India

New Delhi, May 2: Making a mockery of the government’s afforestation programme, many non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have disappeared with crores of tax-payers’ money released by the government for planting saplings. Out of 560 projects sanctioned to voluntary agencies between 2003 and 2008, proponents of 537 projects vanished midway with the first and second instalment of funds amounting

New Delhi, May 2: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Army to decide whether its personnel involved in fake encounter killings in Pathribal in Jammu and Kashmir and Assam should be court-martialled or tried in regular criminal courts. If Army authorities were not keen on court-martial proceedings, the Central Bureau of Investigation could seek sanction from the Centre for prosecution of the

New Delhi, May 2: Depletion of groundwater and its increasing pollution could be leading to a silent, nationwide public health crisis as aquifers in many stretches across India are becoming unfit for drinking, according to the government's own figures. Data submitted in Parliament by the water resources ministry on Monday shows groundwater in pockets of 158 out of the 639 districts has gone saline

Bangalore, May 1: Pegging the estimated loss caused by drought at Rs 5,000 crore, Karnataka Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda today expressed hope that the Centre would share at least half of this burden to help the BJP government carry out relief works on a war-footing. Gowda is leading an all-party delegation to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other Union Ministers to discuss the drought

New Delhi, May 1: Indicating fissures in the NDA over the issue of Presidential election, the JD-U today snubbed the BJP for unilaterally announcing its stand on the issue. "Whatever Sushma Swaraj has said is the opinion of the BJP. This is not our party's view. The issue was not discussed in any NDA meeting. BJP has not discussed the issue with us," JD-U President Sharad Yadav told reporters here

New Delhi, May 1: The Supreme Court Tuesday transferred to itself a petition seeking commutation of the death sentence of the three assassins of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, on the ground of inordinate delay in deciding their mercy pleas by the president. The apex court bench headed by Justice G.S. Singhvi transferred to itself the petitions of the three convicts condemned to death from the

Guwahati, May 1: Rescue operations continued in the Brahmaputra in Assam Tuesday, a day after a ferry capsized in the river killing nearly 70 people, but with at least 150 still missing the death toll was expected to rise, officials said. On Tuesday, the district administration pressed into service a helicopter of the Indian Air Force (IAF) to step up the rescue operations in Monday's incident, in

New Delhi, May 1: Norwegian telecom major Telenor on Monday wrote off its remaining fixed and intangible assets in India worth Norwegian Krone 3.9 billion (over $680 million or Rs 3,500 crore) saying "the uncertainty has increased significantly" following the Supreme Court's ruling in February to cancel Unitech Wireless's 22 licences and the recent Trai recommendations on the re-auction of 2G

Dhubri, May 1: In one of the worst midstream tragedies in Assam, around 103 people died and 200 missing after a steamer with over 300 passengers on board capsized in the Brahmaputra river here on Monday. Deputy Commissioner Kumud Chandra Kalita said the bodies of 103 victims, including women and children, were recovered by the BSF and the National Disaster Force personnel near Jaleswar. He said

New Delhi, April 30: The race for Presidential election hotted up today with BJP ruling out support for any Congress candidate including Pranab Mukherjee and Hamid Ansari raising the possibility of a contest in the absence of a consensus. On its part, the Congress continued to keep its cards close to the chest. In its first public declaration, BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj