The National Green Tribunal on Friday came down heavily on Haryana and Uttar Pradesh governments for the delay in introduction of CNG as the main fuel for vehicles and threatened to ban their transportation in NCR.

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar directed the senior most official from Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) to be present before it on April 20, the next date of hearing.

"What are you doing about CNG? Don't tell your stories to us, we are not interested. We will make you cry if you don't follow our orders.

"We will prohibit entire transportation in NCR (National Capital Region). Why have you not complied with our order till date? If there was a problem, then you should have come before us," the bench said.

The observations came after Haryana and Uttar Pradesh told the green panel that they have already submitted requisite data to PNGRB and are awaiting its response.

The NGT had earlier directed UP, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Delhi to file affidavit giving details about cities which are connected with the supply of CNG and the areas proposed to be connected.

It had asked them to explain which functions are to be performed by the states and PNGRB and submit a comprehensive plan for laying CNG pipeline for distribution.

The NGT in September last year had asked Uttar Pradesh and Haryana government to mull over the possibility of installing CNG stations in NCR while refusing to grant permission to over 10-year-old diesel vehicles to ply in these areas.

Two Indian nationals have been arrested in Pakistan after they were found living illegally in Karachi city for the last eight years, census officials said today.

The duo from Gujarat had been arrested from Gulshan-e-Iqbal and Saddar areas of Karachi on Monday during the ongoing countrywide census, Sindh Census Commissioner Abdul Aleem Memon said.

The census officials alerted the authorities about the presence of the two Indians which led to a raid by police and intelligence agencies.

According to the officials, the two men have been living in the city for the last eight years.

They have been identified as Hassan Ahmad, a resident of Ahmadabad and Waseem Hassan from Gujarat, local Dunya TV reported.

Both the persons are living in the country without any legal documents.

Pakistan began its first census in about two decades with the assistance of over 200,000 troops and civilian officials on March 15 to collect crucial data that will be used for key policy decisions, including delimitation of constituencies.

The 6th census would be completed by the end of May.

Two Indian nationals have been arrested in Pakistan after they were found living illegally in Karachi city for the last eight years, census officials said today.

The duo from Gujarat had been arrested from Gulshan-e-Iqbal and Saddar areas of Karachi on Monday during the ongoing countrywide census, Sindh Census Commissioner Abdul Aleem Memon said.

The census officials alerted the authorities about the presence of the two Indians which led to a raid by police and intelligence agencies.

According to the officials, the two men have been living in the city for the last eight years.

They have been identified as Hassan Ahmad, a resident of Ahmadabad and Waseem Hassan from Gujarat, local Dunya TV reported.

Both the persons are living in the country without any legal documents.

Pakistan began its first census in about two decades with the assistance of over 200,000 troops and civilian officials on March 15 to collect crucial data that will be used for key policy decisions, including delimitation of constituencies.

The 6th census would be completed by the end of May.

 Amid attacks on Africans in India, the Indian community in Nigeria today voiced support for Nigerians living in the country saying such a trend was "disturbing" as Africans never mistreat foreigners.

Asserting that the conception about Africa and Africans among many Indians is incorrect, the Indians living in Nigeria have strongly condemned the attacks on Nigerians in Greater Noida.

"I was deeply disturbed by the attacks on the Nigerian students in India. But I feel Indians mistreat the Africans anyway. Their conception about Africa and Africans is wrong.

There has never been a case where an African has mistreated a foreigner in their country," said Arunraj Muruganandam, who is based in Lagos for the last 15 years.

"The whole fact that we somehow feel we are superior to them is very uncomforting. Even when I first went from Nigeria, there were racist jokes played on me…I feel the Indians apart from those who have lived in Africa will never treat the Africans well," he told PTI over phone.

Asked if he ever felt discriminated or harassed in Nigeria, the 25-year-old mechanical engineer hailing from Chennai said, "Never. I have felt more at home here." 

Resource-rich Nigeria is a major trading partner of India having footprints of many leading Indian companies including Tata and Bharti Airtel.

While over 35,000 Indians live in the East African country, around 30,000 Nigerians travel to India for education, medical tourism and business.

Nigerian students were attacked by several people during a candle-light march for a 17-year-old Indian boy, who died of suspected drug overdose last week in Greater Noida.

The boy's parents alleged that the foreigners had kidnapped him and given him drugs which led to his death.

51-year-old Sanjeev Purwar, who has been staying in Abuja, the Nigerian capital, for over two decades, said when Indians are troubled or assaulted due to apartheid in the US, the UK or Australia all countrymen raise their voice in unison.

"But why don't we feel the same angst when such incidents take place in our own country against outsiders? Why we can't tolerate (the difference in race) and become violent? This is not our culture," said Purwar, an engineer.

"At a time when Indians are being accepted globally, why are we unable to lead with an example? Every society in the world has a different culture and we must learn to appreciate it," he said.

Purwar, who hails from Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh and stays in Abuja with his wife, said incidents like these do not auger well for the image of the country and particularly its diaspora who may have to "pay the price" for it.

He also called for the media to exercise caution in covering of such events, saying repeatedly showing pictures and videos of violence may not have an impact in India, but outside the country "it may create ripples".

"Nigerians are mostly good people. When you repeatedly show such pictures, some people who are short-tempered may react. The media should have a discussion on such incidents but should not show pictures," he said.

Purwar recalled how Indians living in Nigeria were harassed back in 2013 after a Nigerian was reportedly killed in Goa. "It was one rare such happening here," he said.

Another Indian-origin man Gulrez Singh, who is based in Port Harcourt in the southern part of the country, said he has sympathy for the Nigerians and felt embarrassed over the unfortunate incidents taking place in India.

Singh, whose family is based in Chandigarh, attributed such attacks to the "backwards mentality" of some people.

"The thinking of some Indians is backwards and racist…A random black man automatically becomes a drug lord. This needs to stop but how to make people aware of it I do not know," he told PTI.

Nigeria had yesterday called in the Indian High Commissioner in Abuja to register its protest over the attacks on its nationals in India and sought "diligent prosecution" against the perpetrators.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj also assured Parliament of a fair probe into the assault on Nigerians.

The Indian Cultural Association in Nigeria, in a letter to India's High Commissioner to Nigeria B N Reddy on Wednesday, categorically condemned the incidents.

"We bring to place on record our condemnation towards this incident which happened in Noida, Delhi (our national capital). Sir, we are staying in Nigeria for many years. Some of us have spent here over 50 years and we never faced this kind of problem any time," the letter said.

"On behalf of the entire Indian community, we wish to convey our complete condemnation towards this incident. We expect that the same should be conveyed to Ministry of External Affairs vehemently and properly," the association said.

It has also called on the Ministry of External Affairs to issue an appropriate advisory to the schools, colleges and general public in India, stating that "your own countrymen are respected in these African countries always and such incidents and unruly behaviour may change their perspective towards us." 

"And above all, taking the law into hands may not solve the problem. It should be tackled within the legal framework of the country," the letter said.

The Aam Aadmi Party on Friday claimed the three-member panel, which recommended recovery of Rs.97 crore from the Delhi government for spending on advertisements, does not have any mandate for the same.

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and senior party leader Manish Sisodia, who also holds portfolio of Information and Publicity, said the AAP government was being "selectively targeted" when no questions are being raised on ads issued by other state governments.

Sisodia added that the AAP government did not splurge money, but tried to communicate the "good work" done by it to the people.

He also appeared defiant and said the AAP government would "continue to engage with people" through ads despite the recovery suit.

Earlier this week, Lt Governor Anil Baijal had directed that Rs 97 crore be recovered from AAP that was allegedly "splurged" by the city government on advertisements in violation of the Supreme Court guidelines, following the recommendations of the Centre-appointed three-member panel.

The three-member committee comprised adman Piyush Pandey, journalist Rajat Sharma and former Chief Election Commissioner B B Tandon.

"The Supreme Court guidelines did not give any such power to the committee to order recovery of ad spending of any government.

"The court had also ordered that the committee should comprise of people with impeachable neutrality and impartiality. However, two members of the committee have close links with the BJP," Sisodia told a press conference here.

Without naming former Chief Minister Sheila Dixit, Sisodia said even she held a business summit in London.

"Other state governments also organise events in five star hotels outside their states," Sisodia said.

He remained non-committal on how the party would respond to the recovery notice.

"We will inform you about (our) legal course," he said.

