<![CDATA[India Journal

<![CDATA[India Journal - India_1]]>Sun, 07 Apr 2024 08:42:17 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[Netflix intensifies OTT price war in India]]>Mon, 08 Apr 2019 16:36:28 GMThttp://www.indiajournal.com/india_1/netflix-intensifies-ott-price-war-in-indiaNEW DELHI - The price war among various OTT players in India has intensified, with content streaming leader Netflix experimenting a weekly mobile-only plan for Rs 65 a month in the country. Netflix is also charging Rs 250 per month for mobile users but it still costs more than Amazon Prime which costs Rs 129 a month or Hotstar's Premium pack at Rs 199. The Netflix mobile-only plan allows users to watch content on just one...

smartphone or tablet screen at a time. The new plans appearing on Netflix India's website lists the weekly mobile-only plan for Rs 65, basic plan for Rs 125, standard plan (two screens allowed) for Rs 165, and ultra plan for Rs 200 (four screens in 4k).
However, the mobile-only plan does not support shows in HD or 4K quality. Being the world's second-largest smartphone market with cheapest data rates, India has become a major focus point for international content and music streaming platforms.
Recently, Apple Music slashed down its previous Rs 120 per month pack rate to Rs 99.
Major over-the-top (OTT) players have slashed their subscription prices to widen their consumer base with a two-pronged strategy: offering packages for shorter time periods and allowing consumers to choose their content.
SonyLIV app has a monthly subscription plan of Rs 99 while ZEE5 has monthly packs starting from Rs 49.

]]><![CDATA[IAF pilot Abhinandan returns from Pakistan]]>Fri, 01 Mar 2019 18:34:39 GMThttp://www.indiajournal.com/india_1/iaf-pilot-abhinandan-returns-from-pakistanATTARI - Indian Air Force pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, captured by Pakistanis two days ago after his MiG-21 crashed in Pakistani territory, returned to India on Friday night. Dressed in a blue coat, grey trousers and white shirt, he was received by senior Border Security Force officers at 9.21 p.m. at Zero Line that marks the India-Pakistan land border. While one BSF officer shook his hand, another put his arm around...

the pilot to escort him back into India. "I am happy to be back home," Abhinandan said in his first reaction after stepping into India, according to Amritsar Deputy Commissioner, Shivdular Singh Dhillon, who received the IAF pilot along with senior IAF and Border Security Force (BSF) officers. Abhinandan was accompanied from Pakistan side by Group Captain J.D. Kurian. He was surrounded by armed troopers of the Pakistan Rangers up to the border gate.
The Wing Commander was in Pakistani captivity for over 60 hours before he walked back home through the Zero Line at the Wagah-Attari joint check-post and received by senior IAF and security officers. Pakistani authorities kept delaying his actual return to India through the day on Friday for unexplained reasons. He was whisked from the Attari joint check post (JCP) complex under tight security cover.
Air Vice Marshall R.G.K. Kapoor told the media that the Wing Commander was "handed to us as per standard operating procedure of the Indian Air Force".
"He will now be taken for a detailed medical check-up. The check-up is mandated particularly because the officer has had to eject from an aeroplane which would have put his entire body under great stress," Kapoor said.
"IAF is happy to have Abhinandan back," the Air Vice Marshal said. Amritsar Deputy Commissioner Dhillon said that the "happiness in his (Abhinandan's) eyes said it all" upon his return.
Dhillon said that there was no particular reason for the delay in IAF pilot's return.
Earlier, Abhinandan was formally handed over to officials of the Indian High Commission at Wagah (in Pakistan) led by Group Captain J.D. Kurian. He was captured in Pakistan on Wednesday (Feb 27) after his MIG-21 Bison fighter jet was shot down during an aerial dogfight near the Line of Control (LoC).
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced on Thursday that the captured pilot will be freed as a "goodwill gesture" after New Delhi demanded his unconditional, immediate and unharmed release.

