As the successful Bigg Boss Telugu 2 show has come to end, Maa TV has kicked off another equally vibrant show ‘Pelli choopulu’ bringing the concept of brides meeting the prospective and highly sought-after groom Pradeep Manchiraju.
Now 32, Pradeep is considered one of the most eligible bachelors in TV field who has been constantly haunted with the question “When are you getting married?”. Here is his show to satisfy his well-wishers.
The young TV host-turned-actor with the boy-next-door image Pradeep was born in Amalapuram, Andhra Pradesh and grew up in Hyderabad. He has completed his Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering (EEE). He started his career as Radio Jockey at Radio Mirchi and has become a popular TV host on many shows.
Fondly known as Depu, he has appeared on 13 TV shows, including Dhee 10. He has also acted in movies like Julayi, Attarintiki Daredi and Ramayya Vasthavayya.
The opening episode saw 12 contestants entering the Pellichoopulu setting and meeting Pradeep. Finally, he has selected Deena from Dubai and he has attributed his decision to instant tears he saw in her at the first moment. However, other contestants clearly differed with his decision deriding his choice.
India’s state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in Bangalore was caught in between its own minister and its proxy defender, a fake website, amidst the ongoing brouhaha over the capabilities of the Bangalore-HQ defence establishment.
When Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman publicly humiliated the defence organisation HAL for not having capabilities to manufacture 126 Rafale combat aircraft, all the defence establishments run by the ministry were stunned. Never did a defence minister bring them into the public glare for failure in the past.
Soon, an unofficial HAL twitter account began to stream in defence of HAL and interestingly, it summed up all that HAL can do as of today. Here’s the tweet:
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited ✈ ?Unofficial ?✈
@HAL_India
"Those who are saying that HAL is not capable of producing Rafale jets should know what we at HAL have produced
✈ MiG-21
✈ MiG-27
✈ Jaguar
✈ Hawk
✈ Sukhoi-30
✈ Dornier 228
V hv also produced
? Light combat helicopter
? Light utility helicopter
? Chetak
? Dhruv
? Rudra"
Posted on September 18 at 10:45 pm, the tweet has gone viral on social media though many viewers initially thought that it was HAL’s reply. Some Twitter users have retweeted it saying that HAL has ‘given a befitting reply to Nirmala Sitharaman’. Soon, the unofficial feature was highlighted by some netizens and hence the clarification that followed:
HAL
@HALHQBLR
It has come to our notice that Twitter handle @HAL_India impersonates our this official handle @HALHQBLR. A formal complaint has already been lodged with Twitter. All are requested to take a note of this. @DefProdnIndia @drajaykumar_ias @DefenceMinIndia @SpokespersonMoD
Ironic but it was already widely shared on Twitter and Facebook. The official page of the Mumbai Youth Congress shared it on Facebook while the page FekuExpress shared it with 530,000 followers. Another Drunk Journalist page shared it with 145,000 followers. In view of the claims and counter-claims, the unofficial website added "Parody" next to its name to ward off controversy.
While the fake websites are mushrooming, fake social media accounts have been there for long but this time with a purpose. Instead of silencing them, the government should give room to these state-run entities enough freedom to run their own affairs and not interfere or micro-manage them. When official mode fails, unofficial version takes place.
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra and the Prime Minister of Nepal, Shri K.P. Sharma Oli witnessing the exchange of MoU between India and Nepal, in Kathmandu, Nepal on August 31, 2018.(PIB)
India’s PM, Bangladesh PM, the Chief Advisor of Bhutan, President of Myanmar, PM of Nepal, President Sri Lanka, and the Prime Minister of Thailand, met in Kathmandu on 30-31 August 2018 for the Fourth BIMSTEC Summit and reaffirmed their commitment to the principles and purposes of BIMSTEC as enshrined in the 1997 Bangkok Declaration.
