News Digest: Privilege notice over CAG report shows ignorance of fundamental rights: Bhushan

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Thursday, February 04, 2016
		Today's Headlines

		India
		Privilege notice over CAG report shows ignorance of fundamental rights: Bhushan Supreme Court advocate Prashant Bhushan on Wednesday said the breach of privilege notice sent to him by the Rajya Sabha secretariat for premature disclosure of CAG report on Reliance’s KG Basin “shows total ignorance of fundamental rights of citizens and total lack of understanding of what constitutes a breach of privilege”. Women will constitute 5% of SSB by 2018: New chief In 1996, when senior Tamil Nadu cadre IPS officer Archana Ramasundaram approached the state DGP seeking posting as DIG of a range, he wondered why she wanted to move to a location away from her husband, then a Tamil Nadu cadre IAS officer based in Chennai. IIMC students lodge complaint against abusive posts targeting Dalits, tribals on social media The controversial suicide of Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula has found an echo at the Indian Institute of Mass Communication in Delhi with posts by some students on social media using abusive language against Dalit and tribal students prompting about 17 IIMC students to complain to the information and broadcasting ministry. More India News»

		Business
		New lenders to bring better home loan deals for buyers In some good news for potential home buyers, new schemes and better deals for customers are set to roll out as a host of fresh entrants intensify competition in the segment. Cabinet clears coal auction to non-regulated sectors In a bid to ensure steady coal supplies and a level playing field to non-regulated sectors such as steel and cement, the government said coal linkages will be provided to them only through auctions, which will kick off later during the month of February. China seeks food security with $43bn bid for Syngenta China made its boldest overseas takeover move when state-owned ChemChina agreed to a $43 billion bid for Swiss seeds and pesticides group Syngenta, aiming to improve domestic food production. This also marks a setback for US firm Monsanto, which failed to buy Syngenta last year. More Business News»

		Environment
		Check air pollution, WHO urges SE Asian region Noting that outdoor air pollution increases the risk of cancer, World Health Organization urged the governments of Southeast Asian region to tackle the issue with "urgency" as the area has 14 of the world's top 20 polluted cities. WHO said that every year 8.2 millions die from cancer in the world. Explore alternative cremation, NGT tells Centre The National Green Tribunal has directed the Union environment ministry and the Delhi government to initiate programmes to provide alternative modes of cremation of human remains, saying the traditional method of burning wood emitted hazardous pollutants in the environment. NGT direction to UP govt on Ganga pollution issue The National Green Tribunal has directed the Uttar Pradesh government and its state pollution control board to apprise the public about pending proceedings as it may order shifting of polluting industrial units located on the banks of Ganga. More Environment News»

		World
		This flyer has a Boeing 737 all to herself Chinese tradition demands that all family members must gather at home before midnight on the eve of the Lunar New Year. UK PM asks MPs to back EU plans to avoid 'Brexit' British Prime Minister David Cameron urged MPs on Wednesday to unite behind his drive to support a series of European Union reforms at a Brussels summit next month ahead of Britain’s EU membership referendum. Trump's Iowa drubbing energises his GOP rivals Emboldened by Donald J Trump’s defeat in the Iowa caucuses, conservative leaders and rival candidates for the Republican presidential nomination began to challenge him aggressively in New Hampshire on Tuesday. More World News»

		Entertainment
		Is CBFC killing adult comedy genre in B'wood? Priyanka hopes for an Oscar nomination someday About six months ago, Priyanka Chopra’s pictures were splashed across billboards in America for her television show. Bollywood celebs talk about link-ups More Entertainment News»

		Science
		Test to predict spread of eye cancer to liver Ophthalmologists don't have to make an educated guess on the survival chances of their cancer patients anymore.  God, Big Bang and how the two meet Science and God may appear an incongruous mix -but not when it comes to Henry F Schaefer III, world renowned chemist and proponent of intelligent design. Taller people more prone to cancer, study claims Tall people have a lower risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes, but a higher risk of cancer in comparison to short people, a new study has claimed. More Science News»

