New Delhi, October 29
An investigation by the Ministry of Defence has “prima facie” found a “criminal conspiracy” in the scam-tainted Adarsh housing project, Mumbai, in which the involvement of a few officers of the Army and the Navy at some stage has not been ruled out.

Notably, the land where the society has come up was meant for the construction of a hostel for the daughters of serving officers. However, the Ministry was yet to study if any of the beneficiaries among the forces reflected their prime acquisitions — worth crores in the open market — in their annual property returns. Not only former chiefs, middle-level officers in the rank of Lt Colonel of the Army or Lt Commander of the Navy were on the list. Some below officer ranks of the Navy, too, were beneficiaries.

Each flat’s cost was around Rs 70 lakh and the allottees were required to show their source of income and the property had to be shown while filing returns, as mandated by the government rules.

Valued at some Rs 500 crore, the land is located in posh Colaba area of south Mumbai — was in “de facto” possession of the Army, sources pointed out while making it clear that they do not have access to the revenue records of Maharashtra.

Listing out the details, sources said the land had a chequered past. In the late 1940s, the Maharashtra government — under British Rule then — wanted land that was in the possession of the Army in Santa Cruz for an expressway and in lieu the state was to give equal land or its market value in Colaba. During that period, there was some construction of the Army on this very land in Colaba.

In 1964, the Collector of Mumbai wrote to the Defence authorities, saying “Colaba land cannot be given (to the Army)”, says internal reports of the Ministry.

In 1996, an eco park was inaugurated by the DG infantry. A boundary wall was also constructed by the MES and the Army was in a way “having control over the land”.

It was only in 2003 that the Defence Estates wrote to the Collector saying “the Army interests were superior to any other”. However, a NoC was issued to the builder. The Ministry is trying to ascertain who cleared the NoC. The other angle is the security issue — to see if the building was a risk to the high-value security assets on the coast.

New Delhi, October 29
An embarrassed Congress today left Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, whose name is figuring prominently in the controversy surrounding Adarsh housing society in Mumbai, to fend for himself. “We are not holding any brief for anyone who might be responsible… We do not want to shield anyone's misdemeanour or indiscretion… Let us await the outcome of the inquiry,” Congress spokesman Manish Tewari said.

The issue has become a source of embarrassment for the party, which is leading the coalition government in Maharashtra. Congress president Sonia Gandhi is also believed to be upset with the latest controversy involving Chavan and has held consultations with Antony and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on the issue.

Congress managers, already burdened with the knowledge that Commonwealth Games mess and the spectrum allocation row would trigger stormy scenes in winter session of Parliament beginning November 9, now also have Adarsh apartments’ controversy to deal with.

Replying to questions whether Chavan would step down as the name of his late mother-in-law Bhagwati Manoharlal Sharma has come up as a “beneficiary” in the society, Tewari said Defence Minister AK Antony had already stated that the matter would be investigated and action taken if someone was found responsible. Political accountability is only possible after facts are established, he added.

New Delhi, October 29
For the students of Zaffarpur Kalan Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, today was a special day. They had a date with the US Ambassador to India Timothy Roemer. The latter, who has famously used basketball diplomacy to win over detractors, was seen playing the game today with the students of the school recommended to him by AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi.

So Timothy Roemer not just played with the children, he also saw them work in the school’s humble labs, specially watching them do the chemistry experiments. Spending time in the library and later at the laboratories, the visiting US dignitary made quite an impact on young minds.

Two of the 460 students of the school, the first Ministry of HRD school to be visited by Roemer in Delhi, were especially touched by the Ambassador. These included an eleventh grader Manavi and a ninth grader Akshay.

Both clinched from Roemer the special US gift of a copy each of American President Barack Obama’s much-acclaimed book “The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream.”

And both got their copies for answering correctly the questions the Ambassador posed on the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi.