]]><![CDATA[US Envoy Condemns Terrorist Attack in Kashmir; 37 Officers Killed]]>Thu, 14 Feb 2019 22:50:03 GMThttp://www.indiajournal.com/india_1/us-envoy-condemns-terrorist-attack-in-kashmir-37-officers-killedNEW DELHI — At least 37 paramilitary police officers were killed by a massive car bomb in Indian-controlled Kashmir in the worst attack on security personnel since the start of the insurgency in the disputed region three decades ago, according to a Washington Post report. The attack occurred on Feb 14 afternoon around 3:15 p.m., police officials said, as a security convoy of 70 vehicles traveled down a major highway toward the city of Srinagar.

An explosive-laden vehicle driven by a suicide bomber rammed into a bus carrying dozens of paramilitary personnel, said Sanjay Sharma, a spokesperson for India’s Central Reserve Police Force. The killings will inflame tensions between nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan, which both claim the Himalayan territory of Kashmir. India accuses Pakistan of sheltering and supporting militants that cross into Indian-controlled territory to carry out attacks against Indian rule.
Kashmir is part of India’s only Muslim-majority state. Since 1989, militants have waged attacks against Indian forces in Kashmir, fighting either for the territory’s independence or its merger with Pakistan.
Jaish-e-Mohammed, or Army of Mohammed, a militant group that seeks to merge Indian-held Kashmir with Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the attack. Based in Pakistan, the group is led by a radical cleric named Masood Azhar. Kenneth Juster, the U.S. ambassador to India, posted a statement on Twitter condemning the attack and sending condolences to the families of the victims. “The United States stands alongside India in confronting terror and defeating it,” he wrote.
The United States officially labeled Army of Mohammed a terrorist organization nearly two decades ago. In 2017, Washington pushed the United Nations Security Council to designate Azhar as a terrorist, but the move was vetoed by China. Police officials said that the death toll in the attack could still rise. With 37 officers confirmed killed, it was the deadliest militant assault on security personnel in Kashmir and one of the worst attacks in the history of the insurgency. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is seeking reelection in polls later this spring, called the attack “despicable” in a post on Twitter. “I strongly condemn this dastardly attack,” he wrote. “The sacrifices of our brave security personnel shall not go in vain.”
Modi has taken a tough line on matters of national security. In 2016, a team of militants stormed an army base near the town of Uri in Indian-held Kashmir, killing 19 soldiers. In the days after the Uri attack, Modi ordered what the government termed “surgical strikes” on militant hideouts just inside Pakistan-controlled territory.
A statement issued by India’s foreign ministry pointed the finger at the country’s neighbor. The leader of Army of Mohammed has “been given full freedom” by the government of Pakistan to “carry out attacks in India and elsewhere with impunity,” it said. Indian news outlets showed images of the wreckage left by the attack, including a vehicle that was blasted open and reduced to ribbons of charred metal. Izhar Ahmad said that he was driving to a relative’s house when he came upon the site of the attack, where he saw blood-soaked bodies lying on the road and a number of damaged security-force vehicles. Local journalists circulated a video in which a man claims to be the attacker. He says he joined Army of Mohammed a year ago. “By the time this video reaches you,” he states, “I will be in heaven.” The Post could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.

]]><![CDATA[Foreigners visiting India on E-visa set new record]]>Wed, 14 Nov 2018 23:40:08 GMThttp://www.indiajournal.com/india_1/foreigners-visiting-india-on-e-visa-set-new-record

NEW DELHI - A total of 18.78 lakh foreigners visited India this year within the first 10 months on E-visa -- four times more than the 4.47 lakh figure registered in 2015 and the highest so far. The maximum number of visitors who availed of this facility were from the UK, the US, China, France and Germany. A home ministry release said that arrivals between January and October, 2018 also broke last year's record when 17 lakh foreigners visited India...

