News Digest: 15 out of 20 top CBSE schools are in South

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Tuesday, September 29, 2015
		Today's Headlines

		India
		15 out of 20 top CBSE schools are in South With seven of its schools among India's best 20, Tamil Nadu tops the list of states going by the best overall aggregates in class XII CBSE exams in 2015. The data, exclusively available with TOI, also reveals that Bengaluru houses five schools among the top 20. Volkswagen probes if it cheated on Indian emission norms The embattled Volkswagen group has initiated an internal investigation in India to see how many diesel models and variants of its brands - Audi, VW and Skoda - may have possibly been impacted by the engines that cheated emission tests in the US and other markets across Europe, top sources said. PM Narendra Modi concludes US visit, says 'a lot of ground has been covered' Prime Minster Narendra Modi thanked the American people for the very warm welcome and hospitality he and his delegation got wherever they went. More India News»

		Business
		Maybach makes a comeback as a sub-brand of Mercedes Mercedes brought back the ultra-luxurious Maybach to India as a sub-brand ‘Mercedes-Maybach’, pricing the locally-assembled vehicle at Rs 1.7 crore (ex-showroom Pune). VW shocker exposes emission chink Volkswagen has been in the eye of a storm over the last few days for alleged emission manipulations but consumers in the state will have little to do if Indian car-manufacturers choose to go the Volkswagen way. Debt Recovery Tribunal to be computerised soon: Jaitley In a bid to fast-track recovery of bad loans by banks, the government is looking to computerise the Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT) and reduce the number of oral hearing to just two, finance minister Arun Jaitley said on Monday. More Business News»

		Environment
		Female anti-poaching unit in South Africa gets UN award A mostly female anti-poaching unit from South Africa has won a top environmental award at the United Nations. Shell to cease Alaska offshore Arctic drilling Royal Dutch Shell will stop drilling for oil and gas in Arctic waters off Alaska's coast following disappointing results from an exploratory well backed by billions in investment and years of work. Progress seen on climate, but nations' goals still fall short The pledges that countries are making to battle climate change would still allow the world to heat up by more than 6 degrees Fahrenheit, a new analysis shows, More Environment News»

		World
		Narrow escape for Maldives prez as boat hit by explosion An explosion ripped through a speed boat carrying Maldives President Abdulla Yameen on Monday, injuring his wife and two others, but leaving him unhurt. Afghan Taliban seize northern city center in major attack Taliban fighters battled their way into the center of Kunduz city in northern Afghanistan on Monday and seized the provincial governor's office, in one of the most serious security breaches in 14 years of war, witnesses and officials said. Hundreds gather in Hong Kong to mark anniversary of protests About 1,000 pro-democracy activists rallied outside Hong Kong government headquarters on Monday to mark the first anniversary of protests that crippled parts of the Chinese-controlled city for weeks but failed to secure electoral reforms. More World News»

		Entertainment
		Ranbir: Characters that he brought to life Ranbir Kapoor played the adorable deaf and mute boy, Barfi, which earned him the Filmfare Award in the Best Actor category. Spoiler alert: Calendar Girls story revealed Nargis: Uday is the most sane person Nargis Fakhri said Uday Chopra is the most sane person she met in India. More Entertainment News»

		Science
		Signs of liquid water found on surface of Mars, scientists say Scientists reported definitive signs of liquid water on the surface of present-day Mars, a finding that will fuel speculation that life. Fossils reveal human ancestors' hearing abilities Two-million-year-old fossils including the three tiny bones of the middle ear are helping scientists figure out the auditory abilities of early human ancestors. Nasa set to unveil 'major Mars mystery' today Nasa is set to make a “major” announcement about Mars, sparking speculation that the space agency may have found liquid water on the Red Planet. More Science News»

