Month: August 2013

The long awaited telecom ‘Unified Licences’, which aims to free players from limitations on use of technology for services and allow them to take benefits under the new sectoral policy, will be in place by tomorrow.

“File has come to me and I have to sign it,” Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal said on sidelines of National Telecom Summit organised by industry body CII.

A moderate intensity earthquake measuring 5.4 on the Richter scale hit parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh this morning.

There were no immediate reports of any loss of life or serious damage. The quake, the epicentre of which was in Kishtwar, hit Doda and Kishtwar districts around 8.03 AM and lasted for 7 seconds, a senior Met officials said, adding, that the aftershocks were felt, measuring 2.7 on the Richter scale, around 8.05 AM.

The US and China held in-depth and frank discussions on human rights issues during the recently concluded dialogue between the two countries, a State Department official has said.

“The two sides held in-depth and frank discussions on the rule of law, freedom of religion, freedom of expression, freedom of association, and other human rights issues, including specific cases of concern,” State Department spokesperson Marie Harf said.

SP leader Narinder Bhati has landed in a controversy after a video purportedly showed him as claiming that he had got UP IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal, who clamped down on the mining mafia, transferred in “41 minutes”.

The claim was made by Bhati while addressing a rally in Gautam Budh Nagar, two days after he denied his involvement in the suspension of the 28-year-old officer.

The Supreme Court today agreed to hear CBI’s plea for cancellation of bail granted to Sanjay Chandra, MD of Unitech Ltd, in 2G case for allegedly trying to “sabotage the trial” and issued notice to him.

A bench headed by Justice G S Singhvi granted two weeks time to Chandra to file his response on CBI’s petition alleging that he had misused the relief given to him by approaching the then CBI prosecutor A K Singh and trying to “materially interfere” with the prosecution in an “attempt to influence” the conduct and outcome of the trial.

Uttarakhand government today submitted a proposal worth Rs 60.70 crore to the Centre for soil and water conservation efforts in the disaster affected areas of the state.

The proposal was submitted by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna to Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar at Krishi Bhawan in New Delhi, an official release here said.

Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy has instituted insurance and medical claim for full-time magicians including street performers in the state.

Academy Chairman Soorya Krishnamoorthy told reporters here today that magicians were one of the most unorganised sections of artists in the state and many of them were striving hard to make both ends meet in the twilight of their life.

“We have decided to institute medical claim and insurance for all magicians along with the artists of theatre, circus and ‘kathaprasangam’ (story telling) in the state,” he said.

A 21-month-old Tripura girl who has undergone a surgery at a Gurgaon-based private hospital for a rare genetic condition, which caused her head to swell to almost double its size, is now fine and ready to travel back to her hometown, doctors said.

The girl, Baby Roona, was admitted at Fortis Memorial Research Institute (FMRI) on May 15 with the rare disorder called Hydrocephalus that caused her head to swell to 94 cm. She had a thin chance of survival.

After slumping to 60.90 levels in early trade, the rupee today managed to recoup most losses to end almost flat at 60.43 against the US dollar on suspected RBI intervention and stricter hedging rules for FIIs.

The dollar strengthened overseas after the US Federal Reserve gave no indication of withdrawing its bond-buying plan and US GDP growth figures were better than expected.

Sikhs in West Bengal are planning to commemorate the centenary year of the killing of passengers of Kamagata Maru ship at the Budge Budge Port in Kolkata on September 29, 1914.

Joginder Singh Johal, son of former Punjab Chief Minister late Darbara Singh and Sikh activist from West Bengal, told reporters today that Bengal Sikhs would commemorate the incident next year.

Johal and other Sikhs from West Bengal have come here to participate in the South Asian Punjabi Conference.

Stormy weather accompanied by heavy to very heavy rain is likely to disrupt Mumbai, coastal Konkan region, northern parts of the state and surrounding areas in the next couple of days, the met office here warned Friday.

In a special bulletin, the India Meterological Department (IMD) said that besides these areas, north-central Maharashtra and south Gujarat were also likely to experience heavy to very heavy rain in the next 48 hours.