Farmers' strike in MP to increase veggie prices; BJP dubs it Cong agitation

During the 10-day strike, starting from June 6 no eatables would be supplied from villages to cities in Madhya Pradesh, due to which cities are set to see a shortage of items like vegetables and milk.

Farmers Strike :On the first anniversary of the death of seven farmers due to beating and firing by police in Mandsaur district of Madhya Pradesh on June 6 last year, the farmers are going to launch "Gaon Bandh" (village blockade) agitation from Friday, said a farmer representative on Thursday.

During the period, no eatables would be supplied from villages to cities in the state. Although the state government has made arrangements to minimise the impact of agitation, cities are set to see shortage of items like vegetables and milk.

Chief of Aam Kisan Union, Kedar Sirohi told IANS that the agitation enjoys the support of more than 150 farmers organisation. Besides, all 50 Panchayats of the state have also announced to fight for the rights of farmers.

"The government responds to the rightful demands of the farmers with lathis and bullets. June 6 is a black day for farmers. Nothing will be supplied by villages to cities for the next 10 days, neither will anything be brought from the cities during the period," Sirohi said.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who reached Bhopal on Thursday, however, dubbed the farmers' agitation as an agitation of the Congress party.

"The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state is working for the welfare of farmers and it has taken several big decisions in their interest," he said.

Referring to Rahul Gandhi 's rally in Mandsaur on June 6, Singh said, "He does such things during elections.

"The Congress ruled for 60 years. Why it did not improve farmers' conditions then? What good it has done for farmers?" Singh added.

BJP Rajya Sabha member from Madhya Pradesh Prabhat Jha also said that the Congress was solely responsible for the violence during last year's agitation.

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Bypoll results 2018: BJP's Lok Sabha tally down to 271 from 282 in 2014

The BJP managed to retain only one seat-Palghar, Maharashtra-after the bypolls held on May 28, 2018, where the party called in Yogi Adityanath for campaigning.

With the loss of Kairana, Uttar Pradesh and Bhandara-Gondiya, Maharashtra, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) now has 271 seats in the Lok Sabha (lower house of Parliament), down 11 from the 282 seats it won in the 2014  Lok Sabha elections .

The BJP managed to retain only one seat–Palghar, Maharashtra–after the bypolls held on May 28, 2018, where the party called in Yogi Adityanath for campaigning.

While the BJP lost the Kairana seat to Rashtriya Lok Dal, it lost the Bhandara-Gondiya seat to the Nationalist Congress Party.

With its tally down to 271 in Lok Sabha after bypoll losses, BJP as a party has lost simple majority, which is 272 seats. NDA, including BJP and allies, still has majority with 315 out of 543 seats.

Since March 11, 2018, bypolls were held for seven Lok Sabha constituencies and 11 state assembly constituencies across the country. The voting for all the state assemblies were held on May 28, 2018 and the result was announced on May 31, 2018.

The BJP did not win any seats in the Uttar Pradesh Lok Sabha bypolls held earlier on March 11 and March 14, 2018, thus losing the seats of Gorakhpur and Phulpur held by chief minister Yogi Adityanath and deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, respectively.

So, in UP, where the party had won 71 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in 2014, the BJP is now left with 68 seats.

The reason being highlighted for the poll results by the opposition in Uttar Pradesh is the farmer distress in the state. ‘Jinnah nahi Ganna jeeta hai’ (Not Jinnah but sugarcane has won), claimed Rashtriya Lok Dal leader Ajit Singh.

The results of the bypolls to 11 assembly seats across 10 states also came as a major setback to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

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Why Mukherjee's Nagpur visit should worry BJP brass more than Congress

Some in the Congress have criticised Mukherjee for accepting the RSS invite, arguing that would give legitimacy to the RSS, but others have for months advised the Congress against attacking the RSS.

In the past two years, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat has called on former president Pranab Mukherjee on four occasions. Two of these meetings took place while Mukherjee was still a resident of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, and the two subsequent meetings were held at his new address – 10, Rajaji Marg.



These meetings have helped Mukherjee and Bhagwat develop mutual respect for each other. Bhagwat has come to admire Mukherjee’s knowledge of Indian history and his understanding of the Hindu social reform that began in Bengal in the 19th Century.



Mukherjee attaches much importance to preserving the robustness of institutions to keep democracy alive in India, and it is likely that the subject would have come up during his discussions with Bhagwat. In turn, Mukherjee has come to appreciate the various social service projects that RSS undertakes, particularly in the northeastern states.



Bhagwat had invited Mukherjee at least on four earlier occasions to attend an RSS event. Mukherjee refused as he didn’t deem it fit that a serving President of India should attend an event of an organisation with a contentious record. Eventually, the former president relented and accepted the latest invite.



A lifelong Congressman with strong secular credentials, Mukherjee is likely to speak at the RSS event on the subject of India’s civilisational ethos of inclusive nationalism, espoused in modern times by such thinkers as Rabindranath Tagore and Swami Vivekananda. It would be interesting to see if Mukherjee chooses to quote Nehru’s criticism of the RSS. Mukherjee’s speech will be keenly followed across the country.



Some in the  Congress have criticised Mukherjee for accepting the RSS invite, arguing that Mukherjee’s presence would give legitimacy to the RSS.



But there are others who have, and for months now, advised the Congress leadership against attacking the RSS. According to sources in the Congress, over the past year, the RSS has reached out to some of the Congress leaders. The RSS pointspersons have told the Congress that the Sangh is a “nationalist organisation”, which has in the past supported the Congress, particularly Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, on specific issues.

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Bank strike Day 2: Operations hit, Unions blame Indian Banks Association

The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), an umbrella body of nine bank unions, called for a two-day strike that started on Wednesday.

Bank Strike Day 2  : Bank unions on Thusday blamed Indian Banks Association (IBA) for forcing them to go on a strike, affecting banking transactions for a second day.
Transactions worth Rs 434 billion were affected, claim the bank unions.



The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), an umbrella body of nine bank unions, called for a two-day strike that started on Wednesday.



“It is the IBA which has put the banking public to trouble and not the unions. The unions had given a strike notice 20 days before the actual strike.



The IBA did not respond to that,” C H Venkatachalam, General Secretary, All India Bank Employees ’ Association (AIBEA).



The IBA has to be blamed for the strike. Even for the conciliation meeting called by the Chief Labour Commissioner (Delhi) the IBA had sent a junior official who had no authority, said the Association.



“While the IBA has put the customers to difficulty it is the banks who will be saving cost or earning income due the two day strike.



The staff will not be paid wages for the period they were on strike; there will be saving on power costs as the offices were closed,” he said.

Bypoll results 2018 LIVE: BJP trails united Opposition in UP's Kairana

Kairana by-election results will serve as a test case for a united Opposition against the PM Narendra Modi-led BJP. Catch all the live updates here.

Bypoll results 2018  will be out in a few hours as counting of votes for by-elections to four Lok Sabha seats and 10 Assembly constituencies will be held on Thursday.

The Lok Sabha seats that went to polls are Palghar and Bhandara-Gondiya in Maharashtra, the politically-crucial Kairana Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh, and the Nagaland parliamentary constituency.

Further, by-elections were held in the Legislative Assemblies of Shahkot (Punjab), Tharali (Uttarakhand), Ampati (Meghalaya), Chengannur (Kerala), Jokihat (Bihar), Gomia (Jharkhand), Silli (Jharkhand), Maheshtala (West Bengal), Noorpur (Uttar Pradesh), and Palus Kadegaon (Maharashtra).

The Kairana results , in particular, will also serve as a test case for a united Opposition against the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The Kairana bypoll is also significant as it will test the ruling BJP's popularity in the electorally crucial state of Uttar Pradesh a year ahead of the 2019 general elections.

In Kairana, BJP's Mriganka Singh is fighting against Rashtriya Lok Dal's (RLD's) Tabassum Hasan, who is supported by the Congress, the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

Most importantly, the outcome in Kairana will either see the BJP break its losing streak this year in Uttar Pradesh Lok Sabha bypolls or hand over a hat-trick to the Opposition.

The bye-elections were marred by complaints of malfunctioning electronic voting machines (EVMs), which the Election Commission (EC) had to replace at certain places. Subsequently, repolling was held at several booths on Wednesday.

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Kerala announces cut in petrol, diesel prices by Rs 1 per litre from June 1

The petrol price in the state on Wednesday was Rs 82 per litre, while for diesel it was Rs 75.

Amid soaring fuel prices, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday said petrol, diesel prices in the state would be slashed by Rs one per litre from June 1.

