1-International NewsToday 
World leaders to join Paris march to honour attack victims
i- Dozens of world leaders, including
Muslim representatives, will join hundreds of thousands of French citizens to
march amid high security through Paris on Sunday.
ii-Seventeen people, including
journalists and policemen, lost their lives in three days of violence that
began with a shooting attack on the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo on
Wednesday .
iii-It will be an unprecedented demonstration
that will be written in the history books," Prime Minister Manuel Valls
said. "It must show the power and dignity of the French people, who will
cry out their love of liberty and tolerance."
iv-German Chancellor Angela Merkel,
British Prime Minister David Cameron and Italy Prime Minister Matteo Renzi will
be among over 40 foreign leaders marching with President Francois Hollande.
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu - who
earlier encouraged French Jews to immigrate to Israel - are also expected to
take part.
2-National NewsToday
After Modi's Make in India, UK launches Great Collaborations
i-Drawing on Prime Minister Narendra
Modi's Make in India call, the United Kingdom on Saturday announced a campaign
to forge collaborations with Indian companies.
ii-The programme called 'Great
Collaborations' will seek greater cooperation between the companies based in
India and the UK on a range of sectors.
iii-I am pleased that British
industry, supported by its government, is responding enthusiastically to our
call for 'Make in India'," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in the
release.
iv-UK has been one of our strongest
economic partners and a leading investor in India. UK is known for its strength
in technology and innovation. India offers vast opportunities through its
markets, skilled human resources, competitive economic environment and
location. Our
Stalin killed Netaji,
Subramanian Swamy says
Claiming that Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose did not die in a plane crash in
1945 but was killed at the instance of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin, BJP
leader Subramanian Swamy on Saturday demanded declassification of secret files
on the leader.
3-Person in News
Today 
4-New AppointmentsToday 
5-Science &
TechnologyToday
6-Business
&SensexToday 
Reliance Will Invest Rs. 1 Lakh Crore in Gujarat, Says Mukesh Ambani at Vibrant
Gujarat Summit
Mukesh Ambani, India's richest man said today that his
Reliance is proud to be a Gujarati company, as he pledged to invest Rs. 100,000
crore in the state.
Speaking at the Vibrant Gujarat Summit in Gandhinagar, Mr Ambani also said,
"I request every investor to follow our steps, invest in Gujarat and
benefit themselves," adding, "we have invested in Gujarat time and
again to convert a business vision into reality."
Mr Ambani was among over 50 business titans and CEOs from India and abroad
attending the mega meet being held at Gandhinagar's swank Mahatama Mandir. Also
at the meet were Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who as the state's chief
minister had started the Vibrant Gujarat Summit in 2003, US Secretary of State
John Kerry, UN chief Ban.
Ki-moon and World Bank Chief Jim
Yong Kim
Each
Vibrant Gujarat Summit has been a bigger success than the previous one. I've
been fortunate enough to attend each one of them," said Mr Ambani.
India's top industrialist also said in his speech that PM Modi's 'Make in
India' and 'Digital India' programmes have energized India.
The US and seven other countries including Canada and Japan are for the first
time official partner countries at the summit.
Conditional release for
Sahara chief Roy
Sahara Group will have to
pay Rs 10,000 crore to get interim bail for its Chief Subrata Roy and firm's
two directors, who are behind the bars since March four, the Supreme Court on
Wednesday (March 25) ordered. A bench of justices K S Radhakrishnan and J S
Khehar said that interim bail will be granted only after the company fulfils
the condition while the court agreed to defreeze the firms' bank accounts to
raise the money.
Kerry
calls for greater Indo-US economic ties
Secretary
of State John Kerry pushed for expansion of India-US commercial ties and
praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment to the area of wind energy.
The
world’s oldest democracy and the largest democracy can help to forge an era of
shared prosperity and security. Trade between India and the U.S. has increased
five-fold since 2001. We can do more together. I want our economic relationship
to grow stronger in every aspect. We must do more together and we must do it
faster. We share PM Modi’s goal of increasing our country’s annual trade
fivefold. We want to expand our commercial ties with India and our bilateral
trade to increase five-fold,” Mr. Kerry said in his address at the Vibrant Gujarat
Summit 2015. “India and the US have a common responsibility with country
partners to prove that democracy can deliver for its citizens,” the US
Secretary of State said.
