Tag: Indians

Hindenburg report exposes dangers Indians, economy are subjected to: BRS’ Keshava Rao

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New Delhi: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MP K Keshava Rao on Wednesday gave a Suspension of Business Notice in Rajya Sabha demanding a discussion on the Hindenburg Report on Adani Enterprises and other companies of Adani Group.
Rao gave the Suspension of Business Notice in the lower house of parliament, during its ongoing Budget Session, under rule 267.
In the notice to the Rajya Sabha Chairman, he said that the report had revealed the dangers to which the country and its economy have been exposed to.
“I desire to move the following Motion…That this House suspend the Rules, pertaining to Business listed in today’s (8.2.2023) Agenda and take up discussion of Hindenburg Report on M/s Adani Enterprises and other companies of his group. Sir, The report exposes the dangers to which the Indian people and economy are subjected to and merit immediate discussion, adjourning today’s list of Business in the House, as sought,” it read.
The concerned report is from US-based Hindenburg Research that surfaced on January 24 and claimed that the Adani Group had weak business fundamentals, and was involved in stock manipulation and accounting fraud, among others.
According to a statement by the Adani Group, the Adani portfolio and the Adani verticals are focused on bringing India into the global economy and nation-building. In the summary of the long response by Adani Group, it said the report was “nothing but a lie”.
The report, however, triggered a sell-off of shares of all Adani Group companies.
Earlier claiming that Hindenburg Research has “exploited innocent investors”, advocate Manohar Lal Sharma filed a public interest litigation in the Supreme Court seeking a probe against the US-based firm, whose report has led to shares of Adani group plunging on the bourses.
The PIL by a lawyer sought an inquiry to prosecute short sellers Nathan Anderson, a resident of US and founder of the Hindenburg Research [which published a report recently leading to a huge dent in the Adani Group firms’ assets], and his Indian entities. The plea also sought to register an FIR against Anderson and his associates for exploiting and duping lakhs of innocent investors.

Notably, the Opposition has been continuously demanding a discussion on the Adani-Hindenburg row and is seeking the response of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue.
Opposition parties are also demanding a joint parliamentary committee probe into the allegations of stock manipulation against the Adani Group.
The budget session of Parliament started on January 31 this year with the joint Address by President Droupadi Murmu. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Budget 2023-24 on February 1.
Since then there has been no business in Parliament because of the continued logjam over the Adani issue. The Opposition has demanded that the government should come up and respond in Parliament about the Adani stock issue following which disruption has been witnessed in both Houses.
Congress is continuously cornering the government over the issue in Parliament forcing the adjournments of both Houses during the Budget Session.
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#Hindenburg #report #exposes #dangers #Indians #economy #subjected #BRS #Keshava #Rao
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 8, 2023
Over 30 lakh Indians went abroad during 2017-22 for higher education: Govt

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New Delhi: More than 30 lakh Indians went abroad for higher education during 2017-2022, the Ministry of Education told Lok Sabha on Monday.
The information was shared by Subhas Sarkar, the Union Education Minister of State, in a written response to a question by JD(U) MP Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh and others.
“Ministry of Home Affairs’ Bureau of Immigration, maintains departure and arrival data of Indians. But there is no index for capturing the category of Indians going abroad for higher education purpose. Purpose of Indians going abroad for higher education is captured manually based either on their verbal disclosure or the type of visa of the destination country produced by them at the time of immigration clearance,” he said.
Sarkar said 7.50 lakh Indians disclosed their purpose of visit as study or education while going abroad in 2022.
The number in preceding years was — 4.4 lakh (2021), 2.59 lakh (2020), 5.86 lakh (2019), 5.17 lakh (2018) and 4.54 lakh (2017).
The minister was also asked if it is a fact that the money being spent by Indian students abroad is more than the education budget of the country, and if the government has any proposal to establish “International University of
high standard” to save the said funds.
Responding to this part of the question, Sarkar said, “as of now there is no proposal to set up International University in the country”.
“However, University Grants Commission (UGC) has drafted enabling Regulations to facilitate establishment of campuses of Foreign Higher Educational Institutions in India.

