Cabinet approves Bill to share mining profits The Union Cabinet has approved the landmark the Mines

and Mineral Development and Regulation (MMDR) Bill, 2011 that provides for mining companies to keep aside 26 per cent of their net profits for a Mineral Development Fund to be used for development and rehabilitation of project-affected people in the tribal areas of the country. For the non-coal companies, the amount will be equivalent to the royalty they pay. The Cabinet, under the leadership of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, also approved measures to tackle illegal mining and appointed a regulatory body for overseeing the functioning of the mining sector. The Bill is likely to be introduced in the winter session of Parliament. The MMDR Bill will replace a 54-year-old legislation governing the sector. The Bill seeks a complete and holistic reform in the mining sector with provisions to address issues relating to sustainable mining and local area development, especially families impacted by mining operations. India-Bhutan relationship is of mutual cooperation The relationship between India and Bhutan has moved from one of donor-beneficiary to that of mutual cooperation, said Bhutan's Prime Minister Jigmy Y. Thinley. He also said that the relationship between the two countries was an example for all countries with a common border. Talking to reporters at a press conference after addressing the annual general meeting of the Mahabodhi Society of India, he said that in the beginning it was a relationship as between a donor and a beneficiary, but with Bhutan reaching a good level of development, the nature of relation has moved to one of mutual benefits. Citing an example, he said that India needed electricity badly and Bhutan was generating hydel-power. Pointing out that Bhutan now aims to become a green and sustainable service economy, he said that his country invites Indian investment in the areas of education, health, tourism and IT sector. Ride on Namma Metro from October 20 Bangaloreans' long wait for a date with Namma Metro is finally over with Union Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath agreeing to launch the commercial services on Reach 1 between Byappanahalli and M.G. Road on October 20. Mr. Kamal Nath gave his assent to Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda, who met him in New Delhi. Mr. Gowda will also invite Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi as both the Urban Development and Railway Ministries are associated with the project. Mr. Kamal Nath is understood to have asked the State Government to go ahead with Namma Metro Phase II, reassuring him of generous funding from the Union Government. Phase 1 of Namma Metro comprises two corridors East-West (Byappanahalli and Mysore Road Terminal, 18.1 km) and North-South (Hessaraghatta Cross and Puttenahalli Cross, 24.2 km), of which 8.8 km stretch is underground. These two corridors crisscross underground at Majestic where a two-level underground station will be constructed. Agni-II soars in success The launch of Agni-II was a big success, with the missile traversing 2000 km across the sky in nine minutes of flawless mission. The missile rose from a launcher on a railway track from the Wheeler Island on the Orissa coast, raced to a height of 220 km, cut an arc of 2000 km, reentered the earth's atmosphere and impacted on the targeted area in the Bay of Bengal with an accuracy of some metres. The missile, which can carry a one-tonne nuclear warhead, performed a manoeuvre as it plunged into the atmosphere amidst a searing temperature of 3,000 degrees' Celsius. The two-stages of the surface-to-surface missile worked with precision. The Strategic Forces Command (SFC) of the armed forces, which handles nuclear-weapons delivery systems, conducted the launch. The missile weighs 17 tonnes and is 20 metres long. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) designed and developed Agni-II. It calls the missile the pride of India's strategic arsenal. This was the third successful missile launch in seven days for the DRDO. The Agni-II triumph caps the successful missions of Shourya and Prithvi-II from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur, Orissa.

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Doubts over launch of Indira Jala Prabha in Telangana A question mark hangs over the launching of Indira Jala Prabha (IJP) in Telangana region as planned by the government in view of the on-going general strike. Under the scheme, 10 lakh acres of fallow land belonging Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes will be developed and brought under the plough in two years. Ashish Bagga, new INS president Ashish Bagga of India Today has elected president of The Indian Newspaper Society for the year 2011-12 at its 72nd annual general meeting. He succeeds Kundan R Vyas of the Janmabhoomi Group. K.N. Tilak Kumar ( Prajavani ) has elected deputy president, Ravindra Kumar ( The Statesman ) vice-president and Rakesh Sharma ( Aaj Samaj ) honorary treasurer. V. Shankaran is the secretary-general of the Society. Joint women's forum for peace in Kashmir The two-day Intra-Kashmir Women's conference that concluded in Gulmarg sought an end to protracted conflict in the State and decided to set up a joint forum for peace comprising women from both sides of the Line of Control (LoC). The participants said that they, the women of entire Jammu and Kashmir, from both sides of the LoC desire peace, security, and economic stability to prevail throughout the region and an immediate end to the protracted conflict. They demanded the inclusion of women in all peace-building and peace negotiations/dialogue on Kashmir. They urged India and Pakistan to simplify procedures in trade, communication and travel across the LoC and open other trade and travel routes, like Kargil-Skardu, Chamb-Bhimbar, and LehKhaplu; respect the ceasefire with immediate halt to violations and address land mine issues; immediately release stray crossers; initiate phased de-militarisation in all civilian areas, and repeal draconian' Acts such as the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) and the Public Safety Act (PSA). Genocide: jail for Ex-Ministers Two former Rwandan Ministers were jailed for 30 years by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda for involvement in the central African country's 1994 genocide. The Tanzania-based tribunal acquitted two Ministers due to lack of evidence. The sentencing came 12 years since they were arrested. All the ex-Ministers, who denied the charges, were accused of calling for the massacre of Tutsis during several meetings they held across Rwanda and in public speeches, some of which were aired on radio. The ICTR, based in the northern Tanzanian town of Arusha, was established in late 1994 to try the key perpetrators of the 1994 massacre which claimed some 800,000 lives, mainly minority Tutsis, in a span of 100 days. Future Group, NSDC form venture Kishore Biyani promoted Future Group has announced joining hands with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) to achieve the aim of training seven million Indians in varied industries in the services sector during the next ten years. The two partners have earmarked Rs.58 crore for the next ten years for the joint venture, to be named Future Sharp. While Future Learning, the training and learning arm of Future Group, will hold 73 per cent stake in the joint venture, NSDC will hold the remaining 27 per cent stake. CAG appointed external auditor of IAEA and WIPO The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has been appointed as external auditor of two major UN organizations, the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Geneva-based World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Having traditionally been the stronghold of the developed world, it is for the first time that a supreme audit institution from outside Europe has been appointed to these prestigious positions in these two organizations. These appointments were made in the face of competition from other developed countries like the U.K., Spain and Norway. The tenure of these audits could extend up to six years. Page 2 of 4 1st October 2011

Off-road vehicles come to Chennai Polaris India Pvt. Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of $1.99-billion Polaris Industries of the U.S., a major in off-road and multi-terrain vehicles has entered the Chennai market. The company has tied-up with MPL Adventure Sports Vehicles Pvt. Ltd. for marketing these vehicles in Tamil Nadu. Prices of these vehicles range from Rs.2.84 lakh to Rs.25 lakh depending on the nature and size of the vehicle. Addressing a press conference, Pankaj Dubey, Managing Director, Polaris India, said the company was launching its flagship products, including ATVs, Polaris Ranger RZR side-by-side vehicles and snowmobiles in India. He hoped that there would be more demand for these vehicles in Tamil Nadu for various activities such as farming, sports, lifeguard in the beaches, in factories, in construction sites and tourism. Mr. Dubey said the vehicles were being imported from the U.S. as a CBU (completely built unit). In India, the company had tied-up with L&T for the vehicle's technical and engineering aspect and with TCS for information systems. Cabinet nod for HCL's Malanjkhand mine project The Centre has approved Hindustan Copper's proposal to develop an underground copper ore mine at Malanjkhand in Madhya Pradesh with an investment of Rs.1,856 crore. According to an official statement The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved the investment proposal of Hindustan Copper Ltd. (HCL) for Rs.1, 856.36 crore to develop an underground copper ore mine of five million tones per annum capacity. The fund required for the project would be met by HCL and no budgetary support would be taken from the government, the statement said. The project has 141-million tone extractable copper reserves, which is more than 70 per cent of the known reserves in the country. RPower gets RBI nod for raising $2.2 billion Anil Ambani-owned Reliance Power has announced that it had received the approval of the Reserve Bank of India for raising $2.2 billion from the U.S. and Chinese banks for the 3,960-MW Sasan ultra mega power project in Madhya Pradesh. Of the total amount, $1.1 billion would be extended by Chinese banks, including Bank of China, China Development Bank and Export Import Bank of China, The funding from Chinese banks represents the first-ever project financing done by Chinese banks. The Export Import Bank of United States has also approved funding of $917 million for the Sasan Ultra Mega Power Project (UMPP). Centre to set up six pharma national institutes The Union Cabinet has approved setting up of six new National Institutes of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPERs) to meet the shortage of skilled manpower in the pharmaceutical sector. The new institutes will come up at Gandhinagar, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Hajipur, Guwahati and Rae Bareli. Now, health insurance portability If you are not satisfied with the services of existing health insurer, you can change the company without losing policy benefits as the long-awaited portability comes into force. The health insurance portability facility which was earlier scheduled to become operational from July 1, was postponed because of delay in preparation of software architecture. The health insurance portability will come into effect from October 1 according to D.R. Kaarthikeyan, Director of Star Health Insurance, said. The facility, Damien Marmion, CEO of Max Bupa Health Insurance expects to bring in new benchmarks in delivery mechanisms and product innovation in the industry. He further said that with the implementation of portability the insurers will need to enhance their service capabilities and engage in constant innovation to service their existing and potential customers. In February 2011, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) had issued necessary orders.

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Gateway Hotel Gir Forest launched The Gateway Hotels and Resorts has announced the launch of The Gateway Hotel Gir Forest. This will be the fourth Gateway branded hotel in Gujarat, in addition to the existing hotels in Ahmedabad, Surat and Vadodara. The Gateway Hotels and Resorts, from the Taj Group of Hotels, caters to the upscale segment and have expanded its footprint in Gujarat with this launch. With the opening of this hotel, The Gateway Hotels & Resorts now has 21 hotels in its portfolio. Irani Cup: Rest of India takes on Rajasthan Irani Cup, a one-off cricket contest heralding the new season, always used to attract the best on the circuit. A call-up to represent the Rest of India against the Ranji Trophy champion was considered a step short of representing India. Times have changed, and the much-awaited fixture now appears more of a formality as Rest of India and Rajasthan meet in the five-day match starting at the SMS Stadium. For many, the Irani Cup holds unforgettable memories. Would you believe the inaugural match, played over three days at the Railway Stadium in Delhi in March, 1960, witnessed a unique happening 12th man batting in both the innings. The privileged 12th man happened to be Prem Bhatia, a former Delhi captain. Now 71, Bhatia remembers the match vividly. Yuki-Rohan duo in final The pair of Yuki Bhambri and Rohan Gajjar defeated Kirati Siributwong and Perakiat Siriluethaiwattana of Thailand 6-2, 5-7, 10-4 in the doubles semifinals of the $15000 ITF men's Futures tennis in Jakarta. The other Indian pair of Vijayant Malik and Kaza Vinayak Sharma, however, lost 7-6(5), 3-6, 7-10 to second seeds Li Zhe and Yi Chu Huan of China in the other semifinal. In singles, fifth seed Yuki went down 3-6, 5-7 to Alexander Sadecky of Switzerland in the quarterfinals. Vishnu Vardhan was even at one set each against the fourth-seeded Junn Mitsuhashi of Japan when played was abandoned for the day in another quarterfinal. Bedi's biography released Divinity ordained that he be blessed with a nice, clean bowling action. Divinity that coincided with Tiger Pataudi's leadership ensured that Bishan Singh Bedi would play for India and end up as one of its finest spin bowlers of all time. That was how the man himself described his classic bowling action and his Test baptism in Calcutta, under Pataudi, back in 1966-67against the West Indies, as he released his biography, written by journalist Suresh Menon, at the Kovalam Literary Festival at the India International Centre. In Bishan, Portrait of a Cricketer, Menon brings to life one of the most colourful personalities of Indian cricket, but Bedi described the attempt as bringing out an Egyptian mummy alive.

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Supreme Court gets two new judges President Pratibha Patil has appointed the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, Dipak Misra, and the Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court, Jasti Chelameswar, as Supreme Court judges. Mr. Justice Misra, who will complete 58 years of age this month, represents Orissa. He was appointed the Chief Justice of the Patna High Court in December 2009 and transferred to the Delhi High Court as Chief Justice in May 2010. He will have tenure of about seven years, and an opportunity to become the Chief Justice of India (CJI). In that event, he will be the third judge from Orissa to adorn the highest judicial office, after Rangnath Misra and G.B. Patnaik. Justice Chelameswar, 58, representing Andhra Pradesh, will fill the place of Justice B. Sudershan Reddy, who retired in July. He was appointed the Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court in May 2007 and then shifted as the Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court in March 2010. He will also have tenure of about seven years in the Supreme Court. Central Vigilance Commissioner, CBI Director against disturbing present set-up Both Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) Pradeep Kumar and Central Bureau of Investigation Director A.P. Singh told the parliamentary committee examining the draft Lokpal Bill that any move to disturb the anti-corruption machinery in their organisations would adversely affect them. Mr. Kumar and Mr. Singh favoured making the CVC and the CBI Director ex-officio members of the proposed Lokpal, arguing that it would bring about better coordination and synergy. They are learnt to have told the panel that they were against any move to tamper with the CVC and the CBI as suggested by the Anna Hazare team. They felt such a move would weaken their anti-graft fighting machinery. Both Mr. Kumar and Mr. Singh appeared before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Law and Justice, Personnel and Public Grievances, led by Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi. More MiGs, copters for Navy The Navy is set to acquire 16 MiG-29K fighters, including four trainer aircraft, in two years, and 16 helicopters in four years, Navy Chief Admiral Nirmal Verma said. The 16 MiG-29Ks were part of a first contract with Russia and 29 more fighter planes would be acquired through a second contract, he said at a press conference held onboard the INS Shakti, after he commissioned the fleet tanker at the Naval Dockyard. Admiral Verma hoped the refitting work being done on the aircraft carrier, INS Vikramaditya, in Russia would be completed according to schedule by 2012. The work had been halted for one-and-a-half years over price issues. On coastal security, Admiral Verma said a lot of improvement was made after the Mumbai attacks and the Navy, the Coast Guard and the State governments were in perfect coordination. The Cabinet Secretary was regularly reviewing the situation. Lab of the Big Bang experiment leaves Pratibha Patil mesmerised President Pratibha Patil has visited the lab of the prestigious France-based European Organisation for Nuclear Research, commonly known as CERN, where she patted Indian scientists for their contributions to cutting edge-research work. Ms. Patil, who is on a State visit to Switzerland, drove to the CERN lab that is situated just minutes away from the Swiss border. An inquisitive Ms. Patil, who was mesmerised by the lab known for its cutting-edge research work in physics, left CERN's Director General Rolf-Dieter Heuer pondering for answers on many occasions. Ms. Patil took a round of the centre and went 70 metres underground to get a firsthand look at the 27-km-long tunnel, where the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) experiment was conducted recently.

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Magsaysay awardee's U.S. visa application rejected The United States consulate has rejected the visa application of Magsaysay award winner Neelima Mishra, citing her poor financial condition. A shocked Ms. Mishra said the rejection was unreasonable it smacked of arrogance. Ms. Mishra said she received a letter from the consulate stating that her financial condition was not strong. According to her the visa officials felt that she would settle in the U.S. She thought their reasons were strange and smacked of arrogance. Further she told that the official were unaware about the award. Ban Ki-moon pays rich tributes to Gandhi Paying rich tributes to Mahatma Gandhi, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said the principle of non-violence preached by him helped topple tyrannical regimes from Tunisia to Egypt, as people in these countries proved that it is more effective to fire off a tweet than to fire a gun. Commemorating the International Day of Non-Violence, which is celebrated to mark Gandhi's birth anniversary on October 2, Mr. Ban said: Gandhiji lived by the conviction that only peaceful tactics could usher in a peaceful future. For Gandhi, means and ends were one. He said the dramatic events of the past year in the Middle East and North African countries showed the immense power of non-violence. People in Tunisia, Egypt and beyond proved that it is more effective to fire off a tweet than to fire a gun. They did more than topple long-entrenched governments; they emboldened other oppressed people to think that the path of non-violence might work for them. This is not an easy path, he said, at a special meeting attended by India's envoy to the U.N. Hardeep Singh Puri and historian Ramachandra Guha. Dementia cases will double in two decades' On the 20th anniversary of the United Nations declaring October 1 as the International Day of Older Persons, Bangalore hosted a plethora of events to show care, concern, gratitude and affection towards the seniors in the city. National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) culminated its World Elders' Week, which began on September 26, with the release of the Dementia India Report 2010 in Kannada. There are 3.7 million dementia patients in the country over 1,80,000 patients in the State. These statistics will double in the next 20 years. It will take around Rs. 10,000 crores to take care of all dementia patients in the country, and this number will triple by 2020, said Jacob Roy, chairperson of Alzheimer's Association. He emphasised the need for a national policy on dementia and to include it in healthcare programmes. Currently, only 10 per cent of the patients are diagnosed and treated, New Police Chief for Uttar Pradesh Special Director General of Police (Law & Order) Brij Lal, an Indian Police Service officer of the 1977 batch took over as the new Director General of Police of Uttar Pradesh, an appointment which did not surprise many in the State's police circles. Many saw it coming especially after the additional charge of DGP was given to the Director General, PAC, R. K. Tiwari, following Karamveer Singh's superannuation on August 31. Mr. Tiwari retired after which Mr. Brij Lal's appointment was cleared by Chief Minister Mayawati. It was Mr. Lal as the seniormost officer in the DGP's Office who bade farewell to Mr. Tiwari. TULF wants new land registration scheme stopped The Tamil United Liberation front has appealed to President Mahinda Rajapaksa to intervene and stop the scheme of registering lands in the Tamil-dominated North and East.The process is flawed and would leave most Tamils landless and homeless, it has said. No one can succeed in collecting the required details asked for in the questionnaireissued by the Ministry of Lands and Land Development for the registration of ownership of lands under the new scheme, said V. Anandasangaree TULF general secretary in a letter to the President. The people very genuinely feel that this scheme is neither justifiable nor beneficial to them. They also feel that this is yet another scheme to harass them and are convinced that the Government has an agenda of its own for collecting the details asked for in the form, Page 2 of 3 2 October 2011
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Ascott launches Somerset-branded serviced residence With India becoming globally integrated and executives of multinational companies frequently traveling to business hubs in the country, there is a huge demand for high-end serviced apartments. The serviced apartment concept, started a decade ago in India, witnessed the establishment of many apartments initially in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore and later in Chennai and other metros and smaller cities. There is growing demand for serviced apartments, now called serviced residences, in Chennai as several multinational companies have established their operations. With some corporate already operating such residences, the latest to enter the Chennai city is the Singapore-headquartered Ascott' with its Somerset-branded serviced residence. ITC buys out Russell's stake in Wimco ITC has informed the Bombay Stock Exchange that it has acquired the entire shareholding of Russell Credit Ltd. (wholly-owned subsidiary of the company) in Wimco. Consequently, Wimco has become a direct subsidiary of the company with effect from September 29. SpiceJet starts Hyderabad-Aurangabad service Low-cost airliner SpiceJet has launched a new service between Hyderabad and Aurangabad with its Q-400 NextGen aircraft. The airline would operate a flight daily. Big win for India over Windies India scored an easy 124-run win over West Indies at the Port stadium to top the table with 14 points from three matches after the end of first leg of the matches in the quadrangular under-19 cricket tournament. India dominated West Indies all through the match except when the last wicket pair of Donovon Nelson and Ronsoford Beaton delayed the end with a stubborn 48-run stand. West Indies' bowling limitations were exposed once again as India plundered 315 for four. Hanuma Vihari (68, 9x4), captain Unmukt Chand (66, 6x4), Akshdeep Nath (81n.o, 4x4, 4x6), B. Aparajith (42, 3x4) and Kumar Deobrat (37, 2x4, 3x6) contributed in India's massive 315 for four. Off-spinner B. Aparajith, who had a five-wicket haul in the first match, was the pick of the Indian bowlers with four wickets. Points at the end of third round of matches are India (14), Sri Lanka (9), Australia (5) and West Indies (0). Dasgupta is chairman Former India wicketkeeper-batsman, Deep Dasgupta, comes in as the State senior selection committee chairman in place of Sambaran Banerjee whose term ended last season. Dasgupta will have Malay Banerjee, Mintu Das and Satyendra Singh as members. Madan Ghosh will head the junior selection committee and Sandhya Majumdar will be the chairperson of the women's selection committee. Sourav Ganguly, who also attended the CAB's first working committee at the Eden Gardens, came up with a number of suggestions to help Bengal cricket. In one of the most important decisions, Ganguly sought an appointment of a head of coaches to monitor cricketers of all age group in consultation with the age group coaches, trainers and other support staff. Sports Sciences Institute on Chinese model China will serve as the prime model for the National Institute of Sports Sciences to be set up by the Union Sports Ministry at the Nehru Stadium on November 1. Announcing the plan that the institute would be first set up as a society before being converted into an Institute of national importance by an Act of Parliament, the Union Sports Minister Ajay Maken, who addressed the media, stated that the project would be drafted under the 12th five-year plan for budgetary allocation. The project is expected to cost Rs.200 crore and another Rs. 100 crore is scheduled to be spent on various regional centers and linking them up with the national institute.

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Interest-free crop loans up to Rs. 1 lakh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy has announced interest-free crop loans up to Rs. 1 lakh for farmers from this rabi season even as Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad launched the Rs. 1,800-crore Indira Jala Prabha programme for providing irrigation to ten acres belonging to SCs/ STs. The launch of the programme at Yerragondapalem was marred by protests by different sections, including women and farmers, forcing the police to resort to mild force. The new zero interest scheme is expected to benefit 95 lakh farmers and cost the State exchequer around Rs.650-700 crore annually with the government reimbursing the interest amount to the banks. About 95 per cent of the farmers in the State, who generally obtain loans under Rs. 1 lakh, will stand to gain by the scheme. Although the remaining five per cent avail of loans above Rs. 1 lakh, the benefit will also be extended to them. Shanti Tigga becomes first woman jawan Another barrier has been broken in the Army with a mother of two becoming the first woman jawan. Outperforming her male counterparts in the physical tests, 35-year-old Sapper Shanti Tigga joined the 969 Railway Engineer Regiment of Territorial Army (TA). According to a senior army officer, women are allowed to join the armed forces only as officers in the non-combat units. But Tigga has earned the unique distinction of being the first lady jawan in the 1.3 million strong defence forces. She performed exceedingly well in all the physical tests. She took five seconds less than her male counterparts to complete 1.5-km run. She completed the 50 metre run in 12 seconds which is rated as excellent. Employed with the Railways as a points-man and posted at Chalsa station in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district, Tigga volunteered for the TA last year. She joined Railways in 2005, on compensatory ground after her husband passed away. In the year 2010 she learnt about TA Railways and volunteered for it. At that time, she was not aware that no woman has ever joined the Army as personnel below officer rank. All-woman sky-diving team to perform on Air Force Day Buoyed by the success of its women officers in scaling Mount Everest, the Indian Air Force has formed a all-woman sky-diving team. The team will showcase its first performance at the 79th anniversary celebrations of the service on October 8. Significantly, this will be the first all-woman sky-diving team of any defence force in the world. The team has six members who are training hard for the occasion, top IAF officials said. This team will be there in addition to the Akashganga' sky-diving team, which has been performing for the last several years at both national and international events. Flight Lieutenant Nivedita Choudhary, Squadron Leader Nirupama Pandey and Flight Lieutenant Rajika Sharma reached the 8,848-metre summit becoming the first three women IAF officers to have achieved the feat. Job scheme: Tamil Nadu tops the list Tamil Nadu topped the list of States that provided jobs to rural households for 100 days as per the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) at the end of the second quarter of the financial year 2011-12. More than 11.02 lakh households benefited from the scheme in Tamil Nadu. Andhra Pradesh came second by providing jobs to 9.65 lakh households and Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan stood third and fourth by providing employment to just over 6 lakh households and 4.96 lakh households respectively. Karnataka gave employment to just over 1.31 lakh households. Another feature in Tamil Nadu was that 82.59 per cent of those who availed of work were women. Same is the case with Dadra and Nagar Haveli (86.93 per cent) and Puducherry (80.41 per cent). Among States which provided more work to the Scheduled Castes (SC), Punjab topped the list (78 per cent). Tamil Nadu provided employment to 57.71 per cent people from the SCs. Almost all States, except Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Dadra and Nagar Haveli maintained the stipulated ratio of 60 per cent of spending on wages and 40 per cent of spending on materials and administrative expenditure.

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End in sight for BlackBerry, government standoff An end is in sight to the standoff between security agencies and Research in Motion, as the Canada-based manufacturer of Blackberry smart phones has come up with a solution for realtime interception of its services. After seeking an extension of deadlines for nearly a year, RIM finally came up with a plan for real-time interception of its BlackBerry Messenger and BlackBerry Enterprise services. The solution is being tested by the Department of Telecom and sleuths from various security agencies have also been asked to give their opinion on it. The government had set August 15 as the deadline for RIM to provide the country's security agencies with interception keys to enable real-time tracking of its popular BlackBerry messenger and corporate email services in a readable format. If the solution withstands scrutiny, the government will ask other Smartphone-makers to come up with a similar response. Nokia is another manufacturer that provides a push mail facility to its subscribers. Rajasthan launches free medicine scheme An ambitious scheme for distribution of free medicines at all government hospitals and health care institutions started amid reports of insufficient supply of drugs at several places and shortage of doctors, Para-medical staff and pharmacists mainly at the primary health centers in villages. Long queues of patients were witnessed at the special counters opened for them. The scheme, involving the supply of medicines free of cost to everyone visiting the out-patient department (OPD) of government hospitals across the State, marked Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary. It has been widely acclaimed as a bold and courageous step set to benefit lakhs of poor and destitute people. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot launched the scheme at a function in Sawai Madhopur, calling upon the Medical and Health Department officials, chemists and elected representatives to take part actively in the scheme's implementation. He said the scheme was a major step towards providing social security to citizens. Mobile-enabled kisan card system launched A mobile-enabled kisan card system to help the agricultural community engage in cashless transactions, especially with their input providers, was launched to benefit farmers in Villupuram district of Tamil Nadu by Pallavan Grama Bank. K.C. Chakrabarty, Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India, who launched the pilot project, said there was nothing new about mobile banking. But this is for the first time that a structured launch involving the farming communities has been done. This would not only bring down the transaction cost but also the time involved. And it would be a 24X7 facility. Web portal launched A web based portal for speedy implementation of the Rajasthan State Wide Area Network (RAJSWAN) was launched over the weekend for establishing a robust communication infrastructure with the objective to improve the administrative efficiency and effectiveness and enhance the quality of services rendered to common people in the State. Principal Information Technology and Communication Secretary Shrimat Pandey inaugurated the portal, pointing out that the RAJSWAN would function through voice data and video modes, and connect district, panchayati samiti and tehsil headquarters through 273 vertical sites and 3,381 horizontal offices. During the first phase, the Agriculture, Cooperative, Education, Forest and Environment, Water Resources, Industries, Medical and Health, Transport, Tourism and Public Works Departments as well as the District Collectorates and Zila Parishads would be brought to the portal.

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Blanket ban on plastic bags In a major environment-friendly move, the Delhi Government will impose a blanket ban on usage and manufacturing of plastic bags in the next two months and those violating it could face imprisonment up to five years and fine of up to Rs.1 lakh or both. The ban is being imposed under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 under which storage as well as sale of plastic bags will also be considered an offence. The government has issued a draft notification seeking suggestions as well as objections, if any, to the move from the stakeholders till November 20 following which a final notification will be issued imposing the ban. MCD pays homage to Mahatma Gandhi Former Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Shahnawaz Hussain has paid homage to the Father of Nation at the inauguration ceremony of a three-day-long Gandhi Jayanti Mela' organised by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi at Pragati Maidan. Gandhiji is known for his tolerance and patience. He never got perturbed when he came in for criticism. Nowadays, none of us like criticism..., Solar-powered rickshaws launched on Kolkata's lanes Five soleckshaws a solar-powered vehicle that also allows the rider to pedal were distributed among rickshaw pullers to mark the launch of the vehicle in the city. Developed and manufactured by Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute in Durgapur, the zerocarbon-emitting vehicle, uses both the mechanical energy and electrical energy achieving a maximum speed of 18 kilometers per hour. During the day, five soleckshaws were presented to rickshaw pullers at the Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute (CGCRI) free of cost. There are about 6,000 hand-pulled rickshaws on the streets of Kolkata. A controversial decision taken by the previous Left Front government to ban the colonial practice of one man pulling another has not yet been fully implemented and they can still be seen on the streets of the city. The soleckshaws have so far been introduced in Gurgaon and Rajasthan where they have met with initial success. Multi-purpose smart card likely by 2013 The Centre is planning to issue multi-purpose smart identity cards to all adult citizens by 2013end, a proposal that could help cut costs for the exchequer. The proposal has been made under the amendment to the Citizenship Act affected in 2003. The Registrar-General of India has proposed to issue smart identity cards to all citizens aged above 18. The proposal is under the consideration by the Department of Expenditure, a senior official of the Registrar-General and Census Commissioner told PTI. Adults constitute roughly 65 per cent of the country's population, and the government estimates that each smart card will cost about Rs.50. The final cost will be based on the recommendations from a technical committee, which has been set up under Director-General of the National Informatics Centre B.K. Gairola. The recommendations are expected by October-end. Among other things, the proposed smart cards will carry Aadhar numbers issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India, photographs, biometric data like fingerprints, and an iris scan of the cardholder on an electronic chip. Cairn Lanka strikes gas in Mannar basin Cairn Lanka has struck gas in the first well in the Mannar basin in Sri Lanka. The company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cairn India Limited, has notified the Sri Lankan government of the gas discovery, the first hydrocarbon find in the country. The CLPL-Dorado-91H/1z well, drilled in early August in a depth of 1354 metres, is located in the block SL 2007-01-001, where Cairn Lanka has a 100 per cent participating interest. A gross 25m hydrocarbon column in sandstone between the depths of 3043.8 and 3068.7m MD has been interpreted from log and MDT data to be predominantly gas-bearing with some additional liquid hydrocarbon potential. Further drilling will be required to establish the commerciality of the discovery,

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Three Indian boxers advance Manoj Kumar (64kg), Dinesh Kumar (81kg) and Vikas Krishan (69kg) recorded victories to reach the pre-quarterfinals of the World boxing championships at Baku, Azerbaijan, Manoj outsmarted fourth-seeded European champion Raymond Moylette 19-7. He enjoyed a 5-3 lead after the first round and took it to 12-4 in the second before winning the final round. Dinesh was declared the winner against Bosko Draskovic of Montenegro. The Indian, ahead 5-4 and 14-6 in the first two rounds, was leading 16-7 in the last period when Draskovic was disqualified for head-butting. Asian Games gold medallist Vikas pipped seventh-seeded Belarussian Mahamed Nurudzinau in a thrilling contest. The scores were tied 2-2, 8-8 and 10-10 in the three rounds after which Vikas was adjudged the winner on the basis of individual scoring of the judges. Meanwhile, Suranjoy Singh (52kg) went down fighting 14-17 to Mongolian Tugstsogt Nyambayar. It'll be the biggest day in my racing career: Narain Rating racing before a home crowd over other milestones, Narain Karthikeyan says getting to drive an F-1 car in the Indian GP would be the biggest day in HIS racing career. The HRT driver, who has been confirmed to race for his team in place of Daniel Ricciardo at Noida later in the month October 2011, was speaking at Vista', a business festival organised by IIM, Bangalore. Driving in the Indian Grand Prix will be great he said. He will be driving in front of his crowd and there will be a lot of support. According to him it wpould be the biggest day in his racing career. Those three days will be special. Narain had returned behind the wheel of his HRT car for practice at Singapore, having not driven since the German GP in July 2011. He will get another similar run-out at the Japanese GP in the first week of October.

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No poverty line cap for social schemes, food entitlement: Montek Under attack for its Rs. 26 and Rs. 32 per capita cut-off for rural and urban poverty line, the Planning Commission has admitted that the benchmark was very low, but said it would not alter or withdraw its affidavit in the Supreme Court on the issue as it was factual. In a damage-control exercise, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia has declared that the government favoured de-linking of food entitlement and other social programmes from the present poverty line that was derived from the Suresh Tendulkar Committee's findings. According to Mr Ahluwalia the present State-wise poverty estimates using the Planning Commission's methodology will not be used to impose any ceiling on the number of households to be included in different government programmes.The new methodology for determining poor households in rural areas would be based on the socio-economic caste census that was expected to be completed by January 2012. Courts can't force reforms on temples A Hindu temple cannot be compelled to engage the services of a security agency owned by nonHindus, the Madras High Court has ruled. Ultimately, reforms in matters of religious administration, if any, have to come from within and not outside, and the court could not thrust reforms. Justice K. Chandru made this observation while dismissing a writ petition filed by a private security agency owned by a family of Christians, challenging a tender notification issued by Subhramaniya Swamy Temple at Tiruchendur in Tuticorin district on July 29. He held that courts cannot direct a temple management to engage the private security agency owned by nonHindus even if it the agency undertook to provide security personnel professing Hindu faith alone. A temple cannot be termed State' so as to compel it to engage contractors professing other faith. He said that guarding a temple or a place of worship is a sensitive issue and ultimately it is for the temple to decide on such matters. He also pointed out that Section 10 of the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act clearly stated that all servants of a temple, right from the Joint Commissioner to the last grade servants, including the security guards, must be Hindus. He also pointed out that the Joint Commissioner was only a supervisory authority in his capacity as the Executive Officer of the temple, which was actually managed by a Board of Trustees which had decided to engage a security agency owned by Hindus alone. Pulok Chatterjee takes over as Principal Secretary to Manmohan Senior IAS officer Pulok Chatterjee, took charge as Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister. A 1974 Uttar Pradesh cadre officer, Mr. Chatterjee replaces T.K.A. Nair, who has been associated with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh since 2004. Mr. Nair, a retired IAS officer of the 1963 batch, will hold the office of Adviser with the rank and status of Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office. Mr. Chatterjee returns to the PMO after a stint in the World Bank as Executive Director. The PMO is a familiar terrain to Mr. Chatterjee as he was a Joint Secretary from 2004 to 2009. Mr. Chatterjee's term will be co-terminus with that of the Prime Minister or till further orders. A Secretary in the PMO, M. N. Prasad, has left to join the World Bank. Sanjay Mitra, a Joint Secretary, has already joined West Bengal government. He has been replaced by L. K. Atheeq, who was promoted recently. Senior IFS officer Pankaj Saran, a Joint Secretary, is also on the way out. B. V. R. Subramanyam, an IAS officer of Chhattisgarh cadre who served as Private Secretary to Dr. Singh in UPA-I from 2004 to 2008, is also set to return to the PMO as Joint Secretary. He will replace Vini Mahajan.

