RNI No.

: MAHENG/2018/76663
www.newsandnriconnect.com Day of Publishing:
Every Tuesday and Friday

MUMBAI: FRIDAY, MARCH 01, 2019 • VOL. No. 1 • Issue No. 41 • IPEPCIL PUBLICATIONS PVT LTD. • 8 PAGES • PRICE: ₹ 8

Samjhauta Express suspended UAE-India-Pakistan flights

LAHORE: Pakistani authori-
ties have suspended the
Samjhauta Express train
service between Pakistan
and India until further no-
tice, amidst tense bilateral
ties in the aftermath of the
Pulwama terror attack. The
train departs on Mondays
and Thursdays from Lahore.
The biweekly train was
scheduled to depart from
Lahore. “Samjhauta Ex-
press will resume its opera-
tions as soon as the security
situation improves between
India and Pakistan,” the FO
said without giving any
specific date for resum-
ing the train service. The
FO statement came after a
spokesman of the Railways
said early in the morning
that the train service sched-
uled to depart for India at
8 AM (local time) was can-
celled. Local media report-
ed that the train embarked
on its journey from Karachi
but stopped at Lahore rail-
way station after officials
suspended its service.
India carried out air
strikes against the biggest
training camp of JeM in
Balakot. In the operation,
a very large number of JeM
terrorists, trainers, senior
commanders and groups
of jihadis who were being
trained for suicide attacks
were eliminated. The facili-
ty at Balakot was headed by
Yousuf Azhar, the brother-
in-law of the JeM chief.
The Samjhauta Express,
named after the Hindi word
for “agreement”, comprises
six sleeper coaches and an
AC 3-tier coach. The train
service was started on July
22, 1976 under the Shimla
Agreement that settled the
1971 war between the two
nations. Sources said that
the footfall of the train,
which generally records
an occupancy of around
70pc has fallen drastically
post-Pulwama terror attack.
Tensions have escalated be-
tween India and Pakistan in
the wake of the Pulwama
attack by Pakistan-based
terror group Jaish-e-Mo-
hammad (JeM).
At least 40 CRPF per-
sonnel were killed and
many injured on Feb 14 in
one of the deadliest terror
attacks in J&K when a JeM
suicide bomber rammed a
vehicle carrying over 100
kg of explosives into their
bus in Pulwama district.
affected, partly restored
DUBAI: Many travellers fly-
ing out of the UAE to Paki-
stan and India have been
advised to continue moni-
toring the status of their
flights in view of the esca-
lating conflict between the
two countries.
Flights to all Pakistani
airports from Dubai and Abu
Dhabi were cancelled on
Wednesday leaving scores
of passengers stranded at
terminals. Some flights to
India have been affected as
well, including those oper-
ated by SpiceJet, Indigo and
Airblue.
The operation of flights
from Srinagar airport re-
sumed on Thursday morn-
ing, after they remained
suspended for over four
hours on Wednesday.
UAE-based carrier Fly-
dubai cancelled Wednes- Many passengers bound for India and Pakistan were stranded at Terminal-1 of Dubai Inter-
national Airport.
day’s and Thursday’s flights
to a number of destinations, one Airblue flight to Islam- cancelled. The latest flight Airlines (Saudia) suspended
including Faisalabad, Mul- abad, according to Skyscan- schedules can be found on all flights to Pakistan in re-
tan, Sialkot and Karachi ner’s flight tracker. Passen- emirates.com. Affected pas- sponse to increased military
in Pakistan. Emirates also gers from India and Pakistan sengers are requested to tensions between India and
cancelled trips to and from were stranded at Terminal-1 contact their booking agent its neighbor over Kashmir.
Pakistan, including destina- of Dubai International. or Emirates reservations to “It is a standard proce-
tions like Islamabad, Kara- “Due to the closure of rebook their flights or make dure that we take under
chi and Lahore. At Sharjah Pakistani and Afghanistan alternative travel arrange- such circumstances,” said
airport, Air Arabia flights air space, a number of Emir- ments,” the airline said in a Fahad Bahdailah, Saudia’s
to Lahore and Karachi were ates flights to/from Pakistan statement. VP of corporate communi-
cancelled, as well as at least and Afghanistan have been In Riyadh, Saudi Arabian cations.

Govt detects Rs 20,000cr Tax panel seeks extension

NEW DELHI: The taskforce Kedia (consultant, ICRIER) in mind the economic needs

GST evasion this fiscal

NEW DELHI: The central
government has detected
Rs 20,000 crore worth GST
evasion so far this fiscal
and will take more steps to
check frauds and increase
compliance.
Central Board of Indi-
rect Taxes and Customs
(CBIC) member (Investiga-
tion) John Joseph revealed
that the department would
soon call a meeting of the
representatives of the real
estate sector to understand
transition issues faced by
the sector post reduction in
GST rates. The GST Coun-
cil, chaired by Finance
Minister Arun Jaitley and
comprising state counter-
parts, has decided to cut tax
rates on under construction
apartments and affordable
housing to five per cent and
one per cent, respectively.
Nevertheless, builders
will not be able to claim
credit for the taxes paid on
inputs, like steel, cement.
The earlier GST rate on
under construction apart-
ments and affordable hous-
ing was 12pc and eight per
cent with input tax credit
(ITC), respectively.
On demand for giving
ITC relief to the builders
of the under construction
flats which are already built
but not yet sold to buyers,
Joseph said the real estate
sector would have to raise
the issue with the urban de-
velopment ministry.
“You need to talk to them
(urban development minis-
try). As revenue department
we cannot give you any ben-
efit of subsidy to that extent,”
he said at an Assocham event
here. Joseph said between
April-Feb 2018-19, GST eva-
sion worth Rs 20,000 crore
has been detected of which
Rs 10,000 crore was recov-
ered. He said the tax officers
have detected fake invoice
worth Rs 1,500 crore which
was used to claim illegal
GST credit of Rs 75 crore.
“We have already recovered
Rs 25 crore and the rest is on
the way,” Joseph said.
Stating that only five-
10pc of the businesses are
“black sheep” and bring
bad name to the industry,
he said the government will
take more measures to in-
crease compliance and act
against evaders in a way
such that genuine business-
es do not suffer. Joseph said
the government has been
dynamic in rationalising
tax rates since GST rollout
on July 1, 2017, while in-
creasing compliance for 1.2
crore registered businesses.
“In future, as GST
moves forward, the rates
need to consolidate. Across
the world it is one rate, but
it may not be possible for us
to implement it here... be-
cause we have the poorest
of the poor and the richest
of the rich in the country.
“What is good for the rich-
est, cannot be the best for
the poor. But five rates con-
verging into two or three,
depending on what the
Council decides. This is the
way forward,” he said.
set up to draft a new direct
tax law to replace the ex-
isting Income Tax Act has
sought two to three months
extension from Finance Min-
ister Arun Jaitley to submit
its report. The taskforce was
scheduled to submit the re-
port by Feb 28. The finance
ministry in November last
year appointed Akhilesh
Ranjan, Member (Legisla-
tion), CBDT, as convener of
the taskforce after the retire-
ment of Arbind Modi.
“The taskforce apprised
the finance minister on
progress made by the panel
so far. It sought an exten-
sion of two to three months
for submission of report,”
an official said. Other
members of the taskforce
include Girish Ahuja (CA),
Rajiv Memani (chairman of
EY), Mukesh Patel (practis-
ing tax advocate), Mansi
and GC Srivastava (retired
IRS and advocate).
Even with a three -month
extension, the report of the
task force would come well
before the final budget for
2019-20 fiscal which will be
presented some time in July
after the general elections.
Prime Minister Modi, dur-
ing the annual conference of
tax officers in Sept 2017, had
observed that the Income-
tax Act, 1961 was drafted
more than 50 years ago and
it needs to be redrafted.
The taskforce was as-
signed to draft direct tax
laws in line with the norms
prevalent in other countries,
incorporating international
best practices and keeping
of the country. The minis-
try had in Nov, 2017, set up
a six -member task force to
rewrite the over 50-year-old
tax laws. The panel was ini-
tially supposed to submit
its report to the government
within six months, by May
22, 2018. On May 22, the fi-
nance ministry had extend-
ed the term of the taskforce
by another three months till
August 22. The committee
did not submit report within
that deadline as well. The
then convene of the panel
Arbind Modi retired on Sept
30, which left the report of
the taskforce in limbo. Fol-
lowing this, Ranjan was ap-
pointed as the convener of
the panel in Nov last year.

ECI files FIR against fake Indian student

An IPEPCIL initiative
to help Gulf job-seekers

news on NRI voting dies in pool

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Po-
lice have registered a case
after the Election Commis-
sion of India (ECI) asked it
to track down people alleg-
edly spreading fake news
that NRIs can cast their vote
online in the upcoming Lok
Sabha elections. In its com-
plaint, the ECI said that a
fake message regarding on-
line voting by NRIs in the
general election 2019 is be-
ing circulated on WhatsApp.
“This fake news contains
a logo of the ECI. The publi-
cation of such fake news is
causing severe confusion to
the public, thereby creating
Indian Personnel Export Promotion Council (IPEPCIL)
is a 39-year-old professional body devoted to resolving the
grievances of overseas placement community. This council
public nuisance and mis- have also invoked State Em- NEW YORK: In a tragic hail Habeeb --” it said.
consists of only registered recruiting agencies who are legally
and professionally engaged in sending manpower to overseas,
chief,” the complaint said. blem of India (Prohibition of incident, a student from He had been enrolled at particularly to the Gulf nations.
The charges have been filed Improper Use) Act. India died at a campus the University since Fall
under IPC sections 505 (mak- “Overseas Indians may pool in the University 2016. Staff from Cam- IPEPCIL Publications (P) Ltd.
submit an application for of Rhode Island (URI) in pus Recreation, URI Po- IPEPCIL Publications is publishing NEWS AND NRI CONNECT,
enrollment under form 6A the US. Suhail Habeeb, a lice Department and URI which is the “Gateway to Global Opportunities”. Published from In-
online at nvsp.in or by using graduate student in phys- Emergency Medical Ser-
dia’s business capital Mumbai, this bi-weekly (Tuesday and Friday)
newspaper is circulated pan-India. This English newspaper carries
the voter helpline mobile ics from India, died fol- vices (EMS) responded to Gulf and national placement advertisements and provides authentic
app. To cast vote on the date lowing an incident that Tootell late afternoon on and useful information of Indian and overseas recruitment, critical
of poll, an overseas elector occurred in a Tootell Sunday. URI Police and news packets of job opportunities and crucial changes in policies
may come to his designat- Physical Education Cen- EMS were dispatched that affects the industry.
ed polling station with his tre pool on the Kingston and arriving units found
Coming from the stable of highly experienced professionals in the
placement business, NEWS AND NRI CONNECT will uphold the
passport as a document for Campus, the University lifeguards performing highest standard of ethics and professionalism. We will publish only
ing, publishing or circulat- identification,” a statement said. CPR on Habeeb. He was authentic advertisements to protect our job aspirants. A newspaper
ing any statement, rumour issued by ECI said. Recently, The University is transported by EMS to a runs on its credibility and we are committed to this trust.
or report), 463 (making false a 21-year-old man was ar- “saddened by the recent local hospital where he IPEPCIL Publications (P) Ltd.
document to cause damage) rested for allegedly putting loss of one of our com- was later identified and
Office No. 1001, 10th Floor,
Navjivan Commercial Premises Co-op. Society Ltd.,
and 471 (using a forged doc- up fake dates of the elections munity members -- Su- pronounced deceased. Lamington Road, (Dr.D.B.Marg), Mumbai Central,
ument as genuine). Police on the website. Mumbai - 400 008.

Logon on to www.newsandnriconnect.com for free ePaper download without user id and password.
 2 EMIGRATION Friday, March 01, 2019

Kim Kumari crowned Miss India USA

NEW JERSEY: The 18-year-old Kim Kumari of New
Jersey was crowned Miss India USA at a glittering
pageant held at Royal Albert’s Palace in Fords, New
Jersey. Renuka Joseph of New York and Aanchal Shah

Curb fake news of Florida were declared first and second runners-up
respectively.

F
ake news is creating havoc nowadays. For an aver- Vidhi Dave of Connecticut won the Mrs. India
age person, it is almost impossible to distinguish USA title while the Miss India Teen USA title went to
the fake from the real – that’s the kind of dubious 16-year-old Esha Kode of New Jersey. In the Mrs. India
respectability the fake news has earned. While writing category, Amrita Chehil and Sowmya Saxena of Ohio
this edit, news came in that the Delhi police have filed an won the first and second runners-up titles respectively,
FIR on the complaint by the Election Commission of In- while in the teen category, Aishwarya Vallem of Geor-
dia (ECI) asking the police to track down people allegedly gia was the first runner-up and and Tanvi Gujral also
spreading fake news that NRIs can cast their vote online from Georgia, won second place.
in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections. In its complaint, the Kumari is stuying to be an optometrist and help
ECI said that a fake message regarding online voting by children from third world countries learn about the
NRIs in the general election 2019 is being circulated on importance of eye-care. She also won the talent award
WhatsApp and it goes in other news channels as well. for her performance of Lavni, a folk dance from Ma-
“This fake news contains a logo of the ECI. The publica- harashtra, with a fusion of Bhangra. Dave, who has
tion of such fake news is causing severe confusion to the a degree in Data Science from Harvard, is a project
public, thereby creating public nuisance and mischief,” manager. Kode, who also won the talent award in the
the complaint said. The charges have been filed under teen category, aspires to be a paediatric surgeon, while
IPC sections 505 (making, publishing or circulating any continuing a career in fashion and films. Kumari and
statement, rumour or report), 463 (making false docu- Dave will represent the US in the Miss and Mrs. India Miss India USA 2019 Kim Kumari (centre) with Mrs. India USA Vidhi Dave, (left) and Miss Teen India
ment to cause damage) and 471 (using a forged document Worldwide 2019 to be held in Mumbai in Sept. USA Esha Kode at the 37th edition of the annual pageant at Royal Albert’s Palace in Fords NJ.
as genuine). Police have also invoked State Emblem of
India (Prohibition of Improper Use) Act.
Only the other day, fake news was going round to the Aruna new executive director Indra Nooyi joins
effect that the UAE government has banned foreigners Amazon board
working in dozens of sectors. Those who are familiar with
UAE know that it is impossible to remove foreigners from
of Indian American Fund
WASHINGTON: Former in the Democratic prima- been a shoo-in in the Indian American candi-
WASHINGTON: PepsiCo’s India-
born former CEO Indra Nooyi has
certain vital areas (like healthcare) and that too in a short
Congressional candidate ry for the vacant seat in general election in the dates running for office at joined Amazon’s board of directors.
notice. It turned out to be fake news. The other news is
and erstwhile Maryland the state’s sixth district, heavily Democratic dis- every level from coast to Nooyi, who stepped down as CEO of
that RBI is coming out with Rs 1 lakh coin! While the gov-
PepsiCo in Oct

Editorial
ernment has already abol- state legislator Aruna Mill- who then went on to win trict. coast, she will also inspire
er has been named the new the general on Nov 6. Raj Goyle, co-founder many more to consider last year, is the
ished Rs 1000 notes and has
executive director of the The Miller-Tronerace, of Impact, a former Kansas running themselves.” second women
started gradual withdrawal
Indian American Impact state legislator, who also “Anyone who has met, of colour to be
of Rs 2000 notes, a Rs 1 lakh
Fund, which seeks out and made an unsuccessful bid worked with or voted for added on the
coin is impossible to even imagine. But many people be-
endorses and funds Indi- for the US Congress from Aruna knows her future Amazon’s board
lieve in this kind of fake news and further circulate it to
an-American candidates the state’s fourth district is bright. We are excited of Directors. Ear-
their friends and relatives!
running for public office at in 2010, losing to Repub- to have her at the helm of ly this month,
Social media users are busy connecting, transacting
the local, city, county, state lican Mike Pompeo, now Impact,” he added. Deep- Starbucks ex-
and influencing each other yet many fail to realise is Indra Nooyi
and federal levels. the US Secretary of State, ak Raj, entrepreneur and ecutive Rosalind
that it is but a medium that takes no responsibility for
The Hyderabad-born said, “As a former candi- philanthropist, also a co- Brewer joined the Amazon board.
what happens on its actions. This medium began as a
Miller, who migrated to date and elected official founder of Impact, said, “We’re thrilled to have elected
network powered by the likes of Facebook founder Mark
the US at age eight and who has actually cam- “When we started look- two new members to our Board of
Zuckerberg in 2004. FB’s stated goal was to connect every
is a civil engineer by paigned, won votes, and ing for a new executive Directors this month. Welcome, Roz
human on the earth even if they don’t know each other Aruna Miller
training, having served served in office, Aruna is director, it was vital that Brewer and Indra ,” Amazon said in
personally. Some of these connections, if not many, can
in Montgomery County’s was perhaps the most the ideal person to lead we find someone who its announcement. Nooyi would be a
be spurious as the world has found out through what is
Transportation Depart- closely-watched primary Impact. She has the per- understands both poli- member of the audit committee. She
known as fake news.
ment for more than two by the Indian-American fect combination of skills tics and public service, was PepsiCco CEO from Oct 2006 to
FB connections are not real but virtual, but humans
decades, will replace community, who con- and personal experience has a demonstrated track Oct 2018, where she also served as
often fail to make the distinction which could influence
Gautam Raghavan, a for- sidered her the commu- to take this organisation record of advocating the chairman of its board of direc-
their actions and the spread of false information. Then
mer senior Obama ad- nity’s best bet for another to the next level,” he pre- for our community and tors from May 2007 to Feb 2019.
there is propaganda which could lead to indoctrination,
ministration official, who Congressional seat, but dicted. Goyle said: “As an brings fresh thinking and She was elected to PepsiCo’s
a complex process which plays with the unsuspecting
left Impact in Jan to serve Miller failed in her bid to Indian-American woman, vision to the important board of directors and became its
mind that makes people do unimaginable things. It soon
as Rep. Pramila Jayapal’s become only the second immigrant, candidate, and work ahead.” He added: president and chief financial officer
spreads like wildfire or viral without proper basis. The
(D.Wash.) chief of staff. Indian American woman elected official, Aruna has “We found all of those in 2001 and held leadership roles
government should come down heavily on fake news cre-
In June last year, much to be elected to the US been a pioneer and trail- traits, and more, in Aru- in finance, corporate strategy and
ators and should also ban people re-circulating of such
to the disappointment of House of Representatives blazer in our community. na, and we are thrilled development and strategic planning
items. If false information appears on social media, these
the Indian-American com- after Jayapal, because if We know she will not only she will lead Impact at after joining PepsiCo in 1994. Nooyi
companies must be made accountable. The cyber law
munity, Miller lost to mul- she had prevailed over provide smart guidance this critical time for our has served as a director of Schlum-
should be amended suitably.
timillionaire David Trone Trone, she would have and strategic counsel to community.” berger since April 2015.