“Who was Nelson Mandela, what philosophy did he espouse and what contribution did he make?” - was the first question, which Manavi answered correctly. The second query of Roemer - “Which American leader was inspired by Gandhiji and lived by Gandhiji’s ideals?” was cracked by Akshay, another Navodaya student, who later flaunted his prize in front of his schoolmates.

Manavi, the daughter of Kailash Chand, principal of the Navodaya Roemer today visited, was equally thrilled. She told TNS, “I won’t be able to see the US president when he comes to India but I would love to read what he thinks of the world.”

Roemer too faced his share of queries, as children asked him the way in which Americans graded their students. In the end, the US Ambassador did make his point, when he said that the US president was very concerned about education and would discuss it when he came to India next week.

Begusarai, October 29
The issues dominating the elections to the 15th Bihar Assembly may have been “development” or “caste” with Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad remaining centrestage and the Congress trying to project itself as a better alternative all over the state but there are still a couple of assembly constituencies in this district where these issues appear to be irrelevant. People in Teghra and Bakhri (reserved for SC) assembly constituencies only talk about voting for the communists or non-communists. The CPI has been winning from Teghra since 1962, irrespective of the wave and movement across the state or the country.

Even popular movements like JP movement in 1974, the pro and anti-Mandal Commission movement in 1990 or the Saffron movement of BJP post-Babri Masjid demolition in Ayodhya had no impact in this Left bastion.

As a matter of fact, all the seven constituencies of Begusarai used to be under the Leftist’s domain till about 15 years ago and that is why the media had coined the term ‘Bihar’s Leningrad’ for this district.

In the outgoing assembly as well, the CPI had won two seats from here- Teghra and Bakhri (SC).However, the Party has changed its candidate, Rajendra Prasad Singh, a four-time MLA from Teghra, this time. It opted for a younger person Ram Narayan Singh, a popular Mukhia of Bihat.

Another new development in the ongoing Bihar elections is that the left parties-CPI, CPM and CPI-ML have formed an alliance named “United Left Block” (ULB) and are contesting around 200 seats under this alliance. They are also in friendly contest on about 40 seats. Under the ULB the CPI is contesting five seats and CPM two in this district.

Kolkata, October 29
A devastating fire broke out in the early hours today at the historic Presidency College (now Presidency College University) on College Street, which gutted the two floors of the Chemistry department at the Dierogio building.

Several documents, including research works and other scientific equipments, were destroyed.

The fire broke out around 4 a.m. Eleven fire-fighting engines and other equipments were deployed and it took the fire-brigades eight hours to bring the blaze under control.

The police and the fire-brigade officials suspected that short circuit could be the cause of fire. A high level inquiry has been ordered.

College Principal Amitava Chattopadhyya refused to make any comment on the suspected cause of the fire. He said police and forensic experts were probing the cause of fire.

The Principal said the state PWD was looking after the maintenance of the college. He denied there was improper maintenance but he admitted that the acute shortage of fund was standing in the way of renovation works of the building and it’s electrical systems.

New Delhi, October 29
After being stripped of doctor’s tag by the Board of Governors of Medical Council of India, tainted former head of the MCI Ketan Desai could now lose the prestigious FRCS (Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons) honour. Desai is facing a CBI probe for corruption. He allegedly accepted bribes for increasing medical college seats and according permissions to undeserving institutions.

The Tribune has learnt that following bribery charges against Desai, the Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh, has initiated an inquiry against Desai to see whether he was fit to retain the FRCS honour. The inquiry has been ordered on a complaint by US-based HIV/AIDS expert Kunal Saha, who was the one to move the MCI board seeking suspension of Desai’s licence to practise medicine.

The Tribune has accessed the email that Michael Lavelle-Jones, Honorary Secretary of the Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh, wrote to Saha confirming the cloud over Desai’s FRCS tag.

The mail states: “The Council of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh has taken the view that a disciplinary hearing be undertaken to consider the college action with regard to Desai. I confirm that this process is underway and that the matter will be carefully addressed.”

