News Digest: BJP, BPF defectors hand Cong 2 Assam RS seats

BJP, BPF defectors hand Cong 2 Assam RS seats
With additional help in the form of cross-voting by one member each of BJP and Bodo People's Front, Assam's ruling Congress on Monday won both the Rajya Sabha seats, in a boost ahead of assembly elections next month.

Eye on Bahuguna, Cong expels son

PM Modi extols Ambedkar as BJP, Cong vie for Dalit icon's legacy
Ambedkar was let down by J L Nehru over the Hindu Code Bill to empower women, and this led to the country's first law minister to resign, the PM claimed.

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Tata Sons buys Rs 312cr Titan shares

IDBI staff confront brass on Mallya

Oil savings reduce import bill, CAD falls

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NGT seeks complete data on sewage discharged in Ganga
The National Green Tribunal on Monday slammed Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) over the quantum of sewage discharged in Ganga from various towns of the state and directed it to submit complete data on domestic and industrial waste released in the river.

PETA files appeal to give copyright to Naruto monkey for his 'selfie'
The animal right organisation People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has reportedly filed an appeal against a lower court's decision in January this year that declined to give a macaque monkey the right to his famous selfie taken in Indonesia in 2011.

Coral bleaching at Barrier Reef 'severe': Australia
Australian authorities said on Sunday coral bleaching occurring in the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef had become "severe", the highest alert level, as sea temperatures warm.

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Obama, Castro lay bare tensions on embargo, human rights
Laying bare a half-century of tensions, President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro prodded each other Monday over human rights and the longstanding US economic embargo during an unprecedented joint news conference that stunned Cubans unaccustomed to their leaders being aggressively questioned.

Republican donors finally unite, against Trump
"You have all these people who backed different candidates, and now they are uniting," said Brian Baker, a political adviser to the Ricketts family.

Soft drink cos may sue UK govt over sugar tax
Soft drinks makers including Coca Cola are reportedly considering suing the Government over George Osborne's plans to implement a tax on sugary drinks, which could never see the light of day.

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John: Who says action can't be sensual?
Imagine studly Rambo raging with additional sexy sinews. That would be something to throw adrenaline junkies into a frenzy and make them drool.

Katrina to Big B: Actors who played God
Playing God ain't easy. You have to be perfect in everything that you do and maintain and calm demeanour throughout.

'Balki takes me to unknown territories'
Although hero-heroine jodis and director-actor combinations are often talked about in Hindi cinema, filmmaker-cinematographer teams play an equally significant part.

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A 'smart' umbrella that predicts rain too
A company in France has developed a new smart umbrella that, when paired with a smartphone app, can not only predict the weather but also send you a notification if you leave it behind.

Humanoid robot works in therapy for children with autism
Scientists have created a robot with artificial intelligence that teaches children with autism to recognise facial expressions in people. Children with autism have special difficulty in expressing emotions, usually have no social skills and face major problems when communicating.

Rare comet 'twins' to zip past Earth
Comet 252P/LINEAR, approximately 750 feet in size, will zip past Earth on Monday at a range of about 5.2 million kms. On Tuesday, comet P/2016 BA14 will safely fly by our planet at a distance of about 3.5 million kms.

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World T20: Australia narrowly survive Bangladesh scare
Chasing 157, Australia won with three wickets in hand thanks chiefly to Usman Khawaja's maiden T20I fifty.

After slow start, Adam Zampa makes an impact
The 23-year-old Australia legspinner followed three wicketless matches with an impactful 3/23 in victory over Bangladesh.

Male players should earn more than females: Djokovic
Tennis World No. 1 Novak Djokovic believes that male tennis players should earn more money than their female counterparts, considering the fact that more people watch their matches.

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Apple iPhone SE launched at $399 for 16GB
India will have to wait for the iPhone SE. The device is expected to be available by May.

In pics: Apple iPhone SE and 9.7-inch iPad Pro
Apple has taken the covers off iPhone SE and a new version of iPad Pro, both featuring smaller screens than the flagship models. The two devices bring a lot of the top-end features to buyers but a lower price tag. Click on to find out the key features of Apple’s new iPhone SE and iPad Pro.

Apple unveils smaller iPad Pro with 9.7-inch screen
​iPad Pro has a 9.7-inch display with the new True Tone technology, A9X processor, 12MP rear camera, 5MP front camera and 32, 128 and 256GB storage options.

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Government brings online facility for medical colleges application
As an add-on facility, Union Health Ministry on Monday introduced an online procedure of receiving application from medical colleges seeking to start post- graduation courses or increase seats in existing ones.

Right to Education Act remarkable achievement: Ansari
The Right to Education Act was a "remarkable achievement" despite its shortcomings, Vice President Hamid Ansari said on Monday, even as he lamented that government financing for education was insufficient.

Delays in RTE admission creates problems for stakeholders
Admissions under the Right To Education (RTE) Act seem to be heading for yet another controversial year. Technical problems have thrown off the online admission schedule by almost three weeks and there’s still no guarantee that further delays will be avoided.

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Central team to investigate causes of fire
e Centre will send a two-member special team of environment ministry to investigate the fire at the Deonar dumping ground in Mumbai."Fire at dump yard, emitting toxic gases, is a serious issue.

Doctor, 94, gets HC nod to practise allopathy
The Bombay high court has allowed a 94-year-old city doctor to practise allopathy and partially stayed a suspension order passed by the Maharashtra Medical Council on March 1.

Maha CM asks AG to quit over Marathwada comment
Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has asked state advocate general Shreehari Aney to put in his papers. The move comes a day after the controversial AG stoked another controversy by advocating separate statehood for the Marathwada region.

