One more swine flu case in Himachal
By IANS,
Shimla : A man has tested positive for swine flu in Himachal Pradesh, taking the number of H1N1 cases in the state to 10 this year, an official said Friday.
"A middle-aged man from Mandi district tested positive for swine flu and was admitted to Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital (IGMCH) on Thursday," Vinod Mehta, swine flu nodal officer, told IANS.
He said the patient, a truck driver by profession, had recently returned from Delhi.
This is the second case of swine flu in the state within a week. A 34-year-old man died in IGMCH Aug 19 due to the flu.
Prayers, elaborate feasts mark Easter in Delhi
By IANS,
New Delhi : Special prayer services in churches followed by elaborate feasts marked Easter celebrations in the capital Sunday.
Easter commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ after his crucifiction.
Liz Joseph, a homemaker who had rustled up a grand lunch for her family and close friends Sunday, said: "Easter follows the fasting period of Lent when the devout abstain from physical comforts to gain spiritual strength. I, for instance, have been avoiding non-vegetarian food since about mid-February and attending the daily mass in the church."
India-Britain naval exercises to tackle piracy
By IANS,
London : An Indian Navy task group, led by the 6,700-tonne destroyer INS Delhi, arrived in the British port of Portsmouth Tuesday ahead of joint exercises whose aims include tackling sea piracy off the African coast.
The Indian fleet, under the command of Rear Admiral Surinder Pal Singh Cheema, includes the frigates INS Beas and Brahmaputra and the tanker INS Aditya, the Indian High commission said.
The joint manoeuvres, named 'Konkan', are an annual event with the Royal Navy aimed at building "maritime interoperability and mutual understanding".
Christy Fernandes is secretary to new president
By IANS
New Delhi : Christy L. Fernandes, currently serving as tourism secretary in the central government, has been appointed secretary to the new president, official sources said Wednesday.
Fernandes, a 1973 Gujarat cadre Indian Administrative Service officer, is likely to take over immediately after president-elect Pratibha Patil takes oath in the afternoon.
His appointment has been approved by the appointments committee of the cabinet, the sources added.
India gets professional out-of-court mediators
By IANS
Chennai : Chennai-based Indian Centre for Mediation and Dispute Resolution (ICMDR) has teamed up with the ADR Group of Britain and trained Indian lawyers in mediation under the aegis of the British Council.
Under the British Council's governance and social justice programme in India, 20 Indian lawyers have been trained in out-of-court dispute resolution and have been recognised as accredited civil and commercial mediators.
India developing Arjun Mark II tanks
New Delhi : India is developing Arjun Mark II main battle tanks (MBTs) after manufacturing Arjun Mark I, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley said Friday.
The...
Intolerance debate getting chaotic: A.R. Rahman
Panaji : Oscar-winning composer A.R. Rahman on Tuesday said the intolerance debate in India is becoming "chaotic", adding "we should set an example...
Government may call in army to tackle oil strike
By IANS,
New Delhi : Taking a tough stance against the striking officers of public sector oil companies, the government Friday said the army could be called in to tackle the crisis and said talks were possible but the initiative had to be taken by the strikers. In some places, the army will start loading and unloading fuel later Friday afternoon.
"I can't go into the details but if someone from the army has to be called they will be called," Chidambaram said.
SBI branch manager abducted in Meghalaya
Shillong : An official of the State Bank of India (SBI) was Monday abducted by suspected tribal militants in Meghalaya's South West Garo Hills...
At Seminar for cow protection, ‘Gau Rakshaks’ boo Union Ministers
By Twocircles.net Special Correspondent
New Delhi: A seminar in Vigyan Bhawan to talk about government schemes to protect cows turned embarrassing for...
Telangana to support fish ‘prasadam’
Hyderabad : Telangana has decided to extend all support to the Bathini Goud family for administering the fish "prasadam" (medicine) for asthma patients here...
Delhi grievance cell receives graft complaints in Tihar jail
New Delhi : The grievance redressal cell started by the Arvind Kejriwal government has received several complaints of corruption inside Tihar jail, which have...
Gujjars court arrests in Rajasthan; to stop milk supply
By IANS
Jaipur : Thousands of Gujjars courted arrests across Rajasthan Tuesday to press for their community's inclusion in the Scheduled Tribes category.
Gujjar milkmen, who constitute the majority of milk suppliers in the state, announced they would not distribute milk from Tuesday till the Vasundhara Raje government recommends tribal status for the community.
Security across the state was beefed up with over 70,000 police personnel deployed, and additional forces from the central government also called in.
100 American students to do volunteer programmes in India
Washington : About 100 American high school and college students will travel to the Indian cities of Hyderabad, Vadodara and Indore to provide their...
Mathura resident sets world record for movie-viewing
By IANS,
Mathura (Uttar Pradesh) : Ashish Sharma of Uttar Pradesh's Mathura city has created a new world record by viewing movies non-stop for almost five days, breaking an earlier record of 117 hours four minutes set by a German woman.
Sharma watched movies for 120 hours at the KD Dental College auditorium here. For almost five days, he kept watching films.
He began June 11 and watched 48 movies. The marathon movie-watching started with "Gopal Krishna". He saw "Sholay" to equal the world record.
Court appoints committee to oversee Sabarimala temple festival
By IANS,
Kochi : The Kerala High Court Tuesday appointed a high-powered committee to oversee the Sabarimala temple festival that begins Nov 16 after the two-month event last year was mired in controversy due to poor management and ego clash among the management members.
The court asked senior bureaucrat and Sabarimala special officer K. Jayakumar to head the committee. It will include the Travancore Devasom Board (TDB) president and two other members. Top officials of the TDB would constitute the committee.
Centre to fund employee dues of its 11 loss-making units
New Delhi : The central government Wednesday approved the proposal for providing Rs.287.67 crore for the payment of provident fund, gratuity, pension, salaries and...
Speed up flood relief measures: Sonia
By IANS,
Lucknow : United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi Friday instructed officials in her Rae Bareli constituency in Uttar Pradesh to speed up flood relief measures and distribute the compensation granted to the affected people at the earliest.
The directive came on the first day of her visit to the constituency, during which she expressed dissatisfaction over the pace of the relief work being undertaken in the half dozen flood and rain hit villages that she toured.
Gandhi maintained a distance from media persons and avoided answering any questions.
Nuclear cooperation, defence high on Modi-Putin talks agenda
New Delhi : Nuclear cooperation, including for a "cascade" of nuclear reactors, would be high on the agenda of talks between Prime Minister Narendra...
Britain to fund school that teaches Indian meditation
By IANS,
London : A school in Britain that teaches Indian-style meditation to students will now be funded by the government.
Little impact seen on reforms from ministerial recast
By James Jose and Rohit Vaid, IANS,
Politicians, industrialists mourn K.K. Birla’s death
By IANS,
Kolkata : Politicians and industry honchos in West Bengal Saturday mourned the death of eminent industrialist and former Rajya Sabha member Krishna Kumar Birla.
Information and Broadcasting Minister and Congress leader Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi recalled how Birla extended a helping hand to the government during every crisis.
"He was an illustrious son of India. He helped the government in every crisis," said Dasmunsi, who rushed to the nonagenarian's Birla Park residence to offer his condolences.
Mobile number could become identification number: Industry
By IANS,
New Delhi : The mobile phone number may become an individual's identity number (ID) on account of its uniqueness if Alcatel-Lucent's plans materialise, the company said Tuesday.
"We are working with the government of India so that mobile number can be used as ID number of a person," said Alcatel-Lucent India president Vivek Mohan. The company is a global provider of telecommunications solutions to service providers, enterprises and governments.
Chhattisgarh city’s mayor dead
By IANS,
Raipur : Ashok Pingley, mayor of Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur Municipal Corporation, died Tuesday after he suffered a heart attack, his family said.
He suffered the heart attack Monday night and was rushed to Apollo Hospital in Bilaspur town. He died Tuesday.
Pingley, 61, was a leader of state's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
Chief Minister Raman Singh and several senior BJP leaders have condoled the death.
How earthquakes happen
New Delhi : Most earthquakes originate from compressional or tensional stresses built up at the margins of the huge moving plates that make up...
Lookout notices issued for three fake pilots, instructor
By IANS,
New Delhi : Delhi Police issued a lookout notice Monday against three pilots and a flying instructor for forging marksheets to procure pilot licences.
Villagers sleepless as IAS officer’s fraud unravels
By Sujeet Kumar, IANS,
Kharora (Chhattisgarh) : On paper, he is the director of a steel factory, with two bungalows in posh localities and Rs.16 crore (Rs.160 million) in a bank account. In reality, Bhola Yadav, a resident of this village, owns two goats and a cycle and is almost starving.
Last week income tax (IT) officials visited Yadav's shanty and informed him that he was a millionaire. The physically challenged Yadav was left stunned and denied before the IT team that he had ever even opened a bank account.
Anil Ambani Group agrees to gas marketing margin under protest
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group has agreed to pay under protest a marketing margin to Reliance Industries for the gas supplied from the Krishna-Godavari basin, over and above the price formulae of the government.
In a letter to the oil ministry, the group has queried if the Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries was entitled to charge the margin, as neither the company has undertaken such an exercise nor has the government's price formulae enabled such a provision.
No more showers, Delhi continues to be hot
By IANS,
New Delhi : A day after some parts of the capital experienced mild showers, there were no traces of rainfall Tuesday as Delhiites continued to reel under the scorching heat.
The maximum temperature hovered around 41.8 degrees Celsius, six notches above average, weather officials said.
"The minimum temperature this morning (Tuesday) was 29 degrees, eight degrees above average," an official of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
Stop domestic violence now!
This is the spirit of the new law that was passed to prevent domestic violence, provide immediate relief, and stand firmly by victims.
By Nasiruddin Haider Khan
The Prevention of Domestic Violence Act is a historic step towards a gender sensitive law in India. However, the big question remains, how is it different from other existing laws of the land? Why is this law unique? Most importantly, what are the benefits an aggrieved person can get from this law?
The Prevention of Domestic Violence Act is a historic step towards a gender sensitive law in India. However, the big question remains, how is it different from other existing laws of the land? Why is this law unique? Most importantly, what are the benefits an aggrieved person can get from this law?
Swine flu-hit nations should test outbound travellers: Azad
By IANS,
New Delhi : To curb the increasing number of influenza A (H1N1) cases in India, the health ministry wants External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna to urge swine flu-affected countries to screen outbound travellers at airports, an official said here Wednesday.
"Otherwise (without screening of outbound passengers) we would be burdened with a large number of cases which may subsequently spread the diseases in our community," read a letter written to Krishna by Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad Tuesday.
Bihar official in trouble for favouring jailed MP
By IANS,
Patna : A Bihar government official is in trouble for allegedly trying to protect jailed Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Mohammad Shahabuddin, from whose prison ward seven mobile phones were recovered, officials said Wednesday.
