News Digest: Waste from 40,000km of drains choking Ganga

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Sunday, January 04, 2015
		Today's Headlines

		India
		Waste from 40,000km of drains choking Ganga More than 40,000 km long drains and subsidiaries stretched over 5,000 km carrying industrial and urban waste of dangerous level while directly falling into the 1,300-km long stretch of the Ganga are choking the holy river and stalling all efforts to rejuvenate it. Tamil Nadu MPs top attendance chart in Lok Sabha Tamil Nadu MPs have recorded the maximum attendance in the three Lok Sabha sessions held since the 2014 general elections. Why Assam's adivasis are soft targets Caught in the vortex of Assam's ethnicity-based politics, the marginalized "tea garden tribe" has no one to protect its interests, not even its own leaders. More India News»

		Business
		Reduce govt stake to below 51%, PSU bankers tell PM Public sector bank executives on Saturday called for reworking the shareholding structure from a state-owned structure to state-linked, which includes a reduction in government stake below 51% to meet their growing funding needs. ING Vysya Bank staff concerned over merger with Kotak Employees and officers of ING Vysya Bank on Saturday expressed concerns over their future post the merger with Kotak Mahindra Bank which will come into effect from April 1, 2015. Bank management, unions meet on Jan 5 to avert strike As another bank strike looms large, the Central chief labour commissioner has called a conciliation meeting on Monday between employee unions and the apex body of management, IBA, to resolve the wage hike issue. More Business News»

		Environment
		Nagpur birder sights rare king vulture in Bor Reserve In a rare sighting, a king vulture, also known as red headed vulture, was sighted in Bor Tiger Reserve, 60km from here in Wardha district Organic waste plants should be mandatory in eateries: Naidu Union urban development minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday pitched for making it mandatory for eateries and hotels to have organic waste plant and said he will write to Tourism ministry in this regard. Eight species of birds on the verge of extinction, says study Eight species of birds like francolins and quails are on the verge of extinction in the Malwa region, a recent study has revealed. More Environment News»

		World
		Obama aims to start 2015 on his own terms President Barack Obama is aiming to set the agenda for the new year on his terms despite emboldened Republicans who feel their victory in November's elections given them a mandate to rein him in. Edward Brooke, first black elected US senator, dies Former US senator Edward W. Brooke, a liberal Republican who became the first black in US history to win popular election to the Senate, died on Saturday. He was 95. Migrants clash in French port city amid tensions, 7 injured A clash between about 200 migrants trying to get to Britain from the northern French port city of Calais has left seven injured. More World News»

		Entertainment
		Top 10 Hottest waterfall women in Bollywood Bigg Boss: Celebs who were thrown out of the house Puneet aka Duryodhan of Mahabharat got eliminated from Bigg Boss 8 as he was accused of using physical force on co-contestant Aarya Babbar during a luxury budget task. Kapil Sharma in the league of Big B, Aamir More Entertainment News»

		Science
		Big Bang to be investigated from balloon in Antarctica Six telescopes will be circling Antarctica to observe microwave radio waves, believed to be remnants of the primordial fireball in which it all started 13.8 billion years ago. For 15 days in June, sun to block all communication with Mangalyaan There will be a nail-biting fortnight in June for the Isro team because there will be absolutely no communication with the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) during that period. Nasa looks for high-tech airships Nasa has called for designs of an airship that can fly at altitudes higher than the currrent 65,000-foot limit for weather balloons and for longer than the existing ones. More Science News»

		Sports
		I will use the ban period to rectify my technique: Sarita Devi Banned from competition for a year, Sarita Devi said she would utilise the period by taking measures in her technique so that she can be ready for Rio Olympics. Steven Gerrard to move to MLS after EPL season Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard will join a Major League Soccer team when he leaves Anfield at the end of the season, the former England captain said. Djokovic illness hands Murray first win of season World No. 1 Novak Djokovic withdrew from the final of Mubadala World Tennis Championships in Abu Dhabi handing Andy Murray his first title of the season. More Sports News»

		Technology
		Wipro Enterprises exit plan upsets some investors A handful of original investors of Wipro, who became shareholders long before the company became a poster-boy of IT in the country, are an upset lot. Micromax to dial Dalal Street for Rs 3,100-crore IPO Micromax Informatics has begun shortlisting investment bankers to manage an initial public offer to raise as much as Rs 3,170 crore in the domestic market. 10 hottest internet trends for 2015 With the year gone past, it's time to look ahead. More Technology News»

		Education
		'NAAC grade necessary to brighten students' prospects' Educational institutions must go for the National Assessment and Accreditation Council’s (NAAC) re-accreditation process, not because it has been made mandatory by the University Grants Commission (UGC), but to brighten the students’ future, said Jagannath Patil, acting adviser at NAAC and president of Asia Pacific Quality Network (APQN). Single entrance exam unlikely this year too It’s unlikely the Karnataka Professional Education Institutions (Regulation of Admissions and Determination of Fee) Act, 2006, will be implemented for the academic year 2015-16. Is BA English in India just timepass? It is a truth universally acknowledged that a person studying English Literature as a formal course, isn’t really studying. More Education News»

