News Digest: Naidu positive of GST passage in Budget session

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Sunday, January 10, 2016
		Today's Headlines

		India
		Naidu positive of GST passage in Budget session Union parliamentary affairs minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday expressed hope that the GST Bill will be passed in the Budget session of Parliament. Hoshangabad unit shut over faulty notes In a jolt to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ initiative, the government-owned Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India (SPMCI) has shut production of its new bank-note paper line (NBNPL), Hoshangabad, and sealed stock of currency notes. To fail or not to fail: That shouldn't be the question In India, every other year, a new committee is established to explore the possibility of making kids repeat classes, even though educationists agree that detention (grade retention, repetition or failure) doesn’t improve learning and increases dropout rates. More India News»

		Business
		Mamata gets biz proposals worth Rs 2.5L cr The two-day Bengal Global Business Summit organised by the West Bengal government concluded on Saturday attracting investment proposals worth at least Rs.2,50,104 crore ($37 billion), CM Mamata Banerjee announced here. '2016 could prove challenging for Asian economies' The Year of the Monkey could prove challenging for Asian economies, with growth remaining subdued, according to a global research report published by HSBC. The report says exports are unlikely to rebound amid lacklustre global demand, and investment looks set to cool further. Doordarshan may go for "slot sale policy" In order to procure content, public broadcaster Doordarshan may go for "slot sale policy" under which professionals would provide programmes in lieu of a share in the revenue that is earned from them. More Business News»

		Environment
		Eighth lion dies at ambitious Etawah Lion Safari Project The ambitious Lion Safari project in Etawah, a flagship project of the Uttar Pradesh government, suffered another lion death on Saturday when Tapasya, the lioness, succumbed to prolonged illness. Sabarimala to go 'green', pilgrims asked to cooperate With the Kerala high court seeking that the famed Sabarimala temple in the state's Pathanamthitta district and its premises are kept clean and turn "green", local authorities have launched an awareness drive and asked pilgrims to ensure that they adhere to the rules. Peta critical of centre for allowing bull races People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India Chief Executive Officer Poorva Joshipura has criticized the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change decision to permit events like jallikattu and bull races again through a 7th January 2016 notification in the Gazette of India. More Environment News»

		World
		N Korea's Kim Jong Un says H-bomb test self-defensive step against US North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said the country conducted a hydrogen bomb test as a self-defensive step against a US threat of nuclear war and had a sovereign right to do so without being criticised, state news agency KCNA reported on Sunday. Paris police station attacker lived in German refugee shelter German police raided an asylum seeker shelter where they said the man who sought to attack a Paris police station on Thursday had lived. Mexico drug lord Guzman to face US extradition hearing Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman will face hearings for his possible extradition to the United States following his recapture, authorities said Saturday. More World News»

		Entertainment
		It was a Beach Holiday for Ranveer-Deepika Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone recently attended a popular awards ceremony together. Sidharth-Alia's alleged love life Actors who refused to do love-making scenes Bollywood is getting bolder by the day. Actors are willing to shed their inhibitions and throw caution to the winds when it comes to dropping their clothes for love-making scenes. More Entertainment News»

		Science
		I need a drink: pilot after 22,000-km flight British aviator Tracey CurtisTaylor landed with her open-cockpit biplane at Sydney’s international airport on Saturday, completing a three-month journey from England to retrace a pioneering feat of early aviation. Want to gain trust? Act silly There’s a common misconception that trust is something that builds gradually. Instead, psychologists say there’s a somewhat scientific formula to gaining people’s trust more quickly. Curbing brain swelling could halt Alzheimer's The memory loss and progressive dementia caused by Alzheimer’s disease can be halted by drugs that curb inflammation in the brain, according to a new approach to treating the most common form of dementia. More Science News»

		Sports
		Injured Shami ruled out, Bhuvneshwar in for Australia series Shami sustained the injury during a training session before the warm-up Twenty20 game against Western Australia, which the Indians on Friday. Sania Mirza-Martina Hingis clinch Brisbane International title Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis carried the dominance of 2015 into the new season, winning their sixth consecutive title by lifting the WTA Brisbane trophy. 'Perfect' Djokovic thrashes Nadal to win Qatar Open Djokovic won his first title of 2016 on Saturday, playing "perfect" tennis to thrash arch-rival Rafael Nadal in straight sets during a breathtaking performance. More Sports News»

