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Here’s a list of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha constituencies going for by-poll on 21st October 2019 <table style="width: 0cm;"> <tbody><tr> <td style="border-width: 1pt; border-style: solid; border-color: black; padding: 1.5pt 2.25pt; height: 15.75pt;"> Constituency </td> <td style="border-top: 1pt solid black; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none; padding: 1.5pt 2.25pt; height: 15.75pt;"> INC Candidate </td> <td style="border-top: 1pt solid black; border-right: 1pt solid black; border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none; padding: 1.5pt 2.25pt; height: 15.75pt;"> BJP Candidate </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="border-right: 1pt solid black; border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: 1pt solid black; border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none; padding: 1.5pt 2.25pt; height: 15.75pt;"> Samastipur - Bihar (Lok Sabha) </td> <td style="border-top-width: initial; border-style: none solid solid none; border-left-width: initial; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-bottom-color: black; border-right-width: 1pt; border-right-color: black; padding: 1.5pt 2.25pt; height: 15.75pt;"> Dr. Ashok Kumar </td> <td style="border-top-width: initial; border-style: none solid solid none; border-left-width: initial; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-bottom-color: black; border-right-width: 1pt; border-right-color: black; padding: 1.5pt 2.25pt; height: 15.75pt;"></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="border-right: 1pt solid black; border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: 1pt solid black; border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none; padding: 1.5pt 2.25pt; height: 15.75pt;"> Rajya Sabha - Uttar Pradesh </td> <td style="border-top-width: initial; border-style: none solid solid none; border-left-width: initial; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-bottom-color: black; border-right-width: 1pt; border-right-color: black; padding: 1.5pt 2.25pt; height: 15.75pt;"></td> <td style="border-top-width: initial; border-style: none solid solid none; border-left-width: initial; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-bottom-color: black; border-right-width: 1pt; border-right-color: black; padding: 1.5pt 2.25pt; height: 15.75pt;"> Sudhanshu Trivedi </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="border-right: 1pt solid black; border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: 1pt solid black; border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none; padding: 1.5pt 2.25pt; height: 15.75pt;"> Rajya Sabha - Bihar </td> <td style="border-top-width: initial; border-style: none solid solid none; border-left-width: initial; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-bottom-color: black; border-right-width: 1pt; border-right-color: black; padding: 1.5pt 2.25pt; height: 15.75pt;"></td> <td style="border-top-width: initial; border-style: none solid solid none; border-left-width: initial; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-bottom-color: black; border-right-width: 1pt; border-right-color: black; padding: 1.5pt 2.25pt; height: 15.75pt;"> Satish Dubey </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="border-right: 1pt solid black; border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: 1pt solid black; border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none; padding: 1.5pt 2.25pt; height: 15.75pt;"> Kishanganj - Bihar (Assembly Bye Election) </td> <td style="border-top-width: initial; border-style: none solid solid none; border-left-width: initial; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-bottom-color: black; border-right-width: 1pt; border-right-color: black; padding: 1.5pt 2.25pt; height: 15.75pt;"> Sayeeda Banu </td> <td style="border-top-width: initial; border-style: none solid solid none; border-left-width: initial; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-bottom-color: black; border-right-width: 1pt; border-right-color: black; padding: 1.5pt 2.25pt; height: 15.75pt;"></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="border-right: 1pt solid black; border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: 1pt solid black; border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none; padding: 1.5pt 2.25pt; height: 15.75pt;"> Mandawa - Rajasthan (Assembly Bye Election) </td> <td style="border-top-width: initial; border-style: none solid solid none; border-left-width: initial; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-bottom-color: black; border-right-width: 1pt; border-right-color: black; padding: 1.5pt 2.25pt; height: 15.75pt;"> Rita Chaudhary </td> <td style="border-top-width: initial; border-style: none solid solid none; border-left-width: initial; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-bottom-color: black; border-right-width: 1pt; border-right-color: black; padding: 1.5pt 2.25pt; height: 15.75pt;"></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="border-right: 1pt solid black; border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: 1pt solid black; border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none; padding: 1.5pt 2.25pt; height: 15.75pt;"> Khinwsar – Rajasthan - (Assembly Bye Election) </td> <td style="border-top-width: initial; border-style: none solid solid none; border-left-width: initial; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-bottom-color: black; border-right-width: 1pt; border-right-color: black; padding: 1.5pt 2.25pt; height: 15.75pt;"> Harendra Mirdha </td> <td style="border-top-width: initial; border-style: none solid solid none; border-left-width: initial; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-bottom-color: black; border-right-width: 1pt; border-right-color: black; padding: 1.5pt 2.25pt; height: 15.75pt;"></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="border-right: 1pt solid black; border-bottom: 1pt solid black; border-left: 1pt solid black; border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none; padding: 1.5pt 2.25pt; height: 15.75pt;"> Balha - Uttar Pradesh (Assembly Bye Election) </td> <td style="border-top-width: initial; border-style: none solid solid none; border-left-width: initial; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-bottom-color: black; border-right-width: 1pt; border-right-color: black; padding: 1.5pt 2.25pt; height: 15.75pt;"> Mannu Devi </td> <td style="border-top-width: initial; border-style: none solid solid none; border-left-width: initial; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-bottom-color: black; border-right-width: 1pt; border-right-color: black; padding: 1.5pt 2.25pt; height: 15.75pt;"></td> </tr> </tbody></table> The demise of one of the top leaders of BJP Arun Jaitley (BJP) and the renowned lawyer Ram Jethmalani (RJD) has created a vacuum in the Rajya Sabha. BJP has announced that the party’s spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi and former Lok Sabha MP Satish Dubey will contest for these two Rajya Sabha MP posts from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar respectively. Samastipur in Bihar will go for by polls due to the demise of Ramchandra Paswan who won from this seat on behalf of LJP in 2019 elections. Congress has nominated Dr. Ashok Kumar to contest from this seat. Earlier during the last elections, he lost to Ramchandra Paswan. During the upcoming bye polls on October 21, 2019, Sayeeda Banu, Rita Chaudhary, Harendra Mirdha and Mannu Devi will field for Congress party from the assembly constituencies of Kishanganj (Bihar), Mandawa (Rajasthan), Khinwsar (Rajasthan) and Balha (Uttar Pradesh) respectively.

