S P O T L I G H T

IAS officer gets Hindi Ratna Award
New Delhi, May 5
Himachal Pradesh IAS officer P.C.K. Prem was today conferred the Hindi Ratna Award for his contribution to Hindi literature. The award was given away by Uttar Pradesh Governor Vishnu Kant Shastri at a function organised here by the Vishwa Hindi and Sanskriti Alankaran Samaroh Samiti. Mr Prem is currently posted as District Magistrate at Shimla. His 2500-page novel “Kalkhand” was published in 1999. PTI

Yunus still critical
New Delhi, May 5
Mohammad Yunus, a close confidante of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, today continued to be in a critical condition at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). “At the moment he continues to be critical,” AIIMS director P.K. Dave said. Mr Yunus was admitted to the AIIMS on Monday following lung infection. PTI

4 tribesmen killed
Daltonganj, May 5
Four tribesmen were killed and two others injured by some miscreant at Helta village in Jharkhand’s Gumla district on Thursday, the police said today. The assailants swooped down on the village, overpowered the tribesmen and slit their throats, the police said quoting delayed reports. A dispute over the construction of a reservoir near the village was stated to be reason behind the killings. PTI

29.9 kg ivory seized
Baripada (Orissa), May 5
Acting as potential ivory buyers, forest officials have arrested three persons and seized 22.9 kg of ivory from them. According to a report received here today, Udala forest range officer and his subordinates, acting on a tip-off, approached the three persons to purchase ivory from them. They approached the accused Satrughna Nayak and agreed to pay Rs 1.5 lakh for the ivory. UNI