TIMES OF INDIA HEADLINES

Today's Headlines

		INDIA
		No daughters in 70 Haryana villages for years: Maneka Gandhi Many of these villages belong to Mahendergarh district, where the child sex ratio is just 762 girls against 1,000 boys. This govt will take bold decision on cutting subsidies: Shanta Kumar Chairman of PM-appointed panel on FCI, Shanta Kumar's recommendation to cut the food security coverage to 40% of population threatens to set the cat among the pigeons. Special court attaches assets of Gujarat IAS officer Pradeep Sharma Gujarat cadre IAS officer Pradeep Sharma, who fell out of favour with the Narendra Modi-led government a few years ago and whose name cropped up in the snoopgate controversy, is in fresh trouble. More India News»

		BUSINESS
		To pick talent, cab cos drive to IITs, B-schools This placement season it’s not just the IT majors who are on campuses. Cab aggregators Olacabs and TaxiForSure have joined those scanning elite technology and business schools for top-notch talent. RBI directs banks to display all loan costs Borrowers availing home, auto and personal loans can now be assured of a fair deal with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) making it compulsory for banks to set out every possible cost in respect of the loan in a fact sheet at the processing stage. Tata Motors gears up to revive 'Nano' Tata Motors is gearing up to revive the country's cheapest car Nano which is still on bumpy roads. More Business News»

		ENVIRONMENT
		South Africa moves 100 rhinos outside country to fight poaching South Africa said on Thursday that it had moved around 100 rhinos to unspecified neighboring states as part of efforts to stem the illicit slaughter of the animals for their horns. Odisha government faces criticism over dwindling tiger population Voicing concern over reports about Odisha lagging behind as compared to the national trend of increase in tiger population, Congress on Thursday said it reflects the failure of the state government. Madras HC takes up TOI article on sea turtles as PIL Yet another article published in The Times of India which highlighted the mass death of endangered olive Ridley turtles on Chennai's beaches has been considered a suo motu PIL by the Madras high court. More Environment News»

		WORLD
		Historic move: UK begins transfer of powers to Scotland The British government began a historic transfer of powers to Scotland on Thursday, keeping a pledge it had given to persuade Scots to reject independence as renewed nationalist support surges. France tackles discrimination, inequalities after attacks The French government launched a new effort on Thursday to heal social and religious fractures by better teaching children about secular values and steering them away from extremist propaganda, after French-born Islamic radicals shocked the nation in three days of terrorist attacks. Ukraine cedes Donetsk airport to insurgents Ukraine’s military on Thursday said days of unceasing attacks by pro-Russian insurgents had forced its soldiers to abandon a devastated airport that has become the symbolic prize of the nine-month war even as the shelling of a bus and clashes in the separatist east left 34 people dead. More World News»

		ENTERTAINMENT
		Shabana: At 19, I didn't even read newspapers At the ongoing Jaipur Literature Festival, Shabana Azmi and Salima Hashmi spoke about their fathers, who were both legendary poets. B'wood superstars book all festivals till 2016 The year 2015 has arrived and our Bollywood biggies already seem to have their diary full for 2015-2016. 5 cricketers who should have biopics More Entertainment News»

		SCIENCE
		Interstellar-style wormhole exists in Milky Way? An Interstellar-style space-time tunnel may exist in the Milky Way and we could even travel through it, according to a new theory proposed by an international team of scientists, including those from India. 10 new antibodies to fight cancer found Scientists have developed 10 new antibodies that starve tumours of oxygen and can help in the battle against cancer. In a first, scientists slow down speed of light Scientists have for the first time slowed down the speed of light travelling through air. More Science News»

		SPORTS
		Hockey India League: Kalinga Lancers defeat Ranchi Rays 6-3 Hosts Kalinga Lancers started this year's Hockey India League with a bang by defeating Ranchi Rays 6-3 in a high-scoring inaugural match of the third edition. I am happy that Srinivasan is out, Sharad Pawar says Reacting to the Supreme Court's verdict that N Srinivasan can't contest any BCCI polls, Sharad Pawar said, "I am happy that Srinivasan is out." England captain Eoin Morgan victim of attempted blackmail England one-day captain Eoin Morgan was recently the target of a blackmail attempt by an Australian man, the ECB revealed in a statement on Thursday. More Sports News»