Candidate list for by poll on October 21 in UP, Bihar and Rajasthan

Union <keyword id="6355261" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Finance-minister">Finance Minister</keyword> <keyword id="42575" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Arun-Jaitley">Arun Jaitley</keyword>'s 2017 Budget speech put the much-awaited spotlight on the <keyword id="45092" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="farmers">farmers</keyword>. 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/this-is-what-budget-2017-had-in-store-for-startups/articleshow/56905882.cms">ALSO READ: This is what Budget 2017 had in store for startups</a> 
 The <keyword id="6360189" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Union-Budget">Union Budget</keyword> 2017 was broadly focused on 10 broad themes — farmers, rural population, youth, poor and health care for the underprivileged; infrastructure; financial sector for stronger institutions; speedy accountability; public services; prudent fiscal management; tax administration for the people who need it the most.

Farmers and the rural sector take the spotlight in FM Arun Jaitely's budget

This budget, the excise duty has been hiked by up to 6 % for cigarettes of all sizes. This wasn't expected at all. Still the shares of ITC Limited are going good because it's still below 10%. 
 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/budget/common-man-budget">Cigarette </a>smoking is injurious to health. This statutory warning has taken a toll on the tobacco farmers in India. And this budget the tobacco farmers of the country wants the government not to impose any more taxes on legal cigarettes. 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/budget/common-man-budget">ALSO READ: WHAT CAN A COMMON MAN EXPECT THIS BUDGET</a> 
 
While the market is decreasing every other day as far as consumption is concerned, the Indian tobacco exports are also sluggish and this has resulted in 22 % decline in returns to farmers. 
 There are 96,865 registered tobacco farmers and many more that are not registered in India. Around 0.25% of India's cultivated land is used for tobacco production. Since the independence, the Indian government has supported growth in the tobacco industry. India has seven tobacco research centres that are located in Jeelugumilli, Andhra Pradesh, Kandukuru, Andhra Pradesh, <keyword id="52887" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Guntur">Guntur</keyword>, Andhra Pradesh, Kalavacherla, Andhra Pradesh, Hunsur, Karnataka., Vedasandur, <keyword id="20154" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="tamil-nadu">Tamil Nadu</keyword>, Dinhata, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/budget/common-man-budget">West Bengal</a> and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/budget/common-man-budget">Rajamundry </a>houses the core research institute. The government has set up <keyword id="162734" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tobacco-Board">Tobacco Board</keyword>, Guntur. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/budget/common-man-budget">ALSO READ: YOU CAN OWN A CAR LIKE THIS</a> 
 Guntur is also well known place for tobacco plantation. The <keyword id="672789" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Central-Tobacco-Research-Institute">Central Tobacco Research Institute</keyword> works under the aegis of Indian Council of Agricultural Research. Tobacco crop is cultivated in an area of 0.45 M ha (0.27% of the net cultivated area) producing ~ 750 M kg of tobacco leaf. India is the 2nd largest producer and exporter (in quantity terms) after China and <keyword id="6355226" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Brazil">Brazil</keyword>, respectively. 
 Ahead of the Budget 2017, the <keyword id="3404445" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="federation-of-all-india-farmer-associations">Federation of All India Farmer Associations</keyword> (<keyword id="3164346" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="FAIFA">FAIFA</keyword>) wants to bring stability in farm prices of the crop. 
 The non-profit organisation representing farmers across the states, including Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and <keyword id="6354766" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gujarat">Gujarat</keyword>, appealed to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/budget/common-man-budget">Finance Minister </a><keyword id="143010" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Arun-Jaitely">Arun Jaitely</keyword>, to avoid “the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/budget/common-man-budget">onslaught</a> of heavy taxation on legal cigarette industry” and help bring stability in farm prices of tobacco. 
 “We are very disturbed because of the declining off-take from domestic manufacturers … Regulatory overreach has created panic and strain on the FCV tobacco farmers in the country,” FAIFA General Secretary <keyword id="1407736" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Murali-Babu">Murali Babu</keyword> said in a statement. 
 
