1400 HRS.    

2  December, 2013

THE HEADLINES :   

• Supreme Court issues notice to Centre in the December 16 Delhi gangrape case on a plea that says juvenility of the accused needs to be decided by criminal court, not by Juvenile Justice Board.

• In Madhya Pradesh, the Special Task Force arrests three doctors, including an IAS officer’s son in PG medical entrance exam scam.

• CBI starts investigations into Ratangarh temple stampede in Datia district of Madhya Pradesh.
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• Campaigning for Delhi Assembly elections ends this evening, polling on Wednesday.

• In Bangladesh, 18-party BNP-led Opposition combine extends till Thursday nationwide rail-road-waterways blockade.

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The Supreme Court has issued notice to the Centre on a plea of the victim's father in the December 16 Delhi gangrape case. The petition says, the juvenility of an accused needs to be decided by the criminal court, not by the juvenile justice board. The apex court asked the victim's father to annexe the portion of the statement that implicates the juvenile offender in the case. The petition sought re-trial of the juvenile in a fast track court under the provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure. A bench comprising Justices B S Chauhan and S A Bobde issued a notice to the Union ministry for Women and Child development after hearing the counsel for the petitioners who contended that the juvenile was most brutal and savage on the hapless victim who was subjected to gangrape and physical torture in a moving bus on the night of December 16. Earlier, a PIL was filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy seeking the determination of the juvenility of the accused keeping in view the gravity of the offence committed by him. 

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In Madhya Pradesh, the Special Task Force-STF has arrested three doctors, including an IAS officer’s son in the alleged pre-PG medical test exam scam. According to STF sources these doctors had paid a handsome amount and secured higher marks in the pre-PG medical test exam in 2012. A local court of Bhopal has sent all the accused to police custody till tomorrow.

The STF, which was already investigating pre-medical entrance test scam, had registered five more FIRs on Friday in connection with frauds in the different entrance and recruitment examinations including pre-PG medical test exam conducted by the State Professional Examination Board. Five separate FIRs had been registered and 143 names had been named in these cases. The STF has arrested more than 10 persons including examination controller of State Professional ExaminationBoard Pankaj Trivedi and some other senior officials so far. Property worth more than 20 crore rupees have been recovered from the accused. SHARIQ NOOR, AIR NEWS, BHOPAL

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Still with Madhya Pradesh, the Central Bureau of Investigation-CBI has started investigations into the Ratangarh temple stampede in Datia district. 115 people were killed in this incident on the 13th of October this year. The Gwalior bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court had ordered a CBI probe into the Ratangarh temple stampede on the 12th of  the last month in response to a Public Interest Litigation that demanded probe into the incident by a central agency. The state government has also set up a judicial commission to probe the stampede.

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Rajasthan has recorded the highest ever voter turnout of 74.13 per cent during assembly elections. This was disclosed by the Spokesperson of the State Election Office Dinesh Mathur in Jaipur today. 199 of the 200 constituencies went to polls yesterday to elect a new assembly. Polling for Churu seat was postponed due to the death of the BSP candidate. It will now be held on the 13th of this month. Polling in the state passed off peacefully and no major untoward incident was reported. Decision about repolling at some polling booths will be taken by the election commission today after scrutiny of complaints.

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Visiting Japanese Emperor held talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the Hyderabad house in New Delhi today.  The Royal couple, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, on a six day state visit to India were accorded ceremonial reception at the forecourts of Rashtrapati Bhavan this morning. Their majesties also paid floral tributes at Rajghat, the samadhi of Mahatma Gandhi. During the visit the royal couple will interact with President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari and also the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha Mrs. Sushma Swaraj. India has accorded high significance to the Royal Couple's visit. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh accompanied by wife Gurcharan Kaur had received their majesties at the Indira Gandhi International Airport. Japan is India’s largest source of aid supporting infrastructure development and financing projects including Western Dedicated Freight Corridor, Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor, and Bangalore Metro Rail Project.

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India today asserted that its public stockholding programme for food security must be protected from all challenges in the WTO as it is a sensitive issue as well as a critical social imperative. Speaking at the G-33 meeting at Bali in Indonesia ahead of the WTO Ministerial conference, Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma urged updating of WTO rules under the Agreement on Agriculture. Mr Sharma said it would rectify inherent flaws and help developing countries in carrying out their legitimate operations without defaulting on their commitments. He said it is difficult for India to accept the present interim solution and as a responsible nation, New Delhi is committed to a constructive engagement for finding a lasting solution. Our correspondent reports, developed countries like the US and Canada have raised apprehensions that food stockpiling exercise of developing nations to implement food security plans will breach the 10 per cent subsidy cap under the WTO's Agreement on Agriculture. 

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UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi today inaugurated the FM radio station in Rae Bareli. The five kilo watt FM radio station will reach out to listeners in the radius of 30 kms. CEO Prasar Bharti Jawhar Sircar announced that a new high power transmitter will be installed in the near future to enhance the listening radius to 70 km. Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting J S Mathur and Director General (News)  Archana Datta were also present on this occasion

A new name in broadcast map of AIR FM rainbow has been included today. That is AIR FM Rainbow 102.8 mega htz Rae Bareli. Daily broadcast of five hours programme in two shifts will also include one hour each of local inputs from this radio station.  It is hoped that new station of AIR will nourish and bring out the hidden talent of Rae Bareli which boasts of being the land of literary stalwart like Mahavir Prasad Triwedi, Surya Kant Tripathi Nirala and Malik Mohd. Jayasi. With SunilSHUKLA, THIS IS MIRAJ UDDIN, AIR NEWS, RAE BARELI.

