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<ul><li>Governor Vajubhai Vala has given fresh deadline till 6 pm for HDK to prove majority. </li><li>Karnataka assembly has resumed after it was adjourned till 3 pm. </li><li>BJP President says that the trust vote might not be held today. </li><li>Karnataka legislative assembly is continuously being adjourned amid BJP’s demand for trust vote. </li><li>Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy said that he will move to the Supreme Court against the Governor’s order. </li></ul>The governor of Karnataka gave a fresh deadline to the ruling government to prove it majority by 6 pm. The CM H D Kumaraswamy has been exhaustively delaying the process, hanging on to power. BJP President Siddaramaiah had earlier said that the trust vote probably won’t be held today. The assembly has resumed after it was adjourned till 3 pm, with no progress on the much awaited trust vote. Kumaraswamy said today that he will move to the Supreme Court against the vote. Governor Vala had earlier directed the Speaker to hold the trust vote by 1:30 pm today. Also, the Congress state President was seen heading to the Supreme Court, possibly delaying it further. Kumaraswamy said, “It (trust vote) is crucial and cannot be completed by 1:30 pm. This needs to be discussed.” The opposition, BJP, has been alleging that the ruling party is delaying it, as it does not have the requisite majority. They had also staged an overnight protest by ‘sleeping’ in the Assembly. Governor is interfering: Cong JD(S) spokesman Ramesh Babu said that the CM’s counsel will move the Supreme Court today for a stay on the Governor's Thursday’s order asking him to prove majority by the deadline. “The Governor is interfering in the workings of the Legislative Assembly, which is the domain of the Speaker under the provisions of the Constitution,” Babu said. Congress-JD(S) alliance is to petition on the basis that CM Kumaraswamy had moved the confidence motion in the house on Thursday and the debate had started and so setting a deadline should be stayed by the court. In the meanwhile, one of the Congress MLAs Shreemant Patil is admitted in a hospital in Mumbai, after he complained of chest pains. Yesterday, Congress alleged that BJP has kidnapped them. Delayed Trust The trust vote which was supposed to happen yesterday, was relentlessly delayed by the ruling Congress-JD(S) coalition which might be facing an end of its run. Kumaraswamy will have to prove that his government has majority to carry on, as MLAs have been leaving his fold. BJP party members had staged an overnight dharna or protest over the delay of trust vote. Accusations, speeches and allegations between both Congress and BJP managed to delay the vote, yesterday. Finally, the state’s Governor wrote a letter to CM Kumaraswamy regarding the trust vote after senior BJP MLAs met him at the Raj Bhawan. The case of a kidnapped legislator Yesterday, the Speaker had refused to conduct the trust vote amid allegations by the Congress against the BJP for kidnapping its MLA Shreemant Patil, who had decided to take his resignation back. Speaker Ramesh Kumar had asked home minister MB Patil to give a detailed report of Shreemant after talking to his family. The Speaker said that he had received a letter in this regard named in Patil’s name, saying he would abstain from coming to the house due to health related issues. However, the Speaker asked the present Home Minister of Karnataka, MB Patil to contact Shreemath Pati’s family and give a detailed report by tomorrow. “What kind of a Speaker would I be if I proceed with a document which has no date or letterhead,” said K R Ramesh Kumar. The house was disrupted throughout the day on the issue of trust vote and when it was finally adjourned till today, BJP announced a night long strike in the assembly itself till the voting was not done. “We are demanding voting on the motion but the chief minister is reluctant to take it up as he has confirmed himself that he has lost confidence of the House and the people. Everybody knows Congress-JD(S) coalition has only 98 MLAs, we have 105,” said B S Yeddyurappa, BJP party president. Crisis mode The Karnataka state government went into a crisis mode earlier this month, after 16 of its MLAs from both the parties of the coalition government resigned. For the last two weeks, the political crisis in the state raged on, as Speaker of the Assembly refused to accept them, taking them to court. One of the rebel MLAs, Roshan Baig was also detained at Bengaluru airport and questioned, as he was stopped from taking a chartered flight, a few days back.

Karnataka Governor sets another deadline at 6 pm for Kumaraswamy to prove majority

<keyword id="1575" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Congress">Congress</keyword> members on Wednesday raised in both Houses of Parliament the alleged tracking of over 10,000 prominent Indian individuals and organisations by a Chinese technology company and asked the government to build an "impregnable firewall" to deal with the "<keyword id="9949853" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="digital-aggression">digital aggression</keyword>" by the neighbouring country. Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu asked the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs to inform the minister concerned to "see what can be done and find out the veracity also", after Congress members, K C Venugopal and Rajiv Satav expressed concern over a media report in this regard, during the Zero Hour. Leader of Congress in <keyword id="6355187" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="lok-sabha">Lok Sabha</keyword> Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said China has been behind the spread of coronavirus, physical aggression in Ladakh and now "digital aggression". "We are in clutches of China. Is the government not aware of it?...Our national security is being shattered," Chowdhury said while raising the issue during the question hour in the Lower House. He requested IT Minister <keyword id="6354886" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ravi-Shankar-Prasad">Ravi Shankar Prasad</keyword> to build an "impregnable firewall to resist the new menace". His party colleague Suresh Kodikunnil too raised the issue. Earlier in the day, Congress members Venugopal and Satav took up the issue during the Zero Hour in the Upper House. "I would like to invite the attention of this House through you Chairman, a shocking news which is related to national security and privacy of Indian citizens," Venugopal said. He said the Indian Express has reported that a Shenzen-based technology company with links to the Chinese government, and the Chinese Communist Party, is tracking over 10,000 Indian individuals and organisations in its global database of foreign targets. "This includes...very shocking, the President of India also, you the Vice President of India, the Prime Minister of India and the opposition leaders, including Congress President, Chief Ministers, MPs, army chief, and industrialists," Venugopal said. The Chinese company has also collected the database of bureaucrats in key positions, judges, scientists, academicians, journalists, actors, sportspersons, religious figures and activists, he added. "This is a major area of concern. I would like to know from the government whether it has taken note of it. If so, what action has been taken," Venugopal asked. The Congress leader also charged that the government was not answering and discussing reports regarding Chinese intrusion in border areas. Echoing his views, Satav said this is a very serious issue. "The government should clarify. The truth should come out. How can a Chinese company spy on prominent people," Satav said. To this, Naidu asked the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs to take note of the matter. "It has appeared prominently. So inform the minister concerned and see what can be done and find out the veracity also," the Rajya Sabha Chairman said. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/policy/economy/news/rbi-governor-shaktikanta-das-speech-highlights-on-16-september-2020/articleshow/78143035.cms">RBI Governor highlights five key areas that will determine India's growth in the post-COVID world</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/gadgets/news/apple-watch-series-6-ipad-air-ipad-8-and-apple-one-will-be-available-in-india/slidelist/78141813.cms">Apple Watch Series 6, iPad Air, iPad 8, and Apple One will be available in India — here’s how much they cost</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/amid-india-china-standoff-tencent-is-back-with-an-investment-in-flipkart/articleshow/78140794.cms">Amid India-China standoff, Tencent is back with an investment in Flipkart</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/-indias-surging-covid-19-infections-is-testing-the-health-infra-once-again/articleshow/78143000.cms">India’s surging COVID-19 infections is testing the health infra once again — beds added during lockdown aren’t enough</a>

Congress asks for an 'impregnable firewall' to defend against China's 'digital aggression' in Parliament

Starting August 5 and for the following 10 days, Delhi’s Tihar jail will have the sort of visitors who generally find themselves working in very different circumstances. They’ll be coming to see Sahara chief Subrata Roy, who’s trying to raise Rs 10,000 crore as a get-out-of-jail card by selling or mortgaging real estate assets. 
 So how is Tihar preparing for this unusual event? A large 30x18 ft conference room with an attached bathroom and a 12x12 ft annexe inside the <keyword id="2456860" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tihar-court">Tihar court</keyword> complex are being readied for Roy and two Sahara directors, Ashok Roy Choudhary and <keyword id="709634" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ravi-Shankar-Dubey">Ravi Shankar Dubey</keyword>, who are also lodged in the same prison. 
 