on E-visa or Electronic-visa, citing liberalization of the visa regime by India as a reason for the spike in figures. The fee collection this year till October 31 was $ 137,527,270 which was $ 105,558,496 in 2017. The top five countries whose nationals availed E-visa services are the UK (2,921,432), the US (2,213,393), China(1,270,224), France (1,071,855) and Germany (89,863).Nationals of 166 countries can now enjoy these E-visa -- available for five categories such as Tourist, Business, Medical, Conference and medical attendant -- facility at 26 airports and five seaports, and can be availed three times in one year against twice a year earlier, said the release. The local Foreigner Regional Registration Office (FRRO) has been empowered now to extend the duration of electronic visas beyond 60 days upto 90 days, said the release.
"With the E-visa facility, the foreigner does not have to interact with any Indian official till his arrival at the immigration counter. For foreigners who are already in India and require any consular or visa services like extension, conversion, exit permission or any of the total 27 visa-related services, an online e-FRRO facility has now been launched throughout the country.
"The foreigners do not have to physically visit the offices of FRROs. They can apply as well as receive consular or visa services online after making online payment," it said. To promote cruise tourism, immigration facilities have been provided at five major seaports where e-landing permits are granted to passengers for their onshore site-seeing. "The condition of biometric enrolment for such tourists arriving at Mumbai, Cochin, Mormugao, Chennai and New Mangalore ports has also been suspended till December 2020 to ensure faster immigration clearance so that cruise tourists can spend maximum time on shore."
Foreign nationals who fall sick during their stay in India can now avail medical treatment without converting their visa into medical visa, said the release. The Centre is also allowing conversion of any category of visa of a foreigner who is married to an Indian citizen, person of Indian origin or overseas citizen of India (OCI) card holder into an entry visa at any point of time by the FRRO himself.
State governments or the FRROs can now take decision locally and grant Protected Area Permit (PAP) or Restricted Area Permit (RAP) immediately to foreigners intending to visit places which are not open for tourism. Such permits are granted only after a prior reference is made by the concerned state or Union Territories to the Home Ministry.
Earlier, foreigners visiting Andaman and Nicobar Islands required a visa as well as an RAP.
With a view to promoting flow of tourism and investment, 30 Andaman and Nicobar islands have been excluded from the RAP regime, the release said. "Foreigners will also be allowed to visit 11 uninhabited islands, to be notified by Andaman and Nicobar Islands Admn., only for day trips without any RAP." The Ministry has also reduced minimum remuneration requirement from Rs 7.80 lakh to Rs 3.60 lakh per annum for grant of intern visa which is now available at any time during the course of study.

]]><![CDATA[Vajpayee, the moderate face of BJP, is no more]]>Thu, 16 Aug 2018 19:59:06 GMThttp://www.indiajournal.com/india_1/vajpayee-the-moderate-face-of-bjp-is-no-more

NEW DELHI - Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the moderate face of the BJP who attracted allies and formed the first saffron government at the Centre in the 1990s, died here after a long illness. The 93-year-old leader, who had faded from public life for more than a decade following health complications and was admitted to AIIMS with kidney infection and chest congestion on June 11, breathed his last at 5.05 p.m.,

