The UIDAI has asked the Jharkhand government to identify those involved in the recent Aadhaar leak case involving pensioners, saying the guilty may face a jail term of up to three years for violating legal provisions.

"As far as displaying of Aadhaar information is concerned, the UIDAI has taken it very seriously. We have approached the Jharkhand government and requested them to identify the officials or the staffers who are responsible for this act of omission or commission which led to this mistake," Unique Identity Authority of India CEO Ajay Bhushan Pandey told PTI.

His statement comes in the wake of another data breach that saw details of lakhs of pensioners finding their way to a government website, displaying the names, addresses, Aadhaar numbers and bank accounts.

Earlier, cricketer M S Dhoni's personal Aadhaar details too were leaked. The UIDAI has filed an FIR on the matter and a police probe is on.

"If it is found that whatever they have done is an offence under the Aadhaar Act, then whosoever is found guilty, action will be taken against them and under the Aadhaar Act,their is provision of up to three years of imprisonment," Pandey warned. -- PTI

A team of Election Commission of India today assessed the security situation for holding the by-poll to Anantnag parliamentary constituency, which was postponed earlier this month.

The high-level team reviewed Anantnag parliamentary by-poll preparedness and assessed security situation through video-conferencing, an official spokesman said in Srinagar.

Deputy election commissioners, Umesh Sinha and Sandeep Saxena, besides director secretariat of ECI Nikhil Kumar were briefed by the state's chief electoral officer Shantmanu, divisional commissioner Baseer Khan, IGP Kashmir, SJM Gillani, DIG CRPF and other officers about the by-poll preparedness and security situation particularly in South Kashmir.

The chief electoral officer also held a detailed meeting with representatives of political parties, contesting candidates, officers of the police and other security agencies in which district election officers and senior superintendents of police of Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian and Kulgam districts participated through video conferencing, the spokesman said.

He said the meeting held discussions on security situation and other related issues regarding the conduct of Anantnag by-polls.

The by-polls to the constituency were scheduled to beheld on April 12, but they were postponed till May 25 after low voter-turnout in the by-poll on Srinagar Lok Sabha seat on April 9.

The polling also witnessed violence during which nine civilians were killed in security forces firing. -- PTI

Representative image.

Cabinet Secretary Pradeep Kumar Sinha was today given one year extension, till mid-June next year.

The Appointments Committee of Cabinet has approved his extension to the top post for an year beyond June 12, an order issued by Department of Personnel and Training said.

The ACC is headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Sinha, 61, was in May 2015 named the cabinet secretary for a fixed two-year term. He took over the new assignment from June 13.

Before his appointment to the post, he was serving as power secretary.        Sinha, a 1977 batch IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre, had succeeded Ajit Seth who held the position for four years. -- PTI

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh briefs Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sukma attack, where about 300 Naxals ambushed a Central Reserve Police Force party, killing 25 personnel.

Singh will also visit Raipur tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh also held an emergency meeting after the attack.

The CRPF has revised the toll from 26 to 25. -- ANI

Actor Akshay Kumar today urged those criticising his National Award win to 'take it back' if they felt he did not deserve it.

He won his first National Award this year in the best actor category for his role in Rustom. The decision,however, was met with criticism with many arguing that it was not fair.

When asked about it, Akshay told reporters, "I've been hearing it for past 25 years, whenever someone wins there is some discussion around it. This is not new. Someone or the other always creates a controversy. 'He shouldn't have won, the other person should have.'

"It's okay. I've won this after 26 years, 'agar woh bhi aapka mann kare toh le lo' (take it back if you feel like it)."

The 49-year-old actor was speaking at an event of Movie Stunt Artist's Association today.

Asked if he would be considered for the Padma Bhushan for his philanthropic work in the future, Akshay said, "You have to do major work to earn such an award. Only then people can feel you deserve the award. We keep doing these things for our stuntmen, whatever we can in our capacity." -- PTI

Strongly condemn attack on CRPF personnel in Chattisgarh; condolences to families of deceased & prayers for injured: President Pranab Mukherjee.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said the government has taken as a 'challenge' the killing of Central Reserve Police Force personnel by Naxals in Sukma in Chhattisgarh.