Thirty-seven mobile phones were seized from the inmates of Siwan jail during a raid early Sunday morning. A dozen mobile chargers, 15 telephone diaries, a headphone, a knife, seven bottles of imported perfume and some cash were also seized from the prisoners. Of the phones seized, seven were recovered from Shahabuddin's ward.
Court rejects plea of former RAW director
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Delhi High Court Friday dismissed the plea of a retired Director of Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) seeking a direction to the agency to disclose information under the RTI Act.
Justice S. Muralidhar dismissed the plea of Brig (Retd) Ujjal Dasgupta, a former official of the intelligence agency, who was arrested for allegedly leaking sensitive information to a CIA agent.
Indian-Americans pay a price for running convenience stores
By Arun Kumar,
Washington : Back in 2006, Joe Biden, then a Senate candidate ran into trouble for a remark that "you cannot go to...
Top bank executive cleared of corruption – after 24 years!
By Quaid Najmi, IANS,
Mumbai : He lived with humiliation for a quarter of a century, lost his wife and saw his career going down the hill. But M.U. Kini, a bank executive accused of corruption charges in 1986, was finally cleared of all the alleged crimes after fighting an agonising legal battle for 24 years.
Retirement home for police horses in Bengal
Kolkata, Jan 1 (IANS) You could call it their pension! Horses retiring from a West Bengal police training college now have a new home to spend their twilight years along with other comforts.
Fourteen ageing animals that have served for years have not ended up pariahs or been slaughtered like their predecessors. Instead the green acres of Ashari, an animal hospital-cum-shelter on the eastern fringes of Kolkata, run by Maneka Gandhi's People for Animal (PFA), is now their home.
Prachanda, Pranab discuss Kosi issue, Nepal political process
By NNN-PTI,
Kathmandu, Nepal : Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee today held a "fruitful" meeting with Nepal Prime Minister Prachanda, during which they discussed the ongoing political process in the Himalayan nation and agreed to expedite the repair work on the Kosi barrage.
Mukherjee, who met the Maoist chief Prachanda for the third time in as many months described the meeting as "very productive" and "fruitful", Prime Minister's Special Adviser Hira Bahadur Thapa said.
Tribal leader to challenge Orissa’s move against road blockade
By IANS,
Bhubaneswar : The leader of an anti-displacement movement will legally challenge the Orissa government's decision to sue him for staging a road blockade that allegedly prevented a child from being taken to the hospital, leading to his death.
The lawyer for Chakradhar Hybru Junior, the anti-displacement movement leader, Sunday said he will challenge in the Orissa High Court the state government's move to recover Rs.100,000 from him for staging the road blockade.
Central team to assess cyclone damage in Andhra
Hyderabad : A central team will be visiting the cyclone-affected districts of Andhra Pradesh Nov 24-25 to collect data and assess the damage based...
Bickram Ghosh teams with composer of James Bond film for album
By IANS,
New Delhi : The country's leading percussionist Bickram Ghosh has teamed up with Pete Lockett, dubbed the world's most versatile multi-percussion player, for a new album "Kingdom of Rhythm" that features more than 250 percussion instruments from around the world.
The duo has just completed shooting the music video of the album to be released in January.
Lockett, who set the score for the latest James Bond thriller, “Quantum of Solace” starring Daniel Craig, composed the music for five of the previous Bond movies.
Urban development ministry to decide Sainik Farms’ fate
By IANS,
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court Monday asked the Urban Development Ministry to decide the fate of the Sainik Farms colony in south Delhi by the end of the year.
A division bench of Justices Madan B. Lokur and Mukta Gupta directed the government to take a final decision on the status of the colony by Dec 31, as proposed by Urban Development Secretary M. Ramachandran, who appeared before the court.
‘US not in a position to speculate on Indian nukes’
Washington: The US has declined to speculate on a report about India significantly expanding a covert nuclear facility, but asserted that nothing provided to...
National Geographic launches second edition of photography contest
By IANS,
New Delhi : The National Geographic channel Thursday launched the second edition of its photography awards that provide a platform for budding as well as professional photographers to showcase their flair of capturing the perfect moment.
The Nat Geo Moment Awards "aim to identify and honour the best talent in two segments, the best photograph and the best short mobile film".
Siddibapa was channeliser of IM funds: NIA chargesheet
New Delhi : Indian Mujahideen's (IM) alleged key operative Abdul Wahid Siddibapa channelised funds from Pakistan to India via Dubai for conducting terror activities...
Police remand for Himachal official held for graft
By IANS,
Shimla : A senior government official, who was arrested Sunday while accepting a bribe of Rs.4.25 lakh (Rs.425,000) from a contractor, was sent to four days police remand, police said Monday.
A special court in Dharamsala Monday remanded Himachal Pradesh Electricity Board's chief engineer (operations) Litesh Malhotra, who was arrested from Dharamsala Sunday while taking a bribe of Rs.4.25 lakh from a contractor, in police custody till Sep 10, Inspector General of Police (Vigilance) S.R. Mardi said.
Anupam Kher to work for empowerment of Kashmiri Pandits
By IANS,
Jammu : Bollywood actor Anupam Kher Saturday vowed to work for the empowerment of exiled Kashmiri Hindus and for their return to their homeland with "honour and dignity".
Kher was speaking at a conference here to draw "global attention toward the burning issues confronting the Kashmiri Pandits", who fled the Kashmir Valley in early 1990s as Muslim militancy peaked, at times targeting members of the community.
A suicide occurs every two hours in Uttar Pradesh
By IANS,
Lucknow : A suicide takes place every two hours in India's most populous state, according to a study.
What was even more glaring was that Lucknow, the state capital, had topped the list with as many as 22 suicides in the past 20 days.
