The awards, announced by President Barack Obama, will be presented on
November 24 at the White Housein a ceremony marking their achievements.
The medal is the highest honor granted to civilians in the US and honors
contributions to security, world peace and cultural achievement.
"From scientists who kept America on the cutting edge to public servants
who help write new chapters in our American story, these citizens have
made extraordinary contributions to our country and the world," Obama
said in a statement.
CRY launches project to end child labour
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 Updated on : 14-11-2014 09:58 AM
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With
an aim to end child labour and encourage children to go to school,
Child Rights and You has launched 'Project Unlearn' on the eve of
Children's Day.
|
The campaign will help 28,588 children in labour across CRY supported
projects in the country to be able to free themselves from shackles of
labour, go back to school and be hopeful of a bright future, an official
statement said.
"As shocking as it may seem, India is home to
millions of children in labour who are forced to work at an age when
they should be in classrooms.
With minimum wages, long working hours, suffering abuse and exploitation, these children are deprived of their basic rights.
"With Project Unlearn we aim to spread awareness about this issue and
shake people out of their indifference towards this grim reality that
India faces.
We are hopeful the people will extend their support
to us in ensuring that these children get out of the clutches of child
labour and unlearn the skills that rob them of their childhood," said
Puja Marwaha, CEO, CRY.
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India slides in WEF's gender equality index, ranks 114
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 Updated on : 30-10-2014 07:31 PM
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India
has performed poorly in removing gender-based disparities, ranking 114
out of 142 countries in World Economic Forum's 2014 gender gap index,
scoring below average on parameters like economic participation,
educational attainment and health and survival.
|
India
slipped 13 spots from its last year's ranking of 101 on the Gender Gap
Index by the World Economic Forum. India is part of the 20
worst-performing countries on the labour force participation, estimated
earned income, literacy rate and sex ratio at birth indicators.
On the other hand, India is among the top 20 best- performing countries
on the political empowerment subindex. The index was first introduced by
the World Economic Forum in 2006 as a framework for capturing the
magnitude of gender-based disparities and tracking their progress.
The index benchmarks national gender gaps on economic, political,
education and health criteria. On the criteria of economic participation
and opportunity, India was ranked 134. Its female to male ratio in
labour force participation was 0.36.
The disparity in estimated earned income was high with women earning USD
1980 compared to USD 8087 earned by their male counterparts. On
educational attainment, India ranked 126 with female to male ratio in
literacy rate at 0.68.
India was the second-lowest performing country on health and survival,
ranking 141 just ahead of Armenia. However, on political empowerment
subindex, India ranked an impressive 15. It is the highest-ranked
country on the years with female head of state (over the past 50 years)
indicator.
There is also some evidence from India to suggest that women in local
government roles make decisions with better outcomes for communities
than men do when charged with budget decisions. They also appear to be
more competent representatives than men, obtaining more resources for
their constituencies despite having significantly lower education and
relevant labour market experience.
The report said that India has the highest difference between women and
men on the average minutes spent per day on unpaid worka difference of
300 minutes. It is also among the countries with the highest difference
in the female and male percentage of total R&D personnel. India has
one of the lowest percentages of firms with female participation in
ownership.
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=========================Hi to all good morning..................Today is 20 nov 2014===========================================================
and on the bankers Adda
1. ISRO chosen for Indira Gandhi
prize for peace, disarmament
i. Indian space agency ISRO will be
conferred the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for
2014 in recognition of its contribution in strengthening international
cooperation in peaceful use of outer space.
ii. The award jury, chaired by Vice
President Hamid Ansari, made the announcement today.
And on the DD news Head lines
Kashmiri migrants can use competent authority certifica...
Kashmiri migrants can use the certificate issued by the competent
authority as an alternative identity proof in place of the election
identity card to cast vote in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls, the
Election Commission said on Wednesday.
Updated on : 19-11-2014 08:54 PM
Prez, VP, PM pay tribute to Indira Gandhi on her birth anniversary
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 Updated on : 19-11-2014 01:20 PM
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President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari and former prime
minister Dr Manmohan Singh offered floral tributes to India's first
woman Prime Minister Indira Gandhi at her memorial in Shakti Sthal on
Wednesday.
|
Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on her birth anniversary.
"I join my fellow countrymen & women in remembering our
former PM Smt. Indira Gandhi on her birth anniversary. My tributes,"
tweeted Modi, who is on a visit to Fiji.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi and party vice-president Rahul Gandhi
also offered floral tributes to former prime minister Indira Gandhi on
her 97th birth anniversary.
A series of functions have been organized today to highlight contribution of Indira Gandhi in nation building.
RBY@19/11
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Bihar govt approves Rs 337-crore cement plant
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 Updated on : 18-11-2014 09:31 PM
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In a major decision, the Bihar cabinet on Tuesday approved Rs 337 crore
cement plant planned by Shree Cement Limited in Aurangabad district of
the state.
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Informing about the Cabinet decision, B Pradhan, Principal Secretary
of the Cabinet Secretariat told reporters, "The company had proposed to
set up a cement plant with a production capacity of 20 lakh metric
tonnes per annum. It will also have a 12 Mega Watt biomass based captive
power plant."
The state government agency Bihar Industrial Area Development Authority
(BIADA) has provided 67.63 acres of land on lease for the project.
The project will provide employment to 300 skilled and unskilled persons.
Pradhan said the state cabinet has also approved 285.58 crore Door Step
Delivery scheme under the Public Distribution System (PDS) in the
current financial year 2014-15.
The decision has been taken in the light of the order of the Supreme
Court in this matter. It will ensure timely, transparent and qualitative
distribution of PDS among the beneficiaries.
The Cabinet also approved Rs 257 crore project under JNNURM (Jawaharlal
Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission) to buy 591 new buses, construction
of bus terminus and depots in 13 cities across the state.
The project will be implemented by Urban Development and Housing Department (UDHD).
The Cabinet also approved Rs 454.6 crore under Rajeev Awaas Yojana to construct houses for slum dwellers.
(AKS-18/11)
|
NOW INTERNATIONAL
Ebola death toll rises to 5,420: WHO
The
World Health Organisation has said that 5,420 people had so far died of
Ebola across eight countries, out of a total 15,145 cases of infection,
since late December 2013.
Updated on : 20-11-2014 10:34 AM
PM returns home after three-nation tour
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|
 Updated on : 20-11-2014 09:39 AM
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Prime
Minister Narendra Modi returned home on Thursday after a
nine-day-three-nation tour of Myanmar, Australia and Fiji during which
he had a range of international engagements.
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The special Air India plane carrying the Prime Minister and his
delegation landed at the airport in New Delhi at 7:15 am after a 14-hour
flight from Fiji capital Suva with a two-hour refuelling halt at Yangon
in Myanmar.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj was among others at the airport to receive Prime Minister Modi.
During his three-nation tour, Modi attended the East Asia and
ASEAN-India Summits in Myanmar, the G-20 Summit in Australia and held
bilaterals with his Australian and Fijian counterparts.
Modi, the first Indian premier to visit the Pacific country after Indira
Gandhi who had come here in 1981, held talks with his Fijian
counterpart Frank Bainimarama and also announced a slew of Lines of
Credit and development aid totalling USD 80 million for the country.
(DD-20.11)
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\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\Hello! to all Goood Morning...........(today 21 nov 2014)\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
On bankers adda.....................................
1. Kotak Mahindra acquire ING Vysya
Bank
i. Kotak Mahindra Bank, on Thursday, announced its decision
to acquire ING Vysya Bank in an all-share deal.
ii. Kotak Mahindra Bank informed the BSE after market hours
that the board of directors of the company had
considered and granted its approval
for the amalgamation of ING Vysya Bank with Kotak Mahindra Bank.
Read more: http://www.bankersadda.com/#ixzz3JfbciuRh
And on the DD news
HEADLINES:
HEADLINES:
SC removes CBI Director Ranjit Sinha from 2G case
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 Updated on : 21-11-2014 01:17 AM
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Twelve
days before his retirement, CBI Director Ranjit Sinha on Thursday
suffered a major blow when the Supreme Court removed him from the 2G
scam case, saying the allegations against him of protecting some accused
appears to be "prima facie credible".
|
The
apex court, in an unprecedented order, handed over the case to the
senior-most officer after Sinha in the 2G scam investigating team.
A bench headed by Chief Justice H L Dattu, however, refused to pass an
elaborate order on the issue saying that it would "tarnish" the "image
and reputation" of the premier agency.
The fate of the top cop, who is due to retire on December 2, in the case
became abundantly clear when the bench, also comprising justices M B
Lokur and A K Sikri, before rising for the lunch break, asked senior
advocate Vikas Singh, appearing for Sinha, about various options.
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Cabinet approves signing SAARC deal for regional power grid
|
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 Updated on : 21-11-2014 02:53 AM
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Ahead
of the SAARC summit next week to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra
Modi, the cabinet on Thursday approved signing of the framework
agreement for setting up a regional power grid.
|
The SAARC Framework Agreement for Energy Cooperation among the SAARC
Member States to be signed at 18th SAARC Summit scheduled to be held at
Kathmandu Nov 26-27 will enable greater cooperation in the power sector
among SAARC countries, the power ministry said in a release here.
"The Agreement is expected to improve the power availability in the
entire SAARC region. It would facilitate integrated operation of the
regional power grid", the statement added.
@BJ-21.11
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India, Bangladesh planning raids against militants: Officials
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 Updated on : 20-11-2014 03:49 PM
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Indian
and Bangladeshi security forces are planning to carry out simultaneous
raids against Islamist militants along the porous border and the two
countries have exchanged lists of terror operatives active on both sides
of the frontier, officials said.
|
"It's important to conduct simultaneous drives so that the militants
don't find hideouts to escape arrest," said a senior Bangladeshi police
official as a four-member delegation of National Investigation Agency
(NIA) wrapped up a four-day visit to Dhaka as part of probe into last
month's Burdwan blast, allegedly carried out by Jama'atul Mujahideen
Bangladesh (JMB) militants.
The official added that the militants have found safe havens in
Bangladesh-India border areas due to intensified security operations in
both countries.
NIA and Bangladesh's elite anti-crime Rapid Action Battalion (RAB)
exchanged lists of JMB operatives and Islamist militants believed to be
hiding in the two countries as the visiting NIA delegation held meetings
with senior home ministry officials and security agencies in Dhaka.
Officials said NIA team, led by its director general Sharad Kumar,
handed over a list of 11 suspects of the Burdwan blast, 11 being "top
wanted Indian nationals" in connection to the Burdwan blast.
RAB, on the other hand, gave a list of 51 fugitive Bangladeshis, 10 of
them said to be JMB activists and several others being members of
Harkatul Jihad al Islami (HuJI) alongside some gangsters as the two
sides exchanged intelligence on cross-border militancy and other crimes.
Bangladesh recently constituted a six-member team to work on militancy and extend support to NIA in its investigation.
A police spokesman earlier said there were some common names of JMB
operatives in the two lists but they needed to verify the lists as the
militants often use different names to evade detection.
Police, however, suspect the number of fugitive militants is 260 who are hiding in the border areas and are active.
According to newspaper reports India's wanted list contains names of
Kausar, Yusuf Sheikh, Borhan Sheikh, Rezaul Karim, Talha Sheikh, Amjad
Ali Sheikh, Abul Kalam, Shahnur Alam, Habibur Rahman Sheikh, Zahirul
Sheikh and 'Nasirullah'.
Bangladesh had said it would share its intelligence on JMB, which is
allegedly responsible for the 2nd October blast in Burdwan town in West
Bengal.
(DD-20.11)
NASA installs first zero-gravity 3D printer on ISS
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 Updated on : 18-11-2014 02:19 PM
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The
world's first zero-gravity 3D printer has been installed by NASA on the
International Space Station (ISS), which will help astronauts to
experiment with additive manufacturing in microgravity.
|
NASA astronaut Barry Wilmore installed the 3D printer, designed and
built by Made In Space for NASA, inside the Microgravity Science
Glovebox (MSG) aboard the ISS. The printer was launched in September
aboard the SpaceX 4 resupply mission to the ISS.
With the aid of the Made In Space and NASA ground support teams, Wilmore
was able to power on and complete critical system checks to ensure that
the hardware and software was in operating condition. "This is a very
exciting day for me and the rest of the team. We had to conquer many
technical challenges to get the 3D printer to this stage," said Mike
Snyder, lead engineer for California-based startup Made in Space, in a
statement.
The goal of the 3D Printing in Zero-G technology demonstration is an
experiment to explore the use of additive manufacturing technology as a
reliable platform for sustained in-space manufacturing.
The first phase of printing will include, among other things, a series
of engineering test coupons which will be returned to Earth for analysis
and compared to control samples which were made with the same 3D
printer while it was at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Centre in
Huntsville, Alabama, prior to launch.
"This experiment has been an advantageous first stepping stone to the
future ability to manufacture a large portion of materials and equipment
in space that has been traditionally launched from Earth surface, which
will completely change our methods of exploration," said Snyder.
The science collected from this printer will directly feed into the
commercial printer flying up in 2015, which will enable a fast and
cost-effective way for people to get hardware to space.
(IM-18/11)
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Eye implants may spell end of reading glasses
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|
 Updated on : 20-10-2014 09:32 AM
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Glasses
may soon be a thing of the past as corneal inlays, implanted into the
eye with a simple surgery, can correct vision without the need for
corrective treatments, scientists say.
|
A
thin ring which is inserted into the eye could offer a reading
glasses-free remedy for presbyopia, the blurriness in near vision
experienced by many people over the age of 40, according to a new study.
The corneal inlay device undergoing clinical review in the US improved
near vision well enough for 80 per cent of the participating patients to
read a newspaper without disturbing far distance vision needed for
daily activities like driving. Researchers said presbyopia affects more
than 1 billion people worldwide.
As they age, the cornea becomes less flexible and bends in such a way
that it becomes difficult to see up close. While the most common remedy
is wearing reading glasses, a host of new corneal inlay products are in
development to treat the condition, with three types currently under
review by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The theoretical advantage of using corneal inlays over wearing reading
glasses is that corneal inlays prevent the need for constantly putting
on and taking off glasses, depending on whether the person needs to see
near or far.
One of the devices is the KAMRA inlay, a thin, flexible doughnut-shaped
ring that measures 3.8 millimetres in diameter, with a 1.6 millimetre
hole in the middle. When dropped into a small pocket in the cornea
covering the front of the eye, the device acts like a camera aperture,
adjusting the depth of field so that the viewer can see near and far.
|
How carbon dioxide moves around the Earth!
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 Updated on : 18-11-2014 01:00 PM
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An
ultra-high-resolution NASA computer model has given scientists a
stunning new look at how carbon dioxide in the atmosphere travels around
the globe.
|
Plumes of carbon dioxide in the simulation swirl and shift as winds disperse the greenhouse gas away from its sources.
The
simulation also illustrates differences in carbon dioxide levels in the
northern and southern hemispheres and distinct swings in global carbon
dioxide concentrations as the growth cycle of plants and trees changes
with the seasons.
Scientists have made ground-based measurements
of carbon dioxide for decades and in July NASA launched the Orbiting
Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) satellite to make global, space-based
carbon observations.
