Import duty on pulses lifted
Centre initiates steps to check soaring prices

NEW DELHI, Oct 31 : Government today allowed duty free import of pulses, abolished four per cent special additional duty on Vanaspati inputs and asked NAFED to increase procurement and supply of onion to check soaring prices of essential commodities......more

Families capture Tehsildar’s house
Migration continues from Hiranagar
border villages

Excelsior Correspondent

HIRANAGAR, Oct 31: As Pakistani rangers continued heavy firing on Indian positions on the International Border, 30 more families migrated from village Sade Chak and captured the residential quarter of Tehsildar. The migrated families who have already took asylum in the tehsil headquarters, on the other hand, have decided to intensify their agitation........more

Two family members, guide gunned down in Kishtwar

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 31: Militants torched a house, gunned down two family members and wounded another at village Kochhal under the jurisdiction of Chatroo police station in Doda district last night. Another youth, who was working as a guide for the security forces, was shot dead by militants at Bhagla Bharat hills...more

Cop's surrender before militants
5 militants among 8 killed in Valley

Excelsior Correspondent

SRINAGAR, Oct 31: While as the security forces have eliminated 5 militants, all of them believed to be foreigners in Kashmir valley, militants have shot dead a school-teacher, a released militant as also an unidentified civilian. Militants also attacked the residence of a National Conference (NC) activist at Tangmarg and forced the house-guard to lay down his arms..........more

NEW DELHI, Oct 31: President K R Narayanan tonight promulgated an ordinance to allow companies to buy back their shares, issue sweat equity and make inter-corporate investments and loans without Government permission........more

Tipnis appointed new Air Chief

NEW DELHI, Oct 31: Air Marshal A Y Tipnis has been appointed the new Chief of the Air Staff.

He will succeed Air Chief Marshal S K Sareen, who retires on December 31 this year, a Defence Ministry spokesman said today.........more

Dr Kalam awarded with Indira Gandhi Award

NEW DELHI, Oct 31: Congress president Sonia Gandhi today asked policy makers not to be obscurantists saying those now in power had a purely sectarian approach which could adversely affect the modernisation process. .........more

Experts confirm killing of endangered species

JODHPUR, Oct 31: The forensic science laboratory has confirmed killing of black bucks and chinkaras by blood spots and hair found on a gypsy allegedly used by cine stars charged with poaching of endangered animals here recently.......more

Inter-State Council’s Standing Committee reconstituted

NEW DELHI, Oct 31: The Government today formed the Standing Committee of the newly-reconstituted Inter-State Council (ISC) with Home Minister L K Advani as its chairman.....more