“The draft University Grants Commission (Setting up and Operation of Campuses of Foreign Higher Educational Institutions In India) Regulations, 2023 was placed in the
public domain seeking feedback, suggestions, comments etc from all stakeholders by January 18, 2023. However, in view of the requests received from stakeholders, the last date for receiving comments on the draft Regulations has been extended till February 20,” he said.
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#lakh #Indians #higher #education #Govt
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 7, 2023
Indians can now get US visa appointment at American embassies abroad

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New Delhi: The US Embassy in India has said that Indians who are travelling abroad can get a visa appointment at the US Embassy or consulate of their destination. It cited the example of Thailand, saying that the country has opened appointment capacity for B1 and B2 visas (business and travel) for Indians.
The US Embassy in India took to its Twitter handle to make the announcement. In a tweet on February 3, the US Embassy in India stated, “Do you have upcoming international travel? If so, you may be able to get a visa appointment at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in your destination. For example, @USEmbassyBKK has opened B1/B2 appointment capacity for Indians who will be in Thailand in the coming months.”
Do you have upcoming international travel? If so, you may be able to get a visa appointment at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in your destination. For example, @USEmbassyBKK has opened B1/B2 appointment capacity for Indians who will be in Thailand in the coming months. pic.twitter.com/tjunlBqeYu
— U.S. Embassy India (@USAndIndia) February 3, 2023
Meanwhile, the US Embassy in India in another tweet informed that they have processed more than 1 Lakh visa applications. It further said that their team will grow this spring.
The US Embassy in a tweet on February 4 stated, “This January, the U.S. Mission to India processed over 1 Lakh visa applications. That’s more than in any month since July 2019 and one of our highest monthly totals ever! And we aren’t done yet. Our capacity will continue to increase as our team grows this spring.”
Earlier on January 21, the US Mission in India launched the first in a series of special Saturday interview days to reduce wait times for first-time visa applicants. The US Embassy in New Delhi and Consulates in Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Hyderabad all opened consular operations on Saturday to accommodate applicants who require in-person visa interviews.
“On January 21, the U.S. Mission in India launched the first in a series of special Saturday interview days, as part of a larger effort to reduce wait times for first-time visa applicants,” the US Embassy in India announced in a statement.
The US Mission will continue to open additional slots for appointments to take place on select Saturdays, according to the statement released by US Embassy in India. These additional interview days is among the measures that have been taken to address the backlog in visa processing caused by COVID-19.
The US Department of State has implemented remote processing of interview waiver cases for applicants with previous US visas. According to the statement, dozens of temporary consular officers from Washington and other embassies will arrive in India to increase processing capacity between January-March.

The US Department of State is also increasing the number of consular officers permanently assigned to the Embassy and Consulates. The US Mission in India released more than 250,000 additional B1/B2 appointments, according to the statement released by US Embassy in India.
Consulate General Mumbai has also extended its weekday operating hours to make space for additional appointments. According to the statement, the US Mission in India will be at full staffing by this summer and they expect to be processing visas at levels from prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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#Indians #visa #appointment #American #embassies
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 6, 2023
Report claims surge in Indians entering UK illegally on boats across English Channel

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London: Indians have allegedly become the third-largest group of migrants entering UK shores illegally across the English Channel on dangerous small boats, according to a UK media report quoting Home Office sources on Friday.
‘The Times’ newspaper reports that Home Office officials believe Indian students are using a loophole in the rules that allows asylum seekers to study in the UK and pay much lower domestic, rather than international fees.
It reports that about 250 Indian migrants have made the dangerous crossing in small boats this year alone, more than 233 who crossed the Channel in the last year – making them the third largest cohort after Afghans and Syrians.
“One theory being pursued is Serbia’s visa-free travel rules for Indians, which Home Office officials believe is providing a gateway into Europe,” the report claims.
“Until the end of last year, all Indian passport holders were able to enter Serbia without a visa for up to 30 days. Home Office officials believe the arrangement, which ended on January 1 as part of Serbia’s efforts to align with EU (European Union) visa policies, led to some Indians travelling onward into the EU and subsequently to the UK in small boats,” it claims.
According to official Home Office statistics published in early November last year for these illegal Channel crossings in the first six months of 2022, over half (51 per cent) of small boat arrivals were from three nationalities – Albanian (18 per cent), Afghan (18 per cent) and Iranian (15 per cent).
Indians have not been among the nationalities referenced in official statistics of this illegal route so far.
“This is very disturbing to hear and is the first the NISAU (National Indian Students and Alumni Union) has heard of such an act,” said Sanam Arora, chair of the Indian student representative organisation in the UK.

