2100 HRS

4th January , 2013

THE HEADLINES:

• Home Minister says there is unanimity among states to set up fast-track courts for speedy disposal of cases of sexual assault on women.

• CNG prices hiked by one rupee and 55 paise per kilogram in Delhi from midnight.

• Supreme Court agrees to set up a panel to probe encounter killings in Manipur.

• Cold wave continues in Northern India; 7 more deaths reported from Uttar Pradesh in the last 24 hours.

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Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde today said there is unanimity among states to set up fast-track courts for speedy disposal of cases of sexual assault on women. Briefing media after chairing a conference of Chief Secretaries and Directors General of Police, of states in New Delhi Mr Shinde expressed concern over the low rate of conviction in cases of crimes against women.

I specifically mentioned that why conviction is low. There are so many cases we have registered, so I said that the time has come to introspect, not only introspect but we have to be very strict as far as the investigation is concerned.

The minister said that 10 women police constables and 2 sub inspectors will be posted in every police station in Delhi.

For the recruitment of 2,108 lady police personnel, out of that 418 Sub-Inspectors that comes to two women Sub-Inspector in each police station along with 10 police women.

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Replying to a question, Mr Shinde said, there was a general consensus in the meeting on the definition of juvenile by bringing the age bar to 16 years from 18 years.

The day-long conference convened by the Centre in the wake of the gang rape of a girl in Delhi, discussed threadbare various ways to check crime against women and take steps for their protection.

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The eight accused in the death of Constable Subhash Tomar during the anti-rape stir in the capital today moved the Delhi High Court seeking the quashing of an FIR against them for murder and rioting offences. They claimed that they have been falsely implicated without an iota of evidence.

Taking note of the plea, the High Court asked the city police to file within a week a status report on its probe into the circumstances leading to the death of Tomar.

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The Supreme Court today invited 'Khap Panchayats' to hear their views before issuing any order to stop them from harassing and killing couples, particularly women in name of family honour for entering into inter-caste or intra-gotra marriages. The Centre, however, fervently pleaded with the apex court to put in place a mechanism to monitor crimes against women by Khap Panchayats, the caste-based councils, as police have not been able to protect the women.

A bench of the apex court said Khap Panchayats can come before it on the next date of hearing on the 14th of this month.

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The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High court today ordered the state government to make the lodging of FIRs related to crime against women online. Passing the order while hearing a PIL in this regard, the bench of Justice Umanath Singh and Justice V K Dikshit also directed the state government to file its reply on the issue.

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A special women police force of 200 personnel will be constituted in Arunachal Pradesh. This was announced today by chief minister Nabam Tuki in a press conference at Itanagar. Mr. Tuki also said that an all womens police station in the capital Itanagar will be opened this year.

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The Supreme Court today decided to appoint a commission comprising former apex court judge Santosh Hegde, former Chief Election Commissioner J M Lyngdoh and a senior police officer to hold an inquiry into the fake encounter killings in Manipur.

A bench of the apex court however, said it would pass the formal order on Monday after getting assents from Justice Hegde and Mr. Lyngdoh.

The commission will be holding enquiry in six cases where the magisterial inquiry raised question on the genuineness of the encounters. The court was hearing a PIL by an association of the families of the alleged victims, pleading with the apex court to set up a special investigation team and direct inquiry into around 1528 such cases. The association said in all, over 2000 odd extra-judicial killings have taken place in the state, but no one has been held guilty till date.

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Former Chief Minister of Karnataka B S Yeddyurappa says he will topple the BJP Government in the state, before the Budget session in February. Yeddyurappa, who quit the BJP and floated the Karnataka Janatha Party, last month, was speaking on the sidelines of the Executive Committee meeting of his party in Bangalore today. The meeting was attended by 14 BJP MLAs loyal to him.

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Indraprastha Gas Limited today increased the price of CNG by one rupee and 55 paise per kilogram in Delhi. In other parts of National Capital Region including Noida, Greater Noida and Ghaziabad, it has been increased by one rupee and 80 paise per kilogram. In a statement IGL said that the new price will be effective from midnight tonight. With this the new rate of CNG in Delhi will be 39 rupees and 90 paise per kilogram. While, consumers in other parts of NCR will have to pay 45 rupees and 10 paise per kilogram. IGL said that the price of CNG has been revised primarily due to an increase in the overall input cost of natural gas being sourced by the company.

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THE BUSINESS WORLD

Rising for the fourth straight session, the Sensex at the Bombay Stock Exchange closed with a marginal gain of 19 points, or 0.1 per cent, at 19,784, today. The Nifty rose 7 points, to 6,016. Stock indices in Japan, China, Hong Kong, South Korea and Singapore ended mixed. Posting its biggest single-day fall in two months, the rupee plunged 57 paise, to close at 55.07 to the dollar. Gold tumbled 380 rupees, to 31,020 rupees per ten grams in Delhi, on heavy selling pressure, triggered by a steep fall of the precious metal in the overseas markets. Silver plunged 2,200 rupees, to 56,900 rupees per kilo. And Brent crude oil futures dropped towards 111 dollars a barrel, while US crude lost 63 cents, to 92.29 dollars a barrel. Pradeep Kumar, AIR News

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The Gross Direct Tax collections during the months from April to December of this fiscal grew by over 8 per cent as compared to same period in the last fiscal. The Finance Ministry in its statement has said that direct tax collection stood at over 4.28 lakh crore rupees as against about 3.96 lakh crore rupees during the same period last year. Gross collections of corporate taxes showed an increase of 4.94 percent and stood at over 2.83 lakh crore rupees while personal income tax collections increased by 14.57 percent and stood at over 1.44 lakh crore rupees.