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Nobel Committee not to name substitute winner Within a few hours of the announcement by the Nobel Prize Committee that Canadian scientist Ralph Steinman would share the prize in Physiology / Medicine with Bruce A Beutler and Jules Hoffmann, it became known that Mr. Steinman had passed away three days ago. His demise has put the Nobel Committee in a fix because the prize cannot be awarded posthumously, unless death has occurred after the announcement of the prize. Karolinska Institute in Sweden, where a 50-member panel decides the winner(s), Harriet Wallberg Henriksson, president of the Karolinska Institute, where the decision is taken, said that it takes months to evaluate and choose the winner(s). Arumugam elected Chairman of CITI S. V. Arumugam, Managing Director of Bannari Amman Spinning Mills and Director of Bannari Amman Sugars, has been elected chairman of Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI) for 2011-12. The other office-bearers are: Prem Malik, management consultant for textiles (Deputy Chairman), and Mukund Choundhary, functional Director of CLC Group (Vice-Chairman), Brio on Chennai roads Honda Siel Cars India, a joint venture between Honda Motor Co. Ltd. (Japan) and Siel Ltd., plans to increase the localization level of its small car Brio to more than 90 per cent from the existing 80 per cent, said company Senior Vice-President (Marketing & Sales), Jnaneswar Sen. He said Brio, being manufactured at the company's facility in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, was designed specially for the Indian market. The company was expanding the dealer network to 143 in 91 cities by the end of the current financial year from the existing 135 in 83 cities. In Chennai, the four variants of Brio E, S, S(O) and V are priced at Rs.4.04 lakh, Rs.4.45 lakh, Rs.5 lakh and Rs.5.22 lakhs, respectively. Samsung unveils three new Smartphone Aimed at further consolidating its position in the Indian Smartphone market, Samsung Electronics has unveiled three new touch-screen handsets, which include its first device on the latest Windows operating system. Priced at Rs.19,990, Omnia W is based on the latest release of Microsoft's Windows Phone operating system, code-named Mango, featuring an elegant design, a vivid 3.7 inch Supermodel display, an enriched content and excellent social communication experience. The phone comes with powerful 1.4GHz processor, 5MP camera and integrated 14.4Mbps HSPA+ connectivity, enabling high-speed data browsing. Similarly, Samsung has also introduced Wave III Smartphone loaded with the upgraded version of its indigenous software bada 2.0'. Priced at Rs.19,600, the Smartphone comes with market-leading 4-inch Supermodel display, a 1.4GHz processor and hosts of Samsung Apps, an integrated application store. R Power to earn Rs.2,000 crore in carbon credits from Tilaiya project Anil Ambani-owned Reliance Power has said it would earn Rs.2,000 crore by trading carbon credits from its Tilaiya ultra mega power project (UMPP) in Jharkhand in the first ten years of its operations. In a statement issued it said the Tilaiya project had got approval for carbon credits from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The Clean Development Mechanism Executive Board (CDM-EB) of the UNFCCC allows the Tilaiya project to be commissioned during the XII Plan to earn Certified Emission Reductions (CERs). Jharkhand Integrated Power Ltd., the special purpose vehicle for the Tilaiya project, has entered into a 25-year power purchase agreement with off-takers for its entire capacity. The project would supply power to 18 off-takers in ten States. RPower has an installed capacity of 1,200 MW at its Rosa thermal power project in Uttar Pradesh. The company is also executing two more UMPPs at Sasan (Madhya Pradesh) and Krishnapatnam (Andhra Pradesh).

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Shivakumar to head Nokia's newly formed global region Finland-based mobile phone major Nokia has announced the appointment of Nokia India VicePresident and Managing Director D. Shivakumar as the Head for India, the Middle East and Africa (IMEA), one of the four newly formed global sales regions comprising around 90 nations. As Senior Vice-President, Mr. Shivakumar will relocate to Dubai, which has been chosen as the hub for the region, in January next year 2012. Sudhir Vasudeva new CMD of ONGC Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has cleared the appointment of Sudhir Vasudeva as the Chairman and Managing Director of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC). Mr. Vasudeva, 57, is now Director (Offshore) in ONGC. The formal orders for appointment of Mr. Vasudeva, who was selected by government appointed Public Enterprise Selection Board (PESB) in interviews on October 19 last year, were issued by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry, officials in the Ministry said. Mr. Vasudeva will head ONGC till his retirement on January 31, 2014. The Prime Minister gave his approval to Mr. Vasudeva's appointment after the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) gave final clearance on all complaints received against him. Somdev Devvarman bows out ; Anderson ousts Roddick Somdev Devvarman suffered yet another first round defeat as he lost in straight sets to World No. 24 Radek Stepanek of Czech Republic in the ATP Japan Open. The unseeded Indian, ranked 85, lost 4-6, 3-6 to his seventh seed opponent in the singles event of the $1,214,50 hard court tournament. Statistically it has been a successful year for Devvarman as he touched a careerhigh rank of 62 this season but lost in the first rounds of several ATP tournaments. Reaching the final of the Johannesburg event and the pre-quarterfinals of the Indian Wells Masters remain the highlight of his season. Indian basketball teams The Basketball Federation of India (BFI) has announced the Indian basketball teams for the first South Asian Beach Games in Hanbantota, Sri Lanka, from October 8 to 16. Men Team: Yadwinder Singh, Jagdeep Singh, Vishesh Bhriguvanshi, Talwinderjit Singh Sahi. Coach: Rajinder Singh. Women Team: Geethu Anna Jose, Anitha Paul Durai, Raspreet Sidhu, Prashanti Singh. Coach: Pete Gaudet. Officials: Naresh Chander Aneja, Rajan Vellingirinathan, Anupam Sharma Sodhi for WC Finals Asian Games gold medallist Ronjan Sodhi will attempt to defend his title in the World Cup Final in Al Ain, UAE. it will be fifth successive appearance in the season-ending competition for Ronjan, the double trap marksman who had captured the gold in the last edition in Izmir, Turkey. Sodhi had won the silver medal in the World Cup in Beijing this season with a score of 183 and qualified for the Olympics. He also won the bronze medal in the next World Cup in Maribor, Slovenia, with an impressive total of 194. He has two gold, two silver and two bronze medals in all from the World Cups. Kawaljeet, Rama Rao get Dilip Bose award Coach Kawaljeet Singh who had trained the 16-year-old Sunil Kumar to win the National men's tennis title in 1999 was presented the Dilip Bose lifetime achievement award' by the All India Tennis Association during the sixth National coaches workshop in Goa. Kawaljeet had helped numerous players realise their potential, during his stints in Assam, Delhi and Chandigarh. Coach Rama Rao of Mumbai was also selected for the award. He has been training juniors at his Practennis Academy for many years, and Karan Rastogi was one of the notable trainees. Dilip Bose award was instituted by AITA in 2002. Akhtar Ali, Nandan Bal, Krishna Bhupathi, T. Chandrasekaran, Enrico Piperno and Aditya Sachdeva, were the awardees till the last edition of the coaches workshop. Page 3 of 4 4 October 2011
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Devendro, Jai Bhagwan march ahead Youngster L. Devendro Singh (49 kg) and Jai Bhagwan (60 kg) gave impressive performances to move into the pre-quarterfinals of the World boxing championships at Baku, Azerbaijan. Nineteen-year-old Devendro registered a massive 40-19 win over Joselito Velazquez of Mexico in a second round contest. The Indian took a huge 19-7 lead in the first period and built on that to have a 31-14 cushion in the next. Devendro will challenge seventh-seeded Carlos Quipo of Ecuador for a place in the quarters. Jai Bhagwan continued his fine form to beat Czech boxer Miroslav Serban 14-6. The 2009 Asian silver medallist stayed ahead 3-1 after the first round and switched to the attacking mode to go up 9-3 in the second. His opponent in the round of 16 will be European championship quarterfinalist and seventh seed David Joyce of Ireland. Manoj Kumar (64 kg), Dinesh Kumar (81 kg) and Vikas Krishan (69 kg) have already made the prequarterfinals.

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PSLV-C18 to put four satellites in orbit Preparations are on for the lift-off of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C18) from the spaceport at Sriharikota at 11 a.m. on October 12. The rocket will put four satellites in the orbit: Megha-Tropiques, built by India and France to understand global tropical weather and climate; SRM Sat, built by the students of SRM University, near Chennai; Jugnu, a satellite integrated by students of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur; and VesselSat from Luxembourg. The PSLV has been fully integrated, said K. Radhakrishnan, Chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), from Bangalore. The PSLV-C18 which will be the 20th PSLV to be launched is the core-alone version of the four-stage PSLV, without the strap-on booster motors that will put the four satellites in orbit. Megha-Tropiques (Megha in Sanskrit means cloud and Tropiques in French is tropics) is one of the most advanced and complex satellites built to monitor the weather in the short-term and climate in the long-term in the tropical regions of the world. It is a joint project of ISRO and the French space agency, Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES). Dalai Lama calls off visit Tibetan religious leader Dalai Lama called off his visit to South Africa to receive an international award named after Mahatma Gandhi, saying that its government found it inconvenient to issue visa to him and his entourage.The 76-year-old Dalai Lama was slated to leave for the African nation on a nine-day visit, but he has not received his visa yet. Antibiotic resistance worryingly high, says study Antibiotic consumption in India has increased between six and seven per cent annually in the past 5 years. The rise is substantial in the retail sector where antibiotics are mostly sold without a prescription, according to a paper published in the September edition of the Indian Journal of Medical Research. Between 2005 and 2009, the units of antibiotics sold in the country increased by about 40 per cent, points out the paper contributed by the Indian working group of the Global Antibiotic Resistance Partnership (GARP), chaired by N.K. Ganguly. Increasing antibiotics use is not, in itself, indicative of a problem. But studies of prescribing patterns suggest that these are often used inappropriately, and many a time, without a prescription Lokayukta recommends removal of U.P. Minister The Uttar Pradesh Lokayukta has recommended removal of the Secondary Education Minister, Rangannath Mishra, after the latter was found prima facie guilty of corruption charges levelled against him. In his report sent to Chief Minister Mayawati, the Lokayukta, N. K. Mehrotra, has recommended that a criminal case under the Prevention of Corruption Act be registered against the Secondary Education Minister followed by a probe. He has recommended Mr. Mishra's ouster till the probe is completed. After former Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development Minister Avadhpal Singh Yadav, Mr. Mishra is the second Minister who has been indicted by the Lokayukta and whose dismissal had been sought. NDPL wins award North Delhi Power Limited (NDPL) has won Power Utility of the Year-2011 award at the Asian Power Awards ceremony held at Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. The Asian Power Awards are aimed at recognising the broad spectrum of Asia's power supply industry and acknowledging the vital input from all elements of the industry.

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National science film fete in January The second Rastriya Vigyan Chalachitra Mela and competition will be held at KIIT, Bhubaneswar in the Indian Science Congress from January 3 to 7. It will coincide with organization of the 99th session of Indian Science Congress in the capital city. Vigyan Prasar, a national institute under the Department of Science and Technology, conducted the first Rastriya Vigyan Chalachitra Mela and Competition during 98th session of Indian Science Congress held at SRM University Chennai in January 2011. Tendulkar poverty line will remain reference point, says Montek Though the methodology for determining the poor would be based on the socio-economic caste census being undertaken by the Rural Development Ministry, the Tendulkar poverty line would remain a relevant reference point to see how development is helping to take more and more individuals above a fixed line over time and across States, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said at a press conference. As per the Tendulkar Committee report, the percentage of the population below the poverty line in 2004-05 was 37.2 per cent. The percentage of poor in rural areas was estimated at 41.8 per cent and 25.7 per cent in urban areas. Mr. Ahluwahlia said the panel had accepted the Suresh Tendulkar Committee recommendation that increased the percentage of the poor in 2004-05 from 27.5 per cent of the total population to 37.2 per cent. In response to the Supreme Court's direction in the matter relating to the Department of Food and Civil Supplies, wherein the apex court asked the panel to revise the norms of per capita expenses in relation to the price index of May 2011, the poverty line was set at Rs. 4,824 per month for a family of five in urban areas and Rs. 3,905 per month in rural areas. Nobel winners sweep away cosy view of Universe Three astronomers have earned the Nobel Physics Prize. Saul Perlmutter and Adam Riess of the United States and U.S-Australian Brian Schmidt won the paramount award for using ancient stars that flare in dramatic death throes to measure distance on a cosmic scale. These so-called type 1a supernovae were used by their teams as standard candles whose distance could be measured, like beacons in the night. Working in competing groups, the Supernova Cosmology Project and High-z Supernova Search Team looked at the redshift from these ultra-bright stars. Redshift is a measurement of a star's redness in the light spectrum. The farther the distance, the more the wavelength stretches deeper into the red zone, becoming a yardstick of how far light has traveled. The technique entailed looking at the sky just after the new Moon and again three weeks later, before moonlight obliterates the faint light of stars. The two images are then compared in the hope of spotting a new dot of light that could be the flare of a distant supernova. India to train Afghan forces In a major development, India has agreed to mentor the Afghan security forces as they gear up to deal with the drawdown of foreign forces by 2014. The proposal has been on the drawing board for six years since Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai first suggested it, but was not implemented as Pakistan was uncomfortable with the idea of India-trained forces on both its flanks. The proposal to train the Afghan National Security Forces was included in the first-ever Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA) signed by Mr. Karzai and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during their third extensive meeting this year. India has started stepping up its exposure to the security scenario in Afghanistan by operationalising an airbase in Tajikistan, which has since been used to strike at the top leadership of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. It has also sought permission to reopen a hospital at Farkhor on the Afghan border.

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India and Indonesia launch CECA negotiations India and Indonesia has formally launched the negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) that would cover economic cooperation, trade in goods and services and investment. Speaking at the Indonesia-India Biennial Trade Ministers' Forum (BTMF) in Jakarta, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma, said: we have launched our bilateral CECA negotiations. Indonesia continues to impose ban on import of Indian buffalo meat citing that India is not free from Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD). India's contention is that we have FMD-free zones. At present India exports buffalo meat to more than 60 countries, including Malaysia, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Germany, the UAE, Russia and Jordan. Vasudeva to provide new dynamism to ONGC Newly appointed Chairman and Managing Director of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), Sudhir Vasudeva, has announced that he would put in place a strategy that would fast track the development of new oil and gas fields to raise the sagging output and help the prestigious oil and gas explorer regain its premium status. Mr. Vasudeva, whose appointment as ONGC chief was cleared by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, said he was of the strong view that new and marginal fields could help raise crude oil production by about 15 per cent to 28 million tonnes by 2013. Having been without a full-time chief for over eight months, ONGC has chalked out a plan that would see natural gas production to rise to 100 million standard cubic metres a day by 201617 from the current 62 mscmd. Dassault and PL Engineering sign MoU World leader in 3D and product lifecycle management solutions, Dassault Systemes and PL Engineering (PLE), a subsidiary of Punj Lloyd, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to jointly promote and market software and services solutions to customers in oil and gas, nuclear and thermal power, chemicals, petrochemicals, bio-fuels, industrial plant design, aerospace, e-learning solutions and equipment manufacturing sectors in India and abroad. The MoU was signed by Dassault Systemes President-South Asia Andy Kalambi and PL Engineering CEO Sanjay Goel. Ranbaxy, Daiichi to distribute products in Itlay Ranbaxy Laboratories and its parent firm Daiichi Sankyo have formed a partnership to distribute the Japanese firm's products in Italy. Ranbaxy Italia and Daiichi Sankyo, Italia have formed a partnership to leverage Ranbaxy's distribution strengths and extensive relationships with pharmacists across Italy, for the distribution of Daiichi Sankyo products. To start with, Ranbaxy will exclusively distribute two of Daiichi Sankyo's long established brands Congescor and Lopresor to all pharmacies in Italy. The drugs are used for the treatment of congestive heart failure and hypertension. Acer launches new range of laptops Acer has launched a new range of laptops, equipped with the latest processors for full computing and digital creation capability. Priced between Rs.47,000 and Rs.52,000, Ultrabooks' are smaller, lighter and more power-efficient than traditional laptops. Our Aspire S3 Ultrabook features the latest Intel Core i3/i5/i7 processors for full computing and digital creation capabilityWe will continue to focus on our strengths to bring in innovative technologies that would enable consumers to experience technology and derive multiple benefits, Acer India Managing Director W. S. Mukund told. Aspire S3 has a sleek aluminium uni-body design and weighs just 1.4 kg. Its basic model comes with 4GB RAM and 240GB, while upper versions have higher capacity hard disk. It has Instant On' feature that allows laptop to boot from sleep' mode in 1.5 seconds and boot from deep sleep' in six seconds. Acer's new range of laptops will be made available in retail chain Croma from October 15.

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GVK bags NHAI project in Madhya Pradesh GVK India has been awarded the project for the four laning of Shivpuri Dewas section of National Highway No 3 in Madhya Pradesh. The project will be executed as design, build, finance, operate and transfer pattern under the National Highways Development programme (phase IV) of National Highways Authority of India. NIIT, NSDC form joint venture NIIT has entered into a public-private partnership with National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) to enhance skills and employability for youth across India. The emphasis will be to offer job oriented training in semi-urban and rural areas to applicants mainly from low and middle income households. Sanovi in pact with HCL Infosystems Sanovi Technologies, a leader in disaster recovery management software, has tied up with HCL Infosystems under which HCL will offer Sanovi's DRM solutions. HCL will support Sanovi's business initiatives in India by bundling Sanovi products and software with the system integration solutions deployed by the company to its customers, says a release.

Live telecast by ESPN-STAR Sports ESPN-Star Sports will telecast live the Lanco International Super Series hockey tournament at Perth (Western Australia) from October 20 to 23. Apart from India, three other teams, Australia, New Zealand and Pakistan are in the fray in the newly created Hockey9 event. Record prize money for Australian Open Next year's Australian Open will be the richest tournament in Grand Slam tennis history, with the winners of both the men's and women's singles to pocket $2.3 million (USD 2.2 million). Organisers announced that a total of $26 million will be paid out in next January's event. Martina Hingis will be the main attraction to the new women's legends event, although there was no immediate confirmation of reports that the former women's No.1 would play mixed doubles with fellow Swiss Roger Federer in preparation for a potential pairing at the 2012 Olympic Games. Tournament director Craig Tiley said he expected defending champion Kim Clijsters and Serena Williams to bolster a women's draw that will have added interest for local fans next year following Sam Stosur's title win at the U.S. Open. Four qualify for Olympics Manoj Kumar (64kg), L. Devendro Singh (49kg), Jai Bhagwan (60kg) and Vikas Krishan (69kg) ensured their berths in the London Olympics by entering the quarterfinals of the World boxing championships at Baku, Azerbaijan. In the round of 16, Manoj posted a 17-15 win over Asian Games silver medallist Hu Qing from China , while teenager Devendro defeated seventh-seeded Carlos Quipo of Ecuador 18-12 to qualify. Jai Bhagwan beat European Union champion David Joyce of Ireland 32-30 in the third round. Jai Bhagwan led 13-8 and 20-18 in the first two periods. Asian Games gold medallist Vikas outsmarted Sipal Onder of Turkey 14-7. Apple comes out with more powerful iPhone Apple Inc. unveiled a faster, more powerful iPhone in its first major product event in years without Steve Jobs presiding. New CEO Tim Cook led the show after Mr. Jobs, who has been battling health problems, resigned from the post in August. Mr. Tim Cook said the new iPhone 4S has an improved camera with a higher-resolution sensor. The processor is faster, which helps run smoother, more realistic action games. It's also a world phone, which means that Verizon iPhones will be useable overseas, just as AT&T iPhones already are.

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1. Annas new war cry: Defeat Congress Making a direct attack on the Congress, Anna Hazare has that said he will ask people to inflict a comprehensive defeat on the ruling party in the five election-bound states if the Centre fails to pass the Jan Lokpal Bill in the Winter Session of Parliament. Addressing a press conference in his native village Ralegan Siddhi along with Arvind Kejriwal, Hazare also threatened another fast. He said that he will go on a hunger strike for four days, starting three days before the Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh. It will be at Lucknow and only with the intention of appealing to voters in Uttar Pradesh to defeat the Congress. The tour of the five states Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur would begin between October 13 and 15. Team Anna members involved in planning this latest campaign have been asked to organise tours in Assembly segments from where the Congress won last time. 2. Worlds cheapest tablet Aakash has been out It was supposed to be made in China first. But then the worlds cheapest tablet called Aakash, which has been launched on October 6, 2011 and subsidised for students of India, should not carry the tag of being made elsewhere. That was the thought. It was also a challenge. For the UK-based Datawind, which already had units in China making their netbooks, the challenge was not only to keep within the price they bid the tender for but to start their manufacturing in India. They set up a production line in Secunderabd and now 700 units are being manufactured everyday. Slowly, the numbers will increase as the government wants to provide 12 million students the tablet where they can download educational material. 3. Delhi, Kabul enter first strategic partnership Underlining that Afghanistan deserves to live in peace without outside interference, coercion and intimidation, India today took a decisive strategic step in bilateral ties with the country, opening the doors to training, equipping and capacity-building of Afghan National Security Forces. Until now, New Delhi had desisted from making this commitment largely due to discomfiture in Kabul over the signal such a move would send to Islamabad. However, with Afghanistan-Pakistan ties souring after the killing of former Afghan president Burhanuddin Rabbani and with the security matrix rapidly changing as the US prepares to withdraw its troops, the environment is conducive for the first Afghanistan-India strategic partnership agreement. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and visiting Afghan President Hamid Karzai inked an agreement encompassing all key fields, particularly security cooperation. 4. Kerala association for deaf seeks relief from SMS cap Among those hit by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) ceiling of 100 SMSes a day are the hearing disabled. The messaging service had revolutionalised their world, helping them travel on their own while staying in touch with family, friends or office, and many had got used to sending up to 250 SMSes a day for just routine communication. Apprehensive of the fallout of the SMS ceiling, the Kerala Association of the Deaf has written to TRAI seeking an exemption for the hearing disabled. KAD president Rajiv Kumar suggested that those who provide service providers medical certificates be granted exemption from the SMS cap. 5. CIC shield to protect RTI crusaders Central Information Commission (CIC) has come out with a landmark resolution to combat unending assaults on right to information (RTI) activists. According to the resolution, if the commission receives a complaint regarding an assault on or murder of an information-seeker, it will examine pending RTI applications of the victim and order the departments to publish the requested information suo motu on their websites. The resolution was mooted by information commissioner Shailesh Gandhi at a meeting of the CIC in mid-September and its minutes were made public. According to Gandhi it can be an effective deterrent against attacks on RTI activists. If the resolution is used 10 to 15 times, it can protect RTI activists. Nobody will want to attack an activist. Page 1 of 4 6 October 2011
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6. India moves Portugal SC over Salem extradition With a Portuguese high court revoking underworld don Abu Salem's extradition, India has approached that country's Supreme Court saying there was no breach of rules during his trial in various cases. 43-year-old Salem had filed a petition in the high court in Lisbon alleging violation of Rule of Speciality after which a judgement was pronounced on September 19 saying that the 2005 extradition stood revoked as there had been breach of the Indian undertaking given to the Portuguese authorities. 7. Nepal Telecom's deal with Chinese firms worries India The Indian security establishment is watching with unease Nepal Telecom's decision to award the contract for the next generation telecom network in the Himalayan country to two Chinese firms. There is apprehension about the step, given its long term security implications. One official argued that the decision could mean a virtual free run for Chinese companies that have links to the Chinese establishment on the communication network of Nepal. Nepal Telecom, the government-controlled telecom monopoly, awarded the contract for installing the Next Generation Network (NGN) in August to two Chinese telecom firms, ZTE Corporation and Huawei. ZTE would install the equipment for NGN in Kathmandu Valley while Huawei would do so in the rest of Nepal. According to details, the two companies would complete the project, estimated at $19 million, in six months time. 8. Chanda Kochhar first woman to get ET Biz Leader Award The list of recipients of India's biggest, most anticipated business awards --- The Economic Times Awards for Corporate Excellence 2011 -- is finally out. Chanda Kochhar, managing director of ICICI Bank, the country's largest private sector lender, has been named Business Leader of the Year while the 75-year young Bajaj Auto has raced ahead of other nominees to bag the Company of the Year Award. The selection of Chanda Kochhar is significant as she is the first woman to win the award. The jury recognized her achievement in stabilising ICICI Bank, which had accumulated an undesirably high proportion of non-performing assets during a period of rapid growth in the first decade of the century. Sweet success in the form of the Emerging Company of the Year Award has gone to Shree Renuka Sugars, whose managing director, Narendra Murkhumbi, won the Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2010. The new Entrepreneur of the Year is Rahul Bhatia, Group Managing Director, InterGlobe Enterprises, best known as the owner of IndiGo, an airline that has managed to maintain its upward trajectory even in the roughest of weather. Over the years, ET's Global Indian Award has come to be recognised worldwide as a prestigious accolade, one that its recipients gladly fly across the world for. This year, the recipient is Vikram Pandit, CEO of Citigroup Inc, who has successfully steered his organization back from the brink after the crises that hit the American financial sector. 9. US organises cultural event in Kashmir after 22 years The United States government on October 5, 2011 organised a cultural event in Kashmir after a gap of nearly 22 years to promote people-to-people exchanges. The US government had issued travel advisories for Jammu and Kashmir and limited its activities in the state in early1990s after eruption of militancy. The reappearance of the US cultural activity in Kashmir was marked by interaction of US astronaut and two-time space traveller, Marry Ellen Weber, with students at the Kothibagh girls' higher secondary school where she shared her experiences about the space travel with the students. 10. New rules to stop Indian workers settling in UK The UK has announced that Indian and other non-EU professionals will have to return to their countries of origin after their work visa expires instead of being allowed to settle in UK after working for five years. Currently, immigration rules allow non-EU professionals to settle in Britain indefinitely after working for five years. This provision is likely to be soon scrapped under the David Cameron governments plans to cut immigration. Setting out several measures, the Cameron government had taken since assuming office in 2010. Page 2 of 4 6 October 2011
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11. The Poverty Question The Rs 32 per capita urban poverty line is a measure only of extreme poverty, not of acceptable consumption-linked daily expenditure. Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and rural development minister Jairam Ramesh have clarified this. They've also stated that prevailing BPL figures won't determine selection of the beneficiaries of social schemes. This hopefully will put an end to the high-decibel protests of opposition parties and activists. Let's keep in mind that the definition in question doesn't anyway guide welfare delivery, be it subsidy benefits or job guarantee. In that sense, the ongoing fracas over the poverty issue is contrived. Some advocate universalisation of schemes to make the question of poverty numbers redundant. But, as Ramesh suggests, that`ll amount to a fiscal nightmare. Criteria for choosing eligibility and entitlements of rural households are to emerge from a socio-economic and caste economic census being conducted. That's doubtless a long haul. The government will also seek consensus on the methodology for routing benefits to the poor that an expert committee must ensure is in tune with the upcoming food security scheme's provisions. This too will be a complex, timeconsuming process. Clearly, we're nowhere near preparing ground for the food entitlement plan that`ll set the poverty benchmark for all schemes. 12. No political pressure to clarify poverty line affidavit: Montek Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said there was no political pressure on him to explain the controversial affidavit suggesting Rs 32 a day as the poverty line yardstick which sparked public outcry.In a TV interview, Ahluwalia said Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi didn't speak to him about the poverty controversy, emphasizing that he had called the press conference on his own to clear the air on a legitimate public issue. This came a day after UPA managers rushed for damage control, leading to a joint press conference by Ahluwalia and rural development minister Jairam Ramesh to explain that the government had de-coupled welfare entitlements from the income tag. 13. Sensex plunges below 16,000 on SBI downgrade The Bombay Stock Exchange Sensex fell 286 points to 15,864 after international rating agency Moody's downgraded the country's largest lender State Bank of India, warning that its bad loans would rise. The rating downgrade may compel the government, which is already financially stretched, to pump additional capital into the bank. Falling stocks also took their toll on the domestic currency with the rupee falling over 25 paise to close at 49.40 against the dollar. The downgrade pushed SBI's share price down 4.08% to a two-year low of Rs 1786. Bank shares across the board dropped with the Bankex falling 3.09%. Among other major banks which saw their share price fall was ICICI Bank which fell 4.5% to Rs 800. Until now SBI was rated a notch higher than other banks because of its prime position in Indian banking where it accounts for over a fifth of total business. The special status is now gone as the downgrade brings it in line with other public sector banks such as Bank of Baroda, Bank of India and Punjab National Bank. 14. Govt finances are in order, says finmin The finance ministry believes that the government is on course to meet its deficit targets during the current financial year despite data painting a picture that shows government finances in poorer state than last year. It has ruled out further increase in its borrowing programme. Data released by the Controller General of Accounts on Friday estimated the Centre's fiscal deficit during April-August in the year 2011 at Rs 2.7 lakh crore, which is over 66% of the budget estimate for 2011-12. In contrast, the level was 40% of the BE during April-Aug last year. Officials, however, said this was in line with past trends and last year was an exceptional situation given that the government raked in over Rs 1 lakh crore by auctioning spectrum for third generation ( 3G) mobile services.

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15. Ronjan Sodhi creates history, defends his World title Shotgun shooter Ronjan Sodhi did what no Indian had done before him - he successfully defended his prestigious World Cup Final title. The Delhi-based double trap marksman held his nerve in a "roller-coaster" of a final to clinch the gold in Al Ain (UAE) to cap a fine year during which he touched the pinnacle in world ranking. fter qualifying for the final in the second position with 142 points in the preliminaries, Sodhi came up with a score of 45 in the thrilling final for a total of 187 which put him at par with Chinese Binyuan Hu. The Indian won in the tiebreaker to claim the "most prestigious competition" for a shooter in a non-Olympic year. With a total of 185, Russia's Vitaly Fokeev won the bronze.

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India uranium enrichment activity revealed by Google Earth A DC-based think tank has used evidence of construction activity visible on freely available Google Earth satellite images to argue that India's uranium enrichment programme is being expanded.Releasing satellite imagery of the Rare Materials Plant (RMP) near Mysore, the Institute for Science and International Security said an image that it noticed from February 28, 2011 suggests the new facility under construction is roughly 210 meters by 150 meters. A report in Nuclear Intelligence Weekly earlier this month additionally noted that Bhabha Atomic Research Centre Director R.K. Sinha had admitted that India was building a new uranium enrichment facility but it was unclear whether Mr. Sinha was referencing the RMP site or a planned new enrichment facility near the town of Chitradurga, according to ISIS. One of the images shows two cranes adjacent to the construction sites, whereas the satellite image from March 2010 reportedly showed mostly excavation work and site clearing for the new facility. According to ISIS, the facility adjacent to the new construction is in all likelihood the existing uranium enrichment facility. Krishi Mela to be national-level event The annual Krishi Mela of the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, which has become a popular event among farmers of this region, is set to grow bigger this year both in size as well as stature. The Krishi Mela, which used to be a State-level event, will now be organised as a national-level programme with the participation of agricultural universities from other States and Central farm research institutions besides the Indian Council of Agricultural Research. The first national Krishi Mela will be held from November 16 to 20 on the GKVK campus of the university. Where can you find caution date on the cylinder? LPG cylinders have a caution date mentioned on one of the three vertical stay plates (side stems). The date is coded alpha numerically as A or B or C or D and a two-digit number. The alphabets stand for quarters A for quarter ending March, B for quarter ending June, and so on. The digits stand for the year when the cylinder is due for statutory testing. If consumers find out that cylinders due for statutory testing are being supplied, they can inform Food and Civil Supplies Department official concerned or the Chief Controller of Explosives or Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization (http://peso.gov.in). India studying NATO offer on joining missile programme The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's (NATO) invitation to India in the first week of September to be a partner in its ballistic missile defence (BMD) programme is being analyzed, according to V.K. Saraswat, Scientific Adviser to the Defense Minister. We are analysing the report. It is under consideration, he said after the successful launch of the Agni-II ballistic missile from the Wheeler Island on the Orissa coast. India has so far conducted six interceptor missile tests as part of its quest to establish a credible shield against ballistic missiles launched from adversarial countries. Of these, five interceptor tests, including the first three in a row, were successful. The first interceptor missile test took place in November 2006. These six tests featured a missile launched from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur on the Orissa coast, mimicking the path of a ballistic missile coming from an enemy country and an interceptor launched from the Wheeler Island destroying the incoming missile in mid-flight. The Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) is the author of India's BMD programme and Dr. Saraswat is the programme's architect. He is DRDO Director-General.

Page 1 of 6 7 October 2011

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Rathotsavam at Tirumala attracts a large number of devotees Splendour' marked the Rathotsavam' at the temple of Lord Venkateswara, the penultimate day of the nine-day annual Brahmotsavam. After the conduct of special rituals such as Punyavachanam' and Navagraha dhyanam,' the processional deities of Lord Malayappa flanked by his two divine consorts on his either side were ceremoniously mounted atop the giant wooden chariot at the auspicious time between 4.48 and 5.30 a.m. amidst chanting of Vedic hymns by the temple pundits. Tens of thousands of devotees from different parts of the country participated in the divine procession that began at 7.30 a.m. Devotees congregated all along the mada streets through which the procession passed by. The chariot was tastefully decorated with different varieties of flowers, flags and festoons. As is customary, the golden umbrella was tied atop the mammoth chariot. The chanting of Govinda' Govinda' by the devotees filled the air. The chariot rolled majestically down the thoroughfares of the hill temple preceded by temple paraphernalia, including half-a-dozen caparisoned elephants, horses, bulls, cultural and bhajan troops besides a contingent of Vedic pundits led by the priests of the temple. NABARD's loan disbursement crosses Rs.1 lakh crore marks Loans disbursed to State Governments by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) for creating rural infrastructure has crossed the Rs.1 lakh crore marks. Of that Rs.6, 523 crore has been disbursed in Tamil Nadu. This is the fourth among the States that have availed of substantial financial support from NABARD. The other three are Andhra Pradesh (Rs.9,711 cr.), Uttar Pradesh (Rs.7984 cr.), Gujarat (Rs.7,324 cr.), According to a NABARD release, its disbursements stood at Rs.1, 02,844 crore as on September 30 this year. This included loans disbursed to 28 States and Union Territory of Puducherry as well as to the National Rural Roads Development Agency to support the rural roads component of Bharat Nirman. The sanctions are for 4.48 lakh projects spread over 31 broad activities as per the infrastructure requirements in the rural and agricultural sectors. Maximum funds were utilized for irrigation and agriculture (40 per cent), followed by rural roads (33 per cent), rural bridges, rural drinking water supply and social sector. Chetan Bhagat against keeping education sector non-profit Author Chetan Bhagat feels that the government policy of keeping the education sector non-profit is not good for the country's education system. Speaking in the run-up to the release of his fifth novel, Revolution 2020: Love. Corruption. Ambition, Mr. Bhagat said: The government policy is that the private institutes should be run by non-profit trusts. As a result, credible corporate don't venture into the education sector because the shareholders want profit. The government believes that you should not make money from education. This has led to a situation where a lot of people who have black money have ventured into the sector. They take out the money illegally in cash and on paper maintain the no-profit status. Mr. Bhagat maintains that in India only if you are in the top 10 percent can you get to study in a good college. Otherwise you just fall off the cliff. Over the years, the number of applicants has outpaced the number of prestigious institutions. It is leading to ridiculous things like 100 per cent cut-offs and it needs to be fixed.

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Rajasthan a favourite for solar power projects The majority of proposals submitted this year by private entrepreneurs to the NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam (NVVN) for establishing 350 MW solar power projects based on the solar photovoltaic technique are for Rajasthan. Of the 210 proposals received by the NVVN under the first phase of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission, 145 were for Rajasthan, said Rajasthan Renewable Energy Corporation Director (Technical) M. M. Vijayavargiya. The private sector proposals for solar power projects include 9 for Gujarat, 20 for Andhra Pradesh, 19 for Maharashtra, 12 for Tamil Nadu and 5 for Orissa. Union Government had earlier sanctioned projects for 500 MW capacities to Rajasthan from a total of 620 MW in the solar energy sector. The National Solar Mission, forming part of the National Action Plan on Climate Change, aims at transforming the country's energy prospects and providing large-scale grid connected power. In its decentralized and distributed applications, the National Solar Mission is spreading solar lighting systems, water pumps and other rural applications to change the face of rural economy. Delhi pushing for heritage city status Seeking to attain the world heritage city status for Delhi, the Delhi Government through the Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC) will apply for the nomination of Delhi to UNESCO's list of world heritage cities, implementing the task through Indian Trust for Art and Culture Heritage (INTACH) Delhi Chapter. With this end in mind, a campaign Delhi: A Heritage City was launched by DTTDC managing director G.G. Saxena, who also launched the official website related to the nomination process. The convener of INTACH Delhi Chapter Prof. A.G.K. Menon introduced the campaign and outlined the nomination process. At present, no Indian city is included in UNESCO's list of world heritage cities. The application for Delhi's inclusion in the list will be submitted next year. Tomas Transtromer wins literature Nobel Tomas Transtromer, the Swedish poet whose sometimes bleak but powerful work explores themes of nature, isolation and identity, won the 2011 Nobel Prize in literature. Announcing the award in Stockholm, the Swedish Academy praised Mr. Transtromer, saying that through his condensed, translucent images, he gives us fresh access to reality. The assembled press broke out in loud cheers at the news that Mr. Transtromer, who was born in Stockholm, had won the prize. Mr. Transtromer, 80, has written more than 15 collections of poetry, many of which have been translated into English and 60 other languages. Neil Astley, the editor of Bloodaxe Books in Britain, called Mr. Transtromer a metaphysical visionary poet. Since 1901, 103 Nobel Prizes in Literature have been awarded. The prize comes with an honorarium of 10 million kronor, or about $1.5 million. Chemistry Nobel for Dan Shechtman An Israeli scientist won this year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry for discovering quasicrystals, a material in which atoms were packed together in a well-defined pattern that never repeats. Recent Nobel prizes have generally split credit for scientific advances among two or three people, but this year's chemistry prize and the accompanying 10 million Swedish kronor ($1.4 million) went to a single scientist: Dan Shechtman (70), a professor of materials science at TechnionIsrael Institute of Technology in Haifa, Israel. Prof. Shechtman is also a professor at Iowa State University and a researcher at the U.S. Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory. The citation from the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences states simply, for the discovery of quasicrystals.

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The man who redefined digital age Steven P. Jobs, the visionary co-founder of Apple who helped usher in the era of personal computers and then led a cultural transformation in the way music, movies and mobile communications were experienced in the digital age, died. He was 56. The death was announced by Apple, the company Mr. Jobs and high school friend Stephen Wozniak started in 1976 in a suburban California garage. A friend of the family said that Mr. Jobs died of complications from his long battle with pancreatic cancer, with which he waged a long and public struggle, remaining the face of the company even as he underwent treatment. He continued to introduce new products for a global market in his trademark blue jeans even as he grew gaunt and frail. He underwent surgery in 2004, received a liver transplant in 2009 and took three medical leaves of absence as Apple's chief executive before stepping down in August and turning over the helm to Timothy D. Cook, the chief operating officer. When he left, he was still engaged in the company's affairs, negotiating with another Silicon Valley executive only week earlier. Toyota to export Etios to South Africa Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM), a joint venture between Japan's Toyota and India's Kirloskar Group, has said it would make foray into exports by despatching the first shipment of its newlylaunched sedan Etios and its hatchback version Etios Liva to South Africa in March next year. The export model of Etios will be built on the same platform as Etios and Etios Liva, manufactured and sold in India. However, there would be a few changes in technical specifications/features, pertaining to the different needs of each market. The export model will be customized to suit the local requirements. The company will export only the petrol variants of the Etios, TKM said in a statement. The Etios is currently manufactured in TKM's second plant located at Bidadi near Bangalore. The current production capacity in the second plant is 80,000 units which will be ramped up to 1.2-lakh units by 2012 and to 2.1-lakh units by 2013. The engine and transmission for the Etios, which are now being imported from Japan, will also be manufactured in India. Starting next year, 1-lakh engines will be produced annually that will go up to 2.4-lakh units by 2013. Own your Rolls-Royce new Ghost at Rs. 3.05 crore Luxury car maker Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has launched a new variant of its Ghost model at a starting price of Rs.3.05 crore to tap the growing luxury car market in the country. The Ghost extended wheelbase is powered by a 6.6 liter petrol engine and will be available in the market soon, the British company said. Demand for luxury cars is growing in India and we want to tap the market with the launch of the new Ghost model, Rolls-Royce India Business Development Head Herfried Hasenoehrl told. The company expects every third car it sells in the country to be the new Ghost extended wheelbase, he said but did not put a number to it. At present, it has just two dealerships one each in Delhi and Mumbai. The company sells the Phantom and the Ghost models in the country. India, Iran agree on payment mechanism for trade In a significant development indicating a breakthrough in resolving the India-Iran payment crisis for import of oil as well as exports, both countries have agreed to set up a payment mechanism to facilitate bilateral trade. According to the Finance Ministry, both sides agreed on the mechanism to be put in place for the purpose, including for the payment to Indian exporters and project exporters. Although the statement did not indicate but this would also include payments made by India for buying Iranian crude oil. The issue of payment for oil had been hanging in fire for the last nine months with the Indian side grappling for a solution on the issue. Although Iran has continued to supply crude oil to India , it had threatened to stop supplies if a mechanism to pay for imports is not found quickly. Iran is second only to Saudi Arabia as an oil supplier to India, while India is Iran's second-biggest crude buyer after China, accounting for about 20 per cent of its exports. Iran supplies 12 per cent of total oil needs of India. Page 4 of 6 7 October 2011
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World's cheapest tablet PC launched The world's cheapest tablet PC, costing Rs.2, 276, was launched and it would be available at around half this price to students as part of the government's programme to expand education through information technology. The tablet PC, named Aakash, will cost the government Rs.2,276. It will be given to students after subsidizing the price by up to 50 per cent, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal said while unveiling the 7-inch touch screen device. The price includes taxes and cost of transportation. The government will provide subsidy of 50 per cent to institutes buying it. It will cost around Rs.1,100-1,200 to institutes, he said. The government has also set an ambitious target of bringing down the cost of such device to as low as $10 (around Rs.500), the Minister said. An initial order of one lakh devices has been placed with device maker Datawind. Kingfisher to focus on full service airline A week after announcing its decision to focus totally on the full service segment of air travel, Kingfisher Airlines, over the next four months, will reconfigure all its Airbus aircraft into dual cabin aircraft with a reduced premium business class cabin and an increased number of full service economy class seats, leading to a capacity increase of about 10 per cent. The economy class will offer the same comfort as it does today. The space requirement for additional economy seats will be made available by reducing the number of business class seats, Sanjay Aggarwal, CEO of Kingfisher, said. Kingfisher currently operates Airbus aircraft with two cabin configurations dual cabin full service and single cabin no frills. This also means Kingfisher does not offer its premium business class or full service economy class product on all its routes. As a result, it was losing a certain amount of business class traffic on many routes. BMW to launch under-1,000cc bikes by Jan German auto major BMW, which entered the domestic market early this year with as many as six models in the two-wheeler segment, plans to launch under-1,000cc bikes by January. We will launch bikes below 1,000cc in the domestic market in January, Navnit Motors Managing Director Sharad Kachalia told. BMW Motorrad, the super bikes division of the German luxury carmaker, does not have direct presence in the country. It is present through two dealers Deutsche Motoren in Delhi and Navnit Motors in Mumbai. Munoth, G' Five form venture Munoth, the Chennai-headquartered group engaged in a range of business activities, has joined hands with G' Five group, a global electronic brand and formed a joint venture, Munoth G' Five Telecom (MGTL). The venture will focus on three core areas handsets and smart communication device, VAS solutions and MVNO space (mobile virtual network operator). Winston Zhang, Chairman, Munoth G' Five Telecom, said the company would be tapping the mid and high-end consumers with world-class products and services. The company would be coming out with a wide range of smart touch phones and tablets for the Indian market in the next three months. According to Vikas Munoth, Managing Director, MGTL, the investment in the 50:50 joint venture would be Rs. 50 crore. Understanding that great business is built around world-class brands, MGTL unveiled its brand C Fore' under which its telecom business venture will be conducted. Duty on caustic soda imports from South Korea India has imposed a duty of $366 per dry metric tonne on imports of caustic soda from South Korea. It will be effective up to and inclusive of December 25, 2013, with effect from October 3, 2011, the Department of Revenue has said in a notification.

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Vikas Krishan ensures a medal Vikas Krishan has ensured a medal for India by entering the semifinals of the World boxing championships at Baku, Azerbaijan. Vikas pipped Vasili Belous of Moldova 9-8 in the 60kg quarterfinals. Both Vikas and Belous notched up two points each in the first round. The Indian kept up the pressure to take a one point lead (5-4) in the next round. In the last round, both the boxers garnered four points each. Vikas was the second ever boxer from India to win a medal at the World championships. Vijender Singh was the first, winning bronze in the 2009 Milan edition of the event. Gopal targets National crown G.N. Gopal may be seeded a little lower this time around, but is aiming the crown at this year's tournament, which begins at Aurangabad. Last year in New Delhi I was playing very well and things were going smoothly till I lost in the ninth round to Praveen Thipsay, Gopal told. The National Premier chess is now played in Swiss format, unlike round-robin in which all players have to meet each other. Gopal, the strongest chess player Kerala has ever produced expects tough competition at Aurangabad. Parimarjan Negi, Abhijeet Gupta, Deep Sengupta and B. Adhiban are all strong players and in Swiss format, even lower seeds could come up from nowhere to mount a challenge for the title, he said. The Kochi-based Grandmaster, who had crossed the 2600 mark in Elo rating (few Indians have done that) last year, said he wanted to play more in Europe. Gopal was part of the Indian team that won the bronze at the World team championship in Turkey and the Asian Games in Guangzhou (China).

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Delhi Government finally admits to Superbug For the first time, the Delhi Government has admitted to the presence of deadly superbug NDM1 in several leading local hospitals but downplayed concerns over the infection, saying the situation was not alarming. Amid rising concerns over prevalence of the virus, a high-level meeting was called by Delhi Health Minister A .K. Walia who directed all government-run hospitals to take effective measures to contain the spread of the virus and rationalize use of antibiotics. NDM1 virus develops immunity in a patient to use of antibiotics. Indian-origin tycoon accused of corporate fraud Indian-origin tycoon Pankaj Oswal has been accused of one of Australia's biggest corporate frauds for siphoning off an additional $113 million out of his Burrup Fertilisers, according to court documents. India wants early UNSC reforms India stressed on the need for early reforms of the United Nations Security Council to reflect contemporary reality. Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha K. Rahman Khan raised the issue during his meeting with President of the United Nations General Assembly Nassir Abdulaziz AlNasser, in New York. Ambassador Zahir Tanin was re-appointed Chairman of the InterGovernmental Negotiations on Security Council Reforms. Mr. Al-Nasser also said that he looked forward to continued support from India. Mr. Khan invited the top U.N. official to visit India and said he would be looking forward to it in February next. Global meet on climate change from Oct. 12 A three-day International Conclave & Exhibition on Climate Change (ICCC) to be held between October 12 and 14 will focus on challenges, combat strategies and adaptation measures to contain the menacing effect. A.K. Poochia, Director-General, Engineering Staff College of India (ESCI), that is conducting it, said the event was designed as a platform to bring together administrative personnel, policy makers and industry representatives to chalk out an action plan aimed at encouraging alternate sources of power that would be less harmful to nature. Commander Poothia said the meet was supported by the Government of India and the National Disaster Management Agency, apart from the UNESCO, UNIDO, and UN Women. Aboard Vivekananda Express Vivekananda Express at Delhi Cantonment railway station. The special train from Howrah to Delhi is showcasing the life and times of Swami Vivekananda on his 150th birth anniversary. World book fair 2012 on the cards The National Book Trust India organized a publishers' meet to discuss the 20th New Delhi World Book Fair which will be held at Pragati Maidan from February 25 to March 4 next year. NBT Director M. A. Sikandar said the World Book Fair is a very important event, and that publishers are the major stakeholders in it. It is our collective responsibility to put on a good show. Rapid Action Force set to get new non-lethal gear The Union Government plans to arm the Rapid Action Force (RAF) the nation's exclusive riot control force with modern, non-lethal weapons to effectively tackle violent disturbances across the country. Union Minister of State for Home M. Ramachandran has said at the 19th anniversary celebrations of RAF. The RAF was carved out of the Central Reserve Police Force in 1992. It is ten battalions strong (about 10,000 personnel) at present. The force is known for sporting the trademark blue dungaree combat uniform. CRPF Chief K. Vijay Kumar said on the occasion that the force has already made an inventory to equip the RAF armory with non-lethal weapons.

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Akash, world's cheapest tablet PC being manufactured in Hyderabad The world's cheapest tablet Aakash is being manufactured in Medchal, Hyderabad. A city-based company, QUAD Electronic Solutions, which has a two-acre campus in Medchal, on the outskirts of the State capital, is assembling the now world famous tablet PC using components imported from China and other South East Asian countries. QUAD Electronic Solutions is manufacturing these seven-inch touch screen devices on behalf of Datawind, a company from the United Kingdom. Aakash which costs Rs. 2,276 per unit is being further subsidized by the Government of India and is being offered at Rs. 1,200 to students. Nobel for promoting peace, democracy and gender equality The Nobel Peace Prize for 2011 was awarded to three campaigning women from Africa and the Arab world in acknowledgment of their non-violent role in promoting peace, democracy and gender equality. The winners were Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Africa's first elected woman President her compatriot, peace activist Leymah Gbowee and Tawakul Karman of Yemen, a pro-democracy campaigner. They were the first women to win the prize since Kenya's Wangari Maathai, who died last month, was named as the laureate in 2004. Most of the recipients in the award's 110-year history have been men, and decision seemed designed to give impetus to the cause for women's rights around the world. We cannot achieve democracy and lasting peace in the world unless women obtain the same opportunities as men to influence developments at all levels of society, said the citation read by Thorbjorn Jagland, a former Norwegian Prime Minister who heads the Oslo-based Nobel committee that chooses the winner of the $1.5 million prize. Draft IT policy targets $200 b exports by 2020 Communications and Information Technology Minister Kapil Sibal has unveiled the draft National Policy on Information Technology 2011 that envisages taking the overall revenue from the sector from $89 billion as of today to $300 billion by 2020, besides creating additional one-crore jobs. He also hinted that once the Direct Taxes Code (DTC) was in place, the Centre might extend tax holiday under the Software Technology Park of India (SPTI) scheme, which expired in March this year, besides giving incentives to small and medium enterprises engaged in the IT sector. FedEx launches ground express service FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. and world's largest express transportation company, has launched FedEx Economy, an intra-India, door-to-door, day-definite express delivery service for ground consignments. With this launch, FedEx Express offers businesses in India a complete portfolio of domestic shipping services, presenting customers with a choice of air and ground services. The service will be available from 116 origin cities to 262 destination cities within India. AMFI to launch MF Utility' H. N. Sinor, Chief Executive, at the 16th annual meeting of The Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) said a separate group was working on creating a front-end portal called MF Utility' to facilitate efficient and cost-effective transaction processing. This facility will help customers, distributors and financial advisors to transact mutual fund schemes across all AMCs, at one place. MF Utility' is planned to commence operations by first week of April 2012, subject toclearances from SEBI. India qualifies for AFC U-16 final round The Indian football team came from behind to drub Tajikistan 4-1 and qualify for the AFC under16 final round. Lalramzuava (24th), Uttam Rai (42nd), Sarthak Golui (61st) and Daniel (90th) scored for India after Komron Tursonov had converted from the spot in the 16th minute. This is the second time India has qualified for the AFC under-16 final round in four years.

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Centre to establish vocational education cell within CBSE The Centre will establish a vocational education cell under the Central Board of Secondary Education as per the revised scheme of Vocationalisation of Secondary Education, which includes imparting vocational education in Classes XI and XII. The revised scheme has been approved for implementation in the remaining period of the current Five-Year Plan. It also envisages the strengthening of the 1,000 existing vocational schools and establishment of 100 new vocational schools by the State governments. The Centre will provide assistance to 500 vocational schools being run under the private-public partnership mode and in-service training of existing and fresh teachers. A pilot programme under the National Vocational Education Qualification Framework (NVEQF) will be initiated in Haryana and West Bengal. The Sector Skill Councils, being set up by the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), have developed the National Occupational Standards (NOS) for some sectors and these will govern all activities to be taken up in vocational education. Any student under the NVEQF can be sure that the institution is government-authorized and nationally accredited and that the degree and other qualifications are genuine, said All-India Council for Technical Education chairman S.S. Mantha. Sonia Gandhi's biography kicks off South Asian fte The second annual DSC South Asian Literature Festival got under way with the launch of a new biography of Sonia Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi: An Extraordinary Life, an Indian Destiny by Rani Singh, a London-based broadcaster and analyst. Based on interviews with Ms. Gandhi's family friends and Congress party members, it claims to cast a new light on her life and work and examine her legacy. Leading writers and critics from India and Pakistan are attending the 17-day festival spread over venues across London. Events include debates on a range of issues of contemporary relevance to South Asia, conversations with writers, book-readings, and launch of new titles. Pakistani writer Mohammed Hanif, whose debut novel A Case of Exploding Mangoes received wide critical acclaim, will launch and discuss his second book, Our Lady of Alice Bhatti , set in downtown Karachi seething with social and political heat. Centre to bring out web content in Indian languages To promote computer literacy and improve Internet penetration in the country, the Centre has undertaken a new project to make content available in Indian languages. Initially the content and data will be available in eight Indian languages Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Assamese, Bengali, Marathi and soon all the 22 official Indian languages will be covered. Under the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC)'s National Programme of India Development Gateway', e-content in the areas of agriculture, social development, primary education, renewable energy and e-governance has been made available in eight Indian languages, while content will be available in other languages soon, Union Minister of State for Communications and IT Sachin Pilot. Auto Expo a treat for Delhi As Delhi gears up to host the Auto Expo this coming January, auto enthusiasts are getting a glimpse of things to come at the three-day Relio Quick Auto Mall 2011. Some of the best national and international automobile brands are displaying their products. At the show, inaugurated by HDFC Bank executive vice-president and business manager (car loans) Rajan Pental, people can also buy customised cars and bikes. Auto Mall 2011 is an outstanding platform for manufacturers, retailers, dealers to showcase their pioneering creations, hottest products and latest technologies to the potential buyers under one roof, said Relio Quick India managing director Sandeep Kapoor. The main attractions are vintage and classic cars, Harley Davidsons, super bikes, concept cars and bikes besides an auto job fair and a design show.

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Kalidas Samman for Anupam Kher Veteran actor Aupam Kher is to be honoured with the Kalidas Samman for his contribution in the field of theatre. Kher, 56, began his career with theatre after graduating from the National School of Drama and later also became the Chairperson of the institute. The Kalidas Samman is a prestigious award presented annually by the government of Madhya Pradesh. The award is named after Kalidasthe renowned classical Sanskrit writer of ancient India widely regarded as the greatest poet and dramatist in the Sanskrit language with his Meghadutam ' and Abhigyan Shakuntalam' Rahejas ink $204 million deal with Dubai firm In a landmark deal, leading real estate company Raheja Developers has inked a $204 million (about Rs.960 crore) contract with Dubai-based Arabtec Construction company for construction of three mixed use projects in Delhi and Gurgaon including a 50-storey residential-cum-commercial complex in the heart of the Capital. Arabtec is the UAE's largest construction firm and it is its first contract under the joint venture with Raheja Developers. The Dubai-based builder will hold a 63 per cent stake in the venture. The three projects are to be built over the next 48 months. The Raheja Revanta Project located in Gurgaon (Haryana) will include a high-rise apartment tower and around 1,000 low-rise buildings. The Raheja Phoenix Project, located at Shadipur depot in Delhi, comprises a 50-storey residential tower, a shopping mall and 2,800 affordable housing units. U.S. drones infected by mysterious virus Wired.com magazine reported that a computer virus had infected the cockpits of the U.S.' Predator and Reaper drones, logging pilots' every keystroke as they remotely flew missions over Afghanistan and other war zones. The revelations suggested that though the virus was first detected nearly two weeks ago, pilots at Creech Air Force Base in Nevada had continued to fly overseas missions with their Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. The Obama administration has used drones, both armed UAVs in Pakistan's border region and in Yemen and unarmed surveillance UAVs in Libya, with a high degree of success. The Predator in particular, armed with laser-guided Hellfire missiles, was said to have been behind the recent strike killing Anwar al-Awlaki in Yemen. Green Nobel' Maathai cremated Hundreds of mourners gathered for the funeral of Kenyan environmentalist and Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai at a park in central Nairobi she fought to save from destruction. Ms. Maathai in 2004 became the first African woman to be awarded the Nobel peace prize for taking a holistic approach to sustainable development that embraces democracy, human rights and women's rights in particular. Kenya bade farewell to one of its icons a day after two other African women were among the three recipients of this year's Nobel peace prize Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and fellow countrywoman Leymah Gbowee. Private funeral held for Steve Jobs A private funeral for Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, who died after a seven-year battle with pancreatic cancer, was held, according to a media report. Apple has said no public services have been planned as yet for Jobs. In a letter to Apple's employees, Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook said the company was planning a celebration of Steve's extraordinary life for staff. The 56-yearold iconic technocrat was diagnosed with a rare form of pancreatic cancer in 2004 and underwent a liver transplant in 2009.

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Retirement savings fund from Tata MF Retirement is one of the most important stages in an individual's life. With rising inflation and increased medical expenses, an individual investor would be exposed to the risk of not being able to provide for his regular expenses in his retirement years. Tata Mutual Fund has come out with retirement specific mutual fund scheme. Called Tata Retirement Savings Fund, it has a structured suite of plans designed to meet the investment needs of investors in different age brackets. It offers three options to investors progressive plan, moderate plan and conservative plan. The scheme is open from October 7 to 21. The scheme would be more beneficial for those entering the scheme at the age of 30. The minimum initial investment is Rs. 5,000 and Rs. 500 every month. Orient Fans enters home appliances segment Orient Fans has announced its entry into the domestic home appliances market under the brand name Orient Actus. The launch would be carried out in key cities of North India, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad. Orient Actus will cater to the premium segment and the range will include kitchen appliances, room and water heating solutions and air cooling solutions. On the new venture, Orient Actus Vice-President S. B. Khedkar said Orient Fans was at the threshold of evolution post great success in the fans and lighting solutions. We are expanding our portfolio to make foray into the home appliances segment and the launch of Orient Actus. Bank of India opens branch in New Zealand Bank of India has opened a branch in New Zealand. It will offer its full range of retail banking products, including savings and current accounts, cards, term and call deposits, mortgages and international funds transfers to its New Zealand customers, the bank said in a statement. Ukraine boxers claim four gold medals Ukrainian boxers captured four gold medals in the World boxing championships which concluded at Baku, Azerbaijan. Cuban pugilists gathered two titles, while boxers from China, Russia, Brazil and Azerbaijan claimed gold each. India managed a bronze medal through Vikas Krishan (69kg).

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1. Advani says yatra will focus on black money, launches theme song All geared up to set out on his sixth yatra, called 'Jan Chetna Yatra' from October 11, senior BJP leader LK Advani launched the theme song for the 38-day road show which will criss-cross the country. The song has been composed with a peppy beat with the idea of attracting the youth. 2. Ousted PAC chief to come out with Parrikar Accounts Committee Report' With the Public Accounts Committee report on mining having failed to make it to the Goa Assembly, the former PAC chief, Leader of the Opposition and senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader, Manohar Parrikar, has vowed to come out with a Parrikar Accounts Committee Report to expose alleged irregularities of the Digambar Kamat government on the mining issue. 3. India and Bangladesh launch joint exercise Indian and Bangladeshi forces launched a joint exercise in the northeastern Sylhet as part of efforts to deepen military ties and cooperation in counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations. The 14-day exercise will continue till October 22. 4. India-China border mechanism by year-end Despite the distraction posed by the South China Sea episode, India and China are well on course to putting in place a major confidence-building measure on the border issue a new mechanism to handle perception of incursions on certain pockets of the LAC by year-end. In recent exchanges, the two countries have broadened their contacts to cover energy and water at the first-ever economic dialogue and are expected to announce plans for greater military interaction early next year. 5. Big Ben tower leaning' London's famous Big Ben, the historic clock tower at the Palace of Westminster, which houses British Parliament, has developed a tilt and it is getting worse every year having already moved almost one-and-a-half-feet off the perpendicular so that with a little effort it is now visible to the naked eye. 6. Sikh soldiers to be honoured in the U.K. Sikh soldiers who fought for the British Armed Forces will be honoured by the Royal British Legion through the showcasing of the Khanda' an important symbol in Sikhism in this year's fundraising Poppy Appeal. The Legion is the U.K.'s leading charity organisation that provides financial, social and emotional support to those who have served in the BAF, and their dependants. 7. Threat to environment from grounded ship A container ship is grounded and leaking oil into New Zealand's pristine Bay of Plenty, with international crews scrambling to limit the environmental damage and refloat the vessel before it breaks up. The 47,000-tonne Rena ran aground on Astrolabe Reef on October 5. An oil leak from the Liberian-flagged freighter has spread over an area of five km. There are estimates of 30 tonnes of oil spilled so far out of the 1,700 tonnes that could be dumped into the ocean if the Rena is wrecked in one of New Zealand's most prized areas of natural beauty. 8. A new Indian OS on cloud A system crash one year ago forced Deepak John, a second-year engineering student, to devise a portable operating system on cloud, which can solve many problems of travelling professionals, who seek access to secure computers. The MICROS (Mobile In-Curred Revolutionised Operating System), which has won laurels in nationwide tech fests, boots from a pen drive, to the RAM which then dynamically expands. The size is limited to 100MB that makes the distribution of the package easier. Deepak John calls it a live OS that does not require installation but allows you to access the files stored in the system and perform various file management functions. Page 1 of 2 10th October 2011

9. Russian miracle dressing cures without drugs Russian scientists have developed a drug-free method of healing wounds that may prove as revolutionary as the discovery of penicillin. The miracle nano-dressing, VitaVallis, created by researchers in Tomsk, Siberia, helps clean up wounds of all known types of toxic bacteria. It does not get stuck to the wound and heals burns, cuts and any septic and infected wounds two to three times faster than traditional methods do. The dressing stops bleeding, ends inflammation, eliminates swellings and stimulates skin regeneration. It also helps kill pain and remove foul wound odour. The most remarkable thing about VitaVallis is that it contains no antibiotics and is therefore effective against drug-resistant bacteria, the gnawing problem of clinical medicine. 10. Steel ministry demands total ban on chrome ore exports Concerned over the depleting reserves of chrome ore, the steel ministry has demanded a complete ban on its exports. The ministry warned that the country may soon run out of the costly steel-making input if it failed to plug exports. Since India has barely 1 per cent of the worlds total medium and high grade chrome ore reserves, it cannot afford to lose the mineral, the ministry said. 11. Come-and-Play scheme launched With the launch of the nationwide Come and Play scheme, over 80 facilities under the Sports Authority of India (SAI) have become accessible for use by school children, students and other sports enthusiasts. The scheme launched by Union Sports Minister Ajay Maken and Union Minister for Social Justices and Empowerment Mukul Wasnik also offers free use of the facilities to those below the poverty line and at one-third of the rates to the students from Government schools.

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New policy rings in free roaming Seeking to eliminate the ambiguities of the past, the draft National Telecom Policy 2011 will remove national roaming charges, make broadband available on demand, bring in a one-nation, one-licence' policy and allow mobile numbers to be ported to any part of the country. Under the new draft policy unveiled by Communications Minister Kapil Sibal, users will be allowed to port their mobile numbers, keeping the same number, even while switching service areas. It proposes to accord the telecom industry the status of an infrastructure sector, helping it get easy credit flow for funding rollout plans or expansion. With the policy aiming a one-nation, one-licence' regime, the distinction between local and STD calls will vanish. Telecom operators would not require separate licenses for operations in various parts of the country. CBI names Marans in FIR; searches their premises The Central Bureau of Investigation has conducted simultaneous searches on the premises of the former Union Minister, Dayanidhi Maran, and his elder brother and Sun Network managing director, Kalanithi Maran, in connection with a case arising out of the Aircel-Maxis deal. Special teams conducted the searches in New Delhi, Chennai and Hyderabad. Earlier, the CBI registered a case against the Maran brothers as well as against Ralph Marshall and T. Ananda Krishnan of Maxis Communications, Malaysia. The agency has also named three private companies, including SUN Direct TV and Maxis Communications, in the First Information Report (FIR). The CBI had been conducting a preliminary enquiry into the Aircel-Maxis deal in the past few months. The agency also named M/s Astro All Asia Networks, U.K., and other unknown officials and persons among the accused. Kasab's death sentence suspended The Supreme Court has stayed execution of the death sentence awarded to Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving gunman in the November 2008 Mumbai terror attack. A Bench of Justice Aftab Alam and Justice C. K. Prasad, after hearing senior counsel Gopal Subramaniam for Maharashtra and senior counsel Raju Ramachandran, amicus curiae appointed to assist Kasab, directed completion of pleading by November 30 and ordered that the appeal be listed for final hearing on January 31, 2012. Kasab was sentenced to death by a special anti-terror court on May 6, 2010 and this was confirmed by the Bombay High Court on February 21 this year. Vinod Rai, former CAG official to tell PAC their loss calculations The controversy over the Comptroller and Auditor-General's projection of a presumptive loss of Rs. 1.76 lakh crore in the 2G spectrum and licence allotment in 2008 refuses to die down. Responding to Congress member Sanjay Nirupam's plea, Public Accounts Committee Chairman Murli Manohar Joshi has agreed to call both CAG chief Vinod Rai, and R.P. Singh, former Director-General of Audit (Post and Telecommunications) in the Auditor's Office, to appear before the panel and explain how they had calculated their differing loss to the exchequer. In his internal communication, Mr. Singh, who retired on August 31, pegged the loss at Rs. 2,645 crore. The discrepancy dominated the committee proceedings. The CAG chief, who was present, told Dr. Joshi that he would present his case as and when the PAC took up the matter.

