News Digest: PM calls Badal India's Mandela, triggers Twitter storm

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Monday, October 12, 2015
		Today's Headlines

		India
		PM calls Badal India's Mandela, triggers Twitter storm Primer Minister Narendra Modi’s description of Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal as the “Nelson Mandela of India” on Sunday kicked up a storm on Twitter as #YoBadalSoMandela claimed the second most trending spot on the social networking site. 'Ghar wapsi' of 300 sparks row in Varanasi Ausanpur village in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s constituency and 16 km from Varanasi city has hogged the spotlight of local media for an alleged ‘ghar wapsi’ (conversion) of over 300 people. The alleged conversion under the banner of ‘Dharm Jagran Samnvaya Vibhag’, took place on Thursday. Gender skew: Women politicos get raw deal Bihar got its first woman chief minister in 1997. But Rabri Devi's rise — after husband Lalu Prasad got embroiled in the fodder scam — achieved little in terms of shoring up the role of women in the state's male-dominated political landscape. More India News»

		Business
		Bengaluru is home to 5 of India's 8 unicorn startups India's unicorn capital is Bengaluru. Kingfisher allegedly diverted portion of loans to tax havens Kingfisher Airlines had allegedly diverted a substantial chunk of Rs 4,000 crore in loans secured from public sector banks to tax havens which has now come under the scanner of the CBI that has expanded its probe in the matter. Rate hike 'expectation, not commitment': Fed vice-chair The US Federal Reserve's plan to raise interest rates by the end of the year is not guaranteed, although it remains the expected course of action, the central bank's vice chairman said Sunday. More Business News»

		Environment
		One car-free day won't clean Delhi air: Environmentalists The national capital is also infamous for having the worst quality of air in the world, according to a World Health Organisation report, but the decision on a Car-free Day on October 22 to fight pollution looks like it has been reduced to a mere power tussle. Govt to soon frame rules to regulate pet shops in the country The government will soon frame rules to regulate business activities related to pet shops, dog breeding and aquarium fish breeding in the country which has Rs 800 crore pet business having growth rate of nearly 20%. Only 25 % of original habitats survived in East Himalayas The latest regional species discovery report--'Hidden Himalayas: Asia's Wonderland', a World Wildlife Fund's (WWF) Living Himalayas initiative, while celebrating the discovery of 200 new species between 2009 and 2014, has also expressed concern over depletion of original habitats due to industrial growth, mining and climate change. More Environment News»

		World
		Islamic State could gain from Turkish bombing No one has claimed responsibility, but the attack bears similarities to a suicide bombing the government blames on the Islamic State group that killed 33 Turkish and Kurdish peace activists near a town bordering Syria in July. Five dead in non-hostile Kabul helicopter crash: Nato Two Royal Air Force members were among those killed when the Puma Mk 2 helicopter crashed while landing. Putin meets Saudi prince on 'political solution' in Syria The two huddled in the southern Russian city of Sochi. More World News»

		Entertainment
		'There's a lot of bhed chaal in India' Action has always been an important component of Bollywood’s mass entertainers. Superstars who made their screen names iconic Salman Khan’s resounding dialogue ‘Main wapas aa gaya’ in the trailer of his upcoming film, Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, has sent fans into a frenzy. SRK's chemistry with Mahira will be 'Uff' More Entertainment News»

		Science
		'Perfectly accurate clocks impossible' Researchers from the University of Warsaw and University of Nottingham showed that in systems moving with enormous accelerations, building a clock that would precisely measure the passage of time is impossible for fundamental reasons. NASA studying how zero gravity affects the brain NASA-funded researchers are studying brain structures and functions of the astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) to understand how brain changes in space and ways to deal with those changes. New technique freezes drones in midair Three UK firms have created a new technique that uses radio beams to freeze drones in mid-flight to prevent them from entering sensitive areas. More Science News»