		TECHNOLOGY
		Windows 10: Spartan browser, Cortana and more Microsoft pulled back the curtain on the upcoming Windows 10 operating system focused on bringing harmony to the diverse array of internet gadget. Facebook's WhatsApp comes to desktops The popular mobile messaging application WhatsApp, acquired by Facebook last year for nearly $22 billion, has unveiled a new service for sending messages from a web browser. Windows 10: 6 things to know Here are six important things you should know about Microsoft Windows 10... More Technology News»

		EDUCATION
		Process for finalizing national education policy to be kicked off on January 26 Sources said what is unique about the formulation of NEP is the way it has been made participatory Bihar's Rajendra Agriculture University set to become central varsity The Centre and Bihar government will on January 25 sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to convert the existing Rajendra Agriculture University (RAU) at Pusa in Samastipur district of the state, into a central university. IIT-B to launch online courses on R-Day Lectures by professors at IIT-Bombay will be made available to learners across the country in two languages. More Education News»

		MUMBAI
		Witness identifies accused in Esther murder case in Mumbai A witness who had seen the accused on the railway platform deposed in the sessions court in the Esther Anuhya murder trial and identified the accused in a deposition via a video conference. Longer wait for 12,000 new autos in Mumbai You may to have to wait a little longer for 12,000 new autorickshaws to hit the roads in the eastern and western suburbs as meter testing labs have been temporarily shut for not having a licence from the legal metrology department. Man who stabbed lover in Mumbai serious A day after a 22-year-old man stabbed his former girlfriend before turning the knife on himself at Madh, the man’s condition was critical on Thursday while the girl’s could be discharged next week. More Mumbai News»

		DELHI
		Uphaar tragedy: SC to decide punishment for Ansals in April The Supreme Court on Thursday said it would decide in April the quantum of punishment for Ansal brothers, who were convicted for contributory negligence in the June 13, 1997 Uphaar cinema theatre fire in which 59 people were killed and over 100 injured. Haryana asks Centre to take over incomplete expressway Failing to find a solution to the stalled Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) expressway, the Haryana government has approached road transport and highways ministry to take over the project. Bus routes diverted for dress rehearsal Delhi Transport Corporation will be making changes to its bus routes during the full dress rehearsal for the Republic Day parade on Friday. More Delhi News»

		BANGALORE
		BJP will take Arkavathy to guv today; CM may counter The Congress and the BJP are set to cross swords over the Arkavathy Layout denotification on Friday when their leaders call on governor Vajubhai %R Vala to greet him on his 77th birthday. To pick talent, cab cos drive to IITs, B-schools This placement season it’s not just the IT majors who are on campuses. Cab aggregators Olacabs and TaxiForSure have joined those scanning elite technology and business schools for top-notch talent. KIA to close for some hours during Aero India With aircraft participating in the show holding practice sessions from Feb 10-16, the KIA airspace will be closed from 12.30pm to 3pm every day. On February 18, the opening day of Aero India, the airport will be closed from 9am to noon and 2pm to 5pm. More Bangalore News»

		HYDERABAD
		Now, doctors scared of swine flu in Hyderabad Doctors in Telangana are up in arms over the government’s failure to provide them vaccines against swine flu even as two more people died of H1N1 virus here on Thursday. Organisers of Hyderabad Literary Festival-2015 rue lack of funds Think of a literary festival and the first image that comes to mind is a gathering of writers discussing their latest works with a motley group of enthusiastic readers as audience. Four arrested for eatery brawl in Hyderabad A brawl between customers of Olive Bristo Restaurant near Durgam Cheruvu led to the arrest of four people on Wednesday night. The brawl reportedly broke out over parking a car. More Hyderabad News»

