Latest news, updated at 5:30 pm  SC questions Centre's power to allocate coal blocks...more  Hyderabad MP Owaisi gets bail...more  Gadkari threatens I-T officials...more  Andhra HC dismisses Jagan's bail plea...more  5-day Jaipur Literature Festival begins...more  Shinde remarks: BJP begins protests...more  Kamal Haasan's film faces ban...more

No hanging, but Verma panel wants rapists jailed for life
Also rejects chemical castration in 630-page report
Seeks Bill of Rights for Women
New Delhi, January 23
Seeking a dedicated 'Bill of Rights' for women to guarantee them the rights promised by the Constitution, the Justice JS Verma Commission today recommended sweeping changes to the criminal and electoral laws to ensure a safer society.

Rajnath back at helm in BJP, but internal fights his prime worry
New Delhi, January 23
Rajnath Singh was today unanimously elected president of the Bharatiya Janata Party, signalling an end to a dramatic twist in process that saw the sudden exit of Nitin Gadkari, the favourite of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the party’s ideological mentor.

New BJP chief Rajnath Singh is greeted by outgoing president Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi on Wednesday. Tribune photo

Dabwali fire: DAV management told to pay its share of relief
New Delhi, January 23
The Supreme Court today ordered the DAV managing committee to pay its share in the Rs 55-crore compensation awarded to the victims of the fire tragedy at a school function at Dabwali on December 23, 1995. As many as 456 persons, including more than 250 women and 130 students, were killed in the tragedy.

Haryana nod to 10% quota for economically backward
Chandigarh, January 23
After granting 10 per cent reservation to five “special backward classes” — including the Jats — last month, the Haryana Cabinet today gave its nod to 10 per cent reservation for the economically weaker section of the General Category. Any family with a consolidated income of Rs 2.5 lakh and below would qualify as a beneficiary for this reservation.

Mobile found on Pak inmate in Amritsar jail
Amritsar, January 23
A Pakistan inmate lodged in the Amritsar Central Jail has been found in possession of a mobile phone. During questioning, Mohammad Akram Chaudhary (57) told the authorities that he had procured the phone from an Indian prisoner lodged in the jail for drug trade, sources said.

India clinch ODI series with Mohali win

Suresh Raina scored an unbeaten 89 to fashion a five-wicket victory against England in the penultimate game of the five-match series The left-handed all-rounder was declared the Man of the Match The Indians restricted the visitors to 257/7 and overhauled the target with 15 balls to spare With this, India take an unassailable 3-1 lead in the series Suresh Raina exults after India’s victory in the fourth ODI in Mohali on Tuesday. Tribune photo: S Chandan

Airtel, Idea jack up call tariffs
New Delhi, January 23
Barely weeks after raising 2G data service charges, some telecom operators today announced an increase in rates of special tariff vouchers (STVs) and decrease in free minutes usage, indicating that a direct increase in call rates is on the anvil.

JAIPUR LIT FEST BEGINS TODAY Pink City set to welcome bibliophiles Jaipur, January 23 Jaipur is at its quintessential colourful best: The Pink City in a pink winter garb. True to its legacy, this year, too, DSC Jaipur Literature Festival-2013, in its sixth edition, promises more than lovers of the printed word can absorb in five days (January 24 to 28). Thirty-five sessions a day, with five stimulating sessions going on simultaneously, make the choice hard for the geeks thronging Jaipur from far-off places.