World Wrestling Entertainment legend 'The Undertaker' appears to have retired after losing to Roman Reigns in the main event of WrestleMania 33 in Orlando, United States, ending a 27-year-long career.

'The Undertaker', whose real name is Mark William Calaway, dropped his trademark hat, gloves and leather coat after his loss in a no-holds-barred match, setting the social media abuzz with a barrage of retirement wishes.

His dramatic departure from the ring was trending on Twitter with #ThankYouTaker. His legions of fans, current and former WWE stars were quick to pay tribute to the multiple-time world heavyweight champion and Royal Rumble winner.

'If there's a dry eye at #Wrestlemania ur a bigger man then me. #ThankYouTaker,' tweeted WWE star 'The Miz'.

Some of the other big names who paid their respect were Mick Folley and Rick Flair.

His was the last fight of the eventful night with a record 75,000-plus crowd at the Camping World Stadium, seeing his momentous walk back to the WWE ramp for one final time.

Fireworks and musical performances added to the spectacular show as Orlando successfully hosted WrestleMania for the second time ever, the first being in 2008.

India tonight termed as 'unfortunate' the description of criminal act triggered after the death of a young Indian student as 'xenophobic and racial' by the African envoys.

Reacting to strong remarks by African envoys who had criticised India for not taking 'known, sufficient and visible' deterrent action, the External Affairs Ministry tonight said investigations on the death of Indian teenager and the subsequent incident by local authorities are ongoing.

Office of the First Lady of the United States Melania Trump posts this portrait on Twitter. Photograph: @FLOTUS/Twitter 

The Allahabad high court on gave the Uttar Pradesh government 24 hours to produce before it all its orders on the basis of which the drive for closure of illegal meat shops was undertaken in the state.

The Lucknow bench of the high court had directed the state counsel on March 27 to produce the order or executive instructions by April 3 under which the drive for closure of illegal meat shops has been undertaken.

The said reply could not be produced on Monday and the state counsel sought more time for it.

The court gave 24 hours and listed the case for hearing on April 4 at the state's request.

A division bench of justices Shree Narain Shukla and Sheo Kumar Singh issued the order on Monday on a plea by Shahabuddin and nine other meat traders.

Seeking court's directive for renewal of licences of their meat shops, the petitioners contented that the matter was urgent as they have been prevented from carrying on their trade.

They argued their establishments have been forcibly closed despite their licences for renewal being pending.

The counsel for the petitioners, G C Sinha said the licences of meat shops had not been renewed since 2014.

"The petitioners had moved a writ petition in the high court in 2015 and the court had sought reply from the respondents," Sinha said.

Taking exception to the continued use of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's original two leaves symbol by the V K Sasikala faction, the Election Commission on Monday directed it to remove it from its website and all social media accounts.

It gave Sasikala's AIADMK (Amma) faction time till 11 am on Thursday to explain as to why its order on freezing of the name AIADMK and its election symbol has been violated.

The poll panel said it has found that the AIADMK (Amma) faction of Sasikala is still using the original election symbol of the AIADMK which amounted to publication of 'false information' and is an election offence under section 171G of the Indian Penal Code.

'Now...the Commission directs that the said depiction of the symbol 'two leaves' in print, electronic or digital media such as your website/Facebook/Twitter or any social media or in any other manner be stopped forthwith.'   Rival AIADMK factions were allotted new symbols and names after the poll panel barred them from using the undivided party's election symbol for the Chennai's R K Nagar assembly bypoll on April 9.

While Sasikala camp is contesting on the 'hat' symbol as AIADMK (Amma), the O Panneerselvam camp is using the 'electric pole' symbol and has gone to the hustings as AIADMK (Puratchithalaivi Amma). -- PTI

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Monday asserted that the youth who pelt stones at security forces are in distress and the government needs to understand their problems.

"We have to focus on our children (stone-pelters) because they are in pain, they are in distress. I feel that the need is to engage them, to understand their problems and I am happy that Tasaduq Hussain is trying to play a part in that. The army and security forces have to show restraint and they are not showing restraint at all," Mehbooba told reporters.

