bil ASK TONY: Water torture of our £1,300 bowls club bill By Published On :: Wed, 05 Feb 2020 10:41:37 +0000 I am the treasurer of a 300-year-old bowling club. In October, I received a water bill for £1,335.29 (£1,220.72 actual plus £114.57 estimated). Bills had previously been about £30 per quarter. Full Article
bil ASK TONY: TalkTalk won't let me cancel my care home dad's phone bill By Published On :: Wed, 26 Feb 2020 09:27:07 +0000 My father, 92, was admitted to a dementia care home last September. I have Lasting Power of Attorney. I rang TalkTalk to cancel his account but they refused because I wasn't the account holder. Full Article
bil ASK TONY:I got a £994 bill... years after I left my student digs By Published On :: Wed, 06 May 2020 09:26:18 +0100 In June 2014 I moved out of a student house I had been living in for two years while at university. The accounts were in my name. We always paid the full amount of our energy bill on time. Full Article
bil FDI in food processing may cross $1 billion in next 2 yrs: Harsimrat Kaur Badal By www.business-standard.com Published On :: Thu, 26 May 2016 16:30:00 +0530 The government has announced 100% FDI in marketing of food products produced and processed in India in the Budget Full Article
bil GST Bill will 'definitely' be passed: Javadekar By www.business-standard.com Published On :: Fri, 14 Aug 2015 13:13:00 +0530 A day after Parliament was adjourned sine die, the government today came down heavily on the Congress, blaming it for the near washout of the monsoon session and asserted that the GST Bill will "definitely" be passed. Full Article
bil I see possibility of 100 per cent product development in India: Maruti Suzuki MD and CEO By www.business-standard.com Published On :: Thu, 04 Feb 2016 00:40:00 +0530 Interview with Kenichi Ayukawa, MD and CEO, Maruti Suzuki Full Article
bil Network performance determines operator profitability By www.business-standard.com Published On :: Mon, 25 Nov 2013 08:04:00 +0530 A network with superior performance is a strategic asset that operators must create, proactively monitor and sustain to attract new users and, perhaps more importantly, keep existing users happy Full Article
bil Airline passenger revenue to plunge by USD 314 billion in 2020: IATA By www.business-standard.com Published On :: Wed, 15 Apr 2020 00:09:29 +0530 Airline passenger revenue is set to plunge by USD 314 billion in 2020, which is a decline of 55 per cent from 2019 due to coronavirus as per the updated analysis released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).On March 24, the IATA had predicted an estimated loss of USD 252 billion in revenues, which is 44 per cent decline in passenger for airline industry due to severe travel restrictions lasting more than three months as governments across the world try to contain the disease.As per a release by IATA, the world is heading for a recession. The economic shock of the COVID-19 crisis is expected to be at its most severe in Q2 when the GDP is expected to shrink by 6 per cent (by comparison, GDP shrank by 2 per cent at the height of the global financial crisis). Passenger demand closely follows GDP progression. The impact of reduced economic activity in Q2 alone would result in an 8 per cent fall in passenger demand in the third quarter."The release added: "Travel ... Full Article
bil Modi's $222-billion Make in India haul masks challenges to come By www.business-standard.com Published On :: Fri, 19 Feb 2016 00:13:00 +0530 Right now, the campaign launched in 2014 is best known for its logo - a lion made of cogs - that has shown up on billboards from Hanover to San Francisco Full Article
bil India signs $1.5 billion loan with ADB to support India's COVID-19 immediate response By www.business-standard.com Published On :: Wed, 29 Apr 2020 12:54:00 +0530 The Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a $1.5 billion loan that will support the government's response to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, focusing on immediate priorities such as disease containment and prevention, as well as social protection for the poor and economically vulnerable sections of the society, especially women and disadvantaged groups. Earlier, the ADB's Board of Directors approved the loan to provide budget support to the government to counter and mitigate the adverse health and socio-economic impact of the pandemic. Full Article