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Dipak Misra, Chelameswar sworn in Supreme Court judges Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court Dipak Mishra and Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court Jasti Chelameswar were sworn in as judges of the Supreme Court. Chief Justice of India S.H. Kapadia administered them the oath of office at a brief function held in his court hall. With the swearing-in of these judges, the total strength of the Supreme Court has gone up to 28 as against the sanctioned strength of 31. However, Justice R.V. Raveendran is due to retire on October 14, when the strength will come down to 27. Justice Mishra hails from Orissa. He will have tenure of about seven years in the Supreme Court and will have an opportunity to become the Chief Justice of India. Justice Chelameswar represents Andhra Pradesh. He too will have tenure of about seven years. Countdown begins for PSLV-C18 launch The countdown for the lift-off of India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV- C18) has began at Sriharikota. The rocket is scheduled to be launched on Oct 12 and it will put in orbit four satellites. They are the Megha-Tropiques satellite, SRMSat, Jugnu and VesselSat. S. Satish, spokesman for the Indian Space Research Organisation, said the Launch Authorisation Board, which met at Sriharikota on October 9, cleared the launch of the four-stage PSLV- C18 and various activities during the 50-hour countdown are progressing smoothly. Hundreds of mandatory checks on the launch vehicle and the satellite will take place. Batteries will be charged. The readiness of ground systems including communication networks and the radars for tracking the satellites will be checked. Bench divided on Lokayukta appointment The legal battle over Governor Kamala Beniwal's appointment of the Lokayukta without consulting the government remained inconclusive, with a Division Bench of the Gujarat High Court delivering a split verdict. While Justice Akil Kureshi held the appointment of Justice R.A. Mehta, a retired judge of the High Court, constitutional and valid and rejected the government's petition against his appointment, Justice Sonia Gokani, in her inconclusive order, said she differed with the conclusion drawn by her fellow judge, though she agreed with him on most other points. Pointing out that the post was lying vacant for the past eight years, Justice Kureshi said that because of the deadlock between the Chief Justice and the Chief Minister over the nomination of Justice Mehta, the opinion of the Chief Justice should be considered supreme. After the last Lokayukta left the post in 2003, the government did not begin the consultation process till 2006; even when it began, there was no decision on the name, and no appointment was made till 2011. Indira Gandhi award for Mohan Dharia Environmentalist, lawyer and former Union Minister, Mohan Dharia, has been selected as the winner of the 26th Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration. The 86-year-old Padma Vibhushan awardee, which currently runs the Vanrai NGO in Pune, was selected for the 2010 award, which carries a citation and cash prize of Rs. 5 lakh. It will be presented by award committee chair and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on October 31, the anniversary of Indira Gandhi's death.

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SRM University's satellite to take to the skies As the PSLV-C18 carrying Megha-Tropiques, an Indo-French venture to study the atmosphere in the tropical regions, blasts off from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota on October 12, students will be holding their breath at the ground station at SRM University in the city outskirts. Along with Megha-Tropiques, SRMSAT, a nano-satellite, to monitor the green house gases, carbon-dioxide and water vapour in the tropics using a grating spectrometer will be launched. Fifty students were involved in design and development of SRMSAT, one of the first nanosatellites to be launched by a private university in the country, said P. Sathyanarayanan, president, SRM University. Chauhan launches Beti Bachao Abhiyan' Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan has launched a Beti Bachao Abhiyan after offering prayers at the Pitambara Peeth. He told reporters that he will tour all districts after Diwali to create public awareness about the girl child. He said the campaign was being launched from Datia district has a skewed sex ratio. Two Americans share Economics Nobel American economists Thomas Sargent and Christopher Sims, both 68, were awarded the Nobel Prize for their path-breaking work on developing tools that policymakers are probably using frenetically today in their bid to extricate the economy from the persistent global economic downturn. Recognising the two economists' empirical research on cause and effect in the macroeconomy, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said that it decided to award the socalled Economics Nobel to Professors Sargent and Sims for their seminal research during the 1970s and 1980s that resulted in essential tools in macroeconomic analysis. Though Professor Sargent, from New York University, and Professor Sims, from Princeton University, carried out their research independently, their contributions were complementary in several ways, the Academy said, in presenting them with the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel for 2011. Indian help to schools in Sri Lanka About 42,000 students in Sri Lanka's Northern Province will have better facilities in their schools soon, after the Indian government took up a project to repair 79 damaged ones in the three districts of Kilinochchi, Mullaittivu and Vavuniya. Following local open tendering, the Indian High Commission has awarded the contract to a Sri Lankan construction company. The signing of the contract agreement was held, in the presence of Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa and High Commissioner Ashok K. Kantha. The cost of repairs is in the range of Sri Lankan Rupee (LKR) 0.50 million to 7.0 million depending on the size and number of buildings. The total cost of the project is LKR 187 million. It is expected to be completed in nine months from the award of contract. The project has been conceived and finalised in partnership with the Presidential Task Force for Resettlement, Development and Security, the Ministry of Economic Development and the Ministry of Education, in the Northern Province, said an Indian Mission release.

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China plans new economic zones near western border China has unveiled new plans to speed up the construction of two economic development zones in far-western Xinjiang, pledging greater investment, fiscal subsidies and measures to accelerate connecting the border region to Pakistan through railway lines and air routes. The State Council, or Chinese cabinet, outlined the measures in a policy document released, which, for the first time, detailed Beijing's already announced ambitious plans to set up two economic development zones in the frontier cities of Kashgar and Korgas, respectively located near China's borders with disputed Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Kazakhstan. GE, Greenko to form venture GE Energy Financial Services and Greenko Group plc has announced having joined hands to form a joint venture to develop and invest in new upcoming wind energy projects across India. While GE will invest $50 million to support the development of 500 MW of wind power projects out of Greenko's planned development of one gigawatt of wind projects in India, Greenko has committed $65 million for the new joint venture that has been created under the brand name of Greenko, known as Greenko Wind Project Private Limited. Greenko is currently developing a pipeline of wind projects in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Rajasthan. The first project of 65 MW at Ratnagiri wind farm in Maharashtra is planned for completion in December and will use GE's 1.6 MW turbines. The wind turbines, specifically designed for low and medium wind speeds, will be assembled at GE's facility in Pune. Once operational, a 500 MW wind portfolio could generate enough renewable electricity to power 8.75 lakh average Indian households and displace 7 lakh tones a year of greenhouse gas emissions, the equivalent of taking 1.37 lakh average U.S. cars off the road. Mirc launches Android-powered TV Mirc Electronics, the brand owners of Onida, has come out with a 3D internet-enabled and Android-powered TV. Christened Onida iTube, it allows the user access to a large number of applications available in the Android market. Sanjeev K. Jain, Vice-President, Sales & Service, said this smart LED TV had an internal memory of 70 MB to store nearly 100 applications in personal apps library. It would support up to one TB (trillion bytes) of external memory. Other features include Wifi, Ethernet, Movie USBx3, Full HD, 2D to 3D conversion and comfortable 3D glasses that comes along with it. MRF turnover crosses Rs.10,000-cr mark MRF has announced that it has crossed the Rs.10,000-crore turnover mark, becoming the first in the Indian tyre industry to do so in any financial year. According to a release from the company, MRF has registered a growth of over 30 per cent over the previous year. K.M Mammen, Chairman and Managing Director, said though MRF had breached the Rs.10,000-crore sales number, it had been through a challenging time. Company officials said that MRF had been taking proactive initiatives and expanded capacities. Its Tiruchi plant would go commercial in the first quarter of next year.

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Apple says iPhone 4S sales over 1 m in first day Apple said the pre-orders of the new model of its hit iPhone 4 topped one million units in the first 24 hours. Worldwide advance orders for the iPhone 4S, said to be much faster than its predecessor and with improved video and photo capabilities, set a record for an Apple product, the company said. The first day pre-orders for iPhone 4S have been the most for any new product that Apple has ever launched,'' said Philip Schiller, Apple Senior Vice-President, in a statement. The smart phone, which will sell for between $199 and $399, depending on memory capacity, will be available in Apple stores in the U.S. from October 14. It will be available in 22 other countries, including much of Europe, by the end of October. The 4S was launched on October 4, one day before visionary Apple co-founder and long time Steve Jobs died following a long battle with cancer. His health failing, Jobs had stepped down as chief executive in August and was replaced by Tim Cook, who presided over the launch of the new iPhone. Reliance Capital completes 26 % stake sale to Nippon Life Anil Ambani-owned Reliance Capital has announced that it has completed the sale of a 26 per cent stake in its life insurance venture Reliance Life to Japan's Nippon Life for over Rs.3,000 crore. The entire transaction proceeds of Rs.3,062 crore ($680 million) from the Japanese financial services major have been duly received by the company, Reliance Capital said in a statement. The transaction, which was announced in March, pegs the total valuation of Reliance Life Insurance at about Rs.11,500 crore ($2.6 billion). Following the deal, Reliance Capital will hold a 74 per cent stake in Reliance Life. The deal had already received all regulatory approvals required for its completion. Reliance Capital, the financial services arm of Anil Ambani-led Reliance Group, has interests in telecom, power, entertainment and infrastructure businesses. Reliance Capital CEO, Sam Ghosh, said that Nippon was coming on board as a valued strategic partner in Reliance Life Insurance. Genpact acquires High Performance Partners of U.S. BPO major Genpact has said it had acquired High Performance Partners (HPP), a U.S.-based company developing software platforms for the mortgage industry, for an undisclosed amount. Delhi to host Asian championships in 2013 Delhi will host the Asian cycling championships in March 2013. The 10-day event will have both road and track competitions in men, women and junior categories. Approximately 700 cyclists from around 40 countries of Asia are expected to take part in the event, said Parminder Singh Dhindsa, the President of a Cycling Federation of India (CFI) faction. Indian GP should be a great event Karun Chandhok, one of the only two Formula One drivers from India, believes that the success of the inaugural Airtel Grand Prix of India, scheduled to be held on October 30, will depend on three crucial factors. Chandhok, of Team Lotus, hoped the race would be an experience to remember for motor sport fans across the country. The 27-year-old driver, who recently visited the Buddh International Circuit (BIC) in Greater Noida, the venue of the Indian Grand Prix, had words of praise for the track.

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India to play against Malaysia The All India Football Federation confirmed that the Indian team will play two international friendlies' against the Malaysian national side on November 13 and 16. The first match will be held at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in Sarusajai, Guwahati on Nov. 13 while the second will be held three days later at the Salt Lake Stadium. This will be the first international friendly between India, which is currently ranked 163 in the world, and Malaysia (ranked 147). The two have previously met 20 times in different tournaments with Malaysia winning on eight occasions, a count more than India's wins. The remaining five matches ended as draws.

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Low carbon aviation fuel developed Leading private international carrier, Virgin Atlantic, said India could soon be producing a world-first low carbon aviation fuel with just half the carbon footprint of the standard fossil fuel alternative. In partnership with LanzaTech, it has achieved a breakthrough in aviation fuel technology. The new process will see waste gases from industrial steel production being captured, fermented and chemically converted using Swedish Biofuels technology to be used as a jet fuel. The revolutionary fuel production process recycles waste gases that would otherwise be burnt into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. India, which is amongst the world's largest steel producers, will be one of the first countries where the fuel will be produced as LanzaTech and partners develop facilities in the country. Within three years, Virgin Atlantic routes from Delhi to London Heathrow could see flights running on the new fuel. A demonstration plant will be commissioned in China this year and the first commercial operation will be in place by 2014. A facility in India should follow around six months later. The technology is currently being piloted in New Zealand. After successful implementation, a wider rollout could include operations in the U.K. and the rest of the world. Advani's yatra gets off to a rousing start Bharatiya Janata Party worked at full throttle to give its senior leader L.K. Advani's nationwide Jan Chetna Yatra' a rousing start from Bihar on October 11. Mr. Advani began his anti-corruption yatra' by addressing a large gathering along with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar at Sitab Diara in Saran district, the birthplace of socialist leader Jayaprakash Narayan. This campaign is Mr. Advani's sixth campaign since his 1990 Ram Rath Yatra.' Mr. Advani, along with Mr. Kumar and top BJP leaders, formally commenced his 40-day campaign from Chapra, with Mr. Kumar flagging off the chariot' with a green flag. Pharma acquisitions to be routed through CCI India would continue to allow Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the drugs and pharmaceutical sector under the automatic route for greenfield investments, while in the case of brownfield investment, it would be allowed through the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) for six months, following which such acquisitions would be routed through the Competition Commission of India. This was decided at a high level meeting convened by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with his Cabinet colleagues. During the six months, when the FIPB will clear the acquisitions, necessary enabling regulations will be put in place by the CCI for effective oversight on mergers and acquisitions to ensure that there is a balance between public health concerns and attracting FDI in the pharma sector. Thereafter, the requisite oversight will be done by the CCI entirely in accordance with the competition laws of the country. The meeting discussed the report of the Arun Maira committee, constituted by the Planning Commission to review the government's policy of allowing 100 per cent FDI in the pharmaceutical sector. Between 2006 and 2010, six major Indian companies have been taken over by MNCs, including Matrix Lab by Mylan, Dabur Pharma by Fresenius Kabi, Ranbaxy Labs by Daiichi Sankyo, Shanta Biotech (Sanofi Aventis), Orchid Chemicals (Hospira) and Piramal Healthcare (Abbott). Since 2001, when 100 per cent FDI was allowed in the sector, only 10 per cent of foreign investment has gone to green-field ventures.

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Supreme Court won't pre-empt Cabinet from deciding on Majithia report The Supreme Court has refused again to restrain the Union Cabinet from taking a decision on the report of the Justice Majithia Wage Board for journalists and nonjournalists, even as newspaper managements strongly pressed for such an order, alleging that the government wanted to make them subservient. Additional SolicitorGeneral Parag Tripathi said though the court, at the last hearing, permitted the Cabinet to take a decision; it could not do so because of a letter written by one of the petitioners to the Labour Secretary, asking the government not to take any decision until the court disposed of the matter. India, Vietnam plan big push to ties India and Vietnam will seek to put more ballast in their defense, security and energy ties during a meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang. Having enjoyed close political ties since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1972, India will seek to expand ties with Vietnam in spheres such as terrorism, piracy and open sea lanes of communications where their views converge. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Joint Secretary (South) Arun Goyal described oil exploration by ONGC Videsh in South China Sea as ongoing since 1988. Gas being produced from the project is supplying electricity to some parts of Vietnam and there are plans to extend this partnership to another Indian company for setting up gas distribution networks in cities. Another big opportunity for the ONGC and Essar, which entered the country in 2008, is around the corner with Vietnam inviting offers for more petroleum blocs. Parties with 8% votes will be recognised: EC The Election Commission has decided to henceforth recognize such State parties that get more than eight per cent of the total votes polled, irrespective of the number of seats they get. Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi said the Commission had changed its guidelines following representations from across the country. The changes are prior as the election commission had received various representations that sometimes a party, even after getting over eight to 10 per cent of the votes, did not get recognition just because they did not win any seat. Instead of six per cent, now it has been decided that it will be eight per cent, irrespective of the number of seats a party gets. India to head UN South Asian regional commission for tourism India has been made chairman of the United Nations South Asian regional commission for tourism. This was announced at the ongoing United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Conference at Gyeongju, South Korea. Union Tourism Minister Subodh Kant Sahai, who led the Indian delegation at the UNWTO meeting in South Korea, said it was a privilege to head the commission for a four-year term. It signifies the confidence of various countries in India and the efforts of the Indian Government in promotion of tourism in the country as well as across the globe in responsible and sustainable manner to bring in inclusive growth. It has been estimated that by 2016-17 the growth in the sector would enable additional employment generation of around 25 million people. There would be need for an additional 42 million skilled persons in hospitality sector alone. The Minister urged UNWTO to intensify its efforts in developing a skill development framework based on best practices across the globe.

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Toshiba hails Waterman's vision and work Toshiba, a world leader in high technology, thinks that it can learn a few lessons on conservation from India's Waterman Rajendra Singh. The company, a diversified manufacturer of advanced electronic products and information systems, considers that the practices adopted by Tarun Bharat Sangh (TBS), Mr. Singh's pro-conservation NGO, can be a model for eco-friendly action as well as involvement of local population. Accoeding to Philippe Delahaye, President, Toshiba Tec Imaging System France (TFIS), a French subsidiary of Toshiba, Toshiba wants to become an eco-friendly company and it has been impressed with the work of Magsaysay Award winner Rajendra Singh who has turned the Alwar countryside green and made rivers, once dry, flow. Government's credibility at its lowest: CAG Observing that the country was facing a testing time in its history, Comptroller and Auditor-General (CAG) Vinod Rai said that the credibility of the government was at its lowest and decision-making had become a casualty. The Government auditor also voiced concern at the integrity and professionalism of service officers coming under question. The governance is at its lowest ebb. The morale of the civil servant is low. The credibility of the government is at its lowest. It's a strong statement but it is harsh reality. And hence, because of all this, the decision-making has become a casualty. Panel report on dam safety in January The five-member empowered committee (EC) constituted to go into the safety of the Mullaperiyar dam is likely to submit its report to the Supreme Court in the middle of January 2012. This was tentatively agreed upon by the committee at its meeting. The committee comprises former Chief Justice of India A.S. Anand; K.T. Thomas, retired Supreme Court Judge representing Kerala; A.R. Lakshmanan, retired Supreme Court Judge representing Tamil Nadu; former Secretary to the Ministry of Water Resources C.D. Thatte and retired Chief Engineer, Central Water Commission, D.K. Mehta. Honour for Jaipur-based paediatrician Jaipur-based paediatrician Dr. Ashok Gupta has been invited to join a three-member jury to judge the best research awards at the ninth International Congress of Tropical Paediatrics being held in Bangkok in Thailand. Pakistani firm to add value to low-cost tablet A Pakistani software company and its mobile applications subsidiary have offered to add value to the low-cost PC tablet, Aakash', launched by India in the spirit of friendship and cooperation in South Asia that would make the device more useful and effective for end users. Unveiling their plans soon after Aakash was launched, FiveRivers Technologies and Pepper.pk both Lahore-based companies said once the tablet hits the markets as scheduled in November, Pepper.pk would begin porting a relevant subset of its over 150 applications to the new platform. According to a release put out by the two companies, Pepper.pk's portfolio of applications includes three world No. 1 titles including the four-time AppWorld No. 1 app, Photo Editor. The company's apps are available across several major mobile platforms including iPhone/iPad, BlackBerry phones and BlackBerry PlayBook, Windows Phone 7, Android and Nokia.

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Nobel winner seeks re-election in Liberia Liberians lined up in the pouring rain outside polling stations to vote as incumbent president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf sought a second term only days after jointly winning the Nobel Peace Prize. United Nations peacekeepers and police deployed in numbers around polling stations in the capital Monrovia and elsewhere as hundreds queued up, most clutching umbrellas, to vote in presidential, senatorial and legislative elections. Around 1.8 million people are eligible to vote in only the second election since the end of a 14-year civil war and seen as a litmus test of the West African nation's fragile democracy. African Union observer mission Chief Speciosa Wangira-Kazibwe a former Ugandan vice-president said voting was proceeding very well despite a thunderous downpour after hours of light rain. Myanmar to free prisoners Myanmar announced a mass prisoner amnesty, raising hope for the imminent release of hundreds of political detainees in what would be a major sign of change in the authoritarian state. The fate of the estimated 2,000 political prisoners, who include prodemocracy campaigners, journalists, monks and lawyers, has long been a top demand of Western nations that have imposed sanctions on Myanmar. More than 6,300 elderly, sick, disabled or well-behaved prisoners will be pardoned on humanitarian grounds, state television announced, without saying whether political prisoners would be among them. Surya Shakti ties up with Swiss firm for solar plants Surya Shakti Energy Resources (SSER), a photovoltaic (PV) pioneer in solar energy, has announced a strategic tie-up with leading Swiss engineering firm Energierburo for development, engineering and quality management of large to within scale rooftop as well as ground mounted solar PV power plants. The company said this tie-up would support SSER to find and develop the optimal solar solution for any building and to make the outermost use of synergies with the building envelope to produce environmentally and financially attractive solar electrical power. TVS to roll out two-wheelers from West Bengal facility After years of wait, the first batch of TVS two-wheelers is set to roll out from a contract manufacturing facility in West Bengal. The unit is located in Uluberiasome, 25 km to the west of the State capital. The objective was to tap the market in West Bengal and the seven North-Eastern States. It may be mentioned that in 2008, the Chennai (Hosur)-based TVS Motor Company entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Kolkata-based Mahabharat Manufacturing Pvt Ltd under which Mahabharat Motors were to assemble agreed products as a contract manufacturer. After meeting the then Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, TVS Chairman Venu Srinivasan had said that the company needed a base in the region and it had planned to tie-up with Mahabharat Motors. DHL launches freighter service between Bangalore and Leipzig Logistics major DHL announced the launch of Boeing 777F-200 freighter service between Bangalore and Leipzig, which is the company's European hub. The new service, originating in Bangkok and Singapore, is to operate five days a week. The new freighter will be operated by AeroLogic, a joint venture cargo airline of DHL Express and Lufthansa Cargo. The freighter, with a capacity of 100 tonnes, would serve key markets in Europe and India, especially textiles, automotive and leather industries. The service would also result in better connectivity between markets in South India and key Asian markets. Page 4 of 5 12 October 2011
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Drive away a Benz without initial investment Mercedes-Benz has introduced Star Lease', a one-of-its-kind self-leasing option in the luxury car segment for its complete range of cars available in India. Star Lease will be provided through Daimler Financial Services IndiaStating that the leasing option would be available in all Mercedes-Benz dealerships across the country with immediate effect. The leasing product will ensure easy upgrades for consumers and hassle-free ownership experience. Consumers will now have an option to drive away a Mercedes-Benz without any initial investment and just pay affordable rentals which will cover all insurance and maintenance costs for three years. Suzlon Energy bags GAIL order Suzlon Energy has bagged an order from GAIL (India) for supply of wind turbines with a combined generation capacity of 25.5 MW for its upcoming project in Karnataka. The order comprises 17 Suzlon Energy wind turbines of 1.5-MW capacity each to be commissioned in 2012. Leyland, Gulf Oil to launch lubricants Hinduja Group flagship Ashok Leyland (light vehicles) and Gulf Oil have joined hands to launch a range of co-branded lubricants for the new range of Ashok Leyland light vehicles such as DOST. The lubricants are branded as Next Generation NxG' series. J. S. Shinde re-elected AIOCD President All-India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists, at its annual meeting held recently in Hyderabad, re-elected J. S. Shinde and Arul Kumar as its President and Treasurer respectively for 2011-14. About 1,500 chemists from all over India were present at the meeting. Office bearers for all the six zones were also elected on the same occasion. Indians bag 15 medals India bagged 15 medals, including six golds, to begin its campaign on an impressive note in the Commonwealth Weightlifting championships in Cape Town, South Africa. Commonwealth Games silver medallist Soniya Chanu fetched a gold each in snatch, clean and jerk, and total lift in the senior women's 48kg category. She lifted a total of 174kg. In the junior women's 48kg category, Sanjitha Chanu won three silvers, one each in snatch, clean and jerk, and total lift. She lifted 165kg in total. Minati Das won three golds in the 44kg youth competition with a total lift of 100kg. In the 48kg youth competition, Joti Mal and Purnima Chanu won three silvers and three bronzes respectively. Rich haul for Indians Indian swimmers made a big splash at the seventh Asian age group swimming championship, clinching eight medals including three gold medals on the first day of the event at Jakarta. While Sandeep Sejwal won the gold in the 50m breaststroke recording a time of 28:36s, India's ace swimmer Veerdhaval Khade bagged the yellow metal in the 100m butterfly clocking 54:86s. The 20-year-old Khade later combined with Aaron D'Souza, Anshul Kothari and Rehan Poncha to fetch another gold in 4x100 freestyle relay. Poncha, earlier in the day, grabbed a bronze in the 200m backstroke in boys open group in a time of 02:07:76. Meanwhile, Saurabh Sangvekar won a silver medal in 800m freestyle.

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Miscreants attack Prashant Bhushan in chamber Team Anna member and senior lawyer Prashant Bhushan was violently attacked by activists of the Bhagat Singh Kranti Sena and Shri Ram Sena in his chamber located opposite the heavily guarded Supreme Court premises on Bhagwan Dass Road. The organizations claimed that the assault was in retaliation for his recent statement on Jammu and Kashmir, purportedly supporting the demand for withdrawal of security forces and a referendum to gauge public opinion. The assailants were identified as president of Shri Ram Sena's Delhi unit and president of the Bhagat Singh Kranti Sena. In final report, panel seeks permanent political settlement for Kashmir The Jammu and Kashmir interlocutors has submitted their final report to Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, focusing on a permanent political settlement of the Kashmir problem. Interlocutors include eminent journalist Dileep Padgaonkar, academic Radha Kumar and the former Information Commissioner, M.M. Ansari. The three-member panel was appointed by the Centre exactly a year ago with a mandate to suggest the contours of a political settlement to the Jammu and Kashmir problem. Upalokayukta Gururajan quits In an unexpected development, Upalokayukta R. Gururajan quit his post. Mr. Gururajan, a former judge of the Karnataka High Court, was appointed to the post in July. He tendered his resignation to Governor H.R. Bhardwaj. According to him he submitted his resignation due to some sudden developments in his family circles and they have some health problems. Mr. Gururajan's resignation comes close on the heels of that of Shivaraj V. Patil who quit as Lokayukta on September 19, 2011 after irregularities surfaced in the allotment of residential sites to him and his wife by housing societies. However, Mr. Gururajan's name is also believed to figure in the unfolding housing society scam. Oxford scholarship for Delhi University student A Delhi University graduate, Hem Borker, has become the 50th Indian student to win the prestigious Clarendon Fund scholarship to study at Oxford. Ms. Borker, whose research will examine Muslim identity, gender and madrassa education, said it had always been her dream to study at Oxford. The university said the Clarendon Fund was the Oxford's largest university-run scholarship for international graduate students, and currently there were 18 Clarendon scholars from India. Since the first scholars arrived in 2001, over 1,000 students from more than 60 nationalities have been supported by the Clarendon Fund. Computer infection rate rising in India: Microsoft While the world is becoming more secure when it comes to cyber security, in India the computer infection rate is climbing, said the latest Microsoft Security Intelligence Report, having almost three times the worldwide average of certain threat categories such as viruses and worms. According to Microsoft India Chief Security Officer Sanjay Bahl, the study has found that India's infection rates have climbed 0.7 per cent in the last quarter alone, while worldwide figures report a 1.1 per cent drop. In India, the host infection rate when calculated using IP geo-location was 15.9 per cent, which is around 6 per cent higher than the worldwide average of 9.8 per cent.. The report also highlighted that in India the most common category was worms that affected 38.3 per cent of all infected computers, followed by miscellaneous Trojans (33.6 per cent) and miscellaneous potentially unwanted software (30.7 per cent). Pointing out that in India, miscellaneous Trojans, Trojan downloaders, password stealers and monitoring tools all outnumber the scenario worldwide, India is home to three of the world's most dangerous bots (software applications that run automated tasks over the Internet) -- Win32/Lethic + Cutwail + Pramro. The most common error that computer users make is that they do not update their software or use pirated software, while in some computers even basic security features are missing which includes anti-virus software. Page 1 of 4 13th October 2011

R. K. Sharma acquitted in Shivani murder case The Delhi High Court acquitted former senior IPS officer R. K. Sharma in the much talked about Shivani Bhatnagar murder case of 1999 saying the prosecution had failed to prove the charge of conspiracy against him beyond reasonable doubt. The Court also acquitted two other accused in the case, Sri Bhagwan Sharma and Satya Prakash Sharma. Exonerating R. K. Sharma and the other two accused, a Division Bench of Justice B. D. Ahmed and Justice Manmohan Singh ordered their immediate release from Tihar Central Jail here. The trial court had sentenced the three to life imprisonment. The High Court judgment came on appeals by them against the lower court judgment. However, the Bench upheld the conviction and sentence of life imprisonment for the fourth accused in the case, Pradeep Sharma, who had strangled the young Indian Express journalist Shivani Bhatnagar in her flat at Navkunj Apartments in East Delhi on January 21, 1999, holding that the prosecution had proved his presence in the victim's flat on the day of the murder. Nigerian man Pleads guilty to U.S. aeroplane bomb bid A young Nigerian man has pleaded guilty to attempting to kill nearly 300 people aboard a U.S.bound airliner on Christmas Day, 2009, by igniting explosives secreted in his underwear. Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab (25) is representing himself at the trial in Detroit, Michigan. Judge Nancy Edmunds read through each of the eight terrorism-related charges, each of which Abdulmutallab pleaded guilty to. When asked by the Judge whether he was pleading guilty because he was guilty, the accused said: That's right. Oil slick ship at risk of break up Fears grew that a ship stuck on a New Zealand reef would break up and release a new wave of pollution, as its two chief officers were charged over the nation's worst oil spill. Prime Minister John Key said cracks had been found in the hull of the stricken container ship Rena, and the situation was precarious, with the boat teetering at a steep angle in stormy seas. Television footage of the ship stranded on the Astrolabe Reef, 22 kilometers (15 miles) off the North Island coast, showed a gaping crack in its hull, with Transport Minister Steven Joyce saying it would "probably" shear in two. Up to 300 tones of heavy fuel has already leaked into the environmentally sensitive Bay of Plenty since the Rena ploughed into the reef, creating New Zealand worst maritime pollution disaster. Officials have warned the crisis will deepen if the Rena breaks up and releases all 1,700 tones of oil it is carrying. Bhutan set for royal wedding today Bhutan's fifth monarch Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk, 31, will marry 21-year-old Jetsun Pema, at a traditional ceremony at Punakha on October 13. The monarch is an Oxford graduate, while Ms. Pema has studied in India and the United Kingdom. King Wangchuk, who was crowned in November 2008, has presided over a historic phase in his country's political evolution. A new constitution introduced parliamentary democracy; elections were held; and the new government assumed office and responsibilities, with the king retreating to a constitutional role. India, Vietnam sign pact for oil exploration in South China Sea Unfazed by Chinese objections, India and Vietnam has inked an agreement to promote oil exploration in South China Sea along with a slew of pacts, including an extradition treaty, to deepen trade, security and strategic ties between the two countries. Six agreements were signed after Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held comprehensive talks on issues of mutual interest, including situation in the region where they decided to launch a biennial Security Dialogue between their Home Ministries. This is the first visit by the Vietnamese President outside the ASEAN region and reflects the importance attached by both sides to the relationship.

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Microsoft launches Windows Phone Microsoft Corporation has launched the Windows Phone operating system in India, promising rich and dynamic user interface even as leading Smartphone players, including Nokia, Samsung, HTC and Acer, announced plans to introduce the new operating system in their future phones. The Windows Phone 7.5 version, which is also known as Mango, has a new rich user interface of Live Tiles and Hubs, which will help users quickly find the information required and connect, while smooth transitional user interface called Metro' is a visually appealing modern design language based on a set of principles which are modern, clean, alive in motion, and authentically digital. Sistema Shyam to focus on data market Sistema Shyam Teleservices, which provides telecom services, under the brand MTS, plans to have a strong focus on data market, by rolling out seamless high speed data (HSD) services on some of the busiest national highways. As a part of the phased roll out of HSD services, MTS announced the launch of HSD connectivity along the Chennai-Bangalore highway. The company had already launched its services in July along the 265 km Delhi-Jaipur highway. Sistema, through its MTS brand, has secured over 13 million wireless subscribers and it provides mobile broadband services under its MBlaze brand to more than one million customers across 200 cities. JSW Steel, Marubeni-Itochu to set up steel processing centre JSW Steel (JSW), part of the O. P. Jindal Group, and Marubeni-Itochu Steel Inc. Tokyo, (MISI) has signed a joint venture agreement to set up a steel processing centre in North India, under the name of JSW MI Steel Service Centre Pvt. Ltd. The first phase of the project is expected to go on stream in 2012-13 with an initial installed capacity of 1.80 lakh tones per annum. The rapid growth of the Indian steel industry offers tremendous opportunity for supply of high end processed steel and through the joint venture, it could leverage the global sales network of service centre operations of MISI and the world-class technology products manufactured by JSW. OVL signs pact with PetroVietnam Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Videsh Ltd. (OVL), the overseas arm of ONGC, has inked an agreement with Vietnam's national oil company PetroVietnam to jointly explore for oil and gas in South China Sea in Vietnam, India and third countries. OVL and Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) signed an agreement of cooperation in the presence of visiting President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Truong Tan Sang, and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The agreement is intended for developing long-term cooperation in the oil and gas industry and shall be in force for three years. The agreement was signed by OVL Managing Director D. K. Sarraf and PetroVietnam Chairman Phung Dinh Thuc. Under the agreement the two entities will cooperate on oil and gas exploration, refining, transportation and supply projects in Vietnam, India and third countries. Sony India offers repair of Bravia TVs Japanese electronics major Sony said it was offering customers in India to repair defective television sets of the Bravia' range free of cost as part of its global recall exercise of the product. As per reports, Sony Corp has announced that it will recall 1.6 million of its Bravia' LCD televisions across the globe after several incidents of TV sets emitting smoke or parts melting due to faulty components. Upon request, Sony India is offering a free inspection of the affected products. Sony service person will promptly visit and check, and repair if a faulty component is found, free of charge. In India, the affected models are KLV-40W300A and KLV- 40X350A. Mittal, Jindal elected to WSA Executive Committee The World Steel Association (WSA), a premier global steel industry body, has elected ArcelorMittal Chairman Lakshmi Mittal and JSW Steel Vice-Chairman Sajjan Jindal to its 15member Executive Committee. Page 3 of 4 13th October 2011

Tatas project will take off soon Even as India and Vietnam decided to extend their partnership in hydrocarbons to other countries, Hanoi said it would implement a $5-billion project proposed by the Tatas. The project, mooted two years ago, was put on the back burner over resettlement issues. The Vietnam President acknowledged delays including in permission for an investment licence for which Tata Steel has applied twice. It is said one reason for the delay, cited by Hanoi, was the issue of resettling people who would be displaced by the project, in which Tata Steel holds a 65 per cent stake and Vietnam Steel 30 per cent. The rest is with the Vietnam Cement Industries Corporation.The three companies had signed the initial agreement four years ago and the final pact in 2008. ODI series trophy unveiled The two captains Mahendra Singh Dhoni of India and Alastair Cook of England unveiled the Airtel Trophy for the five-match one-day series commencing on October 14 2011. Dhoni and Cook held aloft the trophy together in the presence of Sharlin Thayil, CEO, AP, Bharti Airtel Ltd. The Trophy, designed by Frazer and Haws, is made of silver with 24 karat gold plating. It may be recalled that Airtel had been given the sponsorship rights by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for all international matches to be played in India till 2013. Three medals for Indians Indians won two silver medals and a bronze in the sixth Asia Pacific Merdeka Cup lawn bowls championship held in Kuala Lumpur. Altogether 12 teams, including top sides like Australia and New Zealand, participated in the championship. The medal winners: Silver: Sunil Bahadur (men's singles); Krishna Xalxo and Lovely Choubey (mixed pairs); Bronze: Sunil Bahadur, Krishna Xalxo and Lovely Choubey (mixed triples). Force India-Sahara deal Force India will now be known as Sahara Force India. Making the announcement, Subrata Roy and Vijay Mallya hoped the new partnership would be good for the sport in the country. Sahara decided to invest $100million in Force India after visiting its factory. Roy and Mallya will have stakes worth 42.5 per cent each with the Michiel Mol family holding the remaining 15 per cent. Roy takes over as Chairman of the Board of Directors, while Mallya will continue as the Managing Director and Team Principal. It will be issuing new shares and the money will be used for research and development of the team. Mallya said, F1 is taking root in India. It is a sport next to Olympics and FIFA World Cup with a viewer ship in millions.

