2100 HRS

04th April, 2013

THE HEADLINES:

• Centre approves decontrol of sugar.
• India and Azerbaijan sign treaty on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters.
• At least five killed in a building collapse in Mumbai.
• In Jharkhand, five policemen killed in a naxal attack in Gumla District.
• Sensex loses 292 points; Gold cheaper by 100 rupees in Delhi.
• Indian women beat Bangladesh by seven wickets in the second T-20 Cricket encounter;clinch three-match series.

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Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has decided to de control sugar. Briefing reporters after the meeting in New Delhi this evening, Food Minister, K. V. Thomas said that levy on sugar mills and regulated release mechanism has been done away with. Mr. Thomas said that sugar will continue in Public Distribution System, PDS. He said the subsidy burden will go up from 27 hundred crore rupees to 5300 crore rupees after the decontrol. He said states would be free to purchase sugar from the open market in a transparent manner and supply the same to the ration card holders.Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari said price of the PDS sugar will not increase by the decision and it will also not affect the common man.

Whatever decision has been taken today, one thing is evident that there will be no increase in price of sugar, which is supplied through Public Distribution syestem.    

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India and Azerbaijan have signed a treaty to cooperate with each other in dealing with various crimes, including terrorism. The treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters was signed by Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde with Azerbaijan Minister of Justice Fikrat Mammadov at a function in Delhi today. An official statement said the treaty is one of the significant legal instruments to improve and facilitate effectiveness of the contracting states in investigation and prosecution of transnational crime. The treaty will provide the necessary legal framework for receiving legal assistance in criminal matters.

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A seven storey building has collapsed in Mumbai’s neighboring Thane district leaving atleast five people dead and 25 injured. The newly constructed building in Thane’s Mahape Road, near Shiphata, collapsed around five in the evening. Fire brigade officials from Thane Municipal Corporation are busy in relief and rescue operation . According to initial reports, many people are still feared to be trapped under the debris. The cause of house collapse is not yet unknown. As a precautionary measure, people living in the neighboring building have been evacuated.

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In Jharkhand, the naxals attacked and killed five policemen of Jharkhand Armed Police today at a bus stand near Chainpur police station in Gumla District. Our Ranchi correspondent reports that the incident occured around noon when the naxals, in disguise, attacked the police patrolling party suddenly. Two policemen were killed on the spot while three others later succumbed to their injuries in course of treatment. The fleeing naxals also looted the arms of the killed policemen. Police have launched a search operation to nab the culprit.

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In Maharashtra, four naxals were killed in an encounter with police in Gadchiroli district today. Police suspect that more ultras were killed in the gun battle that ensued after a patrol party came under fire from the insurgents during the wee hours near Bhatpar village in the district bordering Chhattisgarh.

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A Supreme Court - appointed committee probing six cases of alleged extra-judicial killings in Manipur informed the court today that these were not genuine encounters. A two judge bench perused the committee's report which said none of the six cases qualify as encounters and they are fake.The bench said that appropriate directions will be passed on the basis of the panel's report on April 9th.

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The Apex Court today asked the Centre and state governments to make punishment for traffic rules violation, particularly misuse of red beacons by VIPs, harsher by introducing the provision for impounding vehicles and increasing the amount of fine to 10,000 rupees.The apex court granted the governments time till second week of July to amend the rules, failing which it would pass the order in this regard. The bench also asked the governments to drastically restrict the use of red beacon by VIPs and to provide it only to the heads of political executive, legislature, judiciary and persons holding constitutional posts.

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In another case, the Supreme court today dismissed a magisterial report into the March 3 incident in which a woman was beaten up in public by Punjab police. The report claims that police had to resort to lathicharge to bring the situation under control. Amicus Curiae, Harish Salve dubbed the report shocking and demanded a CBI probe into the incident. Cops thrashed the woman and her aged father after she complained of molestation by taxi drivers on the Taran Taran highway. She belongs to the Majhabi Sikh sect which is a lower caste in the state. The taxi drivers have since been arrested.

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The Kolkata Police has started investigation into recent death of SFI leader Sudipta Gupta allegedly in police custody. The Additional Commissioner of Police said in Kolkata this afternoon that according to post-mortem report Sudipta succumbed to injuries after his head hit a static object. Mr. Shamim also said that there is no evidence of injuries from lathi or iron rod in the post-mortem report. The forensic experts today visited the accident site and collected some materials. Meanwhile, Left parties today observed protest day throughout the state.The Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reiterated that the death of student leader is an accident and it is not a case of police atrocities.

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In Jharkhand, CBI today raided 23 locations of eight towns of 15 persons, including 10 MLAs in connection with charges of horse-trading in 2010 Rajya Sabha election. The raids started almost simultaneously in all the locations. Our Ranchi correspondent reports that the premises of MLAs search include four each of RJD and congress, one each of AJSU and the JMM. The premises four businessmen and that of PA to Rajya Sabha MP K D Singh were also searched. Officials have told our correspondent that the agency has seized valuable evidence in the search operations.Jharkhand High court is monitoring the cases of horse trading in Rajya Sabha elections of 2010 and 2012.

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Congress leader Saifuddin Soz has been re-appointed as the Jammu and Kashmir party President. While, Janardan Chandurkar has been appointed as the president of the Mumbai regional congress committee. Congress President Sonia Gandhi today cleared both the appointments.

