Urging states to strengthen PDS to enable the government insulate the poor from inflation’s adverse impact, finance minister Pranab Mukherjee maintained “some inflationary pressure” will remain in a growing economy.

A day after the outlawed Ulfa rebels threatened a Congress leader, Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi on Tuesday presented a brave front by asserting that the ruling party was not afraid of Ulfa threat.

If the JPC demand over the 2G spectrum scam led to the wash-out of the last Winter Session of Parliament, it looks like the Telangana issue is all set to dominate the current Budget Session.

The Comptroller-and-Auditor-General (CAG) has now questioned the Uttar Pradesh government for servicing debt with borrowed funds.
In a recent report of CAG (state finances and civil) for 2008-09 tabled in the ongoing state Assembly’s Budget Session, it said almost 97 per cent of borrowed funds were used for discharging debt liabilities in the last two years.

Taking advantage of the circumstances in which the DMK is placed, Congress has upped the ante in seat-sharing negotiations and has demanded 90 seats for the forthcoming Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu. Besides that, the Congress has insisted on power-sharing, formation of a coordination committee and drawing up a common minimum programme for a five-year period, according to sources.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi will reconstitute the AICC before Prime Minister Manmohan Singh restructures the Cabinet. This was indicated by the party here on Tuesday.

Among the 63 people acquitted in the Godhra verdict on Monday, there is Maulvi Umarji who was arrested as the kingpin and main conspirator of the Godhra train carnage. The SIT had also dubbed him the main conspirator.

The BJP on Tuesday said the special court verdict on Godhra train burning case has “vindicated” its stand that there was a conspiracy behind it. Accusing the UPA government of trying to cover up the entire episode, the party claimed the court verdict has “exposed the nefarious designs” of the UPA government. The Congress however, declined to comment on the verdict.

The dream of a US couple has turned into reality as a Delhi court allowed them to adopt a girl child from India. The couple has a biological son from the wedlock and due to medical problems their chances of having second biological child are remote. The US couple was keen to have a sister for their four-year-old son.
The US couple — Jason Keith Jones and Jennifer Jones — got married in 2000 and were blessed with a son in 2006.

The Jamia Millia Islamia vice-chancellor has hailed the decision of conferring the status of minority institution on the university which will now have to be more responsible in preserving its secular character. “There are over 50 per cent Muslims studying in the university, so the ruling is not going to change much as far as the configuration is concerned,” vice-chancellor Najeeb Jung said.