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Former Finance Secretary Ashok Chawla has been appointed as the new Chancellor of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) University. The decision of his appointment was taken in the governing council meeting of TERI. He is currently serving as the Chairman of TERI since February 2016. With this appointment, TERI has ended its last association with former Chancellor and Head R.K. Pachauri, who was accused of sexually harassing a female colleague in 2015.
Ashok Chawla is former Union Finance Secretary. He is former Chairman of the Competition Commission of India (CCI). He was IAS officer of 1973 batch of Gujarat cadre.

About The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) 
TERI is a non-profit research institution that conducts research work in the fields of energy, environment and sustainable development.
 Established in 1974 as Tata Energy Research Institute and was renamed The Energy and Resources Institute in 2003.
It aims to focus on formulating local and national level strategies for shaping global solutions to critical issues.
Presently, it has over 1200 employees especially research professionals from different disciplines pertaining to issues of environment and energy. In 2013, it was ranked as the topmost global think-tank by the International Centre for Climate Governance (ICCG).

The Union Cabinet has given its approval for simplification and liberalisation of the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Policy, 2016 in various sectors announced in June, 2016. The radical amendments to FDI policy are meant to liberalise and simplify the FDI policy so as to provide ease of doing business in the country. Its main aim is to allow larger FDI inflows in the country that will contribute to growth of investment, incomes and employment.

Changes in FDI Policy regime Defence Sector: 
FDI beyond 49% has been permitted through government approval route, in cases resulting in access to modern technology in the country or for other reasons. The condition of access of state of the art technology has been removed and it has been modified to access to modern or for other reasons. FDI limit also has been made applicable to Manufacturing of Small Arms and Ammunitions covered under Arms Act, 1959.

Food Products manufactured or produced in India: 
100% FDI under government approval route for trading in respect of food products manufactured in India. Pharmaceutical Sector: 100% FDI under automatic route in greenfield pharmaceuticals. FDI up to 100% under government approval in brownfield pharmaceuticals also has been approved and 74% FDI under automatic route in Brownfield pharmaceuticals.

Civil Aviation Sector: 
100% FDI under automatic route in Brownfield Airport Projects. FDI limit raised to 100% in Scheduled Air Transport Service and regional Air Transport Service. Animal Husbandry: 100% FDI allowed in Animal Husbandry (including breeding of dogs), Aquaculture, Pisciculture and Apiculture under Automatic Route without requirement of controlled conditions.

Private Security Agencies: 
49% FDI permitted under automatic route and FDI beyond 49% and up to 74% will be permitted through government approval route. Establishment of branch office, liaison office or project office: No approval from Reserve Bank of India or separate security clearance would be required. This exemption will be application in cases where FIPB has approved it or license and permission already has be given by the concerned Ministry. Single Brand Retail Trading: Entities undertaking single brand retail trading have been relaxed from local sourcing norms up to 3 years. Entities engaged in of single brand retail trading of products having ‘state-of-art’ and ‘cutting edge’ technology have been relaxed from local sourcing norms up to 5 years. Comment With these radical changes in FDI Policy, Union government has permitted 100% FDI under government approval route for almost every sector, including defence. However there is still exception in few sectors mentioned in the small negative list. FDI continues to be prohibited in atomic energy, lottery, gambling, real estate and Real Estate Investments Trusts (REIT) and railways operations.

Background 
Since 2014,Union Government has brought major FDI policy reforms in a number of sectors, including Insurance, Pension Sector, Defence, Construction Development and Broadcasting etc. Measures undertaken by the Union Government have resulted in increased FDI inflows at 55.46 billion dollars in the financial year 2015-16. This was the highest ever FDI inflow in India for a particular financial year.

As a debate raged over sensitivity of leaked Scorpene data, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Friday played down the leak, saying it is "not a big worry" as weapon system details were not included, a remark challenged by the publisher who asserted these will be made public on Monday.