Mehbooba further stated that unemployment and restlessness of the youth is the biggest challenge for her government.

"The youth picking up stones is a big issue. The biggest challenge that my government is currently facing is the youth, their unemployment and the biggest of all the restlessness in their minds. We did not create this in the last one or two years, this restlessness has been there for many years now. Our strength lies in democracy and democracy is the battle of ideas. Any problem its solution lies only in talks and dialogue," she added.

Earlier this week, ahead of the by-polls for Anantnag parliamentary seat, the Jammu and Kashmir Police arrested 18 persons on stone pelting charges.

JUST IN: One of the CRPF jawans injured in Pantha Chowk terrorist attack in Srinagar, succumbs to injuries. -- ANI

Russia Today reports:

A self-made explosive device has been defused at another St Petersburg Metro station -- Ploshchad Vosstaniya, Russia's National Anti-Terrorism Committee said.

Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin has ordered security to be stepped up in the Moscow Metro, the Moscow Central Ring and intercity trains, the Moscow Transport service tweeted.

Three trains of the Moscow Central Ring have been evacuated after an unidentified object was located.

Russia Today reports:

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has denied earlier media speculation that President Vladimir Putin was due to pass by the Sennaya Metro station around the time of the blast.

Putin is currently in St Petersburg taking part in the All-Russia People's Front media forum that opened on Saturday.

Meanwhile, all travel on city transport will be free of charge for the rest of Monday, St Petersburg Transport tweeted.

IMAGE: Emergency services attending the scene outside Sennaya Ploshchad metro station following explosions in two train carriages in St Petersburg. Photograph: Anton Vaganov/Reuters

The Union Human Resource and Development Minister Prakash Javadekar on Monday said Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and Kolkata's Jadavpur University did not get rankings for Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru and anti-India slogans, but for the good work done by the students.

"JNU and Jadavpur University didn't get rankings for Afzal Guru and anti-India slogans but for good work done by students," Javadekar said.

The HRD Minister released India Rankings 2017 of National Institutional Ranking Framework in which Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru ranked first.

JNU, since last year, has been in the fray of controversies after three of its students were booked for alleged sedition.

Last year in the specific list of universities ranking, JNU was at number three and this year it has climbed in the same list to number two.

Last year, on February 9, some of the JNU students organised an event in the campus to protest against the hanging of Afzal Guru, the driver of the 2001 Parliament attack.

A video was leaked online in which it was seen that students in the campus of JNU were chanting 'Afzal hum sharminda hain tere kaatil zinda hai' (Afzal we are shameful that your killers are still alive). Also, the students allegedly chanted 'Hindustan tere tukde honge' (India, you will be broken into pieces).

After this, there was a nationwide outrage, which forced the RSS student wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) to come out and protest.

Sedition charges were imposed on several students and the case was lodged at Vasant Kunj police station in the national capital. A complaint was registered under 24-A (sedition), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 34 (acts done by several persons with a common intention).


With this incident, former JNU Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar came into limelight as he was arrested on sedition charges after allegations were imposed on him that he had raised anti-India slogans.

Also read: The Red Earth that made Kanhaiya Kumar

Update: A girl has also been injured in the CRPF convoy attack near Pantha Chowk in Srinagar.

Ajmer blast case: The National Investigations Agency in its supplementary final report says "no evidence found against Indresh Kumar and Sadhvi Pragya". NIA Court (Jaipur) asks why NIA has not filed asset details of four others who were absconding. Next date of hearing has been fixed for April 17. 

Till death do us apart. A loving British couple married for over 70 years died within four minutes of each other. Wilf Russell, 93, died at a care home after battling dementia, which sadly resulted in him no longer recognising his wife. Wilf's wife Vera, 91, passed away at a nearby hospital having become ill since her husband stopped remembering her.

Frail Wilf took his final breath at Magna Care Home in Wigston, Leicestershire, at 6:50 am last Wednesday. And without knowing that her beloved husband had died, Vera was pronounced dead four minutes later at Leicester Royal Infirmiry.

