1.

Vibrant Gujarat summit off to a flying start The high-profile fifth edition of the biennial Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors' Summit got off to a rollicking start at Gandhinagar with 2,766 Memoranda of Understanding signed on the first day of the event itself promising an investment of over Rs. 15 lakh crore in various projects in the state. Launched by the Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, in the presence of a large number of top business magnates and representatives of various countries as well as from different States in the country, the Investor's Summit was expected to notch up record investments far exceeding the expectations of the State authorities by the time the two-day event concludes. In the last edition of Vibrant Gujarat Summit held in January, 2009, the MoUs promising investments of over Rs 12 lakh crore were signed. 2. Prehistoric posthole sites unearthed in Palakkad A large number of prehistoric posthole sites of pillared halls have been found in the Gayathripuzha Valley a left-bank tributary of the Bharathapuzha in Palakkad district. The architectural activity has manifested in socket remains (cupules\postholes) found on several rock outcrops at the foothills Thenmala of the Western Ghats in the Palakkad gap zone. As part of research work in the region, V. Sanal Kumar, Director of the Geo-Heritage Archaeology Research Centre, Palakkad, unearthed some such sites recently. 3. Solution to decriminalise defamation under consideration Union Law Minister M. Veerappa Moily said the government would shortly introduce bills to enforce judicial accountability and tackle public corruption. It was seriously thinking of a solution to decriminalise defamation. There was a perception that the media was concerned only about the elite class. The atrocities in rural India where power, exploitation and casteism are more rampant than in cities do not find space in the media, he said. 4. Army, IAF chiefs appear before PAC The Army and IAF chiefs appeared before the Public Accounts Committee(PAC) in connection with irregularities in procurement of rations. While the parliamentary body sought more clarifications from them, the Services chiefs said they will come back to the PAC and welcomed suggestions made by MPs. The PAC had asked the Services chiefs to appear before the body in connection irregularities in supply chain management of rations and audit of unit-run canteens (URCs). The PAC is going through the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) reports on the twin issues. General VK Singh and Air Chief Marshal PV Naik accompanied by senior military officials gave a presentation to the PAC. The MPs, however, were not satisfied with the presentations and sought more clarifications in the next hearing, sources said. 5. Trade unions pitch for ban on futures trading Even as the government tries to devise ways and means to tackle rising prices, central trade unions argued for a ban on futures trading in food items so as to contain the inflationary spiral and urged the government to make the stimulus measures for industry conditional to employment creation. As of now, futures trading is banned on specific food commodities such as rice and pulses (tur and urad). 6. SC panel wants Haryana to report on squatting, illegal mining by Cong MP A Supreme Court panel on environment and forests has directed the Haryana Government to explain the alleged illegal mining and encroachment of forest land activities by a Congress MP that led to felling of thousands of trees besides construction of illegal structures on notified forest land. The Central Empowered Committee (CEC) constituted by the apex court, demanded a report on the complaint by one Shyam Dev Bhadana. In the complaint, it was alleged that Congress MP from Faridabad Avtar Singh Bhadana engaged in illegal mining, deforestation, construction of tube-wells, rooms in village Anangpur, which formed part of Aravalli Hill range, a declared forest land under Section 4 and 5 of Land Preservation Act and Forest Conservation Act.

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7. Tamil Nadu tops in impressive healthcare facilities: Study Indias healthcare system may be in a poor shape but Tamil Nadu is a shining example of how effective and organised healthcare facilities can be ensured for quality health of the people. The leading health magazine, The Lancet, in its Indian edition launched in Delhi has lauded the Southern State for higher retention of medical practitioners within the public health system by mix of financial and non-financial incentives backed by effective training, support and infrastructural strengthening. 8. Bihar signs pact with World Bank to help flood victims In a step to alleviate the plight of millions of people affected by the 2008 Kosi floods, the Bihar government signed a $220-million agreement with the World Bank. The government will chip in with $39 million for the $259-million Bihar Kosi Flood Recovery Project aimed at supporting the State's recovery efforts, reducing risks of flooding and boosting emergency responses in the event of future disasters. 9. Poudel quits PM race Nepali Congress has withdrawn the candidature of its parliamentary party leader, Ram Chandra Poudel, for the post of the Prime Minister. This brings an end to a seven-month-long process where no candidate was able to muster 301 votes in the house of 601 despite 16 rounds of voting. Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda had withdrawn from the race after the seventh round. 10. Tajikistan cedes 1,000 sq km to China China, which has a land area of about 9.6 million sq km, the third-largest country in the world will get 1,000 sq km more; thanks to Tajikistan which agreed to cede a territory under a 130-year-old dispute to the neighbouring giant. The Majlisi Namoyandagon, Tajikistan's lower chamber of Parliament, ratified a protocol on demarcation of Tajikistan's common border with China. This was decided at a regular sitting of the second session of the Majlisi Namoyandagon, presided over by Speaker Shukurjon Zuhurov. 11. Japan, S. Korea for defence tie-up Japan and South Korea are set to enhance cooperation in the military domain, signalling the possibility of a new political dynamic in East Asia. Japanese Defence Minister Toshimi Kitazawa and his South Korean counterpart Kim Kwan-jin, who met in Seoul, agreed to continue discussions for close consultation and coordination on security in the region. 12. IndiGo orders 180 Airbus A320s worth $15.6 billion Private low-cost domestic carrier IndiGo has placed a firm order for purchasing 180 single-aisle Airbus A320 passenger jetliners, making it the largest single order for such a large number of jets in commercial aviation history. IndiGo has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for 180 eco-efficient Airbus A320 aircraft of which 150 will be A320neo's and 30 will be A320s. It will also make IndiGo a launch customer for the A320neo. Engine selection will be announced by the airline at a later date. At the prevailing catalogue price of Airbus Industrie, the order is estimated to be worth about $15.6 billion. 13. SBI, Airtel join hands for banking services State Bank of India (SBI) and Bharti Airtel decided to join hands to form a joint venture to make available banking services to the uncovered population of the country. A new entity will be floated with an investment of Rs.100 crore to add value to the banking and financial services sector. The joint venture will become the business correspondent of SBI and offer banking products and services at affordable cost to the citizens. Business correspondents are persons who, besides helping rural people to open bank accounts, would facilitate in banking transactions. Their key role is to accept deposits and remit money.

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14. IDBI Bank signs MoU with UIDAI IDBI Bank has become a Registrar for Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by the bank and UIDAI at a function held at New Delhi. As a Registrar, the bank will enrol residents in the UID Project and assist the Authority in the various stages, says a company release. 15. SAFA gets new President A.N. Raman, Council Member of The Institute of Cost and Works Accountants of India has been appointed as the President of South Asian Federation of Accountants (SAFA), an apex body of SAARC, for the year 2011 with effect from January 1, 2011 at its 72nd Assembly meeting 16. Clinical South Africa maul India by 135 runs India suffered a top-order collapse to slump to a humiliating 135-run defeat against a clinical South Africa in the first cricket onedayer here. Chasing 290 for victory, India were never in the hunt after they lost their first four batsmen for just 43 runs and were ultimately bundled out for 154 in 35.4 overs yesterday.

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