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The News Services Division of All India Radio in its weekly Live Phone-in programme “PUBLIC SPEAK” tonight  will bring you a discussion on “Protection of women and children in live-in relationship." This can be heard on FM Gold Channel and additional frequencies from 9.30 to 10.05 p.m.  Listeners can pose questions to the experts sitting in our Studio on telephone number: 011: 2331-4444. This programme  is also available on Doordarshan DTH.

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The campaigning for Delhi Assembly elections will come to an end this evening.  Star campaigners from Congress, BJP, Aam Aadmi Party, BSP and others are leaving no stone unturned to woo the voters. Candidates are also busy holding people to people contacts and  making  last ditch efforts to reach out to the people. Our correspondent reports that 810 candidates are in the fray for the 70 member Assembly. About one third of them are millionaires.

According to an analysis by  Association for Democratic Reforms  and the National Election Watch which are working for electoral reforms, the ruling  Congress leads the list of crorepati candidates. It has fielded 61 crorepatis, while the BJP has nominated 58 who bear the crorepati tag followed by BSP with 34 and the debutant Aam Aadmi Party with 33. The analysis also shows that the number of millionaires in this elections is 10 percent higher as compared to last elections. The Shiromani Akali Dal candidate from Rajouri Garden constituency is the richest of all the candidates. The Election Commission has also uploaded the affidavits of the candidates  on its website  giving details of properties, qualifications  and criminal cases pending against them. With Sant Bahadur, Zakir Malik, AIR News, Delhi.

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In Bangladesh, the 18-party BNP-led Opposition combine has extended the nationwide rail-road-waterways 72-hour blockade by another 49 hours till Thursday evening.  The Opposition is demanding postponement of  the January 5 parliamentary elections till an agreement is reached on an election-time government. Rail links have been virtually paralysed, while long-distance buses and ferries remain affected. Top BNP leaders have been sued for instigating violence, and police have arrested hordes of activists. The Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmed stated last night that elections will not be postponed and that nominations have to be filed within the stipulated date of 2nd December. Meanwhile UN Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillai has asked Bangladesh leaders to stop brinkmanship, whatever their differences, warning political chaos will lead the country to a dangerous state. At least 28 people have died and hundreds injured in two spells of blockades since November the 25th when elections were announced.

As the nationwide blockade progresses into the third day today, Opposition activists torched 2 more vehicles in the capital. Last night crude bombs were hurled outside Army Stadium in Banani where a Bangla Music Festival was going on. Bomb explosions also took outside the residences of Dhaka University Vice Chancellor, and former Chief of Anti-Corruption Commission. A police vehicle was torched in Rahshahi after a series of clashes between police and blockaders which left 15 injured. Election office in Magura was attacked leaving  5 including 4 policemen injured. Trains between Dhaka and northern districts have been suspended today after protestors removed fishplates from tracks at Banglapara. A train derailment at Comilla has left over a hundred passengers injured.

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Fresh skirmishes broke out today between Thai security forces and opposition demonstrators. The protesters have issued an ultimatum for Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to quit, a day after the anti-government campaign erupted into deadly violence. The Thai Prime Minister has rejected Opposition demand for her resignation.  Yingluck Shinawatra said she will open every door for negotiations with anti-government demonstrators, but warned that the demand for her to step down is unconstitutional. 

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The Afghan National Security Council (NSC) has accused the United States of pressurising it to sign the Afghan-US Bilateral Security Agreement. It alleged that the pressure tactics include cutting the fuel supplies to Afghan Army and the Police. A press statement issued by the President's office in Kabul says, the meeting of NSC was held under the chairmanship of President Hamid Karzai and it reviewed the reports presented by the Afghan Defense and Interior Ministries. 

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The rupee rose by 19 paise to 62.25 per dollar in late morning trade today on fresh selling of dollars by banks and exporters due to good capital inflows from foreign funds into equity market. The rupee resumed higher at 62.35 per dollar as against the last closing level of 62.44 per dollar at the Interbank Foreign Exchange. Persistent foreign capital inflows in view of firm trend in equity market mainly boosted the rupee value against the dollar. In New York, the US dollar rose against the yen last Friday, setting a new six-month high.

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The Sensex at the Bombay Stock Exchange rose 114, points, or 0.5 percent, to trade at 20,904, in the afternoon session, a short while ago. The Nifty at the National Stock Exchange advanced 41 points, or 0.7 percent, to 6,217. In other Asian stock markets, key benchmark indices in Japan, China, Hong Kong, South Korea and Singapore have been trading mixed in intra-day trade, today.

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In Assam, a Pakistani prisoner, Fasiullaha has been released from jail today in Guwahati. Police released him as per the Gauhati High Court order. State Home Secretary G D Tripathi said that Fasiuallaha was arrested in 1999 suspected to be an ISI agent. He will be handed over to the Pakistani authority at Wagha border by 6th of this month. Fasiullaha is now on his way to New Delhi.

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Residents of Kashmir Valley woke up to a foggy morning as the night temperatures in most parts of the Valley increased due to the overcast conditions, bringing respite from the cold wave. A MeT Department official said that Mercury in Srinagar settled above freezing point. Leh, in Ladakh region, recorded a low of -10.8 degrees Celsius. Leh continues to be the coldest recorded place in the state.