NEW DELHI -- Indian boxing star Vijender Singh knocked out former world Francis Cheka to retain WBO-Asia Pacific Super Middleweight title.

Vijender took less than 10 minutes to beat Tanzanian boxer to defend his title at the packed Thyagraj Stadium in New Delhi last night.

Vijender landed the winning blow in the third round of what was to be a 10-round contest to leave Cheka dazed and delirious.

After the bout, Vijender said he believed in his punch power. He also thanked all his coaches for the effort they put in.

Among those present on the occasion to cheer Vijender included Minister of State for Home Kirren Rijiju, yoga guru Baba Ramdev, five-time world champion MC Mary Kom and star wrestling duo - Sushil Kumar and Yogeshwar Dutt.

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Gold biscuits worth ₹2,700 crore were bought with the banned ₹500 and ₹1000 in Hyderabad in November alone, and 8,000 kilograms of gold were imported into the state between 8-30 November, The Times of India reported today.

The persons involved went underground after the purchase, according to the TOI report. Companies and banks through which gold as bullion was imported included Diamond India, State Trading Corporation, Axis, Yes Bank, ICICI, SBI, HDFC and Kotak Mahindra.

"That all this was sold can be ascertained from the fact that there was fresh import of 1,500kgs of gold between December 1 and 10. There is a sudden spurt in the bullion market and those with high stash of the demonetised currency are buying gold from bullion traders and jewellers in Hyderabad," sources in the Enforcement Directorate told TOI.

On 8 November, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that his government's demonetisation drive would curb black money and corruption. The exercise has effectively put more than 80 percent of the country's currency out of circulation.

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ISLAMABAD -- Pakistani cinemas have lifted ban on Bollywood movies imposed after relations between New Delhi and Islamabad dipped to a new low following tensions on the border and terrorist attacks.

The cinemas will start screening Indian movies from Monday, Dawn online reported.

The managements of Pakistani cinemas on September 30 announced indefinite suspension of screening of all Bollywood movies as a protest against the ban of Pakistani artists in India.

Pakistani artists were banned in India following an attack on an Army base in Uri town of Jammu and Kashmir. At least 19 soldiers were killed in the attack.

Pakistani cinema owners on Saturday said they had only suspended the screening of Indian movies, but had not completely banned screening Bollywood content, Dawn online reported.

According to the cinema owners, the movies which could not be screened due to the suspension of Indian content, will be screened first.

"We lifted the suspension as a cinema guild. We took this decision to support them (Indian cinemas) and expect them to support us," said a cinema owner.

The first movie to be screened will be actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui's Freaky Ali.

The boycott was imposed after some Indian film-makers banned Pakistani actors from working in Bollywood films.

Bollywood is popular in Pakistan, and the self-imposed suspension is reported to have led to a dramatic loss of revenue.

Indian movies returned to Pakistani cinema houses in 2008 after a 43-year long hiatus after the ban was imposed during the 1965 war.

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Biju Janata Dal lawmaker Baijayant Panda's tweet about returning a part of his salary has got retweeted over 2000 times over the past two days.

Following the end of the dismal Winter Session on Friday, Panda, a Lok Sabha MP from the Kendrapara constituency in Odisha, tweeted, "Winter session of Parlmt ends after passing the disabilities bill. Phew! As usual, i'll be returning salary proportional to time wasted/lost."

Winter session of Parlmt ends after passing the disabilities bill. Phew! As usual, i'll be returning salary proportional to time wasted/lost

— Baijayant Jay Panda (@PandaJay) December 16, 2016

The "united" attack launched by the Opposition against the Modi government's demonetisation drive arrested most of the Winter Session. The few attempts to debate the issue eventually descended into chaos.

The Winter Session of 2016 is the least productive Lok Sabha session since 2010, and the second least productive session in 17 years, according to PRS Legislative Research. The Lok Sabha has only a 15 percent productivity this session. The Rajya Sabha fared a little better at 20 percent.

According to official figures, India paid Rs.176 crore to 543 Lok Sabha members in salaries and expenses over the last year, or just over Rs. 2.7 lakh a month per lawmaker. MPs are entitled to Rs.50,000 per month as salary, Rs.45,000 as constituency allowance, Rs.15,000 as office expenses and Rs.30,000 for secretarial assistance.

While Panda has received a fair share of accolades for his decision, there are some lawmakers who differ with his approach. While the Bharatiya Janata Party's Prahlad Singh Patel told The Times of India that Panda could afford to give up his salary because he came from an affluent family, Congress Party's Kanti Lal Bhuria felt that he had done his job.

"When the whole country is suffering because of the mismanagement in the implementation of the demonetisation decision, isn't it the opposition's duty to protest? As a Congress MP, I did my job. Jay Panda may have his own opinion," he told TOI.

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NEW DELHI -- A parliamentary panel has recommended revamping existing schemes for persons with disabilities and formulation of new ones to cover more homeless and destitute PWDs.

The Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment in a report said, "Though there exists a national policy for persons with disabilities (PWDs) since 2006, a large population is not aware of it and the benefit likely to accrue to them due to this policy."

It has recommended that the Department of Empowerment of Persons in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment formulate a national policy for PWDs on the lines of the National Policy for Older Persons.

"The Committee feels that the National Policy for PWDs has not been given wide and enough publicity so that PWDs could avail its benefits. The three schemes operated by the National Trust namely Vikas, Samarth and Gharunda have no visible impact and expenditure under these schemes is negligible.

"The Committee thus urges the department not only to revamp these schemes and make them effective and result- oriented, but also formulate more schemes and programmes to cover more homeless and destitute PWDs."

The panel took a serious view of only four states -- Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka -- having separate departments to look after the welfare of PWDs, while in the rest, it is either being looked after by the Commissioner or officers having an additional charge.

It drew the attention of the department to Article 41 of the Constitution which provides that "the State shall, within the limits of its economic capacity and development make effective provision for securing the right to work, education and public assistance in cases of unemployment, old age, sickness and disablement and in other cases of undeserved want".

"In spite of this constitutional provision, many of the state governments/UTs are not having separate department of disability for proper implementation of schemes made for the welfare of such people which shows apathy on part of the state governments toward the welfare of PWDs which constitute more than 2.21 per cent of total population," it said.

