The website (www.rtionline.maharashtra.gov.in) received 40 applications on the first day, officials said.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had recently said such a facility would be started from 1st January.
Rajesh Aggarwal, principal secretary, IT, said the government will
ensure that nodal officers of various departments dispose of these
online applications in a time-bound manner.
The website, which has both English and Marathi versions, also allows
filing of first appeal if the information is denied, etc. It also
informs about status of the application.
Fee for the RTI application can be paid through internet banking or debit/credit cards.
"We have ensured that no department is left (from being connected to the
portal). Once an application is filed, the applicant will be given a
registration number through SMS and email," he said.
RTI activist and former information commissioner Shailesh Gandhi said he used the facility and found it satisfactory.
"I filed my first online application through the site today. The
application can be filed in about five minutes, sitting at home, by
anyone who has internet access. This is a very good initiative. It will
also save paper, and could lead to (further facility of) replies being
sent by email. I am sure cyber-cafes will soon offer this service to
customers by charging a small fee," Gandhi said.
(DD-1.1)
Dr. Jitendra Singh releases e-book depicting achievement of DoNER ministry
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 Updated on : 01-01-2015 05:59 PM
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Union Minister of state for Development of North East Region, Dr.
Jitendra Singh on Thursday released an e-book, which highlights and
depicts the achievement and further initiatives of the ministry for the
development of North eastern region.
|
Addressing media persons in New Delhi, the minister said that the
rich heritage of North Eastern region, if promoted properly, will take
the people of the region closer to the rest of the country.
(AKS-01/01)
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Palestinian statehood resolution fails at UNSC
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 Updated on : 01-01-2015 07:35 PM
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The UN Security Council has failed to adopt a Palestinian statehood
resolution that set a deadline for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from
Palestinian territories by 2017.
|
The long-anticipated draft tabled here last night drew the support
of eight countries - Argentina, Chad, Chile, China, France, Jordan,
Luxembourg, Russia - just one shy of the nine needed to pass a
resolution in the absence of a veto by any of the Council's five
permanent members.
The United States and Australia opposed the resolution while the United
Kingdom, Nigeria, South Korea, Rwanda and Lithuania abstained. The
resolution failed to receive the required majority among members, the
United States also opposed the text, a move that would have seen the
draft fail to pass.
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Tropical storm leaves 54 dead as it exits Philippines
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 Updated on : 01-01-2015 12:34 PM
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Tropical storm Jiangmi exited the Philippines on Thursday, leaving at
least 54 dead and 13 missing from floods and landslides as officials
said greater measures could have been taken to prepare for the deluge.
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The
storm's death toll was nearly triple that of the last major storm to
hit the country, Super Typhoon Hagupit, earlier this month.
That storm wreaked less havoc than expected thanks to timely precautionary measures.
Civil defence chief Alexander Pama admitted on Thursday that more frequent warnings could have been aired in broadcast media.
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Bird flu outbreak : Japan orders slaughter of 37,000 chickens
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 Updated on : 30-12-2014 04:21 PM
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Japan
on Tuesday ordered the slaughter of 37,000 chickens as officials
announced the third bird flu outbreak in less than a month and pledged
"all necessary measures" to contain the spread.
|
Some strains of avian influenza are fatal for chickens, and pose a
health threat to humans, who can fall sick after handling infected
poultry.
The H5N1 strain of bird flu has killed more than 400 people, mainly in southeast Asia, since first appearing in 2003.
Another strain of bird flu, H7N9, has claimed more than 170 lives since emerging in 2013.
New Year stampede kills 35 in Shanghai
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 Updated on : 01-01-2015 09:59 AM
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At least 35 people have been killed and 42 others injured in a stampede
during a New Year's Eve midnight countdown gathering in Shanghai's
waterfront tourist attraction.
|
The crowd rout occurred at about 11:35 PM (local time) when people
rushed to see a live show at a crowded place in the popular riverfront
Bund area.
|
Chinese President, Xi Jinping ordered an immediate probe into the incident and called for proper treatment to the injured.
“Such incidents during celebrations should be prevented” Jinping said in a message.
(MM – 01/01)
TRAI recommends 22% lower base price for 3G spectrum auction
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 Updated on : 01-01-2015 09:25 PM
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Telecom
regulator TRAI on Wednesday recommended a base price of Rs 2,720 crore
per Mhz for pan India 3G spectrum, about 22 percent lower than the
previous auction which would provide some relief to mobile operators.
|
Government in 2010 had auctioned 3G spectrum at pan-India reserve price of Rs 3,500 crore per megahertz.
Besides, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has
recommended that DoT should put additional 15 Mhz for auction, which has
to be obtained in exchange of spectrum that is with the Defence
services.
New drug combo therapy may treat malaria in children
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 Updated on : 31-12-2014 02:04 PM
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A new drug combination therapy may help treat malaria in children, a new study has found.
|
Artemisinin-naphthoquine drug-combo should be considered for the
treatment of children with uncomplicated malaria in settings where
multiple parasite species cause malaria, according to Tim Davis from
University of Western Australia.
Malaria is a mosquito-borne parasitic disease that kills approximately 600,000 people every year.
Several different parasite species cause malaria and in some settings,
such as Papua New Guinea, two species, Plasmodium falciparum and
Plasmodium vivax, are responsible for the majority of malaria
infections.
However, the two species respond differently to currently available anti-malarial drugs.
The study compared the current recommended therapy for uncomplicated
malaria in children in Papua New Guinea, artemether-lumefantrine, with a
different combination therapy, artemisinin-naphthoquine.
Researchers used a randomised, controlled trial study design including
186 children with Plasmodium falciparum infections and 47 children with
Plasmodium vivax infections.
They found that artemisinin-naphthoquine was non-inferior to (no worse
than) artemether-lumefantrine for treating Plasmodium falciparum but was
more effective for treating Plasmodium vivax.
"The efficacy, tolerability, and safety of three daily doses of
artemisinin-naphthoquine suggest that this regimen should be considered
together with other currently available effective (artemisinin
combination therapies) for treatment of uncomplicated malaria in (Papua
New Guinea) and similar epidemiologic settings with transmission of
multiple Plasmodium species," researchers said.
The research was published in the journal PLOS Medicine.
16 states ratify Judicial Appointments Commission Bill
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 Updated on : 02-01-2015 09:54 AM
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Sixteen
states have ratified a constitutional amendment bill which seeks to
scrap the collegium system of judges appointing judges, bringing the
government a step closer to put in place a new mechanism of appointments
in the higher judiciary.
|
Any Constitutional amendment bill requires ratification by at least 50 percent of the state legislatures.
Sources said the Law Ministry has been informed by 16 of the 29 states
that the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) bill has been
ratified.
The names of all the states which have ratified the bill was immediately not known.
The Rajya Sabha Secretariat which had earlier this year sent the bill to
the states for ratification is expected to receive authenticated copies
of their approval in the coming days.
Goa, Rajasthan, Tripura and Gujarat had last month ratified the bill.
Also, UP assembly had ratified the bill last month with an amendment
amid protests by BJP MLAs.
Once the ratifications have been formally received, the bill will be sent to the President for his assent.
Parliament had in August cleared the bill that will facilitate setting
up of a commission for appointment of judges, replacing the 20-year-old
collegium system, which has been under severe criticism.
The bill will make way for the setting up of National Judicial
Appointments Commission, which will appoint and transfer judges to the
Supreme Court and the 24 High Courts.
The bill will grant Constitutional status to the NJAC and its composition. Chief Justice of India will head the NJAC.
Besides the CJI, the judiciary would be represented by two senior judges of the Supreme Court.
Two eminent personalities and the Law Minister will be the other members of the proposed body.
(DD-28.12)
Hi Today is 5 January 2015 and on the dd news
Govt not to interfere in working of state-owned banks: PM
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 Updated on : 04-01-2015 02:57 PM
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Prime
Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday pledged not to interfere in the
functioning of public sector banks, but wanted the lenders to be
accountable failing which interventions in public interest could be
made.
|
At the concluding session of the two-day bankers' meet 'Gyan Sangam' in
Pune to chalk out banking reforms, Modi also called for ending "lazy
banking" and said banks must prioritise lending to employment-generating
sectors.
While Finance Minister Arun Jaitley called for bold reforms, Reserve
Bank Governor Raghuram Rajan emphasised on the need for cleaning up bad
debts and possible Non-Performing Assets (NPAs) in the system within a
year to bring the economy back on track.
Bankers on their part suggested that government ownership in PSBs should
be brought down below 51 percent over time as well as eliminate market
distortions like loan waivers and interest rate caps for agriculture
loans.
Briefing reporters about the deliberations, Financial Services Secretary
Hasmukh Adhia said Modi has promised that the PSBs will not ever get a
call from Prime Minister's Office (PMO) that may affect their working.
Calling upon the banking sector to establish banks which rank among the
top of the global league, Modi said banks need to be run professionally
and assured them that there would be no interference.
"But accountability is essential," he said, adding that the government
had no vested interest, and public sector banks can derive strength from
this fact.
Stating that India is a democracy, the Prime Minister said he is against
political interference, but supports political intervention in the
interest of the people.
He said, "Political intervention will enable the voice of the common man to reach such institution".
In his remarks at the conference, Jaitley assured bankers that
government was ready to protect their commercial decisions as risks have
to be taken by them.
The Finance Minister also said the government was willing to reconsider
the rules to help banks reduce the non-performing assets (NPAs), which
have become a major challenge for the banking industry.
"Government is open to bold decisions for professionalisation of the
management and autonomy in decision making, rewarding merit, and
relooking at the recruitment process at the top management level of
PSBs," Jaitley said on Saturday.
Rajan favoured channelizing full savings of the households into the
financial system so that requisite financial resources for growth could
be made available.
"In the short term (from 0 to 12 months) there is need to clean up the
NPAs and then restructure other stressed loans so as to put the economy
back on the track," Rajan said.
He also pitched that the bona fide mistakes made by the bankers while
taking commercial decisions should be protected by the government.
(DD-4.1)
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Govt takes serious note of 'mistreatment' of Indian labourers in Lanka
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|
 Updated on : 05-01-2015 08:29 AM
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The government has taken "serious note" of complaints against an Indian
company, involved in alleged mistreatment of 77 Indian labourers in Sri
Lanka, and directed its mission in Colombo to make immediate
arrangements for their return.
|
The government also is contemplating strict action against the erring company, according to government sources.
"External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who is also the Minister for
Overseas Indian Affairs, has taken serious note of the issue and has
spoken to Indian High Commissioner Yash Sinha in Colombo and directed
him to make immediate arrangements for their return," the sources said
on Sunday.
External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Syed
Akbaruddin said, "It is a labour-related issue. Our mission has already
taken up the matter with the company and we are working on a solution
and hopeful of a resolution by tomorrow."
He was replying to a question on whether the Indians were being held hostage in Sri Lanka.
Most of the workers involved in the dispute are reportedly from UP and Bihar.
They had also written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Swaraj, seeking their intervention to resolve the matter.
RBY@05/01
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Affordable housing scheme for EPFO subscribers in the works
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 Updated on : 05-01-2015 08:47 AM
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The Labour Ministry is preparing a mega housing scheme to offer
affordable houses to over 5 crore subscribers of retirement fund body
EPFO in the backdrop of the government's mission 'Housing for all by
2022'.
|
The Ministry intends to collaborate with PSU banks, housing finance
companies, state-owned construction firms like NBCC and authorities like
DDA, PUDA, HUDA to build houses at a price to be fixed by the
government.
"Labour Ministry is preparing a scheme under which
affordable houses will be provided to the Employees' Provident Fund
Organisation (EPFO) subscribers, particularly those who are in the low
income bracket," a source in the ministry said.
|
EC to create national level electoral roll
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 Updated on : 04-01-2015 09:30 PM
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The
Election Commission will create a national level electoral roll to
provide a one-stop centre to voters for new registrations, modifications
and deletions in the electoral roll.
|
The
Election Commission issued a directive to the Chief Electoral Office on
Friday that National Level Electoral Roll is to be created, completed
and stored as a National Data Centre and used for providing various
services to the electors.
The services offered to voters will include providing facilities for
searching name, knowing the concerned Block Level Officer, constituency
name and number, and other voter information.
(ST-04/01)
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Make in India concept to change people's mindset: Sitharaman
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 Updated on : 04-01-2015 05:46 PM
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|
Prime
Minister Narendra Modi's 'Make in India' campaign was aimed at changing
the mindset of the people to tap their entrepreneurial potential,
Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said.
|
"The
campaign will be successful only if there is effective co-ordination
between the Centre and state governments," she said delivering a speech
on 'Commerce policy for the future of India' at a programme organised by
the Mangaluru Initiative for Nationalist Dialogue (MIND) at Sangha
Niketan in Mangaluru on Saturday evening.
She said that state governments and the corporate sector were important stake holders in improving the country's growth rate.
The revamp of the Planning Commission and formation of 'NITI Ayog' was being criticised without studying facts, she added.
"With the new set of changes, the state governments no longer need to
have a begging attitude and instead take independent steps for
development," she said.
Sitharaman said the Centre would take more effective steps to end the 'licence raj.'
The government would encourage small and medium enterprises and boost productivity in agriculture sector, she said.
(ST-04/01)
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President greets Myanmar on its Independence Day
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 Updated on : 04-01-2015 01:38 PM
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President
Pranab Mukherjee has extended India's good wishes to Myanmar on its
Independence Day, as he called relations between the two neighbours as
enduring in various fields.
|
Myanmar is celebrating its Independence Day on Sunday. 4 January 2014
In his message to the President of Myanmar U Thein Sein, Mukherjee said,
"India and Myanmar share enduring ties of culture, religion, language
and ethnicity that have served as a bedrock of our close and friendly
relations. Our joint efforts, in the last few years, have led to
substantial broadening and deepening of our bilateral relations. We look
forward to continue working with you and your government to further
strengthen our multifaceted cooperation."
"On behalf of the government and the people of India and on my own
behalf, I extend to you warm greetings and felicitations on the occasion
of the Independence day of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar".
"Please accept, Excellency, my best wishes for your personal well-being
as well as for the happiness and continued prosperity of the friendly
people of Myanmar," the President said.
(ST-03/01)
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Delhi will have country's first smart city: Naidu
|
|
 Updated on : 04-01-2015 01:11 PM
|
|
Delhi
will be developed into a "global city" and the country's first 'smart
city' will be set up to decongest the national capital and facilitate it
with all modern amenities, Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah
Naidu said.
|
Delhi will be developed into a "global city" and the country's first
'smart city' will be set up here to decongest the national capital and
facilitate it with all modern amenities, Union Urban Development
Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said in New Delhi on Saturday.
"We want to make Delhi a truly global city, having all latest and modern
amenities and facilities that any other global city like London or San
Francisco. We want to have world-class entertainment venues like
Disneyland or Universal Studios here," Naidu said.
"Delhi is the heart of India and the first smart city would come up
here. The city of Barcelona in Spain has also promised technological
support to us in our effort in this direction," he said.
The Minister was speaking at a function organised by DDA at its
headquarters in New Delhi to officially kick-start the allotment process
of its 'Housing Scheme 2014'.
Naidu handed over allotment letters to the first few successful
applicants. Talking about the 'smart city' initiative further, he said
the focus would be to build global educational and health institutes and
entertainment facilities.
DDA's Vice-Chairman Balvinder Kumar in a media briefing on Friday had outlined the plans for the 'smart city' in the capital.
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Make in India concept to change people's mindset: Sitharaman
|
|
 Updated on : 04-01-2015 02:54 PM
|
|
PM
Narendra Modi's 'Make in India' campaign was aimed at changing the
mindset of the people to tap their entrepreneurial potential, Commerce
and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said.
|
"The campaign will be successful only if there is effective
co-ordination between the Centre and state governments," she said
delivering a speech on 'Commerce policy for the future of India' at a
programme organised by the Mangaluru Initiative for Nationalist Dialogue
(MIND) at Sangha Niketan in Mangaluru on Saturday.
She said that state governments and the corporate sector were important stake holders in improving the country's growth rate.
The revamp of the Planning Commission and formation of 'NITI Ayog' was being criticised without studying facts, she added.
"With the new set of changes, the state governments no longer need to
have a begging attitude and instead take independent steps for
development," she said.
|
No need to panic, monitoring the situation: Nadda on swine flu
|
|
 Updated on : 02-01-2015 09:34 PM
|
|
Union
Health Minister J P Nadda on Friday sought to allay the apprehension
about the swine flu, saying there was no need to panic, even as two
fresh cases of the disease were reported in the national capital.
|
"I am regularly monitoring this subject, and from time to time talking
to the Health Secretary and have also reviewed our preparedness. "Our
hospitals and doctors are ready to deal with the situation. At the same
time, I would like to say that there is no need to panic," Nadda said.
Two women, aged 35 and 53, residents of C R Park and Chattarpur, have
tested positive for H1N1 (swine flu) virus, according to the officials
from the health department of Delhi government today.
"The 35-year-old woman is admitted to a private hospital in Kalkaji
while the 53-year-old is admitted to Fortis in Vasant Kunj," said Charan
Singh, Additional Director (Public Health).
One case of swine flu was reported yesterday also. Delhi Health
Secretary SCL Das also reviewed situation today and held a stock taking
meeting with all the designated hospitals.
"This year the incidence is mild and the form is non virulent. In 2013,
there were 1511 H1N1 cases and 16 deaths. All 22 designated hospitals to
treat swine flu patients are fully prepared and the Directorate of
Health Services has reviewed the stock of Tamiflu capsules (for adults)
and syrups (for children) and found them to be enough," Das said.
"Standard protocols are available with all hospitals and daily monitoring is being done," Das added.
@BJ-02.01
Arvind Panagariya appointed Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog
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|
 Updated on : 06-01-2015 09:23 AM
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appointed noted economist Arvind
Pangadiya, as the Vice Chairman of the newly constituted NITI AAYOG.
|
With Prime Minister as its head, the panel has replaced the Planning Commission.
Economist Bibek Debroy and Former Secretary Defence R&D V.K.
Saraswat have been named as the full time members of the Aayog.
Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley, Suresh Prabhu and Radha Mohan Singh have been named Ex-officio members.
Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari, Thawar Chand Gehlot and Smriti Irani are the special invitees.
NITI AAYOG will have all the chief ministers as its members.
(AKS-05/01)
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PM launches National Programme for street lighting & LED home lighting
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|
 Updated on : 05-01-2015 07:28 PM
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|
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday launched a National Programme for
street lighting and LED home lighting so as to reduce energy
consumption.
|
Prime Minister Modi also launched online pre-registration to avail LED bulbs for households in the national capital.
Prime Minister said the programme should be taken forward by making it a mass movement.
Stressing on the need for energy conservation the prime minister said saving electricity is more economical than producing it.
He also called for spreading awareness among people regarding this. The
Prime Minister added that there will be no compromise with the quality.
(AKS-05/01)
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BJP ready to talk with PDP for govt formation in J&K
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|
 Updated on : 05-01-2015 07:21 PM
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The BJP has decided to go ahead with talks with the PDP for government formation in Jammu and Kashmir.
|
The party on Monday discussed the political situation in the state
and the future course of action as state leaders including party General
Secretary Ram Madhav met BJP president Amit Shah.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh, state leaders Nirmal Singh and Jugal Kishore Sharma were also present in the meeting.
Jammu & Kashmir BJP unit had already authorised Amit Shah to take a final decision on the issue.
Uncertainty continues over government formation in the state as no party
or parties have been able to come up with a concrete plan to form a
government.
BJP and PDP have been holding informal talks but nothing official has been out so far.
PDP is the single largest party in the state assembly with 28 MLAs while BJP holds the second place with 25 legislators.
(AKS-05/01)
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Oil market collapses under USD 50
|
|
 Updated on : 06-01-2015 09:05 AM
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|
Global
oil prices on Tuesday collapsed under USD 50 for the first time in more
than five years on the strong dollar, plunging equities, demand worries
and plentiful crude supplies.
|
The
renewed slump came as the Dow index stood down more than 200 points and
European equity markets lost more than two percent on fears of a Greek
exit, or so-called Grexit, from the eurozone.
At about 1630 GMT,
US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for February delivery tumbled to
USD 49.95 per barrel, touching the lowest level since May 1, 2009.
London's Brent North Sea crude for February dropped to a similar nadir at USD 52.66 a barrel.
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CBI files case against Ram Rahim on charges of forced castration
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 Updated on : 05-01-2015 09:55 PM
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CBI has registered an FIR against Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram
Rahim Singh on charges of forced castration of followers at his ashram
at Sirsa in Haryana.
|
CBI registered the case on the directive of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
Earlier, the court had asked the CBI to investigate the allegations,
after a former Dera follower, Hansraj Chauhan filed a petition alleging
in this regard.
The medical examination of Hansraj Chauhan established that he had indeed been castrated.
(AKS-05/01)
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New Jersey to host international conference on Hindi in April
|
|
 Updated on : 05-01-2015 09:05 AM
|
|
The International Hindi Conference with the theme of "Expanding World of
Hindi: Possibilities and Challenges," would be held in New Jersey in
April.
|
To be attended by Hindi scholars from various parts of the world, in
particular from the US and India between April 3-5, participants of the
International Hindi Conference would discuss the current status of the
teaching and learning of Hindi among other things.
The
participants are also expected to discuss individual and organisational
partnerships and leadership and field capacity building and
infrastructure building skills and topics, such as material selection
and development funding, professional development of teachers, and
volunteer management, said Ashok Ojha, coordinator of the conference
said in a statement.
"We will hold sessions on topics such
as,'Hindi in higher education,' 'Expanding the use of Hindi in
businesses and commerce,' 'Community support for Hindi,' 'Current status
of the teaching and learning of Hindi' etc," he said.
Ojha
said the theme of the conference reflects the growing urgency for
coordinated efforts by the language education (public and private),
government and business communities to expand and develop the quality of
the Hindi field inside and outside of India.
This conference
will provide a forum for community members and leaders, language
experts, policy makers, education administrators, advocates and other
stakeholders from different parts of the US, Canada, South America and
Caribbean countries, such as, Trinidad and Tobago along with experts
from India to get together and share their views and research, examine a
wide spectrum of opportunities, make plans for the future, identify
challenges and find solutions for the advancement of the Hindi language
in North America and the Caribbean region, he added.
RBY@05/01
PM releases coin in honour of Jamsetji Tata
|
|
 Updated on : 07-01-2015 07:44 PM
|
|
Prime
Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday released a commemorative coin in
honour of Jamsetji Tata, popularly known as father of modern Indian
industry, on his 175th birth anniversary here.
|
Paying
tributes to Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata, Modi said "those who create
history, without seeking or holding power, are truly great".
He also praised Jamsetji for his vision of environment friendly
energy and initiatives for welfare of the people associated with the
Tata Group.
The culture of businessmen donating massive amounts in charity
was new to the Western world, but Jamsetji Tata had done the same long
ago, the Prime Minister added.
Jamsetji is the first industrialist felicitated by the Indian
government in such a manner. He founded Tata Group, India's largest
business conglomerate.
He was born on March 3, 1839 in Navsari, a small town in south
Gujarat. Jamsetji Tata founded the Tata group in 1868. He worked for
building India that would be an industrial power. The translation of his
vision led to creation of India's first integrated steel plant (Tata
Steel's Jamshedpur plant 1907), hydroelectric power plants that service
Mumbai's needs till today (Tata Power's Khopoli plant 1910), and the
Indian Institute of Science (1909).
|
Kailash Satyarthi dedicates Nobel medal to the nation
|
|
 Updated on : 07-01-2015 07:00 PM
|
|
Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi has dedicated his Nobel Peace prize to
the nation by presenting his medallion to President Pranab Mukherjee.
|
Satyarthi called on President Pranab Mukherjee at the Rashtrapati Bhavan and handed over the medal.
He had earlier expressed his desire to offer the medal to the country and not keep it with him.
The child rights activist had received the laurel alongwith Pakistani Malala Yousafzai on December 10 in Oslo.
Satyarthi's NGO Bachpan Bachao Andolan prides itself on liberating over
80,000 children from bonded labour in factories and workshops across
India.
(AKS-07/01)
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Come, connect, contribute towards India’s transformation: Sushma Swaraj tells Global Indians
|
|
 Updated on : 07-01-2015 10:00 PM
|
|
The
inaugural session of the Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas kicked off at
Mahatma Mandir in Gujarat's Gandhinagar with an appeal to the youth
among the Indian diaspora by External Affairs and Overseas Indian
Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.
|
She reached out to them asking them to connect with India, celebrate
their bond with India, contribute to India's development and be part of
India's transformation cutting across sectors.
Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Sarbananda Sonowal called
upon the young global Indians to preserve Indian values and spread
India's rich traditions in the world.
When Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2015 kicks off on Thursday the focus would
widen from the young people in the diaspora to the immense contributions
made by the India's best representative of the Pravasi Bharatiya
Mahatma Gandhi to India's freedom struggle.
This year's Pravasi Bharatiya Divas marks the centenary year of his
return to India from South Africa which proved to be a turning point in
Indian political history since it changed the lives of Indians forever.
That's the reason behind Gujarat being chosen as the partner state for the event.
During the event, Chief Ministers will showcase investment opportunities
in their states and seek to address concerns of the Indian diaspora
residing in the Gulf, French Speaking Countries and PIO countries.
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2015 to be inaugurated by the Prime Minister on
Thursday will be graced by the President of Guyana Donald Ramotar as the
chief guest and by the Foreign Minister of South Africa, Maite
Nikoana-Mashabane as the guest of honour.
The event is celebrated every year to mark the contribution of the overseas Indian community in the development of India.
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Health Minister reviews preparedness against Japanese encephalitis
|
|
 Updated on : 07-01-2015 06:54 PM
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Union Health Minister J P Nadda on Wednesday reviewed the preparedness
of five states of Assam, Bihar, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil
Nadu to manage the cases of Japanese encephalitis.
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The minister assured the states of all technical and financial assistance in combating the disease.
(AKS-07/01)
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BBAU aiming to be first univ to go paperless
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 Updated on : 06-01-2015 11:06 AM
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Switching
most of its work and database to the online format , Babasaheb Bhimrao
Ambedkar University (BBAU) is endeavoring to become the country’s first
university to go paperless.
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R
C Sobti, the central university's Vice Chancellor was quoted saying,
"We are going to be the first university in the country to go paperless.
We are switching over to online work for most of the administrative and
academic purposes."
He said the work in this direction has been initiated and it would be completed within two years.
The university has initiated work towards the objective and is slated to achieve it in another two years.
Per Sobti, this would reduce the hassles students face in getting migration and provisional certificates.
The mark sheets would be made available online too.
Also to fall under the online purview would be biometric attendance and
administrative work, bringing down the use of paper in academic purposes
by almost 50 per cent.
The VC added that the university has started the project with its own resources, although UGC will be helping it along the way.
"Smart classrooms are being developed and the medium of lectures would
be e-content and audio-visual teaching. Also, Wi-Fi facility would be
provided on the campus," Sobti said.
The new system has an added feature of sending the students’ details to the respective parents on a monthly basis.
This also aims to revolutionize grievance- redressal, since there would
be a portal where the aggrieved students would be given appointment with
the concerned official or teacher through e-mail.
(SB 6.1)
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Centre to hold consultations with states on new education policy
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 Updated on : 08-01-2015 09:33 PM
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The
HRD ministry will hold consultations with states next month as part of
steps to frame a new national education policy which will also take into
consideration the views of stakeholders like students and parents.
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HRD Minister Smriti Irani stated this in New Delhi on Tuesday while
addressing a conference of state education ministers which was called
to deliberate on the 'choice-based credit transfer system' and 'credit
framework for skills' with the thrust that states should implement these
programmes from the coming academic session.
"I appeal to the states to implement these two systems from the coming
academic session. I also appeal the states to hold discussions with the
vice chancellors and principles and also appeal to UGC to provide
guidance to the VCs," she said.
The 'choice-based credit transfer' system will enable students to opt
for courses of their choice, learn at their own pace, undergo additional
courses and acquire more than the required credits and adopt an
interdisciplinary approach to learning.
Adoption of the grading system will facilitate seamless mobility of
students across the institutions of learning in the country. The 'credit
framework for skills', on the other hand, allows multiple pathways
between vocational education, skills, education and job markets.
Referring to the new national education policy, Irani said a workshop
will be held with state education ministers next month in this regard.
Views from a cross-section of the society including parents and their
wards, hitherto not included in drafting education policy, will also be
taken, the Minister said.
"...those who are affected -- students and families -- are
never consulted. In the coming months we will go to the states to listen
to them. States should help us to hold deliberations right from the
village educational council to the block and state level. We will hold a
workshop in February with the education ministers in this regard," she
told reporters later.
@BJ-06.01
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S. Korean activists launch anti-N. Korea leaflets
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 Updated on : 06-01-2015 12:28 PM
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Launching
balloons that carried condemnation- bearing leaflets condemning
Pyongyang across the border yesterday, South Korean activists
demonstrated their disapproval of North Korea yet again.
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The act has the potential of impeding recent and fresh attempts to establish peace between the two rival nations.
Ironically, this comes just days after the North's leader Kim Jong-Un’s
statement about being open to the "highest-level" talks with Seoul.
Lee Min-Bok, a North Korean defector and now the head of the Campaign
for Helping North Koreans, was quoted telling AFP, "We launched some
300,000 leaflets last night."
Even in October last year, balloons launched by Lee had sparked an
outrage in the North, which had retaliated with gunfire, sparking an
intense round of gunfire across the two nations’ borders.
Pyongyang has been known to refer to the activists as "human scum" and
has long been asking for the leaflet launches to be banned.
Kim also made it a point to include a message to the South in his New
Year’s address, asking that the South stop criticizing his regime.
However, a South Korean Unification Ministry official today
unequivocally iterated the South's stance against any such blanket ban,
for lack of any legal reason.
"If we depart from the basic principle concerning the leaflet launches
merely to resume dialogue, it would be undesirable for the development
of normal South-North relations in the long term,” the Yonhap news
agency quoted the official as saying.
Although during times of unusually high frontier tensions, South Korea
has been used to asking their activists to exercise restraint and
calculated discretion, often deploying the police to ascertain there are
no leaflet launches.
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Hi today is 12 Jan 2014
and on the DD news
World leaders lead millions in March of Unity against the brutal killing of journalists in Paris
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 Updated on : 12-01-2015 09:29 AM
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Millions
marched against terrorism in the largest protests France has ever seen,
led by world leaders in Paris uniting in tribute to the victims of
Islamist attacks as the crowd cried "Not Afraid".
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The interior ministry said nearly four million people took to the
streets across the country yesterday, with some estimates putting the
number in Paris alone at 1.6 million.
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United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon Ban, who is on a four-day
visit to India, today visited the Sabarmati Ashram of Mahatma Gandhi in
Ahmedabad.
On this occasion, the UN Chief said that the growing radicalism,
fundamentalism and extremism demand a re-emphasis of Mahatma Gandhi's
ideas.
(AKS-11/01)
Vibrant Gujarat Summit 2015: PM Narendra Modi expressed India’s desire to work with global leadership
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 Updated on : 12-01-2015 09:44 AM
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PM
Narendra Modi inaugurated the three-day Vibrant Gujarat Summit in
Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar on Sunday in the presence of large
conglomerates and leaders from India and abroad, a few of whom announced
huge investment and job creation plans.
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He
began his speech by expressing his solidarity with the people of France
where a satirical paper Charlie Hebdo was attacked by Islamist gunmen.
In his speech he called summit as not just a meeting of ideas, but also
of aspirations and expressed concern over fluctuation in global economy.
He also said that various countries are coming forward to work with
India and India also wants to work with global leadership on issues
ranging from poverty to ecology.
Speaking about his government, Modi said that his government is working
towards implementation of single window clearance system and are
committed to creating a policy environment that is predictable,
transparent and fair.
“In short span of 7 months we have been able to change the atmosphere of
despair and uncertainty; we are working to revive the economy.”
“We are backing our commitments with concrete action. I announced
financial inclusion & in 4 months we have opened 100 million
accounts. I announced modern railways, & immediately we opened up
100% FDI in railway investment to lead this surge”, said PM Modi.
IMF has said India will be 2nd fastest economy in coming years, added PM Modi.
"You will find us standing with you in your journey. If you will take
one step, we will walk two steps with you. Realise that India is
changing fast", says PM Modi while concluding his speech.
(ST-12/01)
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Kerry discusses Indo-US ties, economic growth with Modi
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 Updated on : 11-01-2015 07:42 PM
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Days
ahead of US President Barack Obama's India visit, Secretary of State
John Kerry on Sunday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discussed
"ties between the world's oldest and largest democracies" with regard to
economic growth and climate issues, among others.
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Kerry,
who attended the Vibrant Gujarat Summit here and lauded Modi for his
'Make in India' and other initiatives, later tweeted that he held a
"good" meeting with the Indian Prime Minister regarding ties between the
US and India, their economic growth and the upcoming visit of the US
President.
Obama will be the first US President to be the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations on January 26.
Kerry said he also went for a "moving visit to Gandhi Ashram" earlier in
the day and participated in a discussion with "dynamic Indian women"
regarding furthering economic opportunity and empowerment.
He was accompanied by Nisha Biswal, the Assistant Secretary of State for
South and Central Asia, among other senior US officials.
Biswal, who hails from Ahmedabad, also tweeted that it was "wonderful to
be back in Ahmedabad, where I lived as a child, with my boss John
Kerry".
"Welcome Nisha Biswal back to her childhood home!" Kerry said.
Kerry said his visit is focused on US-India economic growth and investment.
Obama would be the first US President to be the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations on January 26.
Obama, who had visited India in 2010, would also be the first US President to visit the country twice while in office.
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Federer claims 1,000 th win with Brisbane crown
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 Updated on : 11-01-2015 08:25 PM
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Roger
Federer brought up his 1,000th victory at tour level in style Sunday
when he beat Canadian Milos Raonic in three tough sets to win the
Brisbane International.
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Federer
was forced to absorb some superb shotmaking and blistering serves from
the 24-year-old before winning 6-4, 6-7 (2/7), 6-4 in two hours and 13
minutes at the Pat Rafter Arena.
Federer's glittering career now includes 83 singles titles, including 17
Grand Slams, since his first victory over Frenchman Guillaume Raoux in
Toulouse in 1998.
The 33-year-old is third on the all-time list for matches won, behind Jimmy Connors (1,253) and Ivan Lendl (1,071).
"To get to 1,000 wins in front of you two greats means a lot to me," Federer said, describing it as a "special day".
"I'll never forget this moment," he added as he was presented with his
Brisbane International trophy by Roy Emerson, as well as a special award
for his 1,000th win by Rod Laver.
"It feels very different to any other match I've ever won, because I never thought about anything reaching 500 or 800".
"All those numbers didn't mean anything to me, but for some reason 1,000
means a lot because it's such a huge number. Just alone to count to
1,000 is going to take a while."
Federer's big win was not a foregone conclusion. Raonic played so well
that for long periods during the second and third sets it looked like
the milestone would have to wait until next week's Australian Open.
But serving at 4-5 in the third set the Canadian faltered, giving
Federer championship point with a double fault, before a forehand into
the net ended the contest.
Federer said the nature of the match made the 1,000th win even sweeter.
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Ronaldo trounces Messi to the Ballon d'Or
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 Updated on : 13-01-2015 11:25 AM
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Surpassing
his biggest contemporary rival Barcelona's Argentine ace footballer
Lionel Messi, Portugal and Real Madrid star footballer Cristiano Ronaldo
lifted his third FIFA world footballer of the year award in Zurich, the
wildly popular Ballon d'Or award in football.
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The 29-year-old footballing great had played a pivotal role in leading
Real Madrid to a 10th Champions League trophy, their first in 12 years.
This is the second consecutive year that Ronaldo has trumped four-time winner Messi to the Ballon d'Or.
In this won- by- vote award, Germany's World Cup winning goalkeeper Manuel Neuer finished third.
The award was given away at an elaborate FIFA awards ceremony here where
Ronaldo’s Real Madrid teammate James Rodriguez also won the goal of
the year award and Germany's Joachim Loew was declared coach of the
year.
An ecstatic Ronaldo was quoted saying, "I never thought I would win this trophy on three occasions."
Ronaldo had won the award first while at Manchester United in 2008.
The striker added, "I want to be one of the greatest players of all time and of course this requires a lot of effort."
Also present at the occasion were Ronaldo’s son and mother, who teared
up as he said, "I would like to thank my mother, to my father, who is in
heaven and who is looking down on me, to my family. It has been an
unforgettable year and to win a trophy of this importance is
unimaginable."
The star awardee also tweeted, "2014 was full of incredible moments. Thank you all!"
Earlier in 2014, while brilliantly leading Real Madrid to their 10th
European Champions League crown, Ronaldo had beaten Messi's record of 15
Champions League goals in a single season with 17 in just 11
appearances.
Contributing to Ronaldo’s win were 37.66% of the votes coming from 181
of the national team coaches, 182 of the national team captains, and 181
of the media representatives who voted.
Messi was second with 15.76% and Neuer, third with 15.72%.
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Ban asks India to take lead in reaching Paris climate pact
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 Updated on : 13-01-2015 03:04 PM
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UN
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday asked India to take a
leadership role in reaching a meaningful climate change pact in Paris
later this year.
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The UN climate conference to be held in Paris from 30th November to 11th
December of this year, is tasked with finalising a global agreement
designed to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
"I count on the leadership of India in our ongoing efforts to address
the climate change issues. ... I expect as one of the most critically
important member state of the United Nations (UN) and as one of the
fastest growing economy, India should be responsible to address climate
change so that they will soon have universal and meaningful climate
change agreement in Paris in December," Ban told reporters in New Delhi
on Tuesday.
Stating that this is a novel and political responsibility, he said,
"Nature does not wait for us. Nature does not negotiate with us. It is
us 'human beings' who have to take the lead to ensure sustainable
development. ...Climate change is a defining issue of our time."
Ban, who visited India's highest green rated building 'Indira Paryavaran
Bhawan', also said that he was "encouraged by the strong commitment of
Indian government under the leadership of Prime Minister (Narendra)
Modi".
Lauding India's initiative taken to promote solar power and setting up
of smart cities, he said, "I saw myself at 'Vibrant Gujarat Summit'.... I
hope many countries in the world will emulate such initiatives of
India."
While praising the top UN official for his passion to work in mission
mode to mitigate the challenges posed by climate change, Environment
Minister Prakash Javadekar shared information about energy and water
conservation at the green building.
"From this building, we give green message. In this building, we consume
half the requirement of water and energy of the normal building would
have consumed," he added.
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US, India to discuss progress on defence, nuke cooperation
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 Updated on : 13-01-2015 02:29 PM
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The
US and India will try to make progress in defence and civil nuclear
cooperation when President Barack Obama visits Delhi this month end,
Secretary of State John Kerry said on Monday.
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He also said that they expected India to sign a landmark climate change
agreement in Paris at the end of this year and this would be part of the
discussions Obama will have with Prime Minister Modi.
Obama will be in India as chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations
this year. He will also have discussions with Modi on bilateral and
other issues.
"We will try to make progress on issues like defence agreements, civil
nuclear agreement as well as economic progress," Kerry told reporters in
Gandhinagar on Monday giving the outline of the discussion with Modi.
"We are also working together to strengthen maritime security. We are
strengthening our partnership to combat terrorism, piracy and
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. We are committed to
regional dialogue on key political and security issues," he said.
After the landmark nuclear deal between the two countries in 2008,
cooperation in the sector has been stalled over the tough provisions in
the Civil Nuclear Liability Act that have come as a dampener for foreign
operators.
Speaking about his Sunday’s meeting with Modi, Kerry said, "I had
productive discussion with Prime Minister Narendra Modi when president
Obama is coming here next month. Obama is honoured to be invited as a
chief guest at the Republic Day parade and is going to be the first
sitting president to be on a visit to India for the second time".
Kerry, who is in Gandhinagar to take part in the seventh edition of the
Vibrant Gujarat summit, his second visit to India after Modi took over
as prime minister, also said that he is impressed by the event.
"We expect to sign a landmark climate change agreement with India in
Paris at the end of this year. And I know that this topic would be part
of President Obama's discussion with the prime minister during his
upcoming visit," he said.
Kerry said the fact this is the second visit of the President after
Modi's visit to Washington displays the value both countries place to
the criticality of the relationship.
"During my meeting with Prime Minister Modi we reviewed the progress of
our economic relationship and discussed steps on how to take it to the
next level," Kerry said.
"I have seen ups and downs of the relationship (between India and US) in
the last 30 years," he said, adding, "We have heard about talks of
promise of this relationship, but now it is being totally implemented."
"Four top ranking visits by US ministers...I am back here and President
Obama is going to come on the second visit (to India) represents the
fact that we are all invested in this relationship as we recognise that
what this moment offers to us but also what it demands of us," Kerry
said.
"I am convinced that India and US will create healthier, more secure and
prosperous environment not just for us but surely our policies will
have impact on the world," he said.
In a reply to a question on the change after Modi took over as Prime
Minister and opportunities it provide for Indo-US economic relationship,
Kerry said, "I am impressed by what I have seen here at Vibrant Gujarat
Summit. Numbers of businesses, enthusiasm, energy and excitement of
people to engage in entrepreneurial activities, not just with the US but
worldwide...its palpable you can feel it, you can touch it."
He said Gujarat has an opportunity to gain significantly from the
summit. Modi has built a reputation here by building efficiency, trying
to make decisions faster, by streamlining bureaucracy...these can be
extrapolated to rest of India.
"All businesses want confidence in their decision to allocate capital. Capital works best with confidence," Kerry said.
He also said that US investment in India has risen from 300 million to 9
billion, while India's investment in the US has risen from 2.4 billion
to 25 billion.
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Vibrant Gujarat: Cos sign 21,000 MoUs to invest Rs 25 lakh cr
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 Updated on : 13-01-2015 11:44 AM
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Corporates
from India and abroad pledged to invest an astonishing Rs 25 lakh crore
and signed 21,000 MoUs at the Vibrant Gujarat Summit, matching the hype
associated with this biennial event conceived by Narendra Modi in 2003
as the then Chief Minister of the state.
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This is more than double the investment amount committed during the last
edition of the Summit in 2013 at Rs 12 lakh crore (with 17,000 MoUs)
and is over ten-times the investment commitments announced at the
recently held West Bengal Global Business Summit.
Announcing these eye-popping figures on Monday, Gujarat Chief Minister
Anandiben Patel said these MoUs include as many as 1,225 'strategic
partnerships', but did not give specific details of the individual
companies that have committed these investments.
The companies that have disclosed their investment commitments include
Reliance Industries, Adani Group, Aditya Birla Group, Suzlon and
Videocon, as also foreign players like Rio Tinto, Suzuki and CLP
Holdings.
The proposals also include creation of lakhs of jobs. Addressing the
valedictory session of the 7th Vibrant Gujarat Summit, Patel said that
the presence of Prime Minister of India created a hype across the world
about the event.
Speaking on the second day of the three-day Summit on Monday, Finance
Minister Arun Jaitley said that investments would significantly pick up
in the coming days into India, as the new government has succeeded in
stopping the reverse flow of capital that was seen in the last 3-4
years.
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"I know all of you are eager to know the figure. More than 21,000 MoUs
(memorandum of Understanding) have been signed during the Summit, which
will usher in investments of Rs 25 lakh crore (USD 400 billion)," Patel
said.
Sources said that MoUs or expression of investments has come across the
sectors. Among major announcements, Adani Group on Monday committed Rs
20,000 crore investments in port sector in Gujarat, on top of another Rs
25,000 crore power sector plan announced on Sunday.
On Sunday, Mukesh Ambani had announced Rs one lakh crore investment, while Birla Group has committed Rs 20,000 crore.
Sindhushree Khullar appointed NITI Aayog's CEO
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 Updated on : 12-01-2015 05:44 PM
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Former
Planning Commission Secretary Sindhu-shree Khullar has been appointed
as Chief Executive Officer of the newly formed NITI Aayog.
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Khullar, a 1975 batch retired IAS officer, has been appointed on contract basis for a period of one year from January 1, 2015.
Earlier, she had taken over as Secretary Planning Commission in April 2012.
NITI Aayog National Institution for Transforming India has replaced 65-year-old Planning Commission.
Noted economist Arvind Panagariya has been appointed as the first Vice Chairman of the NITI Aayog.
Economist Bibek Debroy and former DRDO chief V K Saraswat have already
been appointed as full-time members by Prime Minister who is the
Chairman of the body.
Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Arun
Jaitley, Suresh Prabhu and Radha Mohan Singh have been appointed as
ex-officio members while Nitin Gadkari, Smriti Zubin Irani and Thaawar
Chand Gehlot are the special invitees.
(AKS-11/01)
US to sternly investigate CENTCOM hacking: White House
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 Updated on : 13-01-2015 01:34 PM
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Following
the episode of its military's Central Command (CENTCOM)’s social media
accounts getting hacked, the U.S government is gearing up to investigate
the matter stringently, per a White House communique.
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White House Press Secretary, Josh Earnest, was quoted telling reporters,
"I can tell you this is something that we are obviously looking into
and something that we take seriously."
In response to a question regarding the reliability of security
arrangements of the White House accounts, Earnest said, "A note of
caution to folks as they're covering this story, there's a pretty
significant difference between what is a large data breach and the
hacking of a Twitter account.”
“So we are still examining and investigating the extent of this incident," he added.
Hacking the accounts, the hackers used the Twitter and YouTube portals to post threatening messages aimed at American troops.
US media reports had initially suspected the hackers to have been the Islamic State militant group sympathizers.
In an official statement to the press, CENTCOM had said that its social
media account has been "compromised", and that it is "taking appropriate
measures to address the matter".
The hacked twitter account was immediately disabled on discovery of the infringement.
Former Thailand PM faces impeachment
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 Updated on : 13-01-2015 09:59 AM
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Former Thailand Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has claimed innocence
as she faces impeachment proceedings for alleged abuse of power.
Yingluck's government was removed from office in a coup last May.
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The proceedings in the military-backed legislature, is seen as a move to
keep her powerful family out of politics. The former Prime Minister is
under scanner over the controversial programme, which, though popular,
cost billions of dollars and triggered protests that toppled her
government.
The National Assembly began impeachment proceedings on Friday. A
decision on the impeachment could come at the end of the month.
Yingluck, who showed up at parliament amid tight security, defended her
rule saying she ran the government with honesty and as per the law.
US space society award for ISRO on Mars mission
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 Updated on : 14-01-2015 10:52 AM
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Indian
Space Research Organisation has been conferred 'Space Pioneer Award' by
the National Space Society (NSS) of the United States over the historic
feat on successfully sending an orbit to Martian atmosphere in its very
first attempt.
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"The
National Space Society takes great pleasure in announcing that its 2015
Space Pioneer Award in the Science and Engineering category has been
won by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Mars Orbiter
Programme Team," NSS said in a statement.
The award would be
presented to an ISRO representative during the 34th Annual International
Space Development Conference to be held at Toronto in Canada between
May 20 and 24, it said.
The 'Space Pioneer Award' consists of a
silvery pewter Moon globe cast by the Baker Art Foundry in Placerville,
California, from a sculpture originally created by well-known space and
astronomical artist.
"This mission has achieved two significant
mission firsts. (1) An Indian spacecraft has gone into orbit around Mars
on the very first try. No other country has ever done this. (2) The
spacecraft is in an elliptical orbit with a high apoapsis, and has a
high resolution camera which is taking full-disk colour imagery of
Mars," it said.
"Very few full disk images have ever been taken
in the past, mostly on approach to the planet, as most imaging is done
looking straight down in mapping mode. These images will aid planetary
scientists," the NSS observed.
NSS, which publishes Ad Astra
magazine, is an independent non-profit educational membership
organisation for creation of a spacefaring civilization is widely
acknowledged as the preeminent citizen's voice around the world.
ISRO
had on November 5, 2013, launched the Mars Orbiter mission from
Sriharikota at a cost of Rs 450 crore, which successfully entered the
Martian atmosphere on September 24 last year, scripting history of being
the first country in the world to have succeeded the mission in its
very first attempt.
(PT-14/01)
15 january 2015
RBI cuts repo rate by 25 bps from 8.0 % to 7.75% with immediate effect
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 Updated on : 15-01-2015 01:00 PM
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Encouraged by softening inflation, the RBI on Thursday decided to cut
the benchmark interest rate by 0.25 per cent to 7.75 per cent with a
view to boost growth.
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Following reduction in the repo rate, the reverse repo rate has been adjusted to 6.75%.
The decision to reduce repo rate comes a fortnight ahead of the scheduled date of monetary policy announcement on February 3rd.
The RBI has been keeping the benchmark interest rate at elevated level at 8 per cent since January.
RATE CUT POSITIVE FOR INDIAN ECONOMY: FINANCE MINISTER
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley hailed the decision of RBI to cut the
interest rate, saying it is positive for the Indian economy and will
certainly help in reviving the investment cycle the government is trying
to restore.
MOS FOR FINANCE SAYS IT IS A WELCOME STEP
Reacting to the RBIs rate cut, Minister of State for Finance Jayant
Sinha said that it is a welcome step. He said that the announcements are
in line with the government’s recent reform policy initiatives and
political willingness to expedite the same.
(AKS-15/01)
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Nation observes Army Day today
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 Updated on : 15-01-2015 11:54 AM
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The nation observes Army Day today. The Indian army is ever ready to
come to the aid of the nation beyond battle fronts be it natural
disasters or even internal security threats.
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The day 15th of January marks Lieutenant General K. M. Cariappa's
taking over as the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army from
General Sir Francis Butcher, the last British Commander-in-Chief of
India, in 1948.
On the occasion of Army Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the armed forces for their sacrifices and valour.
The Prime Minister lauded the soldiers saying the nation is proud of their dedication and determination.
(AKS-16/01)
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Indian Cricket team gets new look in 2015
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 Updated on : 15-01-2015 02:39 PM
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The Indian Cricket team got a new International kit which the players
will sport in the triangular series in Australia starting on Friday.
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Nike, the official apparel sponsor of the Cricket Board BCCI on Thursday unveiled Indian team's kit.
The Indian cricketers will be seen in their new striking ODI kit when the take the field against Australia on Sunday.
The new lightweight kit combines high performance innovation with sustainability.
Each kit -- jersey and bottoms -- is made out of an average of 33 recycled plastic bottles.
The global apparel brand crafted the latest Team India uniform in a bold
new design with some of the company's latest global apparel innovations
to help the team perform at their best.
(AKS-15/01)
Prospects for Indian economy bright going forward: CEA
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 Updated on : 14-01-2015 08:06 PM
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Prospects
for the Indian economy look very bright with the remarkable turnaround
witnessed in recent months on the back of lower current account deficit
and the slew of reforms unleashed by the new govt, Chief Economic
Advisor Arvind Subramanian said.
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"In July last year India was on the verge of macro- economic crisis...
However, 16 months on, the picture is very different. There has been a
remarkable turnaround in the economy since the last few months".
"The biggest change is the new government in power that has unleashed a
slew of reforms. Prospects for the Indian economy should be very bright
going forward," Subramanian said while speaking at a workshop in New
Delhi on Wednesday.
Stating the current account deficit (CAD) is now within manageable
territory, Subramaniam said: "India has benefitted a lot from the
falling commodity prices which have helped bring down the current
account deficit".
In the global context India is looking very special, he noted, adding
that World Bank has revised downwards the growth for every major country
except India.
Pointing out that the cash balances of state-owned enterprises look
exciting, Subramanian suggested they invest more, adding that the PSUs
could make a "real contribution to kickstart the economic growth".
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Oil dips below USD 45 as OPEC signals no cuts
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 Updated on : 14-01-2015 07:04 PM
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The
price of oil has dipped below USD 45 a barrel following the latest sign
from OPEC that the group doesn't plan to cut production.
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The comments from the energy minister for the United Arab Emirates, a
member of OPEC, put more downward pressure on crude on Wednesday.
The comments reaffirmed the position of OPEC's Arab Gulf members that
lowering production would only erode their market share and benefit
rivals, such as shale drillers in the US.
Last November OPEC
decided to keep production levels steady. That decision came despite
calls from some from within the 12-member bloc to curb output in an
effort to boost prices.
The price of US benchmark crude traded as low at USD 44.20 a barrel early, the lowest since April 2009.
