Centre makes reconciliatory effort to end Assam-Nagaland row

At a high-level meeting, chaired by Home Minister Rajnath Singh and attended by Chief Ministers Tarun Gogoi (Assam) and T R Zeliang (Nagaland), efforts have been made to come to an acceptable final solution to the border dispute between the two states.
  
As per the decision taken during the meeting, the Chief Secretaries of the two states will submit suggestions to the Home Ministry within two weeks, which is expected to pave the way for solving the long lasting issue.
  
"The Home Minister is taking a sincere reconciliatory effort to find a solution to be acceptable to both Assam and Nagaland," a Home Ministry official said.
  
Eleven people were killed along the Assam-Nagaland border in Golaghat district in August and nearly 10,000 people had been displaced and taken shelter in relief camps after clashes between people of the two states.
  
Gogoi had earlier urged the Home Minister to initiate immediate measures to deploy Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) as a neutral force in the affected villages along its border with Nagaland.
  
The boundary dispute, which was first cropped up in 1970s, has been going on very often and both the states have approached the Supreme Court for a final resolution. The case is still sub-judice.

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Report on black money will be submitted in time: SIT Chief

"We have already filed the first report (on black money) in August. Certainly I am hopeful about the timely submission of second report," Shah said.

On Wednesday, Attorney General submitted a list of 627 names having accounts in HSBC bank, Geneva, to the apex court, Shah informed that the list was already known to the team.

"Investigation is going on. Without investigation it is very difficult to say that a person is guilty or that person has done something wrong. A person is required to be heard first," he said.

Shah, a retired Supreme Court judge, said investigation in these cases is not easy. "It is not easy because when a department also issues a  notice, it takes time. Concerned parties and assessees replies take time," the SIT chief said.

Shah denied that government's probe in black money case is an eyewash. "It is not eyewash. Nothing is eyewash. Nothing can be said to be eye wash. On the contrary we got some results also," he said.

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President invites Oman to 'Make in India', seeks deeper trade ties

This was conveyed by the President when the Commerce and Industry Minister of the Sultanate of Oman, Dr Ali Bin Masoud Al Sunaidy, called on him on Monday, a Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesperson said here on Tuesday.
  
During his meeting, Mukherjee referred to the 'Make in India' campaign and invited Omani companies "to come and invest in Indian infrastructure and other sectors which offer good returns".
  
The President said that India's ties with Oman are built on the strong foundation of historical and civilisational linkages and India appreciates and values the strategic partnership, which is reflected in the remarkable overall growth in the bilateral relationship in recent times.
  
"Bilateral trade between India and Oman has increased from USD 4.6 billion in 2012-13 to USD 5.77 billion in 2013-14. However, trade remains much below its potential and both sides need to bring it to a higher level commensurate with the depth of the bilateral relationship," remarked the President.
  
He expressed hope that the forthcoming Seventh Joint Commission Meeting between the two countries would be productive and help to further strengthen the economic and trade relations between India and Oman.
  
He also thanked Oman for its support in anti-piracy operations.
  
The Oman minister told Mukherjee that friends like India have fuelled his country's economy and helped its growth.
  
He paid tribute to the Indian community in Oman and to the Indian professionals who are contributing to its economy and said there was a need for the two countries to re-connect keeping in mind the interests of the youth.
  
"They should do things differently so that relations can multiply rapidly on the terms of the youth and taking into account changes sweeping the world," Sunaidy was quoted as having said by the spokesperson.
  
The 'Make in India' programme is a major national initiative launched by the Narendra Modi government which aims at transforming India into a global manufacturing hub.

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Agricultural Ministry proposes amendment to NCDC Act to include FPOs

Currently, the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) provides financial assistance to cooperatives including those from weaker sections, for infrastructure and business development among others.

"We have suggested a small amendment to the Act to incorporate FPOs for extending loans and subsidies," a senior Agriculture Ministry official said.