"No country or society can ever progress ignoring the needs and aspirations of more than 2.70 crore differently-abled persons," it said and appealed to the department to impress upon the state governments and UT administrations to have separate department for differently-abled persons to address the concerns.

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NEW DELHI -- Superstar Aamir Khan will have the first screening for his upcoming film Dangal for wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat and his family before its release.

The Phogats have been invited for the first screening of final print of the film by Aamir and the makers.

Apart from them, the PK (2014) star's mother Nuzhat and rest of his family members will also be attending the screening at a preview theatre which the actor has booked in Mumbai.

The flick is a sports biopic based on the life of ace wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat and the journey of his daughters Geeta and Babita Phogat.

With 7 days to go, the audiences can no more await the movie, adding it to the most anticipated movies of 2016.

Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, Produced by Aamir Khan, Kiran Rao and co-produced by Siddharth Roy Kapur, Dangal is slated to release on December 23.

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There appear to be restaurant and bars in Delhi and Mumbai that are really not into spreading the Christmas cheer. On the contrary, establishments in the country's national capital and its business hub are closing their doors to gay couples either by making them feel unwelcome or denying them entry, the Daily News And Analysis (DNA) reported today.

DNA spoke to two restaurants in Mumbai, two in Delhi and one in Gurgaon, which categorically said that they do not allow gay couples.

A staffer at Shiro, a high-end club in Mumbai, told DNA, "We have orders from the management to only allow 'husband and wife type (sic) couples'. We have to go by what we're told."

LGBTQ activist Harish Iyer, who was refused entry at the Bar Stock Exchange in Mumbai, told DNA, "Unlike popular perception, the law of the land is still not against homosexuality, just anal sex. So why should these joints act stuck up? It's not like I'm asking to drink/eat for free."

In a setback for human rights in India, the Supreme Court in 2013 ruled that gay sex is crime and only Parliament could annul the Indian Penal Code's regressive Section 377 on unnatural sex.

Read the whole story at DNA.

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NEW DELHI/NAGPUR -- The Army veterans on Sunday came to the rescue of the government, which has been drawing flak post the decision to appoint Lieutenant General Bipin Rawat as the next Army Chief, and said that seniority was not the only aspect taken into consideration prior to making an appointment for such a coveted post.

Defence Expert Colonel (Retd.) D.S. Grewal said the selection up to the Army Commander-level is strictly as per professional capability, while appointment as an Army Chief has to be on wider scale.

"Hence to say that seniority only matters will not be correct. No more controversies are required especially in the appointment of Army Chief," he told ANI.

Another defence expert Colonel (Retd.) Sunil Deshpande recalled the earlier instances of 1972 and 1983 when the Army Chiefs where appointed after superseding their senior officials and expressed his displeasure over the issue surrounding Lieutenant Rawat's appointment being blown out of proportion.

"It is not compulsory. The people are unnecessarily discussing this issue and raising questions on the decision of government," he said.

Earlier on Saturday, the government announced the name of Lieutenant General Rawat as the new Chief of Army Staff and Air Marshal B.S. Dhanoa as the new Chief of Air Staff.

Lieutenant General Rawat, who took over as the Army vice-chief in September 2016, bypassed Eastern Command chief Lieutenant General Praveen Bakshi (armoured corps) and Southern Army Command chief Lieutenant General PM Hariz (mechanised infantry).

Lieutenant General Rawat has remarkable experience of serving in combat areas and at various functional levels in the Indian Army over the last three decades.

He has handled various operational responsibilities in many areas, including along the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan, the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China and in the North-East.

He is known for his balanced approach towards soldiering, compassion, and his connect with the civil society.

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Serving officers and veteran are shocked and disappointed as two of the most senior generals of the Indian Army—Eastern Army Commander Lieutenant General Praveen Bakshi and Southern Army Commander Lieutenant General PM Hariz—were passed over by the Modi government.

Instead, the Centre chose to name Lieutenant General Bipin Rawat, currently the Vice Chief of Army Staff, as the 27th Chief of Indian Army.

Social media messages being circulated within the military by officers reflect a mood of disbelief and dissatisfaction. Supersession in the armed forces, although not unheard of, is not very common. Instances of supersession can be counted on one's fingers.

Having said that, it is equally true that the Government is well within its right to choose the chiefs of the three services. Also, appointing the most senior officer as the next chief is a convention and not a statutory requirement. The President of the United States regularly appoints chiefs according to his preference. Sacking inconvenient ones is an equally normal practice in the US. And it is no secret that the integrity, behaviour and actions of some previous chiefs— appointed on the principal of seniority—have been disappointing.

READ: In An Unusual Move, Govt Supercedes Two Generals To Name Bipin Rawat Next Army Chief

Could this have been handled better?

Explanations for deciding on Lt. Gen. Bipin Rawat as the next chief have raised some uncomfortable questions.

The Government, in a detailed background brief, said Lt. Gen. Rawat "...was found best suited among the lieutenant generals to deal with the emerging challenges." It further said Lt. Gen. Rawat "has handled various operational responsibilities in many areas including along the LoC with Pakistan, the LAC with China and in the North-East." Finally, the background brief says "Lt. Gen. Rawat has tremendous hands-on experience of serving in combat areas and at various functional levels in the Indian Army." Clearly, the Government is indicating that Lt. Gen. Rawat has more operational experience than the others.

The Eastern Army Command, headed by Lt. Gen. Praveen Bakshi, defends borders with three countries—China, Myanmar and Bangladesh. It is also tasked to carry out counter-insurgency operations in Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, Tripura and Assam. The Eastern Army Command played a critical role in three wars: World War II, when it acted as the bulwark to prevent a Japanese onslaught; the 1962 Indo-China War; and in the Bangladesh Liberation War. For all practical purpose, it is as crucial a command as the Northern Army Command that defends a major part of the India-Pakistan border. G

Given the Government's reason and the nature of the command that Lt. Gen. Bakshi heads, the logical question is how could someone with lesser operational experience head the Eastern Army Command?

READ: Army Veterans Defend Centre's Move, Say Seniority Shouldn't Be The Only Aspect For Army Chief's Appointment

Allegations of political interference

The decision to overlook two of the most senior generals is likely to fuel allegations of political interference and beginning of politicisation of the military.

