Income Tax sleuths today conducted searches in the office block of the Poes Garden residence of late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, a senior official said. 

Indira Gandhi's original wedding card, a moving letter by Mahatama Gandhi written to her after her mother passed away, are among the rare photographs related to the former Prime Minister that will be showcased at an upcoming exhibition celebrating her hundredth anniversary.


Titled, "Indira: A Life of Courage", the show will feature a selection of over 320 images from the 90,000 images and artifacts present in the archives of Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust.


Divided into five segments, the show has been designed to be a chronological journey through her public and personal life. It will contain images from her childhood with her father and grandfather to her time as a diplomat, stateswoman, and national leader.


After her schooling, Indira went to Vishwa Bharati University in Shantiniketan under the tutelage of Rabindranath Tagore, and her time there have contributed significantly to the collection.


While the major part of the exhibition will be held in the sprawling lawns of Indira Gandhi Memorial, a part of the show, to be held indoors, will feature apparels she wore during some of the important historical events. -- PTI

A Pakistani judicial board will decide on November 22 whether to extend JuD chief and the 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed's house arrest or not, a court was told today.


A law officer of the Punjab provincial government during the hearing in Saeed's house arrest case told Lahore High Court Judge Qazi Amin Ahmed that the Punjab Judicial Review Board would decide this matter on November 21.  -- PTI

Moderate Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq today expressed regret on social media over the Reserve Bank of India's decision not to pursue the proposal of introducing Islamic banking in the country.


"Govt (is) blinded to the benefits that Islamic banking can bring to its people and overall economy. As per the IMF, Islamic finance assets grew at a double-digit growth rate from $200 US billion in 2003 to $1.8 trillion at the end of 2013 that include non-Muslim countries (like) China, Germany, UK & US," Mirwaiz said in his Twitter post.


In a major move, the RBI decided not to pursue a proposal to introduce Islamic banking in the country. -- PTI

More than 60 per cent respondents of a survey believe that the Centre should use more military force in Jammu and Kashmir, American fact-tank Pew Research Centre said today.


The state has been on the edge since the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani by security forces in July last year. It has witnessed widespread clashes between the security forces and civilians since then.


According to the survey conducted by the Pew Research Centre, while 63 per cent of the respondents were in favour of using more military force in Jammu and Kashmir, 64 per cent had a "very unfavourable" view of Pakistan, which was nine per cent higher compared to the previous year.


"This was up by nine per cent compared to the last year," Bruce Stokes, Global Director of the Economic Attitudes of the Pew Research Centre, said during an interaction with reporters at the American Center here. The survey, conducted between February 21 and March 10, sought the views of 2,464 people across the country, in both urban and rural areas.  -- PTI

Representational image

A policeman was killed and another injured in an attack by militants in Zakura area on the outskirts of Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir today. Three militants travelling in a car opened fire on a police team at the Zakura crossing on Srinagar-Ganderbal road, killing sub-inspector Imran Tak and injuring to a special police officer (SPO), a police official said.


The official said the police team managed to intercept the car and apprehended one militant, but two others fled from the scene. A hunt has been launched to track down the two militants, he added. -- PTI

Image: A police team at the site of the incident.

India's sovereign credit rating jump today gave investors a big reason to cheer as the Sensex rallied 236 points, underpinned by financial and metal stocks.


The 30-share Sensex soared to the day's high of 33,520.82, but profit-taking activity towards the end in heavyweights made the index settle at 33,342.80, up 235.98 points, or 0.71 per cent.


The gauge had rallied 346 points in the previous session. The 50-share Nifty after racing past the key 10,300-mark during the day gave up some ground to close up 68.85 points, or 0.67 per cent, at 10,283.60. -- PTI

Protesters today blocked the entry to the Chittorgarh Fort, which houses Padmini's Palace, amid protests against Bollywood film 'Padmavati' across Rajasthan and various parts of the country.


However, SP of Chittorgarh Prashan Kumar Khamsera said the fort, a world heritage site in Rajasthan, is not officially closed. "We have been informed by the protesters that entry to the fort will be blocked for tourists. We have made ample security arrangements to deal with the situation," he said.


