Political and Social Issues:

The security forces had also given the Maoists, who had assembled in the forest, the option of surrendering, but to no avail.
The Maoists “had been given three days to surrender. They were assured safe custody but they did not listen
According to her information, the Maoists were “planning to kill certain leaders of the Trinamool and stage a major subversive act.”
On Kishenji's killing, she said: “Any death is bad but if a government decides not to act in the face of some conspiring to carry out a subversive act will the people forgive the government?” Hence it was clarified that the operation was not for the common people or for the Nation, but for the party worker.

As Muslim groups have been arguing, the route under the United Progressive Alliance government's consideration — a 6 per cent Muslim sub-quota within the 27 per cent OBC quota — would pit the more numerous Hindu OBCs against Muslims, while at the same time alienating powerful Muslim groups demanding an independent 10 per cent central quota for the community.
The Congress promised reservation for Muslims in its 2009 election manifesto
Since then, however, the Congress has baulked at going the whole hog on its promise.
As the debate raged, a leaked version of the report of the government-appointed Ranganath Misra Commission (later tabled in Parliament) found its way to the newspapers. Agitating Muslim groups grabbed the report with both hands, hailing it as “unique and unprecedented,” and insisting that the government immediately implement the commission's recommendation for a separate 10 per cent quota for Muslims outside the 27 per cent OBC quota.
Muslim groups naturally saw the 6 per cent compromise — quickly seized by the government — as a cop-out.

The Public Diplomacy Division of the Ministry of External Affairs is tapping the ever-buzzing world of online social networks for improving the image of the nation worldwide.
Its ongoing short video challenge, ‘India is,' has received more than 50 entries from across the world
the three themes — ‘India is colourful,' ‘India is creative' and ‘India is wherever you are' — has received interesting user
The idea is similar to the hugely successful ‘Democracy is' campaign the United States government's Bureau of International Information Programs ran in association with YouTube in 2008.

A Tamil Brahmi letter dated to 2{+n}{+d}century CE excavated from Phu Khao Thong in Thailand, Mahabaratha scenes in Angkor Vat in Cambodia, a bilingual inscription at Kandahar and the many forms of Lord Ganesha in South East Asia, all provide evidence of India's cultural influence in Asia.
The book, ‘From Kanchi to Cambodia – Greater India revisited', is an attempt to explore how the 2,000-year-old traditions and culture of India amalgamated in the cultures of many countries in Asia, says T.K.V. Rajan, an archaeologist and its author.
Trade was also an important element in India's ties with South East Asian countries, he says, emphasising the fact that India's trade with ASEAN countries was bound to expand by leaps and bounds in the immediate future.

The Rajasthan Government will shortly establish Information Technology (IT) Centres at all district headquarters across the State at a cost of Rs.1 crore each to supplement the work of Rajiv Gandhi Seva Kendras for providing e-governance facilities and supplying online information to the rural populace.
The new centres would help expand the IT services at the grassroots in village panchayats and panchayat samitis by [taking care of] the district-level supervision and management

Even amid the raging controversy over the safety of Mullaperiyar dam, preparatory work for carrying out an Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) for building a new dam is progressing.
The Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI), Peechi, has started the groundwork for the EIA of the Kerala Periyar Dam
The institute is planning to approach the National Accreditation Board for Education and Training (NABET) to obtain accreditation for carrying out the EIA.
The accreditation is mandatory for EIA studies on river valley projects.
Only a few government agencies in the country have been approved by NABET for carrying out such works.
Questions on whether the proposed project is in a landslip-prone zone, the geomorphologic conditions, the degree of susceptibility to mass movement, and the history and frequency of the past landslips will also have to be provided.
The Ministry will check whether a national park, sanctuary, tiger reserve, or elephant reserve; a core or buffer zone of a biosphere reserve; or a habitat of migratory birds are located within 7 km of the proposed site.
Description of the vegetation within the project site and 7 km from its periphery, raw materials to be used during construction, and their source and quantity, and the mode of transport will have to be provided.
Pollution and noise level during construction, their source and levels, impact of noise on the wildlife habitat, and noise abatement measures will have to be listed.

Vaiko on Sunday condemned the Coast Guard's suggestion that the area up to five nautical miles from Indo-Sri Lankan International Maritime Boundary Line could be proclaimed a “no fishing zone” and fishermen violating the ban should be made to face punitive measures.
India should hold talks with Sri Lanka to facilitate fishing by fishermen on both sides.

Thousands of mourners, including friends, admirers and family members bid a tearful goodbye to CPI (Maoist) polit bureau member Mallojula Koteshwara Rao alias Kishenji, who was killed in an “encounter” in West Bengal
Prominent among those who visited the house and paid respects to the departed naxal leader included balladeer Gaddar, Maoist sympathiser Varavara Rao, Virasam leader Chalasani Prasad, Kalyan Rao, Peddapalli MP G. Vivekanand, TRS floor leader in the Assembly Etala Rajender, TRS legislator Koppula Eshwar, TRS legislator Odelu, MLC N Laxman Rao, CPI legislator G Mallesham, TDP local MLA, Ch. Vijayaramana Rao, MRPS leader Manda Krishna Madiga, Vimalakka and several others. MP's and MLA's are in support for Maoist cause, this was only the restricted mandate, once reasoned by our Home Minister.