[wanabidii] News Digest: Govt plans to cut stake in state banks, raise $14.4bn

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Friday, November 28, 2014
		Today's Headlines

		Business
		Govt plans to cut stake in state banks, raise $14.4bn The government plans to raise about 891.2 billion rupees ($14.4 billion) by reducing its stakes in state-run banks to 52 per cent, minister of state for finance Jayant Sinha said on Friday. Coal verdict: Govt sees $15.6bn hit on state lenders A Supreme Court order scrapping most coal extraction permits given to companies would have a likely impact of 964.84 billion rupees ($15.6 billion) on state-run lenders, the junior finance minister told parliament on Friday. Success at WTO without any compromise: Govt India has won a major victory at Geneva with the WTO accommodating its food security demands in a historic worldwide trade reform deal, which the government said was clinched without any conditions or concessions. More Business News»

		Environment
		Machli goes blind in one eye, shifts base to Ranthambore's periphery Sources said that Machli who is now over 17 years old, at least 3-4 years more than the average life of a tiger, is not entering the park’s core area for the past few months. Proposal to document Kaziranga park's biodiversity The central government has asked scientists in northeast India to map and document the biodiversity in Assam's famous Kaziranga National Park. 12 states give consent for setting up solar parks Solar power plants of various capacities would be set up by solar power companies inside the proposed 25 parks. More Environment News»

		World
		Let us curb welfare for migrants or risk British EU exit: UK PM Britain's continued membership of the European Union is contingent upon it being allowed to stop migrants from the bloc tapping into its relatively generous welfare system, Prime Minister David Cameron will warn on Friday. Volcano in south Japan erupts, disrupting flights A volcano in southern Japan blasted out chunks of magma Friday in the first such eruption in 22 years, causing flight cancellations. Storm cuts power, lifts roofs in Australian city Brisbane Brisbane, Australia's third-largest city, was lashed by its worst storm in decades, with wind, rain and hail lifting roofs, cutting power lines, flooding streets and injuring a dozen people, officials said. More World News»

		Science
		Earthlings to send 90,000 hellos to Mars A US space funding company called Uwingu organized the extraterrestrial shout-out to mark the 50th anniversary of NASA’s Mariner 4 mission. New threat from above: Cheap, accessible drones But now drones — the unmanned flying vehicles the size of a pizza box — are also a favourite tool for more unruly groups: pranksters and troublemakers. Reading 'Harry Potter' unravels muggle mind “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” activates some of the same regions in the brain that people use to perceive real people’s actions and intentions. More Science News»

		Technology
		Mobile price war: RCom offers unlimited data at Rs 999 Reliance Communications unveils data plan with no cap on download a day after Bharti said it would offer 4G services at or below 3G rates. Asus PadFone mini review: The budget hybrid The Taiwanese company is set to launch a new iteration of the PadFone in India at the price of Rs 15,999. Samsung employees fear layoffs as annual reshuffle nears Insiders say staff at Samsung Electronics have never been so anxious ahead of the annual reshuffle, as a weak smartphone performance and its worst earnings in three years are expected to cost many jobs. More Technology News»

		Education
		DU exam paper an exact copy of earlier test The credibility of Delhi University’s examination system took a hard knock on Thursday when the question paper on financial management for fifth semester BCom students turned out to be an exact copy of the paper the varsity’s School of Open Learning students had got for their annual exam in May-June this year. IIM-A to begin three-day Confluence tomorrow Confluence, the annual business symposium organized by the students of the post graduate management program of Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM-A) will be held from November 28 to November 30, 2014. Delhi University changes nomenclature of 12 degrees Delhi University has changed the nomenclature of at-least 12 degrees offered by it, following instructions from the University Grants Commission (UGC) to abide by the names notified in its gazette. More Education News»

