Unsure of how to audit the flagship MGNREGA, as suggested by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, the rural development ministry has decided to take the issue in public domain.

The highest individual final compensation for the Mangalore air-crash is likely to be `2.8 crores to the family of a wealthy Gulf-based businessman who died in the crash, senior government sources have told this newspaper. The second-highest compensation amount is likely to be `1.6 crores to the family of a software engineer who also died in the crash, sources said.

In the midst of a controversial satellite deal with a private company, Isro on Friday announced that it was planning another moon mission jointly with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory of the US.

A special team of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday brought former OC chairman Suresh Kalmadi’s aide Shekhar Deorukhar to Delhi from Pune on transit remand. Mr Shekkar, who was on Thursday arrested in Pune, was produced in a Delhi court and sent to further CBI custody for five days, which the CBI has stated was necessary for the accused’s interrogation.

It was an innocent mistake, but one which caused external affairs minister S.M. Krishna embarrassment. Addressing the UN Security Council in New York on Friday, the minister inadvertently began reading from the wrong text and realised his error only after a few minutes into his speech.

Will corruption be an issue in the coming Assembly elections in five states? The reports coming to New Delhi are mixed suggesting that local factors, incumbency and image of candidates would matter more in the electoral battle.

Alleging that scandals and scams to the tune of `58,000 crores had taken place in the Northeast, the BJP on Saturday demanded a time-bound probe into it.
Attacking Congress president Sonia Gandhi, BJP chief Nitin Gadkari said: “Sonia Gandhi had made tall promises against corruption. They are so hollow that not only are the Central leaders corrupt, even the chief ministers of Congress-ruled states are making money.”

The running feud between the CPI(M) and Trinamul Congress has once again landed at the doorstep of the home ministry with chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee writing to Union home minister P. Chidambaram about alleged Trinamul-Maoist linakages.

In a first, the department of post’s (DoP) postal stamp made of khadi was unveiled at the ongoing philatelic exhibition, “Indipex 2011”, inaugurated by President Pratibha Patil on Saturday. The World Philatelic Exhibition began on Saturday at the Hamsadhwani Theatre at Pragati Maidan. The week-long exhibition will showcase some of the

Four persons, allegedly involved in the robbery of a van carrying mobile phones that was reported from Paschim Vihar in west Delhi on February 1, have been arrested by the crime branch of the Delhi police. The police has recovered 57 cartons having more than 2,850 cellular phones, valued at over `1 crore, from the accused. According to