News Digest: Modi's wife could have saved RTI fee if PM was staying with her: Cong

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Wednesday, November 26, 2014
		Today's Headlines

		India
		Modi's wife could have saved RTI fee if PM was staying with her: Cong “I only know that Modi’s wife has filed an RTI application. Had they been staying together, it would have saved the family the money that is spent on seeking information under the RTI,” Cong spokesman Shakeel Ahmed said. Law minister blames collegium system for judges vacancy in high courts Law minister Sadananda Gowda on Tuesday blamed the present collegium system of appointment of judges for existing vacancies in the high courts. Maharashtra records highest number of farmer suicides this year Maharashtra continues to face the challenge of dealing with rising cases of farmers’ suicide. It has reported 204 such suicides in the first four months of the year. More India News»

		Business
		Rajan slams banks for 'hiding' NPAs : In his most hard-hitting speech against recalcitrant defaulters, Reserve Bank of India governor Raghuram Rajan has said that the amount written off by banks as bad debts in the last five years would have been enough to fund the education of 15 lakh of the poorest children in the top private universities of the country, all expenses paid. Airtel prices 4G packages below 3G to counter Reliance Jio Data tariffs for mobile phones are set for a major fall with Bharti Airtel offering high-speed 4G packs below the prices of 3G plans. Kotak 1st bank to fully own an insurance business Kotak Mahindra Bank on Tuesday became the first bank to get the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI’s) permission to set up a wholly-owned non-life insurance company. More Business News»

		Environment
		56 countries seek carbon capture incentives in next climate deal Fiscal incentives for carbon capture should be part of the global climate change agreement that replaces the Kyoto Protocol, 56 countries belonging to the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) said in a statement on Tuesday. Bodies of 500 sea lions found on Peruvian beach Peruvian authorities were investigating Sunday the deaths of some 500 sea lions whose rotting corpses were found on a northern beach. Zoo in Thiruvananthapuram to get swamp deer from Lucknow After arrival of a white tiger and seven anacondas, a herd of swamp deer will be brought to the zoological park here, one of the oldest such facilities in the region. More Environment News»

		World
		Pope to Europe: Accept immigrants, create jobs Pope Francis sought on Thursday to inspire an old and "haggard" Europe to find its vigor and greatness once again, urging European governments to welcome migrants, care for the elderly and create jobs for the unemployed. US to leave more troops in Afghanistan: Sources The United States is preparing to increase the number of troops it keeps in Afghanistan in 2015 to fill a gap left in the Nato mission by other contributing nations, according to three sources with direct knowledge of the situation. Coal mine fire kills 24 in China: Xinhua A fire at a coal mine in northeast China killed 24 workers early Wednesday, state media reported. More World News»

		Entertainment
		Riteish Deshmukh-Genelia blessed with son Bollywood's beloved on-screen and off-screen couple Genelia D'Souza and Riteish Deshmukh were Tuesday blessed with a son, their first child. 'Salman Khan gave a verbal lashing to Puneet' Her ouster from Bigg Boss 8 has given her the much-needed relief from all the mayhem, that had made her life hellish, says model-actress Nigaar Khan. Aamir Khan's PK: 5 reasons to watch the film More Entertainment News»

		Science
		Gene that helps prevent stroke found Scientists have discovered a gene that protects people from the most common cause of stroke in young and middle-aged people. Cut diabetes risk with 2 spoonfuls of yogurt a day A daily tablespoon of yogurt can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by nearly a fifth, according to a new Harvard study. Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that occurs when the body does not produce enough insulin, or the body’s cells develop resistance to insulin. 'Sexed semen' to increase female calf population At this place, males are an unwanted species.In fact, this is a facility that will ensure that females only give birth to one of their kind. More Science News»

