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18th March, 2013

THE HEADLINES;

• Government to take decision on the vote in United Nations Human Rights Council on the resolution against Sri Lanka after consulting DMK and other allies, says External Affairs Minister; Chidambaram, Antony and Azad to meet Karunanidhi.
• Centre calls all party meet to discuss proposed anti rape bill.
• Indian sailors rescued from Somali pirates to return home today.
• Saudi Arabia allots quota of 1.7 lakh pilgrims to India for Hajj this year.
• Registration for Amarnath Yatra begins.
• Australia to resume their second innings at 75 for 3 on the Final Day against India.

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The Centre has said that a decision on the US-sponsored resolution on Sri Lanka for alleged war crimes and rights violations against Tamil civilians in the United Nations Human Rights Council, UNHRC will be taken after due consultations with all the stake holders. Talking to reporters in Lucknow yesterday, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said the decision on the vote in the UNHRC will be taken after consulting the southern ally of the UPA, the DMK and others.

Every thing can not be decided before hand and we wish to speak to our allies in government on this. We will take a decision after consulting them.

Union ministers P Chidambaram, A K Antony and Ghulam Nabi Azad are reaching Chennai today to consult with DMK Chief M Karunanidhi. Mr Karunanidhi had threatened that his party would pull out of the ruling UPA alliance if it failed to move amendments to the US-sponsored resolution. Congress sources said in New Delhi that the three leaders have been asked to convince Karunanidhi that the Government will not compromise the interests of the Sri Lankan Tamils at any cost.

Meanwhile, the government has also hinted at a possible vote against Sri Lanka at a session of the UNHRC on the 21st of this month. Addressing a budget explanatory public meeting in his home town, Karaikudi, Finance Minister P Chidambaram yesterday said, if the UN resolution sought a credible independent international probe, India will support it.

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The government has convened an all party meet today on the proposed anti rape bill which seeks to hand down stringent punishment for crimes against women, including rape and acid attacks. It also seeks to lower the age of consent for sex to 16 from 18. While the main opposition party the BJP maintains that it will present its view at the meeting after intra-party talks, the Bahujan Samaj Party, an outside supporter of the UPA, has supported the bill. The government has merely four working days to get the Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill passed in both Houses of Parliament, failing which the anti-rape ordinance will cease to be a law.

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In Madhya Pradesh, the police have arrested all the six accused in the Swiss woman rape case in Datia district. IG Chambal Range M S Afzal said that police have also recovered a mobile and laptop of the Swiss couple. More from our correspondent:

Police have also recovered five thousand five hundred rupees and a pistol from the accused. Deputy Inspector General Chambal Range DK Arya said that all the accused have admitted to the assault that took place on Friday. The accused were residing near the incident spot. Earlier police had detained about twenty people for questioning. A Swiss woman was looted and gang-raped on Friday late night when she was camping with her husband near Jhadia village in Datia district. Meanwhile Congress has announced a state-wide agitation to protest the growing number of rape cases in the state. Shariq Noor, AIR News, Bhopal.

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Finance Minister P Chidambaram will meet heads of public sector banks today. The agenda includes direct benefit transfer, deteriorating asset quality and credit growth. The high-profile meeting will be held a day before the mid-quarter review of monetary policy by the RBI. The meeting is also likely to review the systems and procedures of banks, to check money laundering in the light of a recent sting operation allegedly showing some officials of three private banks indulging in such activities.

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Most of the 28 Indian sailors rescued from Somali pirates will return home today. Their vessels were hijacked last year by the pirates. 17 Indian sailors on board the MT Royal Grace have been in the captivity of the pirates since March last year and 11 others on board MT Smyrni since May. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Akbaruddin tweeted that passports, exit permits from Omani authorities and necessary ticketing arrangements have been made by the Embassy of India in Muscat. The remaining sailors await the arrival of a replacement crew before they can fly back to their families in India.

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The issue of the Italian marines, who are facing trial in India for killing two Kerala fishermen, will come up in the Supreme Court today. Both countries are in the midst of a diplomatic row after Rome reneged on its commitment to send back the two marines,- Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone. The apex court had on March 15th restrained the Italian Ambassador from leaving the country without its permission, taking exception to his government's refusal to send back the marines.

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The Department of Telecom, DoT, has asked CDMA telecom operators to pay a one-time spectrum fee worth over three thousand crore rupees. This charge has been levied on the operators for the spectrum they hold beyond the initial frequencies that were allotted to them. The DoT in its order has said the charges for holding spectrum above 2.5 Mhz in the 800 Mhz band shall apply from the first of January this year. As per the order, the charges will be levied on additional spectrum for the rest of the licence period.