Back home, however, the Gujarat Medical Association (GMA) has not yet suspended his licence to practise medicine despite clear orders from the MCI board. The GMA, which Saha had first petitioned against Desai, sat on the matter, leading to Saha’s appeal to the MCI. The latter ordered suspension of Desai’s doctor’s licence.

New Delhi, October 29
The Supreme Court today had a dig at the Health Ministry for opposing the proposed combined common entrance test (CET) for admission to medical and engineering courses despite acknowledging that the present multiple exams had placed a huge burden on the students.

“If it is really in the interest of the students, why are you opposing it?” a Bench, comprising Justices RV Raveendran and AK Patnaik, asked the ministry’s counsel.

When the counsel said it was due to “certain practical difficulties,” the Bench again wanted to know whether these were “genuine” or due to a “departmental fight” between the Human Resource Development (HRD) and Health Ministries.

The court then asked senior counsel Altaf Ahmed, who appeared for the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), how the board would manage to conduct a single entrance test for the two different disciplines. Ahmed said though the test would be combined, counselling would be separate for medical and engineering. The admissions list would be prepared on the basis of the rank and merit and the course and college allotted to each student.

Adjourning the hearing for three weeks, the Bench asked the Health Ministry to file its response to the CBSE proposal by then. The Medical Council of India (MCI) has filed the petition seeking involvement of all states in the combined CET proposal.

Hyderabad, October 29
More than seven years after the assassination attempt on former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, a local court in the temple town of Tirupati today sentenced four Maoists involved in the attack to seven-year imprisonment.

Top Maoist leader Sagar, alias Panduranga Reddy, was among the four persons convicted in the case that had sent shock waves in the state.

Additional district and sessions judge D Venkataramana pronounced the verdict at a packed court hall in Tirupati. The judge also imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 each on the four convicts-Sagar, Nagarjuna Reddy, Gangi Reddy and Narayana Swamy Reddy

Soon after the judgment was announced, Sagar raised full-throated slogans in support of Maoists. He was immediately whisked away by the police.

On October 1, 2003, Chandrababu Naidu, who was then the Chief Minister, his cabinet colleague B Gopalakrishna Reddy and two TDP MLAs were injured in a powerful landmine blast triggered by Maoists near Tirupati when they were on their way to the Tirumala temple.

It was the first time that a serving CM was targeted by extremists. A special Investigation Team (SIT) of the state police concluded that a nine-member Naxalite squad had carried out the daring operation. It had listed 96 persons as witnesses and 33 as accused in the case.

The action team of the erstwhile Naxalite outfit, the People's War Group (PWG) was led by T Vasudeva Rao alias Ashanna, and members of its central military commission were involved in the conspiracy. Subsequently, several Naxalites linked to the operation were killed in police encounters.

Coonoor (TN), October 29
Twenty-one girl students of a private school here were hospitalised for suspected food poisoning after they took meals from a government run hostel.

According to police 110 girl students of Shantivijay Matriculation school staying in the hostel were reportedly not served breakfast. Only 21 girls reported for lunch, while others refused to eat in protest against not being served food in the morning.

The students soon complained of nausea and vomiting and were immediately rushed to the government hospital here, where they were administered glucose drips, they said. Meanwhile, a search is on for the hostel warden. — PTI

Lucknow, October 29
Samajwadi Party national president Mulayam Singh Yadav on Wednesday charged two senior ministers of the Mayawati government with a political conspiracy to eliminate SP MLA from Gyanpur (Bhadohi) Vijay Kumar Mishra.

Incidentally, Mishra is the main accused in the attempt to murder former minister for finance (stamps and registrations) Nand Gopal Gupta, alias Nandi, in Allahabad in early July that had killed an onlooker and the Indian Express correspondent and had critically injured the minister.

The state government on Tuesday raised the reward on Mishra, from Rs 15,000 to Rs 2.5 lakhs. He has been reported absconding and is allegedly involved in 58 criminal cases, informed ADG Law and Order Brij Lal. Yadav expressed the fear of the elected representative from Gyanpur already having been killed reportedly at the behest of the two senior ministers and in full knowledge of the Chief Minister. Yadav said since the defeat of the BSP candidate in Bhadohi assembly byelection in 2009 the BSP government has been after Mishra’s life as he was instrumental in the success of the Bhadohi victory.

According to Yadav, the ministers had launched an offensive against Mishra and his family by reportedly implicating them in several false cases. The legislator’s wife, Ramlalli Mishra, is chairperson of Zila Panchyat. His nephew Manish Mishra is Block Pramukh of Deegh Block since 2000.

The life of Mishra had been under threat ever since the 2009 defeat of the BSP candidate in the byelection. But after he was named as the main accused in the July blast in Allahabad Mishra has been running for his life, charged Yadav. Appealing for justice, Yadav said a letter written by Dr Ramgopal Yadav to Chief Minister Mayawati on July 9, another by the Leader of the Opposition Shivpal Yadav to the Vidhan Sabha Speaker on July 24 and yet another by the legislator himself to speaker on July 15 had failed to evoke any response so far.

Kochi, October 29
The CBI today sought two more months to complete its probe in the controversial murder case of Muthoot scion Paul M. George.

The CBI stated in its application to the Kerala High Court that it expects to get the final forensic reports shortly and then the charge sheet would be filed in two weeks.

A division bench of the Kerala High Court gave its nod for a CBI probe in January after M.G. George Muthoot, father of the victim, approached the court on October 30 last year demanding probe by the investigation agency.

The court asked the CBI in January to take over the probe and complete it in six months.

George was killed under suspicious circumstances near Alappuzha August 21 last year while travelling in a car with Om Prakash and Rajesh, who face several criminal cases.

The police had arrested 19 persons, including Om Prakash and Rajesh.

George's father, in his petition, had highlighted 18 points on the manner in which Kerala Police probe was going on, and claimed that the investigation was going ahead based on a pre-written script of the police.

He said the police used the media to propagate false theories in the murder case which were meant to lay an escape route for the real culprits. Kerala Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan also had to face the heat after speculations surfaced in the media that his son had an alleged involvement in the case. — IANS

Chennai, October 29
A leading Hindu organisation today alleged that the Sri Lankan Government was trying to convert the historic Koneshwar temple, in eastern part of the island into a Buddhist shrine and urged Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi to protect the temple.

Hindu People's Party leader Arjun Sampath said there were seven hot springs around the temple, which according to the Ramayana was created by king Raavan to perform yagna for Lord Shiva. The seven springs were considered spiritual wonders and Hindus believe that it would wash away sins and perform miracles. Now, the island government had removed the name board of the temple and trying to convert the place into a Buddhist shrine, he alleged.

He also pointed out that the Koneshwar temple was one of the holiest places for Hindus, since one of the four revered Saints Gnanasambandar, who contributed to the Hindu renaissance movement in Tamil Nadu in the seventh century AD, had visited the temple and sang a hymn in praise of the presiding deity of the Koneshwar temple.

The dravidian movement claimed that Raavan was a Tamil and Chief Minister M Karunanidhi had praised Raavan as one of the courageous forefathers of Tamil people. Hence, he should take steps to protect the temple, from being converted into a Buddhist shrine, Arjun Sampath added.

Chandigarh, October 29
With the Air Force unable to provide adequate airlift support to the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to ferry men and equipment to remote areas, the BRO is looking at outsourcing its requirements to civilian aviation companies.

Directorate-General, Border Roads, is in the process of finalising a contract with public sector helicopter operator Pawan Hans for leasing at least two medium-lift helicopters to meet its operational commitments. The Ministry of Defence has also suggested that the BRO tap private sector in this regard.

Prevailing geo-political situation in India’s neighbourhood and the infrastructural development being undertaken by some neighbours close to borders have given rise to the need to develop an effective road and communication network in the border areas.

At present, the IAF is sole organisation providing rotary wing airlift facilities to the BRO. Against a demand for airlift of about 4,000 tonne of load by helicopter for the year 2010-11 by the BRO, the IAF has been able to allocate a task of only about 900 tonne. According to available figures, the BRO had placed a requisition order of 1,250 tonne till July this year, out of which just 142 tonne or 11 per cent, was airlifted.

The BRO has projected a demand for at least five helicopters this year in addition to the facilities the air force is already giving it, failing which its projects would suffer. The BRO is responsible for the construction and maintenance of strategic roads in the country’s border regions and the development of vital infrastructure in remote areas can be attributed to it.

The BRO has been consistently allotted air effort much less that its requirements as the IAF does not has the requisite rotary wing assets to meet the demands of agencies like the BRO. The situation is expected to ease somewhat once the proposed 80 medium-lift helicopters being procured by the IAF begin to arrive.

Besides routine air maintenance to the mountainous frontiers in the northern and eastern sectors and other operational tasks, the IAF is also committed to meet certain requirements for the civilian populace of Jammu and Kashmir and some northeastern states. It is now also being roped in for anti-naxal operations that constrained the withdrawal of its helicopters deployed overseas on the UN peacekeeping missions.

Keeping in view the long-term requirements, the Border Roads Development Board is also mulling the option of the BRO procuring its own helicopters, which could be maintained and operated by Pawan Hans, but dedicated to meet the BRO’s operational requirements.

Lucknow, October 29
Dr Vinod Arya, 55, a senior government doctor working with the Department of Family Welfare, was shot dead on Wednesday barely 100 metres from his resident in Vikas Nagar.

Defying the Mayawati government’s claim of the law and order situation being under check, Arya was killed by two motorcycle-borne assailants when he was taking a morning walk with his dog.

He left his house at 5.20 am and his body was found at 6.08 am when his dog returned home alone and took the family members to the body, which laid on the ground barely 100 metres from the house in Sector 14 of the posh Vikas Nagar colony. An FIR has been registered against the unidentified gunmen in the Vikas Nagar Police Station.

Arya had suffered three bullet shots while five empty cartridges had been recovered from the spot where his body was found. There also appears to be some sign of resistance on the part of Dr Arya said ADG Law and Order Brij Lal, after an on-the-spot investigation.

Arya was working as District Project officer in the Department of Family Welfare that is equivalent to the Chief Medical Officer. While the CMO looks after medical health and other services, the DPO exclusively focuses on family welfare programmes. The Health and Family Welfare Department in the state was bifurcated some six months ago and Dr Arya had taken over as the first DPO incharge of family welfare in Lucknow.

Admitting that the murder of such a senior government officer was a grave matter, Brij Lal refused to hazard a guess into the cause. “ That will be discovered only after the investigation is complete”, he said.

Sources said huge medical contracts involving the mafia could be involved in the murder.

Berhampur (Orissa), October 29
Winged guests from far off places have started arriving at the world famous Chilika lake in Orissa, a fortnight after their usual arrival time.

Divisional forest officer of Chilika wildlife division B P Acharya said the first batch of migratory birds have been seen wandering near the lake in the Nalabana bird sanctuary.

"Since a number of birds take shelter in the periphery of the lake, we think they will swoop down on the lake very soon," said another wildlife officer.

Their arrival was, however, delayed by about a fortnight compared to the previous years, the high water level in the blue lagoon of the Nalabana being the reason, the DFO said.

Former wildlife warden S K Patnaik said the erratic weather condition and delay in the onset of winter in the state might be the cause of their delayed arrival.

The birds generally migrate to other places when they face scarcity of food and heavy snowfall in their habitats and in the present case those reasons could very well apply, retired forest officer Sudhakar Mohapatra said.

The delay, wildlife scientist Sudhakar Kar explained, could also be because of the stopovers they had to make on way to Chilika on account of bad weather.

Chilika's winter guests mostly come from the region beyond the Himalayas in northern Eurasia, Caspian region, Siberia, Kazakhstan, Lake Baikal and remote areas of Russia and neighbouring countries.

