A "Mahagathbandhan" (Grand Alliance) of non-BJP parties is needed at the national level to defeat the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said on Monday.

The Janata Dal-United leader told the media here that a "Mahagathbandhan" would prove successful in the next parliamentary polls.

"The Grand Alliance of JD-U, RJD and Congress proved successful in Bihar assembly polls in 2015 when it defeated the BJP-led NDA," he said.

"The only answer is a 'Mahagathbandhan' of non-BJP parties at the national level now."

He urged the non-BJP parties to set their own agenda instead of reacting to the agenda set by those in power in New Delhi.

Nitish Kumar added that there were no dearth of leaders or faces for the post of Prime Minister.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) vice-captain Suryakumar Yadav on Monday said the two-time champions will go all out this time to add a third star on the jersey by bringing the Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy home.

Usually, teams have stars on top of their badge or crest to depict the number of titles they have won. 

The winners of the IPL in 2012 and 2014, KKR lost to eventual champions Sunrisers Hyderabad in the eliminator last year by 22 runs. 

Yadav managed just eight in that game as the Knights failed to chase down 162 posted by David Warner and co.

"There is not point thinking about last year. We have moved on and are thinking about this season," Yadav, who played a match-winning knock of 60 against Rising Pune Supergiant in the last edition, told reporters on the sidelines of a city jewellery company's tie-up with the purple brigade.

"We have two stars on our shirt and hopefully will add a third giving you all reason to celebrate," the 26-year-old Mumbai lad added.

Meanwhile West Indian opener Darren Bravo, who suffered an injury scare early on while training with the team, said it's a feeling of homecoming for him as he plays for the same franchise in the Caribbean Premier League, Trinbago Knight Riders.

"By all means, the IPL is the No.1 T20 competition in the world. I think I am very privileged to be part of the KKR team. KKR is the owner of CPL team (Trinbago Knight Riders), so for me its like a family and coming back home," the left-hander who is making a debut in the cash-rich league, said. 

Also present on the occasion were big-hitting Yusuf Pathan, left-arm Australian spinner Chris Lynn and top-order batsman Manish Pandey. 

Pandey said batting at No.3 for KKR, he will have to shoulder a lot of responsibility.

"For KKR I bat at No.3 so I have to shoulder a lot of responsibilities. I have to play along with the middle order, so definitely we will not repeat mistakes of last year and try and play better cricket this time," Pandey, who amassed 248 runs in 12 games last season, said.

Pandey, who last played for India in the second T20 international against England on January 29, added that the IPL will be a good platform for him to impress ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy in June.

"IPL will be a good platform for me to get back into reckoning for India ahead of the Champions Trophy. At the moment I am focussing on IPL and doing well for the team."

KKR will take on Gujarat Lions on April 7 in Rajkot.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has refused to allow registration of 10 new diesel vehicles conforming to Bharat Stage-III norms in the wake of the ban imposed by the Supreme Court.

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar declined to grant the relief to the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) saying that it has no jurisdiction to entertain the plea.

“The counsel appearing for EDMC submits that the order dated March 30, 2017 be modified as their application is for registering of BS-III vehicles which has been purchased by the Corporation. In view of the order passed by the Supreme Court of India recently, we have no jurisdiction to entertain this application,” the bench said.

The Supreme Court on March 29 had imposed ban on sale and registration of vehicles, which are not BS-IV compliant, in India from April 1 when the new emission norms came into force.

Observing that the health of the people was “far, far more important than the commercial interests of the manufacturers”, the apex court had said that the makers of such vehicles have declined to take “sufficient proactive steps” despite being fully aware that the firms would be required to manufacture only BS-IV compliant vehicles from April 1, 2017.

The order came after advocate Balendu Shekhar, appearing for EDMC, mentioned the matter before the bench and sought permission to register 10 new diesel vehicles to be used for lifting garbage.

He told the NGT that these vehicles were only available in BS-III and not available as per BS-IV specifications in the market.

When the bench remained unimpressed, the EDMC lawyer withdrew his plea seeking liberty to approach the top court for relief.

The green panel had earlier directed public sector oil companies to immediately stop plying Bharat Stage-I and Bharat Stage-II vehicles in the National Capital Region for transporting petrol or petroleum products.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has refused to allow registration of 10 new diesel vehicles conforming to Bharat Stage-III norms in the wake of the ban imposed by the Supreme Court.

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar declined to grant the relief to the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) saying that it has no jurisdiction to entertain the plea.

“The counsel appearing for EDMC submits that the order dated March 30, 2017 be modified as their application is for registering of BS-III vehicles which has been purchased by the Corporation. In view of the order passed by the Supreme Court of India recently, we have no jurisdiction to entertain this application,” the bench said.

The Supreme Court on March 29 had imposed ban on sale and registration of vehicles, which are not BS-IV compliant, in India from April 1 when the new emission norms came into force.

Observing that the health of the people was “far, far more important than the commercial interests of the manufacturers”, the apex court had said that the makers of such vehicles have declined to take “sufficient proactive steps” despite being fully aware that the firms would be required to manufacture only BS-IV compliant vehicles from April 1, 2017.

The order came after advocate Balendu Shekhar, appearing for EDMC, mentioned the matter before the bench and sought permission to register 10 new diesel vehicles to be used for lifting garbage.

He told the NGT that these vehicles were only available in BS-III and not available as per BS-IV specifications in the market.

When the bench remained unimpressed, the EDMC lawyer withdrew his plea seeking liberty to approach the top court for relief.

The green panel had earlier directed public sector oil companies to immediately stop plying Bharat Stage-I and Bharat Stage-II vehicles in the National Capital Region for transporting petrol or petroleum products.

Baahubali: The Beginning fame singer L V Revanth does not know Hindi, but he sang a number of Hindi chartbusters to win the ninth season of reality TV show Indian Idol. He says there are no language barriers in singing, and he now plans to make a mark for himself in Bollywood.

Revanth, who belongs to Visakhapatnam, in Andra Pradesh, and currently resides in Hyderabad, has lent his voice for more than 200 songs in southern films. He defeated Hyderabad-based PVNS Rohit and Punjab's Khuda Baksh on Sunday night to clinch the Indian Idol trophy.

Revanth said: "With this win, I have proved that language is not a barrier when it comes to singing. Now I am 80 to 90 per cent fine singing Hindi songs. But sometimes that south Indian diction comes in between as I am not a trained singer."

He said that when it came to song selection, he had problems with diction.

"There were so many people, including my friends, who made fun of me. But I took it as a challenge. I want to make my market value," said the singer, who lost his father even before he was born.

"Then me and my brother worked hard to get a livelihood. I want to have two voices now — one for Tollywood (Telugu film industry) and the other for Bollywood," added the 26-year-old.

Revanth, who considers legendary singer Kishore Kumar as his idol, says his life has completely changed after appearing on the Sony Entertainment Television show, judged by Sonu Nigam, Annu Malik and Farah Khan.

He now wants to be known as a melodious singer.

"I have worked with various music directors down south, especially M.M. Keeravani. Keeravani is the person who groomed me. He told me, ‘Revanth try to sing melody songs rather than fast beat and party numbers'," Revanth said. 

"He said to me that melody is timeless and can do wonders. But fast beat songs come on daily basis. So people forget them easily after a certain time. In southern industry, more than half of songs released are melody tracks only," he added.

Revanth says he will now learn Hindi in the "next few months". 

"I wish to sing for all the actors like Akshay Kumar, Shah Rukh Khan or Salman Khan," he said.

Revanth, who sang the song "Manohari" in the southern magnum opus Baahubali: The Beginning, is also excited about the release of its second part, Baahubali: The Conclusion on April 28.

"I feel lucky to be part of Baahubali: The Beginning. That film completely changed my life. Sometimes I felt bad as I missed being in Baahubali: The Conclusion. If I had sung another song for the second part, that would have been great," Revanth said.

"But I chose to be part of Indian Idol. So, it's fine now. I feel Indian Idol was my Baahubali 2. I am excited about the release of the second part," he concluded.

