Muslim body to take up the issue of youths booked in 'false' terror charges

LUCKNOW: The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has decided to take up the issue of harassment of Muslim youth on false charges of terror acts across the country with the UPA government. The Board has decided to send a letter to the central government on the issue.

Though the issue of Muslim youth being falsely implicated in terror acts has been debated for long, it acquired political colour in 2012 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, when the Samajwadi Party (SP) promised that it will review the terror cases lodged against Muslim youth and release those found innocent. The SP came to power with majority. Muslims voted overwhelmingly for the SP. The SP government also formed a commission to review the cases. The commission submitted its report in October last year. However, no action has been taken by the state government so far.

Now, with Lok Sabha election scheduled within next 12 months, the issue has assumed significance again. However, Muslim community leaders are not ready to accept `promises' anymore and have demanded action. Sources said that the AIMPLB members have reminded SP national president Mulayam Singh Yadav about his poll promises. The issue may also be taken up in the annual general meeting of AIMPLB on March 22 in Ujjain. Demands includes speedy trial of terror cases, compensation to those acquitted and action against officers responsible for framing innocent youth.

Recently, Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat along with senior party leaders had met Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and requested him to provide compensation and ensure rehabilitation of Muslim youths, who were arrested on terror charges but later acquitted by various courts in the state. Karat had then also handed over a list of nine such youths from Kanpur who were lodged in jail from 3-9 years facing trial on terror charges but were acquitted. Similar demands have been made by other Muslim outfits as well. However, BJP is opposing it.

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Navy hones combat skills with major exercise in Arabian Sea

NEW DELHI: The Navy has fine-tuned its operational strategy and honed its combat skills after a major exercise, which saw both the western and eastern fleets come together for intensive manoeuvres, in the Arabian Sea over the last 30 days.

Over 50 warships, including the new stealth frigates as well as nuclear-powered submarine INS Chakra, as well as 75 fighter jets, patrol aircraft and helicopters took part in the exercise called "Tropex'' (theatre-level readiness and operational exercise), which stretched across the entire western seaboard.

"All possible scenarios, from full-fledged combat operations to anti-piracy drills, were practiced during the exercise. It also included an amphibious component involving over 2,000 Army troops, tanks, amphibious vehicles and associated equipment,'' said an official.

"Elements from the IAF, like their maritime strike Jaguar fighters, and the Coast Guard also took part in the exercise. The lessons learnt will be suitably incorporated in the operational strategy,'' he added.

The exercise also witnessed the Navy practice operational concepts like maritime manoeuvre from the sea'', designed to ensure the maritime force Navy is capable of favourably influencing the outcome of the land-air battle in the short, swift and high-tempo conflicts of the future.

The armed forces have also been practising amphibious warfare drills over the last few years to ensure they can effectively take the battle to enemy shores. This has come after Navy acquired the 16,900-tonne strategic sea-lift vessel INS Jalashwa from US as well as inducted large landing ship tanks like the 5,650-tonne INS Shardul and INS Airavat.

The Army, on its part, has three specifically-earmarked 'amphibious brigades', with almost 10,000 soldiers, one based in South India, another in West India and the third at Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

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Navy hones combat skills with major exercise in Arabian Sea

NEW DELHI: The Navy has fine-tuned its operational strategy and honed its combat skills after a major exercise, which saw both the western and eastern fleets come together for intensive manoeuvres, in the Arabian Sea over the last 30 days.

Over 50 warships, including the new stealth frigates as well as nuclear-powered submarine INS Chakra, as well as 75 fighter jets, patrol aircraft and helicopters took part in the exercise called "Tropex'' (theatre-level readiness and operational exercise), which stretched across the entire western seaboard.

"All possible scenarios, from full-fledged combat operations to anti-piracy drills, were practiced during the exercise. It also included an amphibious component involving over 2,000 Army troops, tanks, amphibious vehicles and associated equipment,'' said an official.

"Elements from the IAF, like their maritime strike Jaguar fighters, and the Coast Guard also took part in the exercise. The lessons learnt will be suitably incorporated in the operational strategy,'' he added.

The exercise also witnessed the Navy practice operational concepts like maritime manoeuvre from the sea'', designed to ensure the maritime force Navy is capable of favourably influencing the outcome of the land-air battle in the short, swift and high-tempo conflicts of the future.

The armed forces have also been practising amphibious warfare drills over the last few years to ensure they can effectively take the battle to enemy shores. This has come after Navy acquired the 16,900-tonne strategic sea-lift vessel INS Jalashwa from US as well as inducted large landing ship tanks like the 5,650-tonne INS Shardul and INS Airavat.

The Army, on its part, has three specifically-earmarked 'amphibious brigades', with almost 10,000 soldiers, one based in South India, another in West India and the third at Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

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Syrian army captures key Aleppo airport road

DAMASCUS: The Syrian army said on Saturday it has seized control of a key road linking the central province of Hama to Aleppo international airport, scene of weeks of fierce battles with rebel fighters.

The capture of the road will allow the army to deploy fresh reinforcements and send supplies to the area near the airport, where fighting has raged since mid-February.

"In collaboration with honourable citizens, troops carried out a special operation and restored security and stability to villages on the airport road," the military said in a statement published by state news agency SANA.

"This achievement shows the commitment of our forces to continue to fulfil their sacred national duty, repelling killings and aggression targeting our people and our country," said the statement.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed the report and said the army will now be able to deploy fresh troops and supplies in the area and the nearby Nayrab military airport.

Rebels launched last month an all-out assault on several airports in Aleppo province, including the international airport and Nayrab, which are located southeast of Syria's second-largest city.

They have since captured Al-Jarrah military airport as well as several other air defence complexes and nearby checkpoints.

But Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said that if the army succeeds in keeping control over the road "it will change the course of battles" around Aleppo and Nayrab airports "and even Aleppo", Syria's second city.

While rebels have taken over large swathes of territory and a number of key military garrisons in Aleppo province, fighting in the city has been at stalemate for months.

Abdel Rahman said that clashes around the airport road continued despite the army's capture.

Aleppo international airport has been closed since the start of the year.

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Rahul to hold fresh consultation with AICC leaders next week

NEW DELHI: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi will hold a fresh round of consultations with AICC office bearers on March 6 during which a roadmap for future action for the party is likely to be unveiled as it prepares for LokSabha polls next year.

