Quicktakes

The 65-year-old chairman of the Times of India Group, underwent a heart transplant operation at Cleveland clinic on January 10, but his health suffered a setback last week leading to his re-admission to the clinic8217;s intensive care unit ICU, a press release by the group said here.

Pant to head Plan Commission

NEW DELHI: K C Pant has been appointed Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, officials said here today. He succeeds Jaswant Singh who was inducted into the Union Cabinet as External Affairs Minister. A former Defence Minister, Pant was also chairman of the Tenth Finance Commission. Other new members of the Planning Commission are economist S P Gupta, and H M Tiwari who is a former forest officer. Other members are M Ahluwalia and S R Hashim.

Clinton trial

WASHINGTON:Senate Republicans on Thursday sent President Bill Clinton a letter inviting him to testify in a closed-door deposition at his impeachment trial saying his answers 8220;should prove beneficial8221; to the first such trial in 131 years. But White House lawyers rejected the request saying there was nothing new that is likely to come out by prolonging the case.

Railway projects

NEW DELHI: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs CCEA today cleared 12 railway projects costing Rs 2529 crore, covering 1,831 km of rail line. Of the 12 projects, six would be new lines, four gauge conversions and one each for doubling and electrification.