SpiceJet on Monday said it is offering “hundreds” of “free” tickets, where the base fare will be waived but taxes and other surcharges have to be paid, to select people who want to fly to Delhi to vote in the upcoming assembly elections on February 8.

The budget carrier clarified that the participants, who will be selected by the airline’s internal panel after their online registration, will have to bear all applicable taxes, surcharges, levies and any other additional costs incurred on the air tickets.

In this “SpiceDemocracy” initiative, the airline stated that if the departure to Delhi and return from the city is on February 8, it will refund the entire base fare on both tickets.

Alternatively, flyers will be offered a one-way ticket, with the base fare waived off, if they plan to fly on February 7 and return on February 8 or fly on February 8 and return on February 9.

The online registration for this initiative will remain open from January 31 to February 5. The shortlisted participants will be informed on February 6, and will be provided a link to book tickets where the base fare is waived. Read Complete Article

The Indian Space Research Organisation is readying low-cost satellite launch vehicles costing about Rs 30-35 crore each, which can put into orbit satellites weighing 500 kg.

The first such launch from the country is expected to take place in the next four months.

This capability will give ISRO a big commercial boost as it will be able to cater to micro, mini and medium segments of the market, Haridas T V, Deputy Director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre said, taking part in the panel discussions at ‘EDGE 2020, The Space Conclave’, here on Friday.

“The biggest advantage is that ISRO now can manufacture these vehicles in a turnaround time of just three weeks,” he said.

ISRO has earmarked $1,600 million for launch vehicles, of which $870 million will be for PSLV and the remaining for Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle, he revealed. Read Complete Article

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday slammed his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal, over his “tall claims” on providing affordable power to Delhiites, saying that the latter was a “shifty character” who had “mastered the art of deceit and lies to mislead the people”.

The Chief Minister also accused the BJP of converting the entire country into Shaheen Bagh and using it to polarise elections in Delhi and destroying India’s foundations.

Taking on Kejriwal, Captain Amarinder said that the AAP leader had done nothing exceptional by providing cheap power and setting up mohalla clinics, as all Chief Ministers of Congress-ruled states were doing so.

“Some people will surely be happy with these freebies but what has he really done for the development and progress of Delhi? What has he done for creating jobs for your children,” he said.

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Campaigning for the Delhi Assembly elections has intensified with the date of polling inching closer. Today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a rally in Dwarka, while Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will release its manifesto.

The campaign on Monday had leaders of the BJP, the AAP and the Congress launching a no-holds-barred attack on rivals on issues like anti-CAA protest at Shaheen Bagh and performance of the Kejriwal government. Modi slammed the anti-CAA agitators in Shaheen Bagh and other areas saying the protest against the new citizenship law was an “experiment” and there was a design of politics behind it, which would ruin the national harmony.

Addressing an election rally at Karkardooma in east Delhi, Modi said the spurt in protests in areas like Shaheen Bagh, Seelampur and Jamia were not just co-incidences. “Attention is being diverted from the real conspiracy,” the Prime Minister said.

Campaigning for the polls will conclude on February 6 evening. The elections for Delhi Assembly’s 70 seats will be held on February 8. Results will be declared on February 11.

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Delhi Election: Campaigning for the Delhi Assembly elections has intensified with the date of polling inching closer. Today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a rally in East Delhi’s Karkardooma area. Yesterday, leaders of political parties made the best use of Sunday, the last before the February 8 Delhi assembly polls, to garner support for their candidates.

The BJP conducted a mega contact programme, with its top leaders, including party chief J P Nadda, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh UP CM Yogi Adityanath and party leader Smriti Irani, visiting all 70 assembly constituencies in the national capital. Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal addressed public meetings in Vishwas Nagar, Laxmi Nagar and Rithala, and undertook roadshows in Kirari and Mundka.

Voting in all 70 Assembly constituencies of Delhi is slated to be held on February 8. The counting of votes will take place on February 11.

