DMK welcomes India’s vote against Sri Lanka
By IANS,
New Delhi : The DMK Thursday welcomed India's voting in favour of a US resolution against Sri Lanka saying it was vital to make sure that Tamils in the island nation get their rights.
Interpol’s Bangladesh unit asks India to arrest ex-minister
By Raymond Kharmujai,
Shillong : Interpol's Dhaka unit has asked its Indian counterpart to arrest Salahuddin Ahmed, a former Bangladesh minister and joint secretary general...
Baramati to focus on ICTs for communities
By Frederick Noronha, IANS
Bangalore : It's an event that links techies, development campaigners, agricultural scientists and others to help "integrate the rural community into the digital world". Welcome to the Baramati Initiative.
The Maharashtra city of Baramati, surrounded by the agricultural lands of Pune district, will host the annual event for the eighth time during March 23-26 this year.
In a region where Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar looms large, the initiative will focus on the theme of information and communication technology (ICT) and development.
Five injured in Bihar flood victims’ attack on block office
Patna : Five people, among them four policemen, were injured when hundreds of flood victims attacked a block office in Bihar Wednesday, officials said.
Seven...
Stem cell drugs in the making in India
By Papri Sri Raman, IANS,
Chennai : A stem cell drug common for everybody and yet targeted at specific organ regeneration? Something that can be bought off the shelf like an injection? An Indian research company is in the process of making just that.
Stempeutics Research Private Ltd last November applied to the Central Drug Control Administration and the Indian Council of Medical Research for permission to conduct clinical trials for such drugs.
Rehabilitation of bonded labourers: NHRC notice to Odisha
New Delhi : The NHRC Friday issued notice to the Odisha government on the action taken to monitor rehabilitation of the state's labourers released...
Kanimozhi allowed to attend father’s birthday bash June 3
By IANS,
New Delhi : A CBI special court here hearing the 2G case has allowed DMK MP Kanimozhi to visit Tamil Nadu to attend her father and party chief M. Karunanidhi's birthday function June 3.
As Xi leaves Delhi, traffic returns to normal
New Delhi : Traffic in many parts of the capital city returned to its normal pace Friday afternoon after Chinese President Xi Jinping wound...
Food inflation rises again to 10.86 percent
By IANS,
New Delhi : Food inflation in India rose to 10.86 percent for the week ended Aug 21 from 10.05 percent a week earlier, snapping a two-week decline, official data released Friday showed.
The inflation for the fuel and primary articles groups also inched higher, according to the data released by the commerce ministry.
The fuel prices moved up to 12.71 percent, after staying steady at 12.57 for over two weeks.
The primary articles index rose at a quicker pace of 15.19 percent, compared to the previous week's increase of 14.75 percent.
Five-in-one vaccine led to child deaths: experts
By Killugudi Jayaraman, IANS,
Bangalore : The pentavalent or the five-in-one vaccine that has been recommended in India by the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization actually killed children in Sri Lanka and Bhutan, warns an article in the latest issue of the British Medical Journal (BMJ).
Over 100 injured in police sweep
By IANS,
New Delhi : The pre-dawn police crackdown to end yoga guru Baba Ramdev's anti-corruption protest left at least 100 people injured, a hospital official said Sunday.
Goa rape: Police to suggest security steps in school
By IANS,
Panaji : Goa Police will suggest security measures to the management of a school run by a government corporation where a seven-year-old girl was raped in a toilet last Monday.
Three die of gas poisoning in UP
By IANS,
Lucknow : Three workers died of methane gas poisoning Friday in an Uttar Pradesh sugar mill, police said.
Delhi, Dhaka to sign pacts on terror, trade
By IANS,
New Delhi : India and Bangladesh Thursday decided to step up trade and connectivity and to conclude three pacts on combating terror. The agreements are expected to be signed when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visits New Delhi this year.
Signalling an upward swing in bilateral ties, dogged by years of mistrust, the two countries reiterated not to allow the use of their territories for activities inimical to each other's security interests. They also pledged to expand cooperation to deter terror attacks.
Country cannot afford more terror attacks: PM
By IANS,
New Delhi : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Sunday said the country could not afford to have a “repetition of the kind of terrorist attacks” as witnessed recently and it was imperative to improve the intelligence machinery and undertake police reforms to be able to deal with such threats.
Veteran journalist TV Venkitachalam dead
New Delhi : Veteran journalist T. V. Venkitachalam, who spent nearly six decades in the profession, died here Tuesday after a brief illness.
Venkitachalam, 85,...
India approves duty free access to garments from Sri Lanks, Bangladesh
By NNN-NewsLK
Colombo : India agrees to allow duty-free market access for garments from Sri Lanka and accordingly up to six million pieces will be allowed into the Indian market free of duty.
For an additional two million pieces, exporters will have to pay concessional duties.
Similarly, the Indian Union Cabinet has given its approval to allow duty-free market access to India for eight million pieces of garments per calendar year from Bangladesh without any sourcing conditions.
