Chennai, March 02: The entire farming community is expected to benefit from mobile-based agro-advisory services if the proposal to the Tamil Nadu Government by Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) to provide free mobile phones to the 81 lakh farm families in the State is accepted, according to Vice-Chancellor of TNAU P. Murugesa Boopathi.
Ghaziabad, March 02: Frustrated over the delay in disposal of his case, an accused, arrested six months ago on charges of theft, on Tuesday hurled his footwear at a judge here on Tuesay.
The slipper hit Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Kiran Bala, who is hearing the theft case, but she was not injured.
Twentythree-year-old Karan Bahadur, who hailed from Nepal, was immediately overpowered by lawyers and litigants present in the court.
He was also beaten up and handed over to police, court officials and eye-witnesses said.
Chandigarh, March 02: Haryana Health Minister Rao Narender Singh was shocked to find poor sanitary conditions and carelessness in maintenance of medical equipment at the Civil Hospital in Panipat, an official spokesman said here on Tuesday.
On a surprise visit, the Minister cautioned the hospital administration that such carelessness would not be tolerated at any cost and strict disciplinary action would be initiated if such conditions persist in the future.
Tripoli, March 02: Libya could descend into civil war if Muammar Gaddafi refuses to quit, the United States said on Tuesday, its demand for his departure carrying fresh weight after news of Western military preparations.
But the veteran Libyan leader remained defiant, sending forces to a western border area amid fears that the most violent Arab revolt may grow bloodier and spark a humanitarian crisis.
His most prominent son, Saif al-Islam, warned the West against launching any military action to topple his father, and said the veteran ruler would not go into exile or step down.
Lucknow, March 02: The Uttar Pradesh Government has transferred nine IAS officers, including three District Magistrates, following a surprise inspection of four districts by Chief Minister Mayawati.
“DM Firozabad Dinesh Chandra Shukla and DM Kanshiram Nagar Radha Krishna Singh have been transferred on charges of lax administrative control and dissatisfactory progress in development works,” an official spokesman said here.
Ms. Mayawati carried out surprise inspection of Lucknow, Kanshiram Nagar, Firozabad and Etah districts on Monday.
Hyderabad, March 02: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Tuesday appealed to all political parties and Employees Joint Action Committee in Telangana to call off their ongoing agitations and wait for the Centre’s decision on the statehood issue.
Talking informally to news-persons in his chamber in the Assembly, he appealed to the protesters to “remain patient” till the Centre took a decision on the statehood issue based on the recommendations of the Justice Srikrishna Committee, which submitted its report in December.
Srinagar, March 02: The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Tuesday witnessed uproar as the Opposition People’s Democratic Party demanded an adjournment of the House on “continued arrest of youth in Kashmir.”
London, March 02: British Prime Minister David Cameron said Tuesday that the international community must not let Libyan leader Moammer Gaddafi murder his own people.
“It is not acceptable to have a situation where Colonel Gaddafi can be murdering his own people, using aeroplanes and helicopter gunships and the like.
“We have to plan now to make sure that if it happens we can do something to stop it,” Cameron said in a joint press conference with Afghan President Hamid Karzai dominated by events in Libya.
London, March 02: A new research revealed that the number of men with depressive disorder could go up as the century progresses.
Study author Boadie Dunlop of Emory University in the US stated, “Compared to women, many men attach a great importance to their roles as providers and protectors of their families.”
“Failure to fulfil the role of breadwinner is associated with greater depression and marital conflict,” Dunlop added.
The new study indicated that since the beginning of the downturn in the year 2007, about 75% of the jobs lost in the United States were held by men.
New Delhi, March 02: India is awaiting a reply from Pakistan on its request to send a team there to question suspects in the Mumbai terror attack case before it decides on allowing a commission from Islamabad, Home Minister P Chidambaram said today.
Addressing his monthly press conference, he said India has asked Pakistan to allow a team to question some people suspected to be involved in the 26/11 Mumbai carnage.
“We are awaiting an answer for the question that we have put forth,” Chidambaram said.
Srikakulm, March 02: At least two people were killed and several injured when police fired on a mob protesting a controversial thermal power plant at Kakarapalli area in Andhra Pradesh’s Srikakulam district on Monday.
While Nagarjuna is setting up a 2,640 megawatt coal-based power plant in Sompeta Mandal, East Coast Energy is setting up a similar plant in Kakarapalli.
Mumbai, March 02: For five years, locals in Jaitapur in the Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra have been protesting against a nuclear-power plant, which is to be set up there.
However, those who have been alleging forceful acquisition of land by the state government heard a clear message recently: if the dissenting voices get too shrill, the state will muffle them.
United Nation, March 02: The United Nations General Assembly has unanimously voted to suspend Libya from the UN Human Rights Council in the wake of continuing attacks on pro-democracy protesters there by Muammar Gaddafi’s regime.
