As India's quality of schooling plummets, here's how Budget 2019 can help

The school education system in India is facing a shortage of trained teachers and a lack of proper infrastructure.

 

Interim Budget 2019: India stepped up its spending on school education by 9.35% from 2014-15 (Rs 45,722.41 crore) to 2018-19 (Rs 50,000 crore). But education’s share in the total union budget fell from 2.55% to 2.05% in this period, according to an IndiaSpend analysis of budgetary data.

On February 1, 2019, when the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) presents its last budget before general elections, it will have to address a critical issue in India’s school education: Its quality compares poorly with many south Asian and BRICS nations even though India spends a higher percentage of its gross domestic product (GDP) on education.

In rural India, almost half of grade V students cannot read a grade II text and more than 70% them cannot do division, said the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2018. These numbers indicate a fall in standards over the last 10 years.

Twin problems of school funding: low allocation and underutilisation

Till April 2018, school education in India was mostly covered by three centrally-sponsored schemes:

• Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA or education for all) that aims to provide universal education to all children between the ages of 6 to 14 years.
• Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA or national middle education mission) which facilitates secondary education.
• Teacher Education which aims to create sound institutional infrastructure for pre-service and in-service training of elementary and secondary school teachers.

Read full News → Budget 2019 Expectations

Govt's intent to present 'regular budget' serious, grave: Congress

Tewari said the NDA-BJP government does not have the electoral mandate and it does not have the electoral legitimacy to present six full budgets in five years.

 

 

Interim Budget 2019: The Congress on Thursday said it will strongly oppose both inside and outside Parliament the presentation of a "full budget" by the BJP-led NDA government as it has "no electoral legitimacy" and the step will go against set precedents and Parliamentary traditions.

Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari termed as "serious and grave" reports claiming that the BJP-led Government was planning to present a "regular budget" and demanded that it should follow constitutional propriety and only presents a vote-on-account on February 1, 2019 ahead of general elections.

BJP sources have indicated that the Modi government is likely to present a full-fledged budget with a slew of announcements on welfare measures relating to farmers, youth and women.

"A budget is budget. The government is likely present a full-fledged budget. There is no such rule that the government before elections should not present a budget for the entire year. The new government may make changes after the polls if it so wishes," a sources in BJP said.

Tewari said if the reports in public space are correct then it would be "a flagrant violation" of all parliamentary conventions, procedures and traditions that have been followed over the past seven decades since the Constitution of India came into effect.

Read full News → Budget 2019 Expectations 

What 2019 Budget can do to help India clean its air, reduce coal addiction

Addressing policy issues are important if India is to fulfill its commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement 2015 to install 175 giga watt (GW).

 

Interim Budget 2019: India has one of the world’s largest programmes to expand renewables--a doubling of capacity over the next four years--but India’s ambitious 2022 target of generating enough non-coal energy to replace the equivalent of 175 coal-powered plants is veering off track

On February 1, 2019, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has a chance to get things back on track, help India reduce its addiction to coal, help clean the country’s air and meet the global climate-change commitments of the world’s fourth-fastest growing carbon polluter

After record growth in the installed capacity of renewables over the four years to 2017, capacity addition slowed down in 2018. The main reasons: an anti-dumping duty imposed by the government on imported solar modules to aid domestic manufacturing, higher rates of taxation under the goods and service tax (GST) and unclear policy.

So, the last budget before 2019 general elections is of particular significance to the renewables sector, which comprises electricity from solar, wind, hydro and bio power.

The upcoming budget can help remove policy uncertainties from the sector and provide “long-term indications”, Daanish Verma, executive vice president, sustainable investment banking, YES Bank, told IndiaSpend.

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Yamaha India launches two bikes in FZ range: Check out the price, specs

The introduction of the new FZ-FI and FZS-FI with ABS followed the first launch of ABS-enabled YZF-R15 version 3.0 from the company in 2019.

 

Automobile News: Japanese two-wheeler major Yamaha Monday launched two new motorcycles in its FZ range in the premium segment priced up to Rs 97,000 (ex-showroom Delhi).