Jail authorities have sent a letter to Delhi Lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung to notify the conference room as a special jail but with certain relaxations — phones and laptops, WiFi connectivity and visitors from 6 am to 8 pm on all days except Sundays and gazetted holidays. 
 The <keyword id="31906" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sahara-group">Sahara Group</keyword> will pay for the privileges. The room, which is used for confidential meetings and press briefings by the directorgeneral of prisons, has a 52-inch TV for making presentations, video-conferencing and a table that seats 25. 
 
It also has wood-paneled walls and is fully air-conditioned. 
 
Visitors coming to meet Roy to be frisked 
 
All Visitors Coming to meet Roy to be Frisked Roy’s guests — corporate bigwigs, investors, top lawyers, merchant bankers, et al — will get vegetarian meals, snacks and tea prepared in the jail canteen, which is manned by a few longtime inmates. All visitors will be subject to frisking. 
 
The Sahara chief has been in Tihar jail since March over the issue of refunds to investors in a financial instrument issued by two group companies in violation of norms. The Securities and Exchange Board of India says Sahara has to pay more than Rs 37,000 crore by way of the refund amount and interest. 
 While Sahara says it has already paid much of the money that is due, the <keyword id="6354977" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Supreme-Court">Supreme Court</keyword> has told Roy that he needs to raise Rs 5,000 crore in cash and Rs 5,000 crore by way of bank guarantees to get bail. 
 
The Sahara boss and the two directors are currently housed in a section for inmates above 60. As with other parts of the jail, no cellphones and laptops are allowed and jammers restrict all forms of electronic communications. That’s why Roy and his team need to be relocated. “We can’t switch off the jammers just for one person. It will send a wrong message to others. It could become a precedent of sorts if we allow him privileges inside the jail and other inmates might start asking for similar things then,” said a senior jail official, who did not want to be named. 
 The court order permits Roy and his team to conduct business meetings and negotiations in the designated area. The most valuable properties on the Sahara list are its three international hotels — Grosvenor House Hotel in London and <keyword id="999813" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="The-Plaza">The Plaza</keyword> and Dream Downtown Hotel in New York. 
 
ET reported last month that those looking to buy the properties include the Poonawalla family based in Pune, an investor group linked to the Qatar royal family and Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei. 
 
The Poonawallas have made an offer of £550 million for the London property. One of the world’s largest luxury property investors Madison has offered $800 million for Sahara’s New York hotels. 
 
The terms under which Sahara has been allowed to set up the deal room are listed in the affidavit filed by Rajesh Kumar, superintendent of Central Jail No 3 at Tihar. 
 
“They will have to submit a list of visitors to the superintendent in advance. Confidentiality will be maintained,” said the jail official cited above. 
 
In his affidavit, Kumar had also suggested a second option — a guest house at the new residential complex, which is a type V government accommodation with three double rooms, a single room and two toilets — but the conference facility was found more suitable to conduct business. The conference room is within the Tihar court complex, which usually convenes once a month to deal with petty offences. 
 
“It already is a secure place. There is one common entry and exit point that will be monitored by CCTV cameras,” said another official aware of the planning. 
 
Roy and the two directors will stay at the annexe attached to the conference room and will be free to conduct business through the night considering that they will be dealing predominantly with people in the US and Europe. However, secretarial staff will only be allowed at visiting hours. 
 
Tihar jail is a 200-acre facility, the largest prison complex in South Asia, and has different wards for different types of inmates — firsttimers, hardcore criminals and those over 60. Roy and the two directors are housed in a single room in the over-60 block where there are regular medical check-ups and sevadars to take care of prisoners’ basic needs. 
 For health reasons, Roy sometimes asks for khichdi from the jail canteen for which he pays, said the <keyword id="2456859" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="first-jail-official">first jail official</keyword> cited above. He sticks to himself for the most part and is usually meditating on his own, the person said.

Tihar Turns Business Centre For Sahara Chief Subrata Roy's Asset Sale Talks

<ul class="summary-list"><li>New Jersey is one of the last states in the US with powerful party bosses and political machines.</li><li>A key part of that machinery is the Garden State's unusual ballot design.</li></ul>New Jersey is one of the last places in the country where the phrases "party boss" and "political machine" don't just harken back to a bygone era, but describe a present-day reality.In the Garden State, getting the endorsement of local party organizations — a process often controlled by political insiders — can make or break a primary campaign, thanks in large part to the way ballots are designed.But that could all change forever, thanks to a lawsuit filed two months ago by <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/menendez-andy-kim-new-jersey-democratic-senate-primary-bribery-charges-2023-9">Rep. Andy Kim</a>, the all-but-certain Democratic nominee for Senate in the deep-blue state.At the end of March, a federal judge sided with Kim, blocking Democrats from using the so-called "county line" system in the state's upcoming June primaries. That's set to bring a stark change to the way ballots look — and potentially, a total overhaul in the state's political culture.Here's what to know about the "county line" and why it may be going away for good.<h2>How the 'county line' steers votes</h2>49 states use so-called "office-block ballots," in which candidates are simply listed beneath the name of the office they're seeking, without any sort of preferential placement.That's not how ballots look in most of New Jersey.<div type="image" title="&quot;Office block&quot; ballots from Nevada and Delaware." height="834" width="1438" msid="109668635" hostid="261" sizebytes="74318"></div>In all but two of the state's 21 counties (Salem and Sussex), local party organizations are able to place all of their endorsed candidates in a single row or column. If you're not endorsed by the party, your name may appear somewhere off to the side, sometimes referred to as "Ballot Siberia."You can see it in the example ballot from the 2020 Democratic primary below — Sen. Bernie Sanders is way off to the side, while then-candidate Joe Biden is on the same row as all of the other party-endorsed candidates.Now, you may be thinking to yourself: Okay, but how does that help cement party control? There's nothing stopping anyone from voting for a candidate who doesn't show up on the line.<div type="image" title="A 2020 Democratic primary ballot in Mercer County, New Jersey." height="932" width="1438" msid="109668639" hostid="261" sizebytes="67254"></div>It's true that nothing's stopping people from voting for candidates that don't appear on the line. But it's a psychologically powerful tool, especially in elections where voters may not know very much about the candidates they're electing.As Kim's lawsuit argues, candidates not endorsed by the party are "harder to find on the ballot, harder to know who they are running against and/or for what office, and may otherwise appear less legitimate on the ballot than the county line candidates."Kim and his co-plaintiffs also provided proof in the form of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.njpp.org/publications/report/does-the-county-line-matter-an-analysis-of-new-jerseys-2020-primary-election-results/">academic research</a> showing that candidates earned double-digit advantages when they ran on "the line," and that incumbents running on the line have almost never lost in recent decades.<h2>It all began with Bob Menendez's gold bars and the short-lived primary to succeed him</h2>In September, long-serving Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez was indicted by federal prosecutors in the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bob-menendez-indictment-cash-hidden-clothing-envelopes-bribery-2023-9">most cartoonish scandal one could imagine</a>: being accused of accepting bribes in the form of literal gold bars.<div type="image" title="Menendez outside of federal court in New York City last month." height="1333" width="1777" msid="109668642" hostid="261" sizebytes="111056"></div>Menendez's political career effectively came to an end overnight, and Kim launched a campaign for his Senate seat just days after the indictment.But Kim quickly became locked in a tough, personal <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tammy-murphy-new-jersey-abolishing-senate-filibuster-2024-1">primary with Tammy Murphy</a>, the wife of Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy. Because of the power the governor wields over local officials, Tammy Murphy was expected to earn the endorsement of most county party organizations, putting Kim at a disadvantage when it came to the ballot.That's what led the congressman to file his <a target="_blank" href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/24609834/kim_v_hanlon.pdf">lawsuit</a> in February, arguing that the system violated the US Constitution. US District Judge Zahid Quraishi ultimately agreed with Kim and issued a preliminary injunction blocking the system's use in the upcoming primary.<div type="image" title="Rep. Andy Kim and New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy." height="1500" width="2000" msid="109668645" hostid="261" sizebytes="163082"></div>Murphy later dropped out of the race, all but assuring that Kim will win the Democratic nomination on June 4 and likely be elected to the US Senate in November.The judge's decision, which applies only to Democratic ballots in the upcoming primary, has been upheld by a federal appeals court — and it signals that the old county line system is likely to be invalidated in future elections as another years-old lawsuit against the line continues to play out.<h2>How the change could affect New Jersey politics in the coming years</h2>While the decision means little for Kim at this point — he no longer has a major opponent — it could have a significant impact on other races in New Jersey, both this year and in the future.Among them is a Democratic House primary between Menendez's son — Rep. Rob Menendez — and Ravi Bhalla, the mayor of Hoboken.Proponents of the county line system have argued that it allows the party to serve an important gate-keeping function, keeping out ideologically extreme candidates who may lack institutional support.Detractors point out that the system is anti-democratic, while arguing that it contributes to a culture of in which party bosses and the political establishment wield undue — and even corrupt — power."These ballot dynamics have predictable downstream effects that encourage backroom dealings and soft corruption, and they directly threaten election integrity, public confidence in our elections, and the fundamental premise of representative government," Kim's lawsuit argued.In its absence, New Jersey's elections could begin to resemble those of other states."I think you'll see a more candidate-centric politics," said Jersey City Councilman James Solomon, a longtime opponent of the county-line system. "I think there are folks [in elected office in New Jersey] who have genuinely never run a real campaign. They've never had to raise money, they've never had to do field, they've never had to do comms."