Recalling the Third BIMSTEC Summit Declaration (Nay Pyi Taw, 4 March 2014) and the BIMSTEC Leaders’ Retreat Outcome Document (Goa, 16 October 2016), they sought to make the Bay of Bengal Region peaceful, prosperous and sustainable by building on our common strengths through our collective efforts;
Recognizing that eradication of poverty is the greatest regional challenge in realization of development objectives and expressing firm commitment to working together for the implementation of the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development;Acknowledging that enhanced inter-linkages and inter-dependence within the economies and societies in the BIMSTEC Member States provide greater opportunity to advance regional cooperation;
Underlining the importance of multidimensional connectivity, which promotes synergy among connectivity frameworks in our region, as a key enabler to economic integration for shared prosperity;
Taking into consideration the importance of trade and investment as one of the major contributing factors for fostering economic and social development in the region.
Recognizing the special needs and circumstances of the least developed and land-locked developing countries in the region and underlining the necessity to provide meaningful support to their development process;
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra and the Prime Minister of Nepal, Shri K.P. Sharma Oli at the inauguration of the Pashupati Nath Dharamshala at Tilganga, in Kathmandu, Nepal on August 31, 2018.(PIB)
Recognizing that terrorism and transnational organized crimes continue to pose a great threat to international peace and security including in the BIMSTEC countries and stressing that combating terrorism and transnational organized crimes require sustained efforts and cooperation and comprehensive approach involving active participation and collaboration of the Member States;
Reaffirming strong commitment to making BIMSTEC a dynamic, effective and result-oriented regional organization for promoting a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable Bay of Bengal Region through meaningful cooperation and deeper integration;
Taking Note of the participation and concurrence by the Chief Advisor of the Interim Government of Bhutan to the Summit decisions and its outcome documents on an ad referendum basis, as these are subject to endorsement by the next elected government;
The vowed to:
Recall the principles enshrined in the 1997 Bangkok Declaration and reemphasize that cooperation within BIMSTEC will be based on respect for the principles of sovereign equality, territorial integrity, political independence, non-interference in internal affairs, peaceful co-existence and mutual benefit.
Agree to intensify our efforts to realize the objectives and purposes of BIMSTEC as embodied in the 1997 Bangkok Declaration, and reiterate our pledge to work collectively towards making BIMSTEC a stronger, more effective and result-oriented organization for achieving a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable Bay of Bengal Region.
Resolve to achieve, leveraging on BIMSTEC’s unique position as a bridge linking South and Southeast Asia, an enhanced level of economic and social development in the region, and remain fully committed to consolidate and deepen cooperation among Member States towards transforming our organization into an effective platform to promote peace, prosperity and sustainability.
Deplore terrorist attacks in all parts of the world including in BIMSTEC countries and strongly condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations wherever and by whomsoever committed and stress that there can be no justification whatsoever for any act of terrorism. Affirm that the fight against terrorism should target not only terrorists, terror organizations and networks but also identify and hold accountable States and non-State entities that encourage, support or finance terrorism, provide sanctuaries to terrorists and terror groups and falsely extol their virtues. Reiterate our strong commitment to combat terrorism and call upon all countries to devise a comprehensive approach in this regard which should include preventing financing of terrorists and terrorist actions from territories under their control, blocking recruitment and cross-border movement of terrorists, countering radicalization, countering misuse of internet for purposes of terrorism and dismantling terrorist safe havens.
Repose our faith unequivocally in the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations and strive to strengthen the multilateral system by reforming its rules, institutions and instruments to make it relevant to contemporary global challenges and agree to work together to present a collective voice to safeguard our collective interests for a fair, just, rule-based, equitable and transparent world order.INSTITUTIONAL REFORM
Decide to task the BIMSTEC Secretariat to prepare a preliminary draft of the charter for the organization, building on the 1997 Bangkok Declaration, defining a long-term vision and priorities for cooperation, clearly delineating roles and responsibilities of different layers of institutional structure and decision-making processes, for consideration by the BIMSTEC Permanent Working Committee (BPWC) and other higher bodies with a view to adopting it by the Fifth Summit; and agree to task the BPWC to develop the Rules of Procedure (RoP) for the BIMSTEC Mechanisms.
