SP creates ruckus, stages walkout in RS over quota Bill 
New Delhi, December 13
After days of adjournments, the government today finally moved in the Rajya Sabha a Bill which seeks to provide for reservation to SCs/STs in promotion in government jobs but not before Samajwadi Party members created a ruckus and later walked out to register their protest against the legislation.

‘Unwell’ Sharif cancels Punjab visit
Chandigarh, December 13
Pakistan Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif’s much-awaited visit to Punjab was cancelled today owing to dignitary’s ill-health. Sharif’s Principal Secretary rang up Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s Principal Secretary this morning informing him that Sharif was unable to travel due to backache and that he had been advised rest.

Namdhari sect head is dead
Ludhiana/Bhaini Sahib, Dec 13
Satguru Jagjit Singh, spiritual head of the Namdhari sect, breathed his last at 6:28 pm at SPS Apollo Hospital today. He had been suffering from chest infection for the last some days. Confirming this, Dr Kapil Chib, Medical Superintendent, SPS Apollo Hospital, Ludhiana, said, “He was under treatment here for chest infection for the last few days. 

Satguru Jagjit Singh

Modi may sail through in north Gujarat
Ahmedabad, December 13
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi is expected to have an easy passage on his home turf of north Gujarat where the strong “pro-Hindutva” wave in the aftermath of the 2002 communal violence had catapulted the BJP to an unassailable position a decade ago. (Details on Nation page)

China begins air patrol of disputed islands
Beijing/Tokyo, December 13
Flexing its muscles, China for the first time sent a marine surveillance plane to join its warships to monitor the disputed islands with Japan, forcing Tokyo to scramble eight F-15 fighter jets. (Details on World page)

Lifetime Achievement Grammy for sitar icon Washington, December 13 Sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar will be honoured with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously, organisers of the Recording Academy announced today, the first Indian to get the prestigious award. The award would be presented on February 10 at the 55th Grammy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles. The 92-year-old Shankar, a three-time Grammy winner, died yesterday after undergoing a heart-valve replacement surgery at the Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, California. The legend lives on