Baahubali: The Beginning fame singer L V Revanth does not know Hindi, but he sang a number of Hindi chartbusters to win the ninth season of reality TV show Indian Idol. He says there are no language barriers in singing, and he now plans to make a mark for himself in Bollywood.

Revanth, who belongs to Visakhapatnam, in Andra Pradesh, and currently resides in Hyderabad, has lent his voice for more than 200 songs in southern films. He defeated Hyderabad-based PVNS Rohit and Punjab's Khuda Baksh on Sunday night to clinch the Indian Idol trophy.

Revanth said: "With this win, I have proved that language is not a barrier when it comes to singing. Now I am 80 to 90 per cent fine singing Hindi songs. But sometimes that south Indian diction comes in between as I am not a trained singer."

He said that when it came to song selection, he had problems with diction.

"There were so many people, including my friends, who made fun of me. But I took it as a challenge. I want to make my market value," said the singer, who lost his father even before he was born.

"Then me and my brother worked hard to get a livelihood. I want to have two voices now — one for Tollywood (Telugu film industry) and the other for Bollywood," added the 26-year-old.

Revanth, who considers legendary singer Kishore Kumar as his idol, says his life has completely changed after appearing on the Sony Entertainment Television show, judged by Sonu Nigam, Annu Malik and Farah Khan.

He now wants to be known as a melodious singer.

"I have worked with various music directors down south, especially M.M. Keeravani. Keeravani is the person who groomed me. He told me, ‘Revanth try to sing melody songs rather than fast beat and party numbers'," Revanth said. 

"He said to me that melody is timeless and can do wonders. But fast beat songs come on daily basis. So people forget them easily after a certain time. In southern industry, more than half of songs released are melody tracks only," he added.

Revanth says he will now learn Hindi in the "next few months". 

"I wish to sing for all the actors like Akshay Kumar, Shah Rukh Khan or Salman Khan," he said.

Revanth, who sang the song "Manohari" in the southern magnum opus Baahubali: The Beginning, is also excited about the release of its second part, Baahubali: The Conclusion on April 28.

"I feel lucky to be part of Baahubali: The Beginning. That film completely changed my life. Sometimes I felt bad as I missed being in Baahubali: The Conclusion. If I had sung another song for the second part, that would have been great," Revanth said.

"But I chose to be part of Indian Idol. So, it's fine now. I feel Indian Idol was my Baahubali 2. I am excited about the release of the second part," he concluded.

Tracking positive Asian and European equity markets, domestic bourses extended last week’s gains and closed Monday’s trading session on a higher note.

The NSE Nifty ended at record-closing high, up 69 points or 0.75 per cent at 9243. The BSE Sensex closed 290 points or 0.98 per cent higher at 29,910.

In the broader markets, BSE Midcap and BSE Smallcap indices jumped 0.7 per cent and 1.3 per cent respectively.

Among the BSE sectoral indices, Capital Goods index closed with the biggest gain, up 3.5 per cent. Healthcare (up 1.1 per cent), Oil & Gas (up 0.8 per cent), Consumer Durables (up 0.6 per cent) and Power (up 0.5 per cent) indices were other notable gainers. Teck and IT indices declined 0.9 per cent and 0.8 per cent respectively.

On Friday The BSE Sensex has closed 27 points or 0.09 per cent down at 29,621 while the NSE Nifty had closed ended unchanged at 9,174.

Top gainers in the Sensex-30 pack: L&T (up 5.3 per cent), Reliance Industries (up 3.9 per cent), Dr Reddy’s Labs (up 3.9 per cent), ICICI Bank (up 3.5 per cent) and Gail (up 2.5 per cent).

Top losers in the Sensex-30 pack: Bharti Airtel (down 2.4 per cent), Wipro (down 1.4 per cent), Infosys (down 1.1 per cent), Bajaj Auto (down 0.9 per cent) and NTPC (down 0.8 per cent).

Asian markets were registered gains, Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index gained 0.4 per cent, Singapore’s Straits Times Index rose 0.3 per cent, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index surged 0.6 per cent, Korea’s KOSPI index increased 0.3 per cent and China’s Shanghai Composite Index jumped 0.5 per cent.

European markets opened in the positive zone, FTSE 100, CAC 40 and DAX indices gained between 0.1-0.4 per cent each.

