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As <keyword id="19896017" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Karnataka" source="keywords">Karnataka</keyword> grapples with a rising number of <keyword id="20075342" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="dengue" source="keywords">dengue</keyword> cases, the state government has officially declared dengue fever an <keyword id="20462436" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="epidemic" source="keywords">epidemic</keyword>. This declaration comes with a set of strict regulations designed to prevent the spread of the disease by targeting <keyword id="21283114" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mosquito-breeding" source="keywords">mosquito breeding</keyword>, which is the primary mode of transmission. To avoid <keyword id="20041636" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="penalties" source="keywords">penalties</keyword>, it is crucial to understand and adhere to these new regulations. <h2>Understanding dengue</h2>Dengue is a viral infection transmitted by the bite of an infected female Aedes mosquito, primarily Aedes aegypti. The virus causes flu-like symptoms, including high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, joint and muscle pain, rash, and mild bleeding (such as nose or gum bleeding). In severe cases, dengue can lead to dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) or dengue shock syndrome (DSS), which are potentially fatal <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111981382" title="BBMP’s newest contest can earn you up to Rs 1 lakh for uploading &amp;#39;Dengue Warrior&amp;#39; reels on social media!" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>Karnataka’s tropical climate, combined with rapid urbanisation and inadequate waste management, has created ideal conditions for the proliferation of these Aedes mosquitoes, with cases exceeding 25,000 since the beginning of the year. The urban centres, particularly Bengaluru, have seen alarming spikes in dengue cases, straining the healthcare infrastructure and prompting urgent government interventions. The situation has been exacerbated by the accumulation of stagnant water in both residential and commercial areas, which serves as breeding grounds for mosquitoes. <h2>Preventative measures</h2>The government has mandated that all property owners, including households, commercial establishments, and construction site managers, must take immediate and effective steps to eliminate potential mosquito breeding sites. As per the new regulations, authorities can inspect any land or building between sunrise and sunset after giving reasonable notice. The owner or occupier must facilitate the inspection and provide necessary information. If mosquito breeding is found, the authority can issue a notice requiring action within a specified time, not less than 24 hours, to eliminate the breeding ground using suitable methods. This includes ensuring that all water storage containers, such as tanks, barrels, and drums, are properly covered to prevent mosquitoes from laying eggs. Moreover, residents and business owners are required to properly dispose of solid waste, including items like old tires, broken pots, and unused containers, which could otherwise collect water and become breeding grounds. <h2>Fines for non-compliance</h2>In addition to these preventive measures, the government has implemented a structured penalty system for non-compliance. Households in <keyword id="19924983" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="urban-areas" source="keywords">urban areas</keyword> are subject to a fine of Rs 400, while those in rural areas face a Rs 200 fine. Commercial establishments, such as offices, restaurants, and schools, are liable for a Rs 1,000 fine in urban areas and Rs 500 in rural areas. Construction sites, whether active or abandoned, face the heaviest fines — Rs 2,000 in urban areas and Rs 1,000 in rural areas. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111316992" title="Dengue in obese children is more likely to result in hospitalisation, study finds" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>For those who fail to comply with these regulations, the consequences are more severe. Authorised officers from the <keyword id="19898915" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="health-department" source="keywords">Health Department</keyword> have been empowered to inspect properties and enforce these rules. If a property owner fails to comply with a notice to eliminate mosquito breeding sites, the authorities are authorised to take the necessary actions themselves and recover the costs from the defaulter. Additionally, if violations continue, an extra 50% of the total fine may be imposed each week until compliance is achieved. It is imperative to act swiftly if you receive a notice regarding mosquito breeding on your property. Ignoring such a notice not only increases your financial burden due to accumulating fines but also puts your community at greater risk of dengue. By adhering to these regulations and taking proactive steps to prevent mosquito breeding, you can avoid penalties and contribute to the larger public health effort to control the spread of dengue in Karnataka.

