The NDA government, which lacks the numbers in the Rajya Sabha, is trying to convince parties to support its move to set up an all-India judicial service (AIJS), contending that it will help promote federal governance.

Besides the hurdle it faces in getting the nod of the Upper House, the government is also aware that some of the high courts are opposed to the idea of AIJS to recruit judges for lower courts and the issue can be challenged legally.

A proposal to set up the service has been hanging fire since 1960 due to difference of opinion between the states and the judiciary.

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad raised the issue of AIJS at the meeting of the consultative committee attached to ministry on March 30.
Prasad heads the consultative committee on Law and Justice which also has nine members representing both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.

He has now written to the members of the committee seeking their views on AIJS.

“Creation of AIJS will help strengthen the federal governance by not only attracting some of the best talents in the country, but also by bringing to the states judicial officers from other parts of the country having different cultural and linguistic background.

“It will also facilitate inclusion in judiciary of competent persons belonging to underprivileged and marginalised communities,” the minister has written.

He said AIJS will enable better application of laws and procedures across the country and the harmonised procedures would, in turn, help in promoting better judicial governance.

But one of the members of the consultative committee, Majid Memon of NCP, is not convinced.

“The subordinate judicial officers are mainly concerned with trial work. Requirement of knowledge of local language is indeed indispensable for a judicial officer.

“Perfunctory or workable knowledge of the local language which would suffice for officers in administrative services will not be sufficient for a judicial officer,” he wrote back to Prasad.

He said the courts have to form their opinion about the truth of a matter on the basis of what the witnesses say and any lack of expertise to understand the language of the witness would affect the appreciation of evidence by the judge.

The Narendra Modi government has given a fresh push to the long-pending proposal to set up the new service to have a separate cadre for lower judiciary in the country.

There is also a divergence of opinion among state governments and respective high courts on the constitution of the AIJS.

One of the problems cited is that since several states, using their powers under Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and Code of Civil Procedure (CPC), have declared that the local language would be used in lower courts even for writing orders, a person, say selected from Tamil Nadu, may find it difficult to hold proceedings in states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

The issue was first discussed in 1960 but the plan has not taken off due to persisting differences.

Article 312 of the Constitution states that Parliament may by law provide for the creation of one or more all India services (including an all India judicial service) common to the Union and the states”.

It can be done provided the Rajya Sabha passes a resolution — supported by not less than two-thirds of the members present and voting– that it is necessary or expedient in national interest to do so.

Heavyweights Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko meet Saturday in a bout which pits the young and seemingly invincible champion against the ageing and deposed former title-holder.

The Briton's International Boxing Federation title and the vacant World Boxing Association belt will be disputed in the most significant heavyweight fight ever to be held in Britain, which will reportedly earn the pair upwards of 10 million ($13 million, 12 million euros) each.

Joshua, 27, has shown no signs of strain in dealing with the scale of Saturday's bout.

A crowd of over 90,000 — Britain's largest attendance for a boxing event since 1939 — is expected at London's Wembley Stadium, with millions more watching on television in over 140 countries     ”It's a military mindset,” said Joshua, the 2012 Olympic gold medallist. “I'm a fighter. I'm not caught up with the entertainment.”

Joshua does not even see this as being the most important fight he will ever have.

“I don't think so, because it won't be the end of my career,” he explained.

“When he (Klitschko) gets beat that could be the end of him, that's why it could be defining for him.”

'No denying Father Time'

Joshua believes he will be too young and sharp for his 41-year-old opponent, who has not boxed for 17 months.

“He will probably start fast because he won't be able to keep the pace,” Joshua said. “Father Time is something no one can deny. Father Time is genetic.”

Meanwhile England-born Joshua, whose parents are from Nigeria, said he would be able to cope with the biggest crowd seen in British boxing for decades.

“Don't get me wrong all of us face nerves when we fight and this is a stage I haven't faced before, the attention, amount of people,” said Joshua, who has knocked out all 18 of his professional opponents.

“But when it boils down to it, you get lost in the fight. I don't think it becomes an issue that there are so many people there, once you are well engaged with your opponent,” he explained.