A decision in this regard was taken at the state cabinet on Wednesday.

The reduction would cause a yearly loss of Rs 5.09 billion to the state exchequer on the tax front, he said.

The petrol price in the state on Wednesday was Rs 82 per litre, while for diesel it was Rs 75, he said.

"The Centre should reduce the rising fuel prices as it was causing severe hardship to the common man", Vijayan said, adding that by reducing the petrol and diesel prices in Kerala, the government has set an example for the Centre to follow.

Even as international crude oil prices are coming down, fuel prices in the country were going up, he claimed.

Cyclone Mekunu hits coastal Karnataka, and cause heavy rain in Mangalore

National Weather Forecasting Centre has predicted heavy rains in Kerala and the coastal Karnataka region from May 29 to June 2.

Several houses were damaged and at least 12 people were injured as Cyclone Mekunu , which had wreaked havoc in Oman in Yemen over the weekend, hit the coastal Karnataka region on Tuesday, resulting in .

Mangaluru and Udupi were the worst affected, with reports of property loss and waterlogging coming from several areas.

Here are the top updates on rains in coastal Karnataka:

1. Heavy rains are expected in Kerala and the coastal Karnataka region from May 29 to June 2, according to the National Weather Forecasting Centre predictions.

2. Schools in Karnataka will remain closed for the next two days in view of the rain forecast.

3. As many as 12 people have been injured, according to Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner Saisikanth Senthil. Mangaluru was one of the most affected with at least 52 houses there being damaged in the rains, according to media reports. Five rehabilitation centres have been opened and compensation for the injured will be announced on Wednesday, ANI reported.

4. Prime Minister Narendra Modi took cognizance of the matter and said that all assistance would be provided for those affected in the rains. "I pray for the safety and well-being of all those affected by heavy rains in various parts of Karnataka. Have spoken to officials and asked them to ensure all possible assistance in the affected areas," he tweeted.

5. The Home Minister's office also took note of the matter and said that the MHA was in constant touch with the officials and all necessary assistance was being provided.

"HM Shri @rajnathsingh has reviewed the situation in Mangaluru and other areas after the reports of heavy rains in coastal Karnataka. He has asked the Home Secretary to rush more NDRF teams to Mangaluru if required. MHA is closely monitoring the situation in coastal Karnataka," the Home Ministry tweeted.

6. Karnataka Chief Minister, H D Kumaraswamy also took stock of the situtaion and directed the Deputy Commissioner to take assistance from the coast guard to rescue people. He also directed the deputy commissioner to take all the precautionary steps to prevent severe damage and loss of lives.

7. Civic bodies have taken the help of social media to advise commuters to avoid several places clogged with rainwater to avoid traffic jams. Ballalbagh, Padil, Jyothi, Mallikatte are some of the places which the motorists are being advised to avoid.

Maruti Suzuki scores over nearest rival Hyundai, not just in volume

The edge that Maruti Suzuki enjoys over Hyundai and other rivals stem primarily from its gigantic scale.

Maruti Suzuki is not just the country's biggest car maker with a fifty per cent market share. It also makes a significantly higher profit on each car than the industry peers including its nearest rival and Korean car maker Hyundai .

Car makers do not share the profit earned per car though they declare the total profit earned in a year. This profit also includes money made on sales of spare parts though it is a very small part compared to vehicle sales. A back of the envelope calculation, however, can give an idea of the profit these manufacturers make per car by simply spreading the total profit over a number of cars sold to arrive at an average number. It is true that the profit on different cars would be different. The smaller ones, for instance, will give lower profits.

Let us take the case of Maruti Suzuki, which sells every second car in the world's fifth biggest market. The Suzuki promoted company made a record profit of Rs 77.21 billion in the year ended March 31, 2018, when it sold a record 1,779,574 vehicles (a fraction of these were the newly launched light commercial vehicles). A simple calculation shows the company might have earned as much as Rs 43,386 on an average per unit. This is an impressive profit considering the average per unit realisation of Rs 397,000 for the year, announced by the company in April.

Hyundai is not a listed company in India and its financial results are shared with the registrar of companies with a time lag. Information with the Korean parent, however, shows that it made approximately Rs 22 billion in profits in the year ended December 31, 2017. In the same year, it sold a record 678,221 cars. The annual profit translates into a per unit share of Rs 32,437.

