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Over 1,000 candidates will participate in the second phase of the urban local bodies polls in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, officials said.

The four-phase elections began on October 8 and will end on October 16.

In the first phase polls Monday, threats from militant groups kept a majority of people away from polling booths in Kashmir Valley where the turnout was a paltry 8.3 per cent, whereas over 65 per cent of the electorate voted in the Jammu and Ladakh divisions of the state.

Polling on Monday was by and large peaceful in the four-phase election to urban local bodies, which has been boycotted by two main regional parties -- the National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Officials said Tuesday security arrangements have been put in place for smooth conduct of the second phase elections which will take place from 6&nbsp; 
am to 4 pm.

The second phase will cover a total of 384 wards spanning 13 districts across the state seven of which are in the Valley, officials said.

They said 1,198 nominations were received for these wards and after scrutiny and withdrawal, 1,095 contestants are in the fray for the polls.&nbsp;

Out of 1,095 candidates, 65 have won the polls uncontested, including 61 from Kashmir Valley.

They said no polling will take place at 56 rpt 56 wards in the Valley as no nomination was received.

No nomination was submitted in all 13 wards of Frisal municipal committee of south Kashmir's Kulgam district, while only one nomination was received for 13 wards of Beerwah municipal committee in central Kashmir's Budgam district, officials said.&nbsp;

Frisal, a part of Kulgam Assembly constituency, is represented by lone CPI(M) legislator M Y Tarigami, while Beerwah is represented in the state Assembly by former chief minister and National Conference (NC) vice-president Omar Abdullah.&nbsp;

A police official said security arrangements have been put in place for the smooth conduct of the polls in all the areas were people would vote Wednesday, including in the 20 wards of Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) in the city here.&nbsp;

Over 1,000 candidates will participate in the second phase of the urban local bodies polls in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, officials said. The four-phase elections began on October 8 and will end on October 16.

Over 1,000 candidates will participate in the second phase of the urban local bodies polls in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, officials said. The four-phase elections began on October 8 and will end on October 16. In the first phase polls Monday, threats from militant groups kept a majority of people away from polling booths in Kashmir Valley where the turnout was a paltry 8.3 per cent, whereas over 65 per cent of the electorate voted in the Jammu and Ladakh divisions of the state. Polling on Monday was by and large peaceful in the four-phase election to urban local bodies, which has been boycotted by two main regional parties -- the National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Officials said Tuesday security arrangements have been put in place for smooth conduct of the second phase elections which will take place from 6 am to 4 pm. The second phase will cover a total of 384 wards spanning 13 districts across the state seven of which are in the Valley, officials said. They said 1,198 nominations were received for these wards and after scrutiny and withdrawal, 1,095 contestants are in the fray for the polls. Out of 1,095 candidates, 65 have won the polls uncontested, including 61 from Kashmir Valley. They said no polling will take place at 56 rpt 56 wards in the Valley as no nomination was received. No nomination was submitted in all 13 wards of Frisal municipal committee of south Kashmir's Kulgam district, while only one nomination was received for 13 wards of Beerwah municipal committee in central Kashmir's Budgam district, officials said. Frisal, a part of Kulgam Assembly constituency, is represented by lone CPI(M) legislator M Y Tarigami, while Beerwah is represented in the state Assembly by former chief minister and National Conference (NC) vice-president Omar Abdullah. A police official said security arrangements have been put in place for the smooth conduct of the polls in all the areas were people would vote Wednesday, including in the 20 wards of Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) in the city here.

J&K local polls: Over 1,000 candidates to participate in second phase 

India has said that the UN Security Council needs to be reformed without delay or else it will be left to nurse its self-inflicted wounds of "diminishing relevance" in a world awash with challenges like armed conflicts, terrorism, refugee crises and climate change.

Participating in a General Assembly session on 'Report of the Secretary-General on the Work of the Organisation' on Monday, India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin said the 15-nation council is all about primacy but with little purpose.

"Updating the current architecture of international institutions, which are so out of sync with the modern world, is imperative if new global challenges are to be met. Nowhere is this need for common purpose required more than in reforming the Security Council," Akbaruddin said here.

"We need to fix the flaws. We need to do it before it is too late. We need to do so before the technologies of the future sharpen the conflicts of the past, while the Council remains nursing its self-inflicted wounds of diminishing relevance," he said.

Akbaruddin asserted that nations cannot pose as guardians of a status quo that no longer exists.

"We need to undertake a new journey towards a reformed and reinvigorated multilateral system. Whether we do so or not will determine the destiny of this organisation. It is a decision that all of us who see the benefits of multilateralism will need to take, if we desire to stem the tide against it," he said.

Akbaruddin pointed out that during the recently concluded high-level week of the UN General Assembly, nations heard about pressing global challenges including armed conflicts, terrorism, large movements of peoples fleeing conflicts that are increasingly straining societies, climate change events becoming more regular, environmental challenges becoming more urgent and multiple ailments hamstringing efforts to improve global health.

"We also heard clearly that the uneven impacts of these cataclysmic changes are causing enormous discontent and all this churning is testing multilateralism as never before," he said.

Emphasising that the world is awash with challenges that the current institutional arrangements are ill-equipped to handle, Akbaruddin said new technologies were increasingly changing the nature and dynamics of international conflict.

Cyberwarfare, unmanned aerial drones, and combat robots are just three instances of technological change shaping the future of warfare and raising profound ethical and normative questions, he said.

"Similarly, there is no global approach in dealing with basic issues regarding frontier technologies," he said, questioning that while the internet is becoming ubiquitous, what rights do individuals have to privacy, how should tensions between individual liberties and collective security be mitigated.

Akbaruddin said that neither the General Assembly was addressing developmental and normative aspects nor was the Security Council addressing the peace and security implications.

"This is but one of the many new areas where international mechanisms for cooperation and collaboration are either weak or incomplete or non-existent," he said.

As in the case of frontier technologies, so in other areas such as climatic shifts, debt sustainability, counter terrorism, illicit financial flows and tackling pandemics, nations should be considering scenarios and preparing plans to prevent upheavals and taking stronger steps to mitigate risks.

"Many of these problems require continuous attention rather than one-shot solutions. To counter terrorism, for example, we need to establish a reliable and efficient set of controls for monitoring borders and financial flows. Such efforts will work only if appropriate standards are widely adopted and cooperation in implementing them becomes routine," he said.

Stressing that proliferating global problems demand new narratives and new forms of cooperation, Akbaruddin said international cooperation of a nature and kind not thought of before was needed to promote climate action required by the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report released Monday.

"We cannot focus merely on exterminating bugs while allowing life-threatening wild beasts to roam free. We cannot spend our time in clearing the weeds, oblivious to the growth of the jungle all around us.

"If we do so, we will be nursing an establishment that has declined almost to the vanishing point with respect to overarching challenges that states acting on their own cannot hope to overcome," he said.&nbsp;

India has said that the UN Security Council needs to be reformed without delay or else it will be left to nurse its self-inflicted wounds of "diminishing relevance" in a world awash with challenges like armed conflicts, terrorism, refugee crises and climate change.

India has said that the UN Security Council needs to be reformed without delay or else it will be left to nurse its self-inflicted wounds of "diminishing relevance" in a world awash with challenges like armed conflicts, terrorism, refugee crises and climate change. Participating in a General Assembly session on 'Report of the Secretary-General on the Work of the Organisation' on Monday, India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin said the 15-nation council is all about primacy but with little purpose. "Updating the current architecture of international institutions, which are so out of sync with the modern world, is imperative if new global challenges are to be met. Nowhere is this need for common purpose required more than in reforming the Security Council," Akbaruddin said here. "We need to fix the flaws. We need to do it before it is too late. We need to do so before the technologies of the future sharpen the conflicts of the past, while the Council remains nursing its self-inflicted wounds of diminishing relevance," he said. Akbaruddin asserted that nations cannot pose as guardians of a status quo that no longer exists. "We need to undertake a new journey towards a reformed and reinvigorated multilateral system. Whether we do so or not will determine the destiny of this organisation. It is a decision that all of us who see the benefits of multilateralism will need to take, if we desire to stem the tide against it," he said. Akbaruddin pointed out that during the recently concluded high-level week of the UN General Assembly, nations heard about pressing global challenges including armed conflicts, terrorism, large movements of peoples fleeing conflicts that are increasingly straining societies, climate change events becoming more regular, environmental challenges becoming more urgent and multiple ailments hamstringing efforts to improve global health. "We also heard clearly that the uneven impacts of these cataclysmic changes are causing enormous discontent and all this churning is testing multilateralism as never before," he said. Emphasising that the world is awash with challenges that the current institutional arrangements are ill-equipped to handle, Akbaruddin said new technologies were increasingly changing the nature and dynamics of international conflict. Cyberwarfare, unmanned aerial drones, and combat robots are just three instances of technological change shaping the future of warfare and raising profound ethical and normative questions, he said. "Similarly, there is no global approach in dealing with basic issues regarding frontier technologies," he said, questioning that while the internet is becoming ubiquitous, what rights do individuals have to privacy, how should tensions between individual liberties and collective security be mitigated. Akbaruddin said that neither the General Assembly was addressing developmental and normative aspects nor was the Security Council addressing the peace and security implications. "This is but one of the many new areas where international mechanisms for cooperation and collaboration are either weak or incomplete or non-existent," he said. As in the case of frontier technologies, so in other areas such as climatic shifts, debt sustainability, counter terrorism, illicit financial flows and tackling pandemics, nations should be considering scenarios and preparing plans to prevent upheavals and taking stronger steps to mitigate risks. "Many of these problems require continuous attention rather than one-shot solutions. To counter terrorism, for example, we need to establish a reliable and efficient set of controls for monitoring borders and financial flows. Such efforts will work only if appropriate standards are widely adopted and cooperation in implementing them becomes routine," he said. Stressing that proliferating global problems demand new narratives and new forms of cooperation, Akbaruddin said international cooperation of a nature and kind not thought of before was needed to promote climate action required by the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report released Monday. "We cannot focus merely on exterminating bugs while allowing life-threatening wild beasts to roam free. We cannot spend our time in clearing the weeds, oblivious to the growth of the jungle all around us. "If we do so, we will be nursing an establishment that has declined almost to the vanishing point with respect to overarching challenges that states acting on their own cannot hope to overcome," he said.

