1. 2.5 Times Pay Hike Recommended for Newspaper Employees The

1. 2.5 times pay hike recommended for newspaper employees The Wage Boards for working journalists and non-journalists and other newspaper employees submitted their recommendations to the government, recommending 2.5 to 3 times hike in basic pay and fixing the retirement age at 65.The revised basic pay has been computed after merging the existing basic pay, the dearness allowance and the 30 per cent interim relief already granted besides 35 per cent variable pay, said Chairman of the Wage Boards Justice G.R. Majithia. The recommendations have been proposed to be implemented from January 8, 2008.

2. In Gujarat, a poet takes on Urdu Academy Aqeel Shatir, a budding Urdu poet of the city, has decided to take on the Gujarat Urdu Sahitya Academy, which has penalised him for including an allegedly defamatory paragraph on Chief Minister Narendra Modi in a foreword to his book of poems published with government aid. Claiming that the copies of the book on sale do not contain the objectionable paragraph, Mr. Shatir has questioned the Academy’s wisdom in seeking refund.

3.Tendulkar features in IAF calendar Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar can now be seen in Indian Air Force fatigues with Sukhoi fighter aircraft in the backdrop in the IAF’s 2011 calendar. The cricket icon features in the calendar wearing a green flying suit with helmet tucked under his left arm. Mr. Tendulkar appears on the January page with a Su-30MKI in the background. Mr. Tendulkar is the only person appearing in the calendar which otherwise carries the pictures of various fighter planes and transport aircraft of the IAF.

4. Online Sri Lankan visas soon Sri Lanka will shift its visa issuance operations to the internet in the new year “as early as possible.” This means that the visa-on- arrival facility will not be available from the time that the online visa process begins.

5. Strains in Egypt-Iran ties affect Gaza aid Strains in Egypt’s ties with Iran have come in the way of the delivery of humanitarian aid that is being ferried by Asian peace activists, the majority of whom are Indians, to the besieged Palestinians residing in Gaza. The humanitarian aid caravan which began its journey from Rajghat in New Delhi has now passed through Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Lebanon and Syria. However, the relief material that is to be shipped from the Syrian port of Latakia to Al Arish in Egypt cannot be moved because of Cairo’s refusal to grant visas to Iranian nationals who are part of the caravan, said a statement from the New Trade Union Initiative (NTUI), the organisers of this trans-Asia event.

6. Pranab chairs first FSDC meeting Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee chaired the first meeting of the Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) formed to sort out inter-regulatory issues. FSDC includes Reserve Bank of India Governor, Finance Secretary and heads of regulators like Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA).

7. Centre relaxes norms for setting up technical institutions The Centre permitted companies registered as non-profit entities to establish technical institutions and reduced the land requirement for non-rural areas to 2.5 acres from the existing 3.5 acres, in addition to allowing vertical expansion barring engineering colleges. In a move that could enhance the intake of students in technical colleges, including the engineering, colleges substantially, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has allowed an increase in the number of seats from 40-60 to provide for larger number of seats and optimisation of resources without having to set up new institutions in the area. Up to now, different programmes – one each –

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were allowed to be integrated into a single campus so that resources could be shared.

8. Sudhir Sopory is new JNU Vice-Chancellor President Pratibha Patil in her capacity as the Visitor of all Central Universities gave her assent to the appointment of Sudhir K. Sopory as the new Vice-Chancellor of the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru University. He succeeds B.B. Bhattacharya, whose term ended in June 2010. Professor Sopory is a senior scientist of molecular biology at the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB). The Human Resource Development Ministry has already issued a notification regarding his appointment.

9. Hisar varsity develops disease resistant bajra Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University in Hisar has developed a disease resistant variety of hybrid bajra with yield potential as high as 44 quintals per hectare. Vice-Chancellor K. S. Khokhar said that the ear heads of HHB 226 bajra support long bristles which provide natural protection against bird damage. He further said that it had been adjudged the best for cultivation in rain-fed conditions in nationwide trials carried out for three years.

10. U.P. signs MoUs for new power projects The Uttar Pradesh Government signed memorandums of understanding for setting up four new power plants in the State. In the latest round of MoU signing, Torrent Power Ltd was identified by the State Government for setting up a project in Sandila, while Welspun was to establish a 1,320-MW plant at Ghazipur. In addition, NTPC was entrusted with the task of putting up a plant at Bilhaur and Tehri Hydro Development Corporation for a plant in Khurja.

11.PM to present Jawaharlal Nehru award to Ratan Tata at 98th ISC Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata will be presented the Jawaharlal Nehru Award by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the five-day 98th Indian Science Congress, beginning at Chennai, “for his contributions to Indian society and development of the Nano car.” “The Prime Minister will present the Jawaharlal Nehru award to Ratan Tata for his contributions to Indian society and for developing the Nano car, making it more affordable to the common man. The award will comprise a gold medal and a citation,” Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA) General President K C Pandey told reporters.

12. External debt rises 13 per cent in first-half India’s external debt has gone up by 12.8 per cent to $295.8 billion in the first-half of the current financial year (2010-11), mainly due to increase in overseas borrowings by corporates and appreciation of rupee vis-a-vis other major currencies. The long-term debt rose by 9.5 per cent to $229.8 billion, while the short-term debt increased by 25.8 per cent to $66 billion during April-September 2010. External debt stood at $262.3 billion at the end of March 2010, and increased by $33.5 billion during the April-September period.

13.Current account deficit surges 72 % to $15.8 b in July-Sept India’s current account deficit, representing net flow of income out of the country barring capital movements, surged 72 per cent to $15.8 billion in the July-September quarter over the same period last year. The increase in current account deficit (CAD) during the period under review is due to higher imports. This is largely on account of economic recovery and larger payments overseas for certain services, according to the data on

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Balance of Payments (BoP) released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). In the corresponding period last year, current account deficit stood at $9.2 billion

14.All Bihar Ministers declare assets All 30 Ministers in Bihar submitted the details of their assets to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, after he asked his Cabinet colleagues to place records of their properties. “We have submitted the details of our assets to Chief Minister,” Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi said. Mr. Modi said the details of these assets would be posted on the State Government’s websites for public.

15. Five banks raise deposit and lending rates Major lenders, including State Bank of India (SBI), ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank, raised their lending and deposit rates by up to 100 basis points on the eve of the New Year.While the hike in lending rate would make auto, home and commercial loans expensive, increase in deposit rates will ensure better returns for depositors.

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