But the simulation - the product of a new
computer model that is among the highest-resolution ever created - is
the first to show in such fine detail how carbon dioxide actually moves
through the atmosphere.
"While the presence of carbon dioxide
has dramatic global consequences, it's fascinating to see how local
emission sources and weather systems produce gradients of its
concentration on a very regional scale," said Bill Putman, lead
scientist on the project from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Centre in
Greenbelt, Maryland.
|
IFFI 2014 begins, Bachchan, Rajinikanth in opening act
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 Updated on : 20-11-2014 08:41 PM
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The
International Film Festival of India (IFFI) got off to a glittering
start in Panaji on Thursday evening amid fanfare surrounding two of
Indian cinema's biggest superstars Amitabh Bachchan and Rajinikanth.
|
The
45th edition of the festival, being held for the first time at the
newly-built Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium instead of the
usual venue in Panaji, was opened by Information and Broadcasting
Minister Arun Jaitley.
Bachchan, 72, the chief guest of the event, gave an extensive speech on
the evolution of Indian cinema, saying it always played an important
role in national integration.
"If popular perception is any indicator, then the major part of social
transformation in India can be attributed to cinema's potentially
reformist character," he said.
The actor termed it a great honour to be a part of IFFI as its chief
guest and congratulated the government for making Goa the permanent
venue of the festival.
"If the world is a village, we are the custodians of its stories,"
Bachchan said, adding, "if we don't know the stories of our forefathers,
we cannot write the story of today."
Rajinikanth, 63, was conferred with the special centenary award for Indian film personality.
An audio-visual presentation of the Tamil superstar's more than three decades work was shown at the ceremony.
An emotional Rajinikanth touched Bachchan's feet, addressing him as 'big brother'.
"I actually came to receive this award but not to make a speech and that
too after Amitji's excellent speech. I have no words to speak," he
said.
|
(ST-20/11)
HRD planning 'Think in India' drive to up innovation: Irani
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|
 Updated on : 20-11-2014 05:50 PM
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In line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Make in India' campaign,
the HRD ministry is planning to come up with a 'Think in India' drive to
encourage students and researchers to come up with innovations and new
ideas and to keep the talent back home from leaving abroad.
|
Union
Minister for Human Resource Development Smriti Irani said this at an
event organised by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) in
Noida.
She said, the campaign would aim to curb the outward flow of the
country's students, who leave their homeland in search of backing for
their ideas.
"We all know the prime minister has spoken about the 'Make in India'
project and we in the ministry of Human Resource Development want to
complement it by 'Think in India' campaign through the 'Rashtriya
Avishkaar Yojana'," she said.
Irani said that through this initiative the ministry wants to encourage
students to come up with new innovations and new designs. We also hope
that in collaboration with the industry, the ministry can come up with
ideas as to how these innovations can be rewarded and funded within our
own country.
"So that our faculty and our students need not leave our shores in hunt
for money to back their research with," the HRD minister said.
She also said that Prime Modi had once expressed his desire to
facilitate interaction with the best academicians for children who
cannot go abroad overseas to get education.
"We have initiated a programme Global Initiative for Academic Networks
called GIAN, where we are seeking to invite very celebrated academicians
and industry experts from across the world, who will come and teach at
least one semester in India at the cost of Government of India, so that
our students and faculty members benefit," she said.
The HRD minister said that IITS, IIMs, Central Universities, NITs are already drawing up their wishlists.
She said that in the last six months, the HRD ministry has set up
committees to look at the mandate and the overall functioning of the
UGC, the AICTE and also for the National Council for Teachers'
Education.
(ST-20/11)
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Make gender equality an international mass movement: Maneka
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 Updated on : 20-11-2014 06:34 PM
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Union
Minister Maneka Gandhi has called for making gender equality an
international mass movement, saying it should go beyond being a mere
slogan.
|
The
Women and Child Development Minister said this while addressing the
Asian and Pacific Conference on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment:
Beijing+20 Review, organised by United Nations Economic and Social
Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), held at Bangkok from
November 19-20.
|
Manipuri PhD scholar found murdered in south Delhi
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|
 Updated on : 20-11-2014 12:16 PM
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A
33-year-old PhD scholar from Manipur was found murdered with his neck
slashed at his home in south Delhi's Kotla Mubarakpur area on Wednesday
night.
|
The deceased, identified as Zingram Kengo, was from Tata Institute of Social Sciences.
He had come to Delhi just months ago and was living in Kotla Mubarakpur in a rented accommodation.
"The body was found last night in a pool of blood on the mat by his
landlord's brother at around 9:30 PM. Police were informed at 10 PM
following which a team was rushed to the spot," said a police official.
Crime and forensic teams visited the spot and collected evidence. The
body has been sent for postmortem and his family has been informed.
"Prima facie, it does not appear linked to robbery. We are investigating the case from all possible angles," he said.
A case of murder has been registered and further investigation is on, police said.
(DD-20.11)
|
Cyclone caused heavy damage in Odisha, report in 15 days: Central team
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 Updated on : 19-11-2014 09:06 PM
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The inter-ministerial central team constituted to make assessment of
damages caused due to Huhdhud on Wednesday said the last month's cyclone
caused "heavy" destruction and a report regarding it would be submitted
to the Ministry of Home Affairs in a fortnight.
|
"We feel damage was heavy in worst hit districts though the team
visited selected places. The affected people were mostly tribal who lost
houses and crops due to the calamity," said Gopal Krishan Dwivedi, who
is leading the eight-member inter-ministerial central team.
Dwivedi, who is Joint Secretary (Foreigners), Ministry of Home Affairs
(MHA), said the team met the affected people including farmers, district
officials, state officials and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik during the
two-day tour.
"We saw many houses completely damaged and roads also," he said adding
while maize crop had been extensively damaged, loss to paddy cultivation
was comparatively less.
|
(AKs-19/11)
EC issues notification for 4th phase of Assembly polls in J-K
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|
 Updated on : 20-11-2014 09:59 AM
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|
The Election Commission on Wednesday issued notification for the fourth
phase of the five-phased Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir for 18
constituencies going to polls on December 14.
|
The fourth phase will be the last one for Kashmir Valley where
sixteen Assembly segments spread over three districts of Srinagar,
Anantnag and Shopian will go to polls.
The electorate in two seats in Samba district of Jammu region will also vote in the fourth phase.
The constituencies for which the notification was issued include all
the eight in Srinagar Hazratbal, Zadibal, Idgah, Khanyar, Habbakadal,
Amirakadal, Sonawar and Batamaloo, six in Anantnag Anantnag, Doru,
Kokernag, Shangus, Bijbehara and Pahalgam and two in Shopian Wachi and
Shopian in Kashmir Valley and Samba and Vijaypur in Jammu division.
The last date for filing nominations is November 26, while the scrutiny of nomination papers would be held on November 27.
The last date for withdrawal of nomination is on November 29.
RBY@19/11
|
AP govt announces schedule for teachers' recruitment
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|
 Updated on : 20-11-2014 04:40 PM
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Andhra Pradesh government has announced the schedule for recruitment of over 9,000 teachers in the state.
|
The notification for recruitment of teachers under the District
Selection Committee (DSC) would be issued on Friday, state HRD minister
Ganta Srinivasa Rao said on Thursday.
The recruitment will be done for 1,849 posts of school assistants, 812
posts of language pandits, 156 physical education teachers (PET)
and6,244 posts of Secondary Grade Teachers (SGT). The total number of
posts is 9,061, he said.
The minister stated that the applications would be accepted from
December 2, 2014 to January 16, 2015 and recruitment tests would be
conducted from May 9 to 11.
Results would be declared on 28th June and the selected candidates are likely to join duties by next academic year, Rao said.
The recruitment of teachers is the fulfillment of a key election promise
of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) though the process is delayed by about two
months, the minister added.
(DD-20.11)
|
HC rejects CBI plea to drop Ashok Chavan's name in Adarsh scam
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|
 Updated on : 20-11-2014 12:57 PM
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|
In a setback for former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, the
Bombay High Court on Wednesday rejected CBI's petition to drop his name
as an accused in the Adarsh scam case.
|
Justice M L Tahilyani, however, stayed implementation of his order for
four weeks to allow the investigative agency to file an appeal against
the judgement.
"I am inclined to reject the petition," the judge said in a one-line
order delivered through teleconference from Nagpur where he now presides
over a bench of the Bombay High Court.
A detailed order will be pronounced in due course. The CBI had
petitioned the High Court seeking to drop Chavan's name from the list of
the accused in the case after the then Governor K Sankaranarayanan had
in December last year turned down its prayer for sanction to prosecute
the former Chief Minister.
The court also rejected an intervention application filed by a social
activist Ketan Tirodkar opposing CBI plea for dropping Chavan's name as
an accused, accepting the investigating agency's contention that he had
no locus standi in the case.
Justice Tahiliyani, however, said he would go into the Supreme Court
order cited by Tirodkar that gubernatorial sanction was not needed in
such cases.
Earlier, the special CBI court holding trial in the case had rejected
its prayer to drop Chavan's name in the case after which the agency had
moved the High Court. In an interim order, the High Court had stayed the
former Chief Minister's prosecution.
Chavan was among the 13 people charge sheeted by CBI in the Adarsh scam
in July 2012. Chavan, one of the two sitting Congress Lok Sabha members
from the state, has been accused of granting some approvals to the
upscale housing society here as quid pro quo for allotment of flats to
his relatives.
He has also been charged with illegally approving as the revenue
minister allotment of 40 per cent of flats to civilians though the
society was meant only for Kargil war widows and defence personnel.
Chavan had to step down after the scam came to light in 2010.
@BJ-19.11
|
Rajapaksa calls snap polls to seek record third term
|
|
 Updated on : 20-11-2014 06:25 PM
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Sri
Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa called early elections on Thursday,
seeking an unprecedented third six-year term in office amid signs of a
drop in popularity and demands of his powers to be curbed.
|
Rajapaksa
- who was elected in 2005 and in 2010 - called for snap elections, a
full two years before his tenure ends. His proclamation to seek
re-election was issued at an auspicious hour, presidential officials
said.
"I am declaring a secret today. I have signed the proclamation calling
for the election for re-election for the third time... That is
democracy," Rajapaksa said on state television.
|
Ebola scare: Govt beefs up steps, says no need to panic
|
|
 Updated on : 19-11-2014 08:35 PM
|
|
Government on Wednesday decided to tighten measures to detect Ebola
cases and formed a three- member committee to plug gaps at airports, a
day after it quarantined an Ebola survivor for carrying traces of the
deadly virus.
|
As concerns mounted, Health Minister J P Nadda said situation is under "complete control" and there is no need to panic.
Nadda, who on Tuesday chaired an inter-ministerial meeting to review the
situation, said his ministry will constitute teams of experts who will
visit states and review preparedness of their hospitals designated for
treating Ebola patients.
In Jammu, Nadda told reporters that arrangements similar to the one at
Delhi airport, which helped detect the virus in a 26-year-old Indian
national returning from Liberia, have been put in place at 24 airports.
It has, however, emerged that guidelines for screening incoming
passengers at airports for the deadly virus, including checking their
21-day travel history, are not implemented properly and lacunae have
been detected in this, according to a review conducted by the Health
Ministry.
Of the 14 airports identified, isolation facilities at 12 airports were
not at par with the Health Ministry guidelines and thus India at present
is using the quarantine facilities only at Delhi and Mumbai.
1. Govt approves new Rs 43,033-cr rural electrification scheme.
i. Government approved Rs 43,033-crore rural electrification scheme Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana.
ii. The scheme will replace the existing Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY).
iii. The estimated cost of the scheme for above two components is Rs
43,033 crore which includes the requirement of budgetary support of Rs
33,453 crore from the government over the entire implementation period.
iv. The scheme is likely to work towards improvement in hours of power
supply in rural areas, reduction in peak load, improvement in billed
energy based on metered consumption and providing access to electricity
to rural households.
1. Obama to be chief guest at 2015 Republic Day
i. Prime Minister Modi has invited President Obama to be the chief guest at the Republic Day ceremony next year.
Ii. Prime Minister Modi posted a message on Twitter to say, “This
Republic Day, we hope to have a friend over…invited President Obama to
be the 1st US President to grace the occasion as Chief Guest.”
And on the DD national
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis hopeful of breakthrough in talks with Shiv Sena
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 Updated on : 23-11-2014 03:00 PM
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Voicing confidence of a breakthrough in talks with Shiv Sena,
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday said it has
been a friend of BJP and the two parties will remain friends in the
future.
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Bukhari's son anointed Naib Imam of Jama Masjid
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 Updated on : 23-11-2014 12:10 AM
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Jama Masjid Shahi Imam Syed Ahmed Bukhari on Saturday anointed his
19-year-old son, Shaban Bukhari, as the Naib Imam (deputy Imam) of the
17th century mosque at a ceremony, notwithstanding the surrounding row
and High Court's ruling which said that the ceremony had no "legal
sanctity".
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"I announce Shaban Bukhari as the Naib Imam of Jama Masjid. I hope
that he will live up to the expectations," Bukhari said during the
ceremony.
The ceremony was attended by a clutch of Muslim leaders, however, no political leader of any major party took part in it.
The ceremony was held after the evening prayers (Maghrib). Muslim
leaders and scholars from across the nation and other countries like
Saudi Arabia, Iran and Egypt were present for the function.
Shaban Bukhari is pursuing his bachelor's degree in social work at Amity University.
The Delhi High Court on Friday said the ceremony (dastarbandi) to
anoint Bukhari's son as the Naib Imam of Jama Masjid "would not amount
to an appointment" and has no legal sanctity.
The court also
noted that under the Wakf Act, 1995, the law only "provides for a
mutawalli (manager) of a wakf and contains no provision for appointment
of Imams of Wakf properties, even if a masjid".
The court's order came on three PILs challenging the Shahi Imam's decision to appoint his son as the Naib Imam.
ASI
had also requested the court to declare the city's Jama Masjid as an
ancient monument because of its national importance while contending
that it needs to be protected.
RBY@23/11
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India's Mangalyaan among best inventions of 2014
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 Updated on : 21-11-2014 10:56 AM
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Mangalyaan
has been named among the best inventions of 2014 by Time magazine which
described it as a technological feat that will allow India to flex its
"interplanetary muscles."
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"Nobody
gets Mars right on the first try. The US didn't, Russia didn't, the
Europeans didn't. But on September 24, India did. That's when the
Mangalyaan ...went into orbit around the Red Planet, a technological
feat no other Asian nation has yet achieved," Time said about
Mangalyaan, calling it "The Supersmart Spacecraft."
Mangalyaan is among the 25 'Best Inventions of 2014' listed by Time
magazine that are "making the world better, smarter andin some casesa
little more fun."
Developed by the Indian Space Research
Organisation, the Mars spacecraft cost India just USD 74 million, less
than the budget for the multi-Acacdemy Award winning science fiction
thriller film Gravity.
Time said at that price, the Mangalyaan
is equipped with just five onboard instruments that allow it to do
simple tasks like measure Martian methane and surface composition.
"More
important, however, it allows India to flex its interplanetary muscles,
which portends great things for the country's space programme and for
science in general," Time said.