		Sports
		Fast bowlers will do the job for South Africa: Russell Domingo South Africa had their first practice session at Palam Air Force Ground ahead of their warm-up T20 game against India A in what is going to be a long 70-day long tour. Ayonika shoots bronze as India add to medal count Ayonika Paul wobbled a bit towards the end but still managed to bag the bronze medal while Apurvi Chandela missed out on the podium finish after a disappointing outing. Shikhar Dhawan's 150 flattens Bangladesh A on Day 2 Dhawan hit a strokeful 150 to help India A declare their first innings on 411/5 to notch up a massive lead against Bangladesh A on Day 2 of the unofficial cricket Test. More Sports News»

		Technology
		In pics: PM Narendra Modi at Silicon Valley Prime Minister Narendra Modi has wrapped up his whirlwind two-day tour of US West Coast, home to some of the biggest technology companies in the world. The trip saw PM Modi meet with Silicon Valley's biggest executives. Technology industry's stars signed on to PM Modi's ambitious 'Digital India' vision with a slew of initiatives. Here's a recap of PM's two-day visit to the US tech hub. Crowd chants "Modi, Modi" as PM winds up Silicon Valley tour Chants of "Modi, Modi" filled the 18,000-seat sports arena in San Jose, California as the Indian premier took the stage for the final event of his Silicon Valley tour. Apple India to launch iPhone 6S, 6S Plus on Oct 16 It is expected that iPhone 6S will be available at starting price of around Rs 60,000, while iPhone 6S Plus will cost approximately Rs 68,000 for the base variant. More Technology News»

		Education
		Sardar Patel school pips others in CBSE ranking Considering the best aggregate in Class XII in 2015, Sardar Patel Vidyalaya is the top CBSE school in the city. As many as 24,000 children absent in primary schools in Lucknow Around 18% primary students in Lucknow remain absent in school for long period, reveals a survey report released by Basic Shiksha Adhikari (BSA) Out of 1,34,749 children studying in 1,369 primary schools in Lucknow, 24,063 do not go to school for long. Varsity's adventure carnival a success Manipal Institute of Technology was brimming with activity on Sunday. The adventurous feats organized by Red-X Club kept everyone on their toes. More Education News»

