News Digest: Govt looking to cut `unnecessary' costs for haj

Govt looking to cut `unnecessary' costs for haj
There are 21 embarkation points for haj pilgrims as of now and minister for minority affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said that this number could be brought down to around nine at the most.

Aadhaar to be mandatory for driving licence
The Centre will ask states to make Aadhaar identification necessary for a new licence as well as for those seeking renewal. This is expected to prevent the issuance of multiple licences, means adopted to beat the suspension of licence for traffic, criminal offences or for fake identity.

Delhi police seek footage of Gaikwad's 'rant'
Delhi police has sought the video footage of MP Ravindra Gaikwad abusing the Air India staffer on the stepladder of the aircraft during which he had allegedly tried to push him off. In the FIR, the employee mentioned that he was pushed repeatedly by the MP with the intention to throw him off the ladder.

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Patent row: Chinese court rules in favour of Apple
In May last year, a Beijing patent regulator ordered Apple's Chinese subsidiary and a local retailer Zoomflight to stop selling iPhone 6 models, ruling that Apple violated design patents of Chinese maker Shenzhen Baili with its smartphones.

EU recommends suspending hundreds of drugs tested by Indian firm
The decision, announced by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) on its website, is the latest blow for India's drug-testing industry, which has run into a series of problems with international regulators in recent years.

Now, you can compare hospital treatment rates in advance
Patients get a fair idea of what the final bill would be from informations like rates of packages, room rent and surgeon's fee.You can also select the hospital in the same city and type of room. Chances are remote for the final bill to shoot beyond the estimate, barring some unforeseen complications. Insurers like ICICI Lombard have started portals like HealthAdvisor.com, where one can compare best hospitals in India and make more informed decisions.

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Temperature drop led to mass extinction

UN predicts unusual weather in 2017
Extreme weather and climate conditions, including Arctic "heatwaves", have continued into 2017, after global temperatures set record last year and the world witnessed exceptionally low sea ice and unabated ocean heat, the UN weather agency said.

Wild chimps have long life spans: Study
Wild chimpanzees can lead surprisingly long lives under the right ecological conditions, according to a new study of a large community of our close primate relatives.

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Troubled EU renews vows on 60th anniversary
"Today we renew our vows and reaffirm our commitment to an undivided and indivisible Union," said Jean-Claude Juncker, the EU chief executive, urging the bloc not to get bogged down in details that alienated voters.

Donald Trump: Different strokes

Tens of thousands in London protest Britain's EU departure
Prime Minister Theresa May plans to trigger Article 50 of the EU treaty on March 29, setting the Brexit process in motion. Negotiations are expected to take at least two years.

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Katrina returns from 'Tiger Zinda Hai' shoot
Katrina Kaif is back in town from Austria where she was shooting with megastar and ex-boyfriend Salman Khan for ‘Tiger Zinda Hai’.

'Naam Shabana' recreates 'Zooby zooby' with a spy twist
‘Zooby zooby’ from Mithun Chakraborty’s ‘Dance Dance’ has also been recreated for 'Naam Shabana.'

Ranbir thanks Gauri with a heartfelt letter
Gauri Khan is now a renowned interior decorator who recently worked on Ranbir Kapoor’s house in Bandra's Pali Hill.

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Scientists launch campaign to restore Pluto to the planet club
Pluto and its newfound kin in the solar system's distant Kuiper Belt region were reclassified as dwarf planets, along with Ceres, the biggest object in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. The decision left the solar system with eight planets.

Cancer may strike due to bad luck, not lifestyle
New research shows that random changes or ‘mistakes’ in DNA when cells are dividing cause nearly two-third of all cancers in humans. This upends prevailing wisdom that cancer is mostly a lifestyle related disease caused by factors like smoking, harmful chemicals and conditions like obesity.

Men! Hit the gym for better bone health

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4th Test evenly poised after Kuldeep, Smith heroics
Steve Smith became the first Australian skipper to score three centuries in a series in India as the visitors tried their best to seize the initiative but were kept in check by some superb bowling from debutant Kuldeep Yadav.

Shane Warne tips come in handy for Kuldeep Yadav
Newcomer Kuldeep Yadav on Saturday revealed he had learnt some tricks of the trade from none other than Aussie spin legend Shane Warne, after scripting a memorable debut against Australia in Dharamsala.

1st ODI: Tamim century sets up Bangladesh win over Sri Lanka
Opener Tamim Iqbal struck his eighth hundred and shared a 144-run stand with Shakib Al Hasan to set up a comprehensive 90-run win for Bangladesh over Sri Lanka in the first One-day international at Dambulla on Saturday.

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Here's why WNS CEO thinks that BPM industry need not worry about H-1B visas
The business process management service provider believes the changes in H1B visa norms by the Trump administration will not hit the BPM and BPO industry hard, which hires a good number of locals, a senior industry official said.

Apple may have to wait for GST rollout, here's why
Commerce and Industry minister Nirmala Sitharaman today said Amercian phone-maker Apple's demand for tax incentives to set up a manufacturing unit in the country will have be looked at after the Goods and Services Tax (GST) is rolled out.

Google plans to transform telecom networks in India, here's how
Google has already formed its first such partnership in India with leading telecom operator Bharti Airtel.

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3Ts to encourage madrassas to teach regular subjects, too
In its effort to encourage madrasas to promote mainstream education along with traditional religious teachings, the Union ministry for minority affairs has called upon state governments to give proposals so that the ministry can make “3Ts”- Teacher, Tiffin, Toilet for these religious schools possible.