Dengue fine? Here's what you must do to avoid government penalty as Karnataka declares dengue an epidemic

Citing UK-based newspaper, Financial Times which claimed that the <keyword id="6367820" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="adani-group" source="Orion">Adani Group</keyword> was purchasing coal above its market value from Asian countries, <keyword id="1575" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="congress" source="Orion">Congress</keyword> leader <keyword id="5268" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="rahul-gandhi" source="Orion">Rahul Gandhi</keyword> on Wednesday alleged that it is due to this reason for prices of electricity in country are getting inflated. Addressing a press conference in Delhi, Rahul Gandhi alleged,"In a report from the famous Financial Times, London, Now we know that Adani Group has committed another fraud of Rs 12,000 crore. So now the total corruption of the Adani Group stands at Rs 32,000 crore. They overinvoice their coal imports, and when the coal enters India, its price changes leading to surge in electricity prices. These Rs 12,000 crore are getting paid from the pocket of common masses." Emphasising that Congress is already providing subsidy in Karnataka, Rahul Gandhi said," We are also ready to provide subsidies in Madhya Pradesh. No media has an interest in this story. No one is interested in asking questions from the Adani group. This cannot happen without protection being provided from Prime Minister. Adani buys coal in Indonesia, and by the time the coal arrives in India, its price doubles. Our electricity prices are going up." Rahul Gandhi further alleged that Adani Group is involved in a direct theft of the public money."This time the theft is happening from the pockets of the public.When you push the button for a switch, Adani gets money in his pocket.Enquiry is happening in different countries, and people are asking questions, but nothing is happening in India," he said. Earlier last week, the Adani Group had said there is a renewed attempt by the UK based newspaper Financial Times and its collaborators to rehash old and baseless allegations to tarnish the name and standing of the Indian business conglomerate. In a media statement, Adani Group said on October 9 that these articles were part of an extended campaign to advance vested interests under the guise of public interest. "Continuing their relentless campaign, the next attack is being fronted by Dan McCrum of the Financial Times, who jointly with the <keyword id="12406255" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="occrp" source="Orion">OCCRP</keyword> put out a false narrative against the Adani Group on 31 August 2023. The OCCRP is funded by <keyword id="101566" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="george-soros" source="Orion">George Soros</keyword>, who has openly declared his hostility against the Adani Group," the Adani Group statement said. Having failed earlier, the UK daily is making another effort to financially destabilise the Adani Group by raking up an old, baseless allegation of over-invoicing of coal imports, the statement added. Adani Group said in the case of Knowledge Infrastructure, one of the 40 importers mentioned in the General Alert Circular, the DRI's Show Cause Notice alleging over-valuation in the import of coal was quashed by the appellate tribunal (CESTAT). The question of over-invoicing price manipulation does not arise, it noted. Meanwhile, when asked why he was not raising questions about Sharad Pawar's meeting with Adani despite INDIA alliance being united on Adani issue, the Congress MP said, "I have not asked Sharad Pawar, he is not the Prime Minister of India. Sharad Pawar is not protecting Adani, Mr Modi is and that's why I asked Mr Modi this question. If Sharad Pawar was sitting as PM of India and protecting Adani, then I would be asking Sharad Pawar this question" Earlier this year, an American short seller Hindenburg Group had launched an attack on Adani Group in January this year through a report that allegedly claimed accounting fraud, stock price manipulation and improper use of tax havens.Post the Hindenburg report, the group had erased close to USD 150 billion in its market value. Adani Group has been denying all allegations since the beginning of the controversy. The Adani Group had then attacked Hindenburg as "an unethical short seller", stating that the report by the New York-based entity was "nothing but a lie". A short-seller in the securities market books gains from the subsequent reduction in the prices of shares.