According to a study carried out by the State Crime Records Bureau here, the trend has been on the rise over the years.
In comparison to 4,008 suicides in 2008, the figure crossed the 5,000 mark in 2009.
Congress’ stir against arrest of Uttar Pradesh RTI activist
By IANS,
Lucknow : Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) is organising a statewide stir to protest the arrest of a Right to Information (RTI) activist, party officials said Saturday.
Shailendra Singh, chairman of Congress Task Force on RTI, was arrested here Friday on the charges of misbehaving with senior officials of the State Information Commission and damaging government property.
US mum on joint military ops against Pakistani terror groups
By Arun Kumar,
Washington : The US would not say whether India-US cooperation against Pakistan-based terrorist groups could involve coordination on drone strikes, but was...
Himachal to market trout in foreign shores
By Vishal Gulati, IANS,
Shimla : Himachal Pradesh is planning to export trout, a delicious coldwater fish species found in abundance in the state.
The trout - both the brown and rainbow varieties - is found in the Beas, Sutlej and the Ravi rivers in the upper Himalayas. This year, production is expected to increase to 100 tonnes from 80 tonnes last year.
The increased production, coupled with the fine taste of the fish, has opened up export options.
Technicalities settled to supply power to Bangladesh
Agartala : Indian and Bangladeshi officials Monday finalised the various technicalities and mechanisms to supply 100 MW of power from Tripura to Bangladesh, officials...
Telangana tussle: Osmania varsity tense, fasting students arrested
By IANS,
Hyderabad : Tension prevailed at Osmania University here Monday as police arrested more students who had launched a hunger strike demanding that the central government immediately initiate the process for the formation of Telangana state by splitting Andhra Pradesh.
Police had a tough time removing six students and shifting them to hospital as hundreds of others resisted their attempts. These students had launched a 'fast unto death', hours after some of their colleagues on hunger strike were shifted to a hospital by police.
Robbers break into south Delhi house, loot cash, jewellery
By IANS,
New Delhi: Eight masked robbers Thursday broke into a south Delhi house and held three members of the family hostage on knife point before fleeing with cash, jewellery worth Rs.14 lakh, a licensed gun and four mobile phones, police said.
The robbers broke into Suresh Chautani's ground floor house in East of Kailash area after cutting open the iron grills of a window above the door around 1.45 a.m.
बिहार चुनाव पर शोधपरक पत्रिका ‘डेमोक्रेसीज़’ का विमोचन
By TCN News
पटना: बिहार सामाजिक और राजनीतिक सशक्तीकरण के दौर से आगे निकल गया है. अब इसके आर्थिक सशक्तीकरण की ज़रुरत है. आर्थिक तरक्क़ी...
Seven IAS officers transferred in Bihar
By IANS,
Patna : The Bihar government transferred seven senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers and gave additional charge to four others, a state government official said Wednesday.
The officers were transferred late Tuesday. "It was a routine administrative reshuffle," the official said.
Cabinet coordination department principal secretary Girish Shankar has been made principal secretary of the urban development and housing department. Afzal Amanullah has been made principal secretary of the cabinet coordination department.
Life’s an adventure for Himalayan caretakers
By Shilpa Raina, IANS,
Sarchu (Himachal Pradesh) : They have families, jobs and a regular little life in Manali. Yet for around four months each year, many local men here give it all up to play hosts to travellers at icy Himalayan camps - for the sake of an extra buck, of course, but also for some good old male bonding.
They are the caretakers hired by various adventure and mountaineering groups who do the cleaning, cooking food and other sundry jobs at camps in the high altitudes, as it was during Himalayan Odyssey 2009, a 15-day road trip.
Russia wants India to pursue murder of tourist
By IANS
New Delhi : Russia has asked India to search for and punish those behind the murder of a Russian woman tourist on a train Thursday.
It has asked the Indian external affairs ministry to investigate the murder of Nadezhda Klimova, 47, who was killed during a robbery attempt on a train travelling from Varanasi to Mumbai. She was with her boyfriend, Sergei, and another Russian when robbers attacked the train at night and asked the passengers to hand over all their valuables and cash.
Environmentalists worried over oil spill
By IANS,
Mumbai : Environmentalists say the oil leak in the sea off Mumbai due to the sinking of a ship would lead to an ecological disaster.
Efforts are on to remove the oil from the sea water.
"Although the oil leak from the sinking Panamanian ship has been stopped, the oil that has already spilled is not only affecting marine life, but also the mangroves in and around the area," said Debi Goyenka of Conservation Action Trust.
Australian police track bank deals of detained Indian doctor
By Neena Bhandari, IANS
Sydney : Australian police are tracking overseas and local transactions from the bank accounts of Indian-born doctor Mohammad Haneef, who is in police custody undergoing interrogation in Brisbane over the foiled terror attacks in UK.
Gujjar protests derail rail service in India
By IANS
New Delhi : Tens of thousands of passengers were stranded across the country as 20 trains were cancelled and 27 others were delayed in north and central India due to continued protests by Gujjars, who are demanding tribal status for better educational and employment opportunities.
Arrest of cricketers in Bangalore shocks valley
By IANS,
Srinagar : The arrest of two Kashmiri cricketers on suspicion of carrying explosives and their subsequent release has shocked cricket lovers here who say the players were harassed as they belonged to the valley.
Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) has demanded an apology from the Karnataka police and lodged a strong protest against the arrest of the two players in Bangalore where they had gone to participate in a national championship.
Orissa flood toll rises to 41
By IANS,
Bhubaneswar : The death tally in Orissa's flash floods, due to nearly two weeks of incessant rains, went up to 41 Thursday even as the officials said the water level has started receding in most of the rivers and streams.
