Minister of state for civil aviation Praful Patel said Thursday that the government was considering setting up an independent safety board on the lines of America’s National Trans-portation Safety Board (NTSB) to probe all accidents, and also planning legislation to vest further powers with the DGCA, the civil aviation regulator.

In an effort to promote India as a filming destination for film producers from other countries the Union information and broadcasting ministry has, in association with industry body Assocham, decided to create awareness regarding the legal and tax considerations in the country.

Oil and petrochemicals major Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) may be planning a major expansion of its petrochemical capacity to make plastics, rubber and other chemicals.

A lieutenant-general serving at Army Headquarters is facing allegations of sexual misconduct levelled by the wife of a subordinate officer. The lieutenant-general faces allegations that he misbehaved with the wife of a colonel serving under him during an official May 7-10 visit to Israel. The woman is reported to have complained against

Vice-president Hamid Ansari and Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on Thursday paid homage to the departed former vice-president Bhairon Singh Shekhawat at a prayer meeting held at his official residence on Aurangzeb Road here. Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar and other senior ministers and leaders from the BJP and other parties also attended the prayer meeting. Mr Shekhawat had breathed his last on May 15.

The demand for raising prices of petroleum products by the oil refining companies and the oil and gas ministry has been growing louder since the government made quite a hefty hike in the natural gas prices.

Often mired in controversy earlier, the railways will be holding the first combined all-India exam for recruitment to nearly 40,000 posts on Sunday. Nearly 70 lakh candidates across the country are expected to appear for the exam.

Hinting towards the senior partner in the UPA, NCP chief and agriculture minister Sharad Pawar on Thursday cautioned that taking minorities for granted would be a big mistake. Qualifying his statement the minister said, it is a big misconception among the secular parties that the minorities have no option but to support them.

Palazzio’s Sun, Awarding and Diamond Hunter excelled in the workouts when the horses were exercised on Thursday.
Outer sand

Former West Bengal chief minister Siddhartha Shankar Ray on Thursday said that either chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee should step down voluntarily and recommend early Assembly polls or the Centre should dismiss the Left Front government and conduct elections under the President’s Rule.