New Delhi, December 31: In a bid to improve the quality of teaching in the country, the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) Friday launched two new post-graduate courses for serving and potential teachers.
The two courses are – Post Graduate Diploma in Education Management and Administration (PGDEMA) and Post Graduate Diploma in School Leadership and Management (PGDSLM).
Guntur, December 31: Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president N Chandrababu Naidu has declared that the fight for the cause of farmers would continue till they get the best package ever.
Addressing a huge gathering of farmers at the public meeting, Rytu Kosam, here today, Naidu said he would convene an allparty meeting at Delhi soon and continue the agitation.
The party would study the Brijesh Kumar Tribunal report on Krishna Water Disputes and announce an action plan, as the report was against the interests of farmers of the three regions in the state, he said.
Mumbai, December 31: A benchmark index of the Indian equities market moved up 120 points Friday, the last trading day of 2010. Led by realty and banking stocks, broader markets too saw modest buying.
The 30-share sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 20,412.76 points closed at 20,509.09, up 120.02 points or 0.59 percent, from its previous close of 20,389.07 points.
It traded in a tight range, touching an intra-day high of 20,552.03 points and falling to intra-day low of 20,412.76 points.
New Delhi, December 31: India’s external debt rose to $295.8 billion by Sep 30, 2010, an increase of $33.5 billion during the first six months of current fiscal, on increased short-term borrowings and depreciation in value of the US dollar.
Long-term debt increased by 9.5 percent to $229.8 billion, while short-term debt soared 25.8 percent to $66 billion during the first two quarters of fiscal 2010-11, according to data released by the finance ministry Friday.
Mumbai, December 31: RPP Infra Projects Limited Friday announced plans for a 5 MW solar power project with an investment of Rs.80 crore in Tamil Nadu.
The company has selected a 92-acre site at Ramanathapuram district of Tamil Nadu for the power plant.
It is also contemplating a joint venture with potential solar cell manufacturing companies in China and Thailand to commence operations for the solar power projects.
Hyderabad, December 31: The Andhra Pradesh government Friday said it was not satisfied with the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal verdict on sharing of surplus water with neighbouring Karnataka and Maharashtra.
Revenue Minister Raghuveera Reddy told reporters that the government would study the full report and consult irrigation experts, engineers and lawyers before taking any decision.
Major Irrigation Minister P. Sudarshan Reddy had Thursday said that the government would file an appeal before the tribunal in three months and seek clarifications.
New Delhi, December 31: In a tumultuous year for Indian equities, a key index finished 2010 on a positive note with a gain of nearly 18 percent, over and above the 80-percent upward swing the previous year, after fluctuating within a broad range of 5,500 points.
The sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) which had closed 2009 at 17,464.81 points, dipped to an intra-day low of 15,651.99 points Feb 8, and then rose to the year’s high of 21,108.64 Nov 5.
Chandigarh, December 31: Stating that their kin were innocent, the family members of the 17 Indians who are on death row in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and a Punjab-based NGO pursuing their case have opposed the giving of blood money to secure their release.
Hyderabad, December 31: The Telangana Joint Action Committee (JAC) on Friday said the political parties from Andhra Pradesh should not be ambivalent on their stand on the separate Telangana demand at the meeting convened by the Centre on January 6.
“TRS, BJP, CPI and CPI(M) are clear on their stand. Congress and TDP should also be clear. They sent two representatives to an all-party meeting convened earlier this year by the Centre and voiced two opinions. That should not happen again. Whatever is their stance, it should be clear,” JAC chairman M Kodandaram told reporters here.
Bangalore, December 31: Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata’s dream is to see cars run on water and he has invested USD 15 million in a start-up firm supporting research in the field, an eminent scientist said today.
Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister Prof C N R Rao said one of his close friends and a professor in the famed Massechusetts Institute of Technology in the US has found a way to split water directly into hydrogen and oxygen.
Bangalore, December 31: Karnataka chief minister BS Yeddyurappa today invited governor HR Bhardwaj to address the joint sitting of both houses of the legislature convened on January six.
“No political significance should be attached to my meeting with the governor. I invited him to deliver his address to the joint sitting on January six”, Yeddyurappa told reporters outside Raj Bhavan after calling on Bhardwaj.
New Delhi, December 31: Dismissing reports that it was acting under pressure, India today termed as “technical” the problem in settling the current account transactions with Iran under the Asian Clearing Union (ACU) and said efforts were being made to resolve the issue as soon as possible.
“We have seen reports regarding problems with respect to settlement of current account transactions with Iran under the Asian Clearing Union mechanism.
Gurgaon, December 31: Police today questioned Chief Financial Officer of Hero Corporate Services over investment with a Citibank official suspected to be involved in a Rs 300 crore fraud even as they claim that the money was safe.
Brijmohan Lal Munjal-led Hero Group meanwhile admitted today that its exposure to the fraud allegedly done by Citibank’s Gurgaon branch Relationship Manager Shivraj Puri is to the tune of Rs 28.75 crore and it was done through its entities.
New Delhi, December 31: In the wake of strong feelings expressed over seeking closure of the Aarushi murder case, Law Minister M Veerappa Moily today called CBI Director A P Singh and discussed with him the possibility of reinvestigating the case.