Their granddaughter Stephanie Welch told Leicester Mercury, "My grandad was diagnosed with dementia a year ago and he had to go into the care home a couple of months back. My nan went to see him recently and he didn't recognise her at all -- her health started deteriorating from that day."

"I went to visit her at Leicester Royal Infirmary on Sunday and she opened her eyes and asked me where Wilf was. The last thing she said to me was, 'We're a right pair, aren't we?'" Welch said.

"He died at 6:50 am and she died at 6:54 am without being told about Wilf. I think she was waiting for him to go. She was broken-hearted," she said.

Another son is rising in Madhya Pradesh politics. Kartikey Singh Chouhan, 23, the son of BJP chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, is spending a lot of time in political activities, giving a clear hint of his ambitions. Read more

JUST IN: Ajmer Dargah Diwan comes out in support of beef ban, says will never eat beef; advises Muslims against it.

The two-wheeler industry would have lost Rs 600 crore due to the discount sales and incentives offered to meet the apex court ban on selling BS- III models from the new financial year, says a report.


The impact is comparatively low as many of the companies like Bajaj Auto, Yamaha and Eicher had already upgraded to BS-IV from January 2017, while market leader Hero MotoCorp, and the No 2 Honda and also TVS Motors have upgraded most of their model before the ban set in, says a Crisil report on the impact on the Supreme Court ban.

Known for his various passions including food, cooking and cars, India's Cricketing God Sachin Tendulkar made his singing debut with 'Cricketwaali Beat Pe!' on the grand finale of the ninth season of the reality show 'Indian Idol'.

Sachin's debut song is now available on the 100 MB app. This app will also let the Tendulkar fans interact with him and give them access to latest scores, schedules and player statistics.

As far as the song Cricketwaali Beat Pe is concerned, it is catchy and melodious.

The cricketer was also seen promoting his upcoming biopic 'Sachin: A Billion Dreams'.

The channel had earlier shared a promo video of the grand finale on their Facebook page, where Tendulkar was even seen singing along with renowned playback singer Sonu Nigam.

The video was captioned as, "#IndianIdolGrandFinale hoga bohut special kyunki aa rahe hain cricket ke sartaj, Sachin Tendulkar, iss Ravivaar raat 8 baje! Dekhna na bhuliyega."

The first lines of the song, sung along Sonu, were like. "Gend aayi, bala ghuma, mara chaka, Sachin, Sachin... nacho nacho sab cricket wali beat pe."

Meanwhile, budding singer LV Revanth was declared as the winner of this season of this show.

The mayor of Varanasi has issued orders making it mandatory for every municipal corporation member to sing 'Vande Mataram' and 'Jana Gana Mana' after a BJP corporator's proposal for singing the songs triggered protests by Congress and Samajwadi Party members.   

Just in: A CRPF convoy has been attacked in Panthachowk, Srinagar. Four jawans have been injured. Security forces have cordoned off the area and a manhunt has been launched for the militants. The CRPF men had been deputed for poll duty for the upcoming . Details awaited.

Just yesterday, one soldier was killed and 20 jawans were injured in a grenade attack on a joint convoy of Central Reserve Police Force and police in Srinagars Nowhatta area.

Security forces have launched a search operation in the area to catch the attackers.

Representational picture.

Two Pakistani boats were seized by a patrolling party of the Border Security Force (BSF) in this sector early today. The boats were loaded with 400 Kg fish and fishing nets. Sleuths of BSF on patrol duty in River Sutlej intercepted the two boats inside Indian territorial waters at Dona Tel Mal, a border out post under Ferozepur sector, the BSF said. When challenged by BSF personnel, the boatmen jumped into the water and swam towards Pakistan.

Gunshots heard in the Panthachowk area of Srinagar: Police. Details awaited.

HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar today released the National Institutional Ranking Framework which lists the ranking of best colleges and universities in India.