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1. Supreme Court reduces Uphaar compensation The families of the victims of Uphaar cinema fire tragedy suffered a major blow with the Supreme Court drastically reducing the quantum of compensation awarded to them by the Delhi High Court from Rs.18 lakh to Rs.10 lakh. In the horrific fire on June 13, 1997, a total of 59 people were killed and 103 injured. A Bench of Justice R.V. Raveendran and Justice K. S. Radhakrishnan also reduced the punitive damages to be paid to the victims by the Ansal brothers, owners of Uphaar theatre, from Rs.2.5 crore to Rs.25 lakh. This amount would be shared jointly and severally by the Ansal brothers and the erstwhile Delhi Vidyut Board. The Bench said a compensation of Rs.10 lakh each would be paid to the families of the deceased above 20 years of age while for victims below 20 years the compensation would be Rs.7.5 lakh, down from 15 lakh awarded by the High Court. As far as the compensation amount was concerned, the Ansals would pay 85 per cent; the balance would be shared by the DVB. 2. Robotic liver surgery In good news for liver donors, robotic surgery, which makes the procedure safer and minimizes discomfort, is now available in India. The liver transplant team at Medanta Liver Institute conducted India's first and the world's third robotic liver donor surgery. 3. Cabinet approves ordinance to phase out analogue cable TV by 2014 Analogue cable television will become obsolete in India in three years time, with the government deciding to promulgate an ordinance to make the digitalization of cable services mandatory by 2014. The Union Cabinet approved the Information and Broadcasting Ministry's proposal to promulgate the Digitalization of Analogue Cable Systems Ordinance. The ordinance aims at complete digitalization of cable television in the four metros by March 31, 2012. The next target will be cities with over 10 lakh population. By the end of 2014, the entire country is expected to have phased out analogue cable TV. India is thus becoming part of a global transition towards digitalization. While the U.S. completed its shift in 2009, China has given itself a deadline of 2015 to phase out analogue transmission. 4. Sterlite unit allowed to continue operations While permitting Sterlite Industries at Tuticorin to continue operations of its copper plant, the Supreme Court has directed the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) to issue notice to the industry for carrying out remedial measures and removing deficiencies within such time it thinks reasonable and proper. A Bench of Justice R.V. Raveendran and Justice A.K. Patnaik in its interim order directed the Board to give such directions in two weeks. The Bench pointed out that the TNPCB had filed an affidavit on August 30, 2011, listing the deficiencies and measures to be implemented by the petitioner-industry. The Board had pointed out deficiencies in emission control in the process section, fugitive emission control, effluent treatment operation, disposal of rejects arising from effluent treatment plant, raw material storage handling, storm water drainage and collection system solid waste disposal, monitoring of air quality, effluent and water consumption and green belt development. 5. First female jawan honoured President Pratibha Patil has honored Indian Railways' SPR Shanti Tigga, a member of the Territorial Army, at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. Ms. Tigga, 35, is the first female jawan in the defence forces. 6. Dutch honour for Bedi Former IPS officer and activist Kiran Bedi has been selected for the Avicenna Leadership Award, constituted by a Dutch institute, for her innate ability to inspire others towards leadership. She will be presented the award in Amsterdam on October 14. She has been selected for the award for leading Indian women, as well as her contributions to the Tihar Jail as its head.

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7. Rajaratnam handed 11-year jail term Raj Rajaratnam (54), billionaire hedge fund manager convicted in May on 14 counts of securities fraud and conspiracy, was handed a 11-year jail term by a Manhattan court, said to be the longest sentence imposed for insider trading in New York in 20 years. Though the prosecution in the two-year case had pushed for a maximum jail term of over 24 years, the Sri-Lankan born boss of the Galleon Group had pleaded for a lenient sentence arguing that given his health problems a long term would amount to a death sentence. While conceding that Mr. Rajaratnam's ill health justified some leniency in sentencing, U.S. District Judge Richard Holwell took on board the arguments of the prosecution that as the modern face of illegal insider trading, Mr. Rajaratnam had made over $64 million through his illicit network informants. 8. A rival'' to the Man Booker Prize For more than 30 years, the Booker Prize (renamed Man Booker after its takeover by the Man Group) has enjoyed near cult status in much of the English-speaking world but a group of prominent British writers, literary agents and critics announced a rival'' prize, The Literature Prize'', amid a growing and ill-tempered row over the quality of this year's Booker shortlist which has been criticised for favouring readability'' over literary merit. The prize, to be launched next year, promises to recognise the best novel'' written in the English language and published in the U.K. in a given year regardless of the nationality of the writer unlike the Booker which is restricted to writers from the Commonwealth countries. 9. Married to the right person: Bhutan's king Bhutan's fifth monarch, King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk (31), married Jetsun Pema (21) at a traditional Buddhist ceremony on October 13. The wedding took place at a majestic monastery-fortress, the Palace of Great Happiness in Phunaka, the old capital which is about two hours away from Thimphu. The couple dressed in traditional Bhutanese attire. The king, his father, and the chief abbot first went inside a sacred shrine to seek blessings by lighting a lamp. The Raven Crown of the King signifying the eternal reign of the Wangchuk dynasty', the Golden Bumpa filled with the ambrosia of eternal life, signifying the devotion of the Queen to the glorious continuity of the Wangchuk dynasty' and the Queen's crown rest on the altar of this shrine. 10. Trade Policy: Niryat Bandhu' concept introduced The Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has announced that it had become India's first digital signature enabled department. It also announced introduction of a new Niryat Bandhu' scheme for international business mentoring for young turks in international business enterprises. According to the new Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) unveiled, the DGFT said it had introduced a higher level of encrypted 2048 bit Digital Signature. Digital certificate provides a high level of security for online communication such that only intended recipient can read it. It provides authentication, privacy, non-repudiation and integrity in the virtual world. 11. OVL to take 25 % stake in Kazakh oil block ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL), the overseas arm of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, has signed an agreement to take a 25 per cent stake in Kazakhstan's Satpayev offshore exploration block. While OVL had on April 16 signed a joint operating agreement and participation share agreement/assignment agreement with Kazakhstan's KazMunaiGas Exploration Production to buy a quarter of the Satpayev block, this agreement makes the Kazakh government to formally become a part of the concession. The agreement papers were inked in the presence of Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural gas, R. P. N. Singh and S. Mynbaev, Minister of Oil and Gas of Kazakhstan at Astana. OVL paid $13 million as a signing amount to Kazakhstan.

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12. ULIP holders to get interest on discontinued policies Holders of unit-linked policies who discontinue their policies mid-way will get a minimum guaranteed interest on a par with SBI savings bank account rates, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority said. 13. Olympia Tech Park bags awards Olympia Technology Park has been conferred two awards, one being the most innovative and futuristically designed building in India and the other for being one of the best environmental friendly developments (runners-up), says a release. The awards were the initiative of Zee Business and Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors. 14. Federal Bank signs MoU with NSIC Federal Bank has signed a memorandum of understanding with National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) with the objective of facilitating smooth credit flow to the MSME (micro, small and medium enterprises) sector. The tie-up would provide a broader platform for extension of easy credit to Federal Bank's MSME customers. 15. Nadal crashes out of Shanghai Top seed Rafael Nadal was sent crashing out of the Shanghai Masters on a dramatic day of action, but defending champion Andy Murray survived a testing encounter to reach the quarterfinals. World No. 2 Nadal lost 6-7(5), 3-6 to Germany's Florian Mayer, who edged out in a first set tiebreak and then broke twice in the second set, stunning the crowd at the Qi Zhong Stadium. Second seed Murray, on a red-hot run of form of 21 wins from 22 matches coming into the clash against the Swiss 13th seed, won 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.

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Excavation for rail tunnel completed The Kashmir rail link project took a significant leap with the completion of excavation work for the 11-km long railway tunnel connecting Banihal town with Qazigund in south Kashmir, underneath the rugged Pir Panjal Mountains, is the longest tunnel in India. Sea levels not rising: Swedish scientist Contrary to prevailing scientific opinion, a Climate Change conference organized by the University of Mumbai and the Liberty Institute, New Delhi, and INSTUCEN India study centre has claimed that the sea levels were not rising and carbon dioxide did not pose a special threat to the climate. Sea levels in the Indian Ocean were not rising and cities like Mumbai, islands like Maldives or Tuvalu would not be affected at all. Professor Nils-Axel Morner, a retired professor from Stockholm University, who enlightened a large group of appreciative students and professors on the perils of the estimates of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The one-day conference, Shifting science and changing policy, was hosted by the Centre for Extra Mural Studies at Mumbai University. Satellite in good health The Megha-Tropiques satellite, put in orbit by the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C18) on October 12, is in good health and its four scientific instruments have been energized. The satellite is a joint contribution from India and France to the global scientific community engaged in research on climate and weather systems that affect the daily life of humanity the world over and particularly in the tropical region, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said. Three copassenger satellites, the SRMSat from the SRM University, near Chennai, the Jugnu from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur and the Vesselsat-1 from Luxembourg were put in orbit by the PSLV-C18. The user-institutions have confirmed establishing contact with their satellites. Report on wage boards sent to PMO As the Supreme Court has once again said that the Union Cabinet is free to take up the Justice G.R. Majithia Wage Boards for journalists and non-journalists of newspapers and news agencies notwithstanding a petition challenging the recommendations, the Labour Ministry has sent a detailed report to the Cabinet Secretariat and the Prime Minister's Office with the court's observations and the wage boards' recommendations. Informed sources replied in the negative when asked whether any deletions or additions had been made to the Boards' final reports. Probably, they may take it up in the next Cabinet meeting and prior to that the Cabinet Secretariat and the PMO might scrutinize the recommendations and the Supreme Court's observation in detail, said a senior official. Shimla symposium on making chemistry creative Himachal Pradesh University and the University Grants Commission are jointly organizing a twoday national symposium on Chemistry innovations for human well-being from October 21. The year 2011 has been proclaimed the International Year of Chemistry by the United Nations. Notably, the IYC 2011 coincides with the 100th anniversary of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry awarded to Marie Curie. The keynote address will be delivered by Dr. D. K. Tuli, an alumnus of the University's chemistry department and at present Research and Development General Manager for the Indian Oil Corporation in Faridabad.

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Shram awards for four Four employees of Hindustan Zinc received the Prime Minister's Shram Award for the year 2009 in the workmen category for their exemplary performance record and high order of devotion to duty. The Prime Minister's Shram Bhushan Award carries a Sanad' and a cash award of Rs. 1 lakh and the Prime Minister's Shram Veer Award carries a a cash award of Rs. 60,000. The recipients are fitter Bhura Lal Nagda, assistant foremen Jagdish Chandra Jat, Dal Chand Lohar and Mahendra Kumar Soni, who is also an assistant foreman in ore dressing. The awards were given away by Union Minister of Labour and Employment Mallikarjun Kharge in New Delhi's Vigyan Bhawan. Rural, urban health missions may be merged in 13th Plan The Centre proposes to merge the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and the yet-to-belaunched National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) during the13th Five-Year-Plan period. The two ambitious projects will, however, remain separate entities in the coming 12th Plan period. In its proposals to the Planning Commission, the Health and Family Welfare Ministry has said the NUHM will be taken up as a thrust area of the 12th Plan and launched as a separate mission with focus on slums and the urban poor. It will cover all cities and towns with a population of more than 50,000 broadly 779 cities and towns including the mega cities of Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Ahmadabad. The NRHM was launched in 2005 and is proposed to be extended by five years. Nod for ordinance to phase out analogue cable TV by 2014 Analogue cable television will become obsolete in India in three years' time with the government deciding to promulgate an ordinance to make the digitalization of cable services mandatory by 2014. The Union Cabinet approved the Information and Broadcasting Ministry's proposal to promulgate the Digitalization of Analogue Cable Systems Ordinance. The shift would mean that all customers must have a set top box whether they want to receive free-to-air or pay channels. They will be able to watch high quality channels of their choice on an a la carte basis, and are likely to have access to internet and telephone through the same digital cable. Broadcasters may be able to generate more revenue directly from subscribers, and thus reduce their dependence on TRPs and advertisers. Celebrating World Post Day Workers of the Department of Post & Telegraph celebrated World Post Day at the General Post Office in Kolkata on October 14. The department observed a National Postal Week from October 9 to 14. The GPO building with a rotunda was designed by Walter B. Grenville in 1864. Russian honors for Delhi airport The Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) received the Golden Chariot Russian Transport Public award earlier this month at the World Routes Forum in Berlin. Speaking about the award, DIAL CEO I. Prabhakara Rao said: The Golden Chariot is recognition for Delhi's Terminal-3, our team and for the spirit that continues to make Delhi International Airport India's first Hub Airport. Delhi Airport shared the honor with Novosibirsk International Airport Tolmachevo (Russian Federation). The project has been supported by the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation, the Government of the Russian Federation, the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation and transport associations, guilds and trade unions.

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Vice-President beckons Turkish investors With bilateral trade set to surpass the $5-billion mark two years ahead of schedule, VicePresident Hamid Ansari has urged Turkish businesspersons to explore the opportunity in infrastructure development being planned by India Turkey prided itself on having some top companies in infrastructure. And India earmarked $1trillion for infrastructure development over five years from 2012, offering an opportunity for investment, Mr. Ansari said, addressing the Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists of Turkey (TUSKON). Wozniak in line for iPhone Steve Wozniak expressed his fondness for fellow Apple co-founder Steve Jobs early in a way many gadget lovers can relate to by camping out overnight for the latest iPhone. Television station NBC11 is reporting that Mr. Wozniak was first in line when he showed up at the Apple store in Los Gatos. The iPhone 4S went on sale worldwide, the company's first new release since the death of Jobs last week, and a jovial atmosphere pervaded most Apple stores from Australia to Tokyo to Europe as thousands waited in line for the gadgets. The latest iPhone hits stores after already breaking a record on first-day pre-orders. Mr. Wozniak, now 61, founded Apple with Jobs in 1976. Last week Mr. Wozniak said he was dumbfounded by the news of his friend's death. China backs Nalanda project China has reiterated its backing to the initiative to rebuild the Nalanda university, even as the Governing Board of the proposed university held a board meeting and discussed the university's future with the Chinese leadership. The Governing Board, led by Nobel laureate Amartya Sen, was invited to hold a board meeting in China by Premier Wen Jiabao following last year's meeting of the East Asia Summit, which had earlier declared its support to the project. China has already announced it would donate $1 million to the project. Uniform KYC Regulation norms by month-end Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is planning to come out by this month-end norms for setting up a uniform Know Your Customer (KYC) Regulation Authority. That will ease the burden alike on the intermediaries as well as the common man, seeking to make investments. SEBI Chairman U. K. Sinha said that the regulator was encouraging the setting up of KYC Registration Agencies. Indications were that licenses would be given for setting up these agencies which would receive KYC applications and give out a number that would go to a common date base and could be used by the consumer whenever he is required to fulfill KYC requirement. India to host World Steel Conference next year In an indication of India's emerging importance on the world steel map and massive growth it is poised for in this sector, India has been awarded the right to hold the World Steel Conference in October next. The governing body of the World Steel Association, representing 170 producers and accounting for 85 per cent of world steel production, has decided to give the rights to hold the World Steel Conference in India from October 8 to 12 next year. For pesky calls, Vodafone fines telemarketing firms Mobile operator Vodafone has penalised telemarketing companies for making unsolicited calls to its subscribers, and deposited Rs.50,000 with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) collected as fine. This is the first such instance since the new regulations on telemarketing calls came into force last month. On September 27, the TRAI enforced The Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations.' Violators could be penalized up to Rs.2.5 lakh, while habitual offenders would be blacklisted.

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Panel to look into relocating NTPC's Jharkhand unit The Union Government has constituted a three-member panel headed by Planning Commission member, B. K. Chaturvedi to look into proposed relocation of NTPC's 1,980-MW North Karanpura plant in Jharkhand. The development comes after a Group of Ministers (GoM) on Coal, headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, at its meeting last month, decided to refer the North Karanpura power project issue to the B.K. Chaturvedi Committee. The three-member panel, which includes Coal Secretary Alok Perti and Power Secretary P. Uma Shankar, will submit its report within a month from the day of its formation. Father of C programming language passes away Dennis Ritchie, a computer czar who wrote the popular C programming language and helped develop the UNIX operating system, has died. Ritchie, 70, was found dead at his home in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey. Ritchie, who lived alone, was in frail health in recent years after treatment for prostate cancer and heart disease. Ritchie is best known for his contributions to computer programming and software. Escorts unveils new tractors in Tamil Nadu Escorts, a leading tractor manufacturer, unveiled its Jai Kisan Series' of tractors in Tamil Nadu. Presently available across all Escorts network in Tamil Nadu, the new series will come in five new categories ValueMaxx, LoadMaxx, AgMaxx, InfraMaxx and SuperMaxx in the 25 HP to 60 HP range and at price range from Rs. 3.1 lakh onwards. Dhoni, Raina star in India's big win An elusive Indian dream became a reality at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. Since the tie in a World Cup match at Bangalore in February, M.S. Dhoni's men have found in England, an impregnable rival. The ghosts of the immediate past were finally laid to rest at least for now as India defeated England by 126 runs in the opening One-Day International to go 1-0 up in the fivematch series. Chasing India's 300 for seven in 50 overs, England mustered 174 in 36.1 overs. IPL V from April 4 The chairman of the Governing Council of the Indian Premier League Rajiv Shukla, told the media that the issue of Pakistani players' participation in the IPL had not yet been finalized. The dates of the DLF IPL 2012 were confirmed and the event will begin in Chennai from April 4 with an inaugural ceremony a day before the first match, and end on May 27.

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Youth science congress from November 3 to 5 The National Agricultural Science Complex is gearing for the third Indian Youth Science Congress to be held at the complex from November 3 to 5. The three-day programme, aimed at providing a platform for young research scholars and students to mingle with each other and interact with top scientists in their fields, would have the theme of Youth and agenda21: shaping a sustainable feature.' The conference is being organised by the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, SRM University, Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development, National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resource and Vishwa Yuvak Kendra. Every eighth urban child in India lives in slum: report Every eighth urban child in India in the age-group of 0-6 years stays in slums, according to Slums in India A statistical compendium 2011' published by the Union government. ... about 7.6 million children are living in slums in India and they constitute 13.1 per cent of the total child population of the urban areas of the 26 States/ Union Territories reporting slums, the report compiled by the National Buildings Organisation (NBO) of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation. More than 20 per cent of Chandigarh's children are in slums. According to the data, Maharashtra has the highest slum child population with around 1.7 million children (between 0-6 years) staying in slums. But Chandigarh has the highest proportion of slum child population. After Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh has the second highest slum child population of around 0.97 million. It is followed by Andhra Pradesh (0.83 million), Madhya Pradesh (0.6 million), West Bengal (0.53 million) and Tamil Nadu (0.51 million). A high-power committee was appointed by the Ministry headed by Pranob Sen, the then Chief Statistician of India. James Bond director to make film on Ramanujan Roger Spottiswoode, best known for his James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies , is working on a movie on mathematical genius Srinivasa Ramanujan starring Rang De Basanti actor Siddharth. Spottiswoode, who is part of the international competition jury of the Mumbai Film Festival, said the film was not a biography of Ramanujan who died at the young age of 32. It will rather deal with his friendship with G.H. Hardy, the man who first spotted his talent in Cambridge. Titled The First Class Man, the film's scripting has been completed and shooting is being planned from next year. New chairman for agricultural scientists' recruitment board Union Agriculture Commissioner Gurbachan Singh has been appointed Chairman of the Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board for a seven-year term until further orders or till he attains the age of 65, whichever is earlier. The Board is crucial to recruitment of farm researchers and policy formulation. Dr. Singh, during whose tenure as Agriculture Commissioner the country achieved its highest food grain production including a record pulses output, has assumed charge of his new post. Recipient of several awards, he is also the founder-President of the Indian Society of Soil Salinity and Water Quality. India helps three nations get on IT track India has offered help to three Eurasian nations Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Armenia with strengthening their information technology and telecom infrastructure by sharing expertise and setting up centers of excellence in these nations. In Uzbekistan, we will be setting up a Centre of Information Technology, besides strengthening cooperation in the field of software development and production and also in information and communication technology (ICT). Similarly in Turkmenistan and Armenia, India is setting up exclusive IT centers for the government as well as prestigious universities, Union Minister of State for Communications & IT Sachin Pilot told.

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Idols installed in Srinagar temple after two decades A Murti sthapna' (statue installation) function was performed at the Shri Chander Chinar temple after a gap of over two decades. Sadhus from many parts of the country and outside assembled at the temple for the Murti sthapna' and special prayers, an official of the Chander Chinar Trust said. Idols of Mata Durga, Shiv Parivar and Hanuman Ji were installed at the temple. Although the temple has been functional even after eruption of militancy in 1989, this is the first Murti sthapna' function performed in the temple after nearly 22 years. Nobel Memorial Wall unveiled at Rajiv Chowk metro station To honour Indian Nobel Laureates and create awareness about their contribution to society, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation and the Embassy of Sweden jointly inaugurated The Nobel Memorial Wall at the Rajiv Chowk station. The Wall has portraits of the seven Nobel laureates from India -- Rabindranath Tagore, C. V. Raman, Hargobind Khorana, Mother Teresa, Subramanyam Chandrasekhar, Amartya Sen and Venkatraman Ramakrishnan -- highlighting their contribution towards society. DMRC Managing Director E. Sreedharan and Embassy of Sweden Charg d'Affaires Arn Kallin jointly unveiled the Nobel Wall for metro users. Dr. Sreedharan said that a similar wall has also been put up at the HUDA City Centre metro station. World Egg Day observed The World Egg Day' was observed by the National Egg Co-ordination Committee. On the occasion the committee, along with the State's Poultry Federation, distributed boiled eggs to children, patients and other needy persons at various hospitals, old age homes and schools. Court notice on Taj Mahal report Taking suo motu cognisance of a newspaper report that claimed that the 17th Century monument Taj Mahal might collapse in the next five years, the Supreme Court has called for a response from the Centre, the Archaeological Survey of India and the Uttar Pradesh Government within two weeks. A Bench of Justices D. K. Jain and Anil R. Dave also issued notice to the Union Ministry of Environment & Forests to examine reports that the Taj Mahal was in danger due to the Yamuna River drying up. Lula, Kufuor recognised for eradicating chronic hunger Even as the poor continue to suffer daily under added pressure from the global economic downturn, two former Presidents were awarded the 2011 World Food Prize for their success in tackling chronic hunger in their countries. John Agyekum Kufuor, former president of Ghana, and Luiz Incio Lula da Silva, former president of Brazil, were honoured for creating and implementing government policies that alleviated hunger and transformed the lives of the poor. The award, which was instituted in 1987 by Nobel Peace Prize winner and father of the Green Revolution Norman Borlaug, has in the past been given to agricultural scientists such as M.S. Swaminathan of India winner of the first ever WFP award. It has also sometimes gone to social entrepreneurs such as Muhammad Yunus, formerly of the Grameen Bank, Bangladesh. PepsiCo sees good potential in health food segment PepsiCo, hitherto known for its beverages and snacks, is now focussing on the health food segment, particularly breakfast cereal, to drive sales and expand its market base in India. One such product that tops the priority list of the U.S.-based food and beverage giant is Quaker Oats, which is globally a leading brand and fast picking up in India. This transition is also is in line with PepsiCo Chairman and CEO Indra K. Nooyi's vision of generating $30 billion in revenues from healthier' products alone by 2020.

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Churchill Brothers lifts Durand Cup It was hardly a contest befitting the occasion; a title clash, involving two of the finest clubs, but rarely rising above mediocrity. If Churchill Brothers won the Durand Cup at the Ambedkar Stadium, with a 5-4 tie-break win over Prayag United, it was more out of providence than conviction. The regulation and extra time had proved goalless. In the tie-breaker, Churchill Brothers scored through Lalrindika Ralte, M.P. Zakeer, Bineesh Balan, Matthew Kouacic and Denzil Franco. For Prayag, Kayne Vincent, Mohammad Rafique, Belo Razaq and Maksawn Tluanga scored while Yusuf Yakubu drove wide. Yuki Bhambri and Rutuja claim titles It ended with a warm hug at the net after a fierce battle. Yuki Bhambri won, but Vishnu Vardhan did not lose either. He won the hearts of the audience at Court No. 1 of the DLTA Complex in the Fenesta National tennis championship. Bhambri won 6-4, 7-6(6) in a contest that kept the crowd enthralled. Fifteen-year-old Rutuja Bhosale emerged the new women's champion when she beat Isha Lakhani 6-3, 6-3 in a little over an hour. The Bhambri-Vishnu Vardhan clash was the showpiece of the tournament that had brought forth some exciting talent. The circuit can look forward to exploits from Rutuja. The Pune girl was applauded lavishly when she stepped up to collect her trophy from chief guest Sania Mirza. Amittrajit Ghosh to drive for MRF National Rally champion Amittrajit Ghosh will be the only one from eastern India to compete in the support race of the inaugural Formula 1 Airtel Grand Prix at Buddha International Circuit later this month. The 26-year-old two-time National racing champion and the former Red Rooster racing driver will turn out in MRF colours in an elite group of 15 people. The competition in this championship is expected to be fierce with 12 out of the 20 participants being international drivers racing in different championships all over the world. The field includes Nick Percat (winner of the Australian championship), British driver Alice Powell (2010 Formula Renault BARC champion), Jukka Honkavuori, Phillipe Layac and Jordan King. Some of the Indian names include Parthiva Sureshwaren (currently racing in the F2 championship), Ashwin Sundar and Gaurav Gill. Krishna Poonia qualifies Krishna Poonia qualified for the London Olympic Games in discus with a gold-winning performance of 61.12 metres at the Fling throws meet at the Mac Wilkins Throw Centre, Portland, Oregon, USA. A Commonwealth Games champion and Asian Games bronze medalist, Poonia has a personal best of 63.69m. Bagan coach Steve Darby resigns The tussle between Mohun Bagan and its British coach Steve Darby finally ended, as the latter put in his papers after bidding goodbye to his players during morning practice. Since Mohun Bagan failed to make an impact in the three quarterfinal group league matches of the Federation Cup, the club wanted him to quit. But Darby refused to comply, seeking full compensation as per the contract with the century-old club. The club then appointed a three-member technical committee, comprising Chuni Goswami, Prasanta Banerjee and Satyajit Chaterjee, to oversee the coach's work.

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Moists are supari killers, jungle mafia' Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee has lebeled the Maoist as supari killers, jungle mafia and cowardly goons hiding in the forests. She further said There is no ism' involved. It is neither Marxism nor Maoism nor the politics of Congress nor nationalism. It is only the politics of killing. It is worth mentioned that no other State has established Human Right court, only the West Bengal government has set up 13 human rights courts. She has applead to the Maoists to talk face to face and approach human right courts if there is any violation of human rights. Book on Kesavananda Bharati case Chief Justice of India S.H. Kapadia will release a book dealing with this case at a function on October 18. The senior advocate and former Solicitor- General, T.R. Andhyarujina, has written the book, explaining the culmination of a struggle for supremacy over the power to amend the Constitution between Parliament and the government on the one hand, and the Supreme Court on the other. Save Sharmila campaign launched from Srinagar Social activist Medha Patkar with founder and chairperson of The Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP) Parveena Ahanger has started the 'Save Sharmila campaign' in Srinagar. Social activists on 16/10/2011 started a protest rally from Srinagar to Imphal demanding the repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). Maharatna firms to set aside at least 1% and Navratna firms 0.5% of profit after tax The Union government has made research and development (R&D) mandatory for all profit-making Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) with immediate effect. The Department of Public Enterprises (DPE), under the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, has, in a memorandum, directed that Maharatna companies set aside at least 1 per cent of their profit after tax (PAT) for expenditure on R&D and other Navratna status undertakings earmark 0.5 per cent of their PAT for the purpose. Lossmaking, sick and those on revival package have been exempted from this. Transco bags Enertia award The AP Transco has bagged the prestigious 5th Enertia national best performing State power utility award for the second consecutive year for its excellent performance in reducing transmission and distribution losses from 18.34 per cent in 2009-10 to 17.76 per cent in 2010-11. Transco was selected for the award by a 10-membeer jury headed by Anil Razdan, former Secretary, Ministry of Power, based on three basic parameters -- reduction in transmission and distribution losses, better availability of transmission lines for power generated, and lesser rate of transformer failure. He was awarded on 14-10-2011. Minimum wages likely for MGNREGA workers The Centre is likely to pay minimum wages to workers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in compliance with the recent Karnataka High Court ruling upholding the supremacy of the Minimum Wages Act (MWA) over the MGNREGA. Union Minister of Rural Development Jairam Ramesh has taken a decision favouring payment of minimum wages for agricultural workers as notified by the States as MGNREGA wages. The NREGA wages should not be lower than the minimum wages as was the case in six States currently and expressed confidence about winning over the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister this time round to accept the proposal that the National Advisory Council (NAC) under Sonia Gandhi had recommended in November 2010. Synthetic courts for rural areas Minister for Forest, Sports and Cinema K. B. Ganesh Kumar said that the government proposed to set up two multi-purpose synthetic courts in rural areas in each district. Of these, 10 would be completed within the next four months. The Minister said in an official release that the courts would have facilities for training and practice in six games such as football, hockey and volleyball. Priority would be given to hilly areas. Page 1 of 2 17 October 2011
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By 2025 about 1.8 billion people will live in places suffering from severe water scarcity The International Water Management Institute shares these concerns, predicting that by 2025 about 1.8 billion people will live in places suffering from severe water scarcity. According to demographers, the world's population didn't reach 1 billion until 1804, and it took 123 years to hit the 2 billion mark in 1927. Then the pace accelerated 3 billion in 1959, 4 billion in 1974, 5 billion in 1987, 6 billion in 1998. Vettel clinches Korean GP in style Double World champion Sebastian Vettel won the Korean Grand Prix in crushing fashion to help his Red Bull team retain the Formula One constructors title .Just a week after cruising to third place in Japan, where Vettel confirmed himself as the 2011 drivers World champion, the 24-year-old German drove to his 10th win this year, and 20th of his career. Murray wins Shanghai Masters Andy Murray sealed his third straight title and guaranteed that he will leapfrog Roger Federer to No. 3 in the world rankings after a hard-fought 7-5, 6-4 win over David Ferrer on 16/10/2011. It is the third ATP tour title in as many weeks for Murray, who was victorious at the Thailand Open and Japan Open during his 15-match winning streak. He has won 25 of 26 matches since mid-August, his only defeat coming in the US Open semifinals to Rafael Nadal, whom he beat in the Japan Open final. Sarjubala claims title World youth champion Sh. Sarjubala Devi clinched the 48kg title in the National women's boxing championships, here on Sunday(16/10/2011). In the summit clash, Sarjubala, who was trailing by six points before the fourth and final round, gathered 14 points in the last period to beat Krishna Thapa 36-34 and claim her maiden National crown at the senior level. Media association honours green shows The Environmental Media Association has recognised six Hollywood productions for spreading the word about going green. Warner Bros.' animated Yogi Bear and the documentary Revenge of the Electric Car were honoured at the group's 21st anniversary party and awards ceremony at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, Calif. Sunil Gavasker became brand ambessdor Cricket player Sunil Gavasker was appointed as brand ambessdor for Balika Bachao Compaign. This compaign has been launched by Indian Medical Associan (IMA)

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Common symbol for registered unrecognized parties now Continuing its exercise of reforms in various provisions and guidelines, the Election Commission of India headed by Chief Election Commissioner S. Y. Quraishi has moved one more step ahead by allowing registered unrecognized political parties to have a common symbol as a one-time offer during general elections. To avail of the concession in the symbol allotment under the revised provisions of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968, such parties will have to contest the general election from at least 10 per cent of the constituencies in a State subject to a minimum of five Assembly constituencies in a State having less than 50 Assembly constituencies, and two Parliamentary Constituencies in a State having less than 20 Parliamentary constituencies. The intimation of such constituencies should be given to the EC at least three clear days before the date of issue of election notification along with the choice of 10 symbols from the list of free symbols. This concession will be only as a one-time facility at the time of general elections for the Lok Sabha or a State Legislative Assembly. A political party which was a recognized party earlier and which is not entitled now to the facility of allotment of any particular symbol to its candidates will also be accorded this concession. Centre bans Letrozole The Centre has suspended the manufacture, sale and distribution of Letrozole for induction of ovulation in anovulatory infertility' with immediate affect.The suspension has been ordered under Section 26A of the Drugs and Cosmetic Act, 1940 (23 of 1940) after the government decided that it was necessary and expedient to regulate distribution of the drug in public interest. The government is satisfied that the use of letrozole for induction of ovulation in anovulatory infertility is likely to involve risk to human beings and safer alternatives to the drugs are available, the Ministry of Health said in a release. P.K. Pradhan takes over as Health Secretary P.K. Pradhan has took over as Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. He replaced K. Chandramouli who retired in August. Mr. Pradhan, an IAS officer from the West Bengal Cadre (1977 batch), was Special Secretary and Mission Director, National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), in the Department of Health and Family Welfare. In his career spanning more than 34 years, Mr. Pradhan has handled various portfolios in the urban sector. He has been looking after the NRHM since the past two years. 50% subsidy on stall rent for regional language books at the 20th World Book Fair A special pavilion is being established to help regional language publishers and writer sell rights of their books, two halls will display only regional language books and a 50 per cent subsidy will be given on stall rent for regional language books at the 20th New Delhi World Book Fair 2012 being hosted by the National Book Trust (NBT) at Pragati Maidan from February 25 to March 2012. National book Trust director M.A. Sikandar said he was visiting different places in the country prior to the World Book Fair to interact with book sellers, publishers and even writers to persuade them to participate in the fair. Special steps were being taken to encourage publishers and writers of regional language books to participate in the book fair. He said the book fair held every two years was entering the 40th year of its foundation. The New Delhi World Book Fair (NDWBF) was first organized by NBT in 1972. New Delhi too would be celebrating 100 years of becoming the capital of modern India. Punjab National Bank buys stake in MetLife Punjab National Bank (PNB) has made a foray into the insurance sector by acquiring a 30 per cent stake in MetLife India, a life insurance company, subject to regulatory approvals, said K. R. Kamath, Chairman and Managing Director of the bank.