		Mumbai
		At 123.7dB, Opera House records noisiest Ganpati immersions this year Noise levels during Ganpati immersion processions reached a record high of 123.7dB this year. Awaaz Foundation recorded the ear-shattering decibel level at Opera House at 11.05pm on Sunday Speeding SUV mows down two watching Ganpati immersions The SUV driver has been arrested College students join beach clean-up after Ganpati immersions Over 1,000 college students on Monday morning to ensure that Girgaum Chowpatty was free of litter after Anant Chaturdashi More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		Childless couple kidnaps two children, arrested Unable to conceive, a couple decided instead to abduct a child and bring it up. From 29 to over 1200, dengue toll in Delhi swings wildly Is dengue claiming a handful of lives every year in Delhi or are there hundreds dying from the dreaded disease? Official data presents both these vastly different scenarios. Supreme Court raps AAP's Bharti for hiding like absconder The Supreme Court on Monday refused to grant anticipatory bail to former Delhi law minister Somnath Bharti mainly because of his conduct in hiding like an absconder from the police after two courts refused to give him relief from impending arrest following his wife's matrimonial cruelty charge. More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		Book your bakra online this Eid; prices shoot up to Rs 1L After big brands and biryani, Bengaluru is shopping online for the Bannur kuri. Habitual offenders could be e-tagged A spurt in Bengaluru's crime rate has made police consider electronically tagging habitual offenders. Some executives quit jobs to drive for Uber, Ola Mohit R is an MBA in corporate finance from Leeds Metropolitan University, UK. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		Low Srisailam water level dashes Naidu's plans Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu’s plans of giving water to Rayalaseema has received a blow with water level at Srisailam plummeting despite heavy rains in catchment areas. Only 28.84% schools in Telangana have internet At a time when the Centre is rooting for a digital India, a report by Ministry of Human Resource Development says that only 28.84% schools in Telangana have computer and internet facility, leaving more than one crore students across the state unexposed to the World Wide Web. Fate of 1,253 power employees still hangs in balance The fate of 1,253 employees who were relieved by Telangana power utilities on June 11 still hangs in balance despite the High Court's order asking both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh governments to pay their salaries. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		Tricolour photo updates on Facebook divide netizens Following Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s profile picture update, countless FB users changed their profile photos to the tri- colour filter designed by the social network. This was done as a show of support for Modi’s ‘Digital India’ initiative. Woman's suicide: Chennai court dismisses bail plea of her husband A court in Chennai has dismissed the bail plea of a man who allegedly abetted the suicide of his wife. DMK members evicted from Tamil Nadu assembly Taking sycophancy to a new level, Alandur MLA V M P Venkataraman sang a few verses of a film song which had the words ‘amma amma’ in the state assembly on Monday More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		Tourism dept asks complainants to approach HC about hotels in Gir After the Gujarat high court ordered the closure of illegal resorts and hotels around Gir sanctuary, the state tourism department had legalized them under its home stay policy. But the department has now said that such permission to illegal resorts is ‘not within the ambit of its home stay policy’. Heart disease claiming young victims In the past few years, many people in their 20s and 30s have suffered a heart attack, disproving the notion that heart disease occurs only among middle-aged people. Umiya Campus wants EBC status, quota for Patidars Rajkot youth’s suicide precipitated the decision to back reservation movement More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		Allahabad's Sheroo is third cutest dog alive in India The community dog from Sangam city, Sheroo, has been named as the second runner up of PETA’s (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, India) Cutest Indian Dog Alive contest in the final results declared on Monday. Two pitra paksh special trains from Sept 30 While one will ply between Jabalpur and Gaya, another will ply between Habibganj and Gaya. Both these trains will pass through Chheoki station near Allahabad. Use soap, wash hands off diarrhoea In an attempt to check the spread of diseases caused by inadequate sanitation and hygiene, the health department has initiated project “hand wash” in villages and blocks to educate the rural populace about the benefits of hand-washing. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		CBI turns heat on Green Ray in Odisha ponzi scam CBI officers on Monday raided different branch offices of Green Ray International Limited, a non-banking financial company (NBFC), in connection with Odisha mega chit fund scam. Opposition indulging in petty politics: Patnaik With both the Congress and BJP intensifying their stir against the state government, Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday accused the opposition parties of indulging in "petty politics". Book Utkal students for murder: Woman kin The family of entrepreneur Suman Sharma, who died in her car on Saturday after she got trapped in a road blockade by students of Utkal University, demanded that police book the protesters on charges of murder. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		Enough security provided to Vyapam whistle-blower: Cops tell court Police in Gwalior informed a special court of CBI on Monday that adequate security has been provided to Vyapam whistle-blower Ashish Chaturvedi. School teacher commits suicide in Badnawar to 'teach'govt a lesson When people in the nearby area noticed him excessively vomiting, they rushed him to the civil hospital in Badnawar. He was given first-aid and rushed to district hospital in Ratlam. BU asks students, do they watch porn on campus Barkatullah University wants its students to come clean on watching and downloading pornographic material on campus computers. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		PYC demands renaming Mohali airport after Bhagat Singh Punjab Youth Congress (PYC) has demanded that Mohali International Airport should be named after Bhagat Singh as a tribute to the martyr. Six child labourers rescued from Ambala Six child labourers were on Monday rescued from a market in Ambala city by a joint team of district child protection department and NGO officials. Despite threats, Hindu community celebrates annual religious festival in Pakistan Amidst security threat from fundamentalists and incidents of kidnapping and forcible conversion of Hindu girls, the Hindu community of Sindh province of Pakistan celebrated Ramapir Mela that concluded on Sunday night. More Chandigarh News»

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