Party general secretary Janardhan Dwivedi said that as promised, Gandhi is getting back to the AICC leaders after receiving their suggestions in his first formal elaborate interaction with them between January 31 and February 4.

Gandhi's three-day meeting with AICC office bearers saw the party leaders complaining of uneven distribution of work, favouritism and demands to bring discipline and cohesiveness in the party's functioning.

Buoyed up by Gandhi's insistence for a "frank and open" discussion, the leaders had drawn his attention towards large number of problems plaguing the party as Gandhi told them that he wanted to know their opinion on "how to traverse the path ahead".

After the three-day interaction, Gandhi had promised them that he would meet them again and will go through their suggestions.

After the first meeting with AICC general secretaries, secretaries and CWC in-charges for the states, Gandhi held consultations PCC presidents and CLP leaders of states here on February 15 during which he sent signals of introducing performance-based "reward and punishment system" in Congress to tone up the functioning of the organisation.

He also set time-bound targets for the state Congress chiefs in the meeting asking them to step out of party headquarters and move into the field more often.

Gandhi later held an interaction with district and block level leaders in Orissa on February 18 and 19 beginning his state wise tours to interact with the grassroots. A number of other states followed suit.

He has earlier hinted that he would prefer that the party functions strictly as per set rules and procedures and has been giving strong message on the issue of indiscipline in Congress. He recently said that there was "tremendous talent" which needed to be aligned.

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Mukesh Gadhvi, Congress MP from Banaskantha passed away

AHMEDABAD: Mukesh Gadhvi, Member of Parliament from Banaskantha constituency and senior leader of state Congress passed away on Friday morning. Parliament was adjourn to condole the sitting member.

"An active social and political worker, he promoted the cause of education, particularly of the girl child," Speaker Meira Kumar said in her obituary reference as soon as the Lok Sabha met for the day.

Gadhvi was hospitalized since last few days after facing brain stroke when he was returning from a wedding function.

Born on 1 January 1963 in Sirohi, Rajasthan, Gadhvi was son of Congress leader late Bhairavdan(B.K) Gadhvi. He was member of Gujarat legislative assembly for three terms. In 2009 he won Lok Sabha election on Banaskantha seat. He was member, Standing Committee on Petroleum and Natural Gas, and member, Consultative Committee on Finance.

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, Shankarsinh Vaghela, Leader of Opposition(LOP) in the state assembly Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Political Secretary Ahmed Patel, Gujarat Congress President Arjun Modhwadia, Union ministers Dinsha Patel, Tushar Chaudhary, Bharatsinh Solanki, AICC General Secretary Madhusudan Mistry were among others who paid tribute to late MP.

Gadhvi's cremation will took place at Savarda in Banaskantha district. Gujarat Congress President Arjun Modhwadia was present there In recent state assembly elections also Gadhvi played a vital role in securing majority of the seats of district for the party despite BJP wave.

With Gadhvi's death Gujarat will witness by-polls of two Lok Sabha seats in next few months. One Porbandar seat is vacant after Vitthal Radadia's resignation.

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South Africa suspends 8 policemen who dragged man behind vehicle

PRETORIA: South Africa suspended eight police officers on Friday after the death of a man they had bound to a vehicle and dragged through a busy street in a videotaped incident that has further blackened the reputation of the police.

Mido Macia, a 27-year-old taxi driver from Mozambique, was found dead in detention with signs of head injuries and internal bleeding, according to an initial post-mortem report released by South Africa's police watchdog.

"We would like to assure the country and the world that what is in the video is not how the South African Police Service in a democratic South Africa goes about its work," commissioner Riah Phiyega told a news conference.

She said the eight officers involved had been suspended and the station commander would be removed from his duties.

President Jacob Zuma and opposition politicians have condemned the incident, caught on video on Tuesday and broadcast nationwide on Thursday.

"The visuals of the incident are horrific, disturbing and unacceptable. No human being should be treated in that manner", Zuma said of what he called "the tragic death of a man in the hands of the police".

Police told media they had detained Macia after he parked illegally, creating a traffic jam, and then resisted arrest.

The video shows the man scuffling with police, who subdue him. He is then bound to the back of a pick-up truck by his arms before the vehicle drives off in front of scores of witnesses in the east Johannesburg area of Daveyton.

It was the latest in a series of scandals to hit South Africa's police force in recent months.

The lead detective in the murder case against Olympic and Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius was removed from the investigation last week when it emerged he was facing seven attempted murder charges for allegedly opening fire on a minibus full of passengers..

Police shot dead 34 striking workers at a platinum mine in August last year - the deadliest security incident since apartheid ended in 1994.

The latest video footage and the taxi driver's death raised fresh concerns about police brutality in a country where more than 1,200 people a year die while in custody.

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South Africa suspends 8 policemen who dragged man behind vehicle

PRETORIA: South Africa suspended eight police officers on Friday after the death of a man they had bound to a vehicle and dragged through a busy street in a videotaped incident that has further blackened the reputation of the police.

Mido Macia, a 27-year-old taxi driver from Mozambique, was found dead in detention with signs of head injuries and internal bleeding, according to an initial post-mortem report released by South Africa's police watchdog.

"We would like to assure the country and the world that what is in the video is not how the South African Police Service in a democratic South Africa goes about its work," commissioner Riah Phiyega told a news conference.

She said the eight officers involved had been suspended and the station commander would be removed from his duties.

President Jacob Zuma and opposition politicians have condemned the incident, caught on video on Tuesday and broadcast nationwide on Thursday.

"The visuals of the incident are horrific, disturbing and unacceptable. No human being should be treated in that manner", Zuma said of what he called "the tragic death of a man in the hands of the police".

Police told media they had detained Macia after he parked illegally, creating a traffic jam, and then resisted arrest.

The video shows the man scuffling with police, who subdue him. He is then bound to the back of a pick-up truck by his arms before the vehicle drives off in front of scores of witnesses in the east Johannesburg area of Daveyton.

It was the latest in a series of scandals to hit South Africa's police force in recent months.

The lead detective in the murder case against Olympic and Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius was removed from the investigation last week when it emerged he was facing seven attempted murder charges for allegedly opening fire on a minibus full of passengers..

Police shot dead 34 striking workers at a platinum mine in August last year - the deadliest security incident since apartheid ended in 1994.

The latest video footage and the taxi driver's death raised fresh concerns about police brutality in a country where more than 1,200 people a year die while in custody.

