Terrorists tonight shot dead a special police officer and injured his wife in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir, an official said.

"Militants fired upon SPO Mushtaq Ahmad Sheikh inside his residence at Katsoo in Bijbehara area of Anantnag district," the police official said.

While the SPO was killed in the spot, his wife, Fareeda, suffered injuries in the firing by the terrorists, the official said.

He said the woman has been rushed to a hospital for treatment.

In a separate incident, the ultras fired upon a man at Chancer in Kulgam district, the official said.

Sayar Wani was hit by a bullet in the leg, he said, adding the injured was admitted to a local hospital for treatment.

Terrorists also opened fire on an Army patrol in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir, prompting security forces to launch a cordon-and-search operation tonight.

The ultras fired upon a patrolling party of the Army at Ahgam in Shopian district this evening, a police official said.

He said the soldiers retaliated, triggering a brief exchange of fire.

The security forces cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to track down the terrorists, he added.  -- PTI

Image only for representation.

Nearly 50 people, including two local Bharatiya Janata Party workers, were today held in  Samastipur and Nalanda districts of Bihar in connection with  communal clashes that erupted there in the last couple of days.

Eleven persons have been taken into custody in Samastipur district where trouble had erupted on Tuesday when some miscreants hurled footwear at a procession carrying the idol of Goddess Durga for immersion upon the conclusion of Chaiti Navaratra festivities in Rohtas town, Superintendent of Police Deepak Ranjan said.

Two local BJP leaders were also among those detained for interrogation, the SP said while declining to divulge their names.

During the violence, heavy stone-pelting was witnessed from two sides close to a mosque and three motorcycles were also set afire.

Additional Superintendent of Police, Dalsinghsarai, Santosh Kumar, and Inspector in-charge of Samastipur town Chaturvedi Sudhir Kumar sustained injuries while trying to disperse the rioters, Ranjan said.

The situation was brought under control after heavy deployment of police and active involvement of senior officials including the zonal Inspector General of Police, the DIG and the Divisional Commissioner concerned, though prohibitory orders under Section 144 were also clamped on Rosera which remain in force, the SP said.

Those involved in the clashes are being identified with the help of CCTV footage and so far 11 persons have been rounded up for interrogation, the SP said.

Meanwhile, 36 people, including two women, have been arrested in Nalanda district where members of two communities had clashed yesterday while a Ram Navami procession was being taken out in Silao block.

According to Superintendent of Police Sudhir Kumar Porika, the arrested persons were among 74 people named in an FIR lodged at Silao police station.

Commercial establishments remained closed in Silao as businessmen feared a fresh flare-up, though the situation has so far remained under control.    

Communal clashes  have been reported from various parts of Bihar in the recent past, with opposition parties like the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress accusing the BJP of inciting violence and charging Janata Dal-United president and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar with being 'helpless' before the coalition partner.  -- PTI

JUST IN: System failure detected in baggage handling system at Delhi Airport, thousands of bags reported to be misplaced as of now. -- ANI

Image for representation only.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today said that he would contest the assembly elections from Chamundeshwari constituency in Mysuru.

"I will contest from Chamundeshwari. I will win with the blessings of people from Chamundeshwari," he told reporters in response to a question in Mysuru.

Siddaramaiah was reacting to Janata Dal-Secular state president H D Kumaraswamy expressing scepticism over his contesting from Chamundeshwari constituency.

Hitting out at Kumaraswamy, the chief minister said 'does Kumaraswamy know how many times I have contested from Chamundeshwari constituency... seven times, I have won five times. Does he know all this?'

"I have complete faith and belief in my voters...they wont listen to Kumaraswamy or anyone," he said while reminding about support he got in the toughest by-elections held in 2006.

Speaking to reporters yesterday, Kumaraswamy had predicted Siddaramaiah's loss if he contests from Chamundeshwari.

"If he (Siddaramaiah) contests from Chamundeshwari, write it down today itself, when election results are declared on May 15, wherever I'm, I will come down to Mysuru to discuss with you about his defeat," he had said.

Reminding that Siddaramaiah had won with a margin of 257 votes during 2006 by-election, Kumaraswamy had even claimed that the Chief Minister was looking for safe constituencies to contest like Narasimharaja in Mysuru.

Siddaramaiah in 2006 on Congress ticket had won the Chamundeshwari by-election with a wafer thin margin of 257 votes against JD-S candidate in one of the bitterest poll battles in the state.

The results then were crucial for Siddaramaiah to score political points over his bete noire JD-S supremo H D Deve Gowda, after being expelled from the party.

Siddaramaiah, who represents Varuna in Mysuru after it became a constituency in 2008 following delimitation, has now expressed his intentions to contest from Chamundeshwari  once again.

Making his debut in the assembly in 1983, Siddaramaiah got elected from Chamundeshwari on a Lok Dal Party ticket, from where he has won five times and tasted defeat twice.

Speculation is rife that the chief minister, who has already indicated that the 2018 assembly polls could 'most likely' be his last election, is keen on fielding his son Dr Yatindra from Varuna.  -- PTI

Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav, who has been serving a jail term in connection with the fodder scam, was today admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi for specialised treatment.

