New Delhi, October 3: The Centre cleared the creation of a separate Telangana state from out of Andhra Pradesh and decided that Hyderabad will be the joint capital of the two states for 10 years, even as a bandh in various areas of Andhra Pradesh followed the decision on Friday.

Over two months after the Congress Working Committee put its seal of approval, the Union Cabinet approved the proposal of the Home Ministry for creation of the 29th state and decided to set up a Group of Ministers (GoM) to work out modalities.

"The Cabinet has given its approval for the creation of a new state of Telangana," Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde told reporters after the meeting that lasted more than two hours.

He said it was decided that Hyderabad will be the common capital of the two bifucated states for 10 years.

After the creation of the new state, the security and guarantees including fundamental rights of the people of coastal Andhra, Rayalaseema and Telangana will be ensured, he said.

The Cabinet approved a GoM that will go into the issue of a special financial disbursement that may be required from the central government for the residuary state of Andhra Pradesh, for building its capital and to cater to special needs of the backward regions.

The new state will have a geographical area of 10 of the 23 districts of undivided Andhra Pradesh.

The decision brings to fruition the announcement made by the then Home Minister P Chidambaram on 9th December 2009 for creation of Telangana. 

Muzaffarnagar, September 11: Curfew was on Tuesday relaxed for two hours in three areas of trouble-hit Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh even as the death toll in the clashes in the district and adjoining towns climbed to 38.

With no reports of any fresh violence, curfew was eased for two hours from 3.30 pm in Kotwali, Civil Lines and Nai Nandi areas, district magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma said on Tuesday.

The district administration had clamped curfew on Saturday following incidents of communal violence.

"A total of 38 people have died in various districts of western UP with 32 deaths in Muzaffarnagar", Home Secretary Kamal Saxena told PTI in Lucknow when asked about communal violence over the last three days.

While two deaths have been reported from Meerut, one each has been reported from Hapur, Baghpat, Saharanpur and Shamli, he said, adding that 81 people have been injured in these districts and 366 people have been arrested. The Home Secretary claimed that the situation was under control.

Sending out a stern warning, U P Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said, "The state government would deal strictly with all those who have tried to create communal chasm and harm the atmosphere of Muzaffarnagar and Uttar Pradesh."

"It would be our efforts that communal amity is strengthened and the areas where situation has been brought under control no new incidents are allowed to take place", he told reporters after a state cabinet meeting here which took stock of the recent developments.

"We have got information that many people have left there homes and villages and collected elsewhere and they have to return...it would be my appeal that brotherhood should remain intact", he said.

Curfew remained in force in other areas. Army patrolled the troubled areas in Muzaffarnagar, Shamli and Meerut, Saxena said.

Prohibitory orders are being enforced strictly and a close watch is being maintained on mischievous elements, he said.

Security has been stepped up in sensitive Bareilly district following communal violence in western districts of Uttar Pradesh.

"Though there is complete calm in the district but apprehending that anti-social elements may try to vitiate the atmosphere, prohibitory orders have been issued and leave of all the policemen cancelled as a precautionary measure", district magistrate Abhishek Prakash said.

In Delhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today announced Rs 2 lakh each to the next of kin of those killed in Muzaffarnagar violence and Rs 50,000 each to those seriously injured.

Singh had on Monday spoken to the chief minister and assured him of all help from the Centre to deal with the situation.

FIRs have been registered against BJP legislative party leader Hukum Singh, MLAs Suresh Rana, Bhartendu, Sangeet Som and former Congress MP Harendra Malik among others for violating prohibitory orders and some of the senior leaders who tried to go to Muzaffarnagar.

A one-member judicial commission headed by retired Justice Vishnu Sahai has been constituted by the state government to probe into the Muzaffarnagar violence and asked to submit its report in two months.

Union Home Ministry asked the state government to send Muzaffarnagar situation report every 12 hours. It also asked the state government to deploy enough forces in rural areas in the district where violence is yet to be contained.

Authorities cancelled 1,744 arms licenses in Bhorkala, Shahpur, Phugana and ome other areas of the district.