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WhatsApp to hasten payments services to 200 million Indians

The messaging app will partner HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and Axis Bank to process the transfers, and State Bank of India will join once it has the necessary systems in place.

Facebook is set to offer its  WhatsApp payment  services to the whole of India as early as next week in an attempt to win market share, even though its partners aren’t all ready, said people familiar with the matter.



The messaging app will partner HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and Axis Bank to process the transfers, and State Bank of India will join once it has the necessary systems in place, the people said.



Facebook  was aiming for a full rollout with four partners but decided to go ahead with just three as its rivals were racing ahead, the people said, asking not to be named as the information isn’t public.



The entry of Whatsapp into India’s payments space has been likened to WeChat, which reshaped payments in China when it expanded beyond messaging.



The pilot version of WhatsApp Pay — started with 1 million users in February — received rave reviews, threatening the market share of incumbents Google Tez and Alibaba-backed Paytm, which lack the benefits of a social network.



“WhatsApp has a great starting point: a monopoly in chat,” said Vivek Belgavi, leader for financial technology at PwC India. “High engagement makes it a credible competition.”



More than 200 million Indians already use WhatsApp messaging, equivalent to 60 percent of the US population and a daily active usage that Forrester estimates to be about 20 times higher than Paytm’s.




Emails to representatives of WhatsApp, State Bank of India, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and Axis Bank weren’t immediately answered.

Child health in India: 14 out of 20 states cut spending on key programmes

The child-care funding cuts come at a time when the central government reduced its allocations to the ministry of women and child development over two years to 2016-17.

Despite greater fiscal autonomy and higher tax revenues shared by the Centre with states, 14 of 20 states surveyed cut spending on a key nutrition programme–Supplementary Nutrition Programme or SNP–that bridges the gap between a child’s actual and ideal dietary needs, according to an analysis of national health-spending data.

The SNP is the most popular service under the national child-support system–the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS)–as it is used by 35.6% of urban and 53% rural residents, according to data from the National Family Health Survey 2015-16 (NFHS-4). As many as 55% and 61% of India’s lowest and second-lowest income classes, respectively, depend on the ICDS.

The fall in funding could jeopardise not just child health  but, as a consequence, future productivity and economic growth; these cuts come three years after the Centre increased the states’ share of net tax revenues from 32% to 42% and at a time when two out of three nutritional parameters improved over 10 years to 2016.

The greater share of net tax revenues to the states followed the recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission in 2015.

The funding cuts made to the SNP by the 14 states range from 3% to 55% over a year to 2016-17, according to a February 2018 budget brief published by the Accountability Initiative, a division of the Centre for Policy Research, a think tank.

The other six states–Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Karnataka–increased funding to the SNP over the same period (by 3% to 22%), data from the brief revealed.

The states that cut funding are: Jammu and Kashmir, West Bengal, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Punjab, Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Tripura, Orissa, Kerala, Telangana, Chhattisgarh and Nagaland.

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Vivo X21 India launch at 12:30 PM: Watch live stream, know specs, features

The Vivo X21 in-display fingerprint sensor smartphone will be Flipkart-exclusive and will go on sale starting May 29.

Vivo, a Chinese mobile phone brand, is one of the first smartphone manufacturer to launch consumer-ready notch screen-based smartphone the Vivo V9 in India. Now, in another first, the company has launched an in-screen fingerprint sensor-based device the Vivo X21 . Priced at Rs 35,990, the Flipkart-exclusive smartphone will go on sale starting May 29.


The Vivo X21 is a flagship smartphone with top of the line specifications. The phone sports a vivid fullHD+ super AMOLED 6.28-inch notch-based screen, which has an embedded fingerprint sensor at the lower bottom. The phone boasts premium glass-metal-glass sandwich design, which look plush and in-line with other premium offerings.



Vivo X21 specifications and features


Powering the smartphone is a rather modest Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 system-on-chip (SoC), paired with mammoth 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage, expandable up to 256GB using microSD card.



The dual-SIM smartphone boots Android Oreo out of the box covered under company’s customised skin called as the Funtouch OS 4.0. The phone takes its power from 3,200 mAh battery, which supports quick charging. However, instead of USB type-C, the phone uses a microUSB port for charging and data transfers.



