1)Andhra Pradesh to be under President’s Rule
Ending days of suspense, the Union Cabinet on Friday recommended imposition of President’s Rule in Andhra Pradesh while keeping the Assembly in suspended animation.There was political uncertainty after Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy resigned and quit the Congress in protest against the decision to bifurcate the State. Placing the Assembly under suspended animation is a mere technicality as its term ends on June 1. Andhra Pradesh will have simultaneous Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.While the Congress, the TRS and the YSR Congress justified the decision, TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu called it a blot on democracy.Former Finance Minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy said installation of a new government ahead of the election would have been irrational. Another former Minister, J. Geetha Reddy, said the Congress high command had opted for President’s Rule taking into account all aspects.Seemandhra Congress leaders had lobbied for postponement of the Assembly elections, saying it would help cool tempers over the creation of Telangana. But the proposal was not legally tenable.
2)Union Cabinet rolls out benefits package, hikes DA
Just days ahead of the announcement of the Lok Sabha elections, the Union Cabinet on Friday increased the dearness allowance (DA) of Union government employees and dearness relief (DR) of pensioners by 10 per cent of the basic pay, taking the rate to 100 per cent.It fixed the minimum monthly pension paid by the Employees Provident Fund Organisation at Rs. 1,000. The new rate, effective from April 1, is expected to benefit 28 lakh pensioners.Further benefiting government employees, the Cabinet approved the terms of reference for the Seventh Pay Commission set up to suggest wage and allowance revision.The increased DA and DR, which will benefit 50 lakh employees and 30 lakh pensioners and family pensioners, will be given with retrospective effect from January 1 in cash, but not before the disbursement of March salary.The decision to increase the amount will cost the exchequer Rs. 11,074.8 crore a year and Rs. 12,920.6 crore for 14 months from January 2014 to February 2015).
3)Arjuna awardee loses sight in police action
For Ram Karan Singh, an Arjuna Award winner in athletics, going for the Asian Games trial in April now looks like a far-fetched dream. The 23-year-old, who was partially visually challenged, lost his eyesight completely after he was injured in the police action on Thursday. The police ‘highhandedness’ took place during a protest against issuance of an ordinance on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill.The Persons with Disabilitiess, who were a part of All India Disabilities Alliance, were protesting outside Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's residence when the police used force to evict them. They wanted to meet Mr. Gandhi and convey their message to the President requesting him not to sign the Ordinance on Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill as is being planned by the UPA government.“Earlier in the day, my friends were protesting against the Bill at the All India Congress Committee office. In the evening, I got to know that they were lathi-charged; some of my visually challenged friends and I went to support them. We were protesting in front of Rahul Gandhi's residence. The police had erected barricades and when we tried to cross them the policemen hit us with lathis,” said Mr. Singh, talking to The Hindu.“I was hit on my left eye and several other friends too were injured. We were taken to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, where the doctors told me that the lens of my eye has been dislocated. I cannot see anything after that incident,” he added.Mr. Singh had lost his eyesight in an accident when he was 14 but was able to see with his right eye after he was operated upon in 2006. That is when he applied for the CellOne Marathon in Delhi in the disabled category and won the gold medal in athletics. This was the first step towards a sporting career and he never looked back.In 2010, he received a silver medal in the Asian Games; in 2011, he won a bronze in the World Championship in Turkey; and in 2012, the prestigious Arjuna Award was conferred on him.
4)Karbonn keen to set up production unit in India
Karbonn Mobiles Chairman Sudhir Hasija is encouraged by recent steps by the Centre to promote manufacturing of mobile phones and believes that “some manufacturing will start” in the industry this year.According to Mr. Hasija, Karbonn too is interested in setting up a unit in the country, in order to have greater control over the whole go-to-market process. No plans, however, have been finalised.“Currently we get from China and some from Korea and Taiwan also. Now yes, everybody is looking [to manufacture here] because the Central Government is coming out with an electronics clusters policy. The State Government, too, is really inviting… on the mobile side,” he told this correspondent on Friday. Karbonn currently sells around 2. 3 million mobile phones a month, with smartphones making up a quarter of this. “Definitely [we are looking at setting up]. Though right now, it doesn’t make cost-sense. In the long-run… in terms of quality, it makes sense,” Mr. Hasija added.The number one factor in opening a plant, the Karbonn chief pointed out, was that it would give the smartphone maker a “sense of control.” “I would be able to control shortages and demand of mobile phones better. Time to market will be shorter, which is the real requirement now,” he said.Local players like Micromax and Karbonn, which are number two and three in the market respectively, primarily import most of their phones. This is changing slowly, with Micromax, for instance, starting to assemble phones at its Uttarkhand plant.