The Indian military is apolitical unlike its Pakistani counterpart. The two militaries were born at the same time and came from the same stock. Unlike the Indian military, over the years the Pakistani military has become the biggest hindrance to Pakistan's democratic development.

On the other hand, India's progress and continuance on that path and its achievements as nation have been possible because of its admirable military and political leaders who understood their responsibilities and limits, and stayed on the course. Selecting the most senior military officer as the next chief thus evolved as mechanism to limit political interference or currying favour with politicians for critical appointments.

Does this decision therefore make the military open to political interference? The answer is both yes and no. One, India isn't a tin-pot democracy. It is a mature democracy that can handle upsets. Two, reorganisation of the military is on the cards—much of the political interference will depend on what happens in the course of the proposed reorganisation.

Reorganisation of the military

The Government has decided to "right size" the military. A twelve-member committee headed by Lt. Gen. (retired) BD Shekatkar is on the job. The military follows a steep pyramid structure; as the pyramid narrows, officers are sifted and left behind at regular intervals.

In a 13-million strong army, there are only about 80-odd lieutenant generals and only seven army commanders. In the upper ranks—Corps Commanders and above—age is a deciding factor on who makes it to the next rank. As a result, calculations of who would be probable chief a decade later is worked out even as an officer makes to the rank of brigadier or equivalent.

Coteries leading to clan-like behaviour and currying favour for seniors for good annual reports is rampant. Good commanders, who aren't part of the coteries, are more often than not ignored. Cabal-like behaviour —often dictated by whether an officer is an infantryman, a tank man, gunner, signals fighter, transport pilot or an engineer officer—is all too common within all three arms of the military. Therefore, while appointing the most senior officer may have its advantages, it has its drawbacks too.

As the Government sets out to reorganise the military it must ensure a system of promotions that values merit and age equally.

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HOUSTON -- Indian American child prodigy Tiara Thankam Abraham has released her first album, a collection of nine world holiday songs, in six languages.

Tiara, 10, who entered college at the age of seven, is the younger sister of Tanishq Abraham, a contestant on the Lifetime reality show Child Genius.

The album titled 'Winter Nightingale', contains her renditions of some classic carols and holiday songs, sung in English, Spanish, Italian, German, Latin and French.

The Abrahams are second generation immigrants from Kerala, India. Their grandparents came to the United States when they were children.

Tiara is enrolled at the American River College in Sacramento, California the same school where her brother graduated in May 2015. Currently a junior, she has big plans after school. "When I grow up, I want to be a soprano opera classical singer," she said.

Both Abraham siblings are members of Mensa, the high-IQ society and both are among the youngest Americans in the group. On the test, Tanishq scored 99.9 percentile and Tiara scored 99.

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NEW DELHI -- The Centre has decided to set up a single, permanent Tribunal to adjudicate all inter-state river water disputes subsuming existing tribunals, a step which is aimed at resolving grievances of states in a speedy manner.

Besides the Tribunal, the government has also proposed to float some benches by amending the Inter-State Water Disputes Act, 1956 to look into disputes as and when required. Unlike the Tribunal, the benches will cease to exist once the disputes are resolved.

A decision to approve an amendment to the Act was taken at the Union Cabinet's meeting held earlier this week. The amendment is likely to be introduced in Parliament in its next session.

"There will be only one permanent Tribunal with retired Supreme Court judge as its chairperson. There will be benches formed as and when required. The benches though will be wound up once a dispute is resolve," Water Resources Ministry secretary Shashi Shekhar said.

Earlier, Shekhar said, water tribunals "took ages" to deliver final awards into disputes, where as the proposed Tribunal is expected to deliver its verdict during a span of three years.

Along with the Tribunal, the amendment proposes to set up Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC). The DRC, comprising experts and policy-makers, is proposed to handle disputes prior to the Tribunal.

"...whenever a state will request, the Centre will set up a DRC. We expect, most disputes will get resolved at the DRC's level itself. But if a state is not satisfied, it can approach the Tribunal," he added.

In order to give more teeth to the Tribunal, it is proposed that whenever it gives order, the verdict gets notified automatically. Until now, the government required to notify the awards, causing delay in its implementation.

As per the current provisions of the 1956 Act, a tribunal can be formed after a state government approaches Union Government with such request and the Centre is convinced of the need to form the tribunal.

At present, there are eight Tribunals including those on Cauvery, Mahadayi, Ravi and Beas, Vansadhara and Krishna rivers.

The present year saw party states like Tamil Nadu and Karntaka (Cuavery basin), Goa-Karnataka-Maharashtra (Mahadayi) and also Odisha and Chhattisgarh (Mahanadi) sparring over sharing river water.

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A three-day meet of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) throughout West Bengal during Christmas, and the visit of the organisation's chief Mohan Bhagwat in January, is giving the Mamata Banerjee administration sleepless nights.

Bhagwat will address a public meeting in Kolkata, and take several organisational meetings in the city in January 2017. Bidyut Mukherjee, in charge of RSS's south Bengal units, confirmed that Bhagwat will be in Kolkata on January 14 to address a public meeting. It is learnt that Bhagwat will also be conducting some internal meetings with Sangh pracharaks and BJP leaders. However, Mukherjee did not want to comment on the RSS's meetings around Christmas, saying these were "small, internal meetings" that are "routine" and held many times during a year.

Bhagwat will address a public meeting in Kolkata, and take several organisational meetings in the city in January 2017. Bidyut Mukherjee, in charge of RSS's south Bengal units, confirmed that Bhagwat will be in Kolkata on January 14 to address a public meeting. It is learnt that Bhagwat will also be conducting some internal meetings with Sangh pracharaks and BJP leaders. However, Mukherjee did not want to comment on the RSS's meetings around Christmas, saying these were "small, internal meetings" that are "routine" and held many times during a year.

However, the state administration is being especially cautious about the three-day RSS meet because of the timing. In April 2015, the Bengal government had banned the Vishwa Hindu Parishad chief Praveen Togadia from entering the state. This was because in January that year, Togadia had addressed a rally in Bengal's Birbhum district where the VHP had held a "suddhikaran" ceremony in which some Christians and Muslims were alleged to have been "reconverted" to Hinduism. An FIR was later lodged against him for inflammatory speech.

