Varanasi blast mastermind arrested

      Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh police today revealed that among the six arrested was Wali Ullah, the mastermind of the March 7 twin blasts that rocked the temple town of Varanasi. All the militants belonged to the Bangladesh-based Harkat-ul- Jehadi-Islamia (HuJi) and Pakistan based Jaish-e-Mohammad. Wali Ullah and his co-conspirators were arrested in Lucknow, Allahabad, Moradabad and West Bengal. Earlier reports said that six militants belonging to the Lashkar- e-Toiba (LeT) outfit had been nabbed in connection with the Varanasi blasts. The blasts at the Sankat Mochan temple and the Varanasi Cantonment Railway Station killed 20 people and injured over 50 others. Temple-studded Varanasi, 670 km (415 miles) from New Delhi, is located on the banks of the Ganges in Uttar Pradesh.

Notification for Pondicherry polls (Go To Top)

       Pondicherry: The Election Commission today issued a notification for the first phase pf polls in the Union Territory of Pondicherry. As per the notification, the last date for receiving nominations is April 12. In the 30-member assembly, Mahe, a commune of Pondicherry in Tamil Nadu has two constituencies - Mahe and Palloor while Yanam in Andhra Pradesh has only one division. Scrutiny of nomination papers for Yanam will be held on April 13 and for Mahe and Palloor constituencies it will commenced on April 15. The deadline set for the withdrawal of nominations is April 15 for Yanam and in the two constituencies of Mahe, it is April 17. Elections for the 30 seats in Pondicherry will be held in two phases. For the remaining 27 seats, elections will be held on May 8. The entire electoral process will be completed by May 20.

Minority Institutions Bill enacted (Go To Top)

      New Delhi: The National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (Amendment) Bill, 2006 has been enacted. With the President signing the legislation, as passed by Parliament, on March 28, 2006 and its publication in the Gazette of India, it has come into force as Act No.18 of 2006, an official release here said. The legislation empowers the Central Government to set up the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions. The Commission fulfils the Government's commitment in meeting the aspirations of the minority communities in regard to their educational rights under the Constitution. The minority educational institutions can now seek affiliation to any university of their choice subject to the Acts, Statutes, Ordinances, Rules and Regulations of the concerned University. Under the Act, the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions has appellate jurisdiction when any academic institution refuses to grant no-objection certificate for setting up a minority educational institution. It also empowers the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions to investigate complaints regarding deprivation or violation of rights of minorities to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice. It can resolve disputes relating to the affiliation of minority educational institutions to a University. The Act enables the Commission to decide on all questions relating to the status of any institution as a minority educational institution. Under the Act, the Commission can utilise the services of any officer of the Central Government or any State Government with their approval for the purpose of conducting investigation relating to complaints received by the Commission. The Act bars the jurisdiction of courts, except the Supreme Court or High Courts, to entertain any suit, application or other proceedings in respect of the Commission's orders.

Afghanistan President Karzai coming (Go To Top)

      New Delhi: Afghan President Hamid Karzai will pay a state visit to India from April 9 to April 12. He will be accompanied by ten ministers and ministerial-level advisers in addition to members of the Afghan National Assembly and a high-level business delegation. During his four-day stay he will visit Delhi and Hyderabad. In Delhi, President Karzai will call on President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam and also hold talks with Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and other dignitaries. New Delhi and Kabul are expected to sign Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) on - Rural Development, Education Exchange Programme. A MoU on Standardisation between Bureau of Indian Standards and Afghan National Standardisation Authority is also to be signed. Karzai will on April 10, attend along with the business delegation, a joint business meeting hosted by FICCI, CII and ASSOCHAM. He will also inaugurate the first ever Festival of Afghanistan in India at the Ashok Hotel on April 11. At Hyderabad, Karzai would visit the Hi-Tech City, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) Limited, National Remote Sensing Agency and a rural development project organised by National Institute of Rural Development. Earlier, Karzai had visited India in February 2002 as Chairman of Interim Administration, in March 2003 as President of Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan, in February 2005 as President of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh had last visited Afghanistan in August 2005.

Saudi Arabia releases Indian prisoner (Go To Top)

     New Delhi: Abdul Lateef Noushad, the Indian national who was given a royal pardon by Saudi monarch, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz and escaped the 'eye-for-an-eye' punishment, was released today. Minister of State for External Affairs, E Ahamed said that Dr Iyad Madani, the Saudi Arabian Communications Ministers informed him in Chicago that Noushad would be released today. A MEA release had said that Noushad would be released at 7:45 pm Saudi Arabian Time and would be sent home on a Bahrain-Mumbai- Thiruvananthapuram flight. Noushad, hailing from Kollam, Kerala had been lodged in a Saudi jail for the past three years after a Shariat court gave an 'eye- for-an-eye' verdict after convicting him of damaging a Saudi national's eye in an altercation. A local court in Dammam, Saudi Arabia had ordered Noushad's eye to be gouged out and given to the victim as a punishment. According to Saudi Arabian law, Noushad's eyes were be gouged out for 'justice' and if he did not agree to it, he would have had to remain imprisoned for the rest of his life. After the matter came to light last year, the Kerala government and the MPs from the state sought the Centre's intervention to save Noushad. The Centre had also dispatched a mercy petitions to the Governor of Dammam and the Governor of Riyadh for looking into the matter. Noushad and his family's plight finally came to an end when King Abdullah, the chief guest at the Republic Day Parade on January 26, granted Noushad a royal pardon.

India will bid for 2016 Olympics: PM (Go To Top)

      New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Wednesday that India would make a bid for hosting the 2014 Asian Games and the 2016 Olympics. Singh, who felicitated the winners of the 18th Commonwealth Games at his official residence, said the government would leave nothing to chance in preparing latent talent in Indian sports. India won 50 medals, including 22 gold at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games, which came to a close on March 26 after 12 days of intense competition, drama and emotion amognst the mostly former British colonies. While Australia dominated on the playing field, winning 84 gold medals and England finished second with 36 gold ahead of Canada (26), India won 22, South Africa won 12 and Scotland won 11. Singh said Indian sportspersons need to be given better incentives and facilities and the government will provide full support to the players.

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