LIPSYNCH Statement about the ownership and other particulars about newspaper entitled NEWS AND NRI CONNECT as NRI raises over $1m
“It is not the strongest of the species that survive nor the required to be published in the first issue of every year after the last day of February. for Pulwama martyrs
most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” FORM IV (See Rule 8) NEW YORK: NRI Viveik Pa-
— Charles Darwin. 1. Place of Publication: Office No. 1001, 10th Floor, Navjivan Commercial Premises Co-op. Society Ltd., Lamington Road, tel deserves a special men-
(Dr.D.B.Marg), Mumbai Central, Mumbai - 400 008. Ph.: 022 - 23001102 / 23001103. tion. The 26-year old, who
2. Periodicity: Bi-weekly started his own fundraiser
3. Printer’s name: Mr. Supreeth M.J on Facebook with a target
Published by IPEPCIL Publications Ltd Whether citizen of India: Yes of raising US$500,000, has
RNI No.: MAHENG/2018/76663 Address: Office No. 1001, 10th Floor, Navjivan Commercial Premises Co-op. Society Ltd., Lamington Road, now managed to super ex-
Publisher: Supreet M.J. (Dr.D.B.Marg), Mumbai Central, Mumbai - 400 008. Ph.: 022 - 23001102 / 23001103 ceed the target and raised
Editor : E.L. Vaidyanathan 4. Publisher’s name: Mr. Supreeth M.J $1,018,252 within just 11
Volume No.: 1, Issue: 41 Whether citizen of India: Yes days. Patel happily shared
Published at: Office No. 1001, 10th Floor, Address: Office No. 1001, 10th Floor, Navjivan Commercial Premises Co-op. Society Ltd., Lamington Road, his message in a Facebook
Navjivan Commercial Premises Co-op. Society Ltd., (Dr.D.B.Marg), Mumbai Central, Mumbai - 400 008. Ph.: 022 - 23001102 / 23001103 post, “$1 million achieved
Lamington Road, (Dr.D.B.Marg), Mumbai Central, 5. Editor’s Name: E.L. Vaidyanathan for our brave-hearts. Thank
Mumbai - 400 008. Ph.: 022 - 23001102 / 23001103. Whether citizen of India: Yes you all for the support.”
Printed at: Inquilab Offset Printers Ltd., 156, D J Dadaji Road, Address: Office No. 1001, 10th Floor, Navjivan Commercial Premises Co-op. Society Ltd., Lamington Road, He has even been in touch
Tardeo, Mumbai-400 034, Maharashtra, India.
(Dr.D.B.Marg), Mumbai Central, Mumbai - 400 008. Ph.: 022 - 23001102 / 23001103 with Indian authorities in
New York who are guiding
SHAREHOLDERS:
Link PAN with a/c for I-T e-refunds 6. Names and addresses of individuals who own the newspaper and partners or shareholders holding more than one percent
Vivek with the best and the
safest ways of transferring
NEW DELHI: The Income Tax Department will “only” issue of the total paid up capital as on 28.02.2019 the funds. The 26-year old,
refunds via the e-mode into bank accounts of taxpayers be- 1. Abdul Rehman C.H. 2. Mohib Ali Nasser /Mohammedali Mohibali Nasser 3. Sureshkumar Madhusudhanan who hails from Vadodara in
ginning next month and they should link PAN with their ac- 4. Abdul Rahim Khan 5. Sharif Kalimulla Mohiddin 6. Fahad Haroon Memon 7. Syed Ghulam Dastgeer Gujarat, started his own fun-
counts, the I-T dept said in its latest public communication. 8. Supreeth M. J. (Sandy) 9. Gulamali Gheewala 10. Moazzam Shaikh 11. Bilal Shabuddin Dadan draiser on Facebook with a
The department said refunds will be sent to bank accounts as target of raising $500,000.
12. Muzammil Shaikh 13. Safwan Shaikh 14. Mehmood M. Gheewala 15. Pradeep Kumar A.K.
it will issue “only e-refunds from March 1, 2019.” Link your “They had a fruitful dis-
PAN (Permanent Account Number) with your bank account to 16. Subramanian Bernadine Nerida Durando 17. Arif Gheewala 18. V.Mohammed Hyder 19. Raju Sud
cussion on the best way to
get your refund directly, swiftly and securely, the department 20. C.V. Vijayan 21. Kadar Basha Abdul Wahab 22. Arif Sachidina 23. Kamalakar Narayan Mohite
donate to the Martyrs of the
said in a public advisory. It added the bank account could be 24. Panicher Parambil Vijayan 25. P. A. Aboobacker 26. Altaf Abdul Bari 27. Jay Kumar Nair 28. M. Y. Ansari
Pulwama Terrorist Attack
either savings, current, cash or overdraft. 29. Mohammed Ilyas Ansari 30. John Joseph 31. John Thomas 32. Baby Varghese 33. Arif Bawa by transferring money to
Till now, the department used to issue refunds to taxpay- 34. Mohammed Ansar Aboobacker 35. C.S. Nair 36. Abdul Munaf Abdul Aziz 37. Kumma Moidunny Parambil “Bharat Ke Veer” Account,”
ers either in their bank accounts or through account payee 38. Aiyaz Bashir Ansari / Tasneem Aiyaz Ansari 39. Abdul Naseer Bava said the Consulate General
cheques, in a case-to-case basis depending on the category of 40. Sinclus Marketing Services Pvt. Ltd. 41. New Alfa International of India, New York in a
taxpayers. The communication added taxpayers can check if Facebook post.
42. Trinity Air Travel & Tours Pvt. Ltd. 43. Meridian Management
their bank account is linked with their PAN by logging onto Patel also shared a quick
44. Yusho Corporation 45. Jesseena Marine Services Pvt. Ltd.
the e-filing website of the department. It said those who have update about currency
not linked their PAN with their bank account should provide 46. F.Gheewala H.R. Consultants 47. Benzy Tours & Travels
function on fundraiser and
it to their home bank branch and also validate this over the 48. Global Management Consultant 49. Amit Saxena - Ambe International
informed that anyone from
e-filing website of the I-T Department. 50. Careerline Travel Consultant
the world now can be a part
Recently, the linking of the PAN with the Aadhaar-PAN Address: Office No. 1001, 10th Floor, Navjivan Commercial Premises Co-op. Society Ltd., Lamington Road,
of the campaign. Facebook
has been made “mandatory” for those filing an Income Tax (Dr.D.B.Marg), Mumbai Central, Mumbai - 400 008. Ph.: 022 - 23001102 / 23001103
Fundraiser Team also played
Return (ITR) and this procedure has to be “completed” by
an important role in sup-
March 31 this year. As per data updated till early this month, I Supreet M.J, hereby declare that the particulars given above are true to the best of my knowledge and belief.
porting the real Patriot. The
the I-T department has so far issued 42 crore PANs, of which
Supreet M.J. team worked with Viveik to
23 crore have been linked with Aadhaar. While Aadhaar is is-
Signature of Publisher help ensure the money goes
sued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI)
to the right place as quickly
to a resident of India, PAN is a 10-digit alphanumeric number Date: 01.03.2019 as possible.
allotted by the I-T Department to a person, firm or entity.
Friday, March 01, 2019
GULF JOBS & OPPORTUNITIES 3

FOR ADVERTISEMENT
BOOKING
CALL
022 - 23001102
022 - 23001103
 4 GULF JOBS & OPPORTUNITIES Friday, March 01, 2019

N AT I O N A L





 
 
 


  '


 '



  (
!
 )  




*!)

 +$*&
 )# ! "

 ! !%
"# 
  
#
$%
  

%&&

 
   


 +&,-
+&./-)' &-0-
!-+)
'120& (
#3444&
&
IIMB to host ‘Women in Data Science Conference’ on Mar 9
BENGALURU: The Data
Centre and Analytics Lab
(DCAL) at IIM Bangalore
is hosting the Women
in Data Science (WiDS)
Conference on March 9
(Saturday) at the IIMB
auditorium.
WiDS is an initiative of
Stanford University and
IIM Bangalore is hosting
the Bangalore region event.
AIIMS, UCLink pact for research collaborations CM to lay foundation stone of Nalanda
NEW DELHI: All India In-
stitutes of Medical Scienc-
es (AIIMS) in New Delhi
has entered into a partner-
ship with the University
College London (UCL) to
enable collaborations in
research and increase the
number of academic and
student exchange oppor-
tunities between both the
institutions.
A formal “Letter of In-
tent” was signed between
UCL’s President Professor
Michael Arthur and AIIMS
Director Professor Randeep
Guleria recently.
“Through closer col-
laboration and shared ex-
pertise, we will gain a
deeper insight into our
ground-breaking research
and fulfil our joint ambi-
tion to address some of the
biggest challenges facing
society today. “Furthering
academic and student ex-
change programmes, will
also enrich both UCL’s
The WiDS conference
aims to inspire and edu-
cate data scientists across
the world. This one-day
technical conference is
being held in Bangalore
for the first time and will
have leading women data
scientists as speakers. The
discussions will cover top-
ics around data science
related research and ap-
and AIIMS communities,
enabling them to develop
and grow intellectually,
culturally and socially,” a
statement quoting Arthur
said.
UCL and AIIMS will
explore a number of po-
tential collaborative areas,
including academic staff
collaboration in research
and education in mutually
agreed areas of common
interest, potential develop-
ment of staff exchange pro-
grammes, visiting scholars
plications. stories about their work sor Vasanthi Srinivasan,
All are
welcome
to attend
the confer-
ence, which
will feature
women doing
outstanding
work in the
area of Data Science and and challenges they face. diatric Cardiologist, Tele-
other fields, who will share
programmes and research
fellowship programmes
among others, the state-
ment said.
Guleria said, “This col-
laboration is an immense
opportunity for bilateral
work-flow on more than
one aspect. It is also an
opportunity for a dialogue
including exchange of
ideas, training and em-
powerment for high end
bio-technological research.
“Our focus under this
‘Letter of Intent’ would be
The speakers are Profes- radiology Solutions; Dr Di-
on training opportunities
for students, faculty and
researchers at both insti-
tutes and establishment
of a clinical trial unit to
further enhance these ca-
pabilities.”
As part of the
ongoing research
collaborations,
AIIMS has also
joined the new In-
ternational Centre
for Genomic Medi-
cine in Neuromus-
cular Diseases (IC-
GMN), led by UCL.
The ICGMN is
a £5m initiative,
bringing together
skills and resources from
five countries and aims
to advance the genetic
diagnosis and therapy
for patients with muscle
wasting neuromuscular
diseases, including mo-
tor neurone disease and
muscular dystrophy, the
statement added.
IIMB faculty
from the Or-
ganizational
Behaviour &
Human Re-
sources Man-
agement area;
Dr. Sunita Ma-
heshwari, Pae-
Open University campus on March 1
PATNA: Chief Minister
Nitish Kumar will lay the
foundation stone of Na-
landa Open University
(NOU) campus at Rajgir in
Nalanda) on March 1.
It is a requirement for
all distance- mode univer-
sities, as per the guide-
lines of Distance Educa-
tion Bureau (DEB).
Set up in March, 1987
by an ordinance, promul-
gated by the Government
of Bihar, it is the only
university in Bihar meant
exclusively for distance
learning. Later in 1995,
the NOU Act was passed
by the Bihar Legislature,
replacing the Ordinance,
which mandates its loca-
tion in Nalanda.
For the university, the
government has allotted
40 acres of land. NOU
vice-chancellor R K Sinha
said that the detailed proj-

