New Delhi, July 11 (IANS) The Indian telecommunications industry looks set for the next phase of market repair, as it settles more stably into a three-player market, a report showed on Thursday.

According to a report by S&P Global Ratings, rising stability in the sector will boost earnings and solidify credit metrics.

“We believe entities will take the opportunity to embark on a much-needed focus on improving earnings and balance sheets. Investors will likely remain willing to amply fund the top three players,” the report noted.

Vodafone Idea’s recent equity raising has bolstered its viability.

“We assume that the two biggest entities — Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio Infocomm — will now focus less on market share gains, and more on improving profits and improving their balance sheets,” the report mentioned.

The telcos have boosted their average revenue per user (ARPU) over the past three years.

The latest round of 15-20 per cent mobile tariff hikes for prepaid and postpaid plans by telecom service providers (TSPs) can result in additional operating profits of around Rs 20,000 crore for the industry once these hikes are fully absorbed, according to industry experts.

S&P Global Ratings expects ARPUs to rise faster, after having slowed in the past 12-24 months.

However, the gains mainly reflect tariff hikes and rising demand for fast data.

“That said, in an industry defined by intense rivalry, steep spectrum costs, and unexpected regulatory shifts, an issuer’s financial cushion will remain key to its long-term viability,” it noted.

A stabilised three-player market will likely boost earnings.

“We believe Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio may now focus on improving returns. This would be a shift from their prior stance of market share gains,” said the report.

–IANS

na/dpb

Kochi, July 11 (IANS) In a significant ruling, the Kerala High Court stated that a woman’s partner, who is not legally married, cannot be prosecuted under Section 498A of the IPC for the offence of cruelty.

The court on Thursday ruled this after quashing the proceedings against the petitioner who was the live-in partner of the complainant woman.

“Thus, it appears that in order to attract an offence punishable under Section 498(A) of IPC, the most essential ingredient is, subjecting a woman to cruelty by her husband or relative/relatives of the husband. The term ‘husband @ hubby’ means a married man, a woman’s partner in marriage. Thus, marriage is the constituent which takes the woman’s partner to the status of her husband. Marriage means a marriage in the eye of the law. Thus, without legal marriage, if a man becomes a woman’s partner, he will not be covered by the term ‘husband’ for the purpose of Section 498(A) of IPC,” ruled the court.

The allegation was that the petitioner mentally and physically harassed the woman from March 2023 to August 2023 while they were in a live-in relationship.

The court further pointed out that to attract an offence under Section 498A, an offence of cruelty must be committed by the husband or relatives of the husband.

It stated that a man, who was a woman’s partner without legal marriage, cannot be prosecuted under Section 498A.

–IANS

sg/dpb

New Delhi, July 11 (IANS) Asserting that longstanding goals such as capacity building and economic cooperation have acquired a new urgency, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Thursday called for deepening and broadening of activities between the Bay of Bengal countries.

“Global and regional developments also make it imperative that we find more solutions amongst ourselves,” he said in his opening remarks at the two-day 2nd BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers’ Retreat which began in New Delhi.

“For India, BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) represents the interaction of the ‘Neighbourhood First’ outlook, the ‘Act East’ policy and the SAGAR vision. Each of these endeavours is being purposed with a specific focus on the Bay of Bengal by the collaborative potential that has long remained under-realised. Our challenge is to change that for the better and to do so rapidly,” he stated.

The EAM is hosting his counterparts for the significant meet which brings together seven countries of South and South East Asia for multifaceted cooperation.

“The Retreat will present an opportunity for the Foreign Ministers of the BIMSTEC countries to discuss, in an informal setting, avenues to broaden and deepen cooperation across various sectors including in the fields of security, connectivity, trade and investment, people to people contacts etc, in the Bay of Bengal region and littoral,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.

The first edition of the BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers’ Retreat was held in Bangkok in July 2023 as India continues to reiterate its commitment to promote connectivity and linkages in the shared Bay of Bengal region.

Bangladesh Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud, Thailand Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa (current BIMSTEC chair), Bhutan Foreign Minister D.N. Dhungyel, Nepal Foreign Secretary Sewa Lamsal and Myanmar’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister U Than Swe and State Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka Tharaka Balasuriya are attending the meeting which is expected to bolster regional cooperation.

Last month, as he congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the BJP-led NDA’s third consecutive term, Thailand Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said that he is already looking forward to the Indian leader’s visit to the country in September this year for the BIMSTEC Summit.

“While Prime Minister Modi will be visiting Thailand in September this year to attend the BIMSTEC Summit; on my part, I look forward to paying an official visit to India at the earliest opportunity to realise the full potential of our relations,” said Thavisin.

