Hughes death will affect Aussie pace attack: Ian Chappell

Phillip Hughes' death after being hit by a bouncer has left Ian Chappell shocked and the former Australian captain feels his country's pacers would find it tough to use the short-pitched delivery in the upcoming Test series against India.

"It's only natural for a bowler to be hesitant when unleashing a short-pitched delivery with the ghastly reminder of the consequences of bad luck still fresh in the memory. This hesitancy will affect the Australian fast bowlers more than the Indian attack," Chappell wrote in a column for ESPNcricinfo.

"The bouncer was expected to be a prime weapon of an Australian attack better equipped to dish out intimidating deliveries. With no bowler wanting to hit a batsman in these circumstances, this will have a greater effect on the Australian attack," he said.

Chappell said the players will have to nonetheless get on with the job. The series has already seen some rescheduling due to the tragedy with the first Test, originally planned from December 4, postponed to allow the grieving players to attend Hughes' funeral on December 3.

"The cricket at the Gabba won't be played with the usual intensity but it will probably be the best therapy for all the players. The bouncers won't stop. They will still be unleashed to put some doubt in the batsman's mind. However, I doubt they will be delivered with the same venom in the immediate aftermath of the SCG calamity," Chappell said.

Chappell went on to say that batsmen will not be mentally affected by the death of Hughes. "Batsmen have always known they could be hurt but they usually shrug it off with the thought that "it won't happen to me". Still, there will be apprehension, but the best players have an amazing ability to compartmentalise things and concentrate purely on the job at hand. They will be the ones who cope best

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/hughes-death-will-affect-aussie-pace-attack-ian-chappell/1/404499.html

RBI keeps interest rate unchanged, expects inflation to fall further.

The RBI kept the policy rates unchanged in its monetary policy review on Tuesday.

Unveiling the monetary policy review, the RBI kept the repo rate (8 per cent) , reverse repo rate (7 per cent) and the CRR (4.0 per cent) unchanged.

It expects November inflation to soften further. In the statement,  the bank said risks to Jan 2016 target of 6 per cent inflation is evenly balanced. The bank sees GDP growth seen at 5.5 per cent in 2015-16. The March-end CPI inflation has been revised down to 6 per cent from 8 per cent earlier.

The RBI expects inflation at 6 per cent over the next 12 months.

RBI says success of ongoing govt actions in removing infrastructural constraints will be key to reviving growth.

RBI governor Raghuram Rajan said the government is comfortable with setting 4 per cent inflation target plus/minus 2 per cent beyond 2016.

The policy states domestic activity weakened in Q2 of 2014-15, and activity is likely to be muted in Q3 also because of a moderate kharif harvest. The deficiency in the north-east monsoon rainfall has constrained the pace of rabi sowing, except in the southern States.

The persisting contraction in the production of both capital goods and consumer goods in Q2 reflected weak aggregate domestic demand. However, more recent readings of core sector activity, automobile sales and purchasing managers' indices suggest improvement in likely activity. Exports have buffered the slowdown in industrial activity in Q2 but, going forward, require support from partner country growth, the policy said.

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/rbi-keeps-interest-rate-unchanged-repo-rate-reverse-repo-rate-crr/1/404728.html

BCCI, Srinivasan blasted by Supreme Court for conflict of interest

The Supreme Court on Monday blasted Board of Control for Cricket in India president-in-exile N Srinivasan for conflict of interest, asking how somebody within the sports body is also holding a franchise in the Indian Premier League or IPL.

"You are a person who is managing the show. You are also having a team in IPL. Your are the owner of a team (Chennai Super Kings) in IPL. Would it not be a conflict of interest," asked an apex court bench headed by Justice T.S. Thakur.

"People are passionate about the game. The BCCI is killing it," the apex court noted in what is perhaps the harshest reprimand in the ongoing row over the BCCI's defiant stand on Srinivasan, who is also the owner of the Chennai Super Kings franchise. "You can't make a distinction between BCCI and IPL. IPL a is a by-product of BCCI," the Supreme Court noted.

The apex court added, "You will have to address question of conflict of interest as head of BCCI and also as owner of IPL team, whose official is found to be involved."

Srinivasan had on Friday requested the Supreme Court that he may be restored to his position as BCCI chief and be allowed to function. He argued that the Mudgal committee, that probed allegations of match fixing and betting in the 2013 edition of IPL, has cleared him of all charges levelled against him.

Robert Vadra whistleblower Ashok Khemka gets plum post in haryana

Whistleblower IAS officer from Haryana cadre, Ashok Khemka, who was shunted to the state archives department after he exposed the discrepancy in Robert Vadra's land deals with real estate giant DLF, joined on Monday as the transport commissioner and secretary (transport).

"Taken over as Transport Commissioner, Haryana today. Looking forward to bringing improvement in the transport sector," Khemka tweeted.
Khemka was shifted out as director general, state consolidation and land reclamation department after he highlighted shortcomings in the mutation in the deal between a firm owned by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law and DLF.
Khemka was transferred over 45 times in his 23-year career as a civil servant.
As part of the ruling BJP government's reshuffle plans in Haryana, another bureaucrat, Pradeep Kasni, who had a run-in with the previous Bhupinder Singh Hooda government when he highlighted anomalies in the appointment of commissioners, was made Gurgaon's new divisional commissioner.

Modi government faces black money heat in Parliament

The Trinamool Congress and the Janata Dal (United), which had given notices for suspension of the Question Hour in Rajya Sabha to discuss the issue, blocked the main gate of Parliament and raised slogans against the NDA government.

जम्मू कश्मीर में हालात अब भी खराब, रामबन में दरक रहे हैं पहाड़

जम्मू-कश्मीर में बाढ़ के बीच पहाड़ों से भी आफत बरस रही है. कश्मीर के रामबन में पहाड़ दरक रहे हैं. जमीन खिसकने से उधमपुर का पंजर सद्दाल गांव पूरी तरह बर्बाद हो गया है. पहाड़ के मलबे में दबे 50 से ज्यादा लोगों में से 10 के शव निकाले गए हैं. लैंडस्लाइड के चलते कई जगह हाइवे जाम हो गया है. सेना ने युद्धस्तर पर काम कर कई जगह सड़क सेवाएं बहाल करवाई. जम्मू कश्मीर में अब तक एक लाख 10 हजार लोगों का बचाया गया है. राहत के लिए सेना ने पूरा जोर लगा दिया है.
कश्मीर के बाढ़ग्रस्त इलाकों में सेना के राहत और बचाव कार्य का आज 11 दिन है. मिशन सहायता में करीब 30 हजार जवान शामिल हैं. पीएमओ में मंत्री जितेंद्र सिंह ने कश्मीर के बाढ़ग्रस्त इलाकों का हवाई सर्वे किया. गृह सचिव अनिल गोस्वामी ने भी राहत और बचाव कार्य का जायजा लिया. सैलाब की त्रासदी पर जम्मू कश्मीर के सीएम उमर अब्दुल्ला ने कहा, 'शुरू के 36 घंटे तक उनके पास सरकार नहीं थी. सदी के सबसे भीषण बाढ़ में सारी व्यवस्था बह गई थी.'
जम्मू कश्मीर सरकार बाढ़ पीड़ितों को छह महीने तक मुफ्त राशन देगी. सीएम उमर अब्दुल्ला ने कहा कि स्कूल का कैलेंडर भी बदला जाएगा.