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In Kashmir valley seven school children were killed and 7 others injured in a road accident in Anantnag district today. Our Srinagar correspondent reports a mini bus carrying school childrenn on way back from Anantnag to Kokernag fell into a deep gauge near Hadiwara. The injured have been admitted in hospitals.

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Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi today emphasised the need to bring structural changes to empower common people. Interacting with corporate leaders in the CII meet in New Delhi today, Mr. Gandhi shared his vision with them saying alienation of minorities hurts the country's growth. Mr Rahul Gandhi urged the industry to broaden its economic vision beyond financial concerns and partner with the government to foster greater economic growth. He urged the industry to be compassionate towards weaker sections of societies for their welfare.

Embracing the excluded is essential to the wealth of the nation. If we do not embrace them, we will all suffer. India will only move forward with inclusive growth that embraces everyone and is open and attainable to those inside this room and those very , very far outside."

In his remarks to the conclave Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley alleged that the UPA-led government has failed to deliver good governance. He alleged that the current governance model is faulty as the head of the government is unable to take decisions. Contending that quality of governance decides growth of a country, Jaitley said the first aspect of governance is leadership.

Today the leadership must have credibility. If a leadership of our government is an object of suspicion for a large part of its tenure, then its ability to implement decision and enforced decision itself will be rendered extremely weak.

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Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal has invited private companies to participate in Railway projects including the Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC).Addressing an International conference on Dedicated Freight Corridor in Delhi today Mr Bansal insisted on transporting bulk goods through railways instead of roadways as it would be cost effective and environment friendly. The Railway Minister said that the 570 km long corridor from Sonnagar to Dankuni in the Eastern DFC will be executed through Private Public Partnership Route. He said that in building a high speed corridor between Mumbai and Ahmedabad it will cost 65,000 crore rupees.

To build high speed corridor firstly from Mumbai to Ahmedabad, covering a distance of about 534 kilometres, which is a good again mean an expenditure of 65000 crore rupees.

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THE BUSINESS WORLD

The Sensex at the Bombay Stock Exchange plunged 292 points, or 1.6 percent, to close at a four-month low of 18,510, today, on across the board selling, on concerns over corporate earnings. The Nifty dropped 98 points, to 5,575.Stock markets in Japan, South Korea and Singapore ended mixed, while the markets in China and Hong Kong were closed for a holiday.The rupee slid 44 paise, to a one-month low of 54.87, against the dollar. Gold fell 100 rupees, to a ten-month low of 29,500 rupees per ten grams, in Delhi. But silver rose 500 rupees, to 51,750 rupees per kilo. And Brent crude oil futures stood above 107 dollars a barrel, but US crude shed 5 cents, to 94.40 dollars a barrel.Pradeep Kumar, AIR News

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The Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has convened a meeting of the National Committee on Direct Benefits Transfer -DBT tomorrow in New Delhi to review the rollout of DBT system. The meeting will also review the approaches and strategies being adopted for expansion into new districts and schemes. A Prime Minister's Office release said that the DBT system was rolled out from 1st of January this year in a phased manner in 43 districts and 26 schemes. During the meeting, progress will be reviewed on the digitisation of databases, the opening of Bank accounts, the enrollment in Aadhaar and the seeding of databases with Aadhaar numbers.

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President of Iceland Dr. Olafur Ragnar Grimsson today held discussions with Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on a wide range of issues to strengthen bilateral cooperation. Earlier today, he delivered a lecture on clean energy economy at the Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) university in the national Capital. The visiting dignitary will call on President Pranab Mukherjee tomorrow. Dr Grimsson is on a week-long official visit to India.

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South Africa says it will pull its troops from the Central African Republic, where 13 of its soldiers died in a battle with rebels late last month. Government officials confirmed the decision today, after President Jacob Zuma announced it at a summit of African leaders in Chad. The 13 soldiers died fighting Seleka rebels who swept into the C.A.R. capital, Bangui, and overthrew President Francois Bozize. The Chad summit, called to discuss the situation in the Central African Republic ended with a decision not to recognize the new Seleka government, led by Michel Djotodia. Leaders called for a transitional administration and new elections in 18 months.

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Indian Women have secured an unassailable Two-Nil lead over Bangaldesh in the on-going three-match T20 International cricket series. In the second match at Vadodara today, the hosts registered an easy seven-wicket victory. Electing to bat, Bangladesh produced a paltry 88 for four in their 20 overs. The Indians comfortably overhauled the victory target ,by making 91 for three in 18 overs.

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In the second match of the on-going IPL tournament in Bangalore, Royal Challengers Bangalore were 93 for 5 in 14 overs against Mumbai Indians, a short while ago.Earlier, Mumbai Indians skipper Ricky Ponting won the toss and elected to field.

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In the ATP Challenger tennis tournament at Leon, Mexico, India's Divij Sharan and Purav Raja have reached the men's doubles quarter-finals.In the opening round of the 35,000 U.S. dollar hard court event at Leon, the fourth seeded duo beat the Chinese Taipei pair of Lee Hsin-Han and Peng Hsein-Yin in straight sets 6-3, 6-3.The Indians will now fight it out with American James Cerretani and Adrian Menendez-Maceiras Spain for a place in the semifinals.