A Swiss window to black money the UPA won't look into

The UPA government may have gone into overdrive on the black money issue but it has so far failed to use a Swiss tax provision that will allow India to not just estimate how much money its citizens have illegally stashed away in bank accounts in Switzerland but to also earn revenue from them.

Defence Research & Development Organisation: Recent Achievements at a Glance

DRDO has made many significant achievements during the recent past, including the last year.  Many important systems were inducted/accepted by the services.  The production value of systems based on technologies developed by DRDO (inducted/accepted/orders placed) during the past one decade is well over Rs.1,10,000/- crores.

HIV/AIDS in India declined above 50% in a decade

The rate of new HIV/ AIDS infections in India has declined by more than 50 per cent between 2001 and 2009. According to the latest UN AIDS report, globally the rate of new HIV infections has declined by nearly 25 per cent in the said time period.The report titled ‘Nations at Crosswords’ was released to mark 30 years of the first case of HIV that was reported in 1981 in the United States of America. The report stated that an investment of over $22 billion is needed to bring down the new HIV/ AIDS infection globally by 2015. 

Courtesy : AIR

Public services delivery Act under consideration: Govt

The government said that multi-pronged action is being taken against corruption and black money in the country.In a press release, the Prime Minister's office has outlined various measures taken and proposed in this regard.These included drafting an effective Lokpal bill, strengthening administrative and legal frameworkto check black money, declaration of unaccounted for wealth as national asset and setting up a special criminal investigation directorate.The monitoring of frequent visitors to tax havens is being stepped up.The Government further stated that a bill is under consideration to ensure timely and quality public services to the people.

Courtesy : DDN

Time for a new era of growth with social justice

Discontent worldwide is reaching dangerous levels. In three-quarters of the 82 countries with available information, a majority of individuals are getting increasingly pessimistic about their future quality of life and standard of living. This all points in one direction: mounting frustration with a lack of jobs and decent work.

Media Matters - Questionable reforms

Once badly bitten, twice shy. A ministry and minister that spent much of 2010 trying to rein in suspended Prasar Bharati CEO B.S. Lalli, are now looking to amend the Prasar Bharati Act which made it difficult to remove him. While Mr. Lalli is under suspension for questionable deals and contracts related to the Commonwealth Games, Ambika Soni and her officials are trying to prevent a repeat of a situation where autonomy mandated by law makes top officials difficult to remove.

Action Taken by Government on Demands Raised by Baba Ramdev

Recovery of Black Money

There is a legal framework regulated by the Reserve Bank of India for the opening of bank accounts overseas by Indian residents and for outward or inward remission of funds through authorized channels.The existing legal framework for dealing with illicitly generated funds transferred overseas and measures for the attachment and repatriation of such illegal assets to India and provision for penalties for offenders are: