NEWS IN BRIEF – MAY 10, 2016

1. Advantage Cong as SC keeps 9 rebels out of U'khand vote, Declines To Stay High Court Order Barring Them: : Less than 18 hours before dismissed Uttarakhand CM Harish Rawat is to face a crucial trust vote in the state assembly , the Supreme Court on Monday refused to permit nine disqualified rebel Congress MLAs to vote, raising hopes in the Congress camp of winning the much anticipated floor test. A bench of Justices Dipak Misra and Shiva Kirti Singh is sued notice to Rawat and the secretary of the assembly in addition to seeking their response on the rebel MLAs' plea for a stay on the high court order upholding their disqualification earlier in the day .However, it declined to stay the HC order, thus barring the rebels from the trust vote. [TOI p1]

2. BJP senses defeat without rebels' backing, Declines To Stay High Court Order Barring Them: New Delhi : Less than 18 hours before dismissed Uttarakhand CM Harish Rawat is to face a crucial trust vote in the state assembly , the Supreme Court on Monday refused to permit nine disqualified rebel Congress MLAs to vote, raising hopes in the Congress camp of winning the much anticipated floor test.[TOI p14]

3. Uttarakhand Confidence Vote may be a Close Call, ADDING TO SUSPENSE One Cong MLA not in touch with party leadership; a BJP MLA remains out of bounds for his party:Dehradun : The result of the unique trust vote ordered by the SC in Uttarakhand on Tuesday seems to be going down to the wire. A day before the crucial vote of confidence of dismissed Congress CM Harish Rawat, BSP's two MLAs have not indicated how they will vote even after both met party chief Mayawati on Monday. Their votes would be decisive in a trial of strength which in all likelihood would be a close call.[ET p2]

4. Modi Govt Passes Uttarakhand Budget, ON EVE OF FLOOR TEST Centre is taking this step as it is a constitutional necessity: Jaitley:New Delhi: The NDA government got the Uttarakhand Budget and Appropriation Bill passed in the Lok Sabha on Monday, justifying the move on the grounds that it was a “constitutional necessity“ as the state was under President's rule and funds had to be sanctioned immediately. But several parties questioned the move as it came a day before the floor test in the state assembly.[ET p2]

5. As Rawat faces Uttarakhand floor test today, recalling use, misuse of Art 356 : New Delhi : Article 356 of the Constitution, which empowers the Centre to dismiss a state government, has been frequently used to settle political scores and demonstrate political dominance. The decades of the 70s and 80s were especially notorious for its misuse — and almost all dispensations have used the provision during their time in power at the Centre.[IE p13]

6. As Rawat faces Uttarakhand floor test today, recalling use, misuse of Art 356 : The Uttarakhand High Court and the Supreme Court on Monday, refused any relief to the nine disqualified Congress MLAs of Uttarakhand, raising hopes in the Congress that the numbers in the apex court-monitored floor test on Tuesday will swing in favour of deposed Chief Minister Harish Rawat and mark the end of President’s rule in the State. The vote of confidence will now involve 27 Congress MLAs, 28 BJP MLAs, six PDF members and one nominated member. The total members to vote being 62, Mr. Rawat will need 32 votes to be reinstated as the Chief Minister. [The Hindu p1]

7. LS passes 4-month budget for U’khand : NEW DELHI: A day ahead of the floor test in the Uttarakhand assembly, the Lok Sabha passed a four month budget of ` 13,640 crore for the state on Monday amid resistance from Opposition parties. The Bill was passed by a voice vote. [HT p1]

8. 26/11 planners our people says former ISI chief : New Delhi : The planners of the 26/11 attacks were “our people” but it wasn’t “our operation”, the then-ISI chief Gen. Shuja Pasha had admitted shortly after the Mumbai attacks in 2008, says former Pakistani Ambassador to the U.S. Husain Haqqani. The revelation, which appears in a forthcoming book on -Pakistan relations, recounts the visit by General Pasha to Washington on December 24-25, 2008, where he made the startling admission.[The Hindu p1]

9. BJP protests at 11 Delhi Jal Board offices : New Delhi :: The BJP on Monday staged demonstrations at 11 Delhi Jal Board (DJB) offices, including its headquarters at Varunalaya, demanding the arrest of those guilty in the Rs. 400 crore Water Tanker Scam during the former Sheila Dikshit government.[The Hindu p1]

10. BJP, Congress field candidates for M.P. By election : Bhopal : The Congress on Monday announced the candidature of former MLA Pratap Singh Uike for the Ghodadongri (ST) Assembly seat by-poll. Uike will be pitted against BJP’s Mangal Singh Dhurve in the by—election scheduled to held on May 30.[The Hindu p1]