Yadav, who was serving his jail term in Ranchi, was referred to AIIMS by the Rajendra Institute of Medical Science (RIMS) in Ranchi.

"His condition is stable. He was brought in at noon. His sugar levels are a little bit high and he has some infection in the kidney," an AIIMS doctor said.

He also said that Yadav has been admitted under the medicine department.

The RJD chief had been admitted to RIMS in Ranchi on March 17 over complaints of uneasiness while he was lodged at the Birsa Munda Jail.

Prasad has been serving a jail term since December 23.

He left for New Delhi yesterday by train after a special CBI court allowed him to seek treatment at Delhi AIIMS.

Senior advocate Chittaranjan Sinha, who has been handling Prasad's fodder scam cases from the very beginning, said the 69-year-old leader is suffering from diabetes, high creatinine levels and blood pressure.

"His condition was not suitable for flying and the doctors at RIMS advised him to travel by train," Sinha said.

A medical board at the RIMS where Prasad was being treated had decided to refer him to AIIMS for better treatment, RIMS Director R K Srivastav said.

The former chief minister has been convicted in four fodder scam cases since 2013 -- the latest being the Dumka treasury case, in which a special CBI court sentenced him to 14 years in jail.

The Jharkhand high court will hear on April 6 his bail plea in connection with his conviction in the third fodder scam case -- pertaining to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 37.62 crore from the Chaibasa Treasury, Sinha said.  -- PTI

Under attack over the board paper leaks, Central Board of Secondary Education Chairperson Anita Karwal today said that the decision to hold re-examination of two subjects was taken in 'favour of the students' and the new dates for the exams would be announced soon.

The remarks came a day after the CBSE, in a circular, said that students would have take re-test for Class 10 mathematics and Class 12 economics subjects.

"We have taken the decision in favour of the students and in utmost fairness. Very soon we will announce the dates (for re-test). Any further decision would also be taken in the favour of the students," she told reporters in New Delhi.

"Students don't have to worry about anything. We are with them," she added.

The Congress has demanded the sacking of Karwal for the alleged lapse.

The opposition party has also pressed for the resignation of Human Resource Minister Prakash Javadekar and a probe by a high court judge.

Javadekar had termed the CBSE examination paper leak issue 'unfortunate' and said culprits would not go scot-free.

The Delhi unit of All India Democratic Students' Organisation also demanded a high-level probe into the CBSE question paper leak case, and said it showed the board's 'utter negligence' in conducting examinations fairly.  -- PTI

The domestic banking sector reported a total of 12,553 fraud cases worth Rs 18,170 crore in fiscal 2016-17, with state-run Bank of Maharashtra registering the highest number of such cases, says a report.

While Bank of Maharashtra reported 3,893 cases of fraud, private sector lender ICICI Bank came a close second with 3,359 cases and HDFC Bank the third with 2,319 fraud cases, in the last financial year, according to proxy advisory firm Institutional Investor Advisory Services (IiAS).

In terms of the quantum, Punjab National Bank had reported the highest amount of frauds at Rs 2,810 crore in the last financial year, followed by Bank of India at Rs 2,770 crore, State Bank of India at Rs 2,420 crore and Bank of Maharashtra at Rs 2,041 crore.

The report comes amid a string of banking frauds recently, including the Rs 13,000-crore PNB scam involving billionaire jeweller Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi. "In 2016-17, the Indian banking sector reported 12,553 frauds aggregating to Rs 181.7 billion (Rs 18,170 crore)," IiAS said.

Interestingly, while frauds were an issue of concern across the banking sector, the report found that a few lenders such as IDFC Bank, Dhanlaxmi Bank and DCB Bank stood out for being able to control fraud losses, with their total fraud being less than 0.01 per cent of their respective assets.

Noting that the average fraud size in country's banking sector is high, IiAS said there is a urgent need to revisit and strengthen internal financial controls for these financial institutions.

'The inability to contain frauds has financial implications. For example, in Bank of Maharashtra, the fraud amount as a percentage of total assets was 1.02 per cent,' the report said.

'Added to a gross NPA of about 19 per cent, this means that more than one-fifth of the asset size is at risk every year due to weak controls and lack of adequate due diligence,' it added.

IiAS observed that the focus needs to shift towards strengthening the audit quality 'by plugging process gaps and streamlining the checks and balances'.

'High audit fees signal more audit checks. Yet, despite paying high audit fees, the quantum of fraud in public sector banks tend to be much higher,' it added.  -- PTI

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday alleged that senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal and his wife are involved in a land scam.

According to a media report, the duo acquired a piece of land valued at Rs 89 crore in New Delhi municipal area by paying much less amount for acquiring the holding company, when Sibal was the Union law minister during the tenure of the United Progressive Alliance government.

Addressing a press conference, Union minister Smriti Irani said that Sibal had a business deal with a person who was accused of money laundering.