Rahul Gandhi targets Adani group again on coal pricing issue

<ul><li>At 7:45 am, the SGX Nifty was trading 0.42% lower, indicating a subdued start for Nifty50. </li><li>Here’s a list of stocks to watch for in trade today. </li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/">Check out the latest news and updates on Business Insider.</a> </li></ul>Indian stock-market indices are likely to open on a weak note on Friday, led by negative cues from the Asian markets. At 7:45 am, the SGX Nifty was trading 0.42% lower, indicating a negative start for Nifty50. Other Asian peers were trading in the negative territory as well — the SSE Composite Index was down 0.40%, and the Hang Seng Index was down 1.56%. These are the stocks to watch out for during the trading session today: RIL The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has approved a resolution plan for Reliance Infratel submitted by a group entity of Reliance Industries, according to a regulatory filing. Maruti Suzuki India Maruti Suzuki India said its total production in November increased by 5.91% to 1,50,221 units. NMDC The state-owned NMDC said that the long-pending issue of Donimalai iron ore mine in Karnataka had been resolved. The central government has reached an agreement with the Karnataka state government and the Ministry of Steel to extend Donimalai Iron ore lease. Eicher Motors Eicher Motors Volvo Eicher Commercial Vehicles has begun production at its new truck plant in Bhopal. State Bank of India A report by PTI indicates that the CBI, on Friday, carried out searches at three locations in Delhi after booking Jay Polychem (India) in an alleged ₹1,800-crore bank fraud in a consortium led by State Bank of India. ONGC ONGC Videsh, the overseas investment arm of state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), has made a “significant” oil discovery in an onshore block in Colombia. OVL is the operator in the block with 70% stake and an independent oil and gas company focussed in Latin America, Geopark, has the remaining 30% interest. Likhitha Infrastructure Likhitha Infrastructure bagged order of ₹112.88 crores from IHB — a JV company of IOC, HPCL and BPCL for laying a pipeline in Gujarat. APL Apollo Tubes APL Apollo Tubes has set December 16 as the record date for shares split. The company earlier approved splitting each stock of face value ₹10 each into 5 equity shares of the face value of ₹2 each. Tata Consumer Products The step-down subsidiary of Tata Consumer Products, Earth Rules, Australia has entered into an asset sale and purchase agreement for the sale of its MAP Coffee Business to Buccheri Group. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/oxford-covid-19-vaccine-serum-institute-seeks-emergency-use-nod-for-covishield-vaccine-in-india/articleshow/79600349.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Oxford COVID-19 vaccine: Serum Institute seeks emergency use nod for Covishield vaccine in India</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/section-144-extended-across-noida-and-greater-noida-till-january-2/articleshow/79600323.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Section 144 extended across Noida and Greater Noida till January 2</a>

Top stocks to watch — RIL, Maruti Suzuki, NMDC, SBI, ONGC, Eicher Motors, Likhitha Infrastructure, Tata Consumer, and others

The vast majority of city street journeys take place in cars. Despite being clean and green with a host of health benefits, <keyword id="6366594" type="SPORT" weightage="100" keywordseo="cycling">cycling</keyword> is really popular in only a few countries. Potential accidents, the lack of a cycle-friendly infrastructure and worries about rain and cold keep many from hopping on a two-wheeled horse, even though bicycles are fast, clean, healthy and inexpensive. In the UK, US and <keyword id="6355478" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Australia">Australia</keyword>, for example, only about 1 per cent of all journeys are made on a bike. But there are exceptions, of course: in the <keyword id="44173" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Netherlands">Netherlands</keyword>, the number is 27 per cent, and in Danish capital Copenhagen, <a href="http://policy.rutgers.edu/faculty/pucher/Irresistible.pdf">over half the population cycles regularly</a>. 
 