		Technology
		iPhone 7 will drop headphone jack and sport waterproof body: Report Apple will definitely be removing the headphone port in its next major iPhone release, according to a report. 8 gadgets & tech you should definitely use in 2016 Here are some gadgets and technologies that provide simple solutions to these and many other such problems. Mass layoffs keep IIT-Madras students away from startups While the placement season-2015 has attracted double the number of startups compared to last year, institute officials observe that students are not very enthusiastic this time to attend startup interviews, thanks to the recent news of mass layoffs. More Technology News»

		Education
		CAT 2015 result: Meerut boy bags 99.99 percentile City boy Prabhav Gupta is 20 years old but the world is already his oyster. Gupta has scored 99.99 percentile in the common aptitude test (CAT). The fourth-year engineering student is now preparing for his interview at Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad - his dream college. Two from Raj bell CAT with near-perfect 99.99 Two aspiring management students from the state - Arnav Pareek and Prabhav Gupta - scored a near-perfect 99.99 percentile in Common Admission Test (CAT) 2015, results of which were declared on Friday evening.Pareek, who is a chemical engineer from IIT-Banaras Hindu University (BHU), prepared for CAT along with a job in a leading MNC. Students across nation surprised by direct CAT'15 results on their mobile phones To the surprise of students (MBA aspirants) and all waiting for Common Admission Test (CAT) results, IIM Ahmedabad declared the results in an unprecedented manner by sending out direct messages to students on their registered mobile numbers on Friday afternoon. More Education News»

