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A four member committee,headed by IIT-Kharagpur director Prof Damodar Acharya is working on ways to minimize competition for the...

Panel to tighten eligibility for IIT-JEE

NEW DELHI: A four member committee,headed by IIT-Kharagpur director Prof Damodar Acharya is working on ways to minimize competition for the Joint Entrance Examination JEE,ensure non-serious students do not apply and to check the rise of the IIT-JEE coaching lobby. The committee is considering increasing weightage of board exam scores to tighten eligibility for JEE.

Didnt sail on Kuber: Kasab

MUMBAI: Ajmal Kasab on Monday disputed prosecutions submission that he and nine other 26/11 attackers arrived in Mumbai on board the Kuber and claimed that the vessel was found abandoned by the police a month before the attacks. The front page of the station diary shows that this abandoned vessel was recovered by police on October 27,2008,exactly a month before the attacks, Kasabs lawyer K P Pawar said. However,Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam contended that if the entries in the station diary are read in a sequence it will be clear that the vessel was seized by police.

Pragya booked for suicide attempt

MUMBAI: Police on Monday filed an attempt to suicide case against Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur,the prime accused in 2008 Malegaon blast case who is lodged in the Nashik Prison,after she refused to eat for five days in protest against the jail authorities alleged failure to abide by a court order to get her treated at a private hospital.

Mauni Baba dies of cardiac arrest in US

CHERUVATHUR KERALA: Mauni Baba,80,considered to be the fourth link in the Shirdi Saibaba lineage,died of cardiac arrest at Minnesota University Hospital in the US on Saturday,the head of Babas ashram Savithri said on Monday. His body will be brought to the ashram and laid to rest, she added. Baba set up a cave ashram at Cheruvathur in Kerala in 1962 to keep his vow of silence. He was reportedly close to former PMs Indira Gandhi,Gulzarilal Nanda and Charan Singh.

PIL for derecognition of Sena dismissed

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a PIL seeking de-recognition of Shiv Sena and MNS and prosecution of its leaders for their hate campaign against north Indians. The PIL filed by Mohan Pandit cited various instances of the two political parties targeting north Indians during railway recruitment exams in 2008 and the assault on SPs Abu Azmi by MNS legislators in the Assembly. The plea also sought criminal prosecution of Bal Thackeray and Raj Thackeray.

Thorat gets Mother Teresa Award

NEW DELHI: Prof Sukhadeo Thorat,Chairman of the University Grants Commission and author of several books,has been honoured with the prestigious Mother Teresa Lifetime Achievement Award for 2010. He will receive the award on April 10 in Kolkata.

SC seeks report on illegal arms sale

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NEW DELHI: The SC on Monday directed the Centre and Rajasthan to file status reports within four weeks on the action taken against Army and civilian officers allegedly involved in illegal sale of arms and issuance of licences to dubious persons. The scam,unearthed in 2007,reportedly involved Army officers,including some of the rank of major general,and bureaucrats. ENS amp; PTI