with relevant members of staff.
Tuchel's first matches in charge will be the World Cup qualifiers against Albania on March 21 and Latvia three days later. His contract with England runs through to the World Cup finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico in the summer of 202

Thomas Tuchel (Photo: Reuters)

Brison Fernandes bagged his second successive brace as visitors FC Goa notched a 4-2 victory over Odisha FC in their Indian Super League match here on Saturday.
The Gaurs are third in the table with 25 points now, having extended their unbeaten streak in away matches to seven games, with Manolo Marquez winning his maiden ISL game on the road against a side coached by Sergio Lobera.
Odisha FC are now winless in their 11 face-offs in the league with the Gaurs.
Brison (8th, 53rd), who scored twice in a match for the second straight time, kicked off the game strongly for the visitors, as he combined with Iker Guarrotxena inside the box to pounce upon the Odisha FC backline that had given them ample space to attempt a shot right through the centre.
Iker got the ball inside the box but lost possession to Mourtada Fall. The Odisha FC defender took a heavy touch, resulting in the ball landing in Brison's path. The FC Goa player controlled the ball with his chest, before getting it down and

Indian Super League 2024-25

Ryan Rickelton smashed his maiden double hundred and Kyle Verreynne made an aggressive half-century as World Test Championship finalist South Africa cruised to 429-5 on Day 2 of the second and final test against Pakistan on Saturday.
At lunch, Rickelton was unbeaten on 213 and Verreynne smacked eight fours and four sixes in his 74 not out off 88 balls as they guided South Africa to a strong first innings total by sharing 106-run sixth-wicket unbroken stand.
Mohammad Abbas (2-70) got the sole wicket of the session when David Bedingham edged the seamer in Pakistan's fourth over of the morning with the second new ball, giving wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan his fifth catch of the innings.
Pakistan twice went for unsuccessful lbw television reviews against Verreynne, who was not only aggressive against the pace but also didn't allow Salman Ali Agha (2-77) to settle down by reverse sweeping the off-spinner.
Rickelton, resuming on 176, quietly reached his double century off 265 balls when h

South Africa Cricket team

Pharma cos with turnover of Rs 250 cr or less can submit an application to the central drugs regulator for one one-year extension

Medical, Pharmacy

Ortagus worked at the Department of the Treasury as a financial intelligence analyst and, from 2010-2011, was the Deputy US Treasury Attache to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Morgan Oratagus

In smaller Indian cities and towns, where opportunities for advancement are few and dwindling, the nounis emerging as something of a social and cultural phenomenon

Phone, social media, mobile phones

So far, IIFCL has sanctioned loans worth Rs 2.8 trillion, with disbursements totalling Rs 1.4 trillion, of which 50 per cent has occurred in the last 4-5 years

Department of Financial Services (DFS) Secretary M Nagaraju

He cited the 'Sheeshmahal' as an example, referencing a report by a leading newspaper revealing excessive expenditure on the Delhi CM's residence, based on the CAG report

Sanjay Raut

Battery swapping will only increase the cost for a consumer to run the vehicle, say e2W players

electric two wheeler

Travel booking major OYO has launched a new check-in policy for partner hotels, starting from Meerut, introducing guidelines effective this year whereby unmarried couples will no longer be welcome to check in.
Under the revised policy, all couples will be asked to present valid proof of relationship at the time of check-in, including for bookings made online. OYO has empowered its partner hotels' discretion to decline couple bookings based on their judgment, aligning with local social sensibility, the company said.
OYO has given the directive to its partner hotels in Meerut to ensure this with immediate effect. Based on ground feedback, the company may expand this to more cities, people familiar with the policy change said.
"OYO has received feedback in the past from civil society groups especially in Meerut urging action to address this issue. Additionally, residents from few other cities have petitioned for disallowing unmarried couples to check-in at OYO hotels," they said.
Pawa

Premvir Das

Premvir Das

Page 4 - Premvir Das

Premvir Das: CAG's shot in the dark

Premvir Das: US-India defence links: the next level

Premvir Das: Time to catch the high tide

Premvir Das: Fire in the sky

Premvir Das: Armed with no doctrine

Premvir Das: Self before service?

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AG & P Pratham-THINK Gas launches its Feature Packed Mileage+ CNG Fuel Card in Partnership with Zaggle

GEAPP Announces Three Key Initiatives and Partnerships to Help Advance India's Energy Transition Agenda

New Colour Cosmetics Brand Born16 Intends to Empower Women Across India

Same-sex marriage: 5-judge SC bench to consider review pleas on January 9

Fiscal deficit on track despite lower GDP growth projection for FY25

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