The government is encouraging setting up of FPOs in a big way and trying to provide credit facilities through various schemes so that FPOs become viable, the official added.

FPOs, which are registered under the Companies Act, are firms consisting of small and marginal farmers. There are total 300 FPOs in India supported by government body Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC).

NCDC, a statutory body, had in 2013-14 fiscal released Rs 5,268 crore, against the sanctioned amount of Rs 7,755 crore for the same period.

Maximum funds were released to cooperatives working in Chattisgarh, Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh, an official data showed.

Financial assistance is being given for production, processing, marketing, storage, export and import of
agricultural produce and other notified commodities.

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Black money case: Centre submits list of 627 foreign account holders to Supreme Court

The list was submitted before the Supreme Court by Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi. The development came a day after the apex court directed the Centre to furnish the names of all individuals and entities in its possession who have accounts in overseas banks.

However, the Supreme Court refused to open the sealed envelope saying that the documents should be placed before SIT.

The Supreme Court said, 'Only SIT chairman and vice chairman can open the sealed envelope containing names of account holders.

The Supreme Court asked the SIT to submit status report of its probe by the end of November. SIT will decide what further action is to be taken on black money issue, added the Supreme Court.

Earlier on Tuesday The Supreme Court pulled up the government for seeking a modification of its order on disclosure of names of black money holders abroad. It directed the Centre to place before it names of all such account holders by Wednesday.

Jaitley said the government was keen to punish all illicit foreign account holders and would do everything to bring back the black money.

The truth about these names and also these accounts must come out so that penal action can be taken against the people and  the money lying there can be brought back to India.

"The government has no difficulty whatsoever with any agency investigating this matter because there is nobody the government wants to protect in this case so that those whose names have come must really be investigated and punished according to law," he said.

He, however did not reply to a question on whether the government would make the list public.

Jaitley said the government is also keen that the procedure followed must be such that the reciprocating countries continue to cooperate with India.

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President Pranab Mukherjee to hold conference of NIT chiefs today

The agenda of the conference includes steps required for deepening research and technological innovation for meeting national development goals; technology enabled learning; building international networks and linkages for quality improvement and initiatives for capacity development of faculty, a press release issued today by Rashtrapati Bhavan said.

An action taken report on the recommendations made in the last year's conference was also discussed during the meet, it said.

This is the second conference of Directors of NITs during the present presidency. The first conference was organised in November last year. The Directors of 30 NITs will participate in this year's conference.

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Governor outlines NY policy for Ebola quarantine

Cuomo detailed the state's protocols at a nighttime news conference with New York City's mayor last night after the Obama administration said it expressed concerns to Cuomo and Christie about their states' mandatory Ebola quarantines. The announcement also comes amid sharp criticism of the treatment of a nurse returning from Sierrra Leone who was forcibly quarantined in a New Jersey hospital isolation unit even though she said had no symptoms and tested negative for Ebola.
  
Under the outlined New York guidelines, medical professionals who have had contact with Ebola patients will be quarantined at home and receive twice-daily monitoring if they have no symptoms. Family members will be allowed to stay, and friends may visit with the approval of health officials. The state will also pay for any lost compensation, if they are not paid by a volunteer organization.

Cuomo had criticized Dr. Craig Spencer, who tested positive for Ebola on Thursday, for not obeying a 21-day voluntary quarantine. But on Sunday, he called the health care workers "heroes" and said his administration would encourage more medical workers to volunteer to fight Ebola. Meanwhile, Kaci Hickox, the first nurse forcibly quarantined in New Jersey under the state's new policy, said in a telephone interview with CNN that her isolation at a hospital was "inhumane," adding: "We have to be very careful about letting politicians make health decisions."

Saying the federal health guidelines are inadequate, Cuomo and Christie announced a mandatory quarantine program Friday for medical workers and other arriving airline passengers who have had contact with Ebola victims in West Africa, either in their homes or in medical facilities, and Illinois soon followed suit. Twenty-one days is the incubation period for Ebola.

