Parliament attack: Home ministry submits Afzal Guru case to President

NEW DELHI: In a significant decision, the government is understood to have recommended to the President rejection of the clemency petition of Parliament attack convict Mohd Afzal Guru, condemned to death.

The home ministry is believed to have sent the file rejecting the mercy petition of Guru, convicted in the 2001 terror attack and given death sentence which was confirmed by the Delhi high court and upheld by the Supreme Court.

The home ministry is believed to have cited the Delhi government's recommendation which also favoured execution of Guru, an issue which has been hanging fire for seven years and has been a subject matter of intense political controversy.

Indications of the government's thinking on the matter came earlier in the day when minister of state for home Mullappally Ramachandran informed Rajya Sabha that home ministry has submitted Guru's case to the President's secretariat for a decision.

"The mercy petition case of death convict Mohd Afzal Guru has since been submitted to the President's secretariat on July 27, 2011 for a decision," he said.

He was responding to a question on why the government is not taking steps with regard to expediting the pending mercy petition of death row convict Guru.

Asked whether there is any provision under the Constitution for deciding upon any "clemency petition" against capital punishment as per sequence of its submission, the minister said, "There is no constitutional provision. It was an administrative decision to ensure fair and urgent treatment of all cases".

Guru was convicted of conspiracy in the December 2001 attack on the Parliament and was sentenced to death by the Supreme Court in 2004. The sentence was scheduled to be carried out on October 20, 2006.

However, Guru's execution was stayed following a mercy petition filed by his wife. He remains on death row.

Meanwhile, the Congress has steered clear of questions on decision on early execution of Afzal Guru contending that it was not proper to react on mercy petition cases submitted to the President.

"It is also part of a system. The matter is with the President. Just like it is not proper to say anything on sub-judice cases, the same holds true with issues submitted to the President," party spokesman Rashid Alvi told reporters.

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Polish City Krakow To Have Amitabh´s Handprint Alongside That Of Michael Jackson!

"And yes, my hand print on ornate slab to be placed in the path of honor by the Great Castle, along with other entertainment greats!," Amitabh posted on his Twitter page.

The 68-year-old was in Krakow to be a part of a film festival, where his film "Black" was screened. He also attended an event to honour his father, renowned poet Harivanshrai Bachchan, at the University of Krakow.

He described the process of his hand-printing ceremony on his blog www.bigb.bigadda.com.

"...Back in the room of the hotel, the dye was being cast. Chemicals were ready and mixed, instructions on how the hand should be placed, administered and the two hands dipped into a cold sluggish-like material - the paste that shall give impressions of the 'life line' and 'heart line' and the 'health condition'.

"As you hold steady the hands dipped slightly in the solution, the pink paste starts to turn white - indication that within seconds the hands need to be removed, as the job is over," he posted.

Amitabh was also presented with a 'key of the city' by the mayor of Krakow.

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Holly Willoughby’s sexy summer outfits hit Very store

Renowned for her curves and classic style, Holly Willoughby’s High Summer collection is brimming with sexy and flattering outfits for the summer season at Very.co.uk. The poppy brights look great teamed with black and the collection is anchored by chic little black women’s dresses and monochrome prints. The styles have a retro 1950’s flavour, with hourglass silhouettes and hemlines that celebrate the female form.

Nautical inspired pieces give the collection a real holiday feel; a striped Breton inspired top, sweet blue culottes finished with beige buttons, cobalt body con dress that fuses panels of block colour and statement stripes or breezy white cotton sun dress.

With dresses always a key focus, Holly showcases a number of gorgeous styles. For cute, girlish glamour choose tiered and ruffled tea dresses. The season’s perfect party dress a zingy red mesh sleeveless dress is a juxtaposition of modern colour and chic, classic design.

To take you through to evening there is a simple but stunning black cocktail dress; a seductive combination of sheer mesh panel over sweetheart neck line and curve-hugging, below-the-knee pencil skirt has a delicious retro twist, granting it fashion classic status. In contrast a selection of billowing maxi dresses featuring sumptuous gold metallic, or white on black paisley prints offer a more carefree, less structured alternative for balmy summer evenings.

Holly brings us pieces that reflect not just her signature style, but her infectious personality - flirty yet refined, sassy but sophisticated with style choices for everyone.

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How thermal plants can be re-energised with help from US agencies

Thermal power plants in India are partnering with third-party service providers for performance improvement, troubleshooting and diagnostics, according to Mr Scott Smouse, Senior Manager, National Energy Technology Laboratory of US Department of Energy.

Speaking at Power Plant Summit 2011, Mr Smouse said through long-term partnership with US Agency for International Development, technical assistance is being extended to India's coal and power sectors for nearly 30 years. This has been extended to bringing about efficiencies in partnership with NTPC.
3 state utilities

Three Indian State utilities — the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB), the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) and the West Bengal Power Development Corporation (WBPDC) — under the Asia Pacific partnership for clean development and climate have been covered, he explained.

