Daily News Notes

· The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has launched a country-wide probe against top corporate houses and high net-worth individuals who illegally operate foreign registered private aircraft in India leading to Customs duty evasion to the tune of crores of rupees.
· Inaugurating the 10th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas in Jaipur today, Dr. Singh said that the Indian economy is expected to grow by 7 per cent this financial year. He also asserted the importance of RTI, a new Pension and Life Insurance Fund for overseas Indian workers and NRIs vote in elections.
· When the world is beset by the menace of pollution a mini revolution is taking place in the country side of Bihar. Rice husk considered to be a waste product has proved to be a blessing in disguise for the villagers who are producing rice husk powered electricity. Gasifier plants have been installed at cold storage in Vaishali district is running on electricity produced from rice husk. Since the storage is being run on the power produced by burning rice husk, the cost of consumption is reduced considerably.
· The Overseas Indian Affairs Minister inaugurated country’s 9th protector of Emigrants office (POE) in Jaipur today as a large number of people from Rajasthan go abroad for jobs, particularly in the Middle East.
· In a step that would bring relief to scores of blind persons aspiring for clerical jobs across the country, the government has decided to provide them a special keyboard and screen reading software while appearing for recruitment tests. The step will help those visually impaired aspirants who apply for the SSC-advertised posts of Stenographers and Lower Division Clerks (LDCs) and have to undertake a computer-based skill test.
· Iran will establish a permanent station in South Pole by the next three years. Managing Director of the Iranian National Institute for Oceanography (INIO) said one of the most fundamental technological achievements which would be fulfilled in South Pole is construction of research and logistic ice breaker ships, development of ice transportation technology, technology of textiles and South Pole clothes, ice drilling technology, the possibility of space experiments, progress in science and managing complicated jobs.
· Foreign ministers from the Arab League are due to meet in Cairo to debate the initial findings of their mission in Syria. An observer mission sent by the League to assess a peace plan has been criticised as toothless, as violence continued despite its presence.
· The first visit (begun today) by an Indian Foreign Minister to Israel after a decade has come at a time when the two countries are trying to strengthen the bilateral relations in anti-terror measures, trade and co-operation. Israel is India’s second largest defence supplier after Russia. The bilateral trade between the two countries has nearly touched USD 5 billion in 2010. Later Mr Krishna would be visiting Ramallah to have a meeting with the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
· Just when space agencies all over the world are hunting for traces of life, NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory Spacecraft is heading towards Mars. To reach its destination ‘Gale Crater’ on mars, America’s top space agency will change the trajectory of the spacecraft and is touted to the biggest for this mission by NASA.NASA is banking heavily on this mission and has equipped it with Radiation Assessment Detector to detect interplanetary radiation environment. The data received from this mission will be crucial for scientists all over the world to plan their future space activities related to mars.
· 'Tulsi' (Indian Basil) is now being tested by Indian Scientists for treating people exposed to harmful radiations and initial tests have shown some positive results. According to scientists at DRDO, tulsi has anti-oxidant properties and can repair cells damaged by exposure to radiation.
· The top-seeded Indian pair of Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna lost in the semifinals of the Aircel Chennai Open 2012 on Saturday, going down to fourth seeds Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram.