(April 2015)

PM to dedicate modernised and expanded units of RSP

Updated on : 01-04-2015 01:12 PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate to the nation the modernised and expanded units of Rourkela Steel Plant in Odisha today.

The new and modernised facilities of the SAIL plant has been completed at an investment of 12,000 crore rupees. This will be the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first visit to Odisha since assuming office. Under this current modernisation and expansion programme at SAIL, the steel plant has operationalised the new integrated steel making facilities. This is Rourkela Steel Plant's second modernisation work. The Prime Minister will also address a public meeting in Rourkela. (MK-01/04) Russia says it could cut its greenhouse-gas emissions by 30% Updated on : 01-04-2015 10:38 AM Russia, moving ahead of a deadline for submitting pledges to tackle climate change has said it could cut its greenhouse-gas emissions by up to 30 per cent compared to 1990 levels, subject to conditions. In a roster of commitments on the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change website, Russia on Tuesday announced that limiting man-made greenhouse gases in Russia to 70-75 per cent of 1990 levels by the year 2030 might be a long-term indicator. But, it said, Russia's final decision on the commitment will depend on the outcome of the negotiating process and on the commitments by major emitters of greenhouse gases. March 31 was a rough deadline for the 195 countries in the UNFCCC process to submit the intended nationally determined contributions. The intended pact to tackle greenhouse gases would be sealed in Paris this December and take effect from 2020. (MK-01/04) Iran nuke talks to continue in new phase Updated on : 31-03-2015 06:55 PM Wrapping up six days of marathon nuclear talks with mixed results, Iran and six world powers prepared on Tuesday to issue a general statement agreeing to continue negotiations in a new phase. The talks are aimed at reaching a comprehensive accord by the end of June. According to officials the joint statement is to be accompanied by additional documents that outline more detailed understandings, allowing the sides to claim enough progress has been made thus far to merit a new round. @BJ-31.03 Saina Nehwal, K Srikant win Indian Open Super Series Updated on : 30-03-2015 10:26 AM Saina Nehwal has lifted the Singles crown of the India Open Super Series Badminton tournament while Kidambi Srikanth won the men's singles title at the India Open Super Series on Sunday. In the final at the Siri Fort Indoor Complex in New Delhi on Sunday, she defeated Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand in straight games 21-16, 21-14. The girl from Hyderabad, who has been on a roll ever since her victory at the China Open, played like a champion as she anticipated her opponent's moves and caught her on the wrong foot during rallies. Intanon, seeded third, seemed to be affected by her marathon semifinal match against Carolina Marin of Spain which lasted for close to an hour and and half on Saturday. The energy-sapping clash seemed to have made her movements slow on the court as she struggled with her returns. Harvir Singh Nehwal, Saina's father was very happy at his daughter's achievement. Kidambi Srikanth brought more joy to the Indian camp after Saina Nehwal's victory when he won the men's singles title at the India Open Super Series. He beat Denmark's Viktor Axelsen 18-21, 21-13, 21-12 to win his maiden India Open Super Series title. The World No.4 defeated China's Xue Song 21-16, 21-13 in 42 minutes to enter the summit clash. (AKS-29/03) PM launches 'Mudra Bank' to finance small entrepreneurs Updated on : 09-04-2015 10:14 AM More than 5.77 crore micro and small businesses across the country have virtually no access to the organised financial system. Well..that is set to change with Prime Minister Narendra Modi launching the Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency or MUDRA Yojana. It will provide money to "last mile financiers" to fund micro and small business ranging from 50,000 to 10 lakh rupees at lower interest rates. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the MUDRA Bank at a function at Vigyan Bhavan in the national capital on Wednesday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the scope of employment generation through small and micro entreprises in India is enormous. He said this paved way for the government for the creation of Mudra to enhance the job growth. Speaking at the launch of the MUDRA, PM Narendra Modi said that it is a step in the direction of funding the unfunded. He added that capital for a poor man is his honesty. The idea of the bank lays its origin in his Budget Speech for Financial Year 2015-16, when the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley proposed the creation of Mudra Bank. The bank will have a corpus of Rs.20,000 crore, and credit guarantee corpus of Rs.3,000 crore. The MUDRA Bank would primarily be responsible for - 1) Laying down policy guidelines for micro/small enterprise financing business 2) Registration of MFI entities 3) Regulation of MFI entities 4) Accreditation /rating of MFI entities 5) Laying down responsible financing practices to ward off indebtedness and ensure proper client protection principles and methods of recovery 6) Development of rules governing last mile lending to micro/small enterprises 7) Promoting right technology solutions for the last mile 8) Formulating and running a Credit Guarantee scheme for providing guarantees to the loans which are being extended to micro enterprises 9) Creating a good architecture of Last Mile Credit Delivery to micro businesses under the scheme of Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana According to the NSSO survey of 2013, there are 5.77 crore small business units, mostly individual proprietorships, which run small manufacturing, trading or services activities. Only 4% of such units get institutional finance. The setting up of mudra bank would not only help in increasing access of finance to the unbanked but also bring down the cost of finance from the last Mile Financers to the micro/small enterprises, most of which are in the informal sector. (AKS-08/04) SAARC health ministers pledge to eradicate polio from the region Updated on : 09-04-2015 10:13 AM SAARC health ministers have pledged to eradicate Polio from then region. The fifth meeting of SAARC health Ministers was held in New Delhi on Wednesday which was chaired by Health Minister J P Nadda. The ministers also expressed commitment to make region HIV AIDS free by the year 2030. Other issues like prevention of communicable and non-communicable diseases, and strengthening collaboration among the nations were also discussed during the meeting. SAARC countries comprising Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka account for nearly a quarter of the world population. Later, the Health Ministers of SAARC nations called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Ministers apprised the Prime Minister of the deliberations during their meeting, including their intent to make the entire SAARC region polio-free. The Prime Minister stressed the need for collection and sharing of best practices and vision in the fields of modern medical science and healthcare. He also suggested a joint visit of places of research being done at grassroots level in this regard, in SAARC countries. The Ministers mentioned that changing the lives of the people of the SAARC region required a focus on health and education sectors, with a multi-sectoral approach. They praised the Prime Minister's initiative towards the adoption of June 21 as International Yoga Day by the United Nations. They said Yoga could be an effective means of preventive healthcare. @BJ-08.04 PM wants RBI to prepare 20-yr road map for fin inclusion Updated on : 02-04-2015 02:33 PM PM Narendra Modi on Thursday asked the Reserve Bank to prepare a 20-year road map for financial inclusion and nudged banks to be considerate in giving loans to the poor as also while making recoveries from them, especially farmers. "RBI will be completing 100 years in 2035...it will be appropriate for the central bank to work on the theme of financial inclusion and prepare a road map for achieving it," he said while addressing a function to mark the 80th anniversary of the Reserve Bank of India in Mumbai on Thursday. The other milestones for achieving financial inclusion could be 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi in 2019, 75th year of Independence in 2022, 90th anniversary of RBI in 2025 and 100 years of RBI in 2035, the Prime Minister said. "These are four important dates...we can create a road map for financial inclusion," he said, adding that the financial inclusion should not remain a government programme but should become "an article of faith". Expressing concern of farmers' suicides and the plight of the poor people in the country, Modi asked the bankers to be considerate in providing financial assistance to poor. Farmers' plight should, he added, shake up the conscience of the banking sector. "Our farmers commit suicide. The pain of this should not only be restricted to newspapers and TV screens. When farmer dies, does it shake the heart of banking sector? Because of taking loan from money lender, he has to face death," Modi said. The Prime Minister also called upon the bankers to extend credit to resource rich eastern states. (DD-2.4) President presents Padma awards Updated on : 08-04-2015 04:03 PM President Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday conferred Padma Vibhushan on Amitabh Bachchan, Prof. Malur Ramaswamy Srinivasan, senior Supreme Court advocate Kottayam K. Venugopal and few others. Renowned Assamese Filmmaker Jahnu Barua, professor Manjul Bhargava, computer scientist Vijay Bhatkar, Swami Satyamitran and Giri and few others were given the Padma Bhushan, during the civil investiture ceremony held at the majestic Durbar Hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan. The President conferred Padma Shri on S Arunan, Dr. Bettina Sharada Baumer, Ashok Bhagwat, Prof Jacques Blamont, Prof Dr. Lakshmi Nandan Bora and few others. Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal were among the prominent dignitaries present during the event. The Padma awards were announced on the eve of Republic Day this year. It included nine Padma Vibhushan, 20 Padma Bhushan and 75 Padma Shri. @BJ-08.04 PM reaches Paris on a 9-day tour of France, Germany and Canada Updated on : 10-04-2015 09:42 AM Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in France on the first leg of his three-nation tour during which he will hold talks with French President Francois Hollande and meet business leaders. After France, he will visit Germany and then cross the Atlantic to visit Canada extending his link west policy for the first time to all these three countries after his assuming office. His tour will cover a wide range of priorities with these countries focusing on trade, make in India, seeking investments and cooperation in fields from energy to security. More in this report. After strengthening ties with numerous countries under his act East Policy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a three-nation tour to France, Germany and Canda on Thursday to give a new definiation to his link-west policy. It is hoped that this tour will not only reinforce and strengthen India's ties with these nations but will also set milestone for India's growth trajectory. PM ON THREE NATION VISIT PM Modi tweeted his expectations from exuding optimism. My France, Germany & Canada visit is centred around supporting India's economic agenda & creating jobs for our youth. In the first leg of his three-nation visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit France where he lands on the 9th of April. EXPECTATIONS FROM LINK-WEST TOUR It is one of the world's leading economies, with a very sophisticated high technology sector. France has been a consistent supporter of India's Membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group. Apart from defence, nuclear and space, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to discuss smart city and Railways sector. After the historic 'chai pe Charcha' with President Barak Obama it is now the turn of 'naav pe charcha' a boat ride Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Francois Hollande will take together on River Seine. In the second leg of his three-nation visit Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reach Germany on 12th of April. Apart from holding bilateral talks global economic ties will also be discussed on priority. Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with German Chancellor Angela Merkel will inaugurate Hannover Industrial Trade Fair where CEOs of 120 Indian companies and 400 Indian companies will participate. European Union is not only the largest economic grouping in the world but is also India largest economic partner. Germany is the economic leader in the EU and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are likely to discuss Germany's support in expanding exports from India to the European Union and attracting high level of investments from there. In the third and the last leg of his three-nation visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Canada where he will be hosted by Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Soon after Independence, Canada was one of India's most important developing partners and the economic ties between both the countries are expected to reach new heights. More than 12 lakh citizens of Indian origin reside in canada, who have immensely contributed in the country's politics, education and economy. Prime Minister would reach out to the Indian community in Toronto and Vancouver the same way he addressed Indians in Australia and America. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will return to India on 18th of April. The week long tour will bring India and the three countries much closer in many fields. It is also hoped that the link west thrive will open a vista of opportunities for Make in India. (BJ/AKS-09/04) SAARC health ministers pledge to eradicate polio from the region Updated on : 09-04-2015 01:03 PM SAARC health ministers have pledged to eradicate Polio from then region. The fifth meeting of SAARC health Ministers was held in New Delhi on Wednesday which was chaired by Health Minister J P Nadda. The ministers also expressed commitment to make region HIV AIDS free by the year 2030. Other issues like prevention of communicable and non-communicable diseases, and strengthening collaboration among the nations were also discussed during the meeting. SAARC countries comprising Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka account for nearly a quarter of the world population. Later, the Health Ministers of SAARC nations called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Ministers apprised the Prime Minister of the deliberations during their meeting, including their intent to make the entire SAARC region polio-free. The Prime Minister stressed the need for collection and sharing of best practices and vision in the fields of modern medical science and healthcare. He also suggested a joint visit of places of research being done at grassroots level in this regard, in SAARC countries. The Ministers mentioned that changing the lives of the people of the SAARC region required a focus on health and education sectors, with a multi-sectoral approach. They praised the Prime Minister's initiative towards the adoption of June 21 as International Yoga Day by the United Nations. They said Yoga could be an effective means of preventive healthcare. @BJ-08.04 J&K: PDP-BJP differ over settlement for Pandits Updated on : 10-04-2015 12:03 AM Alliance partners in Jammu and Kashmir, BJP and PDP spoke in different voices on Thursday over creation of separate townships for Kashmiri Pandits in the state. While Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed ruled out possibility of any such settlement. Union Home Minister hinted at carrying the plan forward. Referring to his meeting with the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Mufti said that he had made clear to the home minister that the Kashmiri pandits cannot live separately. Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh hinted that there was no going back on the plans for composite townships for Kashmiri Pandits in the valley while Union Minister Jitendra Singh reiterated the government's commitment to ensure the safe and respectable return of Kashmiri Pandits in the state. The opposition too had differing opinions over the issue. While, the National Conference opposed the view of separate settlements. Congress believed that the decision should be left to the Kashmiri Pandits. After Mufti Mohd Sayeed's meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh in Delhi on Tuesday, an official statement was issued saying that the Chief Minister had assured of acquiring and providing land for creating composite townships for displaced Kashmiri Pandits. Major opposition political parties and separatists groups in Jammu and Kashmir had slammed the move, saying it will divide the people and pose security risks. Nearly 62,000 displaced Kashmiri Pandits families are in Jammu, Delhi and other parts of the country. They had migrated out of the Valley after militancy broke out in late 1989. (AKS-09/04) India successfully test-fires nuclear weapons-capable Dhanush missile Updated on : 09-04-2015 08:04 PM India successfully test-fired nuclear weapons-capable Dhanush missile from a ship, off the Odisha coast on Thursday. The ship-based missile was launched at 11.02 a.m. by personnel of the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) from an Offshore Patrolling Vessel (OPV), which was deep inside the sea, for its full range of 350 km, according to Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) missile scientists. Dhanush, a manoeuvring missile is a naval variant of Prithvi-II, and can carry a nuclear payload of 500 kg. (AKS-09/04) India and Germany unveil a joint statement in Berlin Updated on : 15-04-2015 11:40 AM Before concluding his visit to Germany on Tuesday Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin and hoped of a strong partnership between the King of the Earth – Lion and King of the Skies- the Eagle, referring India and Germany respectively. He said that India has decided to set up a mechanism to promote German investments in India and sought Germany's support for India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spelt out the outcome of his visit that was high both on symbolism and in substance in a Joint statement. Hoping that both countries would be successful in taking the strategic partnership between India and Germany to new heights, he spelt out why India and Germany are natural partners in taking the Make in India initiative forward. He added that whenever anyone in India talks about technology, manufacturing or high quality, Germany is the first country that comes to the mind. So, it is natural that when India has embarked on a new journey for 'Make in India' for economic development and employment, we look forward to Germany's strong partnership. The two leaders held extensive consultations at the working lunch hosted by Chancellor Merkel before the Joint statement. The Prime minister gifted Merkel a compilation of manuscripts and papers of Sir CV Raman who received the Nobel Prize in physics in 1930. Sir Raman has a strong connection with Germany. German physicist Hermann von Helmholtz whom he called Isaac Newton of his times was a major inspiration for him to pursue science as a career . The Two scientists who nominated Raman for the Nobel Prize were also German. The terms Raman Effect and Raman Spectrum were also coined in 1928 by a German physics professor. Another interesting German connect is the fact that chancellor Merkel is a physicist who holds a doctorate in Quantum Chemistry, an area in which sir Raman worked extensively. With modernising Indian railways high on PM Modi's agenda, he took a tour of the hoppenhoff station in Berlin before his departure for Canada. The Germany leg of PM's visit has laid out the roadmap for a special partnership between India. RBY@14/04 Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar’s 124th birth anniversary was being observed on Tuesday Updated on : 16-04-2015 01:11 PM The Nation observes 124th birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar on Tuesday. The Nation is observing the 124rd birth anniversary of architect of India's Constitution, Dr. BR Ambedkar. Rich tributes were paid to the architect of Indian Constitution Dr. Ambedkar in Parliament complex. President Pranab Mukherjee led the nation in paying floral tributes to the Bharat Ratna Dr. B R Ambedkar on his birth anniversary. Social justice and social equality for all had been the centerpiece of Ambedkar's politics and reforms agenda and he believed that they had to precede any form of political freedom. Throughout his life he worked for the upliftment of dalits and tribals and campaigned against social discrimination. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a three-nation visit, also paid tribute to the great leader. (MM – 14/04) India- South Korea defence cooperation Updated on : 16-04-2015 04:10 PM Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar arrived in Seoul on his first official visit to South Korea on Thursday. The Minister is accompanied by the Defence Secretary and senior Indian military and civilian officials from the Ministry of Defence and an Indian Defence industry delegation. During this three-day visit to Republic of Korea, the Defence Minister will co-chair the India-Republic of Korea Defence Ministerial meeting with his Korean counterpart General Han Min-Koo on 17 April. They will hold extensive discussions on the entire gamut of the bilateral defence relationship and regional and global issues of mutual interest and will in particular identify ways to upgrade the Defence relationship. The Defence Minister will also meet the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Choi Yun-hee, Minister Chang Myoung-Jin of the Korean Defence Acquisition Program Administration and National Security Adviser, Kim Kwan-Jin. (MM – 16/04) Modi gets Canadian uranium for India Updated on : 16-04-2015 03:15 PM Canada will now supply Uranium to India for its Nuclear Power Plants as the Cameco Corporation will supply 3,000 metric tonnes of uranium over five years to India at an estimated cost of 254 million USD and the supply will start from this year. Canada is the third country to supply uranium to India after Russia and Kazakhstan. The supplies will be under the International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced resumption of supply of fuel to India and declared their common intent to tackle the challenge of global terror. The signing of agreements announced a new chapter in Indo-Canadian relationship as the two countries left behind the past and rose to the occasion and announced the nuclear deal. Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Canada has what India Needs and announced his countries decision to resume supply to India. On his part, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the deal represents the confidence that the two countries share. PM Modi also spoke on the urgent need to tackle the menace of terror together and underlined the importance of coordinated approach to tackle this global challenge. Canada used to supply Uranium to India prior to 1970, but stopped it after pokhran tests. Now, with signing of the agreements, signals a new era in the bilateral relations between the two countries. Prime Minister Stephen Harper said that this visit indicates the strong friendship between Canada and India. Harper spoke of the growing relationship between the two countries especially the enormous trade potential. (MM – 16/04) Junk food consumption leads to diseases Updated on : 15-04-2015 01:05 PM Junk food is taking a toll on people's lives these days and with changing lifestyle people tend to prefer it more. A programme in the capital was organised to raise awareness about the harmful effects of junk food. In today's fast paced lifestyle, junk food has entered the diet of not only people in urban areas but in villages too consumption of junk food is rising. A programme involving health experts and consumer rights activists was organised in New Delhi on harmful effects of junk food. The experts blamed misleading advertising for the increase in consumption of junk food. Daily consumption of junk food can affect health and lead to various diseases. Panel discussions on the topic "Junk Food & Health - A Wake Up Call" was organised by Consumers India and it highlighted the view point of consumers. Junk food is high in carbohydrates, fat and sugar content. It usually includes fried food like burger, chips, pizza, chocolates among others. The number of obese patients has grown significantly in the last ten years due to junk food. (MM – 15/04) India remain No. 2 in ICC ODI rankings Updated on : 15-04-2015 06:03 PM India remains at number 2 in latest ODI rankings list after finishing as semi-finalists in the recently-concluded ICC Cricket World Cup as Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan and Mahendra Singh Dhoni figure in the top-10 table. The Indian team has retained its second position in the One-day International rankings list after finishing as semifinalists in the recently-concluded ICC Cricket World Cup. With 116 points, India is placed just six points behind world champions Australia, who have garnered 122 rating points to their credit. India are followed by South Africa , Sri Lanka , New Zealand , England. Meanwhile, three Indian batsmen Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan and Mahendra Singh Dhoni figure in the top-10 table for ODI batsmen. While Kohli continues to be the highest ranked Indian batsmen at number four position, Dhawan is at No.6 followed by skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni at the eighth spot in the chart. The chart is headed by South Africa's A B de Villiers. Unfortunately, none of the Indians could earn a place in the top-10 bowlers' list. Australia's Mitchell, Starc tops the bowling chart. (MM – 15/04) Obama to take Cuba off US terror list Updated on : 15-04-2015 02:05 PM The United States will remove Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. The move comes amid a normalisation of relations between the US and Cuba. Cuba's presence on the list alongside Syria, Iran and Sudan was a sticking point for it during talks to reopen embassies. (MM – 15/04)  Pakistan Court orders immediate release of Lakhvi Updated on : 10-04-2015 11:58 AM The Lahore High Court on Thursday dismissed the Punjab government's detention order against LeT commander and the prime accused, Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks case and ordered his immediate release. Lakhvi was in detention under a government order since the 18th of December after a Pakistani anti-terrorism court had granted him bail. Lakhvi had challenged the 14th of March order of the Punjab government to detain him for 30 days. The Punjab government had previously maintained the stance that Lakhvi has been detained based on sensitive information