The state government has also shunted out Saharanpur DIG, SSP Muzaffarnagar and SP Shamli. Violence-hit Muzaffarnagar lies in Saharanpur range. 

New Delhi, September 8: Prime Minister asserts there is nothing to hide on missing coal file issue and further maintained that he will have to factor in certain harsh realities like India being affected by terror before arriving at a final decision on meeting his Pakistani counterpart Nawab Sharif in New York.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh terms Rahul Gandhi as an "ideal choice" for the prime ministership post after the next Lok Sabha polls.

Singh asserted he would be happy to meet Sharif under normal conditions as he had respect for the Pakistani premier, who had said the right things about how India-Pakistan relations should evolve.

"But there are certain harsh realities on the ground. If the terror acts do not stop, if those who voice terrorist thoughts move about freely, if there is no significant progress in bringing the culprits of the Mumbai massacre to book - that I have to factor in before arriving at a final decision," he said on Saturday.

The uncertainty surrounding a Singh-Sharif meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York later this month comes against the backdrop of 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Mohammad Saeed not being brought to justice in Pakistan and moving around freely in that country, and also the lack of progress in the Mumbai attacks trial in Islamabad.

Singh was talking to reporters on board a special Air India plane on his return home after attending the G20 summit in the Russian city of St Petersburg.

He was asked about the possibility of meeting Sharif amid mounting speculation on this issue and a view in the country that he should avoid meeting his Pakistani counterpart.

The BJP has voiced its opposition to any meeting between Singh and Sharif.

"I have always maintained that we can choose our friends, but we have no choice with regard to our neighbours. And therefore, under normal conditions, I would be happy to meet with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, whom I respect, who has said the right things about how relations between our two countries should evolve," he said.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister said he was very sad to hear of the killing of prominent Bengali writer Sushmita Banerjee by the Taliban in Afghanistan and described her as a noble person.

"It is a very sad development. She was living in Afghanistan for a long number of years. She was engaged in very important social work. So I feel very sad that such a noble person should have been the victim of the Taliban's wrath," he said.

Singh said the incident showed that Afghanistan is still plagued by the Taliban menace.

"The government and people of Afghanistan, ultimately, will have to make up their minds whether the Taliban philosophy, particularly with regard to the role of women in society, is the theme which should decide their approach to life," he said. 

Moscow, September 5: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reached Russia where he will attend the two day G20 summit which begins on Thursday and that is expected to focus on minimizing the external impact when major developed countries gradually phase out fiscal stimulus.

The two day summit is expected to focus on minimizing the external impact when major developed countries gradually phase out fiscal stimulus.

This would cause volatile capital flows into emerging markets and put pressures on their currencies.

The G20 leaders would also deliberate on issues like stimulus in Euro zone, and quota reforms at multilateral institutions.

Dr. Singh has attended all previous G20 summits since the first meet in Washington in 2008. He is due to return on Saturday.

The main theme of the 8th G20 summit is starting a new cycle of growth through quality jobs and investment, trust and transparency and effective regulation.

The past summits were held in Washington, London, Pittsburgh, Toronto, Seoul, Cannes and Los Cabos.

Besides India, the G20 comprises Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the UK, the US and the European Union. 

New Delhi, August 26: Fighting legal battle in courts has become so expensive that it has gone beyond the reach of a poor man, the Supreme Court said while expressing concern over the legal profession getting commercialised rapidly.

Virtually holding a mirror to itself, the apex court said that judicial proceeding is so slow that people in the country are convinced that a case would not finish in their lifetime.

"In the present era, the legal profession, once known as a noble profession, has been converted into a commercial undertaking. Litigation has become so expensive that it has gone beyond the reach and means of a poor man.

"For a long time, the people of the nation have been convinced that a case would not culminate during the life time of the litigant and is beyond the ability of astrologer to anticipate his fate," a bench of justices B S Chauhan and S A Bobde said.

Observing that lawyers are equal partners with judges in the administration of justice, the apex court said, "Advocates cannot behave with doubtful scruples or strive to thrive on litigation."

It also said wilful disregard for litigants' interest by a lawyer is reprehensible and unbefitting for an advocate.

