Government to start selection for 8 PSU bank heads by November-end

A panel, headed by RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan, is expected to hold interviews of eligible candidates for the post of Chairman and Managing Directors of 8 public sector banks in the last week of November, sources said.
  
Besides RBI Governor, sources said, the other members of the interview panel would include Deputy Governor of RBI, Department of Financial Services Secretary and a few external members.
  
The interview process would be objective and transparent, sources said, adding that the interviews of eligible candidates would be held in Mumbai.
  
Following the shortlisting by the high level panel, the name of the candidates would be sent to Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) and other necessary clearances.
  
Earlier this week, the government scrapped the selection of six PSU bank heads and 14 executive directors (EDs) during UPA tenure following a separate panel finding irregularities in the process.
  
The UPA government had shortlisted heads of Bank of Baroda (BoB), Canara Bank, Indian Overseas Bank (IOB), Oriental Bank of Commerce, United Bank and Vijaya Bank.
  
Besides, vacancies of CMDs have arisen in Punjab National Bank and Syndicate Bank due to non-grant of extension and arrest respectively.
  
Following the arrest of Syndicate Bank Chairman and Managing Director S K Jain, the ministry had set up a committee comprising Expenditure Secretary, RBI Governor and Secretary School Education to examine the selections process.
  
"After receipt of the report of the Committee, the government has decided to cancel the current selection process of CMDs/EDs of Public Sector Banks (PSBs)," the statement had said.
  
To fill up these 8 vacancies of CMDs along with those of 14 executive directors, the government decided the selection would be done by a panel necessarily comprising of RBI Governor or his nominee.
  
Syndicate Bank chief Jain was arrested in August for allegedly receiving a bribe of Rs 50 lakh to enhance credit limits of a company.

Source: MP News in Hindi and Chhattisgarh Hindi News

E-commerce 'euphoria' to last 18 months only: Biyani

Biyani has recently partnered with global e-tailing giant Amazon to sell its merchandise exclusively online.
   
Known as a pioneer of Indian retail chains, Biyani had criticised Flipkart and other e-commerce firms in India for under-cutting the market and selling products at below the cost price, saying that it would hurt other retail channels.
   
"The euphoria should last for 6-18 months. Then it will be over. You can't live in the euphoria and reality will set in," Biyani said at the Technopak Leadership Forum, E-tailing 2014.
   
Estimated to be a USD three billion segment, the Indian eCommerce sector has been growing at a massive pace with players like Snapdeal and Flipkart raising well over USD 4 billion from a range of investors including angel and private equity firms.
   
Also, world's largest online retailer Amazon has committed investment of USD 2 billion in the country over the next few years.

Asked if the brick and mortar stores will be impacted severely by the growing preference for online shopping, Biyani said all formats will survive.
   
"They will all survive, but not in their original form," he said.
   
Citing the example of Future Group he said the company has a mix of online and offline presence that helps them reach to customers.
   
"People used to go to haats and exhibitions in the past. They have not gone away. These will change forms but they will be there in some form," he said.
   
A report by consulting firm Technopak pegs the USD 2.3 billion e-tailing market to reach USD 32 billion by 2020.
   
According to reports, of the USD 1.02 billion dollars of investment that came into all software companies in India in 2013, as much as USD 808 million was in e-commerce companies.

Source: MP News in Hindi and Chhattisgarh Hindi News

Industry hopes new Maharashtra government will fast-track infrastructure projects

Devendra Fadnavis, 44, a four-term MLA from Nagpur, will be administered the oath of office by Governor C Vidyasagar Rao at Wankhede Stadium in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several of his Cabinet colleagues, chief ministers of BJP-ruled states, corporate leaders, Bollywood stars and other celebrities.
  
The new government will have to address some immediate issues like power deficit and bureaucratic hurdles to revive investment in manufacturing, real estate and construction sectors for growth and job creation in Maharashtra, according to industry experts.
  
"Live investment worth Rs 15 lakh crore which are at different stages of implementation should be expedited by the new chief minister. If done the multiplier effect will be phenomenal," industry lobby Assocham said in a statement.
  
The chamber said that projects worth Rs 4.12 lakh crore are currently under implementation in the power sector alone. However, implementation of the same needs to be speed up.
  
Along with pending investment in the power sector, such investments in the pipeline belong to construction and real estate (Rs 2.92 lakh crore), services (Rs 5.78 lakh crore) and manufacturing (Rs 1.65 lakh crore).
  
Property consultant Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) believes the government will have to focus on 3 I's – infrastructure, interest reduction and income generation.
  
"With the BJP's remarkable show in the state polls, the state will give a new lease of life to infra projects across all sectors. The projects which are being monitored by the Centre will get accelerated with the state government assumption of political power," JLL's Ramesh Nair said.
  
He said with the Centre taking a keen interest in the real estate sector, it will provide an impetus for growth across various sectors, generating tremendous employment and thereby boost the entire economic outlook for the country.

Source: MP News in Hindi and Chhattisgarh Hindi News

Recent policy changes, RBI steps to help rating profile: Moody's

Pointing out that these recent measures are incremental rather than radical, Moody's said, these steps will sustain higher GDP growth and address some of the constraints on the country's sovereign credit profile.
  
In a report released from Singapore this afternoon, titled 'Recent policy changes to support growth acceleration,' Moody's Investors Service lauded the 'Make in India' campaign which saw the government initiating some reforms in the labour and investment policies front.
  
The report also appreciated the financial inclusion measures, infrastructure development initiatives, clarity around inflation targets, as well as banking and energy sector reforms are all measures in the direct direction.
  
The report further notes that together these measures will harness the country's economic advantages of size, diversity and a deep pool of labour and savings.
  
"These measures will also improve its investment climate, and allow the economy to reap the benefits of lower global commodity prices and international financial flows seeking real investment assets," the report said.
  
Based on evidences from other countries and India's own experience in the past decade, Moody's said it expects incremental reforms to raise productivity, savings and investment growth.
  
In addition, if policies lower fiscal deficits, stabilise inflation and strengthen the banking sector, they will mitigate the macroeconomic and financial risks to growth that have been evident in the last three years.
  
These policies can lead to higher investment and lower macroeconomic imbalances which in turn will help sustain higher growth rates of around 7.5 percent over the next 5-10 years, Moody's said.
  
However, it ruled out any revision in the credit rating saying the present country's sovereign rating of BBB- with a stable outlook already incorporates Moody's assessment that its growth potential is high, such higher growth rates would, in themselves, be of limited, though positive, significance for the sovereign credit profile.

Source: MP News in Hindi and Chhattisgarh Hindi News

Gillette India Q1 net up 16.57 percent at Rs 17.68 crore

The company, which follows July-June financial year, had posted a net profit of Rs 15.14 crore in the same period of the previous fiscal, Gillette India said in a filing to the BSE.
  
The company's net sales increased to Rs 438.93 crore in the July-September quarter, up 13.36 percent from Rs 387.17 crore in the same period last year.
  
"Profit after tax increased to Rs 18 crore, up 17 percent versus last year, behind productivity driven cost savings and operational excellence," the company said in a statement.
  
GIL's revenue from the grooming segment was Rs 306.04 crore in the quarter under review as against Rs 271.31 crore for the corresponding period of last fiscal.
  
Revenue from portable power segment also increased to Rs 20.88 crore this quarter. It was Rs 18.22 crore in first quarter of last year.
  
While, revenue from oral care segment stood at Rs 113.06 crore this quarter as against Rs 98.07 crore in the year-ago period.
  