The main factor that keeps cycling rates low in many cities is that most people are not comfortable sharing space in streets with fast-moving cars and trucks. Most modern cities are designed for cars. Thus, an intelligent city planner while planning a smart city should assume that cycling, walking and public transport would be the main forms of transport while trying to figure out how to accommodate inefficient, polluting and dangerous modes like private car use. 
 Cities such as Delhi and <keyword id="6354321" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bengaluru">Bengaluru</keyword> have shown spectacular economic growth, but at a price: traffic has literally come to a standstill. This is not only a cost to society but the economy. A sustainable solution involves a switch to other means of transportation. Amsterdam has shown that a transition in modalities of transport is possible. Currently, 53 per cent of all travel in the city is by bicycle, compared to 23 per cent by car. Investment in bicycle infrastructure is a modern and intelligent move for a city to make. Studies from Denmark tell us that for every kilometre cycled, society enjoys a net profit of 23 cents. For every kilometre driven by car we suffer a net loss of -16 cents. Now, the <keyword id="58906" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Karnataka-government">Karnataka government</keyword> and the city of Bengaluru are aiming to make urban mobility more bicycle-inclusive as part of the transition to a sustainable, smart city. 
 
Benefits of cycling 
 
Using the bicycle as an urban means of transport can improve the way cities are enjoyed, both for cyclists and other citizens. 
· A clean, environment-friendly means of transport 
· Silent 
· Improves overall fitness and contributes to reducing healthcare costs 
· Traffic jams not usually a concern 
· Reduces the need for fossil fuels 
· Makes it possible to carry objects around 
· Indirect source of cost reduction for cities and countries 
· Cuts carbon, air pollution and calories 
 
Planning for a cycle-friendly smart city 
 
· If the distance is short between start point and destination, cycling could be preferred. So, streets should be connected in such a way that the distance becomes short. 
· Car-free or limited-traffic streets can become anchors for human-centred activity 
· Bikeways should be smooth and free of obstructions, and preferably separated from traffic by parked vehicles, guardrails, bollards or other barriers that clearly differentiate bike lanes from the rest of the street. 
· ‘Smart’ bike-sharing systems provide the missing link between existing points of public transportation and desired destinations. 
 
Supporting ‘Cycling’ is not only an expression of inclusiveness but of health and harmony with environment. It needs to be part of every development plan of private townships and smart cities. More than 400,000 bicycle sharing schemes are used in dozens of cities on the Chinese mainland only, since 2012. Besides in economic benefits, India is the second largest bicycle producing industry after China. This US$ 1.5 billion industry produced nearly 15.5 million bicycles in 2012–13, i.e., 10% of the total bicycles manufactured globally and employed about 1 million people in the country. 
Cycling can improve the overall health of a city, in every sense of the word. But to make non-motorised transport a reality in the developing world, city leaders must first improve designs to support walkers and bikers. 
 (The article is authored by Pratap Padode, Founder and Director of <keyword id="3070683" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Smart-City-Council-of-India">Smart City Council of India</keyword>.) 
 
(Image credits: Indiatimes)

