News Digest: Airwaves not the monopoly of state: Arun Jaitley

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Tuesday, March 17, 2015
		Today's Headlines

		India
		Airwaves not the monopoly of state: Arun Jaitley The "myth" that airwaves were the monopoly of the state has been broken, information and broadcasting minister Arun Jaitley said. Govt eases security norms for TV and radio services In another step towards improving ease of doing business, government has streamlined security clearance for TV channels and radio services. Supreme Court warns govt not to deny rights to citizens for want of Aadhaar The Supreme Court on Monday warned the Centre and state governments against denying civil rights and social welfare benefits to citizens for not having Aadhaar card and threatened to take action against the authorities concerned if they made it mandatory. More India News»

		Business
		Luxury car sales grow 8-fold since 2007 India’s luxury car market has grown eight times in the last seven years from 4,000 units in 2007 to 33,000 units in 2014. ​French co may not buy back Baring stake in India Kumar Mangalam Birla-led UltraTech is set to retain its position as India’s largest cement maker. The hurdles to the global merger of the cement majors may also derail Lafarge’s plan to buy back the 14% stake it sold to global private equity investor Barings Asia in May 2013 for $265 million. Global recovery fragile, India a bright spot: Lagarde The global recovery is "too slow, too brittle and too lopsided", the head of the International Monetary Fund said in India on Monday, describing Asia's third-largest economy as a rare bright spot on a cloudy global horizon. More Business News»

		Environment
		World Bank, UK to help disaster hit poor nations Some good news for the developing countries. The World Bank and the UK government has jointly launched a new competitive challenge fund that would help poor nations -- those hit by disasters like floods, cyclones, droughts and earthquakes -- to empower their local communities. Two zoo elephants to be unchained & kept in special enclosure Following the directions of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, a pair of elephants who had been chained at the city zoo for nearly a decade would be set free and shifted to an open enclosure there soon. Green India Mission to reclaim forest with MGNREGA The government has merged National Mission for a Green India, which aims afforestation at 10 million hectares of land over the next decade, with MGNREGA to increase and improve the country's forest cover. More Environment News»

		World
		Netanyahu says no Palestinian state if reelected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today there would be no Palestinian state if he were reelected, in a last-ditch effort to woo rightwing voters on the eve of a general election. Christians protest attacks on Pak churches, 2 dead Hundreds of angry Christians today hit the streets across Pakistan in protest against the Taliban suicide attacks on two Lahore churches, leading to communal clashes which claimed two lives, forcing authorities to call in paramilitary forces to maintain calm. New Saudi execution takes year's tally to 45 A man convicted of murder was beheaded in the Saudi capital today, amid a steep rise in the number of executions in the ultra-conservative Gulf kingdom this year. More World News»

		Entertainment
		'What did Atif have except arrogance?' Singer Kunal Ganjawala shares a special rapport with Lucknow and is completely in awe of the city and its people. “Whenever I talk about my favourite cities in the country, Lucknow always comes on the top. I have a special connect with the city ’coz my wife has studied here at IIM. Katrina to share same roof with Salman Katrina Kaif has lived in London a major part of her life before being a superstar in Bollywood. Funny mistakes in Bollywood blockbusters Bollywood films are loved for their entertainment quotient, song-and-dance routines and interesting storylines. More Entertainment News»

		Science
		Anna Atkins: This is why British scientist who produced first photographic book has been given a Google Doodle Today marks the birthday of Anna Atkins, a British botanist whose use of cyanotypes - or 'sunprints' - of plants and algae in botanical studies paved the way for the use of photography in scientific publishing. Studies boost hopes for new class of cholesterol medicines New research boosts hope that a highly anticipated, experimental class of cholesterol drugs can greatly lower the risk for heart attacks, death and other heart-related problems. Studies boost hopes for new class of cholesterol medicines New research boosts hope that a highly anticipated, experimental class of cholesterol drugs can greatly lower the risk for heart attacks, death and other heart-related problems. More Science News»

		Sports
		No Indian batsman among top six scorers at World Cup In a testimony to the collective effort that has marked India's all-conquering show in the World Cup so far, no Indian batsman features among top six run scorers. Yuvraj Singh confident of India retaining World Cup Praising Dhoni's efficient leadership, Yuvraj Singh said that team's spectacular showing in this edition makes him believe that the Men in Blue can retain the trophy. MS Dhoni jumps two places to 8th in ICC ODI rankings Having regained his form with two unbeaten knocks in World Cup, Indian captain MS Dhoni has gained two spots to be placed eight in latest ODI rankings. More Sports News»

		Technology
		Micromax Canvas Selfie review Micromax doesn’t want to stay left out and has introduced a phone that’s named Selfie, as part of its Canvas line-up. Infosys to merge Finacle with Edgeverve Infosys is merging its core banking product Finacle with its products and platforms subsidiary Edgeverve Systems. Google rolls out Android 5.1: Five new features For all you Android Lollipop users out there, Google just began pushing out its first major update to its Material Design-dressed OS, and unlike some updates that are usually just for "stability and performance," Android 5.1 actually comes with some stuff you're definitely going to want to know about. More Technology News»

		Education
		Today's Karnataka PU exams put off to March 28 The II PUC Maths and Geography examinations scheduled to be held across the state on Tuesday (March 17) have been postponed to March 28. Talking point — Same study Different stakeholders air their views on a common syllabus across central varsities, as proposed in a bill Research roundup — Nest track Two Indian institutes collaborate to study the breeding and nesting habits of the snow petrel, a bird which breeds exclusively in Antarctica More Education News»