Christie also stressed that home confinement would be used for New Jersey residents and others when possible. "The protocol is clear that a New Jersey resident with no symptoms, but who has come into contact with someone with Ebola, such as a health care provider, would be subject to a mandatory quarantine order and quarantined at home. Non-residents would be transported to their homes if feasible and, if not, quarantined in New Jersey," said a statement from Christie spokesman Kevin Roberts.

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Hospital: Teen wounded in school shooting dies

Officials at Providence Regional Medical Center Everett confirmed 14-year-old Gia Soriano died. Another girl was killed during the shooting Friday by a popular first-year student at Marysville-Pilchuck High School north of Seattle. The shooter, Jaylen Fryberg, died of a self-inflicted wound. Three other students remain hospitalized, two in critical condition and one in serious condition.

At a news conference, Dr. Joanne Roberts read a statement from Soriano's family. "We are devastated by this senseless tragedy. Gia is our beautiful daughter, and words cannot express how much we will miss her," the statement said. Roberts said Soriano's family was donating her organs for transplant. Parents and students gathered in a gymnasium at the school for a community meeting, with speakers urging support and prayers and tribal members playing drums and singing songs. Fryberg was from a prominent Tulalip Indian tribes family. Young people hugged each other and cried and speakers urged people to come together during the gathering Sunday.

"Our legs are still wobbly," said Tony Hatch, a cousin of one of the injured students. "We're really damaged right now." Of the wounded students, only 14-year-old Nate Hatch showed improvement, though he remained in serious condition in intensive. Fifteen-year-old Andrew Fryberg also remained in critical condition in intensive care. Both are cousins of Jaylen Fryberg.

Meanwhile, 14-year-old Shaylee Chuckulnaskit remained in critical condition in intensive care.Fryberg died in the attack after a first-year teacher intervened. It's unclear if he intentionally killed himself or if the gun went off in a struggle with a teacher. The makeshift memorial on a chain link fence by the school, which will be closed this week, kept growing Sunday.

Balloons honoring the victims and the shooter adorn the fence along with flowers, stuffed toys and signs. The close-knit community, meanwhile, on the nearby Tulalip Indian reservation struggled with the news that the shooter was a popular teenager from one of their more well-known families. A tribal guidance counsellor said no one knows what motivated Fryberg.

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Teen tests negative after Ebola scare in Australia

"The Queensland Chief Health Officer, Dr Jeannette Young, reports the results of tests on an 18-year-old woman in Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital are negative for Ebola virus disease," a statement from the office of the Queensland Minister for Health said. Young had said earlier that a second test would be taken in three days. She would not specify the teenager's nationality, but said she was moving to Australia permanently and authorities had been informed of her family's arrival several days before the flight.

The rest of the woman's family was quarantined at home. Young said Queensland health authorities were monitoring four families from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, where the vast majority of Ebola cases have occurred. The number of Ebola infections has surpassed 10,000 and the death toll neared 5,000 worldwide, mainly in the three West African nations. There have been no confirmed Ebola cases in Australia.

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Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff is re-elected

With 99 percent of the vote counted, Rousseff had 51.5 percent of the ballots, topping center-right challenger Aecio Neves with 48.5 percent.

Rousseff's victory extends the rule of the Workers' Party, which has held the presidency since 2003. During that time, they've enacted expansive social programs that have helped pull millions of Brazilians out of poverty and into the middle class.

The choice between Rousseff and Neves split Brazilians into two camps those who thought only the president would continue to protect the poor and advance social inclusion versus those who were certain that only the contender's market-friendly economic policies could see Brazil return to
solid growth.

The Workers' Party's time in power has seen a profound transformation in Brazil. But four straight years of weak economic growth under Rousseff, with an economy that's now in a technical recession, has some worried those gains are under threat.