The birds generally come to the lake in mid-October and start homeward journey from the last week of February or the first week of March.

Around this time last year, several migratory birds had already arrived in the lake, said the DFO. Around 9.24 lakh birds of 210 different species had thronged the lake last winter. — PTI

Hyderabad, October 29
Despite Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s diktat against indiscriminately naming government schemes after Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, the Congress in Andhra Pradesh refuses to give up its penchant for the Nehru dynasty. The latest in a string of rechristened entities is a cultural centre, “Telugu Lalitha Kala Thoranam”, set up by former Chief Minister and founder-president of Telugu Desam Party late NT Rama Rao.

The government’s move to name it after Rajiv Gandhi has drawn flak from opposition parties and art lovers. The opposition TDP, the BJP, the CPI and the CPI (M) demanded immediate withdrawal of the decision, saying it amounted to hurting the “Telugu pride”.

Located in the heart of the city, the sprawling Lalitha Kala Thoranam is the biggest state-owned open-air theatre and a popular venue for conducting official functions and film festivals.

Justifying its decision, the government said it was part of an initiative to convert the facility into a closed auditorium with all modern facilities to enable its optimum utilisation throughout the year.

The Congress MP T Subbarami Reddy has come forward to bear the expenses for developing the auditorium with modern sound and lighting system, dais arrangements and other facilities with the seating capacity of 3,000. While offering to bear the cost of the project, he requested the government to name the auditorium after Rajiv Gandhi.

The government readily agreed to the proposal and issued orders rechristening the cultural centre. “The move to name the iconic facility after a political leader is nothing but mortgaging the Telugu culture, self-respect and sentiments of crores of Telugu-speaking people. This is highly objectionable and unacceptable,” the TDP president and former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said.

Senior BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu warned of a state-wide agitation if the government failed to withdraw the move.

Meanwhile, NTR’s widow Lakshmi Parvathi met Chief Minister K Rosaiah and urged him to withdraw the government order. The state CPI Secretary K Narayana warned that his party workers would pull down the board if the name of the institution was changed.

The auditorium was constructed in a record time of 90 days during the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) hosted by the city in 1986.

“It is being viewed as a symbol of Telugu culture. It is atrocious to name it after Rajiv Gandhi for political gains,” Naidu said.

Ever since capturing power in 2004 elections, the Congress has embarked on a spree of renaming government programmes in memory of its departed leaders.

Whether it is an irrigation scheme, an internet village or a mass contact programme, invoking Nehru family is the new mantra. Some of the schemes, initiated by the previous TDP government, have acquired new names in tune with the changed political dispensation.

Kolkata, October 29
Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee yesterday assured jobs to several Commonwealth Games (CWG) medal winners and other sportspersons and announced that her department will set up four academies to groom talent with the 2012 Olympics in mind.

Banerjee’s assurances and announcements came at a function organised by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) at the Town Hall to felicitate Commonwealth Games medal winners from West Bengal.

The minister said archer Rahul Banerjee, disabled swimmer Prasanta Karmakar, disabled athlete Prabir Sarkar and English Channel conqueror Amrita Das will be given jobs in the Railways.

While Rahul and Prashanta won medals in the CWG, Prabir won a long jump silver in the Far East and South Pacific Games for the Disabled at Busan in 2002.

Amrita Das crossed the English Channel last month.

Among others feted were paddlers Soumyadeep Roy, Mouma Das, Subhojit Saha and Poulomi Ghatak and archer Dola Banerjee.

CWG gold medallists were given Rs 5 lakh, silver medal winners Rs 4 lakh and bronze winners Rs 3 lakh, respectively.

Prabir Sarkar and Amrita Das got Rs 2 lakh each.

CWG medal winners Sukhen Dey, Leander Paes, Rahamatullah Molla and Bharat Chhetri did not attend the programme.

