Your News Digest from Times of India

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Saturday, March 29, 2014
		Today's Headlines

		India
		Congress candidate who threatened to kill Narendra Modi arrested Congress candidate from UP's Saharanpur, Imran Masood, has been arrested from his residence for his hate speech against BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi. TOI manifesto for minority voices: Will this poll listen to the rainbow voice? Although there are no exact estimates, the government last year told SC that India has about 25 lakh gays. Modi apart, he's the only other CM in Lok Sabha race Other than Narendra Modi, Neiphiu Rio, 63, is the only serving CM contesting these LS elections. More India News»

		Business
		Ponzi plans: Sebi gets more power Sources familiar with the development said the ordinance is going to be formally notified later in the evening and will allow the market regulator to perform its duties till it is ratified by Parliament. Over 75? SBI to deliver your pension at home The country’s biggest bank will start this pilot project from April 1 in Kolkata. Goldman thumbs up for Gujarat model The report comes at a time when there is an intense debate over the Gujarat development model which is being showcased by BJP's prime ministerial nominee Narendra Modi while his critics have slammed his claims. More Business News»

		Environment
		'Pollution check can save 2 billion life years' India can save up to 2 billion life years if the places that exceed the national air quality standards (very polluted) were brought within standards, US based economist, Michael Greenstone has estimated. Teachers to help create wildlife awareness in Assam A wildlife NGO in Assam has launched a training programme for teachers not only to spread the message of wildlife conservation but also to help them with environment education so that they can work as experts in the field. New study exposes panda's sweet tooth In a new study, scientists put the panda taste receptors to the test, wondering whether the cuddly critters would even notice the difference between plain water and the sweet stuff. More Environment News»

		World
		Obama defends not using force in Syria President Barack Obama on Friday defended his administration's decision not to use military force in Syria, saying that the United States has its limits. Norway's former PM named Nato chief Nato chose former Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg as its next leader on Friday at a time when the Western military alliance must deal with a resurgent Russia following its annexation of Ukraine's Crimea. UN human rights panel criticizes US on drone strikes The United Nations Human Rights Committee, a panel of 18 independent experts from different countries, expressed concern that the United States government had not clarified the criteria or legal basis for drone strikes and called for independent oversight of the program. More World News»

		Entertainment
		Salman Khan to play a baddie in 'Dhoom 4'? After getting A-listers like Aamir Khan, Hrithik Roshan and John Abraham to play villains in Dhoom series, now gear up for Bollywood's Dabangg Salman Khan to don the hat of a baddie. 'People would make fun that my father had 2 wives' Alia Bhatt, 21, considers herself a true Piscean, who is temperamental and moody. She is strong-headed, but emotionally weak when it comes to people close to her. She is impulsive and lives in the moment. While she has the stubbornness of her father, she has got the ability to empathise and adjust from her mother. Over an hour-long conversation ahead of her upcoming film 2 States, LOL: Jokes on Rakhi Sawant VS KRK go viral More Entertainment News»

		Science
		Online gaming boosts players' social lives: Study Online gaming is expanding players' social lives, a new research has claimed. Rosetta gets first look at its destination comet: ESA European Space Agency's (ESA's) Rosetta spacecraft has caught a first glimpse of its destination comet since waking up from deep-space hibernation on 20 January, according to an ESA announcement on Friday. Discoveries challenge beliefs on humans' arrival in Americas Niede Guidon still remembers her astonishment when she glimpsed the paintings. More Science News»

		Sports
		MS Dhoni offers to quit CSK captaincy Under fire for holding positions in conflict with his roles, Dhoni has offered to step down as CSK captain and vice-president of India Cements, it is learnt. ISL: Ganguly, Atletico come together! Leading La Liga club Atletico Madrid have bid for the Kolkata franchise of upcoming Indian Super League along with former India captain Sourav Ganguly. Sunil Gavaskar takes guard at BCCI The SC appointed two interim presidents -- Gavaskar to ensure fair play in IPL 7, and Shivlal Yadav for the remaining affairs of the world's richest cricket board. More Sports News»