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Government agencies have procured more than 177 lakh tonnes of rice during the ongoing kharif marketing season. Data provided by Ministry of Food and Public Distribution shows that rice procured till date is more than two lakh tonnes than the quantity procured during the corresponding period of the previous season. The Highest procurement has been made in Punjab followed by Haryana and Chhattisgarh.

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Northern India continues to be under the grip of a severe cold wave. In Uttar Pradesh seven more cold wave related deaths were reported in the last 24 hours. Dense fog and chilly winds have forced the people to remain indoors. Lucknow registered 2.1 degrees while Gorakhpur and Varanasi registered 4.5 degrees Celsius minimum temperature. Over 120 people across the state have succumbed to the intense cold wave during this season. Potato and tomato crops have been damaged due to cold and frost in Farrukhabad and adjoining areas. The met office has predicted no improvement in the cold wave situation in the next 48 hours.

In Rajasthan, severe cold wave disrupted normal life. Minimum temperature was recorded 0 degree celcius at the hill station of Mount Abu today. Our correspondent reports that in the plains Pilani was the coldest place at 0.6 degree Celsius.

Chilly winds are affecting normal life in northern parts of the state. Sikar,Churu and Sri Ganganagar districts are in grip of severe cold wave since last one week and thin layer of ice was visible in open areas, Jaipur is also witnessing cold wave conditions. Today morning temperature was recorded 4.5 degree celcius .Despite of severe cold wave tourists are still reaching at tourist places like Mount Abu and Jaisalmer. Anurag Vajpeyi, air news, JAIPUR.

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Delhi also continues to be in the grip of intense cold wave as temperatures today settled at below normal levels. Our correspondent has filed this report:

After the last few days of overcast and cloudy sky, the Sun shone in the afternoon. However, icy winds blowed during most part of the day giving little respite from cold wave to the denizens. The Met Department has forecast a foggy morning tomorrow followed by a clear sky. The minimum temperature is likely to go up to 3 degree Celsius while the maximum is expected to hover around 15 degrees.With Shiela, Zakir Malik, AIR News, Delhi.

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Delhi government will construct 26 model night shelters with green building technology so that more homeless people can be accommodated. 150 night shelters which include 84 temporary shelters and 66 permanent shelters are already in place in the city. Delhi Urban Development Minister, Arvinder Singh said at a function in New Delhi that these shelters are water and fire resistant.

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Government is planning to use rural development schemes like MGNREGA as a vehicle to promote the green agenda, realising its immense potential. A report released today in New Delhi by the Rural Development Ministry said, for inclusive rural development, the Ministry should have a dedicated green cell to enable it to guide environmental friendly objectives through various schemes in villages and allow institutions to adopt creative and innovative approaches to meet them.

The report "Greening Rural Development in India", prepared with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), assumes significance in the light of the 12th Five Year Plan, which has as its objective, faster, more inclusive and sustainable growth.

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The government has proposed to introduce a screening of all children for disease, disability deficiency and detection of other medical problems to provide better health facilities to them. Addressing the 6th Common Review Mission of the National Rural Health Mission in New Delhi today, Health Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad said that early detection of medical problems and intervention can save children from many debilitating conditions and improve the quality of their lives.

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Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh met President of Mauritius Rajkeswur Purryag and discussed bilateral issues of mutual interest in New Delhi today. Mr Purryag visited Rajghat this morning and paid floral tributes at the Samadhi of Mahatma Gandhi.

The visiting dignitary, who is on a seven-day state visit to India, will be the chief guest at this year’s Pravasi Bharatiya Divas to be held on the 8th and 9th of this month at Kochi in Kerala. He will be honored with the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman.

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Iran today strongly pitched for deeper bilateral ties and increased cooperation in security and economic arena with India, saying both countries face common threats and interests.

Jalili, who met his Indian counterpart National Security Adviser Shivshakar Menon during his three-day official visit, said the leaders of both countries are committed to deepen and expand relations. He was speaking to the media after the meeting.

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The Pakistani girl shot in the head by the Taliban has been discharged from a U.K. hospital. The Taliban said it shot Malala in Pakistan's Swat valley in October for campaigning for girls' education. Now she will continue her rehabilitation at her family's temporary home in West Midlands. Malala will have cranial reconstruction surgery late this month or early February, the hospital's trust said.

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The Indian and Pakistani cricket teams arrived in New Delhi this evening amid tight security cover for the inconsequential third and final ODI at the Feroze Shah Kotla ground on Sunday. The two teams arrived by a chartered flight from Kolkata.

Both the teams are slated to practice at the Feroze Shah Kotla tomorrow.

Down 0-2 in the three-match series, India have already lost the rubber and would look to redeem some pride by winning the third and final match in New Delhi.

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Javed Miandad has cancelled his visit to Delhi in the wake of a raging controversy in India over giving him a visa for the trip. A Pakistan Cricket Board, PCB, official said on condition of anonymity that the former Pakistan captain Miandad, who was to watch the third and final ODI in Delhi, cancelled his visit to avoid a controversy.

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Sania Mirza and her American partner Bethanie Mattek-Sands have reached the first final of the new season. At the WTA Brisbane International, in Australia yesterday, their opponents -- Daniela Hantuchova and Katarina Srebotnik -- conceded the semifinal match enabling the Indo-American pair to enter the summit clash round.