Member of Sarv Samaj Sangathan and president of Jauhar Samriti Sansthan, Ummed Singh said, "A dharna demanding a ban on 'Padmavati' is continuing for the last eight days at Padan Pole. The Chittorgarh Fort will be closed for tourists today."


The Sarv Samaj Sangathan and some other outfits have termed a song in the film, which shows actor Deepika Padukone as Queen Padmini dancing in a courtyard, "crossing dramatic license".


The Karni Sena had alleged distortion of historical facts in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film starring Padukone, Shahid Kapur and Ranveer Singh. Meanwhile, Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation managing director Pradeep Kumar Borad has ruled out any change in operations of luxury train - Palace on Wheels - and said the train would be operating through the circuit and will be going to Chittorgarh.


On whether the tourists would be taken to the Chittorgarh Fort, he said the local administration be able to comment on it better. In March, Chittorgarh Fort was vandalised by a group of men who broke mirrors installed at the Padmini Palace of the Rajput queen. Three mirrors installed at the Padmini Palace were damaged by four-five unidentified men.  -- PTI

Just In: Sensex climbs 235.98 points to close at 33,342.80, Nifty up 68.85 points at 10,283.60.

VK Sasikala's husband M Natarajan gets a two-year jail term for tax evasion.

The income tax department has unearthed tax evasion of Rs 1,430 crore during its raids/searches spread over five days at the premises of jailed AIADMK leader VK Sasikala's kin and their business associates, this week.


Sasikala, currently serving a jail sentence after conviction for corruption, was a confidante of late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and lived with her for decades.

A team of around 1,800 IT officials knocked at the doors of 187 premises -- residences and offices and farmhouses -- to carry out one of the biggest income tax searches on Sasikala's kin and associates.

The places raided included the residence of Sasikala's husband M. Natarajan in Thanjavur, Kodanad Tea Estate belonging to Jayalalithaa, Jazz Cinemas, Midas Distilleries, Sharada Paper and Boards, Senthil Group of Companies, Nilgiri Furniture in Coimbatore, Jaya TV, Namadhu MGR and several other premises in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru.

'What he has done is something that very few living people can claim: Painstakingly bulldozed, with no experience whatsoever, into two fields with ridiculously high barriers to entry -- car manufacturing (Tesla) and rocketry (SpaceX) -- and created the best products in those industries, as measured by just about any meaningful metric you can think of. In the process, he's managed to sell the world on his capability to achieve objectives so lofty that from the mouth of anyone else, they'd be called fantasies.'   

The Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, Gen Zubair Mahmood Hayat, on Tuesday alleged that India's Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) had established a cell in 2015 dedicated to sabotaging China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects in Pakistan. Read more

Microsoft founder Bill Gate received by AP CM Chandrababu Naidu and State Minister Nara Lokesh at Visakhapatnam Airport.

State Bank chairman Rajnish Kumar has welcomed the first sovereign ratings upgrade by Moody's in 13 years as a positive measure that will make foreign funds cheaper for both corporates as well as his bank.


Kumar described the move as a "re-affirmation of how the world views India, which has been long pending and a thumbs up to the various reform measures," and added as a result, "the cost of foreign borrowings will automatically come down, which in itself is a big benefit for the country."

-- PTI

Islamabad rejects terms as being 'against our interests' days after Nepal cancelled another major infrastructure project. Read more

Hitting out at the Centre over demonetisation, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has said that telling the people that they cannot have access to the money in their accounts was "nanny-ism carried to an extreme."


The former Union minister, who was speaking at an event here last evening, also criticised the BJP-led government over the way GST was rolled out, although, he said, the concept of one nation one tax was "a great idea."


"Demonetisation was an exercise in telling people what notes they could hold... The government telling us that you cannot have access to your own money in your account was nanny-ism carried to an extreme," Tharoor said.


He was participating in a debate on 'We are living in a nanny state', chaired by Vir Sanghvi, at the eighth edition of 'Tata Literature Live'. Tharoor was speaking for the motion along with JNU professor Makarand Paranjape, while senior journalist Chandan Mitra and industrialist Sunil Alagh were against the motion.


"Intention of GST was a wonderful thing. Having one nation one tax is a great idea but in practise what this government has done, it has created something for the state, the bureaucrats and not to help the people.


"Instead of one nation one tax, we have been given three taxes, six slabs underneath and 37 forms a year to be filed... There is a nanny state sitting over you," Tharoor said.


He also criticised the beef ban, saying it has destroyed livelihoods of millions in Maharashtra alone. "The beef ban in its conception and intention is indeed nanny state behaviour. The government is trying to determine what people put in their mouths, even in their homes... This nanny state has destroyed the livelihoods of millions in Maharashtra alone," the former Union minister said.
-- PTI

Rajput Karni Sena chief Lokendra Singh Kalvi on Friday lashed out at actress Deepika Padukone, saying she was not the president of India to roll out orders on the release of the movie 'Padmavati'.


Speaking to ANI, Kalvi said, "Who will tolerate the fact that Rani Padmavati is being shown as the lover of Allauddin Khilji? Deepika Padukone, in her statement, said that the film would be released at any cost. She is not the president of this nation. She is trying to provoke us. I, the founder of Rajput Karni Sena, am saying that this film will not be released."


He added he condemned Sanjay Leela Bhansali for even using Rani Padmavati's name. "If I ever meet him I will ask him to not use my mother's name, i.e. Rani Padmavati. I will not tolerate this," Kalvi said.


He further said it was not only the Karni Sena, but everyone in the society who was coming forward to speak against this film.


"Now I will request Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take a stand and stop this film from being released. The Centre needs to decide what has to be done here," Kalvi added.


Earlier on Thursday, a member of the Sena said if need be, an action would be taken against Padukone.Speaking to ANI, Mahipal Singh Makrana said,


"The Rajput Karni Sena is fighting to protect the image of women being portrayed in the films. We never raise a hand on women but if need be, we will do to Deepika what Lakshman did to Shurpanakha for violating the rules and culture of India.


"Earlier, Kalvi said the Sena would gather in lakhs and call for a nation-wide shutdown on December 1."Our ancestors wrote history with blood, hence, we will not let anyone blacken it," the Sena chief added. -- ANI

Toyota Motor, Suzuki Motor say they have inked pact to cooperate for introduction of electric vehicles in India by 2020.

Union Law and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad today said Moody's credit rating upgrade of India is a recognition of the changing face of the country underscored by good governance, transparent decision-making and pro-investment policies.


The US-based Moody's today upgraded India's sovereign credit rating by a notch to 'Baa2' with a stable outlook citing improved growth prospects driven by economic and institutional reforms.


"This revision of sovereign rating of India is recognition of changing face of India, of good governance, investment, decision-making fairness, pro-investment and pro- growth policies... most importantly, a governance of integrity and honesty," Prasad said.


Terming the rating upgrade as a matter of "great honour and assurance", the minister said it also underlined India's prowess in digital governance and digital technology.  -- PTI

The sovereign rating upgrade by global agency Moody's has put India alongside Italy, Spain, Bulgaria and the Philippines in terms of investment climate.


In effect, India has become the largest economy among Baa2-rated sovereigns, according to Moody's. The agency today upgraded India's sovereign credit rating by a notch to 'Baa2' with stable outlook after a gap of 13 years, saying reforms will foster sustainable growth.


Sovereign rating is issued to national governments and a barometer of the country's investment climate. It gives investors insight into the level of risks, including political, associated with investing in a particular country.


According to Moody's, Baa rating is medium-grade and subject to moderate credit risk while the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking. The government and some commentators in India have been pitching hard for a rating upgrade citing the country's strong economic fundamentals, political stability and a slew of reforms.


Some of the key reforms that the Narendra Modi government has initiated include the Goods and Services Tax (GST), demonetisation, Aadhaar, bank recapitalisation, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code and targeted delivery of benefits through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system, among others. 
-- PTI

Moody's Investors Service today upped the long-term ratings of four Indian financial institutions including SBI and HDFC Bank by a notch to Baa2 following the upgrade of the country's sovereign rating to the same level.


The four institutions with revised rating are Export- Import Bank of India, HDFC Bank, Indian Railway Finance Corporation Limited and State Bank of India, Moody's said in a statement.