		Technology
		Facebook to use drones to beam internet from the sky "In our effort to connect the whole world with Internet.org, we've been working on ways to beam internet to people from the sky," Zuckerberg wrote on Facebook. First impressions: Microsoft Office for iPad What you see in each app is a clean and simple version of the Office ribbon with the Home, Insert and Review tabs plus extra tabs for each app. iPhone 6 in two screen sizes coming in Sept: Report Apple is likely to release its newest iPhone globally in September with a higher resolution and bigger screens. More Technology News»

		Education
		Karnataka HC prevents transfer of 172 KV students The high court on Friday passed an interim order restraining the principal of Kendriya Vidyalaya (KV), Kudremukh , from issuing transfer certificates (TCs) to 172 students. IIT no big deal for GATE topper Bangalore has done it again. An engineer from the city is the all-India topper in the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) 2014. The results were declared on Friday. Tiny tots move high court over admission to LKG They are three or four year olds aspiring to get into private schools. And they have knocked on the high court’s door to realize their dreams. More Education News»

		Mumbai
		Principals demand clarity on poll duty In a Catch-22 situation, while the election commission has reiterated that schools can exempt certain staffers from election duty if they send in replacements, city principals are furious that the collector’s office has asked them to put their entire teaching as well as non-teaching staff on poll duty. Poll impact: Delay in university exams could push back results Mental trauma caused to Mumbai University students a day before their first paper is far from over this exam season, all due to the Lok Sabha elections. Around 750 papers have been rescheduled till now owing to the elections. Students turn up at exam centres despite rescheduling Hundreds of students from colleges affiliated to Mumbai University landed up at their exam centres on Friday even as all the exams on the day were postponed. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		Wife, sons go all out to aid Kabil Sibal in his 'toughest' battle Promila Sibal, wife of incumbent Chandni Chowk MP Kapil Sibal, has been on a campaign spree for the past few days. Kejriwal to kick off campaign in capital on Monday Aam Aadmi Party's chief and start campaigner, Arvind Kejriwal, will launch his Delhi campaign on Monday with a jansabha in West Delhi constituency.His first road show will take place in Chandni Chowk . Campaign trail: Tireless Harsh Vardhan draws warm vibes He’s been out campaigning since 6am, and after moving through five assembly constituency areas BJP’s Lok Sabha candidate from Chandni Chowk, Harsh Vardhan, calls a halt for lunch at an ashram in Pitampura More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		Hydrogen blast severs man's legs A 45-year-old man lost his legs and his 7-year-old daughter was severely injured after a hydrogen cylinder used for inflating balloons , exploded in Jayanagar 8th Block on Friday afternoon. Trains to get extra coaches South Western Railway will add an extra first class AC chair car coach on Bangalore City-Chennai-Bangalore City Shatabdi Express for six months . The train will have 14 coaches from April. Financier poisons wife and 2 kids, hangs himself A 40-year-old financier from Mangalore allegedly poisoned his wife and two children to death before committing suicide at his house in Talagattapura, Ramanagaram Rural. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		Tough bargaining holds up BJP-TDP alliance talk BJP-Telugu Desam Party alliance talks are stalemated over a disagreement on seat sharing with the saffron party protesting the offer of just a handful of Lok Sabha and assembly seats in Seemandhra. Jittery Congress, TRS talk poll pact Waking up to the reality that a lack of electoral alliance might sound the death knell for both the parties, the Congress and TRS are preparing to go back to the drawing board.  Netas may be funnelling cash through pvt banks Crores of unaccounted cash has been seized at various checkposts, but this has not stopped huge sums of money from being transported to various places across the state. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		'The booze comes from money swindled from us' Elango , a 40-year-old labourer , ekes out a meagre living in a slum near the Besant Nagar beach. On the canpaign trail, Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation shop sales soar It was a day in 1965. Rajaji was addressing a public meeting in Triplicane . For this young man, who had just graduated and was awaiting his first job, attending the meeting was one of the things the average Triplicane resident did. AAP names 9 new candidates Aam Aadmi Party has announced its second list of nine candidates for Tamil Nadu. It has chosen political novices who are in their 30s and have professional backgrounds.  