RNI No.2016/1957, REGD NO. SSP/LW/NP-34/2016-18 Follow us on: @TheDailyPioneer facebook.com/dailypioneer instagram.com/dailypioneer/ Established 1864 Late City Vol. 154 Issue 343 Published From *Air Surcharge Extra if Applicable LANDMARK 5 WORLD 7 SPORT 10 DELHI LUCKNOW BHOPAL UPA SNOOPED ON 9K CALLS, SUDAN OPP LEADER SAYS 22 LEWIS,PAUL SEAL T20 BHUBANESWAR RANCHI 500 EMAILS PER MONTH: RTI RAIPUR CHANDIGARH KILLED IN BREAD PROTESTS SERIES WIN FOR WI DEHRADUN LUCKNOW, SUNDAY DECEMBER 23, 2018; PAGES 12+8 `3 www.dailypioneer.com USUALSUSPECTS Ganga clean at SWAPAN DASGUPTA GST walks Modi’s talks Council cuts just one out of Media is inherently rates on 23 items to up 39 sites: CPCB anti-Right, anti-Modi New Delhi: Only one out of 39 According to the report, 34 to 18 per cent locations through which the areas showed moderate pollu- here is a lot of money floating about in India for what Ganga flows had clean water in tion in the river while three Tpasses off as “research.” From think tanks and NGOs to PNS/PTI n NEW DELHI the post-monsoon period this areas recorded severe pollution academic institutions — not to mention institutions based year, the Central Pollution in the pre-monsoon period in overseas — a whole gamut of researchers are involved in our days after Prime Control Board (CPCB) has 2017-18. The report also said in preparing reports, some extremely valuable and others FMinister Narendra Modi said in its latest study. Uttar Pradesh, two major trib- equally tendentious and very suspect. Predictably, in a strongly hinted at bringing 99 As many as 37 of the 41 utaries, River Pandu and River made-in-media age, a chunk of that research is devoted to per cent of products and ser- locations through which the Varuna, are increasing pollu- media studies. vices in the 18 per cent or lower Ganga flows reported moder- tion load of the Ganga. If I may be presumptuous enough to advise research brackets, the GST Council on ate to severe water pollution in “On mainstream of River bodies, I would suggest a piece of research on the political Saturday reduced tax rates on the pre-monsoon period this Ganga, although none of the inclinations of journalists — the entire range from editors to 23 goods and services, includ- year, according to the locations were found to be rookie sub-editors and backroom research assistants. At one ing movie tickets, TV and “Biological Water Quality severely polluted but most are time this would have involved meeting journalists individually, monitor screens and power Assessment of the River Ganga in moderate pollution range,” getting them to answer questions and hoping that they were banks, and exempted frozen Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley addresses a Press conference after GST Council meeting in New Delhi on Saturday PTI (2017-18)” report that was the study said. As many as 37 speaking the truth. Mercifully, this is no longer necessary. and preserved vegetables from recently made public by the of the 41 locations through The exponential growth of social media has meant that the levy. cranks, gear boxes, used tyres, GOODS NOW CHEAPER CPCB in compliance with a which the river flows, report- journalists are pretty forthright in sharing their views on The reduced rates are like- lithium ion batteries, digital Supreme Court direction. ed moderate to severe pollution everything to the world at large — which, in most cases, ly to come into effect from cameras, video camera and 2 GST on movie tickets costing up to `100 cut is down to 12% The water quality of the in the pre-monsoon period actually means fellow members of Press Clubs. A casual January 1, 2019, Finance video game consoles. from 18%, tickets over `100 to attract 18%, against 28% earlier river was either clean or slight- this year, it said. perusal of Twitter posts, for example, is very revealing for Minister Arun Jaitley told The 28 per cent slab is now 2 Monitors and TV screens up to 32 inches and power banks will ly polluted at only four out of In another study titled what they tell us of the political likes and dislikes of reporters after the 31st meeting restricted to only luxury and attract 18% GST, as against 28% earlier 41 locations during the pre- Comparison of Biological individuals. I am not talking here of celebrity editors and of GST Council here. The sin goods apart from auto-parts 2 The next target will be rate rationalisation in cement as and when monsoon period and at only Water Quality of River Ganga anchors who are often careful about concealing their annual revenue implication of and cement — the tax rate on affordability improves, said Jaitley one out of 39 locations post- (2014-18), it was found that political preferences. I refer to the mid-ranking reporters and the rate cuts would be `5,500 which could not be cut due to monsoon, it said, adding that Ramganga and Garra river those on the newsdesks who are more forthright with their crore, he said. high revenue implication. 