0815 HRS
04th May, 2013 

THE HEADLINES

• Campaigning for Assembly elections ends in Karnataka; Polling tomorrow.

• India grants consular access to Pakistani prisoner injured in a Jammu jail.

• CBI arrests four persons including a relative of Railway Minister in a bribery case.

• Banks rule out cutting lending rates; RBI Governor says, banks will reduce rates in next 3 to 6 months.

• India-Iran Joint Commission meeting on economic cooperation to be held in Teheran today.

• PV Sindhu to clash with Gu Juan of Singapore today in women's singles finals of Malaysia Open Badminton.

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Campaigning for Assembly elections in Karnataka has ended. Candidates are now resorting to door to door canvassing to woo the voters after the end of campaigning at 5 PM yesterday. The State will go to polls tomorrow to elect a new Assembly. The polling, which will start at 7 AM, will end at 5 PM. Polling will take place in 223 Assembly constituencies as voting in one Assembly segment has been postponed to 28th of May following the death of a BJP candidate. Our correspondent reports that the Election Commission has made elaborate arrangements for smooth conduct of polls.

The last and final effort will be made today by the candidates and their supporters to woo the voters. The Chief Electoral Officer has said that a limited restricted canvassing will be today. There is no restriction on newspaper advertisement, but it should be restricted to an appeal to the voters to vote for them without casting aspersions on others. The President of National Alliance of Women Ruth Manorama pointed out that representation of women in our Assembly is not satisfactory. Sudhindra, AIR News, Bangalore.

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The mortal remains of Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh were consigned to flames in his native village yesterday, at Bikhiwind in Amrisar district of Punjab with full state honours amid emotional scenes. A contingent of Punjab Police reversed their arms and then fired shots in the air as a mark of respect to 49-year-old Sarabjit, who died after being brutally assaulted in a Pakistani jail.

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India has granted consular access to Pakistani prisoner Sanaullah who was injured in a scuffle in a Jammu jail. Three Pakistan High Commission officials were granted permission by the Ministry of External Affairs to meet him at Post Graduate Institute, Chandigarh, where he is receiving treatment. The three Pakistan High Commission officials and a driver have also been granted permission to travel to Chandigarh to meet him. Sanaullah was injured during a scuffle with another inmate in Jammu jail where he was serving life term after being convicted under TADA provisions. He was arrested in 1999. Our Jammu correspondent has filed this report on the incident.

The state government has placed Kot Bhalwal Jail Superintendent Rajnii Sehgal and her subordinate staff under suspension for negligence on duty and ordered a high level inquiry into the incident. A fresh reviews of protection of prisoners inn all the jails is being undertaken today. Superintendents of all jails have been directed to take best possible security measures and ensure that no untoward incident takes place in the jail. Out of 380 prisoners in Kot Bhalwal jail, 46 are militants and 22 of them are Pakistanis. Yogesh Sharma, AIR News, Jammu.

External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said, the attack on Pakistani prisoner in Jammu jail is unfortunate and extremely distressing.

This is unfortunate and extremely, extremely distressing, but I think what is important is that we have to ensure that it does not happen there or here, it does not happen.

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The CBI has arrested four persons including Railway Minister PK Bansal's nephew for allegedly taking bribe to fix a top level position in the government. A CBI official said, Mr Bansal's nephew V Singla was arrested in Chandigarh for accepting 90 lakh rupees in cash from Manjunath, the conduit of Railway Board member Mahesh Kumar. Mr Kumar was arrested in Mumbai soon after he arrived in the metroplis from Delhi. The other two persons arrested by the CBI are Sandip Goyal, who allegedly assisted in brokering the deal and Manjunath. The CBI has registered a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the IPC against them. The CBI also carried out searches in Delhi, Chandigarh and other cities in this connection.

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Banks have ruled out slashing their lending rates after RBI yesterday announced its monetary policy. Speaking on the impact of reduction of 0.25 per cent in short-term lending rate, SBI Chairman Pratip Chaudhuri said there is no scope for cutting lending rate at present. He said credit demand from the corporate side is slowing but the same from retail end, especially home and car loans, is making up for it. However, RBI Governor D Subbarao has said that banks will certainly cut interest rates in the next 3 to 6 months. Defending his tough monetary policy in which cash reserve ratio was retained at 4 per cent but repo rate was cut by 0.25 per cent, the RBI Governor said easing of monetary policy depends on inflation trajectory and improvement on current account deficit.

The Challenge for the Reserve Bank is to calibrate monetary policy to address these thrusts and bring inflation down to the tolerance threshold in order to return the economy to a sustainable growth trajectory in the years ahead.

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In Uttar Pradesh, a court in Pilibhit district has exonerated BJP General Secretary Varun Gandhi of charges of inciting mob violence and firing at police four years ago. He was given relief in the case due to lack of evidence. The case against Varun Gandhi had been slapped by the Bahujan Samaj Party government on 8th March, 2009 for allegedly spreading hatred against a religious community, inciting violence and firing at police.