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ED to attach Rs 143 crore properties in Madhu Koda money laundering case

RANCHI/NEW DELHI: Stepping up its action in the alleged multi-crore money laundering case involving former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has decided to attach properties worth Rs 143 crore belonging to his close aides.

The orders for attachment of these properties spread in cities like Pune, Mumbai, Bangalore, Ranchi and Jamshedpur will soon be issued and later be sent to the agency's investigations unit in the Jharkhand capital, sources said.

The properties, according to the sources, belong to the associates of Koda including those of businessman Anil Bastawade who was brought from Indonesia recently after the Interpol informed the ED about his presence in the foreign land.

Properties of other Koda associates like Manoj Punamiya have also been attached under the stringent provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) today, sources added.

The ED has been investigating Koda and others for allegedly making illegal investments and transactions by corrupt means and laundering during the time he was the state chief minister.

Bastawade is claimed by the investigators to be one of the crucial persons in the case and he is being continuously grilled by ED sleuths since he was brought to Ranchi last month.

Bastawade, investigators claim, helped Koda and his other associates to invest and purchase a number of properties in the middle-east, Indonesia and Thailand.

He is the seventh accused arrested after Koda, Binod Sinha, Vikas Sinha, Manoj Punamiya, Arvind Vyas and Vijay Joshi in connection with the money laundering and illegal investment case slapped against them.

Koda, who is at present in judicial custody in a jail in Ranchi, was arrested on November 30, 2009 after the Income Tax department and the ED claimed to have unearthed a Rs 2500 crore money laundering and illegal investment scam following country-wide raids on 70 premises on October 31 the same year.

An ED official said the amount of the scam, which allegedly took place during the Koda regime between 2006 and 2008, has now gone up to Rs 3,400 in course of investigations.

The ED had earlier attached properties -- both immovable and movable -- worth Rs 200 crore in this case and had also filed a charge sheet in this regard in a special court in Ranchi last year.

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ED to attach Rs 143 crore properties in Madhu Koda money laundering case

RANCHI/NEW DELHI: Stepping up its action in the alleged multi-crore money laundering case involving former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has decided to attach properties worth Rs 143 crore belonging to his close aides.

The orders for attachment of these properties spread in cities like Pune, Mumbai, Bangalore, Ranchi and Jamshedpur will soon be issued and later be sent to the agency's investigations unit in the Jharkhand capital, sources said.

The properties, according to the sources, belong to the associates of Koda including those of businessman Anil Bastawade who was brought from Indonesia recently after the Interpol informed the ED about his presence in the foreign land.

Properties of other Koda associates like Manoj Punamiya have also been attached under the stringent provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) today, sources added.

The ED has been investigating Koda and others for allegedly making illegal investments and transactions by corrupt means and laundering during the time he was the state chief minister.

Bastawade is claimed by the investigators to be one of the crucial persons in the case and he is being continuously grilled by ED sleuths since he was brought to Ranchi last month.

Bastawade, investigators claim, helped Koda and his other associates to invest and purchase a number of properties in the middle-east, Indonesia and Thailand.

He is the seventh accused arrested after Koda, Binod Sinha, Vikas Sinha, Manoj Punamiya, Arvind Vyas and Vijay Joshi in connection with the money laundering and illegal investment case slapped against them.

Koda, who is at present in judicial custody in a jail in Ranchi, was arrested on November 30, 2009 after the Income Tax department and the ED claimed to have unearthed a Rs 2500 crore money laundering and illegal investment scam following country-wide raids on 70 premises on October 31 the same year.

An ED official said the amount of the scam, which allegedly took place during the Koda regime between 2006 and 2008, has now gone up to Rs 3,400 in course of investigations.

The ED had earlier attached properties -- both immovable and movable -- worth Rs 200 crore in this case and had also filed a charge sheet in this regard in a special court in Ranchi last year.

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Budget is clever attempt to mislead public in election year: Aam Aadmi Party

NEW DELHI: Aam Aadmi Party on Thursday alleged that the Budget presented by the finance minister P Chidambaram was a "clever attempt to mislead" public ahead of elections as it offered little remedy for the key problems facing the Indian economy.

In a statement, the party claimed that the common man has reasons to feel "disappointed, if not cheated" with the Budget.

"The Union Budget presented by the Finance Minister is a clever attempt to mislead the public in an election year. The Finance Minister's speech offers little remedy for the key problems facing the Indian economy that he himself begins by acknowledging: Slowdown of growth, rising fiscal deficit and current account deficit.

"The current crisis required the government to stimulate domestic investment by encouraging consumption from below; instead the FM remained focused on Foreign investors. Controlling inflation required expansion of PDS and reinforced subsidies on energy and focus on increasing agricultural output in pulses and oilseeds; instead the government has relied on hope," it said.

The much talked about move to tax the rich turned out to be a damp squib, as it would affect only 42,000 super rich and bring very small gains for the country. This small gain would be more than made up by the generous increase in the tax exemption, mostly for the well-offs and the corporates, the party alleged.

"It is unfortunate that even the opposition has not drawn the country's attention to these statistical lies and inattention to the needs of the 'aam aadmi'. Aam Aadmi Party resolves to take this collective conspiracy of the political establishment to the people's court and place the concerns of 'aam aadmi' at the heart of our economic policy," it said.

Union Budget 2013

Budget news 2013

Economic Survey

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Hagel committed to strategic partnership with India: Pentagon

WASHINGTON: In a damage control exercise after Chuck Hagel's comments on India's role in Afghanistan kicked up a storm, the Pentagon today said the new defence secretary is "strongly committed" to a strategic partnership with India and to fostering an "even closer" defence ties.

"Secretary Hagel is strongly committed to the US strategic partnership with India and to fostering an even closer defence relationship with India that builds upon the work of Secretary [Leon] Panetta, Deputy Secretary [Ashton] Carter, and their Indian counterparts," Pentagon spokesperson George Little told Washington Free Beacon.

"Secretary Hagel looks forward to working closely with Indian national security and defence officials," Little was quoted as saying.

Free Beacon, the right-wing online newspaper, had this week uploaded an unreleased speech given by Hagel in 2011 where he is seen being critical of India's role in Afghanistan.

In sharp contrast to US view on India's role in Afghanistan, Hagel has alleged that India has over the years "financed problems" for Pakistan in the war-torn country.

