News Digest: Anti-dowry law to be amended, will allow room for compromise

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Thursday, May 14, 2015
		Today's Headlines

		India
		Anti-dowry law to be amended, will allow room for compromise Government has made up its mind to make the cases of cruelty or harassment of women at the hands of husband and in-laws a compoundable offence. SC pulls up Centre, Assam, Guwahati HC on migrants issue All dragging feet on illegal migrant determination and boundary fencing, SC said. CBI questions Baidyanath promoters over coal block allotment The promoters of herbal drugmaker Baidyanath Ayurved Bhavan were examined by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in relation to a coal block allocation case on Wednesday. More India News»

		Business
		Modi will push China to cut trade deficit Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to pitch for concrete steps from China to check the growing trade deficit as India’s neighbour has failed to act on a series of measures it promised over the past few years. At $2.6bn, Tatas' R&D spend up 28% in 3 years In what could be the highest research and development (R&D) expenditure by an Indian conglomerate, the salt-to-software Tata Group spends Rs 16,000 crore, or $2.6 billion, on innovations as the Cyrus Mistry-led enterprise bets big on new technologies to boost growth. IOC, GAIL in gas deal with Adani Flagship oil refiner and marketer IndianOil and gas utility GAIL have inked a deal with an Adani Group firm for booking capacity at a liquid gas import terminal in Odisha, with the option of taking equity in the project at a later stage. More Business News»

		Environment
		UK set for war on NO2 emissions London and Delhi may be poles apart in character, but they have a common problem— deteriorating air quality. Congress to oppose NDA's move to change green laws Government may be in a hurry to bring changes in existing green laws to make them in sync with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s development goals, but its plan to bring amendments in environment laws will hit the opposition wall in Rajya Sabha where the NDA does not have numbers. Breakup fears for massive Antarctic ice shelf: study The largest ice shelf in the Antarctic peninsula is being thinned by warmer seas and air and could catastrophically break up, scientists said on Wednesday. More Environment News»

		World
		Army general in Burundi says president is ousted An army general said on a private radio station in Burundi on Wednesday that President Pierre Nkurunziza's mandate is over, however whether he had the support of the military was unclear as gunfire echoed in the streets. Dutch court clears man who helped his old mother die Judges in Arnhem said Albert Heringa should not be prosecuted for helping his mother die in 2008. Vatican recognizes state of Palestine in new treaty The Vatican has officially recognized the state of Palestine in a new treaty. More World News»

		Entertainment
		PIC: Ajay Devgn's first look from 'Shivaay' In Hollywood, it’s common for studios to release their first look much in advance. In a first in India, the savvy star Ajay Devgn has released his first look exclusively with the Bombay Times. Ranbir Kapoor thinks I am his toy: KJo Just like me, I am sure many of you may also have had difficulty in understanding how and why Anurag Kashyap could have chosen Karan Johar to play the main villain in his period romance Bombay Velvet. At that time, it seemed as Anurag’s height of imagination. However, people who have seen Karan in the role of Kaizad Khambatta, the man who is responsible for the rise and fall of Johnny Balraj (played by Ranbir Kapoor) are applauding Karan for his outstanding debut. Over a conversation with Bombay Times, he spoke about the influence of Shah Rukh Khan in his acting, his guilt towards Anushka Sharma and why he loves Ranbir Kapoor. Excerpts. Shahid Kapoor to play a singer in 'Udta Punjab'? Shahid is said to play the role of a singer in the film and has a very interesting look. More Entertainment News»

		Science
		Unsinkable boats now closer to reality Boats of the future may not sink despite damage to their structure, thanks to a new light weight composite material developed by researchers from Deep Springs Technology (DST) and the New York University Polytechnic School of Engineering, including one of Indian-origin. Breaking news: Weather updates for alien planets Scientists have uncovered evidence of weather cycles on six extra-solar planets, seen to exhibit different phases, using the Kepler space telescope. Have an iron grip? You may live longer A firm hand shake is often associated with a strong character. Researchers now say that it could also predict how long you will live. More Science News»

		More News»

		Technology
		11 likely features of next iPhone The next iPhone’s unveiling is more than a quarter away but that doesn’t stop the rumour mill from churning out new information related to Apple’s upcoming flagship(s). TCS, Wipro, Infosys face trouble in Europe Europe, widely seen as the next big frontier for India's $146 billion IT industry, is fast proving to be a vulnerable spot for the country's top software firms. Micromax YU Yuphoria first impressions We spent some time with the Yu Yuphoria and here are our first impressions of the phone… More Technology News»

