News Digest: OBC vote: BJP depicts Modi in different 'avatars'

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Wednesday, April 30, 2014
		Today's Headlines

		India
		OBC vote: BJP depicts Modi in different 'avatars' Bharatiya Janata Party has gone all out to project Narendra Modi's OBC roots in the eastern UP as the backward class voters form a sizable chunk in almost all parliamentary constituencies. Polling begins in 7 LS seats in Bihar in fourth phase Polling began in seven parliamentary constituencies in the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections in Bihar amidst tight security Wednesday to decide the fate of 94 candidates. Private choppers to airlift pilgrims from Licholi to Kedarnath Some private aircraft companies have volunteered to render free helicopter service to airlift the elderly and sick devotees from Licholi to Kedarnath shrine as the trek route is covered in thick sheets of snow, chief secretary Subhash Kumar said here on Tuesday. More India News»

		Business
		Sun-Ranbaxy merger runs into legal wrangle "It is undisputed that the merger of Sun Pharma and Ranbaxy constitutes unpublished price sensitive information, which was made known to the market only on April 6, 2014. Tatas plan eco-system to facilitate new ideas Tata Group is toying with the idea of introducing a central eco-system for incubating new ideas. Dabur Q4 net up 17% at Rs 235 crore Dabur on Tuesday reported 17.3% increase in consolidated net profit at Rs 235.3 crore for the fourth quarter ended March 31 on account of strong performance in the FMCG segment. More Business News»

		Environment
		Green tribunal stays construction of a wall inside Rajaji National Park The National Green Tribunal has issued an interim stay on construction of a wall inside the Rajaji National Park in Uttarakhand as it found that the concrete structure would obstruct the elephant corridor along the Song river in the state. 'Extreme wet, dry spells up drought, flood risks in India' In an alarming research, a team of scientists at Stanford University have identified significant changes in the patterns of extreme wet and dry events that are increasing the risk of drought and flood in central India. Beautification drive killing Yamuna: Study The study talks about Delhi’s constant obsession with beautifying and developing Delhi’s riverfront and how this has ironically meant nothing but further deterioration of the riparian ecology. More Environment News»

		World
		Putin sees no need to sanction West Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Moscow saw no need for counter sanctions against the West, but could reconsider the participation of Western companies in its economy, including energy projects. Gunmen storm Libyan House, stop vote on next PM Gunmen stormed the seat of Libya’s General National Congress (GNC) in Tripoli on Tuesday as it was preparing to elect a new prime minister, an MP said. Medal for UK army dog killed in Afghanistan An army sniffer dog killed in an ambush alongside her handler in Afghanistan will be awarded the highest award for bravery — the animal version of the Victoria Cross, next month. More World News»

		Entertainment
		'Whichever man came to my life, abused me' From being sexually abused and made fun of as a child, to finding strength in her femininity and fighting for her rights – here’s how Lakshmi Narayan Tripathi became transgender Laxmi I've had no girlfriends, but I've kissed twice: Tiger Shroff Tiger Shroff, 23, considers Bruce Lee his hero after his father Jackie Shroff. Quite like his mother Ayesha, he is sensitive, diplomatic and a fitness freak. Excerpts: In Pics: Actresses who chose silicon implants for fuller look More Entertainment News»

		Science
		Curiosity rover set for third drilling on Mars: NASA US space agency NASA said Tuesday its Curiosity rover will carry out its third drilling on Mars in the coming days. Water-testing lab packed into a pill Want to know if your water supply is contaminated? Drop this pill in a vial of water and if the colour changes, there’s your answer ! Scientists have solved the problem of cumbersome, painfully slow water-testing by putting the potentially life-saving technology into a tiny pill. In a first, experts produce solar jet fuel from water and carbon dioxid An EU-funded research project called Solar Jet has produced the world’s first ‘solar’ jet fuel from water and carbon dioxide. Researchers have successfully demonstrated the entire production chain for renewable kerosene using concentrated light as a hightemperature energy source. More Science News»

		Sports
		'Giggs can be Man United's Guardiola' Man United interim manager Ryan Giggs has the potential to replicate Pep Guardiola's success as coach of Barcelona, according to Anders Lindegaard. Wimbledon seedings boost for Murray Champion Andy Murray will be among the top seeds at Wimbledon despite having slipped down the ATP world ranking to eighth, organisers announced. Is Rooney still the world-class talisman? More than a decade after he made his England debut as a prodigiously talented teenaged tearaway, it is still hard to find a consensus on Wayne Rooney's value. More Sports News»

		Technology
		HTC Desire 310 dual sim review: Not the perfect budget smartphone HTC Desire 310 dual sim promises users an opportunity to own an HTC device at a low price. Nokia names Rajeev Suri new CEO, gives extra dividend Rajeev Suri will become the new chief executive of Finnish telecommunications gear maker Nokia, the company said on Tuesday, confirming what analysts had expected. First impressions: Samsung Galaxy K Zoom K Zoom is surprisingly light for what it offers. It weighs just 200 grams and that makes a big difference in how well it feels in hands. At 20mm, it is also quite slim. More Technology News»

		Education
		HRD ministry's angry missive to UGC for fiasco that nearly got HRD secretary arrested  Inaction by University Grants Commission to present views of HRD ministry in the National Green Tribunal nearly got education secretary Ashok Thakur arrested in March. Bangalore University rolls out honours scheme for UG course It was just one of the queries students had for B Thimme Gowda who reassured her: "You can always choose activities available in your college.We can add more to the list of extra-curricular activities.". UGC directs varsities to recognize CBSE's new subjects for admission UGC has directed all universities to take appropriate steps to recognize 13 new subjects introduced by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) at Stds XI and XII level for admissions to undergraduate courses. More Education News»

