YK MYK NO INTERNAL DEMOCRACY IS AN OLD HABIT WITH CONGRESS OPINION KOLKATA MONDAY, 27 DEC, 2021 PG- 8, YEAR— 8, ISSUE— 216 (RNI NO: WBENG / 2014 / 56803) ADHIR WRITES TO PM NEW DELHI: Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding COVID Hospital in West Bengal's Murshidabad and Kalyani. "I am very thankful to you for sanctioning two COVID hospitals, one for Murshidabad and another for Kalyani on my request through the PM-Cares Fund," the release read. "However, six months have passed, but no progress has been made in construction/establishment of the said hospitals," Chowdhury said. The Congress leader further said, "In view of thirdwave lurking around, I would request you to kindly instruct the state government to do the needful on their part in respect of the establishment of the above-mentioned makeshift COVID hospital and you may also like to instruct the concerned department of the Central government to coordinate with the West Bengal government in relation to the same." NATION Morning India Rs. 3 AT A GLANCE CENTRE HAS NO PLAN TO INTRODUCE FARM LAWS AGAIN: NARENDRA TOMAR Host of changes in GST law to come into effect from Jan 1, 2022 T he GST regime will see a host of tax rate and procedural changes coming into effect from January 1, including liability on e-commerce operators to pay tax on services provided through them by way of passenger transport or restaurant services. Also, the correction in inverted duty structure in footwear and textile sectors would come into effect from Saturday wherein all footwear, irrespective of prices, will attract GST at 12 per cent while all textile products, except cotton, including readymade garments will have 12 per cent GST. While the passenger transport services provided by auto rickshaw drivers through offline/ manual mode would continue to be exempt, such services when provided through any e-commerce platform would become taxable effective January 1, 2022, at 5 per cent rate. The procedural changes that would come into effect include ecommerce operators, such as Swiggy and Zomato, being made liable to collect and deposit GST with the government on restaurant services supplied through them from January 1. They would also be required to issue invoices in respect of such services. There would be no extra tax Currently, the law restricts filing of return for outward supplies or GSTR-1 in case a business fails to file GSTR-3B of preceding two months. While businesses file GSTR-1 of a particular month by the 11th day of the subsequent month, GSTR-3B, through which businesses pay taxes, is filed in a staggered manner between 20th24th day of the succeeding month. Also the GST law has been amended to allow GST officers to visit premises to recover tax dues without any prior showcause notice, in cases where taxes paid in GSTR-3B is lower based on suppressed sales volume. Entrance test must for admission across central varsities from 2022 ‘MODI JI HEARD ME’: MAHUA MOITRA NEW DELHI: Hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared booster doses for healthcare and frontline workers and people above 60 years with comorbidites, TMC MP Mahua Moitra reacted to the news saying "Modiji has heard me!". Taking to Twitter, the parliamentarian wrote, "Hallelujah! Hon'ble Modiji has heard me! Boosters for over 60s & frontline workers finally. Praise the Lord." PM Modi on Saturday evening addressed the nation and announced that India will begin a vaccination drive from January 3 next year for children aged 15 to 18. While healthcare and frontline workers will be provided with "precautionary doses" from January 10, 2022. He also announced that people above 60 years of age who have comorbidities can take a booster dose, on a doctor's recommendation. The Prime Minister appealed to the people to "use masks and wash hands regularly" as the highly contagious Omicron variant is spreading rapidly across the world. burden on the end consumer as currently restaurants are collecting and depositing GST. Only, the compliance of deposit and invoice raising has now been shifted to food delivery platforms. The move comes after government estimates showed that tax loss to exchequer due to alleged underreporting by food delivery aggregators is Rs 2,000 over the past two years. Making these platforms liable for GST deposit would curb tax evasion. The other anti-evasion measures which would come into effect from the new year include mandatory Aadhaar authentication for claiming GST refund, blocking of the facility of GSTR-1 filing in cases where the business has not paid taxes and filed GSTR-3B in the immediate previous month. CENTURY IN CENTURION KL Rahul celebrates his century on the the first day of the first Test cricket match between South Africa and India in Centurion on Sunday. ANI ATTACKS, MEDIA TRIALS AMONG NEW THREATS TO JUDICIARY: CJI VIJAYAWADA: Calling attention to the increasing incidents of attacks on the judiciary, Chief Justice of India (CJI) N.V. Ramana on Sunday underlined the need for the law enforcement agencies to deal with them effectively. He made the remarks while delivering the fifth Late Sri Lavu Venkateswarlu Endowment Lecture. “In recent times, physical attacks on judicial officers are on the rise. At times, there are also concerted campaigns in print and social media against judges if parties do not get a favourable order. These attacks appear to be sponsored and synchronised. The law enforcing agencies, particularly the specialised agencies, need to deal with such malicious attacks effectively. It is unfortunate that unless the Court interferes and passes orders, the authorities generally do not proceed with the investigation. The governments are expected and duty bound to create a secure environment so that the judges and judicial officers can function fearlessly,” he said. Justice Ramana also brought the spotlight on media trials, and said that they cannot be the guiding factors for deciding cases. MORE ON PG 7 NEW DELHI: The admission process in most of the central universities will change from the upcoming academic session as Central University Common Entrance Test (CUCET) will come into force for admission to all undergraduate courses in different central universities across the country. The Union Education Ministry and the University Grants Commission (UGC) have informed central universities about the mandatory entrance test from next academic session, after which all central universities ARMY RESCUES OVER 1,000 TOURISTS STRANDED IN SIKKIM AMID HEAVY SNOWFALL NATHU LA: Around 1,027 tourists who had been stuck in the upper reaches of East Sikkim near the China Border at Nathu La following heavy snow on Saturday were rescued by the Indian Army. Severe snowfall had occurred in areas of Nathu La, Tsomgo Lake and adjoining areas on Saturday afternoon, bringing down the temperature to sub-zero levels. After the heavy snowfall, the vehicles started skidding on the Jawaharlal Nehru Marg that connects these areas with Gangtok. Altogether, there were approximately 1027 tourists in 120 vehicles, who got stranded over a stretch of 15 kms. have started preparations for the CET. Delhi University (DU) has also made the CET mandatory for the academic session 2022-23. These central universities have also passed proposals in their respective Academic and Executive Councils regarding the CET. According to renowned educationist C.S. Kandpal, this is a new system and its efficacy can be tested on the basis of experience. It is not proper to comment on the merits and demerits of the new system as of now. Educational institutions must see this as a positive change, he added. The entrace examinations can open new doors for students. If there are demerits in the system or in the conduct or in the process of examinations in future, there is always a chance to improve, Kandpal said. According to DU Professor Hansraj Suman, class 12 marks will not be completely neglected in the name of CUCET. Many central universities have approved CUCET in their academic council but class 12 board exam results will also be given importance. Boiler blast kills six in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur MUZAFFARPUR: At least six persons were killed and several others were injured when a boiler explosion inside a factory here brought the structure down and left many buildings in the vicinity severely damaged, a top official said. According to District Magistrate, Muzaffarpur, Pranay Kumar the boiler blast took place around 9.30 A.M. inside a unit at Bela industrial area that manufactured noodles and other snacks. The sound was heard far and wide and the rooftops of many other buildings in the area were blown away by the impact of the collision which reduced the factory to rubble, said the DM. Officials of the local administration, police, and fire department rushed to the spot to carry out rescue operations. Six bodies were pulled out of the debris and sent for post mortem. Six persons, who have sustained serious injuries, are admitted to the SKMCH referral hospital where their condition was said to be critical. Dhankhar retaliates on varsity Chancellor row PANEL FORMED TO DECIDE WITHDRAWAL OF AFSPA FROM NAGALAND MI NEWS SERVICE SILIGURI: West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Sunday lashed out at the West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu over his remark that the Chief Minister should be made Chancellor of State-run universities. "You make the Chief Minister the Governor also in addition to making her the Chancellor," Dhankhar said in response to the Education Minister's statement. "I was astonished that the Education Minister, who should have interacted with me, instead said that the Chief Minister will be made Chancellor," Dhankhar had said. Basu had earlier, said that the Chancellor of State-run universities should be replaced from Governor to Chief Minister. Governor has also alleged that the appointments in the Universities of West Bengal are being made without taking him into confidence. "In West Bengal, they have appointed around 18 personnel in various educational institutions. Re- appointment of ViceChancellor of Kolkata University is a clear violation of law," said Dhankhar. "Sonali Chakraborty was given an extension of four years and the Governor was not taken into confidence," he added. KOHIMA: A committee has been formed to look into the demand of withdrawal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA) from Nagaland and the panel would submit its report to the government within 45 days, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio said here on Sunday. The committee was formed after Union Home Minister Amit Shah on December 23 in New Delhi chaired a meeting which was attended by Nagaland Chief Minister, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Nagaland Deputy Chief Minister Y. Patton and Naga People’s Front (NPF) legislature Party leader T.R. Zeliang. Desmond Tutu, anti-apartheid hero, ‘a man who cared’ dies at 90 PRETORIA: Desmond Mpilo Tutu, South African Anglican archbishop, human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner, has died at the age of 90. South African presidency in a statement expressed profound sadness at the passing today, of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Mpilo Tutu. Archbishop Tutu, the last surviving South African laureate of the Nobel Peace Prize, passed away in Cape Town. Tutu is widely known for his antiapartheid campaign, which resulted in him receiving a Nobel Prize in 1984. Aside from his anti-apartheid campaign, he has spoken out on many other causes as well. The archbishop also served as the chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission after the abolition of apartheid. He is known for coining the term “Rainbow Nation” to describe post-apartheid South Africa as a country where people of all racial and ethnic groups could live together in peace. The Archbishop has been a “staunch advocate” for universal human rights, including the right to food, as well as the right to clean water, shelter, hygiene, sanitation and health care. Alongside anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Tutu was one of the driving forces behind the movement to end the policy of racial segregation and discrimination enforced by the white minority government against the black majority in South Africa from 1948 until 1991. He was awarded the Nobel prize in 1984 for his role in the struggle to abolish the apartheid system. In his 1984 Nobel Lecture, Archbishop Tutu said, “Unless we work assiduously so that all of God’s children, our brothers and sisters, members of our one human family, all will enjoy basic human rights, the right to a fulfilled life, the right of movement, of work, the freedom to be fully human, with a humanity measured by nothing less than the humanity of Jesus Christ Himself, then we are on the road inexorably to self-destruction, we are not far from global suicide; and yet it could be so different.” After the news of the Archbishop’s demise broke out, Nelson Mandela Foundation issued a statement saying the loss of Archbishop Desmond Mpilo Tutu is immeasurable. He was larger than life, and for so many in South Africa and around the world, his life has been a blessing. “His contributions to struggles against injustice, locally and THE ARCHBISHOP HAS BEEN A “STAUNCH ADVOCATE” FOR UNIVERSAL HUMAN RIGHTS, INCLUDING THE RIGHT TO FOOD, AS WELL AS THE RIGHT TO CLEAN WATER, SHELTER, HYGIENE, SANITATION AND HEALTH CARE. globally, are matched only by the depth of his thinking about the making of liberatory futures for human societies. He was an extraordinary human being. A thinker. A leader. A shepherd,” the statement said.