The company's shares were trading 0.01 percent up at Rs 2,804 per scrip during afternoon session on the BSE.

Source: MP News in Hindi and Chhattisgarh Hindi News

Investment decision on Hazira terminal expansion soon: Royal Dutch Shell

"The expansion design is being finalised for increasing LNG capacity," Maarten Wetselaar, Executive Vice President of Shell Integrated Gas said at the Singapore International Week.

"The investment will be announced shortly," he said responding to a question. "Hazira (capacity) has been fully booked," Wetselaar pointed out.

Meanwhile, Shell is also discussing Floating Regasification Storage Unit project at Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh with GAIL and Gaz de France.

"Gas import for the Indian east coast market would depend on the customers," Wetselaar said.

Shell is committed to 25 percent in the Kakinada FSRU project, he confirmed. "The kakinada project is still in early stage," he said.

The FRSU will regasify imported LNG. The Rs 3,000 crore Hazira LNG Terminal and Port facilities in Surat district of Gujarat is regarded as a key foreign direct investment (FDI) project and represents one of the largest international investments in India in the energy sector.

The Hazira LNG Terminal and Port is partnered by Shell Gas B V and Total Gaz Electricite Holdings France, representing two of the largest private LNG suppliers in the world.

Total has a shareholding of 26 per cent in each of the companies that comprise the Hazira LNG Terminal and Port project and are collectively known as Hazira Group Companies (HGC).

The Hazira Terminal includes a liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage and re-gasification terminal within a fully functional port.

The Hazira Port is designed as a deep-water, all-weather and direct-berthing port.

It is built with a protected harbour design, with additional waterfront for development of non-LNG cargo handling terminals.

Source: MP News in Hindi and Chhattisgarh Hindi News

Union Bank Q2 net up 78 percent at Rs 371 crore

The bank had a net profit of Rs 208.12 crore in the July-September quarter of 2013-14 fiscal.
   
Net interest income for the quarter rose by 6.7 percent to Rs 2,085 crore, from Rs 1,954 crore in the year ago period, Union Bank said in a filing to the BSE.
   
Gross non-performing assets (NPA) as a percentage of total advances stood at 4.69 percent as on September September 2014, against 3.64 percent in September 2013.
   
Net interest margin stood at Rs 2.60 percent in the September quarter.
   
Total income rose to Rs 8,754.69 crore for the quarter ended on September 30, 2014, from Rs 7,882.29 crore in the year ago period.
   
Shares of Union Bank were trading at Rs 224.90, up 0.31 percent over previous close on the BSE.

Source: MP News in Hindi and Chhattisgarh Hindi News

European oil firm BP hails Modi government's decision to hike gas price

BP wrote off USD 770 million from its investment in the eastern offshore KG-D6 block of Reliance Industries, citing "uncertainty" over benefits flowing from the government's gas pricing policy.
   
The government earlier this month approved a new pricing formula that would provide a gas tariff of USD 5.61 per million British thermal unit from November 1 as against USD 4.2 currently. This hike was lower than USD 8.4 approved by the previous UPA government.
   
"This increases the gas price applicable for existing production and is a positive first step towards creating the more competitive economic landscape required to encourage the development of India’s gas resources," BP Chief Financial Officer Brian Gilvary said at an investor call after third quarter earnings.
   
In the earnings statement on Tuesday, BP wrote off USD 770 million saying "the charge arises as a result of uncertainty in the future long-term gas price outlook, following the introduction of a new formula for Indian gas prices, although we do see the commencement of a transition to market-based pricing as a step in the right direction."

In the investor call, Gilvary said the government announced a new domestic gas price formula as part of a package of oil and gas sector reforms.
   
"We expect further clarity on the new pricing policy and the premiums for future developments to emerge in due course," he said.
   
BP in 2011 bought 30 percent interest in RIL's eastern offshore KG-D6 as well as 20 other oil and gas exploration blocks for USD 7.2 billion. Bulk of this was for the producing block of KG-D6 and gas discovery area of NEC-25.
   
A BP India spokesperson had on October 28 stated that , "the gas price decision increases the gas price applicable for existing production and is a first step towards creating the more competitive economic landscape required to encourage the development of India's gas resources."
   
"The timing of this gas price decision just prior to our Q3 stock exchange announcement and the requirement to understand the long term price-outlook to support future developments has led to the write down. This is in compliance with standard accounting policies and Securities Exchange requirements," the spokesperson said.
   
Both BP and RIL have been advocating market-linked gas pricing and had initiated an arbitration against the government for not revising rates from the due date of April 1, 2014.
   
The USD 4.2 per mmBtu rate, fixed in 2007, was for the first five years of production from KG-D6 fields. KG-D6 fields started gas output from April 1, 2009.

Source: MP News in Hindi and Chhattisgarh Hindi News

Mahindra & Mahindra Q2 PAT down 4.33 percent at Rs 946.63 crore

The auto major had posted a PAT of Rs 989.5 crore during the same period a year ago.

On a standalone basis, net sales during July-September quarter stood at Rs 9,418.10 crore, up 6.84 percent from Rs 8,814.33 crore earlier, Mahindra & Mahindra said in a filing to the BSE.

During the quarter under review, revenue from automotive segment stood at Rs 6,135.69 crore, an increase of 6.14 percent as compared to Rs 5,780.52 crore in same quarter a year ago.

While, revenue from farm equipment in Q2 of FY15 was at Rs 3,406.73 crore, up 8.23 percent as against Rs 3,147.64 in the corresponding year-ago period.

Shares of the company were trading 2.29 percent up at Rs 1,317.15 per scrip during afternoon session on the BSE.

Source: MP News in Hindi and Chhattisgarh Hindi News

Sensex, Nifty continue record-breaking spree in morning trade

The 30-share Sensex resumed higher at 27,439.06 and rose to an all-time high of 27,581.68 in opening deals before quoting 27,668.31 points at 11:00 hours.

It showed a sharp gain of 321.98 points or, 1.17 percent, from its last close.

The CNX 50-share Nifty also hardened by 97.70 points, or 1.19 per cent, to hit 8,266.90.

Major gainers were HDFC (1.56 percent), ONGC (1.54 percent), Tata Steel (1.50 percent), Infosys (1.47 percent), SBIN (1.24 percent), Hero Honda (1.15 percent), TCS (1.12 percent), Wipro (1.06 percent), Coal India (1.04 percent) and Larsen (1.03 percent).

Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) bought shares worth a net Rs 1,257.49 crore yesterday, as per provisional data.

In overseas markets, Asian stocks rose after US economic growth topped estimates and investors speculated that Japan's pension fund will boost equity holdings.

US stocks rallied yesterday as a report showed faster-than-estimated growth in gross domestic product,
fuelling speculation that the economy is strong enough to withstand higher interest rates.

Key benchmark indices in South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Japan and China were up 0.11-1.68 percent.

Source: MP News in Hindi and Chhattisgarh Hindi News

Delhi's Trilokpuri prohibitory orders relaxed for 11 hours

"The prohibitory order relaxation has been effective from 6 am and will go up to 5pm on Thursday," said Joint Commissioner of Police Sanjay Beniwal. Two groups of Hindus and Muslims clashed on Diwali Oct 23 after which the authorities imposed prohibitory orders banning Gatherings and movements of people.

Police gave a six-hour relaxation in view of the Chhath Puja on Wednesday. Besides, police decided to organise a community meeting Thursday."We will hold a meeting with both the groups and they would also sing national anthem, so that we can inculcate a sense of harmony and bring peace in the area," said Beniwal.