UN Security Council needs to be reformed without delay: India

Congress President Rahul Gandhi Tuesday said attacks on the migrant workforce in Gujarat are not good for business and the economy and that the Government must act decisively to restore peace and ensure the safety of every Indian.

In a Facebook post, he said "poor'" economic policies, demonetisation and a "poorly-implemented" GST has led to the closure of factories and rise in unemployment that is being manifested in violent attacks on migrants across Gujarat.

He said there is growing frustration and anger with the government's "inability" to create jobs.

Across Gujarat, poor economic policies, demonetisation and poorly executed GST have devastated industry resulting in shutting down of factories and industrial units, leading to massive unemployment.&nbsp;

Amongst the youth, there is growing frustration and anger with the Government's inability to create jobs. This anger and frustration is being manifested in violent attacks on migrants, across the state of Gujarat, he said in his post.

The Congress chief said the migrant workforce is "critical to our economic growth" and attacks on them create an environment of fear and insecurity that isn't good for business and economy".&nbsp;

He also said, that the Government must act decisively, and do all it can to restore peace and to ensure the safety of every Indian.&nbsp;

Since the alleged rape of a 14-month-old girl in Sabarkantha district on September 28, six districts, most of them in north Gujarat, has witnessed sporadic incidents of violence against Hindi-speaking people, police said.

Police have arrested Ravindra Sahu, a labourer hailing from Bihar and working in a local ceramic factory, for the crime.&nbsp;

Congress President Rahul Gandhi Tuesday said attacks on the migrant workforce in Gujarat are not good for business and the economy and that the Government must act decisively to restore peace and ensure the safety of every Indian.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi Tuesday said attacks on the migrant workforce in Gujarat are not good for business and the economy and that the Government must act decisively to restore peace and ensure the safety of every Indian. In a Facebook post, he said "poor'" economic policies, demonetisation and a "poorly-implemented" GST has led to the closure of factories and rise in unemployment that is being manifested in violent attacks on migrants across Gujarat. He said there is growing frustration and anger with the government's "inability" to create jobs. Across Gujarat, poor economic policies, demonetisation and poorly executed GST have devastated industry resulting in shutting down of factories and industrial units, leading to massive unemployment. Amongst the youth, there is growing frustration and anger with the Government's inability to create jobs. This anger and frustration is being manifested in violent attacks on migrants, across the state of Gujarat, he said in his post. The Congress chief said the migrant workforce is "critical to our economic growth" and attacks on them create an environment of fear and insecurity that isn't good for business and economy". He also said, that the Government must act decisively, and do all it can to restore peace and to ensure the safety of every Indian. Since the alleged rape of a 14-month-old girl in Sabarkantha district on September 28, six districts, most of them in north Gujarat, has witnessed sporadic incidents of violence against Hindi-speaking people, police said. Police have arrested Ravindra Sahu, a labourer hailing from Bihar and working in a local ceramic factory, for the crime.

Gujarat migrant attacks: Rahul Gandhi says govt must act decisively to restore peace

Traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway remained suspended for five hours on Tuesday due to a landslide triggered by rains in Ramban district, officials said.

The landslide struck the 270-km highway, the only all-weather road linking Kashmir to the rest of the country, at Digdole around 4.45 am, traffic&nbsp; 
department officials said.

They said the agency concerned immediately launched a clearance operation and the highway was reopened for one-way traffic around 0945 hours.

The decision to restrict the traffic to one-way was taken to ensure smooth movement of vehicles.

The highway is being upgraded to a four-lane road and the work on the project is going on for the last several years. Keeping in view the overall condition of the road -- especially between Jawahar Tunnel and Ramban -- and its narrow width at some places, allowing two-way movement of vehicles is not feasible, the officials said.

Meanwhile, light snowfall in Pir Ki Gali along the Mughal road, an alternate link connecting Poonch and Rajouri districts in the Jammu region to Shopian district in south Kashmir, also disrupted traffic on the road this morning.

Vehicular movement was disrupted for nearly an hour in the morning due to snowfall in the high altitude areas, including Pir Ki Gali along the road during the night, the officials said.

They said the road was cleared and the traffic on the road was going on smoothly from both sides.

Traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway remained suspended for five hours on Tuesday due to a landslide triggered by rains in Ramban district, officials said.

Traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway remained suspended for five hours on Tuesday due to a landslide triggered by rains in Ramban district, officials said. The landslide struck the 270-km highway, the only all-weather road linking Kashmir to the rest of the country, at Digdole around 4.45 am, traffic department officials said. They said the agency concerned immediately launched a clearance operation and the highway was reopened for one-way traffic around 0945 hours. The decision to restrict the traffic to one-way was taken to ensure smooth movement of vehicles. The highway is being upgraded to a four-lane road and the work on the project is going on for the last several years. Keeping in view the overall condition of the road -- especially between Jawahar Tunnel and Ramban -- and its narrow width at some places, allowing two-way movement of vehicles is not feasible, the officials said. Meanwhile, light snowfall in Pir Ki Gali along the Mughal road, an alternate link connecting Poonch and Rajouri districts in the Jammu region to Shopian district in south Kashmir, also disrupted traffic on the road this morning. Vehicular movement was disrupted for nearly an hour in the morning due to snowfall in the high altitude areas, including Pir Ki Gali along the road during the night, the officials said. They said the road was cleared and the traffic on the road was going on smoothly from both sides.

Landslide blocks Jammu-Srinagar national highway for 5 hours

Union road transport minister Nitin Gadkari Monday stressed on use of alternative sources of energy including bioethanol amid rising petroleum prices.

"Import of petrol is becoming difficult for the country and so we should look at the alternative sources of energy ...We should make full use of biofuel, methanol, and ethanol among others," the

Union minister said while addressing the closing function of Indian International Science Festival (IISF) here.

Under the supervision of the Ministry of Science and Technology, cheap and eco-friendly alternatives have been successfully tried, Gadkari said, adding that his ministry has earned a lot of revenue through alternative fuel.<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ImoW-neNDmA" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Gadkari said in the forest areas of the country, there are such natural products through which different alternatives of fuel including ethanol can be prepared.

The union government has prepared a policy to purchase to such natural products from tribals, he said.

"We can remove our country's poverty with the help of science and technology ... The manner in which our scientists are working, India will definitely become an economic superpower, he said.

The minister said that we can now assure the Prime Minister who has given the concept of "New India " that we have people ready for making it a reality by 2022. A web portal, 'Science India' was also launched on the occasion.

Union road transport minister Nitin Gadkari Monday stressed on use of alternative sources of energy including bioethanol amid rising petroleum prices. "Import of petrol is becoming difficult for the country and so we should look at the alternative sources of energy .

Union road transport minister Nitin Gadkari Monday stressed on use of alternative sources of energy including bioethanol amid rising petroleum prices. "Import of petrol is becoming difficult for the country and so we should look at the alternative sources of energy ...We should make full use of biofuel, methanol, and ethanol among others," the Union minister said while addressing the closing function of Indian International Science Festival (IISF) here. Under the supervision of the Ministry of Science and Technology, cheap and eco-friendly alternatives have been successfully tried, Gadkari said, adding that his ministry has earned a lot of revenue through alternative fuel. Gadkari said in the forest areas of the country, there are such natural products through which different alternatives of fuel including ethanol can be prepared. The union government has prepared a policy to purchase to such natural products from tribals, he said. "We can remove our country's poverty with the help of science and technology ... The manner in which our scientists are working, India will definitely become an economic superpower, he said. The minister said that we can now assure the Prime Minister who has given the concept of "New India " that we have people ready for making it a reality by 2022. A web portal, 'Science India' was also launched on the occasion.

Importing petrol is becoming difficult, we should look at fuel alternatives: Gadkari

BJP MP Udit Raj Tuesday termed the #MeToo movement in India a "wrong practice" and questioned the relevance of making sexual harassment allegations against anybody after 10 years.

The #MeToo storm has intensified in the country with more women recounting their experiences of sexual harassment in the entertainment and media industry.

"#MeToo movement is important but what is the relevance of making sexual harassment allegations against anybody ten years later? How will the truth in these allegations be established after so long?&nbsp;

"The person on whose the allegations will be levelled, how much it will tarnish his image is worth giving a thought. A wrong practice is being initiated," he tweeted in Hindi.