The list also includes
inventions by two Indians for developing an exercise space for prisoners
in solitary confinement and a tablet toy for kids.
Nalini
Nadkarni, forest ecologist and college professor helped develop the
'Blue Room' with Snake River Correctional Institution in Oregon for
inmates in solitary confinement, who for 23 hours a day see nothing but a
tiny, white-walled cell, an experience some research suggests heightens
mental illness and makes prisoners prone to suicide attempts and
violence. Last year, officials began letting some of them spend their
free hour in a first-of-its-kind Blue Room, an exercise space where a
projector plays video of open deserts, streaming waterfalls and other
outdoor scenes.
Nadkarni says the imagery is designed to calm
prisoners, "much in the way we walk through a park" to relax. Former
Google engineer Pramod Sharma developed 'Osmo', a tablet toy that gets
physical.
Sharma got the inspiration when he saw his daughter
playing with the iPad, but did not want her to be glued to the tablet
all day long.
The toy, which debuted in October, has helped Osmo raise USD 14.5 million in capital and is now being sold in the Apple Store.
The
other inventions are a reactor developed by aerospace company Lockheed
Martin that could realize nuclear fusion, Apple's smart watch that
besides telling time, can send messages, give directions, track fitness
and make wireless payments and Microsoft's Surface Pro 3, a "hybrid"
that bundles laptop into a 12-inch tablet and can run desktop apps.
(PT-21/11)
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INTERNATIONAL
Obama encourages 'best and brightest' to stay in US
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 Updated on : 23-11-2014 11:30 AM
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Referring to the innovative and entrepreneurial skills of immigrants, in
particular Indians, US President Barack Obama has pushed for
immigration reform to encourage the best and the brightest to stay in
America and not to return to their home country after completing
studies.
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"We educate the world's young people in our universities, and then
we just send them home, even if they're wanting to start a business or
they've got some specialized skill. We just send them home, and then
they compete against us," Obama said in Las Vegas, a day after he
announced a series of executive actions to fix the broken immigration
system.
"We should be encouraging the best and the brightest to study here and
stay here, and invest here, and create jobs here and businesses here,
and industries here.
You look at Silicon Valley - 30, 40 per cent of the companies that we
now take for granted that have changed our lives, they were started by
immigrants," Obama said.
"So that's what this issue is all about. And that's why it deserves
reasoned and thoughtful and compassionate debate. And that's why we have
to focus not on our fears, weve got focus on our hopes," he said,
explaining his executive actions that has benefited some five million
undocumented workers, including hundreds and thousands of
Indian-Americans, a significant numbers of whom are IT experts.
The executive action, said to be one of the largest measure by a US
President on immigration, is expected to help a significant number of
Indian techies who currently have to undergo a painful and agonising
process of H-1B visas to get legal permanent status (LPR), popularly
known as Green Card.
"We're not a nation that kicks out strivers and dreamers who want to
earn their piece of the American Dream. We're a nation that finds a way
to welcome them," he said, adding "we didn't raise the Statue of Liberty
with her back to the world, we did it with her light shining as a
beacon to the world.
Obama's new executive order, combined with his previous executive order
of June 2012, could benefit some 600,000 of the estimated 1.5 million
unauthorized Asians in the US, said Indian-American Prakash Khatri, the
nation's first Immigration Ombudsman during President George W Bush's
administration.
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Al-Shabab militants kill 28 in Kenya bus: Police
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 Updated on : 22-11-2014 10:01 PM
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Al-Shabab militants from Somalia hijacked a bus in Kenya's north and
killed 28 non-Muslims on board after they had been singled out from the
rest of the passengers, police officials said on Saturday.
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Two police officers said that the bus traveling to the capital
Nairobi with 60 passengers was hijacked 31 miles from the town Mandera
near Kenya's border with Somalia.
The officers insisted on anonymity out of fear of reprisals because of
an order from Kenya's police chief that officers should not speak to the
media.
Some of the dead were public servants who were heading to the capital Nairobi for the Christmas vacation, the officers said.
Kenya has been hit by a series of gun and bomb attacks blamed on
Somalia's al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab militants since it sent troops into
Somalia in October 2011.
Authorities say there have been at least 135 attacks since then,
including the Westgate Mall attack in which 67 people were killed.
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SPORTs
Ritu Rani to lead Indian hockey eves in Italy tour
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 Updated on : 23-11-2014 07:13 PM
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Ritu Rani will lead a 18-member Indian hockey team for the five-match
Test tour of Italy to be played in Rome from December 1 to 12.
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The tour, seen as a preparation for the World Hockey League Round 2,
was selected by Hockey India selectors Surinder Kaur, Harbinder Singh,
Mamta Kharab, High Performance Director Roelant Oltmans, chief coach
Neil Hawgood, and coach N S Saini, after a selection trial conducted at
SAI centre, Bhopal on November 19 and 20.
The 18-member team is looking forward to repeat the success of the
Incheon Asian Games 2014 where the team clinched a bronze medal.
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SOCIAL
India has second-highest number of child marriages: UN
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 Updated on : 16-09-2014 04:35 PM
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India
had the highest number of unregistered children under age five between
2000 and 2012 and the second-highest number of child marriages,
according to a UN report which said the country still needs to improve
immunisation coverage and stop gender-based sex selection.
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The report 'Improving Childrens Lives, Transforming the Future 25 years
of child rights in South Asia' by the United Nations' children agency
UNICEF analyzes the progress made over the last quarter century on key
issues that directly affect the lives of children in the region.
At 71 million, India had the largest number of children under
the age of five whose births were not registered between 2000-2012.
The report said that birth registration levels in South Asia have increased since 2000, but progress has been slow.
India, along with Afghanistan, Bangladesh and the Maldives, has
been recording"significant improvements" in birth registration but
about 100 million children in the region are still not registered at
birth.
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Gurbani notes reverberate in Rashtrapati Bhavan
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 Updated on : 06-11-2014 04:14 PM
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On
the occasion of Guru Nanak's birthday, the Rashtrapati Bhavan on
Thursday reverberated with 'Gurbani' (Sikh religious prayers) as
President Pranab Mukherjee hosted a special programme which was attended
by Vice President Hamid Ansari and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
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A portrait of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikh religion, was kept in the middle of the Ashoka Hall.
Mukherjee, Ansari and Modi paid their obeisance before settling down for Gurbani recital.
The day is celebrated as Guru Nanak Jayanti as a tribute to the first Sikh Guru.
Today
was the 546th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. The Prime
Minister's visit to the Rashtrapati Bhavan triggered speculation that it
was in the context of a possible reshuffle of the Union Council of
Ministers.
However, PMO sources said the visit was purely for the Gurbani programme.
Earlier
in the day, Modi greeted the nation on the occasion and urged the
people to take a pledge to embrace the path of service and work towards a
just and equal society.
"I bow to the venerable Guru Nanak
Devji on the occasion of Guru Nanak Jayanti. The life and teachings of
Guru Nanak Devji inspire us eternally," the Prime Minister said.
He
urged the nation to work towards a just and equal society which is free
from all kinds of social evils. "Let us follow the path of compassion,
truth and peace as shown by him (Guru Nanak).
Failing was fun: Japan Nobel winner
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 Updated on : 10-10-2014 09:34 PM
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The hundreds of experimental failures that paved the road to winning the
Nobel Prize for physics was fun, rather than frustration, one of this
year's three Japanese-born laureates said on Friday.
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Hiroshi Amano, 54, sat next to Isamu Akasaki, 85, his one-time
mentor-professor, when they met the press at Nagoya University in
central Japan days after they were honoured alongside Shuji Nakamura for
inventing the blue LED.
"I've never thought I wanted to quit in my research," Amano said.
"I would always fail in experiments, which I did at least three times a
day. "I would go back to my apartment disappointed at night, but I would
always get some new ideas in the morning. I would say it was fun rather
than pain." When he first succeeded "after failing more than a thousand
times, I was speechless," he said.
The Nobel committee honoured the trio this week for their pioneering
work on energy-efficient blue LED lights, which it said were a potent
weapon against global warming and poverty.
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==========================Hi to all today is 25 nov 2014========================================
PM Modi in Nepal for SAARC Summit
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 Updated on : 25-11-2014 03:41 PM
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PM
Narendra Modi arrived in Kathmandu on Tuesday with an aim to inject new
momentum to regional bloc SAARC during its two-day summit beginning
Wednesday as he said development of close relations with neighbours was a
key priority for his govt.
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On his arrival in Kathmandu to attend his maiden SAARC Summit, Modi was
accorded a warm welcome. He was given a guard of honour and a group of
girls presented a cultural performance for him.
Modi will articulate India's position on various issues during the
summit on November 26-27 and will hold bilateral talks with South Asian
heads of state and government on its margins.
While Modi's official programme has no mention of his meeting with
Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif, he would be meeting Afghan President
Ashraf Ghani, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Sri Lankan
President Mahinda Rajapaksa among others.
In his pre-departure statement, Modi said development of close relations
with neighbours was a key priority for his government and he was also
looking forward to holding talks with other South Asian heads of state
and government on the margins of the summit.
"Although this is my first SAARC Summit, during the last six months, I
have interacted extensively with leaders of SAARC countries beginning
with their auspicious presence at my swearing-in ceremony. Development
of close relations with our neighbours is a key priority for my
Government," Modi said.
Noting that the summit's theme was "Deeper Regional Integration for
Peace and Prosperity", he said India has always emphasised on the
importance of greater regional integration at all levels for the
socio-economic development of the South Asian region.
"We have undertaken several initiatives in this regard on bilateral,
sub-regional and regional basis, and will continue to do more. We hope
that the summit will lead to concrete outcomes, particularly in regard
to various initiatives on enhancing connectivity that have been under
discussion for a long time," he said.
"This will be my second visit to Nepal within four months, which
reflects the importance we attach to our unique and special relations
with Nepal. There has been significant progress in the implementation of
the decisions taken during my visit to Nepal in August 2014. I look
forward to reviewing the progress in our relations with Prime Minister
Sushil Koirala and other Nepalese leaders," he added.
Prime Minister Modi's high-level delegation at the summit includes
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, National Security Adviser Ajit
Doval, Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh and a number of senior officials
of various ministries.
(DD-25.11)
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Kathak legend Sitara Devi passes away
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 Updated on : 25-11-2014 11:09 AM
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Kathak
queen Sitara Devi died at a hospital on Tuesday. She was 94. Born in
1920 in Kolkata, Sitara Devi drew from the themes, poetry and
choreography collected by her father in her choreographies.
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She
also got inspired from the environment around her - whether it is a
town or a village. The characters around her came live in her dance.
"By training, I am just a 'kathakar' of Krishna-leela (tales of
Krishna)," the danseuse used to say. Kathak, which literally means
'katha', is a narrative drama which evolved out of the Krishna temples
of hinterland to scale the pinnacle of glory in the Muslim courts.
Sitara
Devi's roots were inextricably woven to the tradition of 'kathakars',
the early Kathak dancers. She was born as Dhannolakshmi to a family of
Brahmin 'kathakar' Sukhdev Maharaj and chose school and dance over an
early wedding, as was the norm of the 1920s.
Her father, a
Vaishnavite Brahmin scholar and Kathak exponent, sent her to a local
school where she impressed her teachers and the local media with her
performance in a dance drama, "Savitri Satyavan".
When her
father learnt of it, he re-christened her as Sitara or the star and
placed her under the care of her older sister for kathak training.
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Iran nuclear deal deadline extended to 1st July
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 Updated on : 25-11-2014 01:06 PM
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Iran
and world powers missed a deadline to clinch a landmark nuclear deal
and defuse a 12-year standoff but gave themselves seven more months to
reach agreement.
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The failure followed an intensive five-day diplomatic push in the
Austrian capital Vienna involving the foreign ministers of Iran, the
United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany.
But
US Secretary of State John Kerry, speaking in Vienna, and Iranian
President Hassan Rouhani, speaking in Tehran, yesterday said real
progress had been made in the talks and raised hopes a deal could
eventually be sealed.
"This path of negotiation will reach a
final agreement," Rouhani said on state television. "Most of the gaps
have been removed."
In their second extension this year, Iran
and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany,
known as the P5+1, will seek to strike an outline deal by March and to
nail down a full technical accord by July 1, officials said.
"These
talks aren't going to suddenly get easier just because we extend them,"
Kerry said as he and other officials conceded a midnight yesterday
deadline would be missed.
"They are tough. They have been tough
and they are going to stay tough," he told hundreds of journalists
crowded into a tent outside the 19th century palace where the talks were
held.
"But in these last days in Vienna we have made real and
substantial progress and we have seen new ideas surface. And that is why
we are jointly, the P5+1 six nations and Iran, extending these talks
for seven months."
In the best chance to resolve the standoff
over Iran's nuclear programme, the P5+1 world powers have been for
months seeking to turn an interim deal into a lasting accord.
Such
an agreement is aimed at easing fears that Tehran will develop nuclear
weapons under the guise of its civilian activities, an ambition Iran
denies.
Former SC judge Prasad to succeed Katju as PCI chief
Former Supreme Court judge CK Prasad is set to be appointed as the next Chairperson of the Press Council of India (PCI).
======================Hi to all (Today is 26 nov 2014())=================================
"26/11" redirects here. For the date, see 26 November. For the skirmish, see 2011 NATO attack in Pakistan.
A series of twelve coordinated shooting and bombing attacks lasting four days occurred across Mumbai, [6][7] carried out by Pakistani members of Lashkar-e-Taiba. [8] Ajmal Kasab, the only attacker who was captured alive, later confessed upon interrogation that the attacks were conducted with the support of Pakistan Government's intelligence agency ISI. [9][10] The involvement of Pakistan's ISI was also supported by statements made by David Headley, an U.S. citizen of Pakistani origin, though an ISI spokesman denied any involvement in the attacks. [11] The attacks, which drew widespread global condemnation, began on Wednesday, 26 November and lasted until Saturday, 29 November 2008, killing 164 people and wounding at least 308. [2][12]
Eight of the attacks occurred in South Mumbai: at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, the Oberoi Trident, [13] the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower, [13] Leopold Cafe, Cama Hospital (a women and children's hospital), [13] the Nariman House Jewish community centre, [14] the Metro Cinema, [15] and in a lane behind the Times of India building and St. Xavier's College. [13] There was also an explosion at Mazagaon, in Mumbai's port area, and in a taxi at Vile Parle. [16] By the early morning of 28 November, all sites except for the Taj hotel had been secured by Mumbai Police and security forces. On 29 November, India's National Security Guards (NSG) conducted 'Operation Black Tornado' to flush out the remaining attackers; it resulted in the deaths of the last remaining attackers at the Taj hotel and ending all fighting in the attacks. [17]
Ajmal Kasab [18] disclosed that the attackers were members of Lashkar-e-Taiba, [19] among others. [20] The Government of India said that the attackers came from Pakistan, and their controllers were in Pakistan. [21] On 7 January 2009, [22] Pakistan's Information Minister Sherry Rehman officially accepted Ajmal Kasab's nationality as Pakistani. [23] On 12 February 2009, Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik asserted that parts of the attack had been planned in Pakistan. [24] A trial court on 6 May 2010 sentenced Ajmal Kasab to death on all the 86 charges for which he was convicted. [25] On his appeal against this verdict, Bombay High Court on 21 February 2011 [26] and Supreme Court of India on 29 August 2012 upheld his death sentence. [27] Kasab was executed by hanging at Yerwada Jail in Pune on 21 November 2012. [28][29]
Tributes paid to 26/11 attack martyrs
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 Updated on : 26-11-2014 10:35 AM
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Floral
tributes were paid to the martyrs who laid down their lives while
fighting terrorists on the sixth anniversary of the 26/11 attack.
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Maharashtra
Education Minister Vinod Tawde, Minister of Industries, Mines and
Parliamentary Affairs Prakash Mehta, Mumbai police commissioner Rakesh
Maria and DGP Sanjeev Dayal were among dignitaries who paid homage at
the 26/11 police memorial site at the Mumbai Police Gymkhana in south
Mumbai.
"I pay homage to the brave policemen who fought for Mumbai's safety and
laid down their lives for us on 26/11. We are proud of them and we will
strive hard for safety and security of our state," said Chief Minister
Devendra Fadnavis could not attend the commemorative meeting as he is
scheduled to attend various functions to be presided by President Pranab
Mukherjee in Pune and Wardha in the state later on wednesdau.
The chief minister in his message said, "We will strengthen police force with better equipment. It is out priority."
Family members of the policemen, who lost their lives during the November 2008 attacks, were also present during the ceremony.
On November 26, 2008, 10 Pakistani terrorists arrived by sea route and
opened fire indiscriminately at people killing 166, including 18
security personnel, and injuring several others, besides damaging
property worth crores.
The then Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare, army Major Sandeep
Unnikrishnan, Mumbai's Additional Police Commissioner Ashok Kamte and
Senior Police Inspector Vijay Salaskar were among those killed in the
attack.
(EM-26/11)
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PM pays homage to victims of 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks
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 Updated on : 26-11-2014 10:24 AM
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Prime
Minister Narendra Modi paid homage to the victims of horrific 26/11
Mumbai terror attacks on its sixth anniversary and saluted the security
personnel while reaffirming India's commitment to combat the menace of
terror and "uproot it from the face of humankind".
|
"We
remember the horrific terror attacks in Mumbai on this day in 2008 and
pay homage to the innocent men and women who lost their lives," Modi,
who arrived in Kathmandu on Tuesday to attend 18th SAARC Summit,
tweeted.
"We salute the brave security personnel who laid down
their lives to protect several lives on that fateful day. They are our
true heroes. Today is a day to reaffirm our commitment to work together
to combat the menace of terror and uproot it from the face of
humankind," the Prime Minister said.
Pakistan-based terror
outfits carried major terror attacks, which drew widespread global
condemnation, in Mumbai on November 26, 2008, killing 166 people and
injuring hundred of others.
|
India, Nepal ink nine deals; PM inaugurates trauma centre, bus service
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 Updated on : 26-11-2014 01:44 AM
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Nepal's
happiness "gives us joy", Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday
on his second visit to the Himalayan country in 100 days as both sides
inked nine agreements, further cementing their close ties.
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Modi,
who in his departure statement said the fact that he was visiting Nepal
twice in the six months since he took over "reflects the importance we
attach to our unique and special relations with Nepal", also held
delegation-level talks with his Nepali counterpart Sushil Koirala.
Hughes continues to fight for life, still critical
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 Updated on : 26-11-2014 10:47 AM
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Australian
batsman Phil Hughes continued to fight for life as he remained in a
critical condition after being struck on the head in a freak accident
during a Sheffield Shield match at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
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The
25-year-old left-hander, who was on the verge of a Test recall, was hit
on the lower head by a Sean Abbot bouncer on tuesday following which he
underwent an emergency surgery and was placed in an induced coma in the
Intensive Care Unit of the St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney.
Australia's team doctor Peter Brukner spoke to the media outside the hospital on Hughes condition.
Lionel Messi breaks Champions League scoring record
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 Updated on : 26-11-2014 10:40 AM
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Lionel
Messi became the all time leading goal scorer in the Champions League
just four days after achieving the same feat in La Liga with his 72nd
goal in the competition against APOEL Nicosia.
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Messi
was captaining Barca on the night and stabbed home his side's second
goal of the evening from close range on 37 minutes after Luis Suarez had
opened his account for the club with the opener yesterday.
The Argentine moves ahead of Raul, who scored 71 goals in 142
appearances for Real Madrid and Schalke, with Cristiano Ronaldo just one
goal further back on 70.
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"Phillip's condition is unchanged and he remains critical. If there are
any further developments we will let you know immediately," Brukner
said.
Cricket Australia also issued a statement updating about Hughes' condition and future course of treatment.
"Phillip Hughes remains in a critical condition in St Vincents hospital
after being struck in the head while batting for South Australia against
NSW at the SCG on tuesday," CA said in the statement.
=========================Hi to all, (Today is 27 nov 2014)=======================
and On the bankers Adda
1. China beats India in November FII
inflows: HSBC
i. Foreign institutional investors warmed up to Asian
equities in November as the region recorded net inflows of $5.3 billion, out of
which India attracted $1.4 billion, says a report by HSBC.
Read more: http://www.bankersadda.com/#ixzz3KEeFdFJi
Success Story of Uttaradi Murali Krishan (Bank PO in Corporation Bank)
One of our reader from Andhra Pradesh has shared his success story with us. Read on...
 I
am native of Nandyal, Andhrapradesh. I had completed my B.tech at
srikalahasti in 2012.. but i am not intrested in software field. So, i
choose my fathers platform in my career as he is retired spl asst in
SBI, and i strived hard in getting success of mu career but i took 2
years for me to crack Probationary officer job at corporation bank.
I got moral support from my Parents and Nandyal Guru Ragavendra institute( it's best place for a student to Practice hard).
I am proud to say Bankers adda had also took its part in my success
through providing efficient materials related G.k capusles etc., at the
time of exams..
I thoroughly studied the G.k capsule at the time of P.O exam i t helped me a lot.
And on the DD news
427 foreign bank account holders identified: Jaitley
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 Updated on : 26-11-2014 10:09 PM
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Identity
of 427 account holders abroad has been established and 250 of them have
admitted to having accounts, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley revealed on
Wednesday while asserting that the govt is on the right track in
bringing back illicit money stashed abroad.
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Replying to a debate on black money in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, he
said the government will pro-actively chase those having black money and
will not rest till the last account is identified.
Bringing back black money stashed abroad is a procedure which will take
time, he said while responding to attack by Opposition which questioned
non-fulfillment of the poll promise of BJP leaders of getting the
illicit money back in 100 days.
He, however, did not respond to the Opposition attack on Prime Minister
Narendra Modi for reportedly saying in the run up to elections that each
person will get Rs 15-20 lakh if all the black money is brought back.
Members of Congress, Trinamool Congress, JD(U), Samajwadi Party and CPM,
staged a walkout even before Jaitley could conclude his reply.
During the discussion in both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, Congress
alleged that BJP had "sold lies" and misled the nation for which the
government should apologise.
Spelling out the steps being taken by the government, Jaitley referred
to the HSBC list of 627 account holders received by the government and
said identity of 427 of them has been established. 250 of them have
admitted to having accounts, making the government's task easier, he
added.
Replying to opposition criticism, he said, "We have done more in 100 days than what other governments had done."
The confidentiality clause prevents disclosure of names of foreign
account holders unless prosecution is launched against them in a court
of law, he noted.
Jaitley said more prosecutions are going to be filed in the coming weeks
with regard to people figuring in the HSBC list, who are suspected to
have illicit accounts there.
"We are on a learning curve... The government is going to be on the
right track even if it takes extra time," the Finance Minister said and
suggested that the government was even willing to change laws if
required to bring back black money.
Talking about the 427 accounts identified, he said the government is in
the process of their assessment and notices are being sent to them.
"We will be extremely pro-active in chasing these people. It is a
procedure that will take time but we will have foolproof procedure," the
Finance Minister said.
Responding to questions over what had been done to bring back black
money, he said in the very first meeting of the Modi Cabinet in May, a
decision was taken to set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT), a
proposal regarding which had been pending since July 2011.
The government, he added, has handed over all the documents relating to
black money to the SIT which will be submitting its second report to the
Supreme Court by the end of this month.
On demand for disclosure of names of account holders, he said, "the
question is not whether to disclose the name but how and when to
disclose them".
He, further, said that premature disclosure of names would help the
account holders as it would prompt countries to refrain from providing
information.
The government will not follow "suicidal" course by disclosing the
names, Jaitley said, adding it could only be a "one-day thrill".
"We have to disclose the names in a very prudent and thoughtful manner," he said.
India has 92 Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements (DTAAs) with various
jurisdictions and except one with Romania, all have confidentiality
clauses, Jaitley said.
He said India is in the forefront of global efforts to fight the menace
of black money for automatic exchange of tax information.
The initiatives have been taken at various fora like G20, OECD and FATCA
(Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act) being proposed by the US.
He said the US is signing agreements with various countries for
automatic exchange of information and if India does not do so, it will
not be able to get information from the US as well as others who sign
such agreements.
He said India has a choice of joining the mainstream or walk lonely. "We
are going to have automatic exchange of information," he added.
Jaitley said the government has held discussions with Switzerland for
sharing of information on Indians having illegal accounts in Swiss
banks.
"We are going to be on the right track. even if it takes some time," Jaitley said.
The Finance Minister said some of the account holders may be genuine
cases but names of those who have done any violation will be made
public.
Deputy Leader of Congress in Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma, while attacking
the government, criticised BJP for politicising the issue of black money
during Lok Sabha polls.
In response, Jaitley took a dig at him, saying, "Chunav ki haar ka gham
abhi bhi hai (the pain of loss in elections still exists in Congress).
He said the former UPA government was moving in a particular direction
and "when we took over, many things were half-baked.... I refrain from
UPA vs NDA debate because this debate is far wider than that."
Referring to the Supreme Court's order for setting up of SIT on black
money, Jaitley said, "We are today working under that direction" of the
apex court.
"The UPA government had contested this (order of the SC). It did not
want SC to say anything on this. They apparently felt that some powers
are of te government and not judiciary," Jaitley said.
The noted lawyer said it may be debatable but the NDA government decided to heed to the SC order.
He said several types of money is kept outside the country. This includes crime money, drug money, arms money...
"We were hitting a blind wall (earlier)," he said, and added that in
2011, when government approached Swiss government, they said it is
stolen information which cannot be recognised.
(DD-26.11)
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PM holds bilateral talks with SAARC leaders except Sharif
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 Updated on : 26-11-2014 10:04 PM
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PM
Narendra Modi on Wednesday held bilateral talks with all Heads of
Government and State attending the 18th SAARC Summit in Kathmandu with
Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif the only conspicuous exemption.
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External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin on Wednesday
said, "It was decided earlier that there will be no structured talks as
no requests had come... I said it before we are ready for a meaningful
bilateral dialogue. When circumstances are there, we will have that
dialogue. Nothing else....We are ready when they are ready."
Asked whether Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan will exchange
pleasantries at the dinner or at the retreat on Thursday, he only said
"when a senior Indian leader and senior Pakistani leader come face to
face, they exchange courtesies. It's normal" and could not be construed
as dialogue.
On whether it was a missed opportunity for India in terms of not been
able to push Pakistan to expedite the Mumbai trial in that country, he
said "If meetings could speed up trials we would have...number of
meetings. Despite India repeatedly making the case that we would like an
expeditious trial in Mumbai case, we have not seen sufficient progress.
So, let's not jump into a conclusion that a meeting would change the
entire approach.
"This has not been our experience. Ultimately, India and Pakistan are
neighbours and we are looking at cooperative and peaceful relations with
Pakistan and we stand ready to engage when they are ready for a
meaningful dialogue," he said.
Giving details of the Prime Minister's five bilateral meetings on the
sidelines of the SAARC Summit in Kathmandu, he said a large part of the
discussions centered around the statements made and events at the SAARC
Summit.
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Bill to amend law on CBI chief's appointment passed in LS
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 Updated on : 26-11-2014 05:57 PM
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A
bill to amend a law on appointment of CBI chief was passed in the Lok
Sabha on Wednesday amid stiff resistance with Congress alleging that it
was aimed at keeping the largest opposition party out of the selection
process, a charge denied by the government.
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Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh, while moving the Delhi
Special Police Establishment (Amendment) Bill, 2014, for consideration,
insisted that there was no ulterior motive and the amendment was aimed
only to smoothen the process of selecting the CBI Director.
The bill provides for inclusion of leader of the single largest
opposition party in the three-member committee that selects the CBI
Director since there is no recognised Leader of the Opposition in the
Lok Sabha. The Committee has Prime Minister and Chief Justice of India
as other members.
The amendment bill also provides that "No appointment of a Director
shall be invalid merely by reason of any vacancy or absence of a member
in the committee."
The bill was passed by voice vote but not before a division of votes on
its consideration as well as an amendment moved by BJD member Tathagat
Satpathy, which was rejected.
Leader of Congress Mallikarjun Kharge made a strong plea to the
government to withdraw the measure even at this late stage and bring
forward a comprehensive amendment. He was supported by BJD members
Tathagat Satpathy and Bhartruhari Mahtab.
He alleged that the amendments have been brought by the government deliberately in order to "humiliate" the opposition.
(DD-26.11)
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Quality edu can transform India into leading nation: Prez
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 Updated on : 26-11-2014 09:43 PM
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President
Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday said a quality-oriented education system
is the force multiplier that shall transform the country into one of the
leading nations of the world.
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Observing that teaching and learning processes are changing, the
President said, "India has shown itself to be a secular, diverse and
pluralistic society which is able to deal with the change, challenges
and aspirations".
He was addressing the centenary celebration function of Wardha Shikshan
Mandal, founded by Mahatma Gandhi's associates late Jamnalal Bajaj and
Shrikrishnadas Jajoo, as the chief guest in Wardha on Wednesday.
"The world is on the move and India is also on the move. In this era of
information and communication technology, teaching and learning
processes are changing (too)," Mukherjee said, adding "endowed with good
education and good values, the students and youth will contribute
meaningfully in shaping their tomorrow."
Maharashtra Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao, Chief Minister Devendra
Fadnavis, Union Minister for Transport and Shipping Nitin Gadkari and
Wardha Shikshan Mandal chairman and industrialist Rahul Bajaj were
present on the dais.
The President said the country could deal with the change, challenges
and aspirations because it is a secular and diverse society.
"This (dealing with the change) is possible due to abiding (by) faith and belief in education," he said.
"I have a great faith in philosophy and culture of our civilisation. The
road to progress can be straightened by harmonising civilisational
values and India is at a juncture when we need to realign moral compass.
Understanding the core cultural and civilisational values and further
building them is necessary.
"A quality-oriented education system is the force multiplier that shall
transform the country into one of the leading nations in the world. The
principles of good education are clear and timeless.
"The demographic dividends of the country's youth can only be reaped
(through) educational institutions which are committed to delivering
appropriate learning environment," the President said.
Lauding the contribution of Wardha Shikshan Mandal which runs a number
of institutions in Vidarbha, the President said the quality of education
is critical and a culture of excellence must be promoted in the
academic institutions.
He also called for taking inspiration from ideals of Mahatma Gandhi and
to strive for promoting clean environment in the institutions to achieve
goals of 'Swachh Bharat' and 'Swachha Vidyalaya', an obvious reference
to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cleanliness drive.
Congratulating past and present students, Mukherjee praised the
institution for working in the field of rain-fed cotton farming.
The institution runs a low-cost vocational education course in
collaboration with the Central Institute for Cotton Research, Nagpur.
"Jamnalal Bajaj and Mahatma Gandhi had tremendous influence on each
other and and Gandhiji adopted him (Jamnalal Bajaj) as (his) fifth son,"
the President said.
In his address, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis assured Rahul Bajaj of
extending all co-operation and removing bottlenecks in establishing an
engineering college within a span of 15 days.
Fadnavis also asked the Mandal to seek an autonomous status for its
colleges and institutions. "Maharashtra Government is promoting autonomy
of colleges," he said.
Gadkari, an alumnus of G S College of Commerce, Nagpur run by the
Mandal, also complimented his alma mater for its contribution in the
field of education in the region. He also assured to extend help from
Centre to the Mandal in setting up an engineering college in Wardha.
In his address, Bajaj said the institution was trying hard to achieve
the result wherein all students from its colleges will graduate in first
class, besides "cent percent good character with academic excellence."
"Mandal institutions are run on ethical management with quality
education and (is) a living example (of the same). People from low
income groups are sending their wards to study in our colleges," he
said.
On the occasion, Mandal trustees, the senior-most member of Jajoo
family, Narayan Jaju and retired high court judge Chandrashekhar
Dharmadhikari were felicitated.
After the function, Mukherjee visited Bapu Kuti in Sewagram Ashram and
paid his tributes to Mahatma Gandhi. He planted a sapling and briefly
interacted with Ashram inmates and organisers.
(DD-26.11)
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Teaching German in KVs violative of 3-language formula: Govt
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 Updated on : 26-11-2014 07:45 PM
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The
agreement on teaching German as a third language in central schools was
in violation of the three-language formula and therefore it was not
renewed, the government said.
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"An MoU on 23/09/11 was entered between Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan
(KVS) and Goethe-Institut (Max-Muller Bhawan) to introduce German
language as one of the third languages from class VI to VII for teaching
to the students of KVs.
"The provision of the MoU were violative of the provisions of the three
language formula mandated under the National Policy on Education,"
Minister of State for HRD Upendra Kushwaha told Lok Sabha in a written
reply on Wednesday.
He said 50,978 students had taken German as the third language in the ongoing academic session.
During the last academic year, 36,728 students were studying the subject and a year earlier 17,772 students were studying it.
However, he said the decision to discontinue the language would have not
have any impact on the Indian youths in preparing them for a globalised
world.
Kushwaha said the Sanskrit Sikshak Sangh had also challenged the
introduction of German as a third language through a writ petition
before the Delhi High Court and the matter was accordingly placed before
the KV's Board of Governors (BoG).
"The BoG decided that teaching of German language as option to Sanskrit
will be discontinued forthwith. Foreign language would be taught to such
students of class 6 to 8 as an additional subject or a hobby class, if
they so desired but not as a 3rd language as it violates the three
language formula," he said.
Besides German, Chinese is also being offered in some KVs as a hobby class, he added.
(DD-26.11)
Sindhu, Prannoy, Praneeth win in Macau
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 Updated on : 26-11-2014 08:55 PM
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Defending champion P V Sindhu reached the pre-quarterfinals of the Macau
Grand Prix Gold in women's singles while HS Prannoy and B Sai Praneeth
too tasted victories in men's singles as Indian shuttlers had a good day
in office, in Macau on Wednesday.
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World No. 10 Sindhu took a little less than half an hour to dispose
off Chinese Taipei's Hung Shih Han 21-19 21-15 in a women's singles
match.
The second-seeded Indian had beaten Han in a trilling contest during the
2011 Vietnam Grand Prix Open. Sindhu will next take on Indonesia's
Lindaweni Fanetri on Thursday.
H S Prannoy and B Sai Praneeth also entered the last-16 with contrasting victories at the Tap Seac Multisport Pavilion.
Third seed Prannoy, who had won the Indonesian Masters in September this
year, thrashed Indonesia's Andre Marteen 21-18 21-16 in a men's singles
match, while eighth seed Praneeth got the better off Singapore's Ronald
Susilo 21-15 21-18 in a 30-minute match.
Prannoy will take on Chinese Taipei's Lin Yu Hsien, while Praneeth face Indonesia's Sony Dwi Kuncoro on Thursday.
However, it was curtains for P C Thulasi as the Indian women shuttler
suffered a 12-21 17-21 loss to Hsu Ya Ching of Chinese Taipei in a
34-minute contest.
RBY@26/11
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Updated on : 26-11-2014 09:15 PM
The
CBI on Wednesday questioned former Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa
Sarma in connection with its probe in the Saradha chit fund scam.
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Tecnical
Boeing delivers sixth P8I maritime patrol aircraft to India
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 Updated on : 26-11-2014 08:58 AM
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US
aviation manufacturer Boeing has delivered the sixth P-8I maritime
patrol aircraft to India on schedule, a media release said. The P-8I,
which is part of a contract of eight awarded in 2009, arrived at Naval
Air Station Rajali to join five others being used by the Indian Navy.
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Rest two deliveries are scheduled for 2015.
"The P-8I's arrival in India is another key milestone for the program
and marks our final delivery of the year," said Dennis Swanson, Vice
President, Boeing Defense, Space & Security in India. "The Indian
Navy is currently conducting missions with the first five aircraft, and
this newest P-8I will begin flight trials in the coming months," he
said.
Based on the company's Next-Generation 737 commercial
airplane, the P-8I is the Indian Navy variant of the P-8A Poseidon that
Boeing builds for the US Navy.
The P-8I incorporates not only
India-unique design features, but also Indian-built sub-systems that are
tailored to meet the country's maritime patrol requirements.
The
P-8I features open systems architecture, advanced sensor and display
technologies, and a worldwide base of suppliers, parts, and support
equipment, a company release said.
"We have a great partnership
with India, which has helped us keep the program on schedule and on
budget," said Mark Jordan, Boeing P-8 International program manager.
In order to efficiently design and build the P-8I and the P-8A, the
Boeing-led team is using a first-in-industry, in-line production process
that draws on the company's Next-Generation 737 production system.
P-8I
aircraft are built by a Boeing-led industry team that includes CFM
International, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Spirit AeroSystems, BAE
Systems and GE Aviation.
(EM-26/11)
=================Hello (today is 28 nov 2014)================
On the banker's Adda
1. 18th SAARC Summit concluded, Next Summit will be held in Islamabad in 2016
i. With the issuing of Kathamandu Declaration, the 18th
SAARC Summit concludes at Kathamandu, this evening. Chairperson of the Summit
and Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala declared the Summit closed.
And On the DD News
SAARC nations sign energy deal, salvage summit
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 Updated on : 27-11-2014 10:41 PM
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SAARC
countries on Thursday managed to salvage their summit by agreeing to a
last-minute deal to trade electricity among them after Pakistan
torpedoed proposals for greater regional connectivity for which India
and other countries of the bloc were pushing for.
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Before the SAARC summit concluded here, Foreign Ministers of all the
eight countries signed the framework agreement on cooperation in power
sector which will ensure electricity trading through grid connectivity
but the two pacts on motor vehicle and railways could not be inked
following resistance by Pakistan.
Pakistan had opposed the energy pact citing non- completion of internal
process but finally agreed to sign it after heads of states and
governments took up the matter with Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
at a retreat session in a resort in Dhulikhel, a tourist paradise near
the Nepalese capital.
SAARC chair and Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala announced
at the concluding session that three months time has been fixed for
according approval to the connectivity pacts which will encourage
people-to-people contact and movement of goods.
At the end of the two-day SAARC summit, which took place after a
gap of three years, a 'Kathmandu Declaration' was adopted which said
the leaders recognised that after nearly 30 years of its existence, it
was time to "reinvigorate" SAARC's regional cooperation and "revitalise"
the bloc as an effective vehicle to fulfill the developmental
aspirations of the people.
Describing the summit as "successful", India's External Affairs
Ministry Spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said there were some
"difficulties" yesterday which were resolved in a "graduated" manner. He
said the Indian side returns "satisfied" with the Prime Minister
Narendra Modi's "first successful SAARC Summit".
The declaration said the leaders unequivocally condemned
terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations and
underlined the need for effective cooperation among the member states to
combat them.
"They (SAARC leaders) directed respective authorities to
ensure full and effective implementation of the SAARC Regional
Convention on Suppression of Terrorism," the declaration said.
Thanking the leaders for giving the opportunity to host the
next SAARC Summit in Islamabad, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
said, "The 18th SAARC summit has reaffirmed our resolve to create an
inclusive, just, equitable partnership of peace, development and
prosperity under the platform of SAARC." "We must adopt a realistic,
pragmatic and step-by-step approach towards solution of issues which
will open up new channel of cooperation," he said.
The SAARC member countries are India,the Maldives, Nepal,Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Bhutan.
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PM announces slew of initiatives for SAARC countries
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 Updated on : 28-11-2014 12:28 AM
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Outlining
India's initiatives in key sectors for South Asia, PM Narendra Modi
made a series of announcements for SAARC countries from granting
business visa for 3-5 years to immediate medical visa -- and assured all
possible help to the grouping.
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In his address to the 18th SAARC summit in this picturesque Nepalese
capital on Wednesday, Modi said that as SAARC "we have failed to move
with speed that our people expect" which some argue was due to a
development gap.
"Or, is it because we are stuck behind the walls of our differences and
hesitant to move out of the shadows of the past," he asked, asserting
that "this won't resolve our differences, but will certainly deprive us
of opportunities."
Noting that for India, the vision for the region rests on five pillars -
trade, investment, assistance, cooperation in every area, contacts
between our people -- and all through seamless connectivity, Modi said
barriers of boundaries inhibit progress and international partnerships
add speed to it.
"Because, in the life of an individual or a nation, a good neighbourhood
is a universal aspiration," he said in his maiden address at a SAARC
summit.
During his nearly 30-minute speech, Modi assured level-playing field to
companies in the member countries to do business in India.
"We will address your concerns and give you a level playing field in
India. But, I encourage you to attract Indian investments to produce for
the Indian market and create jobs for your youth.
"I also look to a future when your companies can easily raise funds in
India for investments at home; and, when we have cross-border industrial
corridors, so that we can take advantage of the natural synergies and
connected lives in our border states," he said on Wednesday.
Modi also announced that India will provide immediate medical visa for
patient and an attendant coming for treatment as well as business visa
for 3-5 years for SAARC nations.
Identifying health as a major sector for cooperation among the member
countries, Modi said India will support monitoring and surveillance of
polio-free countries and provide vaccines where it might reappear.
"In the area of health, India will meet the shortfall in funds to
establish the SAARC Regional Supra Reference Laboratory for TB and HIV.
We offer the five-in-one vaccine for the children of South Asia," he
said.
Talking about education, he said India was prepared to connect the South
Asian students through online courses and e-libraries and offered to
extend India's National Knowledge Network to SAARC region when it was
ready.
Referring to space technology, Modi said India's gift of a dedicated
satellite for the SAARC region has been planned for launch in 2016.
Underlining the need for removing the perception of "cynicism and
skepticism" about SAARC, Modi said Indian companies were investing in
billions abroad, but less than 1 percent flow into the region.
Talking about India's bilateral ties with each of the SAARC nations, he
said India and Bangladesh have deepened their links through rail, road,
power and transit while India and Nepal have started a new era of
cooperation in energy.
"We will soon launch a new arrangement to meet Maldives' need for oil," he said.
Identifying infrastructure bottlenecks as the region's greatest weakness
and its most pressing need, the Prime Minister said he wants to set up a
Special Purpose Facility in India to finance infrastructure projects in
the region that enhances connectivity and trade.
"When I thought of coming to Kathmandu by road, it made many officials
in India nervous. Because of the condition of roads at the border," he
said.
Modi said India has a huge trade surplus with SAARC countries and felt it was neither right nor sustainable.
Noting that there was a need to ensure easy movement of goods to fuel
economic growth, Modi said India has given five South Asian countries
duty free access to 99.7 percent of their goods and prepared to do more
with others.
"Today, goods travel from one Punjab to the other Punjab through Delhi,
Mumbai, Dubai and Karachi - making the journey eleven times longer and
the cost four times more. India, too, has its share of responsibility -
because of our size and location. I know that many of your goods, too,
have to do a Parikrama of India to reach their destinations," he said.
"Just think of what we are doing to our consumers -- and to our
environment! We must shrink the distance between our producers and
consumers and use the most direct routes of trade. I know India has to
lead, and we will do our part. I hope, each of you will, too," Modi
said.
The Prime Minister said India was trying to ease norms for doing
business in the country and favored the same for the entire region.
"Let's extend this to our region. I promise to ensure that our
facilities at the border will speed up, not slow down, trade. Let's all
make our procedures simple, our facilities better, our standards common
and our paper workless burdensome," Modi said.
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Badaun victims committed suicide: CBI
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 Updated on : 27-11-2014 08:16 PM
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Rejecting the rape and murder theory of two Badaun girls whose bodies
were found hanging in a Mango orchard, CBI on Thursday claimed that the
teenaged victims had committed suicide, evoking sharp criticism from
their families who sought the Prime Minister's intervention for a fair
probe.
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CBI sources said they will soon be filing its final report
recommending closure of the case before the court where it will give all
its findings.
The agency is also likely to recommend action against Uttar Pradesh police officers for "erroneous" probe.
In Badaun, the families of the girls - who were cousins - rejected the
CBI conclusion. They sought the intervention of Prime Minister Narendra
Modi to ensure an independent and fair probe.
"The CBI has not explained why they would commit suicide. If we don't
get justice we will kill ourselves," said the father of one of the
girls. "How is it possible that the girls could have committed suicide
together from a tall tree...I appeal to Modiji to ensure that we get
justice," he said.
The girls, who were 14 and 15, were found hanging from a mango tree near
their village on May 28, a day after they were reported missing.
CBI sources said the agency will put forth details of alleged
destruction of evidence against three family members and a relative
Nazru in its report but it will be left to the court to take a final
view.
The agency, which could not exhume the bodies for fresh post-mortem
examination from graves because of overflowing Ganga, claimed to have
based its "conclusions" on the basis of forensic reports received from
three-member multi-agency medical board, Central Forensic Sciences
Laboratory, Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics, FSL
Gandhinagar among others.
"The medical report from multi-agency medical board, corroborated by
team of doctors which conducted first post-mortem during their
examination, conclusively says that girls had committed suicide," a
senior CBI official said.
The report received from CDFD showed that there was no presence of male
DNA on the clothes of the girls and there was no presence of female DNA
on the clothes or body of prime suspect in the case thus ruling out any
sign of violence or sexual assault, the sources said.
The ligature mark on the neck of girls' bodies was a unique sign which
indicated suicide, the sources said. They claimed the girls committed
suicide as the affair of elder one with a local boy was exposed while
younger one who was in the know and also kept vigil while the couple was
meeting too felt stigmatised.