2 Only 28 goods are left in the highest 28% tax bracket Haridwar is the only location water was in heavy pollution views because they have less at stake. They Of the 23 goods and ser- “Rate rationalisation is an 2 Annual revenue implication of the rate cuts will be `5,500 crore where the river was ‘clean’ in range in post-monsoon season Research on the political inclinations of journalists have vices on which rates have been ongoing process. When the the post-monsoon period. during 2017-18. It showed been done in the United States and the United Kingdom. slashed, tax rate on seven items original rates were fixed, India have been there and therefore it down. And therefore 28 per In the report, qualitative hardly any improvement at What they have shown is that the media is dominated by in the 28 per cent slab has been had the most irrational taxation the social expenditure of cen- cent bracket is already moving analysis of samples that were most of the locations in the past those who tend to be pro-Democratic Party in the US and brought down. With this, only rates. Most of these items were tral and State Governments towards a sunset, except the taken during pre- and post- four years. Water quality at inclined towards the Labour Party in the UK. In any case, 28 goods are left in the highest charged, along with cascading would have suffered. luxury and sin items, 3 items monsoon period were analysed some locations (Jagjeetpur in they reveal a strong anti-Right bias — and this predates the 28 per cent tax bracket. effect, at 31 per cent. So we had “Therefore we followed a which are used by upper and put under five water qual- Uttarakhand and Kanpur, election of President Trump. In the UK, anecdotal evidence The goods on which GST only transiently put them at 28 more realistic pragmatic and a income group and only 1 item ity classes — clean (A), slight Allahabad and Varanasi in reveals a strong antipathy to Brexit. It is not always has been lowered to 18 per cent per cent, because if we had prudent policy that as the rev- of common use remains,” pollution (B), moderate pollu- Uttar Pradesh) had deteriorat- necessary that these from 28 per cent include pul- immediately brought it down enues move up and affordabil- Jaitley said. tion (C), heavy pollution (D) ed in 2017-18 as compared to Ever since it came to inclinations translate into leys, transmission shafts and then the revenue impact would ity increases we gradually bring Turn to Page 6 and severe pollution (E). 2014-15, the study said. PTI power, the Modi institutional preferences. However, many media Government has acted analysts have indicated quite decisively to plug the the existence of Indira Nagar journalistic echo Day after Rajiv Bharat Qaeda Kashmir chief Musa’s unauthorised flow of chambers whereby the resident looted information — what is biases of individual journalists feed on each PNS n LUCKNOW popularly called leaks. The other to establish a tilted Ratna resolution slip, deputy among 6 ultras killed reason is not because it has consensus. In any case, xposing the police claim on like in the social sciences Enight vigil, two unidentified something awkward to hide and liberal arts Zakir was close miscreants looted `10,000 and departments in the AAP says Alka still in jewellery worth several lakh but because there is a universities, the reception aide of Burhan from an Indira Nagar resident legitimate belief that towards those with STAFF REPORTER n NEW DELHI Sisodia clarified the lines about while holding him hostage at his conservative and right- Rajiv Gandhi were not part of but parted ways house under Gazipur police sta- motivated leaks jeopardise wing preferences isn’t efuting party MLA Alka the original resolution placed tion area on Saturday night. decision-making and end warm. At times it veers RLamba’s claim that Delhi before the House. It was a to form group Red-faced cops said the incident towards outright hostility Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal handwritten amendment pro- seemed to be doubtful and an up paralysing governments and ostracism. had “demanded” her resigna- posed by a party MLA and it KHURSHEED WANI n SRINAGAR investigation was going on. On My own unscientific tion for not supporting a res- cannot be passed in such a the other hand, senior police offi- perusal of twitter posts over the past fortnight clearly olution in the Delhi Assembly manner, he added.