Actress Vidya Balan says her husband Siddharth Roy Kapur believes she has a violent streak.

The actress also said that she did the forthcoming period drama Begum Jaan as she wanted to find a way to vent her anger. 

She spoke about the film and her relationship with Siddharth during a chat show Yaar Mera Superstar Season 2 along with filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt. The episode will go on air on Zoom on Saturday, read a statement from the channel. 

When the show's host asked Vidya about the kind of anger she shows in the film, Vidya said: "I wanted to unleash that part of me and all it took was a conversation with Bhatt saab on a flight. We were promoting Hamari Adhuri Kahani so, I told him that I wanted to give an expression to my anger, I have a lot of anger."

The actress added: "The long and short of it is that he came to me with Begum Jaan...But to actually give vent to that kind of anger, aggression, wasn't easy. But it was fun, once you break the limits, it was a lot of fun. It's so freeing. Siddharth believes that I do have a violent streak."

Begum Jaan is a Hindi adaptation of National Award-winner Srijit Mukherji's critically acclaimed Bengali outing Rajkahini. The film sees Vidya play a brothel owner in a story of survival set against the backdrop of the country's partition in 1947. 

The film, produced by Mahesh and Mukesh Bhatt's Vishesh Films, is set to release on April 14.

The Centre has issued a warning to all cotton-growing states to check the sowing of white fly-infested seeds to prevent a repeat of last year's havoc mainly in Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan.

 Last year witnessed the worst attack of white fly on cotton crop reducing its acreage (production per hectare) to the lowest level since 1955 in Punjab, where 60 % of its crop was damaged due to the pest. The situation was as bad in Haryana and parts of Rajasthan bringing down production to the lowest level.

In an advisory issued to cotton growing states, the Centre has asked them to make sure farmers are given pest-free cotton seeds during the sowing season which began in the first week of April. It has told field officers to educate farmers not to use pest-infested seeds.

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has also provided a list of pest-resistant seeds for farmers. “This year government has also laid emphasis on the timely sowing of cotton seeds so as save cotton crop from the likely menace of white fly,” said a senior officer of the Agriculture Ministry.

In its extensive directives to the cotton producing states, the Centre has asked states to carry out sowing within the precincts of a scheduled timeframe and keep a close watch on the movement of pests. It has asked state governments to ensure timely sprinkling to check its spread.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Wednesday said the use of solar energy should be promoted as it is "economical" and can help maintain ecological and environmental balance.

After laying the foundation stones for two development works and inaugurating as many projects on the Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU) campus here, he said solar energy can play a vital role in maintaining ecological and environmental balance.

"Use of solar energy should be promoted," he said describing it as "economical source" of energy.

He inaugurated 1-MW rooftop solar power plant and air- conditioning plant for Dr Mangal Sen Multipurpose Gymnasium Hall, besides laying stones for Deendayal Upadhyay Yuva Udhyan and Deendayal Upadhyay Institute of Entrepreneurship and Skill Development.

The 1-MW rooftop solar power plant is a green energy project which has been set up with the support of the Solar Energy Corporation of India, an official spokesman said here.

The air-conditioning plant for Dr Mangal Sen Multipurpose Gymnasium Hall has been set up at a cost of about Rs 2 crore on the university campus, he said.

The Deendayal Upadhyay Yuva Udhyan and Deendayal Upadhyay Institute of Entrepreneurship and Skill Development would be set up on over 4,350 square meters at a cost of about Rs.5 crore.

The concept of green building would be adopted in the construction of this building, the spokesman said.

Deendayal Upadhyay Yuva Udhyan would be set up over 15 acres at an estimated cost of Rs.5 crore. It would have about two km-long walkway track and green park over five acres.

Haryana government has decided to celebrate Mahavir Jayanti as ‘Ahinsha Divas’ every year on April 9 when slaughter houses will remain closed in the state, and there would be a complete ban on the sale of meat, eggs, fish and liquor.

Haryana Urban Local Bodies Minister Kavita Jain said that keeping in view the decision taken by the state government, all deputy commissioners, commissioners of municipal corporations and executive officers and secretaries of municipal councils and committees had been directed to ensure compliance of these instructions in areas under their jurisdiction.

A day after Uttar Pradesh (UP) Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's decided to waive off farm loans worth Rs.36,359-crore, farmer leaders in Punjab are unimpressed with the decision as they say it will hardly be any use if the Captain Amarinder Singh government would go for similar loan waiver in the state.

