Front Page
Most front pages focus on the Centre’s GST Council review, as well as the announcement that the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill will be looked at next week in Parliament. Top papers also carried news about NASA crediting a Chennai-based techie Shanmuga Subramanian for spotting the debris of Chandrayan 2’s Vikram lander in their recently released lunar images.
GST Council review: The Times of India reports that the GST Council’s review includes a discussion with states about a “possible revamp of the goods and services tax, which may include bringing a few exempted items under levy”. The Indian Express frames it differently in “GST Council rings first alarm bells on revenue”, it writes that “in its first admission of strain” the GST Council has admitted to states that compensation cess collections have become a “matter of concern”. The Hindu, too, uses a tone of concern in “GST revenues not enough for State’s compensation”. It points out that the communication comes after several states have “publicly urged the Centre to transfer pending compensation payments”.
Chennai techie & NASA: The Hindustan Times leads with “Nasa finds Vikram lander… with help from Indian techie”, elaborating how almost three months after ISRO lost contact with “the lander of India’s second moon mission” Chandrayaan-2, NASA announced it had “located the debris of the Vikram lander on the lunar surface — after a tip-off from an Indian engineer”. Express, too, leads with the positive report on the Chennai-based Shanmuga Subramanian who claims “every white spot was Vikram for me’”. Hindu’s report emphasizes NASA crediting the Chennai-based freelance space observer while TOI instead points out that “Isro played it down, saying Chandrayan-2 orbiter had already located the lander”.
Citizenship Bill: “Govt, oppn set for CAB showdown”, writes TOI, anticipating the “showdown” in Parliament over the Citizenship Amendment Bill. Hindu leads with a crisp “Citizenship Bill next week”, adding that “BJP cracks whip” as Defence Minister Rajnath Singh warns BJP’s MPs against absenteeism. Express, too, focuses on Rajnath’s directive to his party members that “the Bill is as important as the legislation that did away with Article 370”.
Others: In “Chinese vessel chased away near Andaman”, TOI writes that the “Chinese research vessel indulging in suspicious activity” had been identified. “Forced Chinese ship to retreat, says navy chief”, writes HT about China’s Shi Yan 1 that was spotted near Port Blair. Express’ report focuses on Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh’s confirmation that “Chinese vessel was forced to retreat after it entered India’s Exclusive Economic Zone” and his emphasis that permission was needed to do anything in the region.
There’s also a tragic human interest story that finds space in several dailies. TOI in its report “Man & wife kill kids, jump to death with biz partner” details the death of a Ghaziabad based garment factory worker and his family. It adds context in it’s strap – “Blame relative for debts in suicide note”. Hindu’s headline (“Five found dead in Ghaziabad: financial troubles like motive”) points more towards the larger picture about the finacial trouble angle and HT frames it as a crime report: “Couple kills 2 kids, jumps off 8th floor” — it focuses much more on how the suicide and the killings occurred.
Opinion
TOI: The outrage expressed in the Parliament over the Hyderabad gang-rape, murder case must translate into actions, TOI says. Instead of illegal punishment like Jaya Bachchan suggested, the focus should be on what can be done.
As DMK MP P Wilson suggested, chemical or surgical castration can be explored as an option — eight US states and some European countries already have the provision. The death penalty is counter-productive as rape could be followed by murder to destroy evidence.
TOI recommends that appointing more police officers, prosecutors and judges and improving the training and resources will help in “remedying the dismal state of affairs”. The voices have been louder this time after the Nirbhaya rape case. “Spare us the outrage, provide better outcomes for women safety,” it demands.
HT: At the Conference of Parties (COP25) to combat climate change, which began in Madrid Monday, United Nation secretary-general, Antonio Guterres said, “By the end of the coming decade we will be on one of two paths, one of which is sleepwalking past the point of no return”. HT hopes that the 197 participating countries will rise to Guterres’ challenge as not enough is being done to meet the climate goals.
It mentions the importance of the Madrid summit that is being held days before the Paris Agreement is set to come into force.
