News Digest: Revision of building code for the disabled to focus on accessibility

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Thursday, December 17, 2015
		Today's Headlines

		India
		Revision of building code for the disabled to focus on accessibility The disability affairs department has swung into action to help ensure that the National Building Code (NBC), which is being revised, will ensure accessibility for the disabled across all public spaces. With disability bill stuck in PMO, hope fades for its passage in House Much to the disappointment of the disability sector, the bill is currently stuck in the prime minister’s office (PMO) where it was sent after the ministry of social justice and empowerment sent it to the cabinet secretariat on November 26. Paris accord in best interest of the world, secures India's concerns Amid apprehensions in certain quarters over the fate of India in the wake of Paris climate agreement, the government on Wednesday said the country has been able to secure its interests and the agreement met its broad expectations. More India News»

		Business
		Judicial panel to study ONGC-RIL row The oil ministry has tasked 20th Law Commission chairman Justice (retd) A P Shah to examine an oilfield consultant's report on state-run ONGC's charge of private sector Reliance Industries Ltd siphoning gas from its adjoining block off the Andhra coast. Blackstone invests $170m in IBS Software Private equity major Blackstone has bought out the minority shares held by General Atlantic and others in Thiruvananthapuram-based IBS Software (IBS), a technology company which caters to the global travel and logistics sector, for $170 million (Rs 1,139 crore). Global PE giant General Atlantic had invested $60 million in IBS in 2007. Diesel vehicle ban adds to regulatory uncertainty The element of unpredictability around doing business in India just went up a notch with the Supreme Court banning registration of diesel vehicles above 2,000cc in the NCR region for three months. More Business News»

		Environment
		CSE comes up with telling stories on India's health A number of public health catastrophes - arising largely out of environmental reasons — are staring the people of India in the face. While the debate over polluted air and how to control it rages on in the national capital, people have also had to contend with a host of other health challenges this year, ranging from strange pathogens to heightened risk from lifestyle ailments. Cold wave intensifies, Uttar Pradesh releases relief funds Uttar Pradesh continued to reel under an intense cold wave on Tuesday, with the night temperature dropping to three degrees Celsius in Kanpur - the lowest in 44 years - the Met office said. Negotiators in Paris up all night to clinch deal Negotiators huddled through Wednesday night and most of Thursday, racing against the clock to resolve key differences between the rich and developing nations in an attempt to stitch together an international pact to fight climate by the self-imposed deadline of Friday. More Environment News»

		World
		Yemen's truce in danger of collapse; prisoner swap blocked A ceasefire between Yemen's Houthi group and a Saudi-led alliance was in danger of collapse on Wednesday, each side accusing the other of violating the truce, as peace talks went into a second day in Switzerland. GOP debate winners: Indian Muslims The moderation of India’s nearly 200 million Muslims in a plural, democratic country got a famous thumbs-up in a raucous Republican presidential debate on Wednesday where rivals piled on to front-runner Donald Trump’s perceived hostility to the Islamic faith. Pakistan vows revenge 1 yr after Taliban school massacre Pakistan's leader, speaking beneath portraits of children killed by Taliban bullets, called Wednesday for vengeance as the country marked the first anniversary of a school massacre that killed 151 people in its worst-ever extremist attack. More World News»

		Entertainment
		Amole Gupte to direct Saina Nehwal biopic The success of 'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag' and 'Mary Kom' have proven that biopics have an audience and more so if the biopic is based on a sportsperson who has been a world leader. Katrina Kaif to Big B: Actors who played God Playing God ain't easy. You have to be perfect in everything that you do and maintain and calm demeanour throughout. SLB: I was quite traumatised and harassed He paints pictures on celluloid, history on film and magic on cinemascope. Leaving footprints on the tinsel sands of an industry that weaves stories for eternity. More Entertainment News»

		Science
		Info-egoists: People more likely to share pals' private data than their own Your friends on social media are more likely to share your private data with third-party app developers than their own information, says a new study that suggests people are `info-egoists' when it comes to privacy. Found: Traces of a new fundamental particle Two teams of physicists working at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, said they had seen traces of what could be a new fundamental particle of nature. Here's how human brain can handle so much data Researchers led by an Indian-origin scientist from Georgia Institute of Technology have discovered how humans can categorise data using less than percent percent of the original information. More Science News»