Page 1 of 3 18 October 2011

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New bike under Hero logo Hero MotoCorp has launched its first motorcycle, Impulse, under the new Hero brand name since the break-up of Hero Honda last year. Priced at Rs.66,800, the 150-cc bike is the country's only dual-purpose on-road-off-road motorcycle, thereby introducing an entirely new segment in the Indian two-wheeler market. Impulse, first showcased at the launch event of Hero MotoCorp's new global brand identity in London in August, comes with many versatile features including nitrox-gas filled mono-shock rear suspension which ensures a smooth ride on roughest of terrains, high ground clearance with large front wheel with stud-type tread pattern tyres and large front disc brakes which lets the rider traverse any road or any stretch. Initially, the company would target metros and Tier-I cities. Tata bags Swiss award Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata has been honored with Swiss Ambassador's Award for Exceptional Leadership', which recognizes individuals who have contributed to the promotion of Indo-Swiss bilateral relations or have stood out for their exceptional role in the society and industry.After conferring the award on Mr. Tata, Swiss Ambassador Philippe Welti acknowledged Mr. Tata's contribution to not just Indian but global business world. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Tata said the legacy of a true leader was to have made a difference and improved the quality of life of the people whom the person served. BMW India to launch Mini next year German auto major BMW has said it will launch the small luxury car, Mini, in India by next year at a price that is expected to be above Rs 25 lakh. The company also said it will set up separate showrooms for the brand and aims to have up to 12 dealerships across the country for the Mini in the coming years. Mini will be introduced in India in 2012. Mini would be sold in India through import of completely built units (CBU). BMW had earlier planned to launch the Mini in India in 2009. New private air cargo service to North East to take off in a week A new private air cargo service connecting the city with the North-East will be operational in a week, giving a facelift to the regions logistics system. Initially, it will be operated between Kolkata and Imphal. According to Manosij Roy, the director of Rudra GTL Aviation Pvt Ltd, the company has wet leased two ATR 72 aircraft from Deccan Cargo Express and Logistics (P) Ltd and these would be co-branded by Rudra GTL and Deccan. Samsung moves court to block sale of iPhone 4S in Australia Samsung Electronics Co Ltd has filed a suit in an Australian court to try to block local sales of Apple Incs iPhone 4S smartphone. The move came days after Apple won a temporary injunction stopping the South Korean company from launching its Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet computer in Australia. The Federal Court ordered that the injunction was justified because of the likelihood Apple could prove Samsung had copied patents incorporated in the iPhone and iPad. Samsung had already voluntarily delayed the launch of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 pending the outcome of a court wrangle that was expected to run into next year. Samsung said the iPhone 4S had infringed its patents on two mobile broadband standards.

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Tomar, Sonu win gold Shokender Tomar and Sonu Lakshminarain won the men's lightweight doubles sculls gold in the Asian rowing championships at Hwacheon. A 31-member team from India took part and won a handful of medals. Other medal winners: Men: Singles sculls: Swaran Singh (bronze); Lightweight coxless fours: Manjeet, Sandeep, Satish, Raliya (silver); Coxed eight: Manjeet, Sandeep, Ranjeet, Anil, Kapil, Devender, Satish, Raliya and cox-Md. Ali (silver). Junior: Coxless pairs: Jasveer Singh and S. Jayadeep (bronze); Coxless fours: Palender, Tejas Shinde, Shiv Singh, and Manish Yadav (silver). Women: Junior singles sculls: Amusuma Devi (silver); Junior coxless pairs: Honey Joseph, Nitya Joseph (silver). Dipika triumphs Top seed Dipika Pallikal won her second WISPA title in as many months when she beat SarahJane Perry of the USA in the final of the Dread series 2 squash tournament in Washington. She had won the Orange County tournament earlier. The scoreline of 11-9, 11-3, 11-7, however, does not convey the intense competition between the two. The unseeded American led 9-5 at one stage in the first game. But the Indian, who took time to adapt to her opponent's aggressive approach, got back her touch on her returns. Imparting variations, she quickly put things in order. Six points in a row ensured the first game for Dipika and from then there was no looking back for the Indian. In 33 minutes she completed her task and was amply rewarded. Indian, Austrian emerge winners in Raid de Himalaya Austrian Helmut Frauwallner and India's Suresh Rana won the extreme two-wheeler and extreme-four wheeler categories in the 13th Raid de Himalaya motor rally. The annual rally an off-road racing spectacle in the rugged, inhospitable Himalayan terrain had begun on October 9 from Shimla before ending at the Royal Springs Golf Course on the banks of the Dal lake. The rallyists went via Manali-Leh-Rangdum (Zanskar), which comprises of one of the world's most dangerous roads. Raid de Himalaya organizing committee member Navdeep Thareja said interim results show Rana winning the extreme four-wheeler category, Frauwallner winning in extreme two-wheeler section and brothers Umesh Raheja-Yogesh Raheja winning the adventure category. Indy 500 winner Wheldon dies after massive wreck Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon died at Las Vegas Motor Speedway after his car became ensnarled in a fiery 15-car pileup flew over another vehicle and landed in a catch fence just outside turn 2. The 33-year-old Englishman was a two-time Indy winner, including this years race. Three other drivers, including championship contender Will Power, were hurt in the pileup during Lap 11.

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Assembly polls across five States may be clubbed As the Election Commission prepares for the mammoth task of holding the Legislative Assembly polls in five States in the first half of next year, deliberations are on to see whether the polls can be clubbed together and held at one go. While the term of the 403-member Uttar Pradesh Assembly expires on May 20 next year, the 117-member Punjab Assembly ends its term on March 14, the 70-member Uttarakhand Assembly on March 12, the 60-member Manipur Assembly on March 15 and the 40-member Goa Assembly on June 14. Commission is also examining whether the elections could be held in a single phase, barring Uttar Pradesh where polling would be held in three or more phases. Chief Election Commissioner S. Y. Quraishi recently met Union Home Secretary R. K. Singh and Secretary (Internal Security) U. K. Bansal along with Election Commissioners V. S. Sampath and H. S. Brahma to discuss the deployment of Central Para-military forces (CPF) for the polls. Railways make online travel easier No more do you have to carry your ticket to travel in the reserved compartment of a train now provided you have booked it online. With immediate effect, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC) are doing away with the need to carry a printed copy of the e-ticket for its 3.5 lakh passengers who book their tickets online daily. All that you have to show now is the SMS you have received as acknowledgment of purchase of the ticket from IRCTC on your mobile phone to the ticket examiner on the train. In case you are carrying a laptop, showing the e-mailed ticket will be sufficient proof. IRCTC officials said the new move would help save at least 3.5 lakh sheets of paper daily, serving the cause of the environment. Conference on wood science Artisans from Japan, Indonesia, China, Turkey, Cameroon and India will demonstrate their craft at an international event being organized by the Institute of Wood Science and Technology for three days from Oct 19 at J.N. Tata Auditorium in Bengaluru. The event will also see deliberations on the science and aesthetics related to sustainable use of wood. The conference, Art and joy of wood', is part of a series of global events being organized this year to mark the International Year of Forests. The conference will be inaugurated by Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs S. Suresh Kumar. Tripura Forest Minister Jitendra Chaudhary will deliver the presidential address. Bail for Romesh Sharma after 13 years in jail Romesh Sharma, the alleged front man of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, has granted bail by the Delhi High Court after spending nearly 13 years in jail in a case lodged against him for allegedly grabbing a helicopter and keeping it at his Delhi farmhouse. Justice V.K. Shali allowed the bail plea of Sharma, who has been in jail since October 20, 1998, in connection with the case, and asked him to furnish a personal bond and two surety bonds of Rs.20 lakh each as precondition for his release. Besides the chopper grabbing case, Sharma is also facing trial in nearly a dozen criminal cases. Mr. H. Suresh Rao had lodged an FIR with Delhi Police in 1998 alleging that Sharma hired his chopper (Bell-47 helicopter) for an election campaign at Phulpur in Uttar Pradesh during the 1996 Lok Sabha polls. Later he failed to return it and forcibly kept it in his farmhouse. Jnanpith award bestowed on Shrilal Shukla in hospital The Jnanpith Award was bestowed on ailing Hindi novelist and satirist Shrilal Shukla in a hospital by Uttar Pradesh Governor B. L. Joshi. Shukla, 86, has authored Raag Darbari , Agyatvas , Bisrampur Ka Sant and many other novels. His works throw light on the falling moral values of society in the post-Independence era. Shukla and Hindi author Amar Kant were chosen on September 19 for the country's highest literary honor for 2009. Kant, also unwell, stays in Allahabad. We wanted to give the award to both the authors together, but due to illness Kant was not able to come, Delhi Jnanpith Director Ravindra Kalia said.

Page 1 of 4 19th October 2011

All Govt. schools must have toilets by November-end The Supreme Court has directed all States and Union Territories to build toilets, particularly for girls, in all government schools by the end of November. In case of any problem, the governments will at least provide temporary toilets for the students by November-end and a permanent structure by December 31, it said. It is imperative for the governments to provide toilet facilities to students. Parents would not the send girl child to school if there is no toilet. The Court passed the order on a petition seeking its direction to governments to provide basic facilities of drinking water and toilets in schools. It was also told that all the States except Uttar Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir have complied with its previous order on providing drinking water in schools. Kashmiri poet, 4 others to get Sanskriti awards A Kashmiri poet who brought alive the anguish of women in the Valley through words in her native language and an Indian Institute of Management (IIM) graduate who preferred working for under-privileged children to joining a white-collar job are among those selected for this year's Sanskriti Awards. The awards are given every year to young talents in the field of journalism, art, literature, performing arts and social achievement.Shahida Shabnam from Kupwara in Kashmir who published her first collection of stories in 2003, journalist Rana Ayyub, Bangalore-based Abhishek Hazra, musician Murad Ali and social activist and IIM graduate Vinayak Lohani will be presented the awards in New Delhi on November 18 by former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. Parliamentary panel visits ISRO The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment and Forests was on a study visit to Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). ISRO Chairperson K. Radhakrishnan welcomed chairman of the committee T. Subbarami Reddy, and three Rajya Sabha and six Lok Sabha members. The committee members were taken on a tour of ISRO's facilities at ISRO Satellite Integration and Test Establishment (ISITE), where the members saw the fabrication and testing of GSAT-6, GSAT-7 and GSAT-14 communication satellites and INSAT-3D meteorological satellite. The committee also visited Compact Antenna Test Facility. Nepal seeks to deepen development partnership' with India As Nepal's Prime Minister, Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, prepares to leave for his first bilateral visit to India, he has declared that forging a development partnership' with the southern neighbour will be among his key priorities.The larger projects have included the construction of a 200-bed Emergency and Trauma Centre in Kathmandu, support to the BP Koirala Health Institute in Dharan, and road construction in both the hills and plains. A major emphasis has been on enhancing cross-border connectivity. This includes the Tarai Road Projects, which would upgrade 1450 km of postal and feeder roads in the plains next to the border with India, integrated check posts at four points on the border and building cross-border railway links. SunBorne Energy partners Europe's IPP Eoxis Leading developer in utility scale solar projects SunBorne Energy has joined hands with Europebased IPP Eoxis Energy for executing the 15 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) projects being built in Gujarat. The project is expected to be operational by December 2011 and falls under the solar programme of Gujarat that provides a stable and favourable business environment for the development of renewable energy generation facilities. India has just commenced on an ambitious solar power development programme and one of the key success criteria for developers is to be able to attract equity from both Indian and global investors. According to an official statement, this is Eoxis' first investment in India and demonstrates its strong commitment to the country. Eoxis has ambitious plans to reach 300 MW of installed capacity in the next three years and intends to make several further investments in wind and solar generation plants. Anil Nayar, CFO of SunBorne Energy, said: We are excited that an investor of Eoxis's strength has reposed confidence in our company's project. Laurence Mulliez, CEO, Eoxis, said this investment allowed Eoxis to become a significant player in the nascent but fast-growing Indian solar sector. Page 2 of 4 19th October 2011

Tata Motors celebrates silver jubilee of Tata 407 Tata Motors has celebrated the silver jubilee of its highly successful commercial vehicle, the Tata 407. Launched in 1986, Tata 407 has sold over 5 lakh units since its launch. P. M. Telang, Managing Director-India Operations said, Tata 407 was among the first, cutting across industries, to have demonstrated the supremacy of indigenously developed products in the face of international competition. Tata 407 is available in diesel and CNG options with tonnage ranging from 2.2 to 4.2 payload. The 407 range today includes trucks, tippers, pick-ups and vehicles for agri/food products, construction, light mining and a whole host of services. The Tata 407 also spawned the company's Cityride fully built buses in 12-24 seat variants and following the company's joint venture with Marcopolo of Brazil in 2006, the platform was included in the Starbus range as a 24-seat variant and 12-18 seat luxury variants. Essar to supply 300 MW to Bihar Essar Energy has announced that it had entered into a long-term pact with the Bihar State Electricity Board for supplying 300 MW power from the group's upcoming 1,200 MW Tori-I plant in Jharkhand. This is the company's second 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with the board (BSEB) for the Tori-I project. The 1,200 MW coal-fired power stations are under construction in Jharkhand. Hind Bahwan gets award Hind Bahwan, Chairperson of the Chennai-based Bahwan CyberTek and Director, Suhail Bahwan Group, has been conferred the ABLF woman of power award' by the Asian Business Leadership Forum, a platform backed by a think-tank of prominent leaders, policy-makers, academicians, media and opinion leaders of core industries across Asia. She received the award from Kapil Sibal, Union Minister of Human Resource Development, Communications and Information Technology recently. International roaming services from Sistema Sistema Shyam TeleServices Limited (SSTL) that nationally operates telecom services under the MTS brand has announced the launch of international roaming services for its prepaid subscribers enabling them to roam across 433 GSM networks in 231 countries. The company has also launched a dual mode SIM card which would work both on GSM handsets while abroad and on OMH CDMA handsets while in India. Melt van der Spuy to head India operations of Eli Lilly Pharmaceutical major Eli Lilly and Company has named Melt van der Spuy as the new Chairman and Managing Director for its India operations, effective November 1. GVK Airport Holdings acquires 50.5 % in MIAL GVK Airport Holdings, a subsidiary of GVK Power and Infrastructure said it had acquired 13.5 per cent stake in Mumbai International Airport (MIAL) for a consideration of $231 million from Bid Services Division (Mauritius). Tarapore's Test debut India's Shahvir Tarapore will make his on-field umpiring debut in Tests during the series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The teams are scheduled to play Tests in Dubai and Sharjah from Oct. 26 to 30 and from Nov. 3 to 7. R. Athira of Kerala won gold in the women's foil event R. Athira of Kerala won gold in the women's foil event (individual) defeating Jasmine of Punjab 15-11 in the final, in the third Federation Cup fencing championship which got underway at Fateh Maidan Indoor Stadium. Page 3 of 4 19th October 2011

Women: Foil: Individual: 1. R. Athira (Ker) bt Jasmine (Pun) 15-11. Semifinals: Athira bt Inderpreet Kaur (Pun) 15-8; Jasmine bt Y. Hala (AP) 15-3. Epee: Team: 1. Kerala (Stefintha, Dilna, Ambily, T.K. Apurna), 2. Punjab (Gurmeet Kaur, Shammipreet Kaur, Baby Verma, Kamalpreet Kaur), 3. Chandigarh (S. Kinni, Kh. Sonia, Th. Victoria, Olivia Wakambam) & Manipur. Divij-Purav duo in quarterfinals The fourth-seeded pair of Purav Raja and Divij Sharan defeated Cho Soong-Jae and Seol JaeMin of Korea 6-1, 6-2 in the pre-quarterfinals of the $100,000 Challenger tennis tournament in Seoul on Oct 18. The Indian pair will next meet Pierre-Ludovic Duclos of Canada and Riccardo Ghedin of Italy. Divij had lost in the first round of the singles qualifying event, 3-6, 6-7(1) to Jeong Suk-Young of Korea, who went on to make the main draw with ease. Mohun Bagan names a new set of coaches Mohun Bagan brought back its former players Subrata Bhattacharya and Prasanta Banerjee to take charge of the team, as the technical director and coach, four days ahead of the team's ILeague campaign. The new set of coaches was named after Englishman Steve Darby resigned under duress on Oct 15, alleging coercive techniques adopted by the club's administration. Bhattacharya, who is the most successful coach of Mohun Bagan, having helped it win the National Football League (former name of I-League) titles in 1999-2000 and 2001-02, returned for his third stint with the club. Following a hugely successful debut in 1998, that saw him win a host of titles for the club in a stay of four seasons, Bhattacharya quit for a brief period before returning in the 2004-2005 season for his second stint. SC notice to UP Govt The Supreme Court has sought explanation from the Uttar Pradesh government for granting tax exemption to the company organizing Formula 1 event in Greater Noida. A bench headed by Justice D.K. Jain also issued notice to Jaypee Group, organizer of the sporting event, and asked them to file their response why the event was given exemption from entertainment tax. The court passed the order on a PIL challenging the State government decision to grant tax exemption to the event. India's first Formula 1 event is scheduled to be held in Greater Noida, adjacent to the national capital, on October 30.

Page 4 of 4 19th October 2011

NCRI to promote rural education The National Council of Rural Institutes, an autonomous body under the Ministry of HRD, will work for promoting rural higher education by bringing different organizations under its umbrella, said its Chairman S.V. Prabhath. At the NCRI's 16th Foundation Day, Dr.Prabhath said that the agenda of the NCRI was to bridge gaps between formal and non-formal education towards value-based rural development by providing a forum for confluence of new ideas. Aman Sethi wins ICRC award The Hindus Chhattisgarh correspondent, Aman Sethi, has won the International Committee of the Red Cross award for the best Indian print media article on humanitarian issues. His article on three Chhattisgarh villages ruthlessly torched by police commandos in March 2011 was selected as the best of nearly 80 entries from across the country. About 300 homes and granaries were burnt in the five-day police operation which left three men dead, and three women sexually assaulted. Based on interviews with eyewitnesses and police sources, Mr. Sethi's coverage spurred the local administration to probe the incident and send aid to the affected villages. ICRC awards presented at the India Islamic Cultural Centre New Delhi, Tehelka 's Umar Baba took the second place, while the third prize went to Reji Joseph of Rashtra Deepika and the consolation prize to Anup Sharma of The Times of India . While Mr. Sethi took home a cash award of Rs. 50,000, the second and third prize winners were given Rs.30,000 and Rs.20,000 respectively. Bhagyalakshmi scheme restricted to BPL families in Karnataka State Women and Child Development Minister C.C. Patil said the sanction of bonds under the Bhagyalakshmi scheme had been restricted to girl children born to below-the-poverty-line families from April 1, 2011. Mr. Patil said Rs.1, 783 crore had been deposited in the name of girl children under the scheme from 2006 to 2011 and bonds had been issued to 34,000 of the 3,26,000 girls born during 2009-10 and 2.92 lakh applications were pending. Of this, arrangements were being made to distribute bonds to 2, 27,713 girls by March next year and the Government had released Rs. 436 crore for the purpose. The department was still to get Rs. 207 crore for the purpose allocated in the budget. He said that 1.5 lakh applications had come from the parents during 2010-11 and Rs. 200 crore was required for giving bonds to them. Minimum passing marks to secure IIT UG seat announced Students hoping to clinch a seat in undergraduate courses of any of the Indian Institutes of Technology will now have to score a minimum 10 per cent in each subject and have an overall aggregate of 35 per cent in the qualifying exams from the 2012 academic year onwards. According to Chairman of the Joint Admission Board of the Institutes, a common rank list will be prepared based on the scores with separate benchmarks being set for reserved category students. Students will then be admitted according to this list. While Other Backward Classes candidates are required to score a minimum of 9 per cent in each subject and a 31. 5 per cent aggregate to make it to the list, the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe candidates will have to manage a 5 per cent subject score and a 17.5 per cent aggregate. Admissions into any of the IIT undergraduate courses is done through a common entrance test, IIT-JEE, and the decision to change the calculation of scores for admissions was taken at a Joint Admission Board meeting held at IIT-Delhi on October 18.

Page 1 of 5 20th October 2011

No PG medical test in 2012 The Central government has decided not to hold the common entrance test for postgraduate medical courses next year, as proposed earlier, citing lack of resources and expertise needed for conducting such a huge exercise nationwide. The National Eligibility Entrance Test will be held only in 2013. It will strengthen its own resources and infrastructure. Now it does not have the capability for holding the exam, Health Secretary P.K. Pradhan said. The test was scheduled for January-February for admissions during 2012-2013. Notice to Chhattisgarh on infectious' eye camp In a shocking incident, one person died and 25 turned blind in one eye due to infections spread post-cataract surgery at an eye camp organized by the Chhattisgarh Government under the National Blindness Control Programme at Balod in Durg district. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognizance of the incident based on media reports and issued a notice to the State Chief Secretary. The Commission wanted the State Government to give details on the health of 334 patients who underwent surgery at the Balod Community Centre on September 21-30 this year, what medical aid had been given to the victims by the government and whether the government proposed to grant compensation to the victims. The Commission observed that if the content of the media reports were true then it was a serious issue of violation of human rights of the farmers who became victims of gross negligence of the doctors. Global mineral conference begins in Udaipur The 12th International mineral processing technology conference (MPT-2011) starting in Udaipur will discuss the whole gamut of exploration of minerals and innovative methods in waste management. The three-day conference has Recent advances in processing of nonferrous and industrial minerals as its central theme. MPT2011, organized jointly by Hindustan Zinc and Indian Institute of Mineral Engineers (IIME), will be attended by 500 participants including experts from South Africa and Russia. The event has inaugurated by S. Vijay Kumar, Secretary of Union Ministry of Mines. Initiated by IIME in 2002, the mineral processing technology conference is considered a platform for the mineral industry to brainstorm various mineral processing issues and find solution in terms of extraction of metals from the mineral resource. Hindustan Zinc, the world's largest integrated producer of zinc which also governs above 85 per cent of Indian zinc market, is hosting it. Pink City to host a gem of a conference The Pink City, undisputed leader in colored stones in the country, will host the first international colored gemstones Mines to Market conference. Modeled after the existing initiative in diamonds by the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council of India (GJEPC), the two-day event from November 2 will mark the coming together of specialists, leading mine owners, well-known gem carvers, explorers, brand ambassadors and editors of fashion magazines to address the global concerns of the industry and find solutions. The GJEPC, an apex body of gem and jewellery sector representing 5,500 members, operates under the supervision of the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Originally Mines to Market used to be the theme for the international meet on diamonds held in India on every alternate year. A similar event on colored gemstones is being organized for the first time in the country.

Page 2 of 5 20th October 2011

Veteran scribe's book released Pages from the Past -- A journalist looks back, a compilation of articles by veteran journalist K. P. Srivastava written over past five decades, was released on October 19. Mr. Srivastava, who retired as Chief Editor from the Press Trust of India (PTI) in 1987, had also served as Information Adviser to former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar. Mr. Srivastava, now in his mid80s, has recollected his days as a journalist covering political developments from the time of first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru till the advent of coalition era in Indian politics. The book has been brought out by Daya Publications of Madurai. Finance Secretary to appear before JPC on October 31 Union Finance Secretary R.S. Gujral will appear before the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probing the telecom policies from 1998 to 2009 on October 31 to explain why the Ministry did not submit to the committee the March 25 office memorandum sent by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).According to JPC Chairman P.C. Chacko, the Finance Secretary was to have deposed on October 12 but the meeting was postponed due to unavoidable reasons. At the last meeting, the JPC members took serious exception to Mr. Gujral excluding the office memorandum from the documents submitted. M.B.Shah Commission re-inspects mines in Goa On its second visit to Goa in connection with the probe of illegal iron ore mining and exports, the Justice M.B. Shah Commission is re-inspecting the mines to verify specific complaints received through petitions about different kinds of violations by mines and follow up on issues which came out of the first inspection. In no hurry to submit the report, the panel was willing to conduct even a third inspection, Consultant Justice R.A. Mehta said. Panel member U.V. Singh said various illegalities referred to in specific complaints sent by anti-mining activists and groups were looked into during the inspection. The Commission was inquiring into illegal mining and exports in Goa, Karnataka, Orissa, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh. The private sector mining industry in the State exported around 54 million tones of iron ore last year. European court outlaws embryonic stem cell techniques Research into new therapies for incurable and life-threatening diseases has suffered a blow after the European Court ruled that procedures that use embryonic stem cells cannot be patented. Senior scientists were dismayed by the judgment, which outlaws patents on stem cell techniques that involve the destruction of embryos. They fear it will hamper research and stifle commercial investment. Medical researchers around the world use stem cells from stores created from surplus IVF embryos. These embryos are donated by couples who have completed their fertility treatment and would otherwise be routinely destroyed by clinics. The unique ability of embryonic stem cells to grow into almost any tissue in the body has led scientists to investigate whether they can regenerate damaged and diseased organs, and treat serious conditions ranging from blindness and dementia to paralysis.

Page 3 of 5 20th October 2011

Pakistan nuclear safeguards a worry, says U.S. report A radical takeover of Pakistan, which possesses approximately 90-110 nuclear warheads, or a proliferation by radical sympathizers within Pakistan's nuclear complex in case of a breakdown of controls, could have an impact on the country's nuclear safeguards, according to a report issued this month by the United States Congress. The U.S. Congressional Research Service report on Pakistan's Nuclear Weapons: Proliferation and Security Issues noted that in addition to the growing arsenal of warheads, Islamabad is producing fissile material, adding to related production facilities, and deploying additional delivery vehicles. The report expressed deep concerns that the instability in Pakistan has called the extent and durability of nuclear safety reforms into question, and lingering concerns remain over the legacy of the illicit procurement network run by former Pakistani nuclear official A.Q. Khan. Julian Barnes wins Man Booker One of the most acrimonious run-ups to the Man Booker Prize in recent years had a happy ending as British novelist Julian Barnes was on Tuesday declared the unanimous winner of this year's 50,000 prize for his novella, The Sense of an Ending'', hailed as an exquisite'' meditation on growing old, the nature of memory and relationships. The choice was applauded across the literary divide though the judges still appeared to be smarting from the attacks they had endured in recent weeks as their selection for the shortlist had drawn accusations of dumping down''. One of Britain's most admired novelists, Mr. Barnes had been the favorite of bookies and critics alike. At 150 pages, The Sense of an Ending'', is his shortest novel but the record for the shortest book ever to win a Booker remains Penelope Fitzgerald's Offshore'' which won in 1979. The judges said The Sense of an Ending'' was exquisitely written, subtly plotted and reveals new depths with each reading. Mr. Barnes, who had been short listed three times before without ever winning the prize, said he was relieved'' that he had finally got it. The other contenders were: Carol Birch (Jamrach's Menagerie''); Patrick deWitt (The Sisters Brothers''), Esi Edugyan (Half Blood Blues''); and debut authors Stephen Kelman (Pigeon English'') and AD Miller (Snowdrops''). Coromandel Fertilisers plans greenfield plant Coromandel Fertilisers, part of the Rs.17,000-crore Murugappa Group, has announced plans for setting up a greenfield single super phosphate plant in Punjab with an estimated investment of Rs.116 crore. The plant has been finalised in the light of the ballooning prices of phosphate fertilisers and the 800 tonne per day (tpd) plant, including 400 tpd granulator plant is expected to be ready within two years, Coromandel Fertilisers Chairman A. Vellayan said. Mr. Vellayan said plans were under way to invest another Rs.350 crore to develop third train of production line at the company's Kakinada plant with an aim to enhancing production from 32 lakh tones to 40 lakh tones by the end of 2013-14. The board had approved rewarding its shareholders with an issue of unsecured redeemable bonus debentures of the face value of Rs.15 to mark its golden jubilee. RIM offers free App downloads to Indian subscribers Research in Motion (RIM), makers of BlackBerry, has extended its offer for free download of a selection of premium applications worth $100 to subscribers in India. The offer, an expression of appreciation for patience of the subscribers during recent service disruptions, are being made available at BlackBerry App World from October 19 and the offer would continue up to December 31. The selected applications include SIMS 3 and Bejeweled Electronic Arts, N.O.V.A., Texas Hold' em Poker 2, Bubble Bash 2 Gameloft, Photo Editor Ultimate Ice Cold Apps, DriveSafe.ly Pro, iSpeech Translator Pro, DriveSafe.ly Enterprise iSpeech.org, Nobex Radio Premium Nobex, Shazan Encore Shazam and Vingo Plus Virtual Assistant.

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Bharti Enterprises appoints new Group CFO Bharti Enterprises has announced the appointment of Sarvjit Singh Dhillon as Group Chief Financial Officer (CFO) with effect from January 1, 2012. Samsung and Google unveil Galaxy Nexus Smartphone Samsung Electronics has unveiled its newest Galaxy Nexus Smartphone, the first to use the latest version of Google's Android operating system. India crushes Malaysia India crushed Malaysia 93-40 for its first win in the FIBA Asian under-16 boys' basketball championship in Vietnam. Karthickeyan Swami Nathan top-scored for India with 18 points, while Ajay Pratap Singh (17), Satnam Singh Bhamara and Loveneet Singh (16 each) were the other leading scorers. India led 34-8 at half-time. India had lost to defending champion China 27-64 in its Group 'A' opener. Abhinav Bindra shoots silver in Asian airgun Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra won the air rifle silver behind Asian Games champion Zhu Qinan of China in the fourth Asian airgun shooting championship in Kuwait. Bindra, who had reduced Zhu Qinan to tears in the Beijing Olympic Games by grabbing the gold, shot 594 in qualification and 103.6 in the final. He was 2.6 points behind the Chinese who shot 598 in qualification. While Satyendra Singh jumped up to grab the bronze, following 593 in qualification and the best score in the final (103.7), Gagan Narang took the seventh spot at 694.5 following a preliminary score of 592. Gold for Betty and Bincymol Betty Joseph and Bincymol Babychan combined to win the Canoe (C-2) 500m gold in the 14th Asian Canoe Sprint Championship in Tehran. In addition, the Indians won two silver and two bronze medals in the championship that saw teams from 20 countries participate. The athletes were trained at Bhopal by the Sports Authority of India.

