India's exports rose marginally to $27.15 billion in December 2020, while imports surged 7.56 per cent to $42.59 billion, official data showed on Friday. The merchandise exports were valued at $27.11 billion in December 2019 while imports had totalled $39.59 billion.
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam member of parliament Kanimozhi and Kalaignar TV Managing Director Sharad Kumar on Saturday opposed Central Bureau of Investigation's fresh plea of invoking an additional charge of criminal breach of trust on the ground that they were not the alleged beneficiaries of the 2G spectrum licences.
After staging a strong recovery from COVID-induced slowdown in 2021, India's exports are likely to extend the growth story to the New Year also on increased demand in the global markets, boost in domestic manufacturing due to production-linked incentive schemes and implementation of some interim trade pacts. Expectations of positive growth in the country's exports are also backed up by the outlook of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) which predicts a 4.7 per cent expansion in the global merchandise trade volume in 2022. Exporters believe that the outbound shipments would cross $400 billion mark in this fiscal going by the current momentum and may reach $475 billion in 2022-23.
After recording positive growth in September, India's exports declined 5.4 per cent to $24.82 billion in October on account of dip in shipments of petroleum products, gems and jewellery, leather, and engineering goods. Trade deficit in October narrowed to $8.78 billion as against $11.76 billion, as imports also fell 11.56 per cent to $33.6 billion during the month under review.
The country's exports dipped 8.74 per cent to $23.52 billion in November on account of contraction in shipments of key sectors like petroleum, engineering, chemicals and gems and jewellery, official data showed on Tuesday. Trade deficit during the month narrowed to $9.87 billion as imports too declined by 13.32 per cent to $33.39 billion.
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Verma is understood to have given point-wise refusal to all the allegations levelled by Asthana before the panel comprising Vigilance Commissioners T M Bhasin and Sharad Kumar, they said.
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Imports too declined 26 per cent to $29.47 billion in August, leaving a trade deficit of $6.77 billion.
Sectors with positive growth during the month include rice, iron ore, oil seeds, oil meals, meat, dairy and poultry products, pharmaceuticals, coffee, engineering goods, and plastic.
Imports also fell for the eighth consecutive months, down 0.75 per cent to $41.14 billion in January, widening the trade deficit to a seven-month high of $15.17 billion.
Dayalu Ammal, 84, has been given an option to present her case through an authorised legal representative, in case she cannot come herself and answer questions of agency sleuths on March 28 in New Delhi, sources said.
Justice Brijesh Sethi held that the 2018 amendment to the Prevention of Corruption Act relating to Section 13 (1)(d) would not come to the rescue of the acquitted accused in this appeal.
The post of the chief of the Central Vigilance Commission, the country's anti-corruption watchdog, was lying vacant since June last year after K V Chowdary completed his tenure.
The FIEO on Thursday reiterated that the Customs authorities at several ports in India had ordered a sudden examination of Chinese consignments without any official word from the government, and this may have led to the Chinese retribution.
Former Telecom Minister A Raja, Dravid Munnetra Kazagham MP Kanimozhi and seven others, chargesheeted by the Enforcement Directorate in a 2G scam-related money laundering case, were on Wednesday granted bail by a special Central Bureau of Investigation court.
Dharampal, a rape convict who later murdered the victim and four members of her family while out on parole in 1993, will he hanged in Ambala prison on April 15, Haryana Director General of Police, Prisons, Sharad Kumar said on Saturday."He (Dharampal) will be hanged in Ambala jail on April 15. All the necessary arrangements needed to carry out the execution are in place," said Kumar.
The high court's order came on a plea by acquitted individual and Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Pvt Ltd director Asif Balwa that the CBI has not placed on record the mandatory authority under the provisions of the CrPC.
Imports too tumbled by 58.65 per cent to $17.12 billion in April from $41.4 billion in the same month last year, according to the data by the commerce and industry ministry.
Import segments which recorded negative growth include gold, silver, transport equipment, coal, fertiliser, machinery and machine tools. However, exports of oil seeds, coffee, rice, tobacco, spices, pharma, and chemicals reported positive growth in June.
The Enforcement Directorate on Saturday questioned Kalaignar TV MD Sharad Kumar in connection with its probe into his role in the alleged financial irregularities in the 2G spectrum allocation case.
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The special court hearing the 2G case on Monday reserved the bail order for the 17 accused in the case, including Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam Member of Parliament Kanimozhi, till November 3.
The court will hear MLAs' pleas on Wednesday.
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam member of Parliament Kanimozhi and three others, arrested for their alleged roles in the 2G spectrum allocation case, moved the Delhi high court for bail on Saturday.
Out of 30 key export sectors, as many as 22 showed negative growth in September.
"There are not sufficient number of applications received by the government. The extension in the last date has been given to allow more people to apply for the posts," a senior government official said.
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam MP Kanimozhi on Thursday sought the dismissal of a Central Bureau of Investigation plea seeking special court's permission to summon some additional witnesses, including Enforcement Directorate Deputy Director Rajeshwar Singh, in the 2G spectrum allocation case.
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A special Central Bureau of Investigation court trying the2G spectrum case on Wednesday allowed Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam member of Parliament Kanimozhi to skip the proceedings for two hours to approach the Enforcement Directorate for postponement of appearance before it in relation to its probe into money laundering aspects of the scam.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi's daughter and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam MP Kanimozhi on Friday appeared before a special court, responding to summons for her alleged involvement in the 2G spectrum scam and sought bail on grounds of being a woman.
A special court on Friday framed charges against former telecom minister Andimuthu Raja, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam MP Kanimozhi and others under section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC and under provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act in the 2G spectrum scam related to money laundering.
Two judges of the Supreme Court, who were scheduled to hear on Monday the bail plea of Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam Member of Parliament Kanimozhi, an accused in the 2G spectrum allocation scam, on Friday recused themselves from the hearing. Instead, Justice G S Singhvi, whose bench has been monitoring the case, will hold a special hearing on Monday along with Justice B S Chauhan to decide the bail applications of Kanimozhi and Kalaignar TV Managing Director Sharad Kumar.
The Central Bureau of Investigation on Friday opposed the bail plea of Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam Member of Parliament Kanimozhi and co-accused Kalaignar TV Managing Director Sharad Kumar in the 2G case in the Supreme Court on the ground that if released, they could tamper with evidence and influence witnesses. In an affidavit filed before the apex court, the investigating agency contended that Kanimozhi and Kumar were key conspirators of the scam.
A Delhi court on Saturday deferred the arguments on the bail applications of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam member of parliament Kanimozhi and Kalaignar TV Managing Director Sharad Kumar, accused in the 2G spectrum case, on their plea that they may be heard after the judge frames charges in the case.
Kanimozhi, the daughter of DMK chief M Karunanidhi and Kumar have challenged the Delhi high court verdict rejecting their bail. "We have filed a special leave petition on behalf of both Kanimozhi and Kumar challenging the high court order," senior advocate V G Pargasm said.