General Affairs
Supreme Court judges have no right to interfere in Islamic customs: Trinamool minister on triple talaq
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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee may have steered clear of commenting on Tuesday's landmark Supreme Court verdict banning instant triple talaq, her cabinet colleague and state library minister Siddiqullah Chowdhury has termed it "unconstitutional".
Chowdhury, a prominent minority face in the Trinamool Congress and president of the West Bengal Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, challenged the apex court stating that it had no right to interfere in the internal matters of Islam.
"Talaq has and shall continue to be part of our religious custom. Who gives Supreme Court judges the right to decide whether talaq is part of Islam or not?," Chowdhury asked while addressing the media in Kolkata.
"This is just a view of three judges, it is not a law. As a Deoband scholar let me again say that triple talaq has been in practice for more than 1400 years," he said. The minister also announced that the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind will hold a convention in Kolkata on August 28 to decide its future course of action.
"We shall abide by Sharia and Muslims want to live by it. No one can tamper with it," the Trinamool Congress lawmaker announced.
Chowdhury said, there was need to dispel myths about Sharia and that one could monitor its implementation so that women can live with dignity. "Let's create an environment where Sharia is not abused, let's make people aware of its rules. We want Muslim women to live with dignity and there can be systems for better monitoring," he added.
This is not the first time Trinamool Congress leaders have openly batted in favour of the controversial Islamic practice. Last year, Chowdhury had organised a massive rally of clerics where Bengal ministers Partha Chatterjee and Firhad Hakim had backed the Jamiat's call for rejecting the Centre's attempts to abolish triple talaq.
In fact, hosting a mega All Indian Muslim Personal law Board (AIMPLB) convention in Kolkata last November Chowdhury had claimed the support of chief minister Mamata Banerjee on the matter. "The state government is with us," Chowdhury had told representatives at the convention.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee may have steered clear of commenting on Tuesday's landmark Supreme Court verdict banning instant triple talaq, her cabinet colleague and state library minister Siddiqullah Chowdhury has termed it "unconstitutional".
Chowdhury, a prominent minority face in the Trinamool Congress and president of the West Bengal Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, challenged the apex court stating that it had no right to interfere in the internal matters of Islam.
"Talaq has and shall continue to be part of our religious custom. Who gives Supreme Court judges the right to decide whether talaq is part of Islam or not?," Chowdhury asked while addressing the media in Kolkata.
"This is just a view of three judges, it is not a law. As a Deoband scholar let me again say that triple talaq has been in practice for more than 1400 years," he said. The minister also announced that the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind will hold a convention in Kolkata on August 28 to decide its future course of action.
"We shall abide by Sharia and Muslims want to live by it. No one can tamper with it," the Trinamool Congress lawmaker announced.
Chowdhury said, there was need to dispel myths about Sharia and that one could monitor its implementation so that women can live with dignity. "Let's create an environment where Sharia is not abused, let's make people aware of its rules. We want Muslim women to live with dignity and there can be systems for better monitoring," he added.
This is not the first time Trinamool Congress leaders have openly batted in favour of the controversial Islamic practice. Last year, Chowdhury had organised a massive rally of clerics where Bengal ministers Partha Chatterjee and Firhad Hakim had backed the Jamiat's call for rejecting the Centre's attempts to abolish triple talaq.
In fact, hosting a mega All Indian Muslim Personal law Board (AIMPLB) convention in Kolkata last November Chowdhury had claimed the support of chief minister Mamata Banerjee on the matter. "The state government is with us," Chowdhury had told representatives at the convention.
Supreme Court concerned over depleting tree cover, rising pollution around Taj Mahal
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The Supreme Court has rapped the Centre and the Uttar Pradesh government for 'trying to destroy the Taj Mahal' by not being able to control the high levels of pollution. The top court has also expressed concern over the incessant cutting down of trees, which if not stopped soon enough, will significantly damage the beauty of the monument.
The Taj Mahal is one of the most ecologically-sensitive archaeological wonders of the world. Although the top court's restrictions placed on industries in Agra in 2001 did serve to rein in the emissions of foundries and leather tanneries to some extent, there seems to have been little change in the pollution levels.
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), on its part, is cutting down trees to clean up and beautify the Taj Mahal premises of excess plant growth.
HERE IS ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW
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With over one lakh trees chopped down in and around Agra in the name of development, the Taj Mahal has been exposed to increased pollution levels due to sand and duststorms throughout the year. It is because of this pollution that the structure has started yellowing and the marble is losing its sheen.
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The ASI is trying to clean the surface of the monument using Fuller's Earth pack treatment, but in the absence of a tree cover, this solution can only provide temporary relief.
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The Inner Ring Road, Mall Road 6-laning and Agra-Mathura Railway line projects are expected to lead to the felling of thousands of trees in the city, most of them lining the roadside.
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The Mall Road, which was known as 'Thandi Sadak' during the British and post-independence era due to a dense cover of trees on both sides, has lost most of the trees to road widening projects from the Railway Station to BSNL Stadium. The few hundred trees left lining the Stadium to the Circuit House are now in danger of being chopped down in the second phase of Mall Road 6-laning.
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Similarly, the drainage and other projects on the Fatehabad Road linking the Inner Ring Road, barely 3 km from the Taj Mahal, are again going to require cutting down of a lot of trees, inviting greater reprimand from the Supreme Court.
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Agra Tourist Welfare Chamber Secretary Vishal Sharma said that while on the one hand, industries in Agra were wiped out in the name of protecting the Taj Mahal from pollution, on the other, successive governments are playing with this region's environment by denuding it of its tree cover. Already, he said, almost 65,000 trees had been cut while building the Agra-Lucknow Expressway and it had been promised that these trees would be replaced by 5 crore new trees, but the plantation was yet to start in Agra.
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Sharma said that prior to that, 5,000 trees were cut down to widen the Agra-Shamshabad Road, 697 trees for the construction of tehsil headquarters, 380 trees for the NH2 6-laning and 2,332 trees in the Babarpur Reserve Forest were cut down for development purposes.
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As many as 919 trees will be cut down from Pratap Pura to Inner Ring Road, while 109 trees will be cut for laying the pipeline for Tajganj Project. Apart from this, over 10,000 trees have been illegally cut from the Babarpur and Baipur Reserve Forest Areas and the matter has been raised before the National Green Tribunal.
