Massive storm, rain lash Delhi; 3 aircraft, many cars damaged

NEW DELHI: A massive dust storm followed by heavy rain hit the national capital on Friday afternoon uprooting many trees, disrupting traffic and Delhi Metro services and brought the city to a standstill.

According to Times Now, three aircraft were damaged in the storm. Many parked cars were damaged by the falling trees. Airport sources told IANS that the three planes were parked at the T-3 (terminal 3) of the Indira Gandhi International Airpor. These belonged to Go Air and Air India.

21 flights, which were coming to Delhi, were diverted, officials told IANS. Among the flights that were diverted included four international flights coming from Kathmandu, Sharjah, Colombo and Kabul.
The rain brought down the temperature of the city which recorded a maximum of 43.7 degrees celsius on Friday making it the hottest day of the season.

Thousands of people had to run to take shelter from the storm and rain.

According to NDTV, at least 18 domestic and one international Delhi-bound flights were also diverted to nearby airports.

"The storm was so strong that it caused a pillar to fall on a parked car," said Ranjana Narayan, a journalist.

Delhi Metro services were hit on two of its busiest lines: Yellow and Blue.

Passengers tweeted that they were asked to deboard from the trains at some stations after technical faults caused by the storm hit the services hard on both these lines, leaving hundreds stranded.

Long power cuts have been reported from many parts of the city.

The Met office said the minimum temperature in the city was recorded at 29.1 degrees celsius, two notches above the season's average.

(With inputs from IANS)

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi's wife Jashoda Modi gets 24x7 security cover

AHMEDABAD: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's wife Jashoda Modi (62) has been provided a 24x7 security cover. "Jashoda Modi's security includes four armed policemen in plainclothes and a vehicle to keep a watch on her surroundings and any suspicious movement in her village. She will be accompanied by a constable round the clock," SB Trivedi, DSP Mehsana, told TOI.

Jashoda, a retired teacher, stays with her elder brother Ashok Modi in a modest house opposite the Ramji Mandir in Unjha.

Modi recently acknowledged Jashoda as his wife in the nomination papers filed during the Lok Sabha polls. He had left the column on his marital status blank during earlier elections.

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Smriti Irani asks Delhi University to reinstate officials who were suspended for leaking documents on her education

NEW DELHI: A day after five officials from Delhi University's School of Open Learning were suspended for allegedly leaking to the press documents related to the new HRD minister's education, Smriti Irani has tweeted, "Since DU is an autonomous institution I have put forth my personal appeal to the VC to reinstate the officials."

As per university sources, the officials, section officer downwards, were suspended for allegedly "opening confidential sections of the files" and sharing with a Hindi newspaper copies of Irani's documents including her admit card. The documents show that Irani had taken admission in political science in 2013; she also didn't write her first year exam.

READ ALSO: DU suspends 5 for leaking Smriti Irani documents

Congress' Digvijaya Singh had earlier said on Twitter, "Would anyone stand up for the suspended officials of DU ?" And responding to Irani's tweet, he wrote, " Thanks Smriti for appealing to VC DU for reinstating DU officials. Now let people of this country know your actual educational qualification."

READ ALSO: 'Judge me by my work', Smriti Irani says

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RBI's '007' Raghuram Rajan faces pro-growth boss in Modi

MUMBAI: Hailed as a troubleshooting "James Bond" of central bankers amid India's currency crisis last year, Raghuram Rajan was given a licence to kill inflation with higher interest rates and drive a programme of monetary policy reforms.

Now, the governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) may need all the suave charm of the fictional British spy to sell that same hard-nosed agenda to a powerful new Prime Minister who is determined to revive economic growth and create jobs.

READ ALSO: Hope to work with Modi govt to battle inflation, RBI chief says

Rajan, who calls high inflation a "dangerous disease", won plaudits after he took office in September for arresting a rupee freefall and helping restore investor confidence that had all but evaporated under a lame-duck government led by the Congress party.
This month's decisive election win by the pro-growth Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) shifts the power dynamics. Now, investors and voters are looking to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to stir India's economy from its prolonged torpor, putting Rajan and Modi on a collision course if inflation stays high.

In his first months on the job, Rajan overcame push-back from within the central bank as well as the finance ministry to shift the benchmark inflation measure from wholesale to consumer prices. The consumer price index (CPI) is the global standard, but in India the higher level of CPI meant Rajan was likely to keep rates tighter for longer.

READ ALSO: 7 top priorities for the finance ministry

High interest rates make credit more expensive and create a difficult environment to re-ignite growth.

But if, as many expect under Modi, the investment climate improves and government expenses are managed better, Rajan might get some relief on the inflation front. Investors expect Modi to bring down inflation by cutting subsidies, improving food distribution and promoting investment in infrastructure.

"The Modi-Rajan equation reminds us of that between Volcker and Reagan, where it was a combination of the central banker's inflation-fighting cred and the latter's charismatic image," said Philippe Jauer, chief investment officer at fund manager Amundi Singapore. Paul Volcker was head of the U.S. Federal Reserve when Ronald Reagan was president in the 1980s.

For now, the RBI is expected to leave interest rates on hold at its policy review on Tuesday, but investors will be scouring Rajan's accompanying statement for clues to whether the new government's strong electoral mandate has changed his rate outlook.

Investors expect the next policy move will be a rate cut, but perhaps not before early next year.

Ties at the top

A professor at the University of Chicago and former chief economist at the International Monetary Fund, Rajan was brought back to India in 2012 to be chief adviser to then-finance minister P Chidambaram of the Congress party, which meant the two already had a working relationship when Rajan took over at the RBI.

After stunning the markets with a series of bold measures on his first day, he was dubbed variously by the Indian media as "The Guv" and "a rock star banker".

The "Name's Rajan, game's Bond," the Economic Times daily gushed on its front page, with a photo-edited picture of Rajan in an action pose and brandishing James Bond's trademark Beretta pistol, albeit one made of rupee notes.

Rajan, 51, has proven to be a pragmatic - if not swashbuckling - operator at the RBI, pushing to streamline a staid institution, deepen markets, and reform policymaking to control the country's grinding inflation.

Rajan and the new finance minister, Arun Jaitley, 62, a prominent corporate lawyer, held a meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday, but have not previously worked together.

Jaitley is not seen to be as hawkish as Rajan on inflation, a dynamic that is typical between central bankers and governments around the world and often leads to tension.

One senior finance ministry official who worked with Rajan and was part of the team that made a presentation this week to Jaitley said Rajan's initiative to set an inflation target based on CPI could create conflict if, as many expect, CPI rises in coming months.

"Rajan is ... making things difficult for the government by publicly speaking about RBI's stance on the CPI inflation. He would not find it easy to backtrack even if he wants to adjust with the new government," the official said.

The shift would give the central bank a clear price-stability mandate and make fighting inflation its chief objective. Previously, the RBI was charged with promoting growth and financial stability as well as controlling inflation.

Far from done

Getting the new government's support for inflation targeting is far from a done deal. Rajan has done what he can to set an informal target by establishing a "glide path" to get CPI inflation down to an annual 6 percent by January 2016 and 4 percent, plus or minus 2 percentage points, a year later.

CPI inflation was at 8.59 percent in April year-on-year after running near or above 10 percent for almost two years through the end of 2013.

"Inflation targeting will require trying to convince the government, and I think it won't necessarily be a bed of roses. But I think it is a right step," said Rajeev Malik, senior economist at CLSA in Singapore.

Inflation targeting and setting up a monetary policy committee,as Rajan proposes, both require legislative changes. Agreeing on the make-up of a committee, including whether the government would appoint members and who they might be, could prove contentious.

Rajan recently softened his tone, noting that inflation targets are for the medium term and are flexible, and that the proposal does not aim to turn the RBI into "inflation nutters".

However, he was uncharacteristically blunt on the subject of RBI independence in other recent remarks.

"I am happy to talk to the government, I am happy to listen to the government, but ultimately the interest rate that is set is set by me," he said at an event in St. Gallen, Switzerland.

"The government can fire me, but the government does not set monetary policy."

On Tuesday, after his first meeting with Jaitley as finance minister, he said fighting inflation would continue to be a priority, although the RBI will also aim to strike a balance between spurring economic growth and containing prices.

"RBI has always maintained the balance between growth and inflation," he told reporters.

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Govt moves to hike defence FDI up to 100%

NEW DELHI: Within two days of taking charge, the Narendra Modi government has begun work on allowing up to 100% foreign investment in defence production, in a bid to send a strong signal to global investors as well as to try and move the production base of some equipment into the country.

READ ALSO: Defence reboot policy: Revamp R&D, simplify weapons purchase

The commerce and industry ministry has circulated a Cabinet note seeking comments from other government agencies, sources familiar with the development told TOI.

The ministry is also readying other proposals to allow FDI in sectors such as railways, where the list of areas where investment will be allowed is being expanded, according to sources. Earlier, the government had planned to allow FDI in high-speed train systems, suburban corridors, high-speed tracks and freight lines connecting ports and mines. Similarly, there is a proposal to ease FDI norms in construction.

On Tuesday, Arun Jaitley had spoken of the government's intent to hike the FDI cap in the sector to 100% from 26% at present — a move that has been resisted by the defence ministry for years.

READ ALSO: 6 top priorities for the ministry of defence

With Jaitley holding both the finance and defence portfolios, opposition may be muted this time. In any case, during his election campaign Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced his support for greater private participation in the defence sector.

The commerce & industry ministry has suggested a graded foreign investment ceiling. It has suggested a cap of 49% FDI for companies that do not transfer technology, while in ventures where the foreign partner is willing to transfer knowhow, the government intends to allow up to 74% FDI, and there will be no cap (100% FDI) for companies engaged in manufacturing state-of-the art equipment and machinery or those undertaking modernization projects.

The cap on foreign investment will include funds routed through FDI, portfolio flows (FII) and investment by non-resident Indians, said a source, who did not wish to be identified. To ensure security compliance, sources said, all proposals will be routed through the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) which has representatives from the home ministry and other security agencies.
While the UPA government too had said that the FDI cap in defence would be raised there was no actual movement on the ground and the rules remained vague.

On May 23, TOI had reported that the department of industrial policy and promotion (DIPP) in the commerce & industry ministry is ready with proposals to ease the FDI rules for defence, railways and e-commerce.

