(A)YES TO WOMANPOWER
RS passes historic Women’s Reservation Bill 185:1
BJP, Left support; Didi angry
New Delhi, March 9
Fourteen years after it was envisaged, the Rajya Sabha this evening passed the landmark Women’s Reservation Bill that will pave the way for reserving 33 per cent seats for women in Parliament and state assemblies. But prior to that, the legislation has to be seen through in the Lok Sabha too.

Know The Bill
Editorial: RS’s date with history

FIRST HURDLE OVER: Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj, Brinda Karat (CPM) and Najma Heptulla (BJP) show a victory sign after the Women’s Reservation Bill was passed in Rajya Sabha in New Delhi on Tuesday. Tribune photo: Mukesh Aggarwal

Elders stoop lower; 7 MPs suspended, evicted
New Delhi, March 9
After an unprecedented low on Monday, the House of Elders stooped even deeper today. Seven “honourable” Rajya Sabha MPs were first suspended for unruly behaviour and then physically ousted by marshals after they refused to leave the House.

Sonia calls the shots, again
New Delhi, March 9
Congress president Sonia Gandhi, whose personal intervention was responsible for the passage of Women’s Reservation Bill, had reasons to be happy with today’s developments and, for a change, the normally reticent leader did not fight shy of showing her emotions.

PM goes poetic

Trinamool MPs stay away from voting
New Delhi, March 9
Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee, who till yesterday could be seen singing “We shall overcome”, the English version of “hum honge kamyab”, in the Lok Sabha with regard to the Women’s Reservation Bill, changed tack less than 24 hours later and instructed her party MPs in the Rajya Sabha to stay away from the House when voting on the legislation took place.

After Didi’s outburst, govt focuses on survival
Parties’ stand on the Bill

Upset Lalu, Mulayam may move no-confidence motion
New Delhi, March 9
Upset with the UPA government for ignoring their plea to provide quota within quota in the Women’s Reservation Bill, the RJD and the SP plan to move a no-confidence motion against it.

Pak govt ‘sponsored’ 26/11
Mumbai, March 9
The November 26, 2008, terrorist strikes that hit Mumbai was the handiwork of the Pakistani government, the prosecution told the special court conducting the trial at the commencement of the final arguments today. “The conspiracy… was hatched on Pakistan’s soil and the inevitable inference (that) can be drawn (is) that the attack was state-sponsored,” special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam told the court.

A Tribune Investigation PPSC denying info on selections Chandigarh, March 9 The Punjab Public Service Commission’s (PPSC) belief in “transparent functioning” can be gauged from the fact that it has been denying all information pertaining to these selections under the RTI Act to almost everyone who applied.