India, Africa should be partners in capacity-building: Academics
New Delhi, Feb 9 : India can help in further increasing capacity building with African countries, Indian and African academics said here Tuesday.

Genetic engineering panel should be more transparent: Ramesh
New Delhi, Feb 9 : Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh Tuesday said the working of the government-appointed committee on genetic engineering needs to be changed, and it should conduct itself in a more transparent manner.

BJP to oppose religion-based reservation: Joshi
Kolkata, Feb 9: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Murli Manohar Joshi Tuesday said that reservation in the name of religion is "unconstitutional" and his party would oppose it.

India needs a seed policy: Jairam Ramesh
New Delhi, Feb 9 : Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh Tuesday said India needs to have a seed policy and the country's agriculture should not be dependent on the private sector seed industry.

Turkey joins India to battle terror, backs global convention
New Delhi, Feb 9 : Days after upsetting India by excluding it from a conclave on Afghanistan, Turkey Tuesday agreed to jointly combat terror and back the comprehensive convention on international terrorism, the first member of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) to do so.

BJP elects Nitin Gadkari as its new chief
New Delhi, Feb 9: Nitin Gadkari was elected as the Bharatiya Janata Party's President for a three-year term in the national capital on Tuesday.

India's education policy needs a change, says CPI-M
Agartala, Feb 9: Pointing out that nearly 77 percent students in India do not reach Class 12, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) has demanded a radical change in the country's policy to ensure education for all.

Recuperating Vayalar Ravi to reach Chennai by a special aircraft
New Delhi, Feb 9: The Union Government has arranged to bring Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi back to India by a special aircraft with the required medical support on board and is expected to reach Chennai on Wednesday midnight from Abidjan, Ivory Cost.

Army chief releases joint operational doctrines
New Delhi, Feb 9: In a major step towards enhancing joint fighting capabilities, Indian Armed Forces on Tuesday promulgated three joint operational doctrines.

Camel safari expedition from Bikaner to Jaisalmer
Bikaner, Feb 9: A camel safari expedition from Bikaner to Jaisalmer by 323 Air Defence Regiment was flagged off from Bikaner Army Cantonment on Monday by Major General Y.N. Sharma, AAD of South Western Command.

Chidambaram asks Maoists to "abjure violence "
Kolkata, Feb 9 : Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Tuesday asserted that the Government will reclaim the areas presently dominated by Maoists and asked them to abjure violence, saying it is the only option for initiating dialogues with the Government.

India digresses, but Iran continues to oppose Good-Bad Taliban theory
New Delhi, Feb.9 : Iran today expressed its reservation over the reintegration of Taliban in Afghanistan and rejected the idea of "Good Taliban and Bad Taliban".

Court permits minor maintenance at Mayawati's 'dream projects'
New Delhi, Feb 9 : The Supreme Court Tuesday allowed the Uttar Pradesh government to take up some minor maintenance work at the memorial sites to various Dalit leaders in Lucknow, where all further construction and masonry work had been halted by the court last September.

India, Turkey negotiating free trade accord: President Gul
New Delhi, Feb 9: Asking the private sector to take the lead in expanding economic ties, visiting Turkish President Abdullah Gul Tuesday said India and Turkey will try to complete a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), currently being negotiated.

No military complex at Attari border: India
Islamabad, Feb 9 : The Indian High Commission has denied media reports of a military complex is being constructed at the Attari check post on the Indian side of the border in Punjab.

States, scientists happy with Bt Brinjal moratorium
New Delhi, Feb 9: Many state governments and scientists Tuesday hailed Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh's decision to reject for the time being the commercial release of Bt Brinjal, the genetically modified (GM) form of the common vegetable.

India armed forces release joint warfare doctrines
New Delhi, Feb 9 : The Indian armed forces, in a major step towards synergising their fighting capabilities, Tuesday released three joint doctrines -- on sub-conventional operations, electronic warfare and maritime air operations -- that also redefine the battlefield of the future as battle space.

Farmers, green groups welcome moratorium on Bt Brinjal
New Delhi, Feb 9: Farmers' groups and environmental activists around the country Tuesday welcomed the moratorium on Bt Brinjal announced by Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh.

LeT planning to bomb Northern India?
New Delhi, Feb 9 : Terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) is reportedly planning to bomb railway installations in Northern India.

India puts moratorium on Bt-Brinjal
New Delhi, Feb 9 : Faced with huge outcry of scientists, greens and farmers, India on Tuesday put a moratorium on release of the genetically modified Bt-Brinjal after several public consultations by Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh across the country.

FM to inaugurate 42nd CCM of Colombo Plan
New Delhi, Feb 9 : Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee will inaugurate the 42nd Consultative Committee Meeting (CCM) of Colombo Plan here Wednesday.

India says 'no' to Bt Brinjal, pending scientific tests
New Delhi, Feb 9 : After weeks of a vocal and divisive debate, India Tuesday came out with a strong 'no' to the commercial release of Bt Brinjal, saying there was no clear consensus in the scientific community.

Chidambaram to Maoists: we'll talk but stop violence
Kolkata/Ranchi/Patna, Feb 9 : As Maoists again blasted train tracks in Bihar and Jharkhand during their 72-hour shutdown, the government Tuesday warned that operations against the guerrillas would continue but also offered talks if the violence stopped.

Decision on Bt Brinjal based on consultations: Congress
New Delhi, Feb 9 : The Congress said Tuesday that the government's decision to put indefinite moratorium on commercial release of Bt Brinjal has been taken after wide consultations.