provided by intelligence agencies. However, despite the High court's order of immediate release, Lakhvi could not be released as the jail authorities have not received the release order so far. Meanwhile, In a sharp reaction to Lakhvi's release order, India said this "eroded" the value of assurances repeatedly conveyed to it by Pakistan on cross- border terrorism. (MM – 10/04) WPI inflation drops Updated on : 15-04-2015 05:34 PM Wholesale Price Index inflation dips to record low of (-) 2.33% in March as food and fuel products get cheaper. Wholesale prices declined for the fifth month in a row in March, taking inflation to its lowest in the current data series that started in 2005 and raising prospects of a cut in interest rates despite a moderate rise in retail inflation in the month. Wholesale inflation drops to 2.33 per cent in March, from 2.06 per cent in February. (MM – 15/04) Satyam scam: Ramalinga Raju sentenced to 7 years rigorous imprisonment Updated on : 11-04-2015 11:29 AM A Special court on Thursday has sentenced to all ten accused in Satyam accounting fraud case to seven years of rigorous imprisonment. Satyam founder B Ramalinga Raju and his brother B Rama Raju were fined Rs five crore each by special court. Eight others accused in Satyam case were fined varying amounts up to Rs 25 lakh by special court. Touted as the country's biggest accounting fraud, the scam had come to light on 7th January, 2009, after the firm's founder and then Chairman B Ramalinga Raju confessed to manipulating his company's account books and inflating profits over many years to the tune of crores of rupees. @NZ-09/04 Laureus Sports Awards 2015 announced Updated on : 16-04-2015 03:59 PM Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic won the sportsman of the year award and Gen-ze-be Dibaba has been awarded the women's title at the Laureus Sports Awards on Wednesday while Germany's World Cup-winning squad received the best team award. Novak Djokovic has been named the Laureus Sportsman of the Year. Djokovic defeated Roger Federer in the Wimbledon final to win his seventh Grand Slam title and supplant Rafael Nadal as No. 1 in the world. The Sportswoman of the Year award went to Ethiopia's Genzebe Dibaba who has set three world records over the last 14 months in the 1,500-metre, 3,000-metre and 5,000-metre indoor events. Germany's national soccer team was named the Laureus Team of the Year and the world champions' team manager, Oliver Bierhoff received the award. Formula One driver Daniel Ricciardo was named the winner of the Laureus Breakthrough of the Year award. The Australian is in Bahrain preparing for Sunday's (April 19) Grand Prix race and sent a video message thanking the Laureus Academy. Two-times grand slam champion and retired tennis player Li Na received the Laureus Exceptional Achievement award. (MM – 16/04) Saina Nehwal regains No.1 ranking Updated on : 16-04-2015 04:17 PM Ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal has regained the number one position in international rankings after China's Li Xuerui dropped a couple of rungs to third in the latest list issued on Thursday. Saina, the first Indian woman shuttler to be world number one after her India Open Grand Prix Gold triumph earlier in April, had dropped to the second spot following her semifinal finish in the Malaysia Open Super Series. In the men's rankings, K Srikanth has retained the fourth spot, while P Kashyap has risen a rung to 14th owing to his semifinal finish in the Singapore Open. (MM – 16/04) Sania seals historic world no. 1 rank with Charleston title Updated on : 15-04-2015 06:03 PM Sania Mirza on Sunday created history by becoming the first female tennis player from India to achieve the world number one rank in doubles, following her stupendous title win at the WTA Family Circle Cup with partner Martina Hingis, at Charleston (USA). The top-seeded Indo-Swiss pair blew away the challenge of Casey Dellacqua and Darija Jurak 6-0 6-4 in just 57 minutes in the lop-sided final of the USD 731,000 clay court event. Sania took 470 points from the win to take her tally to 7965 as she jumped past Italy's Sara Errani (7640) and Roberta Vinci (7640) to sit atop the ranking table. Before Sania, only Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhuapthi had achieved the top rank when they dominated men's doubles circuit in the last 90s. Sania is also first female player from the country to win Grand Slam tournaments. It is Sania's third successive title win with Hingis and they have not lost as a single match since joining forces in March. They won trophy in Indian Wells, which was their first tournament together and followed up that with win in Miami. Sania and Hingis have lost only three sets in 14 matches, spread over three tournaments. They have already become the world number one team in the Race to Singapore, the season-finale, where top-8 team compete at the end of year. Sania and Hingis strolled past their rivals as they bageled them in just 22 minute to take the opening set. They lost serve in the first game of the second set but broke back immediately. If the unseeded Australian-Croatian pair had any chance to make a comeback, it was by cashing in on chances and they did not help their cause by squandering two break opportunities in the fifth game of the second set as the winners opened up a huge 4-1 lead. Casey and Darija though kept fighting and gradually reduced the margin. Serving for the match, Sania and Hingis were broken, perhaps the enormity of the achievement made the Indian nervous. They kept their nerves and broke their opponents for one final time in the 10th game to close the match in their favour. (DD-12.4) Jitu Rai wins bronze medal at ISSF world cup Updated on : 12-04-2015 07:15 PM Ace India shooter Jitu Rai fired his way to win a bronze medal in the 10m air pistol event at the ongoing ISSF World Cup in Changwon, Korea. Jitu Rai scored 181.1 points in the final, but missed out on the gold medal shoot-out by 0.4 points. Jitu Rai had won India's first quota for the Rio 2016 Games when he finished second in the 50 metre Free Pistol event at the World Championships in Granada, Spain, last year. (AKS-12/04) Obama writes profile for Modi in Time's most influential list Updated on : 18-04-2015 09:36 AM US President Barak Obama showers unprecedented praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling him India's reformer-in-chief. In an article in world renowned magazine TIME, Obama has said PM Modi has laid out a grand plan to reduce poverty, improve education, empower women and unleash India's true economic potential. The magazine has named Prime Minister Modi among the 100 most influential people in the world, and the profile of PM Modi has been written by non other than the US President, who describes how Prime Minister Modi, like India, transcends the ancient and the modern-a devotee of yoga who connects with Indian citizens on Twitter and imagines a 'digital India.' He says his rise from poverty to Prime Minister reflects the dynamism and potential of India's rise. The title says it all :Narendra Modi by Barack Obama. Time Magazine included Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the list of 100 most influential people, but PM Modi's credentials were further cemented by this article penned by the US President. In an article titled 'India's reformer-in-chief', he has described Modi's life story "from poverty to Prime Minister" as one that reflects the dynamism and potential of India's rise. It signifies the warmth in their personal friendship which has grown with each passing day. Obama has described Modi's life story "from poverty to Prime Minister" as one that reflects the dynamism and potential of India's rise. "Today, he's the leader of the world's largest democracy, and his life storyfrom poverty to Prime Ministerreflects the dynamism and potential of India's rise," Obama said. "Determined to help more Indians follow in his path, hes laid out an ambitious vision to reduce extreme poverty, improve education, empower women and girls and unleash India's true economic potential while confronting climate change. "Like India, he transcends the ancient and the moderna devotee of yoga who connects with Indian citizens on Twitter and imagines a 'digital India'," the US President wrote. Obama recalled Modi's visit to Washington last year when both the leaders visited the memorial to Dr Martin Luther King Junior, an American civil rights activist. "We reflected on the teachings of King and Gandhi and how the diversity of backgrounds and faiths in our countries is a strength we have to protect. Prime Minister Modi recognises that more than 1 billion Indians living and succeeding together can be an inspiring model for the world," Obama said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked Barack Obama for writing the profile on him in Time magazine, terming the US President's words as "touching and inspiring". "Dear Barack Obama your words are touching and inspiring. Thanks TIME," Modi tweeted and provided a link to the article in the magazine. @BJ-17.04 Nasim Zaidi takes charge as new Chief Election Commissioner of India Updated on : 19-04-2015 06:23 PM Nasim Zaidi has taken over as the Chief Election Commissioner of India on Sunday. Nasim Zaidi said that Election Commission will come out with a long term plan for further streamlining the election process. He succeeded HS Brahma, who retired as the Chief Election Commissioner on Saturday. Zaidi will be the sole member of the three-member Election Commission, which has two vacant posts of Election Commissioners. Zaidi will have a tenure up to July, 2017. He is a 1976 batch IAS officer from Uttar Pradesh cadre. @NZ-19/04 Sitaram Yechury unanimously elected general secretary of CPM Updated on : 19-04-2015 08:44 PM The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Sunday elected senior politburo member Sitaram Yechury as the new General Secretary replacing Prakash Karat who has completed his three terms as the Party General Secretary. The official decision of the leadership change in the CPI (M) was taken on the last day of the six-day party congress meet held in Visakhapatnam on Sunday. The names were recommended by the Party's politburo to the new Central Committee on Saturday night and the outgoing Central Committee gave a go ahead for the names to the incoming Central Committee, which was placed before the Congress, who took the final call. The front-runners for taking the top spot of the party were Sitaram Yechury and S Ramachandran Pillai but with Pillai deciding to withdraw from the race, Sitaram Yechury was elected unanimously having support from the leaders of West Bengal that he represents in the Rajya Sabha. Speaking on the occasion Sitaram Yechury has called upon the party leaders to combat the twin challenges of economic exploitation and social oppression, which were affecting all aspects of social and political spheres on the country. The CPI (M) general secretary described the task entrusted to him as onerous and a great responsibility and said he had been elected to the top post at a very challenging time for the Party as well as the nation. @NZ-19/04 Taskforce on interlinking of rivers Updated on : 18-04-2015 10:45 AM Seeking to overcome the hurdles in inter-linking of rivers, the Centre on Tuesday constituted a 'Task Force' to work on forging consensus among different states for speedy implementation of the NDA government's ambitious project. Apart from examining the existing links that are laid out as per the National Perspective Plan under both Himalayan and Peninsular components, the task force would also consider alternative plans in place of infeasible links in the present plan. The panel would facilitate interlinking of intra-state and intra-basin Rivers also along with that of inter-state and inter-basin links. The task force would also provide guidance on norms of appraisal of individual projects in respect of economic viability, socio-economic, environmental impacts and preparation of resettlement plans. The task force would also try to forge a consensus among the states in order to take forward the speedy implementation of the project. (MM – 15/04) World Bank chief praises PM's Jan Dhan Yojna Updated on : 18-04-2015 10:10 AM The World Bank chief Jim Yong Kim has said that the strong visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has resulted in extraordinary effort by India on financial inclusion of its people. The World Bank in a report released this week said by January 2015, 125 million bank accounts had been opened under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna launched in August 2014 for comprehensive financial inclusion with the goal of opening a bank account for every household in India. As a point of comparison, a 2013 survey had found that fewer than 400 million people in the country had an account, the Bank said in a report. "This is an extraordinary Indian effort," Kim said at a panel discussion in Washington on Friday, organised on the sidelines of the annual Spring meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Kim attributed this to the "strong visionary leadership" of Modi and the Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan. Kim also said access to financial services can serve as a bridge out of poverty. "We have set a hugely ambitious goal universal financial access by 2020 and now we have evidence that we're making major progress," he said. "This effort will require many partners credit card companies, banks, microcredit institutions, the United Nations, foundations, and community leaders. But we can do it, and the payoff will be millions of people lifted out of poverty," he added. Participating in the panel discussion along with Master Card CEO Ajay Banga, State Bank of India (SBI) Chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya briefed the audience on the successful efforts of the SBI in implementing the Jan Dhan Yojana. "Forty-nine per cent of the accounts under Jan Dhan Yojana are being held by women," Bhattacharya said. The World Bank Group and a broad coalition partners including multilateral agencies, banks, credit unions, card networks, microfinance institutions and telecommunications companies today issued numeric commitment that would help promote financial inclusion and achieve universal financial access by the year 2020. (DD-18.4) WPI inflation drops Updated on : 15-04-2015 05:34 PM Wholesale Price Index inflation dips to record low of (-) 2.33% in March as food and fuel products get cheaper. Wholesale prices declined for the fifth month in a row in March, taking inflation to its lowest in the current data series that started in 2005 and raising prospects of a cut in interest rates despite a moderate rise in retail inflation in the month. Wholesale inflation drops to 2.33 per cent in March, from 2.06 per cent in February. (MM – 15/04) Freight earnings by railways up by over 12 pc Updated on : 20-04-2015 10:23 AM Railways earned Rs 1,05,312.09 crore from freight traffic during the financial year 2014-15 as compared to Rs 93,471.59 cr during the corresponding period last year, registering an increase of 12.67 percent. Railways carried 1097.57 million tonnes (MT) of freight during April 2014-March 2015 as compared to 1053.56 MT carried during the corresponding period last fiscal, registering an increase of 4.18 percent, according to Railway Ministry data. During the fiscal 2014-15, Railways generated Rs 48,372.81 cr from transportation of 545.63 MT of coal, followed by Rs. 9181.64 cr from 110.17 MT of cement, Rs 7913.73 cr from 112.78 MT of iron ore for exports, steel plants and for other domestic user. The national transporter earned Rs 8550.37 cr from 54.99 MT of food grains, Rs 5705.75 cr from 42.73 MT of petroleum oil and lubricant, Rs 6404.99 cr from 39.97 MT of Pig iron and finished steel from steel plants and Rs 5431.12 cr from 47.45 MT of fertilizers. It earned Rs 1951.38 cr from 19.19 MT of raw material for steel plants except iron ore, Rs 4868.92 cr from 48.83 MT by container service and Rs 6931.38 cr from 75.83 MT of other goods. (DD-17.4) India jumps to 147th spot in FIFA football rankings Updated on : 18-04-2015 03:31 PM India have made a leap of 26 places to move to the 147th spot in the latest FIFA football rankings released on Friday. The surge in rankings is a result of the first-round win over Nepal in the joint qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup and 2019 Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup. India move up 12 spots to 24th among 46 nations in the rankings among the Asian countries. World Cup winners Germany remained on pole position in the standings followed by runners-up Argentina. Belgium moved above Colombia into third after their Euro 2016 qualifying wins over Cyprus and Israel in March. (MM – 10/04) SC rejects plea against NGT's order to ban 15-yr-old vehicles Updated on : 21-04-2015 10:46 AM The Supreme Court on Monday rejected a plea against an order of the National Green Tribunal banning all vehicles which are more than 15 years old from plying on Delhi roads. "Let us assist them (NGT) and not discourage them," a bench of Chief Justice H L Dattu and Justice Arun Mishra said while dismissing a plea filed by a lawyer seeking setting aside of the decision of the green panel. The bench further said the NGT was "only repeating the orders passed by Constitutional courts (SC/HCs) in the past." "All vehicles, diesel or petrol, which are more than 15 years old shall not be permitted to ply on the roads and wherever such vehicles of this age are noticed, the concerned authorities shall take appropriate steps in accordance with law including seizure of the vehicles in accordance with the provisions of the Motor Vehicle Act. "The vehicles which are more than 15 years old, will not be permitted to be parked in any public area and they shall be towed away and challenged by the police in accordance with law. This direction would be applicable to all vehicles without exception i.e. two wheelers, three wheelers, four wheelers, light vehicles and heavy vehicles irrespective of whether commercial or otherwise," the NGT, in its 26th November 2014 order, had said. Lawyer Vishaal Shripati Jogdand challenged the order in the apex court on various grounds