Friday, March 30, 2007, Chandigarh, India
Updated at 3:00 am (IST)

SC stays OBC quota in IITs, IIMs
New Delhi, March 29
In a severe jolt to the UPA government’s reservation policy extending the 27 per cent quota for OBCs in the central education institutions of higher learning, the supreme court today stayed the operation of the relevant clause of the act passed last year to facilitate this, saying the entire issue needed to be examined in detail before implementing the scheme.

Nation page: SC analyses parties’ stand on quota Centre under pressure Editorial: Setback to quotas In video (56k)

The law is valid: Arjun “I am convinced that the Supreme Court will also get convinced that the law is valid,” Arjun Singh, Union human resources development minister, said. (Details on Nation page)

Indian pros in UK told to go
London, March 29
Deportation orders have been served on Indian professionals who are unable to meet the new eligibility criteria under the Highly Skilled Migrants Programme, according to a group campaigning against the November 2006 changes to immigration rules.

US to up number of visas for Indian students

Jalandhar boy killed in US Ballan (Jalandhar), March 29 Ajmer Singh Saabi (23), an NRI, has allegedly been shot dead in California of the USA. Some unknown persons killed him when he was parking his truck on Tuesday evening (Wednesday morning, IST.

Pawar’s assurance to Gill on wheat

QUESTION MARKS ON THEIR FACES: Punjab farmers protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi against the government’s anti-farmer policies. — Tribune photo by Mukesh Aggarwal

3 get life term in ’84 riots case
New Delhi, March 29
A Delhi court on Thursday sentenced three persons to life imprisonment for lynching three Sikhs in the capital during the 1984 anti-sikh riots here that killed thousands of the community, observing that posterity would not pardon such wanton carnage.

Badal challenges ’66 act
Chandigarh, March 29
In a move that will further strain the fragile inter-state relations and is likely to stoke political embers, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said his government would challenge the Punjab Re-organisation Act, 1966.

Fallen heroes sneak in Videocon drops Dravid, Dhoni Indian cricketers returned from the West Indies to security welcome (see Anil Kumble hunkered in his vehicle in the picture below) on Thursday as Videocon said it would pull off advertisements featuring skipper Rahul Dravid and Mahendra Dhoni. (Details on Sports page)
	Sports page: Kiwis win by 7 wickets Woolmer murder linked to Dawood: Report TODAY England vs Ireland Georgetown 7 pm

RTI first in Kullu Kullu became the first district in establishing e-information touch screen display in northern India, named as ‘e-Soochna Kiosk’ under the Right To Information programme, at the mini secretariat building, Dhalpur, in Kullu, Wednesday.

NC: Discontent due to erosion in autonomy
New Delhi, March 29
With the National Conference participating for the first time in the working group on Jammu and Kashmir dealing with centre-state relations, the discussion today centred mostly around the demands relating to autonomy and Article 370.

Nation page: Azad hints at panel of security experts

New Harry Potter book cover revealed New York, March 29 What picture shows a dramatic gold and orange sky and a teenage boy in glasses reaching upward? It's the cover to the seventh and final Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, coming out July 21. As always, the cover was designed by illustrator Mary GrandPre, US publisher Scholastic, Inc, announced on Wednesday.