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An ASI official told India Today that research had shown that during the construction of the Inner Ring Road and Lucknow Expressway, the volume of RSPM (Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter) and SPM (Suspended Particulate Matter) went many notches higher than the normal days, which caused yellow mud to get deposited on the surface of the Taj Mahal. A lot of manpower and time is being used up to clean this mud, which would have irreparably damaged the surface sheen on the marble if it had not been for the ASI's continually maintaining the monument.
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ENT surgeon and environmentalist Devashish Bhattacharya, who has been waging a battle against the pollution-causing industries in Agra, said that the loss of tree cover had caused the temperature of the entire city to go up by many degrees. "It isn't surprising that Agra has not received even three decent showers in the entire monsoon season this year. A lot of trees have disappeared from the roadside over the years and the air quality in the city suffers greatly due to the removal of this green cover. This pollution is leading to a large number of respiratory illnesses in Agra and the situation could go beyond control if the remaining trees are also removed from the city in the name of development", he said.
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Now, it remains to be seen what the Supreme Court of India and NGT decide on the depletion of the tree cover in Agra.
The Supreme Court has rapped the Centre and the Uttar Pradesh government for 'trying to destroy the Taj Mahal' by not being able to control the high levels of pollution. The top court has also expressed concern over the incessant cutting down of trees, which if not stopped soon enough, will significantly damage the beauty of the monument.
The Taj Mahal is one of the most ecologically-sensitive archaeological wonders of the world. Although the top court's restrictions placed on industries in Agra in 2001 did serve to rein in the emissions of foundries and leather tanneries to some extent, there seems to have been little change in the pollution levels.
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), on its part, is cutting down trees to clean up and beautify the Taj Mahal premises of excess plant growth.
HERE IS ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW
HERE IS ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW
- With over one lakh trees chopped down in and around Agra in the name of development, the Taj Mahal has been exposed to increased pollution levels due to sand and duststorms throughout the year. It is because of this pollution that the structure has started yellowing and the marble is losing its sheen.
- The ASI is trying to clean the surface of the monument using Fuller's Earth pack treatment, but in the absence of a tree cover, this solution can only provide temporary relief.
- The Inner Ring Road, Mall Road 6-laning and Agra-Mathura Railway line projects are expected to lead to the felling of thousands of trees in the city, most of them lining the roadside.
- The Mall Road, which was known as 'Thandi Sadak' during the British and post-independence era due to a dense cover of trees on both sides, has lost most of the trees to road widening projects from the Railway Station to BSNL Stadium. The few hundred trees left lining the Stadium to the Circuit House are now in danger of being chopped down in the second phase of Mall Road 6-laning.
- Similarly, the drainage and other projects on the Fatehabad Road linking the Inner Ring Road, barely 3 km from the Taj Mahal, are again going to require cutting down of a lot of trees, inviting greater reprimand from the Supreme Court.
- Agra Tourist Welfare Chamber Secretary Vishal Sharma said that while on the one hand, industries in Agra were wiped out in the name of protecting the Taj Mahal from pollution, on the other, successive governments are playing with this region's environment by denuding it of its tree cover. Already, he said, almost 65,000 trees had been cut while building the Agra-Lucknow Expressway and it had been promised that these trees would be replaced by 5 crore new trees, but the plantation was yet to start in Agra.
- Sharma said that prior to that, 5,000 trees were cut down to widen the Agra-Shamshabad Road, 697 trees for the construction of tehsil headquarters, 380 trees for the NH2 6-laning and 2,332 trees in the Babarpur Reserve Forest were cut down for development purposes.
- As many as 919 trees will be cut down from Pratap Pura to Inner Ring Road, while 109 trees will be cut for laying the pipeline for Tajganj Project. Apart from this, over 10,000 trees have been illegally cut from the Babarpur and Baipur Reserve Forest Areas and the matter has been raised before the National Green Tribunal.
- An ASI official told India Today that research had shown that during the construction of the Inner Ring Road and Lucknow Expressway, the volume of RSPM (Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter) and SPM (Suspended Particulate Matter) went many notches higher than the normal days, which caused yellow mud to get deposited on the surface of the Taj Mahal. A lot of manpower and time is being used up to clean this mud, which would have irreparably damaged the surface sheen on the marble if it had not been for the ASI's continually maintaining the monument.
- ENT surgeon and environmentalist Devashish Bhattacharya, who has been waging a battle against the pollution-causing industries in Agra, said that the loss of tree cover had caused the temperature of the entire city to go up by many degrees. "It isn't surprising that Agra has not received even three decent showers in the entire monsoon season this year. A lot of trees have disappeared from the roadside over the years and the air quality in the city suffers greatly due to the removal of this green cover. This pollution is leading to a large number of respiratory illnesses in Agra and the situation could go beyond control if the remaining trees are also removed from the city in the name of development", he said.
- Now, it remains to be seen what the Supreme Court of India and NGT decide on the depletion of the tree cover in Agra.
After Pangong clashes with Chinese troops, Army officers hold exercises near Chang La Pass
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After Pangong became the latest flashpoint of standoff between the Indian and Chinese troops where soldiers from the two sides clashed in Ladakh on August 15, Army troopers are holding military exercises a few kilometers from the Chang La Pass at an altitude of 14,000 feet.
On the 224-km journey from Leh to Pangong, there has been a regular movement of troops and vehicles. The Chang La Pass is the second highest motorable road in the world at 17,668 km.
At around 8.30 am on August 15, troops of the 23 Sikh regiment hoisted the tri-colour at the giant Pangong Lake. The flag hoisting event ended with the national anthem as the handful of troops headed back to their camp on the banks of the 134-km lake. Chinese troops indulged in stone pelting after Indian soldiers prevented the People's Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers from crossing the Line of Control in the Pangong Tso (Lake) area. The ensuing stone pelting and clashes between the two forces left several Indian troops injured. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a soldier said, "This should not have happened. But at least we are prepared."
In the wake of such a confrontational atmosphere, the salt water lake strategically sandwiched between the Himalayas presents a picture of calm. DS Hooda, former commander of the Northern Army, said, "The region requires both brain and brawn. With oxygen depleting fast in the region, soldiers need to think quickly to handle the situation in the heat of the moment. A shouting match between the troops can otherwise end up in a shooting match and a bloodbath. The training, thus, is of extreme importance and the situation needs to be handled sensibly."
