News Digest: Haryana women challenge qualification norm to contest panchayat polls

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Thursday, September 17, 2015
		Today's Headlines

		India
		Haryana women challenge qualification norm to contest panchayat polls Their writ petition, moved through advocate Pukhrambam Ramesh, said the other disqualifications prescribed by the legislature included non-payment of agricultural loan dues, electricity bills and lack of toilet in the candidate’s house. Kerala youth deported for IS links could serve as deterrent for others, believe agencies Even though the Kerala police and intelligence agencies are not pressing charges against the youth deported from the UAE for being in touch with ISIS recruits, there is a realisation that with their identities now in the public domain, they could face difficulty in getting jobs in India. After govt nod, NHAI allows first 100% divestment by highway developer Following the recent Cabinet decision, NHAI on Wednesday allowed the first ever 100% divestment of shareholding of the developer of a highway project. More India News»

		Business
		India names 10 companies to set up microfinance banks India's central bank has selected 10 companies to set up small finance banks aimed at giving loans to those who struggle to get finance from traditional banks, including farmers and small businesses, the Reserve Bank of India said on Wednesday. NTPC, others in fray for subsidy on LNG for power plants As many as 11 bidders including NTPC are in the fray on Wednesday for the Rs 298 crore government subsidy on offer for plants receiving inadequate domestic natural gas. Hike in petrol, diesel prices put off due to Bihar polls A Re one per litre hike in petrol and Rs 2.28 a litre increase in diesel prices necessitated due to firming global oil rates has been put off by state-owned oil companies apparently because of assembly elections in Bihar. More Business News»

		Environment
		Go for terrace farming for organic veggies at 50p/kg Organic vegetables at just 50 paise a kg: This may sound incredible at a time when veggies are burning a hole in the pocket but a Birbhum firm apparently has the key to it. Javadekar stresses on research to combat climate change Environment minister Prakash Javadekar on Wednesday said that the challenge of climate change can be overcome with technology and research. Trees get identity cards in Kolkata suburb Just like humans, trees too now have identity cards in a Kolkata suburb. More Environment News»

		World
		Obama to take tough but tempered line with China's Xi Obama is expected to press Xi on issues that have strained relations between the two countries, but his approach will be tempered because for better or worse the world's two biggest economies are inextricably bound together. Israel PM vows 'war' on stone-throwers after riots Netanyahu spoke of plans to crack down on Palestinian protesters who hurl rocks and firebombs as he visited the site of a weekend car accident that killed a Jewish man. Australia to block govt benefits for unvaccinated children Australia Wednesday introduced a "no jab, no pay" law which would block parents who refuse to vaccinate their children from accessing some government benefits. More World News»

		Entertainment
		Why stars prefer vanity vans to makeup rooms Vanity vans have become a mandatory part of Bollywood’s shooting amenities in the last two decades. And in the last 10 years, they have gained so much importance as superstar arsenal, that Shah Rukh Khan recently built yet another state-of-the-art van for himself, at a cost of a one-BHK in Bandra. 'The title of the film Katti Batti is too childish' Saif: Known Salman longer than Kareena Salman Khan and Saif Ali Khan have spent a lot of time together and have been friends in the past. But for reasons best known to only the both of them, their relationship has not remained the same over the years. More Entertainment News»

		Science
		New chocolate may help beat Alzheimer's Cocoa extracts contain polyphenols, which are micronutrients that have many health benefits, Giulio Maria Pasinetti from Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, US, lead author of the study, said. Marine life dipped by 50% in 40 years Half of the world's marine population (49%) has disappeared between 1970 and 2012. Earth's gravitational pull shrinking the Moon: Nasa Earth's gravity has influenced the orientation of thousands of faults that form in the lunar surface as the Moon shrinks, Nasa has revealed. More Science News»

		Sports
		Sardar, Dwyer availability expected to spice up HIL auctions With big tickets players like Sardar Singh and Jamie Dwyer going under the hammer, the HIL auction 2015 is expected to be a busy affair. From Sehwag to Sarfaraz, plenty of movement ahead of Ranji TOI Sports looks at the high-profile transfers ahead of the domestic season that starts from October 1. SAFF Cup: No Plan 'B' if govt doesn't give nod to Pak India-Pakistan relationships have not been at their best in the recent past and this has reflected in the sports arena. More Sports News»