The two-day conference is being held here with the theme ‘Development of service providers network for Indian thermal power plants'. Various power sector players have converged here, and are focussing their attention on improving plant efficiencies and bringing down carbon dioxide emissions.

Mr Smouse said Indian utilities and US service providers can forge strategic partnerships and create a network to address plant efficiencies.

Mr N.N. Mishra, Director, Operations, NTPC, said that the Government designed scheme perform, achieve and trade makes it mandatory for Indian companies to improve efficiencies and cut carbon dioxide emissions. NTPC has gained significantly over the years by bringing about internal efficiencies. “If service providers convince utilities about demonstrate-able improvements, they will be too willing to partner,” he said.

Mr Harish Chandra Prasad, past Chairman, CII-AP, said there was a need to develop a network of power plant service providers in India for plant improvement. He said such a network would help communicate to players the importance of latest performance improvement techniques, help reduce dependence on original equipment suppliers.

The event was hosted by the CII, the Green Business Centre, and the US Department of Energy.

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Italian Fashion 2011 - celebration of innovation, artistry & styling

The Italian Trade Commission and official media sponsor, Fashion Television are pleased to announce Italian Fashion 2011 being held in Toronto from April 11 - April 16.

A selection of retailers will be featuring Italian-made designs in their stores during the week and for the exclusive Fashion Event on Thursday, April 14. Guests are encouraged to visit participating retailers to view the latest Spring and Summer collections and pick up their official Passaporto Moda, for a chance to win a $1,200 shopping spree at one of the six featured retailers.

"We are thrilled to host Italian Fashion 2011 again this year," states Mr. Antonio Lucarelli, Trade Commissioner of the Italian Trade Commission. "Italy has always been synonymous with innovation, artistry and styling in fashion design and we are happy to share this with Toronto."

The second edition of Italian Fashion will host its exclusive, invitation-only event on Thursday, April 14 at The Glass Factory in Liberty Village, featuring ProArteDanza. VIP guests and participating retailers will gather for a truly unique and visionary experience that fuses ballet, modern dance and fashion in a performance designed by former National Ballet of Canada dancer and renowned choreographer, Roberto Campanella. Created exclusively for the event, Roberto has designed this special ModaDanza performance to showcase the best dancers and choreographers while infusing the essence of various Italian fashion brands.

Toronto Participating Retailers & Brands - Bloor-Yorkville
David's - Giuseppe Zanotti, Harris, Rene Caovilla, Salvatore Ferragamo, Sergio Rossi, Valentino ::: Harry Rosen - Brunello Cucinelli, ETRO ::: Milli - Armani Collezioni, Blumarine, ETRO, Moschino C&C, Valentino ::: Nicolas Menswear & Womenswear - Allegri, Aspesi, Boglioli, Ermenegildo Zegna, Gunex, Lardini, Philosophy, Alberta Ferretti, Rivamonti ::: Perry's - Paul & Shark ::: Via Cavour - Pal Zileri

Italian high fashion was born in 1951 when Gian Battista Giorgini organized the first runway show featuring the collections of designers including: Sorelle Fontana, Simonetta Visconti and Pucci. This runway, a fashion first in Italy, took place in the Villa Torrigiani in Florence. News of this event spread around the world, initiating the Made in Italy fashion phenomenon. Italy and Italian fashion designers have been the pioneers of numerous fashion trends, new design techniques and pure creative genius.

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New telecom policy caps licences at 10 years; moves to uniform fee

The Communications and IT Minister, Mr Kapil Sibal, on Monday unveiled the broad contours of the Telecom Policy 2011 including liberal merger and acquisition norms, the new licensing regime and a Spectrum Act to govern allocation of airwaves.
Licensing

On the proposed changes in the licensing regime, Mr Sibal said that from now on telecom licences will be given for a period of 10 years only. This means more capital outgo for telecom companies as they will have to renew their licences every 10 years.

The current policy allows operators to hold on to their licences for a 20-year period. Operators wanting to renew their licences will have to apply 30 months before the expiry date. Thus old operators such as Bharti Airtel, whose licences are valid till 2013-14, will have to apply for renewal right away.

Operators will be given the option of taking licences at the national level or continue with the existing system of circle-wise licensing. Pan-India operators such as Vodafone, Reliance Communications may find it beneficial to go for a national licence.

The big one, however, is the decision to move to a uniform licence fee. Operators currently pay between 6 and 10 per cent of their revenues depending on the circle of operation. Uniform fee would lower the financial burden on operators.
M&A norms

On M&A norms, the Minister said there is a need for liberal guidelines, but at the same time there should be enough competition. Hence the minimum number of operators will not be allowed to fall below six at any point in time in each circle.

Under the current rules, the threshold level is set at four operators in each circle. But since there are as many as 12-13 operators in each area, the proposed change will not have much impact. Other key details of the new M&A norms are still being worked out.

