Tuesday, January 7, 2003, Chandigarh, India
Updated at 3:00 am (IST)

Centre against disbanding SOG
New Delhi, January 6
There is a difference of opinion between the newly elected Jammu and Kashmir Government and the Ministry of Home Affairs over the disbanding of the Special Operations Group which forms the core of the operations undertaken by the security forces in the troubled state.

Modi star campaigner for HP Shanta Kumar is convener of BJP’s poll panel
New Delhi, January 6 BJP President M Venkaiah Naidu today formally constituted the election management and campaign committee for Himachal Pradesh, which will be headed by Union Rural Development Minister Shanta Kumar. The BJP MP from Mandi, Mr Maheshwar Singh, will be the co-convener.

  Nation Page: Cong to evolve guidelines on HP candidates

Chautala says no to meeting
Writes to Amarinder on SYL issue
Chandigarh, January 6
Even as the chill in northern India continues unabated, the political temperature in the states of Punjab and Haryana is being sought to be raised by politicians on the issue of the SYL canal.

Foreign jets to fly in Indian skies
New Delhi, January 6
The ninth round of Indo-French Strategic Dialogue was held here today during which a host of important decisions were understood to have been taken for forging closer strategic ties between the two countries.

   India begins work on tri-services N-force
   USA to keep off any move on LoC

Ludhiana shivers at 3.9°C
Chandigarh, January 6
Most places in the northern region remained engulfed by dense fog today adversely affecting the normal life even as the Met Office predicted no respite from the ongoing cold conditions for at least next two days.

The cold wave in Uttar Pradesh has not only put human beings to discomfort but also affected the lives of inhabitants of Lucknow Zoo. In video (28k, 56k)

BSNL likely to slash STD tariff
New Delhi, January 6
State-owned telecom behemoth Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited is seeking to bludgeon the competition unleashed by cellular phone operators and is expected to announce a matching tariff regime by the end of this week.

History has been misinterpreted: PM
Mumbai, January 6
Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee today lashed out at opposition parties for criticising the Union government’s efforts in rewriting history books, saying it was time students got a right perspective of education.

Asia’s longest ropeway by year-end Gulmarg, January 6
The Gulmarg Gondola project will become Asia’s highest and longest ropeway, when its second-phase is completed by the end of this year. The 2.5 km-long ropeway project functional between Gulmarg and Kongdori since 1998, is a major attraction for tourists.	A cable car passes over snow-covered mud huts in Gulmarg 52 km northwest of Srinagar, on Monday. — Photo Amin War

Mother tongue emerges winner Chandigarh, January 6 The mother tongue — Punjabi — emerged winner at today’s meeting of experts, and administrators called by the Punjab Government to thrash out whether the teaching of the mother tongue and English should start simultaneously from Class I or the latter should be introduced at a higher level.