Hitting out at the BJP without naming the party, Sisodia said, the recovery notice was being issued after the AAP announced to abolish residential house tax if it came to power in the MCD.

For all those eagerly looking forward to making the most of summer by indulging in reading some new offerings, April is — for all intents and purposes — the month of joy. With an ever-expanding list of books releasing during the month, bookworms may be faced with a platter that is as wide as it is varied.

As marketing and hype gain prominence in the publishing industry, it is perhaps the worst of times to judge a book by its cover — or author or publisher, for that matter. More books hit the stands today than ever earlier and many-a-reader falls prey to the marketing honchos behind these book covers, only to be left with a sense of regret later.

Here are the five books across genres that we can't wait to read in April:

"Maid in India" by Tripti Lahiri (Aleph)
This is a pioneering book in many ways that attempts to capture the complex and troubling relations between the maids and their masters in India. The author travelled widely to the villages from where women make their way to work in upper class homes in cities and metropolises. The author points out in the book that life largely depends on maids as more and more women work in the mainstream.

What is also interesting is that Lahiri provides a historical layer to her offering by reminding the readers that for much of India's independence, only a handful could afford to have servants.

"Maps of Delhi" by Pilar Maria Guerrieri (Niyogi)
This publication presents an exquisite study of the maps of Delhi, from the onset of the 19th century till the Master Plan for 2021. It is dubbed by its publisher as the first organised collection of the city's maps. The author has described each map individually in the book, elaborating on its idiosyncrasies, aesthetic details, and rich historical information. The book also includes a chronology of magnificent ancient and modern hand-drawings as also digital maps of the city.

The book reveals, as A.G. Krishna Menon notes in the foreword, the charm of printed maps and the many pleasures and insights they offer when they are physically handled.

"Exit West" by Mohsin Hamid (Penguin Random House)
In a country teetering on the brink of civil war, two young people meet — sensual, fiercely independent Nadia and gentle, restrained Saeed. They embark on a furtive love affair, and are soon cloistered in a premature intimacy by the unrest roiling their city. When it explodes, turning familiar streets into a patchwork of checkpoints and bomb blasts, they begin to hear whispers about doors — doors that can whisk people far away, if perilously and for a price. As the violence escalates, Nadia and Saeed decide that they no longer have a choice. Leaving their homeland and their old lives behind, they find a door and step through.

"Exit West" follows these remarkable characters as they emerge into an alien and uncertain future, struggling to hold on to each other, to their past, to the very sense of who they are.

"A History of Indian Sports Through 100 Artefacts" by Boria Mazumdar (Harper)
This book brings together rare objects — tickets, scorecards, telegrams, letters, newspaper reports — and facts from the annals of Indian sporting history. There is a wealth of tales and nuggets within these pages: the Mohun Bagan team defeating the East Yorkshire Regiment in 1911 to lift the IFA Shield, Ranji's love poems for Mary Holmes, the 1932 cricket tour of England, India's hockey exploits at the Olympics, Lata Mangeshkar's special disc in honour of the 1983 World Cup-winning Indian cricket team and more.

Contemporary history and legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Abhinav Bindra, Sania Mirza, Viswanathan Anand and the exploits at the Paralympics 2016, also claim their space in this archive. Profusely illustrated and beautifully designed, this seems like a collector's edition that no sports lover can resist.

The Congress on Friday demanded an apology from Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar while alleging that he has given "false assurances" in the Legislative Assembly on drafting the Regional Plan 2021.

During his Budget speech on March 24, Parrikar had assured that drafting of the Plan will be done by the state government by December this year.

However, state Town and Country Planning Minister Vijai Sardesai on Wednesday said that drafting cannot be completed by December 2017.

Accusing the BJP of making "U-turns", AICC Secretary Girish Chodankar has said that the chief minister should tender an apology to all MLAs and also to people for "making false assurance" on the crucial issue like Regional Plan.

"Not even a month in chair and the BJP has started a series of U turns by fooling people. The party, which was completely exposed during its previous five-year tenure and then rejected by people (during Assembly elections), is now indulged in making U turns," Chodankar told reporters last evening.

Alleging that the BJP is "confusing" people of Goa, the Congress leader said," Who should people believe in? Should they trust the chief minister or the TCP minister?..This clearly indicates that the BJP-led government is all set to start a five-year-long tenure of U turns, which can be called as the 'U turns within U turn'," he said.