In terms of imaging, the Vivo X21 sports a dual camera set-up on the back that featuring a 12-megapixel primary sensor, paired with a 5MP secondary lens. On the front, there is a 12MP selfie camera. Both the front and back camera boasts dual pixel technology for enhanced colour reproduction and low noise in low light conditions.




In the box, the phone comes with quick charger, in-ear headphones, USB cable, SIM ejector pin, phone case and warranty card.

4 years of Modi: More Indians in airplanes now than in AC trains, says govt

With India emerging as the third largest aviation market, air passenger traffic growth has been in the range of 18-20 per cent over the past three years.

The number of flyers in India is more than those travelling in AC coaches of trains, documents released to mark the fourth anniversary of the Narendra Modi government  show.
With India emerging as the third largest aviation market, air passenger traffic growth has been in the range of 18-20 per cent over the past three years.


"For the first time, more people travelled in airplanes than in AC trains," according to the document, titled 'saaf niyat, sahi vikas' (clean intent, right development).


Prime Minister Narendra Modi , while presenting the government's report card at a rally in Cuttack last Saturday, had drawn the people's attention to the rapid growth of the civil aviation sector in the country.


The Aviation Ministry is targeting a five-fold increase in passenger trips to one billion per annum in 15-20 years. The civil aviation sector will also see the addition of 1,000 aircraft in the Indian skies in the coming decade from about 550 aircraft today.


The document also said that domestic air passenger crossed 100 million in 2017. It said the National Civil Aviation Policy 2016 has been unveiled to transform the sector.


Under the present dispensation, the Civil Aviation Ministry had launched the Regional Connectivity Scheme or UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) to provide air connectivity to smaller towns and hilly terrains at affordable prices.



The ministry has claimed the scheme as a major success and pushing the number of operational airports in the country to about 100.

Amit Shah to start 'Sampark for Samarthan' campaign for 2019 polls today

About 4,000 senior party workers would carry out this personal contact campaign to meet more than 1,00,000 well-known people to discuss with them about the government's achievements.

As part of the BJP's efforts to reach out to people for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls , party President Amit Shah will on Tuesday kick start a personal contact campaign "Sampark for Samarthan " (Contact for Support) to generate awareness about the Narendra Modi government's achievements so far.

"Shah would start his grand public outreach campaign from the house of former Army chief, Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag at Sector 46 in Gurgaon at 11 am," said BJP national media head Anil Baluni in a statement.

Thereafter, Shah would go to the house of constitutional expert Subhash Kashyap and discuss with him about the Central government's welfare programmes, he said, adding that Shah would meet at least 50 individuals personally to enlighten them about the achievements of the Modi government.

Under the 'Contact for Support' campaign, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday through the NaMo App interacted with the beneficiaries of Ujjwala Yojana, a scheme to provide LPG connections to women from Below Poverty Line (BPL).

Baluni said about 4,000 senior party workers would carry out this personal contact campaign to meet more than 1,00,000 well-known people to discuss with them about the government's achievements in the last four years.

These 4,000 party workers include Union Ministers, Chief Ministers and Deputy Chief Ministers of states where the party is in power, MPs, MLAs, District Panchayat members and senior office bearers.

CBSE 10th result 2018 to be out at 4 pm today; how to check your score

The CBSE Class 10 exams were marred by controversy in 2018 when question paper leaks being reported from Delhi-NCR, Haryana and Jharkhand of Class 10 mathematics paper.

CBSE will declare results of Class 10 examinations today at 4 pm. The results will be available on the official website of CBSE which is cbse.nic.in. Students can also check their results on cbseresults.nic.in , cbse.examresults.net. Over 16 lakh students appeared for Class 10 exams this year.

"Results of CBSE Class 10 examinations for 2017-18 to be declared by 4 pm on 29th of May, 2018," Union Education Secretary Anil Swarup tweeted on Monday.

Central Board of Secondary Education conducted Class 10th examination from March 5 to April 4. The CBSE Class 10 exams were marred by controversy in 2018 when question paper leaks being reported from Delhi-NCR, Haryana and Jharkhand of Class 10 mathematics paper. Ministry of Human Resource Development (Ministry of HRD) decided not to conduct the reexamination in the "interest of students". The Delhi Police has already registered two cases in connection with the paper leaks.