"Law is no trade, briefs no merchandise. An advocate being an officer of the court has a duty to ensure smooth functioning of the court. He has to revive the person in distress and cannot exploit the helplessness of innocent litigants.

"A wilful and callous disregard for the interests to the client may in a proper case be characterised as conduct unbefitting an advocate."

The apex court also frowned upon the "multi-tier operation of one lawyer hauling a client and then acting as a facilitator for some other lawyer to draw proceedings or engage another lawyer for arguing a case is definitely an unchartered and unofficial system which cannot be accepted as in essence, it tantamount to a trap for litigants which is neither ethically nor professionally a sound practice," it said.

"Such conduct is ridiculously low from what is expected of a lawyer," it added. The court made the observations while pulling up an advocate on record for "lending" his signature, for consideration, to a petition filed in the top court and thereafter not even once appearing in the case.

Advocates on record are those lawyers who alone are eligible to file cases in the apex court. An advocate on record (AOR) is not a "guest artist" who lends his signature to a petition, the bench said, adding, "Such an attitude tantamount to cruelty in the most crude form towards the innocent litigant. In our humble opinion, conduct of such AOR is certainly unbecoming of an AOR."

New Delhi, August 26: The Food Security Bill is likely to be taken up for discussion in Lok Sabha on Monday, even as AIADMK said it will oppose the bill in its present form.

"The House will function tomorrow (Saturday). But a large of members and leaders have stated that they are going to be away...Many members and leaders want to speak on the Food Security Bill," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath told reporters outside Parliament House on Friday.

"So they have requested the Speaker that the Food Security Bill should not be taken up tomorrow, but on Monday. So the Bill will be taken up on Monday," he added.

Asked about extension of the session beyond 30th August when it is scheduled to end, the Minister said Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs will meet soon to decide on the issue.

On Friday, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar suspended 12 MPs from Andhra Pradesh for five days over disruption of House proceedings following protests over creation of Telangana and Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day.

The Speaker took the decision after consulting all party leaders earlier in the day.

Jaipur, August 25: Rajasthan Police is set to leave for Ahmedabad to interrogate self-styled godman Asaram Bapu after another team, which had been sent to Chhindwara Gurukul where the girl, who has accused him of sexual exploitation, has been studying, gathered some vital evidences.

"We have got some vital evidences from the Gurukul and now we are planning to send the team to Ahmedabad to interrogate Bapu. He may be brought here," said a police official, adding that it is not yet confirmed that when this team would leave.

"It may be on Sunday after the team from Chhindwara is back," the official informed.

Till now, the police has verified that the victim and her parents along with Bapu were present in the ashram on 14th and 15th August the spiritual guru had left the ashram on 16th August.

"Both in the basis of the statement of the girl and the call details, we have so far got the evidence that they were together in the ashram and now we are proceeding in the direction of collecting evidence that the girl was actually sick for past some time and that she was sexually exploited by Bapu in the name of anushthan," the official added.

An FIR was lodged against Asaram for allegedly raping the 15-year-old girl in his ashram. However, a spokesperson of his ashram claimed the Asaram was innocent and was being implicated.

The controversial spiritual guru had earlier been in the news when two children living in his ashram in Gujarat had gone missing and were suspected to have been killed.

Agra, August 25: Setting the stage for a confrontation with the Uttar Pradesh government, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) inaugurated its controversial yatra from Ayodhya on Sunday, amidst a massive crackdown launched by the administration, in which over 500 people, including a former BJP MP and a sitting MLA, have been arrested till now.

Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas Committee Chairman Mahant Nritya Gopaldas kick-started the yatra from Maniram Chawani (akhada) in Ayodhya but was briefly detained by the police.

"We have inaugurated the yatra. But this yatra should not be politicised. It is carried out all 12 months (not time bound)," Gopaldas said.

Ahead of the start of the yatra, former BJP MP Ram Vilas Vedanti and sitting MLA Ram Chandra Yadav were arrested early Sunday morning.

Vedanti was arrested around 7 am when he had left his house here for the parikrama, police said, adding MLA Ram Chandra Yadav was also arrested.

