HEADLINES

• U.P House passes voice vote for splitting of the state amidst pandemonium in the house and then adjourns the house
• SIT tells the Gujarat High Court that the Ishrat Jahan encounter was a fake
• Bangladesh asks Pakistan for a formal apology for atrocities by the Pakistan troops during the 1971 liberation war
• Egypt's cabinet resigns as clashes between protesters and the army intensify
• Gaddafi's son Saif al-Islam attested by rebel troups near the Libyan border

NATIONAL NEWS

• India and Bangladesh to sign an extradition treaty
  • The Home secretaries of both countries announced that the countries would expedite finalising the extradition treaty. This was announced at a joint conference at the end of the 12th annual secretary level talks.
• Defence Ministry drafts policy on joint ventures
  • After the first public-private joint venture in the defence sector between the Mazagon Dock Ltd and the Pipavav Shipyard Ltd ran into trouble due after other bidders claimed they weren't given proper opportunity to respond to the bid for the joint venture, the Defence Ministry has come out with a draft policy on such joint venture proposals;
  • The draft policy is being sent to the Ministry of Finance, Law, Commerce & Industries and Corporate Affairs for approval. Once it is approved it will be finalised. The Mazagon-Pipavav project has been put on hold till the new policy is in place and is tested with it.
• Army gets High-speed boats to counter Chinese Intrusion
  • Apart from the much reported land and aerial incursions by the Chinese, the incursions along the water bodies have become another area of great concern for India;
  • With an aim to match Chinese prowess in the waterways the Indian army is now getting sleek new high speed patrol boats from the US. The first batch of these 17 boats are being procured by the Indian army next month;
  • This becomes important after a 135km long intrusion has been detected in Pangong Tso, the salt-water lake nestled between India and China at an altitude of 14500 ft. The lake has one third of its area in India and two-thirds in China. At present India is operating vintage boats while China operates modern speed boats on the lake.

EDITORIALS, OPINIONS & COLUMNS

• Read this editorial on Singapore's support for India's permanent seat at the UNSC
• Here is a good article on the Biotechnology Regulatory Authority Bil
• Read this editorial on the falling rupee in light of global trends
• Read this article on the role of Ethiopian troups in removing the al-Shabab from Somalia

ECONOMY & BUSINESS NEWS

• Read this article on the coal crisis in India