The lawmaker from the north-west Delhi constituency said the #MeToo movement was being used for blackmailing.

"How is it possible that a girl who is in a live-in relationship can level rape allegations against her partner and he is booked and sent to jail. Such incidents are happening so frequently these days. Isn't it being used for blackmailing?" he said.

The movement started after actor Tanushree Dutta alleged that Nana Patekar sexually harassed her on the sets of a movie in 2008. Since then, many women have come out in public to share their experiences of harassment.&nbsp;

BJP MP Udit Raj Tuesday termed the #MeToo movement in India a "wrong practice" and questioned the relevance of making sexual harassment allegations against anybody after 10 years.

BJP MP Udit Raj Tuesday termed the #MeToo movement in India a "wrong practice" and questioned the relevance of making sexual harassment allegations against anybody after 10 years. The #MeToo storm has intensified in the country with more women recounting their experiences of sexual harassment in the entertainment and media industry. "#MeToo movement is important but what is the relevance of making sexual harassment allegations against anybody ten years later? How will the truth in these allegations be established after so long? "The person on whose the allegations will be levelled, how much it will tarnish his image is worth giving a thought. A wrong practice is being initiated," he tweeted in Hindi. The lawmaker from the north-west Delhi constituency said the #MeToo movement was being used for blackmailing. "How is it possible that a girl who is in a live-in relationship can level rape allegations against her partner and he is booked and sent to jail. Such incidents are happening so frequently these days. Isn't it being used for blackmailing?" he said. The movement started after actor Tanushree Dutta alleged that Nana Patekar sexually harassed her on the sets of a movie in 2008. Since then, many women have come out in public to share their experiences of harassment.

#MeToo movement in India is a wrong practice: MP Udit Raj

Veteran Tamil journalist and publisher Nakkeeran Gopal was on Tuesday detained by Chennai police at the airport over a complaint filed by Governor Banwarilal Purohit's office over his publication's reportage on the Nirmala Devi case.

Chief Editor of a Tamil bi-weekly magazine 'Nakkeeran,'&nbsp;Gopal was detained around 8.15 am from the Chennai airport.

He was reportedly travelling to Pune to attend an event. Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) chief Vaiko, who reached outside the Chintadripet police station where Gopal has been detained, said, "I sought permission to meet him but police are not allowing me. This arrest shows the threatening attitude of the authorities towards independent journalists. Is there Governor's rule in the state? I blame the state government."

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
The arrest of Nakkeeran Gopal (Chief Editor of Tamil magazine Nakkeeran) is not correct. I ask why has BJP leader H Raja who had given provocative speeches in the past not been arrested yet? Why is SVE Sekhar still free?: DMK President MK Stalin in Chennai <a href="https://t.co/cWDwXAfjcm">pic.twitter.com/cWDwXAfjcm</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1049573096787599360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Reportedly, the magazine run by Gopal featured pictures of Purohit and Nirmala Devi, an accused in the Madurai Kamaraj University sex scandal.

Devi, a college professor, was arrested earlier this year for allegedly asking her students to extend sexual favours to university officials in exchange for financial and academic rewards.

The arrest was made on the basis of an audio clip of Devi's conversation with her students, where she also mentioned that she was close to Purohit.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UPDATE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UPDATE</a>: Nakkeeran Gopal, Chief Editor of Tamil magazine Nakkeeran, has been arrested after a complaint filed by Raj Bhavan, over publication's reportage on Nirmala Devi case. Investigation is going on at Chintadripet police station. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TamilNadu?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TamilNadu</a> <a href="https://t.co/tfuSJeX1ON">https://t.co/tfuSJeX1ON</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1049556955604414464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
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However, Purohit clarified on April 17 that he had no involvement in the case. He said, "I have not even seen her (Nirmala Devi) face till date, she hasn't met me."&nbsp;

Veteran Tamil journalist and publisher Nakkeeran Gopal was on Tuesday detained by Chennai police at the airport over a complaint filed by Governor Banwarilal Purohit's office over his publication's reportage on the Nirmala Devi case.

Veteran Tamil journalist and publisher Nakkeeran Gopal was on Tuesday detained by Chennai police at the airport over a complaint filed by Governor Banwarilal Purohit's office over his publication's reportage on the Nirmala Devi case. Chief Editor of a Tamil bi-weekly magazine 'Nakkeeran,' Gopal was detained around 8.15 am from the Chennai airport. He was reportedly travelling to Pune to attend an event. Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) chief Vaiko, who reached outside the Chintadripet police station where Gopal has been detained, said, "I sought permission to meet him but police are not allowing me. This arrest shows the threatening attitude of the authorities towards independent journalists. Is there Governor's rule in the state? I blame the state government." The arrest of Nakkeeran Gopal (Chief Editor of Tamil magazine Nakkeeran) is not correct. I ask why has BJP leader H Raja who had given provocative speeches in the past not been arrested yet? Why is SVE Sekhar still free?: DMK President MK Stalin in Chennai pic.twitter.com/cWDwXAfjcm — ANI (@ANI) October 9, 2018 × Reportedly, the magazine run by Gopal featured pictures of Purohit and Nirmala Devi, an accused in the Madurai Kamaraj University sex scandal. Devi, a college professor, was arrested earlier this year for allegedly asking her students to extend sexual favours to university officials in exchange for financial and academic rewards. The arrest was made on the basis of an audio clip of Devi's conversation with her students, where she also mentioned that she was close to Purohit. #UPDATE: Nakkeeran Gopal, Chief Editor of Tamil magazine Nakkeeran, has been arrested after a complaint filed by Raj Bhavan, over publication's reportage on Nirmala Devi case. Investigation is going on at Chintadripet police station. #TamilNadu https://t.co/tfuSJeX1ON — ANI (@ANI) October 9, 2018 × However, Purohit clarified on April 17 that he had no involvement in the case. He said, "I have not even seen her (Nirmala Devi) face till date, she hasn't met me."

Tamil Nadu: Senior journalist, publisher Nakkeeran arrested by Chennai police

Congress president Rahul Gandhi took another potshot at Prime Minister Narendra Modi (and Anil Ambani) in Rajasthan's Dholpur on Tuesday.&nbsp;

"Modiji took out Rs 45,000 crore from pockets of farmers and poor and gave to Anil Ambani," Gandhi said.&nbsp;

"I asked him in Parliament why did he give the contract to him? I looked him in the eye but he looked here and there. Nation saw that he couldn't look youth of India in the eye," Gandhi added.&nbsp;

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Modi ji took out Rs 45,000 Cr from pockets of farmers&amp;poor &amp; gave to Anil Ambani. I asked him in Parliament why did he give the contract to him? I looked him in the eye but he looked here&amp;there. Nation saw that he couldn't look youth of India in the eye: Rahul Gandhi in Rajasthan <a href="https://t.co/kt7051Plxw">pic.twitter.com/kt7051Plxw</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1049559901826150400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Rahul was addressing a campaign rally. Rajasthan will go to the polls on December 7. The results will be out four days later on December 11.&nbsp;

He also said he wanted the ubiquitiuos words "Made in China" replaced by "Made in Dholpur", "Made in Jaipur", or "Made in Rajasthan".&nbsp;

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I want that when someone takes a selfie in China, he would see the words 'Made in Dholpur' written at the back of the phone &amp; wonder where it is. Then we bring him to Rajasthan as a tourist, put his money in your pocket &amp; send him back by flight: Rahul Gandhi in Dholpur,Rajasthan <a href="https://t.co/3mRLrpim6C">pic.twitter.com/3mRLrpim6C</a>
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"You are taking a selfie, if you turn the phone you will find 'Made in China' written on it. I want 'Made in Dholpur', 'Made in Rajasthan', 'Made in Jaipur' written on it," Gandhi said.&nbsp;

Congress president Rahul Gandhi took another potshot at Prime Minister Narendra Modi (and Anil Ambani) in Rajasthan's Dholpur on Tuesday. "Modiji took out Rs 45,000 crore from pockets of farmers and poor and gave to Anil Ambani," Gandhi said.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi took another potshot at Prime Minister Narendra Modi (and Anil Ambani) in Rajasthan's Dholpur on Tuesday. "Modiji took out Rs 45,000 crore from pockets of farmers and poor and gave to Anil Ambani," Gandhi said. "I asked him in Parliament why did he give the contract to him? I looked him in the eye but he looked here and there. Nation saw that he couldn't look youth of India in the eye," Gandhi added. Modi ji took out Rs 45,000 Cr from pockets of farmers&poor & gave to Anil Ambani. I asked him in Parliament why did he give the contract to him? I looked him in the eye but he looked here&there. Nation saw that he couldn't look youth of India in the eye: Rahul Gandhi in Rajasthan pic.twitter.com/kt7051Plxw — ANI (@ANI) October 9, 2018 × Rahul was addressing a campaign rally. Rajasthan will go to the polls on December 7. The results will be out four days later on December 11. He also said he wanted the ubiquitiuos words "Made in China" replaced by "Made in Dholpur", "Made in Jaipur", or "Made in Rajasthan". I want that when someone takes a selfie in China, he would see the words 'Made in Dholpur' written at the back of the phone & wonder where it is. Then we bring him to Rajasthan as a tourist, put his money in your pocket & send him back by flight: Rahul Gandhi in Dholpur,Rajasthan pic.twitter.com/3mRLrpim6C — ANI (@ANI) October 9, 2018 × "You are taking a selfie, if you turn the phone you will find 'Made in China' written on it. I want 'Made in Dholpur', 'Made in Rajasthan', 'Made in Jaipur' written on it," Gandhi said.

