News Digest: Ex-Navy chief Admiral Laxminarayan Ramdas writes to President Pranab Mukherjee, slams attacks on minorities

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Monday, October 26, 2015
		Today's Headlines

		India
		Ex-Navy chief Admiral Laxminarayan Ramdas writes to President Pranab Mukherjee, slams attacks on minorities Former Navy chief and ex-AAP ombudsman Admiral Laxminarayan Ramdas has written an open letter to President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemning the attacks on minorities and Dalits under the rule of the current government. Narendra Modi, Amit Shah will have to resign after Bihar polls, Lalu Prasad says TOI caught up with Lalu, lounging in Rabri Devi’s Circular Road bungalow, with karyakartas and local netas clad in regulation crumpled white kurta pyjamas seated in a neat semi-circle around him. Why so many stillbirths? Government looks for answer India has for the first time decided to systematically count the exact number of children dying in their mother’s womb. More India News»

		Business
		Amazon plans Diwali e-store in US, UK Around 5000 Indian sellers can now export products around the world on Amazon. RBI rejects plan for 100% FDI in banks Sources said the RBI has not provided a clear reason to turn down the proposal from the department of industrial policy and promotion (DIPP) that deals with FDI policy. Dividend part of process: IndiGo owners  Promoters Rakesh Gangwal and Rahul Bhatia maintain they have not done anything that is not in line with past payouts. More Business News»

		Environment
		WWF calls for urgent action to protect snow leopards World Wildlife Fund report said that more than a third of snow leopard habitat could be rendered "unsuitable" for the big cats if climate change is not checked. Climate change may lead to severe water shortage in Nepal Climate change, increase in agricultural land use and population growth may lead to severe water shortage in Nepal in the coming decades, according to a new study. Tibet sees receding glaciers, shrinking permafrost The Roof of the World, as Tibet is also known, is also facing desertification. More Environment News»

		World
		Pacific coast area hit by Patricia begins to dig out The town square in El Rebalse is now an island amid Hurricane Patricia's floodwaters, a place for Maria Santana Vazquez and her husband to rest Sunday after wading through water, at times chest deep, trying to return home. UK firms to hire 'name blind', cut discrimination Britain's civil service and several major companies have agreed to recruit university graduates and apprentices without knowing the applicants' names in an effort to eliminate bias against people from ethnic minorities. Foreign military role in Ebola crucial Foreign military personnel played a crucial role in stemming the Ebola outbreak in Liberia and Sierra Leone, researchers said on Monday, but warned against treating their intervention as a blueprint for future humanitarian crises. More World News»

		Entertainment
		Bollywood celebs: Then and now Read on to know how Bollywood celebrities have evolved over the years... Salman Khan's paintings converted a haveli into a boutique hotel The setting of Salman Khan’s Prem Ratan Dhan Payo is grand as the film has been shot primarily in havelis and rajmahals. Asin denies getting married on November 26 Asin is engaged to be married to Delhi-based entrepreneur Rahul Sharma. More Entertainment News»

		Science
		The S-Files - Matching your diet to your DNA Saleem Mohammed and Abdur Rub map customers' genetic profiles and customise diet plans to suit them. Chocolate, pizza among `most addictive food' A research team from the University of Michigan and Columbia University looked into common addictive food. New clothes carry harmful toxins: Study An initial analysis during a study found thousands of chemicals in the clothes and around a hundred chemicals were preliminary identified. More Science News»

		Sports
		SA crush India by 214 runs to claim 1st ever ODI series win  South Africa equalled the third highest ODI team score posting 438/4 with De Kock Du Plessis and De Villiers scoring centuries. Gambhir dismisses Tiwary's allegations as baseless Delhi skipper Gautam Gambhir on Sunday dismissed Manoj Tiwary's allegations that he made racist comments against the Bengali community and Sourav Ganguly. Wankhede pitch "too true" for our bowlers: MS Dhoni South Africa rode on centuries from Quinton de Kock (109), Faf du Plessis 133 (retired hurt) and AB de Villiers 119) to post a mammoth 438 for four while batting first as India were bowled out for 224 in 36 overs. More Sports News»

		Technology
		10 Microsoft products you didn't know about Despite its software success, Microsoft has kept a focus on hardware products as well; its Lumia line of smartphones (acquired from Nokia) and Surface tablet line are familiar names for most people. But they aren't the only products that the company has made in its 40-year history. 6 most widely-used Google products CEO Sundar Pichai recently announced that Play Store has become the sixth Google product to be used by more than a billion people. We take a look at the six Google products with user base of 1 billion... 10 Android smartphones with 4GB RAM You’d be wrong to think there are only a few smartphones with this much of memory in the market, as 4GB RAM can be found across all price bands, from the affordable segment to the ultra-premium bracket. Here’s a look at the 10 Android smartphones with 4GB RAM already in the market. More Technology News»

		Education
		Use a strategy: How to prepare for CLAT CLAT 2015 topper Akash Jain on how he prepared for the test. The legal path ​While civil and criminal law are popular specialisations, a number of fresh law graduates now opt for niche fields. 'Need a strategy for predictive scores' Agnelo Menezes, principal, St Xavier's College, Mumbai, on how the rise of various boards has colleges concerned while granting admission, and more. More Education News»

		Mumbai
		25% student info on govt database not verified yet Even as the deadline for updating student data on SARAL ­ the state government database sofware -concludes on Monday , almost 25% student details are yet to be verified. Extreme land heating leads to thundershowers in city Severe land heating caused thundershowers in several parts of Mumbai and Thane on Sunday. Now, SRA moots FSI bonanza for city bldrs Build transit camps for slumdwellers or rental housing in the suburbs and avail of a huge construction bonanza in the lucrative island city. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		Diving into Yamuna for survival, not glory Life by the riverside isn’t much of a future to aspire to and yet, many are doing their best to earn a living even as they save lives in the process. With murals & photos, Delhi Metro gives Munich touch to stations In 1974, Peter Wolf, an American musician, compared the New York subway to an urban jail with “their maze of security gates, iron railings and narrow stairways”. Delhi Metro’s commuters may find this to be an echo of their sentiment, but things are changing. Sweden shows way for smart Delhi The Delhi government is all set to take some lessons from Stockholm city. More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		Bangalore stands by Supreme Court time limit on crackers The Supreme Court's move to limit the bursting of crackers from 5pm to 10pm, on a petition from three toddlers, has drawn applause from Bengaluru's environmentalists. WOOD ART to change face of Cubborn Park A huge wooden armchair will be installed in the park, where hundreds hold protests against the government, as part of an art installation project. Gangster Ravi Pujari makes threat call to Karnataka minister Minister K Abhayachandra Jain received a death threat call, allegedly from dreaded gangster Ravi Pujari. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		Time to hold TSWB elections At last, a separate Wakf Board for Telangana state has been constituted. Telangana government issued orders on 19th October 2015 for the dissolution of the Andhra Pradesh State Wakf Board (APSWB) and for the establishment of Telangana State Wakf Board (TSWB). Rajini hurt in Muharram procession While the proceedings of Muharram passed on peacefully in the Old City, the main attraction of the event, Rajini, the elephant, which carries the Alam along the procession route, sustained injuries. Chain-snatchers traced to Bhopal Chain-snatchers, who took advantage of the tired policemen after the Ganesh immersion bandobust and had committed 12 chain-snatching offences on a day, were tracked to Bhopal a few days ago. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		Why Tamil writers don't sync up Constrained by a narrow framework of ideas, they are reluctant to join the nationwide writers' protest. Life on OMR, the road to perdition Lacking infrastructure, water and sewage lines, residents have decided to elect `shadow councillors' Tamil Nadu government eases norms for loans to minorities The ceiling has been increased from 1,03,000 per annum to 1,20,000 per annum. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		Workers call off strike at Arvind Ltd plant in Sante The three-day strike by a section of workers at Santej facility of Arvind Limited was called off unconditionally . Viramgam police detain two for rape Officials said that they will soon arrest the duo. Police are uncertain of whether both the teens are adults. Ahmedabad feels nip in the air The change in weather is being attributed to rain and snowfall in Jammu and Kashmir. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		Boy scripts kidnapping plot to squeeze money from family nspired by a Bollywood movie, a 17-year-old boy concocted his own kidnap story and disappeared from his house on Saturday evening. Youth shot dead, family stages dharna on road A youth was shot dead by unidentified miscreants in Mohitsamganj area under Kotwali police station in old city area on Friday night. Varsity holds lecture on consumer protection A lecture on consumer protection was held at LokmanyaTilak Shastrarth Sabhagar on the educations campus of UP Rajarshi Tandon Open University (UPRTOU), Allahabad, on Saturday. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		Dal hoarding fears: Raids on godowns Bhubaneswar/ Civil supplies officers on Saturday raided mills and godowns in the state to check the amount of pulses they have stocked. Moving Sardar Rajas medicos faces hurdle More than three weeks after Orissa High Court on October 1 asked the state government and Medical Council of India (MCI) to relocate MBBS students of Sardar Rajas Medical College at Jaring in Kalahandi to other recognized institutions by October 14, the students' fate still hangs in balance. Puja editions of magazines hit the stalls in Bhubaneswar Book lovers across the state are busy collecting puja specials of different Odia literary magazines.As many as 60 such special editions have hit the stalls while about 40 more are yet to come. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		Auto driver who tried to abduct girl surrenders Three days after an auto-rickshaw driver kidnapped and sexually harassed a third year engineering student in a posh city area, the driver surrendered in court on Sunday evening. Later, police took him on a remand. Energy-from-waste plant to come up in Satna, MP Madhya Pradesh government has chalked out an action plan has been chalked out to generate energy from waste in Rewa and Satna Municipal Corporations and Nagar Panchayat. Debt-ridden farmer shoots himself in Madhya Pradesh This is the 20th such incident in the state since October 1, where either a farmer has committed suicide, or died of shock or have attempted suicide due to crop loss. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		All 403 cases under SC/ST Act being probed: Police A total of 403 cases have been registered in Haryana under the SC/ST Act this year, police said. Amid sacrilege protests, Badal shunts out Punjab police chief From being one of the most powerful and controversial police officers in Punjab for more than 30 years, state director general of police (DGP) Sumedh Singh Saini was on Sunday suddenly shifted to an insignificant posting. Another Dalit dies in Haryana, blames cops in suicide note In a suicide note, Badan Singh, who was in his mid-forties and a witness in his cousin Gurbachan Singh’s suicide case, stated that he was being pressurised by cops not to give any statement in the case. More Chandigarh News»

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News Digest: Ahmedabad cops seek 14-day remand for Hardik

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Sunday, October 25, 2015
		Today's Headlines

		India
		Ahmedabad cops seek 14-day remand for Hardik The Ahmedabad crime branch late on Saturday sought a 14-day police remand of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti convener Hardik Patel, who was produced before a sessions judge at his residence. Goan with the wind It’s not easy trading sunny Goa for frigid Europe but rising unemployment and an uncertain economy have prompted many Goans to dig up their roots to claim the golden ticket – a Portuguese passport. Changed economic reality fails to bridge caste divide in Sunped The caste divide in this village runs deeper than ever after the death of two Dalit children in an arson attack in which the accused are upper caste Thakurs. More India News»

		Business
		Ashoka Buildcon bags Rs 277 crore deal from NHAI Highway developer Ashoka Buildcon on Saturday said it has bagged a Rs.277 crore project from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). Janet Yellen to testify before JEC on Dec 3 Federal Reserve chief Janet Yellen will appear at the Joint Economic Committee of the US Congress on Dec. 3, a committee spokeswoman said on Saturday. Audi to keep hiring despite parent VW's crisis Audi plans to keep hiring and affirmed a jobs guarantee through 2018, even as parent Volkswagen is rocked by a scandal over rigged emissions tests, a spokesman for Audi said on Saturday, confirming a German media report. More Business News»

		Environment
		Dinosaurs' nasal passages kept their brains cool The large size and shape of nasal passages in dinosaurs would have allowed incoming air to cool the blood making its way to the brain, maintaining the brain at an optimum temperature, a new study has found. Climate change may lead to severe water shortage in Nepal Climate change, increase in agricultural land use and population growth may lead to severe water shortage in Nepal in the coming decades, according to a new study. Tibet sees receding glaciers, shrinking permafrost The Roof of the World, as Tibet is also known, is also facing desertification. More Environment News»

		World
		Kerry talks Syria with Saudi king Secretary of state John Kerry has met with Saudi Arabia's monarch, King Salman, to follow up on discussions he held earlier this week with others about efforts to revive a peace process for Syria. Patricia inflicts little damage on Mexican coast Only a day after menacing Mexico as one of history's strongest storms, Hurricane Patricia left apparently little damage Saturday as the once-fearsome system spun inland and quickly weakened to a tropical depression that offered little threat beyond heavy rain. Indonesia cancels literary festival on 1965 massacre Organizers of Indonesia's biggest annual literary festival said on Friday they had been forced to cancel several events centred on the mass killings of alleged communists in the mid-1960s, after authorities threatened to revoke the festival's licence. More World News»

		Entertainment
		'Katrina has been loyal in all relationships' A conversation with Saif Ali Khan is always interesting. He is intelligent, well read and loves doing all the different things that he gets to do being born a nawab and being a Bollywood star. He has always been charming, but today, he is also realistic, mature and responsible. Excerpts from a conversation over coffee with him. Asin to marry in Delhi on November 26 Asin and Delhi-based entrepreneur Rahul Sharma’s wedding will take place on November 26 at a hotel on NH8 in Delhi, a source tells us. Is Salman's 'Prem Ratan Dhan Payo' copied? More Entertainment News»

		Science
		Cheese as addictive as drugs Study reveals why it is so hard to stop eating cheese it triggers the same part of brain as crack cocaine. 'Black Death' germ has afflicted humankind longer than suspected A study of DNA from Bronze Age people in Europe and Asia showed the bacterium, Yersinia pestis, afflicted humans as long ago as about 2800 BC, more than 3,000 years earlier than the oldest previous evidence of plague. Revealed: How many hours people actually want to work every day To the envy of workers who graft from 9 to 5, Sweden has adopted a 6-hour working day, to increase productivity and happiness. But a new study has revealed that UK workers could settle for a slightly longer 7-hour working day as the ideal. More Science News»

		Sports
		Gambhir crossed the limit with his comments: Tiwary Gambhir and Manoj Tiwary were involved in an ugly on-field altercation and nearly came to blows during the Ranji Trophy match between Delhi and Bengal. EPL: Mourinho banished as Carroll deepens Chelsea gloom Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho was banished to the stands amid more furore over refereeing decisions as his side slumped to a 2-1 defeat at West Ham United. New ODI rules have made life difficult for batsmen: Kohli Virat Kohli believes that the recent changes in the batting powerplay rules by the ICC has made it difficult to score in ODIs, specially during the death overs. More Sports News»

		Technology
		10 Android smartphones with 4GB RAM You’d be wrong to think there are only a few smartphones with this much of memory in the market, as 4GB RAM can be found across all price bands, from the affordable segment to the ultra-premium bracket. Here’s a look at the 10 Android smartphones with 4GB RAM already in the market. Why some Google employees live in parking lots Long hours are reportedly quite common at Google, but it turns out some employees almost never leave the campus and start living in the parking lot! Here’s a look at 5 reasons Google employees prefer to live in parking lots and how easy it is... Coolpad Note 3 review: Best phone under Rs 10,000? We review the Coolpad Note 3 to find out if it lives up to the company’s promise of offering a feature packed device at an affordable price. More Technology News»

		Education
		DU law students fear degrees may be invalid In an October 19 letter to the dean, the Delhi University administration informed its law faculty that all second-year students who have failed will have to be promoted to third year. Students reject MHRD proposal of making non-NET fellowship merit-based, Occupy UGC protest to continue Students are not giving up on their protest against the scrapping of the non-NET fellowship despite the Ministry of HRD saying on Friday evening that it will "revive" it for all universities but make it merit-based. Non-NET fellowship to be revived for all universities but allowed to 'meritorious' students The government could hardly refuse to relent. On Friday, after 55 hours of constant protest and the police's detaining dozens of "Occupy UGC" protestors at Bhalswa Dairy, senior officials in the Ministry of HRD told TOI that it will "revive the scheme for all the public universities in the country" but the beneficiaries of the scheme will be selected on merit. More Education News»

