1. RIL Contract can't be Terminated: Moily to Prime Minister
Amidst controversy over gas price hike, Oil Minister M Veerappa Moily has told Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that Reliance Industries' contract for KG-D6 gas fields cannot be terminated pending arbitration on issue of output lagging targets.
Moily in a 13-page letter to the Prime Minister explained the process, the contractual requirement and the steps followed for raising natural gas prices from April 1, without which several gas fields of both private sector firm RIL and state-owned ONGC would be economically unviable to produce.
Rebutting allegations by the AAP and its leader Arvind Kejriwal that the price increase was done to benefit RIL, Moily on February 14 wrote to Singh saying ONGC's average cost of producing natural gas was about USD 3.6 per million British thermal unit in 2012-13 and its newer finds in deepsea cost more than current rate of USD 4.2.
Public sector firms ONGC and Oil India Ltd (OIL) account for about 80 per cent of India's gas production and will be the major beneficiary of gas rates going up from USD 4.2 to USD 8.
2. AAP's credibility undermined by 'cut and run' strategy: Manish Tewari
A day after Arvind Kejriwal accused a section of media of bias, I&B minister Manish Tewari today said Aam Admi Party had failed to take the heat of media scrutiny after it chose to form a government and had undermined its credibility with its 'cut and run' strategy. He also took an aim at the BJP and its prime mnisterial candidate Narendra Modi, accusing them of being intolerant.
3. Bureaucracy tried to cook up something: General V K Singh over troop movement
Amidst a fresh controversy over movement of Army units towards Delhi in 2012, former Army Chief Gen V K Singh on Monday said the bureaucracy had tried to ‘cook up’ something even though it was a routine exercise.
To buttress his point, he cited a statement given by former DGMO Lt Gen A K Choudhary who had been called by the then Defence Secretary to explain the troop movement. "DGMO has clearly said that it was a routine exercise...he was called at night, why was he called and for what reason...on the other hand our political leadership has made it clear that nothing was wrong. So, it means something was being cooked up within the bureaucracy. I have already said it is a fable of sick mind," Singh told reporters.
4. Sochi Olympics end
Flushed with pride after its athletes' spectacular showing at the costliest Olympics ever, Russia celebrated Sunday night with a visually stunning finale that handed off a smooth but politically charged Winter Games to their next host, Pyeongchang in South Korea.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, these Olympics' political architect and booster-in-chief, watched and smiled as Sochi gave itself a giant pat on the back for a Winter Games that IOC President Thomas Bach declared an "extraordinary success."
The crowd that partied in Fisht Olympic Stadium, in high spirits after the high-security games passed safely without feared terror attacks, hooted with delight when Bach said Russia delivered on promises of "excellent" venues, "outstanding" accommodation for the 2,856 athletes and "impeccable organization." The spectators let out an audibly sad moan when Bach declared the 17-day Winter Games closed.
"We leave as friends of the Russian people," Bach said.
5. Jaya to launch Lok Sabha polls campaign from Kanchi
AIADMK on Monday announced that party general secretary and Chief Minister Jayalalithaa would begin the election campaign for Lok Sabha polls on March 3 from Kanchipuram, about 70 km from here.
6. Who coined 'Jai Hind'?
Many believe that Subhash Chandra Bose coined the slogan 'Jai Hind' but a book on legends and anecdotes of Hyderabad says it was first used by a man from that city who gave up his engineering studies in Germany to become Netaji's secretary and interpreter.
In his book "Lengendotes of Hyderabad", former civil servant Narendra Luther presents a number of interesting articles, based on documentary evidence, interviews and personal experiences, on the city that is much celebrated for its romantic origin and composite culture.
One interesting titbit is on the origin of the slogan 'Jai Hind'. According to the author, it was coined by Zain-ul Abideen Hasan, son of a collector from Hyderabad, who went to Germany to study engineering.
During World War II, Netaji had escaped to Germany to canvass support for an armed struggle to liberate India, Luther says.
"He addressed meetings of Indian prisoners of war and other Indians exhorting them to join him in his struggle. Hasan met him and inspired by his patriotism and spirit of sacrifice, he told him that he would join him after finishing his studies.
"Netaji taunted him that if he was worried about small things like these, he could not take up big causes. Stung by that rebuke, Hasan gave up his studies and became Netaji's secretary and interpreter," the book, published by Niyogi, says.
Hasan became a major in the INA and participated in the march from Burma (now Myanmar) across the Indian frontier. The army reached Imphal. It was severely handicapped in supplies and armaments and so had to retreat, the author says.
7. India and Canada signed three MoUs
India and Canada on 24 February 2014 signed three MoUs for cooperation in health sector, audio-visual co-production and skill development. At present David Johnston, the Governor General of Canada is on a nine day visit (22 February 2014 to 2 March 2014) to India and this visit is the first by a Canadian Governor General since 1998.
These MoUs were signed after talks between Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India and David Johnston in New Delhi.
Features of the three MoUs
• The MoU between the Department of Biotechnology and Grand Challenges Canada would address the global health challenges especially women and child healthcare
• The audio-visual cooperation MoU is aimed at co-production in the field of film and Television. This MoU will enable Indian and Canadian film producers to utilize a platform for collaboration on various facets of film making. The agreement is expected to deepen the engagement between the critical sectors of the film industries of both countries there by, providing a new chapter of collaboration. This agreement was signed by the Secretary Information and Broadcasting, Bimal Julka and Stewart Beck, High Commissioner of Canada to India.
• Under the MoU on skill development, the two organisations namely National Skill Development Corporation and Association of Canadian Community College for Skill Development will facilitate exchange and learning
Other similar agreements in the field of audio-visual co-production signed by Indian government are
• In 2005 signed an agreement with Italian government
• In 2005, the Indian government also signed similar agreements with Government of United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
• In 2007 it signed an agreement with Germany and Brazil
• In 2010 with France
• In 2011 with New Zealand
• In 2012 with Poland and Spain
8. Bayern Munich set to be officially declared as Bundesliga champions in March
Bayern Munich are on course to break yet another Bundesliga record by being crowned German champions in March after opening a 19-point lead at the top of the table.
9. American woman tennis ace Serena Williams heads WTA Top 10 Rankings chart
Germany's Angelique Kerber and Simona Halep of Romania both moved up two places in the WTA world top 10 rankings, with Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic slipping down three spots.
Serena Williams continues to dominate the rankings and is nearly a massive 6,000 points clear of second ranked Li Na of China despite going out in the semi-finals in Dubai last week to Alize Cornet of France.
Sister Venus, who won the title in Dubai, her first tournament triumph in 16 months, gained 15 places to stand at 29th.
WTA Top 20 rankings
1. Serena Williams (USA) 12,660 pts
2. Li Na (CHN) 6,795
3. Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) 5,705
4. Victoria Azarenka (BLR) 5,681
5. Maria Sharapova (RUS) 5,206
6. Angelique Kerber (GER) 4,490 (+2)
7. Simona Halep (ROM) 4,435 (+2)
8. Jelena Jankovic (SRB) 4,380 (-1)
9. Petra Kvitova (CZE) 4,365 (-3)
10. Sara Errani (ITA) 4,195
11. Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) 3,185
12. Ana Ivanovic (SRB) 3,155
13. Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) 3,056
14. Roberta Vinci (ITA) 2,940
15. Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) 2,725 (+1)
16. Sabine Lisicki (GER) 2,650 (-1)
17. Samantha Stosur (AUS) 2,605
18. Sloane Stephens (USA) 2,415
19. Eug?nie Bouchard (CAN) 2,365
20. Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) 2,285
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