Klitschko (64-4, 53 KOs) is fighting to show he is not finished after turning professional in 1996 following his Olympic gold medal success earlier that year when Joshua was aged seven.

'My event'  

The Ukrainian was last seen in a ring when outboxed in a defeat by Joshua's compatriot Tyson Fury, which ended his reign as champion of nine-and-a-half years, in November 2015.

Klitschko, who saw Fury twice pull out of a re-match, is banking on his greater experience being a decisive factor. While Joshua has never been beyond seven rounds, Klitschko has been 12 rounds nine times.

“Experience is something that you cannot buy in a shop, you gain it over the years,” Klitschko said.

“In the fight, people could be in great preparation and great spirit and I've seen that they crumble like a cookie right before the first bell,” added Klitschko, bidding to become a three-time world heavyweight champion like his older brother Vitali, Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis and Muhammad Ali.

However, Klitschko did not downplay the task in front of him, saying: “I've never seen AJ (Joshua) as big as he is right now. He is as big as Arnold Schwarzenegger at his best.”

Nevertheless he insisted: “I'm the man, this is my event and I'm the winner. This is my event even if he (Joshua) is home.

“It is not about Joshua's style that makes me comfortable. It is about my own peace. Why worry? He's a puncher. I'm a boxer that can punch.”

Klitschko hopes his performance will boost the morale of his fellow Ukrainians.

“Ukraine is going through a lot of challenges, geopolitical and economical,” Klitschko said.

“Those challenges make good motivation and, as Nelson Mandela said, sport has the power to change the world. In this crazy world, through sport you can clear people's differences.”

Four students from the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) were on Friday quizzed by the Delhi Police in the 2016 sedition case involving former student leader Kanhaiya Kumar.

The students included Shehla Rashid, Mohit Pandey, Chintu Kumari and Kaushik Raj. Their statements were recorded before the Special Cell officer at the administrative block of the University.

The probe by the Delhi Police Special Cell relates to the anti-India slogans raised on the JNU campus in February last year.

The students who appeared were among the 30 JNU students who have been asked to join the probe after police scanned a video footage of February 9, 2016, on the JNU campus.

Their statements will play a major role in police investigation to establish charges against (JNUSU President) Kanhaiya Kumar, Omar Khalid and Anirban Bhattachaya and others for sedition.

The case was transferred to the Special Cell in March 2016.

Khalid, Anirban and Kanhaiya are accused of raising anti-India slogans on the campus at a meeting organised on February 9 last year in memory of 2001 Indian Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.

(With inputs from agencies)

Unlike nearly 80 countries of the world, the Haryana government has decided not to celebrate May 1 as Labour Day or International Workers' Day in future, rather the state would celebrate 'Mazdoor Divas' on the occasion of Vishwakarma Divas.

This was announced by Haryana Minister of State for Labour and Employment Nayab Singh Saini on Thursday.

 Saini said, "Lord Vishwakarma was the greatest engineer and he was who created Universe. Now onwards, in Haryana Mazdoor Divas to be celebrated on Vishwakarma Divas."

While the background of International Workers' Day is not good, so we would not celebrate it, he added.

The minister further stated that the state of Haryana has over 15 lakh labourers, out of which more than five lakh labourers are engaged with construction works.

The department would soon issue smart cards to its registered labourers so that they could avail the benefits while on the occasion of Vishwakarma Divas, 60,000 female labourers would be gifted sewing machines, he added.

Saini said that in case of accident, the financial assistance to a registered labourer has been hiked from Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs.3 lakh while in case of death, Rs. five lakh is given as an assistance to the registered labourer. In case of natural death, registered labourer's family is now given Rs two lakh.

Divyang labourers registered with the department would get Rs 3,000 as monthly pension, he added.

Vishwakarma Divas is celebrated on the next day of Diwali. Workers or a professionals worship their machines, tools and instruments this day, they use to earn their bread and butter.

May Day is celebrated unofficially in around 80 countries as Labour Day and International Workers' Day to marks holiday for workers.

