Congress wrests power in HP; BJP gets absolute majority in Gujarat Dec 20, 8:45 PM Congress gets absolute

majority in Himachal Pradesh and BJP in Gujarat.All the 6 8 results, except one have come in from Himachal Pradesh. The Congress has won 3 6 - BJP -25, Himachal Lokhit Party - one, and others five. Recounting is taking place in Bhatiyat constituency where BJP is leading. The Congress has gained by 13 seats whereas the BJP is loser by 16 seats. In the outgoing assembly, the Con gress had 23 seats and BJP 41. The BJP has conceded defeat in Himachal Pradesh with senior party leader Shanta Kumar saying that the BJP accepts the poll verdict. In Gujarat, all the 182 results are available, BJP has bagged 115 seats, Congres s 61, GPP two and others four. The Congress has gained by two seats while the BJ P is the loser by two seats. In the outgoing Gujarat assembly, BJP had 117 seats while the Congress 59. Congr ess ally NCP had three seats. JDU had one seat. The BJP retains power in the sta te for the fifth time in a row. Among prominent winners are - Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal both BJP, Speaker of Gujarat Assembly G anapatbhai Vasava, former Chief Minister and founder of Gujarat Parvartan Party, Keshubhai Patel, former Gujarat Home Minister Amit Shah, Himachal Congress Pres ident, Virbhadra Singh and Maheshwar Singh who left the BJP and formed Himachal Lokhit Party. Among losers are - Leader of Opposition in the outgoing Gujarat assembly, Shakti Singh Gihil, State PCC President Arjun Modhwadia and Gujarat Parivarthan Party General Secretary Govardhan Zadafiya. In Himachal Pradesh, prominent losers include several ministers including the In dustry Minister Kishan Kapoor, Food and Civil supply Minister Ramesh Dhawala, Ho rticulture and Health Minister Narendra Bragta and Forest Minister Khimi Ram. Fo rmer Assembly speaker and sitting MLA, Gangu Ram Musafir, Major Vijay Singh Mank otia and sitting MLA, Harshvardhan Chauhan all Congress have also lost the elect ion. Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has won from Maninagar constituency with a huge margin of 86,373 votes over his nearest rival Shweta Bhatt of Congress. AIR correspondent reports that leader of opposition in out-going assembly Shakti Singh Gihil has lost by a margin of over 18,000 votes in Bhavanagar rural const ituency. Congress ally NCP nominees have won two seats, Kutiyana and Umreth. Sam anbhai Jadeja from Kutiyan and Jayantbhai Patel from Umreth have been declared e lected. JDU candidate Chhotubhai Vasava has bagged Jhagadia seat. Former Chief Minister and founder of Gujarat Parivartan Party Keshu Bhai Patel h as been declared elected from Visabadar seat in Junagad district by margin of ov er 42 thousand votes. Party s nominee from Dhari constituency Ms. Kokilaben Kakadi ya has also been declared elected. Senior BJP leader and speaker of the state assembly Ganapatbahi Vasava has been declared elected from Vasava seat by a margin of more than 31 thousand votes. Former Gujarat Home Minister Amit Shah has won with a margin of more than 60,000 votes over his nearest rival Jitubhai Patel of Congress. From Rajkot South BJP`

s Govind patel won by a margin of 0ver 28 thousand votes. From Gariadhar constit uency BJP candidate Keshubhai Nakrani has won by over 16 thousand votes. Congres s candidate NathaBhai Bavkudhai has won lathi seat by margin of over 2000 votes. Gujarat Parivartan Party General Secretary and former Minister Gordhan Zadafiya has been defeated by his nearest BJP rival in Gondal seat. In Himachal Pradesh, Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal has won from Hamirpur cons tituency by a margin of 9302 votes. The Social Justice Minister Sarveen Choudhary has won the Shahpur seat by defeat ing the Congress candidate Major Vijay Mankotia by a margin of 3 thousand 123 vo tes. President of Himachal Lokhit Party, Maheshwar Singh has won the Kullu seat by de feating the BJP candidate Ram Singh by a margin of 2 thousand 859 votes. The BJP candidate and state General Secretary of the party Rajiv Bindal has defe ated his close rival of Congress Kush Parmar from Nahan constituency of Sirmour district by 12 thousand 840. Another BJP candidate from Gobind Singh Takur defea ted his close rival Congress candidate Bhuwaneshwar Goud by a margin of 3198 vot es. From Paonta Saheb seat of Sirmour district the independent candidate Kirnesh Jung has been declared winner. He defeated his close rival BJP candidate Sukh Ram by 790 votes who is also a si tting member of the assembly. From Sujanur, the independent candidate Rajender R ana has been declared elected with a margin of 24 thousand 674 votes. Congress candidate Kishori Lal has been declared elected from the Baijnath const ituency of Kangra district. He defeated BJP candidate Mulk Raj by 6652 votes. Th e Congress candidate Babbar Thakur defeated BJP candidate Suresh Chandel by a ma rgin of 5 thousand 141. The Congress candidate Khub Ram from Anni constituency o f Kullu district has won against the BJP candidate Kishori Lal by a margin of 16 62 votes. // Parliament adjourned sine die; passes seven bills Dec 20, 8:56 PM Both the Houses of Parliament were adjourned sine die on Thursday. The Winter Se ssion of Parliament had begun on the 22nd of last month. Summing up the Session, Speaker Meira Kumar said the House passed seven Bills including Unlawful activi ties, prevention amendment bill, Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill 2012 and discusse d Foreign Direct Investment in multi brand retail and Foreign Exchange Managemen t Act. Rajya Sabha Chairman Mohd Hamid Ansari said the Upper House could take up the Qu estion Hour only on 8 days during the session and passed two Constitution Amendm ent Bills. During the 20 sittings, the Lower House passed seven bills including Banking Laws Amendment Bill and the Companies Bill. It transacted business for a bout 62 hours while 59 hours were wasted due to forced adjournments. At the same time, the Upper House transacted 57 hours while 47 hrs got wasted due to disrup tions. Despite best efforts by the treasury benches, the Constitution Amendment Bill providing quota in promotions for SCs and STs which hogged the lime-light d uring the session could not be passed in the Lower House.. // India, ASEAN finalise FTA in services, investments

Dec 20, 8:27 PM India and the ade agreement mmerce of USD accountants, market. 10-member South East Asian Nations ,ASEAN have finalised a free tr in services and investments which targeted an ambitious two-way co 200 billion by 2022. The move would give Indian professionals like engineers and doctors to access to the 800 million Southeast Asian

Addressing the heads of States and Governments of the ASEAN grouping at the plen ary session of the Asean- India Commemarative Summit in New Delhi, Dr. Singh sai d, India has raised its comprehensive relationship with ASEAN to a strategic par tnership level extending mutual cooperation in diverse areas. He stressed for wo rking together for the evolution of an open, balanced, inclusive and transparent regional architecture. Dr. Singh said, the growing role and responsibilities of ASEAN and India in global affairs also called for increased consultation on a b roader range of international developments. Dr. Singh said the conclusion of negotiations of the INDIA-ASEAN Free Trade Agre ement on Services and investment is a milestone in the age old civilisational an d maritime links between the countries in the region. Dr. Singh said, ASEAN is k ey to peace and progress and the 1.8 billion people constitute one fourth of hum anity and a combined GDP of 3.8 trillion US Dollars. Prime Minister Manmohan Sin gh said, co-ordination and integration of economies will contribute to peace and security. Dr. Singh said, India see its partnership with ASEAN not merely as a reaffirmation of ties with neighbouring countries or as an instrument of economi c development, but also as an integral part of India s vision of a stable, secure and prosperous Asia and its surrounding Indian Ocean and Pacific regions. The Prime Minister has also urged ASEAN nations to intensify engagement for mari time security and safety and asked for peaceful settlement of maritime disputes in accordance with international law. Briefing newsmen the Extenal Affairs Minis ter Salman Khurshid has said that ASEAN leaders welcomed the successful conclusi on of the negotiation of India Asean free Trade Agreement in services and invest ment. // Chidambaram conferred with best administrator award

Dec 20 Finance Minister P Chidambaram has conferred with the best administrator in Indi a award for his contribution in pushing up the economic reforms as Finance Minis ter and strengthening the internal security system when he held the Home portfol io. Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari presented the award on Thursday to Mr C hidambaram at a function in New Delhi. The award has been instituted by K. Karunakaran Foundation in memory of the vete ran Congress leader and four-time Chief Minister of Kerala, K. Karunakaran. Spea king on the occasion, Mr. Ansari said the Finance Minister is not just an able a dministrator but also distinguished parliamentarian and erudite political leader who has rendered commendable service to the nation in a long and illustrious pu blic life. The Vice President also lauded Chidambaram's role in recent economic reforms. AIR correspondent reports, as finance minister, Mr. Chidambaram is presenting a dream budget in late 1990s which gave a road map for rms in India and lowered income and corporate tax rates. He is the ent of this award. Last year, the then Finance Minister Mr. Pranab conferred the award. credited with economic refo second recipi Mukherjee was

// Kerala HC allows Italian marines to go home for Christmas

Dec 20 The Kerala High Court has allowed two Italian marines, facing criminal trial on charges of killing two Indian fishermen 10 months back, to go home for two weeks to celebrate Christmas. However the Court on Thursday asked them to give a bank guarantee of Rs. Six crore and imposed stringent conditions. Disposing of the petition by the marines Latore Massimilliano and Salvatore Giro ne ,Justice P Bhavadasan said that the bail conditions can be modified if the Un ion government feels the undertaking by the Italian Ambassador and Italian Consu l General are acceptable and travel documents can be issued to them . The order added that their passports can be released on production of necessary travel documents for exit and re-entry and on filing of an unconditional underta king that they would return to India and surrender their passports at 3 pm on Ja n 10. The two marines were arrested from Italian vessel 'Enrica Lexie' on Februa ry 19 for allegedly shooting down two Indian fishermen off Alapuzha coast on Feb 15. // Prez Pranab hosts banquet for ASEAN leaders

Dec 20 President Pranab Mukherjee hosted a banquet in honour of the visiting Heads of S tates and governments of the Association of South East Asian Nations at the Rash trapati Bhavan on Thursday evening. The ASEAN leaders include, Prime Minister of Singapore, Li Hsien Loong, Presiden t of Myanmar Thein Sein, Prime Minister of Thailand, Yingluck Shinawatra, Presid ent of Indonesia, Mr. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Prime Minister of Malaysia Moham med Najib Abdul Razak, Prime Minister of Vietnam, Nguyen Tan Dung, Prime Ministe r of Lao PDR, Thongsing Thammavong, Prime Minister of Cambodia, Hun Sen, Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah and the Vice President of Philippines, Jejomar Jojo C.Binay. AIR correspondent reports, a cultural event depicting the long historic, civiliz ational ties between India and the ASEAN member states was also held on the occa sion at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. // Delhi govt to set up round the clock control room to help women in distress

Dec 20 Delhi government will set up a round the clock control room in the national capi tal to help women in distress. It will be functional in the Chief Minister's off ice at Delhi Secretariat by the end of this month with a dedicated phone number. The move comes following wide protest after the incident of a recent gang rape in the city. Delhi Chief Minister Mrs Shiela Dikshit said that her government has also decide d to get prepared a draft bill on making law against sexual harassment and assau