7-Agriculture
NewsToday
Zuari
shelves Rs 5,000-cr urea project in Karnataka
An official with the Karnataka
Government as also one in the company confirmed the development, stating that
the project was put on the backburner because of land acquisition issues. In
2010, Zuari and the Karnataka Government had signed an MoU (memorandum of understanding)
to explore the possibility of setting up the project near Belgaum in north
Karnataka.
ICFAI
Business School to organize Management Development Program
ICFAI Business School, Hyderabad is
organizing a five -day Management Development Program on “Business Efficiency
for Agri-Business Managers (BEAM)” during October 23-27, 2013 at IBS Campus,
Hyderabad. The Conference is an exciting platform for Managers of public and
private agri-business firms,
Durga
Shakti Nagpal appointed OSD to Union Agriculture ministry
A
young IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal, who faced ire of the Uttar Pradesh
Government after she took on sand mafia and illegal construction, was on
Thursday appointed as Officer on Special Duty to Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan
Singh.The Appointments Committee of Cabinet, headed by Prime
Minister Narendra Modi,
cleared the name of 29-year-old Nagpal.According to the order, Nagpal will be
OSD in the rank of an under secretary "in relaxation of eligibility
condition of minimum years of service" required for the post.
Nagpal, a 2010 batch IAS officer of
the state, will have tenure of three years from the date of assumption of the
post.
The order has requested the
government of north-Indian state Uttar Pradesh to relieve her immediately to
enable her to take up her new assignment.
Nagpal was in news in 2013 after she
detained several vehicles and rounded up many people who allegedly were engaged
in illegal mining of sand from Ghaziabad area.
In July 2013, she was suspended by
the UP government, a move which was believed to have been done at the behest of
some politicians hailing from Ghaziabad.
She was, however, reinstated in
September 2013 after she along with her husband met state Chief Minister Akhilesh
Yadav.
In another order, the Appointments
Committee of Cabinet gave an extension on Central deputation for three months
to C Chandramouli, the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India. He
has been on this post since January 2009 and his tenure at the Centre was
ending on Thursday.
India
Inc Presses For Rate Cut after GDP Growth Slips
Expressing concern over subdued growth in the
manufacturing sector, India Inc today stepped up its demand for a cut in
interest rate by RBI to give a leg-up to recovery both through higher
consumption spending and opening up channels for investment.
Poor
showing by agriculture and manufacturing sector pulled down the country's
economic growth rate to 5.3 per cent in the second quarter ended September 30.
The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate has declined from 5.7 per cent
rate in the first quarter ended June.
Commenting
on the GDP data, Ficci said that while the growth in agriculture and services
sector is in line with expectations, the subdued growth in manufacturing at 0.1
per cent is a matter of concern.
"An
important element of the cost structure for manufacturing is interest rates and
given the current inflation situation RBI should ease the monetary policy
stance as this would give a boost to investment sentiment," FICCI
president Sidharth Birla said.
Recent
Ficci surveys show that despite positive business sentiments, investors are
still cautious about expansion due to subdued demand conditions and limited
improvement in capacity utilization levels, the industry body said.
Centre
plans potato, onion buffer stock to check price rise
Fearing price rise becoming an issue during Delhi assembly
polls, the Centre has decided to create a buffer stock of potato and onion to
check prices in Delhi-NCR region.
The move will also help check vegetable prices during the critical months of
July-November, when prices typically go up due to tight supply and adverse
weather conditions for storage.
The Union Agriculture Ministry has given the task of procurement of potato and
onion -two key kitchen staples.
Cabotage
rules restrict Gujarat cotton mills’ trade with foreign ships
Despite all the hype around the
Make-in-India campaign, the irony can't be lost on the cotton mills in Narendra
Modi's Gujarat. For, exporting cotton to China still works out cheaper than
shipping goods to Tamil Nadu, the state with the highest demand for cotton. For
the southern state too, importing raw material from South Africa is more cost
effective than sourcing domestically from Gujarat, the largest cotton producing
state.