The price has dropped since last June, when it reached USD 107.
In late morning trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, US crude was down 34 cents, or 0.8 per cent, to USD 45.72.
Brent crude, the international benchmark, fell USD 1.41, or 2.9 per cent, to USD 47.28 a barrel in London.
Oil prices have continued to fall in the new year.
Already
US crude is down 15 per cent for 2015, and Brent is off 18 per cent.
Analysts at Ritterbusch and Associates are forecasting that US crude
will go as low as USD 40.25 a barrel.
The analysts wrote in a
note to investors today that they see "little support" for oil this
week, partly because they expected a report tomorrow to show
larger-than-normal increases in oil supplies.
(PT-14/1)
24 Children, including 8 girls selected for National Bravery Awards
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 Updated on : 18-01-2015 10:31 AM
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Twenty four children, including eight girls, have been selected for National Bravery Awards for 2014.
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Four of the awards have been given posthumously. The children will
receive their awards from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the 24th of
January, and will also participate in the Republic Day parade.
16 year old Resham Fatma of Uttar Pradesh, a victim of Acid attack, will
be conferred the Bharat Award for showing exemplary courage while
fighting off her tormentor, whose marriage proposal she had turned down.
In all, 24 children will be conferred with National Bravery Awards this
year. Among the awardees 8 are girls. Four children have been
posthumously awarded for their supreme sacrifice in their battle for
saving others .
The prestigious Geeta Chopra Award has been conferred on13 year old
Gunjan Sharma of Assam who displayed exemplary valor in saving her
friends from the clutches of the abductor.
The Sanjay Chopra Award has been given to 16 year old Master Devesh
Kumar of Uttar Pradesh who displayed outstanding courage while
confronting two chain-snatchers.
The National Bravery Awards are given as a token of recognition to those
children who distinguish themselves by performing outstanding deeds of
bravery and meritorious service and to inspire other children to emulate
their examples.
The children will receive their Awards from the Prime Minister Narendra
Modi on 24th January and will participate in the Republic Day parade.
Tiger population rises to 2,226: Govt
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 Updated on : 21-01-2015 12:38 PM
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Tiger
population in the country is estimated to be around 2,226, a rise of
over 30 percent since the last count in 2010, according to the latest
census report released on Tuesday.
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The total number of tigers were estimated to be around 1,706 in 2010.
Tiger population had dipped to an alarming 1,411 in 2006 but has
improved since then.
Releasing the country wide tiger assessment report for 2014 in New Delhi
on Tuesday, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar termed it as a
success story and noted that while the tiger population is falling in
the world, it is rising in India.
"Most of the tigers in the world are presently in India. 70 per cent of
the world's tigers are now in India. We have the world's best managed
tiger reserves. "When we last counted the tigers, it was 1,706. The
latest estimation shows there are 2,226 tigers. We must be proud of our
legacy. We have increased by 30 per cent from the last count. That is a
huge success story," Javadekar said.
He said that India has unique photographs of 80 percent of tigers while
stating that around 9,735 cameras were used in the estimation.
He claimed that nowhere in the world, so many cameras have been used for such an exercise.
The report said that the total estimated population of tigers was
somewhere around 1,945-2491 (2,226) as per 2014 report while as per the
2010 report, it was between 1,520-1909.
The third round of country level tiger assessment using the refined
methodology of doubling sampling using camera traps has recorded an
increase in tiger population.
"In 2006, the mid value of such a (once in four years) snap shot
assessment using the same methodology was 1,411, in 2010 it was 1706 and
now in 2014, it stands at 2,226. This is an increase of almost 30.5 per
cent since the last estimate," an official statement said.
Officials said that a total of 3,78,118 sq km of forest area in 18 tiger
states were surveyed with a total of 1,540 unique tiger photo captures.
Tiger population has increased in several states like Karnataka,
Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerela, officials said.
Javadekar credited the combined efforts of officers, forest guards,
community participation and scientific approach for the rise in tiger
population.
"That is why we want to create more tiger reserves. This is a proof of
India's biodiversity and how we care for mitigating climate change. This
is India's steps in the right direction which the world will applaud,"
he said.
Talking about human-animal conflict, the Environment Minister said that proactive steps will be taken in this regard.
"We must ensure animal-human conflict does not happen. We have
proactively decided that we will create more grasslands and water
storage in forest areas so that animals can live well," he said.
He said that problem was more acute where elephants were concerned.
While in case of tigers it was seven deaths, around 100 people had died
in such conflicts with elephants.
"We have to avoid this...If we put all deaths of human- animal conflict,
it becomes 300 and more which means we are losing one person per day
and that should not happen. We are taking new initiatives," he told
reporters later.
The third round of independent management effectiveness evaluation of
tiger reserves has shown an overall improvement in the score of 43 tiger
reserves from 65 percent in 2010-11 to 69 percent in 2014, officials
said.
An economic valuation of six tiger reserves done for the first time has
provided quantitative and qualitative estimates of benefits accruing
from tiger reserves which include ecological, economic, social and
cultural services, they said.
A compendium on the profile of tiger reserves was also released besides a report on corridors and a book on tiger dynamics.
Several tiger reserves were also recognised for excelling in select thematic areas.
(DD-20.1)
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UN Chief lauds outgoing Indian force commander
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 Updated on : 20-01-2015 02:12 PM
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UN
chief Ban Ki-moon has exalted India's Lieutenant General Iqbal Singh
Singha on the conclusion of his assignment as force commander of the UN
mission in the Golan, acknowledging his dedicated leadership during an
attack by Al-Qaeda-linked armed groups last year.
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Singha completed the term of his assignment on January 2 as Head of
Mission and Force Commander of the United Nations Disengagement Observer
Force (UNDOF).
He will be succeeded by Nepalese Major General Purna Chandra Thapa, 54,
who studied Philosophy at the University of Madras and graduated from
the National Defence College in New Delhi.
Farhan Haq, Ban's deputy spokesperson told reporters here on Monday,
"The Secretary-General is grateful to Lieutenant General Singha for his
dedicated leadership during a particularly difficult period in the
mission's history.”
Forty-five Fijian peacekeepers, in service of UNDOF, while monitoring a
ceasefire established in 1974 between Israel and Syria, were detained on
August 28 last year by armed elements of the Syrian opposition in the
vicinity of Al Qunaytirah.
The Syrian rebels, including troops from the Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra
Front, stormed the crossing Al Qunaytirah, sparking an exchange of
gunfire with Israeli troops.
In a separate incident, 72 Filipino peacekeepers had been surrounded by
armed elements in two different locations of the Golan and were later
safely relocated.
Singha had faced flak from the Philippine military which demanded that
he be investigated for allegedly asking Filipino troops to surrender to
the Syrian rebels who had attacked and surrounded their camp.
However, the head of the United Nations peacekeeping operations, Herve
Ladsous, had extolled Singha for his "strong leadership" and "good and
sound judgement" throughout the crisis.
Ladsous had said that the Indian military official "displayed very
strong professionalism and very strong leadership in making decisions
all along" that helped the UN Force combat the enemy efficaciously.
"And he is utterly to be commended and I place on the record my full trust in the way he performed his duty," he had said.
Haq said that Thapa brings to his new position extensive command
experience and knowledge of peacekeeping attained through years of
dedicated service at both national and international levels.
Thapa was previously the Master General of Ordnance at the Nepalese Army Headquarters.
From 2012 to 2013, Thapa had served as the Commanding General of an
Infantry Division and had twice served with the Nepalese contingent in
the UN Interim Force in Lebanon.
He has also served as a UN Military Observer in the United Nations
Protection Force (UNPROFOR) in 1994, besides having been the Vice
Chairman of the Joint Monitoring Coordination Committee of the United
Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) from 2009 to 2011.
(SB 20.1)
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India makes progress in bringing children to schools: UN
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 Updated on : 21-01-2015 11:43 AM
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A
new United Nations report released on Wednesday, says that between 2000
and 2012, India has succeeded in shrinking its number of out-of-school
children by about 16 million.
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India still has 1.4 million children not attending primary school yet,
but with the progress it is making , it is significantly leading
educational progress in South Asia.
According to findings by the joint report 'Fixing the Broken Promise of
Education for All: Findings from the Global Initiative on Out-of-School
Children was produced by UNESCO and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF)’,
the most conspicuous fall in the number of out-of-school children was
observed in South Asia, wherein the numbers had reduced by 23 million
between 2000 and 2012.
A considerable share of the global progress since 2000 in bringing down
the number of out-of-school children has been led by a small number of
countries, India being the latest achiever in the department.
Relatively, 42 countries were successful in more than halving their
numbers of primary out-of-school children between 2000 and 2012,
including Algeria, Burundi, Cambodia, Ghana, India, Iran, Morocco,
Mozambique, Nepal, Nicaragua, Rwanda, Viet Nam, Yemen and Zambia.
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India has 58.81 million girls and 63.71 million boys of primary school-
going age, and as of 2011, 1.4 million children of primary school age
were not attending school in India, out of which, 18 per cent were
girls, and 14 per cent, boys.
Among the other countries that still have more than half a million
children out-of-school, are Indonesia, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Pakistan and
Sudan.
India had 14 per cent of its children in the 7-14 years age category involved in child labor.
The report added that while on the one hand, India has made noteworthy
progress in primary education enrolment; the figures for out- of- school
children with disabilities, remain staggering.
Out of the 2.9 million children with disabilities in India, 990,000
children aged 6 to 14 years (34 per cent) are educationally deprived.
The percentage of out- of- school children with intellectual
disabilities is 48 per cent; while 36% of those with speech impairments,
and 59% of those with multiple disabilities, are not enrolled in school
yet.
“However,” the optimistic report concluded, "India has made tremendous
efforts to make its education system more inclusive. Under the Right to
Education Act, all children have the right to go to school...To
accommodate a greater number of children with disabilities, further
progress is needed."
Tribal communities of India as a great force for national dev: PM
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 Updated on : 21-01-2015 01:44 PM
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Chairing
a high-level review meeting on tribal welfare in New Delhi on
Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for the development
of strategies to stop the spread of left wing extremism.
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Modi described the tribal communities of India as a great force for national development.
He said the Ministry of Tribal Affairs has a key role to play in this
regard. The Prime Minister said various ministries and wings of the
government should work in coordination to achieve this goal.
The PM asked the Ministry of Tribal Affairs to identify growth centres
within tribal areas, and ensure proper development of education, health
and sports facilities in the country.
The Prime Minister said one of the key objectives should be to work
towards "technology penetration" – for instance, electricity and mobile
phone reach in the tribal areas.
Another important objective should be to link relatively undeveloped
tribal areas with developed areas through good infrastructure.
Speaking of the cultural aspects of tribal life, and their vast
repository of ancient knowledge, the Prime Minister urged the Ministry
of Tribal Affairs to work towards digital documentation of the same.
Modi asked officials to work towards organizing a Tribal Cultural Troupe Carnival, on the lines of the Republic Day Parade.
He has also called for exploring the possibility of online marketing of
products produced by tribals through e-commerce platforms.
On health aspects, the Prime Minister stressed the need for mapping of
sickle cell anemia among the tribal population, on a scientific basis.
The Prime Minister has also called for concerned departments to explore
the possibility of a cure for this disease through stem cell therapy.
The Prime Minister instructed the NITI Aayog to involve relevant
research institutions, and eminent experts in all aspects of planning
for tribal areas.
Minister for Tribal Affairs, Jual Oram, and senior officials were present on the occasion.
CBI arrested Shib Narayan Das, Director of Kolkata-based firm Saradha
Realty, in connection with the multi-crore rupee chit fund scam.
CBI apprehended Das in Kolkata and seized a fully-loaded .38 calibre revolver from him.
Sources said it was Das who had allegedly suggested to the Chairman of
Saradha group to start a chit fund company and lure investors to deposit
in their schemes in 2008.
CBI sources said that after founding the Saradha group on July 8, 2008, Sen had appointed Das as the Director and shareholder.
According
to sources, it was suggested by Das that while 30 per cent of the
deposits would be retained by them, the rest could be returned to
investors after 10-12 years at a decent interest.
CBI has so far registered four cases against Saradha group in West Bengal on the directions of the Supreme Court.
RBY@18/01
PM to launch ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ programme from Panipat today
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 Updated on : 22-01-2015 02:59 AM
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Government's ambitious 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao' campaign to save and
empower the girl child will be launched on Thursday by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi from Panipat in Haryana, the state with the lowest sex
ratio in the country.
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The state government has decided to observe a holiday in all government and non-government schools on Thursday.
The campaign will be implemented in 100 districts of the country,
including 12 of Haryana where the girl child number is dismally low.
HARYANA TO CREATE SPECIAL FUND FOR WELFARE OF GIRLS RIGHT
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said a special fund would be
created at the district level for schemes and programmes for girls'
welfare, right from their childhood care to education.
The schemes would aim at ensuring their education, marriage, construction of separate toilets and eradicate malnutrition.
Expressing concern over the gender imbalance, Khattar said this problem
is confined not only to states but it is an issue for the whole country.
The workshop was organised as a part of 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao' programme.
(AKS-21/01)
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Tribal communities of India as a great force for national dev: PM
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|
Updated on : 22-01-2015 03:02 AM
|
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Chairing
a high-level review meeting on tribal welfare in New Delhi on
Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for the development
of strategies to stop the spread of left wing extremism.
|
Modi described the tribal communities of India as a great force for national development.
