Daily News (In Short)-26-August-2015

#* Caste protest, violence hit PM Modi's home state; curfew in parts of Gujarat amid bandh call today

Curfew was clamped in several parts of Gujarat and educational institutions closed in Surat as overnight violence rocked the state over an agitation demanding reservation for the influential Patel community, officials said on Wednesday.
 
The violence erupted after the leader of the agitation, 22-year-old Hardik Patel, was briefly detained by Gujarat police on Tuesday for launching a hunger strike following a rally in the state. The rally was attended by nearly half-a-million people.
 
Official sources said  curfew has been clamped in Kapodara and Sarthana areas of Surat after agitation supporters torched buses and other vehicles.
 
Sources said Union home minister Rajnath Singh spoke to chief minister Anandiben Patel.
 
The Centre has also rushed additional forces to the state.

Hardik Patel, spearheading the agitation has called for a state-wide bandh on Wednesday.

After being released following his detention on Tuesday, he urged his community members to maintain peace.

"I make an appeal to maintain peace and keep calm. I give a call for Gujarat bandh tomorrow.

"This decision has been taken by Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti considering widespread violence in the state," Hardik, convener of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti which is spearheading the agitation, said .

Read | Tension in Gujarat after Patel stir; Hardik detained, then released

As the news of detention of Patel spread, violence broke out first in Ahmedabad and later spread to other cities like Surat, Mehsana, Rajkot and some interior areas of the state.

Paramilitary forces like State Reserve Police Force, BSF and Rapid Action Force have been deployed in cities like Ahmedabad and Mehsana. However, no casualties have been reported in the state so far.

In Ahmedabad, city buses and police posts were set on fire, while stone-pelting was reported from various parts of Gujarat, state control room officials said.

Police had to resort to lathicharge and lob teargas shells to control the situation.

#* Gunman opens fire at Indian eatery in Sydney, no casualties

Panic gripped Sydney after a gunman opened fire at an Indian restaurant at city's Harris Park.
The incident occurred just before 9pm local time on Tuesday when customers and staff, numbering between 30 and 40, were inside Billu's Indian Eatery on Wigram Street.

The gunman fired a shot through the window of the restaurant. The bullet went through its front window and hit a shelf, local police said adding that nobody was injured in the incident.

The gunman, dressed in a blue tracksuit, was seen running south on Wigram Street after the incident.

"Just before 9pm (Tuesday), a single shot was fired into the Indian restaurant on Wigram Street, Harris Park", police said.

The were now seeking assistance of anyone who saw the man come forward, in particular a woman, who was nearly knocked to the ground by him near the pedestrian crossing on the Wigram Street.

Police said they believed the shot was fired by an offender who was on foot, adding, inquiries into the incident were continuing.

The latest incident is the second in this year when a gunman had fired shots in the area which is a hub of Indian restaurants and other Indian shops.

In April, diners were enjoying their lunch in Harris Park area, when after 2pm local time, a man walked outside and fired a volley of bullets. Sydney-based cardiologist Yadu Singh who is also a close friend of the restaurant's owner said, the incident has generated a great concern among the Indian businesses in the area.

"It is scary and police is probing the incident," Singh said.