PLA TROOPS TRIED TO ENTER INDIA FROM 2 AREAS
The PLA troops "tried to enter the Indian side from two areas - Finger Four and Finger Five - twice between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m." on our Independence Day, but these incursion bids were successfully thwarted by the Indian border patrols. A local said, "We saw nothing, but we see the boats on the banks move. We hope nothing happens here, like in Chusul (another area of conflict)."
Tensions at the border are palpable as Army troops and vehicles take the crucial arterial road to Pangong. Both the Army and ITBP (Indo-Tibetan Border Police) have been tight-lipped. The Chinese Foreign Ministry has so far rejected overtures of peace by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Home Minister Rajnath Singh over the Doklam stand-off, which has not shown any signs of abating, despite attempts of peace by India. China is, on the other hand, escalating the issue, by further expanding its intrusion attempts into Pangong.
Speaking to India Today, Defence expert and Major General (retired) PK Sehgal said, "China has an important election coming up, which is important for President's ego. Chinese is rejecting all the overtures by India."
INDIA, CHINA SHARE 4,000-KM-LONG LAC BORDER
India and China share an over-4,000 km-long LAC (Line of Actual Control). China claims approximately 90,000 sq km of territory in Arunachal Pradesh besides 38,000 sq km in the Jammu and Kashmir sector. The recent visit of President Ramnath Kovind and Army chief Bipin Rawat to Ladakh is being seen as more than mere symbolism and a certain boost to the security forces' morale.
Another Defence expert Qamar Agha said, "Incursions in the entire region are taking place with Chinese PLA troops being deployed in crucial areas, as a result of which India has been forced to deploy its forces. There is already intense speculation both in India and China over whether PM Modi will attend the ninth BRICS Summit, scheduled to be held in Xiamen in China's Fujian province from September 3-5. But experts are of the view that PM Modi's visit could ultimately hold the trump card.
After Pangong became the latest flashpoint of standoff between the Indian and Chinese troops where soldiers from the two sides clashed in Ladakh on August 15, Army troopers are holding military exercises a few kilometers from the Chang La Pass at an altitude of 14,000 feet.
On the 224-km journey from Leh to Pangong, there has been a regular movement of troops and vehicles. The Chang La Pass is the second highest motorable road in the world at 17,668 km.
At around 8.30 am on August 15, troops of the 23 Sikh regiment hoisted the tri-colour at the giant Pangong Lake. The flag hoisting event ended with the national anthem as the handful of troops headed back to their camp on the banks of the 134-km lake. Chinese troops indulged in stone pelting after Indian soldiers prevented the People's Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers from crossing the Line of Control in the Pangong Tso (Lake) area. The ensuing stone pelting and clashes between the two forces left several Indian troops injured. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a soldier said, "This should not have happened. But at least we are prepared."
In the wake of such a confrontational atmosphere, the salt water lake strategically sandwiched between the Himalayas presents a picture of calm. DS Hooda, former commander of the Northern Army, said, "The region requires both brain and brawn. With oxygen depleting fast in the region, soldiers need to think quickly to handle the situation in the heat of the moment. A shouting match between the troops can otherwise end up in a shooting match and a bloodbath. The training, thus, is of extreme importance and the situation needs to be handled sensibly."
PLA TROOPS TRIED TO ENTER INDIA FROM 2 AREAS
The PLA troops "tried to enter the Indian side from two areas - Finger Four and Finger Five - twice between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m." on our Independence Day, but these incursion bids were successfully thwarted by the Indian border patrols. A local said, "We saw nothing, but we see the boats on the banks move. We hope nothing happens here, like in Chusul (another area of conflict)."
Tensions at the border are palpable as Army troops and vehicles take the crucial arterial road to Pangong. Both the Army and ITBP (Indo-Tibetan Border Police) have been tight-lipped. The Chinese Foreign Ministry has so far rejected overtures of peace by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Home Minister Rajnath Singh over the Doklam stand-off, which has not shown any signs of abating, despite attempts of peace by India. China is, on the other hand, escalating the issue, by further expanding its intrusion attempts into Pangong.
Speaking to India Today, Defence expert and Major General (retired) PK Sehgal said, "China has an important election coming up, which is important for President's ego. Chinese is rejecting all the overtures by India."
INDIA, CHINA SHARE 4,000-KM-LONG LAC BORDER
India and China share an over-4,000 km-long LAC (Line of Actual Control). China claims approximately 90,000 sq km of territory in Arunachal Pradesh besides 38,000 sq km in the Jammu and Kashmir sector. The recent visit of President Ramnath Kovind and Army chief Bipin Rawat to Ladakh is being seen as more than mere symbolism and a certain boost to the security forces' morale.
Another Defence expert Qamar Agha said, "Incursions in the entire region are taking place with Chinese PLA troops being deployed in crucial areas, as a result of which India has been forced to deploy its forces. There is already intense speculation both in India and China over whether PM Modi will attend the ninth BRICS Summit, scheduled to be held in Xiamen in China's Fujian province from September 3-5. But experts are of the view that PM Modi's visit could ultimately hold the trump card.
PM Modi may accept Suresh Prabhu's resignation ahead of Cabinet reshuffle
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi may accept Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu's resignation, who earlier today offered to quit over recent rail accidents in Uttar Pradesh. Sources in the government said Prabhu's resignation may be accepted ahead of the reshuffle of the Union Cabinet that the government is planning to announce shortly.
Suresh Prabhu, taking moral responsibility of a series of mishaps, in a series of tweets, said he met the Prime Minister, but was asked to wait before putting in papers. If sources are to be believed, Modi may accept Prabhu's resignation just before the Cabinet reshuffle.
"I met the Hon'ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi taking full moral responsibility. Hon'ble PM has asked me to wait. I am extremely pained by the unfortunate accidents, injuries to passengers and loss of precious lives. It has caused me deep anguish," Suresh Prabhu said in tweet. "In less than three years as minister, I have devoted my blood and sweat for the betterment of the Railways. New India envisioned by PM deserves a railways which is efficient and modern. I promise that is the path, on which railways is progressing now," Prabhu said on Twitter.
"Under leadership of PM, tried to overcome decades of neglect through systemic reforms in all areas leading to unprecedented investment and milestones," the minister added.
The development came hours after Railway Board chairman Ashok Mittal submitted his resignation to Suresh Prabhu on a day when Indian Railways witnessed yet another accident in Uttar Pradesh. Nine bogies of Kaifiyat Express derailed in Auraiya district early today injuring over 70 people.