"The person who was being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation for bribery during the UPA government and against whom South African journalists levelled charges of money laundering, from him Kapil Sibal and his wife got ownership of a company named Grande Castello Private Limited," Irani told media, quoting the report.

Irani added, "Is it so natural for the Congress leadership today to embrace money launderer, to shake hand with those that they had investigated for bribery?"

The media report said that Sibal and his wife allegedly bought 100 per cent shares --50 per cent each -- in a company that had a paid-up capital of Rs one lakh.

'The company, Grande Castello Private Limited, owns the land in Delhi that was cost at Rs 89 crore in the books of the company before the acquisition,' the report quoted.

Reacting to Irani's allegations, Sibal said, "A person who does not know the meaning of money laundering is making allegations? Yes I bought the company, does anyone mind? I paid and did so from my earnings, tax for which was paid by me, but no one saw it."

"We thought she'll talk about the CBSE paper leak but it seems she isn't worried about the students who'll have to re-appear for their exam," Sibal said.  -- ANI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi would address a major globally televised event during his three-day visit to the United Kingdom next month to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).

'Bharat Ki Baat, Sabke Saath' is being billed as a 'niche event', which will take place in a broadcast studio setting in central London on April 18.

A few hundred guests picked out by an open ballot following registrations on bharatkibaat.org will get the chance to participate in the moderated question and answer session with the Prime Minister.

'A unique niche event is being planned in London on April 18. Titled as #BharatKiBaatSabkeSaath, it will be a one of its kind live interactive conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi,' Vijay Chauthaiwale, in-charge of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Foreign Affairs Department, announced on Twitter.

The prime minister will arrive in London from Sweden and hold a series of bilateral meetings, including with British Prime Minister Theresa May and an audience with Queen Elizabeth II, expected on April 18.

On April 19 and 20, he will take part in the CHOGM discussions along with heads of government from other 52 member-countries of the Commonwealth.

The visit has been dubbed as 'historic' within diplomatic circles as this would mark an Indian prime minister's presence at CHOGM for the first time since 2010.

Modi had been reportedly invited personally by the Queen in a letter addressed to him.

"It is a great time for India and it is exciting to see the energised way in which new opportunities are being taken up," Commonwealth Secretary-General, Baroness Patricia Scotland, had recently said in reference to India's enhanced role within the organisation.

According to her, the 53 member-countries will also take a decision on appointing a successor to the 91-year-old monarch as the Head of the Commonwealth during the summit in London and Windsor.

The Heads of Government Meeting on April 19 and 20 will be preceded by the Commonwealth Business Forum between April 16-18, which will bring together hundreds of business people and stakeholders from across the 53 Commonwealth countries.  -- PTI

In Delhi, Anna Hazare ends his hunger strike after talks with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister of State for Agriculture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.

The Centre had reached out to Hazare, with its emissary and Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajana assuring the social-activist that most of his "demands will be taken care of".

Although the first two days of the protest saw very few protesters joining him at Ramlila Maidan, but the third day was better for Anna's revamped India Against Corruption Movement.

Hazare's demands include appointment of Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayuktas in states, and giving better prices to farmers for their yield.

Darren Lehmann steps down as coach of Australia ahead of the fourth Test against South Africa which begins on Friday. He said it will be his last test match. This is a direct fallout of the ball-tampering scandal.


Australia was plunged into turmoil after captain Steve Smith admitted on Saturday that senior players conspired with opening batsman Cameron Bancroft to tamper with the ball during the third Test against South Africa in Cape Town.  


Also read: Why Cricket Australia cleared coach Lehmann

Deputy Spokesperson of the United States Embassy in India, Alexander McLaren on Thursday said Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was frisked at the US airport as he was on private visit.


McLaren said that if an individual is on a private visit, irrespective of whether he or she is a citizen or any head of the state, then he has to go through the same security procedure.


"If a head of state chooses to travel privately without diplomatic passport then they are travelling as a private citizen and they have to go through same security screening as you and I and everyone else has gone through," clarified McLaren.


He further said that if an individual was on an official visit, then "it would have been a different story."The Pakistan Prime Minister was frisked at the John F. Kennedy airport in New York during the security procedure.


A video of the incident showed Prime Minister Abbasi, who reportedly was on a private visit to meet his ailing sister in the US, adjusting his t-shirt after getting out of security checks with his jacket and a trolley bag. -- ANI

NCERT published textbooks will have QR codes from next year (2019-20) which will help students understand chapters better by watching a film or reading additional content on laptops and digital boards, Union minister Prakash Javadekar said today.


Quick Response Code is a machine-readable code consisting of an array of black and white squares, typically used for storing web-links or other information for reading by the camera on a smart-phone.

ISRO's GSLV-F08 mission carrying the GSAT-6A communication satellite lifts off.


The GSLV-F08 rocket saddled with the passenger satellite in its payload fairing blasted off from the second launch pad at 4.56 pm. Leaving behind plumes of smoke, the 49.1 metre tall GSLV soared majestically into clear skies, carrying the 2,140 kg GSAT-6A satellite to be injected into a geostationary orbit at a height of about 36,000 km.


The satellite was launched from the space port of Sriharikota, about 110 kms from Chennai.