In recent times, there have been several clashes between different religious groups in various parts of Bengal, and the administration is having a tough time handling such situations. Under the circumstances, the government is jittery about both Bhagwat's visit and the upcoming RSS shivirs scheduled during Christmas.

This is what a press release (of October 2016) of the RSS mentions on its website, "The RSS strongly condemns the recent spate of brutal communal violence by radical jehadi elements and the inaction of the ruling establishments in the states like West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka and demands urgent action against the perpetrators of this violence and maintain vigil against such radical elements."

It adds that "In West Bengal, after the recent state elections, the communal violence against Hindus has seen menacing rise which has claimed many lives and many more seriously wounded till now... The law enforcement machinery remained only a mute spectator in such incidents even refusing to register FIRs..."

All this is in the public domain. The administration is jittery because Bhagwat's public meetings may mention such episodes that the police had a tough time handling.

Christmas is celebrated with great fervour in many parts of Bengal, even outside Kolkata. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated a two-week long Christmas programme on December 16 in Kolkata which involves live music, food stalls on Kolkata's Park Street, along with tours organised by the state tourism department to various churches in and outside Kolkata.

With the RSS meet scheduled around the same time throughout the state, the government is naturally becoming more cautious. And Bhagwat's visit in January, in the backdrop of the recent clashes in some districts of south Bengal, has just added to their nervous jitters.

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CHENNAI -- DMK chief Karunanidhi, who is undergoing treatment in Chennai for breathing difficulty caused by throat and lung infection, is doing well, party treasurer and the nonagenarian leader's son M K Stalin said on Sunday.

"Doctors treating Kalaignar (Karunanidhi) told me that the party chief is all right and asked me not to worry," he said while addressing a function organised by the party at Namakkal for students.

Stalin said doctors told him he could leave for Namakkal to attend the function as the "DMK chief is all right and doing well."

Karunanidhi was admitted to Kauvery Hospital in Chennai on the night of 15 December due to breathing difficulty caused by lung and throat infection. He later underwent a tracheotomy which helped him breathe freely.

Meanwhile, a host of leaders including Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy and Tamil Maanila Congress chief G K Vasan visited the hospital and enquired about the 92-year-old leader's health.

Actors Naser and Vishal and A M Vikramaraja of the traders federation were among others who visited the hospital.

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The Morning Wrap is HuffPost India's selection of interesting news and opinion from the day's newspapers. Subscribe here to receive it in your inbox each weekday morning.

Essential HuffPost

Serving officers and veteran, as well as a section of the public, are shocked and disappointed as two of the most senior generals of the Indian Army — Eastern Army Commander Lieutenant General Praveen Bakshi and Southern Army Commander Lieutenant General PM Hariz — were passed over by the Modi government, which chose Lieutenant General Bipin Rawat, currently the Vice Chief of Army Staff, as the 27th Chief of Indian Army. Apart from political influence, this decision seems to have been made by a need to reorganise the military.

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat is proving to be a headache to the Mamata Banerjee government in the state ahead of his visit in January 2017, while a three-day RSS conference during Christmas has only added to the administration's woes. In April 2015, the Bengal government had banned the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) chief Praveen Togadia from entering the state after he addressed a rally in Birbhum, where, in a "suddhikaran" ceremony held by the VHP, some Christians and Muslims were allegedly "re-converted" to Hinduism. No wonder, the government has to keep its ears to the ground for the next few weeks.

As the country gears itself up for the coming new year and Christmas celebrations, some restaurants have decided to keep their doors shut to "gay couples". Their decision is not only discriminatory and illegal but also does not square with Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, which, on paper, bans intercourse "against the order of nature", which can be take place between people of both genders too.

Main News

General Bipin Rawat, who will take over as the army chief from 31 December, was a brigadier in 2008, when he was sent to Congo to control the Indian army's largest deployment on foreign soil. The locals were suspicious of UN peacekeepers, especially about the difference they made in their lives and accused the mission of doing little to protect them. Angry crowds would hurled stones at UN vehicles on the streets of Goma, the capital of North Kivu, where the Indian brigade is based. General Rawat showed commendable organisation skill under adversity and won accolades for his team's handling of the internal conflict brewing in the country.

An analysis of the Census 2011 data reveals 27% of unmarried Indian women have joined the workforce, while 41% of married women are part of it. Those among the latter are likely to have fewer children and their preference is for the male child, deepening the patriarchal values already entrenched in society. A similar bias for the male child is also noted among non-working married mothers too. Marginal workers — women who have irregular or casual jobs for less than six months in a year — show the tense equation between a desire to limit children and son preference.

India's junior hockey team lifted the World Cup for the second time in the history of the championship, as they beat Belgium 2-1 in the final in Lucknow on Sunday. This was India's first title in 15 years after they had their maiden victory in 2001.

Off The Front Page

A curfew was imposed in East Manipur after violence erupted when anti-economic block protestors set 20 Urkhul-bound vehicles to fire. The state Cabinet has decided to shutdown internet services on mobile phones in an attempt to control the volatile situation. The administration believes such a measure will help put an end to the spread of malicious misinformation and instigation to disrupt public life spread through social media platforms.

Income Tax officials in Surat have seized alleged unaccounted assets worth ₹12 crore from a tea seller-turned-moneylender after searching his house on Saturday as part of the nationwide crackdown on black money. The officials acted on a tip-off on his operations and recovered ₹1.45 crore in cash, including ₹1.05 crore in new banknotes.

Faculty and scholars from some of India's leading science and engineering institutions have published academic papers in so-called "predatory journals" -- online publications that accept poor-quality work without adequate peer review. The analysis of 3,300 academic papers from India in predatory journals has found that while government and private colleges made up 51% of the papers, national institutions contributed 11%.

Opinion

With the aftershock of demonetisation still keenly felt every day and the failure to rollout the Goods and Services Tax bill in the deadline set for it, what would be the highlights of the 2017 budget? R Sukumar, editor of Mint, looks into the tea leaves to see the economic future of the country in the year ahead. A "rash of people-friendly announcements" in the budget to appease the public mood are likely to be seen, just as there will be a bevy of cashless incentives to go with the current drive to move India to an online economy.