		CHENNAI
		Mass protest leave by staff hits govt services Unofficial estimates suggest that close to 1lakh employees stayed off work, depriving public of timely services. Retired officials appointed on special duty () It's not just retired IAS and IPS officers who are being brought back in advisory capacities by the Tamil Nadu government. Cops don't just book drunk drivers, they counsel them Booking motorists for drunk driving is passé.The traffic police have now roped in health workers to counsel them on its ill effects. More Chennai News»

		AHMEDABAD
		Owner of killer camel booked for negligence The owner of the killer camel, whose bite killed Govind Trivedi to death and injured its care taker Phoola Mena, Lalsinh Rajput was finally booked by Bapunagar police for negligence. Notaries oppose BCG's welfare stamp idea The state's Notaries Association has challenged before the Gujarat high court, the decision of the Bar Council of Gujarat (BCG) to make lawyers affix welfare stamps (each priced at Rs 20) on affidavits. Birbal called brothers to create an 'alibi' Crime branch officials said during assessment of call details of Birbal it came to light that immediately after stabbing Vandana and himself in an attempt to commit suicide, he called up his brothers Shyam Prasad and Ram Avadh Prasad. More Ahmedabad News»

		ALLAHABAD
		DIOS staff quizzed in Shikhar murder case The Barabanki police recorded the statement of officers and personnel at DIOS office in Bahraich on Thursday in Shikhar Srivastava murder case. Main accused in seer's murder nabbed in Delhi The main accused in Magh Mela seer murder case, Rajesh Kumar Gaur was arrested from Punjabi Bagh in Delhi on Thursday. Later on his lead, the police also recovered his blood-stained clothes hidden near a bridge at Sangam. Red alert on Indo-Nepal border A red alert has been sounded on Indo-Nepal border over the arrival of United States President Barack Obama in India to take part in Republic Day ceremony. More Allahabad News»

		BHUBANESWAR
		Myriad hues of heritage This artists’ village near Bhubaneswar has been able to keep alive the tradition of Odisha’s Pattachitra painting and gotipua dance Demolition of Biju samadhi stayed The Puri district and sessions judge, Aswini Kumar Mohapatra, on Wednesday stayed a lower court order to remove Biju Patnaik’s samadhi at Swargadwar. OSPCB slaps closure notice on three Puri hotels The Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) on Wednesday slapped closure notices on three hotels along Puri sea beach for violating pollution control norms. Similar notices were earlier served to 11 hostels in the town. More Bhubaneswar News»

		BHOPAL
		TN gang at it again, 2 laptops & 3 mobiles stolen from parked cars Theft of cash and valuables from parked cars continued with smashing of window panes of two more cars on Wednesday, taking the number to such incidents to three in past 24 hours in the city. Man kills wife, walks to police station and owns up crime Doubting character, a man beat his wife to death in presence of his three minor daughters on Thursdaymorning. 'Bhopal — Kebabsville Food Festival' in city's Hotel Sayaji Hotel Sayaji has organised a ‘Bhopal — Kebabsville Food Festival’ called Barbeques Of The World in their Kebabsville restaurant. The event, which began on January 16, will go on till January 25. More Bhopal News»

		CHANDIGARH
		Haryana's SOS to Centre over incomplete expressway as SC deadline looms HSIIDC is the executing agency of this 135 km four-lane high speed corridor that aims to provide seamless connectivity from NH-1 to NH-8 and NH-2. Failure in tooth implant; Dentist asked to pay fine to patient Holding a sector 18 based dentist “guilty of medical negligence” District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum UT Chandigarh has directed him to pay more than Rs 51,000 to the complainant, a retired Lieutenant Colonel Inderjit Singh Cheema residing in sector 47 Chandigarh. Cheema had filed the consumer complaint after failure of his tooth implant. Government schools students to get textbook chapters in colourful workbooks From the academic session 2015-16, students of government schools will get to practice their textbook chapters in colourful workbooks.

daily GK Update - 23rd January 2015

daily GK Update - 23rd January 2015

1. India observes 118th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose

i. India today observed the 118th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose by paying glowing tribute to his memory at functions held throughout the country.

ii. PM Modi took to his official Twitter account to express his gratitude to the phenomenal freedom fighter.