 

बनारस में हवन, गुवाहाटी में कैंडल मार्च
जम्मू से गाजियाबाद पहुंचे एक परिवार ने राहत की सांस ली है. कुदरत के कहर से बचने को ये लोग चमत्कार मान रहे हैं. धौलपुर का एक युवक जम्मू कश्मीर की बाढ़ से बचकर सुरक्षित घर लौटा है. जिले के करीब सवा सौ लोग अब भी बाढ़ में फंसे हैं.
कश्मीर बाढ़ पीड़ितों के लिए वाराणसी में हवन का आयोजन किया गया. लोगों ने जल्द हालात ठीक करने के लिए ईश्वर से प्रार्थना की. अमृतसर में बाढ़ पीड़ितों के लिए कैंडल मार्च निकालकर तबाही से जल्द उबरने के लिए कामना की गई. कांग्रेस नेता दिग्विजय सिंह ने पीएम नरेंद्र मोदी की फिर तारीफ की है. उन्होंने कहा कि पाकिस्तान के कब्जे वाले कश्मीर (पीओके) को मदद की पेशकश करना अच्छी बात है.
'नेताओं की नहीं, फौज की सरकार चाहिए'
श्रीनगर के बाढ़ प्रभावित क्षेत्रों से सेना की मदद से निकाले गए कश्मीर निवासियों को गुरुवार सुबह एयरफोर्स के विमान से टेक्निकल एयरपोर्ट जम्मू लाया गया. विमान से उतरते ही लोगों ने सेना के पक्ष में नारेबाजी शुरू कर दी. नारेबाजी करते हुए ये कश्मीरी युवा बार-बार यही कह रहे थे कि उन्हें नेताओं की नहीं बल्कि फौज की सरकार चाहिए. जब वे अपने घरों की छतों पर भूखे-प्यासे मदद की गुहार लगा रहे थे, तब उन्हें नेताओं ने नहीं सेना ने बचाया.
बाढ़ पीड़ितों की मदद को लोग आगे आए हैं. श्रीनगर में दिल्ली सिख गुरुद्वारा प्रबंधक कमेटी ने राहत सामग्री बांटी. सेना के साथ रेड क्रॉस और तमाम एनजीओ भी मदद के लिए जुटे जो गांव-गांव राहत सामग्री बांट रहे हैं. जम्मू कश्मीर बाढ़ पीड़ितों के लिए पीएमओ के कर्मचारियों ने एक दिन की सैलरी दी है. यह रकम प्रधानमंत्री राहत कोष में जमा होगी. रेलवे ने भी बाढ़ पीड़ितों की मदद को हाथ बढ़ाए हैं. देश के किसी भी रेलवे स्टेशन से जम्मू और उधमपुर के लिए राहत सामग्री फ्री भेजी जाएगी.

INDIA 2014

एक चार छह बीघे का मालिक किसान. जमीन अधिग्रहण में वह चली जाती है. वह विरोध करता है. वह कहता है कि मुझे मेरी संपत्ति चाहिए. बाकी कुछ नहीं. उसकी कोई नहीं सुनता. वह विरोध में मुआवजा लेने से मना करता है. कोई ध्यान नहीं देता. उसका विरोध निष्प्रभावी रहता है. वह उकता कर आत्महत्या कर लेता है. पेड़ से लटककर. उसके तीन बच्चे और पत्नी अनाथ हो जाते हैं. अधिकारी कहते हैं कि अभी भी उसके पास एक बीघा खेत बचा था. उसे मुआवजा भी दिया गया था. उसने नहीं लिया तो उसकी गलती है. उसकी आत्महत्या एक साइकिल एक्सीडेंट से भी कम महत्व पाती है. यह वही देश है जहां साठ फीसदी लोग खेती पर निर्भर हैं. लेकिन एक किसान का पेड़ से लटक जाना किसी को असहज नहीं करता. लेकिन एक फोकट का सेलिब्रिटी अपनी अमीरी से मर जाता है तो लोग आरआईपी लिखकर नौटंकी करते हैं. मौत सबकी मौत है लेकिन यहां मौत पर भी महत्व बाजार के आधार पर मिलता है. क्या आपको मालूम है कि यहां की कृषि नीतियों, बैंक कर्ज और खेती पर कंपनी राज ने पांच साल में करीब पांच लाख किसान लील लिए हैं? नहीं. क्योंकि पांच लाख किसानों की मौतें एक सस्ते सेलिब्रिटी की मौत से सस्ती हैं. किसानों का खुदकुशी कर लेना साइकिल एक्सीडेंट जैसा है जिनमें सभ्याताओं का ध्वंस छुपा है.