FOR ADVERTISEMENT BOOKING CALL
022 - 23001102
022 - 23001103
DISCLAIMER
Readers are requested to verify and make
appropriate enquiries to satisfy themselves
about the veracity of an advertisement
before responding to any published adver-
tisements in this newspaper. NEWS AND
NRI CONNECT, its publisher and owner
IPEPCIL Publications do NOT vouch for
the authenticity of any advertisement or
advertiser or for any of the advertiser’s
products and /or services. In no event can
the owner, publisher, printer, editor, direc-
tor, employees of this newspaper/company
be held responsible/liable in any manner
whatsoever for any claims and /or damages
for advertisements in this newspaper.
ane Chang, Data Scientist, van, Director, PayPal; Sow-
Intuit; Professor Haritha janya Chalamkuri, Sr. Di-
Saranga, IIMB faculty from rector, GE Digital; Shailaja
the Production & Opera- Grover, Program Manager,
tions Management area; Dr IIMB; Vidya Chandrasek-
Gorge B Dasgupta, Senior aran, Engineering Manager,
Manager and Researcher, PayPal; Sunila Gollapudi,
IBM; Shweta Shandilya, Executive Vice President,
Program Director, IBM; Broadridge, and Lakshya
Dr Ramanathan, Profes- Sivaramakrishnan, Man-
sor, Nottingham Business ager, Women Techmakers
School, UK; Deepa Madha- Program, Google.
ect report for the campus also attempts were made
development as per UGC to shift it to Nalanda and
guidelines has been pre- 10-acre land had also been
pared and the map has allotted in Rajgir, it could
also been approved. not materialize citing lo-
Bihar educational in- gistics problems.
frastructure development Now, the government
corporation (BEIDC) will has earmarked another
construct the building 30.19-acre land for NOU
having around 1.10-lakh to make it 40.19 acres,
square feet built up space. which is a requirement for
The campus is expect- registration under section
ed to be ready for shifting 12-B of the UGC to be
in two years. eligible for grants.
With enrollment of What is significant
around 1.50-lakh students about NOU is that it is
in 119 courses, the univer- the only university in the
sity is the second largest, state that is self-sustained,
second only to Indira not requiring financial
Gandhi National Open assistance from the gov-
University (IGNOU). It has ernment.
220 study centres across NOU registrar SP Sinha
the state. said that the university
However, since its was mandated to be in
inception, it functioned Nalanda as per its Act
from its camp office in and it would now reach
the Biscoman Bhawan its place once the campus
of Patna. Though earlier is ready.
 Friday, March 01, 2019
NATIONAL JOBS & CAREERS 5

Maha NEET PG, MDS 2019 reg begins Delhi to get two
M
aharashtra State
Common Entrance
Test Cell has start-
ed the registration for the
NEET PG 2019 and MDS
counselling. Students who
wish to apply for the state
quota seats in Maharashtra
academic year 2019-20 can
apply till March 5. Inter-
ested candidates can register
for the counselling process
at cetcell.mahacet.org. If se-
lected, candidates will then
have to appear for the physi-
cal document verification
round which will be held
from March 7 for MDS and
March 13 till March 20 for
medical course. Candidates
will have to pay Rs 3000 as
registration fee.
According to reported in
the Indian Express, the first for State NEET PG 2019/ sheet
list of selected candidates is State NEET MDS 2019 Nationality Certificate
expected to be announced Copy of NEET PG 2019 MBBS/BDS degree/Passing
certificate
Internship completion cer-
tificate from University or
the Head of the Institution
ad it should not be later
than 31/03/2019
Permanent / Provisional
Registration certificate of
Maharashtra Medical/Den-
tal Council or other State
Medical/Dental Councils in
India/MCI/DCI.
Certificate from Head of
by April 5 and admission Admit Card/NEET MDS Institute showing the Med-
process will begin from May 2019 Admit Card ical/Dental College/ Insti-
5. Meanwhile, at the time of Any Photo ID proof (Aad- tute from which the can-
registration, candidates will har Card or Driving Li- didate has passed MBBS/
have to submit these below- cense, PAN Card, Passport) BDS exam is recognized by
mentioned documents: NEET PG 2019 Mark sheet/ Medical Council of India
Online Application form NEET MDS 2019 Mark Medical Fitness Certificate.
Copy of online fee payment
receipt for Rs 3000
If applicable, Caste cer-
tificate, Caste validity
certificate, Non Creamy
Layer Certificate, For Per-
son with Disability (PWD)
Candidates – Medical Dis-
ability Certificate as per
Annexure-D, all India
Quota / AIIMS / Central
Government Institute se-
lection letter/letter from
dean /principal stating
that candidate was ad-
mitted for MBBS course
under 15% all India quota
/ AIIMS / Central Govern-
ment Institute, NOC (for
in-service candidates),
orphan Certificate form
Competent Authority, Bond
release certificate
new varsities
I
n a step towards
strengthening higher
education, the Delhi
government has proposed
two new universities in
the national capital.
State Finance Minister
Manish Sisodia, keep-
ing the Budget share
for the education sector
over 25pc for 2019-20,
said the University of
Applied Sciences will
help to change the way
people see the profes-
sional courses.
The varsity will offer
courses from the modular
of three months to the
Ph.D. and M.Phil level,
he said.
The second proposed
varsity is for teachers’
training.
“Education will get
26pc of the total expen-
diture Budget in 2019-
2020,” Sisodia said in his
Budget speech.
“The government will
give tablet computers to
all Class 11 and 12 stu-
dents of Pratibha Schools
and Schools of Excellence
and those scoring over
80pc in Class 10.”
Entrepreneurship
Curriculum, which will
also give seed money
to students, will also be
launched from the com-
ing session, he added.

Rail Coach Factory Recruitment 2019: Indian Navy to recruit for 554
Applications invited for 223 apprentice posts tradesman vacant positions
T
he Indian Navy has Eligibility: Step 5: Log-in using the

R
ail Coach Factory
Kapurthala invited
online applications
for the recruitment of
Act- Apprentice in differ-
ent trades. Eligible can-
didates can apply to the
post through the official
website on or before 23
March 2019.
Notification Details:
Notification Number -
A-1/2019
Important Dates:
Last Date of Application
- 23 March 2019
Last Date of Depositing
the Fee (Only for Non Fee
Exempted Candidates) -
28 March 2019
Rail Coach Factory Ka-
purthala Vacancy Details
Act- Apprentice – 223 Posts
Fitter - 54 Posts
Welder (G & E) - 53 Posts
Machinist - 20 Posts
Painter (G) - 17 Posts
Carpenter - 24 Posts
Mechanic (Motor Vehicle) tion will be based on mer-
- 06 Posts it list. The merit list shall invited applications Education: Candidates registration number
Electrician -30 Posts be prepared on the basis from eligible candi- who have cleared class 10 Step 6: Fill form, upload
Electronic Mechanic -10 of percentage of marks dates for 554 tradesman from a recognised institute/ images, make payment
Posts in Matriculation and ITI posts on its official website, board can apply The link will only be ac-
AC & Ref. Mechan- Marks in the trade. joinindiannavy.gov.in. The Age: Applicant must be tivated from March 2 on-
ic - 09 Posts How to Apply for Rail application process will be- at least 18 years of age but wards.
Eligibility Crite- C o a c h Fa c t o r y K a - gin from March 2 and the not above 25 years Fee: Candidates will have
ria for Apprentice purthala Apprentice last date to apply is March How to apply: to pay an examination fee
Post Posts 2019 15, 2019. Step 1: Visit the official web- of Rs 205. Candidates be-
Educational Qual- The Eligible candi- Post initial screening, the site, joinindiannavy.gov.in longing to SC/ST/PwBDs/
ification: dates can apply to the authentic and eligible candi- Step 2: On the homepage, Ex-Servicemen category and
10th class passed post in the prescribed dates will have to appear for click on ‘join Naby’ in the Women will be exempted
with at least 50pc format through official a written exam which will subjection, ‘ways to join from it.
marks website on or before 23 be conducted in Hindi and navy’ click on ‘civilians’ Salary: Selected candi-
National Trade March 2019 upto 5:00 English. The fate and time Step 3: Click on Tradesman dates will be hired at the pay
Certificate in relevant PM. of exam is not released yet. mate (TMM) band as per seventh pay com-
trade Application Fee: Rs 100/- Shortlisted candidates will Step 4: Click on ‘register’ mission, Level 1. They will
Age Limit: 15 to 24 Years to be paid through On- then be called for document and register using personal get a monthly remuneration
Selection Procedure: Selec- line Mode. verification. information of Rs 18,000 – Rs 56,900.