lt preventive and deterrent. She said that it has been decided to continue interaction with Delhi Police Comm issioner, women groups and other stakeholders on safety of women as yesterday's interaction with them proved to be useful in which various suggestions mooted. O n providing better treatment to the rape victim, Mrs Dikshit said that both cent ral and Delhi governments are ready to take her to any part of the globe for bet ter medical treatment. On the other hand, the doctors attending on the rape victim said that her condit ion is critical but stable. Talking to media in New Delhi, Medical superintenden t of the Safdarjung Hospital Dr B D Athani said that victim is still in ICU and is on ventilatory support. Talking to reporters outside Parliament, Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said that the government is pressing for stringent punishment for the accused so that it becomes a deterrent for others. He said that police will be more strict in d ealing with cases of sexual assault. Meanwhile, one of the four accused in the case has been identified by the victim 's friend during a Test Identification Parade at Tihar jail. Delhi police said t hat other three accused had refused to undergo TIP. Police have invoked the stri ngent charges of attempt to murder and destruction of evidence against the accus ed. AIR correspondent reports that protest and anger continued to erupt in the city with angry students holding demonstrations in several places of the city includi ng India Gate. // Sahitya Akademi Awards announced Dec 20 Booker-nominated Jeet Thayil and Bengali novelist Subrata Mukhopadhyaya are amon g 24 authors selected for this year's Sahitya Akademi Awards, which was dominate d by poets. Twelve of the 24 awards went to works of poets, which include K Sachitandandan ( Malayalam - Marannu Vacha Vazhikal), late Bal Krishna 'Bhaura (Dogri - Tim-Tim K arde Tare) and Makhan Lal Kanwal (Kashmiri - Yath Aangnaz Manz). A Sahitya Akademi release says, 12 books of poetry, six short story collections, four novels and one each of autobiography and criticism were selected for the a wards this year, two of them posthumously. The awards were given to books first published between January 2008 and December 2010. The award carries one lakh rup ees, engraved copper plaque and a shawl. // Banking operations partially affected as employees go on strike Dec 20 Banking operations in public sector banks across the country were partially affe cted as a section of employees went on a one-day strike on Thursday to protest b anking reforms. In metros, public sector bank branches were open because officer -level employees were not part of the strike. State Bank of India employees also stayed away from the strike. Meanwhile, Gener al-Secretary of All India Bank Employees Association C.H. Venkatachalam claimed

that the strike was successful. He said cash, forex and money market transaction s and clearing operations were affected in some places. // Parliament passes Banking Laws Amendment Bill 2012 Dec 20 Parliament has passed the Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill 2012 with the Rajya Sabh a adopting it on Thursday. The Lok Sabha has passed it earlier. The Upper House also adopted the Enforcement of Security Interest and Recovery of Debts Laws (Am endment) bill, 2012 after a brief discussion. Replying to the discussion on both the bills, Finance Minister P Chidambaram jus tified RBI as the regulator for banking industry. The Finance Minister paid trib utes to the management of the banking sector saying that not a single bank in th e country has so far collapsed whereas thousands of banks in the US have collaps ed. He said the Competition Commission of India will continue to deal with the anticompetitive practices. He appealed to the banking staff not to resort to strikes saying it is not desirable for the country economy. // Gen Bikram Singh visits Naval Headquarters in Colombo Dec 20 Chief of the Army Staff of India, General Bikram Singh on Thursday visited Naval Headquarters in Colombo and met Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy, Vice Admiral J ayanath Colombage. General Singh was accorded a Guard of Honour and warmly recei ved by the Commander of the Navy who introduced him to the Director Generals of the Sri Lanka Navy. According to a statement by Sri Lanka s Naval Headquarters, co rdial discussions on matters of mutual interests and bilateral importance were d iscussed at the meeting. Mementos were also exchanged to mark the visit. Earlier in the day, General Singh paid a courtesy call to Defence Secretary Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa. India s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Mr. Ashok K. Kantha and Commander of the Army Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya were also present at the occasion. // Railway to attach additional coach to clear rush during Poush Mela Dec 20 To clear the rush of passengers during Poush Mela at Shantiniketan, Eastern Railwa y will attach one additional general second class coach each to 12347/12348 Ramp urhat Express, 13017/13018 Ganadevata Express and 53063/53064 Barddhaman-Barharw a Passenger from 23rd to 26th of this month. Besides, Eastern Railway will make elaborate arrangements for coping up with the additional rush of passengers at Bolpur and Prantik stations in connection with Poush Mela from 23rd to 31st of this month. For the convenience of the passengers , additional booking counters will be opened at both Bolpur and Prantik stations so that passengers can book tickets easily during the Mela period. To profice first-aid, arrangement of a Railway doctor will be deputed there and First-aid booths will also be set up. To ensure cleanliness on the platforms and stations, sufficient number of safaiwalas will also be deputed there. Moreover,

to maintain law and order, adequate number of RPF personnel will be posted in t hose two stations during the Mela period. // China arrests almost 1,000 doomsday 'cult' members

Dec 20 Police in China have carried out further arrests of members of a doomsday cult f or spreading rumours about the imminent end of the world, state. Media said that almost 1,000 members of Christian group Almighty God have now been detained. St ate media terms Almighty God an evil cult, the same description it applies to th e banned Falun Gong group. The sect predicts Friday will usher in three days of darkness and has urged its members to overthrow communism. Its adherents believe 21 December is the last da y in the Mayan long count calendar and thus signifies the end of the world. The belief has gained considerable popularity in China where the film 2012 was a box office hit. // Hamid Karzai welcomes UK troop withdrawal plan

Dec 20 Afghan President Hamid Karzai has welcomed the announcement by British Prime Min ister to reduce its force level in Afghanistan. In a written statement issued by the President s Office in Kabul on Thursday, President Karzai has said that Afgha n forces are prepared to ensure security of their country. He also called the Br itain s announcement a timely decision for transferring the security responsibilit ies to Afghan forces. British Prime Minister David Cameron after long telephonic conversation with US President Barack Obama on Wednesday announced the withdrawal of around 5,200 Bri tish troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2013. Britain is the second largest c ontributor of the International Force in Afghanistan. There are 9,500 British tr oops working under the International Force. The combat mission of the US-led Int ernational Force in Afghanistan comes to an end by 2014. Currently the Internati onal Force in Afghanistan has more than 100,000 troops of which 68,000 are US so ldiers. Meanwhile more than 300,000 strong Afghan security forces are gradually assuming responsibility of defending their country from the foreign troops. // Russian Prez defends ban on US adoptions of Russian children

Dec 20 Russian President Vladimir Putin has defended a proposed ban on Americans adopti ng Russian children. At a live televised news conference Mr Putin said the bill, backed by Russian MPs on Wednesday, was appropriate. In US cases involving alle gedly mistreated Russian children, the authorities refused to let in Russian rep resentatives as observers, he said. The Russian bill is a response to the US Magnitsky Act, which bars entry to Russ ian alleged human rights violators. It follows several cases in which Russian ch ildren have apparently been mistreated by US adoptive parents.