Nation saw Modi couldn't look youth of India in the eye: Rahul Gandhi

BrahMos engineer Nishant Agarwal, who is accused of allegedly spying and leaking technical information from BrahMos Aerospace missile unit, was brought out of Nagpur Sessions Court today, news agency ANI reported. According to reports, the court has granted his three days transit remand to Uttar Pradesh ATS.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/anti-terror-squad-nabs-person-working-in-brahmos-aerospace-unit-170215">Agarwal was arrested yesterday</a> and was produced before Nagpur sessions court earlier today. He is believed to be working with BrahMos unit for the last four years.

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Maharashtra: Brahmos engineer Nishant Agarwal being brought out of Nagpur Sessions Court. The Court has granted his three days transit remand to Uttar Pradesh ATS. He was arrested yesterday on charges of spying. <a href="https://t.co/Vwma9PdjPQ">pic.twitter.com/Vwma9PdjPQ</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1049552905525702656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terror squad on Monday arrested Agarwal for allegedly spying and leaking technical information from BrahMos Aerospace missile unit.

According to reports, Agarwal has been booked under the Official Secrets Act for allegedly leaking technical secrets to Pakistan.

BrahMos engineer Nishant Agarwal, who is accused of allegedly spying and leaking technical information from BrahMos Aerospace missile unit, was brought out of Nagpur Sessions Court today, news agency ANI reported.

BrahMos engineer Nishant Agarwal, who is accused of allegedly spying and leaking technical information from BrahMos Aerospace missile unit, was brought out of Nagpur Sessions Court today, news agency ANI reported. According to reports, the court has granted his three days transit remand to Uttar Pradesh ATS. Agarwal was arrested yesterday and was produced before Nagpur sessions court earlier today. He is believed to be working with BrahMos unit for the last four years. Maharashtra: Brahmos engineer Nishant Agarwal being brought out of Nagpur Sessions Court. The Court has granted his three days transit remand to Uttar Pradesh ATS. He was arrested yesterday on charges of spying. pic.twitter.com/Vwma9PdjPQ — ANI (@ANI) October 9, 2018 × Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terror squad on Monday arrested Agarwal for allegedly spying and leaking technical information from BrahMos Aerospace missile unit. According to reports, Agarwal has been booked under the Official Secrets Act for allegedly leaking technical secrets to Pakistan.

UP Anti-Terror Squad gets three-day remand of BrahMos engineer Nishant Agarwal

Armed police at Indian airports have been told to cut down on smiling, with officials blaming the 2001 US terror attacks partly on an excessive focus on friendliness, local media reported Tuesday.

The Central Industrial Security Force, in charge of aviation safety, will move from a "broad smile system" to a "sufficient smile system", the Indian Express said in a front-page report.&nbsp;

The English language newspaper said the move was aimed at making the CISF "more vigilant than friendly".

"We cannot be over-friendly with the passengers because one of the reasons cited as to why 9/11 happened... was excessive reliance on passenger friendly features," CISF director general Rajesh Ranjan was quoted as saying.

Ranjan also said CISF personnel would be trained in behavioural analysis by international consultants.

India has witnessed a six-fold increase in passenger numbers over the past decade as citizens take advantage of better connectivity and cheaper fares in the highly competitive sector.

But airports are struggling to cope with the surge and analysts have warned that the government needs to spend billions of dollars to boost capacity and safety.

Earlier this month the government said some domestic flyers would be soon able to leave their boarding passes at home, thanks to proposed facial recognition technology at airports.

Armed police at Indian airports have been told to cut down on smiling, with officials blaming the 2001 US terror attacks partly on an excessive focus on friendliness, local media reported Tuesday.

Armed police at Indian airports have been told to cut down on smiling, with officials blaming the 2001 US terror attacks partly on an excessive focus on friendliness, local media reported Tuesday. The Central Industrial Security Force, in charge of aviation safety, will move from a "broad smile system" to a "sufficient smile system", the Indian Express said in a front-page report. The English language newspaper said the move was aimed at making the CISF "more vigilant than friendly". "We cannot be over-friendly with the passengers because one of the reasons cited as to why 9/11 happened... was excessive reliance on passenger friendly features," CISF director general Rajesh Ranjan was quoted as saying. Ranjan also said CISF personnel would be trained in behavioural analysis by international consultants. India has witnessed a six-fold increase in passenger numbers over the past decade as citizens take advantage of better connectivity and cheaper fares in the highly competitive sector. But airports are struggling to cope with the surge and analysts have warned that the government needs to spend billions of dollars to boost capacity and safety. Earlier this month the government said some domestic flyers would be soon able to leave their boarding passes at home, thanks to proposed facial recognition technology at airports.

Indian airport police told to cut down on their smiling

Nirav Modi's victims are not constrained to Indian banks only as there are currently cases that show he likewise duped people of crores in other countries.

Nirav, who is wanted in a multi-crore fraud at India’s Punjab National Bank, allegedly sold two fake diamond rings to a Canadian man Paul Alfonso for US$200,000 (Rs 1.4 crore) in Hong Kong.

Alfonso, who apparently had no idea about fraud charges on Nirav Modi, purchased the rings to propose to his better half. In any case, their festival was stopped after they discovered that the diamonds were fake, as per a report in the South China Morning Post.

“This affected the relationship between my ex-fiancée and her family. They think that I went out and bought these fake rings and proposed to her,” the South China Morning Post quoted Alfonso.

As per the report, Alfonso met Modi a few times in 2012 and developed a respect for him. “In a way, I admired him and I looked up to him.”

Alfonso says he has suffered from depression since he realised the two diamonds were fake. “After that, I just could not function,” he says. “I realised that even if I go after this guy, there are so many creditors before me who are trying to get compensated.”

This also took a toll on his business, as most of his energy has been focused on seeking justice. “I have dedicated the last few weeks of my life, every single day, trying to figure out how to find this guy and be compensated.”

Nirav Modi's victims are not constrained to Indian banks only as there are currently cases that show he likewise duped people of crores in other countries. Nirav, who is wanted in a multi-crore fraud at India’s Punjab National Bank, allegedly sold two fake diamond rings to a Canadian man Paul Alfonso for US$200,000 (Rs 1.

Nirav Modi's victims are not constrained to Indian banks only as there are currently cases that show he likewise duped people of crores in other countries. Nirav, who is wanted in a multi-crore fraud at India’s Punjab National Bank, allegedly sold two fake diamond rings to a Canadian man Paul Alfonso for US$200,000 (Rs 1.4 crore) in Hong Kong. Alfonso, who apparently had no idea about fraud charges on Nirav Modi, purchased the rings to propose to his better half. In any case, their festival was stopped after they discovered that the diamonds were fake, as per a report in the South China Morning Post. “This affected the relationship between my ex-fiancée and her family. They think that I went out and bought these fake rings and proposed to her,” the South China Morning Post quoted Alfonso. As per the report, Alfonso met Modi a few times in 2012 and developed a respect for him. “In a way, I admired him and I looked up to him.” Alfonso says he has suffered from depression since he realised the two diamonds were fake. “After that, I just could not function,” he says. “I realised that even if I go after this guy, there are so many creditors before me who are trying to get compensated.” This also took a toll on his business, as most of his energy has been focused on seeking justice. “I have dedicated the last few weeks of my life, every single day, trying to figure out how to find this guy and be compensated.”

Nirav Modi sold fake diamond rings to Canada national, his engagement now broken: Report

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan on Sunday accepted Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai's invite to speak to the students at the Oxford University.&nbsp;

In a reply to Yousafzai's tweet, Khan noted, "most certainly would love to do it and meeting you will be a privilege. Will put my team to schedule it sooner than soon."

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Most certainly would love to do it &amp; meeting u will be a privilege. Will put my team to schedule it sooner than soon <a href="https://t.co/hX9b0ghJxL">https://t.co/hX9b0ghJxL</a>
— Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) <a href="https://twitter.com/iamsrk/status/1048966922480640000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Malala Yousafzai, who has started her second academic year at the Oxford, shared a tweet from the principal of Oxford University, who had invited Shah Rukh to talk to the students at the Lady Margaret Hall.

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Still waiting!!!! <a href="https://twitter.com/iamsrk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@iamsrk</a> 🙏 <a href="https://t.co/4dof6KAFlI">https://t.co/4dof6KAFlI</a>
— Malala (@Malala) <a href="https://twitter.com/Malala/status/1048956362875711488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
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She tagged King Khan in her tweet writing, "Still waiting! SRK."&nbsp;

Alan Rusbridger, principal Lady Margaret Hall, tweeted&nbsp;out asking&nbsp;if SRK could be "tempted"&nbsp;to speak to the students at&nbsp;the Oxford.&nbsp;

"Can we tempt you to Oxford University to talk to our students at @lmhoxford? They love you (I'm the principal)," read the tweet.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan on Sunday accepted Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai's invite to speak to the students at the Oxford University. In a reply to Yousafzai's tweet, Khan noted, "most certainly would love to do it and meeting you will be a privilege.