The Launch of GSLV-F08 marks the 12th flight of  Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle GSLV-F08 and sixth flight with indigenous Cryogenic upper stage.

GSAT-6A, is similar to GSAT-6, a high power S-band communication satellite built on I-2K satellite bus with a mission life of about ten years, it said.

A key feature of the satellite is providing mobile communication to India through multi beam coverage facility.

The satellite will also provide a platform for developing technologies such as demonstration of 6 m S-Band Unfurlable Antenna, handheld ground terminals and network management techniques that could be useful in satellite based mobile communication applications.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has been re-elected for a second term with a sweeping majority, garnering nearly 92 per cent of the total votes, media reports said today.


According to early estimates, more than 23 million Egyptians voted for the 63-year-old Field Marshal in the three-day presidential election. His sole challenger, the little-known centrist politician and al Ghad party chief Moussa Mostafa Moussa, is estimated to have obtained 3 per cent of the vote.


Vote counting started after polling stations closed yesterday. According to non-official figures, 21,088,295 people voted for Sisi in polling stations across Egypt. The official results will be announced on April 2. -- PTI

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today demanded strict action against people involved in the alleged leak of CBSE examination papers, and said he feels "sorry and sad" for students who will have to re-appear for the exams.


Kejriwal said responsibility should be fixed in the matter, a day after the CBSE announced re-examination in Class 10 mathematics and Class 12 economics papers in wake of reports of papers being leaked.


"I really feel sorry and sad for the students who have to give their exams again for no fault of theirs. Responsibility shud be fixed n strict action shud be taken against those responsible (sic)," Kejriwal tweeted.


Earlier today, Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar termed the CBSE paper leak issue "unfortunate" and said culprits would not go scot-free. The Delhi Police's crime branch is investigating the alleged leak after registering two separate cases in the matter.  -- PTI

The shrill cries of 'we want justice' pierced the serene morning air at Jantar Mantar today as hundreds of students gathered protesting against the re-examination of Class 10 Mathematics and Class 12 Economics papers.


Holding placards, with slogans like 'Stop playing hit and trial with our lives' and 'It's not the students who need a retest, it's the system', the students rued how they have been left "traumatised" after hearing the news of re-examination.


Many students claimed that almost all the papers had been leaked a day before the examinations and demanded that if a reexamination is to be held, it should be held for all the subjects.


Bhavika Yadav, a Class 10 student of St Thomas School, said, "We were shocked after hearing the news of the re-examination. Why should we suffer just because a handful of students got the leaked paper before the
examination?"


Her friend, Ojasvy Chamdhok, echoed similar sentiments. "We have been under pressure right from the beginning of the session. We were relieved after giving the exam but it was just for one-and-a-half hours that we breathed the sigh of relief. Later we learnt from various news channels that we will have to appear for a re-examination which means studying the entire syllabus again," she added.


The students said the Board should take the accountability for the paper leak. "It is impossible that the Board was not aware of the leakage. They had been denying right from the word go the news emerged but, it seems, they had just been pretending to be in the dark about the paper leak. They should have cancelled the papers in the morning," another student said. Rahul, a Class 12 student of Kendriya Vidyalaya, said, "All the papers were available a day before the exams. Our friends had offered to sell the papers for Rs 2,000 but we did not believe them. After we appeared for the exam, we did realise that the papers were exactly the same that were being circulated among various groups. If a re-examination has to happen, it should be for all the subjects."


Rohit Mogha, who runs a private coaching centre in Janakpuri, said the re-examination would put additional pressure on Class 12 students, who are busy preparing for entrance examinations of various courses like engineering, medical and law.


"Many of my students are worried as to how they will manage the preparation for their entrance exams along while preparing for the Board's re-examination. Many of my students had sent me the leaked Economics paper a day before the exam but I had asked them that these were just the rumours, not to be believed. It seems they were not rumours, but the truth," he added.


In the wake of reports claiming paper leaks, the CBSE had announced re-examination yesterday for the two papers. The Crime Branch of Delhi Police is investigating the alleged leak of Class 12 Economics and Class 10 Mathematics papers after registering two separate cases in the matter.\
 -- PTI

Rahul Gandhi @RahulGandhi The exam leaks destroy the hopes and futures of millions of students. The Congress always protected our institutions. This is what happens when institutions are destroyed by the RSS/BJP. Believe me when I say, this is only the beginning.

The All India Democratic Students' Organisation holds a protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar over the CBSE paper leak.

"This is possibly a long drawn battle and if the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party are together in this long battle, a new political picture will emerge in the country. In this battle if we have to sacrifice or give up anything, we are ready. We have to remain cautious against the BJP's attempts to break our unity. We want this alliance to stay."

Akhilesh Yadav speaks about the Samajwadi Party's stunning victory in the Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha by-elections -- where SP candidates shocked Bharatiya Janata Party nominees -- the SP's new partnership with the Bahujan Samaj Party and tea with BSP Supremo Mayawati.


