The civil aviation ministry will put in place an inquiry committee to probe the crash of the Pawan Hans copter that carried the Arunachal Pradesh chief minister and others, even as a report of the parliamentary standing committee on transport said pilots flying VIPs are often “put under pressure” to take off with minor defects and adverse weather conditions in their helicopters and recommended that the government penalise those asking them to do so.

The Union Territory of Puducherry on Wednesday registered an estimated 85 per cent polling in elections for its 30-member asssembly.
District election officer Ragesh Chandra said that polling went off peacefully. He said Yanam “as usual topped the list with highest percentage of polling among all the four regions of the Union Territory.”

Painting a grim picture of the unemployment situation in Kerala, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday took a dig at CPI(M), saying joining this party was one of the three choices for the unemployed youth in the state to get a job.

The government was taking all measures necessary to ensure the safety and security of its people as well as territorial integrity of the nation, external affairs minister S.M. Krishna said after reports of a Chinese troop presence in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

The first phase of polling for 62 Assembly segments in Assam ended on Monday with an estimated 66 per cent polling recorded.
The chief electoral officer, Assam, Mr Hemanta Narzary, told this newspaper that around 66 per cent polling was recorded.

Pulling on its own in Kerala’s bipolar polity dominated by LDF and United Democratic Front, the BJP is in touch with some dalit and backward class outfits to boost its electoral prospects.

The armed forces tribunal has directed the Army to reconvene the court of inquiry against Lt. Col. Shrikant Prasad Purohit, accused in the Malegaon blast, holding that the probe against him “suffers from the vice of irregularity”.

Relief writ large on their faces, over 530 Indians returned home from Libya in two batches late Saturday night and early Sunday morning, flown to New Delhi by two special Air India flights, and recounted tales of horror during their last days in that country. Around 88 others crossed over by road from Libya to Ras Jedir in Tunisia by Saturday night. All 88 worked for Punj Lloyd. Another 170 Indians are likely to reach there Sunday.

After years of controversy on the minority status of Jamia Millia Islamia University, the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (NCMEI) on Tuesday granted it minority institution status. The Central university will now be allowed to reserve up to 50 per cent seats for Muslims, making it the only Central university with such status.

Canadian singer Bryan Adams was denied the chance to rock Delhi.