#* Arvind Kejriwal to PM Modi: With you on Swachh Bharat, Digital India 

After months of conflict with the central government, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday to seek the Centre’s co-operation in governing the capital.
After the meeting, Kejriwal said, “I told the Prime Minister that we may have ideological and political differences but for Delhi’s growth, the state and Centre need to work together.
I also told him to help us, and that we will make Delhi sparkle straightaway.” Kejriwal added, “I also told the PM that we will fulfill the goals of Swachh Bharat and Digital India in Delhi, but for that better communication with the Centre is needed.” The CM said he also told Modi how orders and decisions passed by him were instantly declared null and void by the Centre. However, the AAP leaders were not very hopeful of a solution to their problems, a source said, adding that the 25-minute meeting fell short of Kejriwal’s expectations. When asked about the PM’s assurances, Kejriwal said, “He listened to us carefully and said he will look into it.” Sources said that while Kejriwal told the PM about the ‘interference’ of the Centre in the functioning of the government, the PM just nodded and said he would look into it. While the Centre has always assured the government of its co-operation, this time the leaders were told that their complaints would be looked into, said sources. Kejriwal also briefed the PM about the government’s protest on the appointment of M K Meena as ACB chief. “The CM told Modi that there are corruption charges against Meena. Despite this, Meena was made ACB in-charge,” said a source. Attacking Kejriwal, ex-official with the AAP government Ashish Joshi said, “The CM should have spoken about corruption charges against his secretary Rajendra Kumar rather than pointing fingers at others.” Kejriwal has been accusing the Centre of interfering in the functioning of his government. He had launched a series of verbal attacks on Modi recently for “usurping powers of the government’s Anti-Corruption Branch and using paramilitary forces in Delhi offices”. This is Kejriwal’s second meeting with the PM after his victory in the assembly polls. The CM has been trying to meet Modi for some time now. During the Budget Session, he had said that he sought an appointment with the PM, but failed to get one. Centre backs Meena in court Backing Anti-Corruption Branch chief M K Meena, the Centre on Tuesday told the Delhi High Court that he was “acting as per law”, refuting the AAP government’s claim that he was not allowing anyone to work. Additional Solicitor-General Maninder Singh told Justice V P Vaish that a plea filed by the Arvind Kejriwal government, seeking contempt proceedings against Meena, was not bonafide. He also told the court that the AAP government was “abusing the process of law”. Senior advocate Dayan Krishnan, appearing for the state government, alleged that Meena was “not working in accordance with law”.

#* Hindu population down below 80% for first time ever, Muslims at 14%, shows Census data

New Delhi: The latest census data on the population of religious groups, released by the Modi government on Tuesday, shows a 0.7 percent decline in the Hindu population, while a growth of 0.8 percent has been registered in the Muslim community.
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Government releases Indian population statistics
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The census has distributed the total population amongst six religions namely Hindu, Muslim, Christians, Sikh, Buddhist and Jains.

In 2011, total population was registered as – 121.09 crores, in which Hindus constituted 79.8 percent, Muslims 14.2 percent, Christians 2.3 percent, Sikh 1.7 percent, Buddhist 0.7 percent and Jain 0.4 percent.The Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India today released the data on Population by Religious Communities of Census 2011. The distribution is total population by six major religious communities namely, Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain besides “Other Religions and Persuasions” and “Religion not stated”.

Also Read: India to have largest Muslim population by 2050, says Report

The data are released by sex and residence up to sub-districts and towns. Total population in 2011 is 121.09 crores ; Hindu 96.63 crores (79.8%); Muslim 17.22 crores (14.2%); Christian 2.78 crores (2.3%); Sikh 2.08 crores (1.7%); Buddhist 0.84 crores (0.7%); Jain 0.45 crores (0.4%), Other Religions & Persuasions (ORP) 0.79 crores (0.7%) and Religion Not Stated 0.29 crores (0.2%).

Proportion

The proportion of Hindu population to total population in 2011 has declined by 0.7 percentage point (PP); the proportion of Sikh population has declined by 0.2 PP and the Buddhist population has declined by 0.1 PP during the decade 2001-2011.

The proportion of Muslim population to total population has increased by 0.8 PP. There has been no significant change in the proportion of Christians and Jains.

Growth Rate

The growth rate of population in the decade 2001-2011 was 17.7 %. The growth rate of population of the different religious communities in the same period was as Hindus: 16.8%; Muslim: 24.6%; Christian: 15.5%; Sikh: 8.4%; Buddhist: 6.1% and Jain: 5.4%.

Earlier, the government used to provide religion-wise break-up of population data. However, the practice was discontinued in 2011 because of a controversy that followed the 2001 Census, which showed a relatively high growth of Muslim population primarily on account of the inclusion of Jammu and Kashmir.

The comparison was skewed because the militancy-hit state was not covered in the headcount for 1991.

#* Rahul Gandhi in Jammu, to visit areas hit by Pak shelling

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi began a three-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday against the backdrop of high tensions along the border with Pakistan and the collapse of bilateral talks over the weekend.
 