Mr Putin said he still needed to read the Russian bill in detail, though he back ed it in principle. The rate of adoption in Russia is low. Some 3,400 Russian children were adopted by foreign families in 2011, nearly a third of them by Americans // 33 killed, 24 injured in Sudan road accident Dec 20 A bus collided with a mini-bus in Sudan's Al-Kamlin area, some 90 km south of th e capital Khartoum, leaving 33 people killed and 24 others injured, Khartoum's A l- Sahafa daily reported on Thursday. All 25 passengers on the mini-bus, along w ith eight passengers from the bus, were killed. Sudan's traffic accident rate is among the highest in the world, mainly due to c areless driving and poor infrastructure. A recent report by Sudan's Interior Min istry showed that 283 people were killed and 17,970 others injured in traffic ac cidents in 2012. // Afghan EC Chief urges scholars to play active role in elections Dec 20 Afghan Election Commission Chief Fazal Ahmad Manawi has said that religious scho lars had a pivotal role to convince and persuade people to take part in the elec tion process. Addressing a seminar of religious scholars from across Afghanistan in Kabul on Wednesday he said preparations for the 2014 Presidential elections in the country had already started. Manawi asked the religious teachers to persu ade people through their speeches to take part in the election process. The participants of seminar also stressed upon the need for active participation of women in the election process. They urged the Election Commission to make al l efforts for conducting a free, fair and transparent election in the country. A joint resolution passed at the end of the seminar called upon the people of Af ghanistan to take active part in the voter registration process and subsequent e lections. The seminar was jointly organized by the Ministry of Hajj and Awqaf, t he Election Commission and the Ulema council of Afghanistan. Presidential electi on in Afghanistan is scheduled for April 5, 2014. // Iraqi President arrives in Germany for treatment Dec 20 Iraqi President Jalal Talabani has arrived in Germany for further treatment afte r a reported stroke. Mr Talabani was reportedly rushed to the Baghdad Medical Ci ty on Monday evening. Iraqi officials conceded in private that his condition was serious and state television reported that he had suffered a stroke. A veteran of the Kurdish guerrilla movement, Mr Talabani is Iraq's first preside nt from the ethnic group. His illness comes at a time of heightened political te nsions between Iraq's Arab-led central government and the semi-autonomous Kurdis h region in the north. In recent weeks, he has been mediating in the dispute triggered by the governmen t's attempt to take greater control of security in oil-rich territory around the

city of Kirkuk, which is claimed by both Arabs and Kurds. // Three insurgents killed in Afghanistan Dec 20 Afghan army and the NATO-led coalition forces have killed three insurgents and d etained several suspects during operations across the country, as the joint forc es continue to put pressure on the militants, the coalition said on Thursday. Afghan and coalition security force killed Taliban leader, Mahjur, along with on e other insurgent, during a security operation in Nari district, Kunar province on Wednesday, a statement said. Separately, the joint forces during a security operation in search of a Taliban facilitator arrested 15 insurgents in Bati Kot district of Nangarhar province, e arlier on Thursday. // Haryana NRHM Director urges for effective implementation of RNTCP in state

Dec 20 The Mission Director of National Rural Health Mission, Haryana Dr Rakesh Gupta h as stressed the need for more effective implementation of Revised National Tuber culosis Control Programme (RNTCP) in the State. Dr Gupta was presiding over a State level third Quarter Review Meeting of Deputy Chief Medical Officers(TB) on Thursday. He also laid stress on more aggressive approach toward intensive education and communication activities under RNTCP wit h more and frequent dissemination of information. He also directed them to invol ve Indian Medical Association and private practitioners of all districts regardi ng notification of TB cases in private sector. // Manipur Deputy CM assures action in Momoko molestation case

Dec 20 Manipur Deputy Chief Minister, Gaikhangam has assured on Thursday in the state l egislative assembly that state Government will take stern action against culprit in the actress Momoko molestation case. He told the House that a team of senior police officials has already rushed to Chandel District to arrest the cadre of the NSCN (IM) who had allegedly molested and assaulted the Manipuri Film actress . He also said, the incident is really unfortunate and highly condemnable. Earlier, Leader of the Opposition in the state legislature I. Ibohalbi raised th e issue during the Zero Hour. Members across party lines urged the Government to book the culprit at the earliest. They also insisted that the incident should b e apprised to the Centre as it amounts to violation of cease fire ground rules b y the NSCN(IM) cadres. The incident took place on Tuesday last during a musical concert at Chandel. // Goa govt to pump in Rs150cr in mining belt for development work

Dec 20 Goa government has decided to pump in 100-150 crore rupees in various developmen tal works in mining belt of the state. Talking to reporters in Panaji, the Chief Minister Mr. Manoha r Parrikar it will help the people, affected due to mining closure, to have some source of livelihood. The state government is working out on a comprehensive pl an to implement progressive works in these areas. He said, initially, at least 1 2,000 people would be benefited in the form of various government contracts awar ded to them for implementation of these projects. An estimated over three lakh people are directly or indirectly affected with the mining closure following order of the Supreme Court. The apex court had halted the extraction and transportation o f ore in the state, pending inquiry by Central Empowered Committee (CEC). // HVPN signs agreement with PGCIL for leasing out optical fibres Dec 20 Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam(HVPN) Ltd. Signed a contract agreement with Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd. (PGCIL) at Panchkula on Thursday for leasing out optical fibres and providing Right of Way (ROW) for laying optical fibre in Gurg aon and Panchkula - Kunihar in Himachal Pradesh. With this agreement, the PGCIL would get additional reliability for their corporate office at Gurgaon and also connectivity in Panchkula area. For use of ROW/optical fibre, PGCIL will give mutually agreed rent as well as sp are optical fibres to HVPN for its exclusive use. The PGCIL has also agreed to p rovide 10 Mbps internet connectivity at Panipat free of cost to HVPN which would increase the speed as well as reliability of the System Load Dispatch Center (S LDC) website. The PGCIL is also executing the replacement and up-gradation of control centre a t SLDC Panipat along with other northern region constituents besides providing c onsultancy to HVPN for its SCADA expansion project . // Kerala declares entire state as drought affected

