Taming Prices
Edible oil, pulses to be imported
New Delhi, April 16
Admitting that shortage of pulses was a serious issue, union agriculture and consumer affairs minister Sharad Pawar today said the government had decided to import 15 lakh tonnes of pulses through public sector undertakings to bring down the prices of essential commodities. There was also a plan to import one million tonne of edible oil.

FM warns cement-steel cartel

41 school kids among 44 killed
Vadodara, April 16
Forty-four persons, including 41 schoolchildren (32 girls and nine boys), were killed when a bus carrying them fell into the 60-foot deep Narmada canal at Bodeli village in the district this morning.

In video (56k) The damaged bus, which fell from a 60-ft-high bridge into the Narmada canal, being pulled out at Bodeli village in Vadodara district on Wednesday. — PTI

R-Day type security in Delhi
New Delhi, April 16
India's bustling national Capital is all set to host the Delhi leg of the Olympic relay on a midsummer afternoon, backed by a multi-tier security cover.

Torch arrives New Delhi: The Olympic torch touched down the Indian soil tonight with colourfully dressed children receiving the flame here amid unprecedented security. The torch, 72-centimetre long and weighing 985 grams, was flown here in a specially designed flight from Islamabad, its last stop before New Delhi. The plane landed in the Palam technical area at 1.10 am. — PTI

IITs to implement quota in 3 years
New Delhi, April 16
The IITs today gave a final word on the implementation of 27 per cent quota for OBCs, saying they would operationalise it within three years. The decision came after a meeting of the institute directors here today.

All 5 bypoll seats for BSP
Lucknow, April 16
With all five seats of the bypolls held on April 12 comfortably in the BSP kitty, Chief Minister Mayawati today declared it to be the victory of her government’s policies as well as an indication of things to come during the Lok Sabha elections next year. Not sparing the Congress for losing its deposit in four of the five seats, the BSP supremo was quick to comment that the results had exposed the Congress party’s newfound love for the Dalits.

Nalini trying to cash in on meeting with Priyanka?
Chennai, April 16
The reported statements made by Nalini Sriharan, the only survivor of the five-member assassination gang who killed Rajiv Gandhi and now serving a life sentence, is nothing but a “craftly enacted drama” to secure premature release. This is what a section of the investigators, who were associated with the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, feel.

Security Threat Pak mobile signals reach India: Govt New Delhi, April 16 The Centre government today acknowledged what was long talked about in security circles. Mobile signals of Pakistan-based operators reach India and Pakistan has erected nine mobile towers in its territory along with the Indo-Pak border which have security-related implications for our country.