National News

• Tamil Nadu: Public money going down the drain March 20, 2010
  In Tamil Nadu, the DMK government launched a project called Samthuvapuram to provide free houses and promote brotherhood between Dalits and dominant communities across Tamil Nadu. But at a colony in Madurai the real beneficiaries don't live in these houses, their tenants do. And the situation is the same across 148 such projects.
• J&K: Key Hizbul man killed in encounter March 20, 2010
  In a major victory for the security forces, Hizbul Mujahideen’s district commander, Parvaiz Ahmad Dar alias Musharaf, was killed in an encounter in South Kashmir’s Awantipore area on Saturday. Parvaiz was active in the area since 1997.
• PM steps in to save the tiger March 20, 2010
  For those who believe saving the tiger should be a national priority, perhaps the most frightening reality is that no matter what anyone says, or even the involvement of the Prime Minister, our national animal continues to be hunted.
• Apex Court 'may collapse' under deluge of appeals March 20, 2010
  Deploring the practice of filing Special Leave Petitions (SLPs) on frivolous grounds, the Supreme Court has warned that it would "collapse" under the burden if the rot is not stemmed and referred the issue to a Constitution Bench to fix parameters for entertaining such pleas.
• Raj Assembly crisis over, MLAs’ suspension revoked March 20, 2010
  The crisis in Rajasthan Assembly over the suspension of two MLAs that saw their colleagues sitting in the well of the House for two nights has finally ended. Deputy Leader of the Opposition Ghanshyam Tiwari and Chief Minister Ashok Gehot had a long meeting on Saturday morning where they decided to revoke the suspension of two BLP MLAs Hanuman Beniwal and Rajendra Rathore.
• Naxals kidnap govt officials in Jharkhand March 20, 2010
  Naxals struck again in Jharkhand, this time in the Latehar area where they kidnapped four top government officials. Among them is the Additional Collector, Road Executive Engineer with the Public Works Department (PWD) and the head of the Latehar Dairy Farm. The officials were, however, released later.
• Pak must now act against 26/11 perpetrators: India March 20, 2010
  A day after David Headley admitted to his role in 26/11 in a plea bargain in America, Home Minister P Chidambaram stepped up pressure on Pakistan to take action against the 26/11 perpetrators.
• Major killed due to grenade explosion March 20, 2010
  An army Major died on the spot on Saturday when a grenade slipped from his hands while he was patrolling a forest area of Ganderbal district in Kashmir, officials said.
• India can interrogate David Headley: P Chidambaram March 20, 2010
  Home Minister P Chidambaram on Saturday said that India will be able to obtain access to David Headley for questioning. The Pakistani-American has, in a plea bargain in America, accepted that he helped plan and execute 26/11.
• Full text of P Chidambaram's statement on Headley plea March 20, 2010
  Yesterday, at the media briefing, I tried to explain the import of the ‘plea agreement’ between David Coleman Headley and the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.