The first of an exclusive, two-part, interview with Rediff.com's Archana Masih. Do read

The Congress on Thursday the demanded removal of Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar and the CBSE chairperson in connection with the CBSE paper leak case.


The Economics question paper of class XII and Maths question paper of class X were leaked on social media hours before the examination. The Economics exam was held on March 26 and Maths on March 28.


Congress Spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said, "Without removing Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar and CBSE Chairperson Anita Karwal from their current positions, a fair and impartial investigation into this paper leak issue is impossible."


The Congress spokesperson also claimed that not only two papers but some more papers have also been leaked.


"Post Vyapam and SSC, now three papers of CBSE have been leaked. As per students, some more papers have also been leaked. There was an error in evaluation of Class 12 exams in 2017," Surjewala asserted.


He also questioned why the post of CBSE chairman was left vacant for 2 years. Earlier in the day, Javadekar said new exam dates will be announced soon and assured strict action against the culprits.He said that biggest challenge for the ministry is to eliminate all crimes in the field of education.


The Delhi Police Crime Branch on Wednesday set up a Special Investigation Team to probe the alleged leak of the CBSE examination papers. -- ANI

Former Australia captain Steve Smith breaks down at a press conference in Sydney held to address the ball tampering scandal that has devastated Australia and much of the cricketing world.


Struggling to control his emotions, Smith said, "I am sorry. I want to make it clear that as captain of the Australia Cricket team I take full responsibility. I made a serious error of judgment and I now understand the consequences.


"I will do everything I can do to make up for my mistake and the damage it has caused. If any good can come of this, it can be a lesson to others, and I hope can be a cause for change," he said.


He said he would regret this all his life and said he hoped he could bear the cost of change.


He broke down and the conference was abruptly ended when he said he could see how devastated his parents were after the incident.


"I've been privileged & honoured to represent my country. Cricket has been my life & I hope it can be again. I'm sorry & I'm absolutely devastated. I don't blame anyone. I'm the captain of the Australian team. It's on my watch & I take responsibility for what happened. there was a failure of leadership, of my leadership," Smith said. 

"I lied...and I am sorry," said banned Australian batsman Cameron Bancroft as he pleaded forgiveness for his role the "devastating" ball-tampering scandal that led to a nine-month ban on him.


Bancroft, who was caught on camera pulling out sand paper to scruff up the ball during the third Test against South Africa in Cape Town, said he is disappointed with himself.


"I want to say that I'm very sorry ... I'm very disappointed and I regret my actions ... It is something I will regret for the rest of my life," the opener stated.


While Bancroft was suspended for nine months, captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner were banned for a year and also stripped of their leadership roles for plotting the entire episode.


"All I can do is ask for forgiveness ... I will do my best to contribute to the community," he added.


The 25-year-old had initially denied using sand paper on the ball and apologised for lying when the scandal broke out.


"I lied. I lied about the sandpaper. I panicked in that situation and I'm very sorry ... I feel like I've let everyone down in Australia," he said.


All the banned cricketers were sent home before the fourth Test in Johannesburg and have been barred from domestic cricket at this point. However, they have been told to do 100 hours voluntary service in community cricket. "The thing that breaks my heart the most is that I've given up my spot in the team for free. People know I worked so hard to get to this point in my career and to have given up that chance for free is devastating," he said. Bancroft also asserted that he had not tampered with the ball before. "I have never ever been involved in tampering with the ball (before) and it clearly compromises my values and what I stand for as a player and as a person," he said. His eight-Test old career tarred by the infamous incident, Bancroft said he would try hard to make a comeback. "For me to carry that out in front of world cricket and to be seen breaking the laws of the game, not playing within the spirit of the game, it's completely how cricket shouldn't be played," he said. "It's going to be a really long road particularly for myself to earn that respect back but for me that's the most important thing," he added. Earlier, Warner, who has been dubbed the chief plotter in the controversy, also apologised for letting down the game. PTI

Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar on the CBSE paper leaks.

"This is a very unfortunate development, I understand the pain the parents and students have to go through. I also could not sleep, I am also a parent. Whoever is involved in the paper leak will not be spared, police will soon arrest the culprits," Javadekar said.


The press conference was also attended by Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. He said, "The government has taken note of judgment of Supreme Court about laying doing new norms as per SC/ST operation is concerned. I have already instructed ministry of law over the desirability of filling a review and appropriate follow-up action."


On Monday, panic gripped students of Class 12 following claims on social media that the economics paper had been leaked even though the CBSE denied there was any slip up.


The Delhi Police said they have registered two cases.


The first case in connection with the leak of economics paper was lodged on March 27 while the case pertaining to mathematics paper was lodged on March 28, following a complaint by the regional director of CBSE. The cases were registered on charges of criminal breach of trust, cheating and criminal conspiracy. A special investigation team comprising two deputy commissioners of police, four assistant commissioners of police and five inspectors has been set up to investigate the matter.


Reports about the economics paper being leaked had circulated on social media, including on WhatsApp, several hours before the paper commenced on Monday.