Gandhi is slated to meet people living in areas affected by incessant firing and shelling by Pakistani force sin recent weeks. He will travel to all three regions of the state – Jammu, Kashmir Valley and Ladakh. 
 
Soon after his arrival in Jammu on Wednesday, he will visit Balakote area in Poonch district, where six people were killed and dozens wounded in Pakistan firing on August 15.
 
He will also meet representatives of different sections of society and address a panchayat conference.
 
On Thursday, he will go to Kashmir Valley, where he is expected to visit Sopore and Pampore areas. Sopore, the hometown of Hurriyat hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani, was in the news recently after suspected militants killed several people associated with the telecom business. The attacks forced many to close down their operations.
 
Gandhi is also expected to discuss the state of affairs in the Congress with senior leaders and workers. Infighting in the faction-ridden state unit has escalated recently.
 
The party last month suspended former Congress Working Committee member Gulchain Singh Charak and former ministers Abdul Ghani Vakil and Prem Sagar Aziz from the primary membership of the Congress for indulging in “anti-party” activities.
 
The three have been up in arms ever since the party’s central leadership appointed former minister Ghulam Ahmed Mir as the head of the state unit early this year.

#* Google to publicly launch YouTube Gaming tomorrow, August 26

Twitch has introduced a new level of gaming but it will soon have a rival when YouTube Gaming goes live. We described it as Google’s own version of vicarious gaming and we'll know soon enough how it would change the live gaming landscape. The timing may be a bit late because summer is over and school has just started but hey, this is a new kind of gaming I'm pretty sure most geeks would love to try and get into.

Google will officially launch YouTube Gaming tomorrow, August 26, Wednesday. It will become a hub for all things related to video games. This is where gamers can watch recorded and live videos about their favorite games. Livestreaming games will soon be possible with YouTube Gaming so more people from all over the world can watch a particular game in real time. This can be likened to YouTube Live Broadcast where anyone who owns a Galaxy S6 edge+, Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6, and Galaxy S6 edge can broadcast videos "live" which can then be watched on YouTube directly.

There are probably millions of gaming content on YouTube because they are hugely popular not just among professional gamers but also with kids and teens who simply want to watch gameplays. Some people are content with doing that while others really make time creating videos because for one, they can earn from them.

The Amazon-owned Twitch is first as a video platform and community for gamer. It will soon compete with YouTube Gaming when it comes to market share and honestly, we're expecting YouTube will even surpass whatever Twitch has already accomplished. More people are familiar with YouTube and Google's improving livestreaming tools like automatic conversion, DVR support, and 60fps streaming will absolutely enhance live gaming experience.

A link is all a viewer needs to be able to watch a live "show" on YouTube. There are more than 25,000 gaming pages available but Google will be curating what is shown to every person based on old data of channels and games liked or watched before.

Download YouTube Gaming from the Google Play Store when it goes live tomorrow.

#* Subramanian Swamy urges PM Modi to intervene in OROP issue

A senior BJP leader has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to "urgently intervene" on the One Rank One Pension (OROP) issue for the Indian ex-servicemen, as the condition of those sitting on fast-unto-death has deteriorated.

"I urge the Prime Minister to urgently intervene in the OROP issue before there are any casualties in the ongoing indefinite fast of ex-servicemen," said Subramanian Swamy, a senior BJP leader, who is currently on a visit in the US.

"In any case the Prime Minister has a responsibility to intervene because two ministers viz., of Defence, who wants our party's promise in 2014 to be kept, and of Finance, who is concerned with the financial burden and hence has held up the implementation," he said.

"Under the conduct of business rules for the government, when two ministers disagree, the matter has to go before the Cabinet.

"The Prime Minister can act on behalf the Cabinet and later ratify," Swamy said in a statement.

In New Delhi, the over 70-day-long agitation for 'One Rank One Pension' aggravated yesterday with one more veteran, who was on fast-unto-death, got hospitalised, even as two more joined the protests amid speculation that implementation of the scheme may be announced this week.