bil Democratic senators introduce bill to give another monthly payment to Americans hit by COVID-19 By www.business-standard.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 04:30:53 +0530 Arguing that a one-time payment of USD 1,200 to most of the Americans during the coronavirus outbreak is not enough, three top Democratic senators introduced a legislation on Friday to provide a recurring USD-2,000 monthly check to those struggling to make ends meet during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Monthly Economic Crisis Support Act, introduced by former presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders, Indian-origin Senator Kamala Harris and Senator Ed Markey, proposes to provide a monthly USD-2,000 check to every individual with an income below USD 120,000 throughout and for three months following the coronavirus pandemic. According to the proposal, married couples who file jointly would receive USD 4,000; USD 2,000 per child up to three children and it would be implemented retroactively from March. The coronavirus pandemic has caused millions to struggle to pay the bills or feed their families, Harris said. The previous CARES Act, she argued, gave Americans an important one-time ... Full Article
bil Bilateral ties poised for even bigger take-off: Ruchi Ghanashyam By www.business-standard.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 11:06:52 +0530 Ruchi Ghanashyam retired as the Indian High Commissioner to the UK early this month in an unusually discreet way given the constraints related to the coronavirus lockdown, bidding farewell to her team at the India House in London virtually over a conference call. However, there has been little impact on her workload as she continues to be flooded with queries and requests as the first repatriation flight for Indian nationals takes off from London for Mumbai on Saturday. The 60-year-old former diplomat, who is yet to fully pack her bags or say all her goodbyes, is confident that her tenure comes to a close at a time when India-UK relations are poised for real take-off. "India and the UK have strategic ties and a deep relationship which spans almost every area we can think of," said Ghanashyam in a farewell interview. "This depth was even more visible during this time of crisis, when we worked closely together to assist with the repatriation of each other's nationals, facilitated the ... Full Article
bil Golden Globes makes temporary changes to foreign language film eligibility rules By www.business-standard.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 16:22:53 +0530 The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) has tweaked its rules for the Golden Globes in regard to the foreign language film category, amid the coronavirus pandemic. According to Variety, HFPA has announced that foreign language films will not need a theatrical release in their own country to be eligible for the 2021 Golden Globes. Earlier there was a rule that foreign films must be released in their country of origin during the 15-month period from October 1 to December 31 prior to the awards. Foreign-language motion pictures that had a bona fide theatrical release planned to begin in their country of origin during the period from March 15 until a date to be determined by HFPA when cinemas in that country have generally reopened, may instead be released in any country in any format and will still be eligible for the Golden Globe foreign-language motion picture awards, the new rule states. The films can be released in motion picture format such as in theatres or on pay-per-view .. Full Article
bil Pvt mobile phones restored in Kashmir; situation remains calm By www.business-standard.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 15:48:53 +0530 Private cell phone operators resumed their services but mobile Internet continued to remain suspended on Saturday in the Kashmir valley, a move taken as a precautionary step after the killing of self-styled local chief of banned Hizbul Mujahdieen, Reyaz Naikoo, earlier this week. The situation in the valley, which has been witnessing lockdown since the third week of March due to COVID-19 pandemic, was generally calm barring a few local protests in some villages of Pulwama in south Kashmir. Seeing an improvement of the situation after Naikoo was killed in an encounter with security forces on Wednesday, the authorities allowed private telecom operators to resume their services from Friday night but asked them to keep Internet connection barred. Restrictions had been imposed in the valley after the death of Naikoo and additional paramilitary forces were deployed at vulnerable points to prevent any mischief or stone pelting. SMS services have been snapped across all telecom operators till Full Article
bil Couple held for snatching mobile phones in Delhi By www.business-standard.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 18:31:00 +0530 Police have arrested a couple for allegedly snatching mobile phones from people in central Delhi, officials said on Saturday. Following reports about a couple on white scooter snatching mobile phones, Arjun (22) and Vaishali Kaushal (20) were arrested near Railway Colony, Kishanganj, they said. The woman riding pillion on the scooter used to snatch the mobile phones from people, a senior police officer said. Arjun had been involved in 31 cases. Three months ago, he married Vaishali, a tattoo artist, and both are addicted to drugs, police said. Vaishali had also allegedly snatched the mobile phone of a jewellery showroom security guard in Karol Bagh, they added. Full Article