		Mumbai
		Simple DIY tips for chalk art Tips and tricks to chalk art Thane's chalk artists aim for world record Armed with a dozen boxes of chalk, where each box contained 120 pieces, 100 kg of geru and 3.5 kg of coal, 18 artists spent five and a half hours on their knees to create a chalk rangoli. Marathon runner dies nine months after heart-attack during 21-km run Standard Chartered bank senior executive Amit Kasat, 39, who suffered cardiac arrest while running the Mumbai marathon in January last year and remained comatose for nine months, died last month at his residence in Goregaon. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		Shaking hands will not being peace: Rajnath Singh to Nawaz Sharif Without broaching the subjects of Article 370 and separatism, Home Minister Rajnath Singh while addressing three different election rallies in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, accused both PDP and National Conference of diverting public attention from real issues by raking up emotional ones. Delhi nursery admissions: HC quashes LG's guidelines, says schools can set their own rules The Delhi high court quashed nursery admission guidelines of the city government with respect to general category seats. "Position on map cannot decide which school a child should go to," HC said. Over 16,000 homeless: Centre Delhi has about 16,600 homeless people, including children, and the capital has 184 night shelters which can accommodate 14,584 people, the urban development ministry informed Rajya Sabha on Thursday. More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		Doctor honeytrapped, 5 arrested It just wasn't what this doctor ordered. On Wednesday, five persons, including a couple, were arrested for extorting Rs 15 lakh from a doctor working with a prominent hospital on Cunningham Road. Ticket vendor attempts to flash woman, earns passengers' ire Hundreds of angry passengers tried to beat up a ticket vendor at Mandya railway station on Thursday after he misbehaved with a woman at the counter. Breather for Walikar as Karnataka HC quashes probe The Dharwad bench of the Karnataka high court on Thursday annulled the governor's order appointing a commission to probe charges against suspended Karnatak University vice-chancellor H B Walikar. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		Man drugs techie, steals iPhone A TCS software engineer was drugged and robbed of his iPhone at Afzalgunj bus stand on Wednesday night. Government to set up house panels to probe coop housing societies The state government on Thursday decided to set up two joint House committees to probe into the functioning of all cooperative housing societies in the state. Techie's bike catches fire A software engineer’s bike suddenly caught fire when he stopped to attend a phone call near Jubilee Hills check post on Thursday morning. A fire tender was requisitioned to douse the flames. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		Neurosurgeon Subbiah murder case: Supreme Court rejects lawyer's anticipatory bail plea The Supreme Court has rejected the anticipatory bail application of lawyer Williams, who is the second accused in the murder of neurosurgeon Dr S D Subbiah. Jayalalithaa appoints observers for party organizational elections AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalithaa on Friday appointed senior leaders, including chief minister O Panneerselvam, for the conduct of party organizational elections. Chennai techie rape, murder case: Three convicts sentenced to life Uma Maheswari, who was working at TCS’s office at SIPCOT IT Park in Siruseri on the outskirts of Chennai, was raped and murdered by three migrant workers on February 13 this year. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		Area under brackish water culture increased by 48% in Gujarat: Study Gujarat is the only coastal state where area under brackish water culture has increased by about 48 per cent, from 1,297 hectares (ha) in 2005-06 to 1,916 ha as of 2009-10, noted a just concluded study by apex industry body Assocham. Ahmedabad couple's videos leaked from city Cyber cell authorities of the Ahmedabad crime branch have traced the cellphone number to Pune from which pictures and videos of intimate moments of a couple from Ahmedabad were uploaded. UK varsity teams up with Gandhinagar institute London South Bank University (LSBU) and Gandhinagar-based University and Institute of Advanced Research (UIAR), promoted by the Puri Foundation of UK, have joined hands to initiate joint educational and research programs. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		Woman gives birth to twins after tubectomy A woman gave birth to twins even after undergoing tubectomy. Her husband had complained to officials of health department. Ganga's water turns reddish, DM inspects Sangam District magistrate Bahvnath Singh inspected the Sangam on Thursday following complaints regarding changing colour of Ganga. Later, UP Pollution Control Board collected water samples from the river. Atal's village to get rail connectivity soon he ancestral village of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee will soon get rail connectivity. The tracks being laid between Agra and Etawah via Fatehabad and Bah would also pass through Bateshwar. Commissioner railway safety (CRS) is likely to inspect the tracks between Bhind and Etawah on December 5. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		Rs1-a-day insurance for Utkal students Utkal University on thursday announced it would launch a health insurance scheme for its students, a first-of-its-kind initiative in the state for a varsity that offers non-technical courses, from the next academic session. Midday meals question opens pandora's box 375 kids fell ill after meal in past two years State to make docu on Nabakalebara Tenders to be floated soon, film will help promote tourism, says Govt More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		SC rejects CBI probe into biggest examination scam of Madhya Pradesh In a major relief to Shivraj Singh Chouhan government and a boost to state's special task force (STF), Supreme Court on Friday refused to admit any of the four petitions that demanded a CBI probe into the pre-medical test (PMT) and medical pre-PG organised by the MP Professional Examination Board (MPPEB) citing investigations is heading in the right direction. Kidnapped minor recovered, was sold for Rs 10,000 A woman and man were arrested for allegedly selling a 9-year-old girl for Rs 10,000. Youth hits executive with car when told to keep off cousin A youth hit a bike-borne 34-year-old with a speeding car near Birla Mandir when the latter asked him not to harass his cousin. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		SAD, BJP bury hatchet, to contest civic polls jointly  After days of disagreements over seat-sharing formula, alliance partners SAD and BJP on Thursday declared that they would jointly contest the coming civic elections in the state as per the existing arrangement. 45 law officers not paid salaries for one year With its coffers running empty, the Punjab government has not paid salaries to several law officers posted in the office of the advocate general since last year. Around 45 law officers — appointed by the state government in October and December 2013, and March this year — have not received their salaries yet. 13 years on, state govt acts but stingily Exactly 13 years after she was paralyzed while playing for Punjab, former national-level kabaddi player, Jaspreet Kaur, finally got a job promised to her at that time. More Chandigarh News»

		To manage your newsletter subscription settings, click here	Other Newsletters from TOI : Top Headlines | Tech | Entertainment | Movie Reviews | Life & Style