8-Banks NewsToday
9-AwardsToday
Baba Adhav,
veteran activist and president of Mahatma Phule Samata Pratishthan, Pune, will be honoured with the "Rashtriya Basava Krishi
Award-2015". The award, constituted by Lingayata Panchamasali Jagadguru
Mahapeetha of Kudalasangama, will be presented to Adhav at the fifth Krishi
Sankranti at Kudalasangama on January 15.
All
India Ayurveda Teachers' Association (AATA) has declared best Ayurveda Teacher
Award in memory of Ramnarayan Sharma, founder
of Shri Baidyanath Ayurved Bhawan. It was conferred upon Dr Prasad Deshpande,
assistant professor, Governent Ayurved College, Nagpur and Dr Rakesh Prakash
Nigam of Government Ashtang Ayurveda College, Indore. They will be honoured in
the national conference on Nadi Prakash to be held in Shubhdeep Ayurved
College, Indore this weekend.
Sports ministry recommends Saina's name for
Padma Bhushan
The ministry on
Monday reiterated its stand and said not just this year, it didn't receive any
letter from BAI nominating Saina for the Padma awards in 2013 as well.
"The ministry had not received nomination in respect of Ms. Saina Nehwal
from Badminton Association of India or any other agency, for Padma Bhushan for
2014," the ministry said in a statement on Monday.
10-BooksToday
Novelist Robert Stone, known for ‘Dog
Soldiers’, dies at 77
Robert
Stone, the award-winning novelist who spun out tales of seekers, frauds and
other misbegotten American dreamers in such works as “A Flag for Sunrise” and
“Dog Soldiers,” died on Saturday at age 77.
Stone
died at his home in Florida, his literary agent, Neil Olson, told The
Associated Press. The cause was chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
A
lifelong adventurer who in his 20s befriended Ken Kesey, Neal Cassidy and what
he called “all those crazies” of the counterculture, Stone had a fateful
affinity for outsiders, especially those who brought hard times on themselves.
Starting with the 1966 novel “A Hall of Mirrors,” Stone was a master of making
art out of folly, whether the adulterous teacher in “Death of the Black-Haired
Girl,” the fraudulent seafarer in “Outerbridge Reach” or the besieged
journalist in “Dog Soldiers,” winner of the National Book Award in 1974.
Stone’s
books also included the novel “Damascus Gate,” another story of a wayward
journalist, this time in the Middle East; and a memoir about his years with
Kesey and friends, “Prime Green- Remembering the Sixties.”
A
native of New York City, he was abandoned at birth by his father and ended up
in an orphanage after his mother was institutionalized. Desperate to break
away, he dropped out of high school and joined the Navy at 17. By his mid-20s,
he was living in New Orleans and selling encyclopedias.
After
New Orleans, he moved to the Bay Area, met Kesey and friends and, like so many
of his peers in the ‘60s, went out to “discover America.” Stone would begin
sharing what he had seen and done with “A Hall of Mirrors,” a surreal tale of
corruption, decadence and breakdown set in New Orleans.
A journey with words
“That’s what books are for,” goes a line in Jhumpa Lahiri’s The
Namesake, “To travel without moving an inch.”
Travel across the world with the minds who pen down these books
at The Hindu Lit for Life, The Hindu’s annual literary festival.
Chetan Bhagat, one of India’s most popular writers, will address
the gathering — an appropriate finish to a packed day that includes stalwarts
like Ammu Joseph, Ramesh Gopalakrishnan, Prabha Sridevan, U. Vasuki, Samanth
Subramaniam, Nayantara Sahgal, T.V. Gopalakrishnan, Rajdeep Sardesai, David
Davidar and Janice Pariat, among others.
.
The S factor
The author of Few Things Left Unsaid, Sudeep Nagarkar,
recently made his first trip to Chennai for the launch of his latest novel — You
Are The Password To My Life.
11-SportsToday
Maria
Sharapova beats Ana Ivanovic to win Brisbane International
Maria
Sharapova beat Ana Ivanovic in the final of the Brisbane International on
Saturday in a display that bodes well for her chances at the Australian Open.It
has been seven years since Sharapova won her only Australian Open title but if
she can take her form from Brisbane to Melbourne, a second title does not seem
out of the question.Sharapova had to work hard to beat Ivanovic, coming from
behind to beat her 6-7(4) 6-3 6-3 but the Serbian is a good measuring
stick.Sharapova not only beat Ivanovic in the 2008 Australian Open final but
both women are in devastating form heading towards the first grand slam of the
season, starting on Jan. 19.The Russian dropped just nine games in getting to
the final while Ivanovic showed nerves of steel to see off her opponents to
join Sharapova, ranked number two in the world.