More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		Young minds focus on healthcare tech Their mission is to provide quality healthcare at affordable prices.These young Indians from IITs and other universities have come up with innovative ideas to address this challenge. 'India had arbitration laws even before Raj' The two-day seminar on international arbitration law began at Gujarat National Law University (GNLU) on Friday. Cyclothon for Earth Hour today A city-based organization will mark the Earth Hour on Saturday with a cyclothon, 'Pedal4ThePlanet', in the city to create awareness about climate change. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		Scanner over SP's 'Holi milan' A Holi milan organized by Samajwadi Party (SP) at Kariyakhurd village of Shankargarh block in Allahabad city Lok Sabha constituency came under the scanner of the district administration after election officers received reports of girls dancing to Bollywood songs at the event. Arvind Kejriwal is an RSS agent: AAP volunteer Chaos and confusion prevailed in the press meet of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national spokesman Sanjay Singh when two women volunteers - Shraddha and Naaz Fatima Khan — created a scene, alleging the party fielded unknown faces despite the fact that there has was a considerable strength of good workers and volunteers. Panel to decide High Court Bar Association polls date In an important development, the Elders' Committee of High Court Bar Association (HCBA), Allahabad on Thursday decided to hold its next meeting on April 4 to decide the date for the next general election of the HCBA office-bearers. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		Osakothi treat for city connoisseurs Three artists from Ganjam district have brought traditional Osakothi paintings to the city. Centre tells state to woo investors The Centre has asked the state government to take necessary steps to attract more investors to Odisha in food processing sector. Royals try luck in Ganjam There is a royal touch to elections in Ganjam district. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		CBI catches female I-T officer accepting bribe of Rs 10 lakh The anti-corruption branch (ACB) of CBI’s Bhopal unit on Friday arrested deputy commissioner of Income Tax department and her husband in Bhopal for allegedly taking bribe of Rs 10 lakh from a builder in lieu of settling his tax penalty case. CCTVs must at exam centres from next semester Rajiv Gandhi Technical University (RGTU) on Thursday has decided to make installation of CCTV mandatory in all exam centres from next semester. MP epicentre of pro-Advani activities: Aslam Sher Khan Congress is gleefully watching the infighting in BJP, even in Madhya Pradesh where the ruling party was recently engaged in a controversial poster publicity campaign inviting LK Advani to the Bhopal constituency. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		Setback for SAD Faridkot candidate Sheetal, son-in-law of veteran Akali leader Gurdev Singh Badal, declared his candidature against Gulshan and Joginder Singh Pangrain of the Congress. Finally, PGI starts nomination process for new dean After much hue and cry by senior faculty at PGI for granting extension to the dean, the institute has started the nomination process for the selection of a new dean. Pawan Kumar Bansal woos lawyers Sitting MP and former union minister of Railways Pawan Kumar Bansal on Friday visited Chandigarh District Court bar. More Chandigarh News»

		To manage your newsletter subscription settings, click here	Other Newsletters from TOI : Movie Reviews | Life & Style | Top Headlines

Your News Digest from Times of India

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Friday, March 28, 2014
		Today's Headlines

		India
		IM men of Pakistan origin nabbed in Gorakhpur Two youth of Pakistani origin with links to Indian Mujahideen were arrested by the anti-terror squad of UP Police in Gorakhpur late on Wednesday night. Terror attack in J&K; 1 killed, 3 injured One person was killed and three others were injured in a terrorist attack in early morning on Friday in Jammu and Kashmir, Times Now reported. Can company trusts plug trust gap? Several leading companies are setting up electoral trusts to ensure transparency in the funding of political parties in the poll season as the debate over corruption gets intense.  More India News»

