RBI moves to tame inflation
Repo rate, CRR hiked
Mumbai/New Delhi, June 24
The Reserve Bank of India today announced its much-awaited measures to curb liquidity by raising banks’ mandatory cash reserves and its short-term lending (repo) rate to them, a move that banks said would increase interest rates for auto, personal and home loans as also for the industry.

Nation page: 9 pc growth sustainable, says Montek

Vohra to take oath as Governor today
Srinagar, June 24
The Centre’s interlocutor on Kashmir and former union home secretary, N.N. Vohra is being sworn in as the new Governor of Jammu and Kashmir here tomorrow. His warrant of appointment was issued by the President on June 11 as the 12th Governor of the state, replacing Lt.-Gen (Retd) S.K. Sinha.

Gen S.S. Mehta to be Tribune Trustee
Chandigarh, June 24
Lieut-Gen S.S. Mehta, former General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Command, is joining the Board of Trustees of The Tribune as a member. He was chosen unanimously as a new member by the trust at a meeting presided over by the president, Mr R.S. Talwar, in New Delhi yesterday.

N-Deal
Pawar offers a guarantee
New Delhi, June 24
The Left parties are going to the meeting of the coordination committee of the Left and the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) on Wednesday evening with an “open mind,” even as they do not put much store by it. Communist Party of India (CPI) general secretary, A.B. Bardhan told The Tribune, “There are no new facts, there is no new proposal before us. Let the meeting take place. Let us see what they offer. We will examine it then.”

Top scientists oppose N-deal

N-Deal
Crucial UPA-Left meeting today
New Delhi, June 24
Although there is little possibility of a breakthrough at tomorrow’s meeting of the UPA-Left committee on the Indo-US nuclear deal, the government will make a last-ditch attempt to persuade the Communists to allow it to seal the India-specific safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

UP to file FIR against Jaya
Lucknow, June 24 
There is a fresh trouble for Samajwadi Party Rajya Sabha MP and film star Jaya Bachchan. Principal secretary of the state legislature has written a letter to the Lucknow SSP asking him to file an FIR against the MP for concealing facts about her properties in her affidavit filed during the Rajya Sabha nomination in June 2006.
(Details in Nation page)

Runaway Couples
Evolve compassionate mechanism: HC
Chandigarh, June 24
The Punjab and Haryana High Court wants the state to evolve a “compassionate” mechanism for redressing the grievances of runaway couples and their parents. Not divorced to the reality of suicide pacts and honour killings, it has even asked the home secretaries of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh to inform the court on the system they intend to develop for preventing the couples from being chased around and the parents from sobbing their hearts out.

Ex-spies seek national debate on ban New Delhi, June 24 Former spy-masters of the country today came down heavily on the gag order issued by the government of India, seeking a national debate on the subject and calling it a violation of their fundamental rights as granted under the Constitution. The government has issued a notification banning officers from writing books post-retirement on sensitive matters or secrets known to them during the course of their job.