Decide to establish a BIMSTEC Permanent Working Committee to deal with administrative and financial matters of the Secretariat and the BIMSTEC Centers and Entities, as well as to prepare schedule of meetings, prioritize and rationalize the organization’s activities.
Direct the relevant Ministries/national agencies of our respective governments to explore the possibility of establishing a BIMSTEC Development Fund (BDF), at an appropriate time, with voluntary contributions from the Member States, which will be utilized for research and planning of BIMSTEC and financing of projects, programmes and other activities of BIMSTEC Centers and Entities as agreed upon by the Member States.
Agree to enhance the institutional capacity of the BIMSTEC Secretariat, including through financial and human resources, in order to enable it to coordinate, monitor and facilitate implementation of BIMSTEC activities and programmes; and initiate project proposals as agreed by the Member States as well as fulfil any other responsibility entrusted to it in an effective and efficient manner and agree to raise the numbers of Directors to seven, one from each Member State, in a staggered manner.
Acknowledge the importance of enhancing the visibility and stature of BIMSTEC in international fora by, inter alia, forging common positions, as appropriate, on issues of common interest and seeking group recognition in various multilateral organizations, institutions and processes.
Emphasize the need to accelerate progress in the core areas of cooperation and to review, restructure and rationalize the existing areas of BIMSTEC cooperation and streamline the operational modalities for activities, implementation of programmes and projects under BIMSTEC for bringing out tangible results. Welcome Thailand’s concept paper on the Reprioritization of BIMSTEC Pillars of Cooperation proposing to streamline to five pillars which will be subjected to further discussion in the BIMSTEC Permanent Working Committee.
Agree to take up on priority basis the legal documents and instruments that are pending for internal approval process for finalization and ratification.
Commend the role of Lead Countries for the progress made in the respective sectors, as annexed to this declaration, and encourage them to accelerate their efforts to make further progress.
Express our appreciation for former Secretary-General Mr. Sumith Nakandala’s valuable contribution in advancing the work of BIMSTEC during his tenure and welcome the appointment of Mr. M. Shahidul Islam of Bangladesh as the Secretary General of BIMSTEC.
Convey deep appreciation to Nepal for the able stewardship of BIMSTEC from March 2014 and welcome Sri Lanka as the new Chair of BIMSTEC.
Reiterate the commitment to timely holding of Summit and other meetings of the BIMSTEC mechanisms to intensify the process of regional cooperation.
Agree to make our directives, commitments and statements of our positions on sectoral review expressed at the Annexure as part of this Declaration.
Express our sincere appreciation to the Government of Nepal for the warm hospitality and the excellent arrangements made for the Summit.
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved in reducing Government of India shareholding in IDBI Bank Limited to below 50% by dilution. It has also approved acquisition of controlling stake by Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) as promoter in the bank through preferential allotment / open offer of equity, and relinquishment of management control by the Government in the bank.
Impact:
The acquisition has wide-ranging synergy benefits for customers, LIC and the bank.
Benefits to the two entities emanate from economies of scale, reduction in the costs of distribution and customer acquisition, greater efficiency and flexibility in operations, and greater opportunity for cross-selling of products and services.
These would help financially strengthen both LIC and the bank, as well as their subsidiaries which offer financial products such as housing finance and mutual funds.
Further, the bank would get an opportunity to tap 11 lakh LIC agents for doorstep banking services, positioning it to improve customer services and deepen financial inclusion.
The bank would also be positioned to benefit in terms of lower cost of funds through acquisition of low-cost deposits, and fee income from payment services.
LIC would get bancassurance (i.e. selling of insurance products by bank) through the bank’s network of 1,916 branches, besides access to bank’s cash management services.
