MODI WISHES ASIAN LEADERS, SKIPS IMRAN Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday called up leaders of neighbouring South Asian countries, but not Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, to wish them a happy new year as well as discuss with them further steps in bilateral ties. The PM spoke with leaders of Sri Lanka, Maldives, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh. In all his telephone calls, he emphasised India's commitment to 'Neighbourhood First' policy and the vision of shared peace, security, prosperity and progress for all of India's friends and partners in the region, said an official news release. In his conversation with Nepal Prime Minister KP Oli, Modi specifically noted the completion of Motihari (India)-Amlekhgunj (Nepal) petroleum products pipeline in a record time. NO TO CAA: PRASAD TELLS STATES TO SEEK BETTER LEGAL ADVICE, PINARAYI HITS BACK Political acrimony over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act intensified Wednesday with Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad reading Constitutional provisions to state governments, saying they would have to implement the Act. A day after the Kerala House passed a resolution demanding the scrapping of the CAA, Prasad cited Constitutional clauses and asked state governments to get "better legal advises". "It's surprising that the governments that have taken oath on the Constitution are talking anti-Constitutional that we will not implement the CAA. It's passed by Parliament. Laws passed by Parliament will be implemented throughout the country. Subject to the provisions of the Constitution, Parliament may make laws for the whole or any part of the Union of India," Prasad told reporters. Reacting to BJP MP G V L Narasimha Rao's move write to Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu to initiate breach of parliamentary privileges and contempt proceedings against him over the resolution, Vijayan said in Thiruvananthapuram: "State assemblies have own privileges. Such actions are unheard of anywhere. But we cannot rule out anything in the present circumstance as unprecedented things are happening nowadays in the country." The assemblies, he said, have their own special protection and that should not be violated. He said Kerala has become the first state to pass a resolution against a law which has been violating the fundamental principles of the Constitution and it has great significance. The state assemblies have in the past too passed resolutions against laws passed by Parliament. In 2014, the assembly of undivided Andhra Pradesh had passed a resolution rejecting the Central government's Bill to create Telangana - the Congress was in power, both at the Centre and in the state then. However, the central government went ahead with the bifurcation of the state. In 2016, when the Supreme Court had ordered release of Cauvery water for Tamil Nadu, the Karnataka legislature had adopted an unanimous resolution to use the Cauvery water only to meet drinking water needs and not to provide it for any other purpose. In 2018, the Delhi assembly, in which AAP has a brute majority, passed a resolution demanding that Bharat Ratna awarded to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi be withdrawn over the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. WE DON'T OPPOSE ANY STEP BY GOVT TO STRENGTHEN SECURITY: CONG The Congress yesterday distanced itself from the questions party spokesperson Manish Tewari raised in respect of the appointment of Chief of Defence Staff on Tuesday and said the Congress never opposes anything done to boost national security. "I will not comment on the personal remarks made by any leader. All I want to say is that the appointment of CDS is a decision of the government and we hope the CDS will discharge his duty to the nation. The Congress does not oppose any government decision taken to strengthen national security," Congress spokesperson Sushmita Dev said today when asked whether the Congress agrees with what Manish Tewari said yesterday. Dev, however, said: "General Bipin Rawat is a newly appointed CDS. I think actions speak louder than words. Soon we, the country and all political parties will be able to see how the CDS works - in national interest or how. It would be improper to comment on the issue before that." PEACE ALONG CHINA BORDER CAN LEAD TO EVENTUAL SOLUTION: ARMY CHIEF A day after he said India reserves the right to pre-emptively strike at sources of terror in Pakistan, new Army Chief General M M Naravane expressed confidence that maintaining peace and tranquility along India's border with China will set the stage for an "eventual solution" to the boundary dispute. Speaking to mediapersons Wednesday after receiving his first guard of honour as the Army Chief, General Naravane said operational readiness and modernisation will be among the top priorities of the Army under his leadership. "While we have been paying attention in the past to the Western front, Northern front also requires equal attention. It is in that context we are going for capability development and enhancement of our capacitors in our Northern borders including the North-East part of the country," he said. "The border question is yet to be settled. We have been able to maintain peace and tranquility along borders and I am sure that situation will prevail. By maintaining this, we will be able to set the stage for the eventual solution," he said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in Twitter posts, said: "I am delighted that as we begin the new year and new decade, India gets its first Chief of Defence Staff in General Bipin Rawat. I congratulate him and wish him the very best for this responsibility. He is an outstanding officer who has served India with great zeal." CARLOS GHOSN'S HOUDINI ACT LEAVES RED FACES IN JAPAN The former head of Nissan Motor and Renault SA, who was