“Excessive increase in the excise duties on<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/budget/common-man-budget"> tobacco products</a>, cumulative increase of 118 per cent since 2012/13, leading to 22 per cent” has led to shrinkage in the legal cigarette volumes, FAIFA said. 
 (Image: <keyword id="76338" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Reuters">Reuters</keyword>))

Excise duty in cigarette hiked. Tobacco farmers in india are struggling to make ends meet

The Civil Aviation Ministry, for the first time, got its <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=budget+2017&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Budget 2017 </a>wishlist vetted by professionals and has sent its recommendations to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=arun+jaitley&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Arun </a><a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=arun+jaitley&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Jaitley</a>-led <keyword id="47209" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Finance-Ministry">Finance Ministry</keyword>. 
 
As a part of its wishlist, the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=aviation&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">aviation ministry</a> has sought reduction in excise duty on <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=ATF&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Aviation Turbine Fuel</a> (ATF), or jet fuel, from 14% to 8%. 
 
"Excise duty was raised when crude prices were low. Now they are inching up and the government can easily cut excise duty, which will also help shield airlines from a hike in jet fuel prices,” a government official, who did not want to be named, told ET. 
 
Rising fuel cost has been a major concern for the aviation sector. 
 
“Any rise in price of fuel, which constitutes a large part of our cost, is a concern but we may not be impacted that much because the government was raising taxes when crude was falling. So, the full benefit of crude decline was never transferred to airlines, which can act as a shield for us,” SpiceJet Chairman Ajay Singh had said. 
 
Other requests include keeping ATF in the GST ambit.

Aviation ministry has sent its Budget 2017 wishlist to Arun Jaitely. Here’s what they expect

<ul><li>Former Finance Minister and senior BJP leader Arun Jaitely passed away at AIIMS on Saturday after prolonged illness. Jaitley had undergone dialysis on Thursday.</li><li>He was one of the few BJP members that supported PM Narendra Modi's back when he was under fire for 2004 Godhra riots. </li></ul> <keyword id="42575" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Arun-Jaitley">Arun Jaitley</keyword>, India's former Finance Minister, and prominent BJP leader passed away today at AIIMS. "It is with profound grief that we inform about the sad demise of Former <keyword id="6391015" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="finance-minister-arun-jaitley">Finance Minister Arun Jaitley</keyword>, Member of Parliament (MP) at 12:07 p.m. on Saturday. Jaitley was admitted in AIIMS, New Delhi on August 9 and was treated by a multi-disciplinary team of senior doctors," said Aarti Vij, Chairperson, Media and Protocol, AIIMS. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="70815608" title="Arun Jaitley, every big man's friend, passes away at the age of 66-- leaves behind lessons in the art of the possible" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> Here are some lesser-known facts about Arun Jaitley <div type="embedgroup" originid="carousel_1566633571133"><title>Untitled Carousel</title> <div type="Slideshow" msid="70815904" hostid="261" title="Arun Jaitley, the man who had Narendra Modi&amp;#39;s back during Gujarat riots" rank="1.0" mstype="8" mssubtype="0" firstImageMsid="70816100" slideCount="9"></div></div>

Lesser known facts about the late Arun Jaitley

Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> allocated portfolios to his ministers, giving the Ministry of Finance and Defence to Arun Jaitley. <keyword id="6355111" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sushma-Swaraj">Sushma Swaraj</keyword> was allocated the Ministry of External Affairs while <keyword id="6355121" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rajnath-Singh">Rajnath Singh</keyword> got Home Ministry. Here is the list of ministers in Modi’s government: 
 