"The death toll has risen to 41," D.N. Sahu, officer on special duty in the state revenue control room, told IANS.
Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Surya Narayan Patro said: "The weather has improved considerably during the past two days. Water levels have started receding everywhere."
Talwars not to get back Fortis hospital jobs
By IANS,
New Delhi : Even though the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has cleared Rajesh Talwar of all charges in the murder of his daughter Aarushi, there is no likelihood of him and his dentist wife and their family friend Anita Durani getting back onto the doctors' rolls at the Fortis Hospital in neighbouring Noida, an official said.
“They were not employed in the hospital. They were visiting doctors and there are no plans to bring them back," a hospital official said, requesting anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to the media on the subject.
Maoist activist nabbed in Assam
By IANS,
Guwahati : A Maoist activist who had received arms training in Bihar was Wednesday arrested from Assam's Guwahati district, police said.
Gujarat salt workers fight for rights – and for wild ass
By V.N. Balakrishna, IANS,
Kharaghoda (Gujarat) : A motley group of salt workers near the desert of Kutch in Gujarat have resorted to satyagraha - espoused by Mahatma Gandhi in another salt struggle in the last century - to fight for their rights to produce salt and also to protect the endangered wild ass.
Wonderful meeting Obama, says Modi after ‘Kem Chho’ greeting
Washington : Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he had a "wonderful meeting" with US President Barack Obama at the White House and both...
Eastern India focal point of my development plan: Modi
Balasore (Odisha) : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said eastern India has remained economically backward but his government has focussed its development plan...
Policemen wanted for graft still on the run
By IANS,
New Delhi : A Delhi Police officer and four colleagues remained on the run Saturday after being accused of corruption, extortion and stealing.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) said it was collecting evidence before moving to catch Assistant Commissioner of Police Chandra Has and the four others, ACB chief N. Dilip Kumar said.
"We are investigating the matter and gathering adequate evidence before we make any arrest," Kumar, an additional commissioner of police, told IANS.
Jaganmohan in Delhi to seek Sonia’s blessings
By IANS,
New Delhi: Amid political uncertainty in Andhra Pradesh, Congress MP Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, son of former chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, arrived here Wednesday hoping to meet party president Sonia Gandhi to stake his claim for the chief minister's post.
Jaganmohan said he had sought an appointment with Sonia Gandhi. "I will definitely meet her if she is kind enough to give an appointment," he told reporters here.
Age limit for vice chancellors in Haryana raised to 68
By IANS,
Chandigarh : The Haryana assembly Monday passed bills to raise the retirement age of vice chancellors (VCs) and pro-vice chancellors to 68.
Earlier, the retirement age was 65 years.
The decision will benefit vice chancellors of the Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma University of Health Sciences, Rohtak, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, Bhagat Phool Singh Mahila Vishwavidyalaya, Khanpur Kalan (near Sonipat) and Chaudhary Devi Lal University, Sirsa.
Factsheet on Sanjay Dutt’s sentencing
By IANS
Mumbai : The following is a factsheet on Sanjay Dutt's involvement with the 1993 Mumbai bombings that led to his jailing Tuesday:
1993
January: Abu Salem, Samir Hingoraa and Baba Chavan deliver an AK-56 assault rifle and a 9 mm pistol to Sanjay Dutt at his Pali Hill home.
March 12: Mumbai serial bombings, the world's worst urban terror attack, claims 257 lives. The bombings are blamed on the underworld and Pakistani intelligence.
A panicky Sanjay gives the AK to a friend to destroy it.
April 19: Arrested at Sahar Airport on arrival from Mauritius
National advisory council to focus on food security bill
By IANS,
New Delhi : The newly-constituted National Advisory Council (NAC) Thursday held its maiden meeting here and decided to focus on pushing pro-poor initiatives including food security bill and a social security net for the marginalised sections of society.
Chairing the meeting, NAC chairperson Sonia Gandhi lauded the contributions of the earlier NAC for playing a key role in enactment of the Right to Information (RTI) Act and the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
Chhattisgarh admits 44 blinded at Durg eye camp
By IANS,
Raipur : The Chhattisgarh government admitted in the state assembly Friday that 44 persons were blinded after they were operated upon at a government health camp in September.
No decision on giving India direct access to Headley: US
By IANS,
New Delhi : Amid reports of India sending investigators to quiz David Coleman Headley, the US Tuesday said no decision had been taken to give New Delhi "direct access" to the Pakistani-American terror suspect who has confessed his role in the 26/11 Mumbai terror strike.
Four days after US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Robert Blake said here that Indian investigators would have access to Headley, Ambassador Timothy J. Roemer clarified the position and said "no decision on direct access for India to David Headley has been made".
India to induct new combat jets from 2016
By IANS,
New Delhi : Come 2016 and India will start inducting the first of the 126 combat jets it is purchasing for nearly $20 billion, parliament was informed Monday.
PDP chief Mehbooba suffers minor injuries in road accident
By IANS,
Jammu : Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti was injured when her car overturned on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway Thursday evening, police here said.
Mehbooba was travelling towards Jammu in her bullet-proof Ambassador car after addressing a series of meetings in the Doda district when the vehicle skidded off the road and rolled down into a ditch - four to five feet below the road level.
Haryana panchayat directs couple to annul marriage
Rohtak, May 18 (IANS) In another gotra (ancestral lineage) row in this Haryana district, the village panchayat (council) of a Scheduled Caste (SC) community has directed a newly married couple to annul their marriage or leave the village within 10 days.