India could be cervical cancer-free by 2079

C
ervical cancer could be eliminated
as a public health problem in
India within the next 60 years by
making existing prevention programmes
such as the human papillomavirus
(HPV) vaccine and cervical screening
more accessible, according to a Lancet
study.
The estimates, which are the first
of their kind at a global-scale, indicate
that up to 13.4 million cases of cervi-
cal cancer could be prevented within
50 years if intervention strategies are
scaled-up by 2020.
The average rate of annual cases
across all countries could fall to less
than four cases per 100,000 women
by the end of the century -- which is
a potential threshold for considering
cervical cancer to be eliminated as a
major public health problem.
For countries with medium levels
of development, including India, Viet-
nam, and the Philippines, this could be
achieved by 2070-79, according to the
study published in The Lancet Oncol-
ogy journal.
The study, led by researchers at the
Cancer Council New South Wales in
Australia, showed that cervical cancer
could potentially be eliminated as a
major public health problem in 149 out
of 181 countries by 2100.
In high-income countries including
the US, Finland, the UK, and Canada,
cervical cancer is predicted to be elimi-
nated as a public health problem within
25-40 years.
Without expanding current preven-
tion programmes, however, the study
predicts that 44.4 million cervical
cancer cases would be diagnosed over
the next 50 years -- rising from 600,000
in 2020 to 1.3 million in 2069 due to
population growth and aging.
“Despite the enormity of the prob-
lem, our findings suggest that global
elimination is within reach with tools
that are already available, provided that
both high coverage of HPV vaccination
and cervical screening can be achieved,”
said Karen Canfell from the Cancer
Council New South Wales.
“More than two-thirds of cases pre-
vented would be in countries with low
and medium levels of human develop-
ment like India, Nigeria, and Malawi,
where there has so far been limited
access to HPV vaccination or cervical
screening,” Canfell said.
However, rates of less than 4 cases
per 100,000 would not be achieved by
the end of the century in all individual
countries in Africa (eg, Kenya, Tanza-
nia, and Uganda) even if high coverage
vaccination and twice lifetime cervical
screening could be achieved by 2020.
In May 2018, the Director General
of WHO called for coordinated action
globally to eliminate this highly pre-
ventable cancer. Failure to adopt these interventions
WHO has called for urgent action will lead to millions of avoidable pre-
to scale up implementation of proven mature deaths,” said Canfell.
measures towards achieving the elimi- Cervical cancer is the fourth most
nation of cervical cancer as a global common cancer in women, with an
public health problem. estimated 570,000 new cases diagnosed
These include worldwide in 2018, of which around
vaccination against 85pc occur in less developed regions.
HPV, screening, and HPV, a group of more than 150 vi-
treatment of pre- ruses, is responsible for the majority of
cancer, early detec- cervical cancers.
tion and prompt Proven methods are available to
treatment of early screen for and treat cervical pre-cancers,
invasive cancers and broad-spectrum HPV vaccines can
and palliative care. potentially prevent up to 84-90pc of
A draft global cervical cancers.
strategy to acceler- Results showed that rapid vaccina-
ate cervical cancer tion scale-up to 80-100pc coverage
elimination, with globally by 2020 using a broad-spectrum
goals and targets HPV vaccine could prevent 6.7-7.7 mil-
for the period 2020-2030, will be con- lion cases--but more than half of these
sidered at the World Health Assembly would be averted after 2060.
in 2020. If, in addition, cervical screening
“The WHO call-to-action provides were scaled-up to high coverage by
an enormous opportunity to increase 2020, an additional 5.7-5.8 million cases
the level of investment in proven cervi- of cervical cancer may be prevented
cal cancer interventions in the world’s globally in the next 50 years, and sub-
poorest countries. stantially speed up elimination.

Antibiotic resistance spreading faster than thought

A
ntibiotic resistance
in bacteria spreads
much faster and with
more varied mechanisms
than previously thought,
say scientists who suggest
exercising caution in the use
of the drugs.
By studying fish raised
in aquaculture, researchers
from the Helmholtz Zentrum
Munchen in Germany, the
University of Copenhagen
in Denmark and the Univer-
sity of Campinas in Brazil
have shed new light on the
mechanisms by which anti-
biotic resistance genes are
transferred between bacteria.
According to the study
published in the journal
to a dramatic rise in resis-
tant microorganisms,” said
Michael Schloter, head of
the Research Unit for Com-
parative Microbiome Analy-
ses (COMI) at Helmholtz
said Schloter.
“This poses particular
problems in the treatment
of infectious diseases. We
therefore set out to discover
the mechanisms responsible
mesopotamicus, a South
American species known as
pacu that is often raised in
aquaculture.
The fish received the
antibiotic florfenicol in their
food for 34 days. During this
time and after the applica-
tion period, the researchers
took samples from the di-
gestive tract of the fish and
looked for relevant genetic
changes in the gut bacteria.
“As expected, administra-
tion of the antibiotic induced
an increase in the genes
responsible for resistance to
that antibiotic,” said Johan
Sebastian Saenz Medina, a
doctoral student at Helm-
holtz Zentrum Munchen.
different mechanisms that tion, relevant dissemination
we could detect by which models should be reviewed
antibiotic resistance genes and modified,” he said.
are spread amongst gut bac- “In addition, our data
teria of the fish,” he said. certainly lead us to question
“This suggests that the
bacteria also exchange re- Fun Corner
sistance through viruses,
known as phages, and trans-
posons,” he added. Sudoku Puzzle
Further metagenomic
studies confirmed that these         
mobile genetic elements
       
induce a fast distribution
of resistance genes among         
genomes of different organ-
isms.         
So far it has been postu-
lated that only plasmids are         
mainly responsible for the
       
exchange of resistance genes.
whether and to what extent
we should continue to use
antibiotics in the world’s
increasing number of aqua-
cultures,” he added.
Rules: To solve a Su-
doku puzzle, every digit
from 1 to 9 must appear
in each of the nine verti-
 cal columns, in each of
the nine horizontal rows
and in each of the nine
boxes.
Solution for Puzzle #41
will be in next issue.
 Sudoku Puzzle 40 Answer
        

‘Microbiome’, those mecha- “One example are genes “The finding that resis-         
        
        
nisms are more varied than Zentrum Munchen. for resistance development,” for pump proteins, which tance is also extensively
        
previously thought. It is especially alarming Schloter said. simply remove the active transferred between bacteria                  
“In the past 70 years, the that many microorganisms To this end, research- substance from the bacteria without the involvement of         

use of antibiotics in human are resistant not just to one ers investigated fish raised again,” said Saenz Medina. plasmids is really quite sur-                  

and veterinary medicine has antibiotic, but to a whole in aquaculture. Specifical- “However, we were par- prising,” said Schloter.         
        