Further, LIC would gain in terms of furthering the realisation of its vision of becoming a financial conglomerate.
Customers too would benefit through wider offerings of financial services under one roof, and LIC being better positioned to expand life insurance coverage.
Background:
In 2016, the Finance Minister, in his Budget Speech announced that the process of transformation of IDBI Bank has started and that Government will take it forward and also consider the option of reducing its stake below 50%. Taking note of this announcement, with the approval of its Board, LIC sought permission of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) for acquiring controlling stake in IDBI Bank.
After receipt of IRDAI’s permission and carrying out diligence, LIC expressed its interest in acquiring 51% controlling stake to IDBI Bank. The bank in turn, after consideration of this offer by its Board, sought Government’s decision in the context of Government’s stake coming down below 51% as a result of the proposed acquisition.
India’s Commerce & Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu attended the 6th East Asia Summit- Economic Ministers’ Meeting (EAS-EMM) and 15th India-ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Meeting (AEM) in Singapore on Saturday, Sept.1. Singapore is currently holding the Chair of ASEAN.
The 6th East-Asia Economic Ministers’ Meeting was chaired by Chan Chun Sing, Minister for Trade and Industry, Singapore, and was attended by Economic Ministers from 10 ASEAN countries and their eight dialogue partners, Australia, China, India, Japan, Republic of Korea, New Zealand, the Russian Federation and the United States of America.
The Ministers welcomed the higher global economic growth forecast for 2018 and took note of the increasing importance of trade and investment relations among the EAS economies. Acknowledging the potential for disruptions in the macro-economy that could affect overall market sentiments and global growth, the EAS-EMM forum expressed the hope that the economic linkages among the EAS members will enable them to address these challenges.
The Ministers agreed to the importance of keeping markets open and fair as well as improving transparency and predictability of the business environment. The meeting recognized the importance of ongoing work to maximize the opportunities of, and address the challenges presented by, the digital economy and the rise of regional and global value chains, as part of their efforts to promote economic growth and integration in the region.
The 6th EAS–EMM was followed by the 15th ASEAN Economic Ministers – India Consultation. It was co-chaired by Chan Chun Sing, Minister for Trade and Industry, Singapore, and Suresh Prabhu, Minister of Commerce and Industry, India.
The Joint Secretary, Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Shri Rajneesh and the Deputy Chief Negotiator of Singapore, Mr. Francis Chong signed the Second Protocol amendment in the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CECA) between India and Singapore, in New Delhi on August 24, 2018.(PIB)
The meeting attended by Economic Ministers from 10 ASEAN countries took stock of the current level of trade and economic engagement between India and ASEAN and reaffirmed the commitment to further strengthen ASEAN-India economic relations. ASEAN has emerged as the second largest trade partner of India in 2017-18 with bilateral trade valued at USD 81.33 billion, comprising 10.58% of India’s total trade with the world.
ASEAN Ministers also appreciated the outcomes of the ASEAN-India Business and Investment Meet and Expo held on 22–23 January 2018 in New Delhi, that was organised soon after the 31st ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit and its role in providing a platform for both government and industry leaders to exchange views and provide ideas and solutions towards sustaining the momentum of trade and investment in the region.
It was also announced in the Singapore meeting that the next ASEAN-India Business Summit will be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in November 2018 with the theme “Towards Building Strategic Partnership between ASEAN and India in the Era of the 4th IR and Digital Economy” which will be followed by the 4thIndia-ASEAN Dialogue Partner Expo and Summit scheduled for 21-23 February 2019, in New Delhi.
The ASEAN-India Business Council (AIBC) presented their recommendations to the forum to sustain the momentum of trade and investment in the region. Issues related to promoting connectivity, collaboration on Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) development, blue economy, healthcare, and tourism as well as women and youth economic empowerment were discussed. The Ministers emphasized on the importance of promoting private sector activities and strengthening business-to-business relations, including through the AIBC, to further broaden and deepen ASEAN-India economic linkages.