Back home the Rupee was trading eight paise down at 65.17 against the US Dollar.

Tracking positive Asian and European equity markets, domestic bourses extended last week’s gains and closed Monday’s trading session on a higher note.

The NSE Nifty ended at record-closing high, up 69 points or 0.75 per cent at 9243. The BSE Sensex closed 290 points or 0.98 per cent higher at 29,910.

In the broader markets, BSE Midcap and BSE Smallcap indices jumped 0.7 per cent and 1.3 per cent respectively.

Among the BSE sectoral indices, Capital Goods index closed with the biggest gain, up 3.5 per cent. Healthcare (up 1.1 per cent), Oil & Gas (up 0.8 per cent), Consumer Durables (up 0.6 per cent) and Power (up 0.5 per cent) indices were other notable gainers. Teck and IT indices declined 0.9 per cent and 0.8 per cent respectively.

On Friday The BSE Sensex has closed 27 points or 0.09 per cent down at 29,621 while the NSE Nifty had closed ended unchanged at 9,174.

Top gainers in the Sensex-30 pack: L&T (up 5.3 per cent), Reliance Industries (up 3.9 per cent), Dr Reddy’s Labs (up 3.9 per cent), ICICI Bank (up 3.5 per cent) and Gail (up 2.5 per cent).

Top losers in the Sensex-30 pack: Bharti Airtel (down 2.4 per cent), Wipro (down 1.4 per cent), Infosys (down 1.1 per cent), Bajaj Auto (down 0.9 per cent) and NTPC (down 0.8 per cent).

Asian markets were registered gains, Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index gained 0.4 per cent, Singapore’s Straits Times Index rose 0.3 per cent, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index surged 0.6 per cent, Korea’s KOSPI index increased 0.3 per cent and China’s Shanghai Composite Index jumped 0.5 per cent.

European markets opened in the positive zone, FTSE 100, CAC 40 and DAX indices gained between 0.1-0.4 per cent each.

Back home the Rupee was trading eight paise down at 65.17 against the US Dollar.

The Cambodian government is set to allow foreign couples to return home with babies conceived to surrogates before the 'womb for rent' business was banned last year, an official said on Monday.

Curbs on the surrogacy industry in neighbouring Thailand and India sparked a boom in the unregulated baby business in impoverished Cambodia, with Australian couples in particular turning to the kingdom.

But late last year Cambodian authorities banned commercial surrogacy and refused to legalise birth certificates for babies.

This prevented foreign parents – many believed to be Australians – from taking the children out of the country, although the couples were able to travel in and out of Cambodia.

But an official told AFP the restriction is poised to change after Prime Minister Hun Sen approved an "exit strategy" allowing babies who were born to – or being carried by – surrogates before the ban to leave.

"We will allow parents who have surrogate babies born (before the ban) to take them out," according to Chou Bun Eng, secretary of state at the Ministry of Interior.

She said foreign couples had to follow the law and show a DNA match in order to claim their babies, while the surrogate's husband had to testify that the baby did not belong to him.

"We also need the parents to say why they have asked others to carry babies for them," Chou Bun Eng added.

"We will facilitate the process and will not create any difficulty for the parents," she said.

But she warned that parents tempted to try to take their children out of Cambodia illegally would face criminal charges.

Surrogacy agencies started springing up in the Southeast Asian nation after India and Thailand blocked foreigners from the services following a flurry of scandals and concerns about exploitation 

With cheap medical costs and no laws excluding gay couples or single parents, Cambodia quickly soaked up much of the demand.

In November, Australian nurse Tammy Davis-Charles, 49, was arrested for allegedly running an illegal surrogacy service in Cambodia – arranging for more than 20 Cambodian women to carry babies for Australian couples.

The Cambodian government is set to allow foreign couples to return home with babies conceived to surrogates before the 'womb for rent' business was banned last year, an official said on Monday.

Curbs on the surrogacy industry in neighbouring Thailand and India sparked a boom in the unregulated baby business in impoverished Cambodia, with Australian couples in particular turning to the kingdom.

But late last year Cambodian authorities banned commercial surrogacy and refused to legalise birth certificates for babies.