Dec 20 Kerala government has declared the entire state as drought affected. A decision to this effect was taken at a Disaster Management Authority meeting chaired by C hief Minister Oommen Chandy. The state will get Central assistance, as per the r epresentation submitted to the Cente. Central team had visited Kerala last Octob er for an on the spot assessment. Ministers have been entrusted with the respons ibility for district-wise evaluation. A proposal to bring all farmers under the Crop Insurance Scheme is being considered by the state government. Kerala government has also decided to approach Supreme Court to get its due shar e of water as per the Parambikulam-Aaliyar agreement with Tamil Nadu. This decis ion was taken by the state Cabinet at a meeting chaird by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy last night. Kerala Fisheries Minister K Babu said that the state government has decided to e xtend the term of the Fishermen Debt Relief Commission. He said, the moratorium on loan recovery proceedings on loan availed by fishermen for purchasing fishing implements, construction of houses, treatment and children's education has been extended upto 31st December next year. //

HuJi terrorist wanted in Kolkata shoe baron abduction case arrested

Dec 20 A HuJI terrorist wanted in the abduction case of shoe baron Partha Pratim Roy Bu rman in 2001, was arrested by the Special Task Force of the Kolkata Police late last night. According to Joint Commissioner of Police Rajeev Mishra, the ultra i dentified as Muijanur Rehman was apprehended during a raid in port area of the c ity. He said, some suspicious objects and pamphlets were found in his possession. Rehman was hiding in Bangladesh for about 12 years and was believed to have snea ked into Kolkata recently. // Legendary Hockey player Leslie Claudius passes away

Dec 20 Legendary hockey player and one of India's greatest Olympians Leslie Claudius, p assed away in Kolkata on Thursday afternoon after a prolonged illness. He was 85 -years-old and is survived by wife and son. Claudius was suffering from cirrhosi s of the liver and frequently needed hospitalization in the past couple of years . Claudius had three Olympic gold medals - London 1948, Helsinki 1952 and Melbourn e 1956. At Rome in 1960, he led India to a silver-medal finish. // Sahara-sebi case: Tribunal dismisses deadline extension plea

Dec 20 In the high-profile case involving repayment of money to bondholders of two Saha ra group firms, the Securities and Appellate Tribunal today dismissed a plea for extension of deadline for submitting investor documents to the market regulator Sebi.The appeal, filed a month ago on November 19 by Sahara Housing Investment Corporation and Sahara India Real Estate Corporation, was dismissed as specific directions have already been passed by the Supreme Court since then in this matt er. Hearing the plea this morning, the Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) obser ved that the appeal has become infructuous in light of the specific directions f rom the Apex Court. In a Supreme Court order dated August 31, the two companies were asked to submit the documents till November 10. However, in another order p assed on December 5, it asked the companies to submit the documents to Sebi with in 15 days, which period incidentally ends today. // PSB emloyees on nationwide strike to protest Banking Laws Bill

Dec 20 A section of public sector bank employees have gone on nationwide strike today t o protest the Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill. It has partially affected banking o perations in some banks. A press release says, employees of four bank unions par

ticipating in strike are from All India Bank Employees Association, Bank Employe es Federation of India, All India Bank Officers' Association and National Union of Bank Employees. AIR correspondent reports that the strike follows the Lok Sabha clearing Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill after the government dropped controversial provisions rel ating to allowing banks to trade in futures. The Bill is scheduled to be conside red by the Rajya Sabha today. The Bill paves the way for foreign investments in the sector and establishment of new private banks. The Bill will allow RBI to su persede boards of private sector banks and increase the cap on voting rights of private investors in Public sector banks to 10 per cent from 1 per cent. // Several govt. schemes to support SMEs: Mos Commerce

Dec 20 The government has said that it is implementing various schemes to support small and medium sector industries. Replying to questions in the Rajya Sabha, Ministe r of State for Commerce and Industry, D Purandeswari, however, said that the dec line in growth in the manufacturing sector can be attributed to both domestic as well as international factors which include Eurozone crisis and decline in exte rnal demand. She said, moderation in domestic demand, hardening of interest rate s, inflationary pressure and rising input cost were also factors for decline in this sector. Ms Purndeswari said, since 2009, adverse effects of large imports f rom China on domestic industry has been established in only two cases of rubber related products. // NMDC suffers over 745 cr revenue loss during 2007-10 Dec 20 Iron ore miner NMDC has suffered over 745 crore rupees revenue loss during 200710 for not revising the domestic prices of the steel-making raw material in line with prevailing market rates. The CAG in a report, tabled in Rajya Sabha today s aid due to non-revision of domestic prices by the NMDC in line with movement of market price, the company has suffered a revenue loss of nearly 755 crore rupees during 2007-10. AIR correspondent reports, during 2005-12, NMDC contributed 13 per cent of India 's iron ore production and met 26 per cent of the domestic iron ore demand. Last fiscal, it had sold 27.3 million tonnes iron ore valued at over 11,167 crore ru pees. // India calls upon ASEAN to boost maritime security India on Thursday called on Association of South East Asian Nations ASEAN nation s to intensify engagement for maritime security and safety, for freedom of navig ation and for peaceful settlement of maritime disputes in accordance with intern ational law. Addressing the heads of States and Governments of the ten nation ASEAN grouping at the plenary session of the India-Asean Commemorative Summit in New Delhi, Pri me Minister Manmohan Singh urged for greater regional cooperation to counter pir acy, responding to natural disasters and also for enhanced economic cooperation. Dr. Singh said, India is committed to raising the comprehensive relationship wit h ASEAN to a strategic partnership level extending mutual cooperation in diverse areas. Dr. Singh also stressed for working together for the evolution of an ope

n, balanced, inclusive and transparent regional architecture. He said, the growing role and responsibilities of ASEAN and India in global affa irs also called for increased consultation on a broader range of international d evelopments. Dr. Singh said the conclusion of negotiations of the INDIA-ASEAN Free Trade Agre ement on Services and investment is a milestone in the age old civilisational an d maritime links between the countries in the region. Dr. Singh said, ASEAN is k ey to peace and progress and the 1.8 billion people constitute one fourth of hum anity and a combined GDP of 3.8 trillion US Dollars. Prime Minister Manmohan Sin gh said, co-ordination and integration of economies will contribute to peace and security. Dr. Singh said, India see its partnership on of ties with neighbouring countries or nt, but also as an integral part of India ous Asia and its surrounding Indian Ocean with ASEAN not merely as a reaffirmati as an instrument of economic developme s vision of a stable, secure and prosper and Pacific regions.

