Women’s Quota Bill
Yadav trio left out in cold
Sharad, Nitish lock horns over quota within quota
New Delhi, March 7
With an overwhelming majority of political parties determined to pass the Women’s Reservation Bill, setting aside 33 per cent quota for women in Parliament and Assemblies to mark the centenary celebrations of International Women’s Day tomorrow, the Yadav trio — Mulayam Singh Yadav, Lalu Prasad Yadav and Sharad Yadav — that is opposing the Bill appears to have been left out in the cold.

Nation page: It’s against minorities, says Mulayam

Indian held for toddler’s death
Melbourne, March 7
A 23-year-old Indian man was today arrested and charged over the death of an Indian toddler, whose dumped body was found three days ago in a Melbourne suburb.

Pak stand on Saeed surprising, says India
New Delhi, March 7
Expressing "surprise" over Pakistan's claim that the issue of arrest of Hafiz Saeed, one of the 26/11 masterminds, was not taken up during Foreign Secretary-level talks, India today said it has been demanding action against him since the barbaric and dastardly attacks in Mumbai and the matter was raised "strongly" during the parleys.

World page: India imposing war on Pak: Saeed

Naxals free to dream in democracy: Pillai
New Delhi, March 7
The Centre today rubbished the claims of a Maoist leader to overthrow the Indian state before 2050, saying they were free to “dream” and asserted that talks could only happen when they abjured violence.

Maoist killed in teacher rescue ops
Editorial: Maoists — enemy within

A woman labourer at work on the bank of the Tawi on the eve of International Women’s Day in Jammu on Sunday. The Centre will present a Bill in Parliament on Monday aiming to reserve one-third of legislative seats for women. — PTI

MCOCA slapped on Delhi godman
New Delhi, March 7
The police today invoked stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against Shiv Murat Dwivedi alias Ichchadhari Sant Swami Bhimanand Ji Maharaj, a self-styled godman, arrested for running a multicrore prostitution racket in the Capital. “We have invoked the provisions of MCOCA against Dwivedi,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) HGS Dhaliwal said. Under the act, the accused cannot apply for bail for six months.

ISRO puts off Israeli payload’s launch
Bangalore, March 7
In a blow to the Indian and Israeli researchers, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has decided to leave out TAUVEX (Tel Aviv University Ultra Violet Experiment), an Israeli payload, during the launch of its experimental communication satellite GSAT-4. “We were very disappointed to learn that we were to be removed from the spacecraft.

A Tribune Investigation 45 doc interviews in 40 min! PPSC did it Chandigarh, March 7 The process of selection adopted by the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC), it seems, was “tailor-made” to suit the “pre-selected” candidates. Not only did the commission deviate from the past practice of holding a screening test, but also hinged the main selection procedure on an interview, which accounted for 50 per cent of the total marks.