Mr. Modi tweeted, His bravery, courage & patriotic zeal inspire us. On his birth anniversary, I bow to the proud son of India, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

iii. It has been maintained that Bose died in an air crash in Taiwan in 1945. However, the Mukherjee Commission had rejected the opinion that he had died in a plane crash at Taihoku airport in Taiwan on August 18, 1945.

2. RBI directs banks to display all loan costs

i. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) made it compulsory for banks to set out every possible cost in respect of the loan in a fact sheet at the processing stage.

ii. Banks will also have to publish the 'annual percentage rate' representing the total cost of credit to an individual borrower. 

iii. Besides, they will have to display on their website the interest rate range for various contracted loans for the past quarter for different categories of advances.

iv. The fact sheet drafted by the central bank requires lenders to spell out the interest rate, the spread above the benchmark rate, date of reset of floating rates, mode of communication of interest rate changes, all fees payable, refundable fees, charges for conversion from floating to fixed rate loan and penalty for delayed payments.

v. The significance of this fact sheet is that it will make it possible for borrowers to compare loans from two lenders. 

3. Supreme Court's decision on IPL Spot fixing

i. The Supreme Court pronounced its much-awaited verdict on N Srinivasan's conflict of interest case, saying that BCCI functions are amenable to judicial review.

ii. Supreme Court gave verdict that N Srinivasan can't contest BCCI polls till he gives up commercial interest in CSK.

iii. The Apex court said No BCCI administrator can have commercial interests.Srinivasan held miniscule share in India Cements misleading since his family directly or indirectly holds much more.

iv. The court-appointed Justice Mukul Mudgal Committee, also comprising senior advocates L Nageswar Rao and Nilay Dutta, had found Srinivasan's son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan guilty of indulging in betting during IPL 2013 despite being a CSK team official.

4. Saudi King Abdullah passes away

i. Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah, the powerful U.S. ally who joined Washington’s fight against al-Qaeda, has died, He was 90.

ii. He also sought to modernise the ultraconservative Muslim kingdom with incremental but significant reforms, including nudging open greater opportunities for women

iii. Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz became king and Prince Muqrin was declared Crown Prince, another Royal Court statement said.

5. Bomb blast at Ara civil court in Bihar

i. At least two persons, including a woman, were killed and several others injured in a bomb blast inside the premises of the civil court at Ara in Bihar.

ii. Police officials said that a woman who was killed in the blast was carrying the crude bomb which suddenly went off inside the court premises killing a policeman and injuring several others.

6. South Korean president nominates new prime minister

i. South Korean President Park Geun-hye has nominated ruling party lawmaker Lee Wan Koo to replace Prime Minister Chung Hong-won .

ii. Chung offered to resign nearly 10 months before, over a ferry disaster that killed more than 300 people in April last year. 

iii. Park decided to retain Chung in June after two possible replacements for the job abandoned their nominations because of questions over past behavior. 

7. Kerala to get first International Institute of Music

i. Kerala Culture Minister K C Joseph on 22 January 2015 announced setting up of the International Institute of Music in Kerala. It will be the first international institute in India that is dedicated to music.

ii. A Trust headed by Sarod Maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan has been entrusted with the responsibility to set up the Institute. 

iii. The government will provide only land and all other infrastructure facilities will be built by a trust managed by Khan's family.

iv. Kerala Government also identified the land for setting up the school in Thiruvananthapuram or Kochi or Kozhikode.

Read more: http://www.bankersadda.com/2015/01/daily-gk-update-23rd-january-2015.html#ixzz3PqjBYW7N

Daily GK Update - 22nd January 2015

1. Microsoft unveils Windows 10 and ‘HoloLens’

i. Microsoft has taken the wraps off a new version of Windows and a new wearable 3D gadget it calls the HoloLens.

ii. The company showed the new headset, which lets users view and interact with three-dimensional images.

iii. Windows 10 will also come with a new Web browser that will be closely integrated with Cortana, the company’s voice-activated answer to Siri.

iv. Microsoft announced that Windows 10 will be released later this year as a free upgrade for anyone owning a computer or gadget that’s currently running Windows 8.1 or 7.