Dr. Singh said, India supports the objective of an ASEAN Community by 2015 and w ill continue to be an active participant in the Initiative for ASEAN Integration and the ASEAN Master Plan on Connectivity. // Nuke-capable Prithvi-2 missile successfully testfired

India today sucessfully test-fired sophisticated indigenously developed surfaceto-surface nuclear capable Prithvi-II missile from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur off Odisha coast. The missile, with a strike range of 350-km, was test -fired at 0921 this morning from launch complex number-III of ITR. The trial was conducted in order to gauge the effectiveness of the weapon in a r eal time situation. The state-of-the-art missile, capable of carrying both nucle ar and conventional warheads, has a length of 9 metres and is one metre in diame ter with liquid propulsion twin engine. It can carry a payload weighing between 500 kg and 1,000 kg depending on the range for which it is launched. It is equip ped with sophisticated navigation system. The Army is already armed with this mi ssile, which uses liquid propellants. During today's test-firing several radars and electro-optical tracking systems, located along the coast of Odisha, tracked the missile s path and evaluated its parameters in real time. The tracking statio ns confirmed the successful completion of the flight s terminal event. // India-ASEAN summit begins in New Delhi The two day India and the Association of South East Asian Nations, (ASEAN) comme morative summit begins in New Delhi on Thursday evening for enhanced cooperation in diverse areas, including trade and commerce, energy, security and cultural c onnectivity. Discussions are also on by trade ministers of India and the ten nat ion ASEAN grouping to conclude negotiations for a free trade agreement. The Summ it, commemorates the 10th anniversary of the summit-level meeting between ASEAN and India and the 20th anniversary of sectoral dialogue partnership between the two sides. President Mr Pranab Mukherjee is hosting a banquet in honour of the visiting ASE AN heads of States and Governments at the Rashtrapati Bhavan this evening. All I ndia Radio will broadcast live the inaugural function of the Summit from Rashtra pati Bhavan at 7 PM today. It can be heard on Indraprastha Channel and additiona l Frequencies. AIR correspondent reports, the Summit is expected to conclude with a formal anno

uncement of the conclusion of negotiations on a free trade agreement on services and investment. ASEAN-India trade has been growing over 22 percent during the l ast six years. Since the signing of the ASEAN-India trade in goods agreement in 2009 and its implementation since last year, bilateral trade during 2011-12 has increased by more than 37 percent. // Centre to enact stringent law to deal with sexual assault: Shinde

The Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde today said the Centre is going to enact st ringent law to deal with sexual assault. Speaking to reporters outside Parliamen t, he said the government will not spare anyone in this regard. // National Consumer Helpline recieves 10,153 consumer-related calls last month The National Consumer Helpline has received 10,153 telephonic calls on consumerrelated issues during the last month. It also received 1,478 complaints through the online complaint system. A maximum of 2430 calls were received from Delhi fo llowed by Uttar Pradesh , Maharashtra and Haryana . Our correspondent reports, c onsumers from across the country can access the toll free National Consumer Helpline number an d seek telephonic counseling for their problems. The number is - 1800 11 400. Th e helpline also provides information, advice and guidance on consumer issues. Co mplaints can also be registered on the website - www.nationalconsumerhelpline.in // Top priority for sanitation says Rural Dev Mini Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh today said government has been giving t op priority to sanitation which is fundamental to the health and well being of t he people. Replying to supplementaries in the Lok Sabha, he said Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan is b eing implemented in 39,000 gram panchayats this fiscal. He said two lakh fifty thousand gram panchayats in the country will be made open defecation free within the next decade. Mr Ramesh declared Sikkim to be the first state in the country to be declared op en defecation free. He said Kerala will be declared open defecation free state w ithin the next couple of days, to be followed by Himachal Pradesh in April next year. // 2400 cr earmarked for MSME: Govt The government today said that 24 thousand crore rupees have been earmarked duri ng the 12th Plan for the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, MSME, sector in th e country. Replying to supplemenatries in the Lok Sabha, the Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises K H Muniyappa said five lakh new enterprises will be created during the 12th Plan period, generating 40 lakh employment opportunities. He said the government is implementing various schemes including technology upgr adation and skill development to promote MSMEs in the country. // RS discussing Unlawful Activities Prevention Amendment Bill 2012

The Rajya Sabha is now discussing on the Unlawful Activities Prevention Amendmen t Bill 2012. Yesterday, the Home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde introduced the bil l in the House. The Lok Sabha has passed the bill earlier. // Various steps taken for expenditure reforms to improve macroeconomic environment : FM The government today said it has taken various steps towards expenditure reforms like rationalisation of expenditure and optimization of available resources wit h a view to improve macroeconomic environment. Replying to questions in the Rajy a Sabha, Finance minister P Chidambaram said government has also introduced medi um term expenditure framework statement setting forth a three year rolling targe t for expenditure. He informed the House that the central plan scheme monitoring system would be expanded to facilitate better tracking and utilisation of funds released by the central government. The Finance minister said, to mitigate the adverse effects of petroleum price rise, hike in prices of other commodities and the huge crisis in the global financial system during 2008-09, the government h ad to explore suitable fiscal as well as policy options. Mr Chidambaram said the fiscal measures undertaken through tax concessions and increased expenditure si gnificantly impacted the deficit position of the government. He said as a result of this, fiscal deficit of the government increased from 2.5 per cent of GDP in 2007-08 to 6.5 per cent in 2009-10. // Nigeria Navy sends rescue ship to trace Indians abducted by pirates Nigerian Navy has sent a rescue ship to trace five Indians who were abducted by pirates from a German oil tanker off the coast of the country's notorious Niger Delta region. The Navy spokesman Commodore Kabiru Aliyu said, the Navy will inve stigate the ship where it is at present anchorage and if it is confirmed that th e oil vessel was attacked, they will go after the pirates and rescue the kidnapped crew members. According to the ship's operators, heavily armed pirates attacked and looted an oil vessel off the coast of Niger delta region on Monday , kidnapping five Indian sailors on board // Ireland's health watchdog to probe death of Indian denied abortion Ireland's health watchdog will begin a probe into the death of Indian dentist Sa vita Halappanavar who died after being refused an abortion. The announcment was made two days after the government decided to legalise abort ions when the mother's life is at risk. Health Information and Quality Authority, a government-funded healthcare agency spokesman said, it will complete and publish its investigation as soon as possib le. Savita died at Galway University Hospital on 28th October this year. // Human Rights Watch welcomes trial of exiled Chadian leader Human rights activists have welcomed a significant step by Senegal towards putti ng the exiled former Chadian leader, Hissene Habre, on trial. Human Rights Watch said the decision by Senegal to set up a special tribunal to try Mr Habre on ch arges of killing and torturing tens of thousands of opponents was a victory for his victims. Mr Habre is currently under house arrest in Senegal where he fled a fter being deposed in 2005.