Home they brought the braveheart dead, for son’s first glimpse
By Jaideep Sarin, IANS,
Ludhiana: Gurinder Singh, 10, had always yearned to meet his father Sukhwinder but not the way he finally did. Sukhwinder, described as a "hero" by British authorities, had been killed chasing two muggers in London. When the body was brought to his ancestral village late Wednesday night, it was the first time Gurinder saw his father.
Gurinder had been born a few months after Sukhwinder left for Britain in search of a better life. The boy was brought up in their ancestral village Dholanwal, near Khanna town in Punjab's Ludhiana district.
Maoists kill two policemen in West Bengal
By IANS,
Kolkata : Two police constables died and another was seriously injured when armed Maoist rebels ambushed security personnel near a police camp in West Bengal's Purulia district Monday.
The six Maoists waylaid the policemen, who were going from the Berada camp under the Barabazar police station to a nearby under-construction community centre, and ordered them to hand over their guns, said Purulia district police superintendent Rajesh Yadav.
"The Maoists had earlier warned the police not to help build the community centre," said another senior police officer.
Woman Maoist rebel nabbed in Assam
By IANS,
Guwahati: A woman Maoist cadre was arrested here and a man detained for alleged links with the rebels, police said Thursday.
India for global cooperation against terrorism
By IANS,
New Delhi : Calling for international cooperation to meet the challenge of terrorism, India Tuesday said issuing travel advisories against individual countries was not a solution.
“Terrorism has neither religion nor boundaries. In fact, no country can be said to be insulated against terrorism,” Tourism Minister Ambika Soni said Tuesday while addressing the 84th Session of the UNWTO Executive Council Meeting in Madrid.
India-Sri Lankan knowledge initiative launched
By IANS,
New Delhi : India and Sri Lanka have agreed to start a knowledge initiative that will assist in making the island nation into a trilingual society and improving linkages between universities in the two countries.
A joint declaration signed Wednesday between Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa said both leaders agreed to launch the initiative.
Apex court trips on natural justice, seeks to rectify error
By Rana Ajit, IANS,
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has initiated steps to rectify an error involving violation of the principles of natural justice, purportedly committed by a bench of erstwhile Justice Arijit Pasayat in May this year.
Air India Express to have all-woman crew on Chennai-Singapore flight
By IANS,
New Delhi : Air India Express will operate with an all-woman crew the flight from Chennai to Singapore July 27 and will have Captain Chameli Krottapalli as its flight commander, an Air India statement said here Friday.
Captain Krottapalli will be the first woman commander of Air India Express, Air India's international budget carrier. "The all-woman crew flight was in recognition of her achievement", the statement said.
The Air India Express has 76 pilots, of which six are women.
Shimla’s 98 percent buildings unsafe: Minister
By Vishal Gulati, IANS,
Shimla : Not even two percent of buildings in this Himachal Pradesh town are safe and can withstand earthquakes of high intensity, a minister said.
Advani seeks immediate end of war by Colombo
By IANS,
New Delhi : Calling for an immediate end to the war in Sri Lanka, the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) prime ministerial candidate L.K. Advani Wednesday blamed the Indian government for the "failure" in containing the crisis.
"It is sad to see that the UPA (congress-led United Progressive Alliance) government has failed to prevail upon the Sri Lankan government to end this grave humanitarian crisis... The BJP demands an immediate end to war in Sri Lanka and resumption of peaceful methods of finding an enduring solution to the ethnic issue," Advani said in a statement.
Trust vote will see reforms come out of closet
By IANS,
New Delhi : Armed with a comfortable victory in the trust motion, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government was Wednesday ready to push forward some major economic reforms, especially in the financial sector, which were so far blocked by Left parties.
Legislations to allow a hike in foreign equity in insurance firms, higher voting rights for foreign banks operating in the country and entry of private pension funds are some of the key areas of focus, officials said.
Agra’s heritage being bulldozed to dust
By Brij Khandelwal, IANS,
Agra : The city of the Taj Mahal is home to the crumbling mansions of erstwhile royalty where dozens of families still live cheek by jowl. They are now part of a heritage that residents are trying desperately to protect from looming bulldozers.
Their lone success came last weekend, when union Culture Minister Ambika Soni intervened to save Bharatpur House in the city's Khandari area, a mansion over 150 years old.
Charges expected against Mumbai terror suspect Rana
By IANS,
Washington : US prosecutors are expected to file charges against Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a Pakistani-born Canadian citizen, for alleged involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack and a scheme to attack a Danish newspaper, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Citing people familiar with the matter, the leading US financial daily said Wednesday it wasn't clear what charges the indictment would contain. But federal prosecutors alleged in the complaint filed last October that Rana knew of the Mumbai attacks in advance.
‘EU-India free trade top priority for Britain’
By IANS,
Brussels : Britain has made the European Union (EU)-India free trade agreement (FTA) "as its number one priority", a British member of the European Parliament said.
