The government and the Opposition managers, especially the BJP leaders, are working on a face saving draft to end the week-long deadlock over the price rise issue in Parliament.

The Press Council of India on Friday recommended amendment to election laws to declare any payment for publication of news as a corrupt practice. The PCI has also asked the Election Commission of India to set up a special cell to receive complaints about “paid news”.

Five political parties lost their status as state parties on Friday, according to the Election Commission. They are the Janata Dal (United), Samajwadi Party, Pattali Makkal Katchi, Marumalarch Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Arunachal Congress Party. Mr Lalu Prasad Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal lost its status as a national party following its poor performance in the last Jharkhand elections.

It will take not five but around 20 years to make India slum free. The government on Friday admitted before the Parliament that the high-powered Deepak Parekh Committee, constituted to suggest guidelines for implementation of the ambitious Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY), has recommended that the “duration of RAY should extend beyond five years to 20 years”. The government further said that based on the recommendations, the guidelines for the scheme are being revised.

The Gujarat CID crime has chargesheeted nine cops including three IPS officials D.G. Vanjara and Vipul Agarwal of Gujarat cadre and Dinesh M.N. of Rajasthan cadre in Tulsi Prajapati fake encounter case. However, the state government’s CID has not named minister Amit Shah in the chargesheet. The CBI has arrested state minister for home Amit Shah in Sohrabuddin fake encounter case.

Union human resources development minister Kapil Sibal on Friday stated that the government will initiate a consultation process with stakeholders from August to resolve the problems in implementing the Right to Education Act across the country.

Buoyed by the success in the Lok Sabha elections, the Congress has revived its “war room” at Gurdwara Rakabganj Road in New Delhi to work out a strategy for the coming Bihar Assembly elections. Besides, it is taking stock of the ground situation in the state.

In view of the resolution passed by some advocates’ associations in the country prohibiting their members form appearing for any accused facing trial in a terror case, the top court on Friday directed the state bar councils to take appropriate action against such lawyers’ bodies.

The Delhi BJP has sought a probe by child rights group on engaging children at Commonwealth Games projects sites. BJP chief Vijendra Gupta made the demand after inspecting five stadia being constructed for the Games found that child labourers are being employed in the projects.

The Supreme Court on Friday ordered CBI investigation in the Hari Masjid firing in Mumbai in the aftermath of the Babri Masjid demolition, which had led to communal riots in the city.