5)HDFC raises $300 m through ECB
Housing Development Finance Corporation Limited (HDFC) raised $300 million through external commercial borrowing (ECB) from a consortium of four lenders.The borrowing facility has a tenor of five years. The rate of interest on the facility is linked to U.S. dollar Libor plus a spread of 1.75 per cent. “HDFC has swapped the facility in Indian rupees for the entire tenor of the loan,” HDFC said in a release.
6)New head for General Motors India
General Motors, on Friday, announced the appointment of Arvind Saxena as its new President & Managing Director of its India operations with effect from March 1, 2014. Mr. Saxena, who was Managing Director of Volkswagen Passenger Cars India, replaces Lowell Paddock, who is moving to GM International Operations (GMIO) as Vice-President, Planning & Programme Management. — Special Correspondent
7)Stylish Sangakkara guides Lanka home
CRICKET / Dhawan misses century; Indian bowlers fail to deliver the knockout punch
IN SUBLIME TOUCH:Kumar Sangakkara’s century helped Sri Lanka score a two-wicket win against India on Friday. —Photo: AFP
Fearless yet measured, forceful but refined, Kumar Sangakkara’s century on Friday was the cricketing equivalent of the luscious roshagulla in this part of the world. The zestful holiday crowd here lapped up his 18th century as Sri Lanka tripped India by two wickets in the Asia Cup.
India has much to blame itself, particularly its messy fielding. As the Lankans required one run to win in the last over with two wickets in hand, Thisara Perera’s easy offering was squandered by Shikhar Dhawan at mid-off. That was a summation of India’s day.
Sangakkara, however, was sublime. Besides drilling straight down the ground, his favoured territory, there were the resplendent drives and the simmering cuts. The front foot was often merrily cleared to thwack the ball at will.
Chasing 265, Sri Lanka’s openers, Lahiru Thirimanne and Kusal Perera, were quite the contrasting cohorts, united in their quest for runs. Fortune presented its broadest grin to them; Kusal was reprieved twice and Thirimanne once.
Thirimanne’s rasping drive was almost snatched by an airborne Ravindra Jadeja at covers; throwing himself to his right, he couldn't latch on. Only moments ago was Kusal grassed, when Ajinkya Rahane and Dhawan — running in from point and third-man respectively — collided.
Kusal, on 38, was dropped by Jadeja, making another terrific effort. Their merry-making ended when R. Ashwin — shedding his Sunil Narine impersonation — struck Thirimanne’s pad. He then went on to conjure a beauty to remove Kusal. The parsimonious Jadeja was on a hat-trick after ousting Mahela Jawardene and Dinesh Chandimal.
Costly miss
But the biggest turning point was when Dinesh Karthik missed his swish and fluffed a stumping of Sangakkara, who was on 30 then.
In the afternoon, India’s batting stuck to the blueprint created in the tournament thus far: a conservative, unhurried start followed by enhanced briskness.
The meandering approach initially was also in no small part due to Rohit Sharma's protracted struggle. Uneasy at the top, the batsman appeared to be lugging an invisible burden around. An odd boundary, amidst relentless ball-hogging, only set India back.
Lasith Malinga and Mathews, in contrasting speed-zones, were uniformly accurate. Senanayake was brought on in the sixth over, and by the time off-spinner was into his third over, he trapped Rohit in front.
Kohli’s arrival was just the injection of calm that India needed. The steely efficiency of his flicks in front of square was matched by a feel for strike-rotation.
Unusually subtle knock
Dhawan profited from his presence, unleashing his own signature, bicep-vein bulging square drives. His innings was unusually subtle, however, as the rousing swagger was kept to a bare minimum. During the course of their 97-run partnership, there appeared to be no problems with nursing ambitions of a 280-plus total.
But Ajantha Mendis, who replaced Suranga Lakmal in the team, hadn’t been factored in. He deployed his much talked-about, potent weapon, the carrom ball, against Kohli, the spiteful turn from middle connecting with the off-stump.
The Rahane-Dhawan combine was quite adequate as well until the former was dismissed in the Batting PowerPlay. The Mumbai batsman’s dance-down-and-loft took the edge and went to short third man.
In the 40th over, Mendis pocketed two more wickets with carrom balls: first, Dhawan was bemused by a quicker one, and then Karthik played an ugly flat-batted pull after hitting a boundary the previous ball.
In a little while, Rayudu was out lobbing Chaturanga de Silva while Stuart Binny was out leg-before to Senanayake. India’s sights were perched at low-hanging fruits now.
Jadeja opted to scrap it out, and allying with him in this endeavour were Ashwin and Shami. After a wobbly middle-order show, India managed to end well with 40 runs in five overs.
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