News Digest: Heavy unseasonal rain destroys farmers' spirits

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Monday, March 16, 2015
		Today's Headlines

		India
		Heavy unseasonal rain destroys farmers' spirits Heavy unseasonal rains across many states in India have inflicted a telling blow on farmers with their standing crops destroyed and their spirit broken. Govt to track public transport for safety All modes of public transport including BPO cabs, school buses and vans, Gramin Seva besides buses, taxis and auto rickshaws will be tracked and monitored by government agencies for safety of passengers, particularly women, across 32 million-plus cities. Supreme Court judge slams judicial activism jibe Amid calls for balancing economic development with environment protection, a senior Supreme Court judge on Sunday said if the apex court’s actions to save the environment amounted to judicial overreach, then it would continue for a long time. More India News»

		Business
		Govt against retro tax legislation: FM Finance minister Arun Jaitley has said the government will not move in the direction of "retrospective legislation on tax issues", referring to the latest controversy surrounding Cairn Energy and Cairn India. Investors SIP it up as markets rally The number of new systematic investment plans (SIPs) by equity mutual funds has more than doubled since April 2014 even as the sensex rallied 27% in the same period. Assocham proposes 'Chinese manufacturing zone' in UP With around 50 Chinese firms evincing interest towards investment in Uttar Pradesh, industry body Assocham is working on a proposal for setting up a 'Chinese manufacturing zone' in the state. More Business News»

		Environment
		Two zoo elephants to be unchained & kept in special enclosure Following the directions of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, a pair of elephants who had been chained at the city zoo for nearly a decade would be set free and shifted to an open enclosure there soon. Green India Mission to reclaim forest with MGNREGA The government has merged National Mission for a Green India, which aims afforestation at 10 million hectares of land over the next decade, with MGNREGA to increase and improve the country's forest cover. CBI nabs tiger poachers from Rajnandgaon A joint team of CBI and wildlife crime cell nabbed two notorious tiger poachers from Leemo village in Chhuikhadan tehsil in Rajnandgaon district in a first of its kind operation in Chhattisgarh on Saturday. More Environment News»

		World
		Blasts at 2 Lahore churches kill 15, trigger violence Pak Taliban suicide bombers exploded themselves near two churches in the eastern city of Lahore on Sunday as worshipers were gathered inside, killing 15 people. Thousands of people march against Brazilian president Hundreds of thousands of Brazilians marched peacefully Sunday in more than 50 cities around the country to demand President Dilma Rousseff's impeachment and to criticize government corruption amid a sprawling graft inquiry at state-run oil firm Petrobras. Obama roasts Hillary over email at dinner President Barack Obama took aim at his Republican opponents and his gaffe-prone vice-president on Saturday in a satirical speech that included a roast of his former secretary of state Hillary Clinton over her recent problems over her official email use. More World News»

		Entertainment
		Ekta Kapoor comes on board Udta Punjab From its moment of inception, 'Udta Punjab' has been a talking point in the trade circles for its subject matter and star cast Rati's husband shocked at wife's allegations On Saturday, Bollywood and Rati Agnihotri’s friends were shocked when the usually pleasant and mild-mannered actress went to the Worli Police, citing a case of domestic violence against her husband, Anil Virwani Sunny Leone dances to Saiyaan Superstar Mohit Ahlawat will be seen essaying the role of Ranveer Singh, the crown prince of Jaisalmer, in 'Ek Paheli Leela' More Entertainment News»

		Science
		Studies boost hopes for new class of cholesterol medicines New research boosts hope that a highly anticipated, experimental class of cholesterol drugs can greatly lower the risk for heart attacks, death and other heart-related problems. Science of love: It really is all in the mind, say experts What is this thing called love? Cole Porter wasn’t the first to ask. From mystified poets to angst-ridden teens, the question of what exactly love is has troubled us since long before the master songwriter put pen to paper. NASA to test new augmented reality glasses for astronauts NASA is developing augmented reality glasses that could help ISS astronauts carry out difficult repairs in space. More Science News»