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Coal block case: Court to consider closure report Dec 12
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 Updated on : 27-11-2014 06:54 PM
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A special Delhi court hearing coal block case involving industrialist
Kumar Mangalam Birla and others on Thursday fixed Dec 12 to consider the
closure report filed by the CBI in the case.
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Special Judge Bharat Parashar posted the matter for Dec 12.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) booked Birla, former coal
secretary P.C. Parakh and others on charges of criminal conspiracy and
corruption in the allocation of coal blocks in October 2013.
But it filed a closure report in the case Aug 28, saying: “The evidence
collected during investigations did not substantiate the allegations
levelled against the people named in the FIR (first information
report).”
The court, earlier, sought to know on what basis the CBI drew its
conclusion to close the case and what kind of investigation it has
conducted.
The court also sought clarifications from the CBI whether an element of
criminality was involved in allocating the coal blocks to the
Birla-promoted Hindalco.
Special public prosecutor R.S. Cheema, in the last hearing, told the
court that it can take cognizance of the CBI’s closure report filed Oct
21 as there was no prima facie “evidence against the accused to show
their involvement”.
Meanwhile, the CBI submitted the case diary and crime file in a sealed cover in the court.
@BJ-27.11
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Blasts, gunfire in Kabul after suicide bomber hits UK embassy car
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 Updated on : 27-11-2014 11:00 PM
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Gunfire
and explosions rocked Kabul on Thursday as Taliban militants attacked a
central district that houses several embassies and foreign compounds,
hours after a suicide bomber targeted a British embassy vehicle, killing
six people.
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Attacks across Kabul have increased in recent weeks as US-led NATO
forces prepare to wrap up their 13-year combat mission against Taliban
insurgents at the end of this year.
Fears are growing that Afghanistan could tip into a cycle of violence as
the NATO military presence declines, with the national security forces
already suffering high battlefield casualties.
Sporadic gunfire and grenade blasts erupted for at least 45 minutes in
the Afghan capital's central district today in the evening, though the
target was not confirmed and police were unable to give immediate
details.
The attack came hours after a suicide bomber rammed his
explosives-packed car into a British embassy vehicle in Kabul, killing
one Briton and five Afghans.
The Taliban used a recognised Twitter account to say they were behind both attacks.
At least eight blasts have hit Kabul over the last 10 days, including
attacks on foreign compounds and on a female Afghan member of parliament
who was injured in a suicide bombing that targeted her car.
Afghanistan suffered its deadliest attack of 2014 on Sunday when a
suicide bomber struck at a volleyball match in the eastern province of
Paktika, killing 57 people.
About 12,500 foreign troops are set to stay on into 2015 after the NATO
combat mission ends, to train and support the Afghan army and police.
A British security contractor and an Afghan employee of the British
embassy died in the blast today, which hit their vehicle on a stretch of
road notorious for suicide attacks.
At least four Afghan bystanders were also killed, and more than 30 others injured.
British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond condemned the attack on the embassy vehicle as "senseless and cowardly".
"It reminds us once again of the risks our personnel take every day to
keep trying to help Afghans build a better future -- and by helping them
do so, protect our own security and own interests," he told a press
conference in Rome.
A second British contractor with security firm G4S was injured in the
bombing, which threw the embassy's 4x4 vehicle onto its side.
@BJ-28.11
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Hong Kong police arrest protesters, 7 officers
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|
 Updated on : 27-11-2014 11:21 AM
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Hong Kong police arrested 11 more people in a second night of scuffles
with demonstrators angry at having their 2-month-old pro-democracy
protest camp in a volatile neighbourhood shut down, officials said
Thursday.
|
Police also said they arrested seven of their own officers for assault
in connection with the October 15 beating of a handcuffed protester
during a violent nighttime clash. None of the seven officers were
identified.
There was public anger when they were caught on
camera apparently kicking and punching the protester in a dark corner of
an underpass where hundreds of police were battling activists.
In a statement, police denied accusations that their failure to immediately arrest them meant they were delaying the case.
Police said they were continuing to investigate and collect evidence.
The latest arrests of the activists followed an aggressive operation by
authorities to clear out the protest camp on the busy streets of the
crowded Mong Kok district, one of three protest zones around the city.
Police already hold 148 people who have been detained since Tuesday,
including high-profile student leaders Joshua Wong and Lester Shum.
Wong, 18, heads the Scholarism group, while Shum, 21, is second-in-command of the Hong Kong Federation of Students.
The groups have played important roles in organising the protest movement seeking free elections in the former British colony.
The protesters are demanding that Hong Kong's government scrap a plan
by China's Communist leaders to use a panel of Beijing-friendly elites
to screen candidates for the territory's top leader in inaugural 2017
elections.
The clearance of the Mong Kok camp deals a blow to
the movement, which has had little to show after two months of occupying
Hong Kong streets although the arrests of the popular student leaders
could also erode public support for authorities.
(MK-27/11)
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Hundreds protest at US embassy in London over Ferguson case
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|
 Updated on : 27-11-2014 06:08 AM
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|
About a thousand Britons have protested outside the United States
embassy in London in sympathy with demonstrations across the US over the
killing of a black teenager by a white police officer.
|
The decision not to prosecute the officer for shooting dead unarmed
18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, sparked anger and
racially-charged unrest in cities across the United States this week.
The London protesters held signs reading "black lives matter" and
chanted "hands up don't shoot", the slogan adopted by protesters in the
US. Relatives of black men killed by police in Britain addressed the
crowd on Wednesday.
"We need to send a message to Mike Brown's family," said Carol Duggan,
the aunt of Mark Duggan, a 29-year-old black man whose shooting by
police in 2011 was followed by riots.
"We feel the pain, we know the pain, of losing somebody at the hands of
the police. "That is why we stand in solidarity with the community of
Ferguson. I feel they are very strong and brave people." Some protesters
carried candles, and a minute of silence was held in honour of those
killed by police around the world.
Marcia Rigg, the sister of Sean Rigg, a 40-year-old black musician who
died in police custody in London in 2008, told the crowd that she did
not support arson and looting but that she understood people's rage.
"People around the world understand the frustration and anger that the
people are feeling when our loved ones are murdered on the streets,"
Rigg said.
Over two thousand National Guard soldiers were deployed to back up the
police in Ferguson, a suburb of 21,000 inhabitants outside the city of
St Louis, after fires and looting at protests this week.
The outcry followed a conclusion by a grand jury that police officer
Darren Wilson acted in self-defence. Wilson has said that he believes he
acted appropriately.
Following the vigil at the embassy, hundreds of protesters marched to
the central London shopping district of Oxford Street, where they
stopped traffic.
(AKS-27/11)
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SBI Q2 Net rises 31 percent to Rs 3,100 crore
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 Updated on : 18-11-2014 05:00 PM
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|
Country's largest bank SBI on Friday reported 30.5 percent growth in net
profit at Rs 3,100.41 crore for the quarter ended September 30.
|
The standalone net profit of State Bank of India (SBI) was Rs 2,375
crore in July-September quarter of 2013-14, it said in a filing to the
BSE.
Provisioning against bad loans during the quarter stood at
Rs 4,274 crore, up 41 per cent from Rs 3,029 crore in the September
quarter of last fiscal.
Gross non-performing assets (NPA) as a
percentage of total advances stood at 4.89 per cent at the end of
September, lower than 5.64 per cent in the year-ago period. Net NPA was
2.73 per cent.
Total income increased to Rs 41,833 crore during the quarter from Rs 37,199.92 crore in the corresponding period last year.
On a consolidated basis, SBI's net profit rose 31 per cent to Rs 4,024 crore during the second quarter.
The group's net profit after taxes, minority interest and share of
profit/(loss) of associates was Rs 3,073 crore in the same quarter of
previous fiscal.
SBI shares were trading 1.43 per cent up at Rs 2,758.10 per scrip during afternoon session on the BSE.
RBY@14/11
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SEBI mulls prudential governance norms for stock brokers
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 Updated on : 21-09-2014 01:49 PM
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After
prescribing a new Corporate Governance Code for listed companies,
capital markets watchdog SEBI is now mulling over a new set of
Prudential Governance Norms for stock brokers to safeguard investors'
interest.
|
The proposed norms, which are currently at draft stage and are going
through consultations, would considerably enhance the disclosure
requirements by stock brokers and can subject them to tightened
regulations with regard to related party transactions and audit of their
books and other dealings.
Besides, the brokers may also be required to put in place a
whistle-blower mechanism and frame an effective 'code of conduct' for
their directors and senior management personnel, in line with similar
norms for listed companies as prescribed by Sebi and in the new
Companies Act, sources said.
These norms have been proposed by Sebi to ensure that any adverse impact
on the interest on investors as well as on the integrity of securities
markets can be avoided in the event of any lapses at the end of stock
broker.
Sebi is aiming to "minimise/prevent occurrence of circumstances leading
to default in making payments by stock brokers to stock exchanges or
clients due to lack of due diligence in their risk management system,
due to mis-management leading to instability or failure in operations of
stock broker including insolvency etc" with these norms.
The new corporate governance norms for listed companies are coming into effect from 1st October.
However, Sebi recently relaxed some provisions after representations
from the industry bodies and the government and it has given time till
1st April, 2015 for a key provision of having minimum one woman director
on the boards of listed companies.
A senior official said that the brokers have also already begun making
representations before the regulator with concerns that any tightening
of corporate governance norms could hurt their business due to high
compliance costs.
The brokers are arguing that they are already operating in a highly
regulated business and the new Companies Act has already provided for
significant tightening of norms for the corporate brokerage firms.
Among others, the proposed norms would require brokers to submit their
audited annual reports within 60 days of end of a financial year and a
half-yearly networth certificate within two months of the end of a
half-year to the stock exchange.
The quarterly financial results would be required to be submitted within
45 days of end of each quarter, while annual audit would need to be
done by "an independent, competent and qualified auditor".
No stock broker would be allowed to re-appoint an individual as an auditor for more than one term for five consecutive years.
In case of an audit firm, it can be appointed for maximum two terms of five consecutive terms.
In their periodic financial disclosures, the brokers would have to
separately mention the advance or margins received from their clients,
as also any advance or loans given by them.
Details of loans, advances or investments in subsidiaries, associates or
group companies, as also all material information about their financial
position, performance, governance and ownership, would need specific
disclosures.
The brokers would also need to disclose all exceptional income and
expenditure, along with auditors' observations, while their quarterly
and annual financial results would need to be approved by the board of
director and CEO/CFO along with a certification of "absence of falsity
or omission".
The board of directors would need to lay down a code of conduct for all
board members and senior management of the company, and also devise an
effective whistle blower mechanism enabling all stakeholders, including
employees, to freely communicate their concerns about any illegal or
unethical practices.
The board would have to ensure that the interest of a whistle-blower is not prejudicially affected.
With regard to investor grievance, a compliance officer would need to
ensure that they are redressed in a stipulated manner and within a given
timeline.
The status of all investor complaints would need to be reviewed and
analysed every six months and corrective steps would be required to be
taken by the compliance officer to "minimise recurrence in future".
The CEO of the company would need to certify that "there are no
transaction entered into by the stock broker during the year which are
fraudulent, illegal or violating the stock broker's code of conduct".
The certification would also include that the auditor has been informed
about any significant changes in the internal control over financial
reporting or in accounting policies, as also about the "instances of
significant fraud of which they have become aware and the involvement
therein, if any, of the management or an employee".
(DD-21.9)
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Moody's pegs rating revision to speedy reforms
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 Updated on : 26-11-2014 10:37 PM
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Rating
agency Moody's Investors Service has said the sovereign outlook for the
country remains stable at Baa3, but future rating trends depend on the
reform measures taken by the government.
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"Sovereign credit rating trends in 2015 will depend on the extent to
which the government addresses high fiscal expenditures, recurrent food
price inflation, and wide infrastructure deficit," Moody's said in a
report on Wednesday.
All the three big international rating agencies such as S&P, Moody's
and Fitch have BBB ratings on the country's sovereign with a stable
outlook. The current rating is closest to junk status or below
investment grade.
The report says the government's ability and willingness to undertake
structural reforms will have a bearing on the credit rating outlook of
the country.
"The government's recent policy measures, such as diesel price
deregulation, a greater focus on local manufacturing, as well as the
Reserve Bank's efforts to contain inflationary pressures and raise
banking system efficiency, could increase savings, investment and
productivity in the economy," Moody's said.
The report further said the recent steps are augmented with additional
steps next year to address infrastructure gaps and attract foreign
direct investment inflows, government policies can support the sovereign
credit profile through higher medium term GDP growth.
The economy, after growing at over 9 percent for three successive years
has lost the steam and grew at sub-5 percent in the past two fiscals due
to policy paralysis under the past government.
In the first quarter of this fiscal the GDP clipped at an unexpected 5.7
percent, while the Q2 GDP print is slated to be much lower at 5-5.3
percent.
The government will release the Q2 GDP numbers later this week.
The report said the possibility of confidence shocks from the expected
rise in US interest rates, especially in the case of a disorderly market
reaction may have an impact on the country's credit quality.
The report believes that although inflation and the current account
deficit have declined over the last year, a tightening in US monetary
policy could still result in some volatility in capital inflows and the
exchange rate.
Moreover, elevated government debt and the risk of recurrent inflation
limit room for the authorities to stimulate the economy in the event of a
shock from significantly lower-than-anticipated global growth, it
added.
The rating agency also said the global sovereign outlook for 2015 is
stable as a gradual global recovery supports sovereign credit quality.
"However, GDP growth rates for sovereigns globally are likely to remain
lower than the levels seen before the global financial crisis in
2008-09," the report said.
(DD-26.11)
Cabinet clears 3 key agreemenets to be signed at SAARC Summit
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 Updated on : 23-11-2014 03:53 PM
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Ahead
of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Nepal to attend the SAARC
summit next week, the Union Cabinet on Friday cleared three key
framework agreements with member-countries to enhance rail and road
connectivity and setting up of a regional power grid.
|
A
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Nepal for
strengthening cooperation in the field of tourism ws also given a green
signal by the Cabinet.
The memorandum is proposed to be signed during Modi's visit to Nepal beginning November 25.
Telecom
Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters after the meeting that the
Cabinet approved signing of "SAARC Framework Agreement for Energy
Cooperation (Electricity)" among the member-states during the 18th SAARC
summit scheduled to be held at Kathmandu on November 26-27.
"The
agreement will enable greater cooperation in the power sector among
SAARC countries. It is expected to improve the power availability in the
entire SAARC region. It would facilitate integrated operation of the
regional power grid," he said.
In another decision related to SAARC, the Cabinet approved the signing and ratifying the SAARC Motor Vehicles Agreement.
It also approved the signing of a bilateral agreement for the regulation
of passenger traffic between India and Nepal on the sidelines of the
SAARC summit.
The Cabinet has also authorised the Ministry of Road Transport and
Highways to sign similar bilateral agreements and protocols with other
SAARC member-states, an official statement said.
The agreement on motor vehicles provides for the member- states allowing
their vehicles to ply in their territories for transportation of cargo
and passengers subject to various terms and conditions.