The government is keen to ease foreign investment rules to send a signal to global industry that it is truly open for business now.

READ ALSO: Banking on Modi, foreign investors to pour $60 billion into India: Study

Times View

This paper wholeheartedly endorses Prime Minister Modi's priorities: education, health, water, energy and roads; promoting transparency through e-auctions; infrastructure and investment reforms; empowering the bureaucracy; people-centric governance; stable, consistent policies and their time-bound implementation. We have, in innumerable Times Views over the years, sought exactly the same things from government. Converting vision into practice won't be easy, but the first few days of this government give us hope.

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PM Narendra Modi moves into RCR residence, with no requests for any change

NEW DELHI: Narendra Modi on Friday moved into 7 Race Course Road, the official residence of the Indian Prime Minister. Modi didn't ask for any changes to be made before he shifted, something that's surprised officials who are used to incoming occupants of government homes seeking several modifications.

A PMO official said the residence, vacated by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last week, needs only a coat of paint and some cleaning of the furniture and curtains. No new furniture or decor is required.

READ ALSO: ​Narendra Modi: first PM to live in 7, RCR without family

To reduce jams, PM will use tunnel linking 7 RCR to airport

Modi believes in spartan living. In that at least, he shares a trait with predecessor Manmohan Singh, who's also known for his simple lifestyle.

Officials in the special team at the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), which is entrusted with getting the PM's home ready, haven't been asked to make any changes. Some surmise this could be because Modi is single.

Families of ministers and parliamentarians who move into Lutyens Delhi bungalows usually come up with special requests for changes, from the colour of walls to upholstery, furniture and fittings.

READ ALSO: 7 RCR ready for Modi to move in immediately

''Maybe because the new PM comes without the baggage of a family, this time it's different,'' said one official. ''We are painting the house now and we may change upholstery if needed.''

A senior official at the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), which loans artworks to the PM's house, said there had been no communication from the PMO for any changes.

Modi's residence as chief minister of Gujarat was minimalist in nature, with the living room having just four chairs and a small centre table. That home in Gandhinagar is in a compound shared with the governor of the state and nestles in a grove inhabited by swans, peacocks and other birds.

7 RCR is actually five bungalows - Nos. 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 - spread across 12 acres on Race Course Road, which has been blocked off for the PM's house and offices for the past three decades.

These bungalows were originally designed by Robert Tor Russell, who was part of British architect Edwin Lutyens' team when he was designing New Delhi in the 1920s and 1930s. Russell also designed Teen Murti Bhavan, Connaught Place and the Eastern and Western courts on Janpath.

After the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi at her 1 Safdarjung Road bungalow in 1984, 7 RCR was chosen as a more secure location for son and successor Rajiv Gandhi. Today, No. 1 RCR is a helipad, No. 3 is where Manmohan Singh stayed with his wife and No. 5 was the guest house.

Modi will occupy No. 5 RCR as his residence instead of bungalow number 7, which has been the residence of his predecessors. Modi will use the bungalow No. 7 as his office.

The last bungalow, No. 9 RCR, is occupied by the Special Protection Group that guards the PM.

In the 1980s, when 7 RCR was being set up for the new PM, his office was restored and designed by noted interior designer and architectural restorer Sunita Kohli. In 2005, she also restored No. 5. Over the years, many changes had been made to the houses - ceilings were lowered, rooms were divided and some structures were altered. All this had to be redone when it became the PM's residence.

Upinder Singh, the historian daughter of Manmohan Singh, said: ''The nicest aspect of the house was its lovely garden with its peacocks and many other birds. It was lovely to sit there under the sun in winters.''

Her father also didn't seek any alterations in the home he's moved into - another sprawling Lutyens bungalow that's just a kilometre or so away. The three-acre bungalow on Motilal Nehru Marg was earlier occupied by former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit and is much larger than the bungalows on RCR. The home has four large bedrooms and a separate office block while the bungalow in which Singh was staying - 3 RCR had two bedrooms.

''These houses look the best when restored to their original form, just like the British imagined them. That is what we are doing at 7 RCR,'' said a CPWD official, who did not wish to be named.

The NGMA official said the house also has some of the finest pieces of art by Indian artists, which have been loaned over the years.

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PM Modi outlines priorities, tells ministers to focus on governance

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked his ministers to lay emphasis on overall governance, efficient delivery and implementation.

Chairing the second meeting of his Cabinet on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi outlined the top 10 policy priorities for his government.

The Prime Minister asked his ministers to fix a timetable of priorities for the first 100 days.

READ ALSO: 7 top priorities for the finance ministry

To send out a similar message across the country, Modi is likely to address the nation, possibly after the brief Parliament session that would be convened from June 4 to June 11 during which President Pranab Mukherjee will address the joint sitting outlining the government's agenda.

Sharing details of the meeting, parliamentary affairs minister Venkaiah Naidu said the Prime Minister will meet his ministers and secretaries separately to discuss all important issues.

The Prime Minister has also asked Cabinet ministers to allocate work to their respective ministers of state, Naidu said.

Believing that the progress of states is crucial for the country's development, Modi also instructed his council of ministers to give priority to the issues brought forth by the state governments as also the MPs.

The top 10 priorities listed out by Prime Minister Modi, according to Times Now, include

1. Build confidence in bureaucracy

2. Welcome innovative ideas and give freedom to bureaucrats to work

3. Transparency in govt; e-auction will be promoted

4. Education, health, water, energy and roads to be priorities

5. People oriented policy will be govt's priority

6. Infrastructure and investment reforms

7. System to be in place for inter-ministerial issues

8. Economy's concerns to be addressed

9. Policies to be implemented in time-bound manner

10. Stability and sustain ability in govt policies

READ ALSO:
6 top priorities for the ministry of defence

8 top priorities for the HRD ministry

6 top priorities for the ministry of external affairs

(With inputs from PTI)

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Ordinance pushed in 2 days to clear Nripendra Misra's path to principal secretary post

NEW DELHI: Retired IAS officer and former chairman of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Nripendra Misra was finally appointed as principal secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday after a determined government swiftly promulgated an ordinance to clear the way for him to take over the coveted post.

The ordinance, conceptualized and cleared by the government in record speed, is designed to change the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997, which forbade a chief of the regulatory body from "future employment under the central and state governments".

The ordinance, which was cleared by the Union Cabinet at its maiden meeting on Tuesday and was promulgated by President Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday, will override the Act.

The Modi government's decision to take the ordinance route for its maiden legislation, which struck many as odd, underlined its determination to have Misra in the crucial role of principal secretary to PM. Sources said the PM was aware of Misra's ineligibility because of the Trai Act, but decided to persist with his first choice for the crucial position by getting around the legal hurdle.

The UP cadre IAS officer was picked from among a crowded field of aspirants on the basis of a three-fold criteria, as well as the blueprint of a plan he had been asked to prepare on how to restructure and prune the government.

As reported by TOI, Misra scored high on parameters of integrity as well as leadership skills, attributes pre-requisite for Modi's plan to turn his office into a locomotive to drive the government. The fact that Misra, unlike several former bureaucrats, did not seek to curry favour with politicians tipped the selection scales in his favour.

Interestingly, soon after he took over as Trai chairman, Misra wrote to the communications ministry saying Section 5(h) of the Trai Act, which prohibited the head of the telecom regulator from taking up further employment, was unreasonable and should be done away with. In his plea, he argued that no such restriction applied to chairpersons and members of other important regulators like Competition Commission of India and Sebi.

Sources in the government justified the ordinance, saying this brought the service conditions of the Trai chairperson in line with those of heads of other regulatory bodies.

Congress, however, slammed the PM for taking the ordinance route for appointment of his principal secretary. "It is characteristic disregard of parliamentary and democratic norms. What was the urgency for a party that objected to an ordinance for food security and anti-corruption legislations to go for an ordinance to appoint an officer. This move is extremely out of place, glaring all the more when a Parliament session is in the offing in a week's time," chief spokesman Ajay Maken said.

Section 5(h) of the original Trai Act said the chairperson of the regulatory body, upon ceasing to hold such office, shall be ineligible for further employment under the central or state government, and not accept any commercial employment for a period of two years.

This provision, a department of personnel and training (DoPT) officer pointed out, would have clearly ruled out Misra, Trai chairman between 2006 and 2009, for the post of principal secretary to the PM. With Modi in no mood to let go of Misra due to what government sources said was a technicality, the only way out was to amend the Trai Act and drop the disabling provision.

According to sources, an ordinance to amend the Trai Act was drafted by the law ministry and moved for clearance by the Cabinet at its meeting on Tuesday afternoon. After Cabinet approval, the legislation was sent to the President, who is believed to have signed it on Wednesday afternoon. Misra's appointment order as principal secretary to the PM followed soon after promulgation of the ordinance.

Misra, whose appointment order says his term will be co-terminus with the tenure of the prime minister, is a 1967 batch IAS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre.

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I'm not cynical about love: Deepika Padukone

The tapestries, the sculptures and the many trophies, all draw the eye, but the truly mesmerising sight in Deepika Padukone's sprawling 26th floor apartment is the panoramic view of the city and the sea. She admits that it was this field of vision which prompted her move from Bandra to Prabhadevi.

"As a child I came to Mumbai every year, during Christmas and New Year, to visit my maternal grandfather. My parents still do. Mumbai for me was the city by the sea and when I moved here at 18, I told myself that I'd get a home overlooking the sea," she recalls.

Adjacent to the living room is a terrace where she spends an hour every morning with her coffee and newspapers. "I read, have my breakfast, drink in the view and meditate. I need this `me' time before the day creeps up on me. No one is to speak to me till I'm dressed," she says.

READ: Ranveer Singh plans outfits around Deepika Padukone's gifts

This laconic turn also extends to her social media presence where she maintains a quiet front but is still among the most popular Bollywood names on Facebook and Twitter.

"I'm opinionated, but I don't need to share my opinions with the world. All moments of my life don't have to be public. My life outside of movies is irrelevant," she states.