So far, 68 people have been arrested for the clashes. Trilokpuri, divided into 36 blocks, is being manned by over 1,000 security personnel from Delhi Police, Rapid Action Force and Central Reserve Police Force along with over 30 police vans, water cannons and riot control vehicles.

Source: MP News in Hindi and Chhattisgarh Hindi News

First high speed train on Delhi-Agra section on November 10

“Rail Coach Factory (RCF) has manufactured four coaches of the high speed train so far and the work was going on war footing to manufacture the remaining ten coaches by November 10 to turn out the first rake,” RCF General Manager Pramod Kumar said on Thursday. RCF engineers in consultations with RDSO (Research Development and Standard Organisation) had made some changes in these coaches in designing of coupler system for more smoother ride than Shatabdi and Rajdhani coaches, installation of smoke and fire detection system and automatic sliding of inner doors besides Passengers information system.

The GM said “the approximate cost of one high speed coach would be between Rs 2.25-2.50 crore.” He said that high speed coaches manufactured in RCF for Shatabdi and Rahdhani express trains are capable of running at the optimum speed of 160 kilometer per hour.
  
The GM said “railways has selected ten routes on which high speed trains would run as announced by railway minister in his budget speech. Initially speed of these trains would be 160 kilometer on select rail routes and gradually it would be enhanced up to 200 kilometer after upgrading the signalling system,barricading the area,” he said. “The railway board and officials of railway department had already conducted a trial on these coaches on Delhi–Agra section at a speed of 160 kilometer and covered the 200 kilometer distance in 99 minutes a few days ago,” a railway official said.

“The RCF has also started working on the high speed coaches capable of running at a speed of 200 kilometer per hour by making some changes like automatic outer doors, changes in braking system with the provision of electropneumatic brakes, noise reduction with better sound insulation, provision of TV set on the back of every seat in the executive chair cars and WI-Fi system besides improved vestibules,” the GM said.He said that high speed coach capable of running at 200 kilometer per hour would be rolled out by June next year.

Source: MP News in Hindi and Chhattisgarh Hindi News

Congress slams LG for seeking government formation, says polls only way

"It is surprising that the Lt Governor is exploring the possibility (of government formation) when not only Delhi, but the whole country knows that it is not possible in Delhi in the present situation," Congress general secretary Shakeel Ahmed told reporters here.

Ahmed, who is the in-charge of party affairs for Delhi, said that the Lt Governor should be in fact the first person who should know that no party would be able to form the government here at this juncture.

The Delhi Assembly has been in suspended animation after the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government stepped down from office in February this year. The AAP government had the outside support of Congress.

Ahmed alleged that the moves initiated by the Lt Governor were "all delaying tactics".

"This is all delaying tactics. BJP is trying to come to power through the back door with the help of the honourable Lt Governor. BJP is trying to run away from elections," he said.     There is "no other option" but to hold fresh polls in Delhi, he added.

At present, BJP and ally Akali Dal with its lone MLA, account for 29 legislators in the Delhi Assembly. The party will require the support of five more MLAs to prove its majority in a House whose strength stands reduced to 67 MLAs after three BJP legislators won in the Lok Sabha polls from the city. The total strength of the Delhi Assembly is 70.

Bypolls for the three vacant seats are to be held late next month.

At the AICC briefing, too, the Lt Governor came in for criticism with party spokesperson Shobha Oza wondering what Jung had been doing all these months and why he has suddenly invited political parties to explore the possibility of government formation.

Told, meanwhile, that the previous Congress-led UPA government had appointed Jung to the post and asked whether that had been a "misjudgment", Oza said that the party was not questioning his appointment.

Source: MP News in Hindi and Chhattisgarh Hindi News

Black buck case: Second witness identifies Sonali, Neelam, Tabu

"The next prosecution witness, Mangilal, also recognised Sonali Bendre, Tabu and Neelam in the court today during examination," Assistant Public Prosecutor Praveen Verma said.

on Tuesday, prosecution witness Sheraram had recognised them in the court. Both the villagers had claimed to have chased the vehicle in which the actors were going to hunt the antelope.

The actresses appeared in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate (Rural) today for the identification.

"Mangilal narrated the same description as that of Sheraram on Tuesday," said Verma.

Mangilal told the court that both he and Sheraram had chased the vehicle, with Salman Khan, Saif Ali Khan and the three actresses were on board for hunting the black buck.

"His statements matched with those given by him to the forest officials during investigation in 1998," Verma said.

After the examination of Mangilal, cross examination of the previous witness, Sehraram, was resumed by the counsel of Salman Khan.

"We will continue the cross examination on Thursday," said H M Saraswat, Khan's counsel.

Meanwhile, the counsel of Khan withdrew the application moved in the High Court seeking permission to club the two cases against the actor, one under Wildlife Act and other under Arms Act.

In his application, Khan had said that since the trial in the Arms Act case has neared conclusion while it is yet to begin in the poaching case, in which the arms with expired licence had allegedly been used by Khan.

Source: MP News in Hindi and Chhattisgarh Hindi News

Bihar celebrates Chhath with full fervour

Devotees dressed in traditional attire of dhoti or sari, and accompanied by family members marched barefoot to the river banks and ponds singing devotional songs in Maithili, Bhojpuri and Magahi languages.
  
Several families brought along musical instruments and drums with them to give a musical touch on the occasion of the biggest festival of the state.
  
All the routes leading to the ghats wore a spic and span look as municipal bodies, government officials, police personnel, residents all lent their hands to clean roads, streets and lanes. Colourful lights and flower garlands decorated the pathways, as well as, ghats.
  
The devotees placed 'prasada' offerings along the river banks and prayed to the Sun, seeking health and prosperity for themselves and their family members.
  
The prayers ended with oblations of 'Gangajal' to the setting Sun and people celebrated with fireworks to mark the occasion.
  
Many devotees will spend the night at the river ghats or along the lakes or ponds for the final Chhath rituals at sunrise tomorrow.
  
The state administration was on its toes throughout the day to facilitate smooth conduct of rituals and avoid any untoward incident like the Chhath stampede in 2012 in which 22 people lost their lives at Adalat Ghat in the state capital, or the Dussehra stampede on October 3 this year, which claimed 33 lives.
  
Disaster Management Department (DMD) Principal Secretary Vyasji inspected the ghats and other arrangements along the Ganga in Patna and Vaishali districts for the devotees.
  
Apart from the residents of the state capital, a large number of worshippers come to Patna and Vaishali from neighbouring districts to offer Chhath prayers in the holy river.

Source: MP News in Hindi and Chhattisgarh Hindi News

Centre may opt for fresh polls in Delhi

"If no government formation takes place, we will have no option but to hold elections. We will take a quick decision according to the suggestion of the Lt Governor," the government functionary said.
  
The NDA government nor the BJP was interested in doing anything "undemocratic" that will bring "disrepute" to the party as well as the government ahead of the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir and Jharkhand, he said.
  
By-elections for three assembly seats in Delhi are also to be held next month.
  
The Centre, on Tuesday, told the Supreme Court that the President has given his consent to the Lt Governor's proposal to invite BJP to form government.
  
Rapping the Centre and the LG over the delay, the apex court said that in a democracy President's Rule cannot go on forever and questioned why the authorities failed to act expeditiously.
  
At present, BJP and ally Akali Dal with one MLA, account for 29 legislators and will require the support of five more MLAs to prove majority in a House of 67 if it decides to form the government. The party is hoping of getting the support of expelled AAP MLA Vinod Kumar Binny and Independent MLA from Mundka Ramvir Shokeen.
  