awaiting the first of two trials in Tokyo, somehow evaded almost round-the-clock manned and video surveillance and heavy restrictions on his freedom of movement to flee to Lebanon. Soon after he resurfaced in Lebanon, the internet lit up with unconfirmed reports and theories of how Ghosn, now an international fugitive, pulled off an escape befitting a Hollywood thriller - one that will be very hard for Japanese authorities to live down. There are still more questions than answers. In one speculative account, which cited no sources, Lebanese television station MTV reported that Ghosn smuggled himself out of Japan in a large musical instrument box after a Christmas band visited his residence in Tokyo. He was then shipped out of the country and later entered Lebanon from Turkey on a private plane. Ghosn's getaway followed weeks of planning, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing unidentified people familiar with the matter. A team of accomplices assembled last weekend to carry out his exfiltration, and his wife, Carole, played a major role in the operation, the newspaper said. BRITAIN INTRODUCES HETEROSEXUAL CIVIL PARTNERSHIPS A couple that went to Britain's highest court to win the right to legalise their relationship without getting married were among the first in the country on Tuesday to celebrate a change in marriage laws. The change means that from the last day of 2019 men and women in Britain are able for the first time to join hands in civil partnerships as an alternative to getting married. British media reported on Tuesday how Rebecca Steinfeld and Charles Keidan celebrated their civil partnership with a ceremony at the Kensington and Chelsea Register Office in London. Steinfeld told journalists it was their personal wish to form a civil partnership which came from a personal desire to formalise their relationship in a more modern way, with a focus in equality and mutual respect. The change means couples will be able to access the same tax benefits, pensions and inheritances as those available to married couples. CHANDRABABU NAIDU JOINS AGITATION AGAINST THREE-CAPITAL PLAN OF ANDHRA GOVT Farmers of 29 villages between Guntur and Krishna districts of Andhra Pradesh, who gave land for the proposed Amaravati capital region, courted arrest and blocked main roads on Wednesday in protest against the state government's proposal to make Visakhapatnam the executive capital. TDP chief and former CM N Chandrababu Naidu, whose government had started the Amaravati capital project, participated in the protests. The YSRCP government has proposed to make Visakhapatnam the executive capital where the Secretariat and the Chief Minister's Office will be located. Amaravati has been proposed as the legislative capital and Kurnool as the judicial capital. Speaking at the protest venue, Naidu called upon TDP leaders and cadres to abstain from New Year Celebrations and donate the money they would have spent on celebrations to the Amaravati Parirakshana Samiti, which represents the protesting farmers. "These are devastating times for Andhra Pradesh. Instead of solving existing problems, the Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy government is creating new ones, compounding the misery of people. The three capitals announcement has thrust the state into chaos. Thousands of farmers, women and children from all sections are protesting. With hope in their hearts, they gave away land towards construction of Amaravati. Their futures must not be jeopardised," Naidu said in a statement. AMID TIGHT SECURITY, LAKHS OF DALITS PAY TRIBUTE AT BHIMA-KOREGAON WAR MEMORIAL With the Maharashtra government cracking down on hardline Hindutva elements in and around Pune, the 202nd anniversary of the Bhima-Koregaon battle passed off peacefully. After externing hardline Hindutva leaders like Sambhaji Bhide and Milind Ekbote, the administration also suspended mobile Internet at Bhima-Koregaon and surrounding areas to prevent any untoward incidents. Since Monday, the cybercrime cell of the state police had gotten in touch with admins of more than 200 WhatsApp groups linked to right-wing groups and cautioned them against sharing posts which could spark violence in society. On Wednesday, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi leader Prakash Ambedkar were among prominent leaders who paid homage to the soldiers of the East India Company who lost their lives in the battle. Police said around 5 lakh people arrived throughout Tuesday and Wednesday at the victory pillar, which Dalits view as a symbol of their pride. DECEMBER GST KITTY CROSSES RS 1 LAKH CRORE, SECOND MONTH IN A ROW AFTER two consecutive months of contraction in September and October, Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections in December (for November sales) rose over the Rs 1-lakh crore mark, a growth of 8.9 per cent year-over-year. In November too, the GST mop-up had topped Rs 1 lakh crore, but December figures were keenly awaited since the November collections were largely attributed to higher festive sales. Until December 31, as many as 81.21 lakh GSTR 3B (monthly summary returns) were filed, 4.3 per cent more than 77.83 lakh in November. Also, a cap on input tax credit at 20 per cent of the eligible credit for businesses effective October helped in higher collections. This cap, which was only for buyers whose suppliers did not upload invoices, prevented fraudulent claims and revenue leakage, said tax officials. The input tax credit has been further curtailed to 10 per cent in the GST Council meeting on December 18. BANKS ALLOWED TO UTILISE MALLYA'S MOVABLE ASSETS TO CLEAR DEBT A special court here has permitted a consortium of 15 banks led by the State Bank of India (SBI) to utilise movable assets of former liquor baron Vijay Mallya towards repayment of his debt. Former liquor baron Vijay Mallya, accused of money laundering by the Enforcement