News Digest: Flying in? Declare your drone

Flying in? Declare your drone
International flyers bringing drones into India will now have to declare them with the customs.With the remote-controlled flying devices emerging as a major security threat, the government has decided to revise the customs declaration form to include drones in the list of `prohibited and dutiable' items, with effect from April 1.

'Gau katha' to blame for Latehar killings?
Ex- Saffron Men Threaten Cattle Herders

Centre plans 2nd anniversary blitz
With two months to go, the Modi government has begun preparations for its second year anniversary on May 26.

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RBI expected to cut rates by up to 25bps
Prospects for a lower interest rate regime have increased significantly with economists and bankers expecting the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to cut rates in its monetary policy review on April 5. Some bankers say that conditions are ripe for a rate cut in March itself.

If lending rates dip, interest on FDs can't remain high: FM
Finance minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday defended the decision to reduce interest rates on small savings such as public provident fund, arguing that there was a need to move towards lower interest rates to make the economy more efficient, rather than sluggish.

IDBI to raise lower amount from LIC on Sebi formula
IDBI Bank will be able to raise only around Rs 850 crore through a preferential allotment to Life Insurance Corporation (LIC), against its earlier plan of Rs 1,500 crore, after the lender was forced to follow the Sebi-formula for issuing shares and was reminded that the insurer can at best hold 15%.

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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.

New golden frog species discovered in high Andes
A new species of pale gold-coloured frog has been discovered in the cloud forests of the high Andes in Colombia. Its name, Pristimantis dorado, commemorates both its colour (dorado means "golden" in Spanish) and El Dorado, a mythical city of gold sought by Spanish conquistadors in South America.

China on yellow alert as pollution chokes cities
China on Saturday issued a yellow alert for smog as the pollution choked most regions in the country's north with no signs of abating. The statement reminded people to pay more regard to safety on the roads.

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US Prez Obama arrives in Cuba for historic visit
President Barack Obama arrived in Cuba on Sunday on a historic visit, opening a new chapter in U.S. engagement with the island's Communist government after decades of animosity between the former Cold War foes.

Nepal PM on maiden trip to China
Before leaving on his week-long tour of its northern neighbour, Oli said that his country wants access to Chinese seaports for trade, Chinese official media Xinhua reported.

In a first, UK to allow cameras in courts
Television cameras will be allowed into UK crown courts for the first time under a pilot scheme to bring in "more openness" and "transparency", Justice Minister Shailesh Vara announced today.

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What did R Balki ask Arjun before 'Ki & Ka'?
Filmmaker R Balki reveals that he decided to cast someone masculine as the lead actor while scripting 'Ki & Ka'.

Salman super-impressed with Anushka Sharma

TOIFA 2016: Best moments from the event

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117 light years away, a 'most eccentric' planet
Researchers have spotted an extrasolar planet, about 117 light years from Earth, that boasts the most eccentric orbit ever seen.

Altruism hard-wired in human brain: Study
Participants with most activity in the prefrontal cortex proved to be the stingiest, giving away an average of only $1 to $3 per round.

Soon, unisex contraceptive pills
Scientists have found a switch that triggers the 'power kick' sperms use to fertilise a human egg, uncovering a likely source of male infertility and a target for unisex contraceptives.

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WT20: South Africa escape Afghanistan scare for first win
Chasing 210, Afghanistan were given a tremendous start by Mohammad Shahzad but that momentum couldn't be replicated at the Wankhede Stadium.

Wrestler Hardeep books Rio Olympic quota in Greco-Roman
Hardeep sprang a surprise by booking an Olympic quota place for India in Greco-Roman wrestling, which is not the country's forte, after finishing with a silver medal in the 98kg category.

Nineteen minutes of Shahzad that rattled South Africa
Backing his natural game, Mohammad Shahzad gave Faf du Plessis a fright when he smacked 44 off 17 balls at the Wankhede Stadium.

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16 free apps you must use to travel better
Having the right apps on your phone can drastically improve your travel experience.

11 amazing uses of virtual reality
You've probably seen those 'tilt & rotate' videos on Facebook or different versions of virtual reality headsets.

Apple engineers say will quit if ordered to unlock iPhone
If the FBI wins its court fight to force Apple's help in unlocking an iPhone, the agency may run into yet another roadblock: Apple's engineers.

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77% Indians with foreign medical degree fail MCI hurdle

Don't be deterred by failures, Smriti Irani tells students
Union HRD minister Smriti Irani, on Saturday, asked the students not to be deterred by failures, but move ahead in life irrespective of the challenges.

CBSE to buy 8K metal detectors to frisk candidates
To check unfair practices using hi-tech gadgets, Central Board of Secondary Education is planning to buy 8,000 metal detectors to frisk candidates appearing for professional examinations conducted by it. The CBSE has invited bids for 8,000 bug and metal detectors.

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Kid gets locked in car seized by cops in Mumbai, dies
A four-year-old boy suffocated to death after he accidently locked himself in a seized stolen vehicle parked by the crime branch outside his house at Damodar Park in Ghatkopar, Mumbai.

Cop fires at colleague by mistake
A police constable was injured on Saturday when his colleague accidentally fired a shot while the two were changing duties outside the residential complex of a Bandra-based hotelier.

CBSE Maths paper tough: Class X kids
After complaints about the Class XII examination, students who took the CBSE’s Class X Mathematics paper on Saturday too claimed that the paper was “lengthy and tricky”.

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CIC seeks Kejriwal reply on address change query
Is Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, also an AAP legislator, a public authority? The Central Information Commission (CIC) has asked Kejriwal to respond to this RTI query, which sought to know how he was allowed to change his address during the 2015 assembly poll nominations.