"Over 500 persons going to participate in the yatra have been arrested from across the state, where tight security arrangements are in place to prevent the proposed yatra. Anyone going for the yatra will be arrested as it has been banned by the government," ADG, Law and Order Arun Kumar said.

Asked about the possible arrest of VHP leader Ashok Singhal, who will reach Lucknow from Delhi, Kumar said Singhal would be taken into custody if he plans to go to Ayodhya, otherwise he is free to go anywhere.

The 300-km-long procession began even as it has been banned by the Uttar Pradesh government and a petiton against the ban, dismissed by a Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court.

A curfew-like situation is prevailing in the town as shops have been shut and Naya Ghat area has been cordoned off, under high security arrangenments. In massive security set up, the Akhilesh Yadav administration has cut off all access to the ghats and, starting Sunday, all of Ayodhya and its twin town Faizabad, are out of bounds for the VHP.

Senior VHP leader Praveen Togadia said that he has reached Ayodhya last night by road and will take out the yatra.

Prominent among those arrested by the state police include Savitri Bai Phule, VHP's provincial coordinator Acharya Kushmuni and Mahant Santosh Das alias Sathu Baba, a VHP office bearer in Varanasi while prominent VHP leader Mahant Ram Saran Das was held at Ram Sanehi Ghat in Ayodhya.

In Amethi, peethdheshwar of Sagra Ashram Abhay Chaitanya Mauni Mahraj was also put under house arrest as a precautionary measure.

A team led by the Faizabad DM and SSP had yesterday carried out searches at VHP's local headquarter Karsewak Puram, Mani Ram Chawni, the temple of VHP leader and president of Ram Janam Bhumi Trust, Mahant Nritya Gopal Das and about half a dozen suspected hideouts of VHP's activists in and around Ayodhya.

Temporary jails have been set up by the government in districts including Faizabad (10), Barabanki,(12), Bahraich (16), Basti (2), Gonda (3) and Ambedkarnagar (5), which lie in the yatra route.

The state government had banned the yatra, stating it would not allow to set any new tradition. Such parikrama was never organised in the past 50 years and as per Hindu belief it is performed in "Chaitra" month (April) of the Hindu calender which has already passed.

The VHP, however, got support from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). 

New Delhi, August 22: Not ruling out the "sabotage" angle behind explosions on Navy's destroyed submarine INS Sindhurakshak, Defence Minister A K Antony on Thursday said the incident has cast a shadow on the force's capability to safeguard country's maritime interests.

Giving clarifications in the Rajya Sabha on the August 14 submarine accident, he said the Navy has also ordered a study to assess the status of weapons on board the sunk submarine in view of fear of any further explosion during salvage operations.

"The Navy has ordered a Board of Inquiry (BoI) and it has started with all seriousness. Its terms of reference is to look into all aspects of causes of this incident will be examined by it. Nothing is ruled out. All likely aspects would be examined by the BoI," Antony said.

Several members including Chandan Mitra (BJP) and Naresh Agrawal (SP) sought to know if sabotage was one of the reasons behind the accident which took place on the eve of Independence Day.

The Defence Minister said at the moment, "We cannot say conclusively about the exact cause of the incident. Our armed forces work on war footing on these aspects and they are also anxious on this issue."

The Minister said of the 18 personnel on board the sunken vessel, bodies of eight had been found till yesterday and they have been sent to the Naval hospital for postmortem.

"Death certificates of eight bodies cite extensive burns as the cause of death."

He said five international and Indian companies are involved in surveying the vessel for salvage and after the vessel is dewatered and brought up, the team of Russian experts would be involved in the investigations.

New Delhi, August 22: Lok Sabha adjourned for the day on Thursday amid pandemonium after Government moved a motion for the suspension of 11 MPs, including seven from the Congress and four from the Telugu Desam Party, from Andhra Pradesh for disrupting the house.

The protesting MPs not only raised slogans against the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh with banners in their hands but also rushed to the well of the Lok Sabha and tried to remove the mike from the Speaker's table.

They kept on shouting "we want justice".

This came during Zero hour when missing coal block allocation files issue had already dominated the proceedings.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath moved a motion to suspend seven Congress and four TDP members for "disturbing the proceedings regularly" since the beginning of the Monsoon session from 5th August.