steadily increased, leading range of different substances, ly, they studied Piaractus ticularly surprised by the “Based on this observa- Puzzle #: 41 Difficulty : Medium
 6 IN FOCUS
GULF FAQs
Can I work on my wife’s residence visa?
My wife has been offered a position in
Abu Dhabi and I have been told I can
be her dependent on her working visa.
Nevertheless, her employer says I will not
be allowed to work under her visa and
only a wife can work under a husband’s
visa. Is this correct? If I don’t take a job
can I live normally in the UAE or are
there restrictions?
This is indeed correct. While a wife
who is sponsored by her husband is
permitted to work if she has a “letter of
no objection” from him and the employer
provides a work permit, this is not permit-
ted the other way around. All employed
men must have a visa provided by their
employer, who then acts as their spon-
sor. If the husband is not working, he
can reside in the UAE in the same way
as any other sponsored dependent. The
only restriction is that he can only be
employed with his own visa.
No lunch break
I am a teacher in Dubai and my school
schedule has me teaching every single
period three days a week without a break.
Students come in during lunch time to
work on projects, so there is literally
no time for a break for over eight hours
straight during the working day. Is that
legal?
You are working for a private school,
so you and the school come under the
guidance of the Ministry of HR and
Emiratisation (MoHRE) and UAE Labour
Law applies. UAE Labour Law specifies
the number of hours a person may work
and this is covered in Article 65 which
says: “The maximum number of ordinary
working hours for adult workers shall
be eight hours per day or 48 hours per
week.” Article 66 then goes on to say: “The
daily working hours shall be regulated so
that the worker does not work more than
five consecutive hours without intervals
for rest, meals and prayer, whose total
period shall not be less than one hour.
Such intervals shall not be included in
the working hours.” While a career will
often require long hours it is not right
for anyone to work for more than five
hours without a break, especially when
in charge of children. You should raise
this issue with the management of the
school and if they fail to take steps to
improve the situation, you can choose
to follow up with MoHRE and register a
formal complaint.
Work visa
I have left my company. The job came
with accommodation but they removed
me out and I had to go to court, making
me spend a lot of money. Can I urge the
judge to make the company pay for any
expenses I have until they cancel my work
visa and I have to leave?
There are two issues here. If a company
provides accommodation for an employee,
UAE Labour Law regulates how long the
employee can remain in the accommoda-
tion. Under UAE Labour Law the standard
guidance is that the employee should
move out no later than 30 days after their
visa is cancelled as clarified in Article
131 which states: “In the event where
the employer provides the worker with
accommodation, the worker shall vacate
the accommodation within 30 days from
the date of termination of the employment
thereof.” While the employee can choose
to leave at any time during this period,
the employer is not permitted to make
anyone leave before the end of this 30-day
period. In this case, the visa will remain
valid during the court case and has yet
to be cancelled so accommodation should
still be available for your use.
In the situation that an employee takes
an employer to court, the employer must
pay the Labour Court’s fees regardless
of the outcome of any claim, as claimant
employees are exempt by law from paying
these fees. As to whether any additional
costs incurred by the individual can be
claimed, that decision rests with the judge
in each case. You can make a request for
expenses incurred in connection with the
case against her former employer but there
are no guarantees as to whether these will
be agreed by the judge.
Returning home
After 16 years in Dubai, we will be re-
turning to my native country and are
going through the process of our visa
cancellation. We have no outstanding
debts at our local bank and would like
to keep our account for the time being as
we still have a final payment to be made
for an apartment on the Palm, later this
year. Would you recommend keeping the
account? Are we obliged to inform the
bank about our visa cancellation or what
is the best way forward?
If this bank account receives salary
payments, which is usually the case
where there is a mortgage, the bank
should be aware of a change of status as
the last payment must be marked “final
salary” and the account is often frozen,
particularly where there is an outstand-
ing debt. In this case, the mortgage ap-
pears to be with a different bank, which
is unusual, but either way it is entirely
possible for people to retain a bank ac-
count on leaving the UAE. If there is a
local mortgage a person needs to have a
local bank account, as that is generally a
requirement, and even if the mortgage is
repaid in full, a bank account is required
for the maintenance of the property and
the payment of service fees, bills and
to receive rental payments. Most banks
will allow customers to keep an account
after they are no longer a resident but
will change the status to a “non-resident”
account. No credit will be permitted and
most banks don’t provide a cheque book
but non-resident account holders do get
online banking and an ATM card so that
should be sufficient. You should advise
the bank of a change of status, but this
should not present a problem.
Who will pay for ticket?
I work for a company based in the Dubai
International Financial Centre (DIFC) and
would like to know if my employer has
to pay for my ticket if I leave and return
to my home country. Is this just for the
employee or also their dependents? The
employer paid a home ticket allowance
at the start of the year and a pro-rata
amount will need to be paid back. My
employer says that the home leave allow-
ance covers the ticket home?
DIFC has its own labour laws and
while in many ways they are very similar
to the standard UAE Labour Law there
are distinct differences in a number of
areas. The main UAE Labour Law, which
covers mainland companies and is largely
adopted by free zones, specifies circum-
stances in which a departing employee
may have a flight to their home country
paid for by their employer at the end-of-
service, assuming they are not moving
to another position, this is not the case
under the DIFC Labour Law. No employer
based in the DIFC has any obligation to
pay for the cost of flights at the end-of-
service. Indeed, the provision of an an-
nual flight is not mandatory under any
of the various labour laws, although it
is often given as a contractual benefit as
part of a salary package. Whether annual
flights are for dependents in addition
to the employee entirely depends on the
wording in the contract of employment.
In this case, it appears that a ticket was
paid for before the entitlement built up
but, again, this should be covered in the
contract of employment. If this benefit is
on an accrual basis and is paid in advance,
then the employee would have to repay
part of the cost.
Housing fee
I am in the process of buying an apartment
in Dubai but have a question about how
a few things will work. I plan to live in
it for six months before I leave the UAE
and then I want to rent it out. If I am the
owner, do I have to pay a housing fee or
is that just for tenants as I have been told
different things? If I then rent it out, do
I have to account for rental income as I
own two apartments and the total income
will be more than the VAT threshold?
The housing fee is payable by all
expatriates in Dubai and that includes
property owners as well as tenants. Ten-
ants pay a fee equivalent to five per cent
of the annual rent payable and property
owners pay an amount of five per cent of
the market rent for the property that they
own, based on the figures shown in the
Real Estate Regulatory Agency calculator.
In both cases, Dubai Municipality collects
the fee via Dewa bills. When an individual
rents out a property that they own this
is not seen as a business venture and
rental income on a residential property,
assuming it is on a standard annual lease,
is not subject to VAT anyway, so there is
no requirement here to account for the
rental income or deal with any VAT issues.
Saudi Princess Reema who has been appointed as the ambassador to the US.
Princess Reema’s appointment as envoy hailed
RIYADH: The appointment
of Princess Reema bint
Bandar as Saudi Arabia’s
ambassador to the US has
been welcomed by foreign
diplomatic missions in the
Kingdom.
Princess Reema made
history when she was ap-
pointed to the role, becom-
ing the first Saudi woman
to be named ambassador.
Top diplomats welcomed
her appointment. Domi-
nique Mineur, Belgium’s
ambassador in Saudi Ara-
bia, said the appointment
would be a stepping stone
for more prominent female
roles in line with Saudi
Arabia’s Vision 2030 re-
form plan. “This is in line
Singapore now India’s top FDI source
SINGAPORE: The Singa-
pore-India story is now
creating a new historical
chapter. Foreign Direct
Investment (FDI) in equity
from Singapore jumped
41pc in the April-Dec pe-
riod to almost US$13 bil-
lion, while that from Mau-
ritius dropped 55pc from a
year before to $6 billion,
showed the latest official
data. The top sources for
India’s FDI were Singapore,
Mauritius, Japan with $2.2
billion and Britain with
$1.1 billion.
FDI inflows into chemi-
cals (excluding fertilisers)
in the first three quarters
exceeded those into sectors
like financial and other ser-
vices, computer software
and hardware, telecom,
trading, and automobiles.
Routes aligned for
UAE railnetwork
DUBAI: Routes now
aligned for UAE’s rail
network that will link cit-
ies, ports, Etihad Rail says.
The head of Etihad Rail
said that the UAE’s rail-
way network is “moving
forward,” with routes now
aligned and the design of
the project completed.
The developer and
operator of the railway
declined to elaborate on
when the project will
be completed, after the
second phase was put
on hold in 2016 for fur-
ther reviews. The network
was originally slated for
completion at the end of
2018, but that was later
rescheduled to the end
of 2020 and then 2021.
Shadi Malak, chief execu-
tive officer of Etihad Rail,
said that, within the UAE,
the 605-km -project will
extend from the borders
of Saudi Arabia all the
way to Fujairah and the
northern emirates.
with Vision 2030, to give
a more prominent role for
women in Saudi society,”
she told a TV channel .
“Of course, she’s an inspir-
ing figure and has been
supporting women in so
many fields, such as sports,
health, work and financial
independence. It’s a logical
appointment considering
the role she has played.
This will undoubtedly be
a strong support for all
women of all origins and
backgrounds to become
leaders in their own ex-
pertise. I can only hope
that there will more who
will take such prominent
roles,”she remarked.
The princess was vice
FDI equity flows routed
through Mauritius declined
reflecting the impact of the
amended DTAA (double
tax avoidance agreement).
Under the amended treaty
with Mauritius, for two
years beginning April 1,
2017, capital gains tax will
be imposed at 50pc of the
prevailing domestic rate.
Full rate will apply from
April 1, 2019.
To reduce tax liabilities
and improve trade flows,
India and Singapore have
a DTAA. Both the coun-
tries have also signed the
Comprehensive Economic
Co-operation Agreement
(CECA) in 2005 and Sin-
gapore is also party to
India’s trade agreement
with ASEAN.
Singapore has a ro-
NRI wins $1m Dubai raffle
DUBAI: Indian national
Muhamed Aslam Aray-
ilakath had tried his luck
at the Dubai Duty Free
Millennium Millionaire
for seven years straight.
Finally, on Tuesday, dame
luck smiled on him. The
31-year-old accountant
from Kerala is the lat-
est winner of the draw
and he cannot contain
his excitement.
Aslam said he
had lost count of the
number of tickets he
had purchased with
his friends in the last
seven years. However, it
was the first time he had
bought a ticket by him-
self. A Sharjah resident for
11 years, Aslam works at
the Emirates National Fac-
tory for Plastic Industries.
Speaking to a TV chan-
nel after being named the
winner of the raffle draw,
he said: “Usually, I buy
the tickets with a group of
friends. This time I decided
to purchase it on my own,
Friday, March 01, 2019
president of women’s af-
fairs at the General Sports
Authority (GSA), a position
she held since 2016. She
was also named president
of the Saudi Federation for
Community Sports in 2017
and appointed to the In-
ternational Olympic Com-
mittee (IOC) in Aug 2018.
Simon Collis, the British
ambassador to Saudi Ara-
bia, recalled working close-
ly with her on projects. “I
and many colleagues in the
UK have enjoyed working
with Princess Reema bint
Bandar in her current role,
in which she has driven
access to sports for women
in the Kingdom and we
look forward to continuing
bust and fairly transpar-
ent financial system with
easier access to funds at
low costs, many foreign
companies with an in-
terest in India continue
to be inclined to invest
via Singapore rather than
Mauritius. Apart from be-
ing a critical driver of
economic growth, Foreign
Direct Investment (FDI) is
a major source of non-debt
financial resource for the
economic development of
India. Foreign companies
invest in India to take ad-
vantage of relatively lower
wages, special investment
privileges such as tax ex-
emption etc. However,
India’s total FDI inflows
into equity dropped seven
per cent to $33.5 billion be-
tween April and Dec 2018.
and it worked.”
Aslam’s ticket number
was 0369, a number he said
he was “obsessed with”.
“I tried getting a licence
plate with the same number
last year. It wasn’t avail-
able back then. Thankfully,
the number worked in my
favour this time,” he said.
The accountant also said
February is an auspicious
month for him, as good
things had happened to him
within the same period in
previous years.
“I purchased the ticket
on the first week of Feb.
Since I’ve been doing this
for a long time, I com-
pletely forgot about the
draw date,” he said. “I
this relationship in future,”
he said.
Ridwaan Jadwat, Aus-
tralia’s ambassador to
Saudi Arabia, wished the
princess a happy and suc-
cessful posting. She has
spoken about the inclusion
of women in the Saudi
workforce, describing re-
forms as “evolution, not
Westernisation,” and about
the Kingdom’s efforts to
tackle bigger issues than
women being allowed to
drive or attend football
games, calling them “quick
wins.” Problems such as
domestic violence demand-
ed greater scrutiny, she
told the Atlantic Council
in Washington.