		Sports
		It's a big challenge to bowl against Dhoni: Jadeja Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who will be pitted against his former CSK skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the IPL, believes bowling to India's limited overs captain will be a big challenge. DDCA rubbishes allegations against Arun Jaitley The Delhi and District Cricket Association strongly refuted allegations of "gross financial irregularities" against Finance Minister and its former president Arun Jaitley, saying that such charges were "absolutely rubbish". Chennaiyin in ISL final after 4-2 aggregate win against ATK Chennaiyin FC stormed into the final of the second season of Indian Super League on 4-2 aggregate against defending champions Atletico de Kolkata despite losing the semifinal second leg 1-2 on Wednesday. More Sports News»

		Technology
		9 things CEO Sundar Pichai said at Google for India event Google CEO Sundar Pichai is in India. 14 biggest hacking attacks of 2015 Here's a look at the most frightening hacks that happened this year. 6 new gadgets launched this week Planning to buy a new smartphone, tablet? More Technology News»

		Education
		UGC to rank all universities, irks watchdogs In a controversial overreach, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has said it will rank all institutions across the country. Private colleges and universities will come under the ratings ambit. Iran to send more research scholars to Iran Embassy on Wednesday expressed the desire to increase the number of Iranian research scholars at Panjab University (PU). ISB and PwC set up defence think-tank The Indian School of Business (ISB) and Strategy& (a part of PwC network) have entered into a partnership to set up an industry think-tank to drive thought leadership and impact in the Indian defence sector. More Education News»

		Mumbai
		Women MLAs step up call for dance bar ban NAGPUR: Women MLAs from the Congress and the NCP stepped up their demand for a ban on dance bars in the state on Wednesday. They staged an agitation on the steps of the Vidhan Bhavan and raised the issue in the assembly through a point of propriety. CM announces Rs 10k cr in relief, no loan waiver Instead of a total crop loan waiver as demanded by the Opposition, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday announced a Rs10,512 crore relief package for the farmers in 15,747 villages reeling under drought. Taxi union to file PIL for ban on diesel cabs The Mumbai Taximen Union plans to file a PIL in the Bombay high court to demand a ban on all diesel-run private taxis in Mumbai. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		Small diesel car buyers to pay one-time pollution tax: Supreme Court The Supreme Court on Wednesday banned registration of diesel-guzzling high-end luxury cars and SUVs with engine capacity of 2,000cc and more in the entire National Capital Region (NCR) till March 31 and said it would impose a one-time pollution tax on small diesel cars in the new year. From UP to Pak, a terror-inspired trip Mohammed Asif's journey from Sambhal in UP to Miranshah in Pakistan was quite an adventure. Ops blow lid off Qaida plans in India The arrest of two al-Qaida operatives has turned out to be 2015's biggest catch. More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		Asst GM, bro get jail for siphoning bank money A special CBI judge convicted an assistant general manager of Syndicate Bank (Yeshwantpur branch) and his brother for siphoning off close to Rs 12.2 crore. Forensics dept expansion could speed up probes The crime scene investigator of the Karnataka forensics department will have to live a thousand lives simultaneously if he has to finish the job. For, the department has only one crime scene investigator tasked with collecting evidence from crime scenes across the state. Sukhoi-Brahmos marriage only in mid-2016 he Indian Air Force (IAF), which has been waiting to enhance the surgical striking abilities of its best fighter aircraft – Sukhoi-30 MKI – has to wait till mid-2016 as the project to marry the aircraft with the Brahmos air-launched cruise missile still awaits quality certification. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		Hyderabad: Public money going down the drain? With only a few weeks left for a fresh round of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) polls, RTI revelations have put the civic body's 'balance sheets' under a strict scanner. Action plan launched to bring down infant mortality With the aim of bringing down Telangana's neonatal mortality rate (NMR) down to a single digit, the state health minister Dr C Laxma Reddy unveiled Telangana's Newborn Action Plan (TNAP) at a workshop with health experts in the city on Tuesday. Telangana: Higher no of colleges, lesser no of graduates Despite housing the highest number of colleges in the country -- for every one lakh people -- a meagre 22% of Telangana's population has completed their graduation, reveal data on educational levels of cities collected as part of Census 2011. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		Flood-hit people from suburbs want tax waived Residents of the suburbs have urged the state government to waive the underground drainage and property tax for the period October 2015 to March 2016. Prevent encroachment of rivers: HC Clearing encroachments on waterbodies, desilting channels, stopping dumping of solid waste in drainage system and building a barricade along canals/rivers to prevent new encroachments – these are the Madras high court’s prescriptions to the Tamil Nadu government to avoid recurrence of the catastrophic floods that swamped Chennai and its suburbs recently. Residents vent anger through online petitions After the recent deluge battered several neighbourhoods, frustrated residents have started at least 50 online petitions on change.org to garner public support. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		Second annual convention of School Management Committee held The American India Foundation (AIF) on Monday organised the second state-level convention of 400 School Management Committee (SMC) members from 10 districts, in Ahmedabad. Arvind Ltd bags energy conservation award in textile sector City-based Arvind Limited one of largest integrated textile and an apparel major in the country has again bagged first prize in the National Energy Conservation Award 2015 in the textile sector, given by the Ministry of Power, Government of India. Dandi meeting to discuss intolerance Amid raging debate on increasing intolerance in the country , writers, artists and activists from four states have convened a `Sarva-Bhasha-Samvad' to mark Mahat ma Gandhi's death anniver sary on January 30 at Dandi village in Navsari district. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		Additional water to reach Allahabad for Magh Mela Lakhs of devotees, pilgrims and seers coming to the Sangam city for Magh Mela beginning from January 14, would be feeling happy after taking the holy dip thanks to adequate amount of clean and pure water. Drones and women spotters to safeguard this Magh Mela in Allahabad With an objective to offer foolproof security cover to lakhs of devotees, pilgrims, seers and kalpwasis arriving to take holy dip during the pious moth of Magh at Sangam – the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and mythological Saraswati -, the Magh Mela police administration has planned to rope in four drones and spotters to ensure an incident-free mela. Magh Mela is starting from next month. Milk for child on train was just a tweet away Satyendra Yadav had no idea how to pacify his 18-month-old baby when he began crying inconsolably after not getting milk for a long time, stuck in a train for hours on Thursday somewhere between Allahabad and Fatehpur in Uttar Pradesh. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		Showcause notices to 35 industries in state Forest minister Bikram Keshari Arukh on Tuesday said in the assembly that 21 highly polluting (category 17) industries and 14 sponge iron plants in the state have been served with show-cause notices by the Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) till December 9. Two-hour lecture on road safety for helmetless bikers Helmetless bikers beware. Now police will not just penalize you on the spot and let you go. 'Industrial waste not reason for high pollution levels in rivers' Industrial waste is not the reason for high pollution levels in rivers of the state. Forest minister Bikram Keshari Arukh said this in the Odisha assembly on Tuesday. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		Pvt engineering colleges body forges tie-up with CRISP Realising the need for providing internship on updated technology in better companies, Association of Technical and Professional Institutes (ATPI) has joined hands with Centre for Research and Industrial Staff Performance (CRISP). MP Cong MLAs ask why Nal-Jal scheme not operational in year of drought With more than two dozen districts declared as drought-affected in Madhya Pradesh, drinking water scarcity became a major question in the state assembly on Wednesday. MP House panel to frame policy on SC/ST land pattas Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday advocated the constitution of an all-party assembly committee to chalk-out a policy on land patta distribution to SC/ST communities and the sale of those properties by beneficiaries. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		2 drunk men thrash property dealer A Kharar-based property dealer was thrashed by two drunken men outside his office at Sunny Enclave here on Tuesday evening. Furore in MC house on use of parks for functions The question of whether functions should be organised in parks or not was hotly debated at the Panchkula MC house meeting on Wednesday. Cong, BJP to name candidates in Dec-end Both the key political parties in Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC), Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), have decided to formally announce their candidates for the mayoral election scheduled for January 8 by the end of December. More Chandigarh News»

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