HEADLINES

• PM seeks more time to resolve the Telangana issue as K.C. Rao says he will go on a fast unto death
• J&K assembly disrupted over custodial death of National Conference activist, Syed Yousuf

NATIONAL NEWS

• No Poverty line cap for social schemes, food entitlement; beneficiaries as per new census
  • The planning commission admitted that the benchmark of Rs.26 and Rs.32 was low but said it was factual and based on the finds of the Suresh Tendulkar committee;
  • The Govt is arguing for the delinking of food entitlements and other social schemes from the poverty line. If this method is adopted then certain changes maybe required in The National Food Security Bill;
  • Such entitlements will be based on the socio-economic census which is expected to be completed in 2012. The census will take into account deprivations based on seven indicators in the rural area.
• Case registered against Subramanian Swamy by the Delhi police
  • A case under Sec.153-A (i.e. promoting enimity between different groups on grounds of religion...) has been registered by the Police in relation to his article in the DNA newspaper;
  • The case was registered pursuant to a complaint from the National Commission for Minorities.
• Tank ammunitions at critical low levels, MoD waives policy to buy
  • A tank ammunition of the army, Armoured Piercing Fin-Stabilized Discarding Sabot (APFSDS) have come down the critical mark and need immediate reordering;
  • The policy of purchase requires that any purchase over Rs.300 crore, should ensure that the supplier need to invest 30% again in India (known as offtake obligation);
  • India had a long term agreement with Israel, but now with Israel military Industries (IMI) blacklisted due to a probe by CBI, the order could not go on;
  • A Russian entity has come forward but with a price quote of 40% more and are not agreeing to the offtake conditions and so it has been waived. The defence minister who is on a visit to Russia, will negotiate the deal.
• CAG wants to audit the Padma Awards
  • The Home Ministry has declined a request from the CAG to audit the Padma Awards. The Home Ministry beleives that the Padma Awards do not amount to expenditure and therefore not for the CAG to audit.
• Sanjeev Bhatt is arrested in Gujarat
• Pulok Chatterjee, 1974 UP cadre IAS officer, takes over as Principal Secretary to the PM from TKA Nair
• Courts hold that non-advocates can also appear before consumer fora

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

• Nobel prizes announced; procedural problem with prize for Physiology to Ralph Steinman who died a few hours before the award and rules require that the prize cannot be awarded posthumously
• China and India to resume Tobacco trade
  • The Indian tobacco industry is eyeing China as a potential importer of Flue Cured Virginia which is currently grown in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka;
  • Tobacco trade had fallen from its high in the 1980s after China had expressed concerns over pathogen content in Indian tobacco;
  • This revival is seen as a direct effect of the signing of the Protocol of Phytosanitary Requirements for the Export of Tobacco Leaves in January 2008.
• Report shows record artic ozone hole. Usually the large ozone holes have always been over the Antartic. This is the first time that such a large ozone hole has been found over the Artic region.

EDITORIALS, OPINIONS & COLUMNS

• Mine for ever – An Editorial on the latest mining bill
• Holding china to account : Paul krugman's article
  

ECONOMY & BUSINESS NEWS

• Government targets $400 billion from electronics manufacturing sector
  
  • The target is part of the draft national policy of electronics 2011.
    
  • This will be linked with the benefits of the Manufactoring policy and National Investment and Manufacturing Zones (NMIZs)