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Victim, not villain: Delhi Cop in 'drunk' video
The video clip of a “drunk cop“ swaying and falling inside a Metro coach went viral six months ago and was picked up by TV and newspapers, leading to the suspension of the constable, Salim P K.

DDU doctors on strike
New Delhi, Mar 21 () The doctors at Deen Dayal Upadhyaya (DDU) hospital in West Delhi went on strike today demanding action against the attendants of a patient for allegedly beating up three of them.

2 Africans held for duping businessman
New Delhi, Mar 21 () Two African nationals who allegedly duped a Delhi-based businessman of around Rs 80 lakh, targeting him during the India-Africa summit here, on the pretext of providing him fake dollar notes worth a million, have been arrested, police said today.

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In a first, Korean mastiff worth Rs 1cr comes to India
The Korean Dosa mastiff has a heavy wrinkled skin, hanging jowls and a blunt nose, but it is entitled to put it up in the air.

Karnataka BJP-Congress lawmakers spar over anti-graft bureau
Bengaluru, March 21 (IANS) The Karnataka legislative assembly on Monday saw uproarious scenes and heated exchanges between lawmakers of the ruling Congress and opposition BJP on the government setting up the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in a bid to 'scuttle' the Lokayukta (ombudsman).

Landfill leachate poses threat to environment

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Telangana government not to change metro rail alignment in Old City
After exploring various options on the realignment of the metro rail route in the Old City , the Telangana government has finally decided to stick to the original alignment. The route is to connect Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station to Falaknuma via Darulshifa, Miralamandi and Shalibanda.

Andhra Pradesh secretariat staff to move to Amaravati by June 15
After dilly-dallying for months, the Andhra Pradesh secretariat employees have finally agreed to shift to the temporary capital in Amaravati by June 15, top AP officials and employee unions jointly said on Monday.

Advocate steals books from HC to build career
Charminar police have arrested an advocate practising at the High Court for stealing 114 law books, journals and volumes of citations from the court complex.

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Balcony collapse creates panic in Purasawalkam

'Film News' Anandan dies at 89
Tamil cinema historian and public relations officer 'Film News' Anandan died in his sleep at his home in the city on Monday morning.

Couple killed in accident
A couple died when a speeding lorry knocked them off their two wheeler at Vela gate in Kancheepuram on the Chennai-Bengaluru National Highway on Sunday night.

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SPG to start next round of Patel quota agitation from Apr 17
Ahmedabad, Mar 21 () President of Sardar Patel Group Lalji Patel today announced that the next round of agitation for reservation for the Patel community would start from April 17, as the Gujarat government was not responding positively.

Man sets himself on fire and enters Guj Chief Justice's court
Ahmedabad, Mar 21 () A man, dressed as an advocate, today set himself on fire and entered the court of Chief Justice R Subhash Reddy at the Gujarat High Court before the lawyers present there doused the flames.

Woman principal held for violating RTE Act
Ahmedabad, Mar 21 () A woman principal of a private school in Modasa town of Arvalli district was arrested along with a school clerk for allegedly demanding fee from the parents of a girl, who had taken admission there under the Right to Education (RTE) quota, ACB officials said today.

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Cops on duty to catch drunk drivers
In keeping with the DGP's list of dos and don'ts for Holi, tough action will be taken against anyone involved in drunken driving or caught throwing water balloons at people.

Major Gen opens recreation hub
Maj Gen Dharam Vir Singh Rana, AVSM, SM, VSM, GOC, MB Area, Jabalpur visited 508 Army Base Workshop, Allahabad on Monday.His visit was part of annual administrative inspection.

Roads new, Holikas put on platform
Holika organizers have been requested to put up temporary pedestals under Holikas.Allahabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) officials said this measure could help prevent damage to newly-constructed roads.

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Bombs hurled, houses burnt in Khurda
Dadhimachhagadia, about 30km from here, turned into a battlefield as two groups of people from the village allegedly clashed, hurled bombs and set afire at least 60 houses on Monday.

City burns at 64-year March high of 42.2 degree
As the week got off to a start, most city denizens' Monday Blues were compounded by unbearable heat as the capital blistered at a high of 42.2C.

270 M'giri villagers withdraw support
At least 270 Maoist sympathisers, including 30 women, of seven villages under Mathili police limits in Malkangiri district withdrew support to the banned outfit on Monday.

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Stress drives Class XII student to slit wrist with compass outside exam hall
A Class XII student is battling for his life after the fear of failing his board exams drove him to slit his wrists with a compass in Bhopal on Monday.

Wagons of goods train carrying explosives derails in Madhya Pradesh
This is the second such incident on this special line within 12 months. Last incident was reported on April 11, 2015 when five wagons of good trains loaded with explosives got derailed. No injury was reported.

Morena: Mafia holds up jeep, attacks cops, escapes in tractor

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State's projected debt to cross Punjab's financial burden
While finance minister Captain Abhimanyu sounded bullish on growth of Haryana's economy during his budget speech on Monday, state's projected debt for the 2016-17 financial year will be Rs 1,40,831 crore, which has even surpassed neighbouring Punjab's debt burden in the forthcoming fiscal.

No new taxes, focus on social sector in Haryana budget
Haryana finance minister Captain Abhimanyu has proposed the state budget for 2016-17 financial year with no new taxes and with a revenue deficit of Rs 12,280.35 crore, up by Rs 1,587.2 crore from the current financial year.

Higher pay on cards for state officials
The Haryana government employees have a reason to cheer.

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