		Mumbai
		Courts should stay away from matters of faith: Sena The Shiv Sena mouthpiece, Saamna, has expressed the opinion that courts should refrain from meddling in matters of faith and religion in the larger public interest. Param Bir Singh to be next Thane police chief? Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is likely to appoint senior IPS officer Param Bir Singh as the Thane police commissioner and Atul Kulkarni as the new joint commissioner (crime), Mumbai. MU selects member for VC search panel The director of National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) Nagpur, Satish Wate, will be Mumbai University’s executive bodies’ nominee on the search panel that will select vice-chancellor Rajan Welukar’s successor. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		Delhi minister calls for BRT report Two days after four Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs met PWD minister Satyendar Jain asking for the controversial BRT project to be scrapped, the transport department has been asked to submit a report on the corridor. Kid falls into boiling oil A six-year-old girl got severe burns after she fell into a cauldron of boiling oil that was kept by the roadside by a food stall owner. Uneasy truce in AAP, no more fireworks expected Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) appears to have settled down to an uneasy truce with both warring factions exercising restraint for the last four days. More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		Anganwadi workers hit the streets again They asked for Rs 10,000 hike, but got only Rs 500. Upset with the apathy of the government, which had promised action when they protested recently, 5,000 anganwadi workers on Monday took to the streets. Doctors protest attacks on their ilk Top doctors in the city and thousands of medical professionals from private and government hospitals came together at Freedom Park on Monday to protest attacks by patients and their families. Widow poisons woman to death A 50-year-old widow, who allegedly killed a homemaker with a cyanide-laced soft drink before fleeing with cash and valuables from the latter's west Bengaluru residence on Friday, was arrested a day later. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		Naidu hastens time frame for new capital Unmindful of where the money is going to come from, Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu has advanced the time frame for construction of the new capital and now wants the layouts of the core capital to be developed by August-end. Finish Jalayagnam with your wealth: Naidu dares Jagan Chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday dared opposition leader Jaganmohan Reddy of the YSRCP to complete all the Jalayagnam projects with the money the latter ‘amassed by indulging in corruption.’ Oppn accuses Etela of budget jugglery The state budget presented by finance minister Etela Rajender came under fire in the Telangana legislative assembly on Monday with opposition members accusing the minister of financial jugglery. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		Cop who made sleaze calls to woman constable transferred The assistant commissioner of police who was caught on tape making sleazy comments to a woman constable has been transferred to the city control room as vacancy reserve (VR), considered an obscure posting. Racing bikers injure 4, including pregnant woman Bike racers in the city seem to have shifted their “track” — from the Royapuram-Thiruvanmiyur stretch to East Avenue Road in Vyasarpadi. Around 10.30am on Monday, at least five youths involved in a race left at least four people, including a pregnant woman, injured at Mullai Nagar bus terminus. No place for PMK lawyers in Centre's legal team in Tamil Nadu Nearly 10 months after storming to power at the Centre, the NDA regime has appointed 111 central government advocates to handle the Centre’s cases in the Madras high court. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		Doctors in Ahmedabad concerned over recovery time As the swine flu numbers ebb in the state with rising temperatures, the prolonged time that patients are taking to recover from the disease is worrying health professionals. Man does sting on wife to establish her income Gujarat high court asked a family court in Surat to permit a man to pose certain question to a witness, who has allegedly employed his wife. Cong MLAs raise crop damage issue Congress MLAs were suspended, for a day, from the assembly when they insisted that the government allow them to discuss the damage caused to crops in the state by unseasonal rains. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		Dist lawyers to collect Rs 1 cr for killed lawyer's family The District Court Bar Association will collect Rs 1 crore to help family members of lawyer Nabi Ahmad who was allegedly killed by sub-inspector Shailendra Singh on court premise. Automatic weather station to come up at MNNIT Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology (MNNIT) – the lone NIT of the state – will soon get a state-of-the-art remote automatic weather station on its campus. No boundary wall to protect women hostellers in AU The women hostel area on Allahabad University campus continues to face encroachment even after the authorities have spent around Rs 1 crore to construct boundary walls for the safety of the girls living in hostels. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		Tagged turtles return to Gahiramatha for nesting A dozen Olive Ridley sea turtles, which were earlier tagged, have returned to Gahiramatha, considered the world's largest rookery of the creatures, in Kendrapada district for laying eggs this year. Sevashram hostel head suspended The Malkangiri district administration on Saturday night suspended a hostel superintendent, Sabita Rani Sarkar, for negligence of duty after a Class IX student of the government-run facility was found pregnant earlier in the day. Landlords, tenants must register with us: Police Rented houses in twin cities have come under the scanner of commissionerate of police.Cops have asked landlords to check documents and bona fides of people before letting out houses. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		Attempt to gang-rape 10-year-old girl on train in Madhya Pradesh; three held Three law students were arrested by government railway police (GRP) for an alleged rape bid on a 10-year-old girl on board a train between Jabalpur and Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh on Sunday night. Pay market rate for LPG from April 1, receive subsidy a/c LPG cylinders will no more be available from dealers at subsidized rates from April 1. CBSE directs schools to form anti-bullying panel After the Scindia School, Gwalior ragging issue involving a Bihar minister's son, Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE's) has issued fresh guidelines recently on anti-bullying. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		Man threatens wife with offensive clip Two days after the arrest of an IT professional for blackmailing his former woman colleague on the pretext of her objectionable clip, another cyber crime came to light in which an estranged husband made an offensive clip of his wife and threatened her to withdraw a dowry harassment case against him and his father. 3 girls chase abusive rickshaw puller in Sec 17 Three girl students chased a rickshaw puller after he dropped them mid-way from their destination and hurled abuses at them in Sector 17 on Saturday, forcing him to abandon his three-wheeler and run for his life. President convoy chokes Chandigarh traffic There were traffic jams at almost all prominent traffic lights and road dividers on Saturday due to convoy of President Pranab Mukherjee making its way to the city. More Chandigarh News»

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