Headless for over a year, IIT-Delhi to get new boss
After remaining headless for nearly one-and-a-half years, IIT-Delhi is likely to get a new director in V Ramgopal Rao of IIT-Bombay, whose name has been sent to the President for approval.

Metro identifies NOC-must areas
To avoid confusion over who requires a no-objection certificate from Delhi Metro to construct near its lines and stations, DMRC has now identified an ‘influence zone’—any construction within which will require an NOC. The influence zone is an area of 11km on either side of any Metro construction. A link identifying such areas will be available on the DMRC website from Monday.

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344 drugs recommended for banning after very scientific process: Panel head Dr Kokate
Recently, union health ministry banned 344 fixed drugs combinations (FDC) following the recommendations of expert committee headed by senior personality Dr C K Kokate, former president of Pharmacy Council of India, presently serving as vice-chancellor of Belagavi based KLE University since over past 10 years.

60-yr-old woman dies during protest
A 60-year-old woman collapsed and died on the spot during a protest demanding water supply to their village, on the state highway near Hanehalli village on Saturday.

Duo chops cashier's finger, flees with 21L
Two bike-borne miscreants robbed a petrol pump employee of cash worth Rs 21 lakh on Tumakuru highway on Saturday.When the victim resisted their attempt to snatch the money from him, they chopped his finger.

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Debt-ridden Telangana eyes loan for 400% MLA pay hike
Notwithstanding its growing debt burden, the Telangana government is now scouting for new sources for borrowing and the list of bankers include Rabobank of Netherlands.

Heat no deterrent at aviation show
From excitedly clicking selfies against the backdrop of aeroplanes on display to indulging in heated discussions, visitors to the India Aviation 2016 - thrown open to the public on Saturday - were a visibly enthusiastic lot despite the soaring temperatures.

Property tax: Telangana, Andhra Pradesh govts big defaulters
The state governments of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have not paid a whopping Rs 60 crore to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation as property tax, the civic body said on Sunday.

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No one killed Tamil Nadu's caste-crossed couples

Clash among TN Cong workers at meet, 2 arrested
Chennai, Mar 20 () A Tamil Nadu Congress Committee meeting here today saw an altercation and exchange of blows between supporters of former Union minister P Chidambaram and TNCC president E V K S Elangovan, resulting in injuries to a party worker, following which two functionaries were arrested.

DMK chief Karunanidhi opposes cut on savings interest rates
Chennai, Mar 20 () Staunchly opposing the cut in interest rates for small savings schemes, DMK president M Karunanidhi today said the decision would negatively impact both the people and the country.

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Senior officer booked for demanding Rs 2.70 lakh bribe in Guj
Ahmedabad, Mar 20 () ACB has registered an FIR against Resident Additional Collector (RAC) of Panchmahal district for allegedly demanding bribe of Rs 2.70 lakh for extending an official favour.

Gujarat's golden link to IIM toppers
Gujaratis have always been lauded for their keen business sense. Co-incidentally, this year three of the four gold medalists at IIMA have a Gujarat connect.

Hounded, couple withdraws request for marriage registration
When a couple in Ahmedabad--Robert Macwan and Shaheda Mansuri--applied at the registrar's office on March 14 for marriage registration, it resulted in a public campaign against their relationship.

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AU gets new Registrar and FO
The all-important emergent meeting of the Executive Council of Allahabad University was held on the campus on Sunday morning wherein the envelopes containing the recommendation of the selection committee held for various administrative posts at AU were opened.

AU holds interviews for admn posts
Allahabad University conducted interviews for various important administrative posts on the campus on Saturday.

3-in-1: One survey on, for feedback to three govt projects
In an ongoing survey, data is being collected from the unorganised business sector to know if they are skilled, use Internet, have toilets and other such.

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Odisha loses wagon repair workshop to Andhra

9 pairs of summer special trains by ECoR
Bhubaneswar, Mar 20 () East Coast Railway (ECoR) has decided to run nine pairs of weekly and bi-weekly special trains across various destinations of the country in a bid to clear additional rush of passengers during the summer.

4 die of suffocation in septic tank
The incident occurred on Saturday morning when Prasant climbed into the septic tank in the backyard of their house to clean it of debris.He couldn't get out of it and suffocated inside the tank.

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Owner of tractor used for Morena guard's murder held
Twelve days after the murder of forest guard Narendra Sharma by sand mafia in Gwalior, owner of the tractor involved in the incident has been arrested at a village, about 25 km from Gwalior, on Friday.

SIMI activists sent to ATS custody till April 2
A local court on Saturday sent three suspected Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) activists to custody of Madhya Pradesh Anti-Terro Squad (ATS) till April 2.

MP's tax revenue below estimate: CAG
Bhopal, Mar 20 () The tax revenue of Madhya Pradesh government was much below its expectations while expenditure went beyond its estimate in 2014-15, as per a CAG report.

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Truck kills woman near PGI
A 27-year old woman employed in a private company was killed after a truck rammed into her two-wheeler from the rear near gate number 2 of PGI on Sunday.

A workshop for the specially abled
Over 50 young deaf and dumb activists from five states across north India attended three days of residential workshop on 'Leadership and Advocacy' organised by the Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development (RGNIYD), Regional Centre (RC) in collaboration with the National Association of the Deaf.

World Oral Health Day celebrated at Sukhna Lake
To mark World Oral Health Day, eminent dentists, faculty members and residents from PGI, Chandigarh came together for a walkathon at the Sukhna Lake on Sunday.

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