bil Saudi Arabia's $500 Billion Megacity Dream Clashes With Reality By Published On :: Mon, 04 May 2020 09:26:38 GMT Saudi Arabia plans to build Neom, a futuristic megacity in the middle of the desert. But residents resisting evictions and a historic collapse in oil prices have raised new questions about the project. Full Article
bil Partly our responsibility too By indiatogether.org Published On :: Thu, 31 May 2012 00:00:00 +0000 The UNDP is correct to observe that despite the different histories of developed and developing countries, we cannot ignore the fact that it is still one planet. Darryl D'Monte reports. Full Article
bil Are we celebrating too much too soon? | The DNA Bill is a recipe for disaster | When schools and parents clash By indiatogether.org Published On :: Fri, 14 Aug 2015 18:30:00 +0000 As India celebrates her 69th year of Independence, we take a look at the ramifications of the Supreme Court's ruling on allowing an unwed mother to be the sole guardian of the child without the consent of the child's father, a dissent note on the final draft of the Human DNA Profiling Bill which the government wanted to pass in the latest parliament session, why the modern parents and the school authorities lack mutual trust and respect, the conundrum of energy deficit and energy surplus in different parts of India, how the old fishing villages in Mumbai are in danger of disappearing, and more. Full Article
bil Can accreditation ensure accountability? By indiatogether.org Published On :: Wed, 25 Sep 2013 00:00:00 +0000 The decision of the MoEF to allow only organisations accredited by the Quality Council of India to carry out environment impact assessment of interventions might sound promising, but is likely to achieve little. Kanchi Kohli discusses the inherent flaws in such notification. Full Article
bil 'Caste in politics has been a channel of mobility' By election.rediff.com Published On :: Wed, 20 May 2009 09:20:37 +0530 'Why would the Bahujan Samaj Party nominate a Gujjar to fight from South Delhi and the BJP respond by nominating another Gujjar from the same seat?' Full Article
bil The bills we pay, and the ones we don't By indiatogether.org Published On :: Sat, 24 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +0000 Our personal choices directly impact the pressure on managing infrastructure support that we all need for energy, water, and waste management, writes Chandrashekar Hariharan. Full Article
bil Nuclear Liability Bill: Who bears the brunt? By indiatogether.org Published On :: Sat, 31 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +0000 The nuclear liability bill by capping the liability arising out of a nuclear incident appears to be an effort to protect the nuclear industry at the cost of the fundamental rights of the citizens writes Mathew Prasad Idiculla. Full Article
bil Public missing in Broadcast Bill debate By indiatogether.org Published On :: Wed, 15 Aug 2007 00:00:00 +0000 There is much wrong with the draft broadcast regulation legislation and the good news is that it is unlikely to be introduced in Parliament during the ongoing monsoon session. The bad news is that in the renewed tug-of-war between the government and the broadcast industry, the public is in danger of being left out once more, writes Ammu Joseph. Full Article
bil More responsibilities, less funds By indiatogether.org Published On :: Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0000 The States of India account for about 55 per cent of the combined expenditure of the Union and the States, but the Centre now collects two-thirds of the combined tax revenues. Kannan Kasturi details this imbalance. Full Article
bil Are Indians accountability-challenged? By indiatogether.org Published On :: Fri, 06 Jun 2014 06:48:05 +0000 Is brazen unaccountability a national disease in our country, asks Himanshu Upadhyaya as he reads through yet another performance review by the CAG of India, this time of its own performance in carrying out auditing functions. Full Article
bil Saving water to feed the billions By indiatogether.org Published On :: Thu, 01 Apr 2004 00:00:00 +0000 Well-known experts presented `Water: More Nutrition Per Drop' at the April 20 meeting of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development in New York. Sudhirendar Sharma reviews the report and its considerations of the Indian situation. Full Article