Is streaming serial fictions on a screen the new form of reading a gripping book in an all-nighter? Mukul Kesavan looks at the implications of Netflix on the future of reading, especially on a generation that has grown up surrounded by a myriad screens.

The Income Tax department rightly wants ordinary people to report those suspected of stashing away black money, for which it has created an email ID. But this move can also be easily misused, an editorial in the Hindustan Times points out. Turning common people into whistle-blowers "against acquaintances, colleagues or neighbours can set an unhealthy precedent", it says, adding that "It might not be as drastic as George Orwell's infamous Big Brother with listening devices and cameras in a totalitarian society in his iconic novel 1984, but the decision reeks of post-WW II era, when neighbour turns on neighbour; old friends become deadly enemies."

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MUMBAI -- Calling Pranav Dhanawade the "pride of India", Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar on Sunday said the alleged beating up of the young cricketer was "bad" if true, and he would talk to Maharashta CM Devendra Fadnavis over the issue.

He had also opined that playgrounds should not be used for the landing of choppers.

As the incident triggered controversy, Javadekar clarified that it's administration's prerogative to finalise spot for landing of helicopter of a minister while observing that authorities should be cautious to see that playgrounds and fields are not used as helipads.

"If a youth like Pranav, who is a pride of India, has been beaten up, it is bad. But I don't know whether the police has beaten him or not. If it has, it is definitely bad and I will talk to the (Maharashtra) Chief Minister over the issue," Javadekar told PTI.

Dhanawade had shot to fame with record breaking unbeaten 1,009 runs in a school match.

The incident happened yesterday when the crickter allegedly objected to the police who had asked him and his friends to vacate Subhash ground in Kalyan in adjoining Thane district where the minister's chopper was supposed to land for today's visit.

"As far as my travel is concerned (today), I came by car and I'm going by car so there is no issue on my side. Whenever we go anywhere by a helicopter, it is the administration which arranges the place of its landing and we are unaware of the spot. They should be cautious to see that playgrounds and fields are not used," Javadekar said.

The minister said it was his "clear opinion" that playgrounds should not be used for landing of choppers.

The BJP leader said as far as this particular ground was concerned, he was told that landings and public meetings had taken place there on many occasions.

"But I have come by car and I'm going by car. I have not used the helicopter at all," he said.

While the ground was handed over to the police for security reasons, the helipad was constructed by the Public Welfare Department.

The row erupted after a guard, on duty to protect the helipad, approached the players and asked them to stop the game, to which Dhanawade and his friends had objected. The cricketer was later taken to Bajarpeth police station in Kalyan and was let off after a warning.

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AHMEDABAD -- A 33-year-old cashier with the State Bank of India allegedly committed suicide on Sunday by hanging himself from a ceiling fan at his residence at Tharad in Banaskantha district, police said.

Though the police refused to assign any motive to the extreme step taken by Prem Shankar Prajapati, his wife said he had talked about "heavy work pressure" at Tharad branch of the bank.

He originally belonged to Barmer in Rajasthan.

"Prajapati was a native of Barmer and has been working as a cashier at SBI's Tharad branch for last one-and-half-years. Due to some unknown reasons, Prajapati committed suicide by hanging himself from the ceiling fan today morning. We have not found any suicide note from the spot," said Tharad police inspector J G Chavda.

However, Prajapati's wife Manjula claimed her husband had once complained about the work pressure.

"My husband used to remain tensed after coming home from the bank. He once said that there is so much work pressure. He did not talk much due to tension," Manjula told reporters outside police station.

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China has emerged as one of the major "space-faring" nations in the 21^st century. Today, from merely seeking to enhance their reputation and prestige from outer-space explorations, China aims to harvest space-based resources—such as Space-Based Solar Power (SBSP), asteroid mining and lunar exploration—and establish a permanent presence via its space station.

China aims to harvest space-based resources—Space-Based Solar Power (SBSP), asteroid mining and lunar exploration—and establish a permanent presence via its space station.

China's space solar ambitions were outlined in a report by its leading space agency, China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), which stated that by 2050, "the first commercial level SPS system will be in operation at GEO." Significantly, there are divergent perspectives amongst Chinese experts who specialise in security studies, and those who are space scientists and policymakers, as to whether exploration of space-based resources is indeed feasible for China. In general, Chinese experts on China's missile defence, nuclear, and regional security studies are "pessimists" in regard to China's capability to achieve long-term space goals such SBSP or asteroid mining. They believe that most of these goals articulated by Chinese space policymakers or scientists are aimed at getting state funding for their projects. On the other hand, experts from the China Reform Forum, situated close to the Central Party School in Beijing, believes that long-term space investment is of the highest priority for China's leadership. This is historically vindicated by the fact that in 1999, Chinese Premier Jiang Zemin personally named China's first unmanned spacecraft, Shenzhou (Our Divine Land), and wrote the calligraphy that was imprinted on the side of the spacecraft, thereby setting to rest Mao's assertion that China can stand up to nothing since it cannot even put a potato in outer space.

China aspires to use its advanced space technology for its development needs and to reap economic dividends. According to Wu Ji, director general of China's National Space Science Centre, President Xi Jinping hopes space investments will lead to innovation in robotics, artificial intelligence and rejuvenate the economy. Wu and other fellow researchers have requested President Xi to increase China's space budget especially in space science from Yuan 4.7 billion ($ 695 million) in 2015-2016 to Yuan 15.6 billion ($ 5.6 billion) by 2026-30. This kind of space research, Wu states, will move away from purely short-term projects such as building rockets, military satellites and manned spacecraft, to long-term development of cutting-edge space technology with benefits for the economy. The push behind space research is to encourage private companies, besides the state-owned enterprises, to enter the space exploration domain. Liu Ruopeng, founder of Hong Kong-based Kuang-Chi Science Ltd, stated that commercial activity and invention will grow exponentially in outer space in China in the next 10 years.

The emergent influence of China's actions in space have the direct capability to determine whether the environment in space is rule-based or a source of conflict.