The total strength of the Delhi Assembly is 70 and the three vacancies it has to be filled in by-elections late next month.
  
AAP had formed the government in Delhi with the support of Congress. The government led by Arvind Kejriwal had resigned on February 14 after the party's pet project, Janlokpal Bill, could not be passed due to opposition from BJP and Congress.
  
President's Rule was imposed in Delhi on February 17.
  
Jung had not favoured dissolution of the Delhi Assembly as recommended by the council of ministers headed by Kejriwal and kept the Assembly in suspended animation.

Source: MP News in Hindi and Chhattisgarh Hindi News

Congress workers block Bajwa's car, seek his removal from party post

The situation took an ugly turn outside a hotel in busy Feroze Gandhi Market, where Bajwa accompanied by party secretary in-charge for Punjab Harish Chaudhary came for lunch.
  
The protesters blocked his vehicle. One of them lifted the wiper from the windshield and stuck a poster on it, reading, "Partap Bajwa go back" and "Bajwa Hatao, Congress Bachao" (remove Bajwa, save Congress). The protesters also showed him black flags.
  
There was also a minor scuffle between the protesters and his supporters.
  
Pradeep Kumar, one of the protesters alleged that he was manhandled by Bajwa supporters while he was peacefully raising the slogans.
  
An irritated Bajwa tried to avoid the protesters and rushed inside the hotel.

Bajwa, who has been here for last four days, has been facing regular protests.
  
While his first day marked the launching of the signature campaign for his removal, the subsequent days were marked by protests and burning of his effigies.
  
On Wednesday, however, the protesters directly confronted him with black flags, banners and posters asking him to go back and urging the party high command to remove him to save the party in Punjab.
  
When Bajwa was confronted by media at the hotel about the treatment meted out to him by his party men, he shot back "I have not invited media here" while refusing to make any statement on the issue.

Source: MP News in Hindi and Chhattisgarh Hindi News

BJP to announce its list of candidates for J&K by 2nd November

"The list of candidates for Jammu and Kashmir is expected to be released by November 1 or 2," a senior BJP leader said.
  
He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be among BJP's star campaigners and will address rallies in the state during the electioneering.
  
The Jammu and Kashmir Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) had on Tuesday issued notification for the first phase of polling in 15 constituencies.

The Election Commission had on Saturday announced the schedule for polls in the flood-ravaged Jammu and Kashmir.

The polling will be held in five phases between November 23 and December 20.
  
Polling will take place on November 25, December 2, 9, 14 and 20. As far as the party manifesto is concern, it is in final process and will be issued soon, the senior BJP leader said.

Source: MP News in Hindi and Chhattisgarh Hindi News

Some Muslims too celebrate Chhath in Bihar

"We have been celebrating Chhath for 34 years and will celebrate it till we breath our last," said Manjoor, in his 50's, from Lala Tola of Sitab Diara, the village of socialist leader Jayaprakash Narayan.

Manjoor, a drum beater, goes to river banks with his 'dug-dugi' during the festival.

Nazma, from Mohanpur Haat in Vaishali district, takes part in rituals -- like millions of Hindu women.

"I am not alone. There are dozens of Muslim women like me in nearby villages who celebrate Chhath," said Nazma, in her late 40s.

Muslim women in parts of Bihar have been celebrating Chhath for years, ignoring criticism from hardliners in their community.

It is a matter of faith, say the women, who pray to the sun "like our Hindu counterparts".

Ladli Begum of a village in Samastipur district has celebrated Chhath for eight years. "It has brought good luck to my family. I am happy to observe fast and offer prayers to the sun," she said.

Ladli got attracted after her 10-year-old son fell ill and his condition became serious.

"An elderly neighbour suggested to perform Chhath. It worked like a miracle. My son's health improved and gradually he recovered fully," she said.

Mallika Bano, a resident of Shukla Road in Muzaffarpur, has observed Chhath for 25 long years -- and for good reason.

"My wish to have a son was fulfilled after I performed Chhath (years earlier)," she said.

Hindus see in these Muslims a show of communal harmony.

"It is a rare show of brotherhood as it promotes tolerance and peace," said Kanchan Bala, a woman activist.

The four-day Chhath festival comes after Diwali. It began on Monday when devotees across the state bathed in a ritual called 'Nahai Khai' followed by Kharna on Tuesday night.

Offerings of wheat, milk, sugarcane, bananas and coconuts are made to the sun god.

The festival will conclude on Thursday morning.

Hasan Imam, in his late 40s, a theatre activist from Begusarai district, said his family has performed Chhath for decades.

"There are several Muslim families in Begusarai and the neighbouring districts of Vaishali, Samastipur, Khagaria and Muzaffarpur who celebrate the festival," he said.

In Patna, Gaya, Bhagalpur, Muzaffarpur and Darbhanga, many Muslims have volunteered to clean up the banks of rivers, ponds and other water bodies and streets for the festival. Some Muslims distributed fruits and new clothes to impoverished Hindu families on the occasion.

Source: MP News in Hindi and Chhattisgarh Hindi News

Need good quality seeds to make farming beneficial: Harish Rawat

Inaugurating the Krishak Mahotsav 2014 here  Rawat said availability of good quality seeds to farmers, use of modern and cheaper farming techniques and helping farmers get the right price for their produce are three focus areas identified by the state government to promote agriculture in the state.

Setting a target for the agriculture department, he said at least 100 farmers in every block be registered as seed producers and a few as nursery producers.

Production of plants should also be encouraged as business.
 
To make farming beneficial, at least 80 percent farmers in plains and 33 percent in hills must be provided with modern seeds over the next two years to enhance their productivity and also the quality of their produce, Rawat said here on Tuesday.

Under the 'Humare Ped Humara Dhan’ scheme, planting of fodder and fruit producing trees is also being promoted, he said.

The need is to develop fruit markets, Rawat added.

To provide a market to fruits produced in the state, orders have been issued to include 10 percent fruit content in local liquor, he said.
  
Putting emphasis on mechanical farming, the Chief Minister said he was not averse to increasing the subsidy on farming equipment if the need for doing so is felt.
  
However, in comparison to other states, Uttarakhand is getting more subsidies in farming equipment and other areas, he said.

Claiming that the state government is sensitive to the problems of farmers, he said a pension scheme for them has been launched.
  
The Chief Minister also said the government will provide assistance for improving the condition of old poly houses.

Source: MP News in Hindi and Chhattisgarh Hindi News

Delhi BJP chief names new team

Upadhyay, who had a round of consultation with central leadership, has not included any MLA in his team and given important roles to councillors instead.

South Delhi MP Ramesh Bidhuri has retained the post of general secetary while two councillors - Ashish Sood and Rekha Gupta-- have also been appointed to the post.

The general secetary's post is said to be important in the party setup as they are expected to perform all major organisational tasks in the event of the party forming a government in Delhi.

The list of new Delhi BJP team was released late last night.

Upadhyay has also appointed eight new vice-presidents. These are Tilak Raj Katari, Rajni Abby, Vishakha Sailani, Jai Prakash, Shikha Rai, Abhay Verma, Kiran Chaddha and Kuljeet Chahal.

Besides, eight new secetaries have also been appointed and Kamaljeet Sherawat has been named the new women's wing president.

Nakul Bhardwaj has been appointed youth wing president. Aman Sinha, Poonam Jha Azad, Harish Khurana, Rajeev Barbara and Dipika Sharma have been appointed as spokesperson while Praveen Shankar Kapoor is the new media convenor in the Upadhyay's team.