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan on Sunday accepted Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai's invite to speak to the students at the Oxford University. In a reply to Yousafzai's tweet, Khan noted, "most certainly would love to do it and meeting you will be a privilege. Will put my team to schedule it sooner than soon." Most certainly would love to do it & meeting u will be a privilege. Will put my team to schedule it sooner than soon https://t.co/hX9b0ghJxL — Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) October 7, 2018 × Malala Yousafzai, who has started her second academic year at the Oxford, shared a tweet from the principal of Oxford University, who had invited Shah Rukh to talk to the students at the Lady Margaret Hall. Still waiting!!!! @iamsrk 🙏 https://t.co/4dof6KAFlI — Malala (@Malala) October 7, 2018 × She tagged King Khan in her tweet writing, "Still waiting! SRK." Alan Rusbridger, principal Lady Margaret Hall, tweeted out asking if SRK could be "tempted" to speak to the students at the Oxford. "Can we tempt you to Oxford University to talk to our students at @lmhoxford? They love you (I'm the principal)," read the tweet.

Meeting you will be a privilege: SRK accepts Malala's invitation to speak at Oxford 

The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Centre and others on a plea seeking an Assam-style NRC in Tripura.&nbsp;

Assam released the second and final draft of its NRC on July 30. The Supreme Court-mandated National Register of Citizens, which aims to decide who is a citizen of Assam, and therefore of India, has left 40 lakh people off its roles.&nbsp;

It is unclear what will finally happen to these 40 lakh people. Commentators have said they might end up like the Rohingya — a stateless people.&nbsp;

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had said on July 30 that none of the 40 lakh people are going to be deported. He added that they would also have full recourse to the law. That is, the 40 lakh people are going to be allowed to appeal their exclusion from the NRC.&nbsp;

BJP president Amit Shah however has on more than once occassion said all Bangladeshi "infiltrators" will be tracked down and deported. He has also compared Bangladesh immigrants in India to "termites" saying they are a drain on the state's resources.&nbsp;

Bangladesh has said the comments were "unwanted".&nbsp;

On Sunday, news reports quoted Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb as saying the state would go in for an NRC-like exercise if it turned out to be successful in Assam.&nbsp;

The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Centre and others on a plea seeking an Assam-style NRC in Tripura. Assam released the second and final draft of its NRC on July 30.

The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Centre and others on a plea seeking an Assam-style NRC in Tripura. Assam released the second and final draft of its NRC on July 30. The Supreme Court-mandated National Register of Citizens, which aims to decide who is a citizen of Assam, and therefore of India, has left 40 lakh people off its roles. It is unclear what will finally happen to these 40 lakh people. Commentators have said they might end up like the Rohingya — a stateless people. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had said on July 30 that none of the 40 lakh people are going to be deported. He added that they would also have full recourse to the law. That is, the 40 lakh people are going to be allowed to appeal their exclusion from the NRC. BJP president Amit Shah however has on more than once occassion said all Bangladeshi "infiltrators" will be tracked down and deported. He has also compared Bangladesh immigrants in India to "termites" saying they are a drain on the state's resources. Bangladesh has said the comments were "unwanted". On Sunday, news reports quoted Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb as saying the state would go in for an NRC-like exercise if it turned out to be successful in Assam.

Plea for NRC in Tripura: Supreme Court issues notice to Centre, others

Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat today refused to comment on Congress chief Rahul Gandhi's statement that farmers in BJP-ruled states like Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan were in distress.

Taking a dig at Rahul Gandhi, the Union Minister of State for Agriculture said that it would "not be appropriate" to comment on the statement of a person "who doesn't know the difference between wheat and paddy crops".

Mr Shekhawat was replying to a query on Mr Gandhi's allegation about agrarian distress in several parts of the country.

"I am a farmer, an agriculturists' leader and their representative in the Central government. So I know the condition of the agricultural sector better," he told reporters on the sidelines of a function in Indore.

"It would not be appropriate to comment on the statements of a person who doesn't know the difference between wheat and paddy crops, who doesn't know the difference between a lamb and the offspring of a goat," the minister added.

The minister claimed that farmers were getting the right price for their products and this had strengthened the agricultural sector.

Speaking on the October 2 police action on protesting farmers marching towards Delhi, the minister said that the government would fulfil their legitimate demands but added that farmers were being "instigated" to reap the political benefit in view of the upcoming Assembly polls.

Farmers marching towards Delhi as part of the Bharatiya Kisan Union's (BKU) protest call over demands ranging from farm loan waiver to reduction in fuel prices were stopped at the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border on October 2 with police using water cannons to disperse them.

Mr Shekhawat stated that the government was trying to increase the export of soyabean and other agricultural products seeing an opportunity in the ongoing US-China trade tussle.

"In view of the ongoing China-US trade war, there is a huge opportunity for agrarian economies like India. So our government is making efforts to promote the export of agriculture-based products," he said.

Mr Shekhawat said previous Congress governments betrayed farmers as well as those in the food processing industry.

This, he claimed, had led to an increased dependence on import of edible oil. "To reduce this dependence, our government increased the import duty on edible oil four times. We also increased the minimum support price of oilseeds so that farmers get the right price of their produce and more farmers get attracted to such crops," he said.

Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat today refused to comment on Congress chief Rahul Gandhi's statement that farmers in BJP-ruled states like Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan were in distress.

Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat today refused to comment on Congress chief Rahul Gandhi's statement that farmers in BJP-ruled states like Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan were in distress. Taking a dig at Rahul Gandhi, the Union Minister of State for Agriculture said that it would "not be appropriate" to comment on the statement of a person "who doesn't know the difference between wheat and paddy crops". Mr Shekhawat was replying to a query on Mr Gandhi's allegation about agrarian distress in several parts of the country. "I am a farmer, an agriculturists' leader and their representative in the Central government. So I know the condition of the agricultural sector better," he told reporters on the sidelines of a function in Indore. "It would not be appropriate to comment on the statements of a person who doesn't know the difference between wheat and paddy crops, who doesn't know the difference between a lamb and the offspring of a goat," the minister added. The minister claimed that farmers were getting the right price for their products and this had strengthened the agricultural sector. Speaking on the October 2 police action on protesting farmers marching towards Delhi, the minister said that the government would fulfil their legitimate demands but added that farmers were being "instigated" to reap the political benefit in view of the upcoming Assembly polls. Farmers marching towards Delhi as part of the Bharatiya Kisan Union's (BKU) protest call over demands ranging from farm loan waiver to reduction in fuel prices were stopped at the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border on October 2 with police using water cannons to disperse them. Mr Shekhawat stated that the government was trying to increase the export of soyabean and other agricultural products seeing an opportunity in the ongoing US-China trade tussle. "In view of the ongoing China-US trade war, there is a huge opportunity for agrarian economies like India. So our government is making efforts to promote the export of agriculture-based products," he said. Mr Shekhawat said previous Congress governments betrayed farmers as well as those in the food processing industry. This, he claimed, had led to an increased dependence on import of edible oil. "To reduce this dependence, our government increased the import duty on edible oil four times. We also increased the minimum support price of oilseeds so that farmers get the right price of their produce and more farmers get attracted to such crops," he said.

Rahul Gandhi doesn't know difference between wheat and paddy: Minister

Amid terror threats and boycott calls by separatist groups and the two main regional parties, the National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), polling for the first phase of municipal elections in 422 of the 1,145 wards begun on Monday morning

Unprecedented security arrangements have been put in place by the state authorities and the election commission, to ensure peaceful polls. Also, all candidates have been provided with either cluster security in hotels or individually in the Valley.

The polling began to start at 7 AM, will culminate at 4 PM later today.

According to the Election Commission, a total of 1283 candidates will be contesting in the 422 municipal wards today. This time large numbers of independents candidates are also in the fray.

This municipal election is also witnessing two significant firsts. In a major development, in these municipal polls, first-time electronic voting machines are being used, in accordance with the rules that have been amended in 2016.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JammuAndKashmir?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JammuAndKashmir</a>: Voting for urban local bodies underway at a polling booth in Gandhi Nagar's Ward no. 2, in Jammu district. <a href="https://t.co/c3oXDC4pe3">pic.twitter.com/c3oXDC4pe3</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1049121402757009408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JammuAndKashmir?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JammuAndKashmir</a>: Voting begins in 11 districts in the first of the four phases of urban local bodies elections; Visuals from Ward no. 48 in Jammu <a href="https://t.co/V6QhmfWTLG">pic.twitter.com/V6QhmfWTLG</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1049115678752559104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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In another first, Election commission is also providing voting by the migrants by means of postal ballots. Since the migrants continue to be enrolled in the respective assembly constituencies from which the municipal committees or panchayat's would derive the rolls, therefore the facility will be provided for them to vote.

The counting of votes will be done on October 20.

Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam had also announced that the Centre would provide a one-month extra salary to all those government employees who will be on poll duty.

Amid terror threats and boycott calls by separatist groups and the two main regional parties, the National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), polling for the first phase of municipal elections in 422 of the 1,145 wards begun on Monday morning Unprecedented security arrangements have been put in place by the state authorities and the election commission, to ensure peaceful polls.

Amid terror threats and boycott calls by separatist groups and the two main regional parties, the National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), polling for the first phase of municipal elections in 422 of the 1,145 wards begun on Monday morning Unprecedented security arrangements have been put in place by the state authorities and the election commission, to ensure peaceful polls. Also, all candidates have been provided with either cluster security in hotels or individually in the Valley. The polling began to start at 7 AM, will culminate at 4 PM later today. According to the Election Commission, a total of 1283 candidates will be contesting in the 422 municipal wards today. This time large numbers of independents candidates are also in the fray. This municipal election is also witnessing two significant firsts. In a major development, in these municipal polls, first-time electronic voting machines are being used, in accordance with the rules that have been amended in 2016. #JammuAndKashmir: Voting for urban local bodies underway at a polling booth in Gandhi Nagar's Ward no. 2, in Jammu district. pic.twitter.com/c3oXDC4pe3 — ANI (@ANI) October 8, 2018 × #JammuAndKashmir: Voting begins in 11 districts in the first of the four phases of urban local bodies elections; Visuals from Ward no. 48 in Jammu pic.twitter.com/V6QhmfWTLG — ANI (@ANI) October 8, 2018 × In another first, Election commission is also providing voting by the migrants by means of postal ballots. Since the migrants continue to be enrolled in the respective assembly constituencies from which the municipal committees or panchayat's would derive the rolls, therefore the facility will be provided for them to vote. The counting of votes will be done on October 20. Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam had also announced that the Centre would provide a one-month extra salary to all those government employees who will be on poll duty.

J&K urban local body polls: Voting underway amid tight security

Watch: Assam deputy speaker falls off elephant

India marks 86th Air Force Day

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said he had wanted to make Gujarat like South Korea when he was chief minister of the state.&nbsp;

Modi made his comment at the Uttarakhand Investors' Summit held in Dehradun on Sunday.&nbsp;

"Our states have more power than many countries in the world. Compared to many small countries, our states have more potential. I still remember when I became the Chief Minister of Gujarat for the first time on October 7, 2001, I didn't know what the government is, as I lacked experience. I was completely new. So, one journalist came to me and asked such questions so that I give answers which will not allow my journey (as Chief Minister of Gujarat) to take off," ANI quoted Modi as saying at the summit.&nbsp;

"I was asked who I see as my idol for development in Gujarat. Usually, when people are asked this, they say, 'I want to make it like America or like England.' But I gave a different answer," Modi added.&nbsp;

"I was asked who I see as my idol for development in Gujarat. Usually, when people are asked this, they say, 'I want to make it like America or like England.' But I gave a different answer to him. I said that I want to make it (Gujarat) like South Korea. The journalist didn't know anything. Later I explained to him that the population of Gujarat and South Korea are similar... I said that I have studied it so precisely that if we move towards that direction then we will not stop," Modi said.&nbsp;

At the summit, Modi added that the government was modernising 400 railway stations and building a 100 new airports and helipads.&nbsp;

Finally, he added that his government had improved the country's tax system.&nbsp;

"We have improved the tax system in the country. We are trying to make the tax system more swift and transparent. Doing business has become easier due to Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. The banking system has also got strengthened. Potential, policy and performance, these are the sources of progress," ANI quoted Modi as saying.&nbsp;

(With inputs from ANI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said he had wanted to make Gujarat like South Korea when he was chief minister of the state. Modi made his comment at the Uttarakhand Investors' Summit held in Dehradun on Sunday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said he had wanted to make Gujarat like South Korea when he was chief minister of the state. Modi made his comment at the Uttarakhand Investors' Summit held in Dehradun on Sunday. "Our states have more power than many countries in the world. Compared to many small countries, our states have more potential. I still remember when I became the Chief Minister of Gujarat for the first time on October 7, 2001, I didn't know what the government is, as I lacked experience. I was completely new. So, one journalist came to me and asked such questions so that I give answers which will not allow my journey (as Chief Minister of Gujarat) to take off," ANI quoted Modi as saying at the summit. "I was asked who I see as my idol for development in Gujarat. Usually, when people are asked this, they say, 'I want to make it like America or like England.' But I gave a different answer," Modi added. "I was asked who I see as my idol for development in Gujarat. Usually, when people are asked this, they say, 'I want to make it like America or like England.' But I gave a different answer to him. I said that I want to make it (Gujarat) like South Korea. The journalist didn't know anything. Later I explained to him that the population of Gujarat and South Korea are similar... I said that I have studied it so precisely that if we move towards that direction then we will not stop," Modi said. At the summit, Modi added that the government was modernising 400 railway stations and building a 100 new airports and helipads. Finally, he added that his government had improved the country's tax system. "We have improved the tax system in the country. We are trying to make the tax system more swift and transparent. Doing business has become easier due to Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. The banking system has also got strengthened. Potential, policy and performance, these are the sources of progress," ANI quoted Modi as saying. (With inputs from ANI)

Had wanted to make Gujarat like South Korea when I was CM: Modi

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/interpols-missing-chinese-chief-resigns-amid-beijing-probe-170065">Interpol says its missing chief had resigned, China announces it is investigating him</a>

Beijing announced Monday the Chinese head of Interpol, who vanished after returning to his homeland, was under investigation for possible criminal activity, and the world police organisation said he had resigned.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/jammu-and-kashmir-local-body-polls-today-after-13-years-security-beefed-up-170057">Jammu and Kashmir: Local body polls today after 13 years, security beefed up</a>

Security forces have intensified checking and area domination as part of an elaborate plan to provide a sense of security for the smooth conduct of local body polls in the Kashmir Valley, officials said Sunday. The first phase of the polls start Monday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/far-right-bolsonaro-wins-1st-round-brazil-election-but-run-off-uncertain-170053">Far-right Bolsonaro wins 1st round Brazil election, run-off uncertain</a>

Polarizing far-right politician Jair Bolsonaro looked to be the big winner of a first-round presidential election in Brazil on Sunday, according to mostly complete results -- but a final victory in a run-off to be held in three weeks is far from assured.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/anurag-kashyap-knew-about-vikas-bahls-sexual-abuse-allegations-says-named-shamed-him-privately-170074">Anurag Kashyap on allegations against Vikas Bahl: Named &amp; shamed him privately</a>

Anurag reveales that he knew about the sexual abuse allegations levied against Phantom Films co-owner Vikas Bahl. For those who are not aware, Vikas is the man behind Kangana Ranaut’s super successful film, ‘Queen’. Kangana confirmed that Vikas behaved inappropriately with her too while shooting for the film.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/u-19-asia-cup-badoni-and-tyagi-shine-as-india-beat-sri-lanka-by-144-runs-to-win-title-170055">U-19 Asia Cup: Badoni and Tyagi shine as India beat Sri Lanka by 144 runs to win </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/u-19-asia-cup-badoni-and-tyagi-shine-as-india-beat-sri-lanka-by-144-runs-to-win-title-170055">title</a>

India's U-19 team Sunday followed the footsteps of their seniors to win the U-19 Asia Cup title with a crushing 144-run win against Sri Lanka in the final with Delhi boys Ayush Badoni and Harsh Tyagi playing prominent roles.

&nbsp;

Interpol says its missing chief had resigned, China announces it is investigating him Beijing announced Monday the Chinese head of Interpol, who vanished after returning to his homeland, was under investigation for possible criminal activity, and the world police organisation said he had resigned.

Interpol says its missing chief had resigned, China announces it is investigating him Beijing announced Monday the Chinese head of Interpol, who vanished after returning to his homeland, was under investigation for possible criminal activity, and the world police organisation said he had resigned. Jammu and Kashmir: Local body polls today after 13 years, security beefed up Security forces have intensified checking and area domination as part of an elaborate plan to provide a sense of security for the smooth conduct of local body polls in the Kashmir Valley, officials said Sunday. The first phase of the polls start Monday. Far-right Bolsonaro wins 1st round Brazil election, run-off uncertain Polarizing far-right politician Jair Bolsonaro looked to be the big winner of a first-round presidential election in Brazil on Sunday, according to mostly complete results -- but a final victory in a run-off to be held in three weeks is far from assured. Anurag Kashyap on allegations against Vikas Bahl: Named & shamed him privately Anurag reveales that he knew about the sexual abuse allegations levied against Phantom Films co-owner Vikas Bahl. For those who are not aware, Vikas is the man behind Kangana Ranaut’s super successful film, ‘Queen’. Kangana confirmed that Vikas behaved inappropriately with her too while shooting for the film. U-19 Asia Cup: Badoni and Tyagi shine as India beat Sri Lanka by 144 runs to win title India's U-19 team Sunday followed the footsteps of their seniors to win the U-19 Asia Cup title with a crushing 144-run win against Sri Lanka in the final with Delhi boys Ayush Badoni and Harsh Tyagi playing prominent roles.

News brief: Big stories of the day

India need not take an aggressive position in public on the issue of US sanctions on nations defying its directive to bring their oil imports from Iran to zero by November 4, says a former Indian diplomat.

India has to play a cautious role, in that priority should be the country's national interests, former Ambassador of India to Saudi Arabia Oman and the UAE Talmiz Ahmad said.

"India's national interests lie in maintaining relations with Iran while at the same time not totally alienating the United States", he told PTI.

"And what India will do and I think that's the correct policy that there will be some reduction in oil imports for a short period and at the same time discussions with the United States will continue in order to ensure that the US policy becomes more accomodative", Mr Ahmad said.

He was of the view that over a period of time or as early as six months, the entire sanctions regime would "collapse".

"My own view is that we don't need to take an aggressive position in public but constantly subserve our own interests and wait for that time when the United States' absurd policy is revised by the international community or the US itself," he said.

