Morning Brief: Skills Drive By Modi; Tax Bonanza Hopes; Karunanidhi Recovering

Good Morning, Swarajya Readers! Here's What You Need To Know Today.

Modi To Launch Skills Drive: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will unveil today a series of initiatives aimed at skilling unemployed youth and also lay the foundation stone of the Indian Institute of Skills in Kanpur. He will also inaugurate Kaushal Pradarshini (skill exhibition) for the youth of Uttar Pradesh.

Government To Earn Rs 3 Lakh Crore In Taxes: The government will earn at least Rs 2 lakh crore to Rs 3 lakh crore in taxes due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s demonetisation move, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said, and added that the key aim of demonetisation was to strengthen the economy and that the decision had also resulted in huge caches of black money being unearthed.

Defence Ministry Defends Appointment Of Army Chief: The Defence Ministry strongly defended the selection of Lt Gen Bipin Rawat as Army Chief, saying the decision was based “purely on merit” and that “due process had been followed considering the prevailing security environment and requirements”. Congress and the Left had questioned the appointment.

Plug Election Funding Loophole Call To Government: To curb the use of black money during polls, the Election Commission of India has urged the government to ban anonymous contributions of Rs 2,000 and above made to political parties. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today said political parties cannot accept donations in old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes since these bills were scrapped last month.

MP Jay Panda To Return Salary Over Disruptions: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MP Baijayant Jay Panda has decided to return part of his salary and daily allowance proportional to the time lost in the Lok Sabha due to disruptions. He admitted that this is nothing compared to the huge amount of money that has been wasted.

Karunanidhi Recovering, Says Stalin: Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief M Karunanidhi, who is undergoing treatment in Chennai for breathing difficulties caused by throat and lung infection, is doing well, party treasurer M K Stalin said on Sunday. Meanwhile, a wing of the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam urged V K Sasikala to become the chief minister of Tamil Nadu.

Brutal Ragging At Kerala Polytechnic: A 22-year-old student has been hospitalised in Kerala's Thrissur district with kidney malfunction after alleged ragging at a polytechnic. O S Avinash said he and eight other students were stripped and made to do rigorous exercises for more than five hours. Another student has been admitted at a hospital in Kochi.

Writer Charged With Sedition: A Malayalam writer and theatre artist was on Sunday charged with sedition for allegedly showing disrespect to the national anthem. Kamal C Chavara was taken into custody on charges of insulting the national anthem in a Facebook Post. A case was registered against him by police at Karungapally in Kollam a few days ago following a complaint from Yuva Morcha activists.

Bangladesh Seeks To Isolate Pakistan Over Terrorism: Bangladesh’s Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Sunday said Pakistan had to be isolated for “harbouring terrorists and supporting acts”. He also emphasised the need to successfully conclude Teesta water treaty with India.

Hockey Glory For India: India scripted a new chapter in hockey history, regaining the Junior Men’s Hockey World Cup after a gap of 15 years, defeating Belgium 2-1 in the final at the Major Dhyan Chand Stadium in Lucknow on Sunday. The Cup adds another jewel to India’s golden hockey history, which boasts of eight Olympic titles and one World Cup at the senior level.

MUST READ OP-EDS

GST Council, A Siege And History: The GST council will keep in mind that they are on the threshold of creating economic history. Would they prefer to be remembered for enabling it or derailing it? The nation wants to know.

US Fed Rate Hike: Indian Start-Ups Will Still Find Enough Capital: Did the US Federal Reserve just further choke the supply of capital to India’s mature start-ups, especially unicorns vested with billion-dollar valuations?

Army Chief Row Could Give Birth To A Conflict: The UPA government did so twice in the case of appointing foreign secretaries. So, to pick political holes in an Army chief appointment on grounds of seniority may not wash beyond a point. Such issues, if unaddressed, can give birth to new schisms, hence conflict.

India Needs To Manage Its Publicly Held Land Holdings With More Diligence And Data: India’s public land holdings are most significant tangible assets. A study indicated that these holdings are very large and potentially underutilised.

SWARAJYA SPECIAL

The Indian Army Gets Its New Chief. Here’s Why Lt Gen Bipin Rawat Scored Over Others: This appointment has surprised many since it has gone against the decades-old tradition in the Indian Army to appoint the senior-most officer as the chief.

Transport Ministry Panel’s Taxi Policy Recommendations Hit The Right Note: The proposals for taxi regulation, discussed here at length, are sound and will benefit the taxi industry, the government and the consumers alike.

Jayalalithaa, Mayawati And Mamata: The Creators Of Their Own Auras: The leaders stood for different causes, hailed from different backgrounds, and took different political paths, but all carved a niche for themselves. Their stature transcends the popularity of their respective parties.

Explained: The Printing And Circulation Of Currency, And How Much Will Return: Swarajya answers questions that have been puzzling people since the scrapping of the old high-denomination notes.

We hope you enjoyed reading our morning brief. Have a great day ahead!

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