Instead, Deepika would like to be identified as the characters she plays on screen, be it Naina, Meenamma or Leela. In fact, these three back-to-back Rs 100 crore-plus blockbusters--Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani, Chennai Express and Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram Leela- made, 2013 an unforgettable year for her. Midway through 2014, she insists there's no pressure on her for an encore. "2013 was the result of two years of hard work, without a break. But I've moved on," she shrugs nonchalantly.

Right now her focus is on two diversely different films-Homi Adajania's Finding Fanny Fernandes and Farah Khan's Happy New Year. What they have in common is Deepika's affinity for their directors. She explains, "The performance in Cocktail wouldn't have been possible without Homi. And I'd do a film with Farah and Shah Rukh (Khan) without batting an eyelid," she insists.

ALSO READ: Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh's cosy moments

2015 will be another big year with three releases-Shoojit Sircar's Piku co-starring Amitabh Bachchan, Imtiaz Ali's Tamasha with Ranbir Kapoor, and Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Bajirao Mastani opposite Ranveer Singh. "I loved Shoojit's Vickey Donor, Sanjay is a genius and Imtiaz cast me in Love Aaj Kal without seeing Om Shanti Om and he has a way with love stories," she smiles.

And what about her own love stories? The smile disappears, "Why is it that only actors are asked about their personal lives during interviews? When it's a sportsperson, a politician or a businessman these questions never crop up. On the sports pages we read about an athlete's professional highs and lows. The entertainment pages are mostly gossip."

It's obvious that the lady is not going to open up about a certain Ranveer Singh. When we wonder at the likelihood of her taking a detour to Barcelona en route to a family vacation in the USA to meet the actor who is currently on a cruise for Dil Dhadakne Do, she sighs, "Barcelona? It's okay for people to speculate. When there is something, you'll know."

Deepika, who wore her heart on her sleeve when she was dating Ranbir Kapoor, has now decided to tuck it away, out of public sight. While on Karan Johar's chat show she admitted that Ranbir had been her world. "If you're wondering whether the break-up put me off relationships, the answer is no," she says.
"I'm not cynical about love. The equation with Ranbir is there for all to see in our recent film. There's nothing more to say."

Deepika, once the outsider who was not expected to outstay her welcome, is now the numero uno star and also an applauded actress. How does the world look from up there? "When Imtiaz met me recently he told me he did not expect it to happen so fast. Some see it as fast, others see five years." Where does she see herself five years from now? "Why is it that only women are asked this question. Male actors are allowed to have a career and a life beyond movies. I want that too and I will. Some actresses quit to start a family but I am fortunate that today the shelf life of an actress is longer." After she chose Bajirao Mastani over Shuddhi, what's her equation with KJo today? "Sometimes the media puts out stories without knowing the facts and draws conclusions.

But Karan and I know the reality, so there are no issues and that's why when I bump into him at a restaurant, there is no awkwardness," she reasons.

During that encounter were they discussing Shuddhi or another film? "Let the producer speak first, it's his right," she retorts.

Can't a Mastani balance a Shuddhi too? "I'd love to do both films. Karan has my number, if he wants me, he'll call. I can't talk about a film before the producer has announced it. So it's only fair that we wait."

WATCH: Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh arrive together at an award function

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In Lahore, pregnant Pakistani woman stoned to death

LAHORE: In an apparent 'honour killing', a 25-year-old pregnant woman was brutally beaten and stoned to death on Tuesday outside the high court here by her father and brothers for marrying the man of her choice.

Police said Farzana Parveen, resident of Faisalabad, had married Mohammad Iqbal of Jaranwala a few months ago against the wishes of her family.

The incident happened as the couple reached the court premises to record Farzana's statement to defend her husband against allegations by her family that he kidnapped her and forced her to marry him.

Initially, the family members fired shots in the air and tried to snatch her from Iqbal.

After failing in their attempt, nearly 20 members of her family, including her father and brothers, attacked the couple with sticks and bricks before a crowd of onlookers in front of the high court of Lahore, said police official Naseem Butt.

Farzana, who was three-months pregnant, died while her husband managed to escape.

Police arrested Farzana's father but her brothers fled from the scene, News International reported.

Police on information reaching the spot sent the body for autopsy and registered a case on complaint of the victim's husband.

Around 900 women were killed in Pakistan last by their families in honour killings, according to human rights commission of Pakistan, a private organization.

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Here's why Narendra Modi entrusted Young Turks with key jobs

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi killed at least two birds with one stone with his retire-at-75 policy: He managed to keep about 10 septua-and-octogenarian BJP leaders such as Murli Manohar Joshi, CP Thakur, Bhola Singh and Karia Munda out of the ministry, which in turn helped create space for several Young Turks, whom he made ministers of state with independent charge (MoS-IC) of portfolios that are far meatier than some of the Cabinet posts he's doled out to more senior party colleagues.

Many of these MoS-IC positions have in the past been part of the Cabinet. Piyush Goyal, for instance, gets independent charge of power, coal and new & renewable energy - that's actually three Cabinet positions. Same with Nirmala Sitharaman, who has independent charge of commerce and industry. Dharmendra Pradhan, a BJP general secretary, has got petroleum and natural gas, a heavyweight Cabinet responsibility in the past. Prakash Javadekar's I&B and environment portfolios have often been in the Cabinet.

READ ALSO: Modi ministry to be expanded before Budget session

Minute planning went into the ministry-making process. Nripendra Mishra, who was on Tuesday tipped as principal secretary to PM, played a key role and helped the BJP core team come up with the relatively small council of ministers. It would have been even smaller - around 35 members - if there had been agreement on a full-scale restructuring of ministries. For instance, a proposal to merge three industry ministries - heavy industry, DIPP and micro, small and medium enterprises - couldn't be implemented because it would meant sacrificing two Cabinet posts and one of MoS.

READ ALSO: SIT formed to unearth black money - Narendra Modi Cabinet's first decision

There was another, possibly secondary, reason: The key portfolios related to manufacturing and job creation would have had to be assigned to a senior leader who may not have been as aligned to Modi's crucial reforms agenda as the Young Turks. In the Vajpayee government, the reforms process was blocked by three senior ministers - Ram Naik, Murli Manohar Joshi and Shiv Sena's Manohar Joshi.

READ ALSO: 5 top ministers in Modi Cabinet

Significantly, Nirmala Sitharaman also has additional portfolios of MoS for finance and corporate affairs under Arun Jaitley - which, in a sense, makes him 'super-minister' of finance, industry and commerce. With Sitharaman also MoS finance, other turf battles involving exporters or SEZs can be resolved more easily.

Also, in a bid to avoid differences between the finance ministry and the department of industrial policy and promotion related to FDI policy and investment agreements, there could be a move to transfer DIPP to finance.

With economic reforms high on Modi's checklist, there is talk of a search for a few competent officers to drive the agenda from the PMO. A secretary-rank officer handling infrastructure ministries is said to be on the cards. This will be a throwback to the Vajpayee PMO where initially N K Singh, and later S Narayan, coordinated the economic agenda of the NDA.

While Modi's choice of ministers is said to have been driven primarily by considerations such as like-mindedness and efficiency, some 'social balancing' was unavoidable. Kalraj Mishra, a veteran Brahmin leader from UP, who has got the micro, small and medium enterprises portfolio, appears to have been a beneficiary of Murli Manohar Joshi's enforced absence from Cabinet.

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BJP defends Smriti Irani, asks 'what is Sonia's qualification?'

NEW DELHI: BJP on Wednesday hit back at Congress over Ajay Maken's comments on Smriti Irani's qualifications and questioned Sonia Gandhi's credentials to lead the UPA.

"What is the educational qualification of Sonia Gandhi that she was heading UPA govt?" questioned water resources minister Uma Bharti.

"Sonia Gandhi should tell her MPs not to make such statements," Uma Bharti said.

Yesterday, Congress leader Ajay Maken tweeted, "What a Cabinet of Modi? HRD Minister (Looking after Education) Smriti Irani is not even a graduate! Look at her affidavit at ECI site pg 11."

READ ALSO: Congress takes jibe at Modi govt, Ajay Maken tweets 'HRD minister Smriti Irani not even a graduate'

In fact, Ajay Maken's comment has been opposed even by other Congress leaders. "Instead of personal attacks we should focus on issues," said Congress leader Manish Tewari.

In her affidavit before the Election Commission, Irani has stated her last education as "Bachelor of Commerce Part-1, School of Open Learning (Correspondence), University of Delhi-1994."

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Who sat where: The other pecking order

NEW DELHI: In status and hierarchy-obsessed Delhi, the seating order at important functions can be a source of endless speculation, glee, heartburn and wounded egos. You go to a swearing-in not so much to see as to be seen.

Event managers often spend hours, indeed days, fretting about whom to seat where. And Modi's oath-taking ceremony was a planner's nightmare from the point of view of protocol.

There were heads of state and governments, governors and chief ministers, a power-packed business contingent — including Mukesh and Anil Ambani, Gautam Adani, Kumar Mangalam Birla and Anand Mahindra — religious figures, sports and Bollywood stars.

READ ALSO: I, Narendra Modi, all the way

So, there was great interest in who'd occupy the front row. Saarc heads rubbed shoulders with Indian heavyweights — some of whom had vacated hot seats, some on their way to occupying them.President Pranab Mukherjee sat on a pedestal that had on his left Modi with his ministers.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi sat between Nepal PM Sushil Kumar Koirala and former president Pratibha Patil, accompanied by her husband. Mauritius PM Naveenchandra Ramgoolam sat beside former president A P J Abdul Kalam, who in turn was next to former PM Manmohan Singh's wife Gursharan Kaur.

READ ALSO: Women make up 25% of Narendra Modi Cabinet

All eyes were on Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif, flanked on one side by Manmohan Singh and on the other by Gursharan Kaur. Then there was Afghanistan president Hamid Karzai with India's vice-president Hamid Ansari beside him. BJP patriarch L K Advani had Maldives president Abdullah Yameen and Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse for company. Bhutan PM Tshering Tobgay had former PM H D Deve Gowda as his neighbour.

Veteran BJP leader Murali Manohar Joshi, who vacated the key seat of Varanasi for Modi, sat with his wife and spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar alongside. The man credited for the BJP's phenomenal showing in UP, Amit Shah, was there too in the front row, seated alongside Shiv Sena's Uddhav Thackeray. A slew of religious leaders, including Sadhvi Ritambhara, were also in the front row.