To address issues relating to spectrum allocation, a committee, under the chairmanship of retired Supreme Court judge Shivraj Patil, has been appointed to draft a Spectrum Act. The Act will govern future spectrum allocation.

In addition the Department of Telecom will appoint external agencies conduct regular audit to determine efficient usage of airwaves by mobile companies and other non-commercial users such as the defence and Department of Space. Another move that will benefit operators is the decision to allow spectrum sharing. But the DoT will stipulate conditions for the same, details of which were not revealed.

But this is not the final policy yet. Mr Sibal said that these proposals will be put before the Telecom Commission for a final decision by the end of the year. Industry observers said that the proposals are in line with the recommendations of the TRAI but the actual impact on the operators will be known only after details regarding spectrum pricing and M&A guidelines are announced.

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HSBC comes under US tax scrutiny over Indian accounts

HSBC branch in San Francisco Tax authorities claim HSBC encouraged Indians living in the US to set up hidden accounts back in India

US authorities are taking first steps towards an investigation into HSBC's alleged role in enabling tax evasion.

The Department of Justice has asked a federal court to allow US tax authorities to demand personal account details of US taxpayers from the UK bank's Indian subsidiary.

HSBC said it had not seen the summons but did not condone tax evasion.

The investigation will focus on Indians living in the US, who have to pay US income tax on their worldwide income.
'Wider effort'

The Department claims that HSBC India encouraged these non-resident Indians to set up accounts in India, which were then concealed from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in order to avoid paying income tax on the interest earned.

"Prospective clients were told that, as a foreign bank, HSBC India would not disclose the accounts to the IRS," said the Department in a statement on its website.

In response, HSBC said that it "does not condone tax evasion and fully supports the US efforts to promote appropriate payment of taxes".

The court petition referred to a specific case of tax evasion that is already known to them.

Vaibha Dahake of Somerset, New Jersey, has been charged with using undeclared bank accounts in the British Virgin Islands and at HSBC India to defraud the IRS.

However, the requested "John Doe" summons would cover the accounts of any US taxpayers at HSBC in India, which the US tax authorities say have been hidden from them.

It is the same strategy the US used to investigate Swiss bank UBS last year.

"Our international efforts are not just about one country or one bank - it's about our wider effort to ensure compliance with the nation's tax laws," said Douglas Shulman, commissioner at the IRS.

An intentional failure to report a foreign bank account can result in a penalty of up to 50% of the account's balance.

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Virtual trade draws FMCG firms

A few have taken tentative steps, others plan to open portals for e-commerce.

Virtual shoppers are drawing the attention of fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies. While a few, such as Godrej Consumer Products (GCPL), ITC and Wipro Consumer Care & Lighting (WCCL), are exploring the possibility of setting up e-commerce platforms to distribute products, others such as Marico, Dabur and Procter & Gamble (P&G) have taken a few tentative steps in this direction.

Marico has been working with a few e-commerce websites to sell products under the Saffola umbrella, said marketing head Sameer Satpathy. Dabur's chief executive officer Sunil Duggal said the company has been selling its Uveda range of products online for a year. P&G is distributing free samples of brands such as Ariel, Head & Shoulders, Pampers, Gillette, Pantene, Whisper and Olay on a website it had launched a few months ago.

The companies acknowledged while this was a new avenue, the challenge of distribution remains. A key factor for the business to be viable, say industry experts, is to rationalise the cost of shipping. “At this point, cost of shipping is too high vis-a-vis the unit value of items sold,” said Satpathy.

Duggal said the firm has worked its way round the problem by selling high-value skincare and cosmetic products. “Typically, we look at those products that have a limited retail footprint. It makes sense to take them online because of their limited availability. Being high-value, the cost of shipping does not pinch, too, much,” he said.

Dabur, for instance, plans to take its Oxylife brand of skincare products, available in beauty parlours, an other beauty products online.

According to the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), the total net commerce in India is estimated to touch Rs 46,520 crore by the end of this year, of which, the non-travel component will make up about 19 per cent (or Rs 8,630 crore) of the business. Of this, e-tailing alone will constitute the bulk at Rs 2,700 crore, which is an over two-fold jump since 2007, when e-tailing was Rs 978 crore only.

But the bulk of the products retailed online remain non-perishable items with the thrust on categories such as personal care, cosmetics, electronics, apparel, home products etc.

Kishore Biyani, managing director and chief executive officer, Future Group, which has an e-commerce portal called Future Bazaar said his team was working on putting more categories online. “At the moment we have categories such as electronics, apparel and home products. But we are looking at expanding the base. It boils down to how you link your back-end with your front-end,” he said.

Future, for instance, is building one million square feet of space for logistics and warehousing in its quest to distribute more products online. Currently, Future Bazaar does business about Rs 10-15 crore a month. The plan is to take the number to close to Rs 100 crore a month in a few years from now said Biyani.

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