“Expressing deep concern about the human rights situation” in Libya, the General Assembly “decides to suspend the rights of membership in the Human Rights Council” of the African nation, the brief resolution said.
Italy, March 02: The Italian government voted to send a large mission of aid workers to Tunisia to help the tens of thousands of refugees fleeing Libya—an attempt to also stem the flow of migrants flocking from north Africa to Italy’s southern shores.
Violence in Libya has triggered an exodus of up to 75,000 refugees to Tunisia, to the west. The refugees include thousands of guest workers from countries in Asia and elsewhere in Africa who are awaiting authorization to enter Tunisia, creating a bottleneck of migrants in need of food, water and shelter.
Hyderabad, March 02: In the ultimate analysis, the plot did not come with a happy ending for the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA).
Having gone for auctions with an expectation of raising around Rs.150 crore, when the bids were opened on Monday the HMDA ended up with just Rs.23.37 crore.
This amount comes from successful auction of 65 of the 97 plots that were on offer.
Mumbai, March 02: The Reserve Bank of India has asked banks to use technology more effectively with a focus on bringing down costs and improving customer services in its information technology (IT) vision document for 2011-17. The vision document, prepared by the high-level committee headed by RBI deputy governor KC Chakrabarty , has directed banks to work towards implementation of technology in achieving cost efficiency in small value transactions, improved customer services and effective flow of information within the banks and the regulator.
Hyderabad, March 02: In a move to connect with test takers better, the GRE programme has launched its Facebook page giving those considering graduate or business school admission greater opportunity to share advice with prospective test takers, and get clear information about the GRE revised general test.
The ‘I’m Taking the GRE revised General Test’ Facebook page is being introduced for those taking the current GRE test to meet score reporting deadlines and also those who want to take the GRE revised general test which launches around the world in August 2011.
New Delhi, March 02: The Election Commission has announced a staggered, six-phase schedule for Bengal’s high-voltage assembly elections, which will begin on April 18 in the north and end on May 10 in the Maoist-infested forest constituencies West Midnapore.
The city will go to polls during the third phase, on April 27, along with the two suburban districts of North and South 24 Parganas.
Hyderabad, March 02: There was an all-pervading stink in the capital when the sanitary municipal contract staff too joined the 48-hour bandh last week. Hectic parleys and much cajoling by senior officials helped in getting them back to work to lift the near 4,000 tonnes of garbage generated by the twin cities each day along with the accumulated previous two days’ ‘stock’.
Hyderabad, March 02: With all the MMTS trains confined to stations in twin cities due to ‘Rail roko’ agitation by pro-Telangana supporters, passengers relying on these trains had a tough time in reaching their respective work places on Tuesday.
South Central Railway authorities estimate the loss to be about Rs. 3.25 lakh due to cancellation of 120 MMTS trains. Over 1.20 lakh passengers, who travel in these trains everyday, were forced to depend on private transportation, auto-rickshaws or city buses.
Hyderabad, March02; The hall-tickets of the regular and private candidates appearing for first and second year Intermediate examinations have been sent to the colleges and students can collect them from their respective colleges.
The hall-tickets information of first year students will be made available on the website www.bie.ap.gov.in from March 2 and second year students and vocational students from March 3 afternoon.
Kakinada, March 02: Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas S. Jaipal Reddy has assured Union Minister of State for Defence M.M. Pallam Raju that steps would be initiated to allocate natural gas to the Vijjeswaram gas turbo power station at the earliest.
Hyderabad, March 02: A youngster and his four-year-old nephew got killed when an APSRTC bus hit the Pulsar bike they were pillion riding while the person riding it suffered injuries near High Court gate in old city on Tuesday.
Death was instant for Tanaji, a private company worker, and his nephew, Praveen, the police said.
Tanaji’s friend Suresh, who was riding the bike, is recuperating in a hospital. A resident of Gollakidki in Parthiwada, Tanaji fell sick and wanted to consult a doctor in Afzalgunj.
New Delhi, March 02: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) examinations started Tuesday on a disappointing note to many, with several class-12 students complaining that the physics paper was too lengthy to finish in three hours.
According to students, the physics paper, though easy, could not be completed as the questions marked 2 and 5 were a bit too lengthy.
“The paper was easy but lengthy and I could attempt only 70 percent of the questions,” said a nervous looking Ankit Kumar, a student of Kendriya Vidyalaya Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus in the capital.
Pune, March 02: A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team from New Delhi Tuesday searched the bank lockers of former CWG organising committee chief Suresh Kalmadi that had been sealed last month, an official said.
“We have opened two bank lockers as part of the investigations. But, we do not have any details so far,” an official told IANS.
The two lockers, including one in ICICI Bank, were opened in the presence of Kalmadi’s wife, but the official declined to name the branches of the banks where the operation took place or what was found from there.