Morning Brief: Terror Alert Over Amarnath Yatra; Cruise Tourism Push; New Ransomware Threat

Good morning, dear reader! Here’s your morning news and views brief for today.

Amarnath Yatra, Which Begins Today, Facing Terror Threat: Intelligence officials have warned that the annual Amarnath yatra, which is beginning today in Kashmir, is facing a terror threat, prompting the authorities to mobilise the "highest level" of security measures, including satellite tracking system. More than 2.30 lakh pilgrims have registered for the yatra and the first batch of over 4,000 pilgrims will be flagged off by Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh for the twin base-camps of Pahalgam and Baltal in Anantnag and Ganderbal districts. Inspector General of Police (Kashmir Zone) Muneer Khan said at this stage, the possibility of a sensational attack by a terrorist outfit cannot be ruled out.

New Cruise Tourism Policy On Way: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has said that a cruise tourism policy is in the works and will be announced next month. The aim is to tap India’s vast potential on this front and attract more vessels, he added. “Cruise tourism can be India’s economic growth engine as there is a vast untapped potential. In a month, the policy will be ready as a joint working group comprising shipping and tourism secretaries is working on it,” Shipping, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said. The country draws nearly 70 cruise vessels a year, which is expected to go up to 700 with this initiative.

Single-Rate GST Is The Ultimate Goal, Says Government: As the country inches towards a new taxation ecosystem, Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia has said that the ultimate goal of the government should be to move to a single- or dual-rate goods and services tax (GST) regime. In the new tax regime, the government has opted for four slabs for both goods and services – 5 per cent, 12 per cent, 18 per cent and 28 per cent. "Ideally like all other advanced countries, we should have got one GST which is levied by one government only. We will prefer to have a single GST rate but after sometime. That should be the ultimate goal – instead of having too many complicated rates, at least one or two rates should be there," Adhia said.

‘War Room’ Set Up To Address GST Queries: A “mini war room”, equipped with multiple phone lines and computer systems, has been set up in the Finance Ministry to deal with the possible disruptions related to the implementation of GST. A team of tech-savvy young officers will be manning the war room, sources said. It will function from 8 am-10 pm and will provide prompt response to queries raised by states and central government officials. Central Board of Excise and Customs chief Vanaja N Sarna said the room will act as a single-window for anything and everything related to the new tax regime. Meanwhile, GST Network, the company providing technology backbone for the new indirect tax regime, said it has completed all software trials and tests necessary to successfully roll out GST from 1 July.

New Ransomware Wreaks Havoc: Just a month after Wanna-Cry locked up thousands of computers, a new wave of ransomware attacks targeted users across the world, including India and Europe. Consumer, shipping, aviation and oil and gas companies were hit on Tuesday in the UK, Russia, France, Spain and elsewhere. Dubbed as "GoldenEye" it is believed to be an advanced version of an old ransomware known as Petya, locked the computer screens of as many as 20 companies globally with $300 being demanded to free them up. Indian subsidiaries of UK and Russia-based oil and gas, energy and aviation companies were also hit.

New Push To Split Coal India Into Seven Firms: India may split the seven units of state-controlled Coal India Limited into independent companies if the government’s policy think tank NITI Aayog has its way. The Aayog said in a draft of a new energy policy that the move is aimed at making it more competitive. Fresh coal production should come from private sector mines, the Aayog said, adding that the move called for reforms in allocating coal blocks to independent companies specialised in coal mining. Attempts to break up the world’s biggest coal miner could expect resistance from powerful unions representing the firm’s more than 350,000 employees. The government backed down from a similar proposal in the face of union protests in 2014.

BJP Rejects Gorkhaland Demand: The Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya said on Tuesday the party does not support the demand for a separate Gorkhaland state, but wants the cultural identity of its people protected and their issues addressed. Instead, he said, the Gorkha Territorial Administration should be empowered, administratively and financially to address concerns of locals and protect the cultural identity of the region. “We do not support creation of a separate state,” he said and added that the demand for separate statehood grows when people feel alienated.

China Blocks Mansarovar Yatra: China blocked the entry of Indian pilgrims travelling to Kailash-Mansarovar in Tibet from the Nathu La pass on Tuesday, after accusing the Indian Army for crossing the Sikkim border into Chinese territory and demanding their immediate withdrawal. To prevent further escalation between the two armies, the Indian Army has dispatched reinforcement to the area and the Army Chief General Bipin Rawat may also visit the area to take stock of the situation. Initial reports had suggested this had been done due to heavy rains on the other side. But the Chinese foreign ministry said it had taken the action on account of "security conditions" which included the border standoff in Sikkim.

MUST READ OPINIONS/COLUMNS

Important Lessons For The Smart Cities Mission: The Smart Cities Mission has the potential to be the blueprint for a new era of governance systems in the country. The government would do well to learn from the importance the UN’s new urban agenda gives to local governance.

The Difficulty Of Being A Farmer: When farmers plant crops, they do not know what the market price of the produce will be. The Indian farmer faces pressure from both the demand and the supply sides. Technology can help solve some of his problems.

The Future Of Ownership: India has the unique opportunity to stand at the very forefront of the future of mobility. Younger generations of Indians will probably leapfrog vehicle ownership entirely, choosing to depend on ride-hailing rather buying a car.

It’s All In The Sequencing: GST’s success is predicated on a robust and secure digital payments network. There is silence on how the digital payments universe will foster competition, spur innovation and design a regulatory framework to protect consumers.

SWARAJYA SPECIAL

Iftar At The Pejawar Mutt: Is This A Sign Of Hinduism’s Strength Or Weakness? Hinduism has many vulnerabilities, including caste. It faces many challenges, including the aggressive conversion agendas of church and mosque. The swamiji should ask himself whether he should be focusing on the latter and strengthening Hinduism from within, or opening mosques to signal his secularism.

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

SUBSCRIBE NOW: The June issue of our magazine is out now. Next month, Narendra Modi is going to be the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Israel. We present a special report on the Jewish state – Passage To Israel. Get a copy home and enjoy reading Swarajya in print. Subscribe here to start receiving your copies for just Rs 349.

Swarajya Apps: Enjoy reading morning brief and all other articles from Swarajya on your mobile. Download our app here on Android and iOS.