"Brazilians want it all. They are worried about the economy being sluggish and stagnant but they want to preserve social gains that have been made," said Michael Shifter, president of the Washington-based Inter-American Dialogue. "The question is which candidate is best equipped to deliver both of those."

Rousseff and Neves have fought bitterly to convince voters that they can deliver on both growth and social advances. This year's campaign is widely considered the most acrimonious since Brazil's return to democracy in 1985, a battle between the only two parties to have held the
presidency since 1995.

Neves has hammered at Rousseff over a widening kickback scandal at state-run oil company Petrobras, with an informant telling investigators that the Workers' Party directly benefited from the scheme.

Rousseff rejected those allegations and told Brazilians that a vote for Neves would be support for returning Brazil to times of intense economic turbulence, hyperinflation and high unemployment, which the nation encountered when the Social Democrats last held power.

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Swiss gold exports to India cross CHF 11-billion ; banks turn wary

The gold exports from Switzerland to India stood at over 2.2 billion Swiss francs (about Rs 15,000 crore) in September alone, which is double the figure for the previous month,shows latest data released by Swiss Customs Administration. As a result, the total Swiss gold exports to India since January this year has grown to 11.4 billion Swiss francs, shows the data compiled by the Swiss government's cross-border trade monitoring agency.

Industry watchers attribute the surge during September partly to increased demand for the yellow metal ahead of Diwali and other festivals in India, the sudden spike is also being seen suspiciously in the backdrop of gold being used for 'layering' purposes to move funds from Swiss banks amid growing scrutiny for suspected black money.

According to banking industry sources, banks operating in Switzerland, including those headquartered in the Alpine nation and the Swiss units of other European banks, have turned wary about dealing with their Indian clients in the wake of a growing scrutiny of such accounts. A number of Swiss banks, including three with significant global presence, have begun telling their Indian clients to sign undertakings that are aimed at 'derisking' the banking institutions from potential risks arising out of regulatory actions against the bank customers by foreign governments.

Some banks are also telling their clients to close their accounts if they are not ready to take such risks, or if they have apprehensions about such accounts not being compliant to regulatory requirements in their home countries. Through these 'derisking' undertakings, the customer agrees to take responsibility for any possible regulatory or administrative compliance with international norms.At the same time, the bankers are also lobbying with the Swiss government to ensure that any information would be shared with their Indian counterpart about accounts held in Swiss banks only after necessary provisions are made to safeguard the interest of the concerned banking institution.

Following a high-level delegation visit from India, Switzerland recently agreed to cooperate on matters related to verification of genuineness of accounts and reply to requests for banking account details in a time-bound manner, and also to initiate a process to include India among the countries eligible for 'automatic exchange of information'.  While banks try to put in place necessary safeguards, there are apprehensions that many of their clients are being advised to move the funds through gold and other routes.

As per Swiss government data, the total exports of gold, silver and coins from Switzerland stood at 347 tonnes (worth 6.62 billion Swiss francs) in September. This included gold exports totalling 172.5 tonnes or 6.48 billion Swiss francs. In comparison, Switzerland's total gold exports stood at just about three billion Swiss francs (80.6 tonnes) in August, while the overall figure for gold, silver and coins stood at 3.16 billion francs (237 tonnes) in that month.
  
India alone accounted for total bullion exports worth 66.5 tonnes from Switzerland, which mostly comprised of gold (over 58 tonnes or over 2.2 billion Swiss francs) in September. The total gold exports to India stood at 29.5 tonnes (1.12 billion Swiss francs) in August, while the figure for July was 21 tonnes (792 million Swiss francs).

In January, the total Swiss gold exports to India stood at about 27 tonnes (970 million Swiss francs), while it was in the range of 30 tonnes a month between February to May before surging to over 44 tonnes (1.62 billion Swiss francs) in June. A new strategy of 'layering' through gold and diamond trade came to light earlier this year at Swiss banks to thwart any attempt for identification of real beneficiary owners of funds entrusted with them, government and banking sources have said.
  