Moving the motion, Nath said, "Unfortunately the House has not been able to function since the beginning of this session in light of the protests by these members."

Nath brought the motion as TDP members were in the Well protesting division of Andhra Pradesh, repeating the scenes witnessed ever since the session began.

Immediately, members of almost the entire opposition were on their feet, vociferously protesting the motion.

Kalyan Banerjee (TMC) stormed the Well as several members angrily shouted "no, no" in disapproval of the motion.

N Sivaprasad, an agitating TDP member who was in the Well and is among those named by Nath, took out a whip while his party colleague M Venugopala Reddy tried to pull down microphones on the Speaker's podium.

Later, a Congress member who was among those named also stormed the Well along with his agitating party colleagues. He too tried to pull down the microphones. However, alert Lok Sabha staff prevented it.

In the midst of ruckus, Speaker Meira Kumar adjourned the House at around 12:15 PM for nearly 30 minutes.

When the House reassembled, it was adjourned for the day as commotion continued.

However, Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj protested against the move demanding a vote on the resolution saying the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is in favour of smaller states like Telangana.

She asked for division of votes on the motion moved by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath.

TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu spoke to his Parliamentary Party leader Nama Nageshwara Rao on the motion of suspension moved by Kamal Nath.

The decision on the motion is still awaited.

In the process, consideration of the much-touted Food Security Bill, slated to be taken up on Thursday, was again scuttled.

The Land Acquisition Bill, another crucial legislation was also listed on the day's agenda.

New Delhi, August 21: In a subtle show of strength to China, the IAF landed on Tuesday, its C-130J Super Hercules transport plane at the world's highest and recently-activated Daulat Beg Oldie airstrip in Ladakh near the Line of Actual Control, the scene of a stand-off with Chinese troops in April this year.

The achievement will enable the armed forces to use the heavy-lift aircraft to induct troops, supplies, improve communication network and also serve as a morale booster for maintenance of troops positioned there.

"A C-130J Super Hercules landed at DBO, the highest airstrip in the world at 0654 hours today. The Commanding Officer, Group Captain Tejbir Singh and the crew of the 'Veiled Vipers' along with senior officer touched down on the DBO airstrip located at 16614 feet (5065 meters) in the Aksai Chin area," the IAF informed.

The airfield was reactivated by the IAF in 2008 with the landing of an Antonov-32 aircraft there from Chandigarh after it was last used in the 1965 war with Pakistan.

"Once again this strategic base in the Northern Himalayas gained importance when it was resurrected and reactivated by the IAF along with the Indian Army and made operational when a twin engine AN-32 aircraft from Chandigarh landed there after a gap of 43 years (in 2008)," the IAF added.

The decision to deploy the C-130J, which is capable of lifting upto 20 tonnes of load, was taken by the IAF considering the lower load carrying capability of AN-32s and helicopters.

New Delhi, August 21: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called upon political parties to unite against divisive forces which try to spread communalism, on the occasion of Sadbhavana Diwas in New Delhi.

Dr Singh said there is a need to ensure communal forces do not create a divide in the society.

He was addressing a gathering on the occasion of Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavna Award ceremony.

On the occasion, the Sadbhavna Award was conferred on Sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan for his immense contribution in promoting communal harmony, peace and goodwill.

Prime Minister said, "As you all know, this award is instituted in the memory of our late Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi. Rajiv Gandhi devoted his entire life in empowering our society. He knew it very well that our country would develop if we are ready to accept other's religion, language and ideology and respect it. Rajiv Gandhi’s contribution in the discovery of Modern and progressive India will always inspire us".

Sonia launches the food security programme

The ambitious Food Security programme scheme is launched by UPA Chairperson and Congress President Sonia Gandhi in the presence of Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit at a function in Talkotara Stadium in New Delhi.

Sonia Gandhi, while flagging-off the scheme at a function in Talkatora Stadium, said that nearly 80 crore people in Delhi will benefit from Food Security scheme.

The Congress chief further said that after the launch of the scheme "no poor person will go hungry," adding that "We have to be responsible for the poor now ."