Hagel made these remarks at Oklahoma's Cameron University in 2011.

It sparked off a strong reaction from India which said such comments are 'contrary to the reality' of its unbounded dedication to the welfare of Afghans.

Hagel, during the speech said, "India for some time has always used Afghanistan as a second front, and India has over the years financed problems for Pakistan on that side of the border".

"And you can carry that into many dimensions, the point being [that] the tense, fragmented relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan has been there for many, many years," Hagel said.

Reacting to this, the Indian Embassy here had said, "Such comments attributed to Senator Hagel, who has been a long-standing friend of India and a prominent votary of close India-US relations are contrary to the reality of India's unbounded dedication to the welfare of Afghan people".

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Left pulls off emphatic win in Tripura wresting 50 of 60 seats

AGARTALA: The Left Front on Thursday retained power in Tripura for the fifth consecutive time, sweeping 50 of the 60 seats and leaving the Congress badly bruised with just 10 seats.

Hundreds of Left activists, mainly from the Communist Party of India-Marxist CPI(M), celebrated across the state as election results left the Congress in gloom.

The CPI(M) bagged 49 seats while the Communist Party of India (CPI) won one seat.

It was the best result for the Left since 1978, when it won a record 56 seats. It increased its 2008 tally by one seat.

"This is a verdict in favour of development, peace and stability besides good governance," a beaming chief minister Manik Sarkar said.

"People voted and supported the Left Front for taking up development work and for curbing militancy," Sarkar added.

Sarkar, 64, who retained his Dhanpur seat in west Tripura, is the only political leader to be chief minister for a record fourth term in Tripura, a Marxist bastion. It was Sarkar's sixth electoral win.

While the Congress managed to retain its 2008 tally of 10 seats, its ally the Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT) drew blank. It had won one seat five years ago.

The Trinamool Congress, which fielded 22 candidates in 2008, did not contest this time to prevent a split in non-Left votes. But even that did not help the Congress.

The Left Front wrested four seats from the Congress-INPT-NCT (Nationalist Conference of Tripura) coalition. The Congress snatched three seats from the Left.

"Left Front candidates have increased their winning margin in most seats," an Election Commission official said.

The 49 seats of CPI(M) is three more than what it got in 2008. The CPI won one seat and lost another.

The Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) and Forward Bloc lost the two and one seats they contested.

Finance minister Badal Chowdhury posted the highest winning margin of 12,450 votes.

Assembly speaker Ramendra Chandra Debnath, commerce minister Jitendra Chowdhury, school education minister Tapan Chakraborty, information minister Anil Sarkar and tribal welfare minister Aghore Debbarma won by huge margins.

Teacher-turned-politician Anil Sarkar, 75, who is also a poet and writer, was re-elected on CPI(M) ticket from Pratapgarh in western Tripura for a record ninth time.

Congress leader Ratan Lal Nath won from Mohanpur for the fifth time while state Congress president Sudip Roy Barman retained his Agartala seat for the fourth time.

Former Tripura assembly speaker Jitendra Sarkar, who this time contested on Congress ticket, wrested Barjala seat from the CPI(M). He won by 254 votes.

CPI(M) candidate Ratan Das wrested Ramnagar after a gap of 25 years. He defeated former state Congress chief Surajit Datta by just 15 votes.

"This is a great victory for the Left Front. Good governance is one of the key factors," CPI-M spokesperson Gautam Das told IANS.

Notable Congress losers included former chief minister Samir Ranjan Barma, party leader Subal Bhowmik and INPT president and former militant leader Bijoy Kumar Hrangkhawl.

Tripura made history when a record 93.57 percent of the 2.3 million voters exercised their franchise February 14. There were 249 candidates.

The Left has ruled Tripura since 1978 barring one term (1988-93).

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PDP moves adjournment motion to discuss Afzal Guru hanging

JAMMU: Jammu and Kashmir's opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday moved an adjournment motion in the legislative assembly to discuss the situation in the state after execution of Mohammad Afzal Guru and the delay in returning his body to his family.

According to PDP spokesman Naeem Akhtar, the resolution in this regard has already been given to the assembly speaker for discussion on these two issues Friday.

Earlier, the PDP boycotted the governor's address on the first day of the budget session to lodge its "protest against failure and inability of the state government to protect rights of the citizen of Jammu and Kashmir - Mohammad Afzal Guru, who was hanged by depriving him of his proper legal rights".

PDP legislators, led by party chief Mehbooba Mufti, staged a sit-in outside the assembly and shouted slogans against the Omar Abdullah government.

They were carrying placards reading "Tamil Nadu Nay Inkar Kiya, Punjab Nay Inkar Kiya. Par Jammu and Kashmir Sarkar Nay Ikrar Kiya". The referrence was to the Tamil Nadu and Punjab governments' opposition to the death sentences to the killers of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and then Punjab chief minister Beant Singh respectively, the Jammu and Kashmir government acceding to Guru's execution.

The PDP legislators were also questioning why Guru, who was on the death row at serial number 28, was picked up and sent to the gallows without being given an opportunity to approach the Supreme Court.

The PDP maintained that after rejection of his mercy petition, Guru should have been given the opportunity to approach the Supreme Court but this was denied to him. They alleged he was deprived of his legal rights and "hanged secretly in unholy manner".

Party legislators also demanded that the mortal remains of Afzal Guru should be given to his family members for proper burial and last rites.

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Trinamool Congress minister wins assembly bypoll

KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress minister Krishnendu Narayan Choudhury won the Assembly by-election from English Bazar constituency in Malda district on Thursday with a margin of 20,452 votes.

Choudhary defeated his nearest CPM rival Kaushik Mishra. In the other two constituencies of Rejinagar and Nalhati, the Congress and Forward Bloc are leading respectively, State Election Commissioner Sunil Gupta said.

All three seats were won by Congress candidates in the 2011 Assembly elections at a time when Congress had an alliance with the TMC.

The Nalhati Assembly seat fell vacant after its MLA Abhijit Mukherjee, son of President Pranab Mukherjee, quit his seat to fight the Lok Sabha by-election from Jangipur.

Elections to English Bazar and Rejinagar seats were necessitated following resignation of Congress MLAs Krishnendu Choudhury and Humayun Kabir after their switch-over to the TMC.

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Gujarati couple gets Rs 46,000 damages from British Airways

AHMEDABAD: British Airways has been asked to pay Rs 46,000 in damages to two Gujarati passengers after they were made to wait at the Heathrow airport for close to 20 hours in June 2007.

Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum of Vadodara has ordered the airways to pay damages to Himanshu and Rimjhim Shah from Vadodara, who not only suffered a day-long wait but also lost cash and valuables during their time at the airport on June 15, 2007. On arrival in India, they filed a case against the airline seeking damages.

The forum first issued a notice to the airline, which did not respond initially. The forum heard the case and came to the conclusion that the airlines' service was deficient and ordered it to pay Rs 38,000 towards the stolen cash and goods, Rs 5,000 for causing harassment and Rs 3,000 towards legal expenditure.

The couple had booked a ticket from Heathrow to Mumbai, but the flight developed a technical snag and passengers were made to wait for 20 hours. They were not provided accommodation or transportation. The next day, the airline gave them a letter saying that they were eligible to receive $175 towards accommodation, transportation and food expenses for the day's wait.

While hearing the case, the corum of M T Unadkat, Nilam Bhavsar and V R Khadse held that the airline did not deny the incident of theft and in such circumstance, the passengers were liable to get $600 for the theft.

The consumer forum calculated that the couple should get $20 for each of the 30kg stolen baggage. The court also said that the passengers should get $350 according to the airline's commitment for the day-long wait. The court converted the amount into Indian currency at Rs 40 per dollar — the exchange rate prevailing in 2007 — and ordered the airline to pay the sum within two months.

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Bhanwari case: Court seeks reply for Maderna's stay in hospital

JODHPUR: A local court has sought reply from the jail and hospital administration following an application by the CBI objecting to the stay of Mahipal Maderna, one of the key accused in the Bhanwari Devi murder case, in hospital despite orders to be shifted to Jaipur jail.

Maderna has been resting currently in the MDM Hospital in the city since February 11.

It may be recalled that both Maderna and Malkhan Singh Bishnoi, who had been admitted in the private hospitals in Jodhpur in the garb of the treatment, had been ordered by the ACJM (SC/ST Cases) court to be shifted to their respective jails with immediate effect after the court found their stay in the hospitals without any purpose.

"Following this order, Bishnoi was shifted to Ajmer jail on February 11 but Maderna again admitted himself to the MDM Hospital citing pain in heart and back," told Ashok Joshi, Senior Special Counsel for CBI.

A medical board was constituted by the hospital, which checked him but all the medical reports of Maderna in the hospital have been found to be normal.

Joshi said that despite his normal reports, the hospital administration has no yet discharged him even after the lapse of 15 days, which again shows that Maderna is not willing to leave Jodhpur feigning health issues.

"Now we have pleaded from the court to ensure compliance of its order of February 4 to shift Maderna to Jaipur jail," the CBI counsel added.

36-year-old Bhanwari, who was an auxiliary nurse, had gone missing from Jodhpur's Bilara area on September 1, 2011.

During the CBI probe, it was found that she was abducted and killed and her body burnt at Jaloda. Her remains and belongings were later dumped in the Rajiv Gandhi Lift Canal, which were recovered by the CBI.

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Indian baby under US foster care returns to Kolkata

KOLKATA: Nearly six months after being taken into custody by the US Child Protection Services for alleged neglect by parents, one-and-a-half-year-old Indrashish, son on an Indian couple in the US, returned to the city Wednesday.

The baby arrived at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport with his uncle Bhaskar Kundu and was handed over to Pragati Basak - the child's maternal grandmother, who was granted his custody by a New Jersey court.

"We are so happy to have him back. There was no neglect on the part of his parents. We strongly feel the US authorities needlessly took away the child from his parents," said Basak after arriving in the city.

Indrashish was taken into protective custody by the US authorities after the child suffered a head injury Aug 9.

Earlier this month, a local court in New Jersey directed them to return the child to Basak. While allowing repatriation of Indrashish, the local court also dismissed the case filed against his parents by the New Jersey Child Protection Services.

After Debashish and Pamela Saha landed at the Parsippany township of New Jersey along with their son in July last year, the child fell down from a bed and sustained serious head injuries.

Following this, authorities took away the child and his parents were allowed only limited access to him.

Nirmal Saha, grandfather of the child, said the repatriation of the child would never have been possible had the civil rights activists and members of the Bengali community not come forward to help the parents of Indrashish.

During his visit to the city, President Pranab Mukherjee had also assured help for the return of the child.

"India and the US have two different cultures and two different legal systems. Despite no mistake of the parents, it was a misunderstanding arising out of two cultures that had resulted in the child being taken away," said Congress party leader Om Prakash Mishra, who had earlier sought intervention of the external affairs ministry in the matter.

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Large shark kills man in New Zealand; beach closed

AUCKLAND: A shark possibly 14 feet long killed a swimmer near a popular New Zealand beach on Wednesday, then disappeared after police attempting to save the man fired gunshots at the enormous predator.

Muriwai Beach near Auckland was closed after the fatal attack, one of only about a dozen in New Zealand in the past 180 years.

Pio Mose, who was fishing at the beach, told The New Zealand Herald he saw the swimmer struggle against the "huge" shark. He told the man to swim to the rocks, but it was too late.

"All of a sudden there was blood everywhere," Mose said."... I was shaking, scared, panicked.''

Police Inspector Shawn Rutene said in a statement that the swimmer, was about 200 meters (650 feet) offshore when the shark attacked. He said police went out in inflatable surf-lifesaving boats and shot at the shark, which they estimate was 12 to 14 feet long.

"It rolled over and disappeared," Rutene said, without saying whether police are certain that they killed the creature.

Police recovered the body of the swimmer. The Herald reported that he was Adam Strange, a 46-year-old television and short film director, and that his family issued a statement expressing their shock and requesting privacy.

About 200 people had been enjoying the beach during the Southern Hemisphere summer at the time of the attack. Police said Muriwai and other beaches nearby have been closed until further notice.

Police did not say what species of shark was involved in the attack. Clinton Duffy, a shark expert with the Department of Conservation, said New Zealand is a hotspot for great white sharks, and other potentially lethal species also inhabit the waters.

Attacks are rare. Duffy estimated that only 12 to 14 people have been killed by sharks in New Zealand since record-keeping began in the 1830s.

"There are much lower levels of shark attacks here than in Australia," he said. "It's possibly a function of how many people are in the water'' in New Zealand's cooler climate.