This prevented foreign parents – many believed to be Australians – from taking the children out of the country, although the couples were able to travel in and out of Cambodia.

But an official told AFP the restriction is poised to change after Prime Minister Hun Sen approved an "exit strategy" allowing babies who were born to – or being carried by – surrogates before the ban to leave.

"We will allow parents who have surrogate babies born (before the ban) to take them out," according to Chou Bun Eng, secretary of state at the Ministry of Interior.

She said foreign couples had to follow the law and show a DNA match in order to claim their babies, while the surrogate's husband had to testify that the baby did not belong to him.

"We also need the parents to say why they have asked others to carry babies for them," Chou Bun Eng added.

"We will facilitate the process and will not create any difficulty for the parents," she said.

But she warned that parents tempted to try to take their children out of Cambodia illegally would face criminal charges.

Surrogacy agencies started springing up in the Southeast Asian nation after India and Thailand blocked foreigners from the services following a flurry of scandals and concerns about exploitation 

With cheap medical costs and no laws excluding gay couples or single parents, Cambodia quickly soaked up much of the demand.

In November, Australian nurse Tammy Davis-Charles, 49, was arrested for allegedly running an illegal surrogacy service in Cambodia – arranging for more than 20 Cambodian women to carry babies for Australian couples.

The Mummy trailer with Tom Cruise is out and superstar Shah Rukh Khan's wife Gauri and his little one AbRam had their own "Mummy" moment.

The interior designer took to Twitter to share a cute picture of AbRam and her, where she is wrapped in a paper like a 'Mummy' and is seen kissing her bundle of joy.

"That moment when you get appreciated for being a good Mummy!" she captioned the photo.

AbRam is one of the most popular star kids and both Shah Rukh and Gauri often post adorable pictures of their youngest child on social media.

AbRam is also media friendly and has already acquired his father's mannerism of greeting the paparazzi.

The Mummy trailer with Tom Cruise is out and superstar Shah Rukh Khan's wife Gauri and his little one AbRam had their own "Mummy" moment.

The interior designer took to Twitter to share a cute picture of AbRam and her, where she is wrapped in a paper like a 'Mummy' and is seen kissing her bundle of joy.

"That moment when you get appreciated for being a good Mummy!" she captioned the photo.

AbRam is one of the most popular star kids and both Shah Rukh and Gauri often post adorable pictures of their youngest child on social media.

AbRam is also media friendly and has already acquired his father's mannerism of greeting the paparazzi.

The Varanasi mayor has issued orders making it mandatory for every municipal corporation member to sing 'Vande Mataram' and 'Jana Gana Mana' after a BJP corporator's proposal for singing the songs triggered protests by Congress and SP members.

The row was kicked off on April 1 last when BJP corporator Ajay Gupta put forth a proposal that the national song should be sung before house proceedings.

Taking strong view of the protest, mayor Ram Gopal Mohale said in a statement on Monday that action would be taken against the SP and Congress members for allegedly insulting the national song and raising derogatory slogans.

Samajwadi Party corporator Ravi Kant Vishwakarma told PTI that, “We were all prepared to holda discussion on the Budget 2017-18 on April 1, but surprisingly BJP corporator Ajay Gupta intervened saying national song Vande Mataram should be sung before beginning House proceedings, to which Muslim and Hindu corporators of the SP and the Congress strongly protested.

“We fully respect our national song but they (BJP) cannot force us to sing. The Muslim corporators of our party (SP) and Congress were strongly against this move, and if we do not wish to sing they cannot deliberately impose it upon us,” Vishwakarma said.

Opposition leaders including those belonging to the BSP also raised slogans, saying a new tradition was being deliberately set by the saffron party, sources said.

Following the ruckus in the house, the Mayor issued an order saying house proceedings should begin mandatorily with singing of the national song Vande Matram and conclude with singing of the national anthem.

Mohale said singing the national song arouses patriotic feelings, and even in the past there was a tradition of singing Vande Matram in the House.

In a statement, Mohale said, “In the house corporators raised slogans and made derogatory comments against the RSS, the organisation which is completely devoted to the nation. This is not only an insult but also a criminal act.

