December 2019

No need to worry: Anurag Thakur on reports of govt withdrawing Rs 2000 note Dismissing reports that the government is set to withdraw Rs 2000 denomination note, Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur on Tuesday said there was no need to worry about it. “This is the real worry (about demonetisation) which has surfaced now. I think that you should not worry about it,” Thakur told Rajya Sabha replying to a question on government’s plan to withdraw Rs 2000 note in the future. source:

‘He Didn’t Pay Attention in History Class’: Shashi Tharoor on Amit Shah’s Partition Jibe at Congress Mumbai: Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday took a scathing jibe at Union Home Minister Amit Shah for his assertion that the Congress had divided India on religious lines during the Partition of 1947. “Amit Shah did not pay attention during history class; it was the Hindu Mahasabha which backed the two-nation theory,” Tharoor said at the Network18’s Lokmat Conclave in Mumbai. “The Citizenship Amendment Bill is an assault on the Constitution. We must create a free India for everyone…we cannot divide the nation on religion...

Nobel peace laureate Suu Kyi told to ‘stop the genocide’ in UN court showdown Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi faced calls for Myanmar to “stop the genocide” of Rohingya Muslims as she personally led her country’s defence at the UN’s top court on Tuesday. Suu Kyi, whose silence about the plight of the Rohingya has tarnished her reputation as a rights icon, sat through graphic accounts of murder and rape in the wood-panelled courtroom in The Hague. source:

Yes Bank mulls Citax Holdings offer, Erwin Singh Braich still in fray Private sector lender Yes Bank has told the exchanges it is considering the $500 million offer made by Citax Holdings and Citax Investment Group. A decision regarding allotment will be taken at the next board meeting. The note said, “The Board is willing to favourably consider the $500 million offer made by Citax Holdings and Citax Investment Group and the final decision regarding allotment will follow at the next board meeting, subject to requisite regulatory approval(s).” source:

Shuttler Jwala Gutta to open her own sports academy in Hyderabad Ace shuttler Jwala Gutta is set to launch her own sports academy, ‘Jwala Gutta Academy of Excellence’ to train and nurture talented youth, she announced on Tuesday. The launch announcement was attended by Olympic star and boxer Vijender Singh, wrestler Sushil Kumar and BJP MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy in New Delhi. Though the academy will initially focus on badminton, it will later branch out to different sports, according to Jwala. source:

‘It is important that you don’t rush’ – Hardik Pandya reveals comeback date after back surgery Love him or hate him, you cannot ignore the fact that India all-rounder Hardik Pandya is one of the most selfless cricketers in the circuit today. It isn’t easy for a sportsperson to take the call of going under the knife. But then, for Hardik, there was no other solution as delaying the inevitable could have seen his team miss his services in the all-important World T20 slated to be held in less than an year in Australia. As he undergoes rehabilitation after a...

Vishal Sikka joins Oracle’s board of directors Washington: Former Infosys CEO Vishal Sikka, who recently launched his AI startup Vianai Systems, has been nominated to the board of directors of global technology major Oracle. Sikka, 52, is among the world’s leading experts in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning and would be helping Oracle in the business value and adapt to change, the company said in a statement. “Vishal is one the world’s leading experts in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning,” said Oracle chairman and CTO Larry Ellison, announcing Sikka’s addition to the Board of Directors. source:

Economic slowdown cyclical in nature, not structural: CEA Subramanian Chief economic advisor Krishnamurthy Subramanian on Monday said India’s economic slowdown is more cyclical than structural in nature, and the government has a well-thought-out agenda for reforms to revive the economy. “The current slowdown is a lot more on the cyclical side. The steps we are taking, like the corporate tax rate cut, are intended to create a more favourable environment for investments that are required for sustained growth,” Subramanian said at the FICCI Young Leaders Summit, adding that private investment is a key driver of economic growth and consumption is a force...

Kapil Sharma wins Comic Genius Award Kapil Sharma was recently in the news for taking frequent digs at Archana Puran Singh in The Kapil Shara Show. He was also mired in controversy relating to his disappointing statements from his discussion with Sajay Dutt. source:

Mangal Prabhat Lodha Lodha Developers’ M P Lodha and family has been named India’s richest real estate entrepreneur with a wealth of Rs 31,960 crore followed by DLF’s Rajiv Singh and Embassy group founder Jitendra Virwani in the second and third position respectively, according to a report. Hurun Report and GROHE India on Monday released the third edition of ‘GROHE Hurun India Real Estate Rich List 2019′ – featuring the richest real estate entrepreneurs in India. source: