The visiting British Prime Minister David Cameron on Thursday asked India to further open up sectors like financial services and retail.
“Just as we in Britain are a very open economy, welcoming investment, you too are here in India. In banking, insurance and retail, there are further opportunities for openness that will benefit both the countries,” said the British Prime Minister.

CPI(M) state secretary Muhammad Yusuf Tarigami on Thursday moved a breach of privilege notice before the Speaker of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly after Independent MLA Eng. S.A. Rasheed alleged that he was beaten up by policemen when he visited a police station in frontier Kupwara district to file an FIR.

Amidst the din created by the Opposition over price rise, the Parliament on Thursday approved imposition of President’s Rule in Jharkhand without any debate. A statutory resolution approving the central rule was adopted by a voice vote in both the Houses.

The Samajwadi Party and the RJD continues to launch a scathing attack on the UPA government over the price rise issue. The two parties staged protests within the Parliament complex after the two Houses were adjourned.

JD(U) president and Opposition NDA convenor Sharad Yadav on Thursday tried to make light of the prevailing situation in the Lok Sabha by claiming that Speaker Meira Kumar has more “affection” for finance minister Pranab Mukherjee than the Opposition.

The deadlock in Parliament over price rise issue continued on Thursday with a determined Opposition, including supporting parties like SP and RJD, stalling both the Houses and almost no business could be transacted for the third consecutive working day of the ongoing session. Both the Right and the Left wings of the Opposition took the protest even outside the Parliament.

Shahabuddin Yaqub Quraishi is all set to take over as the next Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) on Friday. His predecessor Navin Chawla demits office after having presided over the commission for little more than a year.

In a bizarre act, the Opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday briefly locked the gates of civil secretariat here to protest the curfews and other security restrictions imposed off and on in the Valley areas with a view to hold back protests called by separatists.

Noel Tata, half-brother of Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata, has been appointed managing director of Tata International, which promotes the Tata brand overseas.
The appointment, made known through a stock exchange filing on Thursday, comes a month after he was made non-executive chairman of Tata Investment Corp Ltd, which has a major stake in group companies.

The Shiv Sena on Thursday urged President Pratibha Patil to consider the noted film artiste Sulochana for the coveted Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the highest national honours in the field of Indian film industry. Shiv Sena MP Bharatkumar Raut requested the President to consider Ms Sulochana for the highest award. She will be turning 82 on Friday.