L A T E S T      N E W S

India takes Gita issue with Russian federal authorities

MOSCOW: India has strongly taken up the demand for banning Hindu scripture Bhagavad Gita, which a group linked to the Christian Orthodox Church has described as 'extremist', with the Russian authorities, Indian ambassador to Russia Ajai Malhotra said.

"The matter has been taken up by the Indian embassy in Moscow with the Russian government at senior official level, seeking its favourable and positive intervention in the matter," ambassador Malhotra said, as the court in Tomsk postponed its ruling on the petition banning Bhagwad Gita as 'extremist' and allegedly 'sowing' social-discord in Russia.

Govt mulls putting CJI on panel to select CBI chief

NEW DELHI: The Lokpal bill is likely to be considered by the Cabinet on Tuesday even as the government finetunes provisions like providing for a selection committee for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) chief that will comprise the prime minister, leader of opposition and the chief justice of India. The decision to make CJI a member of the selection committee is a change from the proposal set out to the Cabinet by finance minister Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday which preferred the Lokpal along with the PM and leader of opposition. The government is also considering an option for a five-member selection committee.

Delhi fog: Flight ops unaffected at IGI

New Delhi: Flight operations were largely unaffected at the Indira Gandhi International airport in New Delhi which witnessed shallow fog on Tuesday morning. Though some flights were delayed, it was due to poor weather conditions at the destinations. Most of the flights departing were largely on schedule, an airport official said. Flights mostly to cities like Lucknow, Port Blair, Kolkata, Patna, Chandigarh were delayed due to poor weather conditions there. Though the Met Department had predicted dense fog and issued a warning, the airport largely remained free from fog with runway visibility above 2,000 metres on the main runway through the night. But the visibility started to dip around 8.30am.

Cabinet to take up Lokpal Bill today 

New Delhi: The Union Cabinet will on Tuesday discuss the inclusion of Prime Minister in the ambit of Lokpal with adequate safeguards and change in mode of appointment of CBI director among other provisions, which the government is looking to incorporate in the Lokpal Bill. After the Cabinet’s nod, the controversial Lokpal Bill is expected to be introduced in Parliament tomorrow. 

In view of Anna Hazare’s threat to go on a hunger strike from December 27, the government is believed to be giving final touches to as many as 60 recommendations related to the Lokpal Bill. The government is also considering extending the current Winter Session, which concludes on December 22, from December 27 to 29, after a five-day break for Christmas.