including that the NGT had no jurisdiction to hear a case which was of the nature of a public interest litigation. "Instead of age of the vehicles, the fitness of the vehicles can be and should be the criteria from stopping them from plying on roads," Debasis Misra, appearing for Jogdand, said. Even bringing CNG in 1997-98, did not result in reduction of air pollution and hence, an investigation be undertaken to find out the reasons for it, he said. The bench, however, was not inclined to hear the plea in detail and dismissed it after a brief hearing. Earlier, the NGT, besides banning 15-year-old diesel and petrol vehicles, had also said that no person shall be permitted to burn plastic or any other material in the open. The NGT had also said that if any person is found to be burning plastic or any other material including tree leaves in the open, he would be liable to be proceeded against in accordance with law. It had held that in all the markets in Delhi, "it shall be ensured tarred roads for regular traffic are not permitted to be used for parking thus causing avoidable congestion of traffic". It had also directed the Delhi government and others to create a web portal where an aggrieved person can upload the photographs depicting the pollution. With an aim to reduce vehicular pollution, the NGT had also said, "Immediate steps will be taken by all the Respondents and concerned authorities to provide cycle tracks in Delhi and efforts should be made to encourage cycling in Delhi." (DD-21.4) Iran presents Yemen peace plan to UN Updated on : 20-04-2015 10:34 AM Iran has presented a four- point peace plan for Yemen to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, calling for international action to end the "senseless" Saudi-led air campaign on Huthi rebels. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told Ban in a letter that Tehran stands ready to help the United Nations restore peace to Yemen, where the rebels have taken over the capital and driven President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi into exile. Hadi and Gulf allies accuse Iran of arming the Huthis, which Tehran strongly denies. The four-point plan calls for a ceasefire and immediate end to all foreign military attacks, the urgent delivery of humanitarian and medical aid, a resumption of political talks and the formation of a national unity government. "It is imperative for the international community to get more effectively involved in ending the senseless aerial attacks and establishing a ceasefire," Zarif wrote Friday. The foreign minister added that "the only way to restore peace and stability is to allow all Yemeni parties to establish, without any foreign interference, their own inclusive national unity government." Zarif spoke with Ban by phone on Thursday, a UN spokeswoman said. The Saudi-led coalition pounded Yemen Friday as the air war entered its fourth week with little sign that the sides were ready to return to peace talks. Ban has called for an immediate ceasefire, saying the country was "in flames" and all sides must return to political negotiations. The UN envoy for Yemen, Jamal Benomar, resigned earlier in the week, saying he wanted to move on to a new assignment, but diplomats confirmed that he had lost the support of Yemen's exiled president and Gulf countries. Saudi Arabia and its neighbors accuse Benomar of being duped by the Shiite Huthis who took part in peace negotiations as they pushed their offensive. In his letter, Zarif said the situation in Yemen was "extremely alarming" and that the military intervention had destroyed hospitals, schools, food factories and other civilian infrastructure. "This critical situation is escalating and humanitarian crisis in Yemen is approaching catastrophic dimensions," he added. On Friday, Al-Qaeda overran a key army camp in the Hadramawt provincial capital Mukalla, seizing heavy weapons and consolidating their grip on the city. (DD-18.4) Lewis Hamilton wins Bahrain Grand Prix Updated on : 20-04-2015 02:46 PM Defending world champion Lewis Hamilton extended his lead in this year's title race on Sunday when he drove to a near-flawless victory in the Bahrain Grand Prix. The 30-year-old Briton, starting from the 42nd pole position of his career, led from lights to flag apart from two spells around the pit-stops to claim the 36th win of his career and his third in four races this year. Hamilton came home 3.3 seconds clear of Finn Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari who stole second ahead of Nico Rosberg when the second Mercedes driver suffered a braking problem on the penultimate lap. It had seemed that the 29-year-old German would hold off Raikkonen's late challenge, but both Mercedes lost their brakes in the final laps, Hamilton just hanging on to win. Hamilton's victory lifted him to 93 points in the championship, giving him a clear lead ahead of Rosberg, on 66 points. Djokovic wins Monte Carlo Masters; set ATP record Updated on : 20-04-2015 01:14 PM Novak Djokovic has set another career record with his second Monte Carlo title, as the Serb became the first man to win the opening three Masters 1000 events in a season through a 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 defeat of Tomas Berdych. The top seed, who lives just a few hundred metres away from the centre court, had to survive a comeback from his Czech rival as well as a 70-minute rain interruption which came as he led by a set and 3-2 on serve. Djokovic's victory was his 17th straight win of the season and also marked a fourth straight Masters 1000 title after also winning at Paris Bercy last November. "It was a tough match, a particular match," 2013 Monte Carlo winner Djokovic said of a somewhat frustrating win, where he struck 38 unforced errors, lost his first set of the week and converted on only five of 14 break points. "Tomas played a great match and deserves this trophy as much as I do. It was a good final, but bad luck today." Djokovic now owns 52 career titles and 23 at the elite Masters level. He stands 19-2 over Berdych and 30-2 this season. Berdych missed a chance to move up to a career-best number four in the world. "What can I say," said the Czech. "Novak had another excellent week, I tried my best but it was not good enough today. "I'm missing that one step in my clay game but I'm going to work to raise my game that little bit. I'll do what I can to make that happen and hope to come back next year and go a step further". Djokovic won the opening set comfortably but was unable to come back after the rain break and close it out in straight sets. Instead, Berdych got the early momentum upon the return and levelled at a set each. In the third, Djokovic again seized the initiative, going up two breaks only to lose one of them. Berdych saved a match point, holding for 3-5 with an overhead winner. But Djokovic prevailed a game later as the Czech's service return sailed just long over the baseline. (DD-20.4) Pranjala wins Asian junior championship Updated on : 18-04-2015 03:29 PM India's Y Pranjala clinched the Asian Junior Tennis championship title after a come-from-behind victory over top seed Chinese Zheng Wushuang at New Delhi on Saturday. The second seeded Indian won with a 5-7 6-2 7-5 scoreline in the final against her formidable rival, who happened to be her doubles partner in the event. It was double delight for the 16-year-old Pranjala as she had won the doubles trophy on Friday. Coached by former Davis Cup player Ilyas Ghouse, Pranjala trains at GVK Tennis Academy in Hyderabad. "This competition is next to junior Grand Slams. The competition was intense. My opponent in the final is higher-ranked player and I had lost to her in the second round of ITF Grade I event in January. I am glad I could beat her this time," the Class XII student said. Pranjala, who has started playing on the ITF Pro circuit, said she will train for the next two three weeks and then she has a ITF grade I junior event lined up, followed by the junior French Open championship. (DD-18.4) Former Odisha CM J B Patnaik dies Updated on : 21-04-2015 11:36 AM Former Odisha Chief Minister and ex-Assam Governor Janaki Ballabh Patnaik passed away in Tirupati early Tuesday. He was 89. The veteran Congress leader was admitted to a hospital in the temple town following a chest pain around mid-night but could not be saved, his family said. Patnaik, a three-time Odisha chief minister, was in Tirupati to attend the convocation ceremony of the Rashtriya Sanskrit University. Odisha Governor S C Jamir and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik condoled the death of Patnaik while the state government announced holiday on Tuesday as a mark of respect to the departed leader. A week-long state mourning was also declared, officials said, adding that the chief minister dropped his programme on the auspicious 'Aksyaya Tritiya' scheduled for the day. A multi-faceted personality known for his rich contribution towards literature and culture, Patnaik was born on 3rd January 1927. The Congress stalwart became chief minister in 1980 and continued in the high office till 1989. He bounced back to power in 1995 and remained CM