This state is one of the last strongholds for machine politics. That's about to change.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>While traffic deaths are way up across the country, Hoboken, New Jersey, has managed to go years without one.</li><li>The mayor and head of transportation credit a slew of road improvements and policy changes.</li></ul><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vehicle-related-deaths-increase-car-safety-pedestrians-cyclists-2023-9">American roads have gotten a lot more dangerous</a> in recent years.Between 2019 and 2022, traffic fatalities jumped 18%, with pedestrian deaths hitting a 40-year high in 2021, according to data from the Governors Highway Safety Association. Authorities blame the increased fatalities on speeding, impaired driving, and people not wearing seatbelts.But one New Jersey city is bucking the trend. In Hoboken, local leaders have invested in a concerted effort to cut road deaths — and it's working. The city hasn't had a single traffic death since January 2017, and traffic injuries have declined about 40% in that period, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2023-11-20/this-new-jersey-mayor-ended-traffic-deaths-with-a-vision-zero-plan?utm_medium=social&amp;utm_content=citylab&amp;utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_campaign=socialflow-organic">Bloomberg reported</a>.Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla, who was elected in 2017, started the city's Vision Zero effort in 2019. The project has an ambitious goal of eliminating all traffic deaths and injuries n the city by 2030.Hoboken has since pursued a slew of measures to calm traffic, and design roads and intersections to promote safety, while encouraging residents to bike, walk, or take public transit.Hoboken lowered its speed limit to 20 mph citywide in 2022. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propublica.org/article/unsafe-at-many-speeds">Research has found</a> that the speed a vehicle is traveling at when it hits a pedestrian has a significant impact on how deadly the accident is. While a pedestrian who's hit by a car traveling at 20 mph has a 93% rate of survival, the survival rate drops to 80% when the vehicle is going 30 mph. Both death and injury rates continue to rise as speeds climb above 30 mph.The city has also installed new crosswalks, bike lanes, and curb extensions, which prevent cars from parking or turning right next to the corners of sidewalks at intersections. Known as "daylighting," these curb extensions provide more visibility to pedestrians and drivers at crosswalks.Bhalla introduced Citi Bike — the popular bike-sharing program — in 2021, and Hoboken now has bike lanes on almost half of its streets.The idea behind Hoboken's Vision Zero is to make its streets less car-focused, and more welcoming and accessible to all kinds of transport, Bhalla told Bloomberg CityLab.The improvements start out simple — sometimes all that's required is a little sidewalk paint, he said. Sturdier and more expensive road alterations come later."Just with a bucket of paint, you can actually create a curb extension; you can create high visibility crosswalks, which create a much safer environment at a very cheap cost," Bhalla said. "And then when you do the next iteration of repaving, you can really amplify and increase on those improvements that you've made."Hoboken began by piloting these changes and then polled residents, who supported the movement."The goal was to make complete streets components as fundamental as a centerline or an ADA ramp," Hoboken's director of transportation and parking, Ryan Sharp, <a target="_blank" href="https://bikeportland.org/2023/04/26/hoboken-leader-shares-secret-sauce-for-vision-zero-success-373939">said</a> at a transportation summit in April.As additions like bike lanes have grown in popularity, city council members who initially opposed them have changed their tune, Sharp said.

A New Jersey city hasn't had a single traffic death in almost 7 years. Here's why.

<keyword id="58371" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Udhayanidhi-Stalin" source="Orion">Udhayanidhi Stalin</keyword>, <keyword id="15780289" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="son-of-Chief-Minister-M-K-Stalin" source="Orion">son of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin</keyword> was sworn-in as a minister in his father's cabinet on Wednesday. <keyword id="20154" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tamil-nadu" source="Orion">Tamil Nadu</keyword> Governor R.N. Ravi administered the oath office to him. The swearing-in ceremony was held at Durbar Hall and was attended by several dignitaries. All senior ministers of the <keyword id="60930" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="stalin" source="Orion">Stalin</keyword> cabinet were present during the ceremony. The junior Stalin took the oath of office in Tamil. Udhayanidhi will be the third generation from the Karunanidhi family to become a minister in Tamil Nadu after his late grandfather 'Kalaignar' Karunanidhi and father M.K. Stalin. Udhayanidhi, a movie actor and producer was elected from the Chepauk Assembly constituency which was represented by his late grandfather, Kalaignar Karunanidhi in the 2021 Assembly elections with a huge majority. The young scion of the Karunanidhi family is likely to get the Sports and Youth Affairs portfolio along with the portfolio of programme implementation. With Tamil Nadu moving ahead in implementing several sports hubs, Udhayanidhi is likely to get the responsibility in implementing this. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/international/news/us-to-issue-64716-additional-h-2b-visas-for-fiscal-year-2023/articleshow/96214720.cms" style="">US to issue 64,716 additional H-2B visas for fiscal year 2023</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/indias-jet-set-heres-how-billionaires-earned-lost-and-donated-in-2022/articleshow/96206744.cms" style="">India’s jet-set: Here’s how billionaires earned, lost and donated in 2022</a>