China's next big space ambition is to exploit resources like titanium, helium 3 and water from the far side of the moon. Its Chang'e lunar exploration program, launched on Long March rockets, is an ongoing robotic mission to the moon led by the China National Space Administration (CNSA). Besides discovering titanium and helium 3, discovering water on the moon's surface is going to be vital for any ambitions for a lunar human settlement. Wu Weirin, the head designer of China's lunar missions, in an interview to the BBC, revealed that China aims for long-term exploration and a research base on the lunar surface. With regard to asteroid mining, Ye Peijian, from CAST stated that China is investing in research on both Mars and asteroid exploration. Hexi Baoyin, Yang Chen and Junfeng Li at Tsinghua University in Beijing have published findings on how to nudge an asteroid into earth's orbit. The idea is to capture a Near Earth Object (NEO) or asteroid with a low-energy orbit and place it on Earth's orbit temporarily. This could enable them to develop the capacity and technology to extract resources from NEOs. On 13 December 2012, China's Chang'e 2 flew as close as 3.2 km past asteroid Toutatis, which is about 7 million kilometres away from Earth. It managed to capture close pictures of the asteroid, making China the fourth country (after the US, EU and Japan), to examine an asteroid from an unmanned spacecraft.

The means nations pursue to access energy and material resources in space make possible entirely new avenues of power projection.

China has also invested heavily in developing its own space station by 2020. Named Tiangong (Heavenly Palace), it launched Tiangong 1 in 2011. Tiangong 2 in September this year and the Tiangong 3 is expected to be established by 2020. The Tiangong orbital space station will support three astronauts for long-term stay, and will consist of a 20-tonne core module, as well as two research modules. Given the International Space Station (ISS) is scheduled to retire by 2025, Tiangong may be the only human space station we are left with.

The emergent influence of China's actions in space have the direct capability to determine whether the environment in space is rule-based or a source of conflict. Moreover, the means nations pursue to access energy and material resources in space make possible entirely new avenues of power projection. In the 19^th century, it would have seemed preposterous if someone had told a farmer in Yunnan that he could connect with a farmer in California or Punjab to discuss crop yield within seconds via the internet. Exponential technology waits for no one. The day is not far when intensified economic activity in space will not seem extraordinary or preposterous.

GST is being considered as the biggest indirect tax reform in the history of independent India and is being projected as "one nation, one tax". Businesses are optimistic that GST will create uniform tax throughout the country. The main objectives of GST are to replace multiple indirect taxes with a uniform tax on the supply chain of goods and/or services and to remove cascading effects of taxes (i.e. tax on tax) and to create a common national market for goods and services. The 101^st Constitutional Amendment has enabled GST to become a reality. However, the framework of GST set up under the Constitution appears to be drifting away from its main objectives of reducing multiple taxes and creating uniform tax throughout the country.

What we end up is 31 GST legislations, 29 VAT legislations and a union legislation on Central Excise...

The Constitution has empowered concurrently the Centre and the states to levy GST on the supply of goods and/or services within the state. Thus, it will result in one central law on GST (CGST) and about 29 state laws on GST (SGST) as each state will have one SGST. Further, the Centre has been empowered to levy GST on the supply of goods and/or services in the course of inter-state trade or commerce (IGST). The net result of this is 31 legislations of GST (CGST, IGST and 29 SGSTs). The Constitutional amendment has not entirely replaced the existing indirect taxes and has inherited some of the existing indirect taxes like Value Added Tax (VAT) (levied by the states on sale of goods) and Central Excise Duty (levied by the Centre on manufacture of goods) on specified products such as petrol, diesel, aviation fuel and alcohol. In addition to GST, tobacco and tobacco products will be subjected to Central Excise Duty also. Thus, what we end up is 31 GST legislations, 29 VAT legislations and a union legislation on Central Excise. This is definitely a far cry from "one nation, one tax".

Despite having 31 GST legislations, if GST is uniform throughout the country and the impact of it on businesses is the same irrespective of their location in the country then there is meaning in projecting it as one nation, one tax—for example, if the rate of GST for supply of paints in Karnataka is the same as rate of GST for supply of paints in Maharashtra (or any other state), or if paints are exempted from GST in Karnataka then it is exempted in all other states in India. Uniform GST will be able to create a common national market for goods and services. This uniformity can be achieved only if each state's SGST is uniform and identical with CGST. For the purpose of uniform GST and to build consensus between the Centre and the states on matters relating to GST, the GST Council has been set up under the Constitution.

The GST Council consists of the Union Finance Minister, Union Minister Of State For Finance and state finance ministers as its members and will decide on all matters relating to GST, including principles of levy, rate of tax, threshold turnover and model law. But as per Article 279A, GST Council can only recommend to the Centre and the states on matters relating to GST. It is doubtful whether these recommendations can impose limitations on the powers of the Parliament and the state legislatures.

[T]here is nothing in the Constitution that prevents the Centre and the states to enact CGST and SGST in a way that deviates from the recommendations made by the GST Council.

Moreover, Article 246A, which empowers the Parliament and the state legislatures to make laws relating to GST, has no limitations that laws on GST shall have to be as per the recommendations of the GST Council. Further, the GST Council has been entrusted with the responsibility of setting up an adjudicatory mechanism to resolve disputes between the centre and the states and in between the states on matters arising out of the GST Council's recommendations and its implementations. The question is whether the decision of adjudicatory body set up by the GST Council is binding on the centre and the states. It is unlikely that the decision of an adjudicatory body set up by the GST Council can restrict the powers of the Parliament and the states legislatures to enact GST laws deviating from the decisions made by the GST Council when the Constitution itself has given only recommendatory powers to the decisions of GST Council. It appears that there is nothing in the Constitution that prevents the Centre and the states to enact CGST and SGST in a way that deviates from the recommendations made by the GST Council. Thus, we should contain our happiness even if consensus is reached in the GST Council as there is no guarantee that it will be reflected in the GST legislations passed by the Parliament and the state legislatures. The Constitution intends to bring uniformity between CGST and SGSTs through consensus in the GST Council but it seems to have faltered in this process by making decisions of the GST Council only recommendatory.

Implementing GST under the present constitutional framework has all the elements for it to end up as "one nation, multiple taxes".