"We have taken the attack as a challenge," he told reporters in New Delhi.

Singh described the incident as 'sad and unfortunate'.

"It is a very sad and unfortunate incident. I will talk to Chief Minister Raman Singh for more details," he said.

Earlier, Singh asked Minister of State for Home Hansraj Ahir to travel to Chhattisgarh to take stock of the situation. -- PTI

Central Reserve Police Force constable Sher Mohammed, who has been injured in the attack by Naxals in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh, says the ultras sent villagers to trace the location of the party.

"First Naxals sent villagers to trace our location. Then almost 300 Naxals attacked us. We also fired and killed many. They were around 300 and we were around 150, we kept firing. I shot 3-4 Naxals in the chest," Mohammed said.

According to report, 90 CRPF jawans were part of the road opening party when they were attacked by the Naxals.

Weapons of jawans have also been looted.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narednra Modi tweeted, 'Attack on CRPF personnel in Chhattisgarh is cowardly & deplorable. We are monitoring the situation closely.'

'We are proud of the valour of our CRPF personnel. Sacrifice of martyrs will not go in vain. Condolences to their families.'

While Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi said, 'Sincere condolences to families of CRPF personnel martyred in the attack in Sukma. We salute sacrifice & courage of our bravehearts.' -- ANI

IMAGE: Sher Mohammed. Photograph: ANI

Home Minister Rajnath Singh reacts to the death of 24 CRPF jawans in an ambush by Naxals. "Extremely pained to know about the killing of CRPF personnel in Sukma. My tributes to martyrs and condolences to their families. Spoke to MoS Home Shri Hansraj Ahir about the attack in Sukma. Shri Ahir is going to Chhattisgarh to take stock of the situation."

Meanwhile, 7 CRPF jawans still missing after Naxal ambush in Sukma. Chhattisgarh. Search is on.

At least 24 Central Reserve Police Force personnel were killed and several others wounded in an ambush by Naxalites in Chhattisgarhs Sukma district on Monday.

The deadly assault occurred around 12.25 pm in Kalapathar area of south Bastar region, one of the worst-hit by Naxalite violence.

Naxal attack toll goes up: 12 dead. 

Update on the Naxal attack in Chhattisgarh: Mirroring the attack on CRPF jawans last month in Sukma, Naxals laid an ambush on a patrolling party of CRPF jawans providing security to road construction work, killing 11. 

The attack occured at Burkapal village. The injured were evacuated by helicopter and CoBRA teams of CRPF were sent as reinforcements and were conducting search operations. The gunbattle lasted for an hour. The Naxals looted all arms and ammunition of the CRPF jawans.

Immediately after the incident, the home secretary called a high-level meeting of additional secretary and joint secretary of Naxal division to discuss the Naxal menace. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh also called an emergency meeting.

Last month,12 CRPF jawans providing security cover to road constructions were killed in the same district in a Naxal ambush.


Image: Injured CRPF jawans were airlifted to a Raipur hospital after the attack.

The Delhi-based freelance journalist, Aparna Kalra, who was battling for life after being attacked by an unidentified person early this month, is doing well.

Kalra, 45, was out for her evening walk in a park near her home in northwest Delhi's Ashok Vihar when she was attacked. She suffered multiple brain injuries, but gained consciousness briefly on Wednesday night, after which she fell unconscious. During the brief period that she was conscious, she managed to tell the police that she was attacked.

Kalra writes a first-person account of her ordeal here.

Reliance Industries today reported a 12.3 per cent rise in its March quarter net profit on the back of higher refining and petrochemical margins.

Consolidated net profit in January-March quarter at Rs 8,046 crore, or Rs 27.3 per share, was 12.3 per cent higher than Rs 7,167 crore net profit in the same period a year ago, the company said in a statement.

For the full 2016-17 fiscal, the company generated its highest ever annual profit at Rs 29,901 crore. The annual profit was 18.8 per cent higher than the previous year's.

Reliance earned USD 11.5 on turning every barrel of crude oil into fuel in the fourth quarter as compared to a gross refining margin of USD 10.8 per barrel in the same period a year before.

Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh cuts short his New Delhi visit and rushes to Raipur in the wake of the Naxal attack in Sukma. He has called for an emergency meeting. Early reports say jawans were killed in an IED blast.