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The death toll from the coronavirus has soared to 361 while more than 2,000 new cases were recorded in China in the past 24 hours, raising the worldwide total to nearly 17,205. The virus has sent ripples of fear across the world. Chinese stocks plummeted on Monday by the most since an equity bubble burst in 2015 as they resumed trading to the worsening virus outbreak. South Korean shares opened sharply lower. Nifty, Sensex is expected to slip on fears over fast-spreading coronavirus. A third person was diagnosed with the deadly coronavirus in Kerala on Monday even as the first death outside of China was reported in the Philippines, prompting many countries to take stringent steps, including travel restrictions, to limit the spread of the disease.

Meanwhile, China is set to open a 1,000-bed makeshift hospital built in record 10 days at Wuhan, the epicentre of the virus outbreak in central China’s Hubei Province.

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Benchmark indices tumbled over a per cent each on Saturday after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman cocluded her Union Budget 2020 speech. Sitharaman revised the country’s fiscal deficit target to 3.8 per cent for the current fiscal year from an earlier target of 3.3 per cent. READ MORE
The finance minister also announced that the companies won’t need to pay dividend distribution tax (DDT).
The S&P BSE Sensex was trading around 40,210-mark, down 450 points, or 1.15 per cent. Larsen & Toubro and HDFC (both down 4%) were the top laggards in the Sensex pack. Bajaj Finance and Kotak Mahindra Bank declined 3 per cent each.
The broader Nifty50 index was trading near 11,810-mark, down 152 points, or 1.27 per cent.Stay tuned for Budget 2020 live updates

Budget 2020 LIVE updates: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present her second Union Budget in Parliament at 11 am today. The Budget speech will be keenly watched on both sides of the aisle in Parliament, and also by investors, both domestic and foreign, besides various interest groups like farmers and the anxious middle class.

Budget 2020 comes at a time when India is staring at an estimated 5 per cent annual rate of expansion, the slowest pace since 2009.

The economy has lately been impacted by slowing trade, rising protectionism, and concerns over a high level of unemployment. The recent sluggishness in the economy has led to expectations that the Budget would contain further stimulus measures to boost growth through new policy initiatives and continued reforms to achieve accelerated growth and employment generation.

On Friday, the government tabled the Economic Survey 2019-20, which projected the country’s GDP growth for 2020-21 at 6-6.5 per cent.

Stay tuned for Budget 2020 live updates

While 2019 started off with expectations of Huawei Technologies challenging Samsung Electronics for the title of world’s most prolific smartphone vendor, it’s the more familiar foe of Apple that’s now threatening the South Korean titan’s throne.

Industry trackers on Thursday released estimates that show the iPhone maker close to matching or surpassing its Korean rival in shipments during the pivotal holiday quarter. Strategy Analytics put Apple’s iPhone shipments for the fourth quarter at 70.7 million, slightly ahead of Samsung’s 68.8 million. Canalys gauged the US firm had moved 78 million, surpassing the Asian brand’s 71 million. And researchers at IHS Markit have the positions flipped —with Samsung at 70.7 million and Apple at 67.7 million.

Research firms are forced to estimate because Apple stopped providing its own iPhone figures a year ago, while Samsung gives a total number that includes smartphones and feature phones. The consensus, however, is that there’s essentially no longer any daylight between the two dominant brands in mobile phones.

Here you can also read Budget2020 News

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that a strong foundation will be laid for this decade in the present session of Parliament and hoped there will be good debates in both the Houses on the economy.

Speaking ahead of the Budget Session, Modi said that he wanted a vast and qualitative discussion on financial issues in both the houses.

“This session should be focussed mainly on economic issues. I want there to be good debates on these issues in both houses.

“Our government’s identity has been of empowering Dalits, women, those who face exploitation. We want to continue these efforts. This session should be focussed mainly on economic issues. I want there to be good debates on these issues in both houses,” he said.

Here you can also read Budget2020 News