Spectrum Auction concludes

The auction of telecom spectrum ended Tuesday with total bids of Rs 77,814.80 crore for the airwaves. Telecommunications Secretary Anshu Prakash said, incremental bids for Rs 668.20 crore were made  on the second and concluding day of Spectrum Auction. The e-auction was based on Simultaneous Multiple Round Ascending Auction (SMRA) methodology. Prakash informed that bidding took place for spectrum in 800 Megahertz, 900 Megahertz, 1,800 Megahertz, 2,100 Megahertz and 2,300 Megahertz bands. The total quantity of spectrum for which right to use has been acquired in these bands is 855.60 Megahertz. The participants did not bid in 700 Megahertz and 2,500 Megahertz bands. Four rounds of bidding, two each with stipulated activity levels of 80 per cent and 90 per cent took place yesterday. Two rounds of bidding with stipulated activity levels of 100 per cent took place on Tuesday.Three bidders, Bharti Airtel Limited, Vodafone Idea Limited and Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited participated in the auction.A total quantity of 2,308.80 Megahertz spectrum was put to auction, including spectrum that is expiring up to December this year. 

-India has exercised its right of reply at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to assert that Pakistan remains a haven for United Nations proscribed terrorists. India's representative at the Indian Mission in UN, Geneva, Pawan Badhe said that Pakistan has the dubious distinction of providing pension to terrorists. Badhe also stated that the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, OIC has no locus standi to comment on Jammu and Kashmir which is an integral part of India. He said, it is regrettable that OIC continues to allow itself to be exploited by Pakistan to indulge in anti-India propaganda.

-Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has urged the car manufacturers to give priority to the indigenous production of flex engines, which can be used in vehicles using alternative fuels such as ethanol. Meeting a delegation of carmakers from the Society of India Automobile Manufacturers, the Minister said that, with ethanol beginning to be easily available in the country, more than 70 per cent of gasoline consumed by two wheelers, there is a need to develop indigenous technology for flex fuel vehicles.During the meeting, discussions were also held regarding the request by the delegation to postpone implementation of BS-VI CAFÉ Phase-II regulations to 1st of April, 2024. The request was made on the grounds that the industry is still recovering from the impact of COVID and slow consumer demand. While agreeing to examine the request, Mr Gadkari made it clear to them that Indian automobile industry has to have world-class quality. He said, if the industry is meeting stringent anti-pollution standards in countries to which they are exporting vehicles, the same standards must be adhered to in India as well.

-Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Wadra launched the Five Guarantees campaign for the upcoming Assam Assembly Elections at a public rally in on Tuesday. The party is undertaking Five Guarantees for the election that includes a law that nullifies the CAA and five lakh government jobs. The party also promised to raise tea workers’ wages to Rs 365 per day, free electricity up to 200 units per household and Rs two thousand monthly income support to all housewives. Ms. Wadra said, this election is an election of trust. She alleged that the people of Assam were cheated by a party five years ago that promised to give 25 lakh jobs, but gave CAA instead.

-Bharatiya Janata Party National President J. P. Nadda has said that the farm reforms initiated by the Central Government will change the fortune of the farmers. Addressing the meeting of the party State Working Committee in Jaipur on Tuesday, Nadda said that Opposition leaders have only done politics from the last several years while Prime Minister Narendra Modi took steps for the welfare of the farmers. Nadda also targeted the Congress saying the party often changes its stand.Praising the Prime Minister for COVID management, BJP President said that he saved the country by timely imposing lockdown and encouraged scientists of the country to develop vaccines and this resulted in the world’s largest vaccination programme. He said that the government also introduced the world’s largest health care programme by launching the Ayushman Bharat scheme.Targeting the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress Government in Rajasthan, he said that the priority of the government is not to deliver good governance. He said that the state is on top in crime against women and second in Dalit atrocities.