		Mumbai
		150 suburban services The Central Railway has started a 18-hour block for dismantling of the 135-year-old Hancock bridge between Byculla and Sandhurst Road stations. Due to the block, 150 suburban services will be cancelled on main line. Shia cleric execution triggers hate mails to Saudi consulate The Saudi Arabia consulate here has received a barrage of hate mails after the Saudi authorities executed senior Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, along with 46 others, last week. Week on, baby set on fire by father dies The infant, who was set on fire along with his mother and cousin at their Mira Road home by his father on December 31, has succumbed to his burns. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		Man stabs, strangles wife over daughter in northeast Delhi A 22-year-old woman was stabbed and strangled by her husband in northeast Delhi’s Seelampur area on Saturday during an argument over the upbringing of their daughter. Seminar on Ram Temple amid protests, 14 detained The Arts Faculty of Delhi University turned into a virtual fortress with police maintaining unprecedented security to ensure smooth conduct of a two-day seminar on Ram temple on Saturday. As anticipated, a number of Left-wing student organisations, staged a protest outside the venue ahead of BJP MP Subramanian Swamy’s speech. 'No compromise on Ayodhya, Mathura & Kashi' More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		11k acres land leased for solar power park has contaminated water: Report Having burnt its fingers in land acquisition for mega power projects time and again, the government has decided to change its land policy for one of the biggest power generation endeavours in Karnataka. Police charge sheet no evidence to prove non holding of DL by a rider on the date of accident-, says HC The Karnataka high court has said that a police chargesheet cannot be relied upon as an evidence so as to hold that the driver of an Insured vehicle involved in a accident had no driving licence on the date of the accident.. Few likes on FB could lead to low self-esteem, says study In an age where ‘likes’ on Facebook are determining happiness, popularity and self-esteem, young teens are sliding into a state of depression, finds a study on the impact of using social networking site Facebook. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		Parties make moves to finalize candidates With the State Election Commission (SEC) announcing the schedule for the GHMC elections, political parties have stepped up the pace of finalizing their candidates Cong demands KCR to reveal funds source for publicity blitz The Telangana Congress on Saturday demanded the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) declare the source of funding for its massive outdoor campaign in the city. Art has escaped from closed doors: Esther David Anybody can be an artiste – that’s the mantra art critic and author Esther David swears by. “It is the way you open up minds and you teach a technique and you expose yourself to a certain area,” David, popularly known for creating space in the world of art for underprivileged children, said while discussing Art & Culture at the ongoing Hyderabad literary festival, on Saturday. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		Jallikattu, rekla race help preserve native bull stock, say breeders Until the jallikattu ban was lifted on Friday , several prized bulls, bred over centuries, like the Kangeyam, Puliyakulam and Tiruchengodu were headed for the slaughterhouse. As pendency mounts, judges invoke faith to put an end to legal wrangles Vedas, Lord Krishna and Prophet Muhammed – at first blush, these would seem irrelevant at a sombre judicial event on mediation and conciliation. But jurists used anecdotes profusely to drive home a point that mediation as a dispute resolution method was not alien to India. As polls near, DMDK inches closer to DMK Actor Vijayakanth’s political screen play for 2016 assembly elections may well have a DMDK-DMK tie-up as its climax. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		Guj cop caught on tape groping women In a state where women are said to be safer than in any other parts of the country , a policeman deployed to secure women from anti-social elements was caught on tape groping women at the Kankaria Carnival organized by the state government from December 25 to 31. Delhi fog delays over 35 flights in Gujarat More than three dozen flights were delayed to and from Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat and Rajkot airports on Friday following dense fog in Delhi and consequential traffic congestion. Technical glitch mars results of CAT 2015 In a surprise first, Common Admission Test (CAT) aspirants got their results with percentile score through SMS on Friday afternoon even before being declared officially. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		STF nabs notorious dacoit absconding since 1989 Sleuths of Special Task Force (STF) on Saturday arrested a notorious dacoit identified as Radhayshyam Maurya, a resident of Sultanpur Ghosh (Fatehpur) near Chaufatka when he was escaping towards Kaushambi. Police have also recovered one 0.32 bore pistol along with two live cartridges, one bike without registration and Rs 12,110 cash from his possession. Traffic authorities to take fresh initiatives to minimize road mishaps With National Safety Council (NSC) has expressed deep concern about the mounting toll of deaths on roads across the nation and claimed that speeding vehicles, drunk driving, low use of helmets and seat belts and child restraints in vehicles, etc. have resulted in most of the road mishaps on the roads, the district traffic police have drafted a blueprint to minimize the cases of road mishaps in terms of fatal and non -fatal category. Under the blueprint, the traffic authorities are all set to be apply fresh initiatives on the occasion of national road safety week beginning from Monday. Railway to put up ticket vending machines In order to reduce long queues at unreserved ticketing system counters at railway stations, North Central Railway has decided to install automatic ticket vending machines (AVTMs) at many stations in the zone. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		Civic body fine-tunes Raahgiri programme The Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA), with the help of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), on Friday conducted a meeting to finalize the Raahgiri programme, which will be held here on January 17. CM, Bangladesh high commissioner talk biz Chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday requested Bangladesh high commissioner to India Syed Muazzem Ali to explore opportunities to invest in textile sector in the state. Congress stalled GST bill: Jayant Sinha Addressing a news conference here, Sinha said Congress used every possible excuse to stall the upper house. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		Techies turn 3 villages of Madhya Pradesh into free Wi-Fi zone Inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Digital India initiative, four techies from Madhya Pradesh's Rajgarh district have turned three remote villages into first free Wi-Fi hamlets in the country without government funding. MP CM calls one-on-one with MLAs to do away with `babudom' Unhappy with the seeming ‘devil may care’ attitude of officials, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has exhorted the administrative machinery to keep communication alive with public representatives. MANIT ragging: Seniors allegedly force juniors to watch porn videos Seniors in Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology (MANIT) allegedly forced juniors to watch porn movies and imitate the same act in front of them. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		Wildlife institute of India to conduct survey in Aravallis The Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, has begun to map out wildlife in the Aravallis besides ascertaining the land use and land cover in the area. It would assess the presence of major wildlife species in the Aravallis, especially the leopards and other predators. Contractor robbed of 1L Armed assailants snatched rupees one lakh from a contractor of the road construction department at Anraj Ghati on Garhwa-Ranka Road, 14km from the district headquarters on Thursday. 'Out of 109 kids with special needs, only 50 go to school' According to a survey done by students from the Centre for Human Rights and Duties and University Institute of Legal Studies, Panjab University, 109 children with special needs reside in Dhanas rehabilitation colony and 85 in Bhaskar Colony. More Chandigarh News»

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