		Mumbai
		Dadri, Dalit deaths Cong-NCP's focus in KDMC election The Congress-NCP, which is fighting the KalyanDombivli Municipal Corporation polls, is taking on the Sena-BJP over both state and national issues. PM Modi to open Ambedkar's London home Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate a memorial at Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar’s London house during his UK visit in November. Village gets light before Diwali 68 years after Independence Unintentionally, Ramdas Khanjode is cracking up the shy audience of women and kids seated under a canopy of bottle gourds. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		AAP's move on bureaucrats 'purely political', says Centre The AAP government’s resolutions asking Delhi LG Najeeb Jung to explain the “compelling” circumstances behind relieving of VAT commissioner Vijay Kumar and setting up of a Group of Ministers (GoM) to “protect” bureaucrats from “political victimization” are seen by the Centre as political moves as rules governing transfers are legally well established. Man crushed by corporation dumper A 42-year-old man was crushed by a speeding MCD dumper after it rammed his two-wheeler near Govindpuri Metro station in southeast Delhi on Saturday morning. Sonipat girl gang-raped & killed She Was Kidnapped While Returning Home From Azadpur Dussehra Mela On Thursday More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		Meal count - 1,22,937 fed during Dasara On Friday morning Steve Jude Fernandez woke up without the familiar hustle and bustle of cooks, volunteers, cleaners, vendors, delivery and the voice of his wife giving out instructions. Filmmaker threatened for endorsing beef A woman Kannada filmmaker and writer in Bengaluru has been threatened with dire consequences on social media after she endorsed beef consumption and questioned Hindu practices, a senior police official said. An artist whose brush with schizophrenia was no hurdle Shoeb Dastagir, 30, was always a quiet boy who'd mostly keep to himself. But a few years ago, he lost all interest in interacting with the outside world. However, there was one thing that would always get him going - painting - in which he only got better with time. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		For city retailers, Dasara sales augur well for a bumper Diwali After a profitable Dasara, city retailers are now gearing up to cash in on the fast approaching Diwali mania. Smart city colonies set to get smarter, unsmart get nothing The Telangana government has set the process to make Greater Hyderabad 'smart' in motion. Don't trivialize terrorism; let people live in peace The Justice Srikrishna Committee report, submitted on December 30, 2010, consisted of nine chapters spread over 425 pages. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		Wills, bills or forms to fill, NGOs turn guides for elderly Legal advice, property matters and senior citizens are a dangerous combination in a city where crimes against the elderly are growing. Experts' take on black money: Be honest or nationalise graft Black money deprives citizens of fraternity and equality guaran teed in the Constitu tion, and a global architecture is needed to smash tax havens and black economy , said experts, economists, jurists and columnists during discussion on multiple dimensions of the economic menace. First like, then eat Picture perfect dishes are now the order of the day at restaurants, say chefs, to keep up with diners who focus more on instagramming their food rather than eating it More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		Cops go arty in `naked' Gandhi statue case After 10 months, Gandhinagar police has finally ound an explanation to the minimalist' statue of Mahatma Gandhi installed at Mahatma Mandir on Pravasi Bhartiya Divas in January this year. Teachers' vacation plans upset The local self-government body elections scheduled to be held in November and December have upset vacation plans of teachers and government officials who will be deployed for the polls. Around 25% of bookings by civil servant done for the Diwali vacations will have to be cancelled. Faiths meet when Shaikh becomes Sai Thousands of commuters travel ling by Ahmedabad Municipal Transport Service (AMTS) buses bow their heads before a Sai Baba temple right behind the bus stand at Lal Darwaja. Some even offer flowers, incense sticks and money. For many others, the temple is a place they must visit every Thursday. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		Peons, clerks named as UP Board evaluators Gross anomalies have been detected in the naming of evaluators for next year’s class X and XII UP Board exams. Katra Ramdal procession attracts large crowd The Ramdal procession of Katra Ramleela Committee was taken out with grandeur from Ram Vatika late on Tuesday night. Suresh Kumar Singh takes over as UPPSC secretary Suresh Kumar Singh, a 2005 batch IAS officer, took over the charge of secretary, Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) on Tuesday night. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		Congress flays govt over farmer suicides The party will launch ‘save farmer’ demonstrations in every block on November 6. Celebration of alternate Durga The festival is so named because the region where the tribal culture flourished was called Patkhanda, spreading from Sankhemundai in Ganjam district of Odisha to Bastar district of Chhattisgarh. Jarasingha is considered the abode of Patkhanda, the presiding deity of the village. Ravana Podi: Meet the family that shapes the demon king's effigies Earlier, Ravana Podi used to be held only in three or four Durga Puja pandals in the city. But, over the years, the number of Ravana Podi programmes has increased to at least 25. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		Pak high commission steps forward for Karachi boy stranded in MP Karachi’s runaway boy, Mohammad Ramzan, who has remained stranded in Bhopal for the past two years, saw a ray of hope when he recently received a call from the high commission of Pakistan. Ratlam-Jhabua by-poll: Bhuria, Chouhan's fate at stake In the shadow of Petlawad twin blast which claimed at least 85 lives and injured more than 100, the Jhabua-Ratlam Lok Sabha constituency is gearing up for another battle, the by-poll slated for November 21. Prohibitory orders in Jabalpur dist after violence Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) were imposed in Jabalpur district on Thursday after local residents went on the rampage setting on fire police vehicles and shops to protest death of seven people by a recklessly driven minibus a day earlier. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		Haryana factories install air-pollution control devices at PCB's behest As part of Haryana government’s efforts to control air and water pollution in the state, 222 industrial units in Haryana have installed effluent treatment plants and 370 units have installed air-pollution control devices during the past one year. Haryana won't allow violation of dalits' rights: Khattar Days after two dalit children were burnt alive in a village of Faridabad district and a 14-year-old boy died under mysterious circumstances after he was questioned for theft of pigeons in Sonipat’s Gohana police station, Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar said the state government is not only committed to ensure the safety and security of the people belonging to scheduled castes in the state but is also sensitive towards their rights. Delhi CM prays for peace in Punjab at Golden Temple Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal prayed for peace and communal harmony in Punjab. He was here on Saturday to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple. More Chandigarh News»

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