Last week, 22 people were killed and dozens injured when Haridwar-bound Kalinga-Utkal Express jumped off tracks in Khatauli in Muzaffaragar district. Top railway officials were suspended after this accident which according to initial probe occurred due to negligence of concerned officials.
Suresh Prabhu's three year tenure has been marred with numerous rail accidents.
A timeline of some of the big rail accidents in the last few years:
January 22, 2017: Jagdalpur-Bhubaneshwar Express derailed near Kuneru station in Vizianagaram district of Andhra Pradesh. Forty one people were killed.
November 20, 2016: Indore-Patna Express derailed in Pukhrayan near Kanpur, killing 150 people and injuring another 150.
August 4, 2015: Two passenger trains, Kamayani Express and Janata Express, derailed in Madhya Pradesh. Thirty-one people were killed, and more than 100 were injured.
May 25, 2015: Rourkela-Jammu Tawi Muri Express derailed in Kaushambi district of Uttar Pradesh. Eight bogies of the train derailed, leaving five dead and more than 50 injured.
March 20, 2015: Dehradun-Varanasi Janata Express derailed in Rae Bareli, Uttar Pradesh. Death toll was 58, while more than 150 passengers were injured.
February 13, 2015: 10 people killed, nearly 150 injured when nine bogies of Bangalore-Ernakulam Intercity Express derailed on the outskirts of Bengaluru.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi may accept Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu's resignation, who earlier today offered to quit over recent rail accidents in Uttar Pradesh. Sources in the government said Prabhu's resignation may be accepted ahead of the reshuffle of the Union Cabinet that the government is planning to announce shortly.
Suresh Prabhu, taking moral responsibility of a series of mishaps, in a series of tweets, said he met the Prime Minister, but was asked to wait before putting in papers. If sources are to be believed, Modi may accept Prabhu's resignation just before the Cabinet reshuffle.
"I met the Hon'ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi taking full moral responsibility. Hon'ble PM has asked me to wait. I am extremely pained by the unfortunate accidents, injuries to passengers and loss of precious lives. It has caused me deep anguish," Suresh Prabhu said in tweet. "In less than three years as minister, I have devoted my blood and sweat for the betterment of the Railways. New India envisioned by PM deserves a railways which is efficient and modern. I promise that is the path, on which railways is progressing now," Prabhu said on Twitter.
"Under leadership of PM, tried to overcome decades of neglect through systemic reforms in all areas leading to unprecedented investment and milestones," the minister added.
The development came hours after Railway Board chairman Ashok Mittal submitted his resignation to Suresh Prabhu on a day when Indian Railways witnessed yet another accident in Uttar Pradesh. Nine bogies of Kaifiyat Express derailed in Auraiya district early today injuring over 70 people.
Last week, 22 people were killed and dozens injured when Haridwar-bound Kalinga-Utkal Express jumped off tracks in Khatauli in Muzaffaragar district. Top railway officials were suspended after this accident which according to initial probe occurred due to negligence of concerned officials.
Suresh Prabhu's three year tenure has been marred with numerous rail accidents.
A timeline of some of the big rail accidents in the last few years:
January 22, 2017: Jagdalpur-Bhubaneshwar Express derailed near Kuneru station in Vizianagaram district of Andhra Pradesh. Forty one people were killed.
November 20, 2016: Indore-Patna Express derailed in Pukhrayan near Kanpur, killing 150 people and injuring another 150.
August 4, 2015: Two passenger trains, Kamayani Express and Janata Express, derailed in Madhya Pradesh. Thirty-one people were killed, and more than 100 were injured.
May 25, 2015: Rourkela-Jammu Tawi Muri Express derailed in Kaushambi district of Uttar Pradesh. Eight bogies of the train derailed, leaving five dead and more than 50 injured.
March 20, 2015: Dehradun-Varanasi Janata Express derailed in Rae Bareli, Uttar Pradesh. Death toll was 58, while more than 150 passengers were injured.
February 13, 2015: 10 people killed, nearly 150 injured when nine bogies of Bangalore-Ernakulam Intercity Express derailed on the outskirts of Bengaluru.
Indus Water Treaty: Next round of Indo-Pak talks at World Bank in September
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Indo-Pak delegation on Indus waters are to meet again on September 14-15 at the World Bank headquarters in Washington DC. This would be the second round of talks between the two sides within a month. The two sides had met on August 2 and decided to meet again in September.
India and Pakistan were to continue talks on issues related to two of India's hydroelectricity projects under the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) at the World Bank headquarters after the meetings held in August.
The World Bank had said then that discussions between India and Pakistan over Kishanganga and Ratle hydroelectric power plants are ongoing. In a press statement after the August meeting, the World Bank had said, "The meetings earlier this week were held in a spirit of goodwill and cooperation. The parties have agreed to continue discussions and reconvene in September in Washington, DC".
India Today has learnt that the Indian delegation will be led by Water Resources secretary Amarjit Singh who would be accompanied by officials from ministries of external affairs and water resources.
Pakistan had approached World Bank last year, raising concerns over the designs of two hydroelectric projects located in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
On the other hand, India had asked for the appointment of a neutral expert to look into the issues, contending the concerns Pakistan raised were "technical" ones and demanding that the World Bank, which is the mediator between the two countries under the 57-year-old water distribution pact, set up a court of arbitration to look into its concerns.
India has been quite clear that the world body is only discussing technical aspects of the issue and this certainly does not amount to 'bilateral talks' between the two sides as the policy decision was drawn up by none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he said "Blood and water cannot flow together", at a meeting he chaired after India lost 19 soldiers to a terrorist attack on an army garrison in Uri.
Indo-Pak delegation on Indus waters are to meet again on September 14-15 at the World Bank headquarters in Washington DC. This would be the second round of talks between the two sides within a month. The two sides had met on August 2 and decided to meet again in September.
India and Pakistan were to continue talks on issues related to two of India's hydroelectricity projects under the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) at the World Bank headquarters after the meetings held in August.
The World Bank had said then that discussions between India and Pakistan over Kishanganga and Ratle hydroelectric power plants are ongoing. In a press statement after the August meeting, the World Bank had said, "The meetings earlier this week were held in a spirit of goodwill and cooperation. The parties have agreed to continue discussions and reconvene in September in Washington, DC".