Cabinet Ministers 
Rajnath Singh — Home Ministry 
Sushma Swaraj — Ministry of External Affairs 
Ananth Kumar — Parliamentary Affairs and additional charge of chemicals and fertilisers 
Nitin Gadkari — Surface Transport and Shipping Ministry 
Sadanand Gowda — Ministry of Railways 
Venkaiah Naidu — Urban Development Ministry and Parliamentary Affairs 
Ravi Shankar Prasad — Telecom Ministry, Law and Justice Ministry 
Maneka Gandhi — Women and Child Development Ministry 
Najma Heptulla — Ministry of Minorities 
Smriti Irani - Human Resource Development Ministry 
Radha Mohan Singh — Agriculture Ministry 
Nirmala Sitharaman — Minister of State for Commerce 
Prakash Javadekar — Minister of State for Information &amp; Broadcasting 
Ram Vilas Paswan — Food and Civil Supplies Ministry 
Arun Jaitley — Finance Ministry and additional charge of the Defence Ministry 
Uma Bharati —Minister of Water Resources and Ganga 
Jual Oram —Minister of Tribal Affairs 
 
Ministers of State (Independent Charge) 
General VK Singh – Development of North Eastern Region (Independent Charge), External Affairs, Overseas Indian Affairs 
Inderjit Singh Rao – Planning (Independent Charge), Statistics and Programme Implementation (Independent Charge), Defence 
Santosh Gangwar – Textiles (Independent Charge), Parliamentary Affairs, Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation 
Shripad Naik – Culture (Independent Charge), Tourism (Independent Charge) 
Dharmendra Pradhan – Petroleum and Natural Gas (Independent Charge) 
Sarbananda Sonowal – Skill Development, Entrepreneurship, Youth Affairs and Sports (Independent Charge) 
Prakash Javadekar – Information and Broadcasting (Independent Charge), Environment, Forest and Climate Change (Independent Charge), Parliamentary Affairs 
Piyush Goyal – Power (Independent Charge), Coal (Independent Charge), New and Renewable Energy (Independent Charge) 
Dr Jitendra Singh – Science and Technology (Independent Charge), Earth Sciences (Independent Charge), Prime Minister Office, Personnel, Public Grievances &amp; Pensions, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space 
Nirmala Sitharaman – Commerce and Industry (Independent Charge), Finance, Corporate Affairs 
 
Ministers of State 
GM Siddeshwara – Civil Aviation 
Manoj Sinha – Railways 
Nihalchand – Chemicals and Fertilisers 
Upendra Kushwaha - Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Drinking Water and Sanitation 
Pon Radhakrishnan – Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises 
Kiren Rijiju – Home Affairs 
Krishan Pal – Road Transport and Highways, Shipping 
Sanjeev Balyan – Agriculture, Food Processing Industries 
Mansukhbhai Dhanjibhai Vasava – Tribal Affairs 
Raosaheb Danve – Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution 
Vishnu Deo Sai – Mines, Steel, Labour and Employment 
Sudarshan Bhagat – Social Justice and Empowerment

Modi Allocates Portfolios To Ministers

Presenting his fourth <keyword id="6358021" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="budget">budget</keyword>, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/big-housing-push-affordable-housing-projects-get-infrastructure-status-in-budget-2017/articleshow/56911776.cms">Arun Jaitley</a> called Budget 2017-18 as the 'Budget for the poor' and while most of his policies have been met with enthusiasm such as his decision to focus on uplifting the underprivileged in the rural areas and giving affordable housing a boost by granting them 'infrastructure status,' some of them have also been met with criticism, for not having enough clarity. 
 But, as the comm0n man still comes to terms with the consequences of all the policies announced today, people on Twitter had the last laugh with their hilarious reactions towards <keyword id="6599769" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Budget-2017">Budget 2017</keyword>. 
 
Have a look: 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
	
		Budget news on TV: 
		1.FM has left the house. 
		2.FM has stopped at a thela. 
		3.He ordered chhole kulche 
		4.HE ASKS FOR EXTRA CHHOLE!
	— Shree (@whyrus_) <a href="https://twitter.com/whyrus_/status/826634838979416064">February 1, 2017</a></blockquote>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
	
		What would we do without LSTV's insights? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Budget2017?src=hash">#Budget2017</a> <a href="https://t.co/dh42veDM4N">pic.twitter.com/dh42veDM4N</a>
	— Deepanjana (@dpanjana) <a href="https://twitter.com/dpanjana/status/826659663672401920">February 1, 2017</a></blockquote>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
	
		Pic1: When you get to know TAX exemption limit has been increased. 
		Pic2: When you realised you are still jobless <a href="https://t.co/a62gij9tbU">pic.twitter.com/a62gij9tbU</a>
	— The Viral Fever (@TheViralFever) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheViralFever/status/826693840241319936">February 1, 2017</a></blockquote>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
	
		When you can't figure out anything to criticize <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Budget2017?src=hash">#Budget2017</a> 😂 <a href="https://t.co/ZE7DWKxDmf">pic.twitter.com/ZE7DWKxDmf</a>
	— Gabbbar (@GabbbarSingh) <a href="https://twitter.com/GabbbarSingh/status/826676812574969856">February 1, 2017</a></blockquote>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
	