There is a growing suspicion that a portion of gold and diamond trade is being used to route funds from Swiss banks to India and other destinations. 'Layering' is a key stage in money laundering and involves moving illicit funds around financial system through a complex series of deals to complicate the paper trail. This layering typically takes place between the first stage placement of black money in the financial system either in cash vaults, or through a series of cash or sham financial transactions and before the final 'integration' stage when money is put back into the financial system through various transactions for the benefit of its final recipient.

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US strikes pound jihadists as Iraq Kurds prepare to join fight

Kurdish forces, backed by US air power, have been holding out for weeks against an IS offensive around Kobane, which has become a high-profile symbol of efforts to stop the advance of the jihadists.

The Kurdish regional government in northern Iraq unveiled plans on Friday for up to 200 well-trained peshmerga to join Syrian Kurdish forces defending Kobane in the coming week.

Kurdish news agency Rudaw said the first contingent could head to the town as early today, but there was no immediate confirmation of that timetable.

Since Turkey conceded to US pressure to allow vetted reinforcements into Kobane to prevent IS winning the prominent battle for the town, the jihadists have made repeated attempts to cut the border before any help can arrive.

Before dawn yesterday, IS fighters hit Kurdish forces defending the Syrian side of the border crossing with mortar and heavy machinegun fire, an AFP correspondent on the Turkish side reported.

The heavy mortar fire around the Mursitpinar crossing prompted the Turkish army to order the evacuation of nearby hilltops from where the world's press has been watching the battle for the town.

The US-led military coalition fighting IS launched 22 air strikes in Iraq and one in Syria on Friday and Saturday, the Pentagon said.

Eleven of the bombings in the heavy barrage targeted IS units, buildings, positions and vehicles near Iraq's strategic Mosul Dam.

Kurdish forces backed by US air strikes yesterday retook the town of Zumar northwest of Mosul from IS after weeks of fighting, a senior officer said.

IS still holds significant areas in northern Iraq and elsewhere in the country, as well as swathes of neighbouring
Syria.

The Kurdish news agency said an initial peshmerga contingent of 150 was ready to leave for Kobane and would be headed by Sihad Barzani, brother of Iraqi Kurdish regional president Massoud Barzani and head of its artillery brigade.

It cited peshmerga officials as saying that an additional 1,000 Iraqi Kurdish fighters would follow.

Rudaw quoted a senior peshmerga officer as saying that the Iraqi Kurdish forces would deploy with heavy weapons, but that undertakings had been given to both Ankara and Washington that they would not be handed over to Syrian Kurdish forces.

"Our enemies in Kobane are using heavy weapons and we should have heavy weapons too," he said.

The main Syrian Kurdish fighting force in Kobane has close links with the outlawed rebel Kurdistan Workers Party, which has fought a three-decade insurgency in Turkey.

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Ebola escalation could trigger major food crisis

On the eve of World Food Day on Thursday, UN agencies and non-governmental organizations are scrambling to scale up efforts to avert widespread hunger.
  
"The world is mobilizing and we need to reach the smallest villages in the most remote locations," Denise Brown, the UN World Food Program's (WFP) regional director for West Africa, said in a statement on Wednesday.

"Indications are that things will get worse before they improve. How much worse depends on us all," the statement added.
  
WFP has said it needs to reach 1.3 million people in need in hardest-hit Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.
  
So far, the UN agency has provided food to 534,000 people, and it expects to reach between 600,000 and 700,000 this month, Bettina Luescher, WFP's chief spokesperson in North America, said.

"And we are working hard to reach and scale up to 1.3 million eventually," Luescher added.
  