Source: MP News in Hindi and Chhattisgarh Hindi News

Oil India seeks more hydrocarbon concessions globally

"We are aggressively looking for a lot of good property from where we can bring crude oil into India," Sunil Kumar Srivastava, Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of OIL, said.
  
"The government of India is very supportive of our overseas ventures. They are encouraging us to go global to help reduce energy import volumes," he said.
  
"The more oil and gas we bring into the country, it would help reduce the country's energy import bill," he said on the sideline of the Singapore International Energy Week.
  
India imports about 75 per cent of its crude oil and 30 percent of its natural gas requirements a year.
  
Among its major ventures abroad, OIL has invested USD 900 million on four per cent farm-in stake in offshore Mozambique.
  
OIL and ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL) had announced a 10 percent farm-in acquisition with Mozambique in January this year.
  
The company operates in 11 overseas countries and produces small quantities of hydrocarbon in the United States, Venezuela and Russia.
  
Srivastava, along with B C Tripathi, CMD of Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) and Nishi Vasudeva, Hindustan Petroleum's CMD were among the eight nominees for Platts Asia CEO of Year award which went to Chengyu Fu, Chairman of China Petrochemical Corporation (Sinopec Group).

Source: MP News in Hindi and Chhattisgarh Hindi News

RBI seeks comment on draft criteria to use Depositor Education Fund

The draft proposes that agencies already engaged in bank depositors’ education and awareness or proposing to take up depositors’ education programmes, organising seminars, symposia, and research can be considered for assistance from the Depositor Education Fund.
  
These institutions could be a public charitable trust, registered societies, companies, university, any other educational institution recognised by government, state owned institutions, regimental fund or non-public fund established by the armed forces to be eligible to use these funds.

"The institutions/organisations/associations, shall unless specific exemption has been made in this regard by the Committee, be in existence for a minimum period of five years prior to date of application for registration," RBI said in notification seeking public comments on the draft criteria.

Further, the institutions will be required to have a minimum of 20 members and should have a clean track record, should not be for benefit of any individual, religion, community, or caste and should maintain regular accounts of its receipts and expenditure.

Among others, the institutions should utilise the money received only for activities permitted by RBI or Fund.

RBI has asked for comments from public, banks, academia, industry and other stakeholders by November 28, 2014.

The criteria for registering institutions, organisations and associations for grant of financial assistance is part of the Depositor Education and Awareness Fund Scheme, 2014.

Source: MP News in Hindi and Chhattisgarh Hindi News

E-commerce can't be back-door entry to multi-brand retail: India

"There has been a lot of talk on e-commerce. We are conscious that e-commerce should not become a back door entry for multi-brand retail," Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Nirmala Sitharaman said here.

She, however, clarified that she is not "pronouncing any policy on e-commerce."

Referring to India's largest e-retailer and its so-called 'Big Billion Day' sale earlier this month which had led to complaints, she said, "Post the Flipkart issue, a lot of inputs have come from concerned citizens, retailers and consumers and these complaints are being looked into."

"That does mean any investigation is going on into any particular e-commerce company," Sitharaman added.

"There is nothing promised on e-commerce at the moment."

The senior BJP leader, who is also the Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs, is here on a two-day visit to hold discussions with investors and members of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) on the government's newly-launched 'Make in India' campaign.

In reference to the US Trade Representative's (USTR) controversial decision to initiate a review of India's Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) regime, the minister dismissed it as a "pedagogic exercise."

"I would only look at it as an exercise to understand policies of other countries. India and its courts are conscious of our intellectual property rights and we hold on to defending everything that is due to us and we shall work and engage with the United States to explain our position to them but clearly we stand our ground," she said.

She emphasised the Indian government clearly understands its intellectual property rights.

"The laws that prevail in India are very buoyant, vibrant, up-to-date and robust and that has been established by the various judgements that have come from Indian courts," she said, adding that a more definitive policy framework is being worked on and the government hopes to announce a new IPR policy by early next year.

Sitharaman will hold talks with UK business secretary Vince Cable before heading back to India later today.

She admitted that various sections of the UK industry and government had made references to the retrospective tax issue as well as specifically Vodafone and the recent court judgement.

"Our position has been very clear and we reinforce the view that we will not resort to retrospective taxation. At the same time, this government is working on simplifying the entire taxation framework completely and this will be an important tool with regard to ease of doing business in India."

Source: MP News in Hindi and Chhattisgarh Hindi News

Sensex surges 150 points in morning trade to regain 27,000-mark

Besides, covering-up of short positions by speculators ahead of monthly expiry in the derivatives segment, supported the rally.

The 30-share barometer regained the psychological 27,000-mark for the first time since September 23 by surging 150.26 points, or 0.56 percent, to 27,031.08 with all the sectoral indices, led by auto, realty and oil & gas, trading in positive zone with gains up to 0.97 percent.

The gauge had gained 127.92 points in the previous session on rising rate cut hopes and good earnings.

Also, the National Stock Exchange index Nifty gained 38.80 points, or 0.48 percent, to 8,066.40.

Brokers said besides sustained buying by investors on hopes of further reforms and encouraging earnings by some more bluechip companies, covering-up of short positions by speculators in view of tomorrow's monthly expiry in the derivatives segment, influenced the trading sentiment.

In addition, a firming trend at other Asian markets following overnight gains in the US, accelerated buying activity on the domestic bourses here, they said.

Among other Asian markets, Japan's Nikkei rose 1.38 percent, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng was trading 0.87 percent higher in early trade.

US Dow Jones Industrial Average ended 1.12 percent down in Tuesday's trade.

Source: MP News in Hindi and Chhattisgarh Hindi News

Rupee up 7 paise against dollar in morning trade

Besides, the dollar's weakness against other currencies overseas as investors await news from US Federal Reserve about interest rate plans for the world's largest economy and a higher opening in the domestic equity market supported the rupee, forex dealers said.

The rupee had slipped by two paise to close at 61.32 against US dollar in yesterday's trade due to some demand for the American unit in an overall lacklustre trade.

Meanwhile, the benchmark BSE Sensex regained the 27,000-mark by surging 150.26 points, or 0.56 per cent, to 27,031.08 in morning trade on Wednesday.

Source: MP News in Hindi and Chhattisgarh Hindi News

PwC partners Google to offer business solutions to clients

"Rapid pace of innovation in technology has fundamentally changed how and where work gets done, driving organisations to transform their businesses for the future. Together, PwC and Google can help that transformation happen," PwC said in a statement.

From Google firms get innovation, technology platforms and Internet scale, while PwC brings deep industry experience, a broad range of business services and cutting-edge client insights, from strategy through execution, it added.

Together PwC and Google will help companies collaborate more effectively, better use technology and information and adapt to the disruptive forces shaping the world.

"PwC is teaming with Google to offer our joint knowledge and capabilities to clients, giving them one place to go, maximising experience and assets from both organisations," PwC Vice Chairman (Transformation) Mike Burwell said.

The two plan to help firms succeed by leveraging PwC's business insights along with Google Apps, Google's suite of cloud enabled collaboration and productivity tools.

Besides, using the combined power of PwC's analytical acumen and Google's Cloud platform to help businesses make the most of technology and information and be better equipped to compete, creating new services to reinvent and optimise operations, connect with consumers and provide an enhanced customer experience.

PwC has also begun to introduce Google for Work products to its own operations. PwC is transitioning 40,000 people in US and 5,000 people in Australia to Google Apps.