The panchayat officials at Samain village have threatened to forcibly oust the groom's family from the village if the couple does not follow this diktat.
Kulwant Maidal, a resident of Samain village, married Sushila Badgujjar, a resident of Dadula village in Panipat district May 16.
India denies foreign press barred from Dalai Lama’s visit
By IANS,
New Delhi : The government Thursday denied that it has restricted foreign journalists from covering the Dalai Lama's visit to Arunachal Pradesh later this week.
To travel to Arunachal Pradesh, a protected area permit is required.
"The ministry of external affairs, the nodal agency for foreign correspondents, recommends them to the ministry of home affairs when applications are made to visit Arunachal Pradesh," official sources said here.
Nine killed in Himachal accident
By IANS,
Shimla : Nine people were killed and 17 were injured when the vehicle they were travelling in rolled down a 200-foot deep gorge in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi district late Wednesday evening, police said.
"The accident occurred after the vehicle's driver lost control while negotiating a sharp turn," said Mandi superintendent of police M. Chander Sekhar.
He said nine passengers were killed on the spot.
Some the injured were stated to be in a serious condition and admitted to the zonal hospital in Mandi town, 150 kms from here.
The Andamans echo with tribal demand for ST status
By Sujoy Dhar, IANS
Port Blair : A group of tribal settlers collected at a spartan room in this capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands one evening recently to chart a course for a movement demanding the same rights as their counterparts in mainland India.
The settlers, mainly from the Jharkhand and Bihar states, stressed that their movement would be peaceful. But as they sounded the bugle of the demand for Scheduled Tribes (ST) status the scenic Bay of Bengal archipelago became a new spot of bother for the Indian government.
No newspapers in curfew-bound Kashmir Valley
By IANS,
Srinagar : Most newspapers in the Kashmir Valley suspended publication on the second day of curfew Monday as they claimed authorities had issued "insufficient curfew passes" to their staff.
In a statement issued here, newspaper owners said insufficient curfew passes had been issued to their journalists and technical staff. As a mark of protest they had decided to shut down publication for the day, it said.
CBI has no material to back claims in Aarushi murder
New Delhi, July 11 (IANS) Notwithstanding its claims to have cracked the nearly two-month-old sensational Noida twin murders, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has an uphill task ahead to back with material evidence its assertions on who it says are the killers of teenager Aarushi Talwar and family help Hemraj.
West Bengal minister seeks tourist safety in Darjeeling
By IANS,
Kolkata : West Bengal Tourism Minister Manab Mukherjee has written to Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) supremo Bimal Gurung, seeking his assistance in ensuring the safety of tourists in the Darjeeling Hills.
"I wrote a letter to GJM chief Bimal Gurung requesting him to bring back normalcy in Darjeeling, especially during the months of October and November, which coincides with the festivals of Durga Puja and Diwali," Mukherjee told IANS Wednesday.
Salman complains to police against false messages
Mumbai: Superstar Salman Khan, who is irked by anti-religious messages being spread in his name regarding his forthcoming release "Bajrangi Bhaijaan", says police are...
Tamil mourners say no going back on ‘Eelam’
By Gurmukh Singh, IANS,
Toronto: More than 20,000 Canadian Tamils descended on the Ontario assembly here in black to mourn for "innocent civilians killed in the genocide" in Sri Lanka.
In their speeches Friday, Tamil leaders vowed not to rest till "Tamil Eelam (homeland) is achieved".
The military defeat of the Tamil Tigers does not mean the end of the Tamil struggle for their independent homeland, they said, condemning the international community for standing by when "Sri Lankan forces massacred more than 25,000 innocent civilians".
Rural cooking gas distribution scheme launched
By IANS,
New Delhi: The petroleum ministry Friday launched a rural distribution scheme for cooking gas, named after late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.
The flagship scheme had been first announced as part of the ministry's 100-day agenda and was launched Friday as the ministry's "Diwali gift".
Petroleum Minister Murli Deora said initially, the scheme will be launched in eight states covering 1,200 locations.
With no sex education, Madhya Pradesh falters on family planning
By Sanjay Sharma, IANS
Bhopal : Madhya Pradesh is floundering badly in its family planning efforts. Not that it is surprising, considering the state saw widespread protests against sex education and condom campaigns this year.
With around 60 million people, the state is nowhere near its target of attaining a 1.62 percent population growth rate by 2011. The figure is expected to be around 20 percent right now.
"If the trend continues, then the population of the state would be 96.6 million by 2011," a health department official admitted.
India joins Montreal Convention on compensating air passengers
By IANS,
New Delhi : India has become the 91st member of the Montreal Convention on Civil Aviation that imposes strict penalties on carriers for the death of passengers due to negligence and fixes higher insurance premium towards air disasters.
The provisions of the convention will take effect June 30 through the Carriage by Air (Amendment) Act 2009, that India has enacted, covering the international carriage of passengers, baggage or cargo by airlines, an official statement said Monday.
Sikh detective unravels peculiar murder
By Shubha Singh, IANS,
Book: "Inspector Singh Investigates: A Most Peculiar Malaysian Murder"; Author: Shamini Flint; Price: Rs.295; Publisher: Piatkus
Shamini Flint's novel sets the scene for a new series of detective novels starring Singapore Police's inspector Singh.
A Malaysian playboy businessman is murdered and his Singapore-born ex-model wife is charged with the crime. Inspector Singh is sent to Kuala Lumpur to track the murder investigation and ensure that Chelsea Liew gets a fair trial.
