1400 HRS
1st January , 2013

THE HEADLINES:

• Government rolls out Direct Transfer of Benefits in 20 districts in the first phase.
• Severe cold wave continues to grip North India; 21 flights and 12 trains cancelled due to dense fog.
• Kingfisher Airline loses its permit to fly after a deadline to renew its suspended licence expires.
• Sensex gains over 150 points in afternoon trade; Rupee gains 24 paise,  to 54.75 against the dollar in late morning trade.

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The government has rolled out Direct Transfer of Benefits into beneficiaries accounts in 20 districts today in 16 states including Punjab, Andhra Pradesh,Karnataka and Kerala. The scheme aims at providing benefits of several government welfare schemes directly to the beneficiaries’ bank accounts to plug leakages and reduce delays in their transfer.  The scheme will begin in 11 more districts from the 1st of February and in another 12  districts from 1st of March this year. Initially there will be a direct benefit transfer in 7 schemes. These include pre-matric scholarships for SCs and post-matric scholarships for SCs, STs and OBCs, the  Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahayata Yojana and stipend to SCs and STs for coaching-cum-guidance and vocational training. The scheme will benefit around two lakh people in the country. Food, fertiliser, diesel and kerosene subsidies are not covered under the scheme.  It will be rolled out in phases in other parts of the country during 2013 after its successful implementation in 43 districts.  
The  Scheme will be launched in Puducherry district tomorrow. Talking to All India Radio Puducherry Union Territory Chief Secretary ,Mrs.Sathyavathi said today being a holiday for Banks in Puducherry, the scheme will be launched from Wednesday. 

Puducherry is one of the districts covered under the direct transfer of cash scheme and out of the 34 schemes, identified  by the  Government of India, we are implementing 15 schemes and covering about 14356 beneficiaries.  We have already opened account and as far as Aadhar number is concerned, about 7381 beneficiaries have been ceded with the Account Number.

Three of the districts identified in Punjab for Direct Transfer of Benefits include Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar also known as Nawan Shehar, Gurdaspur and Fatehgarh Sahib. Our correspondent gives the details.     
 
Post Matric Scholarship for Scheduled Cast students is the scheme given to these districts. Nawan Shehar is the district where this scheme has started from today whereas in Gurdaspur it will start in February and in Fatehgarh Sahib, it will begin in March. Fatehgarh Sahib has also been selected for Dhan Laxmi Yojna which would benefit 8000 persons.  Nawan Shehar Deputy Commissioner, Mrs. Tanu Kashyap has told AIR that about 5500 beneficiaries had been identified for the scholarship scheme and she said that the district is also ready with four more such schemes. Fatehgarh Sahib has identified about 1400 and Gurdaspur has identified more than 2900 student beneficiaries. -Rajesh Bali/AIR News/Jalandhar.

North India continues to remain in the grip of severe cold wave. The national capital ushered in the New Year with bone chilling cold and dense fog today as the mercury dipped to the season's lowest of four degree Celsius, three notches below average. The day's maximum temperature is likely to touch 14 degree Celsius. Dense fog enveloped the city in the morning hours affecting road, rail and air traffic. 21 flights and 12 trains were cancelled while 39 trains were running late by several hours.  
The maximum temperature yesterday stood at 13.3 degree Celsius, seven degrees below normal while the minimum was 5.5 degrees Celsius, two notches below average for this time of the season.

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Uttar Pradesh is still in the grip of an intense cold wave.  Muzaffarnagar remained the coldest place where the minimum temperature recorded was 4 degrees Celsius. The met office has predicted fog and chilly winds during the next twenty four hours.  The death toll due to the cold wave has mounted to 97. Our correspondent has filed this report:-
 
The people in eastern UP have come out to enjoy the first sunny day of new year. The sky is clear with mild sunshine in Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Azamgarh, Basti and adjoining districts. However, the people are heavily clad in woolens due to chilly wind. The crowd in markets and roads is thin. Railway platforms are still crowded as the people are waiting fog delayed train. The met office has predicted dry weather across the state and fog at some places during night. Salman Haider/AIR new/ Gorakhpur

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Cash strapped  Kingfisher Airlines has lost its permit to fly after a deadline to renew its suspended licence expired. Directorate-General of Civil  Aviation,DGCA, chief Arun Mishra told a news agency that Kingfisher’s flying permit has lapsed. Referring to Kingfisher’s revival plan submitted to the DGCA last  month Mishra   informed that the airlines  failed to provide additional details on the funding of operations. However,Kingfisher Spokesman Prakash Mirpuri said in a statement  that  there is no cause for concern as the rules allow for  the renewal of a permit within two years of expiry.
The news is a fresh blow for the debt-laden carrier whose operations have  been grounded since October after employees went on strike over unpaid wages. Kingfisher, controlled by liquor baron Vijay Mallya, owes millions of  dollars to banks, airports, fuel suppliers and its staff and has been looking  for a foreign investor to inject fresh funds.
The firm has been the worst-hit of India’s airlines in 2012, with the  industry plagued by high jet fuel prices, fierce competition, price wars and  shabby airport infrastructure.

