[wanabidii] News Digest: Govt pegs economic growth at 5.5% this year

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Friday, December 19, 2014
		Today's Headlines

		Business
		Govt pegs economic growth at 5.5% this year The government on Friday indicated that it may have to undertake spending cuts to meet the fiscal deficit target. Adani, Downer in 2 billion dollar deal : Australian Engineering Group Downer EDI has won a 2 billion dollar contract from Adani Group's Carmichael Coal Mine project in Queensland in one of the largest deals of its type signed in the country in recent years. Sensex up 314 points on global trends Extending its rise for the second straight session, the benchmark BSE sensex spurted by over 314 points in early trade today on firming global trend after the US Fed gave indication of holding interest rate hike in the short-term. More Business News»

		Environment
		Drones to guard Delhi forests, monitor encroachments Drones will soon fly over Delhi's forests to monitor encroachments and breach of boundaries of protected forest areas. Leopard dies from bacterial infection Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) in Borivali lost another wild cat on Wednesday night when leopard Poman passed away around 10.30pm. Government to strengthen laws to combat plastic hazard: Javadekar Linking the drive against plastic to 'clean-India' campaign, environment minister Prakash Javadekar today said the government will take a number of steps like tightening legal provisions and increasing the quantum of fine to deal with the menace of plastic. More Environment News»

		World
		Iraqi Kurds say Mount Sinjar siege broken Iraqi Kurds claimed on Thursday to have broken a siege on a mountain where Yazidi civilians and fighters have long been trapped as the US said air strikes killed several Islamic State leaders in recent weeks. Eight children found dead in Australia home Eight children ranging from babies to teenagers were found dead at a home in the Australian city of Cairns today, police said, reportedly in a gruesome mass stabbing just days after a deadly siege in Sydney. Up to 11 dead in Japan snow storms: Reports Up to 11 people are now reported to have died in a winter snow storm gripping much of Japan, as forecasters today warned bad weather would continue. More World News»

		Science
		Navigation centre of brain discovered by scientists British scientists have discovered the exact part of the brain that tells us the direction to travel when we navigate. Kepler spacecraft finds new Super-Earth 180 light years away A year and a half after an equipment failure threatened to derail its epochal search for worlds beyond our solar system, Nasa’s Kepler spacecraft has bagged another planet, astronomers announced on Thursday. Earth meteorite indicates water reservoir on Mars The discovery helps resolve the question of where the "missing Martian water" may have gone. More Science News»

		Technology
		Apple Pay coming to India: Report According to an internship vacancy posted by Apple on its UK website, the company is expanding its payment solution’s reach and India is on its sights. 10 best smartphones of 2014 We’ve compiled a list of 10 best smartphones of 2014, in no particular order… Google working on a new version of Android for cars Google is laying the groundwork for a version of Android that would be built directly into cars. More Technology News»

		Education
		DoE asks private schools to hold admissions till January; No chance, say schools Private Delhi schools refuse to hold admission despite government advisory. Oxford pips Cambridge as UK's top university for research Oxford University has nudged past its traditional rival Cambridge by being named Britain’s best research university. Students, be ready for Gujarati Olympiad! The Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB) is going to introduce a state-wide competition for Gujarati on the lines of Science and Math Olympiads. More Education News»