Indian e-commerce
to touch $84b
NEW DELHI: The fast
growing e-commerce mar-
ket in the country will
touch $84 billion in 2021
from $24 billion in 2017 on
account of a healthy growth
in organised retail sector, a
report by Deloitte India and
Retail Association of India
has said. A fast growing
economy and robust demo-
graphics provide a positive
outlook to the consumer
businesses in India, the
report said. These factors
will fuel the retail growth
in the country, making In-
dia the third largest retail
market in Asia and fourth
largest in the world, it said.
The retail market in In-
dia is expected to grow to
$1.2 trillion by 2021 from
$795 billion in 2017.
received a call from Dubai
Duty Free in the morn-
ing and they said I won.
At first, I thought it was
a prank. When I checked
online and crossed-check
the dates, I realised that I
did win. “When I told my
wife about the win, she was
sure I was playing a prank
on her. Now, my family is
very excited as well,” said
Aslam, who is also a father
to a three-year-old boy
named Islam.
The young accountant
plans to travel to Kerala in
a few days to be with his
family.
“Once the dust settles, I
also want to use this money
to help people in need. All
of this happened because
it is God’s will. In turn, I
want to help those in need.”
Aslam bought his winning
ticket at The Irish Village
Shop earlier this month
and he is the 139th Indian
national to have won $1
million since the draw was
launched in 1999.
 Friday, March 01, 2019
ICICI Lombard ties up with AnyTimeLoan.in India’s first REIT to be launched in March
I G
CICI Lombard, a private
general insurer, has en-
tered into a strategic
tie-up with AnyTimeLoan.
in (ATL), a peer-to-peer
lending platform,
to provide insur-
ance cover for
the latter’s lend-
ers and borrow-
ers.
The partner-
ship aims to de-
risk exposure of
its lenders and
borrowers arising
from uncertain-
ties such as ac-
cidents, critical
illness, death,
disability, loss of job among
others.
ICICI Lombard will of-
fer its proprietary poli-
cies - Group Secure Mind
and Group Personal Acci-
dent - to the customers of
G
Insurers body to meet on Mar 6
eneral insurance
companies are set
to meet next week
to discuss the proposed
guidelines on standardisa-
tion of individual health
insurance that
makes it mandatory
for all insurers to have a
basic and uniform health
insurance cover.
Sources said the insur-
ers, under the umbrella
body of the General In-
surance Council (GIC),
will meet on March 6,
to discuss the design and
pricing of the proposed
standard health insurance
cover.
Bharti Airtel partners with Nokia Syndicate Bank to launch ESPS at discounted rates
F P
innish telecommu-
nication giant Nokia
said that Bharti Airtel
would deploy solution from
Nokia’s Nuage Net-
works to upgrade
its data centres.
Nuage Networks
is a Nokia venture
focused on soft-
ware-defined net-
working solution.
Airtel will de-
ploy Nuage Net-
works VSP (vir-
tualised services
platform) solution in 15
circles (service areas) in
the northern and southern
parts of the country to
automate its data centre
networks, Nokia said in a
statement.
“We are confident that
this partnership with Nokia
will allow us to upgrade
IOC wins city gas licences for 10 areas, HPCL for 9 areas
I
ndian Oil Corp (IOC)
has won licences to
retail gas in 10 cities
while Hindustan Petroleum
Corp Ltd (HPCL) won rights
for nine towns as the Pe-
troleum and Natural Gas
Regulatory Board (PNGRB)
announced winners for the
10th city gas bid round.
IOC won city gas distri-
bution licences for nine cit-
ies, most of them in Bihar
and Jharkhand, on its own
and one in a joint venture
with Adani Gas, according
to a press statement issued
by PNGRB.
HPCL, a subsidiary of
state-owned Oil and Natu-
ral Gas Corp (ONGC), won
licences to retail CNG to
automobiles and piped
natural gas to households
AnyTimeLoan.in. This will
cover the borrowers of all
types of loans facilitated
on AnyTimeLoan.in, with
minimum policy term of one
year to a maximum of three
years. The insurance cover
for the lenders comes with
free premium for the first
year on a complimentary
basis, as ATL will absorb
this cost on behalf of the
“It is a preliminary
meeting to see how best
the industry, as a whole,
can come out with a sim-
ple, standardised prod-
uct,” said R Chandrasek-
aran, Secretary General,
GIC.
The Insurance Regu-
latory and Development
Authority of India (IR-
DAI) had, on February
19, unveiled draft norms
for standardisation of
individual health cover,
under which insurers are
expected to offer a basic
health insurance cover
that is uniform across the
market.
our data centre and will
enable us to continue to
provide the best-in-class
services to our subscrib-
ers,” said
Randeep Sekhon, Chief
Technology Officer at Bhar-
ti Airtel.
Once deployed, the Nu-
age Networks VSP solution
will allow Airtel to provide
new services, including
Voice over LTE (VoLTE) and
Mobile Edge Computing
in nine cities in Uttar
Pradesh and West Bengal.
A little known consor-
tium of LNG Marketing Pte
Ltd and Atlantic Gulf &
Pacific Company of Manila
Inc won rights for nine
cities in Andhra Pradesh,
Karnataka, and Kerala.
Gujarat Gas Ltd won
rights for six cities while
state gas utility GAIL In-
dia’s unit GAIL Gas Ltd
won rights for four. Indra-
prastha Gas Ltd and Torrent
Gas won rights for three
cities each while Adani Gas
and Bharat Gas Resources
Ltd, a subsidiary of state-
owned Bharat Petroleum
Corp Ltd (BPCL), bagged
two cities each.
This is the second auc-
tion in a row that IOC has
CORPORATE NEWS
beneficiaries.
Sanjeev Mantri, Execu-
tive Director, ICICI Lombard
said, “We are delighted to
partner with AnyTimeLoan.
in and provide
their customers
with our diverse
range of non-life
insurance solu-
tions”.
The associa-
tion with Any-
TimeLoan.in is a
step forward in
our endeavour to
partner with in-
novative platforms
to “increase our
reach and offer
unique benefits to the cus-
tomers of our business as-
sociates”, he said.
AnyTimeLoan.in facili-
tates loans (across India) as
small as Rs 1000 to Rs 10
lakh for a minimum period
Axis Bank plans organisational recast
A
xis Bank’s newly
inducted Chief Ex-
ecutive and Man-
aging Director Amitabh
Chaudhry is reworking the
organisation’s structure,
adding new roles as part
of its larger growth strategy.
With a plank of “One
Axis”, to project a com-
bined offering from parent
(bank) and its subsidiaries,
it is giving a thrust on
synergy to get more share
in customer wallet.
The bank will an-
nounce restructuring of
its retail and wholesale
segments, effective April 1,
to avoid existing overlaps
and clarifying the organ-
isational structure. The
bank’s wholesale structure
will be divided between
coverage and products
(MEC), it added.
The move gains signifi-
cance in the backdrop of
Bharti Airtel preparing the
networks for new
technologies like
5G and Internet
of Things (IoT).
Nokia on
February 24 an-
nounced Bharti
Airtel will con-
duct a trial on
its homogenous
fronthaul solu-
tion, which can
support 4G, 5G and enter-
prise services through a
common platform.
Fronthaul is the link
between baseband unit and
radio, and modernisation of
this part of the network is
essential to deliver high-
speed and low latency of
5G services.
dominated. In the previous
9th bid round, IOC had
won licences for eight cit-
ies on its own and another
nine in a joint venture with
Adani Gas.
Adani Gas had in the
9th round won licences for
13 cities on its own while
Bharat Gas Resources Ltd
bagged 11 areas. Gujarat-
based Torrest Gas Pvt Ltd
got nine cities.
While 86 Geographical
Areas or GAs, made up of
174 districts, were offered
for bidding in the 9th
round that concluded in
August last year, 50 GAs,
comprising of 124 districts,
were offered in the 10th
round.
“225 bids from 25 en-
tities were received up
of 1 day to maximum 3
years. In the past, ATL has
contributed to an annual
wealth of around 38.4pc
per annum to its investors
via its peer-to-peer lending
platform and thus leverag-
ing on its proprietary algo-
rithms. This helped them in
digitally assessing borrowers
and facilitating loans with
average disbursal time of 4
minutes.
On the partnership,
Keerthi Kumar Jain, Founder
& CEO, AnyTimeLoan.in
said, “Delinquencies at Any-
TimeLoan.in have been less
than 0.7pc, but there are cer-
tain external and unforeseen
events such as accident,
loss of job due to winding
up of operations, etc. which
we intend to circumvent or
insulate our investors with
this policy underwritten by
ICICI Lombard.”
and it also plans to relook
at its retail structure and
customer segments.
The private sector lend-
er has started taking steps
in this direction. The bank spaces in the senior or
has appointed a new head mid-management level. We
of branch banking and is have hired or are in the
ublic sector lender
Syndicate Bank has
proposed to launch
Employee Share Purchase
Scheme (ESPS) in the
first week of March at
discounted rates.
Discounts will range
from 23 to 25pc, based on
the employee status in the
staff hierarchy, with the
lower-grade employees
getting the maximum dis-
count. The bank hopes to
mop up Rs 500-600 crore
through the scheme, said
Mrutyunja Mahapatra,
Managing Director and
CEO of the bank.
Speaking to mediaper-
sons, he said the bank is
expecting an early settle-
ment of Rs 18,000 crore of
its stressed loans compris-
ing more than 90 cases
that are currently be-
to February 5, 2019, i.e.,
the bid closing date (for
the 10th round). Based
upon the bids evaluations,
PNGRB in its 88th Board
meeting held on February
26, 2019, approved the is-
suance of Letters of Intent
(LoI) to the 12 successful
entities for 50 GAs,” the
lobal investment
company Black-
stone and realty
firm Embassy Group are
likely to launch the coun-
try’s first real estate in-
vestment trust (REIT) next
month with an estimated
issue size of Rs 5,000
crore. “We will launch
our REIT in few weeks,”
Embassy Office Parks CEO
Mike Holland said.
Embassy Office Parks,
a joint venture of Black-
stone and Embassy, had
in September last year
filed the draft red her-
ring prospectus (DRHP)
for the REIT with market
regulator SEBI. This, once
launched, will be Asia’s
largest REIT in terms of
portfolio size.
Embassy Office Parks,
a leading player in com-
mercial real estate, has
in the process of hiring a
person for wholesale cov-
erage at the group presi-
dent level.
“We have some white
BoB earmarks $113 m to refinance solar projects
B
ank of Baroda
has tied up with
Germany’s KfW
Development Bank for
funding of $113 million
to refinance solar proj-
ects under Solar Part-
nership II – Promotion
PNGRB statement said.
Prior to this, city gas
distribution (CGD) licences
had been given for 178
GAs covering 280 districts
(263 complete and 17 part)
spread over 26 states and
UTs. These cover about 50
per cent of India’s popula-
tion (as per 2011 census)
put 33 million sq ft of of-
fice and hospitality assets
under the proposed REIT,
comprising seven business
parks and four city-centric
buildings spread across
Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune
and Noida.
“We already have a
strong book of anchor and
strategic investors. The
REIT will be successful as
in other countries and Em-
bassy Office Parks will set
process of hiring people
and will have a team by
March-end,” Chaudhry
said.
In December 2018,
the bank announced
that Rajiv Anand, ex-
ecutive director-retail
banking has taken over
as the executive direc-
tor-wholesale banking.
“To make profit in
wholesale banking,
you need to offer a
full suite of services.
We need to package
our offerings together
and get a better share
of flow and fee busi-
ness,” said Chaudhry.
The bank will not
shy away from high risk
lending, but will maintain
conservatism in compli-
ance and provisioning
fore the various National
Company Law Tribunals
(NCLT). The bank has
also taken steps to bring
its gross NPA below 12pc
and net NPA below 6pc
from the existing levels
of 12.5pc and over 6pc.
To a question on capi-
tal infusion, he said the
bank is adequately capi-
talised at the moment,
with the government pro-
viding Rs 3,956 crore for
of Solar
PV in
India.
This
propos-
al is
part of the Indo-German
Solar Energy Partnership.
and 35pc of its geographi-
cal area.
In addition, CGD op-
erations are being car-
ried out in five districts,
authorisation for
which is either un-
der consideration
of PNGRB or sub-
judice.
“With the
completion of
10th CGD Bid-
ding Round, CGD
would be avail-
able in 228 GAs
comprising 402
districts spread
over 27 States and
Union Territories covering
approximately 70pc of In-
dia’s population and 53pc
of its geographical area,”
the statement said.
7
a precedent for the REIT in
India,” Holland said. REIT
is an investment tool that
owns and operates rent-
yielding real estate assets.
REITs
also al-
lows in-
dividual
investors
to make
invest-
ments
on this
platform
and earn
income.
SEBI had
notified REIT regulations
in 2014, allowing the
setting up and listing of
such trusts which are very
popular in some advanced
markets. Experts claim that
once successful, this will
attract more funds for com-
mercial real estate projects.
policies, he said.
Chaudhry’s vision for
the bank of ‘One Axis’
focuses on improving syn-
ergies, not just within the
bank, but also with its
various subsidiaries. The
bank plans to leverage its
existing subsidiaries by
scaling up, infusing capital
and expanding the product
offerings to weave the bank
and the subsidiaries into a
cohesive unit.
The bank is looking at
equity stake relationship
for insurance. “We have
started the work on what
kind of partnership struc-
ture we can get and will
take it to the RBI (Reserve
Bank of India) at the right
stage to see what kind of
blessing we can get,” said
Chaudhry.
improving the capital
base in three separate
installments.
The bank also has the
option to raise capital for
business requirements, ei-
ther through Tier-I bonds
or rights issue.
All these options will
be considered only after
evaluating the perfor-
mance after the comple-
tion of the current finan-
cial year, he said.
Under an inter-govern-
mental MoU in 2015,
Germany has commit-
ted to provide financing
support through KfW
Development Bank for
solar photovoltaic in-
vestments.
As per the commitment
made by the various enti-
ties in the 50 GAs approved
for issuance of LoIs in
10th CGD Bidding Round,
2.02 crore domestic PNG
(piped natural gas) con-
nections and 3,578 CNG
(compressed natural gas)
stations for transport sector
would be installed largely
during a period of 8 years
up to March 31, 2029, in
addition to 58,177 inch-km
of steel pipeline.
“Further, the entities
would be authorized to
supply natural gas to in-
dustrial and commercial
units in their respective
GAs as per the limits pro-
vided in the CGD Au-
thorisation Regulations,”
it added.
 8 Travel / Entertainment Friday, March 01, 2019