		Sports
		World Cup 2015: Top teams gear up for knockouts With top teams making the quarterfinal line-up, the knockout stage will begin when South Africa take on 1996 champions Sri Lanka on Wednesday at the SCG. Indian women win Hockey World League Round 2 title Putting up a dominating show, India scored in three of the four quarters to outplay Poland 3-1 in the final and clinch the FIH HWL Round 2. Kidambi Srikanth wins Swiss Open Grand Prix Gold title Top Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth defeated Denmark's Viktor Axelson to win the men's singles title of the $120,000 Swiss Open Grand Prix Gold on Sunday. More Sports News»

		Technology
		Twitter buys video streaming app Periscope Twitter did not release details about the deal, but media reports said Twitter was paying between $50 million and $100 million for the app. Apple Watch: Most people not interested in buying Apple Inc's new smartwatch may be a tough sell, with 69% of Americans indicating they are not interested in buying the gadget. 5 awesome things you can do with Android phones Android's customizability and open source nature is its biggest strength. More Technology News»

		Education
		Talking point — Same study Different stakeholders air their views on a common syllabus across central varsities, as proposed in a bill Research roundup — Nest track Two Indian institutes collaborate to study the breeding and nesting habits of the snow petrel, a bird which breeds exclusively in Antarctica Maine teacher wins $1 million Global Teacher Prize in Dubai An English teacher from rural Maine won the $1 million Global Teacher Prize on Sunday after 42 years of work as an innovator and pioneer in teaching literature. More Education News»