He said the Ministry of Tribal Affairs has a key role to play in this
regard. The Prime Minister said various ministries and wings of the
government should work in coordination to achieve this goal.
The PM asked the Ministry of Tribal Affairs to identify growth centres
within tribal areas, and ensure proper development of education, health
and sports facilities in the country.
The Prime Minister said one of the key objectives should be to work
towards "technology penetration" – for instance, electricity and mobile
phone reach in the tribal areas.
Another important objective should be to link relatively undeveloped
tribal areas with developed areas through good infrastructure.
Speaking of the cultural aspects of tribal life, and their vast
repository of ancient knowledge, the Prime Minister urged the Ministry
of Tribal Affairs to work towards digital documentation of the same.
Modi asked officials to work towards organizing a Tribal Cultural Troupe Carnival, on the lines of the Republic Day Parade.
He has also called for exploring the possibility of online marketing of
products produced by tribals through e-commerce platforms.
On health aspects, the Prime Minister stressed the need for mapping of
sickle cell anemia among the tribal population, on a scientific basis.
The Prime Minister has also called for concerned departments to explore
the possibility of a cure for this disease through stem cell therapy.
The Prime Minister instructed the NITI Aayog to involve relevant
research institutions, and eminent experts in all aspects of planning
for tribal areas.
Minister for Tribal Affairs, Jual Oram, and senior officials were present on the occasion.
(DD-21.1)
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a review meeting on the goal of "Housing for All" by 2022.
The meeting was to finalise the contours of the Housing for All
Mission, which is one of the priority commitments of the Government. The
programme was mentioned in the President's Address to Parliament in
June 2014.
The same commitment was made in the Budget for 2014-15.
The programme proposes to build 2 crore houses across the nation by 2022.
This would cover both slum housing and affordable housing for weaker sections.
It will cover urban poor living in slums, urban homeless and new migrants to urban areas in search of shelter.
It would cover metros, small towns and all urban areas.
The Programme involves an urban reform component to generate the
resources and capacities for urban housing, a set of guidelines, an
element of government support and a significant contribution from
beneficiaries, in addition to bank financing.
A large portion of the programme is to be financed in a PPP mode by leveraging land and other resources in urban areas.
The Prime Minister directed all concerned departments to immediately
finalise the programme and the financing models for the programme.
He emphasized the need to ensure that there is no compromise in quality during the roll-out of this ambitious programme.
The
BSE Sensex continued its record-setting spree and breached 28,900-mark
and the NSE Nifty touched a new peak of 8,730.45 in early trade on
Wednesday on sustained fund inflows, driven by the encouraging corporate
earnings coupled with pre-budget optimism among participants.
Brett Lee has decided to bid adeau from all the formats of game, ending a 20-year long career.
The 38-year-old, who announced his retirement on Thursday at the
Sydney Cricket Ground, called time on his international career in July
2012, but continued playing T20s in both the Indian Premier League and
the BBL.
(AKS-16/01)
Nation remembers Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his birth anniversary
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 Updated on : 23-01-2015 11:28 AM
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Today is the birth anniversary of veteran freedom fighter and the great
son of India. Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, who lived for the country and
ultimately laid his life in the struggle to free India from the
Colonial rule.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has paid tributes to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, on his birth anniversary.
In his message, Prime Minister said "His bravery, courage and patriotic
zeal inspire us. On his birth anniversary, I bow to the proud son of
India, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. Subhas Babu`s organisation and
leadership skills were exceptional. He was a phenomenal personality, for
whom good of the Nation was paramount."
Affectionately called Netaji, Subhas Chandra Bose, was one of the most prominent leaders of Indian freedom struggle.
India's freedom struggle cannot be imagined without remembering the
great sacrifice and determination and contribution of Subash Chandra
Bose.
He founded Indian National Army (Azad Hind Fauj) to overthrow British
Empire from India and came to acquire legendary status among Indian
masses.
Subhas Chandra Bose was born on January 23, 1897 at Oriya bazaar of
Cuttack district Orissa. His father Janaki Nath Bose was a famous lawyer
and his mother Prabhavati Devi was a devout and religious lady.
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India's economic growth will be significantly better during 2015-16: Finance Minister
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 Updated on : 23-01-2015 03:40 PM
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Seeking to attract more investments, India impressed upon investors
about the country's high-growth potential at World Economic Forum (WEF)
summit.
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A delegation, that included Finance Minister Arun Jaitley,
interacted with investors during the 'India Investment Roundtable' on
the sidelines of the WEF annual summit at Davos.
Finance Minister said that India's real growth potential is 9%.
The round table was organised by industry body CII. Jaitley held
meetings with various people including UK chancellor George Osborne.
Wooing global investors, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley hinted at
rationalising subsidies on kerosene and cooking gas, rebuilding
credibility of taxation structure and calling a joint session of
Parliament to get the insurance bill passed if it is not cleared in the
coming session.
(AKS-23/01)
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PM Modi, US Prez Obama to share thoughts in 'Mann ki Baat' radio address
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 Updated on : 23-01-2015 01:20 PM
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Prime
Minister Narendra Modi and US President Barack Obama will jointly
address the people on All India Radio through the programme, 'Mann Ki
Baat', on the 27th of January.
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The monthly 'Mann ki Baat' radio broadcast of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for January will feature US President Barack Obama.
This was revealed by the Prime Minister himself through a series of tweets on Thursday morning.
The broadcast will be aired on All India Radio on coming Tuesday, the 27th of January.
Till now the prime minister has addressed the nation through Man ki baat thrice once every month since October last year.
He has talked about his campaign of Swach Bharat, tax evasion, and drug abuse among others things on his show.
But this is not the first time the two leaders have collaborated on a media project.
The duo had penned a joint editorial in The Washington Post titled "A
renewed U.S.-India partnership for the 21st century" when Prime Minister
Modi visited the U.S. in September last year.
The listeners of Akashvani, which reaches nearly 99.19% of the country's
1.2 billion population, that we spoke to sounded upbeat about the idea,
many having questions they want to ask the Prime Minister and the US
President.
Listeners can pre-submit questions by Sunday. In his tweet the prime
minister said Mann Ki Baat' with President BarackObama will not be
complete without your participation! Send your Qs till the 25th, using
#AskObamaModi.
Questions can also be posted on 'MyGov' website.
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Blast in civil court complex in Bihar’s Ara, two killed
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 Updated on : 23-01-2015 03:18 PM
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A
police constable and a woman were killed and over 16 others injured in a
bomb blast at a civil court premises in Arrah on Friday.
|
Police
said the blast took place when a prison van arrived at the premises
carrying under-trials for production before the court.
Zonal Inspector General (IG) Amarendra Kumar Ambedkar said the incident occurred at noon and investigations are on.
The Bhojpur district superintendent of police and other administrative officials inspected the spot.
Ara MP R K Singh told reporters on the sidelines of a function in Patna
that prima facie the blast appears to be part of design to help the
under-trials flee.
(AKS-23/01)
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India to upstage China’s growth rate by 2016: IMF
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 Updated on : 21-01-2015 11:30 AM
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The
International Monetary Fund on Tuesday said India is expected to grow
at 6.3 pc this year and 6.5 pc in 2016, crossing China's projected
growth rate by then, also adding that while the new government's reforms
are promising, their implementation is key.
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Updated on : 21-01-2015 10:11 AM
India
will catch up with China's growth at 7 percent in the year 2016-17, the
World Bank has forecast, saying India's economy has recovered in the
wake of the economic reform measures taken by the new Indian govt,
falling oil prices and lower interest rates.
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|
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"India will catch up with China's growth in the year 2016 and 2017,"
World Bank Chief Economist and Senior Vice-President Kaushik Basu told
reporters in Washington on Wednesday.
"China's growth will remain high, but will begin to taper very gently,
reaching 6.9 per cent in 2017," he said as the World Bank released the
'Global Outlook: Disappointments, Divergences, and Expectations Global
Economic Prospects'.
PM pledges open business environment
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|
 Updated on : 26-01-2015 09:44 PM
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PM
Narendra Modi on Monday promised an open business environment,
predictable tax regime and to remove remaining uncertainties as
President Barack Obama pledged USD 4 billion in investment for trade
with India.
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Modi asserted that his government has removed some of the excesses of
the past and said "we will now soon address the remaining
uncertainties".
Pledging USD 4 billion in lending by US banks, Obama said the US is
ready to help India grow by working with it in development of
infrastructure like railways, ports, roads and clean energy power
plants.
Both the leaders were addressing a meeting of the US-India Business
Council on the second day of the US President's visit that was attended
by top corporate leaders of both the countries.
"You will find environment that is not only open, but also welcoming. We
will guide you and walk with you in projects. You will find a climate
that encourages investment and rewards enterprise. It will nurture
innovation and protect your intellectual property.
"It will make it easy to do business.... You will find a tax regime that
is predictable and competitive. We have removed some of the excesses of
the past. We will now address the remaining uncertainties," Modi said
at the USIBC meeting.
In his speech, Obama said specific things that need to be done by two
countries is to make it easy for doing business in both the countries.
The US President announced USD 4 billion investment in India including
USD 1 billion for financing exports from US to aid Make-in-India
programme here, a similar amount for small and medium industries and USD
2 billion in renewable energy projects.
Appreciating Modi's reform initiatives to bring investments, he said,
"We need to incentivise trade rather than stifle. We need to be
transparent, consistent and protective of intellectual property rights."
"We can work together to develop new technologies to help India leap
forward and partner in next generation clean energy projects and upgrade
railways, roads, ports, airports and broadband connectivity to provide
best connectivity to the world," he said.
He also referred to the three smart cities that US would be helping India in setting up and upgrading infrastructure.
Reviewing his visit, Obama said the two countries have "a number of
concrete" steps for more investments and referred to breakthrough in
civil nuclear agreement, defence cooperation, renewable energy and
bilateral investment protection treaty (BIPA).
"When leaders make agreements, our agencies and bureaucracy will follow
through," he said. "We can grow and we can prosper together."
Obama referred to the current bilateral trade of USD 100 billion and
compared it to US-China trade of USD 560 billion saying, "it can give
you idea of what potential India can unleash."
"We have to make sure that growth remains inclusive and is sustained.
Growth has to make people's life better in tangible way," he said adding
growth cannot be measured in GDP figures and bottom line of balance
sheets.
"In the past eight months, we have worked tirelessly to fulfill the
mandate (of the people) -- not just to increase our economic growth...
Our task is huge and it won’t happen overnight. We are conscious of our
challenges but also inspired by our successes," Modi said.
He said the business sentiments in India were among the strongest among
major Asian markets. Consumer confidence has turned positive after three
years.
"Growth in 8 core sectors of economy has increased sharply. Inflation is
at a 5-year low. 110 million new bank accounts have been opened in last
four months. Investments from the US have jumped by 50 per cent in
first six months of my government," he said.
"And I know that some of the pledges made in September in Washington
have begun to flow in. Yes, I do keep track of these things," he said as
the audience cheered the remarks.
Prime Minister said the scale of India's dream was vast and therefore the opportunities it offered were huge.
He said prosperity of India will be an important anchor of stability for the global economy and an engine for its growth.
"Above all, a prosperous India will be a force for peace and stability in the world."
Referring to the cooperation in new areas like civil nuclear and
renewable energy and defence equipment, Modi said economies resurgence
in both countries gives us greater optimism of future of bilateral ties.
"As the two largest democracies, we have fundamental stake in each
other's success for the sake of our values and shared interest. Working
by ourselves, we can still advance our common interest. But, if we work
together, we can achieve greater success," he said.
(DD-26.1)
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Former Deputy PM Advani, Amitabh , Dilip Kumar get Padma Vibhushan
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|
 Updated on : 26-01-2015 06:46 PM
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Former Deputy Prime Minister and BJP veteran L K Advani, film stars
Amitabh Bachchan and Dilip Kumar and Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh
Badal are among the nine personalities who have been selected for Padma
Vibhushan this year.
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Twenty personalities including Constitutional expert Subhash Kashyap,
lawyer Harish Salve, Microsoft Chief Bill Gates and his wife Melinda,
journalists Rajat Sharma and Swapan Dasgupta will be conferred with
Padma Bhushan.
Film maker Sanjay Leela Bhansali is among the 75 personalities who have been selected for Padma Shri.
The Awards are given in various disciplines including art, social work,
public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine,
literature and education, and sports, every year on the
occasion of Republic Day.
