‘INDIA SHOULD NOT BE SINGLED OUT ON EXPORT SUBSIDIES’

NEW DELHI: A day after the US dragged India to the World Trade Organization (WTO) over its export subsidy programmes, trade minister Suresh Prabhu on Friday said India should not be singled out just because it is growing faster, and should be given a chance to phase out export subsidies over a period of eight years, as was the case with other countries. Speaking at the Rising India Summit, Prabhu said India follows all international norms in letter and spirit. “We will follow the international obligations but obligations should also be such that they take into consideration the reality of the situation. So if you have given it to somebody else, you must give it to India,” he said. Without taking any names, Prabhu said some countries have exceeded the $1000 per capita limit but are not being subjected to any regulation.

Arunachal approves death for rape of girls under 12

GUWAHATI: Arunachal Pradesh on Friday became the fourth state in the country to pass a legislation approving death penalty for child rape. The Criminal Laws (Arunachal Pradesh) Amendment Bill-2018 was passed by unanimous voice vote in the state assembly by all members present. This development follows a series of incidents where the public resorted to vigilante justice to punish alleged child rapists. Similar legislations were earlier approved by the BJP-ruled states of MP, Rajasthan and Haryana. The bill seeks to amend sections 376AA and Sec 376D of the IPC – which prescribes punishment for offences such as rape and gang rape of girls below 12 years – to include the death penalty as well as other punitive actions.