		Sports
		Rohit's 150 in vain as South Africa win last over thriller Rohit Sharma superb 150 went in vain after South Africa held their nerve in the end to pull off thrilling five runs victory over India in the first ODI. Dhoni no longer the player he used to be: Azharuddin Azharuddin said that Dhoni is "no longer the player he used to be" and has to lead from the front by batting up the order and set an example for his teammates. Shuttler Ajay Jayaram defends Dutch Open title Indian shuttler Ajay Jayaram defended his Dutch Open Grand Prix title after defeating Estonia's Raul Must 21-12, 21-18 in the final on Sunday. More Sports News»

		Technology
		The top 9 worst apps of all time Here's a look at some of the worst apps to ever grace your devices. Sony Bravia 50W950C review: The 'real' Android TV We’ve used the 50-inch Android smart TV for more than a month to help you make a buying decision. Meet the first sub-Rs 10K smartphone with fingerprint sensor We went hands-on with the Coolpad Note 3 to find out if it lives upto the company’s promise of a offering a feature packed device at an affordable price. Read on to find out our first impressions of the phone… More Technology News»

		Education
		Pune schools bend RTE norms on age-appropriate admission The unified district information system for education (U-DISE) data recently released by the ministry of human resource and development has incorporated statistics on enrolment as per age groups. Delhi govt lauches scheme for extra-curricular activities in 54 model schools Delhi government is launching yet another scheme and bringing private parties on board. As a ‘pilot’, the Directorate of Education will run a heavy-duty extra-curricular activities programme in 54 ‘model’ schools in Delhi. Haryana to launch learning enhancement programme in 3,222 schools The state government's massive initiative - Learning Enhancement Programme (LEP) - which was prepared in collaboration with Boston consultancy group to substantially enhance quality of education in government schools will become operational in 3,222 primary schools from Monday. More Education News»