		Mumbai
		Sena leader Vijay Chowgule booked for rape Acting on a police complaint lodged by a 24-year-old woman from Kharghar, the CBD police on Wednesday evening registered a rape case under Section 376 of the IPC against Vijay Chowgle. 40 new Bombardier rakes too 'tall' for CR due to design fault A design gone wrong spells bad news for Central Railway commuters. Truck catches fire on expressway near Lonavala exit The blaze completely charred the truck while the driver managed to escape unhurt. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		No cabs? PCR van hai na! A Delhi girl who's stuck late at night somewhere and can't manage to arrange safe transport back home has one option that she's often unaware of: calling up the Women's Helpline and having a PCR vehicle ensure she gets back safe. Apne Aap Women Worldwide organises event in memory of Nirbhaya at Connaught Place in Delhi It's been two years since the Nirbhaya gang rape, and while authorities have done their bit in ensuring that cases are filed, painters and theatre persons are also working towards changing the `wearing short clothes invites rape' mindset. Poor drug quality may have caused sterilisation deaths: Minister in LS Infection and sub-standard quality of drugs used could have been the cause of deaths at a recent sterilisation camp in Chhattisgarh, the government told Lok Sabha on Thursday More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		Cops mull digital eyes for safer Bengaluru Bengaluru may soon be doing a Hyderabad, in terms of terror preparedness. Bengaluru City police commissioner MN Reddi and his department have mooted a Public Security Act - already in place in the Andhra capital - that entails having digital eyes all over the city. To up diversity, Doon woos South Doon, one of India’s oldest boarding schools and alma mater of stalwarts like Rajiv Gandhi and Amitav Ghosh, is on a mission to get more students from South India. To enrich its diversity, the school is conducting extensive outreach programmes in the South. FB page aims to dispel adoption myths Adopting a child comes with a lot of psychological uncertainties and apprehensions. And these two adoptive mothers only know it too well. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		Head constable found beheaded A head constable was beheaded allegedly by unidentified persons at Bandi Atmakur village near Nandyal town in Kurnool district. His body was found on Wednesday. Railway passenger thrashed by cops, dies A 28-year-old migrant worker died after he was allegedly beaten up by five policemen at Dhone railway station in the early hours of Wednesday. Division of minority bodies in final stages, says Dy CM Deputy chief minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali on Wednesday said that the government would soon fill all vacant posts in the minorities welfare department (MWD) and its agencies apart from expediting their bifurcation. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		2-year-old boy's heart airlifted from Bangalore to Chennai for transplant Doctors at Fortis Malar Hospitals in Chennai will perform a complex heart transplant surgery on a 2-year-old boy on Friday. Madurai Kamaraj University to introduce online exams in distance education courses The online tests would be introduced first at the postgraduate level starting January for all DDE students registered since January 2014. HC: Police can't interfere with massage parlour business Relax! Massage parlours, spas, beauty parlours, wellness centres, unisex salons and health clubs — call them by any name, but police and other authorities cannot interfere with their functioning without there being a law to either permit or regulatethem, the Madras high court has ruled. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		Delegates to enjoy luxe commuting Cabbies of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar are working on a quick switchover to top-end vehicles like BMWs, Mercs and Audis as run-of-the-mill taxis will not do for visitors to Pravasi Bharatiya Divas and Vibrant Gujarat Global Investor Summit events next month. Ahmedabad police ready with 'city lockdown' plan for high-profile January events Ahmedabad police will, for the first time, implement a ‘city lockdown’ for security. Gujarat govt checks hotels for Vibrant guests The state government has pulled out all stops to play ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ and ensure that there is no profiteering at the expense of Vibrant Gujarat. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		HC lawyers to resume work today The Allahabad High Court Bar Association (HCBA) on Thursday called off their five-day-old strike and resolved to resume judicial work from Friday. Unnecessary hue & cry raised over ghar wapsi: VHP The Vishwa Hindu Parishad has said that political parties raising hue and cry over ‘ghar wapsi’ had remained quiet over the same event organized during Congress-led UPA regime. The organization claimed that ghar wapsi of more than 7,000 people was conducted during the UPA regime. Basic Shiksha Parishad to regularize exam calendar of basic schools Basic Shiksha Parishad would be regularising the examination calendar of all basic schools across the state from the new academic session. The pattern proposed is said to be set in line with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) calendar. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		BMC ropes in central agency to build toilets With Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan' gaining momentum, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to expedite construction of 21 more public toilets in the city. SPs asked to execute warrants Worried over non-implementation of huge number of pending warrants of State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission and consumer forums, the state government has asked all SPs to instruct police stations under their jurisdiction to execute them. BMC plans to step up birth control With complaints of canine and bovine menace pouring in, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to expedite sterilization of stray dogs and catching of cattle. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		Ex-MLA Bhaiya Raja dies in Bhopal Former MLA Ashok Veer Vikram Singh alias Bhaiya Raja, who was undergoing treatment at government-run Hamadia Hospital in judicial custody, died on Friday. HC turns down mining baron's bail petition Madhya Pradesh high court (MPHC) on Thursday upheld lower court's decision to reject bail plea of mining baron Sudhir Sharma, the accused in Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (MPPEB) scam following objections raised by Special Task Force (STF). Buses collide head-on, 1 dies One person was killed and 35 others sustained injuries, eight of them seriously, when two passenger buses collided head-on near a crossing in Lambakheda on city outskirts, here on Thursday morning. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		Kathak recital to enthrall city Chandigarh Sangeet Natak Akademi will bring on stage classical dance artist Divya Dikshit on December 20 at Tagore Theatre of the city. Sidhu stoned in Jammu, wife blames SAD Senior BJP leader and three-time Amritsar MP Navjot Singh Sidhu was on Thursday attacked in Jammu's Gandhi Nagar constituency while he was canvassing for party candidate Kavinder Gupta. Punjab BJP boycotts Harsimrat's event The already strained ties between allies SAD and BJP in Punjab hit another low on Thursday when the saffron party leaders boycotted Akali MP and Union food processing minister Harsimrat Kaur's function to flag off Bathinda-Delhi Shatabdi Express. More Chandigarh News»

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