WFP is providing food to patients in Ebola treatment centers, survivors of the virus who have been discharged, and communities which have been quarantined or have seen widespread transmission, including the families of those affected. It is also helping with logistics and is managing the UN Humanitarian Air Service between the three affected countries and nearby Dakar, Senegal and Accra, Ghana to help humanitarian workers rapidly deploy to the field.
  
"We are assessing how families are coping as the virus keeps spreading. We expect to have a better understanding of the impact of the Ebola outbreak on food availability and farming activities by the end of October," Luescher said
  
WFP said its first survey using mobile telephones showed that people living in the Kailahun and Kenema districts of Sierra Leone where most Ebola cases have been reported are finding it harder to feed their families than people in other parts of the country and are resorting to more desperate measures to cope. More than 80 percent of people in those areas said they ate less expensive food, and 75 percent reported that they have reduced the number of daily means and were serving smaller portions.
  
Kanayo Nwanze, president of the UN International Fund for Agricultural Development, said on Monday that up to 40 percent of farms have been abandoned in the worst-affected areas of Sierra Leone and there are already food shortages in Senegal and other countries in West Africa because regional trade has been disrupted.

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Nepal rescue workers resume search for dozens of missing hikers

The death toll, which included eight foreigners and a group of yak herders, was expected to rise with so many unaccounted for after unseasonal snowstorms brought by the tail end of cyclone Hudhud that struck eastern India last weekend.

A Facebook page set up on Wednesday to help friends and relatives trace loved ones trekking in Nepal quickly filled with concerned posts from the United States, Canada, Australia and South Korea.

 "The weather is good," said Baburam Bhandari, district governor of Mustang district, the area worst hit by the disaster. "One army helicopter has already left for the site and more helicopters will be pressed into service later."

Rescue teams are focused on the area around the Thorang-La area near Annapurna, the world's 10th highest mountain. Rescuers called off their search after light faded and blizzards set in on Wednesday.

The hikers' deaths come during the peak trekking season in Nepal, home to eight of the world's 14 highest mountain peaks, including Mount Everest.For the past two days, Nepal has been lashed by heavy rains brought on by the cyclone that has battered neighbouring India since last weekend.

The weather triggered blizzards at high altitudes. Ground teams of soldiers and police joined army helicopters looking for survivors or bodies.

Nepal's tourism industry is still recovering from the aftershocks of an ice avalanche that struck the lower reaches of Mount Everest in April, killing 16 guides in the worst disaster in the history of the world's highest peak.

More than a tenth of the nearly 800,000 tourists who visited Nepal in 2013 went hiking or mountain climbing, providing a key revenue stream for the aid-dependent nation, which relies on income from tourism for 4 percent of its gross domestic product.

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Indian-American doctors to host health summit in Mumbai

The Association of American Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), one of the largest ethnic professional bodies, is organizing the summit at Trident Oberoi Hotel in collaboration with the Indian Ministries of Health and Family Welfare and Overseas Indian Affairs.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA), Global Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (GAPIO), Indian Surgical Association and several other national and international organizations are also collaborating in the venture, according to an AAPI media release.

The summit, which is expected to have participation from some of the world's most well-known physicians and industry leaders, will focus on prevention, diagnosis, treatment options and share ways to truly improve healthcare transcending global boundaries.

"The coming together of so many of us today is to share our responsibility to the entire community, and help to give support and comfort particularly in the time of despair," said AAPI President Ravi Jahagirdar.

An AAPI Team is on its way to Mumbai to coordinate efforts with local organizers to deliver outstanding programs geared towards enhancing skills, providing training and enabling exchange of ideas and best practices between leading international experts.

"AAPI USA has been engaged in harnessing the power of Indian diaspora to bring the most innovative, efficient, cost effective healthcare solutions to India," said Seema Jain, President-Elect of AAPI.

"We are refocusing our mission and vision of GHS2015 to make a positive and meaningful impact on the healthcare in India," she said.

"For the first time, clinical practice workshops and Research Competition will be held at this summit."