Top 10 colleges

1. Miranda House, New Delhi

2. Loyola College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu

3. Shri Ram College of Commerce - New Delhi

4. Bishop Heber College, Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu

5. Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College, New Delhi

6. St. Xavier's College, Kolkata, West Bengal

7. Lady Shri Ram College of Women, New Delhi

8. Dayal Singh College, New Delhi

9. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College, New Delhi

10. The Women's Christian College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Top 10 universities

1. Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore

2. Jawaharlal Nehru College, New Delhi

3. Banaras Hindu University

4. Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research

5. Jadavpur university

6. Anna University

7. University of Hyderabad

8. University of Delhi

9. Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham

10. Savitribai Phule Pune University

Top 10 overall educational institutes

1. IISc Bangalore

2. Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Chennai

3. IIT Bombay

4. IIT Kharagpur

5. IIT Delhi

6. Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi

7. IIT Kanpur

8. IIT Guwahati

9. IIT Roorkee

10. Banaras Hindu University

Management institutes

1 Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad

2 Indian Institute of Management Bangalore

3. Indian Institute of Management Calcutta

4. Indian Institute of Management Lucknow

5. Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode

6. Indian Institute of Management Delhi

7. Indian Institute of Management Kharagpur

8. Indian Institute of Management Roorkee

9. Xavier School of Management, Jamshedpur

10. Indian Institute of Management Indore

Engineering colleges

1. IIT Madras

2. IIT Bombay

3. IIT Kharagpur

4. IIT Delhi

5. IIT Kanpur

6. IIT Roorkee

7. IIT Guwahati

8. Anna University

9. Jadavpur university

10. IIT Hyderabad


Image: The Indian Institute of Science.

Senior Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader V Gopalsamy, also known as Vaiko, who was produced before a magistrate court in Chennai in connection with a 2009 sedition case, has been sent to 15 days judicial custody.  

Recalling his infamous photo-op with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, where he was clicked appearing to visibly ignore her, United States President Donald Trump has flatly denied on having ignored her and asserted that he had a great meeting with her.


Trump said that he "really liked her" and didn't mean to ignore Merkel's attempts at shaking hands during a photo op, reports CNN quoting the Financial Times."I shook hands about five times and then we were sitting in two seats ... and I guess a reporter said 'shake her hand.' I didn't hear it," the President said, referring to the videos and pictures that went viral of the two leaders sitting in the Oval Office.


The entire incident garnered massive attention across the globe, as memes were spawned of the the photo-op, in which Merkel could be seen leaning towards Trump, who sat with his hands firmly locked between his knees, a very 'un-Trump' like gesture.


"I had a great meeting with her, I really liked her. She said the same thing to me, we had a great meeting and the press doesn't get it," Trump said.


In a photo op after their Oval Office meeting in March, the two leaders sat next to each other in separate chairs. Merkel then appeared to ask the President if he wanted to shake hands, which is customary in photo ops, but Trump simply did not respond. He barely even looked at his German counterpart while quickly answering a few questions from the press.


When asked to shake hands by reporters and photographers, Trump and Merkel remained stationary. It wasn't clear if the two heard the request, and the two had shaken hands when Merkel arrived at the White House and they shook hands again after a White House news conference.


Trump's tensed up body-language during the photo-op and his refusal to shake hands with Merkel did not gone down well across the globe, as he was chastised for the incidents and many branded his behaviors as rude and "un-President" like.

African envoys in India term the attacks against African nationals in the nation "xenophobic and racial". "No known, sufficient and visible deterring measures were taken by India", say African envoys on recent attacks and want an international inquiry.


Four Nigerian students were attacked by a group of Greater Noida residents who took out a candlelight march on Monday, March 27, after a 17-year-old boy Manish died in the NSG Black Cats Enclave due to suspected drug overdose.


The protest march was taken out after the police released some Nigerians detained for questioning in connection with death of Manish, a class 12 student, due to "lack of evidence".


Following the incident, Nigerian high commission officials went to meet the injured nationals and said they felt "unsafe". A senior high commission official said the mission was in touch with the external affairs ministry on the issue.


MEA spokesperson Gopal Baglay said the government is committed to ensuring safety and security of all foreigners in India and people from Africa, including students, remain "our valued" partners. Noting that law enforcement authorities of the district have made arrests and are investigating the matter, he said, "They are also taking necessary steps to keep the situation under control."


Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar spoke to the acting high commissioner of Nigeria to discuss the steps being taken by the local authorities for safety and security of Nigerian nationals, Baglay said.