		Mumbai
		Nobel laureate made to sit in 7th row “Yunus was escorted by volunteers and made to sit way behind. We pointed it out to them and then they moved him to the front," the journalist said. Equal Streets sessions to drive home message of road safety On your early morning jog down Linking road today, stop and reach out to two mannequins. They will be lying next to an ambulance, waiting for you to pump their hearts. Urs will pay tribute to late Syedna Burhanuddin Over two lakh Dawoodi Bohras will attend the first Urs (death anniversary) of Syedna Burhanuddin, the 52nd spiritual head of Dawoodi Bohras, on January 6. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		Minor sexually assaulted in Delhi A 14-year-old boy was apprehended on Saturday for sexually assaulting an 8-year-old girl south Delhi’s Rangpuri area. Equipped Dreamliners did not take off from Delhi in fog Air India passengers could have been the only ones to fly out of Delhi in airline’s Dreamliners even as others faced flight delays owing to dense fog. Fog returns to Delhi today, night to be chilly After an overcast and rainy Saturday, Delhiites may wake up to a foggy Sunday. More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		Want to free Karnataka of Congress rule: Amit Shah BJP national president Amit Shah said on Saturday that he came to the city to free Karnataka of the Congress rule and to review the party's ongoing membership drive.  Techie fires in air after pals scuffle Shots ringing out in the dead of night must have shaken up residents along Inner Ring Road. It was a dramatic end to a scuffle among friends, at 1.30am Saturday. Youth kills wife, dumps body An unidentified dead woman who remained a mystery to police ever since her body was found in an open field in Kadusonnappanahalli, off Bagalur-Hennur main road, Bengaluru northeast, on December 29, was finally traced to Ramamurthynagar. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		KCR should set more realistic goals: Congress The Congress on Saturday said that chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao should set himself realistic goals and targets with respect to development of Hyderabad. Blame game adds to water sharing row Taking strong objection to Andhra Pradesh's alleged attempts to block the efforts in finding an amicable solution to the Krishna river water sharing issue, the Telangana government on Saturday accused AP of creating fresh disputes. AP wants one more Khammam village In a letter to the Union home ministry, the AP government sought amendment to the AP Reorganisation Act 2014 to enable the transfer of Burgampahad village. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		Tamil Nadu MPs top attendance chart in Lok Sabha Tamil Nadu MPs have recorded the maximum attendance in the three Lok Sabha sessions held since the 2014 general elections. Dolls in the doghouse It's the cotton candy outfits and the flawless figure and skin that have fuelled New Delhi-based Early Childhood Association's (ECA) 2014 study on how dolls help enforce gender stereotypes and bias in India. Smooth sailing - Ahoy there Mhadei! He created history when he be came the first Indian to do solo circumnavigation of the globe under sail. And now, Cdr Dilip Donde is set to mark 100,000 nautical miles on the indigenously built INSV Mhadei as she approaches her sixth birthday. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		PM's SPG team arrives to assess security Senior police officials said the SPG team led by a DIG-rank officer reviewed the security arrangements for the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD). Eid-e-Milad celebration today Muslims in the city are set to celebrate Eid-e-Milad, the birth anniversary of Prophet Mohammed, on Sunday with a major procession to be taken out in the Walled City. Worker finds Rs 1 lakh, cash handed to cops An employee of the woman had found the bundle of cash outside a shop in Satellite on Friday afternoon. Satellite police said that they will hand the money to the rightful owner through a court soon and lauded the good Samaritan. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		SP MLA, brotherconvicted for murder A special court in Jalaun on Saturday convicted sitting Samajwadi Party MLA from Charkhari, Kaptan Singh Rajput, for murder in a 12-year-old case. His brother Mangal Singh has also been found guilty while the court released other seven others for the lack of evidence. Ex-MLA booked for threatening VDO A case was lodged against ex-MLA of Samajwadi Party Dileep Verma, gram pradhan of Chauksahar village Chhatrapal Yadav and his son Brijendra on Saturday for threatening village development officer (VDO) of Shivpur block. Power situation to improve by March: Minister The minister of state for power said that power situation in the state would improve by March after the commissioning of Anpara D unit. Power generation would reach 21,000 mega watts by the end of 2015. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		Puri court orders removal of Biju samadhi at Swargadwar A lower court in Puri has ordered the district administration to remove the samadhi (memorial) of late chief minister Biju Patnaik located at Swargadwar crematorium. State plans to set up Vidhan Parishad, Opposition slams move The Odisha government plans to set up a legislative council (Vidhan Parishad) in the state. Leaky sewer pollutes water in Ward 55 After Sambalpur, Ward 55 in the state capital has been hit by water contamination. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		Opeartion smile launched, 23 missing kids tracked in 3 days In three days of its launch, Operation smile’ an initiative aimed at tracking missing children, has given troubled parents or relatives a reason to smile. Already, 23 children have been found. Surat boy jumps to death from Ratibad college hostel A youth from Surat, who was studying at a Bhopal-based engineering college, reportedly committed suicide by jumping from second floor of his college hostel in Ratibad area on Friday. Portal for dialogue with Madhya Pradesh's NRIs State government will launch a special website for constant dialogue with non-resident Indians of Madhya Pradesh to ensure their contribution for re-building of the state. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		SGPC writes to CMs, governors on release of Sikh detainees Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has written to governors and chief ministers of states where Sikhs convicts, who have completed their sentences were lodged, for their release. Combative Sukhbir still calls party's awareness campaign against drugs as dharna Sticking to his aggressive stand against supply of drugs from across the Pakistan into Punjab, which he had blamed on the 'laxity' of the Border Security Force, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal stated on Saturday that his party was getting ready for an all out war against the Union government on the issue of narcotics smuggling, even at the cost of annoying its alliance partner BJP. PGI doctor dies after slipping into Parbati Death of a PGI doctor on Friday after slipping into Parbati river in Manikaran valley of Kullu district has once again brought to the fore safety of tourists who are not stopping from going near rivers risking their lives. More Chandigarh News»

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