In the case of HDFC Bank, the rating agency has also upgraded the bank's baseline credit assessment and adjusted it to Baa2 from Baa3, it said. Moody's has assigned a stable outlook to SBI's DIFC branch.


The US-based agency today upped India's rating to Baa2 from Baa3 and changed its rating outlook to 'stable' from 'positive', saying the reforms will help stabilise rising levels of debt.  -- PTI

Just in: The BJP releases a list of 70 candidates for the Gujarat assembly elections. Vijay Rupani to contest from Rajkot West, Nitinbhai Patel from Mehsana, Jitubhai Vaghani from Bhavnagar West. 

Finance minister Arun Jaitley today welcomed the Moody's upgradation of India's rating, saying that the improved credit rating was a "recognition and an endorsement" of the reform process which has gone on in India in the last 3-4 years. International rating agency Moody's Investors Service has upgraded India's local and foreign currency issuer ratings to Baa2 from Baa3 and changed the outlook on the rating to stable from positive.

Excerpts from the FM's speech...

-- We welcome Moody's rating upgrade of India after 13 years.

--  It is a belated recognition to positive steps taken in the last few years.

-- Reforms in last 3-4 years have placed India on the path of fast trajectory growth.

-- Many who had doubts about India's reform process would now seriously introspect on their position.

--  The track record of the last three years speaks for itself; will continue to walk on the path of fiscal consolidation.

Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on Friday reached Lucknow's Aishbagh Eidgah to meet All India Muslim Personal Law Board's executive president Khalid Rasheed Firangi Mahali.


Speaking to the media, the Art of Living founder said, "We both agree that we have to build the bridge between the two communities. We have to create a friendly atmosphere of belongingness and togetherness so that we can solve all the issues of the country."


He added that there was really no conflict between these Hindu and Islamic communities as they have been living together for centuries.


"We have to take forward the idea of brotherhood through the talk. We all respect the law, but the law cannot connect the hearts of people. A law will remain a law and people will have to follow it but what is important is that the feeling of togetherness and harmony has to come from within. That will remain forever," the spiritual guru said.


He added that the leaders of both the communities were trying their best to make ends meet.


"One thing which I can foresee from this discussion is nation's betterment. But we all should have patience as it may take time," Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said.


AIMPLB chief Khalid Rasheed said the two leaders held discussions on how to bring these two communities together and spread communal harmony in the entire nation.


"We are thankful to Sri Sri Ravi Shankar for teaching people to live their lives in an orderly manner. The important thing is to erase internal disputes between these two communities in order to take the nation towards a path of peace and development. I believe if the leaders of these two communities keep on meeting on regular intervals then all the issues will be solved eventually," he added.


The mosque was demolished by Hindu Karsevaks on December 6, 1992 in Ayodhya. The country witnessed massive riots in which over 2000 people were killed. The Hindus claim that it is the birthplace of Lord Rama where a mosque was built in 1528-29 AD by Mir Baqi.


Since the mosque was built on orders of the Mughal emperor Babur, it was named Babri Masjid.


It is notable that the Supreme Court will hear the 13 appeals in the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute on December 5, 2017, the eve of the 25th anniversary of the demolition of the 15th century mosque. -- PTI

Bank stocks today rose by up to 6 per cent after the US-based Moody's upgraded India's sovereign credit rating by a notch to 'Baa2' with a stable outlook.


Shares of PNB surged 6 per cent, Bank of Baroda soared 5.17 per cent, Yes Bank gained 4.16 per cent, SBI (3.91 per cent) and ICICI Bank (3.55 per cent) on BSE.


The scrip of Axis Bank gained 2.64 per cent and HDFC Bank went up by 1.18 per cent. The BSE bank index also rose by 1.90 per cent to trade at 29,450.39. The broader market also cheered the news as the BSE Sensex jumped 331.72 points to trade at 33,438.54.


Moodys Investors Service, a credit rating agency, today upgraded India's sovereign credit rating by a notch to 'Baa2' with a stable outlook citing improved growth prospects driven by economic and institutional reforms.
-- PTI

Himachal Pradesh: Keylong's Gondhla village in Lahaul-Spiti received fresh snowfall this morning.