Today, the office of the CBSE had received an unaddressed envelope on March 26 containing four sheets of handwritten answers of the Class 12 Economics paper, the Board said in its complaint to the Delhi Police.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi today targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi again, going into rhyme over the series of leaks, including CBSE board papers, to say that the "chowkidar" was weak.


Using Twitter as his platform to attack the government, as he has been doing with clockwork regularity lately, he also used the hashtag "BasEkAurSaal', a reference to the government being left with one year of its term.


"How many leaks? Data leak! Aadhar leak! SSC Exam leak! Election date leak! CBSE papers leak! "There is a leak in everything, the 'chowkidar' is weak," Gandhi said in a tweet that was in both Hindi and English.


The CBSE yesterday announced a retest of the Class 10 mathematics and Class 12 economics papers following reports claiming that they had been leaked. Union HRD minister Prakash Javadekar said a new system would be put in place from Monday to ensure no leaks take place and that the government was conducting an internal inquiry . PTI

"My mother used to rent a small flat above the garage in her home in Delhi. An estate agent she knew called to say that he had the perfect tenant: a single woman, who lectured at a nearby college. My mother was pleased; a working woman herself who had married very late in life, she was predisposed towards independent single women. There was, however, a 'but': the prospective tenant was a Muslim and the estate agent needed to know before he arranged a meeting if that was a problem for my mother. Affronted, my mother asked if he asked that question of every house owner. "Everyone," he said firmly. "I don't want my client embarrassed in a face-to-face meeting.""

Read Mukul Kesavan's column on Muslims and ghettoes here.

Australian head coach Darren Lehmann has finally broken his silence on the massive ball-tampering scandal, saying that he and his entire cricket team have to change their culture and need to learn from New Zealand the way they play cricket.


Talking for the first time since the Cape Town ball-tampering fiasco that saw the provisional suspension of former skipper Steve Smith, former vice-captain David Warner and Cameron Bancroft, Lehmann admitted that their former style of "butting heads on the line" would not stand anymore and that they need to oversee a cultural overhaul in order to save his team's shattered reputation.


"We need to change how we play and within the boundaries we play. Obviously, previously we've butted heads on the line but that's not the way to go about us playing cricket moving forward. The thing for me would be if we take a leaf out of someone like New Zealand's book, the way they play and respect the opposition," cricket.com.au quoted Lehmann, as saying.


"We do respect the opposition but we push the boundaries on the ground. So, we've got to make sure we're respecting the game, its traditions, and understanding (how) the game holds itself around the world," he added.


In the wake of the scandal that shocked the cricket world, Australia's team culture has come under scanner because of the way the national side behaves on the field and the way they are perceived by the public.


While urging everyone to forgive the disgraced trio, a tearful Lehmann insisted that though the three players had made "grave mistake", they are not bad people and should be given a second chance in life. -- PTI

The leaders of North and South Korea will meet on April 27 for the first time since 2007, the two countries announced Thursday after high-level talks, reports CNN.


North and South Korean officials met earlier at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between the two countries to discuss the timing of the landmark summit between President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.


China broke its silence on Wednesday, March 28, and acknowledged North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's visit to Beijing and his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Kim paid a four-day unofficial visit to Beijing at Xi's invitation, the State-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Scientists have discovered 13,000-year-old footprints of a two adults and a child off the Pacific coast of Canada, suggesting that humans used a coastal route to move from Asia to North America during the last ice age.


Previous research suggests that, during the last ice age (which ended around 11,700 years ago), humans moved into the Americas from Asia across what was then a land bridge to North America, eventually reaching what is now the west coast of British Columbia, Canada as well as coastal regions to the south.


Along the pacific coast of Canada, much of this shoreline is today covered by dense forest and only accessible by boat, making it difficult to look for the archaeological evidence which might support this hypothesis.


The researchers from the Hakai Institute and University of Victoria in Canada excavated intertidal beach sediments on the shoreline of Calvert Island, British Columbia, where the sea level was two to three metres lower than it is today at the end of the last ice age.


They uncovered 29 human footprints of at least three different sizes in these sediments, which radiocarbon dating estimated to be around 13,000 years old. Measurements and digital photographic analyses revealed that the footprints probably belonged to two adults and a child, all barefoot.


The findings, published in the journal PLOS ONE, suggest that humans were present on the west coast of British Columbia about 13,000 years ago, as it emerged from the most recent ice age. This finding adds to the growing body of evidence supporting the hypothesis that humans used a coastal route to move from Asia to North America during the last ice age.


Researchers suggest that further excavations with more advanced methods are likely to uncover more human footprints in the area and would help to piece together the patterns of early human settlement on the coast of North America.  PTI

RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, who is serving jail term since December 23 in a fodder scam case, has left for New Delhi on medical advice for specialised treatment at AIIMS, New Delhi, a senior RJD leader said.


Prasad had been admitted to Rajendra Institute of Medical Science in Ranchi on March 17 on complaints of uneasiness at Birsa Munda Jail and left for New Delhi yesterday by train after a Special CBI court allowed him to seek treatment at Delhi AIIMS.