Just in: Eleven CRPF jawans butchered by Naxals in Sukma in Chhattisgarh during an encounter. Four jawans have been injured in a Naxal ambush in Chintagufa. Additional reinforcements have been sent. Details awaited. 


Just last month, exactly the same number of CRPF personnel were killed in an attack by Maoists, yet again in Chhattisgarhs Sukma district. They belonged to the 219 battalion. Several others were injured. Inspector General Sundar Raj said that personnel were taking part in a road-opening exercise when they were attacked.


Representational image.

Even as Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi, amid the turbulent state in the Vallety with soaring protests and clashes, BJP leader Ram Madhav on Monday asserted there was no rift in the BJP-PDP alliance, but didn't rule out on a possible 'lack of communication' between the two parties.


"There is no rift. There is some issue regarding the MLC elections. We noticed that there lack of communication between the two parties," BJP leader Ram Madhav said.


He added that these issues will be addressed and will be dealt with.Mehbooba Mufti, after meeting Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, assured that within two-three months the situation in the Valley would definitely improve.


"In a period of two-three months, you will see a changed Jammu and Kashmir. Next few months are really crucial for us. We will first restore the normalcy, than we will talk. This issue is as old as 70 years," Mufti said. Mufti further appealed to the media to help in restoring peace in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Supreme Court on Monday issued notices to the Central Government and the Army after hearing a PIL filed by a journalist, who alleged that 'sahayaks' and other lower rank staff in the Army were allegedly forced to do domestic and menial chores for seniors.


The journalist shot a sting video in which Lance Naik Roy Mathew criticised the 'sahayak system' in the Army.


Following the release of the sting video, Lance Naik Mathew allegedly committed suicide, following which the journalist sought a probe into his death.


The journalist was booked by the Nasik police under sections of the Official Secrets Act (OSA) and those relating to criminal trespass and abetment to suicide under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).


Challenging the FIR, the journalist urged the apex court to issue suitable guidelines to prevent abuse of the OSA, which not only impinges upon fundamental rights, but also journalistic freedom.


The journalist also sought directions for an appropriate inquiry into the alleged misuse of the 'sahayak system' in the Army.


The petition said a fair probe was being scuttled by invoking the OSA and the move would send out the message that exposure of misdeeds of delinquent Army officers would be visited with consequences so draconian that no one should dare to do so.


Retired Army jawan Deep Chand, who ran the Army canteen in Nashik where the sting video was shot, is the co-petitioner with the journalist.

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis arrived in Afghanistan on an unannounced visit today, an American defence official confirmed, hours after his Afghan counterpart resigned over a deadly Taliban attack.

Mattis, making his first visit to Afghanistan as Pentagon chief, was due to meet top officials including President Ashraf Ghani less than two weeks after the US dropped its largest non-nuclear bomb on Islamic State hideouts in the country's east.

He arrived as embattled Afghan security forces faced chaos with the resignations of defence minister Abdullah Habibi and army chief Qadam Shah Shaheem. The resignations, announced in a terse one-line statement from the presidential palace, came amid fury over the Taliban assault on an army base outside the northern city of Mazar-i- Sharif on Friday.

Six CRPF personnel injured in attack by Maoists in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh: Officials.

Don Chhota Rajan and three others found guilty in a fake passport case by a Delhi's Patiala House Court.

The Central Bureau of Investigation special judge Virender Kumar Goyal held Rajan guilty of possessing a fake passport

The court on June 8 last year framed charges against Chhota Rajan and then passport officers Jayashree Dattatray Rahate, Deepak Natvarlal Shah and Lalitha Lakshmanan under sections of the Indian Penal Code dealing with criminal conspiracy, cheating, cheating by impersonation and forgery of documents.

The CBI in its chargesheet alleged that Chhota Rajan got issued a fake passport from Bengaluru in 1998-99 in connivance with Rahate, Shah and Lakshmanan in the name of Mohan Kumar.


Rajan is involved in over 85 cases, ranging from murder to extortion, smuggling and drug trafficking.

He has cases pending against him in Maharashtra, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and with the CBI.


The don, held by the Indonesian police on October 25, 2015, was deported to India on November 6, 2015.