		Education
		RTE admissions start in 110 schools after notice Tough talking by the Nagpur education department’s top boss seems to have done the trick for Right to Education (RTE) admission stalemate. PIL wants single window admissions under RTE Striking at the very root of the fundamental right of underprivileged children to free and compulsory education, an association of private schools has decided not to admit students under the RTE Act, a PIL said. It also wants RTE admissions to be made into a transparent online single window exercise. Visva-Bharati is B-grade: NAAC rating The Visva-Bharati of Rabindanath Tagore’s dreams is stumbling through a nightmare. The hallowed campus that once drew students and researchers from abroad has only managed a measly B-rating from National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC). More Education News»

		Mumbai
		All new buildings in Maha may have wi-fi facility Following the Centre’s ‘Digital India’ lead, the Maharashtra government plans to make it mandatory for new residential buildings to provide wi-fi connectivity to all residents. Unique protest: Residents to host festival to save Aarey on May 24 As the municipal corporation busies itself correcting the development plan, residents around Goregaon have decided to keep Aarey at the centre of the agitation to make Mumbai a livable city. Month on, state yet to start electrical wire audit in buildings Even a month after the Centre directed all states to make audit certification of electrical wires by chartered safety engineers in every building mandatory, Maharashtra has neither issued a circular nor started the process of appointing the panels of chartered engineers. As a result, several old structures becoming potential fire hazards as old wirings and circuits remain neglected. More Mumbai News»

		More News»

		Bangalore
		Bengaluru's Kasturinagar residents smell a tender fraud in road work Residents of Kasturinagar, east Bengaluru, are puzzled why a newly blacktopped road in the area needs to be asphalted again, in less than a month. Kannada may be mandatory in four undergraduate semesters The state government is hell-bent on proving its pro-Kannada credentials. The higher education council on Wednesday approved a proposal to make Kannada a mandatory subject in the first four semesters of undergraduate courses. Karnataka still mulling over appeal in Jaya case Even as pressure mounts on Karnataka to file a an appeal in the Supreme Court against the high court verdict acquitting former Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa and three others in the disproportionate assets case, the state government is keeping its cards close to its chest. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		Poultry breeders rue delay in notifying diseases A day after authorities ruled out bird flu as the reason for the death of thousands of birds in a city farm, the poultry industry sought to blame the government for its delay in notifying emerging avian diseases. The mystery disease killed another 1,200 birds on Wednesday , taking the total death count to over 14,000 in the last 10 days at the farm in Injapur village, 2 km from Thorur village which was hit by bird flu. Former Eflu VC Maurya gets CBI clean chit Abhay Maurya, former vicechancellor of the English and Foreign Languages University (Eflu) was given a clean chit by a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) after an inquiry into the faculty appointments conducted during his term. HC notice to unions for contempt of court Hours before the two state governments agreed to the demands of the RTC employees, leading to an end to the 8-day agitation, a special vacation bench of the Hyderabad High Court issued showcause notices to all RTC employee union leaders directing them to explain why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against them for willfully flouting the court's order. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		Manufacturing defect costs bike firm Rs 1.56 lakh Selling a bike with "inherent manufacturing defect" has cost Royal Enfield. A district consumer disputes redressal forum in Chennai has slapped the manufacturer and its city-based dealer with a fine of Rs 53,000, along with a direction to refund Rs 1.03 lakh as the cost of the bike. Repair work on New Avadi Road poses risk to Chennai's motorists Motorists on New Avadi Road are at risk of skidding and falling, as repair work over the past one week has left a 200m stretch in a mess. Slow train coming: Hold-ups cut express speed to 15kmph in Chennai Travelling by train into the city can be slower than a trip by car on the crowded roads of Chennai during peak hour. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		Govt sets up team for 11 new education channels The state government has set up a seven-member committee to air 11 new education channels which will be set up through BISAG (Bhaskaracharya Institute for Space Applications and Geo-Informatics) for long distance education. DGP stresses on cybercrime detection skills At a crime conference organized in the DGP office in Gandhinagar on Wednesday, DGP P C Thakur stressed on the development of detection skills in cybercrime. The DGP addressed police commissioners, SPs, Range IGPs and additional DGPs at the conference. Parties vie for best delimitation deal The Ahmedabad District Collectorate has finalized new delimitation proposal for Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) and has sent it to the State Election Commission for the necessary action. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		Construction of JK Institute annexe to start soon The incomplete annexe of JK Institute of Allahabad University may soon witness its completion. But the delay of four years has increased the cost of the project by around Rs 10 lakh. Arsenic found in tubewell water The onset of summer has led to depletion of ground water. However, the district administration is yet to devise a plan to keep a tab on tubewell borings in areas where it is banned. PCS re-exam papers transported in unprotected vehicle Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) again failed to make foolproof arrangements for sending question papers of the re-examination of leaked general studies I question paper of PCS (prelims)-2015. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		Cuttack turns blind eye to unsafe buildings Almost a year after the district and civic authorities identified nearly 500 unsafe government and private buildings here, the administration has done precious little to demolish them in the thousand-year-old city - and is thereby waiting for a disaster to happen. 29 Odisha colleges to offer teacher training The state government on Tuesday decided to increase the number of government colleges offering BEd and MEd courses from the proposed 14 to 29 after a meeting with university functionaries and college principals here. Scanned answer sheets for Plus II science students Students who appeared for the Plus II science examination this year can get scanned copies of their answer-sheets online for a fee, Council of Higher Secondary Education (CHSE) chairman Basudev Chhatoi said here on Tuesday. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		Father attacks kids with scissors, minors critical A 38-year-old man made a murderous assault on his children in Subhash Colony on Wednesday evening, but braveheart son saved his and sister's life from the man. Three killed in Madhya Pradesh cracker factory blast, 12 houses gutted At least three workers were killed and four injured in a blast which ripped through an illegal firecracker factory in Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday, police said. Counselling begins for hotel mgt, pharmacy & architecture Directorate of technical education will start counselling for admission to pharmacy, architecture and hotel management courses in state from Thursday. Counseling will end on June 10. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		Sidhu chosen for Swachh Abhiyan, Akalis go into a sulk The move by Punjab BJP minister Anil Joshi, whose brother was recently attacked by a group of Akali Dal workers in Tarn Taran, to nominate former cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu for the NDA government’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan campaign hasn’t gone down well with its ally SAD. Sidhu is one of the nine nominees from Punjab. Crucial witness in Asaram son rape case shot at A key witness in the case of sexual abuse against religious preacher Asaram’s son Narayan Sai on Wednesday survived an attempt on his life by unidentified gunmen. Unidentified men shoot 26-yr-old youth in Barwala Unidentified armed men shot a 26-year-old youth in broad daylight at the bus stand in Barwala town of Hisar district on Wednesday. In protest, family members of the victim blocked Chandigarh-Hisar highway along with Barwala residents. They kept the body on the road and demanded action against the assailants. More Chandigarh News»