till 1999. Patnaik was appointed the Governor of Assam in 2009. Earlier, he was also a minister at the Centre. After completing early education at Khurda High School, Patnaik passed BA in Sanskrit from the Utkal University in 1947 and did MA in Political Science from the Banaras Hindu University in 1949. A pall of gloom descended in Congress circles with senior leaders including former chief minister Hemanand Biswal, leader of opposition in Odisha Assembly Narasimha Mishra and former Union Minister Bhakta Charan Das mourning his death. PM condoles Patnaik's demise Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday condoled the death of former Odisha Chief Minister JB Patnaik, saying his contribution to the state's development will always be remembered. "Saddened on his demise. Condolences to his family. Shri Patnaik will be remembered as a pillar of Odisha politics, a popular leader always connected with people's views and aspirations," the Prime Minister said. "JB Patnaik's contribution to Odisha's development will always be remembered," he said. (DD-21.4) RBI widens PSL coverage, small farmers to get more credit Updated on : 24-04-2015 12:27 PM The Reserve Bank has revised priority sector lending norms to ensure a phased increase in loans to small farmers, and also made it clear that smaller foreign banks will have to meet the 40 percent target over the next five years. The RBI also said overdrafts of up to Rs 5,000 being extended by banks under the PM's new financial inclusion drive will also be treated as priority sector lending (PSL), subject a cap on annual household income--which is Rs 1 lakh for rural and Rs 1.60 lakh for non-rural households. Under the new guidelines, issued on Thursday, credit to small and marginal farmers will should be 8 percent of a bank's total credit by March 2017. Medium enterprises, social infrastructure and renewable energy are new sectors which will qualify under the mandatory priority sector norms which aim at uplifting the weaker sections of the economy by increasing formal credit to them, the RBI said in a circular on Thursday evening. Banks are asked to lend 40 percent of their credit to such sections, failing which money gets deposited into a low-yielding fund for rural development. Free market advocates complain against the necessity of having such a requirement, saying it stifles banks' growth. For foreign banks, where the mandatory PSL has been a contentious issue, RBI said banks with less than 20 branches will have to gradually achieve the 40 percent target by March 2020. Given the limitations of their networks, smaller foreign banks can book up to 32 percent of their annual loans to the export sector, it added. Those with over 20 branches, which already have PSL targets and sub-targets for agriculture and weaker sections to be achieved by March 2018 under a previously announced plan, adding sub-targets for small and marginal farmers and micro-enterprises will be made applicable post-2018, after a review in 2017. Dispensing away with the distinction between direct and indirect agriculture lending, the new guidelines set a target of 8 percent for small and marginal farmers to be achieved by March 2017. The regulator has also set a target of 7.5 percent for lending to micro-enterprises, while retaining the 10 percent target for the weaker sections. The RBI also said bank loans to food and agro processing units will form part of agriculture. To all other banks, the mandated credit requirement for the export sector stands at 2 percent. "The new additions are good and better aligned to the way the economy is expected to grow. The only concern I have is around the ability of these small and marginal farmers to absorb that level of credit," leader for banking and capital markets at PwC India Shinjini Kumar said. She further said, "I think it will require other social and physical infrastructure that empowers them to crate sustainable income from their farms, that may be beyond the capacity of commercial banks." In another significant move, the RBI has said the non-achievement will be assessed on quarterly average basis from 2016-17 onwards, instead of the present calculation on an annual basis, which leads to bunching up of PSL in the last quarter. The definition of housing loans and microfinance loans qualifying under the PSL has also been revised, the RBI said, adding loans of up to Rs 28 lakh in the metros and Rs 20 lakh in non-metros will constitute PSL lending, it said. Credit to MFIs extended for on-lending to individuals and groups can be classified as PSL under categories like agriculture, micro, small and medium enterprises, and others, as indirect finance, "provided not less than 85 percent of total assets of MFI are in nature of qualifying assets", it said. For the newly introduced sectors, a medium enterprise loan will earn the PSL tag if the total investment in plant and machinery is between Rs 5 and 10 crore, while loans of up to Rs 5 crore to build schools, health care facilities, drinking water facilities and sanitation facilities in tier II to tier VI centres will qualify for PSL tag under social infrastructure, it said. In case of renewable energy, a loan of up to Rs 15 crore for power generators from solar, biomass, wind, micro-hydel and non-conventional energy-based public utilities like street lighting systems, and remote village electrification will qualify for PSL. Additionally, a special dispensation has been given for households wherein loans of up to Rs 10 lakh will qualify for PSL, it said. Apart from this, buying inter-bank participation certificates and PSL certificates will also qualify for PSL. (DD-24.4) India steps up rescue operations in quake hit Nepal Updated on : 28-04-2015 01:23 PM India carrying out yet another gigantic rescue and relief mission in neighbouring Nepal; Military and Civilian planes and helicopters assisting in big way evacuating people and transporting relief material; NDRF teams fan out in affected areas extricating people and bodies from rubble and debris. Rescue workers on Monday stepped up efforts to locate survivors trapped under tonnes of rubble of flattened homes and buildings in earthquake-hit Nepal. Rescue teams are reaching remote mountainous areas. Rescue teams with sniffer dogs and advanced equipment are desperately trying to locate survivors as hundreds of people are still missing. Nearly 5,400 Indians have been brought back so far from earthquake hit Nepal. Indian Air Force in action just four hours after the earthquake that struck Nepal.The heavy lift aircrafts of the Indian air Force are constantly ferrying relief material on their flight to Kathmandu and return with Indian passengers. 4 Globemasters, 3 Hercules 3 IL76 and 2 An 32 have been on the job on Monday. A gigantic mission in response to the tragedy and Air Force is living up to its motto -''Touch the sky with glory'' once again. 14 tonnes of dry ready to eat food is being loaded along with 5 tonnes of milk and baby food. Nepal is reeling under the crises and this drinking water being loaded aboard a Hercules is badly needed. Power and communications are down and the roads are blocked. One more engineering task force of the Army was flown by the Air Force along with JCBs. There are 6 medical teams of the Army already in Nepal , six more were flown in on Monday. The C17 Globemaster aircraft of the AirForce has been converted to a flying hospital. On Saturday and Sunday, 10 INMAR satellite sets were flown to Kathmandu making communication possible. A satellite link was thus established between the Nepalese Army Headquarters and the Indian Army task force.When the world watched with horror, the Indian Air Force was the first to respond and reach Nepal within hours and will be on the mission till the last day. Credible action on the ground, Consoling words from the leaders,food and medical aid, prayer meets, India is doing all it can to assuage its afflicted neighbor. Power Grid Corporation has landed in Nepal and will try to restore electricity supply in Kathmandu. PM Narendra Modi in a social message assured support lock stock and barrel to Nepal and also applauded the ingenuous efforts put in by the indian rescue agencies. A fact which is recognized by Nepal too. Apart from providing immediate relief, the Indian Govt would provide free visa to foreigners who want to come to India from Nepal. Union Home Minister informed Parliament on Monday that an inter-ministerial team comprising of senior officials from ministries of Home, Defence, External Affairs and NDMA has also been sent to Nepal. NDMA has made National helpline operational with immediate effect.011-1078 is the nationwide number that will cater to calls regarding the earthquake. The Indians citizens through prayer meets and messages on social media have extended support to Nepalese people and have proved that help and concern are not just the realms of diplomacy. From Dharmshala to Amritsar to Vadodra and Chennai, Indians are not only praying for the welfare of the neighbors but also doing their bit to help the quake ravaged country. The engineering task force of the Indian army is also clearing land slides on the