Is there a hope for uniformity in the principles of levy under the GST regime? Article 366 (12A) defines GST as any tax on supply of goods or services or both (except taxes on supply of alcoholic liquor for human consumption). The event that attracts the levy of GST is the "supply of goods and/or services". The Constitution has not defined as to what constitutes the supply of goods and/or services. This responsibility has been entrusted to the GST Council. As stated above, the recommendation of the GST Council is not binding on Parliament and the state legislatures. Thus there is a possibility for each state to define the "supply of goods and/or services" in SGST in a way that deviates from the definition under CGST. This will lead to more complexity for businesses in complying with CGST and SGST as they are concurrent levies on the same taxable event, i.e., supply of goods and/or services within the state. Therefore, there is an imminent need to define the supply of goods and/or services under the Constitution. By inserting the definition of taxable event in the Constitution, there will be an adequate safeguard for maintaining uniformity in the principles of levy as any repugnancy between the definition of a taxable event in CGST/SGST and the constitutional definition will carry the risk it being declared void by the courts of law.

Considering there aren't adequate safeguards in the Constitution for ensuring uniform GST and the needs of each state vary from one state to another (for example: Karnataka may want to impose a lower rate of tax on coffee and a higher rate of tax on tea and Assam may want to do the opposite), it is possible that SGST may follow in the footsteps of the present VAT (sales tax) regime where each state differs on matters relating to rate of tax, exemptions and threshold turnover. Implementing GST under the present constitutional framework has all the elements for it to end up as "one nation, multiple taxes". In a way, the delay in implementation of GST is a blessing in disguise, and hopefully, the Centre will have a relook at the constitutional framework of GST to ensure uniform GST, but it seems like hoping against hope at the moment. If we end up being successful in having uniform GST under the present constitutional framework then GST will be a cornerstone for cooperative federalism. But history bears testament to the contrary as far as states sacrificing their own interests for the benefit of all other states.

Two women in a remote area of Bihar have broken gender stereotypes to emerge as community leaders and manage the construction of a watershed that now benefits 12 villages.

By Jael Silliman and Suneeta Dhar*, Banka, Bihar

Runa Devi and Daya Devi are not sure of their age nor can they recall the age they were married. Neither has been to school. Yet their lack of education did not stop them from managing, along with a group of other village women, a ₹130 million project to build a watershed to serve Kaladinda and the neighbouring villages.

The Kaladinda village in Kolhasar Panchayat of Katoria administrative block is located in Banka district. The district, established in February 1991, is situated in the southeast corner of Bihar. It consists of 11 blocks and two towns — Banka and Amarpur. A lack of education, road links, electricity, irrigation, sanitation and access to health remain key concerns for Kaladinda.

"Even though I cannot read or write, I supported and monitored the building of small ponds, embankments and digging works. Runa Devi

Runa and Daya successfully supervised a watershed project developed in 2008 that has now been completed. Watershed management projects are aimed at creating and implementing plans to sustain water supply, drainage and water rights to landowners in consultation with communities. Traditionally, men are engaged as key stakeholders in these projects, where land is registered in their names.

Breaking gender stereotypes

Runa and Daya broke this gender stereotype when they became leaders in this enterprise. They were the treasurer and secretary respectively of a 12-member Village Watershed Committee comprising representatives from the 12 villages that would benefit from this resource.

"Even though I cannot read or write, I supported and monitored the building of small ponds, embankments and digging works. Each day I would measure and audit the quality of the work undertaken. I was the signatory for this large project. We hired an accountant to reconcile the project finances on a daily basis," Runa told VillageSquare.in. "I did this work for the larger good of our society. It benefited so many of us. We are all able to grow vegetables now and we can sell the crop in the market."

Watershed project

The watershed project has benefitted over 350 households in the 12 villages it serves. "Through better irrigation processes, my community has improved its nutrition and our quality of life," Runa says. "I earn more today than I did before the water resources were developed. I now sell paddy in the local market."

Daya feels much the same way. "Before the development of the watershed, our agricultural productivity was limited to a single crop a year," Daya told VillageSquare.in. I have five children and we did not have enough to eat."

Before the development of the watershed, our agricultural productivity was limited to a single crop a year. Daya Devi

As treasurer of the Kaladinda self-help group (SHG) that secured the contract, Runa ensured that there was no corruption. "Nobody benefitted personally through cuts and commissions from the large funds that were deployed." Runa and Daya demonstrated the ability and power of non-literate rural women to manage, develop and deploy rural assets if they are given the opportunity to lead the process.

Runa, Daya and members of the SHG drew upon the support, training and assistance of Professional Assistance for Development Action (PRADAN), a grassroots non-profit committed to inclusive development. PRADAN has a long history of working on rural livelihoods in the region and other parts of India's most vulnerable districts. Pranjal Sakia, District Cluster Integrator of PRADAN and his team supported the design and development of this project.

NABARD provided support for watershed development to 80,000 hectares in the region under the aegis of the Integrated South Bihar Watershed Development Programme. The 1050 hectares covered by the Kaladinda SHG is the largest of the watershed projects in the district. Five more projects in four contiguous areas have also been developed by PRADAN where women's SHGs have played key leadership roles and learned from one another.

Runa, now in her late 50s, sees herself as a farmer, an engineer and a finance manager. Though she comes from a conservative OBC community in southeast Bihar, she has made changes in her home, family and community to assert women's equality. She was able to achieve the transition from being an invisible and unacknowledged farmer and housewife to become a village leader. This was possible because she is a member of the Jagriti Mahila Sangh, a women's federation nurtured over the last 10 years by PRADAN and dedicated to building women's collective power.

Savings and credit

Runa was among the first group of women who became members of the SHG 15 years ago. She recalls how she would put ₹5 into the group savings to draw upon the fund in times of need. The money she was able to borrow enabled her to break her dependence on the village moneylender. At that time she was so poor she had to rely on collecting small forest produce and worked as a daily wage labourer when work was available.

Runa and Daya, though they still do not have title to land, are transforming the rural landscape and are blazing a trail for other women in the area...

After four years, the initial contribution to the group fund rose to ₹10 a month. Runa was able to contribute this larger sum as she could save more through improved agricultural methods she learned. She was better able to provide for her family and had additional produce to sell in the market.

Whereas the watershed project was to directly benefit small landholders like her and Daya, additional labour was needed for the works to be undertaken. For the construction of the watershed the team mobilised 10% of the landless farmers from their own village and more labour from surrounding villages within their Panchayat.