		Sports
		Hockey India does not need Terry Walsh: Narinder Batra Hockey India president Narinder Batra clearly stated that they do not require the services of former men's team chief coach Terry Walsh and will look for a replacement "with the approval of SAI". Atletico de Kolkata turn to Sourav Ganguly for motivation Embattled Atletico de Kolkata have now turned to their co-owner Sourav Ganguly for motivation as the franchise approach the business end of the ISL. It is difficult to be a Sania Mirza in this country: Sania Mirza Sania Mirza says "it's difficult to be a Sania Mirza in this country" due to the prevailing "gender inequality" and called for an urgent need to bring about a change. More Sports News»

		Technology
		Galaxy S5 misses Samsung's sales estimates by 40%: WSJ Samsung sold 12 million units of Galaxy S5 in the April-June period, compared to 16 million unit sales of Galaxy S4 in the same time frame a year earlier. 10 skills you need to get a $100,000 engineering job at Google Google is among the most sought after employers in the world. Engineers are the rock stars at Google — and they're paid like one. Martian Notifier smartwatch review: True to its name US based company Martian Watches introduced the Martian Notifier to target users who want their smartwatch to look like a conventional analog time piece and still fetch notifications from their smartphone. We try to find out if it’s worth a buy, in our review. More Technology News»

		Education
		Panjab University proposes 5% fee hike for 2015-16 A Panjab University (PU) committee has proposed a five per cent increase in tuition fee for students enrolled at the university's teaching departments, institutes, and regional centres. IIIT Bill taken up in Lok Sabha A bill to bring four institutes of information technology under the ambit of a single authority was today taken up in Lok Sabha, a move that was welcomed by members from across the political spectrum. HC orders release of former Delhi University vice-chancellor Deepak Pental Former Delhi University vice-chancellor Deepak Pental was on Tuesday ordered to be taken into custody in a complaint of plagiarism, cheating and forgery but was later directed to be released by the Delhi high court. More Education News»