Why cycling should be mandatory in smart cities

People sitting comfortably in their homes in cities across the country have the luxury of ordering food at the touch of button. From fresh milk to fruit juices, from different cuisines to gourmet cooking ingredients, you name it, you can have it. High disposable incomes and exposure to a plethora of choices makes us city-dwellers oblivious to challenges that those in remote India face. Many remote areas of the country do not have the privilege of getting fresh high quality liquid food, especially milk, all year around and depend on either preserved or powdered versions to meet their daily needs. Here's where packaging and processing solutions-providers like <keyword id="194619" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="tetra-pak">Tetra Pak</keyword> come in, making everyday life easier for people who face scarcity of resources. In the past thirty years of its operations in India, the company spent the first ten years seeding the market, building awareness about the merits of their UHT technology and aseptic packaging and building their own capacity to cater to a market as large and diverse as India. In the years that followed they worked with other F&amp;B brands to make food safe and available everywhere, co-creating and conceptualizing products with customers to suit evolving market needs. Since then, aseptic technology - which Tetra Pak pioneered globally over fifty years back - has proven to be a solution to reduce food losses the world over and in transport, in addition to keeping food safe which is why it is so relevant for India where our food processing sector continues to face widespread and perennial wastage of food. This aseptic technology has enabled the penetration of safe foods into the remotest parts of the country. 
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 The <keyword id="6354416" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="indian-army">Indian Army</keyword> story Even though India is a milk-surplus country, it is ironic that a large part of the country still has no access to fresh milk. The North-east is one of the hardest to reach areas in the country and has relied on powder milk for years. For years, mothers have missed giving their children the necessary nutrition for lack of access to fresh milk. Most of us cannot imagine a childhood without our mothers chasing us with a glass of milk twice a day. But this one-stop nutrition has been elusive for a large part of the country. For our jawans posted in the farthest-reaching areas like <keyword id="6354495" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="kashmir">Kashmir</keyword> or <keyword id="48118" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sikkim">Sikkim</keyword>, lack of access to fresh milk is just another challenge on a list of many others. Spending months facing extreme weather conditions, even cut off from civilization, while defending our borders, the Indian Army has also had to traditionally rely on powder milk. Tetra Pak’s UHT technology and aseptic packaging technology has changed this over the years and given access to fresh milk by eliminating the need for a cold chain during distribution. The Indian Army today consumes over 1 lakh litres of UHT milk every day provided by several different organizations like Amul, <keyword id="53954" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="karnataka-milk-federation">Karnataka Milk Federation</keyword> and is one of the biggest customers for these milk producers. For many years, it was impossible to transport milk to these remote locations because of milk being a perishable product, and the high costs and infrastructure needed to build a complete cold chain for distributing the milk. Mr. R. S. Sodhi, Managing Director, <keyword id="5899354" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="gcmmf-amul">GCMMF-Amul</keyword> says, “When we proposed Tetra Pak’s UHT milk cartons to the <keyword id="44299" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="india-army">India Army</keyword>, they readily accepted it. At the very remote locations where it was impossible to get milk, fresh milk is now available. Soldiers feel at home when they drink UHT milk.” Today, UHT and Aseptic technology together are making sure that the Indian Army gets the nutrition they need. Holding on in high seas The challenge of food access is not limited to just the mountains, but also the seas and their coast. In <keyword id="6355466" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="south-india">South India</keyword>, the large coastline is dotted by thousands of fishermen who are dependent on the sea for earning their daily living. As they are off to the sea for days on end it is difficult for them to carry huge packets of milk or food for survival. This is one of the need gaps that was identified by the Karnataka Milk Federation and inspired them to introduce 100 ml <keyword id="5899355" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="tetra-fino-aseptic">Tetra Fino Aseptic</keyword> packages that the fishermen can now carry on their boats and get much-needed nutrition and refreshment. The convenient 100 ml and 200 ml packets are also perfect for families that have low milk requirements and ensure freshness for people who can’t afford to refrigerate milk. One such group of consumers is migrant laborers. These laborers move to temporary labor camps near construction sites for short periods of time with a few essentials that will help them survive for that period. Sometimes a handful of utensils and a few clothes is all they carry with them. No question of refrigeration or storage facilities, and little money to spare. For this group, the Tetra Fino Aseptic is a blessing. The milk package available for INR 10, 20 is a shared asset, with 2 or more people pooling together money to buy a pack and share a few cups of tea. No need for refrigeration also means that they can carry the packs with them to their work site and consume the milk as convenient. As <keyword id="153986" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rakesh-Singh">Rakesh Singh</keyword>, Managing Director, Karnataka Milk Federation puts it, “The Tetra Fino Aseptic has addressed two issues- where the milk requirement is only for 100 or 200 ml, the consumer need not go for larger packs, and secondly, quality is assured. After all, everyone needs milk, India needs milk and our effort is to take safe milk to every household of this <a name="_GoBack"></a>country”.

How Tetra Pak’s technology is enabling access to safe food across extreme ends of India

India was the cradle of civilization, a riverine world that had its proud foundation in the Indus Valley. Indian culture is thus interwoven with water. The holy Ganges, the early dip, the bathing ritual---all early Hindu practices are water-shot. 
 