Steps to check CBSE 10th result 2018

— Visit the CBSE official website cbse.nic.in

— Select "Results"

— Click on CBSE Class 10th Result 2018

— Enter your admit card details and get your CBSE Class 10 Result 2018

— Download your CBSE Result 2018 for future reference

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IPL win: Dhoni says fitness counts, not age, of CSK's 30-plus brigade

Shane Watson's sensational knock ensured CSK chased down a challenging 179 with ease in the final match of IPL 2018.

Chennai Super Kings' fairy tale comeback is a proof that fitness matter more than age, said skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni  after guiding his team to a third IPL title.

At the auction, CSK were criticised for picking up nine players in their 30s including Shane Watson and Ambati Rayudu, who eventually were instrumental in the team's triumph.

"We talked a lot about age but what matters is the fitness. Rayudu, for example, is 32, he's someone who is fit, covers a lot of ground. Even if he plays a few games where he spends a lot of time on the ground and in the field, he never complains. So it is the fitness that really matters more than the age aspect," said the 36-year-old Dhoni after the crushing win over SRH.

"What captains want is players who move well in the field. It doesn't matter which year a player is born in, whether you are 19 or 20 - you have to be agile. You have to accept your shortcomings.

"For example, if I push Watson to stop a single, there is a very good chance that he'll burst his hamstring and won't be available for the next game. So what you tell yourselves is that they have to commit and try, but there's no point getting injured for a single," said Dhoni before adding the CSK squad will be heading to Chennai tomorrow for further celebrations.

Watson's sensational knock ensured CSK chased down a challenging 179 with ease. It was a memorable tournament for the 36-year-old Australian, who ended with 555 runs including two centuries and as many half centuries.

"It's been a special season, to be honest. To get a special season especially after the last season with RCB. It means a lot to be with a franchise like CSK. After those first ten balls I was only hoping to catch up to at least a run-a-ball," said Watson.

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Sunanda Pushkar death: Special designated court to hear the case today

The Delhi Police has sought that Tharoor be summoned as an accused, claiming there was sufficient evidence against him.

A special court, designated to try lawmakers in regard to Sunanda Pushkar death case, will on Monday consider Delhi Police's charge sheet against Congress MP and Pushkar's husband Shashi Tharoor .

The police has sought that Tharoor be summoned as an accused, claiming there was sufficient evidence against him.

Earlier on May 24, a Delhi Court, which was hearing the Sunanda Pushkar death case , transferred the matter to the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM), Samar Vishal.

"Since he (Tharoor) is a sitting Member of Parliament, the matter is being sent to the special designated court for politicians, that is ACMM Samar Vishal. Matter will be taken up on May 28," the court said.

The Delhi Police had on May 14 filed a charge sheet in the court, in which they named Tharoor as an accused, under sections 306 (Abetment of suicide) and 498A (Husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Tharoor, however, dismissed the charge sheet filed by Delhi Police as "preposterous".

Sunanda was found dead under mysterious circumstances in a suite of a five-star hotel in Delhi on the night of January 17, 2014.

Voting begins in 4 LS, 10 assembly seats; high stake Kairana up for grabs

After the drubbing in the Gorakhpur and Phulpur bypolls, the BJP is making extra efforts to try and retain the Kairana constituency. Catch all the live updates here.

Voting started at 7 am on Monday for four Lok Sabha and 10 Assembly seats, including in Kairana in politically crucial Uttar Pradesh.

Besides Kairana in Western Uttar Pradesh, by-elections are being held in the Bhandara-Gondiya and Palghar parliamentary constituencies in Maharashtra and the Nagaland Lok Sabha seat.

The Kairana Lok Sabha constituency fell vacant after the death of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Hukum Singh, whose daughter Mriganka Singh is now the party's candidate.

She is fighting against Rashtriya Lok Dal's (RLD's) Tabassum Hasan, who is backed by a united Opposition, including the Congress, the Samajwadi Party (SP), and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

In the two Lok Sabha seats that are going to the bypolls in Maharashtra, all four major parties -- the Congress, BJP, Shiv Sena, and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) -- are going all out as these bypolls are being considered as crucial in the run-up to the General elections in 2019.

The Shiv Sena has fielded late BJP MP Chintaman Wanaga's son Shriniwas Wanaga in Palghar, much to the dislike of the saffron party, which has in-turn nominated Congress deserter Rajendra Gavit.

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Terrorists ignore Ramzan ceasefire, attack J&K Army camp and kill jawan

The attack on the Army camp comes barely two days after 5 terrorists were gunned down by security forces in a failed infiltration attempt along the LoC.

Terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) have clearly rejected the Indian government's gesture to cease operations in the state during the holy month of Ramzan, conducting their first strike since the announcement by attacking an Indian Army camp located in the Pulwama district of South Kashmir and killing an Army jawan and a civilian.
Police told news agencies that the terrorists attacked the 50 Rashtriya Rifles' camp on Sunday night at Kakapora in the Pulwama district. Authorities told news agencies that Army personnel retaliated to the firing unleashed by the terrorists.
The attack left a jawan seriously injured. Further, a civilian, who was identified as Bilal Ahmed, was also caught in the crossfire and left seriously injured. The duo, who were both rushed to a hospital, succumbed to their injuries.
In the wake of the attack, authorities are enforcing prohibitory orders in parts of Pulwama district.
Apart from this attack, news agencies reported on Monday that three Army personnel were injured in a blast, triggered by an improvised explosive device (IED), that occurred between the Sugan and Chillipora area of Kashmir's Shopian district. Subsequently, a cordon and search operation was launched.
Infiltration bid foiled
The attack on the Army camp and the IED blast come barely two days after five terrorists were gunned down on Saturday after security forces foiled an infiltration bid along the Line of Control in J&K's Tangdhar sector.
The infiltration attempt came hours after the Chief of Army Staff, General Bipin Rawat, called upon Pakistan to stop infiltration to establish peace along the border.
Ramzan ceasefire
The Centre on May 16 announced a ceasefire in J&K, directing the security forces to halt their operations during Ramzan to help "peace-loving Muslims" observe the holy month in a peaceful environment.
The ceasefire is reminiscent of a similar initiative that was announced in 2000 by then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. It came just two days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to visit Jammu to inaugurate development projects and address the sixth convocation of a University in the state's winter capital.

According to a statement by the Union Home Ministry, security forces have been told not to launch operations in Jammu and Kashmir during the holy month. However, the statement also said that the forces would reserve the right to retaliate if attacked or if it was essential to protect the lives of innocent people. 

Toyota's Indian arm to make cars developed by Suzuki in the country

Maruti Suzuki and Toyota to sell these cars locally, export them.

Japanese auto major Toyota’s India subsidiary may produce models developed by Suzuki for sale in the Indian market through retail outlets of  Maruti Suzuki and Toyota. These models, and other from Suzuki will also be exported to markets such as Africa for sale through the network of the two Japanese entities. Toyota’s local entity has a capacity to produce 300,000 vehicles a year, but is able to use just half of the capacity from the current sales.
Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) and Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC) have agreed today to start discussing new joint projects in the fields of technological development, vehicle production, and market development, the two entities said in a statement. Another area of discussion will be the offer of technological support by Denso Corporation and Toyota for a compact, ultrahigh-efficiency powertrain to be developed by Suzuki.


Since the conclusion of last year’s memorandum towards business partnership, the two companies have been exploring concrete projects for collaboration in areas, including environmental technology, safety technology, information technology, and the mutual supply of products and components. The two companies have already announced a decision to jointly work towards development of electric cars for the Indian market, due for launch in 2020.


Toyota’s India unit will also source two cars manufactured by Maruti Suzuki, the Baleno and Brezza, including their hybrid variants, and in return Toyota will offer its Corolla sedan to Maruti. These vehicles, with some changes, will be badged under the name of the company selling them.



“As members of Indian society, Toyota, along with Suzuki, will do its best to enhance freedom and fun in a future society of mobility and to make “Make in India” vehicles cherished in Africa and in many other countries around the world,” Akio Toyoda, president at TMC said in the statement. Osamu Suzuki, chairman at SMC said the hopes the new joint projects will contribute to the future success of both companies, not only in India, but also in the global market.

Anti-Sterlite stir: 13 dead, public property worth Rs 10.2 million damaged

Delhi High Court today will likely hear a Tamil Nadu-based advocate's petition pleading NHRC to visit Thoothukudi district and conduct an inquiry into the anti-Sterlite protest on its own

At least 13 people had died and 102 others were reported injured by Thursday in the anti-Sterlite protests in Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi as the death toll kept increasing. Further, vehicles worth Rs 10.27 million were damaged and burnt down during the protests.