Udhayanidhi Stalin sworn-in as minister in Tamil Nadu

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Rep. Rob Menendez — son of the scandal-plagued Sen. Bob Menendez — faces a tough reelection race.</li><li>Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla, styling himself as an anti-machine candidate, could defeat him.</li></ul>When Rep. Rob Menendez decided to enter politics, his last name was undoubtedly his most valuable asset. Now, it's his greatest liability.Sixteen months into representing a House district in New Jersey just across the river from Manhattan, Menendez is staring down a well-funded, formidable primary challenge from Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla, who styles himself as a progressive urbanist and — perhaps more importantly — is not the son of Sen. Bob Menendez, who's been all but permanently <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/senators-calling-for-bob-menendez-resign-bribery-indictment-2023-9">sidelined</a> by his <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nadine-arslanian-wife-bob-menendez-indicted-bribery-car-accident-2023-10">lurid corruption scandal</a> and could face time behind bars.Polling has shown that the younger Menendez could lose, and the congressman has to contend with two dueling headaches ahead of the June 4 primary: separating himself from his scandal-plagued father, and surviving the loss of the state's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-jersey-county-party-line-machine-politics-andy-kim-explainer-2024-4">long-standing "county line" ballot system</a>, which has helped party bosses essentially coronate candidates like Menendez for decades. Running for reelection under what he calls "the most unique set of challenging circumstances you can imagine," Menendez is out to prove that he's able to stand on his own, and that he's more than the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-rise-of-political-nepo-babies-2023-6">"nepo baby" caricature</a> that's dogged him for his entire life."For all the times that people have said that I've only been able to accomplish something because of my father, that's now clearly no longer going to be the case when I win reelection," Menendez told me in April, as we sipped beers at the back of a Jersey City pub. "That's what's so exciting about this election."Aside from the last name, one could be forgiven for failing to recognize the congressman as the senator's son — the 38-year-old Menendez comes across as a charming, wonky frat bro. "The best way I've heard myself described is as a geriatric millennial," he told a gathering of voters in Hoboken the day before we sat down. He sports a hi-top fade haircut, wears Nike Air Force 1 sneakers with his suits, is a skilled extemporaneous speaker, and carries himself with the self-assuredness that comes with growing up in a politically powerful family. Indeed, Menendez has never known a time when his father was not an elected official.<div type="image" title="A 21-year-old Rob Menendez looks on at his father's 2006 Senate election victory party." height="1500" width="2000" msid="109842863" hostid="261" sizebytes="112530"></div>His political survival now depends on separating himself from his father, a task that's clearly both politically and personally difficult for him. Menendez, who has not been implicated in his father's scandal, euphemistically refers to the ongoing criminal proceedings as the "challenges he's facing" or his "legal troubles," sometimes flashing a nervous grin when the topic comes up. He won't even comment on his father's stated intention to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/indicted-sen-bob-menendez-independent-reelection-run-rcna144436">run for reelection as an independent</a> if he's cleared of the corruption charges facing him, a move that could jeopardize Democrats' chances to retain the seat."I don't have the capacity to think through, well, what if, what if, what if," Menendez told me. "There's a lot that I have to deal with right now."<h2>'This is a true test for democracy'</h2>The younger Menendez's entry into politics was swift. In 2021, he was nominated by Gov. Phil Murphy to serve as a commissioner overseeing the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Six months after Menendez assumed that office, Rep. Albio Sires announced that he would not seek reelection and immediately endorsed the younger Menendez to succeed him. The rest of New Jersey's political establishment quickly followed, including local party organizations, and Menendez sailed through the primary in his deep-blue district with nearly 84% of the vote. Contrary to even some of his supporters, the congressman seems to have difficulty acknowledging how easy it was for him to get to Congress."I think sometimes people look at the result, and look at the support that we ended up with, and they say, oh, well this was all packaged together, this wasn't competitive," Menendez told me. "But you know, we treated it, and we ran it, like a real spirited race, like we were 30 points down every single day."Mayor Bhalla told me that he began contemplating his primary challenge shortly after the elder Menendez was first indicted in September. As a congressional candidate, he's emphasized that Hoboken <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hoboken-nj-eliminated-traffic-deaths-bikes-road-paint-speed-limit-2023-11">hasn't had a single traffic death in over 7 years</a> under his "Vision Zero" strategy, earning the city plaudits from Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and a bevy of positive national headlines. Fluent in the language of contemporary urbanism, Bhalla frequently invoked phrases like "daylighting" and "bumpouts" and "class two bike lanes" and "signalization" during our conversation.His candidacy is also historic: If elected, he would be only the second Sikh American ever elected to Congress, and the first one to wear a turban. That facet of his candidacy has also contributed to his ability to outraise Menendez so far — an analysis of Bhalla's contributions shows that the vast majority of his $1.6 million war chest has come from South Asian American donors around the country. A coffee table in his mayoral office features a smattering of books on Sikhs, urbanism, and the city where he's been mayor since 2018.<div type="image" title="Bhalla at an event in Jersey City in February." height="1500" width="2000" msid="109842864" hostid="261" sizebytes="289888"></div>Bhalla is slightly to the left of Menendez — the mayor supports Medicare for All, the congressman does not — but there's not a ton of daylight between the two on policy matters. They're also largely on the same page on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and Bhalla told me that like Menendez, he would have voted for a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/which-house-democrats-republicans-vote-against-israel-gaza-aid-2024-4">recent bill to provide more military aid</a> to the Jewish state.Sitting in his recently opened campaign office, the mayor told me that the most important facet of his candidacy was his fight against New Jersey's party boss-driven political culture. Beyond his bid to unseat Menendez, Bhalla is also staking much of his candidacy on his opposition to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-jersey-county-party-line-machine-politics-andy-kim-explainer-2024-4">the "county line" system</a>, which has been struck down for this primary — and possibly forever — as a result of a lawsuit filed by Democratic Rep. Andy Kim in the midst of his short-lived Senate primary campaign against <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tammy-murphy-new-jersey-abolishing-senate-filibuster-2024-1">First Lady Tammy Murphy</a>. "This is a true test for democracy, to see whether or not we can bring a voice to average residents," said Bhalla, deriding the "top-down party boss-led power" in his northern New Jersey district.Bhalla filed an amicus brief in that lawsuit after coming out against the line, which has been proven to give a massive boost to those who receive the endorsement of local party organizations. Having been endorsed by those organizations, Menendez was set to benefit from the line this primary. Now that the candidates will compete under the "office block" ballot format used by every other state, Bhalla's chances of unseating the congressman have dramatically improved."This election is really a choice between a record of progressive accomplishments versus sort of the epitome New Jersey bosses," said Jersey City Councilman James Solomon, a Bhalla supporter who has long opposed the county line system. "With the congressman, you've got somebody who partnered with his dad's political machine to basically intimidate his way into Congress, is the best way I can describe it."But the mayor hasn't always been a fierce opponent of bossism. Before beginning his crusade against the line in January, Bhalla sought the endorsement of the very party organizations he's now criticizing, in an effort to give him the unfair advantage he now opposes. Bhalla has also acted as a party boss himself, using his influence to place his former chief of staff in an advantageous position on the ballot in a 2023 state assembly race.