The two new products FZ-FI and FZS-FI equipped with advanced braking system, anti-lock braking system (ABS), are powered by 149 cc 4-stroke, single-cylinder engines, India Yamaha Motor (IYM) said in statement.

While the FZ-FI is priced at Rs 95,000, the FZ-S FI is tagged at Rs 97,000 (all prices ex-showroom Delhi), it added.

"The new launch from Yamaha will strengthen the company's presence in the deluxe class in India," Yamaha Motor India Group of companies Chairman Motofumi Shitara said.

The introduction of the new FZ-FI and FZS-FI with ABS followed the first launch of ABS-enabled YZF-R15 version 3.0 from the company in 2019.

Know More → Yamaha FZ Bikes 2019

 

Nissan launches new SUV 'Kicks' in India starting at Rs 9.55 lakh

It would be "available in four variants, XL, XV, XV Premium amd XV Premium+ in diesel, and two dynamic variants - XL, XV in petrol.

 

Automobile News: Automobile major Nissan launched its new SUV "Kicks" in India at an introductory price of Rs 9.55 lakh.

 

The car would offer "1.5H 4K" petrol option with five-speed manual transmission and "1.5K 9K dci" engine with six-speed manual transmission, Nissan said in a statement.

 

It would be "available in four variants, XL, XV, XV Premium amd XV Premium+ in diesel, and two dynamic variants - XL, XV in petrol.

 

Speaking at the launch event here, Peyman Kargar, Senior Vice President of Nissan Motor, said: "Our R&D and design teams in India developed the SUV in collaboration with our teams in Japan, Australia and Brazil. The new Nissan Kicks has Nissan Intelligent Mobility at its core."

 

The car also features anti-lock braking system (ABS), electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD) and brake assist system.

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Tata Harrier SUV Launched In India with prices starting at Rs 12.69 lakh

With the Harrier, Tata Motors is looking for significant gains in India's competitive utility vehicle market

 

Automobile News: Tata Motors' Harrier is all set to go on sale from Wednesday. With prices starting from Rs 12.69 lakh to Rs 16.25 lakh, the five-seater SUV will compete with the Jeep Compass, Hyundai Creta and the Mahindra XUV500.

 

With competitive pricing, the Harrier takes on the rivals head-on. While the Compass is priced at Rs 15.40 lakh to Rs 22.90 lakh, the Creta prices start at Rs 9.60 lakh, going up to Rs 15.64 lakh, and the XUV 500 is priced from Rs 12.65 lakh to Rs 19 lakh.

"The Harrier is a gamechanger for Tata Motors," said Guenter Butschek, chief executive and managing director at the firm, adding that it will take the brand perception of Tata Motors a notch higher.

With the Harrier, Tata Motors is looking for significant gains in India's competitive utility vehicle market where its share in the first nine months of the current financial year stands at 10.84 per cent over a year ago period, according to Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (Siam).

Powered by the 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel from Fiat Chrysler Automobile India, the model has a six-speed manual gearbox. While there’s no four-wheel drive, the Harrier does get ESP-based ‘Terrain Response’ modes — normal, wet and rough road.

Know More → Tata Harrier SUV

 

 

Maruti Suzuki launches new version of WagonR (Price, Mileage and Features)

The new WagonR with one-litre engine will deliver a fuel efficiency of 22.5 km per litre while the bigger 1.2 litre petrol powertain would return efficiency of 21.5 km per litre

Automobile News: The country's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) Wednesday launched a new version of its hatchback WagonR priced between Rs 4.19 lakh and Rs 5.69 lakh (ex-showroom).

The new WagonR comes with a new 1.2-litre petrol engine option along with another choice of 1-litre powertrain. It also comes with an automatic gear shift variant.

The one-litre manual versions are priced at Rs 4.19 lakh and Rs 4.69 lakh while the automated gear shift trim is tagged at Rs 5.16 lakh.