Interestingly, SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav was relegated fairly far back but Amit Shah grabbed him by the hand and escorted him to the front — the bitterness of the UP campaign apparently having been forgotten, at least for one day.

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24 interesting facts about Modi's swearing in

1. Sibal bhi kabhi HRD minister tha

Smriti Irani' s first electoral contest was in 2004, when she contested against Kapil Sibal in Chandni Chowk and was defeated.

Ten years on, Irani is not only a cabinet minister, she also holds the ministry, HRD, that was held by Sibal from 2009-2012.

2. PM Chai-wala invite for Dr Chai-wala

Shahzad Ibrahimi, a doctorate from JNU who runs a dhaba on its campus for a living, received the "biggest happiness" of his life when he was invited to attend the swearing-in of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"A chai-wala has become PM. And he has remembered another chai-wala to witness it. I am overwhelmed. I am so happy. I cannot describe it," Ibrahimi said. He got the invitation after a leader of RLSP, a BJP ally in Bihar, shared his profile with Modi's office, requesting it for an invite for him. And it was duly delivered. "I hope under Modi nobody with my academic credentials has to sell tea," he said. (Source: PTI)

3. What's in a name? Everything

Veteran Telugu Desam leader Ashok Gajapathi Raju omitted his own name while taking oath as cabinet minister. President Pranab Mukherjee, who hadn't spoken beyond "Main" or "I" while administering the oath to others, interrupted Raju and asked him to repeat the lines with his name.

4. Entering government, feet first

Squabbles and dissensions were all forgotten amid a very public display of respect for each other. Ravi Shankar Prasad, Ananth Kumar, Gopinath Munde, Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Nitin Gadkari met senior BJP leader L K Advani and bowed down to touch his feet.

5. Straight out of a masala script

Bollywood actors Vivek Oberoi and Salman Khan, who do not see eye to eye following a public fallout over actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan years ago, were both present at the ceremony. One news outlet ran a smart headline: 'Divided by Aishwarya, united by Modi.' Meanwhile, Amitabh Bachchan, who has been the brand ambassador for Gujarat tourism throughout Modi's tenure as CM of the state, was absent from the PM's inauguration ceremony and said to be shooting for a film.

6. In God they trust

Every minister took oath in the name of God. It appears there are no atheists in the new cabinet.

7. Water, water, nowhere

If there was one thing conspicuous by its absence, it was water. There were parched throats everywhere and the heat was so abusive that Rohan Jaitley, the son of Arun Jaitley, fainted. He had to be rushed to a nearby hospital for rehydration.

8. Will Arun forgive Amritsar?

Amritsar may have snubbed Arun Jaitley in the LS polls, but now that he has bagged the finance ministry the city is hoping the key BJP strategist would forgive, forget and work on his old poll promises. Jaitley had talked of turning Amritsar into a tourist hub and opening up its trade with Pakistan via Attari.

Businessmen hope that Jaitley will push to revive the declining manufacturing sector in the state by improving infrastructure.

9. MSY comes, for son's sake

Will Mulayam Singh Yadav try to cozy up to the newly sworn in NDA government for the sake of son and UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav? Murmurs to this effect started up when the Samajwadi Party chief trooped in en famille into the swearing in ceremony on Monday. Sources within the state administration said the SP chief, despite his loathing for the BJP, could not have avoided the ceremony given Modi's discretion in allocation of funds to states.

10. Style bhais on the red carpet

Modi turned up in his standard kurta-jacket ensemble for his inauguration as PM. For his special evening he wore a light cream kurta and a matching Nehru jacket. At the other end of the style spectrum was Bappi Lahiri who had lost as the BJP candidate from Srerampur in West Bengal. The composer came dressed in, what else, lots of gold.

11. English will do, thank you

Until Venkaiah Naidu turned up, the oath taking was an all-Hindi affair. The leader from Andhra Pradesh was the first to say his lines in English, followed by Sadananda Gowda, the former Karnataka CM. Najma Heptullah, Maneka Gandhi, Ashok Gajpathi Raju, Harsmirat Kaur, Sarbanand Sonwal and Nirmala Seetharaman favoured the Queen's language too.

12. Put some jaldi in it

The ceremonial pace of the swearing-in ceremony was getting a tad too uncomfortable in the sweltering heat. That's when President Mukherjee decided to speed up the proceedings. He nudged secretary Omita Paul to fast forward the announcements. When Najma Heptullah was still signing the register after taking oath, he was heard telling Paul: "You announce. They will take time.'' Paul did exactly that.

13. Your time, my time

How the wheels of fortune turn. The last time NDA was in power, Murli Manohar Joshi was the all powerful HRD minister and Uma Bharti a disgruntled junior reporting to him. She had been so unhappy with her senior that she refused to operate from her office in Shastri Bhavan for a long time. But Monday evening, she was all smiles as she joined the Modi cabinet. Joshi, on the other hand, was a shadow of his former self, a dry smile pasted on his face through the evening.

14. Stars and stalwarts

The Hindi film industry was conspicuously present. Though Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar, once an inseparable creative duo, sat far apart, Hema Malini remained close by her husband Dharmendra's side. Amitabh Bachchan and his wife Jaya may have been noticeably absent, but other Bollywood celebs made up for the glam quotient. There was Vinod Khanna, Anupam Kher, Poonam Dhillon Madhur Bhandarkar and Vivek Oberoi.

Kirron Kher was spotted sitting with Varun Gandhi, both triumphant BJP MPs. Salman Khan, who was once seen with Modi during the PM's campaigning days, was there again - this time in the audience.

15. Business class

Two big tycoons from Gujarat were there to cheer. Both the Ambani brothers came accompanied by their khandan. Mukesh Ambani was there with wife Nita and two sons. A little later, younger brother Anil Ambani walked in with mother Kokilaben and wife Tina. The two families chose to sit apart. Gautam Adani was the other big business name in the forecourt.

16. Parliament by the Ganga

Varanasi celebrated Narendra Modi's ascent to the prime ministerial chair with a sand replica of the Parliament House raised on the banks of the Ganga. BJP workers and supporters had begun celebrating at the ghats from around dawn. They distributed sweets to those who came to bathe in the river.

Groups of BJP workers also performed dugdhabhishek, offering milk to the Ganga at Dashaswamedh Ghat. Local BJP leader Anup Jaiswal said the ritual was performed with 151 litres of milk. Bharatiya Awam Party (Rashtriya), a Muslim women's party that supports the BJP, offered 'chadar' at the 'mazaar' of Bholeshah Diwan in Pilikothi area.

17. Nadda next?

With the buzz gaining ground that BJP general secretary J P Nadda will take over as the next party president from Rajnath Singh, he was congratulated by partymen and the media alike the moment he arrived at the forecourt and headed for his seat through the long red-carpet path. An embarrassed Nadda tried to downplay the issue, but everyone kept saying, "It is just a matter of 10-days now."

18. Words of mouth

Most BJP spokespersons have been handsomely rewarded. Ravishankar Prasad, Nirmala Sitharaman, Prakash Javdekar and Smriti Irani have all been rewarded with plum ministerial posts.

19. Ambani-Birla bonds

When Aditya Birla group chairman Kumarmangalam Birla entered the swearing-in venue, he could not find a seat for himself. Noticing this, RIL chief Mukesh Ambani beckoned Birla to a seat near him. Birla, who was standing at a distance, signalled that he was fine. Within minutes, Ambani's man Friday V Balasubramanium, or Balu as he is popularly referred to, pulled out a seat from nowhere for Birla.

20. Handle with care

Early in the morning on Monday, Sushma Swaraj changed her Twitter handle from @SushmaSwarajBjp to just @ SushmaSwaraj. Sources say this was done as an act of propriety ahead of her assuming a cabinet post.

21. Rudy shock

The non-inclusion of BJP leader Rajiv Pratap Rudy in the Modi Cabinet surprised many within and outside the party. On Sunday, when Rudy texted to his friends that he was not going to make it to Team Modi, it left his supporters shocked. "We are terribly upset. But we have absolutely no idea why," said a close friend of the leader, who went incommunicado after his meeting with Modi at Gujarat Bhavan on Sunday.

22. Congress crowd

While not many Congress leaders were spotted at the Rashtrapati Bhawan function, among the few seen were E Ahmed, Renuka Chowdhary, Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Jairam Ramesh. P J Kurien and P Chidambaram were also among the guests present for the swearing-in.

23. Blood lines for Modi

Assamese artist Gautam Bardhan has painted Modi's portrait with his blood. Bardhan's 35-inch portrait also has a dove painted in the tri-colour, and Swami Vivekananda's face.

24. Smriti wears lotus on sari

New minister Smriti Irani sported her affiliation on her sari, which was adorned with images of the lotus.

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Amway India CEO William S Pinckney arrested

The author has posted comments on this articlePTI | May 27, 2014, 11.48AM IST

HYDERABAD: William S Pinckney, chairman and CEO of Amway India was on Tuesday placed under arrest by the Andhra Pradesh Police in connection with a complaint against the direct-selling firm.

Kurnool Superintendent of Police Raghurami Reddy said Pinckney was apprehended in Gurgoan on Monday and was brought to Kurnool on a warrant. The arrest was based on a complaint alleging unethical circulation of money through Amway's operations.

"He will be produced in the court shortly. The CEO has been booked under the Prize Chits and Money Circulation. Schemes (Banning) Act," Reddy said.

This is the second time that the Amway India CEO has been taken into custody. A year ago Kerala Police arrested Pinckney and two company Directors on charges of financial irregularities.

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UP train accident: 40 feared dead as Gorakhdham Express rams into goods train

LUCKNOW: 40 people are now feared dead in the Gorakhdham Express train accident as Gorakhpur-bound train rammed into a goods train at Chureb station between Basti and Gorakhpur in UP on Monday morning.

Nearly 100 people have been hurt in the accident.

However, railway officials did not confirm the number of dead and injured.

UP train tragedy: Helpline numbers

Lucknow — 0522 2635639, 2288890
Gorakhpur — 0551 2004893
Gonda — 05262 222330

As per initial reports, both the trains came on the single track due to signal error. Three general coaches of Gorakhdham Express were badly crushed while six others were derailed.