Roger
Federer registers win no. 999 to reach Brisbane final - See more at:
Roger Federer moved to within one
win of his 1,000 career victory when he crushed Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov on
Saturday to reach the final of the Brisbane International.
The Swiss maestro produced a
masterclass display to brush aside his young challenger, dubbed “Baby Fed”, 6-2
6-2 in just 53 minutes. Federer will now play Milos Raonic in Sunday’s final
after the big-serving Canadian blasted 34 aces past Kei Nishikori to win the
first semi-final 6-7(4) 7-6(4) 7-6(4).
If Federer wins his 83rd career
title on Sunday he will join Jimmy Connors and Ivan Lendl as just the third man
to chalk up 1,000 ATP match wins.“It’s a goal for the season, so I still have
time to get to a thousand,” he said. “I hope it’s tomorrow (Sunday),
clearly.“It’s a really big number, no doubt about it. Love to get it tomorrow,
especially in the finals in an ATP event where most of my wins have come.
The 33-year-old holds a 7-1 win
record over Raonic, one of the new young guns starting to make their mark on
the game.Dimitrov is also regarded as one of the most promising emerging
talents after reaching the semi-finals at Wimbledon last year but was unable to
mount a serious challenge against Federer.The world number two broke Dimitrov
in the opening game then three more times to complete a straight-sets win at
the Pat Rafter Arena.Despite not having won a grand slam title since 2012,
Federer is steadily improving his form leading into the Australian Open,
starting Jan. 19.
4th
Test: Nervy India hang on to draw as Australia win series 2-0
Indian wickets tumbled in a dramatic
final session of the fourth Test before the visitors hung to claim a draw
against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday, limiting the series
defeat to 2-0. Australia claimed five wickets in the final session and looked
capable of pulling off a victory but Ajinkya Rahane (38 not out) and
Bhuvneshwar Kumar (20 not out) hung on in the final overs to avoid defeat, with
the visitors finishing on 252 for 7.
Mitchell Starc took 2 for 36,
including the prize wicket of India captain Virat Kohli for 46, and Josh
Hazlewood (2 for 31) dismissed top scorer Murali Vijay for 80 to give the hosts
a shot at victory before being frustrated by the final pair. Australia captain
Steve Smith had declared the hosts' second innings at the overnight score of
251 for 6, setting India 349 runs from 90 overs - an ambitious target on a worn
out pitch exhibiting uneven bounce and turn on the final day.
India lost only two wickets in the
first two sessions: Nathan Lyon (2 for 110) deceived Lokesh Rahul (16) with
extra bounce and the first innings centurion was hit on the gloves, looping the
ball to David Warner at leg slip, then Rohit Sharma (39) was brilliantly caught
by a diving Smith at slip off Shane Watson (1 for 22).
Vijay combined with Kohli for a
74-run partnership in nearly 23 overs before the innings quickly unraveled.
Vijay edged Hazlewood to Brad Haddin just after tea to open the door for the
hosts.
Starc then removed Kohli, swinging
the ball away from the new India captain, taking the edge which was caught by
Watson diving low to his right. Three balls into Starc's next over he trapped
new batsman Suresh Raina lbw for his second duck of the match to leave India
suddenly in trouble at 203 for 5.Wriddhiman Saha was also dismissed without
scoring, with Lyon trapping the wicketkeeper lbw after the ball stayed low.
Hazlewood then had R Ashwin lbw for one, with replays showing umpire Richard
Kettleborough correctly adjudged the ball would have hit leg stump.Australia
crowded the last remaining pair, with nine fielders in close catching
positions, but could make no further inroads. Australia won the series 2-0, and
regained the Border-Gavaskar trophy, after victories in the first two Tests in
Adelaide and Brisbane respectively, and draws in Melbourne's third Test and
final Test in Sydney.
Highlights :Vibrant Gujarat Summit, Ban Ki-moon, World bank, Indo-US economic ties, Zuari shelves, Durga Shakti Nagpal,Rashtriya Basava Krishi Award-2015