The
agreement once signed will result in closer regional economic
cooperation and integration through enhanced regional connectivity by
allowing movement of goods and passengers in the region through road
transport, the statement said.
The signing and ratification of the SAARC Regional Railways Agreement by India was also cleared.
It
will strengthen transport connectivity in SAARC region. Strengthened
rail and transport connectivity will not only provide stimulus to the
economic development in the region as a whole but also promote social
and cultural contact and encourage tourism amongst the member-countries,
said another statement.
The Regional Rail Agreement will also
enable low-cost, energy efficient and environmentally-sustainable
transportation in the SAARC region and provide trade and economic links
for land-locked countries and semi-isolated regions. On bilateral front,
the MoU on tourism with Nepal would help India increase foreign tourist
arrivals from Nepal to the country.
This in turn will result in
economic development and employment generation. The cabinet also passed
a resolution moved by Home Minister Rajnath Singh congratulating Modi
on his "successful" visits to Myanmar, Australia and Fiji.
Referring to the resolution, Prasad said the cabinet welcomed the
successful visit. "All issues placed by the PM in G-20 were a matter of
discussion in the summit. Under his leadership, the Indian diplomacy has
been successful," Prasad said.
(PT-21/11)
Hughes dies from head injuries
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 Updated on : 27-11-2014 12:35 PM
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Promising Australian batsman Philip Hughes today succumbed to his head
injuries that he sustained during a domestic match on Tuesday, leaving
the cricket fraternity in shock over the huge tragedy.
|
The 25-year-old cricketer, who was in contention for a Test recall for
the coming series against India, died at the St Vincent's Hospital,
where he was battling for life after being hit on the head by a bouncer
from Sean Abbot.
"It is my sad duty to inform you that a short time ago Phillip Hughes
passed away," Australian team doctor Peter Brukner said in a statement.
"He never regained consciousness following his injury on Tuesday. He was
not in pain before he passed and was surrounded by his family and close
friends."
Hughes played 26 Tests in his short-career, scoring 1,535 runs at 32.65 with three centuries and seven fifties.
His final Test was at Lord's in July 2013.
He also played 25 ODIs, and remains the only Australian to score a
century on ODI debut. His final ODI came last month against Pakistan in
Abu Dhabi, one week after he played his lone T20 international against
the same opposition in Dubai.
"As a cricket community we mourn his loss and extend our deepest
sympathies to Phillip's family and friends at this incredibly sad time,"
Brukner said.
"Cricket Australia kindly asks that the privacy of the Hughes family, players and staff be respected."
The incident happened when Hughes was batting for South Australia during
a Sheffield Shield match against New South Wales on Tuesday.
He was batting on 63 when he was struck by the bouncer below the helmet while trying to play a hook shot.
He was administered CPR and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation at the ground before being taken to hospital.
He
underwent a 90-minute emergency operation before being placed in an
induced coma in the Intensive Care Unit of the St Vincent's Hospital but
he never regained consciousness.
Cricket NSW Chief Executive Andrew Jones said: "Phillip is fondly
remembered as a bright and cheeky young man with an infectious smile who
emerged as an outstanding junior more than a decade ago.
"Like so many NSW and Australian players before him, Phillip moved to
Sydney to play Grade Cricket and found a home at Western Suburbs.
"Phillip had already scored 26 first class centuries and his best
cricket was ahead of him. It is unspeakably sad he cannot now achieve
his potential in the game."
South Australian Cricket Association Chief Executive Keith Bradshaw
said: "While everyone at SACA is hurting, the immediate thoughts of all
staff and players are for Phillip's family who were with him at St
Vincent's Hospital in Sydney".
"He was a very popular member of both the West End Redbacks and Adelaide
Strikers cricket teams and a favourite of the SACA members and cricket
fans across South Australia and Australia, and we are all struggling to
come to terms with the news.
"Loved by everyone, Phillip was a really terrific person and a
remarkable talent. He had many friends and teammates here and interstate
that will need support, and it is important we offer them our love and
care as we all come to terms with this tragic event.
"The out-pouring of support for Phillip over the past few days has been
overwhelming, and a testament to how much of an impact he had on so many
people," Bradshaw said.
Ever since the incident took place on Tuesday, many of Hughes' teammates
and friends have spent time in the hospital, offering support to the
family.
Australia captain Michael Clarke, a long-time teammate and friend, was a
constant presence at the hospital. Besides, Brad Haddin, Steven Smith,
Shane Watson, David Warner, Nathan Lyon, Moises Henriques, Mitchell
Starc, Daniel Smith and coach Darren Lehmann all visited the hospital.
On Tuesday, traumatised players from the New South Wales, including Abbot, and South Australia sides were offered counselling.
This is not the first time that a cricketer has died on the field.
Indian cricketer Raman Lamba died in 1998 after being struck in the
temple by a cricket ball hit by a Bangladesh batsman. He was 38.
Pakistan wicket-keeper Abdul Aziz was struck on the chest by a ball,
collapsed and never regained consciousness during the 1958-59
Quaid-e-Azam Trophy final. He died on the way to the hospital.
He was 17.
Former Indian captain Nari Contractor had a similar life threatening
experience when he was hit on the head by Charlie Griffith during the
1961-62 series in the West Indies.
He needed more than one emergency brain operation, and never played Test cricket again.
In another incident, a horrific eye injury had forced South African
wicketkeeper Mark Boucher to retire from cricket in 2012. He had lost
the lens, iris and pupil in his left eye after a being hit by a bail
that flew back off the top of the wicket during his country's tour match
against Somerset.
(MK-27/11)
=================================================================
Hi today is 1 dec 2014
and its my last update on Nov 2014
and on the bankers adda
30th nov updates
1. Institution to replace Planning
Commission likely to be unveiled in Dec
i. Work has moved into top gear for finalising the name
and structure of the new institution that will replace the 64-year-old Planning
Commission and the same may be unveiled this December.
ii. “The Prime Minister has convened a meeting of the Chief
Ministers on December 7 to seek their view points on the structure of the
institution which would ultimately replace the Planning Commission,” an
official source said.
iii. The Commission has received many
suggestions regarding the name and role of the new body.
Some of the suggested names are Sustainable Development Commission, National
Development Agency, SocialEconomic Development Commission or Bharat
Pragati Lakshya. Besides, there have been reports about the new body being
named Niti Aayog or Policy Commission.
iv. The new institution, which is likely to be headed by the
Prime Minister as was the case with the Planning Commission, may have four
divisions — an Inter-State council, plan evaluation office, UIDAI and DBT. All
the divisions would have experts from the Centre and State governments as also
experts from the industry.
2. Modi slips to
second spot in TIME's 'Person of the Year' poll
i. Prime Minister
Narendra Modi has slipped to the second place in the Time magazine's 'Person of
the Year' poll with the Ferguson protesters surging ahead of him in a vote by
the readers.
ii. As per latest
reports, Modi is leading second with 9.8 per cent of the total votes polled so
far while the Ferguson protesters are leading with 10.8 per cent of the votes.
Joshua Wong, face of the Hong
Kong pro-democracy
movement, is placed third.
iii. Nobel Peace prize
winner Malala Yousafzai (5.3 per cent) and Russian President Vladimir Putin are
placed fourth and fifth respectively.
iv. US President Barack Obama is placed at a distant 11th position
with just 2.4 per cent of the total votes. The annual poll, which is currently
underway, is scheduled to end on December 6 and the poll's winner will be
announced on December 8.
v. However, it is the TIME's editors
who will choose the Person of the Year, which is scheduled to be announced on
December 10.
3. Theatre personality Veenapani Chawla
passes away
i. Veenapani Chawla, acclaimed theatre personality
and founder of the Adishakti Laboratory for Theatre Arts and Research near
Auroville, passed away on Sunday, following a sudden heart attack. She was 67.
ii. Her funeral is expected to be conducted on Monday at
Karuvadikuppam in Puducherry.
iii. Winner of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Puruskar for her
contribution to Indian theatre as a director, Chawla was considered a pioneer
of experimental theatre in India.
iv. She established Adishakti in 1981 and was also its
Managing Trustee and Artistic Director. Having directed most of Adishakti’s
performances and scripted half of them, her work has toured India and abroad.
4. Leviatha wons best film at IFF, Goa
i. Russian film “Leviathan” by Andrey Zvyagintsev won the best
film award comprising Golden Peacock and Rs.40 lakh at the 45th International film Festival of India, which ended in
Goa on Sunday.
ii. Mr. Alexey Serebryakov from the “Leviathan” also shared
the best male actor award in the Cimena of the World competition.
5. Book titled Letters for a Nation
written by Jawaharlal Nehru & Madhav Khosla
i. Book titled Letters for a Nation written by Jawaharlal
Nehru & Madhav Khosla was published by Allen Lane an imprint of Penguin
Books on 15 October 2014.
ii. The book contains Jawaharlal Nehru letters as Prime
Minister of India to the heads of the country’s provincial governments which he
kept a tradition till 1963.
6. Mumbai, Kolkata most vulnerable to
loss of life, properties due to coastal flood: un
i. India's populous coastal cities Mumbai and Kolkata are
most vulnerable to loss of life and properties due to coastal flooding in the
second half of the century.
ii. Quoting a UN report, the government has said India is
among the top 20 countries and regions most at risk based on analysis of
climate risk and coping ability.
iii. The statement assumes significance at a time when
representatives of governments are scheduled to meet in Lima from tomorrow for
the Climate Change Conference to lay the foundation for an effective, new and
universal climate change agreement in Paris in 2015.
iv. With climate change impacts worsening and affecting the
poor and most vulnerable, governments urgently need to scale up adaptation to
climate change, says the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC).
7. IOC to set up greenfield refinery on
West coast
i. Country's biggest oil company Indian Oil Corporation is
looking at setting up a greenfield refinery on the West coast as part of its
expansion plans.
ii. Talking to reporters in Mumbai, Indian Oil Corporation Chairman B
Ashok said, with the growth in the economy, there is a need for green field
refinery by 2021-22.
iii. After setting up of Paradip Refinery in East coast, focus is now on
setting up of a refinery in West coast region, for which suitable state and
place is being looked into.
8. Dubai to invest $32-billion to
build world’s largest airport
i. To further secure its position as the
world’s aviation hub, Dubai Airports is building a whopping USD 32—billion
greenfield airport at the upcoming Dubai World Central, 30 km off the present
international airport which already is the second busiest in the world.
ii. The proposed new airport will become the world’s largest
aviation facility on completion and will have five runways which all will be
simultaneously operational, all A380-compatible with a length of 4.5 km each.
iii. On completion, the new airport will be the world’s
largest airport, with each concourse the size of seven football fields and have
five runways which all will be simultaneously operational, all
A380-compatible,” Mr. Baumann said.
iv. The other features include 200 aircraft stands for wide
bodied aircraft, four concourses connected via six airport trains to two
terminals, which in turn will be linked to the city’s metro network.
Note: The
Dubai International Airport is the world’s second busiest airport after the
London Heathrow and is on course to become the global aviation hub, thanks to
its geographical location and the availability of cheap fuel.
9. Gas price in India to dip to $5 in 3
years: Goldman Sachs
i. The new natural gas price
of USD 5.61, which is already among the lowest in Asia Pacific, is likely to
drop to around USD 5 per unit in three years due to the variables included in
the formula, Goldman Sachs has said.
ii. “While the Indian government introduced a new gas price
regime in October, we believe clear direction is needed on gas pricing for higher—cost projects, such as
deepwater, to induce more E&P
capex,” the global financial major said in a report.
iii. Stating that Indian prices for new projects are among
the lowest in Asia Pacific, Goldman said China pays explorers USD 11.9 per
mmBtu (million British Thermal Unit) rate for new projects while Indonesia and
the Philippines price the fuel at USD 11 and USD 10.5 respectively.
iv. Gas from offshore fields in Myanmar, where Indian firms
ONGC and GAIL have stake, are sold to China for USD 7.72.
v. Thailand prices gas from new projects at USD 8.2 per
mmBtu.
vi. The only nations with lower rates are Vietnam (USD 5.2)
and Malaysia (USD 5), it said.
10. Sindhu bags Macau Open Grand Prix Gold
Badminton Title
i. PV Sindhu today bagged the Macau Open Grand Prix Gold
Badminton title for the second consecutive time.
ii. In the final, second seed Sindhu defeated Korean Kim Hyo
Min, 21-12, 21-17. This was Sindhu's first title this season.
iii. In the semi-finals yesterday, second seed
Sindhu had defeated Busanan Ongbumrungpan of Thailand 21-14, 21-15.
iv. In the Men's Singles, HS Prannoy had lost the semi-final. He went
down fighting against Hong Kong's Wong Wing Ki Vincent, 16-21, 21-16, 12-21.
11. Israeli cricket umpire dies after
being struck by ball
i. In Israel, Hillel Oscar, 55, an umpire and former captain
of Israel's national cricket team died yesterday after being hit in the jaw by
a ball in the southern port city of Ashdod, the country's cricket association
said.
ii. His death comes just two days after Australian batsman Phillip
Hughes died of a severe head injury after being hit by a bouncer in a New South
Wales match in Sydney.
iii. Israeli police ruled out foul play in the incident that led to the
death of the umpire. He was an international umpire.
12. Abhishek wins 76th Junior National
& Youth TT boys’ singles title
i. Petroleum Sports Promotion Board, PSPB's Abhishek Yadav
has won the boys' singles title in the 76th Junior National and Youth Table
Tennis Championships.
ii. In the final of the event at Alappuzha, Kerala, today,
he beat his team mate Sudhanshu Grover by Four games to One.
iii. In the youth girls singles, Manika Batra of the PSPB retained the
crown. Manav Thakkar of the PSPB Academy emerged champion in the Junior Boys'
section. Thus, it was a rare hat-trick of titles for the PSPB.
Read more: http://www.bankersadda.com/2014/11/daily-gk-update-30th-november-2014.html#ixzz3KcXNg68b
And On the DD News
Welfare measures for armed forces to be fast-tracked: Parrikar
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|
 Updated on : 30-11-2014 06:11 PM
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Concerned
over nearly 450 suicide cases reported in the armed forces in the last
three years, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Sunday said reasons
for this are being investigated and that welfare measures for personnel
will be fast-tracked.
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"This
is a man management issue which needs to be resolved in different ways,
including counselling, quick redressal mechanism and more tribunals to
hear the cases," he told reporters in Panaji.
Welfare measures for the defence personnel will be implemented at a fast
pace to ensure that suicides are completely stopped, he said.
The Defence Minister said he has asked officials to go into the reasons behind the suicides.
According to official figures, there have been 449 cases of suicides reported in the armed forces since 2011.
Isolation and living away from families are among the reasons that spark
suicides, he said adding that all welfare measures would be in place in
a time-bound manner.
A total of 99 suicide cases have been reported from the armed forces this year alone besides three cases of fratricide.
Army reported the highest number suicides with 76 cases this year followed by Air Force with 23.
While Army reported two cases of fratricide this year, Air Force witnessed one such incident.
The Army, which the is the largest of the three Services, has topped the
list of suicide cases since 2011 though the number has come down.