Locals were the first to rush for rescue operations. Earlier the district administration said that 30 people had died in the accident.

"People are saying this based on their own assessment. There are lot of people inside the coaches who need to be rescued first," said CPRO, Ner, Alok Kumar Singh.

Officials in the Railway Board said the mishap occurred due to derailment of the express train.

They said six coaches of the train then rammed into a stationary goods train standing on the adjoining track at the station.

Out of the six coaches, four were general coaches and two were AC coach — AC first class and AC two tier.

READ ALSO: List of trains diverted, cancelled

Railways has ordered an inquiry into the mishap by commissioner Railway Safety (Northeast circle) PK Bajpayee.

They have also ordered a compensation of Rs one lakh to the family of those killed and Rs 50,000 for those seriously injured.

A sum of Rs 10,000 will be given to those who sustained simple injuries.

Meanwhile, PM-designate Narendra Modi offered condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the train tragedy.

READ ALSO: Modi offers condolences to kin of those killed in UP train accident

Congress president Sonia Gandhi also expressed grief at the loss of lives in the accident.

Sonia hoped that the Railways was taking all possible steps to help the affected passengers and their families.

READ ALSO: Sonia expresses grief at loss of lives in train accident

(With inputs from PTI)

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Gutthi to return to Kapil’s show

Six months after moving to seemingly greener pastures, Sunil Grover, best known as Gutthi, is set to return to Kapil Sharma's comedy show, which propelled him to fame.

ALSO READ:

Gutthi to return to 'Comedy Nights With Kapil'?

Last November, he moved out of the show, citing creative differences. But his new show Mad In India, which launched in February and featured him as Chhutki, failed to impress and was pulled off air prematurely in May.

Now, the latest is that Sunil is set to return to Kapil's show. Says a source, "Kapil wished Sunil luck when he decided to break away. Now, he is happy to have him back. However, if he returns as Gutthi or as another character, remains to be seen."

ALSO READ: Gutthi quits Kapil's comedy show

Kapil, Sunil and Preeti Simoes, the creative director of the show, remained unavailable for comment.

ALSO WATCH: Gutthi leaves Comedy Nights With Kapil to make her own show

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7 ways in which Narendra Modi's swearing-in as PM will be unique

1. Narendra Modi's oath-taking ceremony on Monday will be one of the biggest events hosted by Rashtrapati Bhavan with the guest list crossing the 4,000 mark.

2. It will also be one of the most widely watched broadcast events, with the ceremony beamed live across the country and to all Saarc countries through the Doordarshan network.

3. This is the first time that Saarc leaders, diplomats, governors and chief ministers will attend the ceremony in such high numbers. Other invitees include constitutional authorities like Chief Justice of India, Padma awardees, all 777 members of Parliament besides members of the outgoing UPA-2 Cabinet and invitees on behalf of the BJP.

4. The event will be covered live by DD through eight cameras and one outdoor broadcast van. Four cameras and a second OB van will remain as back-up. The event will be telecast live on all DD channels including 15 in regional languages. The public broadcaster will also provide a window with simultaneous sign language transmission. The raw feed will be available to all private news channels in India and in Saarc countries.

5. Twelve buggies or golf carts will be pressed into service to ferry people who cannot walk to the forecourt.

6. The ceremony will have live band playing patriotic songs and Hindi film ditties.

7. Ambulances and teams of doctors have been placed at strategic points at the venue in case of emergencies.

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Narendra Modi ministry-making enters last lap, BJP looking beyond Advani as Speaker

NEW DELHI: With Narendra Modi letting only a few people in on his plans, speculation reigned supreme two days ahead of his government's inauguration. Indications that the party was looking for options other than L K Advani for the Speaker's post grew stronger on Saturday, notwithstanding the veteran's reported interest in the Constitutional post.

Party circles said that the names under consideration for the post included another veteran Murli Manohar Joshi who has also figured among the probables for one of the heavyweight portfolios.

Going by the estimates in party circles, Rajnath Singh and Arun Jaitley remained favourites for the crucial portfolios of home and finance, in that order. Sushma Swaraj was also in contention for an important responsibility, while former party chief Nitin Gadkari seemed poised to get charge of an infrastructure ministry.

READ ALSO: 'Impregnable' security at Rashtrapati Bhavan

Arun Shourie continued to be mentioned among possibilities, though many felt that finding a Rajya Sabha berth for the former disinvestment minister, who is not an MP, could turn out to be a hindrance.

READ ALSO: Sonia, Rahul to attend Modi's swearing in

As speculation spiked about the shape of the ministry, party circles felt that Modi may not be deterred by aspirant's assessment of their seniority or contribution as he picks a mid-sized team including a few ministers of state to be sworn in along with him on Monday in a ceremony which may last just over an hour.

Modi held deliberations through the day. Those who met him included party colleagues Venkaih Naidu, Arun Jaitley, Amit Shah, Gopinath Munde,Ananth Kumar and J P Nadda who is tipped to take over as BJP chief from Rajnath Singh should the latter join the government.

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‘Small and compact’ Cabinet to take oath with Modi on May 26

NEW DELHI: Amidst hectic discussions on formation of the new government, indications emerged on Saturday that Narendra Modi would have a "small and compact" Cabinet that will take oath along with him on May 26 in the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhawan.

Some senior BJP leaders including Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley, Nitin Gadkari, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Shourie, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Rajiv Pratap Rudy and Ananth Kumar are expected to find a place in the Cabinet, sources said here.

Leaders of NDA allies, like TDP, Akali Dal and LJP, are also likely to be included in the council of ministers.

Modi, without revealing who will get what, has told his confidantes that he would like to see a "small and compact" Cabinet, the sources said. An expansion of the Cabinet, if necessary, will be undertaken after a few months, they added.

Modi is expected to restructure the government, which will include merger of some ministries, to "remove anomalies" for the effective delivery of governance. These include some key finance and commerce departments besides some others including those relating to education.

To give final touches to the Cabinet and portfolios, Modi today held a series of meetings with party leaders, including M Venkaiah Naidu, Amit Shah, Ananth Kumar, Uma Bharti and JP Nadda, whose name is doing the rounds for taking over as party chief in case Rajnath Singh joins the Cabinet.

Chief of NDA ally Republican Party of India (RPI) Ramdas Athawale also met Modi amid his hope of getting a Cabinet berth. There was a steady stream of visitors at Rajnath Singh's Ashoka Road residence also.

Prominent among those who met the BJP chief were party were LJP chief Ramvilas Paswan and his son Chirag, who has also been elected an MP. Paswan is hoping for a Cabinet-rank ministry as well as a minister of state berth for his party.

Leader of another NDA ally Apna Dal Anupriya Patel also met Rajnath Singh and later termed it a "courtesy" meeting.

(Preparations under way in Rashtrapati Bhavan for Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony as India's new Prime Minister)

Asked whether she expected a berth in the Union Cabinet, she said, "... You should ask the BJP. They will take a call on this."

Sources, however, said the Apna Dal which won two seats in Uttar Pradesh are also seeking to find a place in the new Cabinet. Rajnath also met senior party leaders as also the RSS pointsman for BJP Suresh Soni and some allies.

Others who met the party chief include MPs Maneka Gandhi and Udit Raj and senior Delhi unit leader and Rajya Sabha member Vijay Goel.

Former Union minister in the NDA government ID Swamy also met Singh. BJP general secretary Ram Lal also met the party chief, besides JP Nadda.

Preparations for formation of government have gained momentum with top BJP leaders engaged in a series of confabulations ahead of Modi's swearing in on Monday.

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Modi effect: Rupee best performing Asia-Pacific currency in 2014

The Indian currency stood at Rs 61.8 level per US dollar at the start of 2014 and has recorded a gain of 327 paise in less than six months.

The author has posted comments on this articlePTI | May 25, 2014, 11.52AM IST

NEW DELHI: Boosted by capital inflows and euphoria around the incoming government, rupee's surge to 11-month high levels has made it the best performing currency in Asia-Pacific region against the US dollar so far in 2014.

With a gain of about 5.3 per cent since the start of this year, rupee has sprinted ahead of its other Asia-Pacific peers, including Indonesia's rupiah and New Zealand dollar, in terms of year-to-date rise, shows an analysis of various currencies vis-a-vis the Greenback.

The rupee, which closed at 58.52 levels against the US dollar on the last trading day on Friday, has incidentally seen a lion's share of 5.3 per cent gain in the past one month.

The Indian currency stood at Rs 61.8 level per US dollar at the start of 2014 and has recorded a gain of 327 paise in less than six months, partly helped by robust foreign fund inflows. This marks a major turnaround since August last year when rupee touched its lifetime low of 68.80.

"...positive sentiments out of the election results enabled us to upgrade our FII flows estimates by $5 billion to $20 billion, implying an overall BOP (balance of payment) surplus of $29 billion. We expect the dollar/rupee range to be 57-61 in FY2015," said Indranil Pan, chief economist of Kotak Mahindra Bank, in a report.

Under the leadership of its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, BJP has recorded an unprecedented victory in the recently held Lok Sabha elections and the Gujarat strongman will be sworn in as Prime Minister on May 26.

READ ALSO: Narendra Modi to focus on boosting the rupee

The highest-ever tally in the Lok Sabha elections has helped BJP secure a majority on its own, thus raising hopes of big-bang reforms to revive the economy.

READ ALSO: Banking on Modi, foreign investors to pour $60 billion into India, study says

In Asia-Pacific, the rupee's gains versus the US dollar are followed by the Rupiah (Indonesia) that has appreciated 4.6 per cent, New Zealand dollar's 3.75 per cent rise and Australian currency's 3.5 per cent rise.

The Yen (Japan), the Won (South Korea) and the Ringgit (Malaysia) have gained between 2-3 per cent in this calendar year so far.

Philippines Peso has appreciated 1.6 per cent against the US dollar, followed by 0.5 per cent uptick in Thailand's Baht and Singaporean dollar. While the Hong Kong dollar is almost unchanged since 2014 started, the Taiwan dollar and Chinese Yuan have lost value.

Some analysts, however, feel that the Indian rupee faces risk of some depreciation after its recent strong show.