Source: MP News in Hindi and Chhattisgarh Hindi News

India ranked 142 in latest 'Ease of Doing Business' report: World Bank

The drop in India's ranking from last year's 140 is mainly because other nations have performed much better, bank officials said.

In the 2014 report, India had 52.78 points and in this year's report it has 53.97 points.

The latest ranking, however, does not take into account the latest slew of measures taken by Modi Government to make India a business friendly destination.

"We do not want to send the impression that the drop in India's ranking is connected in any way with the current political situation (government)," Augusto Lopez-Claros, Director, Global Indicators Group, Development Economics, World Bank Group said.

"It is absolutely true that the new government of Mr Modi has made it very clear that they see the creation of a better investment climate and a more friendly business friendly environment in India a top priority. However, it is important to remember that the new Government did not come into office until the second half of May," he said.

Highly appreciative of the steps taken by the new Indian Government, World Bank officials, however, asserted that there was a very high likelihood of India significantly jumping up the ladder in the next ease of doing business.

Singapore with 88.27 points occupies the top position in the ease of doing business followed by New Zealand, Hong Kong, Denmark and South Korea.

Among other major countries, the US has been ranked seventh, Britain (eight), China (90), Sri Lanka (99), Nepal (108), Maldives (116), Bhutan (125), and Pakistan (128).

In a conference call with reporters, World Bank officials cautioned against linking the latest ranking with the steps taken by the new Indian Government.

Noting that the cut off of ease of doing business is May 31st, Lopez said whatever the government would do and whatever is in the pipeline is going to have an impact on these indicators only next year.

When asked about the ambition of the new Indian Government to move up the ladder and gain a ranking within top 50 countries, Lopez said, "There is no reason, why not?".

"Absolutely, it can be done. There are many examples of countries who through focused efforts, through intelligently designed reforms have managed to make very substantial improvement," he said.

Though India did drop a little bit in terms of its ranking, the ease of doing business has improved over the last 12 months, he said.

Rita Ramalho, lead author of the Doing Business report, World Bank said India's ranking dropped, despite improvement in its business environment, because other countries improved.

"There is a continuous improvement across the world. India improved, but others improved at a faster pace," Ramalho said.

Source: MP News in Hindi and Chhattisgarh Hindi News

Jaitley to meet IT official to review revenue collection

All Principal Chief Commissioners and Chief Commissioners of I-T department in the country have been asked by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) to assemble for the meeting in the national capital tomorrow ( Wednesday), a senior I-T official said.
  
The CBDT has also asked these officers to update and prepare latest reports about the status of tax collections in their respective regions before the meeting.
  
Among host of issues that pose a challenge to the revenue collection, official said, the FM would review the shortage of tax collection under Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) category.
  
CBDT Chairman K V Chowdary, gauging the importance of the subject, today held a video conference session with the top I-T officers asking them to pull up their socks and ensure a larger chunk of revenue under this category.
  
Officials, citing a CBDT data, said while during the same period last year TDS collections stood at 14.5 per cent, this year it was lagging behind at 9.3 per cent.
  
"The high-level meeting on Thursday will discuss threadbare about these issues which are posing a challenge to the revenue work.
  
"The CBDT has asked all cadre controlling chief commissioners to prepare the latest data of tax collection in their regions which should be updated till October 20 and this would be presented to the FM," the officer said.
  
The meeting is not only expected to review the job done till now but also to strategise steps that would bolster these efforts, he added.

Source: MP News in Hindi and Chhattisgarh Hindi News

AirAsia plans to induct 10 more aircraft next year

"I think realistically we may do ten aircraft by next year. January and February, probably we won't have many. Ten more aircraft next year, taking the total tally to 15 aircraft," AirAsia CEO Mittu Chandilya said.
  
He was speaking on the sidelines of unveiling of Bangalore Raptors official team jersey ceremony in the presence of ace Indian tennis legend Vijay Amritraj who is conducting the Champions Tennis League (CTL).
  
Chandilya, also the owner of the Bangalore franchise of CTL, said the airliner planned to put in place one aircraft- a-year plan. "It depends upon when the aircraft are ready because our schedules are very tight and by next year we really want to have one-aircraft-a-year plan."
  
He, however, said there would be no change and variations in the type of aircraft the airliner plans to induct. "There will be no change and no variation in the type of aircraft to be inducted. We will induct A-320s which will be a mix of ceos (current engine option) and neos (new engine option)," he added.

The airliner will be getting neos in 2016 as per delivery, Chandilya said.
  
He said he would be announcing two new routes next week, but refrained from divulging the information in detail. "I will be announcing two new routes next week. I think it will be exciting," he said.
  
Chandilya said growth was key factor for the airliner and its targets will be based on scales. "Growth is something very key to us. Our entire targets will be based on scales and I think we are slowly reaching to where we need to go."
      
Asked whether the new route falls in the eastern parts of India, Chandilya said, "Of course it will be in India. I rather keep it surprise because you guys will see. It shouldn't be too much of a surprise, but I think it will be exciting routes," he said.

Source: MP News in Hindi and Chhattisgarh Hindi News

L&T bags contract to build 'Statue of Unity' for Rs 2,979 crore

Work on the 182-metre tall statue of Sardar Patel is to be completed at a cost of Rs 2,979 crore, said Gujarat Chief Minister Anandi Patel who presided over the function of handing over the work order.
  
"This huge construction work will be completed in four years at a cost of Rs 2,979 crore. The contract has been given to the country's leading construction company Larsen and Toubro," Patel said in her address, while giving the contract order to L&T.
  
"Rs 1,347 crore will be spent on the main statue, Rs 235 crore will be spent on the exhibition hall and convention centre, while Rs 83 crore will be spent on the bridge connecting the memorail to the main land and Rs 657 crore would be spent to maintain the structure until 15 years after it is completed," Patel said.
  
The 182-metre-tall 'Statue of Unity', which would be double the size of New York's 'Statue of Liberty' (93 metres), would inspire future generations, Patel said.
  
"The project will include an exhibition hall and audio- visual presentation on the life of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, which will become the centre of attraction for tourists from the all over the world," she said.
  
Patel also said that 75,000 cubic metres of concrete, 5,700 metric tonne of steel structure, 18,500 steel rods and 22,500 metric tonne of bronze will be used for the project.
  
Patel claimed that the 'Statue of Unity' project will generate employment in the tribal area of Narmada district as well as boost the tourism sector.
  
The 'Statue of Unity' will be built at Sadhu Island approximately 3.5 km south of Sardar Sarovar Dam at Kevadia area in Narmada district of the state of Gujarat.
  
The project was launched by the former Gujarat Chief Minister and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 31, 2013, on Sardar Patel's birth anniversary.
  
Modi had also launched a country wide campaign to collect iron to build the 'Statue Of Unity' and the Gujarat government has claimed that iron was collected from around seven lakh villages across the nation.
  
The Gujarat state government had invited expression of interest from all over the world for the project.
  
After completion of the tender process, L&T has been given the contract of to execute the 'Statue Of Unity' project.
  
Leading construction company Turner Construction, which built Dubai's famous architectural structure 'Burj Khalifa', is a consultant to the project.

Source: MP News in Hindi and Chhattisgarh Hindi News

BHEL bags Rs 422 crore order for Uttarakhand hydel project

Located in Chamoli district, Vishnugad Pipalkoti project is on Alaknanda river. It comprises four hydro generating sets of 111 MW capacity each.
  
The order, valued at Rs 422 crore, is for setting up of hydro generating sets and associated electro-mechanical works for the Vishnugad Pipalkoti project, BHEL said in a statement today.
  
