Daily News Notes

· Congress Member Praveen Singh Aron has already submitted a copy of Hazare's Jan Lokpal Bill for consideration of the Committee. A close aide of Anna, Arvind Kejriwal has suggested that government should either withdraw the official Bill or amend it by including provisions of the Jan Lokpal Bill. However, he said, Hazare has not insisted that he will talk only with Prime Minister or Congress. Meanwhile, the fast of Anna Hazare entered the 8th day today.
· Home Ministry says, standard operating procedures for all coastal States and Union Territories have been finalized to strengthen coastal security across the country. four joint operation centres at Mumbai, Visakhapatnam, Kochi and Port Blair have also been set up for the purpose. the Ministry of Shipping has been mandated to streamline the process of compulsory registration of all types of vessels and department of fisheries is issuing biometric Identity Cards to all the fishermen.
· Government today said that security features of high value currency notes is constantly being upgraded to check circulation and smuggling of fake currency notes into the country. National Investigation Agency has been empowered to investigate and prosecute such offences. The Minister said, the issue has also been raised in the international and bilateral fora.
· The government is all set to increase the financial assistance for building rural households under the Indira Awas Yojana. The issue has also been placed before the Working Group on Rural Housing for the 12th Five Year Plan. at present, rural households living below poverty line and living in kachcha houses or not having their own houses, are given financial assistance to construct a pucca house.
· The government is continuously modulating the retail prices of diesel, kerosene and LPG to insulate the common man from the impact of high rise in oil prices in the international market. the government has eliminated 5 per cent customs duty on crude oil and reduced customs duty on petroleum products by 5 per cent.
· A Parliamentary panel has asked the government to refrain from recommending allotment of coal blocks falling in dense forests. It has recommended quick forest and environment clearances. Due to non-availability of forest clearance in time, coal companies were not in a position to provide coal at the expected level.
· The President Mrs. Pratibha Devisingh Patil today expressed confidence that the nation will achieve gender equality very soon. she said that this will be achieved by getting rid of social prejudices, changing mind sets and full empowerment of women. . She said Bharat Scouts and Guides coming from the different parts of the country give to India its uniqueness.
· The government says, strengthening of district hospitals for better health services across the country is the focus in the 12th five year plan. Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad said that NCDs like Diabetes, Cardio-Vascular Disease and Cancer are posing a great challenge to the country and there is an urgent need for affirmative action from all quarters. government has launched a scheme of National Programme for Prevention and control of Cancer, Cardio Vascular Diseases and Stroke which is being implemented in 100 districts in 21 states
· The new Companies Bill, promises greater shareholder democracy and stricter corporate governance norms. For the first time, the Bill has introduced ideas like Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), and a fixed term for independent directors
· The Centre has expressed hope that the two placement programmes being facilitated by it for both skilled and unskilled youth in Jammu and Kashmir, would help bring them to the mainstream. the Rural Development Ministry will train one lakh youths in the next five years while 40,000 young persons would get jobs through the Home Ministry's programme. Ministry is conducting a placement programme exclusively for youth from the rural areas of Jammu and Kashmir.
· According to a study conducted by the National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, about 52 per cent of the rural children below five years of age, are underweight in Madhya Pradesh. The report says that the highest number of below five year underweight children is in Satna district where 67 percent children found underweight while Vidisha district has the lowest number of underweight children where 34 percent found underweight.
· In Jammu and Kashmir, security forces busted a massive militant hideout of Lashkar-e-Toiba in the dense forest areas of Sarnihal Jungle near Banihal town of Jammu Division yesterday. Our Correspondent reports that a huge quantity of arms and ammunition was recovered.
· The first hurricane Hurricane Irene, of the Atlantic season has gained strength as it passes north of the Dominican Republic.