Wednesday, October 27, 2010, Chandigarh, India
Updated at 3:00 am (IST)

Amarinder returns as Punjab Cong chief 
Party makes changes in 18 states, Kaul Singh Thakur retained in HP, Yashpal Arya in U’khand
New Delhi, October 26
With 2012 Assembly elections in sight, the Congress today effected leadership change in Punjab, giving the reins of the party to former state Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, who led the Congress to victory in the 2002 state elections.

All Smiles: Amarinder

Challenge for Amarinder to take all factions together:  Punjab page
Temporary reprieve for Mullana?: Haryana page
Kaul retained PCC chief: Himachal page

SC vacates stay on verdict in Gujarat riots cases
SIT indicates there’s no evidence against Modi 
New Delhi, October 26
The Supreme Court today vacated the stay on the delivery of judgments by the trial courts in the cases relating to the 2002 riots in Gujarat even as the Special Investigation Team (SIT) indicated that there was no evidence against Chief Minister Narendra Modi in the killing of former Congress MP Ehsan Jaffrey. The SIT had questioned Modi in two marathon sessions in March this year.

Post-CWG, India slips to 87th spot in global corruption rankings
New Delhi, October 26
India has slipped to 87th spot in Transparency International’s latest ranking of nations based on the level of corruption, with the global watchdog asserting that perceptions about corruption in the country increased in the wake of the scam-tainted Commonwealth Games.

India growing at over 8% : FM
New Delhi, October 26
While the government is all set to collect Rs 15,000 crore from the Coal India IPO, the Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today made it clear that the government had no intention to “over flood” the market with PSU issues and sell shares at depressed prices.
Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee delivers the inaugural address at the Economic Editors’ Conference in New Delhi. Tribune photo: Mukesh Aggarwal

Mobile number portability from November 1
Roll-out in 11 circles by Dec 20
New Delhi, October 26
After missing three deadlines, mobile number portability (MNP), which allows subscribers to retain numbers even after changing service operators, would be rolled out in November, Telecom Minister A Raja said. “November 1 onwards, MNP would be operational partially... First, we wanted to inaugurate in Haryana,” Raja told reporters on the sidelines of an event organised by the BSNL here.

Bhakra-Beas dispute heads for SC
Centre fails to resolve power-sharing issue, next hearing on Nov 16 
New Delhi, October 26
Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Chandigarh today informed the Supreme Court that they were left with only the judicial option to resolve the dispute over sharing the power generated by the Bhakra Nangal and Beas projects as there was no consensus at the four Secretary-level meetings held in May-July at the initiative of the court.