News Digest: CEC: We don't need 5-6 phase polls, ideally it should be 2 to 3 phases

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Wednesday, April 08, 2015
		Today's Headlines

		India
		CEC: We don't need 5-6 phase polls, ideally it should be 2 to 3 phases Chief Election Commissioner H S Brahma is scheduled to retire later this month. Brahma pleads helplessness in the face of growing money power in elections and claims that the South Indian states are the worst offenders. Owaisi dares Uddhav Thackeray to visit Hyderabad Describing Uddhav Thackeray as a tiger "who roams only on home pitch", All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) leader Akbaruddin Owaisi has dared the Shiv Sena president to visit Hyderabad. 200 farmers committed suicide in Marathwada, says official The total number of farmers who committed suicide during the last three months in the eight districts of Marathwada region has crossed 200, official sources said here today. More India News»

		Business
		Top 3 banks cut rates after RBI's tough talk A quarter percentage point reduction in interest rates would reduce the equated monthly instalment on a 20-year Rs 50 lakh home loan by Rs 850. Quikr raises over 900 crore in fresh funding Online classifieds portal Quikr has raised $150 million (over Rs 900 crore) in a new financing round led by existing investors Tiger Global and AB Kinnevik, the company said Tuesday. Hong Kong-based Steadview Capital, the only new investor boarding the six-year-old company, is learnt to have put in $25 million. Apple's India revenue hits $1bn in FY15 Apple didn’t take India seriously in the early years of the global iPhone-iPad rage. More Business News»

		Environment
		Panchganga fish killing: Pollution board issues notice to sugar factory The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has issued a notice to city-based Rajaram cooperative sugar factory for allegedly discharging effluents through an underground pipeline directly into the Panchganga river. Govt to tackle hazards posed by construction waste The environment ministry has decided to come out with rules to deal with the health hazards posed by the waste generated from construction of various infrastructure projects. Tampons can identify sewage pollution sources in rivers Tampons may not be an obvious scientific tool, but engineers from the University of Sheffield in Britain have found in them a new utility - using them to identify the sources from where sewage is discharged into the river. More Environment News»

		World
		Widespread power outages sweep Washington A power outage hit the White House and much of the Washington area on Tuesday, snarling trains, emptying museums and cutting electricity to government buildings and the U.S. Capitol for hours 560 dead amid fears of humanitarian collapse in Yemen As tons of desperately needed medical supplies await clearance to be flown into Yemen, aid workers have warned of an unfolding humanitarian crisis, saying at least 560 people, including dozens of children, have been killed, mostly in a Saudi-led air campaign and battles between Shiite rebels and forces loyal to the embattled president. Ebola-hit Sierra Leone's police arrests 13 for unsafe burial Police in Ebola-hit Sierre Leone raided a funeral today and arrested 13 people suspected of organising an unsafe burial, risking spreading the disease, officers said. More World News»

		Entertainment
		Sunny Leone: I can't erase the internet Sunny Leone has fantasies too — food fantasies! Karan Tacker, Krystle D'Souza in Nach Baliye? Karan Tacker and Krystle D’Souza have been approached to participate in the dance reality show Nach Baliye, say sources. The production house is also in talks with Iqbal Khan and his wife Sneha. According to sources, “The earlier seasons of the show had 11 jodis, and even for this season, the makers wanted 11 couples. When TV celebs locked-lips in public TV stars, who are an idol for many and are known by their on-screen names don't shy away when it comes to showing their love for the partners. More Entertainment News»

		Science
		New battery charges phones in a minute New battery charges your phone in just 60 seconds!Washington: A new inexpensive aluminium battery that could charge cellphones in just one minute has been developed by Stanford scientists. Soon, hydrogen from corn may fuel cars Scientists have dramatically increased the efficiency of producing clean hydrogen fuel from plant waste in a breakthrough that could one day lead to petrol stations being replaced by a network of roadside "bioreactors" for refuelling cars. Puff-&-sweat' exercises can help you live longer Vigorous exercise that makes you puff and sweat may be key to living longer and is more beneficial than a moderate workout, a large new study has claimed. More Science News»