		Sports
		India favourites for World T20, says Tendulkar "We have a very good chance. In T20 I think the team is well balanced with seniors in the squad, then also youngsters and guys who been around for a while and they all as a package have performed really well," Sachin Tendulkar said. Even if he is under pressure, Dhoni doesn't show it: Ganguly Former India captain Sourav Ganguly believes that current limited overs captain MS Dhoni has been on the hot seat for such a long time that he has mastered the art of taking criticism in his stride while staying "calm under pressure." Ready Reckoner: 2016 IPL players auction Ahead of the ninth season of the IPL that will run from April 9 to May 23, there will be a player auction in Bangalore on Saturday at which 351 cricketers go under the hammer. More Sports News»

		Technology
		24 things you didn't know your iPhone could do Some of these features are buried in the Settings menu while others are hidden in plain sight. Plus, there are a few things Siri can do for you that you may not know about. Apple to launch 4-inch 'mini' iPhone 5se on March 15: Report Waiting for the next iPhone? Your wait may end as soon as on March 15. EU and US seal data-sharing agreement The European Union and the United States have reached a deal over trans-Atlantic data sharing that would potentially extinguish the risk of costly litigation by consumers worried about their privacy. More Technology News»

		Education
		Rs 2.5-cr boost to UK-India collaboration in chemistry Royal Society of Chemistry (UK) is going to invest Rs 2.5 crore to deliver six Newton-Bhabha Fund workshops, co-funded by the British Council, which will bring UK and Indian scientists together to tackle major global challenges. The announcement was made by Royal Society of Chemistry (UK) president Professor Dominic Tildesley at Panjab University (PU) here on Wednesday. SFI activists protest against attack on JNU students Hundreds of students belonging to the Student Federation of India (SFI) gathered to stage protest at the Himachal Pradesh University campus on Wednesday. Gujarat varsities have become PhD factories: Governor O P Kohli Expressing concern over ‘low-quality’ research in the state’s universities, Gujarat Governor O P Kohli on Wednesday said that they had become ‘Phd-producing factories’. Researchers do not do in enough work for their theses, said the Governor. More Education News»

