News Digest: Urdu writers asked to declare - My book not against the government, nation

Here are some important reports from the biggest newspapers of India:

1. Urdu writers asked to declare: My book not against the government, nation

The National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language (NCPUL), which operates under the Ministry of Human Resource Development, has introduced a form which requires authors of books NCPUL acquires annually to declare that the content will not be against the government or the country.

The form, received by several Urdu writers and editors over the past few months, also asks authors to provide signatures of two witnesses. Originally circulated in Urdu, the form, accessed by The Indian Express, reads: "I ___ son/daughter of ___ confirm that my book/magazine titled ___ which has been approved for bulk purchase by NCPUL's monetary assistance scheme does not contain anything against the policies of the government of India or the interest of the nation, does not cause disharmony of any sort between different classes of the country, and is not monetarily supported by any government or non-government institution."

2. Gurgaon hospital forces pregnant woman to carry a dead fetus for 19 hours

An eight-month pregnant woman was forced to carry a dead fetus inside her for over 19 hours after the government-run Civil Hospital allegedly turned her away twice on Wednesday as she was not accompanied by a family member or a female attendant, despite the doctors there diagnosing the fetus had died.

She was finally operated upon Thursday afternoon at a private hospital, the Times of India reported.

In fact, 21-year-old Shanti's (name changed) ordeal started on Wednesday evening when she felt a strong pain in her lower abdomen and also noticed some bleeding. As her husband had gone to their native Khagaria district in Bihar 12 days ago due to an emergency , she informed her landlord in Gurgaon's Tigri village.

3. Airlines, railways, Cos go Khadi way for dress, gifts and napkins

After bagging an order to supply travel kits worth Rs 1.25 crore to business class travellers of Air India, Khadi and Village Industries Commission would now dress up cabin crew of the Prime Minister's flight, the Air India One.

While female cabin crew of the VVIP flights that carry the prime minister of the country on international tours will wear khadi silk sarees, male crew will sport khadi silk jackets, a top officials of the khadi commission said.

This order for 150 silk sarees, 25 Johpuri bandh gala coats, 40 trousers and 40 jackets is estimated at over Rs 9 lakh, reported Economic Times.

4. Babus to be punished if SP loses votes: CM

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on Friday warned IAS officers “to perform or perish'' ahead of the assembly elections next year.

Yadav claimed he was going to retain power after 2017 polls and added officers concerned would face consequence if his party's votes declined in a particular area.

He called on the officers to work harder to fulfil his government's top priorities of development and maintaining law and order in his address on the second day of the Services Week, the Times of India reported.

The CM said he would be unsparing in case of poor law and order. “If any untoward incident takes place, it would be seen as the failure of the officers in that region and punishment would follow." Yadav claimed he has given full freedom and a conducive atmosphere to officers unlike the previous Mayawati government in the state and the Narendra Modi administration at the Centre.

5. 2 Muslims herding buffaloes hanged from tree in Jharkhand

In an incident reminiscent of the Dadri lynching, two Muslim men herding buffaloes on their way to the market were beaten up and hanged from a tree by suspected cattle-protection vigilantes in Balumath forests in Latehar district, 100km from state capital Ranchi, early on Friday .

The deceased, Muhammad Majloom, 35, and Azad Khan alias Ibrahim, 15, were cattle traders and related to each other. Their bodies were found with hands tied behind and mouths stuffed with cloth, the Times of India reported.

“The manner of their han ging showed that the assailants were led by extreme hatred,“ said Latehar superintendent of police Anoop Birthary. Local MLA from the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) Prakash Ram claimed that Hindu radicals were behind the killings.Reports said villagers who protested the deaths claimed the victims were targeted as they were cattle traders.They blocked the LateharChatra national highway soon after, demanding arrest of the attackers.

6. Rajini does it king size with Rs 330-crore insurance for Robot 2

Forthcoming Rajinikanth star vehicle 2.0 or Enthiran 2 (Robot 2) has been tipped as India's most expensive film ever. Set for release next year, it's already set a record in insurance cover for an Indian movie - Rs 330 crore, surpassing Rs 300 crore for PK (2014), starring Aamir Khan, said two people involved in writing the policy.

State-run New India Assurance, Oriental Insurance and United India Insurance will underwrite the production, they told Economic Times.

When the film goes into the cinema halls, total insurance amount will double--distribution cover will equal that on production, they said.

7. Why not set up HIV test centres in every district, SC asks government

With HIV testing and treatment coverage at a meagre 36% leaving majority of those infected undetected or untreated, the Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear a plea for setting up medical centres across the country , particularly in rural areas, exclusively to provide treatment to people suffering from he deadly virus.

India has the third-highest number of people with HIV in he world with number of tho e infected by the deadly virus standing at 21.17 lakh. Although HIV epidemic in the country is slowing down with a 9% decline in new HIV infec ions and a 38% decline in AIDS-related deaths between 005 and 2013, the proportion of people who do not have access o antiretroviral therapy treatment is still very high at 64%.

Agreeing to hear a PIL or setting up hospitals exclusively for treatment of HIV-infected patients in eve y district, a bench of Justices JS Khehar and C Nagappan issued notice to Centre seeking its response, the Times of India reported.

8. Gujarat Assembly: Congress supports 'rashtra mata' status for cow, no commitment from BJP

Opposition Congress aggressively took up the issue of "rashtra mata" or "mother of the nation" status for cow in the Gujarat Assembly on Friday, a day after an activist in Rajkot committed suicide in support of the demand, even as the ruling BJP maintained a stoic silence over the matter.

Leader of Opposition Shankersinh Vaghela announced that his party would support the government if it goes ahead with a move to declare cow as "rashtra mata".

Congress MLAs also staged a symbolic walkout after Assembly Speaker Ganpat Vasava did not allow discussion in the House over the issue of cow protection, said a report in The Indian Express.

9. Kher in JNU: Those who speak against the nation shouldn't be treated as heroes

Actor Anupam Kher Friday took a dig at JNU students Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, saying those who "speak against the country" and are out on bail are not "Olympic medalists" and should not be treated like "heroes".

Kher made the comments during a screening of his film, Buddha in a Traffic Jam, organised by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) at JNU, even as a group of students raised slogans against Kher while he was speaking at the Administrative Block, reported The Indian Express.

10. Rajan's chest pain shakes Tihar officials



Tihar Jail authorities went into a tizzy as Chhota Rajan complained of severe chest pain, indicating cardiac arrest. It was 3am on Monday and jail staff, including top officials, rushed to the high-security ward of jail number two, where the underworld don is lodged.

To their respite, the doctors didn't find any sign of cardiac arrest, the Times of India reported.

Sources said Rajan had a short-lived pain, which was controlled within minutes, and was checked regularly since. Rajan, who has been in Tihar since November last, is visited by a team of doctors, twice a day.