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South's first metro flagged off Amid a celebratory display and scramble for credit, south India's first metro rail service was flagged off by Union Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath on Line 1 of Namma Metro between Mahatma Gandhi Road and Byappanahalli on October 20. The 6.7-km stretch, which has six stations, is part of Namma Metro Phase 1 with a route network of 42.3 km on the eastwest (Byappanahalli-Mysore Road Terminal) and north-west (Hessarghatta Cross-Puttenahalli Cross) corridors with 41 stations. The entire Phase 1 is expected to become operational by March 2014. Dhanvantari Award for M.K. Mani M.K. Mani, pioneer in nephrology in the country and Chief Nephrologists at Apollo Hospital, Chennai, has been honored with the 40th Dhanvantari Award. Dhanvantari Medical Foundation president and eminent cardiologist B.K. Goyal said that Dr. Mani pioneered innovative techniques and a new regimen in the management of kidney disorders. He is the recipient of many awards, including the Padma Bhushan and the Rabindranath Tagore Award and has more than 125 publications to his credit. He has been awarded the honorary Doctorate of Science by several universities. Stainless steel EMU flagged off Union Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi and Minister of State for Railways K.H. Muniyappa flagged off the first stainless steel electrical multiple units (EMU) and 100 tone stainless steel wagon, designed and manufactured by the Bharat Earth Movers Limited. The Ministers also inspected the eight-wheel overhead electrical car, deployable on rail tracks for repair of overhead electric lines, which rolled-out out of the BEML Bangalore complex. Mr. Trivedi also inaugurated a model of a metro station near the Bangalore Complex. French firm faces espionage charges EDF, one of the world's largest utility companies which builds and operates nuclear reactors all over the world, finds itself in the dock for hiring the services of a private security firm to spy on Greenpeace France and hack into their computers. The case, which dates back to 2006, throws a harsh light on the industrial practices adopted by some of France's largest industrial groups. That a company like EDF infringes the law to spy on the representative of a civil society organization is a barrier that should never have been crossed, said Yannick Jadot, former Director of Greenpeace France who is now a Green Euro-MP. Mr. Jadot's computer was hacked and his hard disk copied by a security agency hired by EDF. He got to know of the hacking through media reports. EDF and Greenpeace have been battling it out over France's power production and nuclear energy option for over 20 years. Seventy-five per cent of France's power comes from the atom. Safety has become a greater issue in France in the aftermath of Japan's Fukushima atomic disaster. India, France discuss military, civil nuclear deals India and France has discussed military contracts and civil nuclear safety during an interaction between External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna and his visiting counterpart, Alain Juppe. France, which has been awarded a multi-billion contract for setting up nuclear power plants in western India, agreed to step up cooperation between the civil nuclear regulatory boards of the two countries. The interaction came at a time when the two armies are engaged in Shakti' exercises for the first time. The terrestrial war games add to the regularly held joint naval exercises under the Varuna' and Garuda' series by the two air forces. India and France also welcomed the move to modernise the IAF Mirage 2000 aircraft. The Rs.11,000-crore deal to upgrade was signed recently with Dassault Aviation and Thales.

Page 1 of 3 21th October 2011

Bharti connects with Japan's Softbank Bharti Enterprises, the parent company of Airtel, has floated a new joint venture with Japanese internet firm SoftBank Corp for offering mobile internet services in India. The joint venture, called Bharti Softbank Holdings Pte. Ltd, will be a 50:50 joint venture. India ranks 132 on business-friendly reforms: World Bank report Even as the U.S. has continued to press India to undertake more investor-friendly reforms under the bilateral Strategic Dialogue, the World Bank has virtually congratulated India and 29 other countries for significant strides in making their regulatory environments more business-friendly. In a report titled Doing Business 2012: Doing Business in a More Transparent World the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation said that between June 2010 and May 2011, there were 245 business regulatory reforms worldwide, which were 13 per cent more reforms than in the previous year. China, India, and the Russian Federation are among the 30 economies that improved the most over time the report said, that Singapore led on the overall ease of doing business, followed by Hong Kong, New Zealand, the U.S. and Denmark. The Republic of Korea was said to be a new entrant to the top ten. India still ranks low overall in the Doing Business assessment, with its rank improving marginally from 139 to 132 between the 2011 and 2012 reports. iPhone 4S to get directions from GLONASS Owners of the latest Apple iPhone will be able for the first time to get directions from two global navigation satellite systems American GPS and Russian GLONASS. Apple became the first among cellphone manufacturers outside Russia to have added GLONASS capability to Assisted GPS and cellular location finding in its iPhone 4S model, Russian media reported. Experts said the use of a two-signal receiver would enhance the reliability and accuracy of the system. GLONASS /GPS twin system receivers will capture data from twice as many satellites and will, therefore, provide more accurate and fail-proof precision location, especially in cities or mountains, where terrain may block signals from some satellites, said Nikolai Testoyedov, head of the NPO-PM company, which makes GLONASS satellites. Moser Baer arm, GE to set up solar project in Italy IT and electronics product manufacturer Moser Baer's Italian subsidiary Moser Baer Clean Energy (MBCEL) and GE have decided to join hands to set up a solar power project at Sardinia in Italy. The first phase of the project will have 20 MW capacity. With its greenhouse operations, the project will support employment and agriculture by adding up to 90 jobs, the statement added. The project will generate enough electricity to power about 10,000 Italian homes, and it will avoid more than 25,000 tones of carbon emissions every year from coal- and oil-fired power plants. With these projects, MBCEL expects to have an operating capacity of 100 MW solar plants by the end of October, Ratul Puri, Chairman, Moser Baer Projects Private Limited (MBPPL), said. SEBI nod for Essar Shipping listing Essar Shipping has announced that it had received approval from the Securities and Exchange Board of India for the listing of its shares on the stock exchanges. This is pursuant to the demerger of erstwhile Essar Shipping Ports and Logistics Ltd (ESPLL) into Essar Ports and Essar Shipping. In compliance with the Gujarat High Court approved demerger scheme, ESPLL had been renamed as Essar Ports and has been trading since May 31 on the NSE and BSE. Tata Steel to invest 4.5 m pound in South Yorkshire operations Tata Steel said it would make a further investment of 4.5 million pound (over Rs.35 crore) in its South Yorkshire operations in the U.K. to improve their reliability and energy efficiency.

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Narain optimistic about Indian GP Narain Karthikeyan hopes that the inaugural Airtel Grand Prix of India, scheduled on October 30, will open up avenues for the Indian drivers. Narain, who will drive for his team Hispania Racing in the Indian GP, said that he had set a realistic target for the race. Omkar Singh bags bronze Omkar Singh salvaged some pride for the Indian camp as he bagged the men's air pistol bronze medal in the fourth Asian Air Gun championship in Kuwait. He overcame a two-point deficit against Rashid Yunusmetov of Kazakhstan to bag the medal 0.6 point ahead of him, and two points behind the four-time Asian champion air pistol and two-time World champion in free pistol, Tan Zongliang of China. Maracana gets 2014 WC final Rio's fabled Maracana will host the 2014 World Cup final with Sao Paulo staging the opening match, FIFA's general secretary Jerome Valcke announced. The opening game takes place on June 12 with the final on July 13. Injured Sandeep Singh ruled out of Hockey 9s Super Series Indian defender Sandeep Singh has been ruled out of the Hockey 9s Super Series, after he suffered a nasal fracture on October 15. Indian hockey coach Michael Nobbs said that Sandeep got injured during the match against Australia A at Rockingham while negotiating a penalty corner. India will take on New Zealand today in the inaugural match of the Hockey 9s series.

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Shakti' wound up with search-and-destroy mission In an unprecedented operation, highly-trained Indian and French troops undertook a daring search-and-destroy mission in the hills of Ranikhet in Uttarkhand to neutralise terrorists hiding in the dense Pilkholi forests. The mission was part of the consolidation exercise that marked the culmination of a 15-day Shakti-2011' war games at Chaubatia, which were undertaken by armies of both countries for the first time. No PG medical test in 2012 The Union government has decided not to hold the common entrance test for postgraduate medical courses next year, citing lack of resources and expertise needed for conducting such a huge exercise nationwide. The National Eligibility Entrance Test will be held only in 2013. The test was scheduled for January-February for admissions during 2012-2013. No displacement, resettle slum dwellers where they live: NAC At a time that land in urban centres, especially in the big metropolitan cities, is at a premium, a Working Group of the Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council (NAC) has suggested that, as far as possible, slum dwellers should be resettled at the spot where they are currently living, rather than displacing them, so that they continue to remain close to their places of work. NAC sources said the Working Group stressed that re-location and displacement of slum dwellers should be the exception rather than the rule, and that there should be an emphasis on social housing as a policy to prevent the future growth of urban slums. Obama honours Indian-American activist Vijaya Emani U.S. President Barack Obama has honoured Indian-American activist Vijaya Lakshmi Emani posthumously with the Presidential Citizens Medal for her courage in overcoming and speaking out against domestic abuse in the Indian-American community. Vijaya Emani was born at Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh to Indu Rani and G. Venkataramana Reddy and she was a meritorious student at every level of her education. She made her way to the United States in 1986 after graduating in engineering from Osmania University in 1980 and later received her M.S. degree in Computer Science from Cleveland State University. NIFT ties up with New York college The National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) has tied up with the Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, for a dual degree under-graduate programmes. According to an official statement, all selected students from NIFT would avail of the opportunity to obtain a joint degree awarded by NIFT and FIT. The agreement will be implemented at the earliest for the benefit of the NIFT students. Our troops will be out of Iraq by year-end: Obama President Barack Obama declared an end to the Iraq war, one of the longest and most divisive conflicts in U.S. history, announcing that all American troops would be withdrawn from the country by year's end. Mr. Obama's statement put an end to months of wrangling over whether the U.S. would maintain a force in Iraq beyond 2011. He never mentioned the tense and ultimately fruitless negotiations with Iraq over whether to keep several thousand U.S. forces in Iraq as a training force and a hedge against meddling from Iran or other outside forces. Russia calls for probe into death Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has called for an international probe into the death of Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi and the role of NATO forces in his capture. Mr. Lavrov said available video from Libya showed that Qadhafi was captured alive and then deprived of life in apparent violation of international humanitarian rules for armed conflicts. He also questioned the legality of the NATO air attack on the Qadhafi convoy that allowed rebel forces to capture the Libyan leader. Page 1 of 2 22th October 2011

India, Nepal ink economic pacts India and Nepal signed major economic agreements, aimed at enhancing Indian investment and developmental aid. The two sides formalised the long pending Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (BIPPA), which commits one State to providing compensation to commercial entities, whose country of origin is the other. This applies particularly in cases of wars, national emergency, and armed conflict. Investments from either country in the territory of the other country are to be accorded National Treatment' and Most Favoured Nation' treatment. It also provides for elaborate dispute resolution mechanisms between investors and the government concerned, and between governments, including international arbitration. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Nepal's Industries Minister Anil Jha, signed the pact in the presence of the two PMs. The agreement's overall objective is to promote investment flows between the two countries. While Nepal had asked for soft loans of $1 billion, the final pact provided a $250-million line of credit to Nepal to finance infrastructure projects, at the concessional rate of interest of 1.75 per cent annually. An MoU in this regard was signed by India's Exim Bank and Nepal's Finance Ministry. India also provided grant assistance for a goitre control programme in Nepal. Despite extensive negotiations, the two sides failed to agree on a double taxation avoidance agreement which was on the agenda. Ramky Infra bags award Ramky Infrastructure, based in Hyderabad, has bagged awards in two categories of the Dun & Bradstreet-Axis Bank Infra Awards 2011. According to a release, Ramky's 80 mld (million litres daily) sewage treatment plant in Mumbai and Jawaharlal Nehru Pharma city in Vizag have been selected as the best projects under the categories Urban Infrastructure Development and Public Private Partnership award respectively. Foreign exchange reserves shoot up by $5.2 b to $317.5 b India's foreign exchange reserves shot up by a steep $5.269 billion to $317.5 billion during the week ended October 14, on the back of jump in foreign currency assets, the Reserve Bank of India said in its weekly statistical supplement.

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Janani Shishu Suraksha scheme launched Andhra Pradesh Health Minister D.L. Ravindra Reddy launched the Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK) scheme in Andhra Pradesh. The schemes provides for cashless deliveries and care of sick new born up to 30 days after birth at all the government health institutions. The scheme was launched by the Centre in June as a new policy initiative to reduce Maternal Mortality Rate and Infant Mortality Rate and encourage institutional deliveries. Dr. Reddy said the scheme would provide free diet, diagnostic services, drugs and consumables, free blood transfusion if necessary, referral transport with drop back facility without any out of pocket expenses for pregnant women and the new born. Record-breaking programme on national anthem A world record for most people singing the national anthem is likely to be set in the city on Children's Day on November 14. The two-hour long event would be held at the Port stadium, secretary of the SARI Foundation Nanduri Prabhakar said. We are expecting about 10,000 people to participate in the record-breaking programme. The earlier record stands in the name of the Philippines set in the year 2009 when 5,248 sung the national anthem of that country. On August 15 this year, Pakistan surpassed the record with 5,857 chanting the national anthem but there is no confirmation yet on the record. But we are sure to break it, he added. Second India-Oman joint air exercises end The Indian Air Force completed its second joint exercise with its counterparts from Oman, whose northern tip is located at the Straits of Hormuz, entrance to the crucial Gulf. The previous exercise was held in 2009, the first such full-fledged endeavour with a Gulf State. The exercise, said sources, was part of India's efforts to build strategic ties with Oman, whose ports have been utilised by Indian Navy frigates for anti-piracy duty off the Gulf of Aden. In fact, Oman is the first Arab State to have formalised defence ties with India, and its Foreign Minister Yusuf Bin Alawai bin Abdulla was the first high-level leader from an Arab country to visit India after the November 2008 Mumbai attacks. Sweden to partner AP in environmental projects The Government of Sweden has shortlisted five States in India for working out partnerships in environmental projects in urban areas, particularly in municipal waste management. Its ongoing waste to energy project partnerships in Delhi, Visakhapatnam and Pune have focus on developing and upgrading biogas for energy. The Swedish Energy Agency in association with Delhi Municipal Corporation (DMC), Indraprastha Gas Limited, Bharat Forge and Delhi Jal Board was about to start the country's first bioCNG filling station. It would supply fuel to Delhi's public transport buses by the year-end. The Swedish agency was planning similar projects in Visakhapatnam and Pune but they were still on the look out for partners. Vijayawada in the State was also on their radar of developing partnerships in the same area. Apart from AP, the States shortlisted by them for business development opportunities were Gujarat, Maharashtra, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, besides the national capital of Delhi. Medal for Mathematician & Technologist President Barack Obama presented the National Medal of Science to Srinivasa S.R. Varadhan, of New York University, during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington. Rakesh Agrawal received the National Medal of Technology for his innovations relating to liquefied gas production, which have resulted in significant energy and cost efficiencies. Saudi crown prince dead The heir to the Saudi Arabian throne, Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz al-Saud, died while undergoing treatment for illness in New York. He was 85. Sultan was the younger half-brother of Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah, who has also been ailing and underwent back surgery. Page 1 of 2 23rd October 2011

NDC endorses GDP target of 9 per cent The National Development Council (NDC) endorsed a growth target of 9 per cent for the 12th Five Year Plan (2012-17) despite the current economic slowdown and global financial concerns, even as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh appealed to political parties to ensure that long-term goals did not become hostage to short-term interests. Following the daylong deliberations of the country's highest policy decision-making body, wherein a number of non-UPA States rapped the Centre over various issues, Dr. Singh assured Chief Ministers that the Commission would take note of their suggestions while drafting the Plan. Tibetan plateau's glaciers melting rapidly Glaciers in the Qinghai-Tibet plateau, the source of many rivers that sustain China and the Indian subcontinent, are melting faster than ever, according to a five-year study by Chinese researchers. The study found that a large area of glaciers had melted across the 2,400-squarekilometre region. The researchers had focused their study on glaciers and wetlands near the headwaters of the Yangtze, Yellow and Lancang rivers. Around 5.3 per cent, or 70 sq.km., of the glaciers in the Yangtze river's headwaters had melted in the past three decades, according to Cheng Haining, senior engineer at the Qinghai province's Surveying and Mapping Bureau. Tunisia goes to polls Nine months after the end of the dictatorship of Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali following a popular uprising, Tunisians will head for polling stations for an election that is likely to influence the political transition of countries that experienced the Arab Spring. The election is expected to lay the foundations of democracy in Tunisia, getting rid of an oligarchic system under Mr. Ben Ali, which under girded the existence of a vicious police-state. The polls will lead to the formation of a Constituent Assembly, which will draft a new Constitution, select a temporary executive and hold presidential and parliamentary elections, probably within a time frame of one year. Indian teams for World meet The Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWLF) has selected 15 lifters in 10 weight categories for the World championships to be held in Paris from November 1 to 15. The World championships will be the qualification event for the London Olympics. The team: Men: Rustam Sarang, Yukar Sibi (62kg), K. Ravi Kumar, Pasam Rambabu (69kg), Gaurav Dubey (77kg), Chandrakant Mali (94kg), Sandeep Kumar and Rupinder Singh (+105kg); Coaches: Jaswant Singh and Deodutt Sharma. Women: N. Soniya Chanu, K. Sanjita Chanu (48kg), Matsa Santoshi, Pramila Krisani (53kg), M. Sunibala Devi (58kg), H. Poireinganbi Chanu (63kg) and L. Monika Devi (69kg); Coaches: Hansa Sharma and N. Kunjarani Devi. FICCI honour for Sodhi Ace double trap shooter Ronjan Sodhi was declared Indian Sportsperson 2011' by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). Sodhi has had a prolific run this year. He recently became the first Indian ever to defend his World Cup title at Al Ain (UAE). He also has to his credit two silver medals in 2010 Commonwealth Games and a gold medal at the 2010 Asian Games.

Page 2 of 2 23rd October 2011

Defunct satellite falls into earth The 2.7-tonne Roentgen Satellite or ROSAT of Germany fell into earth after languishing in dead orbit for more than a decade. Tiny planet Snow White Astronomers have discovered a mysterious dwarf planet, which is believed to be covered in ice and may sport the wispy remnants of an atmosphere. The planet, named Snow White, lies outside Neptune and is orbiting the sun as part of the Kuiper belt the ring of icy bodies that orbit the sun beyond Neptune. Officially known as 2007 OR10, it is actually red. Half of its surface is covered by water ice that probably spewed from ancient cryovolcanoes. It is believed that the planet's reddish hue likely comes from a thin layer of methane, last gasps of an atmosphere that has been bleeding off into space for eons. CII team to take part in C'wealth forum in Perth The Confederation of India Industry (CII) is sending a delegation to the Commonwealth Business Forum (CBF) in Perth from October 25-27.The delegation will be headed by Adi Godrej, president-designate, CII, and chairman of the Godrej group. The Commonwealth of Nations is an intergovernmental organisation, comprising 54 independent member states. India is the largest member state in terms of population and fourth largest contributor to budgets and programmes. The CII has been sending delegations to the CBF for the last nine years. CII Director-General Chandrajit Banerjee will chair the session on Indian Ocean & Pacific Rim Fastest Growing markets. Meeting discusses electoral reforms in SAARC nations An informal two day meeting of Election Commissioners from SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) countries to discuss resource building in Afghanistan and the cooperation of SAARC countries to help fortify the strife-torn region's capacity to hold elections began on 23 oct, 2011. The meeting, is the second of its kind after the first one held in Islamabad earlier this year. The meeting, which will conclude on24 Oct, 2011 will also discuss SAARC cooperation over plans to develop training institutes and academies, either in New Delhi or Islamabad or elsewhere in the region on strengthening electoral practices. NASA plans filling stations in sky NASA is planning to put filling stations in the sky. The filling stations would refuel a spacecraft in orbit before it headed out to the Moon, an asteroid or eventually Mars. Under the plan outlined, the propellant depot would be launched first, and then other rockets would carry fuel to the depot before a spacecraft arrived to fill up. Simplified Russian visa rules for Indians Russia has simplified visa rules for Indians travelling to Russia. It has come into force scrapping the need to prove one's good-faith intentions and allowing for long-term multi-entry visas. This rule has become operational. Now Individuals and organisations are no more required to produce an invitation or a tourist voucher to obtain a six-month visa for a 90-day stay. This is a result of an agreement signed between India and Russia last year. The agreement also provides for the issuance of multi-entry one-year and five-year visas subject to certain conditions. Multi-entry visas will allow Indian and Russian citizens holding valid national passports to stay on the territory of the other country for up to 90 days within a period of 180 days from their first entry. The simplified visa rules apply to tourists, students, official delegations, businessmen, persons involved in scientific, cultural and creative professions, and sister city exchanges.This rule has made easy for those Indians and Russians who lose their travel documents. Now it will be easy for to return to their home country. Nalco adds new product to its portfolio National Aluminium Company (Nalco) has added another product to its portfolio with the launch of aluminium chequered sheet. The new product has a high demand in the automobile industry, vehicle manufacturing and industrial flooring. Page 1 of 2 24th October 2011

New Zealand won Rugby World Cup Host New Zealand beat France 8-7 in the final at Eden Park in New Zealand and won the rugby World Cup for the second time after a gap of 24 years. First time it had clinched in 1987. Bopanna and Qureshi clinch title Rohan Bopanna and Aisam-ul-haq Qureshi won their second ATP doubles title of the season, and third overall, after outplaying Marcelo Melo and Bruno Soares in straight sets in the summit clash of the Stockholm Open. The top-seeded Indo-Pak pair lived up to its top billing as they downed the Brazilian opponents 6-1, 6-4 in just 57 minutes. They split the 29,400 prize money and captured 250 ranking points each.Before this win, Bopanna and Qureshi had triumphed at Halle this year and at Johannesburg in 2010. Overall, it is Bopanna's fourth ATP doubles title. Gael Monfils won his first title in a year by defeating Jarkko Nieminen 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 to claim the Stockholm Open singles crown Kremlin Cup It was organised at Moscow in Russia. Slovakian Dominika Cibulkova win her first ever title, beating Kaia Kanepi of Estonia in the final of the joint WTA/ATP Kremlin Cup. Serbia's top seed Janko Tipsarevic won the Kremlin Cup men's title, beating second seed and compatriot Viktor Troicki Purav and Divij lose in final Purav Raja and Divij Sharan went down fighting 4-6, 6-7(3) to Ratiwatana twins, Sanchai and Sonchat of Thailand in the doubles final of the $100,000 Challenger tennis tournament in Seoul, Korea. While the champions pocketed $6,200 and 110 ATP points, the Indian players had to be content with $3,600 and 65 ATP points. Dravid, Ishant to get BCCI awards Veteran batsman Rahul Dravid and pacer Ishant Sharma, who were the top Test performers for India on the recent tours to England and the West Indies, would receive Cricket Board awards in December. Dravid had scored 1285 runs from 15 Tests at 53 per innings during the October 1, 2000-September 30, 2011 period for the BCCI annual awards and will get the Polly Umrigar Trophy. Ishant grabbed 16 wickets from three Tests in the West Indies at 16.8 per match, which included two 5WIs and one 10WM, that has fetched him the Dilip Sardesai award for the country's best performer in the Caribbean Test series. HCU teacher gets award Rukmani Mohanta, faculty in the School of Physics at the University of Hyderabad (UoH) has been awarded the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD) prize. The OWSD awards for young women scientists are sponsored by Elsevier Foundation and TWAS, the academy of sciences for the developing world for their excellence in research. Dr. Mohanta was recognised for her contributions in high energy physics, and is the only one from India. Eleven talented women scientists from Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean have been given the award for their research excellence. Each selected candidate receives a cash prize of US $5,000 ABLF women of power Award Hind Bahwan, Chairperson of the Chennai based Bahwan CyberTek and Director, Suhail Bahwan Group, has been conferred with the ABLF Woman of Power Award' by the Asian Business Leadership Forum a platform backed by a think-tank of prominent leaders, policy-makers, academicians, media and opinion leaders of core industries across Asia. Bahwan Cybertek has its centre of excellence in Chennai and presence in the USA, Dubai, Egypt, Brunei.

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IPI-India award for Tehelka, The Week The International Press Institute (IPI) India award for excellence in journalism, 2011, has been awarded jointly to Tehelka and The Week for their outstanding journalistic work in 2010. The IPI India chapter announced that Tehelka was selected for its expose of the rent a riot tactics of the Sree Rama Sene in Karnataka, which admitted taking money to organise attacks on innocent persons and institutions. Modi accepts China invitation Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has accepted an invitation of the Chinese government to visit that country for strengthening investment relations. The invitation was extended during a visit to the State by China's central government Vice-Minister Ai Ping, at the head of a delegation. The trip is expected in November, a Gujarat government spokesman said. Jobs for three-lakh youth in Naxal-hit areas: Jairam Ramesh Apart from ensuring the immediate appointment of 18,000 panchayat development officers and as many junior engineers, the Centre has drawn up a blueprint to provide jobs to three-lakh youth in the 60 left wing extremist affected districts in the country. Union Minister of Rural Development Jairam Ramesh, in his consolidated note for the approval of the Empowered Group of Secretaries for the Integrated Action Plan (IAP) under Planning Commission member Sudha Pillai, dovetails a number of rural development schemes for better impact in the Naxalite-affected districts. Award for Subir Roy Special News Photographer of The Hindu in Lucknow Subir Roy has been awarded the first prize in the tenth All-India Art Photography Exhibition 2011-12 organised by the Uttar Pradesh State Lalit Kala Akademi. The award carries a cash prize of Rs. 20,000 and a plaque. Humbled, honoured: Bobby Jindal Louisiana's Indian American Governor Bobby Jindal has been re-elected to a second term, winning in a landslide with little opposition from nine other candidates in a bi-partisan primary. Mr. Jindal, who was widely favoured to win, had 66 per cent of the vote with 98 per cent precincts reporting, according to unofficial results from Louisiana's Secretary of State cited by CNN. His next closest competitor, Democrat Tara Hollis, got about 18 per cent of the vote. Mr. Jindal, who won his first term in 2007 with 54 per cent of the vote, faced little opposition this time around. Steve Jobs' autobiography: a chronicle of a complex genius Steve Jobs (Simon & Schuster), by Walter Isaacson, takes off the rose-coloured glasses that often follow an icon's untimely death and instead offers something far more valuable: The chronicle of a complex, brash genius who was crazy enough to think he could change the world and did. Through unprecedented access to Jobs with more than 40 conversations, including long sessions sitting in the Apple co-founder's living room, walks around his childhood neighbourhood and visits to his company's secretive headquarters, Mr. Isaacson takes the reader on a journey that few have had the opportunity to experience. RBI hikes repo rate by 25 basis points; home, auto loans likely to get costlier The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) raised the repo rate by 25 basis points to 8.5 per cent. The rate hike is the 13th since early 2010 but the RBI said it was likely to hold off on further increases as it expects high inflation to ease beginning December. The central bank also deregulated savings bank deposit rate with immediate effect. The hike will make home and auto loans costlier with banks likely to pass on the hike and put further pressure on economic growth.

Page 1 of 2 25th October 2011

FDI in India to rise 66% to $80 bn in two years: Morgan Stanley A leading global investment bank has forecast a 66.6 per cent jump in foreign direct investment (FDI) in India. Though India still does not rank highly as an FDI destination, the country is likely to receive FDI of $80 billion in the next 12-24 month as compared with $48 billion in the last twoyear period, Morgan Stanley said. Mamata green nod for GAIL's Rs 2,100cr plan The Mamata Banerjee-led government has cleared the way for Central gas utility GAIL's proposed joint venture with state government's Greater Calcutta Gas Supply Corporation for reviving and expanding supply of natural gas as green fuel to automobiles and households in the highly-polluted industrial belt. GAIL and refiner-marketer Hindustan Petroleum will each hold 37% stake in the joint venture, while Greater Calcutta Gas will have 26% equity and veto power in the JV board. PGCIL to invest Rs 1 lakh crore in 12th Plan period State-owned electric utility company, Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL), has proposed to invest Rs 1 lakh crore during the 12th Plan period, nearly double the investment during the 11th Plan (2007-2012). Capital investment of Rs 42,000 crore for development of inter-state transmission systems has already been made in the 11th Five Year Plan. A further Rs 13,000 crore is to be invested by the end of the next financial year for the 11th Plan targets to be met, according to RN Nayak, chairman and MD of PGCIL. BATL set to make BrahMos engines Good tidings are in for BrahMos Aerospace Thiruvananthapuram Limited (BATL) it has embarked on its second phase of development to put in place a full-fledged missile integration complex. The company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of BrahMos Aerospace that caters to product requirements in the country's defence, aerospace and nuclear sectors, is set to land orders for production of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile's liquid ramjet engine, thus making it the first Indian company to manufacture BrahMos engines. The BrahMos being an India-Russian joint venture, a transfer of technology agreement would soon be signed between the appropriate authorities of the two sides to manufacture the engine in India. At present, the BrahMos engines are produced at Orenburg in Russia. 20 drivers for support race Twenty drivers from different parts of the world will test their skills in the $100,000 Delhi championship with MRF, a support event for the inaugural Formula One race in the country. The drivers belong to Great Britain, Australia, France, Finland, Iran and India. There are eight Indian drivers. Seventeen-year-old Vikash Anand is the youngest of the lot. Briton Alice Powell is the only woman among the competitors.

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U.R. Ananthamurthy on South Asian literature prize shortlist Distinguished Kannada writer and Jnanpith Award recipient U.R. Ananthamurthy is among the six authors short-listed for this year's $50,000 DSC Prize for South Asian Literature. He has been selected for his widely acclaimed novel Bharathipura (translated into English by Susheela Punitha), which reflects his lifelong preoccupation with transcending caste and class interests in modern society. The prize was instituted last year to recognise the best writing about the South Asian region. Others on the shortlist are Kavery Nambisan (The Story that Must Not Be Told), Chandrakanta (A Street in Srinagar), Usha K.R. (Monkey-Man), Tabish Khair (The Thing About Thugs) and Shehan Karunatilaka (Chinaman). INS Kadmatt launched With private shipbuilders vying for the orders from the Navy and the Coast Guards, defence public sector undertakings would have to increase their efficiency and competitiveness, M.M. Pallam Raju, Minister of State for Defence, said at the launch of the second indigenous AntiSubmarine Warfare Corvette INS Kadmatt. Built by the Garden Reach Ship Builders Engineers Ltd., INS Kadmatt is the second in a series of four Anti-Submarine Warfare Corvettes that will be commissioned into the Navy's fleet. The first in the series, INS Karmota, which was launched last year, is expected to be delivered to the Navy in June 2012 followed by INS Kadmatt in March 2013. Creation of National Optical Fibre Network approved The Union Cabinet approved a scheme for the creation of a National Optical Fibre Network' (NOFN) for providing broadband connectivity to panchayats at an initial cost of over Rs.20,000 crore, which will help in offering governance, banking and health services online. The project aims to extend the existing optical fibre network, which is available up to district and block levels, to the gram panchayat level, by utilising Rs.20,000 crore from the Universal Service Obligation (USO) Fund. A similar amount of investment is likely to be made by the private sector complementing the NOFN infrastructure while providing services to individual users. As per a study conducted by the World Bank, with every 10 per cent increase in broadband penetration, there is a 1.4 per cent increase in GDP growth. Initially, the broadband project would be executed by the state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and other institutions such as RailTel, Power Grid and the Gas Authority of India. For the implementation and execution, the Cabinet has approved the formation of a special purpose vehicle with equity from the Government of India. Nod for GSI restructuring The Union Cabinet approved the restructuring of the Geological Survey of India (GSI), which includes rightsizing its strength by filling up posts over a 10-year period. It approved constitution of geophysics, chemistry and engineering science, and technology streams as organised services so as to bring them at par with the geology stream. The restructuring will also facilitate the GSI to effectively function in mission mode with well defined objectives, encourage individual and group development and facilitate specialisation. Rotavirus infection: India among 5 nations with high deaths Close to one lakh children below the age of five years died of diarrhoea attributable to rotavirus infection in India in 2008, accounting for 22 per cent of the total deaths reported globally that year, the latest edition of the Lancet Infectious Diseases magazine has reported. Worldwide in 2008, diarrhoea related to rotavirus infection resulted in 4,53,000 deaths in children younger than 5 years 37 per cent of deaths attributable to diarrhoea with five countries accounting for more than half of all deaths attributable to such infection: the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria and Pakistan.

Page 1 of 3 26th October 2011

Biking on the ancient Silk Road Two Canadian women have created history cycling from Turkey to India to explore nature and spread the message of look beyond borders. Kate Harris and Melissa Yule, both 29-year-old scientist-explorers, started their arduous but passionate journey from Istanbul in January, and successfully completed the mission in Leh early this week. They completed the 10-month, 10country, 10,000-km bicycling and research expedition named Cycling Silk with sweet memories. For most of 2011, Kate and Melissa rode self-supported through the wildest mountains and deserts of the ancient Silk Road. They continued through Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, China and Nepal, then cycled through the Himalayas to the final destination of Leh, Ladakh. Secret, desert burial for Qadhafi Muammar Qadhafi's body was buried overnight in a secret location after several days of being put on display in a market freezer, said a local Libyan military council member. The source on the Misrata council said Qadhafi's remains were buried overnight in a religious ceremony along with the corpses of his son Mutassim and ex-Defence Minister Abu Bakr Yunis Jaber. U.K. further tightens visa norms for Indian students In a move that is likely to affect thousands of Indian students applying for visa to study in Britain, the British government banned nearly 1,900 Indian banks, mostly small regional cooperatives, for the purpose of verifying applicants' maintenance funds. Under Tier 4 of the points-based immigration system, all applicants are required to submit a financial statement as a proof that they have enough funds to support themselves and pay for their course in Britain. RBI increases repo rate; loans to be costlier The Reserve Bank of India increased the short term indicative policy rate (repo rate) by 25 basis points, with immediate effect, from 8.25 to 8.5 per cent, with the hope that a further rate hike may not be warranted as inflation is likely to fall in December 2011. It has also deregulated the savings bank deposit interest rate with immediate effect. This is the 13th hike in policy rate since March 2010, which means the lending rates offered by banks will go up further. New manufacturing policy approved The Centre approved the National Manufacturing Policy, which envisages mega industrial zones and 100 million jobs by 2022. MSP up for rabi crops The Union government announced an increase of Rs. 115 in the minimum support price (MSP) of wheat, which has been set at Rs. 1,285 a quintal for the 2012-13 rabi marketing season. The MSP for the previous year was Rs. 1,170 including a bonus of Rs. 50. The meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, also approved the Agriculture Ministry's proposal for an increase of up to Rs. 700 a quintal in the support prices of barley, gram, masur (lentil), rapeseed/mustard and safflower. The MSP of barley was raised by Rs. 200 to Rs. 980, while that of gram and masur was fixed at Rs. 2,800, marking an increase of Rs. 700 and Rs. 550 respectively over the previous year. The MSP of rapeseed/mustard has been set at Rs. 2,500, an increase of Rs. 650, while the price of safflower has been raised by Rs. 700 and fixed at Rs. 2,500 a quintal.