Below is the list of Padma Awardees 2015:
Padma Vibhushan
1. Shri L. K. Advani (Public Affairs,Gujarat)
2. Shri Amitabh Bachchan (Art, Maharashtra)
3. Shri Prakash Singh Badal (Public Affairs, Punjab)
4. Dr. D. Veerendra Heggade (Social Work, Karnataka)
5. Shri Mohammad Yusuf Khan alias Dilip Kumar (Art, Maharashtra)
6. Shri Jagadguru Ramanandacharya Swami Rambhadracharya (Others, Uttar Pradesh)
7. Prof. Malur Ramaswamy Srinivasan (Science and Engineering, Tamil Nadu)
8. Shri Kottayan K. Venugopal
(Public Affairs, Delhi)
9. Shri Karim Al Hussaini Aga Khan (Foreigner) (Trade and Industry, France/UK)
Padma Bhushan
1. Shri Jahnu Barua
(Art, Assam)
2. Dr. Vijay Bhatkar
(Science and Engineering, Maharashtra)
3. Shri Swapan Dasgupta (Literature and Education, Delhi)
4. Swami Satyamitranand Giri (Others, Uttar Pradesh)
5. Shri N. Gopalaswami (Civil Service, Tamil Nadu)
6. Dr. Subhash C. Kashyap (Public Affairs, Delhi )
7. Dr. (Pandit) Gokulotsavji Maharaj (Art, Madhya Pradesh)
8. Dr. Ambrish Mithal (Medicine, Delhi)
9. Smt. Sudha Ragunathan (Art, Tamil Nadu)
10. Shri Harish Salve (Public Affairs, Delhi)
11. Dr. Ashok Seth (Medicine, Delhi)
12. Shri Rajat Sharma (Literature and Education, Delhi)
13. Shri Satpal (Sports, Delhi)
14. Shri Shivakumara Swami (Others, Karnataka)
15. Dr. Kharag Singh Valdiya (Science and Engineering, Karnataka)
16. Prof. Manjul Bhargava
(NRI/PIO) (Science and Engineering, USA)
17. Shri David Frawley (Vamadeva)
(Foreigner) (Others, USA)
18. Shri Bill Gates
(Foreigner) (Social Work, USA)
19. Ms. Melinda Gates
(Foreigner) (Social Work, USA)
20. Shri Saichiro Misumi
(Foreigner) (Others, Japan)
Padma Shri
1. Dr. Manjula Anagani (Medicine, Telangana)
2. Shri S. Arunan (Science and Engineering, Karnataka)
3. Ms. Kanyakumari Avasarala (Art, Tamil Nadu)
4. Dr. Bettina Sharada Baumer (Literature and Education, Jammu and Kashmir)
5. Shri Naresh Bedi (Art, Delhi)
6. Shri Ashok Bhagat (Social Work, Jharkhand)
7. Shri Sanjay Leela Bhansali (Art, Maharashtra)
8. Dr. Lakshmi Nandan Bora (Literature and Education, Assam)
9. Dr. Gyan Chaturvedi (Literature and Education, Madhya Pradesh)
10. Prof. (Dr.) Yogesh Kumar Chawla (Medicine, Chandigarh)
11. Smt. Jayakumari Chikkala (Medicine, Delhi)
12. Shri Bibek Debroy (Literature and Education, Delhi)
13. Dr. Sarungbam Bimola Kumari Devi (Medicine, Manipur)
14. Dr. Ashok Gulati (Public Affairs, Delhi)
15. Dr. Randeep Guleria (Medicine, Delhi)
16. Dr. K. P. Haridas (Medicine, Kerala)
17. Shri Rahul Jain (Art, Delhi)
18. Shri Ravindra Jain (Art, Maharashtra)
19. Dr. Sunil Jogi (Literature and Education, Delhi)
20. Shri Prasoon Joshi (Art, Maharashtra)
21. Dr. Prafulla Kar (Art, Odisha)
22. Ms. Saba Anjum (Sports, Chhattisgarh)
23. Smt. Ushakiran Khan (Literature and Education, Bihar)
24. Dr. Rajesh Kotecha (Medicine, Rajasthan)
25. Prof. Alka Kriplani (Medicine, Delhi)
26. Dr. Harsh Kumar (Medicine, Delhi)
27. Shri Narayana Purushothama Mallaya (Literature and Education, Kerala)
28. Shri Lambert Mascarenhas (Literature and Education, Goa)
29. Dr. (Mrs.) Janak Palta McGilligan (Social Work, Madhya Pradesh)
30. Shri Veerendra Raj Mehta (Social Work, Delhi)
31. Shri Tarak Mehta (Art, Gujarat)
32. Shri Neil Herbert Nongkynrih (Art, Meghalaya)
33. Shri Chewang Norphel (Others, Jammu and Kashmir)
34. Shri T. V. Mohandas Pai (Trade and Industry, Karnataka)
35. Dr.Tejas Patel (Medicine, Gujarat)
36. Shri Jadav Molai Peyang (Others, Assam)
37. Smt. Bimla Poddar (Other, Uttar Pradesh)
38. Dr. N. Prabhakar (Science and Engineering, Delhi)
39. Dr. Prahalada (Science and Engineering, Maharashtra)
40. Dr. Narendra Prasad (Medicine, Bihar)
41. Shri Ram Bahadur Rai (Literature and Education, Delhi)
42. Ms. Mithali Raj (Sports, Telangana)
43. Shri P. V. Rajaraman (Civil Service, Tamil Nadu)
44. Prof. J. S. Rajput (Literature and Education, Uttar Pradesh)
45. Shri Kota Srinivasa Rao (Art, Andhra Pradesh)
46. Prof. Bimal Roy (Literature and Education, West Bengal)
47. Shri Shekhar Sen (Art, Maharashtra)
48. Shri Gunvant Shah (Literature and Education, Gujarat)
49. Shri Brahmdev Sharma (Bhaiji) (Literature and Education, Delhi)
50. Shri Manu Sharma (Literature and Education, Uttar Pradesh)
51. Prof. Yog Raj Sharma (Medicine, Delhi)
52. Shri Vasant Shastri (Science and Engineering, Karnataka)
53. Shri S. K. Shivkumar (Science and Engineering, Karnataka)
54. Ms. P. V. Sindhu (Sports, Telangana)
55. Shri Sardara Singh (Sports, Haryana)
56. Ms. Arunima Sinha (Sports, Uttar Pradesh)
57. Shri Mahesh Raj Soni (Art, Rajasthan)
58. Dr.Nikhil Tandon (Medicine, Delhi)
59. Shri H. Thegtse Rinpoche (Social Work, Arunachal Pradesh)
60. Dr.Hargovind Laxmishanker Trivedi (Medicine, Gujarat)
61. Shri Huang Baosheng
(Foreigner) (Others, China)
62. Prof. Jacques Blamont
(Foreigner) (Science and Engineering, France)
63. Late Shri Syedna Mohammad Burhanuddin
(Posthumous) (Others, Maharashtra)
64. Shri Jean-Claude Carriere
(Foreigner) (Literature and Education, France)
65. Dr. Nandrajan “Raj” Chetty
(NRI/PIO) (Trade and Industry, USA)
66. Shri George L. Hart
(Foreigner) (Others, USA)
67. Jagat Guru Amrta Suryananda Maha Raja (NRI/PIO) (Others, Portugal)
68. Late Shri Meetha Lal Mehta (Posthumous) (Social Work, Rajasthan)
69. Ms. Tripti Mukherjee
(NRI/PIO) (Art, USA)
70. Dr. Dattatreyudu Nori
(NRI/PIO) (Medicine, USA)
71. Dr. Raghu Rama Pillarisetti
(NRI/PIO) (Medicine, USA)
72. Dr. Saumitra Rawat
(NRI/PIO) (Medicine, UK)
73. Prof. Annette Schmiedchen
(Foreigner) (Literature and Education, Germany)
74. Late Shri Pran Kumar Sharma alias Pran (Posthumous) (Art, Delhi )
75. Late Shri R. Vasudevan
(Posthumous) (Civil Service, Tamil Nadu)
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US President Obama calls for eliminating Pak based safe havens of terror
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 Updated on : 26-01-2015 05:04 PM
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US President Barack Obama has called for eliminating safe havens of terror in Pakistan for lasting regional and world peace.
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In an interview to New Delhi based Magazine, the US president said
that India and US are true global partners and he is also praised the
commitment of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for heralding a new dawn in
India US relationship.
Pakistan's intransigence on terrorism has been a focal point of discussions between India and United States since long.
With Barack Obama talking tough on Pakistan-based terrorism and
demanding justice for 26/11 victims, the question is, will it change
Pakistan's support for proxy war with India?
The security situation in India's neighbourhood makes the mention of
Pakistan inevitable. Ahead of US President Barack Obama's visit to
India, Pakistan sponsored terrorism continues to grab headlines.
Recently, US Secretary of State John Kerry had during his visit to
Pakistan asked it to crack down on all terror groups without any
discrimination, including those directing terrorism to India.
That was followed by Pakistan banning terror groups including 26/11
mastermind Hafiz Saeed-led Jamaat-ud-Dawa and Afghanistan focused
Haqqani network. This has led to restrictions on Saeed's foreign visits
and freeze of bank accounts of the banned groups.
International pressure to not distinguish between good and bad
terrorists has been growing on Pakistan since 150 people, mostly
children, were massacred in an Army school in Peshawar in Pakistan.
The bans imposed by Pakistan may not yield much in the final analysis
since Pakistan's record shows that it hasn't been walking its talk.
For instance, facing intense pressure from the United States, Pakistan
banned the Lashkar in January, 2002 after which top leaders, including
Saeed, were placed under house arrest, and the organisation's bank
accounts were shut down. Within weeks, though, Saeed and other jihadist
leaders were released, with local courts saying there was no evidence of
their involvement in terrorism.
Notably, the ban did not apply to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir or the
Federally-Administered Tribal Areas and the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.
Following the imposition of sanctions against the Lashkar-e-Taiba by the
United Nations Security Council on December 10, 2008, Jamaat offices
across the country were shut down but reopened within weeks.
Meanwhile, Indian army and intelligence agencies have warned of
conspiracies being hatched in Pakistan to disrupt peace in India during
Obama's visit.
Security agencies in India are working day and night to stave off any
terror threat.
Even United States has warned Pakistan of consequences if it ratchets up
tension along the border with India during Obama's visit.
(RBY/AKS-24/01)
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Tableaux offer glimpse of country's diversity
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 Updated on : 26-01-2015 06:49 PM
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Colourful
tableaux from 16 states and some government departments at the 66th
Republic Day parade on Monday showcased the cultural diversity and
unique programmes being implemented across the country.
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From Channapatna toys of Karnataka to folk dances of Jammu and Kashmir,
16 states displayed their cultural heritage and biodiversity at the
parade.
Karnataka's was the first float to roll out on the majestic Rajpath
displaying the colourful Channapatna wooden toys, followed by Andhra
Pradesh which showcased the Makara Sankranti festivities.
Incredible Majauli was the theme of the Assam float. The island is
enriched by the vibrant and the multicoloured culture of its ethnic
inhabitants belonging to Mising, Deori, and Sonowal Kachari communities.
Uttar Pradesh came up with a tableau on Wajid Ali Shah, the tenth and
last Nawab of Awadh province that is the Uttar Pradesh of present time.
UP displayed the theme of communal harmony.
Gujarat presented the tableau on the theme of Statue of Unity - Sardar
Sarovar project. It relates to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's plan to
build a giant statue of country's first Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai
Patel in the state.
Igu dance or dance of the priest, of the Idu Mishmi Tribe of Arunachal
Pradesh is a unique ritual dance. The dance was the theme of the float
from Arunachal Pradesh.
The Department of Industrial Production and Promotion had a tableau on 'Make in India'.
The CPWD presented with the theme 'Maa Ganga' while Department of Financial Services focussed on the 'Jan Dhan Yojna'.
With the theme of 'Walk for Justice', the Ministry of Law and Justice
showcased Lok Adalats --an informal forum where disputes or cases
pending in the courts or at pre-litigation stage are settled or
compromised amicably without further appeals. It is a quick and
cost-free method of dispute resolution.
Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Assam,
Jharkhand, Sikkim, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana,
Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Gujarat were the states represented at
the parade on Monday.
(DD-26.1)
Cartoonist R K Laxman, creator of 'Common Man', dead
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 Updated on : 26-01-2015 10:07 PM
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Eminent
cartoonist R K Laxman, who immortalised the hapless 'Common Man' with
his swipes at politicians but without malice, died in Pune on Monday at a
private hospital at the age of 94 after suffering multi-organ failure.
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"Laxman passed away at 6.50 PM," Dr Sameer Jog of Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital, said.
Creator of ubiquitous mute spectator 'Common Man', Laxman was admitted
to the hospital on 17th January for urinary infection. He suffered
multi-organ failure and was put on ventilator.
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Young bravehearts delight all at Republic Day parade
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 Updated on : 26-01-2015 07:55 PM
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Twenty
little heroes selected for this year's bravery awards on Monday rode
out in open military jeeps across the famed Rajpath acknowledging the
cheers and adulations showered on them by the crowd on Republic Day.
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The
bravehearts chosen for displaying exemplary courage in the face of
grave danger, were ecstatic to be part of the grand occasion, and they
waved and gestured to the cheering crowd, endearing themselves to the
spectators instantly.
Twenty-four children were selected for this year's bravery awards, four of them posthumously.
Among them was 16-year-old Reshma Fatma of Uttar Pradesh, winner of the coveted Bharat Award.
She survived an acid attack after she had refused a marriage proposal from her uncle.
Another awardee 13-year-old Aswini Bandu Ughade of Maharashtra's Akola
had to fight a leopard to save the life of her sister after the animal
attacked her when they went out to relieve themselves.
The young awardees were dressed in red blazers and rode the ceremonial vehicles.
The parade for them became even more special as Barack Obama attended
the event as Chief Guest, a first for any American president.
