Thursday, December 23, 2010, Chandigarh, India
Updated at 2:30 am (IST)

HC stays quota for Gujjars
l Blockade of rail, road continues l Bainsla threatens to stop milk supply to Delhi 
Jaipur, December 22
In a setback to Gujjars, the Rajasthan High Court today stayed the operation of an Act granting five per cent reservation for them and directed the state government to undertake a data collection exercise to justify the quota for members of the community.

Gujjars burn tyres and wield sticks as they shout slogans after the Rajasthan High Court rejected a petition seeking 5 per cent reservation in government jobs for the community, in Ajmer on Wednesday. — PTI 

Editorial: Withdraw agitation
Central forces rush to Rajasthan

2G SPECTRUM SCAM
Govt offers to hold special session for discussing JPC
New Delhi, December 22
With the Opposition remaining adamant on JPC probe into 2G scam, the Centre today offered to convene a special session of Parliament to discuss whether to set up such a committee.
Meet our demand or quit, BJP tells PM
CBI may question Raja tomorrow 

Centre pushes for more import to bring down onion prices
New Delhi, December 22
Intervention at the highest possible level by the government appears to have worked. The Consumer Affairs Department today said the prices of onions will “definitely show a declining trend” in next two-three days while Cabinet Secretary KM Chandrasekhar, who is personally monitoring the situation, asked the Commerce Ministry to “speed up” the import of onions to augment domestic availability.

SGPC to give say to foreign Sikhs
Mulls panel to address Sikh concerns across globe
Amritsar, December 22
Even as the SGPC is gearing up for a protest outside the US Embassy in New Delhi tomorrow over the turban frisking issue, it is toying with the idea of setting up an advisory panel comprising Sikh representatives from foreign countries to deal with the problems being faced by the community abroad.

Sachin, Sehwag in ICC shortlist for greatest ODI team
Dubai, December 22
Indian batting icon Sachin Tendulkar, along with Virender Sehwag, today found a place in the list of players nominated for an ICC online poll to pick the all-time greatest team as part of one-day cricket's 40th anniversary celebrations. The retired Sourav Ganguly is also part of the list of openers, from which only two would make the final dream team.

Fifth Gen Aircraft to match US F-22 Raptor
New Delhi, December 22
In a clear indication of balancing out the global ‘power equation’, India formally signed a deal with Russia to co-develop and co-produce a next generation fighter aircraft here today.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev during his visit to the Taj Mahal in Agra on Wednesday. — AFP 

Medvedev says Russia and  US working to reduce nukes 

Would smash Pak if it tested N-bomb, Moraraji told US  Washington, December 22 Refusing to enter into any formal agreement with Pakistan on non-use and non-development of nuclear weapons, the then PM Morarji Desai had told the US in 1979 that if Islamabad exploded a nuclear bomb, he would act to “smash it,” a declassified US memo shows. The conversation that transpired between Desai and the then US Ambassador to India Robert F Goheen in a one-on-one meeting in June 1979 have been made public as part of a series of declassified documents yesterday.