		Business
		Dalal Street braces for bank licences Expectations that the Reserve Bank of India would issue bank licences soon resulted in a sharp spike in the share prices of hopefuls like IDFC, L&T Finance and LICHF. Indian diamond firm goes bust in Antwerp An Indian diamond firm in Antwerp, a group company of the country’s leading diamond group, has defaulted on payments worth Rs 600 crore to banks and other creditors. Equity MFs dole out dividends as markets rally More than 35 equity schemes have announced dividends in the past one month alone. Fund houses have paid dividends of Rs. 3 per unit (or 30%) in several of their schemes. More Business News»

		Environment
		New study exposes panda's sweet tooth In a new study, scientists put the panda taste receptors to the test, wondering whether the cuddly critters would even notice the difference between plain water and the sweet stuff. Green forum slams rhino horn trimming proposal The state government's proposal to trim rhino horns to curb poaching has given rise to severe criticism and protest from various quarters. Pune activists claim shoddy post mortem of 'elephant Poornima' Pune: Controversy follows elephant Poornima even after her death.The animal had suffered a life of neglect.She was abandoned by her owner and was in urgent need for medical attention last year.She died on March 21. More Environment News»

		World
		Pak Christian gets death for blasphemy A court convicted a Pakistani Christian man and sentenced him to death Thursday in a blasphemy case that sparked a riot last year in the eastern city of Lahore, according to his lawyer. Large mass grave discovered in Bosnia Bosnian forensic experts discovered a mass grave which might hide the remains of more than 100 Muslim civilians killed at the start of the country's 1990s war, an official said on Thursday. Pressure mounts on Cameron for Blue Star probe Pressure is mounting on British Prime Minister David Cameron to order an independent public inquiry into UK's involvement in Operation Blue Star. More World News»

		Entertainment
		I will allow Varun to marry only after Salman: David Dhawan Varun Dhawan may think that his father David Dhawan doesn’t know his feelings for him, but in reality he does, as Varun’s mother shares it all with her husband. David finds his son naughty, grounded and talented, but under no circumstance will he let his son get married soon, as he believes that Varun needs to be married to his profession right now. On being asked about Varun’s marriage plans, David immediately said, ‘Salman Khan ab tak shaadi kiya kya? So how can Varun? He can get married once Salman gets married.’ We bring you excerpts of our conversation with the respected director David about his actor son Varun. 'People in Bollywood have mental problems' Nargis Fakhri, who has flown to the US to do a film where she has a small role with Paul Feig, says she had a blast working with Ileana D’Cruz and Varun Dhawan because they had no egos and were child-like. 'Nawaz is close to Ranbir's age; I would never deride anyone' Apropos our article, ‘War Of Words’ (between Rishi Kapoor and Nawazuddin Siddiqui), printed on page 2 in Bombay Times dated March 20, we would like to issue an apology. More Entertainment News»

		Science
		Next generation super powerful fuel from bacteria The next generation of super powerful fuel, capable of arming missiles and space rockets may come from an engineered bacterium. Astronomers discover first ever miniature planet Until now, rings in space were only found around giant planets like Saturn and Jupiter. Beer can be used to treat grilled meats Scientists have found that beer marinade could reduce levels of potentially harmful substances in grilled meats. More Science News»

		Sports
		Dhoni lied about Meiyappan's role: Salve Advocate Harish Salve told the SC bench that Dhoni told the Mudgal probe panel that Meiyappan "had nothing to do with the cricketing affairs of CSK". Serena Williams powers into Miami final World number one Serena Williams continued her decade-long domination over Maria Sharapova with a 6-4, 6-3 win to reach her ninth Sony Open final. IPL 7 suspension could lead to huge loss If the Indian Premier League 7 is fully scrapped, the total loss of business could amount to Rs 20,000 crore, according to consultancy firm KPMG in India. More Sports News»