Yet the paradox is that the most fertile nation is today one of the most water-challenged countries in the world, “<a href="http://www.wri.org/blog/2015/02/3-maps-explain-india%E2%80%99s-growing-water-risks">from its deepest aquifers to its largest rivers</a>”. 
 
How much is too much? 
 A report by the <keyword id="6356505" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="World-Resources-Institute">World Resources Institute</keyword> shows that more than 100 million people in India live in severely polluted areas. Out of 632 districts examined, only 59 districts had water safe enough to drink. The area that is the most severely polluted is Bagalkot, Karnataka. 
 
The statistics mock the country. While 54% of India’s total area faces the threat of water scarcity, almost 600 million people are not able to get enough. In a total population of 1.2 billion according to the 2011 census, India has just 1,000 cubic meters of water per person today, as against the US supply of nearly 8,000 cubic metres per person. Any country with less than 1,700 cubic meters per person per year is considered water-stressed. 
 
Even the most fertile region, which is the source of not only food but also her civilization and the Vedic culture, is the excessively high-stressed Northwest India, which produces 50 per cent of the national rice supply and 85 per cent of its wheat. This area is also called India’s “breadbasket.” But the 550 wells in Northwestern India face the danger of declining groundwater levels by 58 per cent. 
But why exactly, has this all happened? 
 
Why the <keyword id="6355836" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="water-crisis">water crisis</keyword>? 
 The reasons are obvious. Even as the population is expanding, water supply is reducing, with farmers over-extracting the resource. Especially after the Green Revolution, groundwater, rather than surface water, is being overused to irrigate crops. 
 
There is not enough investment in technology and infrastructure at all federal, state, and local levels. Due to lack of efficient planning, shooting corporate privatization, industrial and human pollution and finally corruption, the lifeline of a healthy community has been threatened, according to <a href="http://thewaterproject.org/water-in-crisis-india">The Water Project</a>. 
 
South, West and Central India, on the other hand, have a significantly lower water table than other regions. 
 
In Eastern India, the strange paradox of abundant groundwater, but lack of electricity, has made water inaccessible for irrigation. All over the country, faulty distribution of electricity has stressed out agricultural practices. 
 
When examined at a national level, it is clear that the groundwater levels come down continuously, as its 4,000 wells show a reduction of 54% of the water supply in the past seven years. Almost 16% of the water reduces by over 1 meter (3.2 feet) annually. 
 
Moreover, the groundwater is extremely polluted as chlorine, fluoride, iron, arsenic, nitrate, and/or electrical conductivity exceed the national standards. Most of the water in India is not even fit for drinking, and sometimes not even for bathing. The Clean Ganga campaign never proceeded beyond a launch in 1984, due to lack of maintenance of the facilities. 
 
Improving water supply? 
How do we increase water creation and storage, then? In the cities, a poor and leaky distribution network has led to large-scale leakage as well as “unaccounted water.” But with adequate pricing, and the use of private firms to streamline distribution, reliable water supply can be improved and pricing can be reduced, as in Dharwad. 
 
In rural areas, while recharging and harvesting water is important, such techniques have limited advantages. It is important to utilize water for local storage. In the long run, dams can be used, apart from full groundwater recharge, water harvesting, and recycling, in order to prevent it from getting lost in the oceans. 
 
However, two opposing viewpoints lock horns over the issue of dams. One section says that a worrying aspect of storage dams is its record of disturbing biodiversity and the environment, submerging and displacing people and disrupting their lifestyles, cultures, social support systems and emotional attachment to certain areas. Hence, instead of big dams, they advocate watershed development, involving leveling land and tapping rainwater in small ponds and check dams in streams, which can increase soil moisture, recharge groundwater, and facilitate a second crop. 
 
On the other hand, many heavy technology-oriented nation builders feel that storage dams cannot be neglected, considering the swelling population and the need to overcome the national crisis. They point out that while the population is expected to grow astronomically, the target increase of agriculture by 4% every year is essential to expand 140 million hectares (mh) of net cultivated area in India, even though only about 60 mh of land is irrigated today. 
 
