S P O T L I G H T

Curfew relaxed in Azamgarh
LUCKNOW, (PTI, UNI) — The law and order situation in curfew-bound Azamgarh town, where communal clashes broke out yesterday over rendition of "Vande Matram" during a Republic Day function at a college, was stated to be tense but under control. Principal Home Secretary V.K. Mittal said here today that no untoward incident had been reported from anywhere in the curfew-bound areas and paramilitary forces had been deployed. Curfew was relaxed for an hour in the morning and some relaxation would be given in the day during the observance of Friday prayers, he said.

India, B’desh to hold joint census
NEW DELHI, Jan 28 — India and Bangladesh have decided to conduct joint census on the border as part of an exercise to work on the transfer of enclaves and exchange of adverse possessions ahead of demarcation of boundary. This decision was taken at the sixth meeting of the Indo-Bangladesh joint working group which met over three days at Dhaka between January 24 and 26. The Indian delegation was headed by Home Ministry Joint Secretary, Gopal Pillai. Briefing correspondents, a top ministry official said yesterday that the census would help in the clear-cut demarcation of boundaries and also the citizenship of estimated 1 lakh persons who were residing on either side of the international border for the past 50 years.