Banerjee said the railways will establish academies for archery, table tennis, wrestling and boxing. The wrestling and boxing academies will be housed in Delhi, the table tennis facility in Siliguri and the one on archery in the city on railway land.

She said the Railways Sports Promotion board has identified six sports disciplines - archery, wrestling, boxing, gymnastics, athletics and swimming - where the railways sportspersons can hope to bring home medals form the Olympics. “We will identify four more disciplines later,” she said. —IANS

New Delhi, October 29
The Supreme Court today had a dig at the Health Ministry for opposing the proposed combined common entrance test (CET) for admission to medical and engineering courses despite acknowledging that the present multiple exams had placed a huge burden on the students.

"If it is really in the interest of the students, why are you opposing it?" a Bench, comprising Justices RV Raveendran and AK Patnaik, asked the ministry's counsel.

When the counsel said it was due to "certain practical difficulties," the Bench again wanted to know whether these were "genuine" or due to a "departmental fight" between the Human Resource Development (HRD) and Health Ministries.

The court then asked senior counsel Altaf Ahmed, who appeared for the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), how the board would manage to conduct a single entrance test for the two different disciplines. Ahmed said though the test would be combined, counselling would be separate for medical and engineering. The admissions list would be prepared on the basis of the rank and merit and the course and college allotted to each student.

Adjourning the hearing for three weeks, the Bench asked the Health Ministry to file its response to the CBSE proposal by then. The Medical Council of India has filed the petition seeking involvement of all states in the combined CET proposal.

New Delhi, October 29
For the students of Zaffarpur Kalan Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, today was a special day. They had a date with the US Ambassador to India Timothy Roemer. The latter, who has famously used basketball diplomacy to win over detractors, was seen playing the game today with the students of the school recommended to him by AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi.

So Timothy Roemer not just played with the children, he also saw them work in the school’s humble labs, specially watching them do the chemistry experiments. Spending time in the library and later at the laboratories, the visiting US dignitary made quite an impact on young minds.

Two of the 460 students of the school, the first Ministry of HRD school to be visited by Roemer in Delhi, were especially touched by the Ambassador. These included an eleventh grader Manavi and a ninth grader Akshay.

Both clinched from Roemer the special US gift of a copy each of American President Barack Obama’s much-acclaimed book “The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream.” And both got their copies for answering correctly the questions the Ambassador posed on the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi.

“Who was Nelson Mandela, what philosophy did he espouse and what contribution did he make?” - was the first question, which Manavi answered correctly. The second query of Roemer - “Which American leader was inspired by Gandhiji and lived by Gandhiji’s ideals?” was cracked by Akshay, another Navodaya student, who later flaunted his prize in front of his schoolmates.

Bangalore, October 29
Bollywood actor Vivek Oberoi today tied the knot with management graduate Priyanka Alva at a resplendent ceremony here marked by razzmatazz of the Hindi tinsel world.

In the wedding, which saw a touch of traditional Punjabi exuberance and cultural beauty of coastal Karnataka, 34-year old Oberoi exchanged garlands with Priyanka (28), the daughter of former Karnataka minister late Jeevaraj Alva and reputed dancer Nandini, at a late night ceremony here.

The couple invoked the blessings of the Almighty amid chanting of verses from the holy scriptures, solemnising the matrimony between the two. — PTI

Mumbai, October 29
A 28-year-old actress allegedly committed suicide at her residence in suburban Goregaon while her boyfriend was in the house painting walls in another room, the police said. Rinky Choudhary, who acted in a few films and TV serials, was found hanging by her boyfriend Sahil Malik at her Vallabh Society home's kitchen last evening, the police said.

The police said they were not suspecting any foul play as of now and the motive behind the suicide was not yet clear. No suicide note was found, they said adding that her boyfriend Sahil was being questioned in this regard.

“Rinky, suffering from heart-related ailment, had been residing alone at her flat near Oshiwara depot since the past few years,” said Surendra Paithankar, Senior Inspector.Rinky was initially rushed to Siddharth hospital where she was declared dead on arrival. — PTI