// Centre working on new affordable housing scheme for EWS The Centre is working on a new scheme of affordable housing for the economically weaker sections in urban areas. The plan will be different from the UPA governm ent's flagship JNNURM, one of the two sub-missions which the ministry of housing and urban poverty alleviation is anchoring. Apart from housing, the new scheme would also have a component to provide a clutch of services such as skill develo pment, water supply and drainage system to the urban poor. Housing minister Ajay Maken has sought allocation of more than 60,000 crore rupees for the scheme, wh ich is expected to be ready by the next financial year. The ongoing projects under JNNURM I would continue and no new fresh project woul d be assigned under the mission. According to ministry officials, National Urban Livelihoods Mission NULM, for wh ich an allocation to the tune of 20,000 crore rupees has been sought, would be t arget-oriented with specific focus on the primary issues pertaining to urban pov erty such as skill up-gradation. // N.Korea long-range rocket grave threat to security: New S. Korea Prez The new South Korean President, Park Geun-hye, says her country faces what she c alls a grave security reality as a result of North Korea's long-range rocket lau nch last week. Miss Park is the first female President of South Korea. Opponents have questioned how serious Miss Park is about seeking warmer ties with the Nor th, something she said she would pursue cautiously while in power. Miss Park als o said she would try to promote reconciliation, cooperation and peace in the reg ion, her comment that is seen as directed towards Japan where a new right-wing g overnment has been elected. // GCC summit gets underway in Bahrain The six nation Gulf Co-operation Council, GCC Summit gets underway in Bahrain Ca pital Manama on Monday. The Heads of States from the six gulf nations Bahrain, K uwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Saudi Arabia will discuss enhancing mutual co-operation in strategic and financial sectors during the two day summit. Ahead of the summit, the Bahrain Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmadbin Mohammad Al Khalifa said in Manama that the proposal of Gulf Union is not on the agenda this time. GCC Secretary-General Dr Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani said that th e summit is important in the wake of local and regional challenges and come out with important decisions. GCC Foreign Ministers will meet on Sunday in the run u p to the summit to prepare for the joint co-operation in various sectors. // UK's powerful new telecom satellite for military use in orbit A powerful new telecommunications satellite for the UK military has blasted into orbit. The five-tonne Skynet-5D platform was sent up on an Ariane rocket from t he Kourou spaceport in French Guiana. It complements three others already in ope ration, enabling British forces to stay connected over most of the globe. The Sk ynet system, which includes the radio equipment deployed on ships, on vehicles a nd in the hands of troops, is the UK's single biggest space project. The first t hree spacecraft in the Skynet series were launched in 2007-2008. They all match the sophistication of the very latest civilian platforms used to pass TV, phone and internet traffic, but have been hardened for military use. // Preparations on for second round of voting in Egypt referendum

In Egypt, preparations are on for the second round of Constitutional referendum scheduled on Saturday .Voting will be held in 17 provinces. However the second r ound of referendum has run into trouble amid allegations of large scale poll vio lations in the first round, boycott of supervision by most of the top judges, re signation by the top election official and rallies in support and against the co nstitution. The Secretary General of the Election Committee, Zaghloul Al-Balshi has resigned on health grounds. A group of top judges from the State Judicial Co uncil have announced boycott of the supervision. Even the order of a probe into the poll irregularities in the first round has not been able to mollify the oppo sition. Our correspondent reports that the second round preparations got a jolt with the resignation of the Secretary General of the Election Committee, Zaghloul Al-Bal shi on health grounds. A group of top judges from the State Judicial Council hav e announced boycott of the supervision. Even the order of a probe into the poll irregularities in the first round has not been able to mollify the opposition. // Cameron announces withdrawal of 3,800 British troops from Afghanistan by 2013 British Prime Minister David Cameron has announced the withdrawal of about 3 800 t roops from Afghanistan by the end of 2013. He told lawmakers that around 5 000 Bri tish troops would remain in Afghanistan in 2014. The announcement comes after a lengthy video call between David Cameron and President Barack Obama. Cameron sai d that Britain would continue to support Afghanistan by contributing about 70 mi llion pounds a year to help pay for the Afghan National Security Forces. Meanwsh ile British Defense Secretary Philip Hammond has said that the withdrawal of Brit ish troops from Afghanistan would start in next April. // Separate devpt board for backward areas of erstwhile H'bad K'taka region Parliament has passed the Constitution Amendment Bill to set-up a separate devel opment board for the backward areas of the erstwhile Hyderabad-Karnataka region with the Rajya Sabha approving it yesterday. All 163 members present in the House voted in favour of the Bill. The Lok Sabha had passed it unanimously on Tuesday. Six districts of Gulbarga, Bidar, Raichur, Koppal, Yadgir and Bellary in Karnataka will now benefit from equitable allocat ion of funds for their upliftment. // KPCC president Chennithala says Kerala rejects Madhav Gadgil report Kerala Pradesh Congress Committe President Ramesh Chennithala has said Kerala do es not approve the Madhav Gadgil Committee report. In a statement in Thiruvanant hapuram last night, he said he will request the Prime Minister and Environment M inistry to reject the Gadgil Committee report, which will make peoples life mise rable. Representatives of political parties, panchayat committee members and far mers representatives of Idukki district will hold a fast before the Martyrs colu mn in Thiruvananthapuram tomorrow. // UP encephalitis toll mounts to 589 In Uttar Pradesh, the encephalitis toll this year has mounted to 589 as one more child has succumbed to the disease during past twenty four hours in BRD Medical College Hospital of Gorakhpur. Two more children suffering from encephalitis ha s been admitted to the hospital. Quoting official sources, our Gorakhpur corresp ondent reports that this year, 3496 encephalitis patients have been admitted to different government hospitals of Gorakhpur and Basti divisions. At present, ove

