New Delhi, Feb 24 : The government, on Tuesday declared a reduction of two per cent in the excise duty and service tax to decrease pressure on the nation''s industrial sector in times of economic meltdown.

While the general excise duty has been reduced from ten percent to eight percent, the rate of service tax cut is from twelve percent to ten percent.

New Delhi, Feb. 24 : The Nalanda Mentor Group (NMG) met in Bodh Gaya on February 19 and 20, 2009.

To date, four meetings of the NMG have been held: July 2007 in Singapore; December 2007 in Tokyo; May 2008 in New York, and August 2008 in New Delhi.

The NMG has examined and recommended the framework and structure of international cooperation and partnership governing the establishment of Nalanda University (NU) that would facilitate continued international support and engagement and help initiate funding arrangements.

It has also made recommendations on the choice of an appropriate academician as the Inaugural Rector to be appointed for NU.

New Delhi, Feb 24: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) today pleaded before a Delhi court to give the maximum punishment of seven years to former Union Communications Minister Sukhram in connection with a disproportionate assets case.

Special CBI prosecutor Gurdial Singh told Special CBI Judge V K Maheshwari that Sukhram is liable for a maximum sentence under the Prevention of Corruption Act as the wealth was collected during his tenure as a Minister.

Advocate S P Minocha, who is representing Sukhram, pleaded for a lenient approach on account of the minister''s poor health.

The judge said he would pronounce the quantum of sentence against Sukhram on Wednesday.

New Delhi, Feb 24: If the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) returns to power in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) will attempt to regain ownership of the prominent newspaper Hindustan Times, which is currently owned by the Birlas, a website has claimed.

According to Politicsparty. com, the Akalis are very keen to regain the ownership of the Hindustan Times, which was first launched by Master Sunder Singh Lyallpuri.

Lyallpuri sold the newspaper to his friend Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya due to financial problems. Later, Malviya sold the Hindustan Times to industrialist Ghanshyamdas Birla, politicsparty. com claimed.

New Delhi, Feb 24 : Rajya Sabha chairman Hamid Ansari and Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee today congratulated the Slumdog Millionaire team for winning eight Oscars, including three Oscars to Indians A R Rahman, Gulzar and Rasul Pookutty.

"I would like to felicitate the three Indians who have won the Oscars," Ansari said.

In the Lok Sabha, Chatterjee made a statement congratulating the awardees and the entire teams of ''Slumdog'' and ''Smile Pinki''.

New Delhi, Feb 24: External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday said that New Delhi would respond to Pakistani action on Mumbai dossier.