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Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde today said that  he has written letters to all political parties asking them to send their suggestions on  laws relating to crimes against women to the Justice JS Verma Committee. Talking to reporters in New Delhi, Mr Shinde, however, refused to comment on the opposition's demand for an all-party meeting to discuss the issue. Our correspondent reports, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram had yesterday dismissed the BJP's demand to convene a special session of Parliament to pass stringent laws on crimes against women.

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The post-mortem report of the 23-year-old Delhi gang -rape victim,is expected today following her death in a Singapore hospital. The young woman died on Saturday in a hospital in Singapore and the autopsy was done in that country before her body was brought back to India for the last rites.   
The report is expected to be sent by the Mount Elizabeth Hospital where she died and is expected to be handed over to the Delhi Police. It will be one of the most crucial pieces of evidence in the case the Delhi Police is building against the six men accused of raping and torturing the young woman in a moving bus in Delhi on December the 16th.  The police is also reportedly ready with the first draft of its chargesheet. The chargesheet is likely to be submitted in a Delhi court on Thursday.

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Peaceful protests continue in the national capital to demand the severest punishment for the culprits in the gang rape case of a paramedical student. Dozens of protesters comprising student groups and women activists are gathered at Jantar Mantar to press for the  safety and security of women in the city. 

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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalaithaa has announced today that women’s fast track courts will be set up in all districts of Tamil Nadu for the speedy trial of cases including rape and sexual offences against women. She said that women advocates will be appointed as public prosecutors in these courts. In a statement she said that sexual offences against women will be brought under the Goondas Act. 

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The Nanavati-Mehta commission probing the 2002 Gujarat riots has been granted yet another extension by the State Government. Mr.C.G.Patel- Secretary of the commission confirmed this last evening. He said that the term of the commission has been extended for another six more months, till 30th of June 2013. Our Ahmedabad Correspondent reports that this is 19th extension in over a decade. 
The Commission was set up on the 3rd of March 2002 as one-member probe panel with retired HC judge K G Shah with mandate to probe the train burning incident of 27th February 2002. However, in May 2002, retired judge of Supreme Court G T Nanavati was appointed chairman of the commission and the Government asked it to probe post-Godhra riots too. In 2004, the state government widened the scope of its inquiry empowering it to question ministers including the chief minister. 

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In the Kashmir valley, authorities have today lifted curfew from Pulwama town even though the situation there continues to be tense. Curfew was imposed in the town and the adjoining villages on Friday following a firing incident in which nine civilians were injured. There have been some incidents of stone-pelting today and the town is observing a shut down. Government has already ordered a Magisterial inquiry into the firing incident involving security forces.                    

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Opening the first day of 2013 on a promising note, the Sensex at the Bombay Stock Exchange rose 132 points, or 0.7 per cent, to 19,559 in early trade, today, on renewed buying by funds and retail investors. Later, the Sensex gained further ground, to   stand 157 points, or 0.8 per cent in the green, at 19,584 in afternoon deals, a short while ago.
Key regional stock markets are closed for a public holiday, today. But Wall Street's Dow Jones Industrial Average had jumped 1.3 per cent in yesterday's trade. 

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The Rupee stabilised further against the American currency in late morning trade by surging 24 paise to 54.75  a dollar on persistent selling of dollar by banks and exporters on the back of sustained capital inflows despite a firm dollar overseas.The rupee resumed higher at 54.83 a dollar as against the last closing level of 54.99 a dollar at the Interbank Foreign Exchange Market.   

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Road safety week focusing on the pitfalls of drunken driving began across the country today. The theme of the campaign is ‘Stay Alive, Don’t Drink and Drive’. Road and Highways minister, CP Joshi has appealed to all stakeholders to join hands with the government in its efforts to make roads safer and develop a sustainable road transport system in the country. He said, the objective of the week is to give everyone an opportunity to promote road safety in their communities, schools, work places and on the roads in general.
Our correspondent reports, over 1.42 lakh people have been killed in 2011 whereas, nearly 5 lakhs road accidents have been reported so far.[]><><><[]
 In Madhya Pradesh, the year 2013 will be observed as Information Technology or IT Empowerment Year. Our correspondent reports that several steps would be taken to boost the IT sector during the year.
 
"All MoUs signed in IT sector will be implemented during IT Empowerment Year. Work will be undertaken for development of new IT parks in Bhopal and Indore. Electronic manufacturing hubs will be established at Bhopal, Indore, Gwalior and Jabalpur. Rural women will be given IT training while maximum number of government officers and employees will be made IT-savvy. Besides this IT cadre will be developed for making available skilled human resources from state to block level. Shariq Noor, Air News, Indore."