said a statement from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
"It is with profound grief that we inform about the sad demise of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. "Unfortunately, his condition deteriorated over the last 36 hours and he was put on life support system. Despite the best of efforts, we have lost him today," the statement said.
Vajpayee was said to be stable for the last nine weeks but his health suffered a setback on Sunday and worsened on Wednesday.
That things were bad was visible from the fact that Prime Minister Narendra Modi made two visits to AIIMS in the last two days and leaders from across the political spectrum made a beeline to the hospital on Thursday.
Modi convened a meeting of the Union Cabinet which condoled the death of the BJP patriarch and declared a seven-day national mourning and a state funeral for him on Friday. The national flag will be flown at half mast throughout India and there will be no official entertainment during the period of state mourning. BJP President Amit Shah said Vajpayee's body, which was brought to his Krishna Menon Marg residence, will be taken to the party headquarters at 9 a.m. on Friday and would be cremated at Smriti Sthal on the banks of the Yamuna at 4 p.m.
The funeral procession will start at 1 p.m. Rich tributes poured in from all sides for Vajpayee who had the reputation of having no enemies in politics. Modi described the passing away of Vajpayee as "the end of an era" and a big loss for the country. Every Indian and BJP worker would continue to be guided by his vision, he said.
President Ram Nath Kovind said Vajpayee was a "true Indian statesman" whose "leadership, foresight, maturity and eloquence put him in a league of his own". Congress President Rahul Gandhi said Vajpayee was loved and respected by millions. "Today, India lost a great son." Advani, Vajpayee's long-term associate, observed that the former Prime Minister will be remembered as the pioneer of the first-ever stable non-Congress coalition government at the Centre.
Tributes poured in from opposition leaders including former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the Chief Ministers of West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Delhi, describing Vajpayee as a great son of India, a statesman and one of the country's tallest leaders.
Former Home Minister P. Chidambaram said Vajpayee was a man of great wisdom, tolerance and compassion and as long as he was at the helm, he anchored the BJP close to the middle and didn't allow it to swing to the extreme right.
Vajpayee will be remembered for his famous remarks sitting by the side of Modi, then the Gujarat Chief Minister, that the government should follow the "raj dharma" (duty of rulers) in the aftermath of the 2002 post-Godhra riots.
Vajpayee was in public life for more than five decades and was elected to the Lok Sabha 10 times and the Rajya Sabha twice. Elected to the second Lok Sabha in 1957 on a Jana Sangh ticket, even as a back bencher Vajpayee had drawn Jawaharlal Nehru's attention with his eloquence. Earlier, as news of the deterioration of his health spread, national leaders, including Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu, Amit Shah, Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, cabinet ministers, chief ministers and opposition leaders visited the hospital during the day.
The former Prime Minister, whose birthday on December 25 is celebrated as Good Governance Day, was honoured with the Bharat Ratna in 2014 at his home. Vajpayee, whose more than six-year term was marked by a peace initiative with Pakistan and the 1998 Pokhran nuclear tests that invited US sanctions, was a bachelor and leaves behind a foster family.
Though Advani was credited with the rise of the BJP from the late 1980s on the Ayodhya temple issue with his hardline politics, it was Vajpayee's moderate stance that took the party close to power.
He was the Prime Minister for 13 days in mid-1996 at the head of the first BJP government. He was forced to resign ahead of the confidence vote as he failed to muster the numbers.
However, Vajpayee again became the Prime Minister in March 1998 with improved numbers and new allies like the TDP, the AIADMK, the National Conference and the Samta Party. But his government fell 13 months later on the floor of the Lok Sabha losing by one vote in the confidence motion after the AIADMK headed by the late J.Jayalalithaa withdrew support to the BJP.
The BJP government headed by Vajpayee returned to power in 1999 and completed almost its full term till 2004 when the party lost in the polls called earlier than scheduled. Vajpayee was known for his lavish praise of Indira Gandhi as Durga on India's victory over Pakistan in the 1971 war of Bangladesh independence.
He had a flair for foreign policy issues and the then Prime Minister Narasimha Rao chose him to lead an Indian delegation to the UN Human Rights conference to counter Pakistan's campaign for Kashmir.
Vajpayee had a long association with the RSS and the Bharatiya Jana Sangh which merged to form the Janata Party in the post Emergency period when he was jailed along with numerous opposition leaders.
And in 1980, he, Advani, Joshi and other leaders founded the BJP of which he was the first President.

]]><![CDATA[Indo-US homeland security talks should continue, envoy tells Rijiju]]>Mon, 13 Aug 2018 17:18:50 GMThttp://www.indiajournal.com/india_1/indo-us-homeland-security-talks-should-continue-envoy-tells-rijiju

NEW DELHI - US Ambassador to India Kenneth I. Juster on Monday told Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju that his country was keen on continuing the ongoing homeland security dialogue between the two countries to jointly counter the threats posed by terrorism. Juster's remarks came during half-an-hour meeting with Rijiju at his North Block office where they took up homeland security issues.

