For now, retire at 58 in Punjab
CM to take final call at Cabinet meet
Chandigarh, March 31
Thousands of employees of the Punjab government who came to work today were sent back home on retirement after the government failed to take a decision on enhancing their retirement age. Senior government functionaries said Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal put off the decision saying that the matter should be referred to the Cabinet.

Day of chaos

RTE challenge: Covering 60m ‘invisible’ children
New Delhi, March 31
On the eve of the historic rollout of Right to Education (RTE) Act, 13-year-old Shahzad is going about his usual business. 

Promises to keep
UNICEF, ILO hail step

26/11 trial over
May 3 judgment day for Kasab
Mumbai, March 31
The nearly year-long trial in the sensational 26/11 case that saw several ups and downs, including prime accused Ajmal Kasab retracting his confession, concluded here on Wednesday with special judge ML Tahaliyani reserving the judgment and fixing May 3 for pronouncing the verdict.

Judicial shelter for runaway couples
Chandigarh, March 31
Now, runaway couples will not have to tie the knot with trouble literally hanging over their heads. Taking cognisance of the violence brought about by love marriages, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today ensured judicial shelter for runaway couples by directing the district and sessions judges in the two states and Chandigarh to pass necessary orders on their plea for protection.

Gen VK Singh takes over
A first: Trained commando becomes Army chief
New Delhi, March 31
More than 40 years ago, three young men were together in a squadron, ‘the hunters’ as cadets at the National Defence Academy, Pune. Today, when General VK Singh took over as Chief of the Indian Army, he may have been a unique co-incidence. Now all the three serving service Chiefs are from the same squadron of the NDA where they together spent their formative years. (Details on Nation page)

Booze in FCI godown, wheat can rot
Jaipur, March 31
Even as food prices are soaring all across the country and the poor are not getting two square meals a day, a Food Corporation of India (FCI) godown in  Jaipur is storing liquor leaving out thousands of sacks of wheat to rot in the open for the past three months.