Moily’s move comes two days after CBI filed a closure report in a Ghaziabad court in the case on the ground there was no available evidence at the crime scene to pursue the probe, which invited a lot of media criticism.
Mumbai, December 31: In sync with rally in equities, the rupee settled the year 2010 on a high note ending up by 26 paise at a nearly four-week high against the US currency on dollar selling by exporters and banks.
Extending the gains for the fourth straight day, the rupee strengthened by 26 paise to close at 44.70/71 a dollar.
On the back of record capital flows, the rupee gained 3.93 per cent, or 183 paise, in the year 2010. It moved in a tight range of 47.75 and 43.97 during the year.
Hyderabad, December 31: The Telangana Joint Action Committee (JAC) today said the political parties from Andhra Pradesh should not be ambivalent on their stand on the separate Telangana demand at the meeting convened by the Centre on January 6.
“TRS, BJP, CPI and CPI(M) are clear on their stand.
Congress and TDP should also be clear. They sent two representatives to an all-party meeting convened earlier this year by the Centre and voiced two opinions. That should not happen again. Whatever is their stance, it should be clear,” JAC Chairman M Kodandaram told reporters here.
Mumbai, December 31: “Tanu Weds Manu”, which will see the fresh pairing of Kangana Ranaut and R. Madhavan, was initially titled “Manu Weds Tanu” but the name was changed at the lead actress’ behest.
Director Anand Rai felt “Manu Weds Tanu” was an appropriate title, but Kangana who plays Tanu in the film, insisted that the title should be “Tanu Weds Manu” and not “Manu Weds Tanu” because the narrative unfolds from Tanu’s point of view, said a source.
Mumbai, December 31: Pakistani actress Meera is not happy with the way her fellow actress Veena Malik conducted herself on Colors’ reality show “Bigg Boss 4″ and accuses her of portraying Pakistani women in poor light.”Veena Malik is acting very cheap. The way she presented herself in front of Indian audiences is not right. She is denigrating the image of Pakistani women. This is not how women in Pakistan are,” Meera, who is in India to shoot for diector Faizal Khan’s Hindi movie “Om Allah”, told IANS in an interview.
Bangalore, December 31: India’s top industrialist Ratan Tata has funded a research project in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to use hydrogen from water as an alternative fuel to drive cars, an eminent scientist said Friday.”Tata has given $15 million to fund the research being conducted by MIT professor Daniel Nocera on using water as auto fuel.
The project involves generating hydrogen by splitting water and storing it in a safe can to drive an automobile,” noted scientist C.N.R Rao told reporters at a press meet here.
New Delhi, December 31: In a tumultuous year for Indian equities, a key index finished 2010 on a positive note with a gain of nearly 18 percent, over and above the 80-percent upward swing the previous year, after fluctuating within a broad range of 5,500 points.The sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) which had closed 2009 at 17,464.81 points, dipped to an intra-day low of 15,651.99 points Feb 8, and then rose to the year’s high of 21,108.64 Nov 5.
Hyderabad, December 31: The Andhra Pradesh government Friday said it was not satisfied with the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal verdict on sharing of surplus water with neighbouring Karnataka and Maharashtra.
Revenue Minister Raghuveera Reddy told reporters that the government would study the full report and consult irrigation experts, engineers and lawyers before taking any decision.
Major Irrigation Minister P. Sudarshan Reddy had Thursday said that the government would file an appeal before the tribunal in three months and seek clarifications.
Bangalore, December 31: Tamil actress Ranjitha Friday denied that she was the woman in a sex romp video involving self-styled godman Nityananda Swami.
“I am not the woman in the video,” Ranjitha said at a press meet here in her first public appearance after the sex scandal broke out in March.
“What has happened in the last few months has been fabricated,” Ranjita, who Thursday lodged a police complaint against Lenin Karuppan, former driver of Nityananda who caught the swami in the sex act and then released the video clippings.
Hyderabad, December 31: APSRTC has announced gifts for its passenger on the occasion of New Year. Any passenger traveling in RTC buses is eligible for the gift. To get the gift passengers traveling in RTC buses on January 1, 2011 have to keep their tickets safe.
Three passengers will be selected from each depot and winners will be announced on January 2.
Hyderabad, December 31: Former Andhra Pradesh State Minority Finance Corporation chairman Mr. Farooq Hussain called on chief minister Mr. N Kiran Kumar Reddy and discussed minority problems with him. Mr. Farooq Hussain appealed to the chief minister to take measures to immediately resolve the problems faced by Muslims in order to get minorities’ support.
He told that during the visit he made representation for withdrawal of cases registered against Muslim youth on which chief minister assured that he would issue proper orders in this connection after reviewing all legal aspects.
New Delhi, December 31: Law Minister M. Veerappa Moily Friday discussed the more than two-year-old Aarushi murder case with Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Director A.P. Singh in the wake of the agency filing a closure report in the yet unsolved case citing lack of evidence.
“Someone has killed Aarushi in a brutal and dastardly way. We need to take it seriously. I have today invited director of CBI for a discussion on this matter. Let us see how we can take it forward,” Moily told reporters prior to the meeting.