Directorate, fled India in March 2016 The assets, comprising financial securities like shares of the United Breweries Holdings Limited (UBHL), were attached by the special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in 2016 when it declared Mallya a proclaimed offender. The consortium of banks earlier filed an application before the special court, seeking release of Mallya's movable assets to utilise them for repayment of loans given to him. 14K NEW MBBS SEATS THIS YEAR The New Year has dawned on a record note for India's medical education sector with 2019 witnessing the highest ever addition of new MBBS seats in any given year over the past 63 years. The increase of 14,863 MBBS seats in 2019 is the highest ever in the history of the Medical Council of India (MCI) which was created under the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956. At the start of the New Year, the country has 75,543 MBBS seats in 529 medical colleges. Between 2018 and 2019 academic sessions alone, there was 24.5 per cent increase in the sanctioned intake of MBBS students - from 60,680 in 2018-2019 to 75,543 in 2019-2020. The number of new medical colleges to be set up also increased at a record rate with the MCI Board of Governors taking control of the medical education sector last year after the government dissolved India now has 529 medical colleges, up from 456 in 2016-2017 when the MCI was conducting medical education. Of these, 269 are government colleges and 260 are private. FATHERS OF ALL THREE CHIEFS SERVED IN IAF The fathers of the three chiefs - Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria, Admiral Karambir Singh Nijjer and General Naravane - served in the IAF. The fathers of Admiral Nijjer and General Naravane retired as Wing Commanders. The father of Air Chief Marshal Bhadauria retired as Honorary Flying Officer. Notably, Admiral Nijjer, Air Chief Marshal Bhadauria and General Naravane are from the same course (56th) at the National Defence Academy. They had passed out in 1980. This information came on the Twitter handle of the Indian Air Force carrying a small message "Join Air Force". INDIA LEAVES CHINA WAY BEHIND IN BIRTHS ON JAN 1: UNICEF ESTIMATE On New Year's day, January 1, an estimated 67,385 babies were born in India - 17% of the estimated 392,078 babies born in the world that day, according to Unicef. India and seven other countries accounted for at least half of total global births. The other countries are: China (46,299), Nigeria (26,039), Pakistan (6,787), Indonesia (13,020), the United States (10,452), Democratic Republic of Congo (10,247) and Ethiopia (8,493). The United Nations (UN) World Population report released in June last year says India is projected to overtake China as the world's most populous country this decade - by 2027. NEW TV CHANNEL PRICING: TRAI MANDATES PROVISION OF 200 CHANNELS AT RS 153 The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has released amendments to the New Tariff Order (NTO), in which it has directed cable operators to provide 200 channels for Rs 153. It has also reviewed the pricing of channel bouquets compared to a la carte ones. The regulator has now set January 15 as the deadline for broadcasters to announce their new pricing structure. At present, direct-to-home (DTH) or cable TV operators provide only 100 channels for a network capacity fee (NCF) levy of Rs 153 (Rs 130 excluding taxes). According to the NTO that was released last year, consumers were given the option to pay only for the channels that they chose to watch, at the maximum retail price (MRP). Earlier, they were offered pre-set channel bouquets. The NTO was expected to bring monthly bills down, but it was the opposite that happened. In order to address the huge discounts offered for bouquets, vis-a-vis the sum of a la carte channels, Trai has set two conditions to ensure the pricing of a-la carte channels does not become illusionary. First, the sum of the a la carte rates of pay channels forming part of a bouquet is not to exceed 1.5x the rate of the bouquet of which such channels are a part. Second, the a la carte rates of each pay channel, forming part of a bouquet, are not to exceed 3x the average rate of a pay channel of the bouquet of which the channel is a part. INJURED SUSHIL KUMAR TO MISS OLYMPICS QUALIFICATION TRIALS, REQUESTS POSTPONEMENT Two-time Olympic medalist Sushil Kumar has opted out of Friday's selection trials for next month's Asian Championships and the continental Olympic qualifying event to be held in March. Sushil said he was yet to fully recover from a shoulder injury and submitted a medical certificate to the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) on Wednesday. The 36-year-old has requested that the trials for 74kg category be postponed. Although it is likely that the federation will accept his request, WFI assistant secretary Vinod Tomar said a final call on the issue on Thursday. After the Rio Olympics fiasco, in which India went unrepresented in the 74kg category despite having a quota, Sushil started competing in major events in 2018. He won the CWG gold but made early exits at the Asian Games later that year and also the 2019 World Championships - the first Olympic qualification event. Friday's trials are significant from the point of view of the Tokyo Olympics. The WFI had announced the winner would make the team for three crucial tournaments: the year's first ranking series in Rome from January 25 to 28, the Asian Championship in Delhi from February 18 to 25 and the Olympic qualification tournament in Xi'an, China, in March. Of the four Olympic quota winners, only Bajrang Punia (65kg) has been exempted from competing in the trials because of his consistent performances, according to WFI. The rest - Ravi Dahiya (57kg), Deepak Punia (86kg) and Vinesh Phogat (53kg) - will take part in the trials despite earning Olympic quotas and winning World Championship medals.