The summit will also “witness negotiations on financial support from the developed world to both help develop technologies and repair the loss and damage caused by climate disasters”, it says.
India and other affected countries that are fighting for compensation from the rich world must also augment their efforts at enhancing nature-based mitigation and adaptation strategies to tackle climate change, it concludes.
Prime time
TV news remained focused on the Hyderabad rape incident but after Times Now broadcast an exclusive report that the alleged intruders into Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi’s residence were party workers – and interviewed one of them – many channels expressed outrage at the so called `security breach’. This, on the same day the SPG bill was passed in Rajya Sabha.
‘Upfront with Rahul Shiv Shankar’ and the 9 pm debate with Navika Kumar went after the Congress as Sharda Tyagi —the alleged intruder — said she was a longstanding Congress worker.
On CNN News18, Anand Narasimhan asked, “Wasn’t SPG about security & not entitlement?”
Arnab Goswami on Republic Bharat declared, “Jhoothi shaan, Congress pareshan’’.
On India Today, Rajdeep Sardesai interviewed Chennai techie Shanmuga Subramanian who identified the Vikram lander’s debris (from the Chandrayaan-2 mission) discovered by NASA.
Republic TV: On `Priyanka claim backfires’, Goswami focussed on the alleged security breach, removal of the SPG cover for the Gandhis who now enjoy Z+ security
Senior journalist Sanjeev Srivastava said, “If this is the kind of Z+ security we are providing to the President, Home Minister, Vice President and other ministers then it needs a serious review.”
Goswami immediately countered, “It is very easy for you to come on TV and question the professionalism of the CRPF men who are providing Z category cover… but remember these people (who breached the security cover) came in a Congress car and know the Vadras.”
BJP’s Sambit Patra had his own take: “These princes and princesses want high-end cars and high-end everything… they are not the prime minister, but Mr. (Robert) Vadra thinks he is the proxy PM.”
NDTV 24×7: Following his revelations about his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an interview to the Marathi ABP Majha and the Hindi ABP News, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar also spoke to NDTV’s Sreenivasan Jain. He repeated his account of that meeting, and revealed details of Ajit Pawar’s momentarily joining hands with BJP — “he got upset” over heated discussions with Congress Friday night, he explained.
Pawar denied any knowledge of Ajit’s plans, (“I was really shocked’’), and any offer by the PM for any specific post to his daughter Supriya Sule in the NDA government – he only commended her performance. Pawar also refused to speculate on whether Ajit Pawar would join the Ughadi government or be deputy chief minister. He, however, admitted, “He (Ajit Pawar) has a sizeable amount of support from within the NCP.”
Aaj Tak: Anchor Rohit Sardana asked if Muslims are divided on the Ayodhya verdict as Jamiat Ulema-E-Hind filed the first review petition in the Supreme Court.
Muslim scholar Shoiab Jamai was disappointed that “when a secular court of a secular country gives its verdict keeping in mind the interest of majority, the minority will lose its morale”.
Maulana Ansar Raza, Garib Nawaz Foundation, was against the review petition, “The people who are now politicising the issue don’t want peace to prevail.”
ABP News: Anchor Rubika Liyaquat debated increasing gender crimes with hashtag #KaisebachegiBeti, on ‘Seedha Sawal’.
Aam Aadmi Party member Atishi said, “A strict law is not enough. When the police stations don’t have required number of investigative officers or forensic labs, how do we expect the situation to improve?”.
BJP’s Shazia Ilmi: “Rape is rape is rape! Which party was ruling, what was the religion of the victim or the accused — these things are insignificant.”
Filmmaker Ambar Zaidi was angry: “In the name of human rights, the culprits are being fed mutton korma in jail… We need to control these human rights provisions as well.”
Previous tex policy like VAT there was a protective process for small industries with excise duty.In GST Small and big industries consider on same platform.There for small industries are facing problem to survive and the result they are getting shutting down .It has created unemployment as well as poor economic growth government has to be consider this.