News Digest: India will again insist on no Pak meet with separatists

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Sunday, December 27, 2015
		Today's Headlines

		India
		India will again insist on no Pak meet with separatists Pakistan continues to maintain that there is no change in its policy on Hurriyat and that it still considers the separatists as true representatives of Kashmiris. Cross-border religious tourism is lowest-hanging fruit Singer Anup Jalota’s bhajan ‘prabhuji tum chandan hum pani’ played in the background as a saffron-robed priest purified Krishna, Radha and Hanuman's idols with milk for their installation at Lahore’s Krishna Temple in February 2007. Govt plans to prioritise projects for conservation of water resources With the year 2015 drawing to a close, the Centre has proposed to give a new push to managing the country’s water resources by prioritizing its activities for 2016 when it will look beyond Ganga to initiate new projects and complete the ongoing ones. More India News»

		Business
		'World Bank may revise India's growth projection' World Bank chief economist Kaushik Basu on Saturday indicated that the bank may revise its GDP growth projection for India after it goes for a stock-taking in a few months. Coal India produces 9 percent more in FY 2015 State-run Coal India Limited (CIL) produced 9 percent more coal in the current fiscal than in 2014, the government said on Saturday. Punjab govt seeks more funds from Reserve Bank Punjab government has asked the Reserve Bank to increase the credit limit so that payments could be made to farmers in view of the bumper paddy output, which led to a higher procurement by the state agencies. More Business News»

		Environment
		Crows too know how to make and use tools! f you thought only humans or primates can forge and use tools, you are wrong. Crows can make, use, and even store for re-use certain tools while foraging for food, a new study shows. 'Bread, Wine, Chocolate' makes environmental issues tasty The lands, waters and atmosphere of our planet are under tremendous stress from the appetites and endeavors of more than 7 billion people, and such issues often make for grim reading. Amid smog crisis, China vows more liveable cities China vowed on Tuesday that it would make "liveable" cities a central goal of China's urban planning, amid persistent problems over choking smog that frequently blankets the populous east and north. More Environment News»

		World
		Tornado, flood deaths reach 18 in US The death toll from tornadoes and flooding this week in the southern United States climbed to 18 on Saturday, according to officials and local media, as the nation braced for more stormy weather during the busy post-holiday travel weekend. Floods force mass evacuations in 4 S American countries More than 100,000 people have had to evacuate from their homes in the bordering areas of Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil and Argentina due to severe flooding in the wake of heavy summer rains brought on by El Niño, authorities said on Saturday. Oz bushfires raze more than 100 homes on Xmas More than 100 homes burned down in a leading Australian tourist area in bushfires on Christmas Day and the situation remained dangerous on Saturday, as officials predicted more blazes to come later in the hot southern summer. More World News»

		Entertainment
		Riteish dodges the paparazzi for Genelia After a picture of Genelia D’souza’s baby bump appeared in a tabloid, Riteish Deshmukh has become rather protective of his wife. Salman Khan: Cliches that make his films a hit The Bollywood heartthrob - Salman Khan, has a huge fan following and understandably so. Where the stars will be on New Year's Eve It’s that time of the year when déjà vu sets in Bollywood. Stars, big and small (with some notable exceptions), prefer ringing in the New Year at destinations far away from home. More Entertainment News»

		Science
		LED lighting cuts costs for greenhouse tomato growers Supplemental light-emitting diode (LED) lighting treatment can help greenhouse tomato growers reduce energy cost without affecting fruit quality attributes, new research suggests. Meet the animal that may live forever Is there a creature that can defeat death? Yes, says new research that confirmed that the tiny hydra - a centimetre-long polyp that inhabits fresh water all over the world - does not show any sign of deteriorating with age and, if kept in ideal conditions, may just live forever. New polymer could purify water in seconds Researchers have used the same material found in air fresheners, cyclodextrin, to develop a technique that could revolutionize the water-purification industry. More Science News»

		Sports
		Virat Kohli leads new dawn of Indian cricket Indian cricket's fortunes ebbed and flowed in 2015 with Kohli successfully leading the Test side and Dhoni appearing to be losing his midas touch, while in off the field drama Manohar returned as the BCCI boss. EPL: Stoke beat Man United to pile misery on Van Gaal Louis van Gaal's position in the Old Trafford hot seat looked even more precarious as Stoke City swept Manchester United aside in a comfortable 2-0 victory. Pakistan divided on tainted Mohammad Amir's return Former players and fans on Saturday voiced contrasting opinions about the prospect of talented Mohammad Amir rejoining Pakistan's national squad after finishing a five-year ban over spot-fixing. More Sports News»

		Technology
		7 things that defined Indian startup industry in 2015 Here are seven biggest events that defined Indian startup industry in the year 2015: 5 sub-Rs 2,000 add-ons to make your smartphone smarter Check out 5 apps and accessories under Rs 2,000 that will make your smartphone smarter... 2015: When Flipkart, Snapdeal forced Ambanis, Birlas to join the etail race The newbies' gang of Flipkarts and Snapdeals are forcing Ambanis and Birlas of supermarket chains to join the burgeoning e-commerce landscape. More Technology News»

		Education
		CBSE launches mobile app for e-learning material for students, teachers The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) today rolled out its latest mobile application E-CBSE for providing e-learning material for students and teachers. 90% of government degree colleges in Karnataka headless According to the department of collegiate education, 376 — or, some 91% — of the 411 GFGCs in the state don't have a permanent principal. In Bengaluru, only three of the 20-plus GFGCs have permanent principals. Gujarat Class XII science results: 3,542 score over 90% Around 98% students who'd appeared for semester III of Class XII science stream cleared the board exams. Of the nearly 1.33 lakh students in A group (Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics) and B group (Physics, Chemistry and Biology), only 2,681 students failed. More Education News»

		Mumbai
		Zoroastrianism is a universal faith and welcomes all, says former advocate-general Parsi priests often approach actor Boman Irani and ask him to do something about the community’s dwindling numbers. “Uh su karu? (What should I do?),” he asks perplexed. “I can’t go on people’s honeymoons and supervise, can I?” At the Iranshah Udvada Utsav, the narrative of the Parsis’ dwindling numbers provided such moments of hilarity, while exposing the rift between orthodox and liberal sections of the community. Irani, who was the Utsav’s chief guest on Saturday, elicited chuckles as he said, “Damn the Bengal tiger, save the Parsis.” ATS hunt still on for third Malwani man Officials of the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) are still searching for the third missing Malwani man, Mohsin Sayyed, who had last been tracked to the outskirts of the state. Young minds get a lesson in literature On Saturday morning, children’s author Katie Bagli gave young minds some lessons in literature at a workshop as part of Times of India’s Mumbai for Kids. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		Auto permits up for sale, govt suspends 3 Three officials of the transport department were suspended on Saturday for allegedly colluding with intermediaries over distribution of auto permits. DDA to put up 10,000 rejected flats for sale Nearly 10,000 DDA (Delhi Development Authority) flats will be available early in the new year, most of them one-bedroom accommodations surrendered by allottees of the 2014 housing scheme. Govt plans link roads to peripheral expressways to decongest Delhi The government is exploring possibilities of building about half a dozen roads that can provide direct connectivity between the Eastern and Western Peripheral Expressways (EPE & WPE) through the city. Certain sections of such links aimed at decongesting Delhi roads, would be elevated since these would pass through populated areas. More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		Karnataka high court declines bail to a Bengaluru based accused The Karnataka high court has rejected bail to one Mohammed Sadiq Basha, a resident of Bengaluru and an accused in the corruption/extortion case connected to Lokayukta office. Ghost rumours plague Gotur village in Karnataka Rumours of the spectre of the late actress Kalpana roaming the precincts of Gotur village in Hukkeri taluk has generated fear among residents here. Floods to farmers, Xmas sermons weave social message Amid the elegant Roman arches and floral decorations, stood four candles in the 199-year-old St Mark's Cathedral in the heart of Bengaluru. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		Vizag seeks RS 1,584 cr from Centre for smart city project How much does it cost to turn Visakhapatnam into a smart city? If the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation's project report is any indication, the port city needs Rs 1,584 crore to develop infrastructure and facilities that could catapult Visakhapatnam into a smart city. Corporate makeover in the pipeline for state hospitals? Taking a leaf out of corporate hospitals, the state health department has now decided to restrict the functions of superintendents in government teaching hospitals to “the clinical side of administration and service matters of health staff “. Andhra Pradesh demands share in Telangana power In a move that could reignite conflict between the two states, the AP government has decided to demand a share in power from Telangana's two new plants located at Bhupalapalli and Singareni. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		BJP confident of holding jallikattu On a day two Union ministers expressed confidence in holding jallikattu this year, PMK blamed Congress, BJP and the two Dravidian majors in the state for the prevailing ban on the sport. Tamil Nadu pays tribute to tsunami victims Abhinaya was just nine months old when the 2004 tsunami hit the coastal hamlets of Cuddalore district 11 years ago, killing more than 600 people including her parents in Killai village. Remarriage no ground for losing custody of child: HC Merely because a woman remarries after her husband's death, she would not be disentitled to the custody of her minor child, Madras high court has said, adding that solemnizing a second marriage is not an `illegal or improper' act. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		Hold Dahod meeting in state capital: HC The Gujarat high court on Friday directed that a meeting be held in Gandhinagar on Saturday to elect the president and vice-president of Dahod district panchayat. The court gave this order on a petition filed by 25 out of the 26 elected members of the panchayat who belong to the Congress. These members had said they apprehended ruckus by BJP members. Patidar youth shot during quota riots dies Mehsana city, which was epicentre of Patidar quota stir, became tense on Friday evening as news of Mayur Patel's death spread like wild fire. Mayur (26) was shot in the neck on August 26, when paramilitary troops fired at a mob of over 5,000 Patidars, who were agitating at Modhera crossroads in Mehsana demanding OBC reservation. 400 lose India Post jobs in state on single day Over 100 employees of India Post gathered at Gujarat University on Friday to protest against the department's sacking of around 400 employees in the state on December 23 -allegedly without giving any reason. Sacked employees said that each of them was asked to sign a paper by superiors accepting his termination from job with immediate effect with claim to a month's salary. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		First DMU from Atal's Bateshwar on Dec 24 Bateshwar, the ancestral village of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, will be on railway map with diesel multiple unit (DMU) train. Allahabad high court quashes 50 AMU appointments The Allahabad high court has quashed over 50 appointments of administration assistants (upper division clerks) of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), delivering a blow to the selection committee. 19 Pakistani women seek Indian citizenship As many as 26 Pakistani nationals from Sangam city are seeking Indian citizenship, following two women from the neighbouring nation being recommended for the same by state government as they prepare to marry residents of Kanpur. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		Chief secy-led OKCL not govt company Questions over release of funds, share holdingAshok. 'Rehman did not visit secretariat' Police on Friday denied suspected al-Qaida operative Abdul Rehman visited the heavily fortified state secretariat on October 7. DGCA gives final nod to Air Odisha The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has given the air operator permit to local carrier Air Odisha to fly intra-state commercial flights after on-board airworthiness tests conducted a week ago. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		BJP is my mother and party will not desert a dedicated son: Laxmikant Sharma After spending 18 months in jail totally severed from all his political connections, Vyapam accused former Madhya Pradesh higher education minister Laxmikant Sharma said he has full faith that the BJP will not desert him. BJP tweet on Modi 56" chest ruffles Cong feathers Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s unscheduled stopover at Lahore to visit Pakistan counterpart Nawaz Sharif is proof of his 56 inch chest, tweeted BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya. As Congress expressed its doubt on the real motive behind PM Modi’s visit to Lahore on Friday, Kailash Vijayvargiya in a late night tweet reminded that former PM Rajiv Gandhi had visited Pakistan twice in a gap of seven months. Vijayvargiya’s tweet comparing Rajiv Gandhi and Narendra Modi has ruffled the Madhya Pradesh Congress’ feathers. MANIT alumni to set up innovation centre Alumni of 1990 pass-out batch have decided to set up innovation and incubation centre at Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology (MANIT). More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		Congress is ocean, one person's leaving doesn't matter: Amarinder Singh Punjab Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh on Saturday welcomed a group of leaders from AAP MP BSP and SAD leaders from other areas, including a former Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) member, into the party fold. 60 tonnes of red sandalwood seized at Dharuhera in Rewari In a major catch, the Southern Range police on Saturday laid hands on illegal stocks of around 60 tonnes of Red Sandalwood during a raid on a private warehouse in Ramjas Nagar of Dharuhera sub division of Rewari. Indira Gandhi National Model United Nations Conference starts at LPU The Indira Gandhi National Model United Nations Conference (IGNMUN)-Jalandhar Chapter was opened at Lovely Professional University on Saturday. More Chandigarh News»

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