"A total of 13 people have died, including 11 men and 2 women. 102 people have been injured out of which 19 are severe cases. Vehicles worth Rs 1 crore 27 lakh have been burnt down," said Shailesh Kumar, IG (South Range), while talking to news agencies.

At least 67 people have been arrested until now for indulging in violence and damage to public property.

Meanwhile, Vedanta Resources' chairman on Thursday expressed sorrow over the deaths during the protests and said that the company wants to continue with the business and is committed to the community and people of Thoothukudi.

Here are the top developments around the Thoothukudi protests over the Sterlite expansion issue:

1) In pain over anti-Sterlite protest, says Vedanta chairman: Vedanta Resources Plc Chairman Anil Agarwal has expressed his sorrow over the anti-Sterlite protests in which 13 people have died. He said that he was in pain over the ongoing protest in Thoothukudi.

"I am very sad to hear the incident. This was absolutely unfortunate, my full sympathy with the family. The plant is closed because of an annual shutdown and we are waiting for clearance from the court and the government to re-start the plant," Agarwal said.

2) Will take legal steps to close factory, says Tamil Nadu CM: The Tamil Nadu government on Thursday said it was taking steps to close down the Sterlite factory at Thoothukudi after 13 people died when the police opened fire on protesters who were demanding the factory’s closure.

“Amma's (former CM J Jayalalithaa) government is taking the legal route to ensure that Sterlite is shut down,” said Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami.

3) PIL in SC seeking CBI probe into Tuticorin violence: Advocate G S Mani on Thursday filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court seeking a court-monitored Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the deaths of protesters during the anti-Sterlite rally at Thoothukudi. The petition also sought a registration of an FIR against Thoothukudi collector, superintendent of police and other police officials.

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IPL 2018 Qualifier 2, KKR vs SRH: Kolkata eye home benefit in today's match

In today's match to decide who takes on CSK in IPL 2018 final on May 27, KKR will have momentum on their side. They have won 4 matches in a row, while SRH have lost as many. Catch live match updates.

In Qualifier 2 of Vivo Indian Premier League (IPL 2018) Kane Williamson-led Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) will take on Dinesh Karthik's Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Friday. A two-time champion, KKR will be aiming to exploit SRH's recent run of poor form when the two teams square off in what promises to be a high-octane IPL Qualifier 2 match. KKR stormed into the IPL Qualifier 2 by defeating Rajasthan Royals by 25 runs at the same venue, while Sunrisers Hyderabad lost to Chennai Super Kings by 2 wickets in a nail-biting encounter in Mumbai in Qualifier 1. SRH got the benefit of being one of the top two teams in Vivo IPL points table and received a second shot at qualifying for the final tie, while Rajasthan, which entered the playoffs ranked fourth were knocked out.

KKR have ticked all the right boxes in theior past few  IPL 2018 matches, with four wins on trot. Table-toppers Sunrisers, on the other hand, have slipped after finishing on top of the league table; they now have 4 consecutive lost matches behind them.

Call it complacency or the lack of performance from their middle order, SRH have lost four straight games, something that will be a cause for concern to Kane Williamson's team. Arguably the best bowling side of IPL 2018, with Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddharth Kaul and Sandeep Sharma delivering consistently along with the immensely talented Rashid Khan, Sunrisers will like to extract whatever juice is available from the Eden Gardens track.

Who has the edge in the  KKR vs SRH qualifier 2 ?

The momentum is strongly in favour of Dinesh Karthik’s Kolkata Knight Riders, which will also heavily bank on their home advantage. So, it will need a special effort from the Kane Williamson-led side to stop the resurgent KKR and return to winning ways. If they do, they will meet Chennai Super Kings in the final match, to be played on Sunday (May 27) and have a fair chance of avenging their losses in the past three IPL 2018 games played against the M S Dhoni-led side.

The first to qualify for the IPL 2018 playoffs after eliminating Delhi Daredevils, Sunrisers Hyderabad began to see a slide in Pune, when their famed bowling attack failed to defend 180 against Chennai Super Kings. Then, they went on to lose to RCB, KKR and again CSK in subsequent games. SRH’s problem has been their batting, heavily reliant on skipper Kane Williamson, the current 'Orange Cap' holder with 685 runs at an average of 57.05.

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