Policy think-tank NITI Aayog has favoured strengthening of special courts, time-bound disposal of cases and moderate taxation to effectively deal with generation of black money and corruption.

The three-year draft action agenda, released by the Aayog on Thursday, stressed on minimising discretionary powers of government officials.

“Special courts set up to try corruption cases should be strengthened and time limit to process corruption cases should be introduced,” said the 208-page agenda circulated among the chief ministers on Sunday.

The action agenda will replace the five-year planning system. The 12th Five-Year Plan, the last of the series, ended on March 31.

Referring to the issue of generation black money, the Aayog said, “Structural changes to reduce flows of black money will involve keeping tax levels moderate and tax administration simple and transparent and reforms in real estate transaction, including seeding of Aadhar and moderate stamp duties.”

Moreover, the premier think-tank recommended that the government must frontally address the problem of corruption among tax officials.

“Cases of corruption among tax officials must be prosecuted and disposed of swiftly since without instilling honesty in officials in this area, we cannot curb the generation of black money,” the draft action agenda said.

It further pointed out that corruption hinders the process of economic growth, undermines trust in democratic and governance institutions and has a broader corrosive impact on the process of human development.

The draft agenda also noted that discretionary postings often result in charges of favouritism and corruption.

It also stressed on the need for using technology for various government activities.

“While technology can be used for various government activities, one such example is the promotion of government e-market, which is aimed at replacing the current procurement system with a digital marketplace,” the agenda stated.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement on Thursday that “the winds of change are blowing from Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Delhi towards Himachal Pradesh” may not be wide off the mark.

The enthusiasm, the sense of anticipation on the faces and in the body language of the local party leaders and workers indeed amply testifies to his claim. It was as though the party was all set to take over and the leaders were thinking of how to share the spoils!

Almost invoking the charismatic Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s connect with the Himachalis, Modi made some recollections of his earlier stays in the state (as a party in-charge) which may sound trivial, but could make a deep impress in the small, sparsely populated hill state.

Invariably, such reflections become a talking point for the public, almost overshadowing the real benefits, if any, of such a visit. Indeed there were hardly any such benefits.

The UDAN, the long pending air connectivity for Shimla, is supposed to boost tourism. A 35-seater (half of the seats invariably to be occupied by VIPs and dignitaries who throng to the hills especially in the peak tourist season like summer) may result in around 500 tourists more per month in a city that attracts thousands of tourists ~ 3,000 vehicles a day on an average enter Shimla in the peak season.

While the cost of the flight is pegged at about Rs.2,000 for the first 50 per cent seats, the other half may vary up to Rs.15,000 per seat.

The taxis of Shimla that do not charge by meter may cost anywhere from Rs.2000 to 3000 to and fro to fetch the passengers to the city.

Even so, it is considered as a beginning (Shimla was probably the only state capital without air connectivity in the last five years) of resumption of the Centre’s attention to such problems.

The prime minister, who was received warmly at the airport by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, reached the historic Ridge Maidan to address a public rally organised by the BJP and decided to drop broad hints of criticism against Singh. In the process, observers feel, he has given a key part of the agenda for the coming assembly poll campaign.

“You have to choose between an honest government and a dishonest one,” he thundered thrice in his speech, mentioning how Virbhadra Singh was “probably the only chief minister who is spending so much time with his lawyers to defend himself in the corruption cases” being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Without taking Singh’s name and asking people, “you know, who it is,” causing cackles among the audience, he again obliquely referred to the chief minister’s “lack of time” to pay attention to governance. Modi was at his relaxed best, enjoying the public address on the familiar turf of Shimla.

It will not come as a surprise if the top BJP leadership arranges advancement of the assembly polls (scheduled towards the end of this winter) to cash in on the recent successes in other states.

The setback in Punjab will not deter them ~ they have already placed the blame at the doorstep of the Badals.

Virbhadra Singh, the Congress leader on whose shoulders the party has ridden all these decades, is at the moment on a rather weak wicket. The man with the maximum emotional connect with the people finds himself defending himself against the ugliest of all strikes against his pride and strength. His anger boils over visibly at the humiliation. Without him, the other Congress leaders (some of whom were secretly hoping that he would be “thrown into the hole” by the investigating agencies) have no leg to stand on in constituencies outside their own.

