December 4, 2019
Front page
States fret about un-paid GST shares as Center points to lower collection
Slowing economy has led to lower than expected GST collection month after month. This has led to non-release of states’ share of the revenue by the center. States like Punjab, Delhi, West Bengal and Rajasthan have been very vocal in their demands for early release of their dues, but the center, handicapped by depleted collection, can do little.
Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) to be tabled in Parliament next week
The CAB that has stirred up a hornets’ nest is likely to be tabled in parliament next week. The ruling BJP has issued whip asking all its members to be present in the House. The opposition has portrayed the Bill as a sinister attempt to intimidate the minorities.
Good words and phrases used .. To stir up a hornets’ nest, Sinister, Intimidate
*What is CAB?
National
Kerala High Court has asked the Collector to be the custodian of the Kothamangalam Church..
The Kothamangaam church has been mired in controversy due to the squabbling between two feuding factions of Christian faith. To put an end to the unseemly incidents, and rancor between devotees that vitiate the Church’s atmosphere, the Collector has been asked to take the whole church into his custody till normalcy returns to allow the followers of the Syrian Orthodox Church to continue their worship in the compound.
Good words used .. Mired in, Unseemly, Rancor, Vitiate
** What is Syrian Orthodox Church…
Rajputs in MP bar OBC bridegrooms from riding horses
MP continues to attract shame as Rajputs of the state fail to countenance the sight of an OBC groom riding a horse en route to the marriage venue. The Rajputs feel OBC grooms can’t claim this status that is historically enjoyed by their supposedly superior caste. Some 11 incidents of Rajput attacks on OBC grooms have been reported so far. Caste tensions simmer as the OBC community rail against such ignominy.
Good words used .. Countenance, Ignominy, Simmer, Rail against
Charnock, the founder of Kolkata struggles to save himself from garbage
St. John’s Church located in Dalhousie Square in the center of Kolkata has the grave of Mr. Charnock, and that of many other colonial era stalwarts. The Iconic Church has been swamped by multi-storeyed buildings that have sprung up around it. The inmates throw their trash on to the Church, some of which fall on Charnock’s grave. This unsettles the caretaker, Mr. Datta who feels Charnock certainly does not deserve such ignominy.
Good words used .. Ignominy, Unsettle, Swamped
International
Kamala Harris pulls out
Kamala Harris has dropped out of the race for winning the Democratic Party nomination as her campaign floundered midway due to inadequate fund raising and insipid response from her followers. Ms. Harris from the state of California had started her campaign on fiery note, but it began to lose steam as her own staff and allies appeared to be in disarray.
Good words used … Flounder, Insipid, Fiery, Disarray
President Trump might 100% tariff on French goods
After a probe, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) concluded that the French authorities had imposed Digital Service Tax (DST) in a way that hurt the interests of American Tech companies. Retaliating against this move by France, President Trump is mulling imposition of 100% import tariff on French goods.
Journalists and bloggers attract President Putin’s ire
President Putin has never taken kindly to criticism or voices of dissent, particularly if they are targeted towards him. Now, he has signed a bill that will clamp down on journalists and bloggers who dare to criticize him.
Gotabaya suspends parliament before the elections
To get a free hand in running the country without the mps standing on his way, President Gotabaya Rajapakshe of Sri Lanka has suspended the parliament.
Kim unveils a grand, modern city
President Kim of North Korea has unveiled Smjiyon – a futuristic city that will have all modern amenities. It has been described as a socialist utopia because of the ultra-modern amenities it offers for its 4000 families. Perched among mountains, it offers scenic beauty, and comforts at par with that provided by a modern city of the west.
Good words used .. Futuristic, Utopia, Perched, Scenic
Iraq politicians look for a new Prime Minister
The continuing violent protests have, so far, taken the lives 420 people besides leaving 2000 injured. The unrest has reached the Shia shrines adding to the worry of the government. Amid such turmoil, Iraqi politicians have huddled together to find a new PM. The Revolutionary Guards of Iran, and the representatives of Hezbollah have also been invited to attend the talks.
Good words used .. Turmoil, Huddle as verb
Finance
Public Sector Banks step up lending in November
The total lending by the Government-owned banks has touched Rs.2.39 lakh crores, out of which a big chunk amounting to Rs.97,366 crores has been availed by large corporate borrowers. Rest of it has gone to MSMEs, NBFCs, and retail sector.
HDFC clients reel under internet failure
For the second straight day, clients of HDFC faced confusion and collapse of the net banking services as the glitches remained unresolved. HDFC assured the customers that a team of engineers is working round the clock to restore the crippled system.
Maruti cars to cost more
Maruti Suzuki, battling low demand conditions, has decided to increase the price of its cars, but has not disclosed the amount of the proposed hike.
TELCOs jointly request TRAI to fix minimum floor prices for spectrum
Reliance Jio, Bharati Airtel, and Vodafone Idea have jointly appealed to the TRAI authorities to fix a minimum floor price of spectrum. The competition among the Telcos in the past had resulted in spectrum prices reaching unsustainably high levels. This load was one of the contributing factors of the present mess of the Telcos, they maintained.
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