Month: January 2022

J-K Lt Governor Manoj Sinha orders probe into stampede at Vaishno Devi shrine

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday said a high-level inquiry has been ordered into the stampede at the famous Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in which at least 12 people were killed and 20 others injured.

The Lt Governor said he spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and briefed him about the incident. “Hon’ble Prime minister has assured all the help,” the office of the LG tweeted.

According to officials, the stampede that occurred in the early hours of Saturday near gate number three outside the sanctum sanctorum of the shrine atop Trikuta hills was triggered by a heavy rush of devotees who have come to pay their obeisance to mark the beginning of the New Year.

Also Read: India’s healthiest states: Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra top the list; check other names

In a series of tweets, the office of the Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor said, “Deeply pained at the loss of lives due to stampede at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine. My condolences to the families of the deceased & prayers with the injured.”

“Spoke to Hon’ble Home Minister Shri Amit Shah Ji. Briefed him about the incident. A high level inquiry has been ordered into today’s stampede. The Inquiry Committee will be headed by Principal Secretary (Home) with ADGP, Jammu and Divisional Commissioner, Jammu as members,” he said.

Lt Governor Sinha announced an ex gratia relief of Rs 10 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased and Rs 2 lakh to each injured. “Deeply pained at the loss of lives due to stampede at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine. My condolences to the families of the deceased & prayers with the injured,” Sinha said.

Also Read: Who is Vikram Misri, the new Deputy National Security Advisor?

“Ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh each would be given to the next of kin of those who lost their lives due to stampede and Rs 2 lakh to injured. Shrine board to bear the cost of treatment of injured,” tweeted Sinha, who is also chairperson of the board.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

PM Lee Hsien Loong says Singapore to bring in much-needed migrant workers

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Singapore will bring in much-needed migrant workers and ensure international talents feel welcome and are able to complement Singaporeans, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Saturday.

Singapore taps labour, skilled manpower and professionals mostly from Bangladesh, China, India and the Philippines.

“We will also press on to bring in much-needed migrant workers and ensure international talents feel welcome and are able to complement Singaporeans, the Channel News Asia reported, citing the Prime Minister’s New Year message, laying out the recovery path for the COVID-19-battered economy.

Also Read: Third wave of COVID-19 poses high risk to bank asset quality: Study

Lee added that 2022 will be a “time of transition” as the economy steadily recovers and the city-state reconnects with the rest of the world.

Expecting the gross domestic product (GDP) to grow by 3 to 5 percent next year, Lee said Singapore’s economy should grow in step with global economic recovery, barring fresh disruptions. The government is planning ahead to achieve longer-term goals, he added.

For instance, it will press on with industry transformation efforts to enhance existing strengths, and help companies restructure and workers upgrade their skills. As we brace ourselves for the impact of Omicron, we can be quietly confident that we will cope with whatever lies ahead,” he said.

Also Read: Banks doing fine despite COVID-19; deposits up 10.1% in end-Sept 2021: RBI Report

Lee said that the government’s immediate tasks go beyond managing COVID-19, noting that Singapore must generate new growth, new jobs and prosperity in a post-pandemic economy. Much will depend on a stable global and regional environment, and central to this are the relations between the US and China.

The differences between the two powers remain many and deep, but their recent high-level engagements and practical cooperation on climate change are encouraging, the channel quoted Lee as saying.

We will continue to pursue trade liberalisation and regional integration for the benefit of our people, including through the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, which comes into force on the first day of 2022, said Lee.

The 10 member country economic partnership is the world’s largest trade bloc led by China with Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, Japan, Laos, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. For its part, Singapore will continue engaging partners near and far, Lee said.

Also Read: Cash support to COVID-hit economy with fiscal consolidation in focus: Finmin report

However, Lee cautioned that the fight against COVID-19 is not over, as the new Omicron variant has brought new uncertainties. Singapore reported 344 new COVID-19 cases and 158 Omicron variant infections on Friday.

Thankfully, our position is now greatly strengthened compared to two years ago, he said. We have rolled out booster jabs and started vaccinating children below 12. We have also learnt to better manage the public health challenges while minimising the hit on our economy.

As we brace ourselves for the impact of Omicron, we can be quietly confident that we will cope with whatever lies ahead. Meanwhile, Singapore will ease COVID-19 measures for travellers outside the vaccinated travel lane (VTL) arrangement.

From 11.59 pm on January 7, 2022, non-VTL travellers from category 2 to 4 (rated as coronavirus risk) countries will no longer need to take on-arrival COVID-19 tests, the Ministry of Health (MOH) announced on Friday. Travellers from category 2 and 3 countries are required to serve stay-home notice at home for seven and 10 days respectively. Those from category 4 countries need to serve 10 days at a dedicated facility.

The earlier requirement for on-arrival tests “was to pick up the Omicron cases early, as the variant was new, and we wanted to learn more about it”, said MOH in a press release. “As we have gathered more information on the Omicron variant, we have further assessed that OATs (on-arrival tests) for non-VTL travellers … are no longer required,” the Channel quoted MOH.

The travellers will have to test negative on a PCR test at the end of their notice period, “further reducing the risk of onward transmission”, said the ministry. VTL travellers will continue to be required to take COVID-19 tests up till day seven of their arrival. This enhanced measure will be extended by four weeks from its initial cut-off date of January 2 until January 30.

Also Read: Some countries rethink isolation, testing rules as Omicron sweeps globe

As of Thursday, Singapore has detected 912 imported Omicron cases, 685 of whom were detected through the enhanced testing regime for VTL travellers. “The enhancement has proven effective in detecting imported Omicron cases amongst VTL travellers and reducing onward transmission,” said MOH.

“As the global situation evolves, we will continue to adjust our border measures in tandem with our roadmap to becoming a Covid-resilient nation,” it added. On Friday, Singapore reported 344 new COVID-19 cases, of which 172 infections were imported or those arriving here.

Separately, MOH’s website also showed that 158 new Omicron variant infections were confirmed on Friday, comprising 124 imported cases and 34 local cases.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

View: Kanpur cash haul cries for surprise encores of demonetisation till sinister cash is purged

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Recovery of humungous cash reportedly aggregating to Rs 200 crore and more from the premises of Kanpur businessman Piyush Jain by GST authorities has elicited diametrically opposite reactions depending on which side of the political divide one is in.

Modi detractors smugly aver that it proves yet again that demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 old currency notes announced on November 9, 2016 was a wasteful and economically crippling exercise. In their worldview if demonetisation was supposed to put the fear of God in the minds of crooks, cash in such a large magnitude would not have resurfaced. That it has, proves, that crooks cock a snook at demonetisation.

The counter to this argument is the obduracy of the crooks in persisting with cash to evade GST and by extension income tax among others shows that the threat of demonetisation should loom menacingly like Damocles’ sword. Spring cleaning after all must be regular till the system is cleansed. In other words, the eternal threat of sudden demonetisation alone would make crooks come to the path of rectitude and join the mainstream economy.

In the US, with digital payments accounting for almost 90 percent of the total payments, there has never been demonetisation as it happened in India in 2016 even though the US Federal Reserve carries out periodic spring cleaning of its currency by bringing out new series of notes so as to stump counterfeit producers. After all, crooks perfect the art of imitating even the most difficult watermark on currency notes and when they give a hint of having done so, it should be time to crack down again. In India such a relentless and surprise exercise is needed to tame both counterfeit producers of rupee notes as well as to stop black money in its tracks.

The much-pilloried demonetisation exercise of 2016 would have been a roaring success had it not given wiggle room to crooks—banned notes being accepted in petrol pumps and hospitals for a long period of 23 days following demonetisation and banks operating exchange counters that were thronged by crooks through their proxies. And the much-vaunted banking-cum-tax software to flag abnormal deposits of banned notes (by RBI’s own admission as much as 99.3 percent of the banned notes had found their way into banks) into bank accounts has been a big disappointment.

ALSO READ | Rs 250 crore recovered in raids on UP businessman Piyush Jain; check other huge recoveries in past

The Modi government therefore has to live down the charge that the demonetisation exercise was a fig leaf for official money laundering though people by and large appreciate that the government’s heart was at the right place.

If the long rope given to crooks rendered the exercise a butt of ridicule, the lack of preparedness in quickly remonetizing the economy crippled it considerably. India by and large is a cash economy especially in hinterlands and in agrarian trade both of which together are described compendiously as the informal sector. Small wonder, rendering of 86 percent of the cash non legal tender through fiat brought business to a screeching halt in the informal sector.

Demonetisation thus was sound in design but floundered at the altar of implementation. The Modi government rightly believed that its pincer of demonetisation-GST would reduce crooks to quivering jelly and halt them in their tracks. GST is a value added tax and the main advantage of it is its self-policing mechanism—everyone in a supply chain should play ball back-to-back to evade the tax which normally is not possible. But the Kanpur haul shows that the system is not yet fully geared to catch those jumping the chain.

