[wanabidii] News Digest: Rural banks told to cut jobs, outsource ops

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Friday, March 20, 2015
		Today's Headlines

		Business
		Rural banks told to cut jobs, outsource ops The Narendra Modi government has directed regional rural banks to become slim by cutting jobs and outsource non-core functions such as IT maintenance, cash remittance and housekeeping. Greece in new reform pledge to Europe Greece agreed Friday to give creditors a new list of reforms to get its bailout back on track after Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras held crunch talks with European leaders. Sensex hits over 1-month low, closes 209 points down The downtrend in markets continued for the third straight day with benchmark sensex on Friday slipping 209 points to over 1-month low and the Nifty index fell below the key 8,600-mark on selling in heavyweights ahead of quarterly earnings beginning early next month. More Business News»

		Environment
		'Man-animal conflict can be predicted' Pioneering research led by a Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) India Program scientist and three collaborators has established a reliable approach to predict when and where human–wildlife conflicts are likely to occur. Arctic sea ice hits record low: US monitor Below-average ice conditions were observed everywhere except in the Labrador Sea and Davis Strait. Will sparrows ever return to this temple? In the 1960s, late freedom fighter Govindasamy Naidu had a dream where a sparrow appeared and told him to build a temple for Goddess Kali near the North Masi Street in Madurai. More Environment News»

		World
		One killed in mosque attack in Karachi At least one person was killed and 10 others were injured in an explosion at the gate of a mosque in Pakistan's Karachi city on Friday. Obama urges Iran to grab 'historic chance' for N-deal US President Barack Obama called on Iranian leaders not to miss a "historic opportunity" to reach a reasonable nuclear deal, saying such a moment "may not come again soon". Myanmar military to maintain political role, president says Myanmar's military will maintain its role in politics in order to support a transition to democracy but will eventually submit to civilian rule, President Thein Sein said in an interview broadcast on Friday. More World News»

		Science
		Solar eclipse sweeps across Atlantic; total eclipse visible only from remote islands A solar eclipse swept across the Atlantic Ocean on Friday with the moon set to block out the sun for a few thousand sky gazers on remote islands. Melatonin helps get better sleep even in noisy conditions Chinese researchers have found that small doses of sleep regulating hormone melatonin ensure better quality sleep even if the surroundings are noisy and lit up. Magical views from top of the world for solar eclipse All eyes will be on the skies on Friday for a total solar eclipse expected to offer spectacular views, if only in the far northern Svalbard archipelago and Faroe Islands. More Science News»

		Technology
		Moto E (second-generation) review Though the camera is a downer, the second-generation Moto E overall is pretty good to use despite not too many changes. Review: Lamborghini 88 Tauri @ Rs 4.3 lakh The phone not only features premium materials and a unique design but also boasts top-end hardware specifications unlike most other luxury phones. 7 simple solutions to your daily tech problems As the amount of tech in our homes increases, so does the complexity. More Technology News»

		Education
		Tough exams: Students, counsellors write to CBSE Following students' complain of tough mathematics and physics exams, city-based counsellors of Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) have written to the head office in Delhi informing them about students' disappointments and doubts. Three teachers arrested in Tamil Nadu for leaking Class 12 question paper through WhatsApp Three teachers of a higher secondary school at Hosur in Tamil Nadu were arrested on Friday for allegedly leaking the question paper for the Class 12 board exam through WhatsApp. RSS bats for Punjabi as medium of instruction in Punjab schools What may come as a surprise to many in Punjab, especially in political and literary circles, Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh has advocated that medium of instruction at least for primary education should be Punjabi. More Education News»