"As part of the CEO Forum in Mumbai, CEOs from around the world from hospitals, teaching institutions and major healthcare sectors, including pharmaceutical, medical devices and technology, will join to explore potential opportunities for collaboration," Dr. Naresh Parikh, treasurer of AAPI said.

"This international health care summit is a progressive transformation from the first Indo-US Healthcare Summit launched by AAPI USA in 2007," said Dr Ajeet Singhvi, chairman, AAPI board of trustees.

Since then, AAPI has organized seven Indo-US/Global Healthcare Summits and developed strategic alliances with various organizations.

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Azam Khan denies sting claim over Muzaffarnagar riots

Appearing before a committee set up by the state assembly in the aftermath of the claim in a sting operation that the riots took place after Azam Khan asked police officials not to act against two Muslim men accused of killing two Hindu men when they protested  their sister's molestation.

Sources said the senior Samajwadi Party leader recorded his statement before the committee Wednesday. He told the committee members that he had "no role whatsoever" in the Muzaffarnagar riots. When asked if he had called up police officials before the riots, ordering release of the two Muslim men, the minister responded in negative.

He said the committee can seek details of his mobile number and the land line phone installed at his residence. The committee was formed after a television channel accused Azam Khan of interfering in police work and intervening to let go two Muslim men, accused of killing two Hindus.

The committee is being headed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Satish Nigam. Communal clashes broke out in western Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar, where over 63 people have been killed and thousands displaced. Raw footage of the sting has been sent to a forensic lab in Hyderabad for test and report.

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Repeat telecast in Maharashtra of Modi US speech under scanner: Election Commission

Congress had complained to the poll body that BJP had misused the speech for electoral gains by sponsoring its repeat telecast last week.

"It is under examination," DG in the Commission, PK Dash, told reporters when asked whether Election Commission had taken a decision in the matter.

But Election Commission sources said that any action against BJP was unlikely as, according to the report submitted by the Maharashtra Chief Electoral Officer, the telecast was cleared by the media monitoring committee which keeps a tab on media during the operation of the model code of conduct.

EC had recently said that it had found nothing Modi's radio broadcast 'Maan Ki Baat' which was violative of the model code.

Congress had moved Election Commission against the radio broadcast alleging that BJP had misused state machinery to further its electoral ends as the programme was aired when the model code was in force.

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Haryana hits a new high with voter turnout

The voting percentage is the highest ever in any assembly elections since Haryana became a state in 1966."This is the highest ever voting record in the history of Haryana's assembly polls since 1967," Haryana Chief Electoral Officer Shrikant Walgad informed.

The voter turnout has already put the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is taking its first shot at power in the state on its own, on victory course if the exit poll results are to be believed. The exit polls have given the BJP between 34 to 54 seats in the 90-member assembly. The results will be known after the vote count Sunday.

"The BJP will form the next government and the high voter turnout is a clear indicator that people in Haryana want a change. They were fed up with the scams, corruption and misrule of the last 10 years," said BJP leader Abhimanyu, who is a frontrunner in the race to be the next chief minister if the BJP comes to power.

The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), which has been given between 20 and 26 seats in the exit polls, too is confident after the high turnout. Out of Haryana's 21 districts, 15 districts recorded a voting percentage of 75 percent or more. Of these, six districts recorded heavy voter turnout of over 80 percent.

Sirsa district, which is the stronghold of the opposition INLD, recorded the highest polling of 84.2 percent. It was followed by Fatehabad district with a turnout of 83.2 and Kaithal with 82.2 percent voting.

The previous record for maximum polling at 72.65 percent in 1967 was broken.In the 2009 assembly polls, Haryana recorded nearly 72.29 percent voting. In the Lok Sabha polls earlier this year, Haryana saw a turnout of 71.86 percent.