“Indian students are law-abiding, meritorious and very hard-working and we are worried that such isolated incidents, if true, can reflect badly on the whole community. Indian students who have studied in the UK are trailblazers who are setting the future of the India-UK relationship. We’d like to understand details of who these immigrants are and what their motivations for entering the UK in this manner are…no student should ever abuse the UK’s visa system,” she said.
While the UK Home Office declined to comment specifically on the media report quoting sources, a government spokesperson told PTI that the UK’s Migration and Mobility Partnership (MMP) with India are aimed at accelerating the removals of any illegal migrants.
“Our migration deal with India aims to enhance and accelerate the removal of Indian nationals with no right to stay in the UK and secure greater cooperation around organised immigration crime,” the spokesperson said.
“The global migration crisis continues to place an unprecedented strain on our asylum system. This is why we are going to introduce legislation which will ensure that people arriving in the UK illegally are detained and removed to another country,” the spokesperson added.
Tackling the problem of illegal small boat crossings across the English Channel is among the top government priorities set by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
The Home Office said its Small Boats Operational Command (SBOC) will oversee operational activity with neighbouring France to disrupt such crossings, save lives at sea and ensure the effective processing of arrivals in the UK.
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#Report #claims #surge #Indians #entering #illegally #boats #English #Channel
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 4, 2023
Budget 2023-24 gives ‘nirasha’ instead of ‘asha’ to Indians: Akhilesh

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Lucknow: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday said the Union Budget for 2023-24 has given “nirasha” (despair) instead of “asha” (hope) to people of the country.
He also claimed that the budget further increases inflation and unemployment.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the budget for the fiscal year 2023-24 in Lok Sabha on Wednesday and said it hopes to build on the foundation of the previous budget and blue print for India@100.
“The BJP is completing a decade of its budgets, but when it did not give anything to the public earlier, what will it give now?” Yadav tweeted in Hindi.
“The BJP’s budget further increases inflation and unemployment. It does not give ‘asha’ but ‘nirasha’ to farmers, labourers, youth, women, professionals and the business class. This budget is for the benefit of a few rich people,” he added.
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#Budget #nirasha #asha #Indians #Akhilesh

( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 1, 2023
This is what most Indians asked Alexa in 2022

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New Delhi: Amazon has revealed the top questions asked by Indian users to Alexa last year. From the founder of Twitter to the price of Bitcoin, users in the country sought information about global hot topics through the cloud-based voice service.
Many users were extremely curious about Bollywood superstar Salman Khan’s personal life and turned to Alexa to learn more about the actors’ romantic relationships, wedding plans and other details, including — “Alexa, Salman Khan ki girlfriend kaun hai?” (“Alexa, Who is Salman Khan’s girlfriend?”) and “Alexa, Salman Khan ki shaadi kab hogi?” (“Alexa, when will Salman Khan get married?”).
“Over the last five years, Alexa has grown to become an integral part of Indian households and has always delighted customers with its clever quips and entertaining responses,” Amazon said in a statement.
“In 2022 as well, Indian users turned to Alexa to satiate their curiosity about the year’s trending topics, celebrities, festivals, sports, and other unique questions.”
Users were interested in trivia and global events, and frequently turned to Alexa to brush up their knowledge.
“Alexa, what is the height of Burj Khalifa?” and “Alexa, who is the tallest man on earth?” were among the top knowledgeable questions users asked the voice service last year.
Indian users were also curious to know more about some of the most popular public figures, they asked “Alexa, what is Alia Bhatt’s age?”, “Alexa, how old is Kendall Jenner?” and much more.
When it came to preparing a variety of Indian and international dishes, foodies in the country made the voice service their sous-chef. They were able to make their all-time favourites, such as biryani, dosa, masala chai, and others with the assistance of Alexa.

Customers have always appreciated conversing with Alexa’s funny and playful side. They frequently enjoy making Alexa laugh by asking the most unthinkable questions.
“Alexa, kya mujhe nahana chahiye?” (“Alexa, should I take a shower?”) and “Alexa, do you believe in the supernatural?” were among the top most unthinkable questions users asked in 2022.
“With the T20 cricket and football world tournaments taking place back-to-back in the last year, customers turned to Alexa to keep them updated on the latest happenings and the ‘who’s-who’ in the sports fraternity,” the company said.
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#Indians #asked #Alexa
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

January 24, 2023
Indians can now afford 5G smartphones at just Rs 44 a day: Samsung India

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New Delhi: Samsung India on Tuesday said it now has more than 62 million Galaxy A series smartphone customers in India and people can now enjoy a true 5G experience at just Rs 44 a day, or Rs 1,320 a month, via attractive EMI options, as the country-wide 5G roll out gains momentum in 2023.
Aditya Babbar, Samsung India’s Senior Director of Mobile Business, told IANS that the early launch of new 5G smartphones is part of the company’s 5G-first strategy and will help the South Korean company secure 75 per cent of its smartphone business through 5G devices this year.
“We’ve come up with multiple affordability options for our consumers, including extremely low EMIs, starting as low as Rs 44 per day for newly-launched Galaxy A14 5G,” Babbar said.
Last year, Galaxy A series was India’s best-selling smartphone series.
“In fact, the Galaxy A is industry’s fastest-growth smartphone series (above 10 million units). We believe the launch of Galaxy A14 5G and A23 5G will help us start the year on a strong note,” Babbar added.
Samsung’s new Galaxy A series smartphones are made for the 5G era and come with a large 6.6-inch screen and a 5000mAh battery for seamless entertainment.
Samsung is betting big on its recently launched 5G smartphones – Galaxy A14 5G and A23 5G – to consolidate its 5G leadership in the country.
Galaxy A14 5G comes with Samsung’s new Galaxy signature design and is the company’s most affordable 5G smartphone in the A series portfolio in India, starting at an effective price of Rs 14,999.

