2.5 m scholarships for minorities
New Delhi, January 30
In line with its commitment to improve the literacy rate among the minority communities, the government today approved a scheme, providing for 2.5 million pre-matric scholarships to meritorious minority students, entailing an expenditure of Rs 1,868.50 crore during the 11th Plan period.

50 pc DA merger for CPSE staff

Kidney Scam
Wife of Amit’s cohort held
Gurgaon, January 30
Pooja, Jeevan’s wife, and Umesh, driver of Amit, have been arrested by the police today for their involvement in the kidney racket. Joint commissioner of police Manjet S. Ahlawat said during interrogation Pooja told the police that she used to collect money from the clients, who used to come for operation to the hospital.
Little Sunni dies for want of a buyer
‘Dr Horror’ in Canada?
Editorial: Kidney merchants

Bird Flu
‘Massive outbreak’ feared in NE
500 chicken die in UP
Kolkata, January 30
Fresh poultry deaths were reported today from a private farm in South 24-Parganas triggering fears that the H5N1 virus might be spreading to the organised sector after affecting backyard chicken.

Snowfall in Solan, Kasauli
Solan, January 30
The district received the season’s first snowfall with Kasauli, Chail, Dagshai, Barog, Vaknaghat, Kaithlighat and Solan wearing a white mantle in the afternoon today. Though the snow did not stay for too long, it brought cheers to the residents.

GANDHI’S LAST: Gandhi’s great-granddaughter Neelam Parikh immerses the ashes of the Mahatma into the Arabian Sea near Mumbai on Wednesday as the country paid homage to him on the 60th anniversary of his assassination. — Reuters

Telgi gets 10-yr RI
Chennai, January 30
After admitting the guilty plea of counterfeiting stamp papers, the special CBI court here today sentenced fake stamp paper scam kingpin Abdul Karim Telgi to 10-year rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 3 crore.

BJP petitions CEC for removal of Chawla
New Delhi, January 30
The Bharatiya Janata Party today renewed its efforts for the removal of Election Commissioner Navin Chawla on grounds that he lacks fairness and non-partisan approach because of his close proximity to the Congress and its leadership as it submitted a memorandum to the Chief Election Commissioner seeking his removal.

Errors helped Harbhajan: Judge Hansen Sydney, January 30 An administrative mistake by the International Cricket Council (ICC) saved Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh from a possible suspension, the judge who heard his case said today. Harbhajan was fined half his match fee after pleading guilty to using offensive language against Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds during the second test in Sydney earlier this month.