MDMK's Vaiko remanded by Chennai court to 15 day judical custody in a 2009 case in which he spoke in support of the LTTE

ANI: SC disposes off petition by IPS officer Julio Ribeiro seeking removal of IPS officer PP Pandey who is involved in the Ishrat Jahan case.

Priyanka Gandhi's husband, Robert Vadra endorses the Supreme Court judgement banning liquor shops near highways. Vadra posts this poignant message on his Facebook page:

"The SC order banning the sale of liquor near national & state highways is worthy of respect and commendation. It will be a big step forward towards road safety.

"Having lost my own sister (she was just 33) in an unfortunate accident caused by callousness towards safety norms on the roads, I fully endorse the shutting of liquor vends along the highways.

"However some respectable establishments might be adversely affected while having a record of adhering to rules and not allowing patrons/ customers to exceed limits of consumption. The hospitality industry will be hit badly and I believe approximately 1 million employees might be affected.

"According to media reports, some vendors are selling liquor surreptitiously. This defeats the purpose of the order; it may also lead to corruption & black marketing of liquor.

"I hope some modifications in the order are considered and introduced in the future, to prevent the loss of jobs and damage to the industry while still enforcing safety requirements, with strictness. "

The Supreme Court on Friday clarified there will be no liquor sale in hotels and restaurants, or liquor outlets, within 500 meters of state and national highways.

The ban was effective from midnight Friday.

A bench comprising chief justice JS Khehar, justices DY Chandrachud and L Nageswara Rao also modified an earlier ruling that banned sale of liquor with 500 meters of state and national highways. The court said the ban will be within 220m of highways.

The Jadavpur University campus rang out to calls for azaadi this morning. Students reportedly put up banners against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

A video which went viral showed the students purportedly from the Kolkata university shouting slogans for azaadi of Jammu and Kashmir, Nagaland and Mizoram. The sloganeering reportedly also took place outside the Academy of Fine Arts on Sunday.

In the video, students can be seen holding placards that call Yogi Adityanath the new Trump. Slogans of azaadi, Halla Bol and RSS door hatao can also be heard.

In February, posters calling for the azaadi of the three states were put up in the University only to be torn by ABVP activists.

Priyanka Chopra has defeated famous personalities like Angelina Jolie, Emma Watson, Blake Lively and Michelle Obama to become the second most beautiful woman in the world.

In a poll done by LA based photo, journal, and video-sharing social media network, BuzzNet, Priyanka is just behind Pop diva Beyonce, who is topping the list.

The 34-year-old star took to Twitter to share the list and thanked her fans for voting. "Thank u @BUZZNET and all who voted. @Beyonce is my number one too," Priyanka wrote.

Model and Victoria's Secret angel Taylor Hill is at number three followed by Watson, Dakota Johnson and Hillary Clinton at fourth, fifth and sixth position respectively. Jolie is on eighth number, while this year's Oscar winner Emma Stone is at number 12. Supermodel Gigi Hadid is on 13 position and the former first lady of the US is on number 21.

Supreme Court defers for 10 days hearing on petitions challenging Bombay High Court order which upheld beef ban imposed by Maharashtra Govt. 

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today said that Iran has released 15 Indian fishermen who were detained with their Bahraini boats last year.

"I am happy to inform that Iran has released our 15 fishermen from Tamil Nadu. They were detained with their 3 Bahraini boats," Swaraj said in a tweet. She also thanked the Indian Embassy in Tehran, appreciating their "good work" for facilitating the release. The fishermen, working for some Baharainians, were detained for entering the Iranian waters without permission. They were said to be confined to their boats since their arrest on September 22.

The Enforcement Directorate attaches a Rs 29-crore farmhouse of Himachal Pradesh CM Virbhadra Singh in the money laundering case. 