"While Indian rupee is expected to depreciate slightly against the $from current levels (we pencil dollar/rupee to hover around 60 for this fiscal year), we expect it to gain against Yen and Swiss Franc," said a report from ICICI Bank Treasury Research Group.

READ ALSO: Rupee may surge 35% if Modi becomes PM, Citigroup's Adam Gilmour says

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Manmohan's legacy for Modi: A specially-designed fleet of BMW series

NEW DELHI: One legacy Narendra Modi is likely to inherit from his predecessor Manmohan Singh is his cavalcade, including the specially designed armored BMW 7 series — the most secured vehicle in the country.

The special protection group (SPG) which manages these vehicles may, however, go for slight changes or decide to go for a new one as per the new prime minister's choice.

The vehicle, which is able to secure the occupants from landmine blasts to Kalashnikov's bullets, is likely to be Modi's official vehicle if he does not decide otherwise. This saloon can run for kilometers even on flat tyres and are fitted with advance heat sensors to ward off missiles and bombs as well, say sources.

While the fuel tanks are made such that they don't explode during an attack, its cabin also turns into a gas-proof chamber and ensures oxygen supply to secure the occupant in cases of gas attacks, a source familiar with the vehicle said.

Modi, who in most likelihood will arrive at the swearing-in ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhawan in his Scorpio, will come under the SPG cover immediately after taking the oath and hence be travelling in this BMW along with commandos form the elite unit SPG, some of whom have specially been deputed from Gujarat police, sources in the security establishment said. The lead SPG agent which sits in front passenger seat of the prime minster's car is speculated to be from the Gujarat unit, a source said.

READ ALSO: Will Scorpio drive into PMO on Modi wave?

Modi has been using Mahindra Scorpio for long but it would be interesting whether he opts for it as prime minister as well. An ex-SPG officer says that Scorpio may not go well with PM level security because of its height but ultimately choice is PM's.

Anticipating the D-Day, a covert unit of SPG, a source added, has been working on the security apparatus for Modi since January.

The SPG cover model and the unit's Blue Book are likely to undergo some additions and get personalized for Modi as he is the most risked PM after Rajiv Gandhi. Some of the changes may include increasing the number of dummy BMWs in the cavalcade and installing newer intelligence and communication features in the satellite phone and jammers, the source said.

Around nine cars are expected to be in Modi's cavalcade apart from a unit of bomb squad vehicle. Out of these at least two are likely to be identical BMWs to act as decoys and another five BMWs and others for the escorts. The SPG will also enhance the dummy routes for the PM's convoy from that of Manmohan Singh due to the difference in their threat perception.

The SPG is also likely to have the Air India One, the call-sign of any aircraft carrying the Prime Minister of India, to suit the security assessment and travel needs of Narendra Modi who is known to be a frequent traveler for work purposes.

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I am grateful to Modi that he has accepted me as his wife, Jashodaben says

AHMEDABAD: As Narendra Modi gets ready to take oath as Prime Minister, his wife Jashodaben said she is extremely happy over his ascent to the top post and that he accepted her for the first time as his spouse.

"It is a matter of extreme happiness for me. I am so proud being his wife. I will pray to the God that he keeps surging ahead," Jashodaben said in an interview to Gujarati Channel 'TV9', aired on Wednesday.

She also expressed gratitude to Modi as he "accepted" her as his wife in the nomination papers filed for Lok Sabha election this time.

"He (Modi) for the first time accepted me as his wife when he filed the form in Vadodara in 2014. As after so many years, he accepted me as his wife, I feel good. He remembers me even after so many years," she said.

Modi's first-time acknowledgement of his married status had sparked off a row during the campaign.

READ ALSO: Jashodaben is my wife, Modi admits under oath

"Earlier, he did not put my name (in election forms) but he never denied (that they were married). He never spoke bad things about me. I have respect for him. I am his wife and will always remain his wife," she said.

"What he did after becoming chief minister was impeccable. This is his 'karma' which helps him surge ahead. He surged ahead through his intelligence. Both his work and intelligence made him a big leader," she added.

To a question about their living separately, she said "we have not divorced, we are not separated in that way. We are together. He left the family to serve the country and so we are separated."

"When the time will come, I will go," she said in a curt reply when asked when she would meet him.

Asked if she would attend the swearing-in ceremony, she said, "I will attend if I am invited, why should not I."

READ ALSO: Jashodaben 'on pilgrimage' as media looks for her

Jashodaben is a retired schoolteacher. Modi, who was married to her when both were minor, left home and the family when he was a youngster and later joined RSS.

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AAP suffers major blow as Shazia Ilmi, Captain Gopinath quit

NEW DELHI: Following a disastrous show in the recently concluded general elections, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) suffered another blow on Saturday with founder leader Shazia Ilmi resigning from all posts in the party.

"There is a lack of inner party democracy in AAP,"Ilmi said addressing a press conference here.

She accused that party chief Arvind Kejriwal of ignoring other leaders and being surrounded by 'crony clique'.

"Arvind has shot the messenger, I was consistently sidelined in the party," Ilmi said.

"I'm not for jail bharo politics.There's a need to reinvent AAP,go beyond agitation," she said.

Another party member, Captain G R Gopinath, founder of Air Deccan, also announced his resignation from the party today.

Gopinath quit AAP citing growing differences within the party leadership and criticized Kejriwal for "shoot and scoot" politics.

In a communication to AAP's Karnataka convenor Prithvi Reddy, Gopinath said, "I would like to resign from the membership of the Aam Admi Party with immediate effect because of increasing differences with the party leadership and its ways."

Gopinath, who joined AAP in January this year, said he had "expressed most of my views also in the media including today" and wished "the party well in its future endeavours".

Ilmi was one of the founder members of the Anna movement and a popular TV presence but sources said that she felt sidelined when the party asked her to fight the Lok Sabha poll from Rae Bareilly instead of Delhi. Ilmi declined and was later given a ticket from Ghaziabad. She however lost badly to BJP candidate V K Singh.

The resignations of Ilmi and Gopinath could not have come at a worse time for the party with its main leader Arvind Kejriwal in prison for the next 2 weeks.

(With PTI inputs)

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AAP prepares for fresh polls in Delhi, Kejriwal apologizes for quitting midway

NEW DELHI: Three months after quitting as Delhi chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday apologized to the people of Delhi and the country for "resigning midway" and said the party will gear up for elections.

The AAP chief, who had quit as CM after a 49-day stint, said the chances of his party forming a government in Delhi were negligible in the current scenario.

READ ALSO: Arvind Kejriwal resigns, recommends assembly dissolution, fresh polls

"I apologize to the people of Delhi and the country for resigning midway," he told reporters.

"We had a meeting and we have decided to gear up for elections. We will go among the people, will hold various meetings in Delhi in the coming days. We will apologize to people of Delhi in meetings and gain their trust to ask them to support us with complete majority," he said. Asked about the possibility of forming a government again, Kejriwal said, "There were possibilities but none can be seen feasible at present to form the government."

Kejriwal had on Tuesday met lieutenant governor Najeeb Jung and asked him not to dissolve the assembly anytime soon, saying it will hold public meetings across the city to know whether the party should form the government again.

READ ALSO: Suddenly, AAP open to forming Delhi govt, plans another referendum

However, the Congress, which had supported the Kejriwal government earlier, had yesterday refused to support them again.

READ ALSO: Congress rules out backing AAP govt

AAP had won 28 seats in its debut assembly elections in December last year and had later formed the government with outside support from Congress' eight MLAs.

READ ALSO: AAP makes spectacular debut in Delhi

BJP along with its ally Akali Dal's one MLA had won 32 seats in the 70-member assembly. Number of BJP MLAs has come down to 28 as three party legislators Harsh Vardhan, Ramesh Bidhuri and Pervesh Verma have been elected to Parliament.

The government led by Kejriwal had resigned on February 14 after the party's pet project — the Jan Lokpal Bill — could not be passed due to opposition from BJP and Congress.

President's Rule was imposed in Delhi on February 17. LG Najeeb Jung had not favoured dissolution of the 70-member Delhi assembly as recommended by the council of ministers headed by Kejriwal and kept the assembly in suspended animation.

BJP has also said that it would prefer fresh election than forming a government through "manipulation".

Twitter reactions

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US renews invitation to Narendra Modi despite cool non-response to first invite

WASHINGTON: The tweet was distinctly cool and detached and came at the tail end of a series of messages to other world leaders that seemed much warmer. "In our conversation, @BarackObama & I talked about further strengthening India-USA strategic partnership that will help both nations," Prime Minister-elect Narendra Modi tweeted on Monday, in a brief reference to the phone call from the US President to congratulate him on his election victory.

No mention of the invitation to visit Washington, and a similar response to a separate tweet from Secretary of State John Kerry, under whose watch American mandarins have made a meal of US ties with Modi, singling him out for a visa blacklisting while entertaining foreign leaders charged with far more egregious human rights violation. "@JohnKerry Thank you Mr. Kerry. We will strengthen relations between our 2 vibrant democracies in the years to come," Modi said matter-of-factly to the US Secretary of State's tweet.

While it may be impolitic to divine too much from social media messaging (that too in less than 140 characters), Modi's seeming smackdown of Uncle Sam did not go unnoticed in the US. "In Modi's Twitter Diplomacy, A Notable Omission," the New York Times observed, noting that the "order in which he thanked (world leaders) and one notable omission, later rectified, was more interesting than the content of the tweets themselves."

Indeed, Modi's chronicle of thanks in response to messages received from major world leaders began with David Cameron of Britain, among the first countries to break a US-led diplomatic boycott of the Gujarat chief minister. "@Number10gov Thank you Prime Minister @David_Cameron for the wishes. Hoping to further strengthen India-UK relations," Modi tweeted in response to congratulations from the British Prime Minister and expression of his keenness "to work together to get the most from UK-India relationship."

"Had a telephonic conversation with @pmharper. Thanked him for his wishes & talked about our commitment to strengthen India-Canada relations," Modi followed a few hours later, before a set of double-tweets about Russia and Japan that were distinctly warmer than his response to the US outreach that included a formal statement by President Obama and an invitation to visit US.

"I thank President Putin for his good wishes. Looking forward to making our relations with Russia even stronger in the years to come," Modi tweeted, following up with, "India-Russia friendship has stood the test of time. We will further strengthen our relations in a wide range of fields."