Aerostat radar damaged, non-operational: Antony
By IANS,
New Delhi : One of the two Israeli Aerostat radars that India had bought in 2002 was "damaged" and "non-operational", Defence Minister A.K. Antony told the Rajya Sabha Wednesday.
India to be desertification neutral by 2030: Prakash Javadekar
New Delhi : Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar Tuesday said India will become desertification neutral by 2030, adding that 32 percent of India's total land...
Himachal seeks another textile park
By IANS,
Shimla : Himachal Pradesh Industries Minister Kishan Kapoor Tuesday requested the central government to provide funds for setting up another textile park in the state.
Congress to raise Jharkhand custodial deaths in assembly
Ranchi : The Congress party in Jharkhand said on Thursday that it will raise the issue of custodial deaths and police atrocities in the...
Accused in Dalit massacre arrested in Bihar
Patna: An accused in the 2000 massacre of 34 Dalits in Bihar was arrested Friday from a school in the state, police said.
Nanbutan Sharma,...
Climate summit finale saddest moment: Indian delegate
By Joydeep Gupta, IANS,
Poznan (Poland) : The climate summit ended in the early hours of Saturday with the collapse of a key deal to pay developing countries to cope with global warming. The senior-most member of the Indian government delegation said: "This is one of the saddest moments I have witnessed" during his attendance in 12 such summits.
Vulnerability of Andaman’s tribals brought alive through fiction
New Delhi: Attempting to reach out to a wider audience and highlight the vulnerabilities of tribal communities of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands who...
We’re still in race for Indian Army chopper order: Eurocopter
By IANS
New Delhi : In an intriguing development, a European helicopter manufacturer whose proposed deal for selling 197 machines to the Indian Army has been cancelled, confidently asserted Tuesday it was very much in the race and hoped to sign the deal soon.
"To my knowledge, the deal has not been suspended. We have never received such an official statement," Norbert Ducrot, senior vice president of France-based Eurocopter, told reporters here.
PM calls for ‘adequate drainage’ in urban areas
By IANS
New Delhi : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Wednesday called for "adequate drainage facilities" in India's vast urban landscape so that "life in our cities does not come to a standstill during heavy rains".
"The day is not far off when half a billion people will be living in our cities and we need to prepare for that day," the prime minister said in his speech from the Red Fort on the 60th anniversary of India's independence.
Parliament attack victims’ families relive trauma with Mumbai terror
By Mayank Aggarwal,IANS,
New Delhi : Seven years have not been enough to efface the trauma of the family members of the security personnel who laid down their lives defending Indian Parliament against terrorists. And the recent Mumbai terror strikes have reopened the wounds.
Maoists, tribal activists torch former Left worker’s house
By IANS,
Kolkata : Maoists and their associates People's Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCAPA) members torched the house of a former Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) worker at West Midnapore district's Radhanagar area Thursday evening.
Police said a few hundred PCAPA members along with some Maoist rebels took out a huge rally in the area close to the Jhargram town attacked the house of the former CPI-M activist.
They ransacked the house, and then set it on fire after asking the family members to move out.
Kabul attack will not bend India’s will: Manmohan
By IANS,
New Delhi : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Friday said the Feb 26 terror attack in Kabul that killed 7 Indians will not bend the will of Indian people to help Afghanistan and vowed to assist that country in shaping its destiny without "outside interference."
The entire nation was outraged by the most recent brutal attack in Kabul on February 26 which has led to the loss of 7 innocent Indian lives, Manmohan Singh told parliament.
US House panel rejects greenhouse gas emission parity with India, China
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : A US House panel debating climate change legislation has rejected by a 36-23 party-line vote a Republican attempt to delay a cap on US greenhouse gas emission levels until India and China adopt similar standards.
Republican member Mike Rogers' proposal in the House Energy and Commerce Committee Tuesday, would have allowed limits in the US only if those two countries adopt greenhouse gas emission standards that are "at least as stringent".
Three killed in blast at Sivakasi firecracker unit
By IANS,
Chennai : Three people died and eight others were injured in a blast in a firecracker unit near Sivakasi in Virudhunagar district of Tamil Nadu Sunday morning, police said.
Demolition of illegal construction in Munnar begins
By IANS
Munnar (Kerala) : Police and forest officials in Kerala Tuesday swung into action against rampant encroachment of forest and revenue land that is threatening the contour of this picturesque hill station and razed two mobile towers.
Sri Lanka needs to emulate Indian Election Commission model: EC
By NNN-PTI,
Colombo : Sri Lanka needs to revamp its "toothless" Election Commission by taking a lesson or two from the Indian poll body, which has been credited with holding the world's biggest ballot exercise, the island's Election Commissioner has said.
Dayananda Dissanayake lauded the Indian election commission as an independent body and said there was a need to establish an organisation based on the Indian model in Sri Lanka to ensure free and fair elections.
Don’t dub JNU a terrorist hub, Kejriwal tells Modi
New Delhi : Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to use 'nationalism' to create a 'fear psychosis',...