Madan Tamang murder: prime accused flees police custody
By IANS,
Darjeeling : Gorkha Janamukti Morhca central committee member Nicol Tamang, one of the prime accused in the murder of Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League (ABGL) chief Madan Taman, fled from police custody in Darjeeling district early Sunday.
"He escaped from the Pintail village guest house in the Dagapur area," Inspector General of Police (North Bengal) Ranveer Kumar told IANS.
"We are looking into how he managed to flee. The Darjeeling police superintendent and an additional police superintendent have been sent to the spot," Kumar said.
No letup in communal mischief
Dr Mohammad Manzoor Alam
After a whole year of anti-Muslim slander campaign and sporadic violence against Muslims (to a lesser degree, against Christians as well),...
Gandhi inspired Martin Luther King to use non-violence: US House
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : The US House of Representatives has passed a resolution recognising Mahatma Gandhi's influence on Martin Luther King Jr and commemorating the golden jubilee anniversary of the American civil rights leader's visit to India in 1959.
Passed Wednesday with a 406 to 0 vote with 26 abstaining, the resolution recalls how King's study of Gandhian philosophy helped shape the Civil Rights Movement.
‘Pakistani leaders still see India as greater threat than terrorists’
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Even as Pakistan faces "an existential threat" from terrorists, many Pakistani leaders consider India as its principal threat and regard extremist groups as potential strategic asset against India, according to a top US commander.
"Destabilization of the nuclear-armed Pakistani state would present an enormous challenge to the United States, its allies, and our interests," General David Petraeus, commander of US Central Command told the Senate Armed Services Committee Wednesday.
Bihar dumps toilet as panchayat polls necessity
Patna: The Bihar cabinet on Tuesday decided that a toilet in their homes will not be a legal requirement for those wishing to contest...
West Bengal identifies four locations for NSG hub
By IANS,
Kolkata : The West Bengal government has shortlisted four locations in North 24 Parganas district for setting up the proposed National Security Guard (NSG) hub in the state, a senior official said Thursday.
State government officials took NSG officers to the four locations Thursday.
Home Secretary Samar Ghosh said: "We have identified four places for setting up the eastern regional hub of the NSG. All the four places were shown to them and now they will select one after considering the location and valuation of the place."
Nepali women being sent to Gulf held
By IANS,
Lucknow : Three Nepali women who were being allegedly trafficked to the Gulf have been arrested in Uttar Pradesh while they were headed to New Delhi to take a flight, police said.
A fourth Nepali woman who was allegedly part of a human trafficking gang was also taken into custody Saturday evening from the Gorakhpur railway station. Gorakhpur district borders Nepal.
The anti-human trafficking cell of the police caught them with the help of NGO Manav Seva Sansthan, whose coordinator Gyan Kumar told IANS that two of the women had only passports.
Two more convicts in Delhi gang rape case move SC
New Delhi : The remaining two convicts in the Dec 16, 2012 Delhi gang rape case -- Vinay Sharma and Akshay Thakur -- have...
Despite Deora’s defence, house adjourned over Reliance gas row
By IANS,
New Delhi : India's lower house of parliament was adjourned for nearly two hours Monday when some members of the opposition alleged that Uttar Pradesh was not being given its due share of Reliance Industries' Krishna-Godavari gas even after Petroleum Minister Murli Deora explained the government stand on the matter.
Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar adjourned the house after loud protests by members of the Samajwadi Party, who alleged the government was discriminating against Uttar Pradesh over supplying gas to the Dadri power project of Reliance Natural Resources.
Developmental works should be time-bound: Gujarat official
By IANS,
Gandhinagar : Developmental works need to be time-bound, Gujarat's Additional Chief Secretary (Finance) D. Rajgopalan told fellow bureaucrats Sunday.
Speaking at the workshop on budget implementation that began here Sunday and was presided over by Chief Minister Narendra Modi, he said implementation of the development works should also be strictly evaluated at the department-level itself.
Government approves Rs.181 crore for Hindustan Photo Films VRS scheme
New Delhi : The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) Friday approved Rs.181.54 crore for voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) for the employees of Hindustan...
Court reserves order on Tejinder Singh’s plea
By IANS,
New Delhi : A Delhi court Wednesday reserved its order on Lt. Gen. (Retd) Tejinder Singh's plea seeking the issuance of summons to former army chief Gen. V.K. Singh in a defamation case.
Land acquisition court can’t order rent, rules high court
By IANS,
Gandhinagar : A reference court hearing land acquisition cases is not empowered to decide or pass an order in respect of "future rent", the Gujarat High Court has ruled.
Offshore casino deadlock: Operators, Goa officials to meet
By IANS,
Panaji : Representatives of the offshore casino operators and the Goa government's ports department will meet Wednesday, in an attempt to break the deadlock between the two parties as the operators refused to move anchor from the Mandovi river.
In a hearing at the Panaji bench of the Bombay High Court Tuesday, the offshore casino operators however conceded, that they would be willing to park their vessels along either bank of the river, in order to ensure that the river's navigation channel is not obstructed.
Minor killed for resisting rape
By IANS,
Lucknow : A minor girl was allegedly killed by a youth for resisting rape in Uttar Pradesh's Allahabad district, police said Saturday. The youth was arrested.
Varun’s undertaking a ‘virtual admission’ of hate speeches: Congress
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Congress party Thursday claimed that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Varun Gandhi's undertaking to Etah jail authorities that he will not make inflammatory speeches during his parole is "virtual admission" of having made hate speeches in the past.
Manmohan Singh meets Bush, Putin, Blair
By Arvind Padmanabhan
IANSBerlin : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had a brief meeting with US President George W. Bush Friday after setting the tone for deliberations between the G8 countries and the five outreach partners at their annual summit.