The scheme will be beneficial to 6.27 lakh living Below Poverty Line (BPL), Above Poverty Line (APL) card holders and Jhughi Ration Card (JRC) holders and beneficiaries under Antodaya Anna Yojna (AAY).

Calling the scheme as Rajiv Gandhi's dream, she said, "It was his dream that is taking shape today."

The Food Security Bill, expected to be a game-changer for the ruling Congress, aims to provide subsidised foodgrain at prices much below the market rate to around 67 percent of India's 1.2 billion people; the bill would thus benefit about 800 million people.

The bill, part of the Congress manifesto for the 2009 polls, is expected to bring electoral benefits, just as the rural job plan, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, is credited with the second term that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) won in the 2009 polls.

The bill will cost the government around Rs.1,24,723 crore and will entail an additional burden of only Rs.23,800 crore, the Congress has said.

The Food Security Bill was first introduced in Parliament in Dec 2011.

It remained with a standing committee for a year, before it was taken to the Lok Sabha for consideration and passing in the budget session that ended May 8.

Haryana and Uttarakhand have also rolled out the Food Security programme on the occasion of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's 69th birth Anniversary.

The identified beneficiaries will start getting highly subsidised food grains from the 1st of next month.

Haryana Chief Minister Bhupender Singh Hooda launched the Food Security programme at Panipat, whereas other Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries launched the scheme in their respective constituencies.

In Uttarakhand, the Centre-Sponsored Food Security Scheme has been launched by the State Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna in Dehradun.

New Delhi, August 20: Amid speculation that the Food Security Bill will be pushed in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, the birth anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi, government said it would accept all workable amendments.

Amid a large number of amendments from the opposition, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath merely said government is willing to accept those amendments which are workable.

"We are looking at this situation that if it is an amendment which is workable, the government will move that amendment. It will come in as an official amendment," parliamentary affairs minister Kamal Nath told reporters outside Parliament House on Monday when asked about 200-odd amendments.
Emerging from a meeting convened by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi of ministers related to the rollout and implementation of the food security law, Nath also said Speaker Meira Kumar will take a decision on Tuesday morning on what should be done about the protests by TDP MPs on Telangana issue.

Opposition leaders have been insisting that no bill should be passed in the din and that it wanted to participate in the discussion on the Food Bill.
The meeting convened by the Prime Minister was attended by food minister KV Thomas, women and child development minister Krishna Tirath, rural development minister Jairam Ramesh, HRD minister MM Pallam Raju and finance minister P Chidambaram.

The meeting discussed the various amendments moved by the parties.
"We discussed the various amendments moved by the parties as to which all can be accepted so that the bill can be passed easily," Nath said adding no politics should be involved in the measure.

New Delhi, August 20: Government on Tuesday introduced two important bills in the Lok Sabha related to formation of a civil aviation authority for administration and regulation of civil aviation safety and to establish and incorporate a university in Uttar Pradesh to provide for avenues of higher education and research facilities to the women.

Minister of State Civil Aviation K C Venugopal introduced the Civil Aviation Authority of India bill amid din caused by legislators demanding United Andhra.

Speaker Meira Kumar allowed the introduction with a voice vote.

Soon after, HRD Minister M M Pallam Raju introduced the Indira Gandhi national university for women bill in the house.

Later the house was adjourned till 11:30 am, after resuming business the again adjourned for 12:00 noon.

The Rajya Sabha was adjourned for ten minutes soon after its start till 11:20 AM amid demands of reservation by JMM MP Sanjeev Kumar to introduce one community into the OBC fold.

When the house resumed coal minister Sriprakash Jaiswal made a statement in Rajya Sabha with regard to missing files related to coal block allocation issue.

Jaiswal said that CBI has registered a case in the matter and is investigating it.

However opposition led by BJP demanded a statement by the Prime Minister and amid uproar caused by them, the chair adjourned the house till 12 noon.

BJP also raised the issue of coal block allocation missing files issue in Lok Sabha. Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj demanded statement by the Prime Minister and not by the coal minister.