He said that during the Southern Hemisphere summer, sharks often come in closer to shore to feed and to give birth, although that doesn't necessarily equate to a greater risk of attack.

"Ninety-nine percent of the time they ignore people," he said. "Sometimes, people get bitten.''

Around the world, sharks attacked humans 80 times last year, and seven people were killed, according to the University of Florida's International Shark Attack File. The death toll was lower than it was in 2011 but higher than the average of 4.4 from 2001 to 2010.

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56 cases of sexual harassment in Navodaya, Kendriya Vidyalayas

NEW DELHI: Fifty-six cases of sexual harassment have been reported in the Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS) and the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) since 2010, government said today.

This information was given by Minister of State in HRD Ministry Shashi Tharoor in a written response to a question in Lok Sabha.

According to the information given by Tharoor, there have been 14 such cases in the NVS of which charges had been proved and services terminated in one case while investigations were on in the remaining cases.

Forty-two cases of sexual harassment of teachers were reported in KVS of which charges had been proved and action taken in 20 cases while 18 cases were under investigation.

Charges had not been proved in three cases in the KVS and one case is sub-judice, the data says.

In response to another question, Tharoor said a committee of the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) has been constituted to examine the provisions of the Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) in the context of the no-detention policy under the Right to Education Act.

While responding to another question, the minister said the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) is the nodal department for Sanskriti school.

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Rail Budget: Rs 63,363 crore annual plan for railways in 2013-14

NEW DELHI: The annual plan for railways in 2013-14 financial year is proposed at Rs 63,363 crore, Union railway minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said.

"A plan investment of Rs 63,363 crore is proposed for 2013-14," Bansal said while presenting the Railway Budget in Parliament on Tuesday.

"The plan is proposed to be financed through gross budgetary support (GBS) of Rs 26,000 crore, railways share in Road Safety Fund of Rs 2,000 crore, internal resources of Rs 14,260 crore, market borrowings of Rs 15,103 crore and an expected mobilisation of Rs 6,000 crore through the public private partnership (PPP) route," he added.

The minister said that the thrust of the plan is on doubling of tracks, safety and passenger and staff welfare.

"I have increased the outlay for doubling of tracks, safety and passenger and staff welfare from about Rs 11,410 crore in 2012-13 to Rs 13,220 crore, an increase of 16 per cent," he said.

The freight earning target has been increased by 9 per cent to Rs 93,554 crore and the number of passengers is expected to increase by 5.2 per cent, the minister said.

Bansal, who is first the first Congress minister to present a Railway Budget in the last 17 years, today spared passengers from any further hike in fares but raised various other charges on tickets along with freight tariff of less than 5 per cent.

In his 75-minute speech which was drowned in opposition slogan-shouting towards the end, Bansal said there are a number of supplementary charges which have not been revised for last several years.

Bansal, however, proposed to abolish the concept of enhanced reservation fee with a view to simplifying fee structure, having already discontinued development charge in January this year.

In January, the minister had effected an across-the-board hike in passenger fares that would net Rs 6,600 crore a year.

However, the subsequent hike in diesel price and electricity charges put an additional burden of Rs 3,300 crore on the railways which is projected to see a loss of Rs 24,600 crore in the current financial year, up from Rs 22,500 crore in 2011-12 in passenger traffic segment.

Budget 2013

Rail Budget 2013

Economic Survey 2013

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Army jawan killed in Manipur bomb explosion, two injured

IMPHAL: An Army jawan was killed and two others seriously injured when a powerful bomb, allegedly planted by insurgents, exploded in Manipur's interior Churachandpur district bordering Myanmar and Mizoram on Tuesday morning.

Official sources said personnel of 11 Gorkha Rifles were on patrol duty when the bomb, which was attached to a culvert, exploded at around 6.40am killing a jawan on the spot and injuring two others seriously.

It was not immediately known whether the suspected insurgents used remote-controlled device or a timer.

The explosion occurred about 6 km from Churachandpur police station and about 50 km south of the state capital, the sources said.

Security and police personnel posted near Churachandpur police station immediately surrounded the area and launched a search operation but no one was apprehended and it is suspected that the assailants might have hidden in the nearby thickly wooded hilly area.

No individual or group immediately claimed responsibility for the incident which is the first major attack on Army personnel this year, the sources added.

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Nitish Kumar calls Rail Budget 'disappointing', accuses Bansal of neglecting Bihar

PATNA: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar described the Rail Budget as "disappointing" and alleged that while Congress ruled states were given sops, other states including Bihar have been neglected.

"The Rail Budget for 2013-14 is disappointing," Kumar, who served as railway minister in the government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, told reporters here on Tuesday.

He accused the UPA II government of "lacking courage" and resorting to "cleverness" by increasing fares in the month of January itself and not announcing any hike in the Budget presented in Parliament on Tuesday.

"On the one hand the government is claiming it did not raise fare but on the other hand other charges of tatkal and cancellation etc have been increased which will adversely hit the passengers," he said.

"No new train has been given to Bihar despite the fact that it has maximum number of train travellers in the country. Besides, fund for past projects like rail bridge over Ganga at Patna and Munger has also not been allocated," he said.

In a veiled attack on his rival Lalu Prasad, Kumar said "the condition of railways started deteriorating since days of UPA I (when Prasad was railways minister) and the speed has increased with passing of times."

Taking a potshot at the current railway minister for announcing search of new technology to stop collision of trains, Kumar sought to know why anti-collision devices developed by the Konkan Railways, which he had introduced during his time in NF Railways and which yielded good results, was stopped.

Kumar also criticised the announcement of new projects without making proper arrangements for gathering funds and taking other clearances. "The NDA government had stopped this practise (announcing projects without required clearances) but its been resumed again now, which is unfortunate," he added.

Budget 2013 > Rail Budget 2013 > Economic Survey 2013

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UPA's Rail Budget is anti-development: Narendra Modi

AHMEDABAD: Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi termed UPA government's Railway Budget as "anti-development and a non-performance budget".

Modi alleged that railway minister Pawan Kumar Bansal is misleading the public by not increasing fares.

"The budget will increase the burden of price hike on poor. Gujarat gives maximum income to railway but injustice has been done to Gujarat. The budget has no provision of Ahmedabad-Mumbai-Pune bullet train plan or increasing sea transport along with railways to match the global needs," he said.