#* Political parties are not bechara: Why they should be under RTI ambit

Everyone is out to get them. And so they must be kept out of the ambit of Right to Information Act. The Centre has told the Supreme Court that if political parties are “held to be public authorities, under the RTI Act, it would hamper their smooth working.”
“Smooth” logic indeed.
Representational image. ReutersRepresentational image. Reuters
Unsurprisingly even in India’s logjammed parliament, this is a rare moment of political unity across the board. The BJP, Congress, CPI(M), CPI, NCP and Bahujan Samaj Party were all asked by the Supreme Court in July to explain why they should not come under RTI and have to declare details about their donors and funding. On the face of it, unwelcome as the scrutiny might be, it sounds hard to argue against it publicly. The Central Information Commission had said in its order "It would be odd to argue that transparency is good for all State organs but not so good for Political Parties, which, in reality, control all the vital organs of the State." "There is no rationale for people who made the law to keep themselves out of its ambit,” said Anjali Bhardwaj of the National Campaign for People’s Right to Information.
But the parties feel that transparency needs to stop at their doors. “Political rivals with malicious intentions” could file RTI applications and adversely affect the parties’ “political functioning” says the affidavit.
The question is whether that is enough reason to be exempt from RTI or whether that is throwing the baby out with the bathwater. People with “malicious intentions” can file RTI applications about all the other institutions that come under its purview anyway. Why should political parties be afforded a higher degree of protective cover? People with “malicious intentions” file FIRs and frivolous lawsuits all the time which result in unsuspecting citizens finding themselves in lock-up for a Facebook post about Azam Khan or forwarding a cartoon making fun of Mamata Banerjee. What makes political parties special?
The parties can oppose being brought under RTI on technical grounds but are being deliberately blind to the larger spirit of RTI. It is about transparency and accountability. The parties, no matter how they dress up their objections, are basically arguing for opacity for themselves and transparency for others. RTI activists Aruna Roy and Nikhil Dey do not mince words when they describe the larger message being sent out by the political class.
"The representatives of the people, have made it clear that they do not want to be answerable to the people. By removing themselves completely from the purview of the transparency law, they are preventing any obligation they might have to directly answer any query from the citizen on any issue."
This means that the pious talk politicians routinely trot out about the pernicious influence of money in politics is just talk. If a party has no interest in having any light shine upon their financial dealings then it’s a little rich to imagine they would really be invested in cleaning the system where as Roy and Dey point out “the yawning gap between ‘statements submitted’ and real expenditures during elections is no secret.” That is the elephant in the room the political parties are dancing around.
The other major problem is the very spirit of RTI is gutted when more and more institutions get to opt out of it. If the courts, the CBI and now political parties are kept outside its reach, the exemption list grows more powerful than the law itself. Even more disturbing, it sets a precedent whereby other institutions can argue that they too be kept out of its purview because there are too many frivolous claims, too much paperwork, too many NGOs with suspect motivations and so on and so forth. Let’s face it no one in power really wants the RTI. But it exists because there is a larger consensus that it is important to the health of a democracy even if it’s a headache for those who are its targets. As long as almost everyone feels the pain, it works, the democratic gain compensating for the shared pain. As soon as more and more institutions opt out of it, it starts falling apart.
Politicians know they do not rank high in public esteem. They will claim that this RTI act will be just another way for the media/public/activists to gang up on them and try to browbeat them. One justification being put forth in the affidavit is that it was never the “intent” of the government to bring parties under the RTI. Subhash Agarwal, one of the primary moving forces behind the RTI, counters that by saying there is no need for original intent because “many bodies” who claim they are not covered by the RTI are declared public authorities by Information Commissions and High Courts. Political parties were not established by the constitution or an act of parliament and therefore should not be under the RTI argues the affidavit. But a body does not have to be established under the constitution to be called a public authority say RTI activists. Getting funds directly or indirectly from the government can suffice.
Researcher Ruchi Gupta argues that because political parties’ operations are subsidised by the government it makes sense to restrict disclosure to the flow of money, not internal deliberations. It is obvious that a party does not want its electoral strategy, its internal confabulation on the front page of the daily newspaper. Gupta says unfortunately “the RTI Act does not have space for graduated transparency.” Gupta feels a more level playing field would be one of mandated uniform disclosure by all parties, rather than just to an RTI applicant. But there is a difference between negotiating the scope and reach of the law (and the exemptions included in it) and arguing that you are outside its scope altogether.
That is what political parties fail to understand or choose to ignore. While they may think they have a solid technical case to demand they be kept out of the purview of RTI, they risk sounding arrogant in a country where the public routinely feels there’s one law for the aam aadmi and one law for the khaas aadmi. At a moment when they could be statesmen, they choose to be politicians. And this becomes one more instance where the political class looks like it wants to stick a flashing red beacon on its head and breeze through the laws it itself makes.