<div type="image" title="The younger Menendez at an event in Washington, DC shortly after his election in 2022." height="1500" width="2000" msid="109842866" hostid="261" sizebytes="98110"></div>Menendez was eager to highlight that hypocrisy in our conversation, deriding Bhalla as a "political opportunist" who was "calling every single mayor, asking them to put him on the line" after Senator Menendez was indicted and the congressman's own machine support appeared less than certain. "This idea that he is someone who's always fought the line is absurd," Menendez told me. "When he didn't get the line, then he pivoted.""Once the idea of abolishing the line wasn't just a pie-in-the-sky dream, but could actually happen, I stood up and spoke out," Bhalla told me of the apparent hypocrisy. "I'm still waiting for Rob Menendez to do the same."To that point, I pressed Menendez four different times on how he felt about the "county line" system, the ultimate fate of which is still being litigated. Each time, he declined to clearly state whether he preferred keeping the system — which largely helped him get elected in the first place — or favored its abolition. The congressman insisted that he wanted "clarity on the issue" and that he wasn't outright opposed to the abolition of the line."I guess the reason that my answer is not satisfying to you is because I may overvalue consistency," said Menendez. "The decision's done, and I'm actually really good with it, because we're going to win, we're going to have a decisive victory, and no one's going to be able to say it was only because of the line, or it was only because of my father."<h2>'I mean, definitely the name helped'</h2>It's been a nasty primary race, and there's still a whole month left. Bhalla and Menendez have swiped at one another on social media over gold bars, Sam Bankman-Fried, Bhalla's 2022 endorsement of Menendez, and more. The congressman has been particularly incensed by Bhalla's efforts to tie him to his father's corruption scandal.During Bhalla's opening speech at a candidate forum in Jersey City — the duo's first joint appearance at such an event this cycle — Bhalla argued that the district's constituents were suffering from a lack of "connective tissue" with their representation in the House, prompting eye-rolls and smirks from Menendez, seated just feet away.One constant, yet confounding subplot of the drama of this primary has been Bhalla's tensions with his own city council. Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher, an opponent of the line who also backed Kim over the governor's wife in the Senate primary, has endorsed Menendez, calling the mayor a "terrible candidate" who has been "dishonest all the time" during his tenure.The day before I spoke with Menendez, Fisher organized a town hall-style event for the congressman in her apartment complex — a waterfront property that once served as a warehouse for the Lipton Tea Company. Five of Hoboken's nine city council members attended, two of whom told me that they view the mayor as uncompromising, headline-obsessed, and inaccessible. "Everything here is a headline or a deadline driving the process," Councilman Paul Presinzano said of Mayor Bhalla. "His agenda has been: me, me, me."It's a perception that Menendez has also leaned on, aided by the conspicuous — and at times, disruptive — presence of a documentary film crew at the Jersey City candidate forum, which Bhalla quickly departed as Menendez stayed to shmooze with voters. "He has a camera crew following him, okay!?" Menendez exclaimed to me. A Bhalla campaign spokesman told me that film crew had reached out to the mayor's team, and that they're profiling several South Asian candidates running for office this cycle.The meet-and-greet, where Menendez easily fielded pre-filtered questions from a crowd of roughly 100, illustrated the challenge the congressman faces in making his case for reelection: his record is thin, and he has yet to put his name on any major legislation, owing to being a freshman member of the minority party. Menendez talked up his constituent services operation, saying that he had solved over 1,500 cases — mostly immigration-related — and had brought back millions of dollars in federal funding to the district. He also talked about landing a "highly coveted" spot on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, touted his efforts to make the nuts and bolts of government work, and even provided an anecdote about how his elementary school science fair was anonymized as a result of claims that his father — then the mayor of Union City — was somehow exercising influence over the judges to help his son win.Yet the congressman is still adjusting to the reality of running in an environment where the power of the machine has been diminished, speaking more about the "durability of the relationships" that he's built than the notion of grassroots support that other politicians, including Bhalla, typically invoke. In front of voters in Hoboken, he spoke at length about how he believes Congress should be "the most boring institution in the entire world," expressing irritation at the fact that his one of the few viral breakout moments of his tenure — <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/J-KUgdWlcG4">referring to Donald Trump as "Orange Jesus"</a> during a House Homeland Security meeting in February — got "exponentially more attention than doing the real work."<div type="image" title="Menendez looks on as Bhalla's opening remarks at a Jersey City candidate forum are filmed by a cameraman." height="1500" width="2000" msid="109842868" hostid="261" sizebytes="193612"></div>"Listen, it's a new type of campaign for him," said Fisher, explaining why she helped organize the event. "He hasn't created the brand to win an election in a way that he has to do with this year, versus how he's done it in the past. That's the difference between having the benefit of the line, and having to run on your own record."And despite their misgivings with Bhalla, several of the Hoboken city council members tended to squirm a bit when I asked them about their mayor's primary critique of Menendez — that he's only in Congress at all due to nepotism and the power of the county line."Do I think it was nepotism? I mean, definitely the name helped," said Presinzano."The politics behind it, that allowed him to run in a way that made it difficult for other people, had nothing to do with Rob's willingness to say yes," said Fisher. "Rob's been in the seat now for a year and a half, and he's absolutely earned the right to be reelected."<h2>'I also trust people to distinguish between us'</h2>With the sudden end of Tammy Murphy's Senate bid and the resulting collapse of the "county line," the race to represent New Jersey's 8th district is poised to be the first real test of what the state's post-line politics will look like — and whether the Menendez brand is permanently dead.One common refrain I heard from Menendez's backers is that he doesn't have to do this, that continuing to seek office in this environment — and while raising two young children — is proof of the congressman's commitment to public service. To that point, Menendez's <a target="_blank" href="https://disclosures-clerk.house.gov/public_disc/financial-pdfs/2022/10047553.pdf">financial disclosures</a> show that he made more than $456,000 in 2021 from practicing law, more than two and a half times the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/members-congress-100000-pay-raise-salaries-174000-2024-1">$174,000 salary</a> he makes as a member of Congress.There are a variety of factors that will work in Menendez's favor in this primary, including the endurance of well-organized turn-out operations run by Democratic machines in places like Union City. He's also maintained the support of several other members of the New Jersey delegation, along with House Democratic leadership, despite those same lawmakers' months-old calls for his father to resign."He's really talented — a leader who has done nothing but earn my confidence," Sen. Cory Booker told me, while praising Bhalla as an "an extraordinary leader as well" who's a "longtime friend."<div type="image" title="Rep. Rob Menendez and Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla" height="1364" width="1819" msid="109842869" hostid="261" sizebytes="173524"></div>Bhalla also hasn't gotten help from other reform-minded candidates. Kim has declined to endorse either Menendez or Bhalla, while Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop — a 2025 gubernatorial candidate who's positioned himself as anti-machine — has simply declined to endorse Menendez rather than affirmatively back the mayor.At the same time, the elder Menendez's trial is set to begin this month, guaranteeing that as they head to the polls, voters in New Jersey will once again be reminded of the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sen-bob-menendez-charges-bribery-corruption-scandal-gold-bars-2023-9">gold bars</a>, the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bob-menendez-indictment-cash-hidden-clothing-envelopes-bribery-2023-9">wads of cash</a> stuffed into pockets, and the allegations that the senator corruptly <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sen-bob-menendez-new-claims-indictment-qatar-egypt-2024-1">carried out the interests</a> of autocratic Middle Eastern governments."Some people may be impacted by my father, and the challenges that he's having, and I understand that," Menendez said at the Hoboken meet-and-greet. "But I also trust people to distinguish between us."

Inside Rep. Rob Menendez's fight to be more than a 'nepo baby'

<ul><li><keyword id="30067" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="RBI" source="Orion">RBI</keyword> announced that inbound travellers to India from <keyword id="174513" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="G20-countries" source="Orion">G20 countries</keyword> will be able to use <keyword id="6358921" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="UPI" source="Orion">UPI</keyword> for merchant payments. </li><li>India holds the Presidency of the G20 from December 1, 2022, to November 30, 2023. </li><li>In January, NPCI <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/wealth/spend/upi-payment-extended-to-inbound-travellers-nris-coming-to-india-rbi/articleshow/97717972.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&amp;utm_medium=text&amp;utm_campaign=cppst">allowed </a>UPI platforms to onboard NRIs from 10 countries to use UPI with international mobile numbers and Indian bank accounts. </li><li>“International visitors will get to experience digital India without the hassle of carrying cash and dealing with haggling,” said Ravi Battula, VP, merchant acquiring business, Wibmo. </li></ul>From the backwaters of Kerala to the havelis of Rajasthan, there’s a lot about India that excites foreign tourists — but even in the digital age, they’re often stuck paying for these experiences in cash, especially in remote areas. India’s central bank is looking to change this situation. On Wednesday, Reserve Bank of India governor Shaktikanta Das announced that inbound travellers to India from G20 countries will be able to make payments via UPI (Unified Payments Interface). "UPI has become hugely popular for retail digital payments in India. It is now proposed to permit all inbound travellers to India to use UPI for their merchant payments (P2M) while they are in the country. To begin with, this facility will be extended to travellers from G-20 countries arriving at select international airports,” said Das. G20, whose presidency India took over last December, is a group of 20 nations – Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, South Korea, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union. Launched by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) in 2016, UPI is an indigenous real-time payment system that allows users to link more than one bank account in a single smartphone app and transfer funds. UPI is also compatible with most digital wallets and payment applications, like GPay, Paytm, PhonePe, and others. There are only four things required to transfer funds via UPI: a smartphone, an active bank account, an active mobile number linked to the bank account, and an internet connection. "This convenience will make India a more desirable destination for international travellers. Moreover, the implementation of UPI in the travel industry will reduce the risk of fraud and enhance the security of financial transactions, further increasing the appeal of India as a tourist destination," shared Nishant Pitti, CEO and co-founder, EaseMyTrip. In January, NPCI <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/wealth/spend/upi-payment-extended-to-inbound-travellers-nris-coming-to-india-rbi/articleshow/97717972.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&amp;utm_medium=text&amp;utm_campaign=cppst">allowed </a>UPI platforms to onboard non-resident Indians (NRIs) from 10 countries to use UPI with international mobile numbers and Indian bank accounts. The countries are — Singapore, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Oman, Qatar, USA, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and UK. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Reduce international tourists’ dependence on cash" comment="subhead2" text="Reduce international tourists’ dependence on cash">Reduce international tourists’ dependence on cash </cmsannotation> After the pandemic-induced lockdown was lifted, India once again saw a steady influx of foreign tourists with foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) in June 2022 <a href="https://tourism.gov.in/sites/default/files/2022-09/India%20Tourism%20Statistics%20at%20a%20Glance%20200%20%28Eng%29.pdf">registering </a>a staggering 1,349% growth over June 2021. However, international tourists travelling to India struggle with the ease of transactions. Especially in remote corners of the country where ATMs are non-existent or non-functioning – and when carrying a large volume of cash can be dangerous – digital payments are the way to go. Ravi Battula, vice president of merchant acquiring business at <keyword id="1399736" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="digital-payment" source="Orion">digital payment</keyword> solutions company Wibmo, called it a “leapfrogged advancement” in the UPI journey, demonstrating the “power of true real-time payment to the world”. “International visitors will get to experience digital India without the hassle of carrying cash and dealing with haggling. With grass-roots enablement of UPI, this will drive higher commerce from incoming travellers while ensuring the safety of the visitors, as they won’t be carrying large amounts of cash,” added Battula. Moreover, while card-based payment requires a point of sale (POS) terminal, digital payments through UPI only require a quick response (QR) code that’s quick and easy to scan. Simply put, through UPI, users can shop and pay bills simply by scanning a QR code to pay a person, a business, or a service provider. “The RBI’s announcement of extending the scope of UPI to international travellers shows that UPI is making inroads globally. This facility will reduce their dependence on cash and make the process of payments easier for them,” said Anup Nayar, CEO-domestic at In-Solutions Global, a fintech venture. UPI has today become the norm with everyone — be it a rickshaw puller, a cab driver, an online grocery app or a roadside tea stall – using it. Regulated by RBI, UPI is widely regarded as the first step by the Indian government to move towards a cashless economy. The pandemic further pushed the adoption of UPI with people preferring digital, cashless transactions to the hassle of cash exchange. As of January 2023, 385 banks are <a href="https://www.npci.org.in/what-we-do/upi/product-statistics">live </a>on UPI. Together, these banks achieved over 800 crore transactions, with a collective value of nearly ₹13 lakh crore in January 2023. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/hopefully-this-is-last-rate-hike-by-rbi-in-current-cycle-industry-experts/articleshow/97729735.cms">Hopefully, this is last rate hike by RBI in current cycle: Industry, experts</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/personal-finance/news/how-you-can-handle-the-higher-home-loan-emi-burden/articleshow/97725816.cms">Don't be in a hurry to prepay but plan for EMIs better say experts as home loan rates rise</a>

Now, tourists from G20 countries will get to use UPI instead of cash in India

New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday expressed hope that digital transactions will soon surpass cash with Unified Payments Interface (UPI) increasingly becoming the most preferred payment mechanism in the country. Modi after the launch of the cross-border connectivity between the UPI and PayNow of Singapore said about 74 billion transactions amounting to more than Rs 126 trillion, which is approximately 2 trillion Singapore dollar, was done through UPI in 2022. "Many experts are estimating that very soon India's <keyword id="16596261" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="digital-wallet-transactions" source="Orion">digital wallet transactions</keyword> are going to overtake cash transactions," he said. A large number of transactions via UPI demonstrate that this indigenously designed payment system is very secure, he said. Modi along with his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong witnessed the launch of cross-border connectivity between the UPI and PayNow of Singapore via video conferencing. The facility was launched through token transactions by Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das and Managing Director of Monetary Authority of Singapore Ravi Menon using the UPI-PayNow linkage. Stressing that the linkage of UPI and PayNow is a new milestone in India-Singapore relations, Modi said, this will help people of both the countries to do cross border transactions through mobile phone in an affordable manner. Singapore is the first country with which cross-border Person-to-Person (P2P) payment facility has been launched, he said, adding, this will help the Indian diaspora in Singapore, especially migrant workers/students and bring the benefits of digitalisation and fintech to the common man through instantaneous and low-cost transfer of money from Singapore to India and vice-versa. Pointing out that the focus of the government is to promote innovation and modernisation, Modi said the Digital India programme of the government has enhanced 'Ease of Living' and 'Ease of Doing Business' and digital connectivity and has pushed financial inclusion. The Digital India programme has brought in significant reforms in governance and public service delivery. The linkage will enable users of the two fast payment systems in either country to make convenient, safe, instant, and cost-effective cross-border fund transfers using their respective mobile apps. Funds held in bank accounts or e-wallets can be transferred to or from India using just the UPI-id, mobile number, or Virtual Payment Address (VPA), the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said in a statement. To begin with, the statement said State Bank of India, Indian Overseas Bank, Indian Bank and ICICI Bank will facilitate both inward and outward remittances, while Axis Bank and DBS India will facilitate inward remittances. For Singapore users, the service will be made available through DBS-Singapore and Liquid Group (a non-bank financial institution). More banks will be included in the linkage over time. Customers of the above participating banks can undertake cross-border remittances to Singapore using the bank's mobile banking app or internet banking. To begin with, an Indian user can remit up to Rs 60,000 in a day (equivalent to around SGD 1,000). At the time of making the transaction, the system shall dynamically calculate and display the amount in both currencies for the convenience of the user, it said. The UPI-PayNow linkage is the product of extensive collaboration between the RBI, Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), and Payment System Operators of both countries viz. NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) and Banking Computer Services Pte Ltd (BCS), and participating banks / non-bank financial institutions. This interlinkage aligns with the G20's financial inclusion priorities of driving faster, cheaper and more transparent cross-border payments and will be a significant milestone in the development of infrastructure for cross-border payments between India and Singapore, the statement said. India has emerged as one of the fastest-growing ecosystems for fintech innovation. A key emphasis of the Prime Minister has been on ensuring that the benefits of UPI are not limited to India only but extend to other countries as well. The virtual launch was preceded by a phone call between the two Prime Ministers, wherein discussions were held on areas of mutual interest. Prime Minister Modi thanked Prime Minister Lee for his partnership in taking the India-Singapore relationship forward and looked forward to working with him under India's G20 Presidency.

