[wanabidii] News Digest: India can achieve 8-9% growth rate: Manmohan Singh

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Friday, December 12, 2014
		Today's Headlines

		Business
		India can achieve 8-9% growth rate: Manmohan Singh India can achieve a growth rate of 8-9 per cent provided there is a "national consensus" on methods to take advantage of globalized world, said former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, whose tenure saw the economy registering three years of 9-plus growth rate. Govt caps prices of 52 more "essential" drugs India has capped the prices of 52 more drugs, including painkillers and antibiotics, the pricing authority said in a notice. RBI, govt to discuss timeline for 2-6% inflation target: Rajan The Reserve Bank of India will start talks with the government for an "appropriate timeline" to ensure the economy is within a medium term inflation target of 2-6 per cent, governor Raghuram Rajan said on Friday. More Business News»

		Environment
		US rules out China-like climate deal with India in near future the US special envoy for climate change Todd Stern on Wednesday ruled out the possibility of a wide-ranging deal to cut greenhouse gas emission with India on the line of the recent US-China deal. Lima climate summit: Saarc stands up to be counted as one The Saarc bloc has finally emerged as a united force at the ongoing climate talks with ministers and key representatives of all eight member countries formally sealing the existence of south Asia as a common entity here as far as putting across their stand at the UN forum is concerned. UN climate convention: Poor countries gear up to battle the rich Making a strong intervention during a key meeting, Indian environment and climate change minister Prakash Javadekar said, “We are here to enhance the implementation of the convention, certainly not to re-write it”. More Environment News»

		World
		Korean Air CEO apologizes for daughter's 'foolish act' Korean Air CEO Cho Yang-Ho publicly apologized on Friday after his daughter triggered public anger and ridicule by kicking the head of cabin crew off a flight because of the way she had been served some nuts. 'We'll be back': Hong Kong protesters vow Most activists chose to leave the Admiralty site, next to the Central business area, peacefully, despite their demands for a free vote not being met. But the overall mood remained defiant. Australian photographer image sold for record $6.5 m Australian photographer Peter Lik's picture titled Phantom has been sold for 6.5 million dollars setting a new world record. More World News»

		Science
		Over 5 trillion plastic pieces floating in world's oceans More than five trillion pieces of plastic — collectively weighing nearly 270,000 tonnes — are floating in the world’s oceans, including the Indian Ocean, a new study has found. Coming soon: Window that blocks heat Scientists are developing a new kind of ‘smart window’ that can block out heat when the outside temperatures rise. Asteroid collisions, not comets gave water to Earth The first detailed scientific results from the Rosetta space mission, which successfully orbited a comet and soft-landed a robotic probe on its surface, have punctured a plausible theory about how the Earth became a blue planet. More Science News»

		Technology
		Xiaomi VP Hugo Barra's letter to Indian buyers over sales ban The letter, posted Hugo Barra's Facebook page, acknowledges the sales ban and says that the company is evaluating its legal options. Foxconn mulling layoffs at Chennai plant: Labour union After suspension of production at Nokia's plant, an employee union fears layoffs or production halt by the company's major supplier Foxconn. 15 useful Google tools you probably didn't know about There’s hardly a day that goes by without most of us using at least one Google tool, be it search, YouTube, Maps, Translate, Gmail, Android, News or Analytics. More Technology News»

		Education
		Times Group to set up Bennett University in Greater Noida The Times Group on Thursday announced the setting up of the multi-faculty Bennett University in Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh. CBSE introduces pre-examination activities In order to ensure smooth conduct of annual examinations scheduled in March 2015, Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) issued pre-examination activities for schools. Hope for more research funds after better grade The top ranking awarded to the Shivaji University, Kolhapur has opened new channel for funds to flow for research and development and will make the varsity eligible for various education support schemes of the University Grants Commission (UGC). More Education News»

