Fortify your defences, PM tells forces
Calls for better synergy amongst services to thwart terror threats 
New Delhi, October 20
In an obvious reference to Pakistan and Afghanistan, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said the overall security situation in India’s immediate neighbourhood has worsened and called for improving the country’s defence mechanisms against all forms of terrorism, asymmetric warfare and aggravated militancy.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with Defence Minister AK Antony, Admiral Nirmal Verma (left), Army Chief Deepak Kapoor (centre) and IAF Chief Pradeep Vasant Naik (right) at the annual Combined Commanders’ Conference in New Delhi on Tuesday. A Tribune photograph

Twin blasts rock Pak varsity, six dead
At least six persons, including two girls, were killed in twin suicide blasts on the new campus of Islamabad’s International Islamic University. The bombers forced their way into the university campus. While one suicide bomber blew himself up near the cafeteria in the girls’ section, another blast occurred in the Shariah faculty in the boys’ block.

Editorial: And now Iran

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IITs talked about entry bar much before Sibal
New Delhi, October 20
Much before Union Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal mentioned the need to raise the bar for entry to IITs, these institutes had recommended tougher eligibility criteria for students taking the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) to limit the numbers sitting for the test and ensure highest quality of entrants.

Nation Page:AITUC warns govt of workers’ backlash

PF scam
CBI told to get Asthana’s viscera tested at AIIMS
New Delhi, October 20
The Supreme Court, which is monitoring the CBI probe into the PF scam in Uttar Pradesh judiciary, today directed the investigating agency to get the viscera of prime accused Ashutosh Asthana tested at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here.

Panel to map Wakf properties in Punjab
Chandigarh, October 20
The Punjab government today constituted a survey commission to identify and map all properties of the Wakf Board in the state. Jaspal Singh, Secretary (Revenue), has been appointed as survey commissioner and will be assisted at district-level by the DCs, who have been designated additional survey commissioners. At the tehsil-level, the Sub-Divisional Magistrates will act as assistant survey commissioners and will report directly to the survey commissioner.

Worker’s death brings Gurgaon to grinding halt Gurgaon, October 20 A strike called by various unions of industrial workers brought a number of units located in the Gurgaon-Manesar-Dharuhera belt to a standstill today, causing direct and indirect losses estimated to be nearly Rs 100 crore.