The all-new 2018 Maruti Suzuki Swift, which is perhaps the year's most awaited car is finally here. Bookings are open and the car will officially be launched at the Delhi Auto Expo next month Feb 7. This is the third coming of the Swift, which has been one of Maruti Suzuki's most popular offerings -- clocking a whopping 17 lakh units in sales till date. The first generation rolled out in India in 2005, and over a decade later India's largest carmaker has once again reincarnated the old soul - which seems to be in no hurry to achieve 'nirvana', any time soon. In fact, in its latest avatar, it feels more youthful and more peppy than ever before. The car will be available in 12 variants and for the first time, Maruti will offer automatic transmission on the hatchback. The waiting period is said to be ranging from 6 weeks to 8 weeks depending on the variants. Earlier, Mr RS Kali, senior executive director of sales and marketing said that the all-new Swift will sell more than 15,000 units per month, which is more than what the previous generation Swift used to sell. The all-new Swift comes with a host of changes to attract the buyers. It is the third generation Swift and is built on the lightweight HEARTECT platform. The vehicle is available with unique features like LED projector headlamps with LED DRLs that adds a very sharp and premium look to the vehicle. The Swift has also become wider and has 20mm longer wheelbase than the current version that makes it roomier. New Maruti Swift: 5 things you need to know1. It’s more spacious
Based on the Heartect platform, the new Swift is 40mm wider and boasts a 20mm longer wheelbase, along with a claimed 24mm more headroom. The result is a more spacious cabin. Adding to the practicality is the boot which – at 265 litres – is a good 58 litres larger than that of its predecessor. In terms of exterior dimensions, the new Swift is 3,840mm in length, 1,735mm in width and 1,530mm in height with a wheelbase of 2,450mm and ground clearance of 163mm. 2. The engines are carried over as is While the new Swift looks distinctly different, things are more or less the same in the engine bay. The car will continue to be powered by the same 1.2-litre, 83hp/113Nm petrol engine and 1.3-litre 75hp/190Nm diesel engine as the outgoing Swift. 3. Automatic gearboxes are finally available…and on both engines In keeping with the growing popularity of automatic gearboxes, the new Swift will get Automated Manual Transmission (AMT) variants for both the petrol and diesel engines. The AMT gearboxes are five-speed units, like the manual gearboxes they are based on. There is a catch, however – the automatic versions are not available in the fully loaded Z+ trim and are offered in mid-spec VXi/VDi and ZXi/ZDi form, only. 4. It is feature-and-equipment-loaded The new Swift will come generously equipped with features and equipment, especially in the top-spec variant – SmartPlay infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, projector headlamps with LED DRLs, two-tonne alloy wheels, navigation, reverse camera, push-button start and automatic headlamps. In terms of safety, two airbags and ABS will be standard, across the range. 5. Bookings are now open Maruti has not officially launched the car yet, so we don’t have a definitive price; Maruti has, however, started accepted bookings for the new Swift with an initial payment of Rs. 11,000. The Swift is bound to be very popular – we wouldn’t be surprised if the wait time for deliveries stretches into months. Padmaavat is set for release on January 25. Clearing the way for the nationwide release of Bollywood period drama Padmaavat, the Supreme Court on Thursday stayed notifications issued by four states prohibiting its screening. The Court also asked the States to provide security to the film crew if required. A bench of Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud prima facie accepted the petitioner’s contention that once Central Board of Film Certification had cleared a movie, States cannot interfere with it. “Once the Parliamentary legislation confers the responsibility and power on a statutory board and board grants Certificate, non-exhibition of it by states will be contrary to statutory provisions”, the court said in its interim order. The apex court also reminded that it was the “duty and obligation of States to maintain law and order”. Senior Counsel Harish Salve who appeared for Viacom18, the movie producer, urged the court to order security for the film crew saying they were being threatened. The court agreed to this and said keeping in view of the situation, the State must provide them security if they ask for it. Appearing for the states, Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta sought for more time to reply to the petition saying more facts needed to be brought on record. “Suppose there is a rumour against a community which is in majority in my state, can’t I take action”, Mehta asked and added, “we have intelligence record and we want to place them on record”. The CJI did not accept this and said: “If you go by this, 60 percent of literature, even classical literature of India cannot be read.” Mehta repeatedly sought for more time saying there was no urgency in the matter as the film was set for release only on January 25. But Justice Chandrachud countered this saying “it is important, valued Constitutional rights are at stake”. The court will hear the matter next on March 26. Film is also releasing in tamil watch the trailer - Akshay Kumar starrer 'PadMan' will also be the first Indian film to screen at The Oxford University. Writer-producer Twinkle Khanna has been invited to speak at The Oxford Union, the world's most prestigious debating society.