Trooper flees camp in Kashmir, then kills himself
By IANS,
Srinagar : A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) trooper Friday fled from his camp and shot himself dead hours later with his service rifle in his home in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district.
Police here said Muhammad Iqbal Rather, a trooper of 183 battalion of the CRPF, had fled from his camp in Kakapora, Pulwama district, early Friday. His body was found in his home at Palhalan town in Baramulla district, 42 km from here, in the afternoon.
Bodies of two IAF plane crash victims brought to Delhi
By IANS,
New Delhi : The bodies of two Indian Air Force (IAF) officers, who were among the 13 killed in the AN-32 transport aircraft crash in Arunachal Pradesh, were brought to the capital and accorded full military honours Saturday.
The bodies of Flight Lieutenant V. Kumar of Jind in Haryana and Master Warrant Officer Ramesh of Nangloi in Delhi were brought to the Palam airport from Jorhat by IAF's Avro aircraft.
Ramesh and Kumar would be cremated at their native places.
Unique tribute paid to Bangladesh cyclone victims
By IANS
Bhubaneswar : Hundreds of people in Orissa paid tributes to the victims of the cyclone that killed over 1200 people in Bangladesh.
People thronged the Puri beach, 56 km from here, Sunday and paid tributes near a sand sculpture created by sand artist Sudarsan Patnaik with students of the Golden Sand Art Institute.
The sculpture showed the high tides and scattered body parts with a message near it that read 'Help the Cyclone Victims'.
Tourists including many foreigners offered flowers as a mark of tribute, Patnaik told IANS on phone.
Sensex closes marginally higher
By IANS,
Mumbai : Indian equities made marginal gains Tuesday amid volatile trading, with a key index ending 52 points higher than its previous close.
The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened lower 15,573.91 points, ended at 15,881.01 points (provisional), up 52.26 points or 0.33 percent.
The broader-based Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) also closed marginally higher at 4,656.95 points, up 0.3 percent.
TRS activists attack Lanco office in Hyderabad
By IANS,
Hyderabad : Activists of Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) Thursday attacked the office of Lanco Group of companies here after one of their colleagues was allegedly hit by the car belonging to the group's chairman and Congress MP L. Rajagopal.
Dozens of TRS activists pelted stones, damaging the door and window panes of the Lanco office in upmarket Jubliee Hills here, the police said. A few cars parked in front of the office building were also damaged in the attack in the evening.
Obama receives briefing on India-Pak troop build-up
By NNN-PTI,
Washington : US President-elect Barack Obama, who is keeping a close tab on India-Pakistan ties in the aftermath of the Mumbai terror strikes, has received security briefings on the reported build up of troops on the Indo-Pak borders.
Obama, who is spending Christmas vacation in Hawaii, received the briefing on the latest situation in South Asia on Saturday from White House officials.
Hoax bomb call at Kolkata airport
By IANS,
Kolkata : A hoax bomb call at the international airport's cargo department here created panic Thursday, officials said.
"An anonymous call came at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport around 4.45 p.m. Thursday saying there is a bomb hidden inside the cargo department," airport director V.K. Monga said.
"About 350 employees were immediately taken out of the international cargo department. Bomb disposal squad personnel, the police along with sniffer dogs, rushed in and thoroughly searched the area.
Panel raises gas quota from Krishna-Godavari basin
By IANS,
New Delhi: The Empowered Group of Ministers Tuesday decided on additional allocation of gas from Reliance Industries' D6 block in the Krishna-Godavari basin, allowing the company to ramp up production.
The high-level ministerial panel, chaired by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, decided on the allocation, which will allow Reliance to ramp up production to 60 million units by December. The current production rate is around 40 million units.
Kerala governor stresses on education on R-Day
By IANS,
Thiruvananthapuram : Kerala Governor R.S. Gavai Monday took the salute at an impressive Republic Day parade here Monday and stressed on improving the quality of higher education in his speech.
"Our higher education sector need quality upgradation. Our universities have to be turned into centres of excellence," Gavai said.
The governor asked authorities to urgently come up with measures to tackle the economic crisis and pay special attention to the labour laws in the IT sector.
Now, submit Indian citizenship applications in person
New Delhi : Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh Thursday said Muslims from Pakistan and Afghanistan who had entered India prior to Dec 13, 2009...
Striking government employees take out rally in Srinagar
By IANS,
Srinagar : Jammu and Kashmir government employees struck work for the fifth consecutive day Saturday and took out a rally in Srinagar demanding wage arrears according to the Sixth Pay Commission's recommendations.
Hundreds of striking employees took out a rally from the S.M.H.S. hospital and proceeded towards the old secretariat.
More than 4.5 lakh employees have been on strike across the state.
Ambani chopper technician’s family wants CBI to probe his death
By IANS,
Mumbai : Family members of aircraft technician Bharat Borge, who discovered the plot to sabotage industrialist Anil Ambani's chopper, Wednesday demanded that his death be probed by the Central Bureau of Investgiation (CBI).
According to his cousin Sambhaji Botre, the family is not convinced by the explanation that he committed suicide.
India asks Ghana to ink bilateral investment safety treaty
By IANS,
New Delhi : India Friday urged Ghana to sign at the earliest a bilateral treaty aimed at protecting and promoting their investments in each other's territories.
Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma, who is visiting Ghana as part of India's "Focus Africa" policy to explore new markets in the African continent, made the plea at a meeting with Finance Minister Kwabena Duffuor in Accra.
In 2002, Ghana had agreed to sign a Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (BIPPA) with India.