routes leading to the affected areas .India has also decided to add additional bogies to facilitate greater traffic on the railways from Raxaul and Gorakhpur and has appointed liasion officers at many places. As the PM said India is doing everything to maximise the relief and minimise the tribulations faced by Nepal. Do not panic: MeT Dept Updated on : 27-04-2015 10:42 AM The MeT Department has appealed to people not to pay heed to rumours. They have clarified that following high intensity quakes, there are several aftershocks which shouldn't be mistaken as quake tremors. After continues rain and fresh tremors several rumours were doing rounds. But setting aside all these rumours Indian Meteorological Department has asked people not to panic and to not pay heed to any rumours. Meanwhile, Government has asked media houses to exercise restraint in speculating about aftershocks after the massive earthquake in Nepal saying it could complicate relief efforts. In a media advisory, External Affairs Ministry said, in view of the coordinated efforts of our agencies to evacuate stranded citizens, and to provide relief in the wake of the Nepal Earthquake, it is requested media houses may exercise restraint in speculation about possible after-shocks. The advisory further said "Undue speculation may cause unnecessary panic complicating relief efforts." Government of India is making all efforts to provide relief and evacuate stranded citizens in time. (PT-27/04) International community offers all help to Nepal Updated on : 27-04-2015 05:38 PM International community offers all help to quake-stricken country Nepal. Hundreds of Israeli troops and officers on board of two commercial jets to transport a team of medical and rescue experts as well as almost 100 tonnes of aid supplies to devastated Kathmandu. China Rescue team reported to have arrived in Nepal. Japan sent a team of around 70 people to Nepal on Sunday including fire fighters, police, foreign ministry officials and officials from the Japan International Cooperation Agency. The United States sends a disaster response team and an initial 1 million dollars in aid. UK sent eight-strong humanitarian team and 5 million pound in aid. @BJ-27.04 TMC scores landslide victory in civic polls Updated on : 30-04-2015 03:16 PM Ruling Trinamool Congress on Tuesday inflicted a crushing defeat on BJP and the Left scoring a landslide victory in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation(KMC), clinching 114 of the 144 wards and also winning 70 of the 91 civic bodies in districts across West Bengal. The BJP, which was hoping to replace the Left as the main opposition in the KMC, failed miserably, managing to increase its tally from three to just seven seats. The TMC, which in the last KMC polls had won 95 seats, increased its tally to 114 while the main opposition CPI(M)- led Left Front was reduced to just 15 from 33. Independents bagged three seats in the KMC. The victory in the municipal polls, which was billed as the semifinal before the Assembly polls due early next year, will act as a shot in the arm for the TMC, which recently faced serious allegations of corruption, including alleged involvement of some of its leaders in the Saradha Chit Fund scam. Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee termed the victory as "a befitting reply to the slanderous campaign carried out by the Opposition and a section of the media." Congress, which was fast becoming insignificant in state politics, managed to win five seats, down from eight in 2010. Although the TMC scored a big win, it got some blows too as several heavyweights bit the dust. Chairman of the outgoing KMC board Sachidananda Banerjee, deputy mayor Farzana Alam of TMC besides prominent party councillor Paresh Pal were defeated. On the part of CPI(M), the leader of opposition in the outgoing KMC board Rupa Bagchi was defeated by her nearest TMC rival. Contrary to KMC, the results in the Siliguri Municipal Corporation showed the CPI(M)-led Left Front has managed to regain some of its lost ground capturing 23 of the 47 seats. TMC bagged 17 seats in Siliguri Municipal Corporation, which was regarded as a prestige fight for TMC leader and state minister Gautam Deb and CPI(M) leader and former minister Ashok Bhattacharya. The Congress won five seats while the BJP got two seats and an independent won one seat in Siliguri. For the Left which suffered major electoral reverses in recent years, the victory in Siliguri Municipal Corporation came as a morale booster. Apart from its big victory in the KMC, TMC showed impressive results in municipalities across the state. The party snatched Sonamukhi in Bankura, Baduria, North Dum Dum in North 24-Parganas, Mathabhanga and Tufanganj in Coochbehar, Gayeshpur municipalities in Nadia from the Left and the Congress. The Left Front won just five municipal bodies-- Jangipur, Dinhata, Daihat, Siliguri and Taherpur-- whereas the Congress won five municipalities - Murshidabad, Kandi, Jhalda, Kaliagunj and Islampur. The BJP failed to win even a single civic body. The fate of 12 municipalities is undecided as none of the political parties managed to get a majority. (DD-28.4) PM pledges India's support to Afghanistan in talks with Ghani Updated on : 30-04-2015 10:45 AM Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed India's continued support and cooperation to peace process in Afghanistan and national unity government led by President Ashraf Ghani. Asserting that Indo-Afghan partnership has blossomed despite barriers of geography and hurdles of politics, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the success of an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned process within the framework of the Constitution of Afghanistan, without the shadow of violence was in their shared interest. After the comprehensive talks with Ghani on entire gamut of bilateral ties as well as on key regional and international issues, Modi, at a joint press event with the visiting leader in New Delhi, said he conveyed India's support for his vision for peace and stability in Afghanistan. "We have a shared interest in the success of an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned process. This should be conducted within the framework of the Constitution of Afghanistan, without the shadow of violence. "It should reinforce the political, economic and social progress of the last fourteen years. And, it should protect the rights and aspirations of all sections of the society, including Afghan women," Modi said. Noting that India deeply values its friendship and the goodwill with Afghanistan, the Prime Minister said the country stands with the people of Afghanistan, as they build a united, stable, democratic and prosperous nation. "This comes from the responsibility of our friendship. It also stems from our commitment to regional peace and progress.... And, it will not be limited to the period of transition or the decade of transformation. This is an enduring commitment," Modi added. "We share Afghanistan's pain over persisting terrorism and extremist violence that destroy lives and derail progress. I thank him for cooperation against terrorism," Modi said and expressed his gratitude to the Afghan security forces, who protect Indians in Afghanistan as their own people. On his part, Ghani said terror was "hounding" people of Afghanistan and it needed to be confronted and overcome. Modi also said India was prepared to continue its support for capacity building of Afghan security forces. "I am pleased that we have delivered three Cheetal Helicopters to Afghanistan, which will add to the growing capabilities of the valiant Afghan forces," the Prime Minister said. Noting that the peaceful democratic transition last year was a great boost for Afghanistan's progress, Modi said preserving the mandate and political unity will be important for the country's future. Modi said the President shared his impressive vision for Afghanistan's prosperity, based on its talent, resources and location. "We believe that Afghanistan's direct surface link to India and the rest of South Asia, and increased connectivity to sea, could turn Afghanistan into a hub that connects Asia's diverse regions and beyond. "We are ready to welcome Afghan trucks at the ICP Attari. We are also prepared to join the successor agreement to Afghan Pakistan Trade and Transit Agreement. This will re-establish one of the oldest trading routes of South Asia. I also reaffirmed my commitment to take the Chahbahar Port project in Iran forward. We will also quickly conclude a bilateral Motor Vehicles Agreement," the Prime Minister said. India will expand its development partnership, which includes infrastructure, agriculture, connectivity, human resource development, community projects and humanitarian assistance, the Prime Minister said, adding it will explore new trade and investment opportunities. "Afghan children have a special focus in our efforts. Today, I conveyed fresh support for Habibia School in Kabul, the Indira Gandhi Child Health Care Hospital and Red Crescent Society Fund for treatment of children with congenital heart disease," he added. (DD-28.4)