India Today has learnt that the Indian delegation will be led by Water Resources secretary Amarjit Singh who would be accompanied by officials from ministries of external affairs and water resources.
Pakistan had approached World Bank last year, raising concerns over the designs of two hydroelectric projects located in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
On the other hand, India had asked for the appointment of a neutral expert to look into the issues, contending the concerns Pakistan raised were "technical" ones and demanding that the World Bank, which is the mediator between the two countries under the 57-year-old water distribution pact, set up a court of arbitration to look into its concerns.
India has been quite clear that the world body is only discussing technical aspects of the issue and this certainly does not amount to 'bilateral talks' between the two sides as the policy decision was drawn up by none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he said "Blood and water cannot flow together", at a meeting he chaired after India lost 19 soldiers to a terrorist attack on an army garrison in Uri.
Business Affairs
GST could increase cost benefits by 5% in 3 years: Retailers
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The implementation of goods and service tax (GST) could possibly increase overall benefits for retailers by up to 5 per cent over the next three years, according to the Retailers Association of India (RAI).
"GST could increase the overall cost benefit of retailers by up to 5 per cent over three years," Kumar Rajagopalan, chief executive officer of RAI, said.
"The single window tax will increase the ability to grow sales. Besides, any item can be shipped to any part of the country without the cascading impact of tax. This will in turn ensure availability of items to customers," he explained.
It is expected that supply chain efficiencies may drive in benefits to retailers, as they may not need to keep stocks in various places bringing down wastage, he said.
"Transition to GST for us has been good. We have held workshops to create awareness among suppliers and manufacturers. We didn't have any disturbances with our business continuity," S Kannan, chief financial officer of Arvind Lifestyle Brands, said.
He, however, indicated that as far as compliance goes, it was not up to the mark, which he said was not unexpected.
"Compliance with regards to filing of returns and documentation, there is up to 90 per cent compliance, though not up to the mark," he pointed out.
Kannan said retailers can avail of input credits with the effective GST tax rate that factors in all benefits. There is up to 25 per cent increase in logistics and delivery lead time.
"Over a period of time, factoring in input tax credit there could be a 1-2 per cent benefit to the cost base," he indicated.
Retailers can get input credit for various expenditures they were incurring so far. Earlier, things like service tax on rental, man power supplies house keeping, among others, could not get a set off. Now, with input tax credit, this could help increase sales and margins, said Arvind Vats of Spencer Retail.
"GST will being good cost savings impact to retail companies. Through input tax credit alone there could be 100- 200 basis points benefit for retail companies over the next year or so," Vats pointed out.
Retailers expressed other concerns like the transition period of six months to offload stocks, which they said, may not be enough for some sectors like jewellery and furniture.
The implementation of goods and service tax (GST) could possibly increase overall benefits for retailers by up to 5 per cent over the next three years, according to the Retailers Association of India (RAI).
"GST could increase the overall cost benefit of retailers by up to 5 per cent over three years," Kumar Rajagopalan, chief executive officer of RAI, said.
"The single window tax will increase the ability to grow sales. Besides, any item can be shipped to any part of the country without the cascading impact of tax. This will in turn ensure availability of items to customers," he explained.
It is expected that supply chain efficiencies may drive in benefits to retailers, as they may not need to keep stocks in various places bringing down wastage, he said.
"Transition to GST for us has been good. We have held workshops to create awareness among suppliers and manufacturers. We didn't have any disturbances with our business continuity," S Kannan, chief financial officer of Arvind Lifestyle Brands, said.
He, however, indicated that as far as compliance goes, it was not up to the mark, which he said was not unexpected.
"Compliance with regards to filing of returns and documentation, there is up to 90 per cent compliance, though not up to the mark," he pointed out.
Kannan said retailers can avail of input credits with the effective GST tax rate that factors in all benefits. There is up to 25 per cent increase in logistics and delivery lead time.
"Over a period of time, factoring in input tax credit there could be a 1-2 per cent benefit to the cost base," he indicated.
Retailers can get input credit for various expenditures they were incurring so far. Earlier, things like service tax on rental, man power supplies house keeping, among others, could not get a set off. Now, with input tax credit, this could help increase sales and margins, said Arvind Vats of Spencer Retail.
"GST will being good cost savings impact to retail companies. Through input tax credit alone there could be 100- 200 basis points benefit for retail companies over the next year or so," Vats pointed out.
Retailers expressed other concerns like the transition period of six months to offload stocks, which they said, may not be enough for some sectors like jewellery and furniture.
Govt says not banning Rs 2,000 notes; RBI to introduce Rs 200 notes by September
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Just days after introducing the new notes of Rs 50 denomination, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is all set to bring Rs 200 note in the circulation for the first time in history. The new Rs 200 note are likely to be put in circulation by the end of August or in the first week of September.
The Finance Ministry, in a Gazette notification, has confirmed that a new Rs 200 note will be issued by the Reserve Bank of India. In the notification, the Centre said that the Rs 200 note's specification was being done on the recommendation of the Central Board of Directors of the RBI.
"In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 24 of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 and on the recommendations of the Central Board of Directors of the Reserve Bank of India, the Central Government hereby specifies the denomination of bank notes of the value of two hundred rupees," an official government notification said.
The central bank's plan to add Rs 200 denomination note into circulation is expected be a big relief as it gets hard at times to find change for Rs 500 note. Currently, there is no denomination between Rs 100 and Rs 500, the introduction of Rs 200 note is likely to make cash transactions smoother.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday put all the rumours regarding demonetisation of Rs 2,000 notes to rest, saying that the government is not considering banning Rs 2,000 notes.
Rs 2,000 denomination notes were introduced last year in November when Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced demonetisation of high value currency notes to curb black money.
The government has given the go-ahead to the RBI to issue Rs 200 notes, a move that is aimed at easing the pressure on lower-denomination currency. "The whole process regarding by when the notes will be printed, RBI will take care of that issue. Thus, it would be appropriate for the RBI to announce about dates and related matters to the note printing," Jaitley said.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu had earlier asked the Centre to scrap the banknotes of Rs 2,000 and Rs 500 denomination to speed up digital payments.
"It was I who first demanded abolition of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes. Now, they brought Rs 2,000 and Rs 500 notes but they too should be scrapped," Naidu, who heads a panel of chief ministers on digital economy, had said.
Two Reserve Bank of India printing presses under Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran Private Limited - an RBI subsidiary that prints banknotes - from Mysore and Salboni are printing the new Rs 200 notes.
Just days after introducing the new notes of Rs 50 denomination, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is all set to bring Rs 200 note in the circulation for the first time in history. The new Rs 200 note are likely to be put in circulation by the end of August or in the first week of September.
The Finance Ministry, in a Gazette notification, has confirmed that a new Rs 200 note will be issued by the Reserve Bank of India. In the notification, the Centre said that the Rs 200 note's specification was being done on the recommendation of the Central Board of Directors of the RBI.
"In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 24 of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 and on the recommendations of the Central Board of Directors of the Reserve Bank of India, the Central Government hereby specifies the denomination of bank notes of the value of two hundred rupees," an official government notification said.
The central bank's plan to add Rs 200 denomination note into circulation is expected be a big relief as it gets hard at times to find change for Rs 500 note. Currently, there is no denomination between Rs 100 and Rs 500, the introduction of Rs 200 note is likely to make cash transactions smoother.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday put all the rumours regarding demonetisation of Rs 2,000 notes to rest, saying that the government is not considering banning Rs 2,000 notes.
Rs 2,000 denomination notes were introduced last year in November when Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced demonetisation of high value currency notes to curb black money.
The government has given the go-ahead to the RBI to issue Rs 200 notes, a move that is aimed at easing the pressure on lower-denomination currency. "The whole process regarding by when the notes will be printed, RBI will take care of that issue. Thus, it would be appropriate for the RBI to announce about dates and related matters to the note printing," Jaitley said.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu had earlier asked the Centre to scrap the banknotes of Rs 2,000 and Rs 500 denomination to speed up digital payments.
"It was I who first demanded abolition of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes. Now, they brought Rs 2,000 and Rs 500 notes but they too should be scrapped," Naidu, who heads a panel of chief ministers on digital economy, had said.
Two Reserve Bank of India printing presses under Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran Private Limited - an RBI subsidiary that prints banknotes - from Mysore and Salboni are printing the new Rs 200 notes.
Sensex closes 276 points higher; Infosys gains amid reports Nandan Nilekani may return as CEO
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The Sensex closed higher on Wednesday led by bank stocks amid mixed Asian markets. The benchmark index ended 276 points or 0.88 percent higher at 31,560 level.
The Nifty too rose 0.89 percent or 86.95 points to the 9852 level.
Market heavyweight Infosys recovered some ground amid reports that Nandan Nilekani is likely to return as the CEO and MD of the firm. Infosys co-founder Nilekani served as CEO of the firm from March 2002 to April 2007.
The stock closed nearly 2 percent or 17 points higher at 894 level.
Since August 18, the day Vishal Sikka resigned as CEO and MD, the Infosys stock has lost 14 percent or 126 points.
Infosys was the top stock in terms of turnover on the BSE. Infy shares worth Rs 18,901 lakh were traded with the stock seeing 47,758 trades today.
Fortis Healthcare came second on the BSE in terms of turnover amid reports that Rekha Jhunjhunwala, ace investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala's wife, has bought 45 lakh shares of the firm for an estimated Rs 60 crore through an open market transaction.
It saw Rs 9,147 lakh worth shares traded on the BSE. Number of trades in the stock rose to 22532.
The stock closed 7.70 percent or 11 points higher at 152 level.
Balkrishna Industries closed 7.61 percent or 112.55 points higher at 1591 level on the BSE after block deal of 6.6 lakh shares trade in three blocks on the BSE and NSE at Rs 1,490 per share.
Top gainers on the 30 stock Sensex were Adani Ports (2.79 percent), Bharti Airtel (2.41 percent) and Tata Steel 2.28 percent.
Hindustan Unilever (1.05 percent) fell the most on Sensex to 1188 level.
Banking stocks led the rally with the BSE Bankex rising 1.39 percent or 376.02 points higher at 27455.08 level.
The Bank Nifty index, which comprises the most liquid banking stocks listed on the NSE, closed 1.43 percent or 342 points higher at 24,316 level.
Market breadth was positive with 1,617 stocks closing higher against 962 ending lower on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, the Sensex rose 33 points to close at 31,291.85 after losing 537 points in previous two consecutive sessions. The 50-share NSE Nifty closed higher but failed to hold 9,800 level, up 11.20 points at 9,765.55.
Global Markets
European markets opened flat with Britain's FTSE 100 up 0.1 percent to 7,389.50. France's CAC 40 was down less than 0.1 percent to 5,128.49 and Germany's DAX fell 0.1 percent to 12,218.48. Futures augured a tepid start on Wall Street. S&P futures fell 0.2 percent while Dow futures slipped 0.1 percent.
Asian stock markets eked out small gains. Japan's Nikkei 225 gained 0.3 percent to 19,434.64 and South Korea's Kospi added 0.1 percent to 2,366.40. But the Shanghai Composite Index edged down 0.1 percent to 3,287.70. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.2 percent to 5,737.20. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index was closed due to a typhoon.
The Sensex closed higher on Wednesday led by bank stocks amid mixed Asian markets. The benchmark index ended 276 points or 0.88 percent higher at 31,560 level.
The Nifty too rose 0.89 percent or 86.95 points to the 9852 level.
Market heavyweight Infosys recovered some ground amid reports that Nandan Nilekani is likely to return as the CEO and MD of the firm. Infosys co-founder Nilekani served as CEO of the firm from March 2002 to April 2007.
The stock closed nearly 2 percent or 17 points higher at 894 level.
Since August 18, the day Vishal Sikka resigned as CEO and MD, the Infosys stock has lost 14 percent or 126 points.
Infosys was the top stock in terms of turnover on the BSE. Infy shares worth Rs 18,901 lakh were traded with the stock seeing 47,758 trades today.
Fortis Healthcare came second on the BSE in terms of turnover amid reports that Rekha Jhunjhunwala, ace investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala's wife, has bought 45 lakh shares of the firm for an estimated Rs 60 crore through an open market transaction.
It saw Rs 9,147 lakh worth shares traded on the BSE. Number of trades in the stock rose to 22532.
The stock closed 7.70 percent or 11 points higher at 152 level.
Balkrishna Industries closed 7.61 percent or 112.55 points higher at 1591 level on the BSE after block deal of 6.6 lakh shares trade in three blocks on the BSE and NSE at Rs 1,490 per share.