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

News Digest: Guidelines to encourage good Samaritans on the roads soon

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Wednesday, May 13, 2015
		Today's Headlines

		India
		Guidelines to encourage good Samaritans on the roads soon Good Samaritans or bystanders who rush road crash victims to hospitals will no more face any harassment from police, called for court hearings or will need to wait for a cop to reach hospital before he can leave. Will quit as minister, MP if charges proved: Gadkari Facing opposition heat for the third successive day over the CAG report on the repayment of loans by family-linked Purti Group, Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday denied allegations of corruption and said he would quit as a minister and MP if charges are proved in any court. BJP lauds Modi for 'arresting drift in governance' As theModi government completes one year in office, the ruling BJP on Tuesday lauded the prime minister’s efforts towards cooperative federalism and setting in motion a strategy for inclusive development and hoped it will succeed in fulfilling promises made to the people. More India News»

		Business
		Govt may clear NTPC, IndianOil selloff today The government is expected to provide a thrust to its ambitious disinvestment programme for the current financial year by clearing stake sale in over half-a-dozen companies including NTPC and IndianOil. Rural slump bites durables, auto companies Unseasonal rains, destruction of standing crops, farmer suicides… things haven’t been looking good for rural markets in a while now. Birla buys Jubilant's hypermarket business India’s domestic retail sector is poised for further consolidation as the Aditya Birla Group on Tuesday agreed to acquire the hypermarket business of Jubilant Industries, which operates under the Total Superstore brand, in a slump sale all-cash deal. More Business News»

		Environment
		1st Giant Squirrel census to commence this week in Maharashtra The first statewide population estimation exercise for the official state animal, the Giant Squirrel, will start later this week, forest officials said on Tuesday. 13 held for smuggling Indian pangolins to China In a major breakthrough Madhya Pradesh forest department on Monday arrested 13 people including a Kolkata-based marine engineer and a corporator involved in smuggling Indian pangolins to China and Vietnam. Recording Antarctic sea-ice a logistic problem for scientists Growing sea ice surrounding Antarctica could prompt scientists to consider relocating research stations on the continent, according to the operations manager of the Australian Antarctic Division. More Environment News»

		World
		Magnitude 6.8 quake hits off Japanese island of Honshu There was no threat of a tsunami from the earthquake, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said. Woman accuses Hersh of plagiarism for Osama story Former college professor R J Hillhouse, a national security expert, claimed on Tuesday that she had first revealed that bin Laden was turned in by a walk-in informer, a mid-level ISI officer seeking to claim the $25 million reward, based on her own sources. Naipaul to star at 'Jaipur-on-Thames' The second edition of Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) at London would kick off at the famous Southbank Centre on Saturday. The two day event would be part of Alchemy, the Southbank Centre’s celebration of South Asian culture. More World News»

		Entertainment
		Bollywood actors and live-in relationships Kareena to sue medical company for Rs 20 crore? A source close to the actor was quoted saying that Kareena found out about the article a week back and is consulting her legal team to take the appropriate action. Upen-Karishma officially engaged? The duo has exchanged rings while shooting for the dance reality show... More Entertainment News»

		Science
		Soon, a PC the size of a credit card for $9  A Californian start-up is developing a credit card-sized computer that will cost only $9 in its most basic form. The company Next Thing is developing the Chip computer that will have a 1Ghz processor, 512MB of RAM and 4GB of onboard storage.  Self-driving cars not crash-proof: Google Google on Monday said that even self-driving cars that can sense and react faster than humans still wind up in accidents. Jahn-Teller metal: New state of matter found Scientists have discovered a new state of matter that appears to be an insulator, superconductor, metal and magnet all rolled into one. More Science News»

		Sports
		Delhi Daredevils stun Chennai Super Kings by six wickets Shreyas Iyer hit an unbeaten 70 after Zaheer Khan led a brilliant bowling show as Delhi Daredevils notched up a six-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings. England a 'laughing stock' over Pietersen: Graeme Smith Graeme Smith was among several pundits who slammed Andrew Strauss's decision to maintain Kevin Pietersen's international exile. Dipika Pallikal recommended for Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna The Tamil Nadu government has recommended star squash player Dipika Pallikal for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, India's highest sporting honour. More Sports News»

		More News»

		Education
		University to make courses contemporary Bachelors of Management Studies (BMS) students will be allowed to specialize in marketing, finance or human resources management this academic year. Schools must advise kids on choices After Class X, students have to be very careful while choosing a college as the government controls the online admission process. Students do not know which stream to join and they land up in the wrong one. SSC students are not exposed to subjects such as Commerce, unlike CBSE students. Karnataka Board 10th class results 2015 to be announced today Karnataka Board 10th class exam results 2015 are to be announced today at 3pm. More Education News»