While there were 105 cases of suicides recorded by Army in 2011, it came down to 95 in 2012 and 86 in 2013.
Parrikar had earlier told Parliament that among the reasons for such
incidents were "occupational hazards (long tenures of continuous
deployment) family issues, domestic problems, marital discord, perceived
grievances, personal issues, mental built, financial problems and
inability to withstand stress."
Some of the measures taken by the government to prevent such incidents
include improvement in living and working conditions, additional family
accommodation, liberalised leave policy, provision of psychological
counseling and conduct of yoga and meditation as part of unit routine,
he said.
The issues like family accommodation for married personnel should be sorted out quickly, he said.
"In Goa Naval area, there are 700-800 quarters which are being
constructed for married couples. The work is going on at a slow pace. I
will be holding review of such projects across the country," Parrikar
said.
He said eight minesweeper naval vessels will be built by Goa Shipyard
Limited with maximum indigenous technology under the 'Make in India'
campaign.
"In principle it has been decided that the work for constructing eight
minesweepers would be awarded to Goa Shipyard Limited. This would be
under 'Make in India' campaign," he said.
(ST-30/11)
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PM says tourism necessary for development of Manipur
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 Updated on : 30-11-2014 06:38 PM
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Prime
Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday stressed the need to augment road
connectivity and other infrastructure in Manipur so that tourism could
flourish in the state and bring development along with it.
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Addressing
a mammoth gathering at the concluding day of 'Sangai Manipur Tourism
Festival' in Imphal on Sunday afternoon, Modi said the state needed road
connectivity and other communication infrastructure system should be
developed so that tourists were able to travel to the state.
He said north eastern states was an 'enchanting' place and all efforts should be made to develop the region.
Dwarka in Gujarat was liked by tourists not because of its religious
connection but because it was developed, the Prime Minister said in his
15-minute speech.
Likewise, the north eastern region, which is full of natural beauties,
could be developed, said Modi, who was the chief guest of the 'Sangai
Manipur Tourism Festival' in Imphal
'Sangai Manipur Tourism Festival', the biggest tourism festival in the
state, is named after 'Sangai', the brow -antlered deer, available only
in Keibul Lamjao National Park in Manipur's Bishenpur district.
Besides tourism, the Prime Minister also mentioned the role of sports in the development of the state.
Stating that a sports university would be set up in Manipur, he said the state's youth has lots of talent in various sports.
The Prime Minister arrived here from Assam and left for Nagaland after his brief speech.
(ST-30/11)
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Campaign ends for second phase of J&K polls; 18 seats to vote
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 Updated on : 30-11-2014 06:21 PM
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After
a record turnout in the first phase, the high-voltage campaigning for
the second leg of Assembly elections on December 2 in nine seats in
Jammu and as many in Kashmir ended on Sunday with several high-profile
candidates including former separatist Sajad Lone and four state
ministers trying their luck at the hustings.
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The campaign fever had heightened in this leg after 71.28 per cent voting in 15 seats during the first phase.
However, security has been tightened in the wake of three militant
attacks during the period, including in Arnia where 10 people were
killed.
Out of the 18 seats which will go to polls, ruling National Conference
had six seats, Congress three, PDP four, JKNPP two, BJP one, CPI(M) one
and Independent one.
A total of 15.35 lakh people are eligible to vote in the 18 constituencies where 175 candidates are in the fray.
The campaigning for the second phase saw many political bigwigs
addressing rallies including Prime Minister Narendra Modi who held two
rallies in Udhmapur and Poonch and Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi
who addressed a rally in Poonch.
Senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh held a rally in Kashmir.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, PDP patron Mufti Mohammed Sayeed and
senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad also held several rallies.
While BJP led by Modi raised the issue of corruption, dynastic politics and development.
Congress promised equitable development of the three regions of the
state and said it will constitute two fully empowered regional councils.
It said separate development councils operating under the umbrella of
regional councils, one for Chenab Valley and another for Peer Panchal
Valley, will be set up.
The party also promised review of cases of detainees not involved in grave offences.
(ST-30/11)
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Uproar in Telangana -House over "objectionable" remarks against Sonia Gandhi
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 Updated on : 29-11-2014 04:27 PM
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Certain "objectionable" remarks made by Telangana Deputy Chief Minister T
Rajaiah against Congress president Sonia Gandhi caused a stir in the
State Legislative Assembly on the last day of its budget session on
Saturday.
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The
proceedings were adjourned twice for ten minutes each as the main
opposition members came into the Well of the House protesting the Deputy
CM's remarks even as Speaker S Madhusudanachari announced that the
"objectionable remarks" would be expunged from the records.
The reference to Sonia Gandhi was made by first-time Congress MLA
Padmavathi during Zero Hour where in she hailed her party chief for
granting statehood to Telangana.
"As a mother, despite knowing that she will lose her (political) life,
Sonia delivered the baby (Telangana state). No doubt the Telangana
Rashtra Samiti and others also played their part but it was the sole
will of Sonia that ensured statehood for Telangana. We should be ever
grateful to her," Padmavathi said.
Concurring with the point, Deputy CM Rajaiah, however, said it was the
indefinite hunger-strike launched by TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao on
November 29, 2009 that forced the then UPA government to come out with
an announcement on December 9 on creation of the separate state.
He went on to refer to the events that followed the December 9 announcement.
The Congress members were on their feet in protest and trooped into the Well leading to the first adjournment for ten minutes.
When the proceedings resumed after more than an hour, Congress senior
MLA Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka took strong exception to the Deputy CM's
remarks and wanted the latter to withdraw them.
"It is left to the member's wisdom," he added.
However, Rajaiah sought to justify his remarks, leading to uproar in the House.
(AKS-29/11)
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Security scenario in North East region is "fragile": IB Chief
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 Updated on : 29-11-2014 03:03 PM
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The security scenario in the North East region is "fragile" and
insurgent outfits' safely ensconced in neighbouring countries are
compounding the problem,Intelligence Bureau Director Syed Asif Ibrahim
said in Guwahati on Saturday.
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"The situation in the N-E region continues to be fragile due to the
violent activities of (militant) groups outside talks (with
government)", Ibrahim said addressing the 49th annual conference of
DGPs, IGPs of all States, Union Territories and Central Police
Organisations heads here for the first time outside Delhi.
"Safe sanctuaries for insurgent groups in the neighbouring countries,
particularly in Myanmar, has compounded the security situation in the
region", he pointed out.
Analysing the security situation, the IB Director said the NDFB in Assam
has emerged as the outfit responsible for 85 per cent of the
casualties.
In Meghalaya the GNLA-ULFA combine is responsible for 75 per cent of
casualties and 40 per cent of incidents, while the Meitei underground
groups are responsible for 55 per cent of casualties, he said.
In Nagaland it was internecine clashes among various outfits for area
domination and extortion, while in Arunachal Pradesh there is turf war
between two Naga groups in three districts of Changlang, Tirap and
Longding, Ibrahim said.
On the Maoist threat, the IB chief said, "there has been decline in
their recruitment. Against 39 central members only 20 are left. They are
also facing desertion".
"They have crisis of leadership and are facing shortage of arms. Their
shrinkage of area of operation has led to decline in their killings",
Ibrahim said.
"Despite that, fresh strategies have to be drawn up. Key roles have to
be assigned to the police down to the district level by providing them
support and arms", he said.
The two-day annual conference from today is a platform for formulating
design, fine tuning the security challenges and coordination of
strategies for security, the IB Director said.
With abiding commitment to the North East region, he said the security
related issues to be highlighted in the Conference are radicalisation,
left wing extremism, further improving the accessibility of the justice
system by the common people, besides improvement of the security
situation in the area accorded highest importance.
(AKS-29/11)
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Boy killed in bomb explosion in Manipur
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 Updated on : 29-11-2014 01:50 PM
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A 10-year boy was killed when a bomb allegedly planted by militants
exploded in interior Thoubal district of Manipur on Saturday, police
said.
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The boy was standing on a road while his mother was collecting hay
nearby when the bomb exploded killing the boy on the spot, the police
said.
The boy's mother heard the explosion and rushed to the spot to see the body of her son.
The
bomb was allegedly planted by the militants as security personnel
including Assam Rifles personnel cross the area very frequently, police
said.
No individual or group has claimed responsibility for the crime, they added.
(AKS-29/11)
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International
Pope, Patriarch demand end to IS attacks
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 Updated on : 30-11-2014 06:48 PM
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Pope
Francis and the spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians
demanded an end to the violent persecution of Christians in Syria and
Iraq on Sunday and called for dialogue with Muslims, capping Francis'
three-day visit to Turkey with a show of unity.
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Francis
and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I issued a joint declaration
urging leaders in the region to intensify help to victims of the Islamic
State group, and especially to allow Christians who have had a presence
in the region for 2,000 years to remain on their native lands.
"The terrible situation of Christians and all those who are suffering in
the Middle East calls not only for our constant prayer but also for an
appropriate response on the part of the international community," they
wrote.
The statement was issued at the end of Francis' first trip to Turkey
during which he prayed in one of Istanbul's most important mosques.
He was also set to meet with a few of the 1.6 million refugees who have
crossed into Turkey to flee the IS assault in neighbouring Syria and
Iraq.
Francis, who represents the 1.2 billion-strong Catholic Church, and
Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of the world's 300 million Orthodox
Christians, called for "constructive dialogue" with Islam "based on
mutual respect and friendship."
"Inspired by common values and strengthened by genuine fraternal
sentiments, Muslims and Christians are called to work together for the
sake of justice, peace and respect for the dignity and rights of every
person, especially in those regions where they once lived for centuries
in peaceful coexistence and now tragically suffer together the horrors
of war," they said.
Later today, Francis was to meet with a few dozen young refugees who are being educated by the Salesian religious order.
The Vatican had downplayed the meeting, perhaps because of
organisational glitches or to not distract from Francis' ecumenical
activities which were the main reason for the visit.
But just before the trip began, the Vatican revealed that he would indeed deliver a speech to the youths.
Francis kicked off his final day in Turkey with a liturgy alongside
Bartholomew in the Orthodox Church of St George, where incense mingled
with hypnotic chants on an important feast day for the Orthodox Church.
The Catholic and Orthodox churches split in 1054 over differences on the
primacy of the papacy, and there was a time when patriarchs had to kiss
popes' feet.
At the end of a joint prayer service yesterday evening, Francis bowed to
Bartholomew and asked for his blessing "for me and the Church of Rome,"
a remarkable display of papal deference to an Orthodox patriarch that
underscored Francis' hope to end the schism.
(ST-30/11)
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Bussiness
Petrol price cut by 91 paise a litre, diesel by 84 paise
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 Updated on : 01-12-2014 10:33 AM
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Petrol
price cut by 91 paise a litre, diesel by 84 paise a litre, amid sliding
global oil prices, with effect from midnight tonight.
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The revised prices will take effect from the midnight of November 30 and December 1.
This is the seventh reduction in the price of petrol since August and
the third in that of diesel since its decontrol in October.
The government had on November 13 hiked excise duty on petrol and diesel by Rs 1.50 per litre.
Petrol price was last cut by Rs 2.41 a litre on November 1, while that of diesel was slashed by Rs 2.25 per litre.
Diesel price was for the first time in more than five years slashed on
October 19, by Rs 3.37 a litre, when the government decided to
deregulated the fuel.
Prior to the October 19 reduction, diesel rates were last cut in January 2009.
(ST-30/11)
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Happy to end season on a high: Sindhu
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 Updated on : 30-11-2014 09:38 PM
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After
successfully defending her title at the Macau Open, India's teen
sensation P V Sindhu on Sunday said she was happy to win her first title
of the year and end the season on a high.
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Two-time
World Championship bronze medallist, Sindhu outplayed Kim Hyo Min of
Korea 21-12 21-17 in the summit clash that lasted 45 minutes at the Tap
Seac Multisport Pavilion.
"It was a good win. She played really well. I knew it won't be easy.
She had beaten some good players coming into the finals. The scoreline
might say it was a straight game win but it was tough. I am happy I
could play my game and I am happy with my performance," Sindhu told the
news agency.
"It has been a good year for me. I beat some very good players and won
some important medals in big events such as World Championship and Asian
Games. I will look to work harder and do better next year," she said.
Talking about the losses this year, Sindhu said, "There are some defeats
which will always bother you as a player like the loss at Commonwealth
Games and Asian Games. At Glasgow, gold medal was for the taking but I
could not do it".
"Also at Asian Games, I could have won but I guess that is part and
parcel of the game. Good thing is that I did well at the World
Championship after Glasgow," she added.
Chief National coach Pullela Gopichand also heaped praise on Sindhu for
defending her women's singles title at Macau Open and said it was her
consistency which helped her to do well this season.
"It is a good win for Sindhu. She played really well. I think she has
been very consistent throughout the year. She beat some good players
such as Michelle Li and Busanan (Ongbumrungpan) getting into the finals.
The Korean also beat Sun Yu to get into final. More importantly what
she showed on court was good. She was sharp," said Gopichand.
"We have seen her play in Korea. She played in the Asian Games. She had
beaten P C Thulasi. We knew she is good. She had beaten some good
players like (Nichaon) Jindapon. It was a tough match and a good quality
match. Both the players played brilliantly," he said.
(ST-30/11)
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Free Jharkhand from instability: Modi appeals to people
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 Updated on : 25-11-2014 03:30 PM
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Prime
Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday asked the voters of Jharkhand to
enable BJP secure a majority in the Assembly elections for political
stability.
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Modi told an election meeting at Chiabasa that Jharkhand is blessed with
abundant mineral and natural resources, yet the people are poor because
of political instability.
Modi asked the voters not to give a fractured mandate as people know the
difficulties of coalition politics and promised that the party would
utilise the state's resources for developing the state.
"Have faith in Chaiwala (tea seller) and give majority to BJP (to form a
government)," he said promising to develop the state like the BJP-ruled
states of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhatisgarh.
He claimed that if tribals loved any party it was the BJP as they prospered in BJP-ruled states.
Appealing to the voters of 14 assembly segments of Kolhan Division with
all the party candidates being present, the Prime Minister said, "I do
not talk big like the previous government (at the Centre), but I do
small things for the benefit of the poor and the downtrodden."
Thirteen out of 14 seats in Kolhan are going for second phase polling in the state on 2nd December.
Modi also asked the people to vote out the politics of dynasty and
nepotism and usher in development for Jharkhand, which he said had the
potential to become a number one state in the country.
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i. Hasmukh Adhia was
appointed as the Union Financial Services Secretary (FSS) on 3 November 2014.
He is the 1981-batch IAS officer of Gujarat-cadre. 
i. Senior IRS
officer Anita Kapur is tipped to be the new chairperson of Central
Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), the apex authority of the Income Tax department.
iii. Now Bangalore will be called Bengaluru, Mangalore (Mangaluru),
Mysore (Mysuru), Bellary (Ballari), Belgaum (Belagavi), Hubli
(Hubballi), Tumkur (Tumakuru), Bijapur (Vijayapura), Chikmagalur
(Chikkamagaluru), Gulbarga (Kalaburagi), Hospet (Hosapete) and Shimoga
(Shivamogga).
i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi today dedicated birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel as National Unity Day.
