Daily News Notes

· The All Party meeting convened to end the logjam in Parliament could not reach a consensus as the Opposition stuck to its demand for immediate roll back of the decision on allowing FDI in retail sector.
· The President has inaugurated an exhibition of original paintings of Rabrindranath Tagore and has called upon the youth to follow the vision of him as an educator as social reformer a musician and composer and actor and the painter. Gurudev always kept Human beings at the centre of the universe and it was his believe that is every person’s slog hard to achieve protection and perfection there would be great changes in the world.
· In Manipur, the United Naga Council's gave its decision to lift the economic blockade along the two National Highways from today morning after more than 100 days. It was taken after after the assurance (in written) given by the Union Home Minister on the vexed Sadar Hills issue.
· Over 52 lakh passports were issued across the country in 2010-11. In addition six lakh passport related services were provided in the same period. The demand for passports will grow in view of globalization, and thus elaborate plans need to be chalked out to provide the service to citizens making the passport service more transparent, prompt and user friendly. Passport Seva Kendras can play an important role in this direction. 30 out of 70 passport Seva kendras are operational now and the rest will be functioning by the end of next year.
· The Government today said 16 states have prepared draft Action Plans in line with the National Action Plan on Climate Change which outlines steps that will enable the country to adapt to climate change and enhance the ecological sustainability of India's development path.
· The government has prepared a draft National Food Security Bill. It provides for coverage of upto 75 per cent of the total rural population and 50 per cent of urban population. There are also some priority households under the targeted Public Distribution System.
· A proposal for constitution of Prasar Bharati Recruitment Board is under inter Ministerial consultation. It will enable Prasar Bharati to address the issues of staff crunch. Group of Ministers, GoM constituted by the government to look into various issues pertaining to the functioning of Prasar Bharati has suggested that government should extend financial assistance to Prasar Bharati (especially for digitalization of Doordarshan and All India Radio) from Non Plan funds to meet 100 percent expenses towards salary and salary related expenses and augmentation of capital assets during the next five years from 2011-12 to 2015-16.
· The government today made it clear in the Lok Sabha that Pakistani nationals (Pakistani Hindus and Sikhs) who have come to India on group pilgrimage will have to return to Pakistan within their visa validity period. Thus cancelling their request for the extensions to continue stay in India.
· Government has adopted a multi-pronged strategy to check female foeticide, which includes legislative measures, awareness generation and socio-economic empowerment of women. The Child Sex ratio has declined from 927 to 914 in 2011. The reasons for neglect of girl child and low levels of sex ratio are: son preference, low status of women, social and financial security associated with sons, socio-cultural practices including dowry and violence against women.
· In Assam, eminent litterateur, novelist, Jnanpith awardee Dr. Indira Goswami (popularly known as “Mamoni Roysom Goswami”) passed away at Guwahati this morning. She was the first Indian litterateur to receive the Principal Prince Claus Laureate, an international award instituted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in 2008. Dr. Goswami is noted for her novels which include ‘The Moth Eaten Howdah of a Tusker’, ‘Pages Stained with Blood’, ‘The Man from Chinnamasta’ and research on Ramayani studies-Ramayana from Ganga to Brahmaputra.
In Egypt, voting for the first phase of parliamentary elections continues for a second day, high voter turnout was recorded yesterday on the road to democracy. An interesting aspect of Egypt elections is $83 penalty for those who do not cast their votes. Although rarely enforced in the past, some feared that the rules had changed and probably it brought them to polling stations.