#* Train Attack Suspect Watched Video Calling for Jihad Before Boarding, Officials Say

The armed man accused of attacking an Amsterdam-to-Paris train last week watched a YouTube video calling for Jihad before boarding the train, officials said today.

Alleged gunman Ayoub El-Khazzani watched the video on his cellphone, they added, which was activated the same day of the attack.

He also belonged to a known radical mosque, French Prosecutor Francois Molins said at a news conference today.

He was armed with an AKM assault rifle, cutter and pistol Friday, and used all the weapons in his fight with the passengers, Molins said. Two people suffered serious injuries in the attack in which three Americans helped disarm and subdue the gunman.

El-Khazzani was indicted on charges of attempted murder in connection with terrorism and affiliation to a terror group, officials said.

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Inside the Attack on Paris-Bound Train: The Timeline of Terror
Molins said the attack seemed premeditated because El-Khazzani bought a first-class ticket costing 149 euros, or about $172, and refused to purchase a cheaper ticket on another train. El-Khazzani also had no credible explanation for how he got the money for a first-class ticket and how he obtained the weapons, Molins said.

Investigations are continuing, Molins said. El-Khazzani has refused to answer questions since Monday, Molins said.

El-Khazzani, who was born in Morocco, has a Spanish residence card, but claimed he has no fixed home, Molins said today.

Authorities raided his sister's home in Belgium Monday and determined El-Khazzani had stayed there recently, although he has denied it, Molins said.

El-Khazzani was taken into custody Friday when the train stopped in Arras, France, about two hours northeast of Paris.

El-Khazzani's first lawyer, Sophie David, told ABC News in a phone interview that El-Khazzani denied planning an attack and said he wanted to rob passengers and escape by jumping off the train. The suspect also denied any ties or affiliation to terror groups or radical Islam, David said.

American Spencer Stone, who was slashed with the gunman's box cutter, underwent surgery to reattach his thumb and has since been released from the hospital. American Mark Moogalian, who was shot in the attack, was listed in intensive care Monday.

#* Flipkart Adds Social Layer to Its Mobile App With Ping

Online marketplace Flipkart on Tuesday announced the launch of Ping, a new in-app chat feature that lets users share product images and chat with each other while shopping. The feature has been rolled out to the Flipkart apps for Android and iOS, but users need an invite to access the feature. 

Ping is visible as a chat icon floating on the right hand side of app. Users can share products, wishlists, and carts with their phonebook contacts, and chat with them. Users can also share their screens and browse together. The move follows the rollout of Flipkart's mobile phone number-based login system earlier this month. Users no longer need an email address to register on the Flipkart app or reset their password.

According to an emailed statement from Flipkart, the move was prompted by research that indicated that a customer's identity was strongly related to their mobile number, and that their inability to shop collaboratively was the number one barrier for online shopping.

Online shopping, on the other hand, has largely remained a solo experience, said said Flipkart's Chief Product Officer, Punit Soni, adding that Ping brings a unique blend of messaging and shopping for the first time. "Ping aims to transform online shopping by allowing users to talk to each other real time in order to make decisions and decide on what to buy," he said.

Commenting on this breakthrough innovation, Peeyush Ranjan, CTO and Head of Engineering, Flipkart, said that the feature uses highly advanced architecture to ensure that communication is efficient even on 2G networks, and will also support Android wearables in the future.

In recent Flipkart news, the company has reportedly put its app-only stance on hold, after retailers of high-value goods like furniture and home electronics seemed skeptical of the move.

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