		Mumbai
		CBI arrests two from Pune for Rs 12 crore bank fraud Two persons have been arrested on Monday for allegedly defrauding a bank of nearly Rs 12 crore. In March, the accused had availed of a higher credit limit by submitting false and fabricated documents to Indian Overseas Bank. Tighter security not in place even six years after 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai Following the attacks, several suggestions were made to transform the Mumbai police from a third-world constabulary to an elite force with capabilities to deal with such threats. Arif's parents again deny talking to NIA The parents of Arif Majeed, believed till now to have died in Syria fighting for ISIS, have told the Kalyan police that they never gave any statement to the National Investigation Agency claiming that their son called them up and was alive. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		Government drags feet on taking steps The government seems to have no immediate plans to tackle the severely high air pollution levels in Delhi. Oficials of Delhi's environment department say that implementation of Euro 5 or Bharat Stage 5 norms in Delhi will be possible only by 2019 or 2020. Delhi choking on foul air, time to clean up Your early morning routine of a walk and workout out doors this winter is likely to endanger your health rather than give you any benefits. Failed actor arrested for kidnap, murder of Utkarsh The 22-year-old son of a builder has been arrested for the kidnapping and murder of Utkarsh, 13, an east Delhi jeweller’s son who was found dead near a drain last week, a day after being waylaid while returning from school. More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		December 15 deadline to make buses safer The transport department has set December 15 as the deadline for schools to schools to implement safety guidelines in their buses. Bengaluru schools can share ideas online City-based schools can now exchange ideas on implementing safety guidelines. TDR policy envisages trading authority Transfer of development rights (TDRs) could be back in business in a big way. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		Denied pension, aged woman dies of shock A 73-year-old woman died due to shock after officials deleted her name from the list of beneficiaries for widow pension at Bommera Pothana village in Palakurthy mandal of Warangal district. Registration, stamp duties to go northwards in Andhra Pradesh In a move aimed at cash in on the prevailing real estate boom in AP, chief minister Chandrababu Naidu has given his nod for increase in the rate of land registration and stamp duty across the 13 districts. Class VII student set afire in hostel In a shocking incident, a class VII student was set on fire by unidentified people on the premises of Anand Nilayam government hostel at Enugonda village in Mahbubnagar district late on Tuesday night. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		'Not just seafarers, maritime education too is in distress' "Shady agents leave Indian seamen in distress" (November 13) deals not only with the not-so-honest recruiting agents for ships that have flags of convenience — over which the directorate general of shipping has little control — but also with training aspects. Where stories are one lines, theft can be hard to prove It is déjà vu all over again in Kollywood. While Rajinikanth's fans are eagerly awaiting the release of his forthcoming film, the K S Ravikumar-directed 'Lingaa' on December 12, industry watchers are tracking the progress of the film's copyright dispute over story and script currently playing out in the Madurai bench of the Madras high court. International emergency numbers 911, 112 come to aid of Chennai 'Call 911,' may no longer be just a line from a Hollywood thriller. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		Rejig likely in civic bodies to accommodate women corporators The state government's decision to have 50% quota for women in the local bodies will result in many changes as the plan is to have four representatives in each ward instead of the existing three. Donkey fair over, Vautha waits for its bridge The famous Vautha donkey fair that unites Bhal and Charotar regions, concluded recently.One more year went when people and animals alike had to cross the river wading through the waters of Sabarmati. Varesh Sinha is state election commissioner Varesh Sinha, former chief secretary of Gujarat, who retired on October 31, 2014 after six-month extension, has been appointed state election commissioner prior to the crucial local body elections next year. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		115 hospitals in dock for violating bio waste disposal pact Altogether 115 medical units, including hospitals, nursing homes, pathology labs and orthopaedic and maternity clinics of the city are in the dock for not sending their bio waste for disposal to the Naini based Bio-Waste Disposal Management Unit. After the officials of the unit wrote a letter to the CMO on Tuesday in this connection, he has warned the erring units of strict action if they fail to comply with the norms within 15 days. Stay on Koli's death order extended The Allahabad High Court on Tuesday extended the stay on execution of death sentence of Nithari killings convict Surendra Koli till December 1. Girl students to have access to library: AMU;HC disposes Of PIL alleging gender discrimination The Allahabad High Court on Tuesday disposed of a PIL alleging that the AMU VC had adopted a discriminatory attitude by denying girl students access to the Maulana Azad Library after he informed the court that all students, including girls, have been allowed access to the facility from the current session itself. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		Industrial units owe Rs 345-cr Hirakud water tax: Naveen 14 units draw water from reservoir Saroj recalls ordeal with CBI Was confronted with seashore group chief Cong, BJP doubt crime branch inquiry The moot question surfaces whether the Economic Offence Wing (EOW) of crime branch (previous investigating agency) tried to cover up their alleged involvements. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		EVMs to be allotted in presence of candidates State Election Commission has authorised collectors and district election officers to use EVMs from available stock in the district to replace EVMs gone out of order during commissioning. Eunuch threatened, told to pull out of civic election fray A eunuch, who is contesting election for post of municipality president in Datia district, was threatened to withdraw from candidature, or else ready to face dire consequences. Speedy RTI reply for women and senior citizens, video-conferencing another giant step Women and senior citizens have reason to feel more empowered by the Right to Information Act. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		PDFA to expand base After Punjab, Progressive Dairy Farmers' Association (PDFA) has decided to expand its footprints in other parts of the country. Encroachments around Gurgaon IAF base: DC, MC commissioner summoned Rejecting the report submitted by Gurgaon administration on construction activities in prohibited zones around the Gurgaon Air Force station, the Punjab and Haryana high court on Tuesday directed the deputy commissioner (DC), municipal commissioner and the commissioner of police to appear in person before the court. Cabinet approves revised transport policy, telemedicine project Himachal Pradesh cabinet on Tuesday approved the revised transport policy, 2014, envisaging special thrust on accelerating the growth of transport sector and implementation of mandatory provisions of various central and state laws as also to re-define the role of transport department. More Chandigarh News»

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