Recently, a row had broken outin the Meerut Municipal Corporation over singing of Vande Mataram.

Last week, a group of Muslim councilors had left the Meerut Municipal Corporation House as soon as other members started singing Vande Mataram, following which a proposal to terminate their membership was passed.

A proposal was also put forth by Meerut Mayor Harikant Ahluwalia of the BJP making it clear that any members opposing Vande Mataram will not be welcome in the House.

The upcoming Indian Premier League is not only about entertainment but it also carries a bundle of hopes for out-of-favour all-rounder Yusuf Pathan, who is eying a comeback into the national team through the T20 event.

The 34-year-old Pathan is out of Indian team for more than five years now.

"The brand of cricket I've played so far, my only aim has always been to play for India again. IPL is one such platform where I can prove myself again," the three-time IPL winning all-rounder Pathan said on Monday.

"To make a comeback for the country is the ultimate aim. It's about making full use of the opportunity I get here."

Recalling his India ODI debut, Pathan said the title winning effort for Rajasthan Royals in 2007 IPL was instrumental in impressing the national selectors.

"In fact, I started my career through IPL first season. Of course it's about performing here and making a comeback," said Pathan, who as part of India's 2011 World Cup-winning squad.

"I'm sure something new is in store for all of us. Full of entertainment for the team. Some exciting new players have come on board," said the big-hitting batsman, who last played for India in March 2012.

Just like Pathan, Manish Pathan is another cricketer who is looking to cement his place in the national team.

Echoing his senior partner's view, Pandey, who last played for India in an ODI in October last year, said: "IPL is a good platform. If you do well, you're noticed by everyone here.

"It will be important for me to perform well again in the IPL and look forward to the the Champions Trophy."

With no Andre Russell in the line-up with the West Indian serving a one-year ban for doping violation, Pandey said he would have to shoulder more responsibility in batting at number three position.

"Definitely it will add to my responsibility. But I would still look at the same away like last year. I would love to perform in every game I play. As a middle order batsman, batting at number three I would like to continue with the good form and take the team forward," he said.

Asked about Russell's absence Pandey said: "Still we look a balanced side. We are missing Russell but we have a number of good all-rounders coming in. We have a lot of youngsters and experienced players.

Candidates applied for Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission 2017 examination and waiting to get their APPSC main results 2017 don't need to wait much. As per the latest updates, APPSC Group 2 services exam results 2017 is expected to be declared soon at psc.ap.gov.in.

Just next to the declaration of the APPSC results 2017 candidates are advise to visit the official website psc.ap.gov.in and fill the blank space with the required information including name, roll number, registration number, date of birth and other required information.

This year, APPSC Group 2 services main examination took place on February 26, 2017 across the centers and the APPSC answerkey 2017 was released online on February 28, 2017.

Due to the huge number of visitors on the APPSC official result website, candidates may face technical issue like website working slow or not opening in such case candidates are advised to stay calm and refresh the official website in a short interval of time.

A butcher has been arrested for allegedly trying to slaughter a buffalo in his house without licence in neighbouring Shamli district, police said on Monday.

Acting on a tip-off, police nabbed Asif Qureshi from Kandhla town on April 2 and seized the buffalo.

According to Qureshi, he had to supply the meat for a marriage function, police said.

In another case in Shamli district, police registered a case against six persons for allegedly indulging in cattle slaughtering without licence at Kairana town on April 2.

Police raided a house and seized meat and seven buffaloes from the site, SHO Rajkumar Sharma said, adding the six accused, including the house owner Khurshid were absconding.

The Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore has grabbed the first position in the India Rankings 2017 released by the HRD Ministry on Monday.

The other top five spots have been taken by the Indian Institutes of Technology, including IIT Madras (2), IIT Bombay (3), IIT Kharagpur (4) and IIT Delhi (5).

The HRD Ministry launched 'India Ranking' for higher institutions in India in 2015 under the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF).

While initially there were four parameters, NIRF has added two more parameters – Common overall rank and General Degree Colleges – in creating this year’s list.

As many as 3,300 institutes participated in the India Rankings 2017.