"The US Ambassador and other embassy officials reiterated the strong resolve of India and US to jointly counter the threats posed by terrorism to two of the world's biggest democracies as well as world peace," a Home Ministry statement said.
In the meeting Juster expressed his country's keenness to "continue the ongoing Homeland Security Dialogue to a concrete conclusion," the statement added.
The envoy was accompanied by other officials of the US Embassy.
During a joint meeting on July 18, senior officers from both sides had agreed to work out modalities to address issues relating to security cooperation, customs and immigration, aviation security and capacity building. On August 7, Juster also held a meeting with Jammu and Kashmir Governor N.N. Vohra.

]]><![CDATA[90 evacuated from blazing Mumbai skyscraper, Deepika Padukone safe]]>Wed, 13 Jun 2018 19:42:05 GMThttp://www.indiajournal.com/india_1/90-evacuated-from-blazing-mumbai-skyscraper-deepika-padukone-safe

MUMBAI - At least 90 residents were evacuated safely after a fire broke out on the 33rd floor of the Beaumonte Towers in the posh Prabhadevi area of Dadar here on Wednesday afternoon. Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone, who also lives in the same building on the 26th floor, tweeted that she was safe and expressed her prayers for the well-being of the firefighters. According to BMC Disaster Control, the fire erupted around 2.10 p.m. on...

the two uppermost floors 32 and 33 of the building, and thick black clouds of smoke were soon billowing out. Later, after nearly three hours, the flames started spreading on to the lower floors creating panic among the flat owners who include several celebrities including from the business and glamour world. More than two dozen fire-tenders, including sophisticated lifts and cranes, have been deployed to fight the blaze. There were no reports of casualties so far.

]]><![CDATA[India calls for joint BRICS action against terror financing]]>Mon, 04 Jun 2018 18:24:05 GMThttp://www.indiajournal.com/india_1/india-calls-for-joint-brics-action-against-terror-financing

JOHANNESBURG - Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Monday called for joint action by the BRICS grouping against money laundering and financing of terrorists. Addressing the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) Foreign Ministers' meeting here, she said that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given a call for a BRICS Counter-Terrorism Strategy "for joint action with a focus on money laundering,

