[wanabidii] News Digest: Bankruptcy law pased to improve ease of doing biz

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Monday, December 21, 2015
		Today's Headlines

		Business
		Bankruptcy law pased to improve ease of doing biz Seeking to improve the ease of doing business, the Centre today introduced in Parliament the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2015, that provides for resolution of insolvency in a time-bound manner. The bill aims at promoting investments, leading to higher economic growth. 'New RBI norm for rate calculation credit positive' The Reserve Bank's new uniform methodology for calculating base rate on marginal cost of funds is 'credit positive' for Indian banks as it would ease pressure on their balance sheet, Moody's said today. Tata's presence will improve UP's image: UP CM Seeking cooperation from the Ratan Tata-led Tata Trusts, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav today said this will lead to changes in the state and improve the country's image internationally. More Business News»

		Environment
		US enacts protections for lions after Cecil furore Amid the furore over the killing of a well-known lion named Cecil in Zimbabwe earlier this year, the Obama administration is expected to extend Endangered Species Act protections for two breeds of lions. 124 turtles recovered from Mainpuri district; 1 arrested Making a breakthrough in checking smuggling of turtles from UP to South East Asian countries, a team of forest officials recovered 124 turtles from Mainpuri district and arrested a gang member involved in the racket. Concrete steps taken to tackle air pollution: Javadekar With the hazard level because of air pollution plunging into the 'severe' category across Delhi, the Centre has said that it has taken concrete measures, including a ban on burning of wastes, to tackle the pollution in the national capital region. More Environment News»

		World
		One dead in crash near Las Vegas Miss Universe pageant One person was killed and dozens were injured on Sunday night when a motorist drove onto a crowded sidewalk on the Las Vegas Strip, near the hotel and casino where the Miss Universe pageant was being held, officials said. 80 missing, 3 dead as big waves sink Indonesian boat Rescuers have pulled out 39 survivors and three dead from a passenger boat that sank in central Indonesia after being buffeted by high waves, and resumed efforts on Monday to reach scores of others still missing. Chinese industrial park landslide: 91 missing Around 91 people were missing after a huge mound of mud and construction waste collapsed at a business park in southern China and buried 33 buildings. This comes four months after huge chemical blasts at the northern port of Tianjin killed more than 160 people. More World News»

		Science
		New 'hydricity' concept for round-the-clock power Scientists, including those of Indian-origin, have proposed a new "hydricity" concept for round-the-clock power by not only generating electricity from solar energy but also producing and storing hydrogen from superheated water. Black holes grow as large as 50bn Suns Black holes at the heart of galaxies could swell to 50 billion times the mass of the Sun before losing the discs of gas they rely on to sustain themselves, according to a new study . Nepal's Pokhara built on debris of medieval earthquakes Nepal's second-largest city and its leading tourist hub Pokhara is built on massive debris deposits which are associated with strong medieval earthquakes, a new study has found. More Science News»

		Technology
		10 cheapest 4G smartphones you can buy in India 4G has been the must-have feature for smartphone buyers this year, so much so that every smartphone brand in the country re-tooled its strategy to offer high-speed internet even on budget models. Apple cuts prices of iPhone 6s and 6s Plus in India The average difference in prices of all iPhone 6s and 6s Plus devices between launch time and now is about 15%, a executive at a national retailer said. Mumbai Police ring alarm bells against 4G The police have shown concern over misuse of 4G services by criminals, specifically the underworld and terrorist organisations. More Technology News»

		Education
		200 IIT Kanpur students opt out of placement drive for higher studies, competitive exams As many as 200 students of IIT-Kanpur have opted out of the placement drive reducing the strength of the students registered with the placement cell to around 1200. All CBSE books to be made available online: Smriti Irani Union HRD minister Smriti Irani announced that all CBSE books and learning material will be made available online for free. She said, NCERT books have already been made available online for free through e-books and mobile applications a month-and-a-half ago. ​UP may have open book system for 10, 12 exams The Uttar Pradesh government is likely to introduce an “open book system” for students taking standard 10 and 12 examinations of the UP Board from the next academic session More Education News»