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Cabinet nod for 15 more mega food parks The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved the setting up of 15 new mega food park projects in addition to the 15 ongoing projects under the Infrastructure Development Scheme involving a government grant of Rs.787.50 crore. The setting up of the new mega food parks is expected to facilitate state-of-the-art infrastructure with efficient supply chain management from farm gate to retail outlets. The projects are meant to bring about substantial reduction of wastage, value addition, employment generation and increased income for farmers. India sweeps series 5-0 India's domination of England in the ODI series was complete at the Eden Gardens by wrapping up the final match with a 95-run victory. Put in, India scored a challenging 271 for eight and stopped England at 176 in 37 overs. Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, named the player of the series following India's 5-0 whitewash over England in the ODI tournament, jumped two places to reach the third spot in the latest ICC rankings.

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A mega study and a global trial, to fight killer diseases better The largest ever study to investigate causes of common cancers in India is being carried out through a collaboration between Oxford University in the UK and 12 leading cancer centres in India. Several cancer centres are collaborating in the ambitious project to investigate whether certain factors common in Indian lifestyle are important in influencing the risk of cancer, Dr Raju Chacko, oncologist and a consultant at Christian Medical College, Vellore. Among lifestyle trends being investigated are vegetarianism and common spices in the Indian diet. The researchers will study whether these have a beneficial effect in lowering the risk of cancer. The researchers will also investigate if chewing tobacco, burning wood as a fuel indoors, and the adoption of Western lifestyles in Indian cities have a detrimental effect. ULFA says talks with Centre positive The Centre discussed with the top leadership of the banned ULFA various aspects of its charter of demands which sought amendment to the Constitution to find a lasting solution to the threedecade-old insurgency problem in Assam. While the ULFA team was led by its chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa, the Central team was headed by Union Home Secretary R K Singh. A mega study and a global trial, to fight killer diseases better The largest ever study to investigate causes of common cancers in India is being carried out through a collaboration between Oxford University in the UK and 12 leading cancer centres in India. Several cancer centres are collaborating in the ambitious project to investigate whether certain factors common in Indian lifestyle are important in influencing the risk of cancer, Dr Raju Chacko, oncologist and a consultant at Christian Medical College, Vellore. Among lifestyle trends being investigated are vegetarianism and common spices in the Indian diet. The researchers will study whether these have a beneficial effect in lowering the risk of cancer. The researchers will also investigate if chewing tobacco, burning wood as a fuel indoors, and the adoption of Western lifestyles in Indian cities have a detrimental effect. Darjeeling tea gets EUs protected tag The European Union (EU) has registered India's Darjeeling tea with a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI). The tag seeks to protect product names from misuse and imitation. This has made Darjeeling tea the seventh non-EU product receiving the protected status, following one from Colombia and five from China China wants bases in Pak tribal region: Report China has expressed an interest in setting up military bases in Pakistans volatile tribal area or the Northern Areas, close to the restive Chinese province of Xinjiang, to counter the activities of extremists, according to a media report. The Chinese desire is aimed at containing the growing terrorist activities of Chinese rebels of the al-Qaeda-linked East Turkestan Islamic Movement. Australia refuses to withdraw travel advisory Australia has rejected India's demand to withdraw the travel advisory issued by them. India had asked Australia, New Zealand and Canada to withdraw the issuance of such notices which have "disproportionate" language and were contrary to the current tourist trend, television reports stated. Australia, however, has refused to withdraw the notice saying that it was "routine". Australia's foreign minister Kevin Rudd said, "We don't have any specific threats to share with India." Earlier, minister of external affairs SM Krishna, who is in Australia to attend the CHOGM Foreign Ministers Meeting, held talks with his Australian, Kiwi and Canadian counterparts and raised the issue in detail.

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RBI gets tough on prepayment penalty, discriminatory rates After waiting and watching for quite some time, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has finally decided to get tough against the discriminatory pricing of loans and the huge prepayment penalty up to 2 per cent of the outstanding loans being charged by some banks. The RBI has decided to set up a Working Group to look into principles governing proper, transparent and nondiscriminatory pricing of credit. This panel is expected to look into different rates for old and new loan customers. Banks and housing finance firms charge different rates for their old and new loan customers. Unveiling the monetary policy, the RBI said it has decided to implement the recommendations of the Damodaran Committee, on which a broad consensus has emerged, as also the action points which were identified by the Indian Banks Association (IBA) and Banking Codes and Standards Board of India (BCSBI) in the last Banking Ombudsman conference. Banks had agreed to stop prepayment penalty on floating loans at the Ombudsman conference, but most banks are yet to stop this practice. IBM names Ginni Rometty as first female CEO Ginni Rometty, 54, will become the first female chief executive officer in IBM's 100-year history. The Armonk, New York based company said she will succeed Sam Palmisano in the role effective Jan 1. Palmisano , CEO since 2002, will remain chairman. Boeing 787's inaugural flight lands in Hong Kong ABOARD ANA FLIGHT 7871: Boeing's much-anticipated 787 carried its first passengers on a four-hour, 8-minute flight filled with cheers, picture-taking and swapping of aviation stories. The new long-haul jet aims to change with the way passengers think about flying with larger windows, improved lighting and air pressure and humidity that closer resembles that on the ground. It's not the fastest jet or the largest jet but the plane, nicknamed The Dreamliner by Boeing Corp, is built of lightweight materials that promise to dramatically improve fuel efficiency. One embryo in IVF doesnt cut birth chance: Study Transferring one embryo into women during in vitro fertilization (IVF) doesnt lower their chances of giving birth but it does mean fewer women give birth to twins, with all the attendant health risks, a study said. IVF has traditionally involved transferring multiple embryos, which is known to increase by many times a womans chances of having twins and other multiple births, and raise risks to both mother and babies, including diabetes during pregnancy, premature birth and cerebral palsy. But improved technology has helped increase births if single embryos are used in younger women judged to have a good chance of getting pregnant, said Jessica Kresowik at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, who led the study. India at 'extreme' risk from climate change A third of humanity, mostly in Africa and South Asia, face the biggest risks from climate change but rich nations in northern Europe will be least exposed, according to a report released. Bangladesh, India and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are among 30 countries with "extreme" exposure to climate shift, according to a ranking of 193 nations by Maplecroft, a British firm specialising in risk analysis. Five Southeast Asian nations - Indonesia , Myanmar, Vietnam, the Philippines and Cambodia - are also in the highest category , partly because of the rising seas and increasing severe tropical storms. Maplecroft's tool, the Climate Change Vulnerability Index (CCVI), looks at exposure to extreme weather events such as drought, cyclones, wildfires and storm surges, which translate into water stress, loss of crops and land lost to the sea. How vulnerable a society is to these events is also measured, along with a country's potential to adapt to future climate change-related hazards. Of 30 nations identified in the new report as at "extreme" risk from climate change, two-thirds are in Africa and all are developing countries.

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China to launch unmanned space mission next month China has said that it will launch an unmanned spacecraft early next month that will attempt to dock with an experimental space station module. The Shenzhou 8 mission is the latest step in what will be a decade-long effort to place a manned permanent space station in orbit. Wozniacki seals No. 1 ranking as Sharapova pulls out Caroline Wozniacki will end the year ranked world number one although her hopes of applying icing to the cake by winning the WTA Championships suffered a blow when she lost to Russia's Vera Zvonareva in her second round-robin match. Bopanna-Qureshi win Stockholm Open, win third title together Rohan Bopanna and Aisam-ul-haq Qureshi won their second ATP doubles title of the season, and third overall together, after outplaying Marcelo Melo and Bruno Soares in straight sets in the summit clash of the Stockholm Open. The top seeded Indo-Pak pair lived up to its top billing as they downed the Brazilian opponents 6-1 6-4 in just 57 minutes in the final of the euro 600,00 hard court event.

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PETA opposes marine park in Sindhudurg The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), an American organisation, wrote to Maharashtra Chief Minister to put a stop to the ill-conceived and reckless plan of building a marine park in the coastal district of Sindhudurg. The State government has proposed an aquarium-based theme park in Sindhudurg on the lines of SeaWorld, a chain of marine mammal parks and oceanariums' in the United States. Lack of storage hits farm sector India is losing Rs. 40,000-crore possible revenue annually on its GDP due to lack of storage and packaging capacity for passing on fresh fruits and food from the farm to consumers, according to the chairman of the Indian Institute of Packaging (IIP) A.V.P.S. Chakravarthi. Packaging was not just a corrugated box as being thought of generally but it was value addition and revenue practically. Dropout rate high among girls, SC, STs: study Young Lives, a UK-based international body engaged in the study of childhood poverty, has found that increasing economic growth in Andhra Pradesh has been enduring inequalities among children. The country director of Young Lives in India is Dr. Renu Singh. The third round of study carried out between late 2009 and early 2010 had suggested the need for more targeted policies to promote pro-poor growth and to reduce chronic poverty. Initial findings of the study included increase in the primary school enrolment to 98 per cent of 8-year-olds and decline in the absolute poverty from 24 pc (2006) to 16 pc (2009) among the Young Lives households. AIDWA leader Tanya passes away A pioneer in women's movement in Andhra Pradesh, Moturu Tanya(70), died recently. She was ailing for quite some time. Dr. Tanya, honorary president of the Prakasam district unit of the All India Democratic Women's Association, is survived by husband, a son and a daughter. Deal brings relief to Euro-zone Relief coupled with apprehension were the emotions that dominated following the Euro-zone agreement reached after tough negotiations that lasted into the early hours of the morning. Markets reacted favourably registering a rise of up to five per cent and stocks of French and German banks (which hold a major part of the Greek sovereign debt) rose spectacularly. Greek Prime Minister Georges Papandreou described the agreement as historic saying it opened a new era of cooperation in Europe. Leaders of the 17 Euro-zone nations agreed on a three pronged approach to solving the Euro crisis: wipe off 50 per cent of the Greek debt, recapitalise European banks and strengthen the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) to leverage up to a trillion Euros in order to prevent Italy or Spain from collapsing. Gala concert for reopening of the Bolshoi The world-renowned Bolshoi theatre is reopening after a reconstruction that took six years to complete and became the most expensive theatre renovation project ever. The renovation involved replacing the entire foundation, which was crumbling, and revamping the interior to restore the original ornate opulence of gold-plated carved moldings, crystal chandeliers and embroidered silks. Architects have meticulously recreated the Bolshoi (which means Grand in Russian) as it looked when re-opened in 1856 for the coronation of Czar Alexander II, the third and last time the 235-old theatre was rebuilt after devastating fires. Rajat Gupta charged with insider dealing Rajat Gupta, a former Goldman Sachs director and senior figure in corporate America, has been charged with conspiracy and security fraud offences, making him the most high-ranking executive to become embroiled in a wide-ranging Wall Street insider dealing inquiry. Prosecutors said Mr. Gupta had provided disgraced trader Raj Rajaratnam with an instant messaging service from Page 1 of 2 28th October 2011

inside some of America's most esteemed boardrooms. The indictment accuses Mr. Gupta of entering into an insider arrangement with Rajaratnam, founder of the hedge fund Galleon Group. Rajaratnam was sentenced to 11 years in jail for insider dealing offences. Mukesh Ambani richest Indian with $22.6 b net worth: Forbes Mukesh Ambani, who heads the oil-to-retail conglomerate Reliance Industries Group, has retained his position as the world's richest Indian with a net worth of $22.60 billion, as per the Forbes India annual rich list. Despite a fall of $4.4 billion in his net worth over the past one year, Mr. Ambani managed to hold the top slot. He is followed by steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal and technology czar Azim Premji, as per the list published by the Indian edition of global business magazine Forbes. Mr. Mittal was ranked second with a net worth of $19.2 billion, while Mr. Premji was at the third position with $13 billion of net worth, Forbes said. Father-son duo Kapil and Rahul Bhatia of travel group InterGlobe Enterprises made their debut at position 51, with a net worth of $1.09 billion after their budget carrier IndiGo became India's third-largest and most profitable airline. World Bank to provide loan for Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor The World Bank committed to finance the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor by signing a $975 million loan agreement with Ministry of Finance and Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL). The World Bank has decided to finance 1,130 km out of the 1,839 km length of the EDFC in three phases and this agreement covers the construction of 343 km of the section between Khurja and Kanpur, which would not only raise the axle load limit but also enable the freight trains to gain speeds upto 100 km an hour. World Bank Country Director Roberto Zagha and Department of Economic Affairs Joint Secretary Venu Rajamony and DFCCIL Project Director Anshuman Sharma signed the agreement. Centre approves 21 new textiles parks The Centre sanctioned Rs.2,100 crore for setting up 21 new integrated textiles parks with worldclass infrastructure in nine States. The new textiles parks, to be set up under public-privatepartnership, will attract an overall industry investment of over Rs.9,000 crore generating employment of four lakh workers, according to an official statement. Six of the parks would come up in Maharashtra, four in Rajasthan, two each in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, one each in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Tripura, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Jammu & Kashmir and West Bengal. Sony to buy out Ericsson stake in Sony Ericsson Swedish telecom equipment maker Ericsson said that it would sell its 50 per cent stake in mobile phone joint venture Sony Ericsson to Sony for $1.47 billion. Abhinav Bindra's book released The Union Sports Minister Ajay Maken recently released the book of the Olympic champion Abhiinav Bindra, A shot at history. The book is written by sports journalist Rohit Brijnath and published by Harper Collins.

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Coimbatore ranks fifth in suicides: NCRB report Coimbatore, a city known for affluent communities, economically vibrant and industrially progressive, ranks fifth in the number of suicides across the country.The National Crime Records Bureau's report Crime in India 2010, showed that based on the ranking done on total population, Coimbatore city ranks fifth with 326 deaths in 2010 at a percentage of 2.4 of the estimated 14.5 lakh population. Ranking is not done based on the number of suicides but on the number of suicides proportionate to the population of the place. Jabalpur is the city that tops the list in the country, followed by Rajkot, Bangalore and Vijayawada New virus causing high fever: Hanta virus', identified A new virus which causes high fever and shortness of breath and other symptoms akin to dengue fever was detected in Hyderabad at Yashoda Hospitals .The name of this virus is Hanta virus'. This is the first time the virus has been detected in Andhra Pradesh. The patient had exhibited symptoms of dengue fever. He later developed a cardiac arrest and kidney failure. The virus is carried to humans by rats and does not spread between humans. It is not an epidemic and is rarely found. Although disease symptoms are similar to that of influenza or dengue, this Hanta virus' causes Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), kidney, heart and lung failure.. The contact with contaminated dust from mice nests or droppings while cleaning homes, sheds and other enclosed areas may increase the risk of coming in contact with the virus. Girls to get equal rights to British throne The royal daughters of the United Kingdom will soon get an equal right to rule., This historic decision by the 16 nations of which Queen Elizabeth II is a constitutional monarch.In practical terms, this means that the eldest child of Prince William now second-in-line to the throne will inherit the crown, regardless of its own gender, or that of younger siblings. In contrast, Queen Elizabeth only succeeded to the throne because she had no younger brothers. The decision also impacts the current order of succession, with Princess Anne, the only daughter of the Queen, moving from the 10th to fourth position.The 16 nations also agreed to scrap the law barring anyone married to a Roman Catholic from inheriting the throne, although the monarch must still be a member of the Church of England which he or she will head. Kareena honoured to have statue at Tussauds Bollywood star Kareena Kapoor, now has its statue at Madame Tussauds Meusium in London.The statue would share the museum space with wax statues of fellow Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Amitabh Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.The Kareena statue is a replica of her image from the song Mauja Hi Mauja.' from the movie Jab We Met. Pakistan tests Hatf-7 Pakistan on Friday test-fired its nuclear-capable Hatf-7 or Babur cruise missile which has a range of 700 km. The multi-tube missile can hit targets in India. Writer Avasarala Ramakrishna Rao dead Noted writer Avasarala Ramakrishna Rao died at the Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) in Hyderabad. he began his literary career at the early age of 17. He authored more than 600 short stories, 15 novels and four children's novels. He won the AP Sahitya Academy award for his anthology of short stories Ardhamunna Kadhalu in 1969. He was the recipient of Best Writer in Humour award of Sri Potti Sriramulutu Telugu University in 1994 and Delhi Telugu Academy's Ugadi Puraskar in 2000. Sampengalu-Sannajajulu, Ketu-Dupliketu, Pekamukkalu and Aastipanjaram are among his well-known works. 1,012-kg gold coin The world's biggest, heaviest and inherently most valuable gold coin, worth just under 54 million Australian dollars, was unveiled by the Perth Mint .The 1,012-kg coin has more than one tonne of Page 1 of 2 29th October 2011

99.99 per cent pure gold. It features a bounding red kangaroo on one side, and the Queen's motif on the other. It is nearly 80cm in diameter and 12cm thick. Maharashtra leads in sucides ranking The five States with the largest share of the quarter-of-a-million farm suicides recorded in India over the past 16 years are Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.While the total number of farmers who took their own life in 2010 showed a dip from the preceding year, the share of the Big 5, in fact, rose to 66.49 per cent of all farm suicides in 2010. It was 62 per cent in 2009. Three of the Big 5 States have shown significant increases over 2009: Maharashtra (+269), Karnataka (+303), and Andhra Pradesh (+111). In all, 14 of 28 States reported increases in 2010, while four have recorded declines of five or fewer suicides. Jnanpith awardee Shrilal Shukla died Noted litterateur Shrilal Shukla, who was honoured with the Jnanpith award, died on 28-102011.Author of Raag Darbari, Mr. Shukla was presented the country's highest literary honour by Uttar Pradesh Governor B. L. Joshi as he lay on his hospital bed on October 18.Mr. Shukla had penned Agyatwaas, Vishrampur Ka Sant and many other novels over his lifetime. His works throw light on the falling moral values of society in post-Independence India. Mr. Shukla and another Hindi author Amar Kant were chosen on September 19 for the Jnanpith award for 2009. Hay Festival back in India for second time The Hay Festival, one of the biggest literary events in the world, will be back in India in November, 2011.The festival, which began 23 years ago in Wye, a small town in Wales, United Kingdom, has over the years reached Spain, Colombia and Kenya, and is now in its second edition in India. The three-day event would begin on November 17 in Thiruvananthapuram.

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Move to increase BrahMos speed to Mach 7 Chief Controller (R&D) of DRDO A. Sivathanu Pillai has said that efforts were on to increase the speed of BrahMos missiles to counter future threat from high speed cruise missiles. Interacting with the media on the sidelines of Poorva Drishti 2011', a national seminar on India's Look East Policy, held at the NSTL, he said network-centric weapons that need minimum human intervention were being developed. Efforts were being made to increase the speed of BrahMos-II from Mach 3 to Mach 7. Dr. Pillai, who is also the CEO and Managing Director of BrahMos Aerospace Centre, said that the collaboration with Russia would continue. IPS officers undergo strategic training at Cambridge Eighty senior IPS officers in the ranks of Deputy Inspector- General and Inspector-General completed their eight-week course in strategic management at the Cambridge University, United Kingdom. The programme was organized in collaboration with the O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU), Sonepat, near the capital. The participants, in the first six weeks of training at the National Police Academy, Hyderabad, had lecture-workshop sessions twice daily, capped by weekly examinations and assessments, according to a press release issued by C. Raj Kumar, Vice Chancellor, JGU, and Dean, Jindal Global Law School, In the U.K., the IPS officers visited the Cambridge and Peterborough Crown Courts to discuss the U.K. justice and legal system with judges of the Crown Court. They also got an opportunity to visit the HMP Edmunds Hill and Highpoint Prison. Apollo launches robot tech. for stroke treatment Apollo Hospitals Hyderabad has launched RP-7i Remote Presence Robot for treatment of stroke patients by expert doctors away in other locations with the help of the robot. Chairman of the Apollo Hospitals Group Prathap C. Reddy claimed that such technology was introduced outside the US for the first time. Apart from its applications in the area of neurosciences, it could be used for other critical care areas in future, he said. The machine (robot) and its network creation in Hyderabad had cost Rs. 1.5 crore and plans were afoot to introduce the same technology in six other Apollo centers soon at a cost of another Rs. 9 crore. Commonwealth defers decision on Human Rights Commissioner The Commonwealth leaders have put a controversial decision on a Human Rights Commissioner in cold storage for an undefined period, asking for further examination, after a number of countries including India expressed their problems with the idea. The eminent persons group (EPG), which made the recommendation to establish a Commissioner for Democracy, the Rule of Law and Human Rights, warned that a failure to deliver on such reform recommendations would tag this summit as a failure. The leaders attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meet (CHOGM) spent the day away from the public eye in a secluded retreat, allowing for informal discussions on thorny issues. Jaipur all set to host grand conclave of Indian diaspora in January Trinidad & Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar will be the chief guest at the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas (PBD) to be organised as a grand annual diaspora conclave here from January 7 to 9 this coming year. Nearly 1,500 delegates from across the world are likely to take part in the mega event. The tenth edition of the PBD will be devoted to the theme of Global Indian: Inclusive Growth. According to an official release Rajasthan would be the partner State and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) would be the institutional partner for the conclave, which would provide the Diaspora with an opportunity to understand the desert State's vibrant culture and rich potential. After the Chinese, the Indian Diaspora is considered the second-largest expatriate community in the world.

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A dam steeped in history and controversy October 29 marked the 125th anniversary of the signing of a far-reaching agreement on the Mullaperiyar dam between the erstwhile Madras and Travancore governments, but the matter still remains a bone of contention between their successor States, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. As part of the agreement, about 8,000 acres of land was leased by Travancore to Madras for execution of the Periyar project. In pursuance of the agreement, a water reservoir was built across the Periyar river during 1887-95. It is known as the Mullaperiyar dam, comprising the main dam and a baby dam. Indulging in corruption is also anti-national: HC Government servants indulging in criminal activities such as forgery, cheating and corruption can be said to have indulged in anti-national activities as they had cheated the people while being part of the government, the Madras High Court Bench has said. Justice K. Chandru made the observation while dismissing a writ petition filed by a government servant, who was dismissed from service after his conviction in two cheating and forgery cases. He had now sought compassionate allowance under Rule 40 (1) of the Tamil Nadu Pension Rules. The petitioner, S. Thirumalaiappan of Tirunelveli was accused of swindling government money while serving as an Accountant at the Tirunelveli District Treasury. The charges against him included cheating of many pensioners and withdrawing government money in the name of fictitious pensioners. Advanced launch facilities at ISRO M.C. Dathan, Director, Sathish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, has said that Advanced Planning of Launch Complex Facilities for Future Launch Vehicle of ISRO has been taken up to meet the ISRO's future programme. He was delivering the 12th Dr. S. Srinivasan Memorial Lecture on Launch Complex Facilities for Advanced Launch Vehicles', organised by the Aeronautical Society of India, Thiruvananthapuram Branch, in Association with the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre. P.S. Veeraraghavan, Director, VSSC, who presided over the function paid tributes to Dr. S. Srinivasan and his contributions towards launch vehicle development in the country. Crucial poll in Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan is electing its President in a hotly-contested race that could either propel the impoverished republic towards becoming the first Western-type democracy in ex-Soviet Central Asia or deepen the split between the north and the south and reignite ethnic strife. Prime Minister Almazbek Atambayev (55) is the most favoured candidate but it is not clear whether he can get 50 per cent of the vote, needed to win in the first round. In the run-off he will face one of his two main rivals the former Parliament Speaker, Adakhan Madumarov (46), or 44-year old exEmergency Services Minister Kamchibek Tashiyev. Higgins to be Ireland's President A prominent left-wing poet and peace activist who campaigned against the Iraq invasion is to be Ireland's new President succeeding the incumbent, Mary McAleese, the occupant of the largely ceremonial post since 1997 having won two successive seven-year terms, the maximum permitted under the Constitution.Mr. Higgins, an Irish MP for nearly 25 years until he stepped down earlier this year and a former Minister for Arts and Culture, attributed his success to his clean campaign during which he avoided personal attacks.

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Siemens to absorb two subsidiaries Siemens informed the Bombay Stock Exchange that the directors of the company at their meeting held, have considered and approved the scheme of amalgamation of Siemens VAI Metals Technologies (SVAI), a 100 per cent subsidiary of Siemens AG and Morgan Construction Company India, a 100 per cent subsidiary of SVAI, with the company. The share swap ratio for the proposed scheme will be 1,318 equity shares of the face value of Rs. 2 each of Siemens for every 100 shares of the face value of Rs. 100 of SVAI. SAIL in talks with Railways for new projects in West Bengal Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) Chairman C. S. Verma has said that the public sector unit had commenced work in new areas with the Railways and at least four projects were being contemplated in West Bengal. In response to media queries after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's announcement on the possibility of SAIL joining Railways to set up a metro coach factory at Singur, Mr. Verma said that SAIL was in talks with the Railways for setting up Metro Coach manufacturing facility in any suitable site in West Bengal. Unilever to sell Culver Speciality Brands to B&G Foods Anglo-Dutch food and cosmetics giant Unilever has signed a definitive agreement with B&G Foods of the U.S. to sell its Culver Speciality Brands division for $325 million, the company said in a statement, reports AFP from The Hague. Mercedes boost for Indian motor sport A German connection is all set to boost the Indian motor sport scenario. Following the tie-up between the Buddh International Circuit (BIC) the venue of India's inaugural Formula One race and Mercedes to set up an academy here, the German company is all the more excited to promote motor sport in India. We are doing it (promoting motorsport in India). We will support the academy. We are the official partner of the track, said Norbert Haug, the Vice-President of Mercedes-Benz Motor Sports. Legendary German driver Michael Schumacher said he sees a lot of potential in India to make a mark in motor sport.

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The Hindu Literary Prize goes to debut novel For the second successive year, a debut novel struck gold at The Hindus Lit for Life literary festival. Rahul Bhattacharya bagged the The Hindu Literary Prize for Best Fiction 2011' for his The Sly Company of People Who Care. The book, which narrates a young Indian's Caribbean adventures in the company of a Guyanese diamond-hunter, was virtually deadlocked for the prize with the English translation of N.S. Madhavan's Litanies of Dutch Battery, but eventually won the day for its consummate artistry, its refusal to exoticise India or Guyana and its nonjudgmental attitude to the characters. The award carries a cash prize of Rs. 5 lakh and a plaque. London museum plans exhibitions on India After showcasing Kalighat paintings, which is currently touring India, the Victoria & Albert Museum in London plans to promote more of the country's cultural heritage through more exhibitions. To celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore, the museum will display around 50 of his paintings from 1928 to 1939 in London from December to March 2012. Also, in the autumn of 2012, the museum is scheduled to host a show of contemporary Indian design called India Design Now,' which will be curate by it and the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. The Victoria & Albert Museum showcased 100 Kalighat paintings at the Victoria Memorial Hall Museum in Kolkata. Chaplin to open 11th edition of Florence Indian Film Fest After an overwhelming response, Bengali film Chaplin has been selected as the inaugural film of the River to River Florence Indian Film Festival, 2011, in Florence, Italy. Anindo Banerjee is the director of the film. The film's lead actor Rudranil Ghosh said he would be leaving on December 1 to attend the festival. The film is about street artiste Bangshi Das, who dresses up like Charlie Chaplin and performs at household parties, Banerjee told. The festival, the 11th edition, will be held from December 2 to 8. Under the patronage of the Indian embassy in Rome, this is the first festival in the world entirely devoted to films from and about India. BASIC countries to frame common position on Kyoto protocol The Environment Ministers of BASIC countries Brazil, South Africa, India and China will frame a common position ahead of the crucial Durban climate conference due next month on several issues including the second commitment period of Kyoto protocol. Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan will visit Beijing to attend the ninth meeting of BASIC countries. It is mainly for preparing the negotiations for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference. The climate conference in Durban will be held from November 28 to December 9. Kamalesh Sharma re-appointed C'wealth Secretary-General Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma was re-appointed to the post for four more years at a meeting of the Commonwealth Heads of Government. His second term begins in April next. The 70-year-old Indian diplomat was first elected to the position at the biennial summit of the 54-nation grouping in Kampala in 2007. He took over from Sir Don McKinnon of New Zealand on April 1, 2008. He served as India's High Commissioner to the U.K., where he was involved in Commonwealth activities. In that capacity, since 2004, he has served as a member of the Board of Governors of the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Commonwealth Foundation.

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Industrialist Arvind Mafatlal dead Prominent industrialist Arvind Mafatlal died on Oct 30 at Chitrakoot in Madhya Pradesh after prolonged illness. He was 88. Mr. Mafatlal is survived by son Hrishikesh Mafatlal, who is the chairman of Arvind Mafatlal Group, and daughter Maithili Desai. The industrialist had been brought to Chitrakoot about a month ago from Mumbai as he wanted to spend his last days there, a company release said. Mr. Mafatlal was bestowed awards and honors by various social organizations. Visa-related fee will be nominal, Sri Lanka assures India Sri Lanka will reduce its tourist-visa-related administrative fee for visitors from January 1. Earlier, it announced a tourist visa fee of $ 50, payable online ahead of commencement of journey for visitors from 78 countries, including India. Till now, Sri Lanka had a no-charge, visa-on-arrival system for foreign tourists. From January 1, all travelers, barring those from the Maldives and Singapore, will have to fill up an online electronic travel authorization,' pay a fee, and get approval ahead of travel. The Maldives and Singapore extend visa-on-arrival to Sri Lankan citizens and hence, Sri Lanka has decided that the arrangement would continue for citizens of these countries. AP ranks third in crime against SCs, STs Andhra Pradesh, a State where the political class goes all out to woo the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes with a number of welfare programmes, presents a dismal picture in preventing crime against the Dalits. The State accounts for the third highest number of crime committed against SCs and STs in the country next only to Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. According to the Crime in India' report released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) for 2010, while 32,665 cases of crime against SCs were registered in all the States, Andhra Pradesh accounted for 4,321 cases, as against UP's 6,272 and Rajasthan's 4,979. China's supercomputer surprises U.S. experts China has made its first supercomputer based on Chinese microprocessor chips, an advance that surprised high-performance U.S. computing specialists. The new machine, the Sunway BlueLight MPP, was installed in September at the National Supercomputer Center in Jinan, the capital of Shandong province in eastern China. The Sunway system, which can perform about 1,000 trillion calculations per second a petaflop, will probably rank among the 20 fastest computers in the world. More significantly, it is composed of 8,700 ShenWei SW1600 microprocessors, designed at a Chinese computer institute and manufactured in Shanghai. Secure e-payment portal in the offing Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has inaugurated a fully secure government e-payment system that will enable the Centre to directly credit dues into the accounts of beneficiaries. The Government e-Payment Gateway (GePG) will use digitally signed electronic advice (e-advice). Developed by the Controller General of Accounts (CGA) the GePG is a portal which enables successful delivery of payment services from Pay & Accounts Offices (PAOs) for online payment into beneficiaries' accounts in a seamless manner under a secure environment. The GePG, serves as middleware between COMPACT' (computerized payment and accounts) application at PAOs and the core banking solution (CBS) of the agency banks/Reserve Bank of India, to facilitate paperless transaction, thus reducing the overall transaction cost and promoting green banking. PowerGrid enters joint ventures with various State governments PowerGrid Corporation is looking at entering into joint venture agreements with various state governments for laying out interstate transmission networks. It is in talks with states including Orissa, Sikkim, Asom; The Corporation has already adopted the joint venture model on public private partnership (PPP) basis with eight companies for inter-state connectivity. Page 2 of 3 31st October 2011

Tools to enhance on-line efficiency This edition of NetSpeak introduces a few more tools/services enhancing efficiency in our on-line life. Net is flooded with a huge variety of applications and many netizens cannot survive even a day without some of them. However, unlike in the past when one had to perform just a few applications, such as checking e-mails and reading a couple of blogs and the like, these days a savvy netizen has to deal with lot more applications. Second title for Lucas Auer Austrian Lucas Auer claimed his second consecutive title by winning the Round 14 of the JK Racing Asia Series at the Buddh International Circuit (BIC). Auer clocked 20:10.176 to bag the top honor in the 50.99km 10-lap race followed by Afiq Ikhwan Yazid and Irfan Ilyas. India's Akhil Khushlani finished a disappointing ninth. Seventeen-year-old Jordan King of Great Britain emerged the winner in the second race of the Delhi Championship with MRF. The only female driver of the race, Alice Powell of Great Britain, bagged the second spot. Anand stops Sasikiran to enter final World champion Viswanathan Anand stopped a fighting K. Sasikiran 3-1 to move into the final of the Corsica Masters knock-out rapid chess championship at Bastia. Final will be played at Ajaccio on Oct 31. Anand will take on Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, who overcame Ivan Cheparinov 2-0 in the other semifinal. In the quarterfinals, Anand defeated Armenia's Avetik Grigoryan 1.5-0.5. Earlier, Anand blanked Frenchman Michael Massoni 2-0 and Sasikiran got past USA's Marc Arnold 3-1. Sahara Force India team Principal Vijay Mallya satisfied Sahara Force India team principal Vijay Mallya was a satisfied man after his team achieved the target of registering points in the inaugural Indian Grand Prix with Adrian Sutil managing to bring home the car inside the top 10 bracket. Even though Mallya wanted both his drivers Sutil and Paul di Resta to finish among points at the Buddh International Circuit, only the former could secure two points for the Silverstone-based team by finishing on the ninth position after starting eighth on the grid. Vettel dominates all the way in Greater Noida From pole to finish, interspersed with a fastest lap time (1:27.49s), it was masterful driving by Sebastian Vettel who is already being revered as a legend in Formula One at the Grand Prix of India. The Red Bull driver's 11th victory of the season (21st of his career) meant that he is still on course to equalling the legendary Michael Schumacher's record of 13 Grands Prix wins in a season.

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