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For news updates, follow us on Twitter @ AIRnewsalerts. You can also visit our facebook page All India Radio News for more news and events. For news updates on mobiles, SMS AIRNEWS and send it to 56060.

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Saudi Arabia has allotted a quota of 1.7 lakh pilgrims from India for the Hajj pilgrimage this year even as New Delhi has made a formal request for an additional quota of 10,000 pilgrims. According to the Indian consulate in Jeddah, Minister of State for External Affairs, E Ahamed called on Saudi Arabia's Minister of Hajj, Bandar Bin Mohammed Al Hajjar, yesterday to discuss arrangements for this year's Hajj and to sign the Annual Bilateral Hajj Agreement.

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In Jammu and Kashmir registration of pilgrims for the Shri Amarnath Yatra is beginning today for both yatra routes- Baltal and Chandanwari. Registration can be made through 422 designated branches of the Jammu and Kashmir Bank, the State Bank of India, YES Bank and the HDFC Bank spread all over the country. The 55 day yatra will commence simultaneously on both routes from the 28th of June and will culminate on Raksha Bandhan day, the 21st of August. This year the applicant yatri will have to furnish a Compulsory Health Certificate while seeking registration. The procedure to register has been put on the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board website, www.shriamarnathjishrine.com.

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President Pranab Mukherjee has expressed concern over the performance of universities and lack of a dedicated cadre of management professionals. He said efforts must be aimed at taking Indian universities into the top league.

Our efforts must be aimed at taking Indian Universities into the top league. Innovation is also an important drive for growth.

Mr Mukherjee was addressing the first convocation of the Indian Institute of Management, IIM Kashipur.

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The budget session of the Goa legislative assembly begins today with Chief Minister, Manohar Parrikar presenting the budget for financial year 2013-14.

The session is expected to end on April 30th with the assembly meeting for 28 days.

The Andhra Pradesh Annual Budget for the 2013-14 year will be presented in the Assembly today by Finance Minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy. For the first time, an exclusive Agricultural Budget is also being presented.

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Egyptian President Mohammad Morsi arrives on an official visit to India today. During his three-day stay in New Delhi, Mr Morsi will meet his counterpart Pranab Mukherjee and will hold delegation-level talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Our correspondent reports, that trade between the two countries has jumped 30 per cent to touch 4.5 billion dollars.

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The News Services Division of All India Radio will bring you a special phone-in programme with the Union Finance Minister Mr P. Chidambaram. This can be heard on FM Gold and additional frequencies from 6.30 PM to 7.30 PM tomorrow, the 19th of March, 2013. Listeners can ask questions on the Budget and economy from the Union Finance Minister and seek his replies on telephone numbers : 011-23421084, 011-23421085 and 011-23421215. The programme will also be carried by all multi-channel AIR Stations and will also be available on Doordarshan DTH.

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Australia will resume their second innings at 75 for 3 on the final day of the third cricket Test against India in Mohali today.

Yesterday, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar struck in the first over to give Australia an early blow by dismissing David Warner for 2 runs and later dismissed Ed Cowan and Steven Smith cheaply. India finished their first innings at 499, taking a lead of 91 runs.

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NEWSPAPER  HEADLINES

Chief Minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar - sounding the 2014 election bugle at a massive rally in the national capital yesterday, is a top story in the Press today. "Nitish takes on Modi; hints at anti-Congress, non BJP alliance" reads a headline in Times of India. Mail Today says that Nitish positioned his party as open to supporting any alliance which agreed to his demands for giving 'special status' to Bihar.

"A first in Pakistan : National Assembly completes full term" - reads the headline of a story in Tribune which says that Pakistani leadership continue to be divided on choosing a caretaker PM to oversee the polls.

An exclusive story in the Pioneer claims that Union Petroleum Minister Veerappa Moily could be in the dock for raising funds from a corporate giant in 2012 for his family controlled. 'Kisan Sabha Trust'.

Hindustan Times reports that the Government's decision to reduce the age of consent for sex - to 16 years, will strip those in the 16-18 age bracket of safeguards against sexual crimes.

A request has been made by Delhi Deputy Secretary (Home) to transfer Om Prakash Chautala, his son Ajay Chautala and 53 fellow convicts - in the 'Teacher's Recruitment Scam' out of Tihar Jail to any prison in Haryana. 'The case pertains to another state so why should they be in Tihar', questions the request reports the Indian Express.

To check the problems posed by water hyacinth at the Harike Wildlife Sanctuary, officials have initiated a programme for local residence to make handicraft items - such as doormats, cushions, file covers, baskets and hats, to help eliminate the weed from water bodies, reports the Tribune.