The assembly constituency of Ellenabad in Sirsa district saw the highest voter turnout of 89 percent. It was followed by Rania at 87.9 percent, Sadhaura at 84.9 and Jagadhri at 84.7 percent. The high profile assembly seat of Uchana Kalan in Jind district saw a record  voting of 84.8 percent.

Here INLD candidate Dushyant Chautala, who is the current Lokk Sabha member from Hisar constituency and great-grandson of late former deputy prime minister Devi Lal, was pitted against Premlata Singh, wife of Jat leader Birender Singh who quit the Congress recently to join the BJP.

The National Capital Region (NCR) areas of Faridabad and Gurgaon were the ones which could not match up to the high voting percentage elsewhere in the state. Faridabad district recorded the lowest turnout in the state at 62.1 percent while Gurgaon was a shade better at 69.2 percent.

Badhkal (55.9 percent), Ballabhgarh (58) and Faridabad (59.7) assembly constituencies recorded the lowest turnouts in the state. Even Panchkula assembly segment, adjoining state capital Chandigarh, had a low turnout of 65.7 percent.

Gurgaon assembly constituency, adjoining the national capital, saw only 63.8 percent voting."The state's rural areas voted heavily. Details will be known later," one election official said.

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National Convention on ICT from December 10 in Hyderabad

The convention that will underline research, development and implementations of emerging ICT applications, is being organized by Computer Society of India (CSI) in association with Telangana government.
  
As part of the convention, a two-day student conference on December 10 and 11, a one-day e-Gov knowledge sharing session on December 12 and a three-day golden jubilee conference on 'ICT- Opportunities in Digital India' will be held, CSI Golden Jubilee Event 2014 Convenor K Mohan Raidu
told reporters in Hyderabad.

CSI also announced the creation of new CSI@50 global convention website  www.csi-2014.org. The website was unveiled and launched by Telangana Chief Secretary Rajiv Sharma.
   
Former President APJ Abdul Kalam will inaugurate ‘Student Conference- campus to Corporate and Beyond’. The golden jubilee conference will be inaugurated by Union Minister for Law and Justice and Communications and Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad, Mohan said.
   
The organizers have also announced a Hackathon competition for students, to be organized by HyderabadHackers.in. This will be held simultaneously in 30 colleges.

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Power supply partially restored, mobile services improve in Vizag

A senior official of Eastern Power Distribution Company of Andhra Pradesh Limited said two lakh power connections were likely to be restored on Thursday.

"Visakhapatnam and Srikakulam districts are ready to be provided with power supply. We are waiting for the transmission towers to be set right. ERS (emergency restore system) has been brought in from Chhattisgarh. By evening, power can be resumed to most parts of these two districts,"
the official said.

Power has been restored in 10 per cent of urban areas of Visakhapatnam district, Collector N Yuvaraj said.

A senior official of Indus Towers, a three-way joint venture between Airtel, Idea and Vodafone, said power supply has been provided to all strategic and important towers in East Godavari, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam.

Indus provides infrastructure facilities like towers and power supply to the three telecom service providers.

"East Godavari has been restored fully. In Srikakulam and Vizianagaram, power supply to the towers has been restored up to 80 percent. In Visakhapatnam, power supply has been restored to 70 percent of total 330 towers," the Indus official said.

The towers are now running with diesel generator supplied power, he said.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who has been camping in Visakhapatnam and other cyclone-hit districts to oversee relief operations, has said that essential commodities will be given free at all fair price shops in these districts.

The government is transporting vegetables from other districts in the state to Visakhapatnam to ensure that there is no shortage of supply.

Water was being supplied to the residents of Visakhapatnam by tankers and efforts were on to resume supply by pipelines, officials said.

Rail and bus services have already been restored to Visakhapatnam. The state disaster management department said in a statement that 35 people were reported killed in different rain-related incidents till yesterday evening.

Naidu had earlier put the rough estimate of losses at about Rs 70,000 crore due to the cyclone.

Source: News in Hindi and Newspaper

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