Budget 2013 > Rail Budget 2013 > Economic Survey 2013

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Protesters at Shahbagh in Bangladesh backed by India

NEW DELHI: The protesters at Shahbagh, a busy intersection in Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, have probably their strongest support from neighbour India.

On Friday, National Security Adviser (NSA) Shivshankar Menon said the protests were a sign of the "open-mindedness" of the Bangladeshi youth, who were battling extremism and upholding fundamental values of democracy. Setting up the Ram Sathe chair in Pune, Menon said, "The ongoing spontaneous gathering against extremist elements and war criminals by thousands of youth at Shahbagh intersection in Dhaka shows the strength of feeling, capacity for political mobilization and open-mindedness of Bangladeshi youth."

During his recent visit to Bangladesh, foreign minister Salman Khurshid, too, had voiced his solidarity with the protesters. Talking to journalists in Dhaka, Khurshid had said, "It's always wonderful to see young people engage in any democratic process. They show their concern, their involvement, their aspiration, I applaud and I admire"It revives your strongest feelings and faith in democracy," he said.

The Shahbagh protests started on February 5 after Bangladesh's international war crimes tribunal sentenced Abdul Kader Molla to life imprisonment. The protesters have taken to streets since then, demanding gallows for all those found guilty in war crimes. The protesters have also demanded a ban on the Islamic party Jamaat, whose members are believed to be collaborators with the Pakistani Army during the 1971 war.

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National Security Advisor to visit Kabul today

NEW DELHI: As the timetable for withdrawal of ISAF forces from Afghanistan draws near, the day after is assuming greater significance for India.

Having had an unprecedented run in stabilizing Afghanistan for the past decade, India's role in keeping Afghanistan safe from the Taliban will be crucial not only for the region, but also for New Delhi's own security.

National Security Advisor (NSA) Shivshankar Menon will be in Kabul for a day on Tuesday, where he will meet President Hamid Karzai and other Afghan government officials, and also engage with a cross-section of emerging leaders in that country.

The withdrawal timetable, intersecting with the election schedule in Afghanistan, has made the transition even more complex. Of particular importance to India is who the next generation of leaders in Afghanistan would be. That would be the key in determining whether Afghanistan will fight for a more stable future, or whether it will dissolve into civil war.

India has made massive investment in Afghanistan, mainly in economic and infrastructure sectors. New Delhi is stepping up its security presence in the country, but not fast enough, according to the Afghan government. India's security presence is likely to stop short of sending troops to the country, which could be one of the reasons why Karzai, deeply apprehensive about his survival, is trying to stitch up partnership pacts with his neighbours.

In a recent trilateral summit with Pakistan and the UK, Karzai promised to ink a similar agreement with Pakistan within six months.

What will Karzai's role be after the elections? India is trying to preserve and promote the central role for the Afghan government. This holds the key, because the Western countries — in their rush to secure some kind of reconciliation — have ended up making the Afghan government one of the factions, locked in bloody feuds, in the war-torn nation. That has only heightened Karzai's feeling of insecurity.

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IT industry seeks MAT reduction to 5% in Union Budget

HYDERABAD: The IT and IT-enabled services industry has sought the reduction in minimum alternate tax (MAT) to 5% in the Budget 2013-14 for all IT companies operating in SEZs.

The finance minister is slated to announce on Thursday the budget proposals for the next fiscal.

"With the introduction of MAT for SEZ units, it has become very difficult for the IT companies in India (specifically for SME) sector to operate competitively and in a profitable manner," ITsAP (the IT and ITES Industry Association of AP) said in a statement.

"This has reduced the employment generation rate and further FDI investment in India. Hence the MAT should be rolled back or decreased to 5%," it said.

Under the present IT laws, business losses can be forwarded only for a minimum of 10 years and the same should be allowed to carry forward without any limitation.

In the current economic downturn globally, recouping the losses in 10 years may not be possible and many countries are allowing losses without any limitation to period, the IT body requested.

ITsAP also requested the FM to give an opportunity to set -off the taxes payable against refund due to the assessee which will increase the liquidity and save time in following up for the refunds.

On Service Tax issues, the ITsAP said all export companies in IT/ITES are entitled for refund paid on the input services.

"However, the same is not a reality as of today barring a very few cases. A series of meetings with Nasscom and other agencies with the Central Excise and Service Tax officers is not improving the refund process. Further, many small companies are not applying for the refund considering the hassles being created in the chain of refund claim," the industry body said.

BVR Mohan Reddy, Founder and Chairman of Infotech Enterprises Ltd, said for the software industry, withdrawing the MAT on SEZs, initiating a new SEZ policy to further improve IT exports, implementing a policy for R&D in software industry and promoting Tier II/III towns for inclusive growth will help accelerate growth in the software industry ( IT Industry).

As SME sector is the backbone for the industry and employs 59 million people, it can be a growth driver for future. And hence a special package for the SME sector will help sustainable growth, Reddy said.

The tax on SEZ was introduced in the Union Budget 2011-12. The SEZ players said the benefits offered in the SEZ Act 2005, provided a wide range of incentives to investors in SEZs including exemption from MAT and 100 per cent income tax exemption on export income.

According to a recent survey by research firm Ipsos, companies attributed exemption from tax as the key reason for investment in SEZs, which stood nullified with the imposition of the MAT.

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Jailed INLD leader Ajay Chautala faces probe for public speech via jail phone

NEW DELHI: Tihar authorities have ordered an inquiry against jailed Indian National Lok Dal leader Ajay Chautala for allegedly addressing a public rally in Haryana through a telephone call made from the prison, an official said on Monday.

"All the inmates are allowed to talk to their family every day for five minutes through phone. Ajay Chautala telephoned his son on February 19-20 who called his supporters. Chautala then addressed them through speaker phone," director general of prisons Vimla Mehra told IANS.

"An inquiry was set up Saturday. We are looking at every angle. The report might be submitted by today (Monday) or tomorrow (Tuesday)," said Mehra.

"Suitable action will be taken if the allegation against Chautala is found true," added Mehra.

Another jail official said Chautala addressed a rally in Sonipat district February 20 for five minutes when his son Dushyant patched him up through the speaker phone.

Chautala used the occasion to update the crowd about the health of his jailed father and former chief minister of Haryana Om Prakash Chautala and inquired about the well-being of the villagers, the official said.

The father and son are in jail after being indicted by a Delhi court for their involvement in irregular appointment of teachers in 2000.