Srinagar, August 19:The last batch of Amarnath pilgrims to the holy cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayaswill start from the Nunwan base camp on Monday, subject to favourable weather conditions.

"Subject to fair weather conditions, the last batch of yatris from the Pahalgam Route shall be allowed to cross the Chandanwari access control gate up to 11 AM tomorrow," P P Singh, Additional Chief Executive Officer of Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB), said in a statement on Sunday.

He said the last batch of yatris from the shorter Baltal route shall be allowed to cross the access control gate at Domel up to 9 AM on the last day of the yatra on Wednesday.

"However, the yatris who prefer to travel by helicopters to Panjtarni shall be allowed to take heli-flights up to 9 AM on August 21 from the Baltal and Pahalgam heli bases," he added.

The annual Amarnath yatra began on 28th June this year and so far over 3.50 lakh pilgrims have performed darshan of the naturally formed ice-lingam of Lord Shiva in the 3880-metre high cave shrine.

The yatra will conclude on 21st August, coinciding with Raksha Bandhan festival.

New Delhi, August 19: Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day while Rajya Sabha resumed its session after it was called off twice on Monday during Question Hour as SP members stalled proceedings, demanding special status for Uttar Pradesh while Left parties raised the issue of rising onion prices.

After Chairman Hamid Ansari made obituary references to passing away of former members Dilip Singh Judev and S M Laljan Basha and mourned the death of Navy personnel in a submarine accident, members of BJP, SP and Left parties sprang to their feet.

Ansari asked members to speak one by one and allowed M Venkaiah Naidu (BJP) to make his submission. Naidu said files pertaining to coal block allocation have gone missing and it was a serious issue. Ansari then asked him to raise the issue during Zero Hour.

As BJP members took their seats, SP members stood up demanding special status and an economic package for Uttar Pradesh. Samajwadi Party is the ruling party in UP.

"Uttar Pradesh ko vishesh rajya ka darja do (give special status to Uttar Pradesh)," they shouted.

Left MPs too were up on their feet carrying banners seeking check on spiralling onion prices.

Ansari asked members to resume their places so that Question Hour could be taken up. He asked them not to show
posters.

As his request went unheeded, Ansari adjourned the House for 15 minutes. When the House reassembled, SP members were again on their feet demanding special status for Uttar Pradesh.
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajeev Shukla tried to calm the agitating members saying a committee constituted by the government to decide on criteria for special status to states is yet to submit its report.

He said any decision would be taken only after the committee submits its report. SP members, however, kept raising slogans, forcing Ansari to adjourn the House till noon.

Mumbai, August 17: Bodies of five naval personnel got recovered from INS Sindhurakshak while efforts are on to rescue possible survivors and the Navy said DNA test will be conducted to ascertain identity of the bodies.

Battling the odds, divers from the Navy continued their search for more bodies on board submarine INS Sindhurakshak without any success but managed to open a second access to the sunken vessel during an overnight "challenging but critical" operation.

The rescue team had extricated badly charred bodies of five of the 18 personnel trapped in the craft on Friday after gruelling efforts as naval authorities voiced worst fears that others on board might have been incinerated too.

"The divers have gained a second access to the submarine late last night when they successfully prised open the rear
escape hatch which was submerged below and jammed due to high
temperature," a release from the Navy said, terming the operation as "challenging but critical."

Also, opening of the jammed forward escape hatch is being attempted for an entry to the front portion of the submarine, it said.

Sources said the Navy divers are carrying out the task of searching within the submarine by "feeling each inch" due to zero visibility within flooded compartments to locate the missing bodies and mark a probable route to be used for further rescue operations.

The identification of the five bodies recovered so far is being given high priority and all means including DNA
profiling is being carried out, a Defence spokesman said.

Doctors at the state-run J J Hospital have completed post-mortem on the bodies recovered from the submarine.

"DNA samples and dental marks have been taken (to ascertain identity)," said an official, adding all these will
 be sent for forensic analysis.

Doctors have opined that prima facie the cause of death was burning and drowning. However, other details will be known only after receiving the forensic report, the sources said.

New Delhi, August 17: Giving an impetus to its various skill development progs targeting youth, the Centre said one young member of each village household that has completed 100 days of work under the rural job scheme will be provided skill and placement support.

Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh made this announcement in the presence of Finance Minister P Chidambaram and Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia during the launch of the National Skill Certification and Monetary Reward Scheme in New Delhi on Friday.

Every year roughly about four and a half crore households get employment under MNREGA and young members of roughly eight to nine percent of families that have crossed 100 days of work will be eligible for government's new skill development cum placement activity.

"About eight per cent of the households at a national level have crossed the 100 day limit of employment under MNREGA and we have now decided is one youth of that household which has 100 days, which is obviously poor and very distressed, and we will provide the skill cum placement support to youth coming from that household," Ramesh said on Friday.

He said the number of households involved in MNREGA work is very very substantial and "this is going to provide further impetus to skill development" as objective of such programmes is to make rural youth eligible to enter the stream of migration.

Narrating the features of the skill development programmes coming under Ministry's flagship schemes Aajeevika, Ramesh said, "It is very much part of the national skill mission although it is not seen to be so."

"But it is an integral part of national skill mission. We are stressing not numbers, or targets but we are stressing quality and employment and sustainability of the employment," he said about Aajeevika skill development programmes like "Himayat" in Jammu and Kashmir and "Roshni" in Maoist-affected districts of Jharkhand, Odisha and Chhattisgarh.

Srinagar, August 15: Curfew remained in force in Kishtwar, which witnessed communal strife recently, for the sixth consecutive day on Wednesday while it was relaxed in seven other districts of Jammu region for varying periods.

No untoward incident was reported from anywhere in the region and the curfew-relaxation period passed off peacefully, Divisional Commissioner Shantu Manu told reporters on Wednesday night.

Curfew would be lifted in seven districts on Thursday following improvement in the situation while it would be relaxed in the morning in violence-torn Kishtwar, he said.

The day curfew in border district of Samba was lifted today, police said adding the Army, called out to help the civil administration, had been withdrawn.

Day curfew was also withdrawn from Sunderbani border town in Rajouri district.

The curfew was relaxed for three to eight hours in Jammu (south), Rajouri, Bhaderwah, Udhampur, Reasi, Billawar, Bani, Basholi, Kathua and Sunderbani, police said. But restrictions continued in the old city and eastern areas of Jammu, in parts of Rajouri town, at Thathri and in Gandoh area in Doda district.

No relaxation in curfew was given in Kishtwar where communal clashes broke out on August nine and spread to other districts. Internet services for mobile phone and wi-fi users remained suspended for the fourth day today across Jammu and Kashmir.

Internet speeds for broadband services, too, were reduced with a view to checking the upload of objectionable material on social networking sites, officials said.

Three persons were killed and a total of 68 shops, seven hotels and 35 vehicles damaged during the communal violence in Kishtwar.

New Delhi, August 15: On the occasion of 67th independence day of the Country, Prime Minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh unfurled the tricolour at the rampart of the Red Fort in Delhi.

Dr. Singh addressed the nation after flag hoisting ceremony.

Doordarshan and All India Radio telecasted and broadcasted the entire ceremony live in their respective channels.

In his Independence speech Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh first of all condoled the lives lost in Uttarakhand tragedy and saluted the brave heroes who sacrificed their lives during the rescu Operations in Uttrakhand nearly two month ago.

Dr. Singh assured that rehabilation and rebuilding of damaged infrastructure in Uttrakhand will be restored soon.

Dr. Singh expressed his grief and pain over the INS Sindhurakshak accident in which 18 brave sailors feared to have lost their lives.

Dr. Singh expressed his confidence that the Food Security Bill cuirrently under discussion in the parliament will be passed and will become a law.

The Law will benefit 81 crore indians in a hope to achieve hunger free India.

In his Red fort speech Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh assured about reforms in Midday Meal Scheme which benefits 11 crore school children of the country.

Referrig to the Bihar Mid Day Meal tragidy Prime Minister Dr. Singh emphasized that the Bihar tragedy is not repeated anywhere in the country.

Earlier, Prime Minister Dr. Manamohan Singh went to Rajghat to pay to the Father of the Nation Mahatama Gandhi.