KUWAIT NATIONAL DAY CELEBRATED IN MUMBAI

Consul General of Kuwait in Mumbai His Excellency Mansour Saad Al Olaimi being felicitated by Indian
Personnel Export Promotion Council (IPEPCIL)’s President Abdul Rehman CH and General Secretary Dr
Sureshkumar Madhusudhanan on the occasion of Kuwait National Day celebrations in Mumbai. Other
office-bearers of IPECIL from left are vice-president Mohammed Moulana, committee member Ghulam
Dastgeer Syed, joint secretary Abdul Rahim Khan and treasurer Kalimulla Sharif.
Consul General of Kuwait in Mumbai His Excellency Mansour Saad Al Olaimi being presented with a
copy of the NEWS AND NRI CONNECT Kuwait National Day supplement by IPEPCIL’s President Abdul
Rehman CH and General Secretary Dr Sureshkumar Madhusudhanan. Other office-bearers of IPECIL
were also present.

IPEPCIL office-bearers and other guests at the function. Chief Protocol officer and Principal Secretary of Maharashtra Nand Kumar Chief Protocol officer and Principal Secretary of Maharashtra Nand
with Kuwait Consul General HE Mansour Saad Al Olaimi at the function. Kumar felicitating Kuwait Consul General HE Mansour Saad Al Olaimi.

IPEPCIL office-bearers and other dignitaries. IPEPCIL members and other dignitaries. IPEPCIL office-bearers with Kuwait diplomats.

IPEPCIL office-bearers with IPEPCIL members. HE Mansour Saad Al Olaimi and Chief Protocol officer and Principal Guests at the function with diplomats.
Secretary of Maharashtra Nand Kumar cutting the cake at the function.

IPEPCIL members with diplomat. IPEPCIL members with Saudi Vice Consul General HE Sami Tomaihi.

Heritage Mascot Hotel to undergo restoration EXCHANGE RATES

K
erala Chief Minister
Pinarayi Vijayan in-
augurated a Rs 25-cr
project for the restoration
of the heritage of the iconic
Mascot Hotel coinciding
with the celebrations of
100 years of the hospitality
pioneer. The comprehen-
sive project, drawn up by
KTDC, was unveiled close
on the heels of Mascot Hotel
bagging the five-star status.
Vijayan also unveiled
the plaque to mark the his-
toric occasion and opened
a month-long exhibition
that vividly depicts the 100
Printed by Supreeth MJ and published by him on behalf of IPEPCIL Publications Pvt Ltd. and printed at Inquilab Offset Printers Ltd.,156, D J Dadaji Road, Tardeo, Mumbai-400 034, Maharashtra and published from Office No. 1001,
10th Floor, Navjivan Commercial Premises Co-op. Society Ltd., Lamington Road, (Dr.D.B.Marg), Mumbai Central, Mumbai - 400 008. • Editor: E.L. Vaidyanathan • Volume No.: 1, Issue No. 41 • RNI No. MAHENG/2018/76663.
years of glorious service of
the trail blazer in hospitality
sector in the state.
In his presidential ad-
dress, Tourism Minister
Surendran said that Mascot
has got the unique distinc-
tion of being the maiden
five-star hotel in the public
sector. Recalling the history
and fame of the institution,
he noted: “In the hotel map
published by the Bombay-
based Indian Hotel Com-
pany in 1937, Mascot was
one among the four hotels
listed from South India. In
1965, it came under KTDC.”
As on 28th February, 2019 (In rupees)
The minister underscored tion, where M Vijayakumar, carried out without in any Rs 25 crore for the project.
the need to adopt quality Chairman, KTDC, delivered way harming its distinguish- Originally an accommo- Currency Buying Selling
service and new marketing a felicitation speech. Vi- ing architectural features.” dation unit for officers of the Australian Dollar 49.50 52.00
strategies in order to com- jayakumar said” “Mascot P Bala Kiran IAS, Di- Royal British Army during Bahraini Dinar 184.10 194.10
rector, Kerala Tourism and the First World War (1914- British Pound 93.10 96.10
Krishnakumar, Member, 1918), during the reign of Canadian Dollar 52.75 55.25
Board of Directors, KTDC, the Kingdom of Travancore, Emirati Dirham 18.85 19.85
were also present. Mascot has passed through Euro 79.50 82.50
The works to be taken a long history while emerg- Kuwaiti Dinar 229.50 239.50
up include strengthening ing as the premium brand in Omani Rial 180.00 190.00
of the building, rooms, pas- Kerala’s hospitality sector. Qatari Riyal 19.05 20.05
sages, beautification of the The Hotel, which now en- Saudi Riyal 18.45 19.45
premises and improving joys the five star status, has Singapore Dollar 51.45 53.95
the amenities. They will be hosted a long list of distin- Swiss Franc 69.85 72.85
pete with private players in Hotel is a priceless treasure completed in two phases guished guests including top US Dollar 70.15 72.15
the hospitality industry. of Kerala. It is the Jewel in within a year. The govern- national leaders, diplomats, Rates are subect to change Source:
K Muraleedharan MLA KTDC’s crown. The heritage ment has already accorded foreign dignitaries, writers without notice. Errors &
omissions excepted
was present at the func- restoration project will be administrative sanction for and captains of industry.