Presidency students hail Jadavpur VC’s ouster
Kolkata : A section of Presidency University students, who had supported the Jadavpur University students' agitation, Tuesday welcomed Vice Chancellor Abhijit Chakrabarti's resignation and...
DPS Ghaziabad student with swine flu, school shuts down
By IANS,
Ghaziabad : The junior section of Delhi Public School Ghaziabad has been closed till Nov 13 after a case of swine flu was detected in the school, the principal said Thursday.
A Class 3 student was found positive for swine flu. A medical official G.K. Mishra confirmed that the student was suffering from the H1N1 infection.
Principal Rita Kapoor told IANS that the junior section would be closed till Nov 13 and the senior section till Nov 8.
India, Malaysia seek closer defense ties
Kuala Lumpur – (IINA)January 08, 2008 – India is training Malaysian pilots to fly Russian fighter jets as part of a pact to upgrade defense cooperation, defense ministers from both sides said, as the two nations seek closer ties. The visiting Indian Defense Minister A.K. Antony said after talks with Malaysian Defense Minister Najib Razak that they also agreed to hold joint military exercises and strengthen efforts to combat regional terrorism. Malaysia said it is also looking at having India help train its naval personnel to operate its two new French submarines.
Cop arrested for kidnapping minor in Uttar Pradesh
By IANS,
Lucknow : A sub-inspector, who kidnapped a minor girl, has been nabbed in Uttar Pradesh's Faizabad district Thursday, police said.
Rajesh Pandey, who is in his early 30s, was posted with the Reserve Police Lines in Faizabad, about 150 km from here.
Initially Pandey was arrested Wednesday after a police team rescued the 14-year-old girl from his residence. But he managed to escape with assistance from two policemen.
American Sikhs hail India’s Sikh marriage law
By IANS,
Washington : American Sikhs have hailed as "historic" the passage in the Indian parliament of Anand Marriage Act for the registration of Sikh marriages.
Apex court to hear petitions challenging quota tomorrow
By IANS
New Delhi : The Supreme Court will hear Tuesday a batch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of a law providing 27 percent reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) students in elite central educational institutions for 2007-2008.
Man tells court: I am not who you are looking for
By Rana Ajit, IANS,
New Delhi : Who is that man? This is the question a perplexed Supreme Court bench asked when an octogenarian Mumbai resident, arrested on the court's orders, said he was not the one it was looking for.
Not sure about the identity of the person, a bench of Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, Justice S.H. Kapadia and Justice Aftab Alam had to release him on bail, but with the stipulation that he keep in touch with the nearest police station in Mumbai.
Szucsak appointed India’s rifle coach for third time
By IANS,
New Delhi: Veteran rifle coach Laszlo Szucsak was Wednesday appointed by the National Rifle Association of India for a third stint with the Indian shooters.
Delhi constable dies in accidental firing
By IANS,
New Delhi : A Delhi Police constable died here Friday after another policeman accidentally shot him while getting a service revolver checked, an official said.
The incident took place at 11 a.m. when D.P. Ilya was checking the arms and ammunition at the Connaught Place police station in central Delhi.
"Ilya was accidentally shot by another constable Mohit who went to him with his service revolver to get it checked," a police officer said.
Ilya, 49 years old and a native of Kerala, was working in the armoral team of the Delhi Police.
Jet Airways No.1 domestic airline in February
By IANS,
New Delhi : Domestic airlines carried 3.86 million passengers during February, Jet Airways (including JetLite) taking the top position with 26.1 percent market share followed by Kingfisher Airlines at 22.7 percent and national carrier Air India at 17.2 percent, an official statement said Monday.
The market share of low-cost carriers during January were IndiGo (14.9 percent), SpiceJet (12 percent) and GoAir (5.5 percent), the civil aviation ministry said in a statement.
Gujarat High Court overturns ban on Jaswant’s book
By IANS,
Ahmedabad : The Gujarat High Court Friday overturned the state government's ban on former central minister Jaswant Singh's book "Jinnah: India-Partition-Independence".
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state had banned the book Aug 19, two days after it was released in New Delhi and on the day Singh was expelled from the party for his views on Pakistan founder Mohammed Ali Jinnah.
The court, hearing a public interest petition, ruled against the ban.
I was offered to script film on Benazir Bhutto: Neelesh Misra
By IANS,
New Delhi : Journalist-cum-author-cum-lyricist Neelesh Misra says he was asked to write the script of a film on the life of former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto, but adds that it hasn't been taken forward.
"I was asked to write the script of such a film, but then nothing was taken forward and I haven't heard from them after that, so right now I'm quite unsure about the whole project," Misra, who has scripted Sanjay Gupta's much-hyped "Alibaug", told IANS.
Full transfer of Scorpene submarines’ technology: French firm
By Vishnu Makhijani, IANS,
New Delhi : French warship major DCNS says it will fully transfer technology for its Scorpene submarines that are being built in this country for the Indian Navy and that the six boats contracted for will be delivered on schedule by 2017.