Some new steps One optimistic feature of India’s water development is that certain issues have been addressed, at least. In India’s eleventh five-year plan (2007–12), according to The <keyword id="467755" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="National-Bureau-of-Asian-Research">National Bureau of Asian Research</keyword> some 15 mh through watershed development, as well as NGO-led efforts have paved the way to the program’s success. 
 For example, <keyword id="57766" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Anna-Hazare">Anna Hazare</keyword> transformed Ralegan Siddhi village in Maharashtra through water harvesting and cooperation. Another NGO called <keyword id="290378" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tarun-Bharat-Sangh">Tarun Bharat Sangh</keyword> brought about community-based development through water harvesting and management in Rajasthan. Even Gujarat built over 100,000 check dams, which are said to be the main reason for Gujarat’s 8%-plus growth rate of agricultural GDP. 
 
With a lot of focus on water management in the 12th Five-Year plan, there seems to be some attention being given to aquifer mapping, watershed development, reduction of pollution and treatment, and efficient management of irrigation. 
 
With sound partnership between the centre, state, municipal and private bodies, the water crisis can be blown over, point out the optimists. 
Can we then rise to the occasion and reach for the sodden skies and a fertile earth?

How India’s Waterless Doom Can Be Defeated

India has made tremendous progress in building infrastructure and regulatory frameworks that encourage digital innovation in <keyword id="6354241" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Financial-Services">financial services</keyword>, but adoption and usage of new offerings have been slow to take hold and scale. <keyword id="211875" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Omidyar-Network">Omidyar Network</keyword> today released “Currency of Trust: Consumer Behaviors and Attitudes Toward Digital Financial Services in India,” and the report focuses on understanding the current context and behaviors of a diverse sample of Indian consumers regarding their digital consumption and readiness for digital financial services on key issues, such as ease of use, trust, and social collaboration. 

 

 

 <div type="embedgroup"> <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="58926957" title="Up-skilling with Analytics Can Save your Career in the IT Sector" rank="1.0" kind="RELATED" publishDate="May 31, 2017, 4:30 PM" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div></div> The report findings are derived from consumers across 30 communities in <keyword id="50015" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="nagaland">Nagaland</keyword>, <keyword id="30033" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bihar">Bihar</keyword>, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and <keyword id="68884" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Telangana">Telangana</keyword>, covering a mix of rural, semi-urban, and urban areas. Among the most relevant behavioral insights surfaced by these deep interactions with Indian consumers are: Even though Smartphone adoption is expected to reach a projected 54 percent of the Indian market in the next three years, a large portion of surveyed consumers—especially those in rural areas—indicated they are comfortable with keeping their basic feature phones. 

 

 

 

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 This is primarily due to the greater resilience and longer battery life of lower-end phones, but also because internet access is not seen as a priority for these consumers. This means digital financial services providers will need to cater to both technologies in their offerings in order to broaden their customer base. 1) Adoption of mobile apps is driven by data efficiency and usage within consumers’ social networks: The survey found that Indian consumers are frugal when it comes to data usage and look for creative ways to save data, such as constantly alternating between 2G and 3G depending on the function in use or pooling resources to set up shared Wi-Fi hot spots. Consumer adoption is also influenced by the number of individuals in their social network who use the same app. This means digital financial services apps need to be lean in data usage and leverage pervasive platforms, such as Whatsapp or UCBrowser. 2) Consumers are willing to leapfrog traditional financial services and adopt digital if they find convenience, relevance, and alignment with socio-cultural norms: Despite the low comfort level and lack of familiarity with digital financial services, through prototyping sessions, many surveyed consumers expressed a willingness to start using such apps if the technology addresses unmet needs, offers convenience, and doesn’t challenge sociocultural norms. 