The BJP’s strategy, therefore, is quite understandable ~ corner him, decimate him and the BJP can hope for over 50 of the 68 assembly seats. Here lies the danger of self-annihilation also for BJP. This was similar to the mistake they made in the last assembly polls (in 2012).

Singh, surrounded by enemies within the party and outside, became a damp cartridge as a steel minister, facing all kinds of hurdles and charges. It was no secret that Sonia Gandhi and her company gave him little weightage and were waiting for a chance to displace him. He himself was indeed a desperate man.

That was a time when the BJP revived a 20-year-old allegation of corruption against him and his wife and started the proceedings.

Singh got a fresh lease of political revival and a wave of public sympathy began gathering for the erstwhile Raja of Rampur Bushehr.

His opponents call it ‘drama’ but his supporters with a divine devotion accepted it. The Dhumal-led BJP government which had nothing much against it (as anti-incumbency) started losing ground. And finally, power too.

The chief minister, who, according to insiders, was within an ace of being arrested in Delhi and was visibly shaken, is capable of drawing a sympathy wave again like in the last assembly polls.

Imagine, the 82-year-old, six time chief minister of the state, who swallows a fistful of medicines at regular intervals for various ailments, spending his days in a prison cell guiding his campaigners in the polls. What a windfall for the Congress! The BJP was (and is) indeed quite capable of a mistake like that. If the height of power does not breed over-calculation and over-confidence, what else can!

The character Hanuman has a little swag of superstar Salman Khan, who gave it a different dimension in Hanuman Da Damdaar, says the forthcoming animated film's director Ruchi Narain.

Salman has done a voice-over for the first time for an animated character. 

How did he approach a children's film based on Hanuman's character?

Narain told here: "When I went to him with the story, he reacted like, 'What is this Da Dumdaar?' but as I started narrating the story, I think he liked it. So, he did it."

"He was very involved. He listened to the story three to four times to get the character, speaking style and everything right. So as an audience, when we watch the film, one can see a little swag of Salman Khan in Hanuman's character. He gave the character a different dimension."

The film will also feature the voices of actors like Raveena Tandon, Vinay Pathak and Kunal Kemmu, apart from celebrated lyricist and writer Javed Akhtar.

Narain said in the beginning, most of the actors were a little unsure about the potential of the film. 

"I don't blame them as most of the time, Indian animated films don't match high quality and content. At times, animation films are quite silly. So, people have a notion that animation films, which are for kids have no good stories, with half baked characters. In this film, I attempted to get that correct," said the director.

Hanuman Da Damdaar is set to release on May 19.

Expressing its displeasure over the delay in building a memorial to Subhas Chandra Bose, a parliamentary panel has recommended that the Union Urban Development Ministry take steps to set up Netaji’s memorial in the capital "at the earliest".

Earlier, a request by the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose INA Trust for allotment of land to establish such a memorial near India Gate was rejected by the Central government on the ground of the trust being a private entity.

The parliamentary committee on assurance while reviewing a pending government assurance on such a memorial given inside Parliament two years ago expressed its ‘desire’ that the Ministry of Urban Development should tie up with the Ministry of Culture and the Netaji Research Bureau in Kolkata to set up a Netaji Memorial in New Delhi.

Suggesting a plan of action, the committee said the two ministries can jointly own the land and the building and request the Netaji Research Foundation in Kolkata "to set up the memorial by providing all the necessary assistance including photographs, documents, letters, film footage, audio recordings, etc., so that people in the nation’s capital can visit a place where they can learn about the life and struggle of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.”

The parliamentary panel called upon the Urban Development Ministry to "make earnest efforts and take up the matter at the highest level so that the said Netaji Memorial is set up at the earliest".

Sports Minister Vijay Goel on Friday expressed disappointment over the delay in completion of works at the main stadium and training grounds here for the FIFA U- 17 World Cup.