		Sports
		IPL 2015 kicks off with glitzy opening ceremony after rain delay Heavy rain failed to dampen the spirit of 'City of Joy' as a dazzling Bollywood-style opening ceremony kick started the eighth edition of Indian Premier League. Sachin Tendulkar takes centrestage at Eden Gardens Sachin Tendulkar took the centrestage as the Mumbai Indians 'icon' was seen giving a pep talk to his team before getting into a long chat with Virat Kohli. Dhoni is arrogant, will beg one day, Yograj Singh says "Dhoni was nothing. He has become a God in cricket just because of media. Media has crowned him as a great which he never deserved", Yograj Singh said. More Sports News»

		Technology
		Lenovo A7000 vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 4G, Moto G (2nd Gen), others We compare the new Lenovo A7000 with its toughest rivals, namely Xiaomi Redmi Note 4G, Micromax Yu Yureka, Huawei Honor 4X, Moto G (Gen 2) to see their strengths and weaknesses. Microsoft Lumia 640XL review Is the Lumia 640XL the best mid-range phablet available in the market? Samsung Galaxy S6 edge review If money is really not a problem for you, then Samsung Galaxy S6 edge is the best smartphone with best camera and performance that you can buy right now. More Technology News»

		Education
		DAVV to conduct CET 2015 on June 4 Common Entrance Test (CET), 2015, by Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya (DAVV) will be held on June 4 at seven cities across the country. Denial of Biology grace marks may lower cut off for medicine With the Director of Government Examinations (DGE) deciding not to award grace marks for two questions in the Class 12 biology paper which the students claimed to be out of syllabus, there is a good chance that the cut-off marks required for medical counselling would be reduced, say experts. PU Board to give 5 grace marks for English paper The PU Board has decided to give five grace marks to students who attempted three questions in the II-year PU English-language paper. More Education News»