Tax Slab 2014-2015 For individual resident aged below 60 Years

Individual resident aged below 60 years (i.e. born on or after 1st April 1954) or any NRI / HUF / AOP / BOI / AJP*

Income Tax :Calculate Tax Liability for AY 2014-15

	Income Slabs	Tax Rates
i.	Where the total income does not exceed Rs. 2,00,000/-.	NIL
ii.	Where the total income exceeds Rs. 2,00,000/- but does not exceed Rs. 5,00,000/-.	10% of amount by which the total income exceeds Rs. 2,00,000/-. Less** : Tax Credit - 10% of taxable income upto a maximum of Rs. 2000/-.
iii.	Where the total income exceeds Rs. 5,00,000/- but does not exceed Rs. 10,00,000/-.	Rs. 30,000/- + 20% of the amount by which the total income exceeds Rs. 5,00,000/-.
iv.	Where the total income exceeds Rs. 10,00,000/-.	Rs. 130,000/- + 30% of the amount by which the total income exceeds Rs. 10,00,000/-.

Union Budget 2014: Pay less for TVs and shoes, more for cold drinks and cigarettes

Propose increase in excise duty on tobacco products, and aerated water products with added sugar: Jaitley.
Tax proposals on indirect tax front would yield Rs.7,525 cr: FM.
To broaden tax base, negative list for service tax has been reviewed: FM.
FM announces measures to encourage manufacture of LCD/LED panels of TVs.
FM announces measures to boost domestic manufacturing sector; says the sector has been under stress.

Poem

“He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much;
Who has enjoyed the trust of pure women, the respect of intelligent men and the love of little children;
Who has filled his niche and accomplished his task;
Who has never lacked appreciation of Earth's beauty or failed to express it;
Who has left the world better than he found it,
Whether an improved poppy, a perfect poem, or a rescued soul;
Who has always looked for the best in others and given them the best he had;
Whose life was an inspiration;
Whose memory a benediction.”

What big data analytics achieve in world of risk

Aon spends $250 million (£147 million) every year on data and analytics in the risk space alone.  Everything we seek to do at Aon is to improve risk, reduce risk and help put our insured clients in a strong position when either retaining risk or placing risk. The ultimate goal for us is improving risk profiles and better assessing how we and our insurance partners approach risk.

Modernisation

Getting the right data analytics is easier said than done. This is a 325-year-old industry, and in many respects, has been fairly set in its ways compared to other parts of financial services.

In terms of how it approaches information, the insurance sector has often relied on a combination of bespoke deals for large underwriting, and different types of individual and event risk profiling for commodity insurance. Both are reliant on the expertise and experience of underwriters and brokers. 

However, the big problem with the way things have been done is that decisions are based primarily on historic data, rather than predictive market trends and analytics.

Our solution

Aon has become much smarter about data in recent years, focusing on advanced analytics, which show in real time what is happening in the marketplace.  We run a global centre for innovation and analytics, established in Ireland in 2008, as well as a newer centre in Singapore.

We have also established what we call the Global Risk Insights Platform (GRIP), which is the world's largest proprietary database of insurance placement data. This system takes billing data from our annual premium flow of over $80 billion of insurance, coupled with quotation data brokered by over 6,500 personnel around the world, in order to provide clients and underwriters with key trends and data analysis at their fingertips.

The reason for doing this is that the insurance marketplace is very fluid. Insurers often want to have a clearer picture of the risk they are underwriting and having the right data helps them to sharpen their risk appetite. Analytics is really able to help in a post-financial crash environment in which companies have to focus hard on cutting costs yet simultaneously wish to improve their risk profile.

Our investment in data and analytics also supports our global risk consulting business, in which we advise our customers, across a wide range of industries, to determine how they can reduce risk. For this, we work with our own advanced risk experts as well as drawing on our risk profiling systems.

The data challenge

The difficulty with excelling in the analytics business is that it requires different types of talent with different skillsets.  As an example, we need the highest skilled data scientists in our global analytic centres.  

