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Rahul takes centrestage in Congress
Presses for discipline, accountability & decentralisation of power in maiden speech as party V-P
Jaipur, January 20
A generational change occurred today in the Indian National Congress with a galaxy of seniors and next generation leaders witnessing the transition and reposing faith in Rahul Gandhi as the party’s new vice-president at the All-India Congress Committee session here.


Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi at the AICC session in Jaipur on Sunday. — AFP

Need better communication plan: PM
Shinde accuses BJP, RSS of fanning Hindu terror

Party sets the 2014 poll agenda with ambitious wish list
Jaipur, January 20
The Congress today recommitted itself to representing the country’s “middle ground” and rejected the “outdated ideologies and obscurantist” philosophies of Opposition parties and promised to approach people on the basis of performance, stability and good governance.

‘My mother came to my room and cried’
Jaipur, January 20
Acknowledging that the party bestowed a “huge honour” in appointing him the vice-president, Rahul Gandhi today laid bare his inner feelings, confessing that while everyone was congratulating him on his elevation, his mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi cried last night.

Rahul Gandhi embraces his mother in Jaipur on Sunday. — PTI 

French Prez coming in Feb; Rafale, N-deals top agenda
New Delhi, January 20
India and France are discussing some big-ticket deals to make the maiden visit of French President Francois Hollande to India next month a truly memorable one. Top officials of the two countries are busy holding diplomatic talks to explore the possibility of signing agreements for French Rafale fighter jets for India and French nuclear giant Areva building two nuclear power reactors at Jaitapur in Maharashtra.
New Delhi is keenly awaiting French President Francois Hollande’s maiden visit to India. — Reuters

India to ramp up surveillance along LoC
Human intelligence to play a bigger role backed with top-line equipment
New Delhi, January 20
Almost two weeks after tensions escalated along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, India will ramp up its surveillance network by adding more gadgetry and by having more robust human intelligence network that will provide timely information on any such development on the Pakistani side along the LoC.