The 1.2-litre variants are priced between Rs 4.89 lakh and Rs 5.69 lakh (all prices ex-showroom).

The vehicle has been developed on the Suzuki's fifth-generation HEARTECT platform and is wider and longer than its outgoing version.

As a result, the boot space has also gone up in the new model to 341 litres.

The company said the use of high tensile steel has improved the overall safety, rigidity and NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness) performance in the new offering.

Know more about → New Maruti WagonR 2019

Despite 2-child policy, China sees fewest births in almost 60 years in 2018

The number of babies born last year fell by some 2 million from 2017, to 15.23 million, it was the least since 1961 and the third-lowest since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949.

 

 

International News: Births in China dropped to the lowest level in almost 60 years in 2018, signaling the country’s looser two-child policy has done little to reverse its slowing birthrate, and worsening the outlook for growth in the world’s second-largest economy.

The number of babies born last year fell by some 2 million from 2017, to 15.23 million, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed on Monday. Demographer He Yafu said it was the least since 1961 and the third-lowest since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949.

The demographics stand to fuel concerns about China’s economy, which is on a long-term slowing trajectory even as signs of stabilization suggest efforts to cushion its deceleration are taking hold. China’s expansion was the slowest since the 2009 financial crisis last quarter, as the government grapples with a debt cleanup and ongoing trade war with the U.S.

Signs of a steep drop in birth numbers had already emerged, as China’s major cities disclosed their birth figures for 2018. Wenzhou, a manufacturing hub and wealthy coastal city, saw its birth number drop to the lowest level in 10 years. A neighboring city, Ningbo, estimated births declined by about 17 percent.

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Two-Child Policy China

Clashes in Athens as tens of thousands protest Macedonian name deal

Flag-waving demonstrators had created a sea of blue and white on Syntagma square near the parliament, while much of the city center was closed to traffic and some metro stations shut as a precaution.

 

 

International News: Clashes between police and a group of masked protesters left several injured in Athens on Sunday as tens of thousands demonstrated against a name change deal with neighboring Macedonia that the Greek parliament is due to ratify in days.

The violence flared as Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras attempts to face down a political storm over his championing of a landmark agreement with Macedonia aimed at ending a 27-year dispute with Athens over the country's name.

Police estimates put the number of demonstrators at 60,000 at 1200 GMT, while organisers said 100,000 people had arrived for the rally, with hundreds of buses bringing demonstrators, especially from the region of northern Greece that also claims the Macedonia name.

Ten police were hurt in the protests, according to the Greek citizens' protection ministry, while a first aid station said two protesters were hospitalised with breathing difficulties.

Scuffles broke out after about 30 masked youths tried to force the closure of the parliament building, throwing stones and other projectiles. Riot police responded with volleys of tear gas, dispersing the crowd outside the legislature.

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Protest in Athens & Greece

Google faces protests over censored China search engine 'Project Dragonfly'

Several Google employees citing a lack of corporate transparency in the wake of the censored search engine project.

 

International News: Google's offices in the US, UK, Canada, India, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Sweden, Switzerland, and Denmark witnessed renewed protests by human rights groups over its plan to re-enter China through a censored search application code-named "Project Dragonfly".
The demonstrations were organised by a coalition of Chinese, Tibetan, Uighur, and human rights groups outside the tech giant's offices. The Tibetan advocacy groups that were protesting included Free Tibet and the International Tibet Network.
"They fear that a censored search engine would lead to further oppression of the Tibetans, as filtered searches would erase terms such as 'Tibet' and 'Tiananmen Square' in line with the official narrative of the Chinese Communist Party," the Business Insider reported late on Friday.
The same concerns apply to the Chinese citizens, including other oppressed minorities such as Uighur Muslims and Southern Mongolian people, the report added.
The Internet giant designed a censored version for China search engine to blacklist information about human rights, democracy, peaceful protest, and religion in accordance with strict rules on censorship in the country that are enforced by its Communist Party government.

↓ Read the full news here ↓

Google shuts down Project Dragonfly