December,2013

THE HEADLINES:

• Prime Minister calls for bridging rural-urban divide in telecommunications; says government is committed to increase rural tele-density to 70% by the year 2017 and 100% by 2020.

• Winter Session of Parliament begins; Both Houses adjourned after obituary references.

• Normal life paralysed in Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh following protest against Rayal Telengana proposal.

• Sushma Singh to be the next Chief Information Commissioner.

• Sensex surges over 280 points; Rupee strengthens by 46 paise against the dollar.

• First one dayer of 3-match series between India and South Africa to be played in Johannesburg today.

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The Prime Minister has emphasised the need for measures to bridge the rural-urban divide in telecommunications. Addressing India Telecom 2013 conference in New Delhi today, Dr Manmohan Singh said, the  government is aware of the need for expansion of telecom services in the rural areas.

With a rural tele-density of just over 40 per cent, there are millions of people in our rural economy whose lives still remain untouched by the telecom revolution. And this is a challenge that should worry all of us and we must have determination to grapple with it effectively.

The Prime Minister said, one of the key objectives of the National Telecom Policy 2012 is to increase rural tele-density to 70% by the year 2017 and 100% by the year 2020. The Policy also recognizes telecom and broadband connectivity as a basic necessity and aims to provide reliable and affordable broadband access to rural and remote areas in  the country.

Dr Singh said, the Government  remains committed to facilitating further growth of the telecom sector.  He said, Centre attempted to simplify the licensing regime, and to ensure adequate availability of spectrum for the provision of telecom services and its allocation in a transparent manner through market-related processes. It   has also  raised the Foreign Direct Investment limit in the telecommunications sector from 74% to 100%. Dr Singh said, India needs to develop a strong domestic manufacturing base in electronics and telecommunications.

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Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has said that it is obligatory for all parties to get essential business transacted as speedily and smoothly as possible in the brief Winter Session of Parliament. Talking to reporters outside Parliament today, Dr Singh said, the government will make efforts to evolve a broad based consensus on all matters of legislative importance.

We will arrive at a consensus with regard to the legislation that should be brought to Parliament for discussion and for decision making and we seek the co-operation of all segments of the house to ensure the smooth passage of the essential legislative business of the house.

On Women Reservation Bill, he said, the government will try to arrive at a consensus and seek the support of all the parties.

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Both the Houses of Parliament were adjourned for the day today on the opening day of the winter session. The Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha were adjourned after paying respect to the two sitting members who died during the inter-session period. They are Murarilal Singh of the Lok Sabha and Mohan Singh of the Rajya Sabha. Obituary reference were also made to 12 former members in both the Houses.  In the Rajya Sabha, Chairman Mohammed Hamid Ansari also made a reference to noted singer Manna Dey who passed away on the 24th of October.

The Presiding Officers of both the Houses also referred to the loss of lives in the recent cyclones hitting Odisha and Andhra Pradesh and the stampede near Ratangarh temple in Madhya Pradesh.  They also made a reference to the loss of lives in a terrorist attack in Nairobi, Kenya in September, in which four Indian nationals were killed and six others injured.  The two Houses expressed sympathy for the victims of the large scale devastation caused by super typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.  In the Lok Sabha, Speaker Meira Kumar made a specific reference to the naxal attack in Aurangabad district of Bihar on last Sunday in which seven persons were killed.

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The Lok Sabha today welcomed a Parliamentary delegation from Myanmar, headed by U Khin Aung Myint, Speaker of the Upper House. Making an announcement, Speaker Meira Kumar recalled India’s age-old ties with Myanmar. She expressed confidence that the visit will further strengthen the bonds between India and Myanmar.

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The winter session of Uttar Pradesh Assembly began today. The House was adjourned till Monday after paying homage to the deceased sitting MLA, Rajaram Pandey who died on the 1st of November. Leader of the House, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, leader of Opposition, Swami Prasad Maurya, Congress leader Pradeep Mathur and BJP's Hukum Singh paid rich tributes to the deceased member.

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In Madhya Pradesh, re-polling is underway in three polling booths of three assembly segments under tight security today. Over 37 per cent votes were cast in booth number 61 of Bhopal South-West segment till 12 pm. More than 48 per cent voters had exercised their franchise at booth number 93 of Bhopal Madhya segment.  Re-polling is also being held in Kalibavdi polling booth of Manawar segment. Repolling began at 8 AM and will end at 5 PM. Polling for the state assembly elections was held on 25th November. Re-polling was also held in six polling booths of five segments on Monday.

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A Mumbai Court today ordered fresh trial of Bollywood actor Salman Khan in 2002 hit and run case. The court said that all the witnesses will be re-examined in this 11 year old case. The hearing will begin on the 23rd December. Salman Khan had pleaded for a fresh trial before a Sessions court in the case. The Sessions court had on July 24 framed charges against Salman Khan for culpable homicide.

