1400 HRS

10th February, 2013

THE HEADLINE:

• Centre directs all states to review the cases of under-trials lodged in jails for longer duration.
• Government asks opposition parties to rise above party-lines on issues relating to National Security.
• Precautionary curfew continues for the second day today in all major towns of the Kashmir Valley.
• Lakhs of devotees take a holy dip at Sangam at Allahabad on Mauni Amavasya.
• Ranchi Rhinos to take on Delhi Waveriders in the final of Hockey India League at Ranchi today.

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The under-trials lodged in jails for longer duration may soon be released from detention, with the Centre directing all States to review such cases. The Home Ministry has told the States and Union Territories that an undertrial prisoner completing half of the maximum period of imprisonment should be released by the Court on his personal bond with or without sureties except for those involved in heinous crimes. 
The Advisory said, although the percentage of overcrowding in jails is steadily going down, even then 67 per cent of the inmates in various prisons are undertrials. The Ministry said, except those who are charged with offences punishable with the death sentence, no person can be detained in prison as an undertrial for a period exceeding the maximum possible sentence.
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Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari has asked the opposition parties to rise above party-lines on issues relating to National Security. Addressing Congress party workers in Hyderabad this morning, he said that National Security is a sensitive issue and political parties should react with responsibility over it.
  
"Whenever any decision is taken related to National Security, the Rule of law and constitutional process, neither there is need to pat on the back nor criticism. On such issues, in a responsible democracy, there is need to rise above party politics."
Mr. Tewari said, the media should also play caution while dealing with law and order and the Constitution of the country. 
On the Statehood demand for Telangana, the Minister said, the Government has understood the sensibilities involved in the issue and asked people to be patient as it requires sensitive handling. He urged the youth not to be emotional on the Telangana issue and maintain calm.

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Precautionary curfew continues for the second day today in all the major towns of Kashmir Valley. According to IG Police, S.M.Sahay, the situation is by and large peaceful in the entire valley and no untoward incident has been reported today so far. Senior civil and police officials are reviewing the situation from time to time.
The curfew was imposed as a precautionary measure after the hanging of Parliament attack convict, Afzal Guru.

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The Supreme Court has said, the 'rarest of rare case' test is not 'judge centric' but depends on the perception of the society. A bench headed by Justice K S Radhakrishnan said, Courts award death sentence, because the situation demands, due to Constitutional compulsion, reflected by the will of the people, and is not judge-centric. It said, to award death sentence, the aggravating circumstances have to be fully satisfied and there should be no mitigating circumstance  favouring the accused. The bench said, even if both the tests are satisfied as against the accused, even then the court has to finally apply the rarest of rare cases test. It  depends on whether the society will approve the awarding of death sentence to certain types of crime. 
The observations were made in a judgement by the apex court which commuted the death penalty awarded to two men for hacking to death four members of a family in August, 2000 over a property dispute, in Punjab.

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Campaigning is at its peak for the Tripura Assembly elections with just 3 more days left for the polling. Security has been beefed up across the state, including the International Border with Bangladesh. The heavyweights from several political Parties are in the state, while many are expected to come on the last two days of the Campaigning.  A report from our Correspondent:-
 
    " All the Political Parties in the state have lined up major election rallies in different part of the State, including the Capital city of Agartala. The postal ballot voting which started from 4th of February is scheduled to be over by today. Additional man power has also been deployed in the Indo- Bangla Border and a tight vigil is kept along the International border said an official of BSF. The state goes to poll on 14th of February."This is SUDIPTA KAR/AIR NEWS/AGARTALA.

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In Assam, security has been intensified in parts of Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council area of Goalpara and Kamrup districts in the wake of the third phase of panchayat poll to be held on Tuesday. Several groups have opposed Panchayat poll in Rabha Hasong area. The Rabha Hasong Joint Movement Forum has called for a 36 hour public curfew from 7 am tomorrow. Additional SP of Goalpara, Sushanta Biswa Sarma said that 80 miscreants have been arrested so far for indulging in violence. Additional companies of para-military forces have been deployed along with police, to contain the situation. A total of 327 polling stations in the district have been identified as hyper sensitive. Meanwhile, campaigning for the third and last phase of polling will come to an end this evening. Over 45 lakh voters will decide the political fate of more than 38 thousand candidates. Counting for all the three phases will be held on the 14th and 15th of February.

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A Parliamentary Committee has suggested to the government to come out with comprehensive projects for development of a well-connected water transport system across the country. The Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture called for provision of adequate funds saying that it is a fuel efficient and environmental friendly mode of transportation. The report, presented to the Presiding Officers of both the Houses of Parliament, said the switching over to water mode will become the most viable option to reduce the dependency on roads, particularly for bulk cargo transport. Observing that the country has an inland waterways with a navigable length of 14,500 kilometers,  the report said the water transportation system can reduce the road accidents and reducing casualties significantly.