"Transfer of technology is not an issue. We will fully abide by our contractual obligations and even go a step further by providing equipment that has not even been asked for but will aid in the construction of the submarines," said DCNS chairperson and CEO Jean-Marie Poimboeuf.
Haryana opens up new industrial township near Rohtak
By IANS,
Chandigarh: After setting up industrial townships in Gurgaon, Manesar, Bawal and other places in the national capital region (NCR), the Haryana government Sunday announced that industrial plots are being offered at a new estate near Rohtak.
Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC) managing director Rajeev Arora said Sunday that 87 plots, ranging from one to 13 acres, and 48 plots, ranging from one to five acres, will be offered.
Ministry fined Rs.25,000 for not naming child rights panel chief
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday imposed a fine of Rs.25,000 on the woman and child development ministry for its failure to appoint...
Sri Lanka must focus on resettling Tamils: India
By Manish Chand, IANS,
Phuket (Thailand) : Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna Wednesday said that the early resettlement of some 300,000 Tamils displaced in Sri Lanka will get "top billing" in talks with Colombo.
"We have impressed upon the Sri Lankan government that the immediate need to resettle 300,000 Tamils should get top billing in our agenda," Krishna told Indian journalists ahead of his meeting with his Sri Lankan counterpart Rohitha Bogollagama.
"They have assured us (that) within 180 days they will be able to resettle most civilians."
Tamil Nadu gets five new trains
Chennai : Tamil Nadu got five new trains and holiday/festival specials on two routes in the maiden budget presented by Railway Minister D.V. Sadananda...
Jammu and Kashmir may see PDP-BJP government soon
By Sheikh Qayoom
Jammu/Srinagar : If all goes well, the political stalemate in Jammu and Kashmir may end next week and a PDP-BJP coalition government...
I will be completely impartial: Meira Kumar
By IANS,
New Delhi : Meira Kumar, the first woman speaker of the Lok Sabha, Wednesday said she would be impartial and give equal opportunity to all members to express their views.
"It will be my endeavour that I am completely impartial in my conduct and I give opportunity to all the members to express their views," Meira Kumar said, addressing her first press conference after being elected speaker of the lower house of parliament.
"I am deeply honoured that I have been elected the first woman speaker of the great and vibrant democracy that we have," she added.
Identification jackets for journalists in Goa
By IANS,
Panaji : The Goa government will provide special jackets and badges to journalists covering riots and other law and order situations, a senior government official Thursday said.
Speaking during a function to mark World Photography Day, director of information Menino Peres said the decision was taken following a meeting with the state administration and the police.
"We will be issuing identification jackets and badges to reporters covering law and order situations in Goa to prevent them being assaulted," he said.
Blast in Imphal, two troopers injured
By IANS,
Imphal : Two security personnel were injured in a bomb blast triggered Wednesday by suspected militants in the Manipur capital, police said. A security alert has been sounded.
NCP MP Padamsinh Patil charged with Congress leader’s murder, in CBI custody
By IANS,
Mumbai : Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MP Padamsinh Patil was arrested early Sunday for the murder of his cousin and Congress leader Pavan Raje Nimbalkar in 2006. A local court has sent him to Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) custody till June 14.
Senior Public Prosecutor Ejaz Khan told media persons that Patil has been charged under sections 302 (murder) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.
Modi holds talks with Iranian president
Tehran : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, on the second day of his two-day visit to Iran, held a "restricted" meeting with Iranian...
SC frowns over cold response on police reforms
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Supreme Court Monday frowned over the lack of response from some state governments to its notice seeking information on implementation of police reforms ordered in 2006.
Trehan returns as Escorts boss after weeklong spat
By IANS
New Delhi : Leading cardiologist Naresh Trehan has been reinstated as executive director of the Escorts hospital here following an out-of-court settlement ending their week-long row, the hospital announced Saturday.
Haryana to replace ration cards with smart cards
By IANS,
Chandigarh : The Haryana government has formulated a Rs 1.53-billion plan to replace nearly 5.2 million ration cards in the state with smart cards.
Once implemented, Haryana will become the first state in the country to have smart cards for the public distribution system, state government officials here said.
The state is awaiting the nod of the central government to implement the scheme. The cards would be made by the Haryana State Electronic Development Corporation (Hartron).
Punjab now has its own SWAT
By IANS,
Chandigarh : The inspiration may have been from the United States but the Punjab police now has its own SWAT -- special weapons and tactics -- teams to be the first responders to any crisis situation, especially terrorist strikes.
This was announced here Tuesday by Punjab's Director General of Police (DGP) P.S. Gill.
Rajasthan launches search for rape-accused cop
By IANS,
Jaipur/Noida : The Rajasthan government Wednesday asked the Special Operations Group (SOG) to find former deputy inspector general (DIG) Madhukar Tandon who has been absconding for the last 13 years after being chargesheeted for raping a tribal woman.
"We have handed over the case to the SOG of the Rajasthan Police. It's a serious matter that Tandon not been arrested since 1997. We want to arrest him and find out why he's not been arrested so far," state Home Minister Shanti Dhariwal told reporters here.