2. Pakistan bans JuD, Haqqani network

i. Pakistan has banned the Jamaat-ud Dawa (JuD) and the Haqqani network after the US insisted it do so.

ii. The Pakistani government took action against the militant organisations without making a distinction between the good Taliban and the bad Taliban .

iii. The Haqqani Network, founded by Jalaluddin Haqqani, has been blamed for some of the most heinous attacks on the US—led foreign forces in Afghanistan. It was designated as a terrorist organisation by the US in September 2012.

iv. the Ministry has also banned Harkat-ul-Jihad Islami, Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation, Ummah Tameer-i-Nau, Haji Khairullah Hajji Sattar Money Exchange, Rahat Limited, Roshan Money Exchange, Al Akhtar Trust, Al Rashid Trust.

3. OPEC, oil companies clash at Davos over price collapse

i. OPEC defended its decision not to intervene to halt the oil price collapse, shrugging off warnings by top energy firms that the cartel's policy could lead to a huge supply shortage as investments dry up.

ii. Oil prices have collapsed to below $50 a barrel as a result of a large supply glut, due mostly to a sharp rise in U.S. shale production as well as weaker global demand.

iii. The heads of world's largest oil firms warned that the decline in investments in future production could lead to a supply shortage and a dramatic price increase.

4. Sunil Sood to succeed Marten Pieters as Vodafone India CEO

i. Martin Pieters will be succeeded by Sunil Sood, who is at present the chief operating officer at the telecom giant.

ii. Marten Pieters, Vodafone India Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, will be stepping down from his post with effect from 1 April, 2015. 

iii. Mr. Sood, is currently responsible for day-to-day operations and P&L management together with new business development initiatives including the launch and expansion of mobile commerce activities.

iv. Mr. Sood, who had joined Vodafone India's predecessor business, Hutch, in 2000, in his current role, is responsible for day-to-day operations and P&L management together with new business development initiatives including the launch and expansion of mobile commerce activities.

5. Modi launched ‘Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao’ scheme in Haryana

i. The ‘Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao’ scheme, which seeks to address gender imbalance and discrimination against the girl child, was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Panipat in Haryana.

ii. Mr. Modi begged the people with open hands to save the lives of the girl child and also administered them an oath to fight female foeticide, celebrate the birth of a girl and educate them.

iii.  Mahendergarh and Jhajjar districts of Haryana are badly effected with imbalanced Sex ratios where there are just about 775 girls for 1,000 boys, the lowest in India.

6. Suzlon sells German unit for Rs. 7,200 crore

i. Wind turbine maker Suzlon Energy on Thursday announced selling 100 per cent stake in its German subsidiary Senvion SE to U.S.-based Centerbridge Partners for €1 billion euro (about Rs. 7,200 crore) in an all-cash deal.

ii. The proceeds will be utilised towards debt reduction and business growth in key markets like the US, India and other emerging markets.

iii. Senvion SE will give Suzlon licence for off-shore technology for the Indian market.

7. Pakistan's Ex-Foreign Minister Khurshid M Kasuri penned 'Neither a Hawk nor a Dove'

i. The book is based upon the relations between India and Pakistan.

ii. Kasuri in his book writes that the two countries have no option but to go for a just and peaceful solution to Jammu and Kashmir and other contentious issues between them. 

iii. He further writes that he knew on the basis of his experience that both the countries have major fault lines and that both are equally capable of destabilizing the other.

iv. The book contains update till November 2014 including the advent of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the current policies of the new Indian government.