		Mumbai
		Mumbai: Hardware store worker, student end lives While 22-year-old man Kisansingh Uthad committed suicide by hanging himself on the mezzanine floor of a shop at Malad East on Wednesday, 17-year-old girl Leena Shetty ended her life at Goregaon West residence. Hit by Virar woman's car, man abducts her An unidentified man allegedly kidnapped a 40-year-old woman after she rammed her car into him in Virar on Tuesday. Thali, kulhad tea debut on Air India menu Early this week, the ubiquitous Indian thali and the kulhad masala chai sprouted wings and boarded their maiden flight. On Monday, national carrier Air India became the first carrier to serve lunch and dinner thalis and tea in kulhads on board flights. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		Cops bust mobile gun shop that gave home deliveries An AK-47 for Rs 1 lakh-2 lakh, a double-barrel gun for Rs 40,000-Rs 45,000 and a combo-pack of a .32 bore pistol and two magazines for Rs 35,000. Four children hurt as tempo rams school bus Four schoolchildren and a 21-year-old man were injured after the mini-bus they were travelling in was hit by a speeding tempo in outer Delhi's Narela on Wednesday morning. Consumers can procure own meters to replace 'fast' ones To ensure that consumers are satisfied with the working of the meters installed at their premsies, the DERC has come out guidelines for those who want to procure meters on their own. More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		Battle of ballot - Netas' kith and kin enter ZP, TP poll fray Dynasty politics continues to thrive in Karnataka and now it has seeped into panchayat polls too. 60% affected kids undernourished, run the risk of lower cure rate Out of the 7,000-odd cancer-afflicted children admitted to Kidwai every year, 60% are undernourished and 30% malnourished which reduces the cure rate by 50%, doctors say. Cancer Day - With cap on govt help, poor patients face a slow death without treatment Oncologists say there is a gap between technological advancement in cancer care and funds provided under government schemes. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		Big plans to develop film industry in Vizag The considerable turnout of the film industry in the GHMC polls indicated one thing: there would be no shifting of the Telugu film industry from Hyderabad. Kapu stir: Kirlampudi tense over fear of Mudragada's arrest With two days left for the threatened indefinite hunger strike by Kapu leader Mudragada Padmanabham seeking BC status for his community , his native Kirlampudi village in East Godavari district continued to remain tense on Tuesday due to the presence of a large number of security personnel and rumours that Padmanabham could be arrested any time before he sits on his dharna. GHMC polls: Missing Nota button on EVMs stumps voters : Those landing up at the polling booths to cast their votes in favour of None of the Above (Nota) in the GHMC polls were in for a surprise when they found the button missing from the Electronic Voting Machine this time. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		SVS college was in legal tangle a year before girls' death At least a year before finding itself in the news for all the wrong reasons after the shocking death of three girl students, whose bodies were fished out of a farm well in Villupuram district on January 21, SVS Medical College of Yoga and Naturopathy escaped almost unscathed in two rounds of litigation in the Madras high court. GAIL reworks pipeline cost as SC hikes relief to TN farmers More than a two-year delay due to litigation had thrown the math of GAIL's Kochi-Kuttanad-BangaloreMangalore gas pipeline project out of gear. Tindivanam court sentences 6 to life for Mahabs caste riot, murder Six people have been sen tenced to life for their involvement in the April 25, 2013 violence that broke out en route to Mamallapuram where a PMK meet was held. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		BJP-RSS trying to change Ambedkar's Constitution: Sushil Shinde Senior Congress leader and former Union Home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, while speaking at the ‘Samvidhan se Swabhiman’ (self-respect through the Constitution) function, organized by Gujarat Congress in Gandhinagar to felicitate dalit heroes from various fields, said that the BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) are trying to change the Constitution given to the country by Babasaheb Ambedkar. Gujarat dumps 2003 tourism plans citing security concerns In its 2003-2010 tourism policy, Gujarat government had promised that it will develop water sports facilities at Narmada dam canal reservoir (situated between Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar) to make the place a tourist attraction . Ahmedabad yet to learn last mile smartness One of the features of any ‘smart city’ in the world is a reliable and integrated transport system. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		25 special squads to manage devotees on 18 ghats for Mauni Amavasya snan In a bid to regulate the flow of devotees and pilgrims on all the 18 ghats of Sangam to take holy dip on the pious occasion of Mauni Amavasya, mela police on Wednesday formed as many as 25 special squads comprising 10 policemen each. HC turns down PIL for `up-lokayukta' The Allahabad High Court on Tuesday dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking appointment of “up-lokayukta“ in the state, saying “up-lokayukta“ is appointed by Governor with consent of Lokayukta. Cops caught drinking with undertrial In yet another example of lax attitude of UP police personnel, two cops were found consuming liquor with the undertrial they were escorting in an AC coach of Padmavat Express More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		CMO, Odisha joins Facebook The chief minister’s office (CMO) on Wednesday made debut in popular social media Facebook (www.facebook.com/cmo.odisha). Centre will stop funding if Andhra Pradesh violates GWDT agreement on Polavaram: Uma Bharti The Union minister of water resources, river development and Ganga rejuvenation, Uma Bharti on Wednesday said the Centre would stop funding if the Andhra Pradesh government will violate agreement of the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal (GWDT) award on Polavaram project (now Indira Sagar dam). Naveen seeks PM's intervention for supply of adequate rice to the state The state government has sought intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for supply of adequate amount of rice instead of wheat from the central pool under the National Food Security Act (NFSA). More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		Illegal sand mining continues unabated at Sardar Sarovar project in MP, green panel rues National Green Tribunal (NGT) appointed commission of advocates has found illegal sand mining taking place in the submergence area of Sardar Sarovar Project in four districts of Madhya Pradesh. MP BJP leaders to decide venue for PM's farmer rally Madhya Pradesh BJP leadership will hold a meeting at 11 am on Thursday to decide venue for the Kisan Sammelan to be addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 18. MP grieves demise of former Governor Dr Balram Jhakar Two times Lok Sabha speaker, erstwhile Union minister, farmer leader and former Governor of the state Balram Jhakar passed away at his residence in New Delhi on Wednesday morning. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		Dept forgets to change advance tax after VAT slash Laxity on the part of officers of the excise and taxation department is costing businessmen in the state dear. Operation Muskaan: Panchkula cops rescue 4 kids The human-trafficking prevention branch of Panchkula police rescued four children and helped them reunite with their parents under its ongoing Operation Muskaan. Chandigarh school 'discriminates' against handicapped child A parent on Wednesday accused a prominent private school in Sector 7 here of discriminating against her handicapped daughter by refusing admission to her in Class VII only on the basis of her condition. More Chandigarh News»

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