		Mumbai
		Rare 'Bombay blood' gives ailing UP infant a shot at life A Pune executive and two Mumbaikars came together to give a new lease of life to the 15-month-old son of a UP farmer, born with the lethal combination of a rare blood group and heart disease. Pop showstopper to woo city with opera Paul Potts is coming to town. Not be confused with the late communist dictator who led the Cambodian genocide, Potts is the moon-faced opera singer who went on to win Britain’s Got Talent in 2007. Woman found slain at home in Ghatkopar A 38-year-old woman was found dead at her house in Ghatkopar (West). The police said on Thursday that a post-mortem showed that the deceased, Chaya Satpute, had been strangled on Tuesday evening. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		Cab drivers protest ban on Uber's operations in Delhi Hundreds of cab drivers employed with the internet-based taxi firm Uber on Friday staged a protest at Jantar Mantar here demanding revocation of the ban imposed on the company's operations in the national capital. Delhi witnesses coldest morning The city witnessed the season's coldest morning on Friday with the minimum temperature recorded at 5.1 degrees celsius, three notches below normal. Farid Ayaz and Abu Muhammad Qawwal and Brothers perform at the Pakistan high commission in Delhi A sense of camaraderie was in the air at the qawwali night held at the Pakistan high commission in the capital recently More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		CHD signs MoU with Public Health Foundation of Bangladesh. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed on December 8 at Dhaka, Bangladesh. Tata Elxsi launches its annual design contest Tata Elxsi,a global design and technology services company has launched the third edition of IGNITE Design Contest. Executive from Bengaluru operates ISIS Twitter handle "If I had a chance, I would have left everything and joined them. But my family needs me here," the man identified as Mehdi told a British channel. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		'Suicide' drama on Hooghly Police divers and river traffic officials frantically searched for a man seen jumping into the Hooghly around midnight on Tuesday only to realise that the ‘victim’ was standing on the other shore, watching the rescue operation all along. Deaf and dumb woman 'gang-raped' A 20-year-old deaf and dumb woman was allegedly gang raped by four people at Inavolu village of Wardhannapet mandal of Warangal district in the early hours of Thursday. Property tax defaulter faces 'stinking' protest Ramagundam municipal corporation (RMC) workers on Thursday resorted to a rather weird protest over a house-owner’s failure to pay property tax for the past four years. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		Parties blame inefficiency of TNEB for power tariff hike Political parties in Tamil Nadu condemned the hike in power tariff, which came into effect on Friday. TN tells Centre: Keep tobacco out of GST ambit Tamil Nadu continues to oppose implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST). At a review meeting of finance and commercial taxes ministers in New Delhi on Thursday, state commercial taxes minister M C Sampath said the Centre should exempt tobacco and tobacco-related products along with fuel and liquor from the ambit of GST so that the states could levy taxes on these items. Grocer who filched milk, sold it in his store busted Peerkankaranai police inspector P Kandavelu thought he’d seen all kinds of criminals in his lengthy career in the force but then along came 31-year-old M Muthu, a resident of Co-optex Colony in Mudichur. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		Russian defence companies home in on Gujarat Russian defence equipment manufacturing companies are looking at building a base in Gujarat. Accused IPS officer Pandian reinstated IPS officer Rajkumar Pandian, accused in the Sohrabuddin and Tulsi Prajapati encounter cases, was reinstated on Thursday and posted as liaison officer for GIDC in Mumbai. Man thrown off moving train near Ahmedabad loses leg A 25-year-old youth loses a leg after being thrown off a moving train on a railway track near Kalupur. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		Board extends last date for exam centre list Madhyamik Siksha Parishad (UP Board) has extended the last date of submission of examination centre list by December 15 after around half-a-dozen divisions failed to submit it within the given deadline of November 30. Traders shut shops in protest against attack on former MP Trader community, on Thursday, closed their business establishments and shops including nursing homes, petrol pumps and chemist shops in protest against the recent assault on their leader and former MP Banwari Lal Kanchal in Lucknow. Work on technology to help paralytics Imagine a device which can help paralysis patients perform simple tasks like eating, switching on electrical appliances or operating a computer. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		Separate infra body for MSMEs To provide infrastructure to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in a timebound and transparent manner, the state government has decided to develop a separate entity in line with Idco. The new entity would be known as MSMEIdco, official sources said. Bio-toilets on Puri beach The absence of public toilets in Puri has been a cause of concern for tourists. IT is looking up: Naveen Chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday said growth rate of information technology (IT) product exports from the state is on the rise. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		Day after Morena killing, petrol pumps remain shut Petrol and dieselpump owners in the Morena district State Capital kept their operations closed to protest the killing of Giriraj Aggrawal who was shot by three motorcycle-borne assailants on Tuesdayevening. Dynamic therapy for autistic kids RDI Model Reaches Bhopal To Help Parents City physical education colleges face NCTE axe National Council of Teacher Education (NCTE) has cancelled recognition of Abhilashi College of Physical Education from next academic session. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		115 traffic offenders fined In a special drive Panchkula traffic police on Thursday challaned (ticket) as many as 115 drivers.Police nakas were laid at various places, including Majri Chowk, Dolphin Chowk, and Sector 19. Cops arrest youths with five guns His story: Rooted in history Nek Chand Continues To Use Chairs That Date Back To Pre-Partition Days, Owns A Gramophone And A Transistor Gifted To Him By Punjabis In The UsVibhor.Mohan@timesgroup. More Chandigarh News»

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