r 40 patients are being treated in BRD Medical College Hospital. // 650 J&K panchayats identified for Nirmal Abhiyan Bharat Scheme In Jammu and Kashmir, around 650 Panchayats would be identified for Nirmal Bhara t Abhiyan scheme to ensure defecation free environment in villages. The informat ion was given at a review meeting of the Rural Development Department convened u nder the chairmanship of the Jammu and Kashmir Minister for Rural Development Al i Mohammad Sagar yesterday. The Minister also directed the officers to identify the model districts for taking up the newly launched National Rural Livelihood M ission (NRLM) so that the youth of the rural areas can get new avenues of earnin g their livelihood. The meeting was told that in the State, an amount of 400 cro re rupees has been spent under MGNREGA till date. // Today is International Human Solidarity Day Today is International Human Solidarity Day. The day is observed to raise public awareness on the importance of solidarity in fighting poverty. Solidarity is on e of the fundamental values of international relations in the 21st Century, wher ein those who benefit least, deserve help from those who benefit most. Many even ts are being organised across the country today to debate the ways to promote so lidarity and find innovative methods to help eradicate poverty // ASEAN- India Special Commemorative Summit begins today in Delhi The President Mr Pranab Mukherjee will receive visiting heads of States of the A ssociation of South East Asian Nations, ASEAN in New Delhi today. The visiting l eaders are coming to participate in two-day ASEAN- India Special Commemorative S ummit beginning today in the national capital. The Sultan of Brunei Darussalam, the President of Indonesia and Myanmar, the Vice-President of Philippines and th e Prime Ministers of Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam a re among the Heads of State who will arrive at Rashtrapati Bhavan to meet Mr. Mu kherjee. The Vice-President Mohd. Hamid Ansari and Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh will also be present during the function. The President will host a cultur al event and banquet in honour of the visiting Heads of State. Our correspondent reports that New Delhi is hosting the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit to mark the 20th anniversary of the ASEAN-India dialogue partnership and the 10th annive rsary of ASEAN-India Summit-level partnership. The theme of the summit is ASEANIndia Partnership for Peace and Shared Prosperity. All India Radio will broadcast live the inaugural function of the Summit from Ra shtrapati Bhavan at 7 PM today. It can be be heard on Indraprastha Channel and a dditional Frequencies. // Thousands of students protest in Hungary against govt edu policy Thousands of students have taken to the streets in the Hungarian capital for the second time this week to protest against the Government's education policy. The protests in front of Parliament in Budapest and on the city's landmark, the Chain Bridge, came in spite of concessions from the Government yesterday. High school and university students have been marching for two weeks in a series of protests. The Prime Minister's spokesman yesterday confirmed that the former figure of 50 thousand plus free University places would be restored, one of the protesters' key demands. But, the students are also pushing for a comprehensive reform of secondary and u

niversity education and the abolition of a new regulation tying free places to w orking in the country after graduation. // Unlawful Activities Prevention Amendment Bill introduced in RS

The Home Minister on Wednesday introduced the Unlawful Activities Prevention Ame ndment Bill in the Rajya Sabha. It redefines a terrorist act to include offences threatening the country's econo mic security. Mr. Sushil Kumar Shinde said the proposed amendments are intended to remove the infirmities in the existing legislation. Highlighting the salient features of the bill, the Home Minister said the amendm ents are meant to nab offenders who procure weapons, raise funds for terrorist a ctivities and counterfeit Indian currency. The bill grants additional powers to courts to attach the properties of offender s. The Lok Sabha had passed the bill earlier. // Govt announces measures to check cases of sexual assault on women The Government has announced a host of measures to instill confidence among the people shocked by the recent incident of gang rape in the national capital. Making a statement in both Houses of Parliament, Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shin de yesterday said that the Delhi Police will launch a crackdown on buses having tinted with glass and heavy curtains. Apart from this, the driver s licence and al l details along with a photo shall have to be displayed in all vehicles. Later in the day, the Prime Minsiter Dr Manmohan Singh directed the Home Ministe r to ensure that rape incidents do not recur in future. Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court has accepted the proposal of the city Government to set up five Special Fast Track Courts in the national capital to deal with c ases of sexual assault on women expeditiously. // WHO suspends Pak polio campaign after volunteers killed World Health Organisation has suspended its polio vaccination campaign in Pakist an after a series of attacks that left volunteers dead. The WHO and UNICEF halte d work on a three-day nation-wide vaccination campaign yesterday after four fema le workers were killed in Karachi and one in Peshawar. No group has claimed resp onsibility but Taliban had earlier issued threats against the campaign saying it was a cover for spying. // Asian Champions Hockey: India meet China in their opening match at Doha India will take on China in their opening match of the Second Asian Champions Tr ophy Hockey tournament at Doha today. The selectors have retained the same 18-me mber Indian team that played the Champions Trophy tournament in Melbourne. The s ide will be led by star midfielder Sardar Singh. Drag-flicker VR Raghunath will be the Vice-Captain. Besides India and China, the other participating nations are Pakistan, Oman, Mal aysia and Japan. In today's other fixtures, Pakistan will take on Oman, while Ma laysia will meet Japan.

// Parl passes Constitution Amendment Bill Parliament has passed the Constitution Amendment Bill to set up a separate devel opment board for the backward areas of the erstwhile Hyderabad-Karnataka region with the Rajya Sabha approving it today. All the 163 members present in the Hous e voted in favour of the Bill. The Lok Sabha had passed it unanimously on Tuesday. Six districts of Gulbarga, B idar, Raichur, Koppal, Yadgir and Bellary in Karnataka will now benefit from equ itable allocation of funds for their upliftment. //