		Hope Arun Jaitely allocates 1000 Crores to Shirish Kunder, Sajid Khan and RGV so that they don't need to make any movies ever. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Budget2017?src=hash">#Budget2017</a>
	— The Viral Fever (@TheViralFever) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheViralFever/status/826676760712511488">February 1, 2017</a></blockquote>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
	 Pic1: <keyword id="42575" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Arun-Jaitley">Arun Jaitley</keyword> rest of the year. 
		Pic2: During Budget. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Budget2017?src=hash">#Budget2017</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZbC5fbUtSj">pic.twitter.com/ZbC5fbUtSj</a>
	— Chika Pikaa Rikaa (@Simply_neev) <a href="https://twitter.com/Simply_neev/status/826649058525589504">February 1, 2017</a></blockquote>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
	
		Every Year: 
		 
		Pic 1: Common man before budget. 
		Pic 2: Common man after budget.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Budget2017?src=hash">#Budget2017</a> <a href="https://t.co/lVc0jN67zF">pic.twitter.com/lVc0jN67zF</a>
	— PhD in Bak*****!! (@Atheist_Krishna) <a href="https://twitter.com/Atheist_Krishna/status/826664990450999296">February 1, 201</a>7</blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
	
		Lol, the 543 most corrupt people in the country applauding the statement about tax avoidance burden falling on the honest. Chup.
	— Rohan (@mojorojo) <a href="https://twitter.com/mojorojo/status/826685972066746368">February 1, 2017</a></blockquote>

The funniest Twitter reactions to Arun Jaitley's Budget 2017

In September of 2013, the <keyword id="26362" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Government">Government</keyword> of India made history when it overturned the draconian 1894 law on the subject of <keyword id="6364579" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Land-acquisition">land Acquisition</keyword> and replaced it with a more humane (and vastly more comprehensive) regime. 
 
The new law titled the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act 2013 drew sharp responses from both sides of the stakeholder spectrum. Industry, almost universally decried the law as ludicrously difficult to implement, while farmer groups felt it didn’t go far enough in addressing historical injustices. Nonetheless, it was a huge victory on an issue that had been at the heart of almost every single land movement in independent India. 
 While in opposition, the <keyword id="14666" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="BJP">BJP</keyword> and its leaders had wholeheartedly supported the law and worked to ensure its passage. It was thus, surprising, when one of the very first exercises that the new Government embarked upon after being sworn into office was the organisation of a conclave to determine the challenges in complying with the new law. To this end, a conference of State <keyword id="45663" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Revenue">Revenue</keyword> Ministers was held at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi in June of 2014. It seemed strange that such a conference should be held when barely six months had passed since the law came into force (of which two months were taken up for the elections) to gauge the challenges of implementing a law which had barely been implemented. 
 The <keyword id="6355261" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Finance-minister">Finance Minister</keyword>, Arun Jaitely, issued multiple statements about the perceived shortcomings of the law along with possible amendments to the same. This culminated in an <keyword id="152892" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Ordinance">Ordinance</keyword> on new year’s eve i.e. December 31, 2014. The Ordinance was marked by a complete absence of consultation with the public at large (contrast this with the multiple recorded public consultations held on the 2013 Act including the uploading of every draft on the Ministry’s website) and was simply shared when it was promulgated. 
 
This Ordinance brought about major changes to the very structure of the law. It created a vaguely worded special category which contained activities exempt from seeking consent of the affected parties or satisfying the requirements of the Social Impact Assessment prescribed under the 2013 law. 
 
It posited additional qualifications for return of land and gave officers, who violated the law, the additional protection of sanction before prosecution. The special powers (known as the residuary power) to take actions to implement the law or to remove difficulties was extended from two years to five. 
 
This was, of course, in addition to the amendment that the laws contained in Schedule IV of the 2013 Act (relating to acquisition of land for special sectors such as railways, highways, atomic energy etc.) and which had been exempted for a year’s time from the application of the 2013 law, would now have to apply the provisions related to compensation and rehabilitation/ resettlement contained in the 2013 law. This was not a show of kindness, but rather a necessity, since the 2013 law contained a direction to amend the law within one year to bring the compensation and rehabilitation/resettlement amounts in line with the new law (though they could still follow their own process for acquisition). 
 Reaction to the Ordinance was almost unanimously negative. Having seen the impact of the new law <keyword id="45092" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="farmers">farmers</keyword> held multiple protests. Many acres of land had been returned by the Courts to long suffering victims of acquisition across the country in the span of the year since the law became operational. Public sector enterprises were being compelled to negotiate with farmers and land owners if they wanted their land. The land owner had been empowered by the State against the advances of the State. No land owner was keen to return to the arbitrary and capricious systems that had previously existed. As a result, leaders across political parties united in opposing the law. 
 Currently the law is being <keyword id="23259" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="debate">debate</keyword>d in <keyword id="6354721" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="parliament">Parliament</keyword>. It remains to be seen if the Government will yield to the various concerns being raised and dilute the provisions of the ordinance accordingly. So far, the Government has held firm. What can be said with certainty is that this debate will go a long way in contributing to how the legacy of the current Government will be written. 
 