bil Growing credibility gap By indiatogether.org Published On :: Mon, 23 Apr 2007 00:00:00 +0000 It is widely accepted that agricultural subsidies in developed nations are distorting global agriculture trade. And yet, Purdue University and the World Bank are cleverly using economic models and simulated 'welfare gains' to push for market access in developing nations. Therein lies a danger, says Devinder Sharma. Full Article
bil How to feed your billionaires By indiatogether.org Published On :: Mon, 19 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0000 Freebies for the IPL - at a time of savage food subsidy cuts for the poor - benefit four men who make the Forbes Billionaire List of 2010 and a few other, mere multi-millionaires, notes P Sainath. Full Article
bil Food safety bill may hurt hawkers By indiatogether.org Published On :: Thu, 10 Feb 2005 00:00:00 +0000 The central government has proposed the Food Safety and Standards Act as part of a series of steps to 'harmonize' existing food laws. Devinder Sharma agrees the old exploitative laws must go, but says the new bill may deliver unfair advantage to the food industry over dhabas and hawkers. Full Article
bil Pension Fund Bill, 2005 By indiatogether.org Published On :: Wed, 11 Jan 2006 00:00:00 +0000 The Bill on pension reform, which is before Parliament, takes away the obligation to pay pensions from the government and shifts the responsibility of saving for old-age to the individual. How might this affect you? And how can you make your voice heard? M R Madhavan and Ruchita Manghnani present a legislative brief. Full Article
bil Food Safety and Standards Bill, 2005 By indiatogether.org Published On :: Sun, 19 Feb 2006 00:00:00 +0000 By consolidating several different laws for the food sector, the proposed bill seeks to establish a single reference point for all matters relating to food safety and standards. The scientific development of the food processing industry is also sought. M R Madhavan and Kaushiki Sanyal present a legislative brief. Full Article
bil Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Bill By indiatogether.org Published On :: Tue, 07 Mar 2006 00:00:00 +0000 The Central government proposes to shuffle the composition of the IMC and bring in more of its own appointees, reducing elected members to a minority. The government claims this will increase the IMC's accountability, but will it also turn it into an arm of the government? M R Madhavan and Ruchita Manghnani present a legislative brief. Full Article
bil STs (Recognition of forest rights) bill By indiatogether.org Published On :: Sat, 15 Apr 2006 00:00:00 +0000 Who can live in forested areas? What rights to they have over lands they have lived in for generations? Can they be relocated, and if so on what terms? Legislation in Parliament attempts to balance forest dwellers' rights with economic and environmental objectives. Kaushiki Sanyal presents a legislative brief. Full Article
bil Seeds Bill 2004 By indiatogether.org Published On :: Sun, 04 Jun 2006 00:00:00 +0000 Through registration and certification, the draft law seeks to promote quality seeds. But it's unclear if farmers can meet the standards set for commercial seeds. Controversially, the Bill also permits inspectors to carry out search and seize operations without warrants. M R Madhavan and Kaushiki Sanyal present a legislative brief. Full Article
bil Sound and fury over the Broadcast Bill By indiatogether.org Published On :: Fri, 28 Jul 2006 00:00:00 +0000 Journalists have strongly objected to provisions of the proposed Broadcast Bill empowering the government to cripple media through pre-censorship. The media industry has been furiously lobbying against the Bill's attempt to regulate ownership. Amidst all this, there has been little mention of the need for the public to have a say, notes Ammu Joseph. Full Article
bil Immoral Traffic (Amendment) Bill By indiatogether.org Published On :: Sun, 29 Oct 2006 00:00:00 +0000 New provisions in law would make sexual exploitation of trafficked persons punishable. While well-intended, the draft bill is vague; the term 'sexual exploitation' is not clearly defined. Without this, the bill's provisions could lead to greater harassment of prostitutes and their clients. Kaushiki Sanyal presents a legislative brief. Full Article
bil Cooperatives Bill By indiatogether.org Published On :: Thu, 25 Jan 2007 00:00:00 +0000 It is debatable whether the governance mechanisms of voluntary bodies such as co-operatives should be specified in the Constitution, as the Cooperatives Bill proposes to do through an amendment. Kaushiki Sanyal presents a legislative brief. Full Article
bil Microfinance Bill By indiatogether.org Published On :: Tue, 26 Jun 2007 00:00:00 +0000 The draft bill comes at a time when there are differing opinions on the cost efficacy of the MFO model for reaching credit to the poor. Moreover, the bill itself contains some perplexing ideas - such as the choice of NABARD, itself an MFO, as a regulator of others such organisations. Kaushiki Sanyal presents a legislative brief. Full Article