However, the Minister while noting that he is speaking on the basis of Navy's briefing to him, said there are "few pockets of concerns" because the ministry is assuming the worst case scenario.

 He also made it clear that the leak of documents on Scorpene submarines will not have any impact on any deal being worked out with the French including the Rafale fighter jet contract.

The Defence Minister said that the leaked documents put on the web of 'The Australian' newspaper does not include details of any of the weaponry systems of the Scorpene as has been reported in the media.

Parrikar said that the Navy has assured him that most of the leaked documents are not of concern. "Weapon system agreements are with weapon manufacturers and they are separate agreements. Secondly, all submarines have so far not done the sea trials. Therefore the most important signature (movement of the submarine) does not form part of the documents.

"The most important aspect is that we do our integration through our technical capability," he said. Hours later, Cameron Stewart, the journalist who broke the story regarding the leak of 22,000 pages of "restricted" data on the capabilities of six highly advanced submarines being built for the Indian Navy in Mumbai under licence from DCNS, said those also have been leaked. × "India's defence minister says leaked data on Scorpene Submarines does not include weapons systems.

Wrong. We will release weapons docs Monday," he tweeted. "When I say we will release a leaked document on Scorpene weapons systems, they will of course be redacted by us of sensitive information."

The remarks by the Minister came even as Defence Ministry sources played down the leak saying it does not compromise national security as the documents were old and did not contain details of weapon system.

The minister also said that Scorpene submarine has not even fully completed the sea trials, which is important to understand how it will work under water. The Indian Navy has taken up Scorpene document leak matter with French Directorate General of Armament. "We are waiting for the report. Basically, what is on the website is not of big concern.

We are assuming, on our own, that this has leaked and we are taking all precautions", he told reporters on the sidelines of a seminar organised by defence website bharatshakti.in "What I am given to understand is that there are few pockets of concern assuming that what is claimed to have been leaked has leaked actually. "We are going by assumption of the worst case scenario.

I think there is not big worry because we will be able out put things in right perspective", Parrikar added.

23-August-1573 Akbar left for Agra when he received the report of widespread rebellion. He arrived in Ahmedabad by forced marches on the eleventh day.

23-August-1872 Tanguturi Prakasam, great lawyer, journalist, nationalist, politician, leader, social reformer and former chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, was born at Kanuparthi village in Ongole district in Andhra Pradesh.

23-August-1933 Mahatma Gandhi was released from government detention in the Poona Civil Hospital after doctors warned that his fast was endangering his life. Gandhi, who undertook the fast eight days ago in protest over being arrested again by British authorities, weighed 90 pounds at the time of his release. There was considerable speculation over what the nationalist leader would do upon regaining his strength, but the common assumption was that he would be arrested again by the British authorities if he resumed his civil disobedience.

23-August-1942 Gorabai Katiya, freedom fighter, was shot by police while participating in a procession for freedom movement in Narsihapur.

23-August-1947 Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was sworn is as the Deputy Prime Minister of India.

23-August-1958 Marathwada University was started.

23-August-1986 B. G. Deshmukh was appointed as the Cabinet Secretary of India. He held this office till 27th March, 1989.

23-August-1989 Pandit Krishnarao Shankarrao, great singer of 'Gwalher Gharana', passed away.

23-August-1994 Former prime minister Mian Nawaz Sharif said that Pakistan possessed a nuclear bomb and warned that an attack by India could start a nuclear war in Pakistan.

23-August-1994 Arati Gupta (Saha) succumbed to an incurable jaundice. (29-9-99).

23-August-1995 First ever cellular phone service begins in Calcutta.

23-August-2000 India, Japan unveil new global partnership and agree to start a formal security dialogue. Sanctions status quo on CTBT.

 23-August-2000 Pronindranath Rangarajan Kumaramangalam, Union Power Minister, dies of a massive heart attack at the AIIMS, New Delhi.