Smoking may cut capacity to solve problems and may be a risk factor for dementia among the elderly

TODAY'S NEWS PAPERS.

Most papers this morning report the slowdown in the economy which is expected to grow by just 6.9 percent as compared to 8.4 percent in the previous fiscal. The Economic Times reports that growth is set to slip below 7 per cent for the first time in 3 years. The Finance Minister will unveil the union budget for 2012 and 13 on the 16th of March write the Pioneer, the Asian Age and other papers.

The other major story in today's newspapers is the Maldives Mutiny forcing out the first democratically elected President in the Maldives. India is keeping a close watch on the situation writes Hindustan Times.

The Hindu on its front page reports that a Karnataka Minister was caught on camera watching pornography on his mobile phone during the assembly session. "BJP ministers watch dirty picture in the house", writes Hindustan Times.

The Times of India reports deadwood in the Indian bureaucracy will not clog the government any longer as the center has ratified a rule making it compulsory for IAS, IPS and officers from other All India Services to retire in public interest if they fail to clear a review after 15 years of service.

India against corruption may have been all over the airwaves in 2011 with the Anna Hazare Lokpal movement, but the man himself has not made it to a list of the top three Indian role models for the youth says Hindustan Times, according to the paper Shah Rukh Khan was the top choice in a youth survey.

The Times of India reports of a new study published in the General psychiatry journal London which has found that smoking is bad for the brain, specially for male smokers, who tend to have a more rapid mental decline than men who do not smoke. Smoking may cut capacity to solve problems and may be a risk factor for dementia among the elderly, adds the Asian Age.