The 43-year-old actor-turned-author will address the students of the Oxford University tomorrow, where she will also showcase her upcoming production, 'PadMan'. Based on the life of social entrepreneur and activist Arunachalam Muruganantham, who revolutionised sanitary hygiene in rural India 20 years ago, the film stars Twinkle's husband actor Akshay Kumar in the title role. Through her address, Twinkle will give an insight into the story of the movie and how it would play an interesting role in tackling taboos and addressing stigma around menstrual hygiene. 'PadMan' will be the first Indian film to be screened at The Oxford University. Also featuring Radhika Apte and Sonam Kapoor, the film opens worldwide on January 25 Haasan also said, a celebration of ‘Dravidian’ all across South India will end discrimination and help them 'speak in chorus with Delhi.' After announcing his foray into politics on Tuesday, actor Kamal Haasan on Thursday said the meaning of the term ‘Dravidian’ should not be restricted to Tamil Nadu alone. He said the term should also include other southern states in order to receive a better deal from the Centre.
According to a report in NDTV, the megastar’s well-admired column in ‘Ananda Vikatan’ magazine was a caustic observation of the Centre’s tax collection procedure. “I feel of late, sharing of taxes with states is not done well. Tamil Nadu is the second largest tax contributor. It's fine to develop northern states with it. That's how even in families we help an unemployed sibling. But the gullible contributor should not be left to starve," Haasan wrote. The actor further argued in his piece that a celebration of ‘Dravidian’ all across South India would bring an end to discrimination and help them “speak in chorus with Delhi.” Haasan, in his column, explicitly hinted at the gulf in the state’s political scenario after the death of former chief minister and AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa. The leadership crisis within the party, even after sidelined AIADMK leader TTV Dhinakaran came to power in December, underlines Tamil Nadu’s fight toward stability. The megastar’s take on ‘Dravidian’ doesn’t only encompass the common welfare of all southern states but also renders other torchbearers of the ideology concerned as regressive, the NDTV report said. The actor’s Thursday column said he would start his political tour --- a “journey of discovery to understand people’s needs and aspirations” --- on February 21 from ex-president Abdul Kalam’s hometown, Rameswaram. Haasan said, though limited but he has had inspiring exchanges with Kalam. “Like Kalam, I too have a dream for a good Tamil Nadu,” the actor added. He also said how a single man fails to capture power but the people together don’t and hence people should be elevated first. Haasan’s political debut coincides with Thalaivar Rajinikanth’s entry into politics. Rajinikanth, on Wednesday, wished Kamal Haasan luck for his maiden endeavour. Fly AirAsia at Rs 99 to 7 cities in India, Rs 1,499 base fare for flights to Australia, Thaliand1/15/2018 The discount applies to bookings only made through airasia.com and AirAsia mobile app Low-cost airline AirAsia India on Sunday said it would fly passengers from Monday to seven cities across the country at a promotional base fare from Rs 99 upwards.