		Mumbai
		Sena-BJP ties nosedive amid `breach of protocol' overdrive With Uddhav Thackeray keeping away from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's function in Mumbai on Sunday , BJPShiv Sena ties have hit an all-time low, said a key state BJP functionary. Government rolls out Mumbai-Ahmedabad expressway during PM visit ‘Miffed’ Uddhav skips Modi’s rally in Mumbai. Maharashtra CM dares Sena, pledges security for Kasuri event Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday said his government would give “total security” for the book launch of Pakistan’s former foreign minister Khurshid Kasuri in the city on Monday. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		We didn't expect such hostility from Centre. They can't digest our victory: Kejriwal In an extensive interview with Neha Lalchandani and Ambika Pandit, Arvind Kejriwal said that despite being targeted, he has delivered with power and water being his major successes. Some excerpts: 4-year-old was lured with chowmein Investigations in the brutal rape of the four-year-old child in a slum in Keshavpuram have revealed that she remained missing for an hour during which her family searched frantically for her. Over half of rape accused aged 18-25 yrs A study released by Delhi Police commissioner B S Bassi has revealed that most arrested in rape cases in 2015 are in the age group of 18-25 years comprising 53% of the total numbers. More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		Power cuts stretch for two to seven hours on Sunday For the past week, residents of Bengaluru have been enduring power cuts for about two hours a day. Vague notices amount to harassment: HC The high court has said if an officer or authority issues a vague notice to a person without specific allegations against him/her, it amounts to harassment, and the action of that officer/authority is liable for "misfeasance of public office". Magadi tower may be Bengaluru founder's grave Researchers of Bangalore University and Kempegowda Adhyayana Kendra have found evidence to prove that a tower near Magadi might be the grave of Bengaluru's founder Kempegowda. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		2 dead, 2 critical as farmer, 4 sons consume pesticide in Telangana Two young men have died and two others are battling for their lives after a farming family of five -- a father and his four sons – attempted suicide by consuming pesticide at the house of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) leader Nayom Irfan, in Jedcherla town on Sunday morning. Jagan on fast? AP govt doubts it, orders probe Expressing doubt over Jagan’s actual health status, Srinivas cited medical reports which mentioned that his sugar level dipped to 59 in the morning but went up to 79 and 83 in a couple of hours. Despite NGT order, Andhra Pradesh continues capital work Officials engaged additional equipment on Sunday to speed up arrangements for the mega event, which will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The government has directed officials to complete the task by Monday evening. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		Leaders, fans pay tribute at funeral of Manorama Thousands of fans young and old pushed and shoved each other to get a last glimpse of 'Aachi' Manorama on Sunday at her residence in T Nagar. Chennai corporation takes no action on corruption Corporation of Chennai, it would appear, has not heard of corruption. Sairam College students go on rampage, break furniture The tussle between students and management of Sairam Engineering College worsened on Sunday after hostel inmates staged a hunger strike and then broke furniture as they turned violent and went on a rampage. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		SG Road top choice for office, living space If the number of enquiries and interest shown is anything to go by, Sarkhej-Gandhinagar (SG) Road has emerged as one of the most preferred destinations for office as well as residential space during the three-day property show that ended on Sunday. Girl works disguised as boy for security If you happen to be in Sola area, you are likely to see a boy busy polishing shoes by the roadside. Dancing to defeat deadly swine flu Nine days dedicated to the worship of Goddess Shakti during Navratri came alive in the beats, resonance and vibrancy of the BNI Garba Night 2015 on Saturday. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		Ishaq bags IAF marathon title A 21 kms half marathon was held at Air Force Station, Manuari on Saturday. The registration for the event started at 5 am. A huge crowd gathered to register and participate. 'Should shiksha mitras get salaries?' A month after the Allahabad High Court quashed the directions of the state government to regularize shiksha mitras as assistant teachers, Basic Shiksha Parishad has sought directions from the education directorate on whether to distribute salary to them or not. Explosives seized in Allahabad, one held Ahead of Dussehra and Durga Puja festivities, a huge cache of high-intensity explosive materials was seized by the police during a search operation at Chak Bhatahi area on Saturday. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		Urban housing mission launched in Odisha Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday said land would be provided free of cost to economically weaker sections, low income groups and slum dwellers to construct houses. Engineering graduate held for duping MBBS aspirants Police here on Sunday arrested an engineering pass-out for allegedly cheating two MBBS aspirants of Rs 50 lakh on the pretext of facilitating seats in a leading private medical college in the capital city. Centre slams Odisha for 'hijacking' its schemes Union petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday criticized the Odisha government for trying to hijack centrally-sponsored schemes and dubbed the move as 'undemocratic mentality'. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		NGO rip-off: SIT formed to blow lid off multi-crore scam A day after registering a forgery case against an NGO that duped thousands in state by selling dreams of high returns on their money, police on Saturday constituted a special investigation team to crack multi-crore scam involving people from the state and outside. Minor's gang rape: Father, son held in Mandla A 14-year-old minor girl was allegedly abducted, held captive for two days and gang raped by a father-son duo in Mandla district. Whistle-blower writes to top cop to withdraw his security Twelve days after police assured a CBI court in Gwalior about providing “adequate security cover” to Vyapam scam whistleblower, Ashish Chaturvedi, he has written a letter to state’s director general of police (DGP) urging him to withdraw his security. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		AAP MP joins protest to name airport after Bhagat Singh AAP's Patiala MP was among others who took part in a protest rally here, demanding the Centre to name the new civil air terminal in the district after Bhagat Singh "without further delay". Transparent procurement system helps save Rs 68 crore: Haryana govt Haryana government on Sunday claimed to have saved around Rs 68 crore on the rate contracts finalized for the sum of approximately Rs 474 crore by implementing a transparent system of procurement in government purchases. Engg student held for attempt to rape minor A second year engineering student of Sector 41 was arrested for attempting to rape a nine-year-old girl on Friday night. The accused identified as Harish Kumar, student of a private engineering college in Kharar. He reportedly took the girl to a corner of the park with intention of raping her. More Chandigarh News»

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