New Delhi - India is working on a policy for cooperation between world navies to deal with the increasing threat of piracy on the high seas, Defence Minister AK Antony said Friday.
Sea piracy has been a cause of growing concern for India with Somalian pirates holding hostage 18 Indian sailors on board a Japanese-owned merchant vessel for more than six weeks.
The International Maritime Bureau said 30 ships have been hijacked for ransom off Somalia in 2008.
"We cannot allow the situation to continue," Antony was quoted as saying by the PTI news agency after a conference of naval commanders in New Delhi. "There should be a solution to this. We must put a stop to this kind of piracy, so India is very much concerned."
New Delhi, Oct 31: The Union Cabinet today approved an ambitious scheme to provide stand-alone drinking water system to one lakh schools across the country, which will be implemented from November 14.
Referring to the budget announcement this year that one lakh schools would be provided with clean drinking water facilities, Finance Minister P Chidambaram said the Union Cabinet approved the scheme which would cost Rs 200 crore during the current financial year.
He said the Director General Supplies and Disposal (DGS&D) has finalised the technologies, the rates and suppliers for the systems.
“This had also been communicated to the respective governments in the states and union territories,” he added.
New Delhi, Oct 31: The Union Cabinet today cleared the long-pending Right to Education Bill.
"The Bill has been considered at several levels by the Group of Ministers (GoM). The Cabinet has approved the text of the Bill," Finance Minister P. Chidambaram told reporters here today.
In a major boost to education sector, Chidambaram said that it would be legally enforcible duty of the Centre and the states to provide free and compulsory education.
The text of the Bill will be released after the HRD Ministry has consultations with the Election Commission in view of the assembly polls in some states.
New Delhi, Oct 31 : Indian opener Gautam Gambhir was banned for one Test match after he was found guilty of elbowing Australia all-rounder Shane Watson during the ongoing third Test in Delhi.
International Cricket Council (ICC) match referee Chris Broad today charged Gambhir with a level-two offence of not conducting play "within the spirit of the game as well as within the laws of cricket".
Meanwhile, the BCCI is going to appeal to ICC to relax the punishment on Gambhir.
New Delhi, Oct 31 : External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee will begin his three-day visit to Iran from today to discuss ways to push the proposed trilateral gas pipeline project.
During his visit, Mukherjee will attend the Joint Commission meeting during which the two sides are expected to discuss various other initiatives to enhance their ties.
The two sides will also hold talks on several issues, including trade and business to enhance the bilateral ties.
New Delhi - Indian equities soared over 5 per cent on Friday tailing positive cues from global markets after rate cuts in the United States and Japan.
New Delhi, Oct 31 : Indian opener Gautam Gambhir was banned for one Test match after he was found guilty of elbowing Australia all-rounder Shane Watson during the ongoing third Test in Delhi.
New Delhi, Oct 31 : External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee will begin his three-day visit to Iran from today to discuss ways to push the proposed trilateral gas pipeline project.