"He boarded the Ranchi-New Delhi Rajdhani Express yesterday evening and is scheduled to reach Delhi today," RJD leader Bhola Prasad, who is accompanying Prasad, told PTI.


Senior advocate Chittaranjan Sinha, who has been handling the fodder scam cases for Prasad from the very beginning, said the 69-year-old RJD chief is suffering from diabetes, high creatinine levels and blood pressure.


"His condition was not suitable for flying and the doctors at RIMS advised him to travel by train," Sinha said.


A medical board at the RIMS where Prasad was being treated decided to refer him to the AIIMS for better treatment, hospital Director R K Srivastav said. The former chief minister had been convicted in four fodder scam cases since 2013 - the latest being the Dumka treasury case, in which a special CBI court sentenced him to 14 years of imprisonment.


The Jharkhand High Court is to hear on April 6 his bail plea in the connection with his conviction in the third fodder scam - RC 68A/96 case - pertaining to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 37.62 crore from Chaibasa Treasury, advocate Sinha said.

The Reserve Bank of India has imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 58.9 crore on ICICI Bank Limited for non-compliance with directions issued by the RBI on direct sale of securities from its Held To Maturity portfolio and specified disclosure in this regard.

The White House has refused to answer whether United States President Donald Trump had know-how of a USD 130,000 payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels by his personal lawyer, Michael Cohen.


When, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders was tossed a question if Trump was aware of the payment, she responded, "Look, the President has denied the allegations. We've spoken about this issue extensively and I don't have anything else to beyond that. Anything beyond that I would refer you to the outside counsel," CNN reported.


The White House has claimed that the President has addressed the controversy surrounding Daniels. According to the report, Cohen in October 2016, released a statement to CNN on behalf of Trump, which read, "President Trump once again vehemently denies any such occurrence as has Ms. Daniels."


Simultaneously, Cohen signed a statement from Daniels as well stating that the allegations of an affair were "absolutely false".


Cohen has said that he used "own personal funds to facilitate a payment of USD 130,000" to Daniels for her silence on the matter, weeks before the 2016 presidential election.


On that note, Daniels has been locked in a legal battle with President Trump earlier this month, seeking to invalidate a nondisclosure agreement she and Cohen had signed more than a decade ago.


The adult star said that the deal is not valid because the US President "never signed it himself".Daniels on Monday accused Cohen for defamation amending her lawsuit against the US President.


According to the lawsuit, it now claims that Cohen defamed Daniels by suggesting that she is lying about her alleged 2006 affair with Trump.


The suit specifically points to a statement Cohen made last month, "Just because something isn't true doesn't mean that it can't cause you harm or damage," he said. -- ANI

The Union Law Ministry has approved the filing of review petition on Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989 (SC/ST Act), in the Supreme Court, sources said on Thursday.


The Opposition has been pressing the Centre to file a review petition against the recent top court ruling that diluted the provisions for immediate arrest under the SC/ST Act. Yesterday, Dalit MPs from the NDA met PM Narendra Modi over the issue.


On March 20, the apex court, in a bid to check misuse of the SC/ST Act, ruled that preliminary enquiry in a case under the Atrocities Act would be done by the DSP to ensure the allegations are not frivolous, and to avoid false implication of an innocent.


The court also held that a government official cannot be prosecuted on mere allegation of committing an offence under the Act without the sanction of the appointing authority. -- ANI

Raising concern over the increasing number of rape incidents in Assam, BJP MP from Tezpur (Guwahati) RP Sharma on Wednesday said people found guilty of committing such horrendous crime should be shot dead in public.


The MP said that capital punishment is the only way to deal with people disrespecting women.


"Those who commit heinous crimes like rape must be shot in public; this is the only way to stop these incidents," Sharma told ANI.


Recently, a five-year-old girl died after she was allegedly gang-raped and then set ablaze by five persons at her home in Nagaon's Bordua in Assam. -- ANI

The Central Board of School Education has received a complaint by fax naming a person from Sector 8, Rajinder Nagar to be behind the paper leak of Class 10 and 12 examination papers.


The complaint received by an unknown source on March 23 claimed that the perpetrator runs a coaching institute, and also named two schools from the same vicinity as complicit in the leakage, the CBSE conveyed to the Delhi Police on Thursday.


In the letter to the Delhi Police, the education board stated that the complaint copy was forwarded to the regional office of CBSE on March 24 and to Inspector Sushil Yadav on his Whatsapp.


"On March 26, CBSE academic unit received an unaddressed envelope containing four sheets of hand written answer papers of economics paper held on that day. It was indicated in the papers kept inside the envelope that the question paper was leaked and circulated through four WhatsApp numbers," the letter read.


The papers of the Economics exam of class XII held on March 26 and Maths exam of class X held on March 28 were leaked on social media hours before the examination. In its wake, the CBSE announced a re-examination, and a police investigation into the case was initiated. -- ANI


Representational image.

While on cricket, tainted Pakistan pacer Muhammad Asif suffered humiliation at the Dubai International Airport where he was refused entry by immigration officials as he did not have complete documents.