Then came Japan, widely thought to be his favorite country in terms of economic relationship. "My gratitude to Prime Minister @AbeShinzo for extending his good wishes. Strong relations with Japan is beneficial for both our nations," and "Personally, I have a wonderful experience of working with Japan as CM. I am sure we will take India-Japan ties to newer heights."

Responses to President Jacob Zuma of South Africa, President Francois Hollande of France, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy of Spain, UN Secretary General Ban-ki Moon, Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama of Fiji and Prime Minister John Key of New Zealand, followed before Modi turned to Obama's message.

It is entirely possible though that the Prime Minister-elect might have been responding to messages in the sequence he received them.

The purported snub did not exactly faze Washington, which on Tuesday, followed up President Obama's telephonic greetings to Modi and invitation to visit Washington with a more elaborate message from Secretary of State John Kerry that seemed to be aimed at burying the visa flap.

"The United States stands ready to work closely with Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi and the new government to promote shared prosperity and strengthen our security. The friendship between the world's oldest democracy and the world's largest democracy is absolutely vital, and the United States is deeply invested in our strategic relationship," Secretary of State Kerry said in a statement hours after Modi was formally elected as the Prime Minister.

Kerry added that he looked forward to returning to India soon and "echo President Obama's invitation to Prime Minister Modi to visit the United States at the earliest opportunity."

(This story has been updated to reflect the fact that Mr Modi replied to Mr Kerry's tweet. An earlier version incorrectly said Mr Modi had not replied to Mr Kerry)

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Arvind Kejriwal sent to judicial custody in Gadkari defamation case

NEW DELHI: Arvind Kejriwal was today arrested and sent to Tihar Jail till May 23 by a Delhi court after he refused to furnish bail bond in a criminal defamation complaint filed against him by BJP leader Nitin Gadkari.

READ ALSO: Gadkari files defamation case against Kejriwal

"Take him into custody," Metropolitan Magistrate Gomati Manocha ordered after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former Delhi chief minister repeatedly refused to furnish a personal bail bond of Rs 10,000 and a surety of like amount.

"In these circumstances as the accused has refused to furnish bail bond or even personal bond without surety, this court is constrained to take the accused into custody.

"Let the accused be sent to judicial custody and be produced before the court on May 23," the magistrate said.

Kejriwal was summoned as an accused by the court in the defamation complaint in which Gadkari had alleged that he was defamed by the AAP leader, who had included his name in the party's list of "India's most corrupt".

After the court pronounced its order, Kejriwal was taken into lock up inside the court premises amid tight security and later taken to Tihar Jail.

The magistrate, in her three-page order, also observed that the procedure of courts cannot be "thrown to the winds" at the whims and fancies of the litigants.

"The court cannot act as a mute spectator when a particular litigant intentionally seeks to violate the procedure established by law.

"This case cannot be dealt with any differently than any other criminal cases where the courts insist on furnishing bail bond/personal bond to secure the presence of the accused persons.

"The accused in the present case cannot seek differential treatment to be let off only on an oral undertaking in violation/divergence to the settled practice/procedure regarding bail," the court said.

The court, in its order, also said that this was not a case where the accused is unable to furnish bail bond due to financial inability.

"The accused is just adamant to not furnish bail bond or even a personal bond for his appearance before the court," it said.

The court reserved its order in the morning after hearing arguments from the counsel for Kejriwal and Gadkari on the issue of filing of undertaking and not furnishing bond to secure bail.

Kejriwal said he was ready to give an undertaking that he will appear before the court but refused to furnish bail bond to secure bail.

During the argument earlier in the day, the court asked if the AAP leader was looking for "some exceptional treatment".

The magistrate observed, "I completely agree but why he (Kejriwal) will not furnish bail bond. What is the problem. There is a procedure and why should we follow different procedure in this case.

"I agree he will appear in the court but the procedure is that a person has to file bail bond. Are you looking for some exceptional treatment?"

Kejriwal, who also argued in the court, told the judge that he has not committed any heinous crime and added that he was not looking for any exceptional treatment.

"This is my principle that when I have not done anything wrong, I will not seek bail. I am ready to go to jail," he said.

Advocates Prashant Bhushan and Rahul Mehra, who appeared for Kejriwal, told the magistrate that these cases are of political nature and as per the principle of AAP, they will not furnish bail bond.

Bhushan also argued that there was no possibility that Kejriwal would tamper with the evidence or influence the witnesses and filing of undertaking was correct.

Senior advocate Pinki Anand, who appeared for Gadkari, opposed the contentions of defence counsel, saying there was no procedure in law to furnish undertaking and law should not vary for anyone.

The court had earlier directed Kejriwal to positively appear before it today in the matter.

The court had on February 28 summoned Kejriwal as an accused in the criminal defamation complaint observing that statements allegedly made by the AAP leader have the effect of "harming the reputation" of the complainant.

During the day's proceedings, the court also allowed the application of Gadkari's counsel seeking exemption from personal appearance for today on behalf of the BJP leader.

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Moto E review: A smartphone for masses

Let's not beat around the bush. Moto E is a phenomenal smartphone. No, it doesn't dazzle like iPhone 5S or packs in a gazillion features like Galaxy S5. But it doesn't have to. With a price of Rs 7,000, it needs to just provide basic but hassle-free smartphone experience to people who don't want to or can't splurge more than Rs 10,000 on a phone. And Moto E does exactly that. Not only does it offer a good smartphone experience but in some cases does so in a way that puts it ahead of more expensive devices.

Yes, there are a few misses in Moto E. We will tell you where it falls short and where it excels in this review, but if you are in a hurry to get the device, you can go ahead and pull the trigger. Moto E is worth its price.

With this out, let's take a better look at Moto E and what makes it such an appealing deal.

Build and design
Last year when Motorola rebooted its smartphone business with Moto X, a premium phone, it probably decided to use a similar design in all its phones. Moto X had rounded edges, a curved back cover stylishly carved on the top, the primary camera topped with a round glass cover, a metal ring around the camera and the Motorola logo under the camera. Moto G, launched a few months after Moto X, had the same design even though its finish and build quality was more mainstream.

Moto E continues the tradition. It looks similar to Moto X and Moto G. However, Moto E is also an unmistakably budget phone, in both design specifications and build quality.

At its thickest point, Moto E measures 12.3mm, which makes it chubby compared to lean and sleek Moto X and stocky Moto G. It also weighs 142 grams, which is on the heavier side for a phone with 4.3-inch screen. The build quality doesn't match what Moto G or Moto X offer. But see all of it in the context. For its price, Moto E is mighty nice. The plastic back cover, which can be removed to access sim and microSD card slots (but not battery), has matte finish and feels soft to touch. This makes Moto E a better device compared to phones that use cheap glossy plastic.

The overall build quality is a step up from what other companies offer in phones priced below Rs 10,000. The screen on Moto E is covered with tough glass - Gorilla Glass version 3, to be precise - something that is a rarity on mainstream and budget phones. The Gorilla Glass gives the phone a solid feel. Though it is not slim and light, the compact size, curved back cover and rounded edges make Moto E a phone that is easy to handle and use.

Display
Good screens are expensive and companies often put cheap screens in budget phones. Motorola reverses the trend and equips Moto E with a screen that is really good, considering the low price of the device. The 4.3-inch screen in Moto E has resolution of 540x960pixels (540P). It is not as sharp as 720P or 1080P screens in more expensive, but unless you stare at it from close, the text and images on Moto E screen look clear enough. It also displays rich colours and has decent viewing angles. Movies on the device are enjoyable because the image doesn't get distorted much if you tilt or move your head while watching them.

Unless you try to read an article under direct sunlight, you will be satisfied with the brightness of Moto E screen.

Software
Moto E is powered by Android 4.4.2 aka KitKat. This is the latest version of Android. Unlike other companies, Motorola is also promising to update Moto E to the next major version of Android.

Punit Soni, Motorola's vice president for products, told TOI that the company would like to support the device for at least 18 months with software updates. But even if that doesn't happen, he promised, Motorola would update Moto E to the next version of Android.

Since last year, Motorola uses almost an unmodified version of Android in its devices. This makes a Moto device like Moto E similar to a Nexus phone. The launcher and lock screens are more or less same. Google Now, the virtual assistant built into Android, works without any fuss. And so do the Android keyboard and Voice search. The on-screen buttons - Home, Back and Multitasking - work the way they do on Nexus devices.

This is different (in a good way) compared to what other manufacturers offer by modifying the user interface, feature set, navigation buttons and other aspects of Android in their phones.

In terms of extras, Motorola offers just a few unique apps. There is an Alert app, which can "alert" your contacts in case of emergency. Then there is the Assist app, which can monitor your schedule and put the phone in silent mode when you are sleeping or when you are in a meeting.

Camera
While Motorola decided against going with a cheap screen, on camera it probably saved some money in a bid to keep the price of the phone low. Moto E is not a shooter's delight. It lacks a front camera. So, no selfies with Moto E unless you are standing in front of a mirror.

The primary camera can shoot images in 5 megapixels, a decent number for a budget phone. But as we have said earlier, the number of pixels doesn't matter. The camera in Moto E lacks flash as well as auto focus. Fixed focus is not much of an issue when you are shooting portraits or photos of friends, but if you are trying to click close ups, it is a problem. Moto E has a difficulty focussing on close objects. Even when the subject is around a metre away, the camera tends to shoot soft images.

Photos shot with Moto E in good light show noise and have colours that look artificially punchy. The camera also doesn't capture details well and tries to compensate by sharpening the image. The end result is not good. Images shot in low light too come out noisy.

Compared to cameras in other similarly priced phones, Moto E does an average job. Most of the time you will be able to click photos that you can share on Facebook or Twitter. But don't expect clear and shiny photos that more expensive smartphones can manage. One good feature of Moto E camera is that you can change the exposure by selecting the area in a scene that you are trying to capture. This helps in low light scenes.

The device shoots 480P videos. The video recording is good. It is possible to shoot clear and usable video footage, albeit in 480P, in good light.

Performance
Moto E uses a dual-core processor running at 1.2GHz. It has 1GB RAM, 4GB internal storage (2.2GB user accessible) and support for up to 32GB microSD card. Apart from 1GB RAM, there is nothing striking about Moto E hardware.

