FDI will help create 1 crore new jobs in retail: Government

New Delhi, Sep 21 (IANS) The government Friday claimed that foreign direct investment (FDI) will help create over 1 crore (10 million) new jobs in the retail sector and benefit consumers and farmers.

In a full-page advertisement in leading newspapers, the commerce and industry ministry said it was just a myth that FDI in multi-brand retail would result in job losses.

"Contrary to this mistaken belief, FDI in multi-brand retail will generate new employment opportunities, resulting in 1 crore new jobs," it said.

In the advertisement, the government claimed that due to FDI in retail, "farmers will receive better remuneration for their product and will benefit from additional job opportunities resulting in overall improvement in their quality of life".

The government's decision to allow FDI in multi-brand retail has resulted in political turmoil in the country with a key ally Trinamool Congress pulling out of the ruling United Progressive Alliance and opposition parties, both from political right and left, demanding a rollback.

Shrugging off the protests, the government Thursday notified the decision to allow up to 51 percent FDI in multi-brand retail and hiked the limit of overseas investments in single-brand retail to 100 percent.

Source:
http://in.news.yahoo.com/fdi-help-create-1-crore-jobs-retail-government-102748621--finance.html

Supreme Court upholds Kasab's death sentence

New Delhi, Aug 29 (IANS) The Supreme Court Wednesday upheld the death sentence of Ajmal Kasab, the only surviving Pakistani terrorist behind the 26/11 Mumbai strike that claimed 166 lives.

"We are constrained to hold that the death penalty is the only sentence that can given in the circumstances of the case," the apex court bench of Justices Aftab Alam and C.K. Prasad said.

Kasab, one of the 10 Pakistanis who sneaked into Mumbai on the night of Nov 26, 2008 for a terror siege of the city that ended on Nov 29 afternoon, had moved the apex court challenging the death sentence by a trial court, which was later upheld by the Bombay High Court.

The court rejected Kasab's contention that the Mumbai terror attack was a war against the government of India and not against the Indian state or its people.

The court said the government of India was only the elected organ of the state and the repository of the sovereign powers.

Having said this, the court added: "Primary and foremost offence by the accused (Kasab) was waging war against India."

The high court had upheld Kasab's death penalty Feb 21, 2011.

Kasab was sent to the gallows by a Mumbai trial court May 6, 2010. Besides other charges, he was convicted for waging war against the nation.

An apex court had reserved the verdict on the conclusion of arguments that spread over nearly three months, starting Jan 31.

Kasab and his nine associates who had sailed from Karachi reached Mumbai after they hijacked private Indian ship M.B. Kuber and killed its navigator Amar Chand Solanki.

Source:
http://in.news.yahoo.com/supreme-court-upholds-kasabs-death-sentence-051934750.html