“We are much behind the schedule. We were supposed to complete the work by March 31,” he said after reviewing the preparations works at Jawaharlal Stadium, one of six venues selected for hosting matches, and the training grounds.

FIFA's inspection team had last month expressed deep concern over the pace of work at the stadium, and set May 15 as deadline for completing work.

“Though I am disappointed over delay in completion of various works, the officers have promised me that most of the works, especially that at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium, will be completed by May 15,” Goel told a press conference here.

The Local Organising Committee of FIFA U-17 World Cup had earlier this month asserted that Kochi was on its way to complete preparation work by May 15.

“I have told them that I am going to play football after May 15 in this ground. So you have to be ready, we will have a demonstration football show there (Kochi),” Goel said.

The minister's visit was necessitated due to delay in preparation.

“Because of the delay, the minister (Goel) is here.So that I pushed the panic button that the Sports Ministry is very serious about the preparations of this FIFA World Cup venue,” he said.

He said he was “very much worried” about the delay.

“My Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) wants world class arrangements for hosting the international event. So I am taking personal interest in the arrangements and the preparations of FIFA World Cup,” the Minister said.

He said May 15 is the deadline for completing works at Jawaharlal Nehru stadium and all the training centres.

“They wanted May 31 as deadline for completing works at training centres. Now I have shifted the date to May 15 except for one or two things which they might not be able to put up before May 15. That relaxation is there,” Goel said.

The minister dismissed apprehensions that the venue could be dropped due to the delay.

Asked about it, Goel said, “That is not needed. I have full confidence in them that they will complete by May 15.”

The review meeting chaired by the minister was attended by members of the tournament's local organising committee and representatives of state sports federations.

The meeting also paid a tribute to legendary Kerala footballer TKS Mani, who passed away in Kochi on Thursday.

Mani was captain of Kerala's first ever Santosh Trophy winning team in 1973.

He had scored a hat-trick in the final against Railways.

In a move to provide succour to family members of Gramin Dak Sevak (GDS), the Department of Posts has revamped the existing compassionate engagement scheme offered to the dependent family members of Gramin Dak Sevak.

If a GDS dies in harness, his dependents will benefit from a liberalised and time-bound procedure for engagement on compassionate grounds. Henceforth, any death of a Gramin Dak Sevak while on engagement would be compensated by a compassionate engagement to a dependent family member irrespective of the circumstances or indigence. Upper age limit of the applicant could also be relaxed wherever found to be necessary. Thus the new scheme of compassionate engagement will provide greater relief to the members of the family of the deceased GDS who belong to weaker and poorer sections of society and are thrown into penury and hardship.

The ambit of dependent family members has also been expanded to include married son living with parents and dependent for livelihood on the GDS on the date of death of the GDS, divorced daughter wholly dependent on the GDS at the time of death of the GDS and daughter-in-law of the deceased GDS who is wholly dependent on the GDS, if the only son of the GDS is predeceased.

This expansion of definition of family members aims to bring greater relief to women in society who are subjected to difficult circumstances in the unfortunate event of demise of their spouse or parent.

Within a day of its debut flight between Shimla and Delhi, the discounted Rs.2,036-tickets under a government scheme subsidising air travel on short sectors had been booked on the route till June.

The non-subsidised seats currently available were priced between Rs.5,300 and Rs.19,080, according to the website of Air India, whose subsidy, Alliance Air, operates the flights.

Alliance has deployed a 42-seater aircraft on the sector. The flight will be operated five days a week.

“Since this is the season for travelling to Shimla and with fares as low as Rs.2,000 we are seeing a tremendous response,” Alliance Air CEO C S Subbiah said.

He also said two seats per flight, falling in the highest fare bracket, were being sold at a little over Rs.19,000 each.

Airlines divide their seats into different fare brackets or reservation booking designators to maximise revenues.

Under the regional connectivity scheme, or UDAN, airlines operating on routes allotted to them must offer 50 per cent of the total number of seats on a flight to passengers at the rate of Rs.2,500 per hour.

The flight from Delhi can take 35 passengers, while the one from Shimla can accommodate only 15, because of factors such as the runway length, temperature and altitude at the Jabarhatti airport.