Update: PDP Pulwama district president Abdul Gani Dar, who was shot at by terrorists this morning, has succumbed to his injuries.

Dar, who is PDP's Pulwana district president, was admitted to a local hospital but later shifted to a Srinagar hospital as his condition deteriorated. Dar later succumbed to his injuries during treatment. Before joining PDP in November, 2014, Dar held several posts with the Congress.

This was the third such attack on PDP cadre in south Kashmir in the past two weeks.

Two policemen were injured when militants attacked the ancestral residence of PDP leader and minister for Hajj and Auqaf Farooq Abdrabi in Kashmir's Anantnag district last month.

The militants also took away four service weapons from the guard room at Abdrabi's Residence at Dooru in Anantnag. 

NC chief Farooq Abdullah's message for Mehbooba Mufti: Don't wait for conducive atmosphere, talk now. Talk to stakeholders, to Pak even if you are bitter with them.

Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Pannerselvam will get CISF protection from today. Early this morning, a contingent surveyed Pannerselvam's residence and thereafter 14 commandos was deployed at his residence.

A briefing was organised for Pannerselvam by the Deputy Inspector General of CISF based in Chennai about the dos and don'ts to be observed for strict security measures.

The Intelligence Bureau in Chennai sought this upgradation after a threat perception to him. It may be recalled that during the RK Nagar bypolls in Chennai, it was Dr V Maitreyan who met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh seeking CISF protection for Pannerselvam.

The Centre accorded it a fortnight ago and implemented today

PDP Pulwama district president Abdul Gani Dar has been shot at and rushed to hospital where he is being provided medical assistance. His condition is said to be critical.

The attack comes on a day when Jammu Kashmir Chief Minister and PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti met Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as Home Minister Rajnath Singh to discuss the on-going conflict in the Valley.

In Pulwana, schools and colleges that were shut for almost a week, following clashes between students and security personnel, have reopened today.

The Central government today submitted its report in the Supreme Court on cow protection and smuggling of cattle across the India-Bangladesh border. The Centre's report on the issue states that the "Responsibility of safety and care of abandoned animals is mainly of the State government. Each district should have a shelter home of capacity of at least 500 abandoned animals," Centre states in the report.

The report also adds that, "each cow and its progeny across India should get a Unique Identification Number for tracking, which will help reduce smuggling."

The report also recommends special care for cattle beyond the age of milking and stresses on launching of a scheme for distressed farmers.

While talks of a UID for cows last year were met with amusement and criticism, the government has now made its intentions clear at the highest level.

The UID will have details like age, breed, sex, lactation, height, body, colour, horn type, tail switch and special marks of the animal. While the responsibility for care of abandoned animals will lie with the state governments, the Centre is planning shelter homes in each district to accommodate at least 500 abandoned cows.

"The strategy has to be restoring order in one part and countering the very effective propaganda through a very nimble monitoring and response system," says Lieutenant General Syed Ata Hasnain, who retired as the General Officer Commanding of the Srinagar-based 15 Corps. Read more

"It's not only holy reverence that drives them to such vigilantism -- there is adventure too. Some of the younger gau rakshaks enjoy the thrill of the chase: Stopping vehicles, wielding weapons, badgering passengers and then gloating."

Dhruv Munjal on what motivates gau rakshaks. Read


Image: Gau rakshaks get tip-offs about possible cow smugglers in the area on their mobile phones. Photograph: Allison Joyce/Getty Images

BJP President Amit Shah has informally constituted a high-level committee with Arun Jaitley, Venkaiah Naidu and Bhupender Yadav, to study, liaise and coordinate various issues relating to the election of the President of India. This informal committee is expected to meet after Arun Jaitley returns from the USA.

The committee will idenfity and prioritise the list of dos and don'ts for the BJP on the upcoming election of the President like voting patterns and proportional  representation apart from interacting with political parties which are neutral like the AIADMK, YSR Congress party and the Telangana Rashtra Samhiti. These parties are key to a BJP candidate winning the Presidential polls.