Chidambaram plays down Nitish, Soren's absence at meet
Kolkata, Feb 9: Home Minister P. Chidambaram Tuesday played down the absence of the chief ministers of Bihar and Jharkhand, Nitish Kumar and Shibu Soren, from a meeting here called to draw up a blueprint for inter-state operations against the Maoists.

Asian Security Conference to focus on 2030 scenario
New Delhi, Feb 9 : The concerns that India and other Asian nations will face on security and other fronts two decades hence will be the focus of a three-day conference that Defence Minister A.K. Antony will inaugurate here Thursday, its organisers said.

Centre says no to commercialisation of Bt Brinjal
Bangalore, Feb 9: Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday gave the thumbs down to the commercialisation of Bt Brinjal and imposed a moratorium on it till further study.

Rs.23 crore sanctioned to upgrade security in NCR
Chandigarh, Feb 9 : The central government has sanctioned Rs.23 crore for upgrading security in the national capital region (NCR), particularly Delhi's suburban towns of Gurgaon and Faridabad towns in Haryana, in view of the 2010 Commonwealth Games (CWG).

Seema Azad branded Maoist for exposing police, says PUCL
Lucknow, Feb 9 : Members of the People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) alleged Tuesday their organising secretary Seema Azad has been falsely branded as a Maoist because of "her campaigns exposing the police misdeeds, particularly their connivance with illegal miners".

'Life cycle analysis to be mandatory for environmental clearance'
Kolkata, Feb 9 : The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) would make life cycle analysis (LCA) compulsory for environment clearance to projects within the next six months, its chief said here Tuesday.

India says no to Bt Brinjal, pending tests
New Delhi, Feb 9 : Placing an indefinite moratorium on the commercial release of Bt Brinjal, which would otherwise have been the first genetically modified food crop in India, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh Tuesday said he took the "precautionary approach" as there was no clear consensus on the subject among Indian scientists.

NCP angry with Congress for comment on Pawar
New Delhi, Feb 9: The Congress suggestion that Agriculture and Food Minister Sharad Pawar has the main responsibility to check food inflation is a "mockery of the collective system of responsibility in the cabinet", an angry Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) said Tuesday.

Women Anganwadi workers to demonstrate outside Parliament
New Delhi, Feb 9 : Women Anganwadi workers will demonstrate outside Parliament on February 25 during the Budget Session, demanding fulfilment of their demands, including fixing an adequate minimum wage for them.

I think I have been a good Indian: Shahrukh Khan
New Delhi,Feb 9 : Recent weeks may have witnessed his 'Indiannesss' being questioned after his statement favouring inclusion of Pakistani players in the Indian Premier League but Bollywood Superstar and the owner of the Kolkata Knight Riders Shahrukh Khan says he is proud to be an Indian.

Provide security not absurd comments: BJP to Oz Govt
New Delhi, Feb 9 : Voicing concern over repeated attacks on Indian students in Australia, the BJP today asked the Australian Government to rein in Aussie officials from issuing 'unsolicited and absurd suggestions' for the safety and security of the students.

India says no to Bt Brinjal, for now
New Delhi, Feb 9 : There will be no approval for the commercial release of Bt Brinjal in India till independent tests are carried out, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh declared here Tuesday.

Iran backs India-Pakistan dialogue, offers help
New Delhi, Feb 9 : Iran Tuesday welcomed India's offer to resume foreign secretary-level talks with Pakistan and offered its help in the negotiations between the two countries to resolve difficult issues.

India, Turkey to counter terror, expand economic ties
New Delhi, Feb 9 : India and Turkey Tuesday decided to scale up their cooperation in countering terrorism and gave a push to their economic ties in diverse areas, including infrastructure, energy, science and technology.

Iran to India: There is time limit to join pipeline
New Delhi, Feb 9 : Amid speculation about China's keenness to join the tri-nation pipeline that involves Iran, India and Pakistan, the Iranian envoy Tuesday said Tehran 'can't wait indefinitely' for New Delhi to join the pipeline project.

Iran begins 20 per cent Uranium enrichment: Envoy
New Delhi, Feb 9 : Iran today began its own process of 20 per cent uranium enrichment and dismissed any negative impact of UN sanctions against it for its nuclear programme.

CGPB's 46th meet on Feb 11, 12
New Delhi, Feb 9 : A two-day, 46th meet of the Central Geological Programming Board (CGPB), will begin here on February 11.

Supreme Court refuses to lift ban on Mayawati's memorials
New Delhi, Feb 9 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to rescind the ban on the construction of Dalit memorial parks and statues in Lucknow, delivering a major setback to the Mayawati Government.

Ansari hails WB Govt's announcement of quota for Muslims in jobs
New Delhi, Feb 9 : Even as Janata Dal(United) leader and Rajya Sabha member Ali Anwar Ansari today hailed the West Bengal government's announcement of 10 per cent quota in employment for the Muslims who were educationally, socially and economically backward in the state, he expressed shock over the Andhra Pradesh High Court's rejection of the Muslim Quota Bill which proposed 4 per cent reservation for Muslims in educational institutions and government jobs.

Govt must stop bauxite mining, alumina refinery exp work: AI
New Delhi, Feb 9 : Amnesty International (AI), an international NGO, today urged the Centre and the Orissa government to stop expansion of an alumina refinery and work on new bauxite mining project in south-west Orissa until all human rights related issues were addressed.