11. We will create one crore jobs by next year : Dattatreya : New Delhi :Labour and Employment Minister Bandaru Dattatreya said on Monday that the government’s initiatives will lead to creation of one crore jobs by next year. [The Hindu p15]

12. Swamy and Jairam clash in RS : New Delhi : A war of words erupted between BJP MP Subramanian Swamy and the Congress’ Jairam Ramesh Monday when the Congressman, citing the Rajya Sabha bulletin, asked whether or not the documents submitted by Dr Swamy last week had been authenticated, which he had referred to in his speech on the AgustaWestland issue on May 4.[AA p1]

13. Will chop off legs of anti-nationals in Jadavpur varsity, say ABVP activists : KOLKATA: The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) organised a protest rally on Monday to counter the demonstration by students of Jadavpur University (JU) a few days ago. The JU students had taken out a rally to protest against the alleged molestation of some students by outsiders (ABVP activists) on Friday night. The screening of Vivek Agnihotri’s controversial film Buddha in a Traffic Jam had triggered clashes and caused tension on campus on Friday, following which some JU students had alleged that they were molested. [HT p13]

14. MP govt paid 14 crore to 235 websites for advertisements : BHOPAL: Fresh trouble erupted for the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh after media reports emerged that it paid ` 14 crore over four years for advertisements to undeserving websites, many of them run by the same people or their families. [HT p13]

15. Farmlands flattened for PM’s mega event : INDORE: Agricultural land was flattened, irrigation lines damaged, and electric poles and trees uprooted to make way for the ‘Vichar Mahakumbh’ extravaganza in Ninora, a hamlet 10 km from Ujjain, to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. [HT p13]

16. Parties look for numbers before D-day : DEHRADUN/NEW DELHI: Both the BJP and the Congress on Monday claimed the support of the two BSP legislators who hold the key for the outcome of the trust vote in the assembly on Tuesday. On the day the Congress claimed that the (BSP) legislators were with party MLAs at a resort in Mussoorie, the BJP extended support to the BSP in the panchayat polls in Haridwar. The party claimed that in return, the BSP has promised to maintain distance from the Congress and it could be by abstaining from the trust vote. [HT p13]

17. Second-oldest unit of United Spirits in Bihar loses fizz to liquor ban : PATNA: The ban on consumption and sale of alcohol in Bihar has forced the second-oldest liquor unit of United Spirits in the country, located at Hathidah in Mokama — some 60km west of the state capital — to stop production. The unit was established by Vittal Mallya, father of troubled liquor baron Vijay Mallya, who now holds only 4% stake in United Spirits after its takeover by Diageo. [HT p15]

18. New book provides a glimpse of ‘unseen Indira’ : NEW DELHI: A new book on Indira Gandhi authored by her physician for nearly two decades till her assassination in 1984, provides interesting peeps into the former Prime Minister’s responses to challenges in her personal and political life. [HT p15]

19. Either PM is lying or Parrikar is: Cong : New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks about Sonia Gandhi in the context of AgustaWestland payoffs in election meetings created a storm in Rajya Sabha Monday, with the Congress stalling the House and subsequently giving a notice seeking permission to move a breach of privilege against the Prime Minister.[IE p6]

20. Covering water train, Express photographer dies in Jhansi accident : New Delhi : Ravi Kanojia, Principal Photographer with The Indian Express, died Monday in an accident while in Jhansi on an assignment to cover a water train in the drought-hit region. He was 34. He is survived by his parents and three sisters.[IE p1]

21. Top court agrees to hear plea for CBI probe into Panama : New Delhi :The Supreme Court Monday agreed to examine a plea for ordering a CBI investigation against Indian offshore bank account holders named in the Panama Papers, published by The Indian Express after an eight-month investigation in collaboration with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.[IE p1]

22. RBI may share defaulter details if probe agencies want the info : New Delhi : THE Reserve Bank of India has indicated its willingness to share details regarding borrowers who have taken large loans of over Rs 5 crore with the government if such information were to be sought by vigilance and investigative agencies, or for court cases.[IE p1]

23. Rs 94,000 crore is capital expenditure, said Rlys, a quarter of it only on paper : New Delhi : THE Indian Railways may have shown its highest ever capital expenditure of about Rs 94,000 crore in 2015-16, but around a quarter of that includes money extended to implementing agencies for works to be done in the future, equity infusion into rail PSUs, and even spending by others. The Railway budget had set a capex target of over Rs 1 lakh crore for the financial year.[IE p1]

24. Rahul G Steps in to Save Himachal, AVOIDING ARUNACHAL, U'KHAND-LIKE REPEAT:New Delhi : Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has decided to strengthen the party's efforts to thwart the BJP- fuelled rebellion in Himachal Pradesh which is being speculated as the third Congress administered state that could be destabilised after Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.[ET p2]