"The promotional fares start from Rs 99 under the dynamic pricing to cities like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, New Delhi, Pune and Ranchi," it said in a statement. The budget carrier's parent firm AirAsia will also fly its passengers at Rs 1,499 base fare from Indian cities to 10 countries in the Asia-Pacific region (APAC), including Auckland, Bali, Bangkok, Kuala Lampur, Melbourne, Singapore and Sydney. "Passengers can book from Monday up to January 21 and avail the offer to travel from January 15 to July 31," said the statement. The low-cost fare offer is on all flights of the group network, including AirAsia India, AirAsia Berhad, Thai AirAsia, AirAsia X and Indonesia AirAsia X. "The discount applies to bookings made through airasia.com and AirAsia mobile app," added the statement. In the $30 million joint venture, Tata Sons Ltd has 51 per cent equity stake and Air Asia Investment Ltd of Malaysia holds the balance 49 per cent. The over three-year airline flies to 16 Indian cities including Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Guwahati, Panaji, Imphal, Jaipur, Kochi and Visakhapatnam. A POCSO court in Kerala observed that a mother, who was supposed to protect the child, had harmed her instead. Four-year-old Anitha* had just come back home from school. Her mother Rani and Rani's friend Basil were not at home, instead her mother's paramour Renjith was. The man sexually abused the child, grievously wounding her as she resisted in any way she could.
Anitha died after the assault, but what emerged later was that it was not only Renjith, but her mother and friend too who had failed this little girl. The trio disposed off the girl's body and pretended that she had gone missing. Five years after the girl from Chottanikkara in Kerala's Ernakulam district was found murdered, a Kerala court pronounced the verdict in the case on Monday. The Ernakulam POCSO court sentenced the first accused Renjith to death. The court has also given life imprisonment to Rani, the second accused in the case. Rani's aide and third accused Basil has also been given a life sentence. The court also slapped a fine of Rs 50,000 on the first accused and Rs 20,000 on the other two accused. According to reports, Rani was given the maximum punishment after the court observed that a mother, who was supposed to protect the child, had harmed her instead. The court had on last Wednesday found all the three accused guilty of murdering Rani's daughter in 2013. The child was an LKG student. While the court was set to pronounce the quantum of punishment last Friday, it was postponed after the first accused Renjith tried to commit suicide by consuming poison in jail. The case The case dates back to October 2013, when the child was living with her mother Rani in a rented house in Chottanikkara. Rani's aide Basil too lived with them, posing as her younger brother. The incident happened when Basil and Rani were not at home, and Rani's paramour Renjith sexually abused the child when she got back from school. When the child resisted, Renjith attacked her. The child sustained grievous injuries on her hands and spine. The girl's body was later disposed off, by all the three accused, at a construction site, following which Rani approached the Chottanikkara police the next day claiming that her daughter was missing. According to reports, the child was killed since they thought she was a hindrance to their illicit relationship. Many reports also say that the woman was in a relationship with both Renjith and Basil. At the time of the incident, Rani's husband Vinod was in prison in a case related to drug abuse. The police found inconsistencies in Rani's statements and upon further questioning, she confessed to committing the crime. Renjith, Rani and Basil were then charged under various sections, including murder, destruction of evidence and various provisions under the JJ Act and POCSO Act. Leading broadband service provider ACT Fibernet has partnered with Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Chennai Super Kings (CSK) as official connectivity and internet partner. ACT Fibernet, with its extensive fiber broadband connectivity in Chennai, aims to ensure seamless internet broadband connectivity for the ardent followers of the CSK team during the IPL matches. The company will be providing wi-fi coverage to the entire Chennai stadium taking the in-stadium experience to a whole new level.