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In Andhra Pradesh, a day-long bandh is being observed across Telangana region in protest against Rayal Telangana proposal. Normal life has been disrupted due to the bandh with public transport buses remaining off the roads. Extending support to the bandh, almost 60,000 workers of the public road transport corporation - the APSRTC, stayed away from duties in all Telangana districts. Raising slogans against Rayal Telangana proposal, the agitators squatted before bus depots and prevented buses from coming out in the morning. Coal production in Singareni collieries is affected in Karimnagar, Warangal and Khammam districts with workers  boycotting duties in support of the bandh. Private educational institutions remained closed at several places and all scheduled examinations were postponed.

The day-long bandh is underway across Telangana region in full steam with normal life coming to a standstill. The bandh is almost total in all Telangana districts. Schools, shops and petrol bunks remained closed and RTC buses remained off the roads. In Hyderabad, situation became tense on Osmania University campus with students trying to take out a rally in protest against Rayala Telangana. Police used tear gas when the agitating students pelted stones on them. Additional  forces are deployed on the campus in view of the tense situation. Boycotting duties in support of the bandh, Telangana advocates staged dharnas before courts at several places. TRS leader Harish Rao was arrested at Siddhipet in Medak district when he led a dharna before a bus depot. Supraanthi, AIR News, Hyderabad.

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Sushma Singh will be the next Chief Information Commissioner. Ms Singh, the seniormost Information Commissioner, will succeed Deepak Sandhu who will complete her term on the 18th of this month.Official sources said, the decision to appoint the former IAS officer was taken unanimously by a panel comprising Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj and Law Minister Kapil Sibal. Ms Singh will the second woman to become Chief Information Commissioner after Ms Sandhu.

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In Bihar, five minor girls were shot dead when they were sleeping by unidentified assailants in Sonaf village in Gaya district. The Additional Superintendent of Police, Ashok Kumar said today that the girls belonging to three families, were kept in a house by their parents who had fled from the village following some personal rivalry. Further details are awaited.

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The Assam government is likely to extend an ex-gratia grant of 1.5 lakh rupees to those militants who laid down arms and returned to the mainstream between 1998 to 2005. Quoting official sources, our correspondent reports that as of now, ex-gratia is being given to  those militants who gave up violence and surrendered after the 1st of April, 2005. 

Around six thousand former militants, who returned to mainstream are likely to benefit by this initiative. Sources said, state government is discussing the matter with the Centre to take a final call. Around seven thousand surrendered rebels  have been benefited so far under this initiative. In another development, the Assam government has urged the Centre to provide 25 companies of para-military forces to maintain law and order situation in the state. These companies were withdrawn from Assam in the wake of assembly polls in five states. Now the Assam government has written to the Union Home ministry seeking their re-deployment particularly in Bodoland Territorial Area Districts. Manas Pratim Sarma, AIR News,Guwahati.

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Paring its initial gains, the Sensex at the Bombay Stock Exchange still stood a good 285 points, or 1.4 percent in positive territory, at 20,993 in afternoon trade, a short while ago. Earlier in the morning, the Sensex had shot up 440 points, or 2.1 per cent, to regain the psychological 21,000-mark, at 21,148, on strong buying by funds. The 30-share Sensex had lost 189 points in the previous two trading sessions. Stock markets in Japan, China, Indonesia, Hong Kong,  Singapore and Taiwan had lost between 0.1 percent and 1 percent, today, after  strong US economic data triggered speculation that the Federal Reserve may start winding-up its monetary stimulus for the US economy relatively soon. The US Dow Jones Industrial Average had closed 0.2 per cent lower in yesterday's trade.

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Moving in line with equity market, the rupee advanced by 46 paise, to 61.59 per dollar on fresh selling of dollars by banks and exporters.  This was on hopes of more foreign capital inflows into equity market amid exit polls predicting a strong showing by the BJP in the recently concluded Assembly elections to four states. The rupee resumed higher at 61.75 as against the last closing level of 62.05 per dollar at the Interbank Foreign Exchange Market. In New York market, the U.S. dollar surrendered some of the gains scored after a report on private-sector payrolls underlined ideas the Federal Reserve could move sooner than previously thought to cut back on its monthly bond purchases.

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International Volunteer Day is being celebrated today. The day is celebrated to recognize volunteerism and pay special tribute to the contribution of youth volunteers in global peace and sustainable human development. The day offers an opportunity for volunteer organizations and individual volunteers to make visible their contributions at local, national and international levels. Hundreds of social service organizations and NGOs are working across the country in sectors like education and health to help people in need. This year, the theme is: "Young, Global, Active". The Director, Blood Bank and Volunteer Programme of Indian Red Cross Society, Vanashree Singh told AIR that volunteers are the backbone of Red Cross activities, helping to run successful programmes and assisting millions of vulnerable people. Ms Singh appealed to the youth to come forward to be part of volunteer programmes to alleviate people's sufferings.   

I urge to the public that more and more volunteers should be engaged to work so that we can achieve the noble cause. For this you have to just enroll yourself in the Red Cross and then Red Cross will guide you. After an induction programme, then we give the training and you are enrolled for the specific task.

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The first one dayer of the 3-match cricket series between India and South Africa will be played in Johannesburg today. The match will be played at 5 PM Indian Time. When India scores the first run today, it will become the highest-run scoring team in the 50-over format of the game. All India Radio will broadcast live commentary on the match. It can be heard on the FM Gold network from 4.30 PM onwards.