As the  UP government scheme will benefit all small and marginalised farmers who took crop loans of up to Rs.1 lakh until March 31, 2016, farmer leaders said most farmers will remain outside the purview if similar scheme is brought out by the Congress government in Punjab.

The UP government scheme covers loans taken up to 31 March 2016, but farmers take loans for their crops every six months. So even after this date, farmers have taken loans twice. So what's the use of this loan-waiver," Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) chief Balbir Singh Rajewal told The Statesman.

He said the government should not differentiate between small or big farmers while announcing a loan waiver as farmers in general are in trouble due to diminishing returns and escalating costs.

'We will wait for the Punjab government to waive off all farmer loans by June or we
will launch an agitation for the same," Rajewal said. Another farmer leader Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan, who heads BKU (Ekta), said Punjab farmers are hoping for a better loan-waiver than the one announced by Uttar Pradesh.

"The Punjab government should waive off all type of farmer loans including the ones taken from money lenders," he added.

The Punjab Congress manifesto had pledged waiver of debt of farmers and farm labourers. In its first meeting on March 18, the state Cabinet led by chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh decided that a group of experts would assess the agricultural debt and propose ways to end the debt in a time-bound manner.

The report of the group is to be submitted within 60 days after its formation. Sources said whereas loans of around Rs.9,500 crore availed by farmers from cooperative banks could be taken over by the state government, the real challenge would be dealing with loans taken from nationalized banks.

Loans from national banks form 86 per cent of the total farm loans which are estimated to be close to Rs.80,000 crore in Punjab.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday said that 50 radicalised Indian youth have crossed over to the “other side”, though Indian ethos and culture have ensured that the menace has not taken dangerous proportions in the country.

Replying to supplementaries in the Lok Sabha during Question Hour, she said the issue of radicalisation is not limited to Jammu and Kashmir but other states as well and the entire world too.

While saying these youth have crossed over to the “other side (us taraf gaye),” she did not elaborate on what countries they have travelled to.

She said the Centre has already launched an anti-radicalisation programme with states to ensure that the youth are not misled. The minister credited the “Indian ethos and culture for the minimal damage radicalisation has caused” in India. She said secularism, the watchful eyes of parents and the belief that violence is not good have helped the country.

Swaraj said India is set to host a conference of ASEAN nations on de-radicalisation but the venue has not yet been finalised.

Besides de-radicalisation, cross-border terrorism would be the other topic of the conference. Responding to a question, Swaraj said the South China Sea issue was not the subject of the proposed event.

She said the government would consider the “positive” suggestion of Asaduddin Owaisi (AIMIM) that ‘ulemas’ (Muslim scholars) of ASEAN countries should also be invited as they have successfully helped check radicalisation in their respective nations.

Haryana government has re-instated three Haryana Civil Service (HCS) officers, were suspended for dereliction of duty during the violent Jat agitation, 2017.

Those who have been re-instated by the state government are Pankaj Kumar posted then as Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Jhajjar, Jagdeep Singh the then SDM, Hansi and another SDM Dharmendra Singh.

All were suspended after the Prakash Singh Inquiry Committee, which had probed laxity on behalf of the officials in handling the Jat reservation agitation in February, 2016, submitted its report.

The Manohar Lal Khattar-led BJP government in Haryana had placed three SDMs and ten Deputy Superintendent of Ppolice (DSPs) under suspension in March 2016 after the said committee reported laxity on behalf these officials.

Apart from the above mentioned HCS officers, the state government has also placed under suspension, ten DSPs, including Sukhbir Singh, Surender Singh, Vijender Singh, Pawan Kumar, Jagat Singh, Sandeep Malik, Rajbir Singh, Vinod Kumar, Sunil Kumar and Satish Kumar.

A total of 31 people were killed and hundreds were injured during the violent agitation in the state. Besides, property worth hundreds of Crores of Rupees was also damaged and destroyed.

The Prakash Singh Committee, which was appointed on February 25, had enquired into the alleged acts of omission and commission on part of officials of both police and civil administration during the agitation from February 7 to 22.

The enquiry panel had inquired into the role of officers starting from the rank of Sub-Inspector to SP in police and Naib Tehsildar or duty Magistrate to the rank of Deputy Commissioner in civil administration in the riot-affected districts of Rohtak, Jhajjar, Jind, Hisar, Kaithal, Bhiwani, Sonepat and Panipat.