However, Motorola has optimized the software well. In daily use, we found Moto E to be a good performer. During browsing we found the pinch-to-zoom gesture on a webpage smooth. While switching between apps we didn't notice any significant lag. When we scrolled in apps like Facebook and Twitter, the performance was smooth.

Yet, Moto E doesn't feel as speedy as Moto G or high-end phones. You may notice a hint of lag from time to time. But this is not the kind of lag that will slow down a user. After clicking on dialer, you won't have to wait for a few seconds before the call log opens. When you are quickly scrolling through the photos in your Gallery app on Moto E, it doesn't freeze for a second or two the way some other budget phones do.

Again putting it in context, Moto E offers performance that is superior to most of the Android phones selling for less than Rs 15,000. Under Rs 10,000, there is no Android phone that offers similar performance.

But more than the performance, the real deal with Moto E is that it does almost everything that a more expensive Android phone can do. It offers very good GPS performance, a rarity in a mainstream phone, and that allows users to utilize apps like Google Maps and Runkeeper. It can play 720P videos and in some cases even 1080P files. It gives users a Facebook, Gmail, Twitter, YouTube experience that is not lacking in any significant way compared to what they can get with more expensive phones.

Moto E supports two sim cards. When we used it with a 3G connection and Wi-Fi, we found the connection speed to be satisfactory.

Moto E has a mono speaker under the screen that is loud enough to fill a small room with sound even though the quality of sound is not particularly rich. Sound quality during music playback through headphones and calls is satisfactory.

Battery life too is good. The device has a 1,980mAh battery. When used with a 3G connection, Moto E lasted around 15 to 16 hours before we had to recharge its battery, ​which was above average.

Gaming
First a number: In 3D Mark, which measure graphics performance, Moto E scores over 3700 points. This is more than what HP Slate 6 and Lenovo Vibe X (both have an MRP of more than Rs 20,000) score. It is also more than what Nexus 7 (2012) scores. For a budget phone, this is a really impressive performance.

In actual use too we found Moto E to be a decent performer. We played Asphalt 8, a demanding game, at high graphics settings on Moto E. However, there was some occasional lag so we switched to medium graphics settings for smoother gameplay. We also played casual games like Angry Birds Go and Temple Run with ease on Moto E.

Key takeaway: Moto E may not be able to run some demanding games that may come out in future but it can handle most of the existing games and you can have lot of fun with it if you are fond of Angry Birds and friends.

Verdict
As we said earlier, Moto E is worth its asking price of Rs 6,999. There is no other Android device in sub-Rs 10,000 that offers comparable value.

There are two competitors to Moto E: Nokia Lumia 520 and Spice MI-515. Both have their own set of issues.

Lumia 520 is not an Android device. It offers comparable performance to Moto E but inferior Gmail/YouTube/browsing/gaming experience. Also, Android devices have access to better apps. Spice MI-515 is a really impressive phone, with performance similar to that of Moto E. But it is almost a year old now, runs an older version of Android, probably won't get any upgrade, and has questionable build quality. Both Lumia 520 and MI-515 also cost around Rs 1,500 more.

Moto E is kind of a total package for people looking to get a smartphone for less than Rs 10,000. Except the camera and low internal storage (it could be an issue if you install many games), the device gets everything else right. Yes, it is not in the league of expensive phones, but if you were waiting for a good budget Android phone before you ditch your feature phone, your wait is over. You can safely go for Moto E. It is the best sub-Rs 10,000 phone in the market right now.

Have questions about Moto E? Ask us using the comments section below and we will try to answer them.

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US man files lawsuit seeking $2 undecillion, that’s 2 followed by 36 zeros, over dog bite

NEW YORK: A man in the US has filed a lawsuit over a dog bite, demanding what is believed to be the largest amount of compensation ever — $2,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.

Anton Purisima, 62, filed the hand-scribbled lawsuit in Manhattan federal court seeking the huge amount and, in turn, likely setting a new record for a lawsuit money demand.

The Manhattan man has sued the city, NYC Transit, Au Bon Pain Store, two local hospitals, Kmart, a dog owner and anyone else he could think of — for two undecillion dollars, New York Post reported.

Purisima, who is representing himself, appears to be more of a mathematician than a lawyer. He correctly listed the obscure number few have heard of — which is written with a "2" followed by 36 zeros — in a frivolous 22-page complaint that accuses the defendants of everything from civil rights violations to attempted murder.

The complaint states that not only was the dog in question "rabies-infected", but a "Chinese couple" took pictures of him as he was being treated.

He is suing the LaGuardia Airport for routinely overcharging his coffee and is suing Au Bon Pain, Hoboken University, the MTA, and thousands of people for various reasons.

The suit claims the pain and damages he suffered cannot be measured in money and are, therefore, "priceless".

Included in the suit as evidence is a photo of his bloodied finger.

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Rajnath Singh tipped for home, Arun Jaitley finance; no consensus on Advani

NEW DELHI: The BJP leadership made some progress in settling top slots in government with party chief Rajnath Singh tipped to be the home minister while senior leader Arun Jaitley could be the next finance minister.

While a degree of clarity is emerging on ministry formation, the BJP is yet to resolve its dilemma over veteran leader L K Advani as the leader's apparent inclination to be Lok Sabha Speaker is not finding many takers.

The hunt for a suitably distinguished post for Advani has not met with much success and the party leadership is unclear how to define the saffron elder's role and work out an arrangement where he can be a mentor.

With Rajnath and Jaitley expected to occupy two key slots in the cabinet committee on security (CCS), PM-designate Narendra Modi is still left with the tough task of filling the two other CCS slots, external affairs and defence.

Sushma Swaraj, who was Leader of Opposition in the 15th Lok Sabha, is keen on a CCS berth, but there are doubts if Modi will be keen to accommodate her.

Though Swaraj is certain to be offered an important portfolio — HRD and health were referred to — her lack of enthusiasm for Modi's PM candidature may have weakened her claim to a seat at the ministerial highest table.

Swaraj met Modi on Monday in what was seen more as a formality than a political gesture. In a tweet on May 16, Swaraj gave credit for the BJP's win to the labour of party workers, blessings of RSS and Modi's able leadership.

Among allies, LJP leader Ramvilas Paswan is certain to get an important portfolio, keeping in mind the assessment that the alliance helped the BJP gain a solid edge over rival RJD-Congress and JD(U).

It is not certain if Paswan will get railways, a portfolio he has held before, as the ministry needs urgent attention as its finances are suffering and customer service is deteriorating. The ministry is also related to tourism - an area that the Modi government is likely to focus on.

But Paswan is almost certain to get a prize infrastructure or natural resource related ministry as the BJP eyes the possibility of a state election in Bihar, possibly at short notice.

Modi held substantial discussions with Jaitley and BJP general secretary Amit Shah in Gujarat Bhawan where he is staying. He will be formally elected leader by the BJP parliamentary party on Tuesday.

Though Shah is not expected to join the government, he is likely to play a very major role in the new government's political management while also being a major influence in the BJP organization.

The problem of a thin bench could be hampering Modi and BJP's top leaders in arriving at a decision on who should be external affairs and defence ministers.

While the external affairs portfolio is closely aligned with PMO, defence needs a minister capable of rebooting stalled modernization plans and also displaying an appetite for strategic planning and geo-politics.

There could, however, be a new element in Modi's approach to external affairs as he seems keen to reduce its bureaucratization and increase the trade and commerce element in foreign policy.

Other senior leaders who seem certain ministerial picks, but who's portfolio allocations are not clear, include Ravi Shankar Prasad, Ananth Kumar, Gopinath Munde, Piyush Goel, Rajiv Rudy, Ramesh Bais, Vidyasagar Rao, Harsh Vardhan, Varun Gandhi, Kirit Somaiyya and Jual Oram.

Among allies, LJP leader Ramvilas Paswan, Harsimrat Kaur, Anant Geete, Upendra Kushwaha and Anupriya Patel are in the reckoning for ministerial positions.

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Karisma Kapoor's husband files petition for kids custody

Karisma Kapoor's estranged husband has filed a petition for the custody of their two children, Samaira and Kiaan; the actress is ready to fight it out.

Over the last few weeks, the grape vine has been buzzing with rumours about how Delhi businessman Sunjay Kapur has moved court against his estranged wife Karisma Kapoor for the custody of their nine-year-old daughter Samaira. But Mirror has now learnt that Sanjay is also fighting for the custody of their four-year-old son Kiaan Raj Kapoor. A custody petition has been filed at the Bandra Family Court by his lawyers Jalaja Nambiar, Narayan Suvarna and Radhika Mehta who are tightlipped about the details of the case. A copy of the same has been sent to Karisma as well.

READ: Being written about is part of celebrities' life: Karisma

A source close to Sunjay told this newspaper from Delhi that he was forced to take this step as Karisma has not been allowing him access to the kids.

Here in Mumbai, specula tions are rife in the Bandra Family Court that Randhir and Babita's eldest daughter is contemplating divorce following irreconcilable differences with her hubby. These differences have already led to a quasi-separation between the two.

ALSO READ: ​Actors who remarried without getting divorced

Sunjay's friend admits he had earlier said that he would never divorce Karisma."But I think the time has come when they want to break free from their marriage and move ahead in life," he adds.

Meanwhile, the social circuit in Delhi is agog with rumours that Sunjay and hotelier Vikram Chatwal's exwife Priya are a couple. Earlier, they were occasionally spotted at various Delhi nightclubs, but now the duo has become almost inseparable. Priya's divorce from Vikram has come through and if she wants she can formalise her relationship with Sunjay if and when his mar riage is dissolved.

A source close to the actress said: "Karisma defi nitely does not like Sunjay's proximity to Priya. She is extremely stressed out. She's keeping quiet because Kapoors don't wash their dirty linen in public. But she will answer Sunjay in court."

Karisma married Sunjay on September 29, 2003. Samaira was born on March 11, 2005; and Kiaan on March 12, 2010. Soon after the birth of their son, she moved back to Mumbai.

Karisma and Sunjay remained unavailable for comment.

WATCH: Karisma Kapoor Filed For A Divorce From Husband Sunjay Kapur

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