		Technology
		Microsoft unveils Office for iPad Microsoft has finally unveiled the iPad version of its popular Office suite. First impressions: Samsung Galaxy S5 Samsung is back with a new flagship Galaxy phone – Galaxy S5. Here is what we think of it... Samsung unveils Galaxy S5 in India, available from April 11 Samsung announced its plans for India launch of Galaxy S5, the company’s flagship Android phone. Galaxy S5 will be priced between Rs 51,000 and Rs 53,000. More Technology News»

		Education
		Blood, sweat, tears pay off for IIM-B grads When Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, chairman of the board of governors of IIM-B, gave the wrong declaration at the convocation ceremony for the flagship course at the institute, the hall fell silent. Take mock CET on Sunday Education Times, in association with Byju's Classes, will hold a mock CET on March 30 (Sunday). SP complains to EC about 'Youngistan' song Bollywood film 'Youngistan', which releases on Friday, has got mired in an election-related controversy with the ruling Samajwadi Party lodging a complaint with the Election Commission alleging a song in the film promotes the election symbol of the BSP: elephant. More Education News»

		Mumbai
		Commuter booked for questioning TTEs over fine receipt A 38-year-old commuter, who questioned two travelling ticket examiners when he noticed them charging fines without issuing receipts in Mumbai was booked by the RPF on Wednesday. Two types of grace marks for financial managment students Final-year students of Bachelor of Management Studies (BMS) have heaved a sigh of relief after Mumbai University increased the internal grace marks. Mumbai Marathon raises Rs 20 crore Organizers of the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon 2014, along with their charity partners United Way of Mumbai, broke all previous records to raise Rs 20.11 crore.This is an increase of Rs 1.5 crore from last year. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		Court rejects plea for FIR against Geelani The court said the offence did not fall in its jurisdiction and the probe cannot be carried out under Indian Penal Code (IPC) as it is not applicable to Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) where the penal provision is under RPC (Ranbir Penal Code). Poacher held with turtles A poacher was arrested from Badarpur bus stand on Thursday with 27 soft-shelled turtles. Dry Dwarka asks parties for clear plan  Dwarka residents, who had refused to vote in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, have decided to give one last chance to political parties. More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		Gang loots realty firm, opens fire, flees Four armed men stormed a realty firm’s office in Begur, off Hosur Road, late Thursday, and made away with Rs 60,000 and other valuables. They fired two shots to ward off people trying to nab them. Students told to use skills to fix cities It’s passé to advise IIM-B students on building the economy, sticking to ethics, trying a hand at entrepreneurship and incorporating CSR activities into corporate life. But on this graduation day, the message for them was different: It was to use their management training to fix the state of our cities. Welcome to TOI-B .Pac debates The Bangalore Political Action Committee (B.Pac), a citizens’ collective, in association with The Times of India, is launching a ‘Candidates meet the Citizens’ series of debates from Saturday, bringing voters face-to-face with contestants from leading parties in the three city parliamentary constituencies. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		Adulterated fuel sale rising in the Hyderabad Next time when you run out of fuel, look for the nearest petrol bunk or else you might end up buying adulterated fuel from a roadside vendor. Congress, TRS likely to ditch Muslims again According to sources, the Congress which received wholesome support from the Muslim community in the last two elections in 2004 and 2009, believes that the community has fewer winnable candidates to offer. Child rights activists decry police plan to occupy Bal Bhavan Activists of Balala Hakula Sangham (BHS) have come out in protest demanding that the proposal to hand over about eight acres of the property to the police department be withdrawn. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		Website to track atrocities on dalits launched A new website to track atrocities on dalits has been launched. Any aggrieved person can send an SMS to the cellphone number 9898915455 or log in to the website www.annihilatecaste.in to seek help for incidents of caste atrocities across the country. Expelled Alagiri keeps family ties intact, meets Kanimozhi and Rajathi His ongoing fight with his father M Karunanidhi and brother M K Stalin notwithstanding, former DMK leader M K Alagiri on Thursday visited his half-sister Kanimozhi and her mother Rajathi Ammal. Tamil Nadu parties hail Lanka vote, flay India The resolution passed at the United Nations Human Rights Council meeting on Thursday ordering a war crimes probe in Sri Lanka may have come at the right time for the Dravidian parties who have been pushing for a strong resolution. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		Mena Gurjari staged in Ahmedabad after 62 years It is the only Gujarati play to be staged at Rashtrapati Bhavan in independent India.Written by Rasiklal Parikh, 'Mena Gurjari' tells the tale of a woman, Mena, from the Gurjar community. HC notice to Dilip Sanghani The Gujarat HC has issued notice to ex-law minister Dilip Sanghani over a contempt plea complaining that the BJP functionary had made derogatory remarks against judiciary in a public function in Jamnagar on June 2, 2012. HC notice to govt over 'gender bias' in State Reserve Police Force Gujarat high court on Thursday sought explanation from the state government, the DGP and the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) over a petition filed by a woman constable alleging gender discrimination in the SRPF. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		Riot-accused Bhartendra says he's innocent but avoids Muslim areas on campaign trail Citing the recent Supreme Court ruling holding the state government responsible for the delayed action that led to the carnage, Muzaffarnagar-riots accused Kunwar Bhartendra Singh, fighting on a BJP ticket from Bijnor, claims he is innocent of charges of inciting communal violence. Allahabad University steps up formation of University Court Having been on the backburner for several years, the University Court at Allahabad University is back on the centre-stage with the MHRD reminding the university to constitute the same. 2 mobiles found in Naini jail raid A raid on Naini Central Jail on Wednesday led to the recovery of two mobile phones, one charger and one ear phone.These items were found near the barracks of the highly sensitive jail. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		Centre worried over militant threat in Manipur, lower Assam The Union ministry of home affairs has identified the entire state of Manipur and lower Assam as the two areas in the northeast where the coming Lok Sabha election may be disrupted by militant outfits. PR firms score on poll pitch Gone are the days when public relations agencies were largely dealing with business and corporate clientele. Mock exercise for poll personnel Mock exercise of polling personnel in Maoist-hit booths of Nuapada district will start from March 29.It is being carried out to make them conversant with the location and ways to go safely to the booths. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		Woman alleges repeated rape by AAP candidate and associates A woman has filed a complaint alleging that AAP candidate from Guna-Shivpuri Lok Sabha seat Shailendra Singh Kushwaha and three office bearers allegedly raped her at least three times over a period of more than a year, the police said here today. No network to ascertain identity of missing persons Three days on, police are still scrambling for clues to crack the murder mystery of a woman, whose body was dumped on the fields at Ratibad. Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology director denies ragging on campus Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology (MANIT) authorities on Wednesday claimed a complaint of ragging filed by a students was nothing, but a scuffle between two groups of drunk students. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		Ropar RTI activist booked after mining expose on Akalis Ropar-based advocate and RTI activist, who had recently exposed three Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leaders for allegedly conducting illegal mining of sand and gravel in Punjab, was charged with attempt to murder on Thursday. Overseas AAP supporters help its Punjab campaign Aaam Aadmi Party (AAP) supporters in the US and the UK are managing its online campaigns besides running membership drives and giving feedback on the election strategy in Punjab. I've better things to do than talk about Kirron: Gul Panag Men melt when Gul Panag smiles, must be those dimples. Just like Kirron Kher's … But be prepared for an angry snarl if you keep drawing comparisons between her and her BJP rival.  More Chandigarh News»

		To manage your newsletter subscription settings, click here	Other Newsletters from TOI : Movie Reviews | Life & Style | Top Headlines