The Centre has asked the Jammu and Kashmir government to take urgent political steps to address the grim law and order situation in the Valley. While rushing additional Central forces to the state, a senior home ministry official observed that Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah needs to be “politically more active”

Less than two months after the Mangalore air crash, the US’ Federal Aviation Agency on Thursday has informed the Indian government that India continues to remain in Category-1 of the FAA’s International Aviation Safety Assessment programme.

Remembering management guru C.K. Prahalad, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Thursday that he believed through innovation and creative entrepreneurship it is possible to create ideas which can change the course of human endeavour.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s top agenda to usher land reforms in the country, especially in tribal areas, has evoked poor response from the states, even the Congress-ruled ones.

Union home minister P. Chidambaram was against any referral of proposed legal changes to tackle “honour killings” to a Group of Ministers, sources said. But speaking to reporters after the meeting, Mr Chidambram said: “The intention is to introduce the bills in the Monsoon Session, and the whole process will be completed before the session ends.”

A sharp escalation in cases of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and strokes has seen the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs take a decision on Thursday to set aside Rs 1,231 crores for diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular diseases for the remaining Eleventh Plan period.

With Bihar elections approaching, the Centre on Thursday set the ball rolling for the setting up of Nalanda University in the state by giving its nod for the presentation of a bill relating to this in the Monsoon Session of Parliament.

In keeping with its promise to further ameliorate the condition of the country’s minorities, particularly Muslims, the government has approved a Rs 500 crore increase in the authorised share capital of the National Minorities Development Finance Corporation.

Iran has offered to sign a bilateral investment protection treaty with India and invited Indian corporates to invest in refineries and power plants that are likely to be disinvested.

Vice-president Mr Hamid Ansari on Thursday asked if the current electoral system encourages a politics defined by “who you are” and “where you live” rather than “what you believe in” and “what you want to achieve”? And what can be done to address the grievance of under-representation and unequal access to political power emanating from the Muslims? The data is compelling and disturbing, he observed.