India

Aligarh, December 13: Chairman of Press Council of India Justice Markanday Katju today alleged politicians in independent India "have played a major role in spreading deeper the poison of Hindu-Muslim divide, whose seeds were sown by the British, for serving their own votebank politics". Addressing a programme in Aligarh Muslim Univeristy (AMU), he said Pakistan was an "artificially-created state"

New Delhi, December 13: Samajwadi Party on Thursday made it clear that it will continue to support UPA government notwithstanding strong action taken against its members in Rajya sabha when they were protesting against consideration of a quota bill. “There is no relation between Thursday’s event in Rajya Sabha and continuance of our support,” party leader Ram Gopal Yadav told reporters outside

New Delhi, December 13: A day after her criticism of Rajya Sabha chairman Hamid Ansari, BSP chief Mayawati on Thursday changed tune to say that she had "respect" and "full faith" in the Chair and expressed hope that he will find ways for passage of the Bill for quota in promotion. Mayawati's impromptu remarks were followed by an assurance of "fullest cooperation" of the House by Prime Minister

New Delhi, December 13: The Supreme Court today directed CBI to go ahead with the probe against Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav in a disproportionate assets case. However, the apex court dropped the CBI probe against Dimple Yadav, daughter-in-law of Mulayam and wife of Akhilesh Yadav, saying that she was not holding any public office and she

New Delhi, December 13: Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal today said nationwide Mobile Number Portability (MNP) is expected to be rolled out by February next year, which will allow users to retain their numbers even if they move from one state to another. "For the timely implementation of the National Telecom Policy (NTP) 2012, the Department of Telecom has finalised broad agenda for next three months

Rajkot/Ahmedabad, December 13: An average 38 per cent voting was recorded in the first five hours of polling across 87 seats in the first phase of Gujarat polls which will decide the fate of state political big-wigs like Keshubhai Patel, BJP's R C Faldu and Congress' Arjun Modhwadia. "An average 38 per cent polling has been recorded till 1 PM," Additional Chief Electoral officer Ashok Manek said

New Delhi, December 13: The Election Commission warned Oil Minister Veerappa Moily for making policy announcement on increasing the subsidised cooking gas cylinder cap from six to nine a year. Conveying its strong displeasure to Mr Moily through a letter, the panel said his announcement is a clear violation of poll code and asked him to be circumspect in future. Mr Moily had sent an explanation to

New Delhi, December 12: Pakistani microbiologist Mohammed Khalil Chishti was today acquitted by the Supreme Court of the murder charge in a 20-year-old criminal case and was allowed to return to home without any restriction. However, the apex court declined to interfere with his conviction for voluntarily causing hurt under section 324 of the Indian Penal Code and served him with the sentence

Bhubaneswar, December 12: India Wednesday carried out a successful test of its nuclear-capable surface-to-surface Agni-I missile from a military base in Odisha, an official said. The intermediate-range ballistic missile, which can strike a target 700 km away, was tested from a facility on Wheeler Island near Dhamra in Bhadrak district, 170 km from here. The test was carried out by the Strategic

San Diego, December 12: Sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar passed in San Diego on Tuesday. He was 92. He was admitted to the Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla last Thursday after he complained of breathing difficulties. He breathed his last at 4.30 p.m. Pacific Time. The legendary musician and composer was India's musical ambassador and a unique phenomenon in the classical music worlds of East