A helicopter carrying Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah suffered a bird hit and made an emergency landing at the HAL Airport in Bengaluru today shortly after take-off, a police official said. Siddaramaiah and four others, including Home Minister G Parameshwara who were also on board, were safe, Assistant Commissioner of Police P Nagesha Kumar told PTI. The chopper did not suffer any damage in the bird hit, he said. He said the Chief Minister and others left for Shravanabelogala in Hassan district as scheduled by the same helicopter a few minutes later after clearance, adding, they landed at the destination.

Update: J-K CM Mehbooba Mufti today demanded that the ruling dispensation at the Centre must follow the footsteps of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and reach out to the disillusioned and angry youth so as to restore a peaceful atmosphere for governance.

Talking to the media after the meeting, Mehbooba said a conducive atmosphere is required for talks and governance."We must start from where Vajpayee-ji left... Modi ji has repeatedly said that he would follow the footsteps of Vajpayee-ji, whose policy was of reconciliation, not confrontation. There is no option but to talk," she asserted.

The Chief Minister also said that she discussed the recent by-poll to Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency, which witnessed large-scale violence and the lowest turnout ever.

"I discussed the issue of less voting percentage in the recent elections and security situation in Jammu and Kashmir with Prime Minister Modi," she said.

Mehbooba's PDP lost the seat in the by-poll to National Conference, just in nearly three years after the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. The Chief Minister also discussed the huge losses to the state due to the Indus water treaty.

"I pressed that Jammu and Kashmir doesn't have control over water resources, and how losses caused by the Indus Waters Treaty can be compensated," she said, adding the Prime Minister has assured assistance in this regard.

The meeting comes in the wake of recent incidents of violence, including the clashes between security forces and civilians during the Srinagar by-elections.

Teaching in colleges across the Kashmir Valley resumed today after remaining suspended for five days in the wake of student demonstrations last week against the alleged high-handedness of security forces.

The classes in all the colleges across the Valley were suspended on Tuesday following widespread student demonstrations a day earlier against the alleged high- handedness of security forces against the students of Degree College Pulwama on April 15.


Students of many of these institutions held protests demonstrations on Monday and clashed with the security forces, leaving several dozen students injured.

J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti met Home Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi today in the backdrop of the Niti Aayog meeting. Speaking to reporters after the meeting with the HM, Mehbooba said, "Agle do teen mahine mein aap Jammu-Kashmir ke haalaat ko bilkul badla hua paayenge. You will the situation in Jammu-Kashmir changed in the next two-three months."

The Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi amid the deteriorating security situation in the state and reports of strains in the PDP-BJP coalition.

Mufti, who is in Delhi for the Niti Aayog meeting, discussed the current situation in the state with the PM and sought a solution from the Centre to address the issues of the people of the Valley; especially after the increase in the incidents of stone-pelting. 


File pic.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met BJP chief ministers individually at a dinner at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi hosted by BJP Chief Amit Shah. Modi's focus was to direct ministers not to speak out of turn and avoid personal conversations over the phone. The PM issued the following warnings:
1. Beware, your enemies are bound to trap you in sex scandals and bribery scandals.
2. You are now in the peak of your glory, so ensure that you protect and safeguard the interest of the state, your party and yourself.
3. Beware of phone tapping by adversaries.
These dictats are hardly new to chief ministers, but this time the warnings came from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a person they hold in high esteem.
You may recall that the PM offered similar advise to the Union Council of Ministers in 2014 and with the party at its peak performance, the PM makes sure he repeats the advise at every personal meeting.

Shekhar Gupta tweets this cartoon by Hindu's Keshav.

He writes, "No comment or caption needed for this @keshav61 masterpiece. Simple lines tell you the state of the nation better than 1000 words would."

Snigdha Poonam, a journalist from the Hindustan Times based in New Delhi, has won the 2017 Journalist of Change Mobility Award. 

Two days after five members of a family including a 9-year-old girl were attacked allegedly by 'gau rakshaks' in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir, 11 people have been arrested for the assault. 

Those travelling on Mumbai's Central Railway line, here's an update that might save you some time.

After a marathon 11-hour grilling on Sunday, the interrogation of ousted All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader TTV. Dinakaran will continue today by the Crime Branch office of Delhi Police, where he will be probed in a case involving bribing of an Election Commission official to get the party's 'two-leaves' symbol.