Asif confirmed he had to take a return flight home from Dubai. "I didn't have a particular letter from their ministry of foreign affairs which I apparently required to enter Dubai," Asif said.


The pacer, who served a five-year ban for spot-fixing between 2010 and 2015, required additional clearance to enter the emirates as in 2008 he had been detained and sent to jail after a small quantity of opium was found in his pocket.


Asif said he had been issued a visa for the visit to UAE where he was invited to play in a T20 tournament in Sharjah.


"But I didn't have the one particular letter and the organisers have now said they will arrange it after which I might still go and play in the tournament,' he added. Asif, besides the spot-fixing ban and the opium possession case, has also been banned once for failing a dope test and once got into a brawl with Shoaib Akhtar before the 2007 World T20. --  PTI

A day after Australia captain Steve Smith and vice-skipper David Warner were handed out a one-year ban for ball-tampering, Warner tweeted his apology to his country, the game of cricket and his fans across the word.


"To cricket fans in Australia and all over the world: I am currently on my way to Sydney. Mistakes have been made which have damaged cricket. I apologise for my part and take responsibility for it. I understand the distress this has caused to the sport and its fans. It's a stain on the game we all love and I have loved since I was a boy. I need to take a deep breath and spend time with my family, friends and trusted advisors. You will hear from me in a few days."


Cameron Bancroft, who carried out the cheating in South Africa, was given a nine-month ban by Cricket Australia.

Update on Malala's visit to Pakistan.

Accompanied by her parents, Malala was escorted through Islamabad's Benazir Bhutto International Airport under tight security, Malala was dressed in a Pakistani salwar kameez and had a dupatta covering her head.


She was smiling and looked happy as she was greeted at the airport. Her arrival and stay in Pakistan has been kept secret due to security threats.


But official sources said that she is expected to stay for four days and meet Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa. CEO of Malala Fund is also with her and she is expected to participate in the 'Meet the Malala' programme in Pakistan.


It is not known if she will travel to the Swat region in northwestern Pakistan where she lived and was attacked while returning from a school in October 2012 when she was 14 years old.


Severely wounded, Malala was taken by helicopter from one military hospital in Pakistan to another, where doctors placed her in a medically induced coma so an air ambulance could fly her to Great Britain for treatment.


After she was attacked, the Taliban released a statement saying that they would target her again if she survived.


At age 17, Malala became the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 for her education advocacy. Unable to return to Pakistan after her recovery, Malala moved to Britain, setting up the Malala Fund and supporting local education advocacy groups with a focus on Pakistan, Nigeria, Jordan, Syria and Kenya. She is currently studying at Oxford University.

Kingfisher boss Vijay Mallya is set to wed for the third time to former stewardess Pinky Lalwani. The two met when she was hired for the now-defunct Kingfisher airlines in 2011.


Mallya's first wife was Sameera Tyabjee, his second wife (who he is still legally married to) is Rekha Mallya, a childhood friend. He has three children from the two marriages -- a son named Siddharth and two daughters, Leanna and Tanya.


Lalwani has been present with Mallya at the extradition case at Westminster Magistrates Court in London. He is absconding from India on charges of fraud and money laundering related to his erstwhile Kingfisher Airlines.


He owes Indian banks Rs 9,000 crore, which he had borrowed to run the airline. He fled to Britain in March 2016 after arrest warrants were issued against him over the unpaid loans. He currently lives in a mansion near London. 

A day after the Namma Bengaluru Foundation denied conferring the 'Namma Bengaluru Award' to IPS officer D Roopa Moudgil, the latter questioned why she was sent passes to the award function, in spite of her sending a letter to the foundation declining the award.


Responding to the NBF's claims of relentless lobbying for the award, Roopa in a rebuttal letter clarified that as per the guidelines, nominees were expected to appear before the jury to explain their contribution.


"If you look at the Namma Bengaluru Foundation Facebook page, they have put up a CV about me which does not speak about my actual contribution of exposing the corruption/irregularities in Bengaluru Prison. Hence, reiterating the correct facts and position to the jury does not amount to lobbying. Otherwise, why do they even invite people to appraise the jury," the letter read.


Citing reasons for declining the award, Roopa said since the Bengaluru-based non-profit organisation had begun activism and dragged the government to court on many issues such as the "steel flyover" and "sewage water into Cauvery River", it was inappropriate for government servants to accept such an award, as they represented the institution in the court on the aforementioned issues.


She further highlighted loopholes in the process of selecting the final winner and said the NBF has started losing credibility due to the same.


"The NBF by saying that I knew the results of the award have admitted themselves inadvertently that the whole process was rigged. Because, their rules and policy say that until the moment the awards are given, no one knows who is getting and they take pride in the above fact. To say anything contrary now by them amounts to further losing credibility. I declined the award much before. It would be even more embarrassing had I received it and then returned," argued Roopa.


She further stated that government servants who accepted the award flouting provisions of the All India Service Rules, 1968, have to be questioned. -- ANI

On Governor Ram Naik's recommendation, UP government passes order to officially introduce the word 'Ramji' as the middle name of Dr BR Ambedkar in all documents and records in the state.