Niti Aayog is throwing open its doors to private sector experts to join the government think tank at all levels, including at secretary rank. Unlike in the past, when the bureaucracy would walk into government organisations, Niti Aayog's policy will ensure that officers have to compete for jobs with applicants from the private sector or academic institutions. Read more

The crested black macaque shot to fame when one of the monkeys snapped grinning selfies and became embroiled in a US court battle -- but the tussle over copyright is the least of the rare animal's worries. In a remote corner of their native Indonesia, amid smoking volcanoes and dense jungles, the monkeys face a far greater threat as they are aggressively hunted to be eaten.

"In other places some macaque species are facing extinction because of shrinking habitat," Yunita Siwi from Selamatkan Yaki, a foundation that campaigns to protect the primate, told AFP.


"But here the habitat is getting smaller -- and people are eating the monkeys." Authorities and activists are stepping up efforts to persuade villagers on Sulawesi island to stop consuming the critically endangered monkeys, one of many exotic creatures that form part of the local indigenous community's diet. The animal, whose scientific name is Macaca nigra, is part of a kaleidoscope of exotic wildlife found across Indonesia, including tigers and orangutans, who face a range of threats from poachers to the destruction of their habitat.


On a recent trip to Sulawesi's Tangkoko nature reserve, some of the amber-eyed, black-haired macaques, known in the local language as "yaki", frolicked in a small river while others climbed palm trees and knocked coconuts to the ground.


Among those living in Tangkoko is Naruto, who shot to fame after grabbing a British wildlife photographer's camera and snapping some selfies. The pictures led to a legal fight after animal rights activists PETA brought the case to a San Francisco court arguing that Naruto should own the copyright -- a claim rejected by a judge last year.


The approximately 2,000 monkeys living in the 8,800-hectare (21,750-acre) reserve enjoy protection because they are in a restricted area, but that is not the case for about 3,000 others estimated to be in jungles elsewhere in the province of North Sulawesi.


The macaque's meat is prized by the ethnic Minahasan people, a largely Christian group in the world's most populous Muslim-majority country, who have no reservation about eating exotic animals, unlike Indonesia's Islamic communities. "I like the taste, hot and spicy, it is similar to wild boar or dog," Nita, a 32-year-old local Minahasan who gave only her first name, told AFP.


At a market in Tomohon city, a stomach-churning array of burnt, mutilated animals were on offer. Black crested macaques -- flame-roasted and whole, with pained grimaces etched on their faces -- were on tables for sale alongside piles of sliced-open pythons, burnt bats and dogs.

PTI: Iran releases 15 Tamil Nadu fishermen: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

A 21 year old girl was arrested under the Prevention of Children against Sexual Offence act (POCSO) for staying with her minor lover at his house in Kottayam district of Kerala.

The arrest was made on a complaint lodged by the 17 year old boy's mother, that her minor son was sexually assaulted by the girl.

Acting on the complaint, Ramapuram Police went to the location and hauled out the duo by breaking down the door, after they refused to come forward on their own.

The woman, who hails from Ernakulam, was produced before the JFMC Pala in Kottayam district and remanded in judicial custody.

The minor boy was taken to Juvenile Justice Board. It is said that their relationship was built up by regular contacts through Facebook.

For the legions of Justin Trudeau fans.

"Friends" star Matthew Perry revealed that he beat up Justin Trudeau when they were studying in elementary school together. The Canadian Prime Minister is now ready for a rematch as he tweeted, "I've been giving it some thought, and you know what, who hasn't wanted to punch Chandler?" referencing Perry's beloved character on the 1994 popular sitcom. "How about a rematch @MatthewPerry?" he added.


Perry, 47, responded to his childhood pal's proposal, writing, "I think I will pass at your request for a rematch kind sir (given that you currently have an army at your disposal)."

The duo made headlines last month when the "Odd Couple" star appeared on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" and recounted the time he fought the politician while they were both fifth grade students at Rockcliffe Park Public School in Ottawa, Canada, reported Us weekly.

Shares of Infosys fell by over 1 per cent today after a fresh row erupted between the founders and the Board of the company over the pay hike to Chief Operating Officer U B Pravin Rao.

The shares of Infosys slipped by 0.94 per cent to Rs 1,011.25 apiece in early trade on the BSE. At NSE, shares of the company went down by 1.15 per cent to Rs 1,010.45.