Over 40,000 fans seated in the stadium will be able to enjoy HD quality speeds on wifi, access internet in the stadium, catch up on live videos, watch match replays, and indulge in social media activities. Additionally, a whole range of fan engagement activities and contests have been planned by CSK-ACT Fibernet together to significantly enhance the in-stadium experience. This initiative by ACT Fibernet will bring the fan experience in stadia at par with the best stadiums in the world. Speaking on the partnership, ACT Fibernet COO Sandeep Gupta said, “We take immense pride in announcing that we are the chosen connectivity partner of the CSK team. CSK is not just a team but an emotion and passion amongst millions, and through this partnership, we are going to significantly enhance this spirit by enabling the CSK teams and its supporters stay connected.” Commenting on the partnership, CSK whole time director George John said, “Chennai Super Kings is known for its solid performances and consistency, ACT Fibernet complements all of this and therefore is our chosen partner. Our aim has always been to enhance the experience of our fans and supporters. With this association with ACT Fibernet, we are certain that we will be able to significantly enliven the in-stadium experience. This is the first amongst the many initiatives we have planned for the CSK fans in partnership with ACT Fibernet.” ACT Fibernet has planned exciting engagement activities and contests both in the stadium and otherwise. Chosen lucky customers will also win a chance to obtain free match tickets, signed memorabilia and interact with their favorite CSK cricketers The $13.5 bn IT services major Cognizant (CTS) was recently served a notice by the Income Tax (I-T) Dept, Chennai, pertaining to transfer pricing audit for Rs 2,500 crore, it has been reliably learnt from a source privy to the development. The Income Tax Department has issued separate draft assessment orders to US-based Cognizant Technology Solutions (CTS) and Cognizant Mauritius totalling ₹564 crore as tax on other income, based on assessment year 2014-15.
The tax on other income for Cognizant Mauritius, which was a major shareholder of Cognizant Technology Solutions India Pvt Ltd (CTSIPL) during 2013-14, was ₹440 crore, while for CTSIPL it was ₹124 crore. The IT department said Cognizant Mauritius filed the return of income for assessment year 2014-15 in September 2014 declaring NIL income. CTSIL bought back 9.16 lakh shares from Cognizant Mauritius for ₹23,915 per share and paid a consideration of ₹2,190 crore. The income arising out of this transaction was stated to be not taxable under provisions of the Companies Act 1956 with Article 13 of Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) entered between India and Mauritius. ‘Sham arrangement’ However, the department said CTSIPL was using buyback as a vehicle to divert accumulated profits to associated enterprises outside India, taking undue and undeserved treaty benefits. “The assessee adapted a colourable device to repatriate cash without paying dividend distribution tax. Therefore, the treaty benefits of the above income is denied. The facts mentioned in the order clearly proves the intention of the assessee to evade taxes through a sham arrangement,” the department said in an order for both the companies. The department said CTS in its return of income for assessment year 2014-15 in August 2014 declared a total income of ₹619 crore. CTS was a shareholder of CTSIL during 2013-14. During 2014-15, CTSIL bought back 2.59 lakh shares from the assessee for ₹23,915 per share and paid a consideration of ₹620 crore. CTS said the income arising from this transaction (capital gains pursuant to buyback of shares) was not taxable under the provisions of DTAA entered between India and the US. It also said there was no income chargeable to tax as per the Central Board of Direct Tax instruction No 2/2015. But the IT Department denied the treaty benefits for similar reasons attributed to CTSIPL. . It said the “The value of the share above Fair Market Value is treated as income from other sources under Section 56(1).” The department said the draft order was forwarded to the assessees as a proposed assessment order for accounting year 2014-15. The assessee is required to file its acceptance or objections before the Dispute Resolution Panel at Bengaluru and to Assessing Officer within 30 days of receipt of the order. A Cognizant spokesperson said to The Hindu : “In the normal course of business and from time to time, we review and discuss certain large transactions with the relevant tax authorities and, as always, will respond appropriately to any inquiries. Cognizant is committed to compliance with the law in all jurisdictions in which it operates.” Roopa also appealed to bureaucrats to take on political leaders boldly to uphold the law even if they are faced with notices. Police officer Roopa D, who famously exposed special favours accorded to ousted AIADMK leader VK Sasikala in prison in Bengaluru, said that bureaucrats should boldly uphold the law even if it means inviting trouble. She was speaking at a TedX talk in Dayanand Sagar College of Engineering on November 3. The video of the TedX talk was published on YouTube recently. Roopa is Karnataka’s first Kannadiga woman police officer. She has been transferred 17 times in her career. Roopa was posted as DIG Prisons in Bengaluru when she was credited for her whistle-blowing act of pointing out that Sasikala was receiving special treatment in prison. “I witnessed special treatment given to a particular convict, who was the close aide of the recently departed ex-CM of Tamil Nadu. The Supreme Court had convicted her under the Corruption Act for possessing disproportionate assets beyond her known sources of income. Jail officials had given special facilities to her as a quid pro quo. I reported it to authorities. After this report, I was slapped a defamation suit notice. If you stir the hornet’s nest, be prepared for all kinds of oddities,” says Roopa. She also said that as a woman police officer, she faced times in her career when her instructions were taken lightly by her subordinates. She recounted an earlier experience from Gadag in 2008.