		Mumbai
		App demystifies local train routes Train services in the city will now be made more accessible to Mumbaikars as a student from IIT Bombay has developed an app, called MRM (Mumbai Rail Map), which aims to make commuting simpler. Body of third Aksa beach drowning victim found The body of Kalina resident Shekar Gaikwad (22) was washed ashore at Aksa Beach in Malad on Tuesday morning. His body was located by lifeguards at the beach, said a fire brigade official. MSRDC promises 'smooth' flyovers before monsoon The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has taken up flyover repairs in Mumbai on an emergency basis. Officials on Tuesday said flyovers in its jurisdiction and situated in the Mumbai region will be in “proper condition” before the rains. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		Arvind Kejriwal meets Ramanjeet Kaur CM Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday praised the courage shown by Ramanjeet Kaur, who was hit with brick by a head constable, saying the city needs citizen like her who could speak up against corrupt practices. Seek Centre aid for e-way: Nitin Gadkari to govt In a move to resolve the ongoing tussle between Delhi government and Centre over sharing the land acquisition cost for two peripheral expressways around the national capital, road transport minister Nitin Gadkari has told Delhi PWD minister that the Arvind Kejriwal government can seek financial assistance from Centre. CM's order could jeopardize press freedom, says PCI Describing the Delhi government’s circular—asking officials to lodge complaints regarding defamatory reports—as a “veiled threat’’ that could “jeopardize’’ press freedom, the Press Council of India has sought an explanation from the administration. More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		5 TN workers, 9-yr-old girl, hacked to death Big plans for B'luru, trifurcation after BBMP elections Record 81.82% students pass SSLC Udupi Jumps To Top Spot From No. 10 Last Year More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		Over 2.31 lakh candidates to appear for Eamcet tomorrow A total of 2.31 lakh candidates will appear for Eamcet 2015 for Telangana to be held on May 14. Over 1.39 lakh candidates will appear for the engineering stream and 92,362 for the medical stream. Rahul's 'Rytu Bharosa' works even before his Adilabad visit Irrespective of what Rahul Gandhi's visit to Telangana may achieve politically for his Congress party in the state, the family of B Linganna, a tenant farmer from Laxmanchanda village in Adilabad dis lage in Adilabad dis trict, will be thankful for the mere news of his visit to their sim ple home. Loan cards to tenant farmers delayed The process of issuing Loan Eligibility Cards (LECs) for tenant farmers is reportedly getting delayed because of the presence of Congress leaders' photos on the cards. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		Hasthinapuram bus terminus falls apart, officials pass buck The three-decade-old Hasthinapuram bus terminus, off GST Road near Chromepet, has been in need of attention for the longest time. Manual scavenging goes unchecked on Old Mahabalipuram Road A software professional was recently passing by Kottivakkam on Old Mahabalipuram Road when he saw a man, naked to the waist, taking out muck from a manhole with his bare hands. Madras HC's Karnan asks CBI to probe fellow judge A day after the Supreme Court directed Justice C S Karnan of the Madras high court to keep off the civil judge recruitment process, in an apparent defiance of the SC, the judge stirred up a fresh controversy by asking the CBI to inquire into the educational qualification of another judge of the court, Justice V Dhanapalan. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		Training for medical officers to foolproof sex-test cases A dismally low conviction rate of doctors and others violating the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act has prompted the state government to educate over 300 health officers and supervisors of Gujarat. Another year for KK at CMO K Kailashnathan’s contract with the Gujarat government has been extended by one more year. On Tuesday, the state General Administration Department (GAD) issued a formal notification extending KK’s contract till May 22, 2016. Village elders vet grooms: No toilet, no wedding Punsari village, around 100 km from Ahmedabad, is a textbook case of development with CCTV cameras, water purifying plants, air-conditioned schools, Wi-Fi, biometric machines. You name it and the village has it all. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		Construction of JK Institute annexe to start soon The incomplete annexe of JK Institute of Allahabad University may soon witness its completion. But the delay of four years has increased the cost of the project by around Rs 10 lakh. Arsenic found in tubewell water The onset of summer has led to depletion of ground water. However, the district administration is yet to devise a plan to keep a tab on tubewell borings in areas where it is banned. PCS re-exam papers transported in unprotected vehicle Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) again failed to make foolproof arrangements for sending question papers of the re-examination of leaked general studies I question paper of PCS (prelims)-2015. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		Delay in 42 cr water project leaves Keonjhar thirsty Keonjhar town is facing an acute shortage of drinking water. Make yoga mandatory for students, says Governor The governor of Odisha, S C Jamir, asked the state government to make yoga a compulsory subject in school and college curriculum. 8 injured in fire at Tata plant site Eight labourers, working at Tata Steel's proposed ferrochrome plant near Chamakhandi in Ganjam district, sustained burn injuries after fire engulfed a camp office at the site on Monday. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		Director Panna tiger reserve transferred for opposing Ken-Betwa river linkage; email reveals Red flagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Ken-Betwa river-linking project, seems to have cost R Sreenivasa Murthy his stay at Panna Tiger Reserve (PTR) as its director. In a recent administrative shake up of forest officials, Murthy was transferred to Kuno wild life sanctuary where introduction of Gujarat lions is still a distant dream. ATM thieves snap power after cash withdrawal in Bhopal Three conmen from Punjab fraudulently withdrew Rs 1.64 crore from different ATMs across country and tricked banks to refund the sum on pretext that money was debited, but not received after punching the withdrawal request. Move to denotify parts of 2 Madhya Pradesh sanctuaries for sand mining Unable to curb wanton illegal sand mining, state government has initiated a move to denotify parts of Chambal and Son gharial sanctuaries in Morena and Sidhi districts, respectively. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		First white Swiss Sikh shot in family feud The management of Langenthal gurdwara first Sikh temple in Switzerland will perform the last rites of the first white Swiss national Lucas, who had embraced Sikhism to become Joban Singh. He was shot on May 10 along with his parents by his brother-in-law. Cop fires accidentally inside van Panic spread when a constable of Chandigarh police attached with the postal van of post office, Sector 17, fired two gunshots accidentally, damaging the front windscreen of the cash van while travelling inside the vehicle at Press Light Point in Sector 17 on Tuesday. To fight crime, Haryana to have own MCOCA Faced with criticism from the opposition about the deteriorating law and order situation in Haryana, the state government has decided to bring in the Haryana Control of Organized Crime Act (HRCOCA). Patterned on the Maharashtra's MCOCA, officials said it will be implemented to check organized crime in the state. More Chandigarh News»

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