New Delhi: Highly decorated police officer and former Intelligence Bureau Chief Ajit Doval, considered one of the finest operational brains, was today appointed as the National Security Adviser.

69-year-old Doval's is the second key appointment made after Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed charge. The first was that of Nripendra Misra as Modi's Principal Secretary.

According to the official order, the appointment of Doval, who retired in January 2005 as Intelligence Bureau Chief, takes effect from today.

His appointment will be co-terminus with the term of the Prime Minister or till further orders, whichever is earlier, the order said.

The name of Doval had started doing rounds in the power corridors ever since Modi became Prime Minister-designate.

Doval had met Modi at Gujarat Bhavan and gave him a brief on security challenges facing the country.

Having the distinction of being the first police officer who received 'Kirti Chakra', a military honour, Doval will be providing his deep insight about the threats faced by the country from within and from outside.

A 1968-batch IPS officer, Doval, known one of the best operational brains within intelligence circles, was India's main negotiator with the hijackers of Indian Airlines plane IC-814 taken to Kandahar in 1999.

After a few years in uniform, Doval had worked as an intelligence officer for over 33 years during which he had served in the Northeast, Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab. — PTI

UP gangrape case: 2 constables sacked, third accused held

BADAUN/Azamgarh: Amidst outrage over the gangrape of two Dalit sisters in Badaun, two constables were today sacked and another accused arrested as the UP Government promised to set up a fast-track court to punish the culprits.

Even as the case grabbed headlines, another teenage Dalit girl was allegedly gangraped by four persons in Azamgarh.

In Delhi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh was briefed by officials on the outrageous incident that took place on Tuesday when the two teenaged girls were gangraped and their bodies hung from a tree in Badaun district.

Singh was informed that the UP Government has sent a report to the Home Ministry, saying some persons involved in the crime have been arrested and all guilty will be punished, according to official sources.

SP Atul Kumar Saxena said the services of two constables Chhatrapal Yadav and Sarvesh Yadav have been terminated.

"One more accused Awadhesh Yadav has been arrested by the police," he said.

Of the seven wanted in the case, three (policeman Sarvesh Yadav and brothers Pappu and Awadhesh Yadav) have been arrested so far, he said.

Sarvesh and Pappu were arrested yesterday. Four others Urvesh Yadav (brother of Pappu and Awadhesh), policeman Chhatrapal Yadav and two unidentified persons are at large.

Sarvesh and Chhatrpal have been booked under section 120B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC, while the three brothers — Pappu, Awadhesh and Urvesh — and two others have been booked under Section 302 (murder) and 376 (rape) of IPC.

The two girls, who were cousins and aged 14 and 15, went missing from their house on the night of May 27 and their bodies were found hanging from a mango tree in the village in Ushait area the next morning.

The incident had triggered protests in the area with villagers alleging police apathy, following which an FIR was registered against seven persons.

Terming the gangrape and murder as "unfortunate", UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav today ordered the police to arrest all the accused immediately and said a fast-track court be constituted to ensure that they were duly punished. — PTI

Gandhinagar/BHOPAL: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's disapproval of living individuals becoming part of the curriculum today prompted governments in the BJP-ruled Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh to drop the plan to include his life story in the school syllabus.

The Education Ministers of the two states had mooted the idea of incorporating the story of Modi's life in textbooks to "inspire" the students, but the move did not find favour with the Prime Minister.

Modi first tweeted: "I firmly believe that the life story of living individuals should not be included as a part of the school curriculum" and then called up Gujarat Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama at 7 am to deprecate the move.

"Narendrabhai called me this morning and told me that it is not appropriate to include life and events of a living person in the school syllabus. He was not happy with the idea of teaching his life in primary schools. He asked us not to go ahead with that project," Chudasama told reporters in Gandhinagar.

"I told Narendrabhai that his wish is like a command. I assured him that the state government will not go ahead with the project," he said.

In Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh Minister of State for School Education Deepak Joshi told reporters that "the state government will not include Prime Minister Narendra Modi's life sketch in school textbooks as wished by him in a tweet." 

Opposing the move of the two state governments, Modi said earlier in the day: "I am reading in the news that some states want to include Narendra Modi's life struggles as a part of their school curriculum."

Noting that India has a rich history with stories of several stalwarts who made the country what it is today, Modi said, "Young minds should read about these greats & emulate them". — PTI

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, who had boycotted the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will meet him on June 3 to take up issues relating to the state’s growth.

Jayalalithaa will meet Modi at his South Block office in New Delhi on June 3, a state government release said, adding that she will present a memorandum to the Prime Minister.

“This memorandum will include some crucial issues relating to Tamil Nadu which have been pending with the Government of India,” the release said, in an apparent reference to Jayalalithaa’s demand for a relief package from the Centre among others.

She had first taken up the matter with former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2011 after winning the Assembly poll and has been pressing for the demand ever since.

The release said the memorandum will also highlight some issues which require the urgent attention of the Centre “to safeguard the legitimate interests of the state and to propel the state on a faster growth path.”

Jayalalithaa had boycotted the swearing-in of Modi as Prime Minister on May 26, opposing participation of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa in the ceremony. — PTI

WASHINGTON: The newly formed National Sikh Campaign launched by US Sikhs has announced to have a former chief strategist of Hillary Clinton to begin the first-ever exploration of creating positive perception about Sikhs among Americans.

Geoffrey Garin, who helped direct the strategy team for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign will take an in-depth survey of feelings and misperceptions towards Sikhs in order to develop messaging that will deliver new information and visuals that can positively change attitudes toward Sikhs, a media release said yesterday.

In 2012 he served as the pollster and strategic adviser to Priorities USA, the super PAC supporting President Barack Obama's reelection.

The National Sikh Campaign said this research will lay the foundation for the largest promotion of Sikhs in the western world.

"We have hired Garin due to his exceptional record in American politics and policy research and he is without a doubt one of the most prominent pollsters of our generation," said Gurwin Singh Ahuja, Executive Director of National Sikh Campaign.

He was the national field coordinator of President Obama's reelection campaign.

"Sikhs have been part of American scene since we first immigrated to North America 100 years ago and there is no one better than Garin to properly conduct a study that can show how Sikhs can dispel the misperceptions about our community and portray us as part and parcel of American society," he said.

Dr Rajwant Singh, Chairman, Sikh Council on Religion and Education, said Garin will head an unprecedented campaign that will examine Sikhism and its current place within the American psyche.

"This study led by Garin will help us tailor our message effectively and help us launch the biggest PR campaign for Sikhism and Sikhs in America. It will create an conducive environment for Sikhs to rise politically, socially and economically even more.

"The National Sikh Campaign is an undertaking that will require participation and support of all sections of the community," Singh said. — PTI