Chodankar said the BJP has always evaded deadlines on the Regional Plan.

"The difference in stands of Parrikar and Sardesai on the Regional Plan makes it clear that Goa will not have the land use plan at least for next five years," the Congress leader said.

A shopkeeper was arrested here on Friday for allegedly selling "artificial eggs" to a woman, police said.

"A shopkeeper named Md. Shamim Ansari was arrested on Friday morning from Park Circus Market for allegedly selling artificial plastic eggs to the complainant Anita Kumar," an officer from the Kolkata Police's Enforcement Branch said.

Kumar lodged a police complaint at Kolkata's Karaya police station on Thursday evening after she discovered that she was sold "fake eggs" that had a strange "plastic-like quality" when they were spread out on a pan.

"I tested my suspicion by putting a match to it and it caught fire. The shell also looked plastic. I was sure that this was not natural and, being a mother, I felt I should alert the public," Kumar said.

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation ordered an investigation into the matter.

A team from the civic body, headed by Mayor-in-Council (Health) Atin Ghosh, raided various city markets and seized similar samples of artificial eggs on Friday. According to Ghosh, the eggs sold by Ansari were procured from a wholesaler in the city's Muchipara area.

"We have seized a crate of eggs from the wholesaler who sold the eggs to Ansari. We will also collect at least three more crates of similar samples from other shops in the market and send them to the concerned department for analysis," Ghosh said.

Accused Ansari bought eggs worth Rs 1.15 lakh from the wholesaler.

"According to the Food Safety and Standards Act, food adulteration is a punishable offence. If these eggs are found to be life-threatening then offenders may face major punishments like life imprisonment and a huge fine," Ghosh added.

Oxford University has unveiled a range of new portraits including those of Indian-origin people to be a source of inspiration for the students and to improve the diversity balance on the walls of the world-famous university.

The portraits, mainly paintings and photographs, include a mixture of men and women from a variety of ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds.

Linguistics scholar Aditi Lahiri, human rights activist Kumi Naidoo and BBC journalist Reeta Chakrabarti join the likes of British film and television director Ken Loach and astrophysicist Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell among the latest batch of around two dozen portraits.

The new works are to be displayed in the university's central public spaces and will be shown at an exhibition in Oxford later in the year.

Rebecca Surender, advocate and pro-vice-chancellor for equality and diversity at the university, said: "It is hugely important for students and staff to feel at home at Oxford, and to feel inspired by people they can relate to".

"This series of portraits, created by a talented group of artists, will broaden the range of people represented around the University. All of those selected to take part have made enormous contributions to Oxford life and to society more widely," Rebecca said.

This commissioning of portraits is one of the biggest projects by the university to create a more diverse range of people portrayed in its public places, including more women, people from ethnic minorities, gays and lesbians and people with disabilities.

All the people depicted have links with the university – such as being former students or academic staff – with the criteria that they were examples of excellence and widened the range of pictures from the "narrow and traditional" and "challenged stereotypes".

Voicing concern over markings on milestones in English being replaced with Hindi in Tamil Nadu, DMK working president MK Stalin on Friday warned that a new movement against Hindi could start in the southern state.

"If the BJP govt tries to prioritise Hindi and give less importance to Tamil language then a new movement against Hindi could start," Stalin said in a statement.

"This shows bringing Hindi hegemony through the backdoor in Tamil Nadu," he said in a statement, adding, it showed the BJP-led Centre did not respect the sentiments of Tamils.

MK Stalin demanded that the Centre should give up imposing Hindi on the people and also stop replacing English signage with that of Hindi.

"The Centre should treat equally all the languages listed in the Eight Schedule to the Constitution," he said.

Voicing concern over markings on milestones in English being replaced with Hindi in Tamil Nadu, DMK working president MK Stalin on Friday warned that a new movement against Hindi could start in the southern state.

"If the BJP govt tries to prioritise Hindi and give less importance to Tamil language then a new movement against Hindi could start," Stalin said in a statement.

"This shows bringing Hindi hegemony through the backdoor in Tamil Nadu," he said in a statement, adding, it showed the BJP-led Centre did not respect the sentiments of Tamils.

MK Stalin demanded that the Centre should give up imposing Hindi on the people and also stop replacing English signage with that of Hindi.

