-The Indian Express The FIU generated 17 suspicious transaction reports (STRs) related to PEPs in the last one year. The Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) has stepped up its surveillance on high value transactions by politicians, senior bureaucrats and their immediate relatives who fall under the “politically exposed persons” (PEP) category. According to sources, the FIU generated 17 suspicious transaction reports (STRs) related to PEPs in the last one year. All these cases...

-The Times of India A recent report by a data consultancy owned by the Financial Times of London created a stir by estimating that India is now the most favorite destination for foreign direct investment, beating China and the USA. The fine print indicates that they are talking about "estimated capital expenditures" in greenfield, that is, new ventures. By this estimate, India attracted $31 billion compared to China's $28 billion in...

-The Hindu The Compensatory Afforestation Bill has raised significant money, which must be used to restore existing forests rather than on artificial plantations On Parliament’s wooden desks, a Bill is knocking. The Compensatory Afforestation Fund Bill seeks to govern how forests will be raised, cut, and resurrected across India. It will be looking at how a fund of Rs. 38,000 crore, collected from cutting down forests, is to be used. Meant initially just...

-Business Standard Seek relaxation of order restricting Aadhaar usage in PDS and LPG subsidies The Securities Exchange Board of India (Sebi) and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Tuesday moved the Supreme Court for modification of the apex court's order on Aadhaar, issued in August. The two regulators sought relaxation of the order, which stated the unique identity card should not be insisted upon except for public distribution scheme (PDS) items...

-The Telegraph New Delhi: The Reserve Bank of India, market regulator Sebi and the Gujarat government today petitioned the Supreme Court to modify its earlier order restricting the use of Aadhaar cards to a handful of schemes. In separate applications, the petitioners requested that authorities be allowed to demand the production of Aadhaar cards for all services, social welfare schemes and securities transactions. Else, they argued, the precluded schemes would be affected. The...