India News

Violence breaks out during Bihar shutdown

BiharPatna, Oct 25: Violence broke out during the dawn-to-dusk Bihar shutdown today called by various student organisations to protest against the attacks on North Indian candidates during a railway recruitment examination in Mumbai.

The shutdown is being called by various student organisations, including AISA, the student wing of Communist Party of India
(Marxist-Leninist), an ultra Left party.

Students ransacked Shekhpura railway station and delinked the engine of a passenger train this morning.

Eight militants killed in India's restive Manipur state

ManipurNew Delhi - At least eight militants were killed in separate clashes with security forces in India's north-eastern state of Manipur, police said Friday.

"Police commandos and paramilitary forces killed five militants from the banned Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) in an encounter near a village 30 kilometres from state capital Imphal on Thursday night," a state police officer said by telephone, requesting anonymity.

Indian equities tank 8 per cent on global cues, monetary policy

New Delhi - Indian equities extended losses Friday as the benchmark Sensex tumbled 8 per cent to a two-year low as investors sold heavily after the central bank disappointed them by keeping key rates unchanged in its policy review.

The 30-share-sensitive index, which had shed 912 points over two sessions since Wednesday, lost another 782.62 points by mid-session Friday.

The Sensex fell sharply to 8,989.08, a loss of 8.01 per cent, by noon (06 30 GMT), after a credit and monetary review was announced by the Reserve Bank of India.

Banking, metal and realty stocks shed between 6 to 8 per cent to lead the Sensex to below 9,000, a level last seen in 2006.

Jumbos face the global meltdown in Jaipur

Jaipur, RajasthanJaipur, Oct. 23 : There has been a low turn out of visitors to the Jaipur city this time round. And, one of the most affected have been the jumbos whose owners are finding it tough to care for them in this difficult time.

One month into the tourist season has passed but one can find many jumbos standing idle in queue at Hathi stand in Amer village of Jaipur to carry them to historical Amer Fort. The village has about 100 elephants.

It takes about a thousand rupees a day to feed an animal whereas the daily earnings around rupees 300-400.

NHRC notice to Maharashtra Government on MNS activities

New Delhi, Oct 23 : The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issued a notice to the Maharashtra Government after having taken the suo-motu cognizance of the incidents of attack on north Indian aspirants for railway jobs by the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).

The Commission has asked the state Chief Secretary and Director General of Police to submit their reports within two weeks.

The Commission said the media report highlighted the attack by the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena on aspirants for employment in the Railways and its demand that only Maharashtrians be recruited to fill vacancies in Central and Western Railways.

Jharkhand’s Birhor tribals still lead a primitive lifestyle

Chhatra (Jharkhand), Oct. 23: It could be surprising for many in the country but Birhor, one of the primitive tribes in Jharkhand, is surviving by eating roots and leaves from the forests for ages. They lead a primitive lifestyle here.

They depend on roots and leaves taken from the forest for their staple diet. But social scientists are concerned about Birhors’ survival. The fear stems from the knowledge that Birhors, at times, tend to eat even poisonous roots and leaves.

It is feared the habit may cause their extinction. Over two dozen persons, belonging to Birhor tribe, died in a fortnight recently after consuming toxic vegetation.

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