The order has been awarded by THDCIL (formerly known as Tehri Hydro Development Corp Ltd).
  
The scope of work envisages "engineering, procurement and construction of all hydro generating sets and associated electro mechanical works and is to be executed in a tight schedule of 48 months", the statement said.
  
This is the second major order bagged by BHEL for a hydro power project in Uttarakhand this year.
  
Earlier, an order for the 2x60 MW Vyasi hydel project was received from Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (UJVNL) in March.
  
State-owned BHEL is executing hydro power projects having capacity of about 9,500 MW.

Source: MP News in Hindi and Chhattisgarh Hindi News

West Indies will be at World Cup, says official

The West Indies cut short their India tour this month over an internal pay dispute, despite a fifth and final One-Day International, a Twenty20 match and three Tests still to be played. The situation has raised doubts as to whether the Caribbean side will be able to fulfil its upcoming international engagements, including a tour of South Africa followed by the World Cup.

Harnden said he was confident the issues would be resolved and the West Indies would play in the World Cup being jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand from mid-February. "We see that everyone's very focused on resolving the situation as quickly as possible," Harnden said.

"We've got 108 days until the World Cup and from our point of view I've no doubt the West Indies will be here and entertaining the crowd as only they know how." The World Cup 2015 will begin on February 14, with New Zealand taking on Sri Lanka in Christchurch and England facing Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Former Australian paceman Glenn McGrath said the home side could win its fifth one-day World Cup trophy given the current form of bowler Mitchell Johnson, despite this week's loss to Pakistan in the first Test in Dubai. Johnson delayed Pakistan's win by top-scoring for Australia in the second innings with 61, and also took three wickets.

"We've been playing some pretty good cricket of late and we're a tough team to beat at home in our home conditions," McGrath said. "If you look at the T20s and three one- dayers we won them so it has only been that last Test. To me the true indicator of where the Australian team is, is this next Test, whether they learnt a lot from that first game."

Source: MP News in Hindi and Chhattisgarh Hindi News

Real to fight federation over Zidane punishment

The 42-year-old who inspired France to the 1998 World Cup trophy and was also a member of the Euro 2000 title winning side has been coaching Real's reserve side Castilla but the federation claims he does not possess the required coaching qualifications.

Real have said they will appeal against the punishment by 'all legal avenues open to them'. The reserve team's assistant coach Santiago Sanchez was also punished.

Real issued a statement yesterday declaring their "total disagreement" with the decision taken against one of their former iconic players, who scored a wonder goal for the 'meringues' when they beat Bayer Leverkusen to win the 2002 Champions League trophy.

They pointed out that Zidane "has been authorised by the French Football Federation to work as a head coach in the category Real Madrid Castilla currently find themselves in".

Zidane who was linked with the head coach post at another of his former clubs Bordeaux in the close season was elevated to reserve team coach at the beginning of this season following a single campaign as Carlo Ancelotti's assistant which saw Real win a 10th European Cup in May.

Spanish coaching school, the Cenafe, has submitted a complaint to the Spanish Federation against Real, claiming they are using assistant Sanchez's name on the teamsheet to bypass the regulations.

The case has sparked controversy in Spain with national team coach Vicente del Bosque telling Cope radio station that "everyone should have a coaching badge".

Rayo Vallecano coach Paco Jemez used tougher language, describing Real's actions as "shameful". However, both Ancelotti and Dutch football legend Johan Cruyff have spoken out in support of Zidane.

Source: MP News in Hindi and Chhattisgarh Hindi News

ICC may offer olive branch to banned players

The provision in the players' code of conduct will come up for approval in next month's board meeting in Dubai and may specifically benefit Pakistan's pace-man Mohammad Aamer whose five year ban expires in August next year.

ICC chief executive David Richardson confirmed that rules on banned players are likely to be relaxed.

"The revised code is being discussed in the meetings and hopefully we could bring it to you in finality in the November meeting," Richardson told reporters at the ICC headquarters in Dubai.

"There is a provision now in the revised code which will allow a player who has been banned internationally to play domestic cricket a certain period up from his ban coming to an end."

Under the process, if the provision is approved, a banned player will have to apply with the ICC to get permission to feature in the domestic cricket.

The ICC will seek recommendations from its Anti-Corruption and Security Unit as well as from the home board and the ICC Board before clearing the player to feature in domestic matches.

Aamer was one of three Pakistani players, besides Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif, who were banned for five years for their role in a spot-fixing scandal on the Pakistan tour of England in 2010.

The trio and their agent Mazhar Majeed orchestrated a deal to bowl deliberate no-balls in a Test against England in return for money.

The ICC tribunal headed by Michael Beloff QC banned the then captain Butt for ten years with five suspended, Asif for seven years with two suspended and Aamer for five years.

The trio was also jailed in UK in 2011 for breaking the gambling act of the country.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) last year requested the ICC to relax certain conditions of Aamer's ban as he had pleaded guilty. The ICC had formed a committee to look into the matter and review the code.

Butt and Asif also wish for greater leniency and have criticised the PCB for only supporting Aamer. Before the ban Aamer was regarded as the "hottest property" of the game by legendary Pakistan pace-man Imran Khan.

Source: MP News in Hindi and Chhattisgarh Hindi News

Babies can read eye cues at seven months

"Our study provides developmental evidence for the notion that humans possess specific brain processes that allow them to automatically respond to eye cues," said study co-author Tobias Grossmann from University of Virginia.

While wide-open eyes exposing a lot of white indicate fear or surprise, a thinner slit of exposed eye such as when smiling expresses happiness or joy.

For the study, the researchers used electroencephalography (EEG) to measure the brain activity of seven-month-old infants while showing images of eyes wide open, narrowly opened, and with direct or averted gazes.

They found that the infants' brains responded differently depending on the expression suggested by the eyes they viewed.

They viewed the eye images for only 50 millisecond which is much less time than needed for an infant of this age to consciously perceive this kind of visual information.

"Like adults, infants are sensitive to eye expressions of fear and direction of focus, and that these responses operate without conscious awareness," Grossmann pointed out.

"The existence of such brain mechanisms in infants likely provides a vital foundation for the development of social interactive skills in humans," Grossmann added.

The study appeared online in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Source: MP News in Hindi and Chhattisgarh Hindi News

NASA tool to identify drought-resilient plants

The instrument called the ECO system Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS) will monitor one of the most basic processes in living plants: the loss of water through the tiny pores in leaves.

It is a high-resolution thermal infrared radiometer, which works like a giant thermometer from space to measure the temperature of plants and the amount of heat radiating from Earth's surface.

"If we find a plant is too hot, that is because it is not getting enough water to cool itself down," said Josh Fisher, research scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, California.

When people lose water through their pores, the process is called sweating. The related process in plants is known as transpiration.

Because water that evaporates from soil around plants also affects the amount of water that plants can use, ECOSTRESS will measure combined evaporation and transpiration, known as evapotranspiration, US space agency said.

"If plants do not get enough water, they show signs of stress. By measuring evapotranspiration, we get an early indicator of that stress, and we can do something about it before the plants collapse," Simon Hook, a research scientist at JPL and the project's principal investigator, explained.

By combining the instrument's measurements with other ecosystem data, scientists would be able to calculate how efficiently plants use water to process carbon dioxide and identify plants likely to be more resilient during droughts.

"That has huge implications for our understanding of global water and carbon cycling, and which plants are going to live or die in a future world of greater droughts," Fisher noted.