		Mumbai
		'Fine-tune system for ambulance service so more patients benefit' Experts say efforts should be taken to improve the system to ensure that motorists gave way to ambulances. Spurned by teenage neighbour, man slashes her wrists, arrested In a case of unrequited love, a 34-year-old man allegedly slashed the wrists of his 19-year-old neighbour with a kitchen knife in Juhu on Sunday morning for refusing to marry him. Activists see red over 'green plan' of MMRDA at Metro site The MMRDA had planned to plant saplings at the Metro shed site in Aarey Colony to improve its image. But the “PR move” has bombed. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		Cycles to plug gaps in Dwarka's transport network By mid to end of 2015, docking stations set up near Metro, bus stops and commercial hubs in Dwarka will let people avail bicycle rides. Braj residents demand fresh Yamuna water Plagued with only filthy Yamuna water reaching their region, hundreds of holy men, residents and farmers of Agra, Mathura and Vrindavan reached the capital on Sunday. Schoolboy's 'Blade Runner' is first entry in UN disability campaign New Delhi/ Raamaansh Gupta says his guiding principle in life is "nothing's impossible". More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		Brain-dead man's eyes donated The eyes of R N Kalegowda, the brain-dead patient who was brought to BGS Global Hospital in Kengeri from Mysuru through a green corridor on Friday, were harvested on Sunday. Kejriwal's insulin intake down 80% The 10-day detox programme at Jindal Naturecure Institute (JNI) has cut Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's dependence on insulin by 80 per cent. Kejriwal, who was highly diabetic and completely insulin dependent, has seen a drastic fall in his blood sugar levels following his stay at the Bengaluru facility. Congolese youth beaten up by locals A 29-year-old Congolese national working as a software engineer with an IT company in the city was attacked by a group of men in Mahadevapura, east Bengaluru, on Sunday afternoon. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		AP to get Rs 10K cr from Centre, says Sujana Under severe pressure from its alliance partner TDP , the NDA government has reportedly decided to dole out Rs 10,000 crore to Andhra Pradesh as part of its efforts to fulfill promises made in the AP Reorganization Act. Govt yet to decide on TSBCL merger With the income tax arrears’ issue still hanging like an albatross around its neck, the Telangana government is toying with the idea of either allowing private wholesale depots or converting the Telangana State Beverages Corporation Limited (TSBCL) into a government entity. Farmer suicides: 20 yrs on, no relief yet for families The official claim notwithstanding, governments of AP and Telangana have failed to pay compensation to the kin of farmers, who committed suicide due to mounting agricultural debts. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		Vidya Sagar celebrates 30th anniversary After schools repeatedly denied admissions to her son because he had cerebral palsy, Poonam Natarajan decided to work with what she had. She got trained as a special educator to teach her son and from the garage of her house on Arcot Road in T Nagar, in 1985 Natarajan began with three students and two staff. Funds unspent as state highways department loses steam With weeks to go for the next state budget, the focus is now on projects announced in the past few years and the funds for them. Construction firm asked to pay 5 lakh in damages for dropping work midway More than four years after a construction company left a consumer in the lurch by abruptly halting construction work despite receiving payment, the district consumer disputes redressal forum has directed it to pay a compensation of 5.21 lakh. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		St Kabir, City High School post wins It was St Kabir’s bowlers who joined hands as they fired in unison to help their team register a comfortable 31-run win against Samrat CC (SCC) in minor cricket tournament played at Gujarat College ground. Dalit's body exhumed after activists allege murder The death of a 40-year-old man has sparked a controversy in Dhandhuka as Dalit activists have alleged murder and demanded reinvestigation. 8 foreigners among 12 held in raid on booze party A team of Anandnagar police raided a flat in Jodhpur area early on Sunday morning after residents of the building called up city police and complained about a noisy party. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		Dist lawyers to collect Rs 1 cr for killed lawyer's family The District Court Bar Association will collect Rs 1 crore to help family members of lawyer Nabi Ahmad who was allegedly killed by sub-inspector Shailendra Singh on court premise. Lawyers would also hold a massive agitation at collectorate’s entrance on Monday in accordance with nationwide strike called by the Bar Council of India. Automatic weather station to come up at MNNIT Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology (MNNIT) – the lone NIT of the state – will soon get a state-of-the-art remote automatic weather station on its campus. The station will be a part of its Geographical Information System (GIS) cell. No boundary wall to protect women hostellers in AU The women hostel area on Allahabad University campus continues to face encroachment even after the authorities have spent around Rs 1 crore to construct boundary walls for the safety of the girls living in hostels. The campus has around six girls’ hostels and is spread over an area of seven acres with two gates. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		Bhagabat Tungi revival on cards Bhagabata Tungi, the socio-cultural hub in Odisha’s religious landscape, will get a new lease of life soon. The culture department has decided to renovate defunct tungis and earmarked Rs 4 crore for first-phase work. Nabakalebara: Government plans home stay for tourists Keeping in mind the expected footfall of lakhs during the Nabakalebara festival in Puri in July, the state government is planning to provide ‘home stay’ facilities to tourists. Wear 'cool' on your sleeve as summer hots up The shiver of winter has melted into the sweat of summer and it’s time to reshuffle your wardrobe. It’s goodbye to mufflers and pullovers till next season and time for cool cotton clothes. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		Tiger cub rescued from clutch-wire trap in Madhya Pradesh Amid a pan India crackdown on absconding poachers, timely action by forest officers saved a tiger cub from deadly trap laid in Kanha Tiger Reserve (KTR) of Madhya Pradesh. Gambling den raided, 10 bookies and 98 others caught in Bhopal A biggest ever betting racket was busted and close to 110 people were caught betting in a house at Shivshakti Nagar in state capital on Saturday. Cases were registered at Chhola Mandir police station. Stalked, harassed on way to school girl forced to remain indoors Accused Sonu, a driver, has been arrested. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		Man threatens wife with offensive clip Two days after the arrest of an IT professional for blackmailing his former woman colleague on the pretext of her objectionable clip, another cyber crime came to light in which an estranged husband made an offensive clip of his wife and threatened her to withdraw a dowry harassment case against him and his father. 3 girls chase abusive rickshaw puller in Sec 17 Three girl students chased a rickshaw puller after he dropped them mid-way from their destination and hurled abuses at them in Sector 17 on Saturday, forcing him to abandon his three-wheeler and run for his life. President convoy chokes Chandigarh traffic There were traffic jams at almost all prominent traffic lights and road dividers on Saturday due to convoy of President Pranab Mukherjee making its way to the city. More Chandigarh News»

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