(Muhammad A. Khan is an advocate who worked as the Officer on Special Duty to Mr. Jairam Ramesh in the Ministry of Rural Development. He, along with Mr. Jairam Ramesh, is the author of a book on how the new law on land acquisition was made, to be published by Oxford University Press in April 2015.)

Land Bill: Rebooting the land acquisition debate

<ul><li>Indian Finance Minister <keyword id="129243" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nirmala-Sitharaman">Nirmala Sitharaman</keyword> just announced multiple mergers of public sector banks.</li><li>The mergers will shrink the total number of public sector banks in India from 27 to 12.</li><li>The merger between <keyword id="62034" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Punjab-National-Bank">Punjab National Bank</keyword> (PNB), Oriental Bank and United Bank will make the second largest state owned bank in India.</li></ul>Indian finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman today announced the merger of ten state-owned banks into four mega banks. This is a part of the government’s agenda to shrink the number of public sector banks in India from 27 to 12. As a part of the merger, Punjab National Bank (PNB) will be merging with Oriental Bank and United Bank which will be the second largest public sector bank in India. While PNB will retain its identity as the anchor bank, it will be ‘acquiring’ the other two smaller banks. <keyword id="6357132" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Canara-Bank">Canara Bank</keyword> will merge with Syndicate Bank to become the fourth largest bank. Union Bank of India will subsume with Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank to turn into the fifth largest state-owned bank. Indian Bank and Allahabad Bank will also merge to become the seventh largest public sector bank. The BSE Bankex surged by a massive 172 points today to close at 30,949 as the merger buzz pushed the stocks of PSU banks. Professionally managed banks Sitharaman also promised to ensure that these merged banks will be run professionally while shedding some of bureaucratic pains that have dogged public sector institutions. The merged entities will be able to make succession plans, and will be more accountable to the board. "The banks will also be able to recruit a chief risk officer from the market at market-linked compensation," she said. Sitharaman stated that the total non-performing assets or toxic loans are at a massive ₹ 7.9 lakh crore. However, they came down from ₹8.46 lakh crore in December last year. These bank mergers will create stronger entities allowing them to support the slowing credit growth in the country. Third set of bank reforms — with more to follow This is the third time that the Narendra Modi government is consolidating the public sector banking industry. In April 2017, he announced the merger of five associate banks and the Bharatiya Mahila Bank with the State Bank of India (SBI). In April this year, Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank were merged with Bank of Baroda. India’s former Finance Minister, the late Arun Jaitely stated, "India needs fewer, mega banks which are strong, because in every sense, from borrowing rates to optimum utilisation, the economies of scale as far as the banking sector are concerned are of great help." The total number of banks is expected to reduce even further to around only four or five as per the Indian government’s plans for the sector.

Indian government decides to merge ten public sector banks to form four large entities

After attacking <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=raghuram+rajan&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan</a>, who confirmed he will not go for second term, BJP MP <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=subramanian+swamy&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Subramanian Swamy</a> now has a new target. 
 Now, he wants India’s Chief Economic Adviser <keyword id="6355547" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Arvind-Subramanian">Arvind Subramanian</keyword>, a PM Narendra Modi-appointee, to be sacked. 
 
Swamy claimed that Subramanian had recommended that the US government act against India through the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=WTO&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">WTO</a> over its pharmaceutical IPR regulations. 
 
In a series of tweets, Swamy alleged that Subramanian encouraged Congress to remain adamant on <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=GST&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">GST</a> clauses. Swamy said he was helping Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in identifying his enemies. 
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
	
		Who said to US Cong on 13/3/13 the US should act against India to defend US Pharmaceuticals interests? Arvind Subramanian MoF !! Sack him!!! — <keyword id="6370187" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Subramanian-Swamy">Subramanian Swamy</keyword> (@Swamy39) <a href="https://twitter.com/Swamy39/status/745429777234825216">June 22, 2016</a></blockquote>
 
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
	
		Guess who encouraged Congi to become rigid on GST clauses ? Jaitely's economic adviser Arvind Subramanian of Washington DC
	— Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) <a href="https://twitter.com/Swamy39/status/745439703013302273">June 22, 2016</a></blockquote>
 
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
	
		Now PTs can understand why our core economic sectors could not perform last two years. Trojan horses galore in MoF/ Fin Institutions
	— Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) <a href="https://twitter.com/Swamy39/status/745466119461314563">June 22, 2016</a></blockquote>
 
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
	
		<a href="https://twitter.com/omsinghis">@omsinghis</a> : I am helping Jaitely to recognise the enemies in our camp.
	— Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) <a href="https://twitter.com/Swamy39/status/745478227594883072">June 22, 2016</a></blockquote>
 
Subramanian had made that recommendation to the US Congress in a written testimony, which was submitted in March. 
Also, he had sought changes in Indian patent law. 
 