		Mumbai
		MMRDA to work on choked chowk for better SCLR experience After throwing open the Santa Cruz-Chembur Link Road for traffic, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has decided to undertake the improvement of the BKC-CST Road junction, known as the Imam Ahmed Raza Chowk 800 teachers to be honoured by Bandra schools on Maharashtra Day In a first-of-its-kind event, 20 schools from Bandra will come together on Maharashtra Day to felicitate around 800 teachers Mumbai hospital doctors rid 60-year-old woman of 5.5 kg ovarian tumour Doctors at the civic-run Nair Hospital removed a tumour weighing over 5.5 kg from a grandmother in a case that shows how some Indian patients tend to ignore medical symptoms More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		Congress gifts BJP South Corporation mayor's seat Congress had the numbers but a BJP man became the mayor of South Corporation by just one vote on Tuesday as two Congress MPs-Sandeep Dikshit and Parvez Hashmi-didn't turn up to vote. Delhi's average power usage goes down The city's pattern of power consumption is changing. The Delhi government's future schedule software had predicted a peak demand of about 4,200MW in the second fortnight of April, but the average demand was in the range of 3,400-3,600MW - Monday saw the highest consumption - peaking at 4,121MW on Tuesday afternoon. SC relief for Rohini allottees The Supreme Court on Tuesday took strong exception to DDA's callous approach in making 25,000 Delhiites wait for 33 years for a plot they were entitled to under Rohini Residential Scheme of 1981. More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		Bangalore boys come first in aero competition Bangalore, the aviation capital of India, has often had its young opting for careers in aerospace, many displaying their skills at various forums. Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation ride costliest in India Bangaloreans pay the highest bus fares, while Chennai's citizens pay the lowest. Parched districts battle water crisis Just two days and 4,000 calls; the water crisis in the districts is severe, going by the distress calls flooding the state government's toll-free number from Monday. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		Students to webcast polling At the behest of the election commission, about 2,500 students of the Rajiv Gandhi University of Knowledge Technologies (RGUKT) will webcast proceedings from polling stations across some districts in Telangana. EC tells panel to put on hold division of IAS, IPS officers The Election Commission has asked the Pratyush Sinha committee that is overseeing the allotment of IAS, IPS and IFS officers between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh not to finalise the guidelines till the elections. HC relief for YSRCP candidate Justice Noothy Ramamohan Rao of the AP High Court on Tuesday directed the excise police not to arrest Raavi Venkata Ramana, the YSRCP candidate for Ponnur Assembly constituency in Guntur district till May 7. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		Congress in Tamil Nadu may get new head after polls A leadership change may be on the cards in the Tamil Nadu unit of Congress as the party high command is said to be unhappy with the incumbent and feels fresh blood needs to be infused to recharge the sagging morale of the cadres. Temple wealth details now a click away in Tamil Nadu At the click of a mouse you can now see how rich a temple in Tamil Nadu is. The state-run Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments department has uploaded details of land and other properties of temples in 22 districts on its website www.tnhrce.org under the tag, temple land. HC trashes teacher test grading system The Madras high court has quashed the grading method adopted for calculating weightage of marks scored by candidates writing the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET). It has no scientific basis and it creates anomalies, said Justice S Nagamuthu on Wednesday. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		A moribund Morbi has dragon breathing fire The ceramic products imported from China are making a dent in the Indian industry, especially in Morbi. Import value of Chinese ceramic products into India has grown from $237 million in 2007 to $484 million in 2012, clocking a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15%. Dandiya Dance of Democracy The day temperature is expected to be in the mid-40 s on Wednesday. But this should be no deterrent to the 4.05 crore voters in Gujarat, swayed as they are by the prospect of not just electing 26 MPs but possibly the country’s second Gujarati Prime Minister after Morarji Desai. Heat on, but duty calls in Gujarat While the campaign for this election has hit fever pitch, the summer sun will be the last hurdle to conquer.  More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		Tempers flay during AICC secretary meeting Arrival of central observer and AICC secretary Sanjay Bapana at the office of Mohd Kaif sparked off a pandemonium among Congress workers on Tuesday.The workers were divided into two groups. Verdict on Karwariya's bail plea reserved The Allahabad High Court on Tuesday reserved its verdict on the bail application of former BJP MLA Uday Bhan Karwariya in connection with former Samajwadi Party MLA Jawahar Yadav murder case. Gujarat model is a hoax: Adarsh Shastri  Asked why he left the secure and highly paid job in one of the most precious companies, Adarsh Shastri said, "I want to serve the nation with full conviction and joining the company would have not served the purpose. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		75 water kiosks to quench your thirst The municipal corporation has opened around 75 water kiosks across the city to quench the thirst of commuters as the mercury level has been consistently climbing north over the past week. RDC tipped to take Utkal charge A crucial meeting on Monday to draw a panel of three names for Utkal University vice-chancellor (VC) was deferred for an indefinite period. Traffic posts deserted as cops take cover from scorching sun The punishing mercury has taken its toll on traffic management, with most cops deserting their posts, preferring instead to take shelter under nearby shades in the afternoon, when the heat is almost unbearable. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		Blood donation: Gender bias prominent Gender bias manifests itself everywhere, even when it comes to saving someone's life. HC: Ensure infra facilities for SC panel on gas victims HC said contempt proceedings would be initiated against chief secretary of the state if the state delays action. HC notice to Centre on 'right to walk' Petitioner Aseem Trivedi, a lawyer, said pedestrians in India or in MP, like in all states, are the most vulnerable road users. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		1.96cr voters to decide fate of 253 candidates in Punjab today The fate of 253 candidates in 13 parliamentary constituencies will be decided on Wednesday as a total 1.96 crore voters will cast their ballot. MBBS: HC stays Punjab notification on quota seats The HC passed these orders while hearing a petition filed by Akash Sharma and others. Wannabe giant killers in fray They have no financial resources or party cadre to fall back on.Still, these three independent candidates have achieved the feat of contesting election after election with enviable perseverance. More Chandigarh News»

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