Infosys founder N R Narayana Murthy yesterday said that the compensation hike to Chief Operating Officer (COO) U B Pravin Rao approved by the board in February was not "proper" and "will likely erode the trust and faith of the employees in the management and the board".

"The impact of such a decision (compensation hike) will likely erode the trust and faith of the employees in the management and the board," he said. Infosys Board passed Rao's pay hike with 67 per cent of votes, while 33 per cent voted against it.


File pic: Infosys Executive Chairman NR Narayana Murthy with newly appointed CEO & MD Vishal Sikka.

-- UP CM Yogi Adityanath to RSS magazine: Ayodhya dispute should be resolved through dialogues


-- Former health minister and Delhi Congress leader AK Walia resigns from the party. 

Update on the news report of an army jawan carrying live grenades at Srinagar airport.

ANI reports that the jawan belongs to Darjeeling and has accepted he was carrying grenades, says it was for causing blast in rivers to catch fish. The jawan has now admitted to the involvement of junior level officers, while he was being used as a courier. Investigations on.

Update on the ceasefire violation by Pak: The Pakistan Army initiated indiscriminate firing of small arms, automatics and mortars on Indian Army posts along LoC in Poonch sector, J&K. Indian troops retaliate.

The Supreme Court on Monday will hear all the petitions challenging the Bombay High Court order which upheld the beef ban imposed by the state government after the enactment of the Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act, which bans slaughter of bulls, bullocks.

Earlier in January, the Bombay High Court upheld the beef ban imposed by the Maharashtra government.

The Act came into force over a year ago. However, the court had stated that mere possession of the meat cannot invite criminal action while striking down the relevant sections of the act. 

First they went after slaughterhouses. Then they turned to meat shops. Next they will invade our kitchens. That is not all. Yesterday beef was taboo. Today it is mutton. Tomorrow it will be fish and fowl, and eggs too. Let us be warned. The vigilantes are on the rampage and Uttar Pradesh is only their latest stomping ground.

Manini Chatterjee on vegetarian fascism. Do read

Also see: Inside the abandoned meat markets in UP

ANI: Udupi deputy commissioner Priyanka Francis files a complaint alleging murder attempt on her and assistant commissioner by sand mafia during a raid.  Details awaited.

Francis took charge as the deputy commissioner of Udupi last month and promised to tackle existing issues like drinking water problem, tollgate and sand mining in Udupi.

J&K: Pakistan violates ceasefire in Digwar sector of Poonch, Indian troops retaliate.

If you've missed this. The Qutub Minar in Delhi, the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai turned blue on 2nd April on World Autism Day. 

A 26-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly stalking a JNU student, police said on Monday.

The accused, Shailesh Kumar is a resident of Munirka village, and was arrested yesterday from outside a girls' hostel located inside JNU campus, they added.

A few days back, he had tried to talk to the victim but she refused. Infuriated, he started stalking her.

The victim told the police that he followed her for a fortnight and even came outside her hostel, breaching the security of the college campus.

On finding the accused outside her hostel, she immediately alerted college security. The youth was detained and later handed over to the police.

"On Saturday, we received a PCR call from a girls' hostel in JNU campus about a stalker. A police team reached the spot and arrested him. The arrested person is a college dropout and works at a shop in the locality," a senior police officer said.

A soldier was arrested this morning at Srinagar airport after two grenades were found in his baggage. The jawan serves near the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, in the Uri sector.

The police say he was about to take a flight to Delhi when a baggage check revealed the grenades.

Defence Minister Arun Jaitley is looking to solve a problem that thwarted predecessor Manohar Parrikar throughout his 28 months in office.

On Monday, the defence ministry's apex procurement body, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Jaitley, will try to arrive at an acceptable way of nominating "strategic partners' (SPs) -- private companies, nominated by the defence ministry as chosen production agencies for defence equipment.

Private defence industry and companies hoping to enter this risky field are watching carefully to see whether the SP policy will corner defence production for a handful of big players, or leave space for others to share the profits.

Read Ajai Shukla's piece for Business Standard.

Army jawan carrying 2 grenades arrested by police at Srinagar airport, reports ANI