The National Bravery Award Scheme was initiated by the Indian Council
for Child Welfare (ICCW) to give due recognition to the children who
distinguish themselves by performing outstanding deeds of bravery and
meritorious service.
(ST-26/01)
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Russia's
Foreign Minister struck a defiant note on Monday after Western leaders
threatened to further punish Moscow for escalated fighting in eastern
Ukraine over the weekend.
Russian
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told journalists that rocket shelling on
Saturday in the city of Mariupol, which left at least 30 people dead,
was a tragedy that was being manipulated to "whip up anti-Russian
hysteria" in the West.
The ruble tumbled by almost 3 per cent on news of more possible
sanctions against Russia, dropping to 65.5 to the dollar from 63.7.
Lavrov blamed Kiev for the uptick in violence, and said that the rebels were only responding to a government offensive.
"To expect that they (the rebels) would simply reconcile themselves to being bombed would be naive," he said.
"They started to act... with the goal of destroying Ukrainian army positions being used to shell populated areas."
(ST-26/01)
Japan pledges to support ‘Make in India Campaign’
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 Updated on : 20-01-2015 10:41 AM
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Japanese foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, who is on a two day visit to
India, said on Saturday that synergies between the 'Abenomic' of
Japanese Prime Minister Shinz Abe and Modinomics of PM Narendra Modi
will help India becoming an economic hub in the Indo-pacific region.
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He was addressing the 15th Sapru House Lecture at the Indian Council of World Affairs.
In his address, he said Japan will contribute to the 'Make in India'
initiative so as to support India in becoming a base of economic growth
for the Indo-Pacific region and ultimately for the world.
On the UN security council reforms, the Japanese Foreign Minister said
that both India and Japan have the ability to take the responsibilities
of the permanent members of security council and they along with other
G4 countries should work together to seek support of the international
community.
Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said the ties between the two
nations can make the Indo-Pacific region an epicentre of global
prosperity.
In an address at the Indian Council of World Affairs, Kishida said
having "open and stable seas" was key to economic prosperity in the
region and recalled Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's proposal of "three
principles of the rule of law at sea" including not using "force or
coercion" in trying to drive claims.
He said Japan was prepared to provide "robust" contribution and
cooperation to enhance connectivity in the region and link it with
neighbouring SAARC and ASEAN countries.
Noting that connectivity between South Asia and South-East Asia through
both sea and land routes was key to realising vast economic potential of
the region, he said "Japan intends to support the construction of an
energy network within the SAARC region".
He said the 'Japan-India Investment Promotion Partnership' agreed to at
the summit meeting during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Tokyo
in September last year seeks synergies between "Abenomics and
Modinomics".
RBY@17/01
Nation remembers Lala Lajpat Rai on his 150th birth anniversary
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 Updated on : 28-01-2015 03:00 PM
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Today is the 150th birth anniversary of Lala Lajpat Rai, popularly known as Punjab Kesari.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has saluted Punjab Kesari Lala Lajpat Rai, on his birth anniversary.
In his message, the Prime Minister said that Punjab Kesari Lala Lajpat Rai was a unique personality who was ahead of his time.
Union Ministers and other dignitaries paid tribute to the Punjab Kesari at the central hall of the Parliament.
BJP
Senior leader L K Advani and Union Ministers including Arun Jately,
Venkaiyah Naidu, MoS PMO Dr. Jitendra Singh and other BJP leaders
offered flowers before his statue.
Popularly known as Punjab Kesari, Lala Lajpat Rai was born on 28 January 1865 in Jagraon town of Ludhiana district.
The session of the Indian National Congress at Allahabad in December 1888 marked the beginning of his political career.
At the next session of Congress at Bombay in 1889 he spoke in support of Tilak's amendment.
The year 1905 was important for the emergence of a new leadership in the
Indian National Congress of Lal-Bal-Pal, as they were popularly known.
The partition of Bengal in 1905 aroused their stout nationalism.
The repressive measures of the British colonial Government against the
growing nationalist movement inspired them to infuse national pride and
self-respect among people.
Lalaji emerged as the undisputed leader of this new spirit.
Lalaji presided over the first session of the All India Trade Union Congress in 1920.
Lalaji also went to Geneva to attend the eighth International Labour
Conference in 1926 as a representative of Indian labour community.
Lalaji had an opportunity to watch the labour movement in the USA and
England where he was required to prolong his stay for political reasons.
Lalaji was not only a good orator but also a prolific and versatile writer.
His journal Arya Gazette concentrated mainly on the subjects related to the Arya Samaj.
Lalaji founded the Servants of the People Society, which worked for the
freedom movement as well as for social reform movement in the country.
Following the footsteps of revolutionaries who were always ready to make
their supreme sacrifice for the sake of India's independence movement,
Lalaji led a procession to demonstrate against the Simon Commission.
Lalaji was made the target of a brutal lathi charge in which he was injured badly.
A meeting was held the same evening at which Lalaji, wounded and aching,
spoke with such vigour that his words, 'Every blow aimed at me is a
nail in the coffin of British imperialism', became historic.
Though he recovered from the fever and pain within three days, his
health continued to deteriorate and on 17 November 1928, Lalaji passed
away.
(MM - 28/01)
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Having
won Greece’s general election on Sunday, Alexis Tsipras, now the
country's youngest prime minister in 150 years, aspires to restore
Greece's dignity.
The 40-year-old new Premier is armed with an intense zeal to rid his
country of the austerity policies, which, going by his party, have
caused a "humanitarian crisis" in Greece.
While formally receiving his mandate to form the government, Tsipras was
quoted telling the President Karolos Papoulias, "It would be good to
speed up the procedure because we have an uphill road ahead."
From the very get- go, Tsipras’ emphasis on symbolism became manifest.
The first thing Tsipras did following his investiture, was to lay
flowers at the Kaisariani shooting range in Athens, the site of the
execution of dozens of Greek leftists at the hands of German occupation
troops in 1944.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that Unity in Diversity is our strength and inspiration.
Addressing
the NCC cadets at the culmination parade of NCC's Republic day camp in
New Delhi, Prime Minister said that NCC represents a mini India.
The Prime Minister inspected a guard of hopnour presented by the NCC
cadets from all three wings of the armed forces, Army, Navy and Air
Force.
NCC cadets from various states participated in the march-past.
Defence Minister Manohar Parikkar, and officials from all three wings of the armed forces were present at the ceremony.
Calling Swachh Bharat an initiative, Prime Minister Modi said that its a collective effort towards making clean India.
Prime Minister said that Yoga has an important place in our lives,
therefore, its our responsibility to take it to every part of the world.
Prime Minister Modi said that country's future lies in the hands of
youth and we are lucky to have 65 per cent of our population below the
age of 35.
NCC cadets performed dare devil acts showcased their capability to
tackle challenging situations. NCC cadets also presented cultural
programmes.
Before addressing the cadets, Prime Minister Modi tweeted his photograph of his association with NCC during school time.
NCC is a voluntary service organisation of armed forces to help students
learn skills, attitude and aptitude for national service and security.
(AKS-28/01)
Tributes paid to Col. M N Rai today, who was martyred in a fierce
gunbattle with militants in Pulwama district of Jammu & Kashmir on
Tuesday.
Colonel Rai was leading the operation when he came under fire.
The fire fight, in which both militants were killed, also led to the death of head constable on the spot.
Both the militants were also killed in the encounter.
Lieutenant General Subrata Saha today paid tribute to martyred M.N. Rai.
Saha appreciated Rai's courage saying that Rai was always in the frontline leading his men to deliver exceedingly well.
SC grants bail to Janardhan Reddy in illegal mining case
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 Updated on : 26-01-2015 05:07 PM
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The
Supreme Court on Tuesday granted bail to mining baron and former
Karnataka Minister Gali Janardhan Reddy, who is an accused in the
illegal mining case involving his Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC).
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The apex court granted bail after CBI submitted that the investigation
in the case involving Reddy is complete and both the chargesheet as well
as the supplementary chargesheet have been filed.
Taking on record the submission of the agency, a bench headed by Chief
Justice H L Dattu said, "Since investigating agency has no objection in
granting bail, we are granting bail to the petitioner (Reddy)."
The bench also comprising justices A K Sikri and Arun Mishra also noted
the submission of Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh and
Reddy's counsel Dushyant Dave that he has been in jail for around four
years.
While granting bail, the bench imposed certain conditions including that
Reddy will be released from jail on furnishing two sureties of Rs 10
lakh each and that he shall not leave the country without the permission
of the court while directing him to surrender his passport.
The bench further said that he should not in any way try to influence the witnesses or tamper with evidence.
Reddy had moved the apex court in 2013 challenging the High Court's
decision to reject his bail petition. He is facing several criminal
cases and was lodged in a jail in Andhra Pradesh. He was arrested in
2011.
Janardhan Reddy and his brother-in-law B V Srinivas Reddy, Managing
Director of OMC, were arrested by CBI on 5th September 2011 from Bellary
in Karnataka and brought to Hyderabad.
In the OMC case, the company is accused of changing mining lease
boundary markings and indulging in illegal mining in the Bellary Reserve
Forest area, spread over Bellary in Karnataka and Anantapur district of
Andhra Pradesh.
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Electioneering for Delhi Assembly elections is developing into a
slugfest between the contestants even Election Commission has once again
reprimanded AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal for violation of Model Code of
Conduct.
The Election Commission has warned him to stop making statements
telling voters to take bribes from other parties but vote for AAP.
The Election Commission has also warned him of stern action if the violation continues.
Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal is a man embattled in his bid for the Delhi Chief Minister's chair a second time around.
KIRAN BEDI SENDS LEGAL NOTICE TO AAP CHIEF FOR USING HER PHOTOS
Meanwhile, BJP's Chief Ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi has sent him a
legal notice for using her image in his party's posters in a bad light.
With Delhi's election scene heating up, political parties are now using the legal recourse to corner each other.
BJP's chief ministerial nominee Kiran Bedi on Tuesday sent a legal
notice to AAP chief ministerial candidate Arvind Kejriwal for using her
photograph in the party's poster campaign without her permission.
BJP is now demanding the election commission to withdraw Kejriwal's candidature.
AAP has recently put up posters on numerous auto-rickshaws plying in the
national capital, asking the people of Delhi to choose between Kejriwal
and Bedi for the post of chief minister with captions that the BJP
found objectionable.
However, AAP is not taking the notice seriously.
On the other hand, BJP chief ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi raked up
controversy using U.S. President Barack Obama's name in one of her
election campaigns.
The opposition has termed it as violation of the model code of conduct.
But the BJP has countered the allegation saying the opposition is petrified of Bedi's popularity.
Meanwhile, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi entered Delhi's
political battlefield on Tuesday with a roadshow in the national capital
seeking votes for his party's candidates.
(MM – 28/01)
New anti-radiation drug can allay exposure upshots
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 Updated on : 27-01-2015 01:22 PM
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In
a latest observation by scientists, a new drug that has been
synthesized to protect mice days after exposure to radiation, may one
day be able to treat side effects of cancer therapy or protect
astronauts from detrimental cosmic rays.
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Gabor Tigyi from the University of Tennessee Health Science Centre,
along with colleagues, has spent the last 10 years exploring the
potential of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), a naturally occurring
signalling molecule that apparently gives cells a better chance against
radiation exposure.
Tigyi told the press that the LPA has been found to be capable of buying
the cell more time to refurbish its DNA through a mechanism that as of
now remains unclear.
The researchers had previously developed a drug that interacts with LPA
receptors on cells to abate the effects of radiation sickness in the
bone marrow and the digestive tract - two of the areas most commonly
marred in the radiation exposure.
The drug, however, was found not potent enough to be medically useful.
They have now used a computer model to delicately tweak the drug's
molecular structure and create DBIBB, a new drug that should be much
more potent, 'New Scientist' reported.
A team comprising Tigyi and his colleagues had started off exploring
whether DBIBB could help mice exposed to radiation doses of upto 15.7
grays.
In absence of treatment, 12 of the 14 mice died two weeks after exposure.
On the other hand, after prompt treatment with DBIBB, begun 26 hours
after exposure, 13 of the 14 mice were still alive two weeks later.
The researchers then ran tests to observe the impact of radiation if the
mice were not given the DBIBB until 72 hours after exposure upto 8.5
grays.
A month later, 12 of the 15 untreated mice had died but 14 of the 15
mice that had received delayed DBIBB therapy were still alive.
Tigyi said that he hopes that the drug would be more generally used to
treat side effects of radiation in cancer therapy or to protect
astronauts on their journeys to Mars and beyond.
(SB 27.1)
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S Jaishankar, India's Ambassador to the US, was appointed as the
Foreign Secretary, replacing Sujatha Singh, who has in effect been
sacked.
A 1977-batch IFS officer, Jaishankar, who had only two days to go for
his retirement, will take over on Thursday and will have a two-year
tenure as per the rules. Before being appointed as the top envoy to the US last year, Jaishankar was India's Ambassador to China. The
decision to appoint Jaishankar, who played a key role during Prime
Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US in September and US President
Barack Obama's just concluded visit here, was taken by the Appointments
Committee of the Cabinet(ACC). The ACC is chaired by Modi.
A terse official statement issued late night said the tenure of Singh,
who took over as the third woman Foreign Secretary in August, 2013, has
been "curtailed" with immediate effect.
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