Dhariwal has also sought all the files relating to the case.
Tata Motors to continue suspension of work at Singur
By IANS,
Kolkata : Tata Motors Monday said it would continue suspension of work in the Singur Nano plant.
In a statement, the automobile major expressed distress over the "limited clarity" on the outcome of the discussions between the West Bengal government and the opposition Trinamool Congress over the resolution of the land row reached between them late Sunday night.
Voters defy Maoists, cast ballot in Bihar’s second phase
Patna : Tens of thousands of voters on Friday defied the Maoists and stood in long-winding queues in the second phase of Bihar's staggered...
EU forces Britain to take in 12,000 Indian workers
By IANS,
London : Brussels has drawn up a plan that could force Britain to admit 12,000 workers from India despite soaring unemployment at home, the Daily Mail reported.
India hopes ‘aberrations’ in Dosti bus service will be sorted
Islamabad/Gandhinagar : As buses under the Pakistan-India Dosti service from Lahore to Delhi were being restricted to the Wagah border in the light of...
Text of India-Pakistan joint statement
By IANS,
Sharm-el-Sheikh : The following is the joint statement issued after talks between the prime ministers of India and Pakistan here Thursday:
The Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh, and the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, met in Sharm-el-Sheikh on July 16, 2009.
Saradha scam: CBI quizzes CPI-M leader Rabin Deb
Kolkata : The CBI Friday questioned CPI-M leader Rabin Deb in the multi-crore rupee Saradha scam.
Deb, a former West Bengal legislator, had earlier sought...
Rajasthan reeling under heat wave
By IANS
Jaipur : Rajasthan continued to sizzle under heat wave conditions with day temperatures Friday hovering between 42 and 45 degrees Celsius, much above normal, forcing people to remain indoors.
Protesters clash with police near Chhattisgarh chief minister’s house
By IANS,
Raipur : At least a dozen people and eight policemen were injured here Monday when the police baton charged protesters carrying a youth's body near the official residence of Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh, police said.
The clash broke out after over a hundred protesters carrying the body of a 23-year-old youth, Gulshan Meghani, wanted to march towards the chief minister's residence to stage a protest, but the police stopped them.
PM wishes speedy recovery to Karunanidhi
By IANS,
New Delhi : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday wished speedy recovery to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK patriarch M. Karunanidhi, who has been admitted to a Chennai hospital after he complained of severe neck and back pain.
Singh also sent a bouquet of flowers, said an official note released by Prime Minister's Office here.
The DMK leader is under treatment in Sri Ramachandra Medical College hospital at Porur, Chennai.
Work on Kerala IT city to begin October
By IANS
Kochi : The board of directors of the proposed Rs.15-billion Smart City project here in Kerala late Wednesday evening decided that the work on the project would commence in October.
Addressing reporters here after the three-hour long meeting, chairman of the board and state Fisheries Minister S. Sarma said the consultancy for the preparation of the master plan would be agreed upon within the next 10 days.
Economic slowdown to impact Titagarh Wagon’s revenue target
By IANS,
Kolkata : City-based wagon maker Titagarh Wagons Thursday said the economic downturn could derail its Rs.10-billion revenue target this fiscal.
"In the first half of the year, we achieved 47 percent of the revenue target. But definitely there will be some impact of the economic slowdown in the second half," company chairman J.P. Chowdhary conceded to reporters on the sidelines of a seminar organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
Two Indian doctors detained as suspects in UK terror
By IANS
London/Sydney : Two Indian doctors - one from Liverpool and another from Brisbane, Australia - are reported to be among the eight people arrested in connection with the attempted car bomb attacks in London and Glasgow.
Two killed, four injured in Kashmir gunfight
By IANS,
Srinagar : Two men of the counter-insurgency force Rashtriya Rifles were killed and four injured in a gunfight with separatist guerrillas in Jammu and Kashmir's Sopore town Tuesday morning, police said.
A captain and a trooper were killed and three troopers and a civilian injured.
Land takeover delays may cost projects worth $100 bn: Report
By IANS,
New Delhi : Prolonged delays in acquiring land for industrial projects could endanger potential investments worth $100 billion in India, according to an industry lobby report.
"Delays in land acquisition procedures for industrial projects are threatening to endanger investments worth $100 billion all over the country in near term," said the report of the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Assocham).
It said land acquisition related issues have dented the investor friendly image of several states.
As Mehbooba Mufti takes over, people of J&K hope for development, revocation of draconian...
By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net
Jammu: Continuing the PDP-BJP coalition in Jammu and Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti, the daughter of late J&K Chief Minister Mufti...
Mizoram CM discusses refugee issue with home secretary
Aizawl : The Mizoram government has asked the union home ministry to take up with the Election Commission the issue of deleting from the...
Japanese PM spurs bullet train dreams in India
By IANS,
New Delhi : Calling for greater bilateral trade and investment, Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama Tuesday pitched for introducing superfast bullet trains in India.
"Since its inception (in Japan), there has been no accidents. We will like to see this technology being used in India," Hatoyama said here.