Digital transactions to soon exceed cash in India: PM Modi

Kolkata, Apr 17 () Hailing the Reserve Bank's measures to aid the economy, the engineering exports body EEPC on Friday said the sector needs a special package to meet the unprecedented challenges.Relaxations and forbearance given by the RBI on loans would help the industry and the exporting units, particularly in the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) segments, EEPC Chairman Ravi Sehgal said. However, as RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das has cited the report of the World Trade Organisation, the global trade is expected to decline up to 32 per cent in 2020 in theface of coronavirus forcing major economies to lock down."Under these circumstances, the merchandise exporters face the gravest of threats and would need a special package from the RBI and government," he said.As China is recovering from the impact of pandemic, it would flood the desperate global markets with essential supplies, India needs to have a specific strategy which should ride on empowering exporters to deal with this unprecedented challenge, the exporters body said in a statement. BSM BDC MKJ

RBI steps good but exporters need special package: EEPC

<ul><li>The influencers include dignitaries such as <keyword id="6354361" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kiran-Bedi">Kiran Bedi</keyword> and Ravi Shankar Prasad and many prominent women leaders. </li><li>The list comprises influencers from diverse industries such as financial services, startups, HR, social impact, and IT Services. </li><li>Indian contributors are three times more likely to respond to comments on posts and received over ten times more engagement in the past year.</li></ul>Social media platform <keyword id="28120" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Linkedin">LinkedIn</keyword> has put out its third annual list of 25 most-influential voices for India that has featured Indian dignitaries like Kiran Bedi, Ravi Shankar Prasad and several other prominent women leaders like Debjani Ghosh, Pooja Kapur, Ester Martinez, and Sairee Chahal. The list features contributors who have shaped industry opinion, analysed key trends, and used the platform in innovative ways inspiring other professionals to join conversations and share opinions. The influencers hail from diverse industries such as financial services, startups, HR, social impact, and IT Services who are industry leaders writing about a range of topics from HR policies and work culture to data privacy, women issues, entrepreneurship, and technology. Influencers who made to the list for the first time include <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kiran-bedi-15154b57/">Kiran Bedi</a>, Lt. Governor of Puducherry and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ravishankarprasad/">Ravi Shankar Prasad</a>, Minister for Law &amp; Justice &amp; Electronics &amp; IT of India, who have regularly shared updates on the progress they are making regarding government campaigns such as <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6465414101538566144">Digital India</a> campaign and have been vocal about the growing security concerns with the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/whatsapp-building-india-team-to-curb-fake-news-but-government-is-not-satisfied/articleshow/65292048.cms">spread of fake news</a> via social platforms. The contributors have shared opinions on trending topics such as <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/orbits-ankur-warikoo/">entrepreneurship</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/womens-way-leading-sairee-chahal/">women in leadership roles</a>,<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6440158559043973120">developments in technology</a>, and the <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6405420129366179840">startup ecosystem</a> that have kickstarted engaging industry discussions. The posts that performed exceptionally well and earned the highest social signals and public engagement include <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sidpai/">Siddharth Pai’s</a> article on ‘<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/limbic-thought-artificial-intelligence-siddharth-sid-pai/">Limbic thought and artificial intelligence</a>’ and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/vartika-kashyap-30653245/">Vartika Kashyap's</a> article on ‘<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/morning-habits-keep-my-productivity-levels-sky-high-vartika-kashyap/">Morning Habits That Keep My Productivity Levels Sky High</a>’. Also, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/warikoo/?originalSubdomain=in">Ankur Warikoo’s</a> video series <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/search/results/content/?keywords=%23WarikooWednesdays&amp;origin=GLOBAL_SEARCH_HEADER">#WarikooWednesdays</a> has drawn more than 44,000 video views and more than 1,000 social signals. Here’s the full list: <ul><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/swatyaggrawal/">Swati Agarwal</a>, General Manager, Social Venture Partners</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamal-bandyopadhyay-818b2b9/">Tamal Bandyopadhyay</a>, Consulting Editor, Business Standard</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kiran-bedi-15154b57/">Kiran Bedi</a>, Lt Governor, Puducherry, Government of Puducherry</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sairee/">Sairee Chahal</a>, Founder, CEO Sheroes</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/schandra100/">Subhash Chandra</a>, Founder, CrowdWisdom360</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/annesha-dutta/">Annesha Dutta</a>, Consultant &amp; Corporate Trainer- Communications &amp; Branding</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/debjani-ghosh-48298b1/">Debjani Ghosh</a>, President, <keyword id="6372077" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="nasscom">NASSCOM</keyword></li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jraja/">Raja Jamalamadaka</a>, Leadership coach, Advisor to startups</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/poojakap/">Pooja Kapur</a>, Ambassador of India to Bulgaria and Macedonia</li><li><a href="https://in.linkedin.com/in/vartika-kashyap-30653245">Vartika Kashyap</a>, Marketing Manager, ProofHub</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/estermartinez/">Ester Martinez</a>, CEO &amp; Editor-in-Chief at People Matters</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/hansimehrotra/">Hansi Mehrotra</a>, Founder, The Money Hans</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/menonpurnima/">Purnima Menon</a>, CMO, Microland Limited</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/procyon/">Procyon Mukherjee</a>, Chief Procurement Officer, LafargeHolcim</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sidpai/">Siddharth Pai</a>, Founder and General Partner, Siana Capital</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayashreepatnaik/">Jayashree Patnaik</a>, Chief Strategy Officer, CFA Technologies</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ravishankarprasad/">Ravi Shankar Prasad</a>, Minister for Law &amp; Justice &amp; Electronics &amp; IT of India</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/pooja-sareen-23874151/">Pooja Sareen</a>, Editor in Chief &amp; Co-founder at Inc 42</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/limasehgal/">Lima Sehgal</a>, Senior HR Advisor &amp; job market specialist</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kunalshah1/">Kunal Shah</a>, Advisor to the Board, Bennett Coleman and Co. Ltd.</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/riteshbusinesseconomist/">Ritesh Kumar Singh</a>, Founder and Chief Economist, Indonomics Consulting</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tapansinghel/">Tapan Singhel</a>, Managing Director and CEO, <keyword id="113665" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bajaj-Allianz-General-Insurance">Bajaj Allianz General Insurance</keyword> Co. Ltd. </li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/thesomani/">Amit Somani</a>, Managing Partner, Prime Venture Partners</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/harimrinal23577532/?originalSubdomain=in">Hari T. N</a>, Head HR, <keyword id="964794" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="BigBasket">BigBasket</keyword></li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/warikoo/">Ankur Warikoo</a>, Cofounder &amp; CEO, <a href="http://nearbuy.com/">nearbuy.com</a></li></ul>