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In Uttar Pradesh, lakhs of devotees today reached the bathing ghats in Allahabad for a holy dip on the auspicious occasion of 'Mauni Amavasya' in the ongoing Maha Kumbh congregation at the holy Sangam. The day also marks the second 'Shahi Snan' of Sadhus belonging to various 'Akharas'. We have a report:
     
"Allahabad Divisional Commissioner and Nodal Officer of the Mela Devesh Chaturvedi has said that about 2 crore have already taken holy dip till now and no untoward incident was reported from any part of Mela. Pilgrims are continuously reaching at Sangam for taking holy dip.  Elaborate security arrangements are in place. Three choppers from India Air force have also been pressed into service for keeping vigil. With Shariq Noor,  this is Sunil Shukla/ AIR News/ Kumbh Mela /Allahabad."

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Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai began talks with his Bangladesh counterpart, Shahidul Haque, in Dhaka this morning on the entire gamut of bilateral relations and regional matters. The discussions will focus on finalizing the agenda for the Joint Consultative Commission meeting scheduled to take place later this month during the visit of External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid to Dhaka. In addition to this, the two sides will also discuss and review the implementation of the projects and decisions taken in the 2010 and 2011 joint statements issued during Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to India and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Bangladesh.

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Withdrawal of US Military equipment has begun from Afghanistan as at least 25 containers left for Karachi via Torkham border. Custom officials said the first convoy of at least 25 containers loaded with US military equipment from a key NATO base in Afghanistan, reached Torkham border in strict security. The convoy left for Karachi after custom clearance.

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The US Northeast has started digging itself out of a blizzard that dumped up to 40 inches of snow with hurricane force winds, killing at least nine people and leaving about half a million customers without power. According to state transportation departments, Airports slowly cranked back to life today, rare travel bans in Connecticut and Massachusetts were lifted, but roads throughout the region remained treacherous. 
The National Weather Service said, as the region recovered, another large winter storm building across the Northern Plains is expected to leave a foot of snow and bring high winds from Colorado to central Minnesota tomorrow.

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A Unique walk of its kind, the Walk for Knowledge was  organized in Dubai to raise awareness among the people about the need to ensure primary education and access to quality higher education for the children in the developing countries. The Expatriate Indian community joined in large numbers in the walk for education along with a large number of participants to garner support for the noble cause. The event was organized by Dubai Cares in association with the Dubai Government. More from our West Asia Correspondent
 
"Education holds the key to success of a nation. But millions across the South East Asia and Africa are not able to get an opportunity to complete their primary education or gain access to quality higher education. A large number of people from various walks of life cutting across different age groups joined in the three kilometer long morning Walk for Education in Dubai. The expatriate Indians, who joined in the Walk for Education said that the campaign could be used as a model back home in India for its simplicity and the underlying message to ensure primary and quality education for all." ATUL K TIWARY/ AIR NEWS/ DUBAI.

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BACK HOME:
Information and Broadcasting Secretary Uday Verma today said the Ministry is working out modalities to give financial assistance to Community Radio Stations in the country. Inaugurating the third community radio sammelan in New Delhi, Mr Verma said complete waiver of spectrum fee would also soon become a reality. 
"I am willing really to suggest that in addition to considering a package for financial support to Community Radio Stations, we should also be able perhaps to run a scheme, where we encourage organizations to conceive of good training programmes."              
Mr. Verma said, there is tremendous scope for growth of community radio stations and added that  certain degree of boldness is needed for faster growth of it. Mr Verma said country needs 1000 community radio stations as there are 144 functional Community Radio Stations now.
Speaking on the occasion, Additional Secretary J S Mathur said those who run community radio stations is not a vocation for them but a dedication to serve the country. Joint secretary in the Ministry Supriya Sahu said the reach of the community radio stations is immense from naxal affected areas to North-Eastern states.

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Cold wave conditions continued in Kashmir as the mercury stayed below the freezing point across the Valley last night. Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, recorded a minimum of minus 1.6 degrees Celsius last night. A MET official said, Gulmarg was the coldest place in the valley where mercury dipped to minus 10.6 degrees Celsius.     
Meanwhile, Leh town in Ladakh region was recorded as the coldest place in the state where mercury fell to a low of minus 16.5 degrees Celsius while nearby Kargil town recorded a minimum temperature of minus 14.2 degrees Celsius. The MET official said, weather is expected to remain mainly dry across the valley over the next 24 hours.

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The cold wave continued unabated in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh with the minimum temperature dropping by up to five degrees Celsius below normal at a few places in the region.
The Met office in Chandigarh said, the minimum temperature in Punjab and Haryana hovered between one to five degrees Celsius below normal. Foggy morning and misty conditions too prevailed in some parts of the region.

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IN SPORTS NEWS:
The final line up has been drawn for the first Hockey India League. Ranchi Rhinos will take on Delhi Waveriders at the Birsa Munda Astroturf Hockey Stadium in Ranchi at 8 PM today. While Ranchi Rhinos entered the final beating Uttar Pradesh Wizards 4-2, Delhi Waveriders booked their final berth crushing Jaypee Punjab Warriors 3-1 in the second semi-final yesterday.

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Opener Gautam Gambhir has been dropped and off-spinner Harbhajan Singh made a come back in Indian Test squad for Australia series announced in Mumbai today. Shikhar Dhawan replaces Gambhir in Indian team, pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar also included in the 15-member squad for the first two test matches of the 4 match series which  starts from  22nd of this month.