The proposal is under discussion, official sources said.
The railway ministry is exploring the possibilities of introducing superfast trains on certain routes like Mumbai-Ahmedabad and Delhi-Chandigarh sectors, the sources added.
Probe ordered in Uttar Pradesh hooch tragedy
By IANS,
Varanasi : The Uttar Pradesh government has ordered a magisterial probe into the hooch tragedy that claimed at least eight lives in the state's Varanasi and Bhadohi districts Monday, officials said.
Till now four people suspected of supplying the hooch have been arrested, while eight officials, including three police inspectors, have been suspended for failing to check the supply of illicit liquor.
Of the 15 people who are being treated in different hospitals, the condition of six is stated to be critical, the officials said.
Lusofonia Games facilities malfunctioning, NCP demands probe
Panaji : The NCP has demanded a probe into the quality of sports infrastructure constructed for the recently concluded Portuguese Commonwealth Games in Goa,...
Kerala nun’s suicide: father cries foul play
By IANS,
Thiruvananthapuram : The father of a nun who committed suicide at Kollam Tuesday alleged that his daughter was "mentally and physically tortured at the convent".
Pappachan, a cook who works at the Bishop's house at Kollam, alleged that his daughter Anupa Mary, a nun at the St Mary's Convent at Kollam, committed suicide Monday after she was made to do all the chores in the convent and was sexually harassed by the head of the convent.
NYT removes Digvijaya’s photo in #SelfieWithDaughter article
New Delhi : The New York Times has removed a picture of Congress leader Digvijaya Singh with journalist Amrita Rai, which it mistakenly...
BARC woman employee accuses scientist of misbehaviour
By IANS,
Chennai: A woman employee of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) has filed a complaint of inappropriate behaviour against a senior nuclear scientist, said police Thursday.
Punished by teacher, 11-year-old girl goes into coma
By IANS,
New Delhi : An 11-year-old student of a government school here went into a coma after she was punished by a teacher, police said Thursday.
Shanno was asked Wednesday by her class teacher Manju in M.C primary school in Narela in outer Delhi to recite the alphabet, failing which she was punished.
"The girl fainted after she returned home in the evening. She was rushed to Maharishi Valmiki hospital and is in coma since then," Deputy Commissioner of Police (outer) Atul Katiyar said.
Pakistan, India hold talks on CBMs
By IANS,
Islamabad : After a gap of four years, Pakistan and India Monday began two-day talks on conventional and nuclear confidence building measures (CBMs).
Assam, Meghalaya to resolve border row amicably
By IANS,
Guwahati : Assam and Meghalaya Wednesday decided to amicably resolve their decades-old border dispute and announced setting up of an experts committee to look into the row, officials said.
"We have decided to settle all disputes among ourselves in a cordial manner. The chief secretaries of the two states have been entrusted to sit together and resolve the issues and submit a report within six months," Meghalaya Chief Minister Donkupar Roy told IANS.
Private schools are money spinning enterprises: Apex court
By IANS,
New Delhi: The Supreme Court Thursday said private schools were money- spinning enterprises and asked them to wake up to their corporate-social responsibility by educating poor children.
India-Myanmar talks conclude
By IRNA,
New Delhi : Law and order, drug trafficking and other bilateral issues were discussed in a three-day official-level talks between India and Myanmar, which ended at Tawang, officials said.
They, however, declined to disclose the outcome of the meeting, held at Tawang from April 5-8, PTI reported.
The Myanmarese delegation was led by U Myat Ko, DG, General Administration Department, Ministry of Home Affairs while Naveen Verma, Joint Secretary (Northeast), MHA led the Indian delegation.
Tainted police officer to appear in Chandigarh court Saturday
By IANS,
Chandigarh : An Indian Police Service officer, held in Mumbai with 12 kg of heroin in January, will be produced in a court here in a case of embezzlement, police said here Friday.
The police is bringing Saji Mohan from Mumbai to interrogate him in a case of embezzlement of nearly Rs.1.4 million during his tenure as zonal director of the Narcotics Control Bureau here.
"Saji will be produced in district court tomorrow (Saturday). A special team of Economic Offences Wing had gone to Mumbai to bring him here," S.S. Srivastava, senior superintendent of police, told IANS.
Women celebrate Chhath in Bihar
By IANS,
Patna : Hundreds of thousands of people, especially women, across Bihar took a dip in the holy waters of Ganga and Kosi rivers offering prayers to the Sun God to mark the beginning Sunday of a four-day Hindu festival Chhath Puja.
The banks of the Ganga, Punpun, Gandak and Kosi rivers were thronged early Sunday morning by devotees, especially married women, for bathing before preparing vegetarian food on handmade earthen chulhas (stoves). All the while, they sang traditional songs dedicated to the Sun God.
Kishtwar riots: Wanted murder accused poses with Union BJP Minister and J&K Lawmakers
By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net
Kishtwar (Jammu): A photograph of Minister of State (MoS), PMO, Dr. Jatinder Singh along with BJP MLAs from Chenab...
