NEW DELHI: India plans to construct 100 airports at an estimated cost of $60 billion (about Rs. 4.2 lakh crore) in the next 10 to 15 years, civil aviation minister Suresh Prabhu said today.
The country's aviation sector is one of the fastest-growing in the world and has recorded 50 months of double-digit traffic growth.

As many as 100 new airports would be built in the next 10 to 15 years for about $60 billion. These airports are to be constructed through public private partnership, Mr Prabhu said.

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The government is also working on a cargo policy, he added.

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According to global airlines' group International Air Transport Association (IATA), India is expected to overtake Germany, Japan, Spain and the UK within the next 10 years to become the world's third largest air passenger market.

Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra Tuesday sent a letter to the Central government recommending Justice Ranjan Gogoi as his successor.

Justice Gogoi will be sworn in as the next CJI on October 3.

The CJI has written to the Ministry of Law and Justice endorsing and recommending the name of Justice Gogoi, senior-most judge, as the next CJI.

Nicosia: Underlining Cyprus' contribution to India's economic growth, President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday invited the businesses in the Mediterranean nation to invest in the country in the areas of digitalisation, smart cities, infrastructure and tourism.

Cyprus is the eighth largest investor in India and bilateral trade stands at around $8.2 billion.

President Ram Nath Kovind addressing House of Representatives of Cyprus. Twitter @rashtrapatibhvnPresident Ram Nath Kovind addressing House of Representatives of Cyprus. Twitter @rashtrapatibhvn
During his address to the House of Representatives of Cyprus, the president said India is at an exciting juncture and offers appealing business opportunities.

He said massive outlays and attractive and viable projects are evident in the Digital India

Online pharmacies will have to register with the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation, according to the draft rules, and obtain a trade licence to exhibit, stock and sell drugs.

The trade licence will be applicable across India. Currently, the e-pharma industry is less than 0.5% of the retail pharmacy landscape, but it is growing at an annual rate of over 100%, PTI reported.

“The details of patient shall be kept confidential and shall not be disclosed to any person other than the central government or the state government concerned, as the case may be,” the draft notification reads. “The supply of any drug shall be made against a cash or credit memo generated through the e-pharmacy portal and such memos shall be maintained by the e-pharmacy registration holder as record.”

Online pharmacies are banned from selling tranquillisers, narcotics and psychotropic drugs, as per the draft rules. “No e-pharmacy shall advertise any drug on radio or television or internet or print or any other media for any purpose,” the draft said.

he rupee Tuesday slumped 16 paise against the dollar to trade at a life-time low of 71.37 on strong demand for the US currency.

At the Interbank Foreign Exchange, the local currency opened at a record low of 71.24 against a dollar, down from its previous close of 71.21, and weakened further to trade at a fresh low of 71.37, down 16 paise.

Forex dealers said besides strong demand for the American currency from importers, capital outflows too weighed on the domestic currency.

The dollar strengthened against some currencies overseas as investors bid up safe-haven assets amid tensions over global trade and strains in emerging market currencies.

A sharp rally in global crude prices further dampened the overall trading sentiment.

Benchmark Brent crude oil was trading at USD 78.05 a barrel.

On Monday, the rupee had lost 21 paise, to close at an all-time low of 71.21 against the US dollar.

Former England skipper Alastair Cook on Monday announced that he will retire from international cricket after the ongoing Test series against India.”After much thought and deliberation over the last few months I have decided to announce my retirement from international cricket at the end of this Test series against India,” Cook said in a statement.

Cook will appear in his 161st, which is his final Test, for England at The Oval, starting from September 7. Cook has scored 12,254 runs which includes 32 centuries.

In a close contest with the Bharatiya Janata Party in the Karnataka municipal polls, the Congress came out just ahead winning 982 of the total 2,662 seats that were up for grabs. The BJP came to a close second winning 929 seats. The Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy's party Janata Dal (Secular) was a distant third with 375 seats, while independents won 329 seats.

Polling was held on August for over the 100 urban local bodies across 21 districts.

The Congress and JD(S) are likely to form post-poll alliances in several local bodies to keep the BJP out of power. In the event of either party not getting majority on its own in the ULB elections, we will have post-poll alliance to rule the local bodies as we did to form the coalition government in the state after the May 12 assembly election threw a hung House with a split verdict, a JD(S) official told IANS.

New Delhi: The Law Commission has said over Rs 4,500 crore will be needed to buy new EVMs and paper trail machines for "imminent" simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.

In its draft report on simultaneous polls issued last week, the law panel quoted the Election Commission as saying that around 10,60,000 polling stations will be set up for the 2019 general elections.

India and Pakistan have agreed to undertake the Indus Waters Treaty mandated tours by their Commissioners in the Indus basin on both sides to resolve issues on the various hydroelectric projects, including the Pakal Dul and Lower Kalnai in Jammu and Kashmir.
After the conclusion of the two-day high-level bilateral talks on the Indus Waters Treaty in Lahore, the first official engagement between India and Pakistan since Imran Khan became Prime Minister on August 18, the External Affairs Ministry said deliberations were held on further strengthening the role of the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) for matters under the 1960 Treaty.

As per the provisions of the treaty, technical discussions were held on implementation of various hydroelectric projects under the provisions of Indus Waters Treaty including Pakal Dul (1000 MW) and Lower Kalnai(48 MW) in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Both the countries agreed to undertake the Treaty mandated tours of both the Indus Commissioners in the Indus basin on both sides, the ministry said in a statement in New Delhi.

It was agreed to hold the next meeting of the PIC in India on mutually convenient dates.

Achievements over the past two weeks, in the world's second biggest multi-sport event, matched India's aspirations and set the country on a road that appears far more promising than the path it has been on for decades. The best-ever medal haul at the 2018 Asian Games is a leap forward for Indian sport after the Commonwealth Games medal spurt. In pursuit of excellence in the sporting arena and creating a niche for itself, India never had it so good in the continental showpiece that is considered next only to the Olympic Games. Even as the medallists come back with a feeling of accomplishment from Jakarta and Palembang, the surge in podium finishes could trigger new passion for Olympic sports in a country so obsessed with cricket.

From teenager Saurabh Chaudhary to 60-year-old Pranab Bardhan, an assortment of athletes combined to produce a top show even as the country endured shocking results in kabaddi and hockey. With 15 gold, 24 silver and 30 bronze, India's medal tally stood at 69, a step up from Incheon four years ago when they won 65.