		Technology
		8 interview questions engineers struggle to answer Tech engineers are regarded as some of the smartest people in the world. PM Narendra Modi to meet Apple CEO during his US visit The showstopper of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s US visit later this month may well be his meeting with Apple CEO Tim Cook in San Francisco. Coming soon: Samsung's foldable touchscreen phone Being developed under the name Project Valley, Samsung's upcoming foldable touchscreen smartphone will have 3GB RAM, OLED display, microSD card support and non-removable battery. Samsung is testing it with Snapdragon 820 and 620 chipsets. More Technology News»

		Education
		TNOU resumes admission with 63 new courses Having granted recognition by the University Grants Commission for the current academic year, Tamil Nadu Open University announced that it will resume issuing admission forms from Thursday. IIT-Delhi responds to QS ranking with appeal for investment and support Indian Institute of Delhi has responded to being ranked 176 on the QS Worldwide University Rankings, with an appeal for more “investment in – and support for – the faculty.” UK university to offer scholarships worth £ 5000 to two Indians Sheffield Hallam, one of the UK's largest universities, is offering two scholarships to high-achieving students hoping to improve their professional and managerial skills in finance and project management.  More Education News»

		Mumbai
		'MIM entry in Bihar may favour BJP' Congress has called the entry of Majlis-e-Ittihadul Muslimeen (MIM) in Bihar elections an attempt to “polarize“ voters which will help the BJP. Muslim leaders in Mumbai draw up growth plan for youth Some Muslim groups in the city have initiated steps to dispel gloom and remove the feeling of victimisation among the community youths.Muslim intellectuals and community leaders are chalking out a long-term plan to infuse positive attitude among the youths to discourage them from being lured by extremists. Patience wearing out, says 11/7 judge The defence in the 2006 Mumbai serial train blasts case examined four more “mitigating witnesses“ before a special MCOCA court on Wednesday in a bid to seek the minimum sentence for the convicted accused. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		SC directs Delhi Police to protect UP Dalit family The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed Delhi Police to provide protection to members of a Dalit family which fled their village in Baghpat district of Uttar Pradesh to the national capital after the local khap panchayat started harassing them. 66% drop in funds in 3 years has crippled war on dengue The war against dengue and other deadly mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria and chikungunya appears to have been lost in Delhi. 950 beds in two hospitals unused While the Delhi government threatens to take over private hospitals to deal with the deluge of dengue patients, two of its own super-speciality hospitals that can accommodate 950 sick people lie utterly unused for in-patient treatment. More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		Karthik's semen traces not on actor's clothes Forensic tests haven't found semen traces of Karthik Gowda, son of Union law minister DV Sadananda Gowda, on the clothes of an actor who had charged him with raping her. Need some time to sort garbage crisis: Minister Garbage heaps dotting various parts of the city, especially south Bengaluru, are here to stay. 3 chains snatched in 60 minutes There were three chain-snatching cases in a span of one hour on Wednesday. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		Ganesh utsav is Rs 100 crore huge If you thought Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations were a loud show of pomp and gaiety last year, get ready for more, for the scale of festivities has doubled. Garbage, noise pollution to scale up too Despite several public awareness campaigns, pollution during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival continues to be one of the major hindrances for citizens. Festivals turn show of religious one-upmanship The polarisation during procession-based festivals, be it Ganesh Chaturthi or Milad-un-Nabi, is hard to miss. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		Class 10 boy falls off footboard, dies in Chennai A Class 10 student died after he slipped and fell while trying to jump on the footboard of an MTC bus in Red Hills on Tuesday. Sivaji statue to stay near Marina for two more years Legendary actor Sivaji Ganesan's statue at the junction of Radhakrishnan Salai and Kamarajar Salai on the Marina promenade is set to stay put at the same spot for at least another two years, with the Tamil Nadu government informing the Madras high court on Wednesday that it would take two years to build a memorial for the actor on the banks of the Adyar. Chennai to get German funding for 3rd desal plant For a city currently in the midst of a water crisis, this could not have come at a better time: Chennai will soon get a third desalination plant, the German government's funding agency Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) announced on Wednesday. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		Gir celebrates 50 years as lions' sole sanctuary Gir sanctuary completes 50 years of conservation on Friday with the release of a special postal stamp and launch of year-long festivities which will celebrate the famous man-lion relationship in Saurashtra — the only abode of the Asiatic lion in the world. 'Bahubali' Ganesh here to clear hurdles With the city turning into a mini-Mumbai on Ganesh Chaturthi on Thusrday, the Lord of the new beginnings will arrive with much grandeur and fanfare and this time in several contemporary themes. 25 people from Gujarat stranded at Abu Dhabi airport As many as 25 Los Angeles-bound passengers from Ahmedabad were stranded at Abu Dhabi airport on Wednesday for several hours due to an alleged goof-up by two private airlines in their bookings. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		Roads and drains still damaged near Mela area In view of the Dadhikando Mela, mayor Abhilasha Gupta inspected the areas of Rajapur and Teliarganj on Tuesday. Two arms smugglers held with nine pistols An inter-state gang involved in smuggling illegal weapons was busted on Tuesday with the arrest of two of its members near Mutthiganj Road. They were carrying a consignment from Khandwa in Madhya Pradesh to be delivered in the city. Ganesha idols get innovative forms The devotees are making last minute arrangements for celebrating Ganesh Chaturdashi on Thursday (September 17). The idols of Lord Ganesha are being worshipped in different avatars in the city. Letting their imagination free and moving away from tradition, the artisans have given new dimensions to this year’s idols. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		Vedanta engineer commits suicide A 30-year-old man who was employed as an engineer at Vedanta's Jharsuguda plant allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in his room in Vedanta Township, police said on Tuesday. Govt for timely completion of Gurupriya bridge The state government on Tuesday emphasized early completion of development projects in the Left-wing extremism (LWE)-affected districts. Crorepati engineer in vigilance net Vigilance sleuths on Tuesday arrested assistant executive engineer, road and building (R&B), Paralakhemundi division in Gajapati district, and wife of a daily labour roll (DLR) peon at Chikiti-Balarampur motor vehicle department check-gate, Ganjam, in connection with disproportionate assets. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		Rs 8 lakh stolen from house of ex-PSC chairman in Bhopal Cash and jewellery worth Rs 8 lakh were stolen from the house of former Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission (MPPSC) chairman Vinay Shankar Dube. A case was registered at Bagh Sewania police station on Tuesday. Ujjain chief medical officer caught with bribe of Rs 3 lakhs Lokayukt Police, Ujjain on Wednesday caught red handed chief medical and health officer (CM &HO) Ratlam Dr Pushpendra Sharma accepting a bribe of Rs 3 lakhs from a primary health centre incharge to dilute the case against him over possessing government medicines at home. BJP MLA threatens Chhatarpur SDM After BJP MLA from Bhopal Rameshwar Sharma, another party legislature from Chhatarpur is in news for threatening an official. After threat by Uma Yadav, MLA from Chhatarpur, two police constables have been posted at the residence of sub-divisional magistrate (SDM), Badamalehra, K L Salvi. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		DGP office employee ends life A 50-year-old man employed at the DGP office in Sector 6 allegedly committed suicide by consuming celphos tablets at his residence in Mansa Devi Complex on Tuesday evening. At last, police lodge FIR in ATM fraud case A day after highlighting the plight of a local girl, Kritika Singhal, who was running to from pillar to post to lodge an FIR of fraudulently withdrawal of Rs 10,000, Chandigarh police have registered the case and started investigation on Tuesday. After spate of crimes, police arrest 3 robbers in Panchkula The police on Tuesday claimed to have arrested three notorious criminals involved in armed robberies, including the killing of UHBVN cashier after looting him of Rs 9.22 lakh in Industrial Area, Phase II, on August 21, in a crackdown after a spate of crimes rocked the city. More Chandigarh News»

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