NEET 2017 to be held in 23 more cities; app to help students locate nearest centre
For NEET 2017, there will be additional 23 cities apart from the 80 existing examination cities. The registration for the combined entrance test saw a jump of 41.42% as 11.35 lakh aspirants have registered this year as against 8.02 lakh in 2016.

Scrap courses with few takers, IITs and other institutions told
The ministry of human resource development has told all centrally funded technical institutions, including the Indian Institutes of Technology, to close centres and end courses which have seen a decline in the number of applicants in the past three years.

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Alphonso sees dip in demand in foreign markets
It has not exactly been a delectable year for the king of fruits -mango. Not only has the demand for the Alphonso variety dipped in the Indian market, mango exporters have also had to contend with lukewarm interest from abroad. Export demand for Alphonsos has dipped by 40% this season, industry sources said. ​

Belgian Malinois sniffer canines set to join police force in state
A fortnight after Gadchiroli and Solapur police took Belgian Malinois puppies in their teams, several police units across the state have decided to procure Belgian Malinois as they are more rugged sniffer dogs that can perform well in extreme conditions.

Netas welcome Mundhe's ouster, citizens protest
The transfer order of Navi Mumbai civic chief Tukaram Mundhe triggered off a strong albeit different response from the citizens and corporators. While residents and social activists expressed their disappointment via social media and signature drives, the corporators were visibly relieved.

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Man dies after scuffle in house
A 43-year-old mentally unstable man died in his house on Friday. The death was reported soon after a scuffle between his family members and another family in their neighbourhood in outer Delhi's Alipur.

Kejriwal skipping poll meet in Gujarat today
With his focus firmly on guarding his home turf, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal is planing to skip a crucial volunteers' meeting in Gujarat scheduled for Sunday.

Rs 1.25cr cash seized from 3 cars, 6 held
Police in east Delhi, put on alert about possible movement of suspected terrorists with explosives in a car, intercepted three vehicles with Rs 1.25 crore cash stashed in the trunks. Six people travelling in the cars were caught during the operation. Police suspect that the cash was meant to be distributed during the upcoming civic polls.

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With Krishna, BJP hopes for UP model in Karnataka

A sanctuary where patriot dogs spend autumn years

Foreign firms propose to rejuvenate Bellandur Lake

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Former Congress MP V Hanumantha Rao taken into preventive custody, released
The Congress leader is seen shouting at P Sudhakar, an additional inspector of police attached to Kamatipura Station, who was on duty at the Assembly.

Telangana government demands explanation from collector on beef comments
Murali said during a program to mark the World TB Day at Yeturu Nagaram that "Brahminical" culture had affected eating habits leading to protein deficiency.

Railway minister Suresh Prabhu launches rail infra projects in Hyderabad

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Pallavaram, Tambaram, Avadi to be corporations

Get brownies and burgers as 'prasad' at this Chennai temple
A temple in Padappai, a suburb on the outskirts of Chennai, has replaced traditional south Indian offerings like tamarind rice and sweet pongal for a more trendy dedication of burgers and brownies, cracker sandwiches and cherry tomato salads.

Play gives contemporary twist to epic tale

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In times of 'love jihad', inter-faith couple found dead in jungle
In times when the din over 'love-jihad' is getting louder, bodies of a star-crossed inter-faith couple in Amerli district were found in a forest near Liliya, less than 100 km from Gir sanctuary last December. Unfortunately, the ill-fated couple's love ended in death despite Gujarat high court's directive to the state government to ensure the girl's safety with the court itself monitoring the case.

GCMMF to start selling frozen parathas, samosas

47,000 teachers to assess exam papers

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Crackdown on slaughterhouses has led to loss of livelihood: UP minister
For the first time after the crackdown on illegal slaughterhouses in UP, a representative of the Aditya Nath Yogi government admitted on Saturday that the move had resulted in loss of livelihood for many.

Allahabad cops wield brooms at 39 police stations
Days after chief minister Yogi Adityanath called for a greener and cleaner Uttar Pardesh, Allahabad's policemen have launched cleanliness drives at all 39 police stations in the city and trans-Ganga and Yamuna areas.

Chicken, mutton sellers harassed, says AIMIM
Mahanagar AIMIM president Afsar Mahmood said traders with valid licences are facing hardship in their business and there was none to hear their grievances.

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East Coast Railway closes 125 unmanned level crossings in 2016-17
The East Coast Railway (ECoR) has closed 125 unmanned level crossings (ULCs) in the financial year of 2016-17. The railway zone had 313 such level crossings by April 1, 2016. Presently it has only 188 ULCs in the zone.

Odisha Tourism to promote homestay facilities

BJP's Odisha focus: PM, Advani, party's CMs to attend national executive meet
After the resounding victory in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand assembly elections, the BJP eyes Odisha as a potential ground to sweep the poll in 2019, halting Naveen Patnaik from coming to power for fifth term.

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CAG report: Congress seeks Shivraj's resignation

Bhopal: CBSE-affiliated schools hail doing away with CCE scheme

Vyapam cancels eligibility of 1,263 medical students

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Interactive session on importance of Lokayukta held at Central University of Punjab
The center of laws of the Central University of Punjab on Saturday organised interactive programme involving civil society for sensitizing the Institution and office of Lokpal in India.

Kite string death: 4 lakh relief for family
HC Holds Punjab Negligent

800 farmers suicides in Muktsar between 2000 and 2016

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