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The 17th session of the India-Iran Joint Commission will be held in Teheran today. External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid will co-chair the meeting with his Iranian counterpart, Ali Akbar Salehi. Mr. Khurshid arrived on a three-day visit to Iran yesterday. More from our correspondent:

As India and Iran get together in Teheran focus will be on expanding trade, economic cooperation and cultural linkages. Situation in Afghanistan and upgradation of Chahbahar port will be high on agenda. The Chabahar port gives access route to Indian goods to Afghanistan and Central Asia bypassing Pakistan which doesn't allow transit facilities for goods from India to the east countries. India will also discuss ways to reduce the trade imbalance. Bilateral trade is around $15 billion, out of which Indian exports account only for around $2.5 billion. Three MoUs on collaboration in management of water resources, Quality Standards and Foreign Services Institute would be signed. Atul K Tiwary, AIR News, Dubai.

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External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid has said that the progress in dialogue to end the stand-off in Ladakh is not satisfactory and India would have liked much better response from China. Talking to newsmen on board his aircraft on the way to Iran, he emphasised that India wanted reversal of the adverse incident in Ladakh and return to the status quo in Depsang Valley where the Chinese troops intruded.

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In Himachal Pradesh, Science Express -Bio Diversity, an innovative mobile exhibition mounted on a specially designed train is at the Amb-Andora railway station in Una District of the state. The train with the motive to encourage science activities, is covering different stations of the country and will leave for its next destination on Sunday morning. The train is a joint venture of Union Ministry of Environment & Forests and Department of Science & Technology. A report:

Amb-Andora railway station in Una district has become the center of attraction for local people these days. The occasion is of Science Express- Bio Diversity train that reached this small town under its nationwide campaign. Visitors are getting information regarding science and bio-diversity through the 16 coaches of this train. Different age group students are taking keen interest and updating their knowledge about modern science activities, bio diversity and climate change from the attendants of this train. Shishu Sharma Santhal, AIR News, Shimla.

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The Supreme Court has said that the television interview of the December 16 gangrape victim's friend cannot be used as evidence in the trial proceedings. A bench headed by Chief Justice Altamas Kabir set aside the Delhi High Court order which had allowed use of the interview CD as evidence.

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India's PV Sindhu will clash with fifth seeded Gu Juan of Singapore in the women's singles final of the Malaysia Open Grand Prix Gold badminton tournament today. The top-seeded Sindhu stormed into the final beating third-seeded Sapsiree Taerattanachai of Thailand in straight games 21-17, 21-11 in the semi-finals played at Kuala Lumpur yesterday. Gu Juan entered the final beating second seed Busanan Ongbumrungpan of Thailand 21-18, 21-19.

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Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders beat Rajasthan Royals by eight wickets in IPL cricket at Eden Gardens in Kolkata last night to keep their hopes alive in the tournament. In today's match, Sunrisers Hyderabad will take on Delhi Daredevils at Rajiv Gandhi Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad at 8 PM.

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In the United States, more than 3,000 firefighters are battling six major wildfires in California. The blaze has shut the famous Pacific Coast Highway for the second time in as many days, with a 50 kilometre stretch off-limits. Officials say, the so-called Springs fire has reached the coast north-west of Los Angeles, threatening thousands of homes. Fierce wind-driven wildfire, which broke out near Camarillo on Thursday, has damaged more than a dozen homes, with another 4,000 at risk. Several farm buildings and vehicles have been engulfed and 15 homes have been damaged. No injuries have been reported.

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The party of former Pakistan military ruler Parvez Musharraf, facing a series of legal cases over his actions while in power, said it would boycott Pakistan's May 11 general election.

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NEWSPAPERS HEADLINES

Most papers have a picture of Sarabjit Singh's cremation with full state honours in Punjab. 'Missing organs impair Sarabjits autopsy' writes the Hindu, and the Statesman says, that even vital organs like the heart, brain, gall bladder and kidneys were missing.

The Times of India leads with the Pakistan prisoner who was attacked in a Jammu jail. 'Ex soldier leaves fellow inmate comatose on day Sarabjit is laid to rest', writes the paper. The Tribune has a photo of him being shifted to the hospital.

Vis a vis the ongoing border stand off in the Ladakh region, The Hindustan Times says 'Khurshid's China visit under cloud'. 'Salman visit hinges on China's retreat', writes the Pioneer.

'CBI arrests Railway minister Bansal's nephew for accepting Rs 90 lakh bribe' reads the Indian Express headline. The Asian Age reports that member railway board Mahesh Kumar was also booked.

In what seems to be a total failure of Delhi police, the Hindustan Times writes on its front page "City can't protect its children, four raped in last 24 hours'.

Most papers have reported on the cockpit drama on an international Air India Flight. 'Cockpit caper has Air India red faced' says Mail Today. 'Captain teaching 2 air hostesses how to fly in cockpit as co-pilot snoozes in business class' writes the paper.

The Civil Services results are out "Women take 1st and 3rd ranks in UPSC exam", writes the Times of India. It also has a picture of the topper Haritha Kumar, an engineer from Kerala.

And finally, in these times of strife and hatred, a picture in Mail Today, of a baby monkey, a lion cub and 2 tiger cubs playing happily together is so calming. Captioned "Bound by love', we humans can learn a thing or two from it