News

Maken to take up Unmukt’s issue with DU & St. Stephen’s

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Sports Minister Ajay Maken today stood by India U-19 World Cup winning captain Unmukt Chand,assuring to take up his case with the Delhi University and the St. Stephen’s College authorities.

Unmukt, who played a crucial knock of 111 not out in the final against Australia last Sunday to lead India Under-19 team to the World Cup glory, has been barred from taking the second semester exams because of low attendance and stands to lose a year of college due to low attendance.

“I think, it’s totally unfair. The University and the college authorities instead of disallowing him from exams

PAC for strict monitoring of fund usage in Northeast projects

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The Public Accounts Committee of Parliament has asked Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region to improve monitoring of various schemes being implemented in the region so that there are no diversion of funds meant for specific projects.

In its report on Non-Lapsable Central Pool of Resources scheme, the Committee, however, complimented the Ministry for initiating a number of measures to improve implementation of the schemes in the North East region as per its earlier recommendation.

‘Faced pressure to hide rape angle in Aarushi’s postmortem’

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A senior police officer and a crucial witness in Aarushi-Hemraj murder case today deposed before a special CBI court here that he faced pressure to suppress the rape angle in the postmortem of the teenager.

Former Noida Superintendent of Police K K Gautam, during chief examination told the court that chairman of Noida Eye Hospital Sushil Chaudhry, a friend of slain teenager Aarushi’s uncle Dinesh Talwar, had called him and requested him to hide the rape angle in the postmortem.

NCP pleads with Speaker to disqualify 12 MLAs

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NCP today appealed to the Meghalaya Assembly Speaker to disqualify 12 legislators who deserted the party to join the NPP en bloc last week.

My party has urged Speaker Charles Pyngrope in a letter this afternoon to disqualify the 12 NCP MLAs who have crossed over to NPP,” Robert Kharshiing, NCP NE Observer said.

He said, the move was made following a thorough discussion within the party which felt that the 12 MLAs who
defected the party attract the provision of the anti-defection law.

Iranian, Egyptian presidents discuss NAM objectives, region

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Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi held talks here on Thursday about the objectives of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and regional developments.

Quoting Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir Abdollahian, the semi-official Mehr news agency said the two presidents held talks in a “friendly atmosphere” and reviewed the objectives of the NAM and their concerns, reported Xinhua.

Assam Media to boycott AAMSU

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Media associations in Assam today decided to boycott all news related to All Assam Muslim Students Union (AAMSU) for three months in protest against the attack on scribes by its members during the August 28 bandh called by the organisation.

A meeting of ten media associations held at Guwahati Press Club here also took the unanimous decision to ask AAMSU leadership to tender a public apology.

It also appealed to editors of newspapers and news channels not to entertain any kind of articles or speeches by
AAMSU leaders and members during the period.

Editors on goodwill mission to Assam’s trouble-torn areas

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A delegation of editors of local dailies today left on a two-day goodwill mission to trouble-torn Kokrajhar, Chirang and Dhubri districts.

The delegation aimed to instil a sense of security,oneness amongst the people and spread the message of amity,
harmony and brotherhood, official sources said here.

The delegation will take stock of the ground situation in the relief camps, interact with camp inmates, local peopleand the administration.

Modi comes under attack for comment on women

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Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today came under attack for attributing the high rate of malnutrition in his state to figure conscious young girls with the Congress saying it was an “insult” to all women.

Accusing Modi of being insensitive towards women, Congress also demanded that he withdraw the “childish” remark
while another UPA constituent NCP said the comment does not behove of a chief minister to speak like this. RJD’s Lalu Prasad also condemned the remark.

But BJP’s Prakash Javadekar dismissed this criticism to Congress’ “Modi-phobia”.

Manmohan Singh meets Zardari

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Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari here Thursday evening on the sidelines of the Non-Aligned Movement Summit.

The meeting lasted 30-35 minutes, an Indian official said.

External Affairs Minister S.M Krishna, National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Pulok Chatterjee and Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai attended the meeting from the Indian side.

Appointment on compassionate grounds can’t be to post higher than one held by deceased employee: HC

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A deceased government employee’s relative, who gets a job under Dying in Harness Rules, cannot be appointed to a post that is higher than the one the dead staffer was holding, the Allahabad High Court said today.

The remark was made by Justice S U Khan while dismissing a writ petition of one Amit Kumar who got a job as a peon in the judgeship of Bijnor on the death of his father who was working there in the same category.

Kumar had moved the court with the plea that his qualifications made him eligible for a Group III post and had

Security tightened for YSR Congress’ Andhra shutdown Friday

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Police have stepped up security in view of the Andhra Pradesh shutdown called by YSR Congress Party Friday to protest the government’s failure in solving the unprecedented power crisis.

The opposition party has appealed to all sections of people to cooperate in making the shutdown a success while police announced precautionary measures to maintain law and order.

Police have intensified patrolling and have also warned of action against the protesters damaging buses of state-owned Road Transport Corporation (RTC) and other public property.

Elaborate security arrangements in twin cities for YSRCP’s bandh

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The Hyderabad and Cyberabad police have made elaborate security arrangements in view of State-wide bandh call given by the YSR Congress party over the power crisis.