		Mumbai
		Mumbai headed for air scare just like 'dirty Delhi' Number of new vehicles hitting the road rising sharply in city over past 10 years leading to spike in PM10, PM2.5 levels ­ which can cause respiratory problems and even lung cancer. The choreography of excess In the new improved Indian wedding, everybody, not just the bride and groom, get married. Or so it seems. Everyone and everything look as if they are snorting the white powdery stuff, as revelry takes on a psychedelic and manic air. The scale at which the event is pitched has gone haywire, and it seems that nothing can be excessive enough. And while this new and very passionate relationship with weddings is part of a larger involvement with the world of consumption, there is something about weddings that stands apart from everything else. Consumer as king - Rs 2L payout for patient sets precedent, proves eye-opener for insurer There are certain ailments whose course of treatment involves a periodic series of procedures. If one claim is rejected, subsequent ones too will be rejected. In such circumstances, it would be harassment if the consumer must file a complaint each time he undergoes the procedure. Here is a case where the consumer forum, after holding the repudiation to be unjustified, directed not only payment of the claim, but also payment of subsequent ones.Case Study: Khurshed Pardiwala, was covered by a mediclaim policy from United India Insurance Co, obtained several years ago and renewed over the years. The coverage was Rs 1.75 lakh including the insured sum of Rs 1.25 lakh and Rs 50,000 as cumulative bonus. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		DDCA controversy: Arun Jaitley rejects graft charges, drags Arvind Kejriwal to court  Arun Jaitley on Monday filed a civil defamation suit in the Patiala House court against Arvind Kejriwal and five other AAP leaders for issuing allegedly false and defamatory statements against him and his family members over alleged irreguralities at the Delhi and District Cricket Association(DDCA). Hands tied, says Supreme Court as it rejects DCW plea against juvenile's release The Supreme Court on Monday rejected a petition filed by the Delhi Commission for Women against the release of the juvenile convict in what is known as the Nirbhaya gang-rape case, saying it "shared" the concern but its hands were "tied" by the law. Nirbhaya's mother said she was not surprised by the verdict and demanded tougher laws against sexual violence. Arun Jaitley files defamation suit against Arvind Kejriwal, other AAP leaders Arun Jaitley on Monday filed a defamation suit in the Patiala House court against Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and other AAP leaders seeking Rs 10 crore damage for indulging in slander and baseless allegations in the DDCA case. More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		Unseasonal rains leave vineyards high and dry Grapes have turned sour for growers, thanks to heavy rain and steep fall in temperature in October and November. Over 80-85% crop lost in southern Karnataka. Sorry, it's stolen: New bike goes missing after RTO seizes it An employee of an insurance company has lost his brand new two-wheeler, which was in the custody of RTO officials. The Pulsar belonging to Ashok was seized by officials of Jayanagar RTO as it was not registered. A case of tax evasion was booked by them, and the vehicle parked in the BMTC depot. Truck mows down woman on scooter Two persons, including a 38-year-old woman, were killed in separate road accidents in the city this weekend. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		Jagan complains to Prez against TDP `vendetta' YSRCP president YS Jaganmohan Reddy on Sunday accused the TDP government in AP of “letting loose a reign of terror” and “implicating” opposition leaders in false cases. Gambling den raided, 5 held Special Operations Team (SOT) sleuths of the Cyberabad police raided a gambling den at Aditya Nagar Colony in Meerpet and arrested five persons on Sunday . Students worry about poor results Faced with an unprecedented water crisis, the University of Hyderabad, for the first time in its history, has shortened its next semester by one month. A revised calendar has been issued by the academic council according to which the ensuing Winter Semester will conclude in April, a month before it ends every year. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		Chennai floods: Chief Minister's Relief Fund receives Rs 161.30crore in donations Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s Relief Fund has received donations to the tune of Rs 161.30 crore from companies and individuals towards flood relief work. Jaya recasts party body, inducts more women The AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalithaa set yet another ball rolling for the much awaited December 31 party meeting by reconstituting the executive committee of the party. Out of the 77 members appointed to the executive committee, 72 are women. This significantly boosts the presence of women in the committee of around 250 members. Jaitley-Jaya meet steers clear of politics but stokes talk of alliance Union finance minister Arun Jaitley was politically correct when he chose to meet the chief minister Jayalalithaa at the Secretariat, not at her Poes Garden residence, on Sunday to discuss the flood devastation in the state. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		Sanjay Joshi attends wedding of Togadia's son n the wake of his posters popping up in chief minister Anandiben Patel’s constituency Ghatlodia, and national BJP president Amit Shah’s constituency Naranpura-Thaltej, senior RSS and former BJP general secretary, Sanjay Joshi, arrived in city to attend the marriage of Pravin Togadia’s son, in Nikol Cold wave sweeps across Gujarat; city records 8°C There has been no respite from the icy chills as cold wave prevailed across the state again on Sunday and minimum temperatures continued to plummet at various places. AMC official beaten up in Danilimda An engineer with Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has registered a complaint for assault with Danilimda police against local residents. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		New dacoit gang emerges, kills tourist The incident has kept UP and MP police on its toes. Special teams have been constituted to keep an eye on villages located on border area. Cops in plainclothes have been given specific assignment to compile inputs. 3 sisters get mysterious fever, die; docs baffled Health authorities in Bareilly are flummoxed by a mysterious illness that has claimed three minor girls, all sisters. The girls, aged seven, five and four years, died in Meergunj tehsil in the span of just a few hours. 'Kung Fu Nuns' say no to pollution Jigme Yudron Chamo, Jigme Konchok Chamo, Jigme Yeshe Chamo and Jigme Tenzin Chamo are no ordinary women.They are part of 250-strong team of cycle enthusiasts, ‘Kung Fu Nuns’, who arrived in the city on Saturday. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		House panel seeks appt with PM on Polavaram The assembly panel on Polavaram, which lost seven members last week, sought an appointment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to submit a memorandum opposing the controversial project. The panel, headed by speaker Niranjan Pujari, requested to meet the Prime Minister in the first week of January, sources in the secretariat of the assembly said. Red presence deters Sunabeda from activating VHF towers The Sunabeda wildlife sanctuary authorities are worried about activating very high frequency (VHF) towers for communication in the forest, which has turned into a Maoist hotbed. Plan to set up 3rd planetarium in Gopalpur The state government has asked the collector of Ganjam district to select a patch of land at Gopalpur soon to set up a new planetarium. This will be the third planetarium in the state after the Pathani Samant Planetarium, Bhubaneswar, and the under-construction Burla planetarium in Sambalpur district. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		Ex-minister steps out of jail, breaks down seeing elder brother It turned out to be an emotional moment for former higher education minister Laxmikant Sharma who walked out of the jail on Sunday, after spending 18 months in prison in connection with irregularities in examinations and recruitments by MP Professional Examination Board aka Vyapam. No let up in cold wave, Gwalior coldest in MP Intense cold wave continues unabated in the northern parts of Madhya Pradesh. First edition of three-day maths fest inaugurated The first edition of maths fest “Ganitotsav" was inaugurated here on Sunday. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		Now, penniless father waits to take his son back to West Bengal After the mother from Jharkhand, this time a father from West Bengal is unable to take his son back from Snehalaya, Chandigarh’s shelter home, thanks to the procedural delay by UT Child Protection Society in issuing funds for their travel. Congress condemns BJP Congress on Sunday condemned the BJP government after an immolation bid was made by a poor kabadi player in industrial area on Saturday when a demolition drive was carried out by the nforcement staff. Farmers plough potato crop under virus attack After weather vagaries on wheat and whitefly attacks destroying over 3 lakh hectare of cotton, farmers in Punjab are dealing with virus trouble in potato crop. More Chandigarh News»

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