Two men held with Rs.10 mn-worth marijuana
By IANS,
Lucknow : Two men were Wednesday arrested with marijuana worth Rs.10 million (Rs.1 crore) in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi district, police said.
Pramod Kumar and Ram Shankar, both in their mid-30s, were arrested near Aasapur railway crossing in Varanasi, some 250 km from Lucknow.
"Acting on a tip-off, we carried out a joint operation with the special operation group (SOG) sleuths and nabbed the two. The two men were working for a Nepal-based drug peddling gang for the last four years," police inspector Shiv Singh told reporters in Varanasi.
PM greets nation on Diwali
By IANS,
New Delhi : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Tuesday wished the nation on Diwali, describing it as a national festival in which all communities rejoice in amity and friendship.
Strike cripples Chhattisgarh’s largest public hospital
By IANS,
Raipur : Patient care services at the Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar Government Hospital, Chhattisgarh's biggest hospital, remained crippled here Sunday as a strike by about 300 junior doctors entered the second day.
Dozens of patients admitted to the emergency ward as well as the casualty ward needed urgent medical attention but no doctor was available for surgeries and ward nurses tried to provide temporary relief to them.
Several senior doctors too have gone on leave to avoid patients' rush due to the junior doctors' strike.
BHEL commissions 195-MW thermal unit in Bihar
Mumbai : State-owned electrical equipment maker Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) on Monday said it has commissioned a 195-MW thermal unit in Muzzafarpur district...
Rajnath discharged from hospital
New Delhi: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh was Thursday discharged from a hospital here as all his test results were normal.
The minister was admitted...
It was a productive visit: Manmohan
By IANS
New Delhi : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrived here Thursday night after a five-day successful visit to south Africa and Nigeria.
"This has been a productive visit," said Manmohan Singh.
During his two-nation Africa sojourn, India and Nigeria established a strategic partnership and signed four pacts. Manmohan Singh described his visit as a "very productive one" which would boost India's quest for energy security.
Kuwait’s decision to block flights unfair: India
By IANS
New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram : Kuwait's unilateral decision to ban all flights from India from July 1 is "unfair and uncalled for" and all issues must be mutually resolved, a spokesperson for the Indian civil aviation ministry said Monday.
Orissa sends back 16 Bangladeshis
By IANS,
Bhubaneswar : Orissa Tuesday sent back 16 Bangladeshi nationals, who were accused of illegally crossing into Indian territorial waters last year, nearly two months after a court in the state acquitted them, officials said.
As many as 17 Bangladeshi nationals - all fishermen - were arrested in October last year by the state police for illegally fishing in the Bay of Bengal, some 35 nautical miles off the Paradip Port in the Jagatsinghpur district, some 100 km from state capital Bhubaneswar.
Indian-origin teenager found dead in canal
By IANS,
London : Missing Indian-origin teenager Jonathan Marques has been found dead, his body pulled out of a canal Monday in his hometown of Reading.
Police divers pulled out the body from sluice gates of the Kennet and Avon Canal in the southeastern town of Reading, around 70 km from here.
The 15-year-old Goan schoolboy had been missing since Jan 6, sparking a huge hunt by the local Berkshire and other police forces, as well as his family and friends.
Tiger mauls Assam zoo visitor to death
By IANS
Guwahati : A 50-year-old man was mauled to death by a Royal Bengal tiger Wednesday at a zoo in Assam while he was trying to take photographs with his mobile telephone, wildlife officials said.
A wildlife authority spokesman said a family of four, including the victim's wife and two children, were visiting the zoo in Assam's main city of Guwahati when the incident took place.
Kolkata firing: Tripura trooper suspended
By IANS,
Agartala : The Tripura government Tuesday suspended a Tripura State Rifles (TSR) trooper who fired during the Kolkata civic polls injuring a Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) activist who has died.
The victim, Bapi Dhar, 43, succumbed to his injuries in a Kolkata hospital following loss of blood and cardiac arrest.
"The Tripura Police has suspended TSR trooper Sandip Sharma, 27, for (the) firing Sunday," Tripura Police spokesman Nepal Das told reporters.
India asks LTTE to lay down arms
By IANS,
New Delhi : India Wednesday asked the Tamil Tigers to give up their weapons and said it was ready to work with Sri Lanka to evacuate civilians caught up in the war zone.
Making a statement in the Lok Sabha, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) would "best serve the interest of the Tamils by immediately releasing all civilians (under its control) and laying down arms".
Pointing out that the LTTE was an outlawed group in India, the minister added that it "has done much damage to the Tamil community".
Police probing if conman dabbled in stock market, real estate
By IANS,
Ahmedabad : Police are investigating if arrested conman Ashok Jadeja, who is accused of duping thousands of people across India of millions of rupees by posing as a godman, made investments in the stock market and real estate last year.
Jadeja and his wife Neetu were arrested by police May 31 while trying to flee with Rs.1.98 crore (Rs.19.8 million).