terrorist-finance, cyber-space and de-radicalization as our priorities".
"Our leaders have also called for making UN Counter Terrorism framework efficient and effective. "We reiterate our commitment to implement our Leaders' mandate on counter terrorism under South Africa's BRICS Chairship," said Sushma Swaraj.
With BRICS cooperation in strategic security, counter-terrorism, UN reforms, de-radicalisation, cyber security, energy security, international and regional hot-spots being deliberated in detail during meetings of the grouping's National Security Advisors, she said: "Our meeting today takes place at a time when multilateralism, international trade, and rules based world order face strong head-winds.
"Though, the global growth has exhibited signs of recovery, the challenges to long-term growth continue to persist. Ensuring that the benefits of globalization are shared widely remains a challenge."
She also said that BRICS countries have contributed to global stability and growth in a world drifting towards uncertainty.
"We have played an important role in shaping the global economic and political architecture," she said.
Later addressing the media here along with her counterparts from the other BRICS nations, Sushma Swaraj said that India attaches great importance to its engagement with BRICS.
"BRICS brings together almost 42 per cent of global population, with impressive growth, investment and trade share," she said, adding that in Monday's meeting, the leaders exchanged views on current issues of global significance in political, security, and economic spheres. "We also used to occasion to discuss ways and means to further strengthen intra-BRICS cooperation," she said.
"There exists considerable potential for BRICS to take our cooperation to an even higher level. We appreciate initiatives being undertaken during South Africa's Chairmanship. We are supportive to the theme and priorities listed by South Africa for 2018."
Sushma Swaraj said that health and vaccines, youth, peacekeeping, industrial revolution, tourism, women issues and science, technology and Innovation introduced by host South Africa find positive resonance within BRICS.
According to an External Affairs Ministry statement, she, soon after her arrival here on Sunday, called on South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and conveyed her felicitations on his assumption of office.
She also stressed how 2018 was of special significance for both as they were commemorating the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations, 100th birth anniversary of the iconic South African leader Nelson Mandela and the 125th anniversary of the Pietermaritzburg train incident of Mahatma Gandhi. "The enhanced engagement between the two countries, especially in the aftermath of the India-South Africa Business Summit, and greater cooperation in areas such as skill development, agriculture, IT etc were also discussed," the statement said. During her visit here, Sushma Swaraj will also chair the IBSA (India, Brazil, South Africa) Foreign Ministers' Meeting. On Wednesday, she will visit the Phoenix Settlement, a South African Heritage site, marking the place that served as Gandhi's home and where he developed his philosophy of non-violence.
She will also participate in a series of events on Wednesday-Thursday at Pietermaritzburg to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the historic incident in the train compartment that became a catalyst for Gandhi's Satyagraha movement. The two-day commemoration activities will also include the release of joint commemorative stamps on South African anti-apartheid revolutionary leader Oliver Tambo and one of the founders of India's Bharatiya Jana Sangh Deen Dayal Upadhaya and a youth summit where 20 diaspora youth from Africa and five from India will participate to speak on the relevance of Gandhi's message of peace to the youth of today.

]]><![CDATA[Jet to commence services under UDAN scheme from next month]]>Mon, 14 May 2018 17:27:15 GMThttp://www.indiajournal.com/india_1/jet-to-commence-services-under-udan-scheme-from-next-month

MUMBAI - Full-service international passenger carrier Jet Airways on Monday said that it will commence services under the air regional connectivity (RCS) -- UDAN -- scheme from next month. According to the airline, it has been awarded four routes under the RCS scheme and will launch operations on three new routes -- Lucknow-Allahabad-Patna, New Delhi-Nashik and Nagpur-Allahabad-Indore sector from next month.

"Having pioneered the operations of the ATR aircraft in India, the launch of these new flights mainly onboard ATR aircraft, will allow Jet Airways to embark on a journey to ensure that unserved regions and underserved airports are maximized to their full potential," said Jet Airways' Whole time Director Gaurang Shetty.

]]><![CDATA[Plan for 1,000 e-buses set to get nod]]>Wed, 02 May 2018 19:31:39 GMThttp://www.indiajournal.com/india_1/plan-for-1000-e-buses-set-to-get-nod

The Delhi government's plan to procure 1,000 electric buses is likely to get the cabinet's nod very soon. A cabinet note for the proposal has been prepared by the transport department and has been vetted by different departments including finance and planning. The proposal to procure the buses through the cluster scheme or Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) is going to be presented before the council of ministers in the next cabinet meeting.

The plan was announced by deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia in his budget speech in March. As per the timeline fixed for the procurement of electric buses, the proposal was expected be approved by the council of ministers by April 30 but that deadline was missed as a cabinet meeting has not taken place of late.
“A consultant would also be roped in for procuring these buses,” a Delhi government official said. As per the timeline, a consultant is scheduled to be appointed by June 1.
Delhi's transport minister Kailash Gahlot said that the cabinet note for procurement is being reviewed by different Delhi government departments at present.
The government plans to float tenders for the same by this July and expects the first lot of the buses to start rolling out from March 31, 2019. The transport department has also zeroed down on the bus depots where the required infrastructure to park the first lot of the buses would come up. “We have decided to use bus depots at East Vinod Nagar and Bawana to park these buses. The major reason behind choosing the locations was the availability of sufficient power supply,” the official said. (Copyright BCCL©India 2018)

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