		Mumbai
		Kharghar residents to celebrate Gudi Padwa in a grand way The Kharghar Marathi Forum will celebrate Gudi Padwa in a grand and traditional manner at Kharghar on Saturday from 6.45 am onwards Celebrate the art of storytelling Love listening to stories? Skilled enough to narrate one? Explore your passion for cre ating magic on the occasion of World Storytelling Day today. Mumbai was and will continue to belong to Shiv Sena: Saamana edit Continuing its diatribe against ally BJP, the Shiv Sena on Friday said it does not matter which party has more elected representatives in Mumbai, as the city was and will continue to belong to the Sena. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		Activists want special task force to secure child rights under AAP's Delhi Dialogue Commission Seeking a special task force on issues related to children under the AAP led Delhi Government’s "think tank" the Delhi Dialogue Commission, voluntary organizations working for child rights express concern over growing violence against children and how they remain on the fringes of policy planning and implementation. There are 21 task forces on a range of subjects under the DDC but children don’t figure on the list so far. Officials in district panels, make a joke of consumer rights Beyond the high decibel campaigns on consumer rights, the reality of forums meant to protect their rights is alarming, if not outrightly shocking. 53-year-old woman run over by truck A 53-year-old woman was run over by a container truck on MB Road in southeast Delhi’s Pul Prahladpur area on Thursday. The vehicle has been compounded but the errant driver is on the run. More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		IAS officer's death: CM Siddaramaiah briefs governor Facing rising public anger over the mysterious death of an upright IAS officer with growing calls for a CBI probe, Karnataka chief siddaramaiah on Friday met governor Vajubhai Val and briefed him about the developments in the case. Su-30 integrated with desi missile Astra, India’s first indigenous Beyond Visual Range (BVR) air-to-air missile integrated on the Su-30 MKI aircraft has been successfully launched from Chandipur in Odisha IAS officer's batchmates seek fair enquiry into his death A group of IAS officers have sought fair enquiry into the mysterious death of their 2009 batchmate D K Ravi in Karnataka. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		'Special status for AP still under consideration' Unable to face the heat from NDA partner Telugu Desam Party and the opposition Congress over denying special status to Andhra Pradesh, BJP’s Union urban development minister M Venkaiah Naidu claimed on Thursday that the issue of special status is still under consideration of the Centre. Bedlam continues in AP House Capping a day of high drama, the YSR Congress on Thursday moved a no-confidence motion against AP assembly speaker Kodela Sivaprasada Rao after eight of its legislators were suspended from the House for three days during the discussion on the budget. Wakf Board special officer 'banned' over funds row In what is snowballing into a controversy a day before Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Reddy is scheduled to visit Jamia Nizamia, the senior management has barred AP State Wakf Board (APSWB) special officer (SO) MJ Akbar’s entry into the 150-year-old institution. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		Cancellation of tender for Udangudi thermal power project: Minister rejects Karunanidhi's demand for probe The minister said the tenders had been cancelled based on a consultant report, which had pointed out the discrepancies in the price quotes. Three teachers arrested in Tamil Nadu for leaking Class 12 question paper through WhatsApp Three teachers of a higher secondary school at Hosur in Tamil Nadu were arrested on Friday for allegedly leaking the question paper for the Class 12 board exam through WhatsApp.  Crusaders go the extra mile after 80 Defying age at 80 and 90, these crusaders are going the extra mile despite suffering ailments. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		Admit poor under RTE or face action, pvt schools told Gujarat high court on Thursday took a serious note of private schools denying admission to poor children under the Right to Education (RTE) Act. Rs 500cr cricket betting racket busted in Vadodara When India was playing Bangladesh in the crucial quarter final match at Melbourne on Thursday, the Ahmedabad zonal unit of Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out a search operation in Vadodara and unearthed an international cricket betting racket worth more than Rs 500 crore. Diamond roughs theft cracked, 3 held Cracking the sensational rough diamonds theft from Shree Ramkrishna Export (SRK), city police arrested three persons, including the main accused Sagar Kapuriya, and recovered the booty worth Rs 2.07 crore. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		Allahabad:New technique to consume less wood for cremation Allahabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) plans to cut down the use of wood for the last rites for making the cremation ghats eco-friendly. AU moves ahead to make campus WiFi enabled Students and faculty of the Allahabad University would soon be able to use the facility of WiFi as MHRD, which would bear 75% of the cost for the facility, has given the work to ERNET which has in turn asked the varsity authorities to furnish several details needed to install the facility on the campus. Allahabad's Ansari chases high school dream at 6 When 65-year-old Akhtar Ansari entered the classroom at Nara School Examination Centre in Kaushambi, the examinees present mistook him for an examiner. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		Re-checking of last year's Plus II answer sheets incomplete The re-checking of Plus II answersheets for the examinations conducted in 2014 is yet to be completed even though the examinations for 2015 are nearing completion. Primary edu in mother tongue: RSS The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Odisha unit, on Thursday said it is planning to add more members through 'Join RSS programme' to strengthen the organization in the state Plus II to come under school education The state government has decided to remove Plus II from the higher education department and bring it under the school and mass education department. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		FM Malaiyya & wife robbed of cash, jewellery on running train to Delhi Bhopal/ Finance minister Jayant Malaiyya and his wife, Sudha, a former BJP national secretary, were robbed by four armed miscreants while travelling from Jabalpur to New Delhi in AC first coach of Shriram Express. EC rejects Narottam Mishra petition in paid news case Election Commission of India (EC) rejected state health minister Narottam Mishra's petition in which he requesting the EC to stay hearing in a case against him over alleged use of paid news during assembly elections of 2008. Time temple: Here, praying is like clockwork In the opium belt of Madhya Pradesh, where poppy is offered to gods for safe transit of contraband, there's a small temple in Mandsaur that resonates not with the sound of bells, but the tick-tock of clocks. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		A PM's letter to soldier's widow 'no proof of sacrifice' A condolence letter written by a former Indian PM to the widow of an officer who sacrificed his life for his motherland is not enough to prove that he died defending his country. WW-I hero from Jalandhar inspires British kids A century-old story of Manta Singh's valour at the Battle of Neuve Chapelle in France has been inspiring British school kids for decades now. Probe ordered into irregularities in upgradation of sewage treatment plant in Chandigarh Smelling a rat in carrying out of upgradation work of the sewage treatment plant at Diggian in Mohali, municipal commissioner Vivek Partap Singh has marked a vigilance inquiry. More Chandigarh News»

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