		Mumbai
		Maharashtra cities corner more farm loans than villages: Study At the RBI's 80th anniversary recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had invoked farmers' suicides to urge banks to lend more to cultivators. Assembly adjourned twice over Kelkar report Regional discrimination in distribution of development funds rocked the assembly on Tuesday, which was twice adjourned after opposition MLAs created a pandemonium to insist on a special two-day discussion on the report, submitted by former finance commission chairman Vijay Kelkar. Murdered bizman may have fallen prey to honeytrap The murder of a 62-year-old Kurla resident, whose body was found in Neral last month, has taken a new twist. Police claimed the suspected killer had used a woman to lure the deceased Laxminarayan Kakkad. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		NHRC rescues 101 bonded labourers from Madhubani in Bihar With National Human Rights Commission’s intervention, 101 labourers from 38 families, working in Benipatti sub division of Bihar’s Madhubani district as bonded labour since generations, have been rescued and rehabilitated. CIC penalizes Delhi official for not giving pension info to 70-yr-old The Central Information Commission (CIC) has slapped a penalty of Rs 25,000 on a Delhi government official for not giving information related to the pension status of a 70-year old woman. The commission has also asked for compensation of Rs 5,000 to be paid to her. Panagariya panel to come up with fresh poverty estimates A task-force headed by NITI Aayog vice-chairman Arvind Panagariya will come up with a new methodology to estimate the number of poor in the country. The task force held its first meeting on Tuesday. More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		Skull bone stored in abdomen saves youth's life Education activist Malala Yousafzai underwent the same surgery in 2012. Passengers in a fix as trains fail to budge Panic In Railway Stations | Delay In Train Schedule Anger rises as skywalk gets stuck between land owners, court, BBMP, NHAI More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		A physician and designer in Viquar's Co An embroidery designer, a physician and an arms dealer, the associates of Viquaruddin Ahmed were from diverse background but had one common intention of striking terror across the country. From a bike thief to a cop killer Starting off as a petty bike thief in 2003, Viqaruddin Ahmed went on to becoming a professional robber, specializing in targeting eSeva centres. Cops killed Viquar fearing his acquittal: Lawyer Demanding a CBI probe into the death of Viquaruddin Ahmed, his grieving father and lawyer said that the alleged terror operative was attending the final stages of his trial and would have been acquitted due to lack of evidence. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		More than 20-fold rise in price in 13 years A steady spurt in demand for red sanders in the global market has lured smugglers into the forest areas of Andhra Pradesh, say forest and enforcement agencies. Parties express shock, OPS demands `credible, speedy probe' Political parties in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday expressed shock at the killing of 20 people, including Tamils, by the Andhra Pradesh police for allegedly smuggling red sanders from the Seshachalam forests. Smuggler jailed in Mauritius, efforts on to extradite him Since coming to power in Andhra Pradesh in June 2014, the TDP government has launched a crackdown on red sanders felling and smugglers, but the exercise has been embroiled in a mud-sling ing game between the ruling party and the opposition YSR Congress. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		6,000 sanitary staff to strike work today Nearly 6,000 sanitary staff across the city will strike work on Wednesday. GIFT to be India's 1st international finance service hub Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream project — GIFT city — (Gujarat International Finance-Tec City) at Gandhinagar, which he nurtured in his previous role as Gujarat CM has now officially been given India’s first International Financial Service Centre (IFSC) which will put it at par with Singapore and Dubai in prospects for development of the financial service industry. CBI opposes Amin's bail plea The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday opposed the bail application filed by suspended DySP and accused cop in the Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case, N K Amin. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		Aadhar card not required for ration cards: HC The state government on Monday submitted before the Allahabad High Court that there is no compulsory requirement of Aadhar card or its registration number for submitting forms for the preparation of ration cards in the state. Police to look for hidden cameras in dressing rooms Following the Goa incident, wherein union HRD minister Smriti Irani found a camera in the changing room of a showroom, senior cops of the city have ordered station house officers to conduct surprise checks in malls and showrooms to check the malpractice. After stampede, cops chalk out crowd mgmt plan Following Saturday night’s stampede during Hanuman Jayanti celebrations that left four devotees injured, the police have decided to employ a crowd management system at the at Bade Hanuman Temple in Sangam. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		Edgy after egg attack? CM to fly down to Ravenshaw Chief minister Naveen Patnaik will fly down to Cuttack on Wednesday to attend the Ravenshaw University students union annual function, a move that is being seen as a desperate measure by the administration to avoid a possible rerun of the recent egg attack on the chief minister’s convoy. Top pvt firm exec lynched, two held A top executive of Mangilall Rungta, a ferro alloys manufacturing company at Meramundali in Dhenkanal district, was on Tuesday beaten to death near the company site. The police arrested two labourers of the company on charges of killing him. Pulses, wheat scarcity looms large in state Consumers in the state are likely to face shortage of pulses, wheat and wheat products in next few days. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		Schools affiliation process set to get transparent Affiliation process for schools is set to become more transparent.A new software has been mooted by school education department for granting affiliation to new schools and extension of affiliation to existing schools. MCI declines renewal for 80 seats in 5 MP med colleges Madhya Pradesh stands to lose 80 MBBS seats in state-run medical colleges as Medical Council of India (MCI) declined to renew admissions to these seats after finding shortcomings in its inspection of the five state medical colleges. MCI deceision comes barely two months before admission begins for new batch of MBBS course. Women help desk ensures girls' safe return from Manali Eighteen girl students, who had gone on Manali tour from the city, were allegedly not allowed to check out of a hotel on March 4 before paying balanced sum a tour package. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		World library meet starts at PU today The Panjab University (PU) will host the 60th Indian Library Association International Conference from April 8 to 10. It's April, but still there's a chill Kamini.Mehta@timesgroup.This year, the wait for summers will be longer, as the cool weather is still continuing. Chairpersons to discuss CBCS, student feedback after NAAC review After the peer team of National Accreditation and Assessment Council (NAAC) asked Panjab University (PU) to strengthen its feedback system for students and also implement the choice-based credit system (CBCS), chairpersons and directors will take up these subjects in a chairpersons' meeting led by vice chancellor Arun Kumar Grover on Wednesday. More Chandigarh News»

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