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(Eds: With K'taka leaders' reax) New Delhi, Mar 8 () Former Union law minister and Congress veteran <keyword id="71054" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hansraj-Bhardwaj">Hansraj Bhardwaj</keyword> died after a cardiac arrest at a hospital here on Sunday evening. He was 83. Bhardwaj breathed his last around 6.30 pm at Max Hospital, Saket, where he was admitted since Wednesday due to kidney-related ailments, his family told . The cremation will take place at <keyword id="8885939" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="nighambodh">Nighambodh</keyword> Ghat on Monday at 4 pm, his son Arun Bhardwaj said. He is survived by his wife, a son and two daughters. Bhardwaj celebrated his 60th wedding anniversary on February 29. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP leader and Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury condoled Bhardwaj's death. "Anguished by the passing away of former minister Shri Hans Raj Bhardwaj," the Prime Minister's Office tweeted quoting Modi. "My thoughts are with his family and well-wishers in this hour of grief. Om Shanti," the tweet said. Prasad recalled his association with Bhardwaj in Parliament. "Deeply condole the sad demise of Shri Hansraj Bhardwaj who for long years served as the Law Minister of India. We were together in the Parliament. May his soul Rest In Peace," Prasad posted on Twitter. CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury remembered the leader as an "encyclopedia" on the Indian judicial system. "Sad news about Shri Hans Raj Bhardwaj ji's demise. Worked with him as an MP when he was a minister &amp; shared the urge to safeguard our constitutional values. He was an encyclopedia on the Indian judicial system. Will miss him," Yechury said in a tweet. Born in Garhi Sampla village in Rohtak district of Haryana, Bhardwaj was a Rajya Sabha member for five terms from April 1982 to June 2009. He was the law minister for 14 years and served under the prime ministership of Rajiv Gandhi, Narasimha Rao and <keyword id="6359397" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="manmohan-singh">Manmohan Singh</keyword>. During his stint as the governor of Karnataka between 2009 and 2014, he sternly dealt with the mining mafia active in the state. It was during Bhardwaj's tenure as law minister that Bofors-accused <keyword id="54989" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ottavio-Quattrocchi">Ottavio Quattrocchi</keyword> was given a clean chit by then UPA government in 2009. Sources said he fell out with Congress party leadership after he became the governor and criticised it. Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, former prime minister H D Deve Gowda and opposition leader in the assembly Siddaramaiah also mourned the demise of Bhardwaj. "In his death we lost a good legal expert and administrator. May his soul rest in peace and may God give strength to his family to bear the loss," Yediyurappa said in a condolence message. A tussle between Bhardwaj and Yediyurappa over mining and land scams drew everyone's attention during his second stint as chief minister. Gowda said Bhardwaj will always be remembered for his exceptional service to the nation, while Siddaramaiah recalled him as as a tough man against immoral practices during power struggle. "His contribution to Karnataka during his tenure shall always be remembered. He was tough against immoral practices of power struggle. My deepest condolences to his family members &amp; well-wishers," Siddaramaiah tweeted. Bhardwaj held a Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa) degree and did his schooling from GBC High School, Rohtak, and college in BM College, Shimla. He also studied at Agra University and <keyword id="49466" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Panjab-University">Panjab University</keyword>.

Congress veteran and former law minister Hansraj Bharadwaj passes away at 83

New Delhi, Feb 6 () Economists and financial experts have welcomed RBI's widely expected status quo on repo rate, and other announcements to spur economic growth and ensure money supplies effectively. The RBI on Thursday kept the key policy rate unchanged at 5.15 per cent. This follows a cumulative 135 basis points (bps) cut in repo rate since February to December 2019. The six-member Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) headed by RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das unanimously decided to keep the repo rate unchanged. Bank of India CMD A K Das termed the RBI policy quite progressive and forward looking. "Notwithstanding unchanged policy rates, introduction of Term Repo opens up ways to transmit the signal rate changes," he said. "Measures like DCCO extension for realty, MSME window expansion for restructuring and CRR exemption for incremental funding to key segments are growth oriented and promise to provide the much needed impetus to bank lending," Das said. According to Rajni Thakur, Economist, RBL Bank, MPC's decision was on expected lines. "The changes in development and regulatory policies however were a positive surprise and could potentially turn out to be a big support to the troubled sectors in the economy," Thakur said. Specific announcements in terms of CRR relief or long-term durable liquidity for banks push the overall credit availability in the financial system. Whether these steps manage to improve demand conditions is another question all together, she added. The RBI has announced term repurchase agreements (repos) of one-year and three-year tenors of appropriate sizes for a total amount of Rs 1 lakh crore at the policy repo rate, from the fortnight beginning February 15. "It is an effort to ensure better monetary policy transmission. It will enable banks to reduce their lending rates," RBI Governor Das told reporters in the post policy conference. Upasna Bhardwaj, Economist, Kotak Mahindra Bank said very aptly, MPC has addressed the growth concerns through pushing transmission via tweaking the liquidity framework, providing long term liquidity operations and incentivising credit to select sectors. "We expect these measures to aid transmission with the shorter end of the yield curve expected to rally meaningfully. These measures should help availability of funds at lower costs and aid sectors in stress," Bhardwaj said. ICRA Economist Aditi Nayar said: "The tone of the MPC's statement was rather dovish, especially given the reiteration that policy space is available for future action. "The accommodative stance will be maintained for as long as necessary to revive growth, in spite of the headline inflation having breached the upper threshold of the MPC's medium term target." The RBI also raised upwards the retail inflation projection for last quarter of this fiscal to 6.5 per cent citing high input cost for milk and pulses besides costlier crude oil prices amid rising geo-political tensions. Nayar said the statement suggests the near certainty of at least one additional rate cut, even if its magnitude is modest, the timing of which will depend on how quickly inflation appears to be reverting towards 4 per cent. Umesh Revankar, MD and CEO - Shriram Transport Finance said the attention-grabbing aspect of the policy is marginal improvement in IIP, manufacturing index (PMI) and service index. These numbers depict beginning of increasing activity though still under wait and watch radar to bring in any further excitement, he said. "We believe that all the policy decisions along with pro-consumption budget corroborates that there would be better demand from the consumption side. Once that increases, automatically there will be better credit demand," Revankar said. The expansionary monetary policy stance was necessary and is an assurance that there will be no reversal of easing and that the RBI will not hike rates immediately, opined Rumki Majumdar, Economist, Deloitte India. Engineering Exports and Promotion Council (EEPC) Chairman Ravi Sehgal said RBI measures to provide one-time restructuring window for advances to MSMEs would help growth revival in the employment-oriented sectors. MSMEs contribute significantly to the country's exports. "With global markets being subdued, exporters, particularly those in the SMEs are facing challenges. The RBI measures through loan restructuring and providing CRR incentives to the banks to lend to MSMEs would certainly help the exporting sector," he said. Ample liquidity with the banks should lead to lowering of interest rates as part of effective transmission of earlier reductions, he added.Anarock Property Consultants Chairman Anuj Puri said the extension for restructuring of project loans by a year is a major relief to the real estate sector. It complements many of the previous initiatives by the government in 2019. "Loans for projects that have been delayed for reasons beyond the control of their promoters have been extended by another one year without downgrading the asset classification. This is a big move and will bring the much-needed relief to the cash-starved real estate sector - and to both developers and HFCs from the liquidity perspective," Puri said. KPM KPM ANUANU

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