Ahmad said this had to be done quietly without going public and ensuring the country's interests was safeguarded.

According to him, there would be some reduction in oil purchases from Iran in the short term but it's not likely to continue for a longer period.

India need not take an aggressive position in public on the issue of US sanctions on nations defying its directive to bring their oil imports from Iran to zero by November 4, says a former Indian diplomat.

India need not take an aggressive position in public on the issue of US sanctions on nations defying its directive to bring their oil imports from Iran to zero by November 4, says a former Indian diplomat. India has to play a cautious role, in that priority should be the country's national interests, former Ambassador of India to Saudi Arabia Oman and the UAE Talmiz Ahmad said. "India's national interests lie in maintaining relations with Iran while at the same time not totally alienating the United States", he told PTI. "And what India will do and I think that's the correct policy that there will be some reduction in oil imports for a short period and at the same time discussions with the United States will continue in order to ensure that the US policy becomes more accomodative", Mr Ahmad said. He was of the view that over a period of time or as early as six months, the entire sanctions regime would "collapse". "My own view is that we don't need to take an aggressive position in public but constantly subserve our own interests and wait for that time when the United States' absurd policy is revised by the international community or the US itself," he said. Ahmad said this had to be done quietly without going public and ensuring the country's interests was safeguarded. According to him, there would be some reduction in oil purchases from Iran in the short term but it's not likely to continue for a longer period.

Wait and watch US sanctions implode: Ex-envoy's advice to India on Iran

UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore has praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for investing the “political time and efforts” in issues like health and sanitation.

She said people start looking around at other things that need improvement when they begin to feel that their community is doing better.

“If you invest a dollar in sanitation solutions, the benefit will be four dollars in terms of health cost prevention, the (reduction in) number of visits you go to a doctor and in the medicines that you don’t have to buy,” Fore told PTI in an interview here.

She was in the city to attend an event organised jointly by the UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) and the National Stock Exchange (NSE) Friday.

“The prime minister invested political time and effort and what it meant was people began picking up that story. They want to do it for Mahatma Gandhi, for their country and they felt pride in it,” she said in an apparent reference to “Swacch Bharat” Mission.

The flagship cleanliness drive, launched by the prime minister in 2014, aims to clean up the streets, roads and infrastructure of India’s cities, towns, and rural areas.

Modi had said the sanitation coverage in the country has increased from 38 per cent to nearly 80 per cent and asserted that the ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’ is playing a central role in creating a healthy India.

Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron were recently awarded the UN’s “Champions of the Earth” award for their pioneering work in championing the International Solar Alliance and promoting new areas of cooperation on environmental action.

Fore said, “It (contribution to sanitation) doesn’t have an economic return but when you begin to feel that your community is doing better, it makes you look around at the other things that need improvement”.

“It makes one think that does he have clean water and the solutions for open defecation for all animals in their village, is there a community healthcare clinic, is there enough nutrition for children; not just latrines, what about lighted pathways for all of the girls going to schools. It makes you improve your world,” said the executive director.

When asked about UNICEF’s view on the child mortality rate (CMR) in India during the past decade, Fore said it has shown improvement.

“Since 1990s, when the numbers first began, there was a significant reduction in child mortality. Sanitation, clean India should bring numbers down further. What we don’t know yet is how much further they should bring them down. But it’s an exciting journey for India and we really are on the right path,” she said.

Fore feels that health is one of the challenges an emerging country like India could face in its journey towards a clean nation.

“Clean water brings health benefits in a way that many other national strategies cannot,” she said.

Fore said learning new skills is another challenge for a developing nation because many new industries are expected to flourish.

“(Another challenge is to) How to get more women in labour force…The number of women in formal labour force is going down. If only a third of total women in India are in formal employment, it is not high enough to get all of ideas and energy of India,” she said.

The executive director acknowledged malnutrition as another challenge.

“This is because if a young child does not get proper nutrition before the age of three and first thousand days, it could affect the development of her brain as well as body. It means they cannot be productive, it means the economy will not be doing so well,” she said, adding employment gets affected ultimately because malnutrition denies children an opportunity.

She further said public policy makes a difference in a developing economy.

“So if you begin to look at all these areas a country can look at, India says it wants to skill it youth and (wants to) have a digital future. That vision for future India is what UNICEF and generation unlimited is focused on,” she said.

Fore said if India gets it right for the age group of 10 and 24, it would mean that the country fares well in the decades to come.

“If this young population is not caught between those ages, then it is next to impossible for a country to do well. India’s outreach for these young people will be the tipping point for the developing country,” she said.

When asked if the UNICEF sees the flagship programmes of the prime minister sustaining in future, Fore said, “People want areas like nutrition, health, education, sanitation, water protection etc. irrespective of political climate or which party is in power.

“So it’s up to every community, every household to put a value in it. I believe in terms of sanitation that where there is a room there is a toilet (and) most families would want to keep that. The challenge is to maintain and professionalise it so that people learn to maintain and service it,” she said.

“It’s going to be on each one of us to keep those programmes going that we think benefit the health, education and nutrition in our communities,” she said.

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is a United Nations agency headquartered in New York city that provides humanitarian and developmental assistance to children and mothers in developing countries. It is a member of the United Nations Development Group.

UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore has praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for investing the “political time and efforts” in issues like health and sanitation.

UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore has praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for investing the “political time and efforts” in issues like health and sanitation. She said people start looking around at other things that need improvement when they begin to feel that their community is doing better. “If you invest a dollar in sanitation solutions, the benefit will be four dollars in terms of health cost prevention, the (reduction in) number of visits you go to a doctor and in the medicines that you don’t have to buy,” Fore told PTI in an interview here. She was in the city to attend an event organised jointly by the UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) and the National Stock Exchange (NSE) Friday. “The prime minister invested political time and effort and what it meant was people began picking up that story. They want to do it for Mahatma Gandhi, for their country and they felt pride in it,” she said in an apparent reference to “Swacch Bharat” Mission. The flagship cleanliness drive, launched by the prime minister in 2014, aims to clean up the streets, roads and infrastructure of India’s cities, towns, and rural areas. Modi had said the sanitation coverage in the country has increased from 38 per cent to nearly 80 per cent and asserted that the ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’ is playing a central role in creating a healthy India. Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron were recently awarded the UN’s “Champions of the Earth” award for their pioneering work in championing the International Solar Alliance and promoting new areas of cooperation on environmental action. Fore said, “It (contribution to sanitation) doesn’t have an economic return but when you begin to feel that your community is doing better, it makes you look around at the other things that need improvement”. “It makes one think that does he have clean water and the solutions for open defecation for all animals in their village, is there a community healthcare clinic, is there enough nutrition for children; not just latrines, what about lighted pathways for all of the girls going to schools. It makes you improve your world,” said the executive director. When asked about UNICEF’s view on the child mortality rate (CMR) in India during the past decade, Fore said it has shown improvement. “Since 1990s, when the numbers first began, there was a significant reduction in child mortality. Sanitation, clean India should bring numbers down further. What we don’t know yet is how much further they should bring them down. But it’s an exciting journey for India and we really are on the right path,” she said. Fore feels that health is one of the challenges an emerging country like India could face in its journey towards a clean nation. “Clean water brings health benefits in a way that many other national strategies cannot,” she said. Fore said learning new skills is another challenge for a developing nation because many new industries are expected to flourish. “(Another challenge is to) How to get more women in labour force…The number of women in formal labour force is going down. If only a third of total women in India are in formal employment, it is not high enough to get all of ideas and energy of India,” she said. The executive director acknowledged malnutrition as another challenge. “This is because if a young child does not get proper nutrition before the age of three and first thousand days, it could affect the development of her brain as well as body. It means they cannot be productive, it means the economy will not be doing so well,” she said, adding employment gets affected ultimately because malnutrition denies children an opportunity. She further said public policy makes a difference in a developing economy. “So if you begin to look at all these areas a country can look at, India says it wants to skill it youth and (wants to) have a digital future. That vision for future India is what UNICEF and generation unlimited is focused on,” she said. Fore said if India gets it right for the age group of 10 and 24, it would mean that the country fares well in the decades to come. “If this young population is not caught between those ages, then it is next to impossible for a country to do well. India’s outreach for these young people will be the tipping point for the developing country,” she said. When asked if the UNICEF sees the flagship programmes of the prime minister sustaining in future, Fore said, “People want areas like nutrition, health, education, sanitation, water protection etc. irrespective of political climate or which party is in power. “So it’s up to every community, every household to put a value in it. I believe in terms of sanitation that where there is a room there is a toilet (and) most families would want to keep that. The challenge is to maintain and professionalise it so that people learn to maintain and service it,” she said. “It’s going to be on each one of us to keep those programmes going that we think benefit the health, education and nutrition in our communities,” she said. United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is a United Nations agency headquartered in New York city that provides humanitarian and developmental assistance to children and mothers in developing countries. It is a member of the United Nations Development Group.

UNICEF praises PM Modi for ‘investing’ political time in health, sanitation issues

President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday said that the Indian Government’s mechanism to connect with overseas Indian community has been majorly changed in recent years, adding that India’s emotional, cultural, economic and institutional relations with its diaspora have become stronger Addressing the “Friends of India in Tajikistan” event, hosted by Somnath Ghosh, India’s Ambassador to Tajikistan, here, President Kovind assured members of the Indian community that India will continue to give its cooperation to Tajikistan in capacity building and development The President further instructed missions to promptly respond to diaspora members in need of assistance.