Galaxy A23 5G, which comes with a 50MP camera with OIS, starts at an effective price of Rs 20,999.
According to Babbar, to democratise 5G technology in India, “we are not only reaching out to more customers by leveraging our distribution depth, but also providing more affordability options to customers”.
“We have ensured that A14 5G and A23 5G are the most widely distributed 5G smartphones in the country. We are also ensuring equal EMIs for our 4G and 5G phones,” Babbar told IANS.
Samsung said that 60 per cent of its customers use affordability platforms to buy smartphones, higher than the industry average of 40 per cent.
Nearly 80 per cent of Samsung customers who buy smartphones on credit use Samsung Finance+ platform, which the company launched in 2019.
Samsung led the India market in 5G smartphone shipments last year.
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#Indians #afford #smartphones #day #Samsung #India
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

January 24, 2023
Nepal plane crash: Relatives of 4 Indians yet to receive dead bodies

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Kathmandu: The relatives of four Indians who died in a plane crash in Nepal are still waiting to receive the dead bodies of their family members despite spending their third day at a hospital here on Saturday.
Nepalese authorities on Tuesday started handing over to family members the bodies of those killed after Yeti Airlines’ aircraft with 72 people crashed minutes before landing in a river gorge in the resort city of Pokhara on Sunday.
Fifty-three Nepalese passengers and 15 foreign nationals, including 5 Indians, and four crew members were on board the aircraft when it crashed. The five Indians, all reportedly from Uttar Pradesh, have been identified as Abhisekh Kushwaha, 25, Bishal Sharma, 22, Anil Kumar Rajbhar, 27, Sonu Jaiswal, 35, and Sanjaya Jaiswal.
The body of Sanjaya Jaiswal was handed over to his family on Friday and taken back home.
However, the relatives of four other Indian nationals have been waiting for three days to receive the dead bodies of their kin.
Sonu Jaiswal’s father Rajendra Prasad Jaiswal was among the relatives waiting at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital to receive the bodies.
One of the relatives said they want to take back all four bodies of the Indians in a single consignment.
The body of Bishal Sharma was identified on Saturday, the hospital sources said.

The hospital completed postmortem on 49 dead bodies on Friday. Twenty-two dead bodies of Nepali nationals have been handed over to their families in Pokhara.
While a total of 12 dead bodies, including one of an Indian national, were handed over to their family members on Friday, on Saturday, the hospital authorities handed over 15 more dead bodies to the relatives.
According to a doctor involved in identifying the bodies, the signs provided by the family members were not sufficient to identify the dead bodies.
“We will try to verify the fingerprints of the dead bodies on Sunday,” the doctor said.
The Nepal Army said on Saturday it continued the search operation at the Seti River gorge and the surrounding areas on Saturday to find the remaining one body.
Meanwhile, a team of the European Union (EU) team that was planning to visit Nepal to undertake an ‘on-site evaluation’ of aviation safety has postponed its trip.
According to a statement issued by the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), the planned visit of the EU’s technical team has been postponed for the time being.
In a joint statement issued on Friday, Director-General of the CAAN Pradeep Adhikari and EU’s Ambassador to Nepal Nona Deprez said that the scheduled visit of the on-site evaluation team to Nepal has been put off.
“Given the current context, related to the terrible accident and in mutual agreement, the EU and CAAN have reached the conclusion that it would be in our best interest to postpone a planned on-site assessment visit mandated by the EU Air Safety committee for the time being,” the statement said.
“The primary focus for CAAN at this time is on dealing with the aftermath of the accident. The European Union will continue to assist CAAN in its efforts to improve the aviation safety situation in Nepal,” it said.
Earlier in October last year, a team of the EU undertook a study on the aviation safety of Nepal and concluded that notable progress had been made in the country’s air safety.
The team had returned with a decision to send another team to carry out an on-site evaluation of the aviation safety of Nepal.
The EU has listed Nepal on the air safety list since 2013.
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#Nepal #plane #crash #Relatives #Indians #receive #dead #bodies
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

January 22, 2023