Supervising this project gave Runa and Daya tremendous confidence. Runa along with other members of her SHG would go to the bank in the district town to withdraw money from their SHG account to pay for project labour and other expenses. "We would carry thousands of rupees in our sari pallus and we would either walk back to our village or take whatever transport we could find to get back to our homes as our village is not well connected to the main roads."

Fight for education

A year and a half ago Runa was nominated as a board member of the Jagriti Mahila Federation. She currently works with other women in her village organisation to demand a school to be located in their village. While she regrets that her seven children are not literate, she is proud that all her grandchildren go to school. Three of her children work in Delhi in the informal sector.

She is now keen to get water and sanitation facilities for her community. Though she knows her entitlements and her rights, Runa still has to struggle to attain them. A single widowed woman for the last 10 years, she has an Aadhaar number and other identity cards, but is unable to access her widow's pension.

Their stories underline how important it is for rural women to attain the necessary technical training and functional literacy to access government programmes and funds.

Daya's seven children also have had limited schooling. Daya's daughter lives with her because she was turned out of her marital home. In Banka District, even victims of violence are not welcomed back to their natal homes. The girl's parents try to negotiate with the boy's family to fix the problem. "However, I decided that my daughter would not suffer anymore. I will help her in any way I can," Daya said with conviction.

Runa Devi and Daya's stories underline how important it is for rural women to attain the necessary technical training and functional literacy to access government programmes and funds. Poor rural women, with support from an organisation committed to empowering them through collective action, can make major contributors to the rural economy. Runa and Daya, though they still do not have title to land, are transforming the rural landscape and are blazing a trail for other women in the area to become leaders.

Jael Silliman is a women's rights activist. She has authored several books including Undivided Rights: Women of Color Organizing for Reproductive Justice, and Jewish Portraits, Indian Frames: Women's Narratives from a Diaspora of Hope.

Suneeta Dhar is a women's rights activist and advisor to Jagori, a non-profit organisation working in the area of gender issues. She was earlier a board member of South Asia Women's Fund and a manager at United Nations Development Fund for Women.

This article was first published on VillageSquare.in, a public-interest communications platform focused on rural India.

In a recent judgement, the Supreme Court ruled that adultery does not constitute cruelty. The facts of the case were that Anand* was married to Meenakshi in 1997. Meenakshi suspected Anand of having an extramarital affair with Akanksha and confronted him about this many times. Her protestations fell on deaf ears, however, and unable to tolerate the situation any further Meenakshi committed suicide in 2004. A case was filed in a lower court, then went into appeal in the high court and eventually the Supreme Court.

Today with all the devices available to us it is easy to have an extramarital affair but on the flipside it is also easy to get caught.

The husband finally got relief in the Supreme Court where a bench of Justices KS Radhakrishanan and PC Ghose ruled, "Essentially, we are of the view that the mere fact that the husband has developed some intimacy with another, during the subsistence of marriage, and failed to discharge his marital obligations, as such would not amount to cruelty."

Adultery as contemplated under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, is one of the grounds for divorce:

Section 13. Divorce- (1) Any marriage solemnized, whether before or after the commencement of the Act, may, on a petition presented by either the husband or the wife, be dissolved by a decree of divorce on the ground that the other party-

(i) has, after the solemnization of the marriage had voluntary sexual intercourse with any person other than his or her spouse...

Marriage is based on commitment and loyalty to the spouse. Adultery is extramarital sex that is considered objectionable on social, religious, moral or legal grounds. The legal definition of adultery, however, varies from country to country and statute to statute.

In an interesting case that was referred to me, Rohit, a TV producer, filed for divorce against his wife of eight years, Priyanka, a media professional. They have no children and for the past four years Rohit has been suspecting Priyanka of having an affair with her boss at work. He cited adultery as a ground for divorce. However when the matter reached the cross-questioning stage Rohit realised he had a tough job at hand.

Usually in the case of adultery, direct proof is extremely difficult to obtain. One usually needs to rely on circumstantial evidence about adultery. The burden of proving adultery in a matrimonial matter lies on the person alleging the adultery. This in a way prevents one spouse from unnecessarily maligning the other in the marriage, as Rohit found out.

Adultery as a general rule is established by presumptive proof based on:

1. Confessions by a party that s/he has committed adultery. If the spouse who has been accused of adultery confesses to having done so, such confessions can be used as evidence in court. In one case that I am handling, the husband Deepak has confessed to an extramarital affair to his wife Suparna, after which they decided to divorce. However, although Suparna can file for divorce under the provision of adultery as provided under the Hindu Marriage Act, she has decided not to do so. Instead, after discussions with the family she has decided to file for divorce by mutual consent to avoid any further pain and embarrassment to them and to their relatives.

2. Circumstantial evidence. The evidence should be enough so that all the facts of the matter lead up to the indisputable conclusion that one of the spouses is having an extra-marital affair.

It's not the actual act of committing adultery but also the collateral damage that causes anguish to the aggrieved parties.

Adultery is still considered as one of the reasons/grounds for filing for divorce in India, and the recent ruling by the Supreme Court does not change that. However, it provides a different legal twist. In fact the bench has been very clear in its judgement where it has stated:

"... we intend to make it clear that if the husband gets involved in an extra-marital affair that may not in all circumstances invite conviction under Section 306 of the IPC but definitely that can be a ground for divorce or other reliefs in a matrimonial dispute under other enactments. And we so clarify."

It's not the actual act of committing adultery but also the collateral damage that causes anguish to the aggrieved parties. Like in the case before the Supreme Court, the wife Meenakshi committed suicide. Even Akanksha committed suicide and so did her mother and brother who were unable to cope with the emotional trauma and upheaval. Anand has been in various courts for the past decade. It really does make you wonder whether an extramarital affair is worth so many lives. His bad decisions have resulted in a trail of destruction and tragedy.

Today with all the devices available to us it is easy to have an extramarital affair but on the flipside it is also easy to get caught. WhatsApp chats and Facebook accounts leave a long electronic trail which can actually become a noose around your neck in court if you are having an affair. Even pictures that are clicked together and uploaded on social media can serve as evidence and substantiate the claims of adultery in a marriage.

* All names changed