Actor Sylvester Stallone, who is known for his role as a boxer in 'Rocky Balboa,' has recently denied the allegations against him that said he sexually assaulted a 16-year-old girl in Las Vegas back in 1986.


The actor's spokeswoman described the claims, reported by the Daily Mail, as "a ridiculous, categorically false story".


According to the complaint, young woman alleged Stallone, who was 40 at the time, invited the victim to his room at the Las Vegas Hilton, reported metro.co.uk.


The victim reportedly claimed that she was "intimidated" into having sex with the 'Creed' star and his bodyguard, adding the two also forced her to perform oral sex on both him and Stallone.


However, the spokesperson of 'The Expendables' star has denied the allegations in a statement, reading, "This is ridiculous, categorically false story. No one was ever aware of this story until it was published today, including Mr Stallone. At no time was Mr Stallone ever contacted by authorities or anyone else regarding this matter." The actor further claimed that the incident never happened. -- PTI

The famous ski-resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir along with Leh and Kargil towns in Ladakh region recorded the season's coldest night owing to snowfall in several areas in the upper reaches of Jammu and Kashmir earlier this week.


Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 5.6 degrees Celsius, a Meteorological Department official said here. The area experienced a drop of over five degrees in night temperature from the previous night's zero degree Celsius, he said. Gulmarg was the coldest place in the Valley and the second coldest in Jammu and Kashmir along with Kargil, the official said. -- PTI


File pic

Amid a row over film Padmavati, former Union minister Shashi Tharoor claimed today that the "so-called valourous maharajas" had scurried to accommodate themselves when the British "trampled" over their honour and were now after a filmmaker claiming their prestige was at stake.


At an event Tharoor was asked why his book, An Era of Darkness: The British Empire in India, had a "whiff of victimhood" when he holds that Indians had connived with the English.


"In fact, every single one of these so called valorous maharajas, who today are after a Mumbai filmmaker because their honour is at stake, they were less concerned about their honour when the British were trampling all over it. They scurried to accommodate themselves. So let's face it, there is no question, that we were complicit," he said.


The Congress leader's comments come at a time when Sanjay Leela Bhansali's movie Padmavati has been in the eye of a storm as the Shri Rajput Karni Sena and some other outfits have accused the filmmaker of distorting history and hurting Hindu sentiments.


Tharoor, meanwhile, said that his book was "not a plea that 'Oh! We are poor victims, forgive us". It very much points out that the British empire is not what many made people believe it to be, the former minister said.Tharoor said Mahatma Gandhi showed mirror to the British to made them realise about their acts. -- PTI

The modifications of the procedures and rates of the goods and services tax have, quite predictably, drawn sharply partisan responses. This is not surprising in view of the fact that India is, once again, in the throes of a mini-election season. The results, when they are finally announced on December 18, may not suggest a close fight. However, in the midst of an election campaign, all elections appear to be bitterly contested - as they undoubtedly are, despite whatever the final outcome reveals.
Read Swapan Dasgupta's column here.

Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian on Friday said while the enhancement of India's rating by Moody was a welcome move; it was "long overdue".


"It's a welcome development, but we also feel it was long overdue. It is a recognition of the actions that the government has undertaken on GST, bankruptcy and all of that," Subramanian said.


Earlier in the day, Moody upgraded India's sovereign rating to Baa2 from Baa3 and changed the outlook to stable from positive, thus providing a much-needed impetus to the Modi government.


Reports suggest that the global rating company said the reforms undertaken by the government would lead to an enhanced business environment, fuelling the foreign and domestic investment, and subsequently the growth momentum. It also noted that the reforms implemented reduced the risk of a sharp increase in debt, even in potential downside scenarios.


However, Moody argued that measures such as the Goods and Services Tax,  demonetisation, and others would need time to settle in, and the impact would be witnessed in due course of time. It also claimed that India's growth potential superseded that of many other sovereign nations. -- ANI

The Gujarat high court has reserved its order on a petition filed by online news portal The Wire challenging a gag order passed by a lower court in a civil defamation case filed by BJP chief Amit Shah's son Jay Shah.   

Just In: Rupee hits over one-week high of 64.63 against dollar, strengthens 69 paise after Moody's India sovereign credit rating upgrade.