bil Parents and Senior Citizens Bill, 2007 By indiatogether.org Published On :: Fri, 06 Jul 2007 00:00:00 +0000 A draft bill in Parliament attempts to mandate the care of elderly citizens in law, and envisions the establishment of tribunals to ensure its functioning. But its definitions and methods leave many questions unanswered. Priya Narayan Parker presents a legislative brief. Full Article
bil Right to displace, but no duty to rehabilitate By indiatogether.org Published On :: Fri, 04 Jan 2008 00:00:00 +0000 Acquiring land for a 'public purpose' is claimed as a right by the state under its powers of eminent domain, but it accepts no duty to resettle and rehabilitate all the affected citizens. Instead, rehabilitation is presented as an act of benevolence, writes Kannan Kasturi. Full Article
bil Women’s reservation Bill – the 2010 story By indiatogether.org Published On :: Tue, 30 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0000 Opposition to reservations for women in Parliament have centred on at least four points. Step by step Vaijayanti Gupta rebuts the arguments and re-iterates the case for reservations. Full Article
bil Social justice: What two key Bills propose By indiatogether.org Published On :: Tue, 07 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000 As the Budget Session of Parliament nears its end, the House is expected to decide on at least two key pieces of legislation that propose major reforms in the areas of food security and the rights of the displaced; Sakshi Balani provides a quick round-up of the provisions and issues related to the two Bills. Full Article
bil 2011 to 2013: What has changed in the Lokpal Bill? By indiatogether.org Published On :: Sun, 22 Dec 2013 00:00:00 +0000 PRS Legislative Research provides a quick summary of key amendments in effect in the final version of the Lokpal and Lokayukta Bill, that was passed by both houses of Parliament in December 2013. Full Article
bil The DNA Bill is a recipe for disaster By indiatogether.org Published On :: Wed, 12 Aug 2015 12:29:16 +0000 The Centre for Internet & Society (CIS) registers its dissent over the new Human DNA Profiling Bill draft. Sunil Abraham, Executive Director of CIS, explains how the Bill does not address the privacy concerns despite a seemingly powerful language. Full Article
bil Scamming the law, pretext of inability By indiatogether.org Published On :: Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0000 In late August, the Jabalpur bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court ordered a judicial inquiry on allegations of large scale corruption in distribution of compensation to families affected by Sardar Sarovar/Narmada Project. Himanshu Upadhyaya tells the continuing story of a scam. Full Article
bil Saving the Malabar Hornbill in the hills of Tamil Nadu By indiatogether.org Published On :: Thu, 25 Jun 2015 06:27:57 +0000 Farming practices encouraged by existing forest policies have drastically reduced the sources of food for the Malabar Grey Hornbill, once abundant in the Palni Hills of Tamil Nadu. Madhu Ramnath explains what endangers the species and how they can be saved. Full Article
bil Rigorous road to rehabilitation By indiatogether.org Published On :: Thu, 11 Oct 2007 00:00:00 +0000 In the 'village of widows' near the Line of Control, women had become accustomed to living off aid and alms. But in 2001, a group of women, part of Athwaas, decided to try to make things better, and something that was impossible to contemplate even six years ago, has now happened. Ashima Kaul reports. Full Article
bil There’s nothing to be ashamed about disability By indiatogether.org Published On :: Tue, 06 Dec 2016 10:11:52 +0000 An inspiring account of Malini Chib, disability rights activist and author, who talks about how she got around to developing a strong disability identity that she wants to “celebrate” rather than reject. Full Article
bil The ability debates By indiatogether.org Published On :: Fri, 22 Feb 2008 00:00:00 +0000 Quite a few debates are currently raging in the disability rights movement. Special schools or inclusive education, community based rehabilitation or institutionalised rehabilitation, job reservations or none - Prasanna Kumar Pincha discusses these and other questions. Full Article
bil Why minimising ‘mobile’ conversations is a ‘no-brainer’ By indiatogether.org Published On :: Fri, 24 Oct 2014 04:45:31 +0000 Did you know a cell phone in a moving car emits significantly greater radiation, half of which could be absorbed by the brain while talking? A renowned epidemiologist from the US warns users of this and other cell-phone related hazards in the course of her recent talks in India. Darryl D’Monte reports. Full Article