Latest news with #Department
The Hindu
7 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Coimbatore Forest Division starts using live wire detectors to trace illegal fencing, animal traps
The Coimbatore Forest Division has got a shot in the arm in its drive against illegal electric fencing and live wire traps with live wire detectors received from the WWF-India. Now, field staff in the division can inspect electric fences and live wire traps themselves. So far, the Department has been conducting joint inspections in coordination with the Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation (TNPDCL) once in every 15 days to identify illegal electric fences, sagging power lines and live wire traps, which pose threats to wild animals as well as humans. Sources said that WWF-India gave 11 live wire detectors to the Forest Department in April this year in Coimbatore, in the presence of Supriya Sahu, Secretary of Environment, Climate Change and Forests Department, and top officials. N. Jayaraj, District Forest Officer, Coimbatore, said two live wire detectors allotted to the Coimbatore division were being used for inspections. 'The device helps the staff detect live wires from a safe distance during patrols and during the joint inspectors with TNPDCL. It can also be used to check electric fences, whether they are having AC or DC power supply,' he said. Upon noticing live wire traps or AC-powered electric fences during routine patrols, the Department will alert the TNPDCL to initiate further actions. Electric fences are largely being used to prevent wild elephants from entering farm lands and other properties in villages that share boundaries with forests. Use of live wire traps to poach animals like wild boar and deer had also been reported in the division in the past. As per the Tamil Nadu Power Fences (Registration and Regulation) Rules 2023, AC power should not be connected directly to the fencing cables as getting in contact with them can be fatal to humans and animals. The rule states that battery-powered energiser of the prescribed standards, which generates DC power, should be the power source.
Black America Web
an hour ago
- Business
- Black America Web
Student Loan Forgiveness Paused for IBR Borrowers
Source: Deepak Sethi / Getty Millions of student loan borrowers enrolled in a popular repayment plan are now facing uncertainty, as the U.S. Department of Education has temporarily halted loan forgiveness under its Income-Based Repayment (IBR) program. Income-driven repayment plans like IBR aim to ease financial pressure by capping monthly loan payments based on a borrower's income and family size. After 20 years of qualifying payments, borrowers become eligible for loan forgiveness. At the end of 2024, nearly 40% of the 33 million Americans repaying student loans were enrolled in one of the Education Department's four IDR plans, according to federal data. But legal challenges have disrupted all four plans. Three of them, the SAVE (Saving on a Valuable Education) plan, Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR), and Pay As You Earn (PAYE) were previously blocked by court rulings. And now, the IBR plan has also been affected. As of this week, forgiveness for approximately 2 million borrowers enrolled in IBR has been paused. The Department of Education confirmed the pause Tuesday, citing ongoing court injunctions related to lawsuits against the Biden administration's SAVE plan. 'The Department has temporarily paused discharges for IBR borrowers in order to comply with ongoing court injunctions regarding the Biden Administration's illegal attempts at student loan forgiveness,' said Education Department deputy press secretary Ellen Keast in a statement to CBS MoneyWatch. The lawsuits stem from the Biden administration's implementation of the SAVE plan — a sweeping repayment initiative designed to fix flaws in existing IDR programs. SAVE became highly popular, enrolling nearly 8 million borrowers by the end of 2024. Because the SAVE plan included provisions allowing borrowers to count forbearances and certain non-payments toward loan forgiveness, it also affected forgiveness eligibility in the IBR plan. As a result, the Education Department is now recalculating eligible payment counts and has paused all IBR loan discharges until the process is complete. The Education Department has not provided a specific timeline for when loan forgiveness under the IBR plan will resume. However, Keast said discharges will restart 'as soon as the Department is able to establish the correct payment count.' Are Other IDR Plans Affected? Yes. Forgiveness under the SAVE, ICR, and PAYE plans remains blocked by court decisions that questioned whether the Education Department had the legal authority to offer widespread forgiveness under those programs. However, the IBR plan, created under a different legal authority, is still considered valid, though it is now on pause due to the SAVE plan's entanglement. What Should Borrowers Do? Borrowers enrolled in IBR are encouraged to continue making their monthly payments. Even if their forgiveness is delayed, those who are already eligible will be refunded for any overpayments once discharges resume. 'For any borrower that makes a payment after the date of borrower eligibility, the Department will refund overpayments,' Keast said. Borrowers may also request forbearance through their loan servicer, though doing so may result in interest continuing to accrue on their remaining balance. Income-Based Repayment Forgiveness Delayed; What Borrowers Need to Know was originally published on
The Herald Scotland
9 hours ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Hegseth's Signal messages were classified info from battle commanders
The message was classified as secret information when Gen. Erik Kurilla, the commander of U.S. Central Command, sent it to Hegseth, a U.S. official who was not authorized to speak publicly, told USA TODAY. The Pentagon stood by its contention that the information Hegseth revealed on the Signal chat, which had inadvertently included a journalist from The Atlantic, wasn't secret. More: Trump adviser Michael Waltz defends Signal use, says he stayed on White House payroll "The Department stands behind its previous statements: no classified information was shared via Signal," Sean Parnell, the Pentagon's chief spokesman, said in a statement. "As we've said repeatedly, nobody was texting war plans and the success of the Department's recent operations - from Operation Rough Rider to Operation Midnight Hammer - are proof that our operational security and discipline are top notch." Rough Rider is the name of the operation to bomb Houthi rebels in Yemen who have attacked ships in the Red Sea. The Houthis agreed not to target U.S. ships after heavy bombardment there. Midnight Hammer is the name for the U.S. attack on Iran's nuclear sites.
The Hindu
15 hours ago
- Business
- The Hindu
AI tools enabled ₹11,000-crore of additional tax revenue in last 4 years: CBDT Chairman
Through the use of various artificial intelligence (AI) tools, the Income Tax Department has over the last four years encouraged more than one crore taxpayers to voluntarily update tax returns leading to ₹11,000 crore of additional tax revenue for the government, Central Board of Direct Taxes Chairman Ravi Agarwal said in an interview. Mr. Agarwal added that these tools also helped reveal ₹29,000 crore worth of previously undisclosed foreign assets and ₹1,000 crore of foreign income related to cryptocurrencies, or virtual digital assets (VDAs), in 2024-25. 'The AI analysis comprises two parts: the AI tool itself, and the database that the tool has to analyse,' Mr. Agarwal explained. 'We have engaged vendors for the tools themselves. There are various tools depending on the stage and the platform where the AI is being used. For example, in the Centralized Processing Centre for Income Tax returns in Bengaluru one component of AI is being used.' He explained that, while the tax department generates Annual Information Statements (AIS) for about 40 crore unique taxpayers, nine crore of those actually file returns. The first step for the AI tool is to analyse whether any of the remaining 31 crore should be filing returns. 'The second component is people who have filed their return, and whether they have filed the right return or not,' Mr. Agarwal said. 'That analysis is also through AI, where you analyse the patterns of past history and find out. And the third is to determine who are the habitual defaulters.' The Income Tax Department then employs a system called NUDGE (Non-intrusive Usage of Data to Guide and Enable) to send letters to taxpayers. On the basis of these letters, the taxpayers either revise or update their returns or inform the Department that they stand by them. 'As a result of this exercise, in the last 4 years since 2021-22, more than 1 crore updated returns have been filed wherein ₹11,000 crore of additional tax revenues have come in,' Mr. Agarwal said. Encouraged by this, the I-T Department last year tweaked its rules to say that returns could be updated up to four years later, instead of the earlier two-year limit. 'The point was that, if the Income Tax Department is flagging the issue, the taxpayers should have an opportunity within the statute wherein they can correct the mistake,' Mr. Agarwal explained. Apart from the additional foreign assets worth ₹29,000 crore and foreign income worth more than ₹1,000 crore related to VDAs that were disclosed in updated returns last year, the Income Tax Department in January to March this year also conducted a similar NUDGE campaign for political donations. Taxpayers claiming deductions under Section 80GGC of the Income Tax Act, which pertains to political donations, were 'nudged' through SMSs and emails. According to the Department, due care was taken to exclude genuine donors whose names or details appeared in the contribution reports filed by the political parties on the Election Commission website. Through this campaign, 6.25 lakh taxpayers received 'nudges' for the claims they made for the financial years 2022-23, 2023-24, and 2024-25. Of these, 35,260 taxpayers amended their returns, and ₹404.2 crore of additional tax was paid.
USA Today
17 hours ago
- Politics
- USA Today
Hegseth sent classified info from battlefield commanders on Signal chat
WASHINGTON – Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth divulged classified information in March from battlefield commanders about the U.S. attack on Houthi rebels in a chat on the commercial messaging app Signal, according to a U.S. official. The Washington Post reported on July 23 that the Pentagon Inspector General, which is reviewing the matter, has evidence that the information Hegseth shared detailing the timing of U.S. airstrikes came from a classified email. The message was classified as secret information when Gen. Erik Kurilla, the commander of U.S. Central Command, sent it to Hegseth, a U.S. official who was not authorized to speak publicly, told USA TODAY. The Pentagon stood by its contention that the information Hegseth revealed on the Signal chat, which had inadvertently included a journalist from The Atlantic, wasn't secret. More: Trump adviser Michael Waltz defends Signal use, says he stayed on White House payroll "The Department stands behind its previous statements: no classified information was shared via Signal," Sean Parnell, the Pentagon's chief spokesman, said in a statement. "As we've said repeatedly, nobody was texting war plans and the success of the Department's recent operations – from Operation Rough Rider to Operation Midnight Hammer – are proof that our operational security and discipline are top notch." Rough Rider is the name of the operation to bomb Houthi rebels in Yemen who have attacked ships in the Red Sea. The Houthis agreed not to target U.S. ships after heavy bombardment there. Midnight Hammer is the name for the U.S. attack on Iran's nuclear sites.