Read more: http://www.bankersadda.com/2015/01/daily-gk-update-22nd-january-2015.html#ixzz3PqiRIZMF

Daily GK Update - 21st January 2015

1. Bibek Debroy joins as full time member of NITI Aayog 

i. Noted economist Bibek Debroy today assumed charged as full time member of the NITI Ayog (National Institution for Transforming India). Government had announced the appointment of Debroy and DRDO chief V K Saraswat as full-time members earlier this month. 

ii. An economist by profession, he was educated at the Presidency College (Calcutta), the Delhi School of Economics and the Trinity College (Cambridge).

iii. Debroy worked as a consultant in the Department of Economic Affairs in Finance Ministry. 

iv. Debroy has also authored several books, papers and popular articles, and has been a Consulting Editor of some financial newspapers in the country. 

2. India set to overtake China next year: IMF

i. International Monetary Fund (IMF) projected that India will grow 6.5 per cent in 2016, overtaking China which, it projected, will slowdown to 6.3 per cent.

ii. In a separate forecast, the United Nations World Economic Situation and Prospects UN WESP report too predicted a smart recovery for India during 2015.It pegged its 2015 India growth forecast lower than the IMF’s –at 5.9 per cent. 

iii. At 6.3 per cent, the UNWESP 2016 India growth forecast is, however, closer to that of the IMF.

iv. The IMF said that global growth will receive a boost from lower oil prices, which reflect to an important extent higher supply in many advanced and emerging market economies.

3. Government to allocate 36 coal blocks to PSUs

i. The government today kick-started the process of allocating cancelled coal mines to state-owned firms, it will initially allot 36 blocks.

ii. Of these 36 coal blocks, one mine will be given to the steel sector while the rest will be given to the power sector. 

iii. For schedule II (producing mines) category 23 blocks will be put on offer and the auction would be between February 14 and February 22.

iv. With regard to Schedule III mines (ready to produce mines) he said another set of 23 mines will be auctioned between February 25 and March 5.

4. EU decided to lift ban on import of mangoes from India

i. European Union (EU) decided to lift a seven-month-long ban on the import of mangoes from India. The proposal to lift the ban was voted unanimously by the European Commission’s standing committee on plant health.

ii. The decision to lift the ban was made after India, the world’s biggest producer of Mangoes made significant improvements in plant health controls and certification system.

iii. European Union issued a temporary ban on import of Indian mangoes on 1 May 2014 after fruit flies and other quarantine pests were found in 207 consignments. The consignment infested with fruit flies were found by authorities in Brussels. The ban was supposed to be effective till December 2015. 

iv. EU accounts to almost 50% of the total exports of fruits and vegetables from India, UK is the top exporter.

5. India world's second-most trusted nation: Survey

i. India has emerged as the second-most trusted country in the world in terms of faith reposed on its institutions even as globally trust levels have fallen, says a survey.

ii. Trust in institutions in India has improved sharply in 2015 with the country moving up three notches to the second place among 27 nations.

iii. While the number of "truster" countries are at an all-time low of six in 2015 including UAE, India, China and Netherlands, the number of "distruster" countries has grown significantly to 13 including Japan, Russia, Hong Kong, South Africa and Italy.

iv. The list is topped by UAE with 84 per cent trust. India (79 percent),Indonesia (78 per cent), China (75 per cent), Singapore (65 per cent) and Netherlands (64 per cent) are the others that have recorded highest levels of trust.

6. 2015 World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 

i. The 45th World Economic Forum kick started in Davos,Switzerland today.

ii. Ahead of the start of its annual meeting in Davos on Tuesday, the WEF published 14 measures of inclusive growth as it responded to criticism that the gathering of 2,500 business leaders, academic and policymakers has become an exercise in hand-wringing about the gap between rich and poor.

iii. Christine Lagarde, the managing director of the IMF, Pope Francis, Jim Kim, the president of the World Bank and Mark Carney, the governor of the Bank of England, are among those who have stressed the need to ensure that the fruits of economic progress are shared more equally. Carney will be taking part in a panel in Davos this week titled: “A richer world but for whom”.

Read more: http://www.bankersadda.com/2015/01/daily-gk-update-21st-january-2015.html#ixzz3PZG8CtSJ