“In Nargund, a powerful politician who had been a minister earlier, addressed a gathering of his followers and gave an inciting speech that made his followers set ablaze three government buses. I instructed DYSP to arrest the politician as he was prima facie guilty of abetment of offence. There was videographed evidence of his speech. Not only did my subordinate resist and refuse but he also kept on arguing and lying that politician had left town,” says Roopa. She was not one to budge and sat at the police station through the day and in the night when police officers brought the guilty politician to the station. Upon investigation, it was found that the ‘subordinate’ was in constant touch with the guilty politician and was suspended. Roopa also slammed the VVIP culture of politicians that she observed in her career. When she was DCP of Bengaluru Armed Reserve she found that several elected representatives including MLAs, MPs and MLCs had kept gunmen in excess of the authorised number. “I made a list and found 82 politicians had kept 216 gunmen in excess of the number entitled. I began withdrawing them and it was first resisted by my boss who reprimanded me in front of my subordinates but I kept withdrawing them until the last excess gunman returned to the police unit,” she says to applause from the audience. She appealed to bureaucrats to take on political leaders boldly to uphold the law even if they are faced with notices. “These kind of notices cause personal discomfiture for bureaucrats. They take away personal time, energy and money if you have to fight it out in the court of law. These notices are an occupational hazards which have to be faced boldly by the bureaucrats,” adds the police officer. Amitabh Bachchan recently shared screen space with Tollywood megastar Chiranjeevi Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan has done very few south Indian films and they were for just a few friends. Recently, he went on to ink the dotted the lines for the multi-lingual Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy, in which he will be seen sharing the screen space with the Tollywood megastar Chiranjeevi. Chiru and the Big B have been friends for long so when the offer to play a pivotal character in Sye Raa was offered, he simply lapped it up.
Incidentally, there have been reports that Amitabh Bachchan was approached to play a role in N Balakrishna’s film but he declined the offer. Following this, Balayya shelved the project stating that he wouldn’t do it unless Amitabh Bachchan agrees to do the role. And now, there is a buzz that director KV Anand is trying hard to get the star onboard for his next with Suriya in the lead. Sources say that the filmmaker is trying to get in touch with Amitabh Bachchan to narrate the story and is sure to impress him with the script. Well, to get clarity on it, we need to wait. Meanwhile, Suriya’s Thaana Serntha Kootam hit the marquee recently and is doing well at the theatres. The star will now move over to the Selvaraghavan directorial. Reports are that the KV Anand’s film will start rolling after Suriya is done with this project. In the meantime, KV Anand will be completing the groundwork and assembling his star cast. It may be mentioned here that KV Anand had directed Suriya in Ayan and Maatraan earlier of which the former was smash hit while the latter received a lukewarm response. It needs to be seen how their third venture together would fare at the box office. |
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