With half the total aircraft capacity set aside under the UDAN scheme, 24 seats from Delhi and 15 seats from Shimla are available at the discounted fare of Rs.2,036, inclusive of taxes.

Subbiah said the airline would study the trend over the next few days and look at ways to maximise revenues from this route.

Meanwhile, Alliance Air has sought financial assistance of about Rs.1.42 lakh for every return flight on this route, or Rs.5 crore per year, from the Himachal Pradesh government to mitigate losses because of the limited number of passengers on the flight.

It is estimated that every Delhi-Shimla-Delhi flight will cost Rs.4.06 lakh, but generate only around Rs.2.64 lakh, inclusive of the financial assistance already provided by the government.

Under UDAN, which seeks to make flying affordable by connecting unserved and under-served airports, the losses incurred by an airline on a particular sector are to be shared by the Centre and the state concerned.

Scores of people were injured as violence erupted in Macedonia's parliament after nationalist protesters stormed the building in anger over a vote for a new speaker, the interior ministry said on Friday.

The chaos in Skopje broke out on Thursday evening, with dozens of demonstrators — including a group of masked men — breaking a police cordon and entering parliament waving Macedonian flags, shouting and singing the national anthem.

Footage from the scene showed chairs being thrown as fistfights broke out in the parliamentary press room, while Zoran Zaev, leader of the opposition Social Democrats (SDSM), had blood running down his face and shirt.

One female SDSM deputy is seen yanked by the hair while other women climb down from a balcony in a bid to escape.

An interior ministry statement on Friday said 102 people had been treated at city hospitals, including MPs and police officers.

Interior Minister Agim Nuhiu earlier told media that 10 MPs and an unspecified number of journalists were among those hurt in the violence, which was condemned by the United States and European Union.

The ministry said the situation was "normalised" on Friday morning but that there were "additional measures and activities to protect the security of citizens".

The incident follows two years of political crisis in the Balkan country, where nationalist demonstrators — who support the conservative VMRO-DPMNE party — have been holding nightly rallies since an inconclusive December election.

They oppose a proposed coalition between the SDSM and ethnic Albanians, which they perceive as a threat to national unity.

VMRO-DPMNE leader Nikola Gruevski was Macedonia's premier for a decade until last year.

Thursday's turmoil broke out after the SDSM and Albanian parties voted in a new parliamentary speaker, ethnic Albanian Talat Xhaferi.

Their opponents say the vote was unfair, taking place after the former speaker had closed the day's session, but the EU said it took "positive note" of Xhaferi's election.

Most of the injured deputies were from the SDSM party, but ethnic Albanian MP Ziadin Sela appeared to be one of the most badly wounded.

Police eventually took control of the parliament, using stun grenades to clear out the protesters.

President Gjorge Ivanov made a brief televised speech late Thursday, appealing for calm and inviting party leaders to his office on Friday to discuss the situation.

The CPI(M), lead partner in the ruling LDF in Kerala, on Friday rejected demands of the Congress-led UDF and the Opposition BJP for resignation of Power Minister M M Mani for his alleged insulting remarks against women.

Talking to reporters after the two-day CPI(M) state committee meeting, party State Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said the demand was a 'political slogan' and that the CPI(M) did not view the issue as a matter warranting his removal.

“The party is not ready to accept the political slogan. It is usual for the Opposition to raise such a demand whenever an issue comes up,” he said.

On the ongoing stir by activists of 'Penpila Orumai' in Munnar, demanding the power minister's resignation, Balakrishnan quipped “it is for persons leading the strike to decide the stir”.

He said the CPI(M)'s action of publicly censuring Mani was a lesson for others in the party. “It was part of party disciplinary action as his recent speeches had brought disgrace to the party,” he added.

On Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan defending the minister in the assembly, saying his remarks had been distorted and magnified, he said the reference was only to 'Mani's style of speaking'.

73-year old Mani, representing Udumbanchola in Idukki district, had courted controversy over his remarks against 'Pembila Orumai' activists and IAS officers involved in the eviction drive from encroached lands in Munnar in Idukki district.

On decisions at the party meet, Balakrishnan said the party felt there were deliberate attempts by the UDF and the BJP to destabilise the LDF government and disintegrate the ruling Front.

“The need of the hour is to strengthen the LDF. The partners in the Front should not give a chance for the rivals to take advantage of the situation,” Balakrishnan added.

To a question, he denied there was any rift between the CPI(M) and second largest partner the CPI and added that issues had cropped up between the two parties over the eviction drive in Munnar.

“The CPI(M) is of the firm opinion that all illegal big encroachments should be evicted and there are no differences on that in the Front,” he said.

However, efforts were on from certain quarters to portray that the CPI(M) and the CPI were divided on the matter, he said.

On the controversial removal of 'Cross' as part of the eviction drive in Pappthichola in Munnar, Balakrishnan said it should have been handled in a better manner without publicity through television channels.

He said the party has decided to conduct a state-wide campaign next month against various 'anti-people' policies of the BJP-led NDA government.

The Haryana government has decided to spend over Rs.738.12 crore on 1,121 new schemes for improving the drinking water supply in rural areas and sewerage and storm water drainage system in urban areas of the state during the year 2017-18.

The scheme wise allocation was decided in the meeting of Water Supply and Sewerage Board headed by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Thursday.

A budget outlay of Rs 3,382.82 Crore has been approved for the Department for the year 2017-18 which is 27.4 per cent more as compared to previous year. CM directed the officers to make maximum use of funds allocated under the National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB). For this, he asked them to fast track the process for getting the projects approved from NCRPB.

While laying stress on water conservation, Khattar directed the officers to make an action plan with the involvement of Public Health Engineering Department, Development and Panchayats, Urban Local Bodies and Health to keep a tab on the wastage of drinking water and its leakage.

Apart from this, he also directed them to spread awareness among the people at the village level to stop wastage of water with the assistance of youth enrolled under the ‘Saksham Yuva’ scheme of the state government.

It was informed in the meeting that a special campaign of water conservation and cleanliness was carried out in 21 districts of the state during the month of May, June and July. To achieve the targets, 154 teams comprising Block Resource Coordinators, Junior Engineers were made in the state.

Apart from this, the Development and Panchayats Department has also issued instructions regarding streamlining the installation of new submersible pumps or tube wells. It was also informed that the operation and maintenance of water supply schemes for 1,752 habitations consisting 3,498 tube wells has been handed over to gram Panchayats.

Animal rights organisation PETA staged a demonstration here on Friday against the dissection of animals for experiment in educational institutions.

The demonstration was organised in Jantar Mantar here to mark World Week for Animals in Laboratories.

"There are superior and modern teaching tools that are widely available instead of resorting to such old methods," said PETA India Science Policy Advisor Rohit Bhatia.

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) said several studies have noted that students learn better from digital dissection tools than anatomical dissection.

Independent MLA Anant Singh was on Friday granted bail by a local court in a case charging him with making derogatory and casteist remarks against the then Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi two years ago.

Singh, however, cannot come out of jail for now as he is facing other cases as well.

Additional District and Sessions Judge-I Sachchidanand Singh passed the order on a bail application moved by the MLA from Mokama last week.

Singh had allegedly made the derogatory and casteist remarks against Manjhi a few days before the latter resigned on February 20, 2015.

Manjhi had quit ahead of the trust vote due to imminent defeat.

The then chief minister's nephew Upendra Manjhi had lodged an FIR against Singh, who was a JD(U) MLA at that time, under various sections of the IPC and SC/ST Act at Khijarsarai police station in Gaya district.

Singh, a three-term MLA from Mokama constituency in Patna district, is currently in Beur jail in Patna

Animal rights organisation PETA staged a demonstration here on Friday against the dissection of animals for experiment in educational institutions.

The demonstration was organised in Jantar Mantar here to mark World Week for Animals in Laboratories.

"There are superior and modern teaching tools that are widely available instead of resorting to such old methods," said PETA India Science Policy Advisor Rohit Bhatia.

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) said several studies have noted that students learn better from digital dissection tools than anatomical dissection.