–IANS

as/svn

Pune/Washim (Maharashtra), July 11 (IANS) Under a dark cloud for misconduct, a Maharashtra cadre IAS Probationary Officer (IAS-PO) Pooja Dilip Khedkar took charge of her new assignment as Assistant Collector at the Washim Collectorate, here on Thursday.

The development came three days after she got the marching orders from the Pune Collectorate following an adverse report on her bizarre behaviour, demands not befitting her current status as an IAS-PO, ‘grabbing’ a senior government servant’s office, plus questions raised about her OBC-Creamy Layer caste credentials.

In a brief interaction with the media in Washim, Pooja Khedkar, 31, appeared unruffled by the barrage of allegations against her and said she “is not permitted to speak anything” in the matter.

Ranking 841 in the 2023 UPSC list of successful candidates, Khedkar was posted at the Pune Collectorate as a Probationary Assistant Collector in March 2023 for two years — which itself was billed as an irregularity since an IAS officer’s first assignment is usually not in his/her hometown.

In the recent past, a Pune RTI activist Vijay Kumbhar made a series of exposes against the ‘aristocratic’ Pooja Khedkar, her father Dilip K. Khedkar, a retired state government officer, their wealth, alleged questionable documents and reports that they had threatened senior officials with dire consequences if they failed to extend official privileges that were beyond her entitlements.

Ostensibly having a penchant for flaunting her status, connections and wealth plus name-dropping, Khedkar zoomed around in her personal high-end Audi A4 on which she had unauthorisedly installed a red-blue flashing beacon light, a ‘Maharashtra Government’ sticker and got a VIP registration number allegedly with the help of an outside contractor.

She demanded — or helped herself to — other things that are beyond the reach of IAS-POs, ‘taking over’ an office of a Resident Deputy Collector in the Pune Collectorate, ordering the revenue assistant to provide her with a letterhead, business cards, name-plate, the Indian insignia, intercoms and other paraphernalia.

As murmurs and complaints against her mounted, last month the Pune Collector, Suhas Diwase shot off a letter to the Chief Secretary, highlighting all the alleged irregularities perpetrated by Khedkar that finally led to her transfer to Washim on June 8.

The RTI activist Kumbhar has cited official records to show that Khedkar’s parents with an OBC non-creamy layer certificate, possess huge assets either singly, or jointly in different parts of the state, and her father Dilip K. Khedkar had contested the Lok Sabha 2024 elections as a Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi nominee but trailed in the fourth position.

The family wealth includes 110 acres of land violating the Agricultural Land Ceiling Act, six commercial premises of 1.6 lakhs sq. feet, seven flats including in the post-Hiranandani Complex in Powai (Mumbai), around one kg of gold jewellery, diamonds, multiple bank accounts, a gold watch worth Rs 17 lakh, and a Rado watch worth Rs 60,000, at least three cars of foreign make and one India, partnerships/ownerships in three companies, and Pooja Khedkar has also property allegedly worth Rs 17 crore, according to Kumbhar.

As the issue snowballed into a major topic of debate on social media, Pune Commissioner of Police Amitesh Kumar has assured of action against Pooja Khedkar for flouting the laws pertaining to the use of beacon and Maharashtra government insignia on her private vehicle.

–IANS

qn/dpb

Mysuru, (Karnataka) July 11 (IANS) Reacting to the BJP’s demand for his resignation over alleged irregularities in the tribal welfare Board, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who holds the finance portfolio, questioned whether Union Finance Minister Sitharaman and Prime Minister Modi would resign over bank frauds in the country.

Speaking to reporters in Mysuru, CM Siddaramaiah stated, “A scam has taken place in banks, and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman must resign, and the Prime Minister should also resign. Will they tender their resignations?

“The probe is ongoing, and the report is pending. No preliminary or final report has been released yet. Once the charge sheet is submitted, the report will be provided.”

When asked about the huge transactions not coming to his notice, CM Siddaramaiah responded, “It won’t always come to me. The stipulated amount would be released to the authorities concerned from the treasury. It won’t come to my knowledge or require my signature. The probe is not over yet. I am repeatedly saying that no report regarding the case has been submitted.”

He added, “Let the probe be completed and the report be submitted first. How can you fix responsibilities before it is over?”

CM Siddaramaiah further pointed out that it is not possible to transfer money directly from the government treasury.

He said the authorities in the treasury would provide funds, which could later be misappropriated.

Three agencies, CBI, ED, and SIT are investigating the case.

“Let the SIT report come out first,” he emphasised.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister, DK Shivakumar on Tuesday admitted that the misuse and misappropriation of funds by officers in the tribal welfare Board had taken place, and the ministers had assured him that they had no role in it.

The BJP is alleging direct involvement of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the irregularities.

The BJP is also demanding resignations of Minister for Medical Education Sharan Prakash Patil and Board Chairman Basanagouda Daddal.

–IANS

mka/rad