12th SEPTEMBER 2014

The Madras High Court on Thursday appointed U. Sagayam, Vice-Chairman, Science City, as a Special Officer/Legal Commissioner to inspect various types of mining activities in the State and submit a report to the court within two months. 

The Centre will set up a Swachh Bharat Kosh to fund its ambitious Swachh Vidyalaya (Clean Schools) campaign anchored by the Human Resource Development Ministry. On Thursday, the Ministry said public sector units under 25 Ministries have pledged Rs. 400 crore for the campaign and private and public sector companies would be encouraged to build toilet blocks in schools.

Visakhapatnam: Volunteers of India Youth for Society take out ‘P4 — Prevent Polythene and Protect Planet’ rally that is aimed at encouraging people to avoid use of plastic covers and bags that cause irrevocable damage to the environment.

Karnataka’s new industrial policy (2014-19), a much-awaited document to attract big investments into the State, got the approval of the State Cabinet on Thursday. Announcing the Cabinet clearance for the policy, Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs T.B. Jayachandra said the investment target by 2019 stood at Rs. 5 lakh crore. The policy is expected to generate 15 lakh jobs and turn the State “investment-friendly”.

A ‘mini Airport’ is being set up at the Haj House here to process the journey of Haj pilgrims from Sunday. Arrangements have been made for baggage screening, immigration check, customs and foreign exchange – all under one roof. Pilgrims have just to check in here and they would be transported to the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport for their onward journey.

Dismissing reports that the LTTE’s one-time intelligence chief Pottu Amman had been arrested in Hong Kong, the Sri Lankan Army on Thursday said he was dead for years.

Agni-I, a surface-to-surface, nuclear-weapons-capable ballistic missile, was test-fired for its 700-km strike range from the Wheeler Island, off the Odisha Coast, on Thursday.

Eight human rights and civil society organisations on Thursday resolved to constitute a North East alliance for broader coordination to oppose the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958 (AFSPA) and to press for repeal of the act. This included a coalition of human rights groups, civil society groups, peoples’ movements at both regional and all-India level for intensive mobilisation of the masses across the region

Bullet train services may be some time away in India, but the Railways are determined to speed up a few trains on select routes by 2014. In its second trial run, a 10-coach semi-high-speed train ran at 160 kmph between New Delhi and Agra on Thursday, reducing the running time by 90 minutes, a Railway official said. Railways have spent a huge amount on removing speed restrictions on 16 stretches and curves along this route. India’s fastest train, the New Delhi-Bhopal Shatabdi Express, takes this route.

The Earth’s protective ozone layer is well on track to recovery in the next few decades thanks to concerted international action against ozone depleting substances, the latest assessment by scientists across the world has said. According to the assessment, carried out by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), without the Montreal Protocol and associated agreements atmospheric levels of ozone depleting substances could have increased tenfold by 2050.

Meghalaya Governor Krishan Kant Paul has been given additional charge of Manipur and Mizoram. He will hold charge of the two States until regular arrangements are made, said a release from the President’s Secretariat here on Thursday. The announcement came after President Pranab Mukherjee accepted the resignation of V.K. Duggal as Governor of Manipur and Mizoram.

The European Union (EU) decided to slap new economic sanctions on Russia over its actions in Ukraine, diplomats said on Thursday. The sanctions will take effect on Friday following their publication in the EU’s official journal but will be reversible if the situation in eastern Ukraine improves, four diplomats said independently.

Yemen’s President has offered to appoint a new Premier within 48 hours under a potential deal with Shia rebels in return for ending their protests, sources said on Thursday, after a weeks-long standoff.

Indian auto component exports are expected to increase by up to four times to touch $40 billion by 2020, according to a joint report by Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA) and McKinsey. The report titled ‘Capturing the global opportunity, The next imperative for the Indian auto component industry’ pointed out that globalisation in the auto-suppliers industry is an irreversible trend and is likely to increase.

Former player V.V.S. Laxman will be an ‘advisor on cricketing matters’ and will be associated with the newly-elected office-bearers for the betterment of cricket, said Hyderabad Cricket Association’s President Arshad Ayub here on Thursday.

Rays Power Experts has announced the construction of a 50 MW independent solar power park at Anant Nagar in Andhra Pradesh. The company has already invested Rs.20 crore out of the overall project cost of Rs.300 crore all of which, it claimed, would accrue from its internal accruals. — Special Correspondent

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Thursday presented a cheque of Rs.1 crore to tennis ace Sania Mirza for winning the US Open mixed doubles trophy recently. Mr. Rao gave away the cheque to Sania when she called on him at the Secretariat here on Thursday. The Chief Minister wished her success in the upcoming tournaments in Japan and China.