The panel report, which is in two volumes, had expressed shock over the gross lapses on part of the policemen who deserted their posts and ran away from scene of crime during the Jat stir. The Committee had heard 2,217 persons from different walks of life while 143 video footages were received and 395 statements were recorded on the spot.

The Odisha government on Wednesday directed the district collectors to tighten security in all government hospitals to ensure protection of doctors and staff.

The government direction came after increasing cases of untoward incidents in the premises of health institutions like manhandling of doctors and staff of the institutions.

Health Secretary PK Meherda in a letter to the district collectors directed installing of CCTV cameras in government hospitals for the safety of doctors and staff.

He also directed issuance of ID cards to regular and contractual employees of the hospitals.

He said visitors passes will be introduced for indoor patients.

Two entry passes will be issued per patient for attending the patient during the official visiting hour and the attendants entering the ward will be frisked by the internal security guards, he added.

Meherda said the entry of the general public and vehicles is to be regulated strictly to stop thoroughfare.

Besides, signage highlighting the Odisha Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage of Property) Act, 2008 would be placed in front of the health institutions, said the Health secretary.

He said a public redressal system would be developed in which the aggrieved attendants may approach the health authorities at the time of need rather than taking the law into their hands.

It is rare for a Member of Parliament to take up a cause which affects millions of women on a popular social media platform. So when Sushmita Dev, MP from Silchar, Assam, started a petition on Change.org requesting Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to abolish tax on sanitary napkins about a month ago, everyone who matters took note.

From Union Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi, Congress president Sonia Gandhi, party vice president Rahul Gandhi, Congress leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, BJP MP Varun Gandhi, NCP MP Supriya Sule, BJD MP Jay Panda and lakhs of commoners have supported and endorsed the petition.

In her petition, which she started on International Women's Day on 8 March, Dev says, "Despite their utility, sanitary napkins are taxed making them expensive for the middle-class and unaffordable for rural women. Surprisingly, condoms and contraception are tax- free in India, but sanitary napkins are not".

Already the petition has garnered about 2.5 lakh signatures ahead of Sushmita Dev's meeting with the Union Health Minister J P Nadda on Thursday. Dev told The Statesman: " My motivation to start this petition came from hundreds of girls living in rural India who still face social stigma and many problems due to lack of awareness and affordability. They should not be burdened with a tax that makes safe, hygienic products more expensive".

She said, "There are many social activists and NGOs who have taken up this cause and have been instrumental in making it a revolution. I have received support from all quarters, including various top leaders from my own party and even from other MPs. Already, states like Haryana, Goa, Maharashtra and even Union Territory of Pudducherry have either reduced or abolished taxes on sanitary napkins. I took this matter to the GST Council since we are going to have 'one nation one tax regime'. I am hopeful that we will be able to pull it through."

As per data, only about 12% of the 355 million women in India use sanitary napkins and have to pay varying VAT statewise that goes up to 14%. As per statistics, a whopping 70 % of women cannot afford sanitary napkins in India.

On Wednesday, Ranjana Kumari, director, Centre for Social Research, not only signed the petition but also shared the trending petition on twitter with #TaxFreeWings tagging Arun Jaitley's official twitter handle as well. The petition also proposes a solution in terms of a 100% tax exemption for the production and distribution of environment and health-friendly sanitary napkins to add impetus to the reach of the product.

Thanking members for the early passage of the Finance Bill, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Wednesday described it as "a historic occasion" as it would help the government allocate funds to various ministries and states at the beginning of the new fiscal.

As soon as the House assembled for the day, she thanked all members for working towards the early passage of the Bill.

She also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for envisaging the idea to pass the Bill before 1 April. Modi was present in the House when she made the remarks.

She said earlie, a five-month delay had become part of the procedure. With the passage of the Finance Bill, the Lok Sabha on 22 March completed the entire budgetary exercise for 2017-18.   It was later passed by the Rajya Sabha with some amendments which were rejected later by the Lower House.

Former Congress MLA Vishwajit Rane, who quit the party and legislatorship in March, is all set to join the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday, state BJP President Vinay Tendulkar told reporters on Wednesday.

Tendulkar said that Rane, a former MLA from Valpoi, had been in talks with the party leadership for several days.

"He has expressed his desire to join the BJP. We did not make contact with him. He came to us," Tendulkar said. 

BJP sources said Rane could soon be inducted into the Manohar Parrikar-led coalition cabinet.