City Police Commissioner Anurag Sharma has warned of serious action against those who forcibly close any business establishment or educational institutions. “Any forcible closure or coercion, direct or indirect will attract the penal action,” he said. Therefore, elaborate arrangements are being made to ensure that the routine life is not disrupted due to bandh, he said.

VHR dismisses NDTV’s survey

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Rajya Sabha member V Hanumantha Rao on Thursday dismissed the survey done by the NDTV projecting that YSR Congress party would win majority of seats in Andhra Pradesh, if elections are held now.

Talking to reporters here, Hanumantha Rao wondered as to how the NDTV could favour Jagan Mohan Reddy, who is facing serious charges of corruption. At one side, when the entire national media has been targeting the UPA Government over coal scam based on the findings of CAG report, the NDTV is openly supporting Jaganmohan Reddy while ignoring the cases of corruption against him.

BJP to hold Telangana Poru Deeksha in Delhi from Sept 3

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The State unit of Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday reviewed the arrangements for the Telangana Poru Deekhsha proposed to be held in the New Delhi from September 3-5.

Addressing the meeting of office bearers of Telangana districts’ office bearers at the State BJP headquarters at Nampally, BJP State president G Kishan Reddy said that the Telangana Poru Deekhsha was aimed at mounting pressure on the Centre over the formation of Telangana State. He also discussed the strategy to be adopted for the successful conduct of Deeksha in the national capital.

Housing schemes’ beneficiaries to get localised services

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Housing Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy on Thursday stated that his department was taking all steps to rectify the lapses such as typographical errors and others at the initial stages of admission.

Talking to media persons at the Secretariat, he said that the District Collectors have been given full powers to look into the issue. “There is no need for beneficiaries to come to State headquarters for rectifying mistakes and they can sort out the same at the district level,” he said.

Sachin Tendulkar rules out retirement for now

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Batting legend Sachin Tendulkar on Wednesday indicated that he would not retire for now.

“As long as there is a reason to wake up with a reason in the morning, it makes sense in continuing (playing cricket). The day I don`t enjoy wielding bat in my hands, I will think otherwise. But that moment hasn`t come as yet. When I will get that feeling, I will confirm on that,” he said after receiving the Castrol Test Cricketer of 2011 at an awards function here.

His younger contemporaries like Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman have hung up their boots from international cricket.

Govt lifts ban on bulk SMSes, MMSes

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The government Thursday withdrew the ban on bulk SMSes and MMSes which was imposed to check spread of rumours related to the violence in Assam that led to exodus of people hailing from the northeastern states from Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai and Pune.

The decision was taken after the social unrest that gripped various parts of the country due to the rumours generated through SMSes, MMSes and web contents reduced in last few days, a Home Ministry spokesperson said.

Karzai moves to replace Afghan security chiefs

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Afghan President Hamid Karzai moved to replace the country’s intelligence chief and the ministers of defence and interior, the first step in what senior government officials said was a planned wider Cabinet shake-up aimed at solidifying the President’s power before elections and the drawdown of foreign forces.

The President also is trying to shore up his shaken security team as his administration struggles to build an Army and police force in the face of a resurgent Taliban as the US and other foreign forces begin to withdraw.

Hurricane Isaac: Jindal seeks more aid from Obama

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Louisiana’s Indian-American Governor Bobby Jindal has shot off a second letter to US President Barack Obama within days, seeking more and urgent federal aid for his state and declaration of emergency in the entire region, from where hundreds of people are being evacuated after being hit by hurricane Isaac.

In his letter to Obama, a copy of which was released to the press, Jindal said the widespread impact of hurricane Isaac has escalated to a point that meets the requirements of an expedited major disaster declaration.

Over 4,600 public grievances pending with I-T dept

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More than 4,600 public grievances are pending with the Income Tax department, the government said on Thursday.

As many as 4,618 public grievances are pending with the IT department under the Central Board of Direct Taxes, 4,158 with Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), 2,161 with Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and 529 in the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC), Minister of State for Personnel, Public grievances and Pensions V Narayanasamy told Rajya Sabha in a written reply today.

PM asks NAM to take stand on Syria

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Strongly pitching for coordinated global actions against international terrorism and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday asked the Non-Aligned Movement to take a lead in this and also take a stand based on “universally accepted principles” on Syria.

Tendulkar not thinking of retirement

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His contemporaries like Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman may have hung up their bats but veteran Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar says he continues to enjoy his game and is not even thinking about retirement at the moment.

“As long as there is a reason to wake up with a reason in the morning, it makes sense in continuing. The day I don’t enjoy wielding a bat in my hands, I will think otherwise.

PM’s statement on coal block ‘economical with the truth’: BJP

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The BJP on Thursday alleged that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had been “economical with the truth” in his statement in Parliament on the coal block allocation issue as his allegation that states had objected to auctions is baseless as borne out by letters of chief ministers.

The BJP circulated a reply by then Minister of State for Coal Dasari Narayan Rao in the Lok Sabha on November 28, 2007, stating that the Centre’s view is that rational bidding is unlikely to increase the cost of coal when compared to notified price of Coal India Limited.