The fielding of Bhupendra Yadav as the BJP candidate for the Rajya Sabha seat from Rajasthan has triggered a debate on “local vs outsiders” in the state politics.

Medical and health authorities have started screening passengers travelling between India and Pakistan through weekly Thar Express to check Swine Flu.

The 570 descendants of the Nawabs of Tonk in Rajasthan have reason to smile. The state government has given them a big raise in their monthly family allowances, increasing the amount from Rs 100 to Rs 1,000 per month. “The amount is immaterial here, it is a matter of pride for us as it connects us to our heritage,” said Aslam Ali Khan, 70,a descendant of the Tonk royals.

Regular trial for former minister Mahipal Maderna, suspended MLA Malkhan Singh and 14 others, accused in Bhanwari Devi kidnapping and murder case, shifted to SC/ST court in Jodhpur.

Though India termed supersonic cruise missile BrahMos’s testing at its Pokhran firing range as successful, a section of the local media questioned its success and reported that the missile lost track. The local residents said the missile landed on dry grass spreading over 8 to 10 kilometres in the area and it took four hours to control the fire. The police, however, confirmed the incident of fire, but feigned ignorance about the cause.

Though Bharatpur, the eastern gate of Rajasthan, is known for yellow mustard fields and oil production, the extensive sowing of mustard crops has helped in the expansion of apiculture in the district.

The quest for a posting close to her Borunda village, in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur district, led Bhanwari Devi to her first interaction with local politicians. Suspended Congress MLA Malkhan Singh was the first and resulted in an intimate relationship between the two. She was also a victim of child marriage.

The CBI on Wednesday charged former Rajasthan minister Mahipal Maderna and suspended Congress MLA Malkhan Singh with murder, kidnapping and criminal conspiracy in the Bhanwari Devi murder case.

Though the National Commission for Women chairperson, Mamta Sharma, backtracked from her remarks while defining the word sexy, ruling Congress leaders found it difficult to defend her.

National Commission for Women chairperson Mamta Sharma, defining the word “sexy” on Saturday, said girls should not take the word in the wrong way because “sexy means beautiful”.