This inevitably puts us in a talent competition directly against other local businesses that rely heavily on analytics, such as betting firm Paddy Power. It also positions us against locally based technology companies such as Google and Apple. We based the first centre in Ireland, because we already had a strong business there, and there was a high quality pool of technical and analytical talent available following the problems of the economic crash.

The future of risk management

At Aon we continually convert data into valuable insight for clients to help them understand new and emerging risks which they may not have considered.

As new risks emerge and technology companies become far faster in highlighting those risks, the insurance industry absolutely has to travel ahead of the curve. A great example is a flu outbreak in the US:  while the main authorities took several days to understand the problems, Google had created a map within a day, based on where people were searching for flu vaccines.

A similar challenge in keeping ahead could emerge in cyber security. Few people really understand the risks, and insurers have trouble underwriting it. It is very conceivable that young technology experts will soon be employed as key advisers to businesses, so that those firms can properly understand the risk. Insurers will also need to gain a similar understanding of this area.

The growth of technology, and emerging opportunities and risks, are the new dimensions in which the insurance industry needs to consider. There is a great potential to do better to analyse risk for businesses and improve how we help business. It will be the next steps we take, with technology, data analytics and expertise, that will make all the difference

Tomorrow's Budget Will Test Government's Commitment to Reforms

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's new government presents its inaugural budget tomorrow in the first substantive test of whether it will deliver on ambitious promises to revive stalled economic growth.

The PM has warned "bitter medicine" is needed to heal Asia's third-largest economy and improve battered government finances. Expectations of bold policies have been sky high, with the Sensex stock index in Mumbai hitting a series of record highs in the past several weeks. But the prospect of reduced harvests this year due to weak monsoon rains may forestall immediate cuts to fiscally ruinous subsidies for fuel, food and fertilizer.

The BJP swept into power in May after the most decisive election victory India has witnessed in three decades, ousting the coalition led by the Congress party. Voters were fed up with Congress' failure to curb runaway inflation and the wilting of growth rates to below 5 percent.

"I don't think we are going to see something that is completely path-breaking and transformational," said Anjalika Bardalai, an India analyst for the Eurasia Group. "But I do think there will be enough in the budget that is going to be perceived as business friendly and good for the economy."

India's economic growth has slowed to less than 5 percent for the last two years after a decade of expanding by an average of 8 percent, which is the minimum the government says is necessary to provide jobs for the 13 million young Indians who enter the workforce each year.

Big spending on subsidies has limited the government's ability to use its budget to make productive investments that could boost the economy's productivity in the long run. A chronic current account deficit has contributed to weakness in India's currency, worsening consumer inflation that has touched double digits in the last year.

The BJP campaign promised pro-business policies similar to those in the Gujarat state where Mr Modi was chief minister for years and focused on clearing obstacles to building roads and other infrastructure and offering incentives for large-scale investment.

Critics accuse Mr Modi of promoting a more free-wheeling capitalism with less of a social safety net, but the overwhelming victory in May indicated Indian voters, especially the young, are more concerned with the faltering economy.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's budget speech on Thursday may go beyond traditional subjects like spending priorities and deficit-reduction targets and also touch on at least broad outlines of policies such as a more selling off state-owned industries, tax reform and allowing more foreign investment in key industries.

Government steel, coal and petroleum companies are seen as prime targets for sale, which would replenish the government's coffers and help to make inefficient industries more productive. Mr Jaitley could also announce increases in caps on foreign direct investment in areas including defence and e-commerce.

Still, inflation and the high price of oil, India's biggest import, will make it difficult to reduce the fiscal deficit that is a both a symptom and a cause of many of the country's economy woes.

Many of the measures the government sees as ultimately necessary to curb the deficit are likely to be deeply unpopular.

One of the government's first acts when it took office was to raise rail passenger fares, an unpopular move that was partially rolled back after a public outcry.

Tens of millions of Indians have become accustomed to subsidized food, fuel and fertilizer that cost the government some $40 billion per year. The ruling BJP would like to redirect that spending to areas such as building roads, railways and power plants, but any cut in social spending could provoke a backlash.