Top gainers on the 30 stock Sensex were Adani Ports (2.79 percent), Bharti Airtel (2.41 percent) and Tata Steel 2.28 percent.
Hindustan Unilever (1.05 percent) fell the most on Sensex to 1188 level.
Banking stocks led the rally with the BSE Bankex rising 1.39 percent or 376.02 points higher at 27455.08 level.
The Bank Nifty index, which comprises the most liquid banking stocks listed on the NSE, closed 1.43 percent or 342 points higher at 24,316 level.
Market breadth was positive with 1,617 stocks closing higher against 962 ending lower on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, the Sensex rose 33 points to close at 31,291.85 after losing 537 points in previous two consecutive sessions. The 50-share NSE Nifty closed higher but failed to hold 9,800 level, up 11.20 points at 9,765.55.
Global Markets
European markets opened flat with Britain's FTSE 100 up 0.1 percent to 7,389.50. France's CAC 40 was down less than 0.1 percent to 5,128.49 and Germany's DAX fell 0.1 percent to 12,218.48. Futures augured a tepid start on Wall Street. S&P futures fell 0.2 percent while Dow futures slipped 0.1 percent.
Asian stock markets eked out small gains. Japan's Nikkei 225 gained 0.3 percent to 19,434.64 and South Korea's Kospi added 0.1 percent to 2,366.40. But the Shanghai Composite Index edged down 0.1 percent to 3,287.70. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.2 percent to 5,737.20. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index was closed due to a typhoon.
Maruti Suzuki sales grow 21% in July to 1,65,346 units
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India's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) today posted a 20.6 per cent rise in total sales in July at 1,65,346 units as against 1,37,116 in the same month last year.
This is its highest-ever monthly sales. The previous best was in April this year when the company had sold 1,44,492 units.
The company's domestic sales increased 22.4 per cent during the month to 1,54,001 units as against 1,25,778 in July 2016.
Last month, sales of mini segment cars, including Alto and WagonR, went up 20.7 per cent to 42,310 units, from 35,051 in the year-ago month, MSI said in a statement.
Sales of the compact segment comprising Swift, Estilo, Dzire, Baleno and Ignis increased 25.3 per cent to 63,116 units in July this year as against 50,362 in the same month last year.
Similarly, sales of mid-sized sedan Ciaz registered a growth of 23.5 per cent at 6,377 units during the month. Sales of utility vehicles, including Ertiga, S-Cross and Vitara Brezza, surged 48.3 per cent to 25,781 units in July this year from 17,382 in the corresponding month last year.
Sales of vans -- Omni and Eeco -- increased 6.6 per cent to 15,714 units last month compared to 14,748 in the same period of the previous year. Exports during the month rose marginally to 11,345 units compared to 11,338 in July last year, MSI said.
India's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) today posted a 20.6 per cent rise in total sales in July at 1,65,346 units as against 1,37,116 in the same month last year.
This is its highest-ever monthly sales. The previous best was in April this year when the company had sold 1,44,492 units.
The company's domestic sales increased 22.4 per cent during the month to 1,54,001 units as against 1,25,778 in July 2016.
Last month, sales of mini segment cars, including Alto and WagonR, went up 20.7 per cent to 42,310 units, from 35,051 in the year-ago month, MSI said in a statement.
Sales of the compact segment comprising Swift, Estilo, Dzire, Baleno and Ignis increased 25.3 per cent to 63,116 units in July this year as against 50,362 in the same month last year.
Similarly, sales of mid-sized sedan Ciaz registered a growth of 23.5 per cent at 6,377 units during the month. Sales of utility vehicles, including Ertiga, S-Cross and Vitara Brezza, surged 48.3 per cent to 25,781 units in July this year from 17,382 in the corresponding month last year.
Sales of vans -- Omni and Eeco -- increased 6.6 per cent to 15,714 units last month compared to 14,748 in the same period of the previous year. Exports during the month rose marginally to 11,345 units compared to 11,338 in July last year, MSI said.
Bharti Airtel stock hits fresh 52-week high after 6 lakh new subscribers join in July
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The Bharti Airtel stock rose on Wednesday after data showed the Sunil Bharti Mittal-led firm added 6 lakh new users in July 2017.
The stock rose up to 3 per cent, hitting a fresh 52-week high of 433.70 on the BSE. At 1427 hours, the Airtel stock was trading 1.84 percent higher at 429.40 level.
It closed 2.41 percent higher on the BSE.
The stock is up 40.58 percent or 123.65 points since the beginning of this year. On an yearly basis, the stock rose 21 percent or 74.3 points on the BSE.
The Bharti Airtel stock is likely to gain more ground on launch of its 4G smartphone at Rs 2500 before Diwali this year. The new device could be launched to counter the Jio Phone at Rs 1500 bookings for which would open tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Idea Cellular and Vodafone, lost 43.7 lakh customers in July 2017, data published by industry body COAI showed. Total mobile customer base of five COAI members that include Aircel and Telenor declined by 37.74 lakh to 82.6 crore in July from 83 crore at the end of June. The subscriber base of Bharti Airtel reached 28.12 crore in July.
Idea lost the most 23 lakh customers in the month, followed by Vodafone that lost 13.89 lakh customers. Aircel lost 3.91 lakh and Telenor 2.75 lakh customers. UP (East) circle remained at the top with over 8.41 crore subscribers.
It was followed by Maharashtra circle with a total of 7.87 crore mobile subscribers. Bihar was a close third with total 7.62 crore subscribers. Maharashtra and UP East led in the number of new additions with 5.1 lakh and 4.7 lakh new subscribers respectively, the report said.
The Bharti Airtel stock rose on Wednesday after data showed the Sunil Bharti Mittal-led firm added 6 lakh new users in July 2017.
The stock rose up to 3 per cent, hitting a fresh 52-week high of 433.70 on the BSE. At 1427 hours, the Airtel stock was trading 1.84 percent higher at 429.40 level.
It closed 2.41 percent higher on the BSE.
The stock is up 40.58 percent or 123.65 points since the beginning of this year. On an yearly basis, the stock rose 21 percent or 74.3 points on the BSE.
The Bharti Airtel stock is likely to gain more ground on launch of its 4G smartphone at Rs 2500 before Diwali this year. The new device could be launched to counter the Jio Phone at Rs 1500 bookings for which would open tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Idea Cellular and Vodafone, lost 43.7 lakh customers in July 2017, data published by industry body COAI showed. Total mobile customer base of five COAI members that include Aircel and Telenor declined by 37.74 lakh to 82.6 crore in July from 83 crore at the end of June. The subscriber base of Bharti Airtel reached 28.12 crore in July.
Idea lost the most 23 lakh customers in the month, followed by Vodafone that lost 13.89 lakh customers. Aircel lost 3.91 lakh and Telenor 2.75 lakh customers. UP (East) circle remained at the top with over 8.41 crore subscribers.
It was followed by Maharashtra circle with a total of 7.87 crore mobile subscribers. Bihar was a close third with total 7.62 crore subscribers. Maharashtra and UP East led in the number of new additions with 5.1 lakh and 4.7 lakh new subscribers respectively, the report said.
General Awareness
Government announced list of awardees of National Sports Awards – 2017
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On August 22, 2017 Our Government announced the list of awardees of National Sports Awards 2017. National Sports Awards are distributed every year to recognize excellence in sports.
Selection Committee for Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award and Arjuna Awards was headed by Justice C.K. Thakkar. Selection Committee for Dronacharya Awards and Dhyan Chand Awards was headed by Shri Pullela Gopichand.
Types of National Sports Awards:-
- Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award is given outstanding performance in the field of sports by a sportsperson over a period of four year.
- Arjuna Award is for consistency outstanding performance for four years
- Dronacharya Award for coaches for producing medal winners at International sports events.
- Dhyan Chand Award for life time contribution to sports development.
The awardees will be received their awards from the President of India at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on August 29, 2017.
Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Awardee will receive a cash prize of Rs. 7.5 lakh. Arjuna, Dronacharya and Dhyan Chand Awardees will received statuettes, certificates and cash prize of Rs. 5 lakh each.
Name of Awardees selected for National sports award 2017
(i) Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna 2017
Name of the Awardee Fields Shri Devendra Para Athlete Shri Sardar Singh Hockey
(ii) Dronacharya Awards 2017
Name of the Awardee Fields Late Dr. R. Gandhi Athletics Mr. Heera Nand Kataria Kabaddi Mr. G.S.S.V. Prasad Badminton (Lifetime) Mr. Brij Bhushan Mohanty Boxing (Lifetime) Mr. P.A. Raphel Hockey (Lifetime) Mr. Sanjoy Chakraverthy Shooting (Lifetime) Mr. Roshan Lal Wrestling (Lifetime
(iii) Dhyan Chand Award
Name of the Awardee Fields Mr. Bhupender Singh Athletics Mr. Syed Shahid Hakim Football Ms. Sumarai Tete Hockey
(iv) Arjuna Awards 2017
Name of the Awardees Fields Ms. V.J. Surekha Archery Ms. Khushbir Kaur Athletics Mr. Arokia Rajiv Athletics Ms. Prasanthi Singh Basketball Sub. LaishramDebendro Singh Boxing Mr. CheteshwarPujara Cricket Ms. Harmanpreet Kaur Cricket Ms. OinamBembem Devi Football Mr. S.S.P. Chawrasia Golf Mr. S.V. Sunil Hockey Mr. Jasvir Singh Kabaddi Mr. P. N. Prakash Shooting Mr. A. Amalraj Table Tennis Mr. SakethMyneni Tennis Mr. SatyawartKadian Wrestling Mr. Mariyappan Para-Athlete Mr. Varun Singh Bhati Para-Athlete
On August 22, 2017 Our Government announced the list of awardees of National Sports Awards 2017. National Sports Awards are distributed every year to recognize excellence in sports.
Selection Committee for Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award and Arjuna Awards was headed by Justice C.K. Thakkar. Selection Committee for Dronacharya Awards and Dhyan Chand Awards was headed by Shri Pullela Gopichand.
Types of National Sports Awards:-
Types of National Sports Awards:-
- Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award is given outstanding performance in the field of sports by a sportsperson over a period of four year.
- Arjuna Award is for consistency outstanding performance for four years
- Dronacharya Award for coaches for producing medal winners at International sports events.
- Dhyan Chand Award for life time contribution to sports development.
The awardees will be received their awards from the President of India at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on August 29, 2017.
Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Awardee will receive a cash prize of Rs. 7.5 lakh. Arjuna, Dronacharya and Dhyan Chand Awardees will received statuettes, certificates and cash prize of Rs. 5 lakh each.
Name of Awardees selected for National sports award 2017
Name of Awardees selected for National sports award 2017
(i) Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna 2017
| Name of the Awardee | Fields |
| Shri Devendra | Para Athlete |
| Shri Sardar Singh | Hockey |
(ii) Dronacharya Awards 2017
| Name of the Awardee | Fields |
| Late Dr. R. Gandhi | Athletics |
| Mr. Heera Nand Kataria | Kabaddi |
| Mr. G.S.S.V. Prasad | Badminton (Lifetime) |
| Mr. Brij Bhushan Mohanty | Boxing (Lifetime) |
| Mr. P.A. Raphel | Hockey (Lifetime) |
| Mr. Sanjoy Chakraverthy | Shooting (Lifetime) |
| Mr. Roshan Lal | Wrestling (Lifetime |
(iii) Dhyan Chand Award
| Name of the Awardee | Fields |
| Mr. Bhupender Singh | Athletics |
| Mr. Syed Shahid Hakim | Football |
| Ms. Sumarai Tete | Hockey |
(iv) Arjuna Awards 2017
| Name of the Awardees | Fields |
| Ms. V.J. Surekha | Archery |
| Ms. Khushbir Kaur | Athletics |
| Mr. Arokia Rajiv | Athletics |
| Ms. Prasanthi Singh | Basketball |
| Sub. LaishramDebendro Singh | Boxing |
| Mr. CheteshwarPujara | Cricket |
| Ms. Harmanpreet Kaur | Cricket |
| Ms. OinamBembem Devi | Football |
| Mr. S.S.P. Chawrasia | Golf |
| Mr. S.V. Sunil | Hockey |
| Mr. Jasvir Singh | Kabaddi |
| Mr. P. N. Prakash | Shooting |
| Mr. A. Amalraj | Table Tennis |
| Mr. SakethMyneni | Tennis |
| Mr. SatyawartKadian | Wrestling |
| Mr. Mariyappan | Para-Athlete |
| Mr. Varun Singh Bhati | Para-Athlete |
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