He also appreciated the work of Tajikistan’s Indologists and recalled that the Padma Shri, India’s highest civilian award, had been conferred to famous Indologist, Professor Habibullo Rajabov, this year for his contribution in education and literature The President landed at the Dushanbe International Airport in Tajikistan on Sunday afternoon, where along with First Lady Savita Kovind, he was received by Deputy Prime Minister of Tajikistan, Zokirzoda Mahmadtoir and First Deputy Foreign Minister, Nizomiddin Zohidi amongst other dignitaries As part of his three-day visit to the country, President Kovind is scheduled to meet his Tajik counterpart Emamoli Rahmon.

He will also be visiting the Tajik National University to deliver an address on ‘Countering Radicalisation: Challenges in Modern Societies’ Minister of State (MoS) for Defence Subhash Bhamre and Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) Shamsher Singh Manhas are also part of the President’s delegation on his first official visit to the Central Asian country.

President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday said that the Indian Government’s mechanism to connect with overseas Indian community has been majorly changed in recent years, adding that India’s emotional, cultural, economic and institutional relations with its diaspora have become stronger Addressing the “Friends of India in Tajikistan” event, hosted by Somnath Ghosh, India’s Ambassador to Tajikistan, here, President Kovind assured members of the Indian community that India will continue to give its cooperation to Tajikistan in capacity building and development The President further instructed missions to promptly respond to diaspora members in need of assistance.

President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday said that the Indian Government’s mechanism to connect with overseas Indian community has been majorly changed in recent years, adding that India’s emotional, cultural, economic and institutional relations with its diaspora have become stronger Addressing the “Friends of India in Tajikistan” event, hosted by Somnath Ghosh, India’s Ambassador to Tajikistan, here, President Kovind assured members of the Indian community that India will continue to give its cooperation to Tajikistan in capacity building and development The President further instructed missions to promptly respond to diaspora members in need of assistance. He also appreciated the work of Tajikistan’s Indologists and recalled that the Padma Shri, India’s highest civilian award, had been conferred to famous Indologist, Professor Habibullo Rajabov, this year for his contribution in education and literature The President landed at the Dushanbe International Airport in Tajikistan on Sunday afternoon, where along with First Lady Savita Kovind, he was received by Deputy Prime Minister of Tajikistan, Zokirzoda Mahmadtoir and First Deputy Foreign Minister, Nizomiddin Zohidi amongst other dignitaries As part of his three-day visit to the country, President Kovind is scheduled to meet his Tajik counterpart Emamoli Rahmon. He will also be visiting the Tajik National University to deliver an address on ‘Countering Radicalisation: Challenges in Modern Societies’ Minister of State (MoS) for Defence Subhash Bhamre and Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) Shamsher Singh Manhas are also part of the President’s delegation on his first official visit to the Central Asian country.

India’s connection with overseas diaspora has strengthened: President Ram Nath Kovind in Tajikistan

The government has set up a panel headed by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval to help the National Security Council, which advises the Prime Minister on matters of national security and strategic interests, officials said Monday.

The Strategic Policy Group or SPG will assist the National Security Council and undertake among other tasks, a long-term strategic review of country's security affairs.

It will be the principal mechanism for inter-ministerial coordination and integration of relevant inputs in the formulation of national security policies, a top Home Ministry official said.

The SPG will be chaired by&nbsp;Doval and its members include the NITI Aayog vice chairman, cabinet secretary, the chiefs of the three defence services, the RBI governor, the foreign secretary, the home secretary, the finance secretary and the defence secretary.

The secretary of the Department of Defence Production and Supplies, the scientific adviser to the defence minister and the secretary, cabinet secretariat will also be members of the panel.

The other members are secretary, department of revenue; secretary, department of atomic energy; secretary, department of space; director, Intelligence Bureau, and secretary, National Security Council Secretariat.

Representatives of other ministries and departments will be invited to the meetings of the group as and when necessary, another official said.

The NSA will convene the meetings of the SPG and the cabinet secretary will coordinate implementation of the group's decisions by union ministries and departments, and state governments.

The government has set up a panel headed by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval to help the National Security Council, which advises the Prime Minister on matters of national security and strategic interests, officials said Monday.

The government has set up a panel headed by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval to help the National Security Council, which advises the Prime Minister on matters of national security and strategic interests, officials said Monday. The Strategic Policy Group or SPG will assist the National Security Council and undertake among other tasks, a long-term strategic review of country's security affairs. It will be the principal mechanism for inter-ministerial coordination and integration of relevant inputs in the formulation of national security policies, a top Home Ministry official said. The SPG will be chaired by Doval and its members include the NITI Aayog vice chairman, cabinet secretary, the chiefs of the three defence services, the RBI governor, the foreign secretary, the home secretary, the finance secretary and the defence secretary. The secretary of the Department of Defence Production and Supplies, the scientific adviser to the defence minister and the secretary, cabinet secretariat will also be members of the panel. The other members are secretary, department of revenue; secretary, department of atomic energy; secretary, department of space; director, Intelligence Bureau, and secretary, National Security Council Secretariat. Representatives of other ministries and departments will be invited to the meetings of the group as and when necessary, another official said. The NSA will convene the meetings of the SPG and the cabinet secretary will coordinate implementation of the group's decisions by union ministries and departments, and state governments.

National security advisor to lead group for planning strategic moves

Domestic oil marketing companies have decided to stop fuel supply to India's national carrier Air India in several cities due to pending dues.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/talks-air-india-bailout-package-advanced-stage-report-167768">Also Read: Talks on Air India bailout package at 'advanced stage'</a>

The oil companies have&nbsp;suspended supplies to Air India in eight locations including Mohali, Patna, Pune, Trivandrum, Lucknow, Vishakhapatnam, Coimbatore and Jaipur from 4 pm on Monday.

Refuelling of all domestic Air India flights from eight locations has been stopped.

The Indian oil companies have been discussing issues related to the clearing of dues worth Rs 5,000 crores with &nbsp;Air India which has been pending. Air India has so far been paying Rs 20 crore daily but has been defaulting on payments lately. The marketing companies want past dues to be cleared first, reports said.

Sources said Air India on its part has knocked on government's door for capitalisation of Rs 2,000 crore but there have been no bailout moves till now.

Domestic oil marketing companies have decided to stop fuel supply to India's national carrier Air India in several cities due to pending dues. Also Read: Talks on Air India bailout package at 'advanced stage' The oil companies have suspended supplies to Air India in eight locations including Mohali, Patna, Pune, Trivandrum, Lucknow, Vishakhapatnam, Coimbatore and Jaipur from 4 pm on Monday.

Domestic oil marketing companies have decided to stop fuel supply to India's national carrier Air India in several cities due to pending dues. Also Read: Talks on Air India bailout package at 'advanced stage' The oil companies have suspended supplies to Air India in eight locations including Mohali, Patna, Pune, Trivandrum, Lucknow, Vishakhapatnam, Coimbatore and Jaipur from 4 pm on Monday. Refuelling of all domestic Air India flights from eight locations has been stopped. The Indian oil companies have been discussing issues related to the clearing of dues worth Rs 5,000 crores with Air India which has been pending. Air India has so far been paying Rs 20 crore daily but has been defaulting on payments lately. The marketing companies want past dues to be cleared first, reports said. Sources said Air India on its part has knocked on government's door for capitalisation of Rs 2,000 crore but there have been no bailout moves till now.

Oil companies stop refueling of Air India flights as pending dues bite

A suspected Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agent in Maharashtra's Nagpur has been arrested by Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terror squad on Monday for allegedly spying and leaking technical information from BrahMos Aerospace missile unit.

The man has been identified as Nishant Agarwal who had been working with BrahMos unit since&nbsp;the last four years, reports said.

As per reports, he has been booked under the Official Secrets Act for allegedly leaking technical secrets to Pakistan.

Nishant is currently under investigation. The agencies are also trying to ascertain the details that he might have shared with the neighbouring country.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation(DRDO) facility from where he was arrested makes propellents, or fuel, for the BrahMos missile.&nbsp;

BrahMos Aerospace, which has its base near Nagpur, is a joint venture between India and Russia.

A suspected Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agent in Maharashtra's Nagpur has been arrested by Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terror squad on Monday for allegedly spying and leaking technical information from BrahMos Aerospace missile unit.

A suspected Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agent in Maharashtra's Nagpur has been arrested by Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terror squad on Monday for allegedly spying and leaking technical information from BrahMos Aerospace missile unit. The man has been identified as Nishant Agarwal who had been working with BrahMos unit since the last four years, reports said. As per reports, he has been booked under the Official Secrets Act for allegedly leaking technical secrets to Pakistan. Nishant is currently under investigation. The agencies are also trying to ascertain the details that he might have shared with the neighbouring country. The Defence Research and Development Organisation(DRDO) facility from where he was arrested makes propellents, or fuel, for the BrahMos missile. BrahMos Aerospace, which has its base near Nagpur, is a joint venture between India and Russia.

Watch: Anti-terror squad nabs DRDO official working in BrahMos Aerospace unit on spying charge

DRDO official accused of espionage held in Nagpur

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