 

 

 

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 To shift consumers from existing informal cash–based financial solutions to formal digital financial products, solutions need to capture their full relationship and experience with money, such as allowing consumers to create partitions or “virtual jars” within an account, and offer them tools that can help with cash flow management of micro- and small businesses or household expenditures. 3) Current digital financial offerings are seen as overly complex even by savvy consumers: Surveyed consumers consider those who use financial service apps to have a specialized skill and cite difficulty grasping financial jargon in on product offerings and legal terms and conditions. According to the research, consumers’ lack of trust in their own abilities is one of the biggest hurdles today for adoption of digital financial services. Lowering the stakes for consumers to experiment with digital offerings is a must for providers. Prototyping sessions revealed that simple actions such as removing jargon and complex user interfaces, communicating in local languages, offering easy proof of transaction and grievance redressal, and using bank correspondents to onboard customers, can go a long way in building consumers’ confidence to transact digitally.

This Report Suggests that The Real India Finds Digital Financial Services to be Overly Complex

BANGALORE: Karnataka has asked its tax authorities to go easy on their clampdown on dealers selling products on <keyword id="6354743" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Amazon-India">Amazon India</keyword>’s online marketplace until an amicable solution is reached on various sticking points. The American retailing giant and the Commercial Taxes department have been at loggerheads on who should issue value-added tax invoice to the buyer. 
 “There have been certain issues flagged to us, and we are trying to sort them out. Until then, we have asked the Commercial Taxes department to review the matter on cancelling the ‘branch certificates’ issued to dealers,” ISN Prasad, principal secretary of the <keyword id="113038" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="finance-department">finance department</keyword>, told ET. 
 Branch certificates refer to <keyword id="18635" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Amazon">Amazon</keyword>’s warehouse, shown as additional place of business by dealers. The local VAT authorities have issued notices to about 50 dealers who have partnered with Amazon, asking why their certificates should not be cancelled. 
 
Sources said Amazon will move its warehouse out of Karnataka if the confusion persists. “They cannot run an empty warehouse, for which they have invested millions of dollars,” said a person who has direct knowledge of the discussions. 
 
Prasad, who was earlier principal secretary to the CM as also the information technology department, is hopeful e-commerce firms will continue to find Karnataka a friendly state. The government, he said, is trying to take the lead among states to work out options. “We will come up with options, not just for Amazon, but to all companies doing online business to help them comply with Karnataka VAT laws. We are even prepared to propose amendments to rules or the law, as the case may be, for smooth operation of e-commerce activity in Karnataka,” he said. The whole process of coming up with a set of options for players might take about two months, he said. 
 The government, Prasad said, was keen to ensure Bangalore remained the city of choice for firms. There is a large presence of IT workforce in Bangalore, most of whom buy from online portals, making the city ideal for online operators to set up advanced back-end infrastructure and support systems. “We want to encourage both e-commerce players and consumers as the business activity has helped consumers too with lower prices.” 
 
Amazon, according to multiple sources, has suggested that the government introduces a rule making it mandatory for online firms to furnish details of transactions, seller’s identity and VAT collected, to tax authorities from time to time to help them cross-check tax compliance. There is a similar rule (1099-K) in the US requiring online platforms to disclose details if transactions exceed a certain value and number. 
 
The sources said Amazon differs with the Karnataka taxmen on what a ‘commission agent’ is. It insists that the seller decides what product to offer on its online platform and at what price unlike in the case of a typical commission agent, they added. 
 Meanwhile, the <keyword id="6356318" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Dealer">dealer</keyword>s whose branch certificate has been cancelled have started moving out of Amazon’s warehouse. “I am a small dealer facing a lot of competition from bigger stores. But working with Amazon gave me a nationwide market, which I would not have got otherwise. Now that advantage is gone,” said a Bangalore dealer who had stocked about 1,000 units at the warehouse. 
 
He had started selling online three months ago only because of the warehouse, packaging and delivery services the online firm provided. “We had reached sales of about 100 pieces a day. I was expecting online to account for almost 40% of this year’s revenue,” said the dealer.

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