"If India does not address the problems created by Section 3(d) of the patent legislation or by compulsory licensing for nonworking, the United States should consider initiating WTO disputes against India," read Subramanian's testimony to the US Congress. 
 
Earlier, Swamy had accused Rajan on anti-national intentions. 
 
READ ALSO: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Swamysays-Raghuram-Rajan-is-leaking-secrets-and-defending-US-power-gives-Modi-6reasons-to-sack-him/articleshow/52450672.cms">Swamy says Raghuram Rajan is leaking secrets and defending US’ power, gives Modi 6 reasons to sack him</a> 
 
READ ALSO: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Subramanian-Swamy-is-stepping-up-the-political-ladder-and-how/articleshow/52850894.cms">Subramanian Swamy is stepping up the political ladder and how</a>

Subramanian Swamy now wants India’s chief economic adviser to be sacked

ICICI Group dedicated 100 Digital Villages to the nation as a way to empower rural India. Arun Jaitely, Union Minister of Finance, Defence &amp; Corporate Affairs inaugurated the event for the announcement. The programme involves end-to-end digitization of transactions and other commercial activities, providing vocational training to villagers, extending credit facility and helping the villagers to access markets and earn a sustainable livelihood. 

 

 

 

 

 <div type="embedgroup"> <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="58460368" title="Exclusive: Vijay Shekhar Sharma, CEO, Paytm talks about representing India at the TIME 100 Gala" rank="1.0" kind="RELATED" publishDate="May 01, 2017, 5:07 PM" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div></div> <keyword id="45875" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Chanda-Kochhar">Chanda Kochhar</keyword>, MD &amp; CEO, <keyword id="6653" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="ICICI-bank">ICICI Bank</keyword> told Business Insider, “We have created a less cash ecosystem at these villages, provided vocational training to over 11,300 villagers including more than 7500 women and offered them credit linkages in the past 100 days. We have also disbursed INR 14 crore worth of loans in this time frame to these villages in 17 Indian states. This has enabled 70-80% of the villagers to become independent.” Ms. Kochhar also announced the expansion of the initiative to another 500 villages, “We intend to expand the number of such villages by another 500 by December 2017. In that process, we will train another 50,000 people and affect 12.5 lives.” 

 

 

 

 

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 How does a ‘Digital Village’ work The villagers here can use digital channels for banking and payments transactions. They can also open a bank account using Aadhaar-based e-KYC, making cashless payments at retail stores using Point-of-sale (POS) machines, and use an SMS based mobile solution. Villagers can also deposit and withdraw cash at their doorstep. The bank has provided an SMS-based mobile service which facilitates the villagers to transfer funds, receive SMS alerts &amp; mini-statements to know their account balance. It is available in 10 regional languages- Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil and Telegu. Besides that, over 206 POS and micro-ATMs have been installed across these villages. 

 

 

 

 

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 The digitization at the village dairy co-operative units enables the societies to pay the members digitally and directly into their bank accounts. The villages are present in 17 states; 16 in <keyword id="6354766" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gujarat">Gujarat</keyword>, 145 in Maharashtra &amp; <keyword id="6355554" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Madhya-Pradesh">Madhya Pradesh</keyword>, 12 each in <keyword id="4484062" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="tamil-nadu-karnataka">Tamil Nadu &amp; Karnataka</keyword> and 11 in Rajasthan among others.

Chanda Kochhar, MD & CEO, ICICI Bank Announces Plans to Digitize 500 Villages While Dedicating 100 Villages to the Nation

If you are a student and planning to pursue a self financed course, you needn’t worry about educational loans any more. The <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Finance%20Ministry">finance ministry</a> has announced the launch of a one-stop portal <a href="http://www.vidyalakshmi.co">www.vidyalakshmi.co</a>. in. Here, students can apply for education loan from <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Hereshow-top-5-Indian-banks-use-technology/articleshow/48003107.cms">multiple banks by filling up just one form</a>. 
 