Cash still beckons crooked businessmen and it will continue to do so till there is a legislative threat—threat of sudden demonetisation of high denomination currency notes—looms. The 2015 law on foreign black money has come to stay permanently in the statute book. Accordingly, if anyone is found holding money in foreign bank accounts illegally, there would be a 30 percent tax on it apart from a crippling penalty of 90 percent. Whether it has inhibited crooks from parking their ill-gotten wealth abroad is a relevant question but that by itself does not render the law irrelevant. After all, crimes do take place despite the Indian Penal Code but that does not mean it should be scrapped. Furthermore, the writ of the Indian government does not run abroad except through bilateral and multilateral cooperation. But demonetisation is a different ball game with the ground zero being India where the Indian government’s writ ought to run.

Along with a permanent law that arms the central government with the power to spring a surprise on cash hoarders, the RBI would do well to dismantle as many urban ATMs as possible because by their sheer existence in large numbers, often cheek by jowl, they beckon reckless and untrammeled cash withdrawal. Cards must be encouraged to be used for digital transactions rather than for withdrawal at ATMs. We must learn from the US where even in Manhattan, ATMs are so few and far between that they have to be searched whereas in India in urban areas they are as ubiquitous as restaurants and dhabas or bistros. Apart from beckoning easy, sinister and wanton withdrawals, they constitute wastage to the extent they are grossly under-utilised.

ALSO READ | ATM cash withdrawal charges to rise from tomorrow: Key things to know

It is not as if cash per se is sullied or stigmatised. But cash to evade tax, to fund political parties, to confer anonymity, to bribe authorities and influence peddlers and to bribe voters belong to the sinister genre. Time it is purged. Kanpur cash haul is a grim and shrill reminder.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

How to get started with virtual reality

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Virtual reality (VR) has been the subject of discussions since the golden age of science fiction in the 1950s. Science fiction writers and storytellers had different versions of what a virtual world would look like and how people in it would interact with each other. From Ray Bradbury’s 1951 story ‘The Veldt’ to William Gibson’s phenomenal ‘Neuromancer’, writers have created diverse and exciting virtual worlds.

With rapid technological developments in the 21st century, these virtual worlds no longer seem far out of our reach. The rise of VR headsets like Oculus, HTC Vive, and PSVR (PlayStation VR) have, in fact, led to virtual reality devices becoming mainstream just like smartphones, televisions, and personal computers.

With companies like Meta and Microsoft announcing plans to invest in metaverses or 3-D virtual environments, virtual reality will play an even more significant role in the near future.

How can you start off in the virtual world?

A virtual reality or VR headset can help you take the first step in the virtual world. A VR headset is a peripheral device that you wear like glasses on your head to experience a 180 degree or 360-degree field of view in a virtual world. The virtual world can be a movie, simulation of an experience or a video game. It is a medium where you can closely inspect the world around you and feel like you are right there.

For example, there are VR videos on YouTube of people going on rollercoasters. When you wear a VR headset, you feel like you are on the rollercoaster yourself, experiencing exactly the same thrills that you would have while physically enjoying a rollercoaster ride.

There are multiple VR devices in the market you can buy. The more expensive they are, the better quality and pixel count you get. But there are also affordable headsets that you can attach to your smartphones.

Are there other VR accessories that are necessary?

While you are all set to enjoy VR just with a simple headset, you can also enhance your experiences in the simulated world by adding a few accessories like hand controllers and treadmills.

Hand controllers allow you to interact with the virtual world using your hand. You can pick up objects or press buttons in virtual worlds using the hand controllers. Hand controllers are an optional buy for a customer as they are not necessary to experience VR, but they are essential if you plan on playing VR video games.

Treadmills are a bit of a luxury buy as they are literally giant treadmills you walk on. The treadmill allows a VR user to walk in the virtual world without actually moving in the real physical world, which could be harmful.

So, if you only want to experience the virtual world without making a hefty investment, simple VR headsets should be good enough.

Are there any specific types of VR headsets?

The headsets available in the market can be broadly divided into three categories.

• Computer-powered VR headset
• Mobile-powered VR headset
• Console-powered VR headset

Computer-powered headsets are the most powerful and will give you the most immersive experience with the highest pixel count. They are also the most expensive headsets in the market. You have to connect these headsets to a powerful PC that can handle the power required to run the headset. Usually, you need a beefy rig even to use VR headsets. Some examples are Oculus and HTC Vive. Their price ranges from $300-800, depending on the model.

Mobile-powered VR headsets are the cheaper alternative. They are affordable headsets that you can attach to your phones and then strap to your face. They are not as powerful or immersive as computer-powered headsets, but they can be a good starting point. Some examples are Google Cardboard and Samsung Gear VR. Their price ranges from $15 to $100, depending on the model.

Console-powered VR headsets are an emerging VR market as the only VR headset that exists is Sony’s PlayStation VR (PSVR). The headset is attached to a PlayStation 4 and can be played using the PlayStation controller. Sony plans to release a VR headset for their latest console, PS5, in 2022. You can buy a PSVR for $400.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

12 dead, 20 injured in stampede at Vaishno Devi shrine in J&K

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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At least 12 people were killed and 20 others injured in a stampede at the famous Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu and Kashmir triggered by a heavy rush of devotees, officials said on Saturday.

The stampede occurred near gate number three outside the sanctum sanctorum of the shrine atop Trikuta hills.

The stampede was triggered by a heavy rush of devotees who have come to pay their obeisance to mark the beginning of the New Year, the officials said. Senior officials and shrine board representatives are on the spot.

Also Read: India’s healthiest states: Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra top the list; check other names

Officials said 12 people died in the stampede and their bodies have been removed to a hospital in the Katra base camp for identification and other legal formalities.

Twenty more people were injured and a majority of them are undergoing treatment at Mata Vaishno Devi Narayana Superspeciality Hospital, the officials said, adding that the condition of four of the injured was stated to be “critical”.

The officials said the shrine was open and devotees were paying obeisance till last reports came in.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

EV or CNG car? Here’s a look at pros and cons of both types

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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As year-end discounts pour in from car dealers, buyers are in a dilemma over what to buy: A fuel-based car, a CNG-run car or an electric vehicle. The rising prices of petrol and diesel have pushed buyers to think of more affordable vehicle options. As a result, there has been a steep rise in the sale of electric vehicles in the past year.

In November, 42,067 units of electric vehicles were sold compared to 12,858 units in the year-ago period and 38,715 units in October 2021, BusinessLine reported. The total registered sale of electric vehicles stood at 1.98 lakh units from April to November 2021.

Also read: How Maharashtra’s big switch to EVs will help India cut emissions by 1 billion tonnes by 2030

Meanwhile, CNG vehicles have also registered a 56 percent rise in sales in the last eight months till November at 1,36,357 units.

Here’s a look at the pros and cons of both types of vehicles.

CNG cars: Pros and cons

Compressed natural gas or CNG is an alternative fuel option and some carmakers are offering its kits as a factory-fitment with some models. One of the primary benefits of a CNG vehicle is that it is cheaper in fitment and running costs compared to an electric vehicle. CNG vehicles produce slightly lower emissions than other ICE vehicles, and the price of CNG is lower compared to petrol and diesel. Buyers also have the option to run their CNG cars on petrol or diesel as well.

Although CNG offers greater fuel economy, it is not without drawbacks. The cylinder fitment occupies a lot of boot space and hardly leaves room for heavy luggage.

Also read: Maruti Suzuki likely to launch small hybrid SUV by mid-next year, EVs by 2025

It is also difficult to find a CNG station beyond certain states or cities, making it difficult for owners to go on long rides.

Another drawback of CNG-based cars is that the fuel affects the performance of a vehicle over a period of time, reducing its power output, which can drop by 10 percent when compared to that of petrol or diesel cars.

Electric vehicles: Pros and cons

Electric vehicles have zero-emission and are environment friendly. They have received a major policy push in different states in their battle to tackle pollution. As a result, EVs come with introductory incentives such as waiver of RTO fees or road taxes, which make its ownership rewarding.

The running cost of EVs is the cheapest across vehicles. In certain cases, the running cost may be lesser than a rupee. Also, as there is zero maintenance, customers do not have to pay for periodic servicing.

One of the major drawbacks of electric vehicles is their price. They cost much higher than other cars due to the high cost of batteries.

Also read: View | EV policies should promote roaming services within charging networks

“You will need to consider various things before you buy an EV, such as your spending priority,” The Economic Times quoted Kartikeya Singhee, Editorial Head of Girnarsoft, which runs the website cardekho.com, as saying.

Another challenge is the lack of EV infrastructure in the country. EVs require charging stations, which are few and far between in India. Electric vehicles can go around 400 km on a single charge. Although there are some stations run by private and public sector companies, it will take another five more years to establish a large enough network, ET said in a report.

Also read: Should you battery swap? Is it better than recharging your electric vehicle?

Under the government’s Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid and) Electric vehicles (FAME) initiative, as many as 350 stations will be added in the second phase. Meanwhile, the Tata group has built 1,000 stations and are planning to set up 10,000 more in three years.

State-run IOCL has 448 EV charging stations and 30 battery swapping stations, which will go up to 10,000 in three years, while BP will set up 7,000 charging stations in the next few years.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow