Daily News Notes:

· Addressing the 56th meeting of National Development Council, NDC, in New Delhi today, Dr. Manmohan Singh said that to achieve 9 per cent growth target during the next five year Plan, long term strategy has to be adopted and thus must guard against the mood of negativism that seems to have gripped the country due to highly unsettled conditions in the world. Much of the growth process is now driven by actors outside the direct control of government, which includes small and big farmers, small and medium entrepreneurs and the private corporate sector, all of whom respond to market forces. Government must provide a policy environment of macro-economic stability, efficient functioning markets which ensure competitive discipline on private sector producers, a sound financial system for allocating financial resources, good governance with transparency and effective enforcement of the rule of law, in which the creative spirit of our farmers and entrepreneurs is given full support and encouragement. Every citizen should have access to essential public services of acceptable quality in areas like, health, education, provision of safe drinking water and sanitation. Our aim has always been inclusive growth, by which we mean growth which ensures a broad spread of benefits to all sections of our population
· National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon said that the distinction between the State and non State actors responsible for terrorist acts has diminished as some non state actors are indulging in the acts of violence at the behest of state and the atmosphere at the international level is changing and there is a strong shift in the nature of power due to non-traditional factors especially growing demand for food and energy needs.
· Director General of Indian Coast Guard, ICG, Vice Admiral Anil Chopra has said establishment of a Chain of Static Radars along the Indian coastline will create fully integrated infrastructure to achieve real time monitoring and surveillance of coastal area from remote locations.
· In West Bengal, normal life has been affected in some districts in view of the 24 hour bandh called by Maoists which comes on the day when Chief Minister Mamata Banarjee's ultimatum to Maoists to surrender arms within seven days expires.
· Confusion persists about the burial of deposed Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. U.N. human rights agency has called for probe whether Gaddafi was summarily executed.
· The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Sultan Bin Abdulaziz al Saud (Minister of Defence and Aviation), has died due to colon cancer.
· Thailand's Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has called upon all agencies to collaborate to protect the capital from a potential deluge of floodwater (country's worst flooding in 50 years).
· In Bihar, a three-day Bharat Nirman Public Information Campaign (organised by Press Information Bureau, Patna) began in which people would be made aware about different developmental schemes.
· A 1st Special Speed Post Free Home Collection Service has been launched in J&K on the eve of 25th Anniversary Celebrations of Speed Post Service.
· The 111th birth anniversary of freedom fighter and revolutionary Martyr Ashfaqulla Khan is being observed today who charged for kakori train dacoity and was held guilty with several other revolutionary freedom fighters. Later he was hanged to death in Faizabad jail.
· In Assam, Kaziranga national park (world heritage site) will reopen (closed for renovation works) for tourists on 1st November after its annual monsoon closure. It has the largest population of the One Horned Rhinoceros and the home of largest population density of the Royal Bengal Tigers per 100 sq km. Kaziranga National Park is also known for other wildlife species such as the eastern swamp deer and Wild Asiatic Water Buffalo.