Source: MP News in Hindi and Chhattisgarh Hindi News

US man beats one in 9.7 trillion odds to win lottery twice

Stokes, who has won USD 25,000 a year for up to 20 years, which equals a USD brought the prize down to USD 390,000 pre-tax, or USD 273,000 after tax.

His winnings were doubled to USD 546,000, after his family gifted him a season pass to the Massachusetts State Lottery Lucky for Life drawing with their lucky numbers and he bought a second ticket with the exact same numbers.

Stokes plans to use the winnings to pay for his son’s college tuition and his daughter’s remaining car payments, as well as take his family on a vacation.

Source: MP News in Hindi and Chhattisgarh Hindi News

Fashion do's and don'ts for curvy women

With the help of style editors of Navabi, a designer fashion brand which offers sizes 14 to 30, one can find out the “Do’s and Don’ts” while dressing up:

Do:

* Soft fabrics such as jersey, cotton, flannel or cashmere

* Figure-hugging shirts and blouses

* Narrow V-necklines

* Low-cut and single-breasted jackets

* Straight-cut, wide trousers

* Pencil skirts with a high waistline

* Shift dresses and dresses with an asymmetric cut

Don’t:

* Shiny fabrics such as satin, as well as thick materials such as velvet

* Double-breasted jackets and coats

* Playful details such as ruffles or flounces in the bust area

* Skinny jeans

* Horizontal Stripes and halter neck tops

* Empire style

Special tip for accessories

* Loosely draped scarves can skilfully conceal a large chest.

* But be careful with accessories like brooches and short necklaces - they can make an ample bosom look even bigger.

Source: MP News in Hindi and Chhattisgarh Hindi News

Tips for eating out when you are on dieting

According to a survey of 1,000 people carried out on behalf of restaurant group PizzaExpress, over a quarter of women and 12 percent of men admit to sabotaging their weight loss at the slightest sniff of a meal out.

Fitness and well-being expert Jessie Pavelka has created a series of top tips on how one can gorge on foods without thinking of weight.

* Plan ahead - if you know you’re going to be eating out, think about what you need to do to moderate what you’re having throughout the rest of the day. One trick is to look up the menu online first so you order wisely.

* Don’t be afraid to ask for your food to be adapted to suit your needs - many restaurants are happy to adapt dishes to your needs.

* Look for dishes with lots of colour - if all else fails, eating lots of fresh and colourful ingredients means you’re getting a range of nutrients.

* Check out lower carb options - we need carbs for energy.

* Go easy on alcohol - it is okay to treat yourself, just don’t overdo it.

Source: MP News in Hindi and Chhattisgarh Hindi News

Making mistakes while learning good for memory: Study

"Making random guesses does not appear to benefit later memory for the right answer, but near-miss guesses act as stepping stones for retrieval of the correct information – and this benefit is seen in younger and older adults," said lead investigator Andree-Ann Cyr, a graduate student with Baycrest's Rotman Research Institute and the Department of Psychology at the University of Toronto.
  
Cyr's study expands upon a previous paper she published in 2012 which found that learning information the hard way by making mistakes (as opposed to just being told the correct answer) may be the best boot camp for older brains.
  
Cyr's latest research provides evidence that trial-and-error learning can benefit memory in both young and old when errors are meaningfully related to the right answer, and can actually harm memory when they are not.
  
In the study, 65 healthy younger adults (average age 22) and 64 healthy older adults (average age 72) learned target words (eg, rose) based either on the semantic category it belongs to (eg, a flower) or its word stem (eg, a word that begins with the letters 'ro').
  
For half of the words, participants were given the answer right away and for the other half, they were asked to guess at it before seeing the answer.
  
On a later memory test, participants were shown the categories or word stems and had to come up with the right answer. The researchers wanted to know if participants would be better at remembering rose if they had made wrong guesses prior to studying it rather than seeing it right away.
  
They found that this was only true if participants learned based on the categories. Guessing actually made memory worse when words were learned based on word stems. This was the case for both younger and older adults.
  
Cyr and her colleagues suggest this is because our memory organises information based on how it is conceptually rather than lexically related to other information.
  
For example, when you think of the word pear, your mind is more likely to jump to another fruit, such as apple, than to a word that looks similar, such as peer.
  
Wrong guesses only add value when they have something meaningful in common with right answers, researchers said.
  
By guessing first as opposed to just reading the answer, one is thinking harder about the information and making useful connections that can help memory.
  
Younger and older participants were more likely to remember the answer if they also remembered their wrong guesses, suggesting that these acted as stepping stones.
  
By contrast, when guesses only have letters in common with answers, they clutter memory because one cannot link them meaningfully.
  
The paper will be published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition.

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Rupee extends losses vs dollar, down 8 paise

The rupee resumed lower at 61.33 per dollar as against the last closing level of 61.30 at the Interbank Foreign Exchange market and hovered in a range of 61.31 and 61.41 per dollar before quoting at 61.38 at 1000 hours.

Month-end dollar demand from oil companies mainly affected the rupee value against the US currency, a forex dealer said.

In the global market, Oil moved lower after Goldman Sachs slashed its price forecasts for the next two years owing to a global supply glut. US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for December delivery fell 46 cents to USD 80.54 while Brent crude for December eased 59 cents to USD 85.24 in mid-morning trade.

In New York market, the dollar slipped against the Japanese yen yesterday, ahead of crucial policy meetings of the Federal Open Market Committee and the Bank of Japan.

Meanwhile, the Indian benchmark Sensex recovered by 97.88 points of 0.37 percent to 26,850.78 at 10:00 hours.

Source: MP News in Hindi and Chhattisgarh Hindi News

Apple CEO fires back as retailers block payment services

Apple Pay launched about a week ago and saw more than a million credit cards registered over the first 72 hours. It already totes up more transactions than all other "contactless" payment methods combined, Cook said, citing Visa and Mastercard data.

Such services, through which a user pays by holding a smartphone close to a specially designed terminal, have failed to catch on in United States despite the backing of Google Inc and other influential players.

News emerged over the weekend that the two retailers had opted out of Apple Pay in favor of a rival system that roughly 50 chains, including Wal-Mart and Best Buy, are developing for in-house use.

"We've got a lot more merchants to sign up, we've got a lot of banks to sign up and we've got the rest of the world," Cook told the Wall Street Journal Digital Live conference, in the company's most extensive comments on the blockade so far.

In launching Apple Pay, the iPhone maker hopes to lock in more customers for its mobile devices by enhancing their overall utility. Industry experts say it stands a chance of becoming the first widely used payments feature on smartphones.

CVS and Rite Aid have not explained their surprise move. But the driving force behind developing a retailer-owned mobile payment solution is to avoid paying credit card transaction fees to card companies like Visa and Mastercard, analysts said. Fees range between 2 percent and 3 percent of
costs per transaction.

Rite Aid stopped accepting Apple Pay last week at its 4,572 stores. Spokeswoman Ashley Flower said the company was evaluating various forms of mobile payment technologies.

CVS did not respond to queries seeking comment but a visit to two of its stores showed that the NFC (Near Field Communications) reader on which Apple Pay was used had been deactivated.

It remains to be seen, despite early signs of success, whether mobile payments will become widely adopted.

Cook argued on Monday that Apple Pay offered better security and privacy than competing services, and that retailers risked alienating customers by limiting choices at checkout.

"It's a skirmish," Cook said in response to a question about the retailers' moves.

"Merchants have different objectives sometimes. But in the long arc of time, you only are relevant as a retailer or merchant if your customers love you."

Source: MP News in Hindi and Chhattisgarh Hindi News