Rane, who is the son of former chief minister and local Congress stalwart Pratapsingh Rane, resigned from the party and his legislative membership after the Congress failed to stake claim to form a government in Goa, despite winning 17 seats in the February 4 polls to the 40-member state assembly.

Rane had said internal bickering and failure of the Congress state leadership and the party high command, including All India Congress Committee General Secretary Digvijaya Singh, to stake claim had left him disillusioned.

"The Congress leadership had let us all down," Rane had said.

Rane is a three-time MLA from Valpoi assembly constituency and is known for his close links to Parrikar.

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar on Wednesday assured of all-out efforts to protect the interests of more than 10,000 teachers affected by the Supreme Court verdict regarding termination of their jobs.

He also assured that his government will approach the Centre on the issue.

"We follow Supreme Court orders… (but) we cannot wash away the future of 10,323 teachers. We will take all steps to protect their interests," Sarkar told reporters here.

He was speaking after chairing a meeting of the Council of Ministers that reviewed the March 29 apex court order.

Dubbing the Supreme Court order — which upheld the Tripura High Court order in the case — as "unexpected", the Chief Minister said : "The Cabinet decided that the state is committed to ensuring there is no disruption in educational endeavours and educational institutions function smoothly…."

Accompanied by Education and Law Minister Tapan Chakraborty and Information Minister Bhanulal Saha, Sarkar said his government will approach the Human Resource Development Ministry for relaxation in age and other criteria under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, for the affected teachers.

"The Council of Ministers reviewed the Supreme Court judgement and decided to comply with the court directions," Sarkar said.

The chief minister said that making selections through the Teachers Eligibility Test (TET) is a big challenge for all states since the set eligibility criteria are tough for aspirants.

The Supreme Court on March 29 upheld the Tripura High Court order to terminate the jobs of 10,323 teachers, but allowed them to continue till December 31.

The court asked the state government to frame a new Employment Policy by April 30. 

Quoting the apex court's order, the Chief Minister said his government had been directed to initiate fresh recruitment by May 31 and complete it by December 31.

"The Supreme Court allowed all serving teachers, candidates not selected and others to participate by relaxing age limit but subject to possession of other required qualifications," Sarkar added.

The Supreme Court order came on three special leave petitions filed by the Tripura government, terminated serving teachers and aggrieved job seekers.

"We gave some jobs based on need and economic conditions of families, but the court turned down these criteria," Education Minister Tapan Chakraborty said.

The Tripura High Court ordered the state on May 7, 2014, to frame a new Employment Policy within two months.
 

Actor Michael Keaton is in negotiations to join the cast of Tim Burton directed Dumbo. He is being eyed to play villain in the film.

Actors Colin Farrell, Eva Green and Danny DeVito are also in talks to join the film. If the deal is closed, Keaton would play the man who acquirers the circus from DeVito's character in order to exploit the elephant and his mother, reports variety.com.

Keaton and Burton have worked together in films like Beetlejuice and Batman.

The actor will next be seen as villain Vulture in Spider-Man: Homecoming. 

The Congress on Wednesday said its new government in Punjab will soon fulfil its promise of waiving farmers' loans, but was non-committal on when this will happen.

"Our party has been supportive of farmer-friendly actions and committed to fulfilling its poll promises," Congress spokesperson Rajeev Gowda told media persons here.

On the Uttar Pradesh government's decision to waive loans of small and marginal farmers, he said: "We are happy to see that (they have done it). We too will do it." 

Talking about the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime, the Congress leader said he hoped it will create more jobs in the years to come.

"There has been no job creation in the past two-and-half years but the GST will help in job creation," Gowda said, adding that all depends on its implementation though.

The Congress leader said the present government had a "terrible" record in collection of indirect taxes, and urged it not to impose indirect taxes since the poor were affected the most.

Gowda suggested centralised registration of companies to make it easy for them to carry out business across the country.

"Why can't the government think of centralised registration of companies," he asked, and said the government must "test GST before rolling it out".

China warned on Wednesday that it will take "necessary measures" to defend its territorial sovereignty and interests after India "obstinately" allowed the Dalai Lama to visit the "disputed" parts of Arunachal Pradesh causing "serious damage" to the bilateral ties.

"India in disregard to China's concerns obstinately arranged the Dalai Lama's visit to the disputed part of the eastern part of China-India border, causing serious damage to China's interests and China-India relations," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told reporters.