"The Centre should treat equally all the languages listed in the Eight Schedule to the Constitution," he said.

In a another development, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday filed charge sheet in Delhi High Court against Himachal Pradesh CM Virbhadra Singh, his wife and others in the disproportionate assets case.

Earlier in the day, the Delhi High Court had refused to quash the disproportionate assets case against Virbhadra and his wife.

The court had also dismissed his plea challenging an FIR by the CBI against him and vacated the Himachal Pradesh High Court's order restraining the CBI from arresting, interrogating or filing charge sheet against him and his wife.

The Himachal Pradesh High Court on December 2, 2015, had also dismissed the petitions filed by Singh, his wife Pratibha and son Vikramaditya, challenging the orders of the income tax department to reassess their revised returns.

The 81-year-old chief minister had on December 2, 2015, filed a plea seeking directions to the CBI to supply a complete copy of the FIR, including statements relating to assets at the beginning and end of the check period.

(With inputs from agencies)

In a another development, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday filed charge sheet in Delhi High Court against Himachal Pradesh CM Virbhadra Singh, his wife and others in the disproportionate assets case.

Earlier in the day, the Delhi High Court had refused to quash the disproportionate assets case against Virbhadra and his wife.

The court had also dismissed his plea challenging an FIR by the CBI against him and vacated the Himachal Pradesh High Court's order restraining the CBI from arresting, interrogating or filing charge sheet against him and his wife.

The Himachal Pradesh High Court on December 2, 2015, had also dismissed the petitions filed by Singh, his wife Pratibha and son Vikramaditya, challenging the orders of the income tax department to reassess their revised returns.

The 81-year-old chief minister had on December 2, 2015, filed a plea seeking directions to the CBI to supply a complete copy of the FIR, including statements relating to assets at the beginning and end of the check period.

(With inputs from agencies)

The government on Friday notified a simplified Income Tax Return form for individuals which will be available for filing ITR for Assessment Year 2017-18 from April 1.

Currently, SAHAJ (ITR 1) is filed by salaried employees and ITR 2 by individuals and HUFs whose income does not include income from business.

The government has done away with two forms ITR 2A (used by individuals & HUFs not having income from business or profession and capital gains and who do not hold foreign assets).

Only 6 crore out of 29 crore persons holding permanent account number (PAN) file income tax returns at present.

The e-filing facility for ITR-1 is enabled from April 1 and ITRs can be filed till the stipulated deadline of July 31.

At the time of filing the form, the taxpayer has to fill in PAN, Aadhaar number, personal information and information on taxes paid. TDS will be auto-filled in the form.

Post July 1, as per amendments to the Finance Bill 2017 as passed by the Lok Sabha, it would become mandatory for an assessee to provide the Aadhaar number or the number showing that he has applied for Aadhaar in the ITR.

Also ITR 4 (filed by Individuals & HUFs having income from a proprietary business or profession) will now be known as 'Sugam' and ITR-4S will be substituted.

The form ITR-4S was used for filing ITR by individuals/ HUF or Partnership Firm having income from presumptive business.

The government on Friday notified a simplified Income Tax Return form for individuals which will be available for filing ITR for Assessment Year 2017-18 from April 1.

Currently, SAHAJ (ITR 1) is filed by salaried employees and ITR 2 by individuals and HUFs whose income does not include income from business.

The government has done away with two forms ITR 2A (used by individuals & HUFs not having income from business or profession and capital gains and who do not hold foreign assets).

Only 6 crore out of 29 crore persons holding permanent account number (PAN) file income tax returns at present.

The e-filing facility for ITR-1 is enabled from April 1 and ITRs can be filed till the stipulated deadline of July 31.

At the time of filing the form, the taxpayer has to fill in PAN, Aadhaar number, personal information and information on taxes paid. TDS will be auto-filled in the form.

Post July 1, as per amendments to the Finance Bill 2017 as passed by the Lok Sabha, it would become mandatory for an assessee to provide the Aadhaar number or the number showing that he has applied for Aadhaar in the ITR.

Also ITR 4 (filed by Individuals & HUFs having income from a proprietary business or profession) will now be known as 'Sugam' and ITR-4S will be substituted.

The form ITR-4S was used for filing ITR by individuals/ HUF or Partnership Firm having income from presumptive business.