As per the finance ministry statement, this new website would relive you of taking all pains of visiting different banks for loans. Developed jointly by NSDL e-Governance Infrastructure, finance ministry, Department of Higher Education, human resource development ministry and Indian Banks' Association (IBA), the portal is in line with finance minister <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/topic/Arun-Jaitley">Arun Jaitely's</a> Budget promise of developming a fully IT-based Student Financial Aid Authority to administer and monitor scholarship as well as Educational Loan Schemes through the Pradhan Mantri Vidya Lakshmi Karyakram (PMVLK) "to ensure that no student misses out on higher education for lack of funds." 
 
Through the Vidyalakshmi portal, students can apply for a loan to multiple banks, track their applications and avail of various loan schemes. 
 
"Thirteen banks have registered 22 Educational Loan Schemes on the Vidya Lakshmi Portal and five banks -- SBI, IDBI Bank, Bank of India, Canara Bank and Union Bank of India -- have integrated their system with the portal for providing loan processing status to students," the finance ministry said in the statement. 
 
"This initiative aims to bring on board all banks providing educational loans. It is expected that students throughout the country will be benefited by this initiative of the government by making available a single-window for access to various educational loan schemes of all banks."

This is truly awesome for students! Use this single form to apply for educational loans at different banks!

<div class="image-container float_right" style="width:428px"><div class="image"></div><a href="http://www.travelbusy.com/gallery/">TravelBusy.com / Flickr</a></div>NEW DELHI (AP) — <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>'s finance minister Thursday unveiled a national budget with a promise to put Asia's third largest economy back on a path of high growth and to trim the fiscal deficit.
Palaniappan Chidambaram told Parliament that attracting foreign investment was crucial to reversing India's economic slowdown and getting the nation back to fiscal health. Reducing the budget deficit meant the government had no choice but to cut spending, he said.
The budget foresees total expenditure of 16.65 trillion rupees ($306 billion) in the fiscal year that begins April 1. The finance ministry forecast the fiscal deficit to decline to 4.8 percent of gross domestic product from 5.2 percent expected in the current fiscal year.
Among measures to boost revenue, the minister announced a temporary tax hike for the "super rich." The 42,800 people with annual income over 10 million rupees ($186,000) would pay the additional tax for one year.
He also hiked taxes on imported luxury cars, high-end motorcycles and yachts, all of which have become symbols of affluence among India's upper classes. Cigarettes, cigars, mobile phones and SUVs would cost more, as would dining at expensive restaurants, Chidambaram said. Big companies would pay more tax to boost government revenue.
The budget comes against the backdrop of a downhill slide in India's economic growth from earlier levels of 9 percent. The economy is projected to grow about 5 per cent this fiscal year ending March, far below the 7.6 per cent growth projected in last year's budget and prompting calls from economists for an increase in the pace of economic and financial reforms.
The government, led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, has over the past two years tried to push through legislation to ease restrictions on foreign investment and allow international retailers to open supermarkets here. But it has faced stiff resistance from opposition politicians, who shut down Parliament over the issue, casting doubt on the government's ability to execute reforms. Last week, India's trade unions and bank employees unions held a country-wide strike to protest economic reforms.
Singh hailed the new budget, saying India "should get back to 8 percent growth in 2 to 3 years." The finance ministry has forecast growth of between 6.1 percent and 6.7 percent in the new fiscal year.
Chidambaram announced a marginal increase in defense expenditure with the budget for safeguarding the country increased to 2.03 trillion rupees ($37.7 billion). The budget has a provision of 867.4 billion rupees for India, the world's top arms and defense equipment buyer, to purchase new defense equipment in the next fiscal year.
With the country headed for general elections in 2014, government spending on costly social programs was projected to go up substantially. The budget has assigned 100 billion rupees for an ambitious food security program.
Chidambaram told lawmakers the country was also facing a current account deficit crisis due to huge imports of oil, coal and gold and a slowdown in exports.
Chidambaram said India would need around $75 billion this year and next year from foreign investment and external commercial borrowing to bridge the current account deficit. The current account is a broad measure of trade and investment balances with the rest of the world.
"India at the present juncture does not have the choice of welcoming and spurning foreign investment. We need to welcome foreign investment," he said.
Opposition political leaders said the budget only made cosmetic changes in taxation and expenditure.
It was "extremely low on substance, with nothing to offer to the poor, and a substantial reduction in budgetary support for the economically deprived," said Arun Jaitely, a leader of the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party.
Business leaders gave it a higher rating.
"The finance minister's intentions are very clear: to move India back to a higher growth plane. And given his lack of runway, he has taken lots of small measures which together could boost growth," said N. Chandrasekaran, CEO and Managing Director of Tata Consultancy Services, India's top outsourcing company.
Chidambaram tried to dispel the general air of despondency over the Indian economy's slowdown, saying it was "not all doom and gloom."
"Only China and Indonesia are growing faster than India, and achieving high growth is not beyond India's capacity," he said.
"We have done it and we will do it again."

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