Indian Sub-continent

New Delhi, Mar 9 (PTI) Taking a swipe at Attorney General K K Venugopal's fresh remark on Rafale documents, senior Congress leader P Chidambram Saturday said that from "stolen documents" they became "photocopied documents" as the "thief" may have returned them.

Jammu, Mar 9 (PTI) The Jammu and Kashmir administration has approved rehiring of lecturers and teachers on academic arrangement for continued academic activities, an official said on Saturday.

The sanction was accorded at the meeting of state administrative council (SAC), headed by Governor Satya Pal Malik, here on Friday, the official said.

The approval was granted to hire eligible lecturers, who have already rendered their services during the last academic year, purely on academic arrangement basis from March 11-June 30, the official said.

New Delhi, Mar 9 (PTI) Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Saturday hit out at the Centre over alleged lack of job creation, saying the three main issues in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls would be jobs, jobs and jobs.

"What is worse? Not creating jobs or lying about creation of jobs?" Chidambaram asked in a tweet, alleging that the National Democratic Alliance government was guilty of both. "The top three issues in the elections will be jobs, jobs and jobs."

Jeypore (Odisha), Mar 8 (PTI) Sharpening his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Rafale deal, Congress president Rahul Gandhi Friday accused him of having prepared the new contract for purchase of fighter jets from France, sidlining the official negotiating team in order to benefit Anil Ambani.

Gandhi, who addressed a Congress rally and interacted with women on the International Women's Day here, said public sector Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), which produces fighter aircraft, was ignored by Modi in Rafale deal.

New Delhi, Mar 8 (PTI) Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday condemned the violence against Kashmiris and said India belonged to its citizens from every corner of the country.

Gandhi's reaction come after two Kashmiri vendors selling dry fruits were thrashed by a group of saffron-clad men in Lucknow on Wednesday.

Chennai, Mar 8 (PTI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami Friday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to confer Param Vir Chakra, the country's highest military honour, on Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, captured by Pakistan after a dogfight in the skies and released later.

In a letter to Modi, Palaniswami said the IAF pilot, a native of Tamil Nadu, displayed amazing poise and confidence in the face of adverse condition and it would be appropriate he be awarded the highest military honour.

Raipur, Mar 8 (PTI) A hardcore Naxal, who was carrying a reward of Rs 8 lakh on his head, Friday surrendered before the police in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh, officials said.

According to Sukma police, the Naxal, identified as Madkam Arjun, has been active in South Bastar division since the last 18 years.

New Delhi, March 8 (PTI) The Delhi Cabinet Friday approved recommendations of a fare revision committee to hike auto-rickshaw tariffs by Rs 1.50 per kilometre.

The meter-down charge of Rs 25 per two kilometre has also been revised by the committee to Rs 25 for 1.5 kilometre, said Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot.

The revised charges will be implemented after the Transport Department's notification, Gahlot said.

Chennai, Mar 8 (PTI) The three mediators appointed by Supreme Court to resolve the Ayodhya dispute have a common thread -- all hail from Tamil Nadu.

The Supreme Court Friday referred the politically sensitive case for mediation and appointed retired apex court judge FMI Kalifulla as the head and senior advocate Sriram Panchu and spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar as two other members of the panel for the purpose.

New Delhi, Mar 8 (PTI) Delhi minister Rajendra Pal Gautam on Friday dubbed the Modi government as "anti-Dalit, OBC and tribals" and said these sections of the society should vote the BJP out of power in the upcoming general election.

Gautam, the social welfare minister of Delhi, was addressing a press conference, along with Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Dharmendra Yadav, on the BJP-led central government's decision to bring an ordinance restoring the 200-point roster on faculty appointments in universities.