"China firmly opposes this move and will lodge representations with the Indian side," she said.

"China's stand on the eastern part of the borders is consistent and clear. India is keenly aware of the role played by the 14th Dalai Lama. Arranging his visit to those sensitive and disputed areas not only runs counter to the Indian side's commitment to the issues related to Tibet but also escalate disputes over the border area," she said.

"It goes against the momentum of the sound growth of bilateral relations and will not benefit India in anyway," she said.

"China will firmly take necessary measures to defend its territorial sovereignty and legitimate rights and interests.

We demand the Indian side immediately stop its actions using the Dalai Lama to undermine China's interests and not hype up sensitive issues between the two countries, not artificially damage the foundation of the talks between the two countries on the border issues and bilateral legislations and take concrete actions to safeguard the China-India relations," she said.

The 81-year-old Tibetan spiritual leader reached Bomdila in West Kameng district yesterday, starting his nine-day visit to Arunachal Pradesh.

China claims parts of Arunachal Pradesh as southern Tibet and had previously warned that if India allowed the visit of the Dalai Lama, whom it calls an "anti-China separatist", it would cause "serious damage" to ties.

China is sensitive to the Dalai Lama's visit to Tawang region in Arunachal which happens to be the birthplace in 1683 of the sixth Dalai Lama and is at the centre of Tibetan Buddhism.

Yesterday, Minister of Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju said India never interfered in Beijing's affairs, has respected the "One China" policy, and thus China should not interfere in India's internal affairs or object to the Dalai Lama's visit.

"There is no political angle behind his holiness's visit to Arunachal Pradesh. It is completely religious." 

Separately, the External Affairs Ministry has said that no "artificial controversy" should be created about the visit.

The Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson rejected Rijiju's comments, saying "China upholds the policy of not interfering with other countries internal affairs. This is unquestionable." 

"But in disregard to China's concerns India arranged the visit of Dalai Lama to the disputed areas. This issue goes beyond internal affairs," she said.

"The role played by the Dalai Lama is clear to all.

China's position on the eastern section of the boundary is also very clear," she said.

"The arrangement of Dalai's visit to the disputed area by India runs counter to its commitments on issues related to Tibet and it runs counter to benefits of bilateral relations.

We demand that India stop this wrong action," she said.

About Rijiju's comments that it was a religious visit and should not be politicised, she said, "We have noted the statement of the official from the Indian side." 

"Could you tell me honestly do you seriously believe that Dalai is only a religious leader. I think the answer is known to all. He is not just a religious figure. Therefore, his visit to the place will not be purely of religious purpose. So using the empty words to defend this arrangement is not reasonable. We demand the Indian side to stop this move of undermining Chinese interests," she said.

Actress Parineeti Chopra says her character from the forthcoming film Meri Pyaari Bindu is very special for her.

Parineeti took to Twitter, where she shared that the makers have divided the film's trailer into five parts out of which the third chapter was released on Wednesday. 

"Chapter three sums up Bindu for me! She is this mad girl who just wants to be a rockstar and nothing else! Such a special role for me," Parineeti tweeted on Wednesday. 

"Watching these chapters makes me emotional. Thanks Maneesh Sharma, Akshay Roy and Yash Raj Films for making this happen! Meri Pyaari Bindu," Parineeti added. 

Directed by Roy, Meri Pyaari Bindu is produced by Sharma under the Yash Raj Films banner. Th film also stars Ayushmann Khurrana. In the film, Parineeti will be seen essaying the role of an aspiring singer and Ayushmann will be playing a novelist. 

Parineeti has also started shooting for Takadum with actor Sushant Singh Rajput.

Employees suffering injury in industrial accident will now get compensation of up to Rs.1 lakh, with Parliament on Wednesday clearing a bill in this regard.

The Employees Compensation (Amendment) bill 2016 also has a provision for hefty penalty in case of any violation by the employers.

The bill was passed by the Lok Sabha last August but it was brought before the Lower House as Rajya Sabha had passed it last month with two minor amendments.

The new legislation provides for payment of compensation from Rs.50,000 to Rs.1 lakh to employees and their dependents in the event of injury by industrial accidents, including occupational diseases.

The legislation also has a provision for a hefty penalty in case of an violation by an employer which could prove to be a "deterrent" to the employees.

It covers workers in the organised sector and the government had said it was trying to bring more workers from the informal side to the organised sector.