The trial court last month sentenced both the convicts and eight others to 10 years in jail while one convict was sentenced to five years and 45 others were handed out four-year jail terms.

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Bihar asks Centre for helicopter to fight Maoists

PATNA: Bihar government has requested the Centre for a helicopter to carry out operations against Maoists, water resources minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary told the assembly today.

The state government has written to the Centre recently and would do so in the future, requesting it to provide a helicopter to deal with the Maoist insurgency, Chaudhary said while replying to a short notice question by BJP MLA Avanish Kumar Singh.

Regretting the delay in requisitioning a helicopter, he said the state government had written to the Centre in 2011 seeking guidelines for availability of one to Bihar.

Since the Centre had not framed guidelines and conditions required for hiring a helicopter for anti-Maoist operations, the state government has sought one from neighbouring Jharkhand, he said.

Although Jharkhand has been cooperating with Bihar as far as availability of helicopter was concerned, it was imperative that the state government has one at its disposal for anti-Maoist campaigns, the minister said.

Apart from Bihar, the Maoist-affected states of Odisha, Chhatisgarh, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh have helicopters for such use, the minister added.

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Over dozen corporates, PSUs queue up for banking licences

The author has posted comments on this articlePTI | Feb 24, 2013, 11.10AM IST

NEW DELHI: More than a dozen corporates, including big names such as Aditya Birla Group, M&M, L&T, as well as state-owned PFC, LIC and India Post, will apply to the Reserve Bank for licence to open banks.

While announcing comprehensive guidelines for new bank licences two days ago, the RBI said interested entities can file their applications by July 1.

Other entities keen to enter the banking space are IFCI, Shriram Group, Religare, ADA Group, Srei Infra, India Infoline Ltd and IndiaBulls Ltd, Reliance Industries Ltd and Tata Group, which are speculated to be mulling entry into the banking space, have remained tight-lipped about their plans.

Power Finance Corporation (PFC) chairman and managing director Satnam Singh has said the company would seek approval for entering into banking space in the next board meeting.

"We qualify in both the categories...either we can set up a bank or convert ourselves into a bank," he said.

Larsen & Toubro spokesperson said the group would be interested in applying for new bank licence.

Commenting on the norms, non-banking financial entity Shriram Capital Chairman Arun Duggal said RBI has come up with comprehensive guidelines.

"We remain interested in foraying into the banking space and promoting financial inclusion," Duggal said, adding that the Group has required capital to enter in the banking sector.

As per the new norms, entities with a minimum track record of 10 years would be eligible for licence after clearance from sector regulators, enforcement, investigative agencies such as I-T department, CBI and ED.

The minimum paid-up capital for setting up a bank will be Rs 500 crore. The cap on the foreign investment, including FDI/FII and NRI, has been set at 49 per cent.

An official in the Finance Ministry, which controls majority stake in term lender IFCI, said the entity would also like to be considered for new bank licence.

IFCI lost out on bagging licence in 1993 when two other term lender ICICI and IDBI were permitted to open banks.

The company will discuss about foraying into the banking sector in the board meeting, IFCI CEO and Managing Director Atul K Rai said.

Aditya Birla Group CEO Ajay Srinivasan Chief Executive of Aditya Birla Group's Financial Services said: "Our group remains committed to meeting financial needs of its target customers. We intend to apply for a banking licence."

CEO of Reliance Capital Sam Ghosh said: "We will be interested in applying for a banking licence."

When asked whether IndiaBulls will apply for a banking licence, its group director Ajit Mittal said: "We have an open mind. We will take a view. The Board will decide in due course of time."

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Low intensity earthquake in parts of Rajasthan, no reports of damage

JAIPUR: A low intensity earthquake measuring 4.1 on the Richter Scale was felt in parts of Rajasthan on Sunday.

The epicentre was Tonk in the eastern part of the state. The tremor was felt in Jaipur and nearby region in the morning at 6.27am.

However, there is no report of loss from anywhere, according to the state police control room.

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Veteran communist leader Baldev Bakshi passes away at 90

CHANDIGARH: A revolutionary and veteran communist leader, BaldevBakshi, 90, passed away at PGI, Chandigarh on Sunday after short illness.

Baldev Bakhshi was one among the founder leaders of communist movement in joint Punjab after Independence.

He was arrested many times for participating in the movements of peasants and agriculture tenants (mujharas) in Punjab and Haryana. Bakshi was kept in custody in Lahore's Shahi Qila for two months in the early forties.

After partition, Bakshi had moved to Sirsa in Haryana (then joint Punjab) from Sekhupura town of Pakisthan in 1947.

Here, he started focusing on building the communist movement and organizational structure of Communist Party of India (CPI). Later, he became deputy secretary of CPI's Haryana unit. He remained active member of CPI till the last.

Bakshi has left behind two sons, two daughters and his wife, Sushila.

Bakshi's elder son, Ashwani Bakshi is well known lawyer in Punjab and Haryana high court while his younger son, Manoj Bakshi stays at Sirsa.

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Forty-five arrested in Spain after anti-austerity protest

MADRID: Spanish police say they arrested 45 people, including nine minors, in street violence after a large anti-austerity protest outside parliament. Dozens sustained minor injuries.

Tens of thousands of people marched to parliament to demonstrate against tax hikes, spending cuts, sky-high unemployment and alleged corruption. As the protest ended late Saturday, groups of youths threw bar chairs into a road and burned garbage containers.

Police later found four firebombs in a backpack abandoned on a street. The Interior Ministry says officers then seized 22 firecrackers, five flares and a stick from two minors near Madrid's main railway station.

The ministry also said in a statement Sunday that 40 people, including 12 police officers, received minor injuries in the clashes. Two of the officers received hospital treatment.

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LeT has sent threat letter claiming responsibility for blast: Andhra BJP

HYDERABAD: Andhra Pradesh BJP chief G Kishan Reddy on Sunday said he has received a threat letter purportedly written by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in which it claimed responsibility for the Dilsukhnagar bomb blast.

He received the letter by post on Saturday written in Urdu and English, he claimed at a press conference here.

He, however, refused to give a copy of the letter saying he has handed it over to Abids police station.

In the letter, the LeT stated that its next target is Begam Bazar, Reddy claimed.

Begum Bazar is another crowded wholesale market in the city.

When contacted, Abids police said, "We have received a letter from Kishan Reddy today (Sunday) and it is being verified."

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