25. `No Wrong Done in Giving Land to AJL' : CHANDIGARH: Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Monday defended his government's decision to real lot prime land in Sector 6 of Panchkula to Congress-linked Associated Journals Limited (AJL). The senior Congress leader also accused the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) of acting like a “sahyogi dal“ (alliance partner) of the ruling (BJP) rather than playing the role of the opposition party. [ET p2]

26. Foreign Secy to Visit Dhaka Tomorrow:New Delhi: Foreign secretary S Jaishankar will visit Dhaka on Wednesday eyeing to review situation amid the spate of killings orchestrated by the radical groups that targeted liberal and secular personalities in the backdrop of Sheikh Hasina government's crackdown on extremist organisations and war criminals.[ET p3]

27. ‘India is my home, this is where I’ll die’ : THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: An emotional Congress chief Sonia Gandhi said Monday she lived her whole life as an Indian and India was her country, hitting back at the BJP that raked up her Italian roots to link her to the Agusta-Westland helicopter scandal. [HT p1]

28. Five Ministers Get Nervous 90's Feeling:New Delhi: To borrow a cricket terminology, four BJP and one TDP minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's team are going through the “nervous nineties“ phase as they near the end of their Rajya Sabha term and amid indications that a Cabinet reshuffle is in the offing.Parliamentary affairs minister M Venkaiah Naidu, his minister of state Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, power minister Piyush Goyal, corporate affairs minister Nirmala Sitharaman (all BJP) and science and technology minister of state YS Chowdary (TDP) will complete their Rajya Sabha term by July and will have to get reelected to continue in office.[ET p3]

29. `Maya will decide whom to support': New Delhi : In a jolt to BJP, BSP, which has two MLAs in Uttarakhand, has broken the week-long suspense on its possible stand during the trust vote on Tuesday to hint it will stay with Congress. The two MLAs had rushed to Delhi to meet party chief Mayawati to take a final call.While both MLAs remained unreachable, BSP state chief Satish Kumar categorically rejected BJP's offer of support for BSP in the Haridwar zila panchayat polls. We did not seek their support, so there is no question of accepting it. I do not know why BJP is offering its support to us, but we do not need it,“ said BSP state chief Satish Kumar Kumar, talking to TOI. He also added that the final call on who to support in the floor test would be taken by Mayawati..[TOI p14]

30. Jaish plot: Cops sniff Pathankot link, Accused In Touch With Amaan Who Was Deputy Of Airbase Attack Handler:New Delhi: After forensic examination of the mobile phones and Facebook postin gs of the three men arrested last week showed that they were in touch with Pakistani Jaish operative Rashid Amaan, the intelligence agencies informed the Special Cell on Monday that Amaan was a deputy of Kashif Jan, the main handler of the militants who attacked the Pathankot air force base in January . Jan is also a confidant of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Maulana Masood Azhar.[TOI p4]

31. Jaypee told to pay 12% penalty:Noida: The National Consumer Disputes Redress Commission (NCDRC) has ordered the Jaypee Group to pay homebuyers in its Kalypso Court project a penalty of 12% per annum for the delay in handover of flats. It has also directed the company to pay an additional penalty of Rs 5,000 per day per flat if possession of the flats is not given by July 21this year.[TOI p4]

32. Fate of 21 parl secys hangs in balance, Deadline For Responding To EC Show Cause Ends Today:New Delhi: The deadline for the 21AAP MLAs to respond to an Election Commission notice over their appointment as parliamentary secretaries ends on Tuesday . The MLAs have been asked to explain why their assembly membership should not be cancelled and how their appointment doesn't fall in the category of the `office of profit'.[TOI p5]

33. PIL questions Delhi govt's job offer to Vemula kin:New Delhi : Why did the Delhi government offer a job on the compassionate grounds to the kin of a Hyderabad University student who committed suicide and who had no connection with the capital? A PIL in the Delhi high court has questioned the wisdom of the AAP government in giving the job to the brother of Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula.[TOI p5]

34. Sajid got in touch with terrorists on Facebook, say cops : New Delhi : Sajid, one of the three alleged Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) operatives arrested by Delhi Police special cell, was in touch with top JeM commanders based in Pakistan through Facebook, police have claimed. Investigators said one of the JeM commanders, Rashid Awan, whom Sajid used to chat with on Facebook, is a close confidant of Qasim Jaan, a top JeM militant. Awan, whose name had surfaced during the Pathankot terror attack probe, was purportedly guiding the attackers over phone from Pakistan. [HT p2]

35. Officer steals Teesta file, CBI nabs him, Ex-MHA Official Was Extorting NGOs Receiving Foreign Funds: New Delhi: A home ministry undersecretary who was shunted out of its division dealing with foreign funded NGOs over alleged corruption and later found in illegal possession of the file pertaining to activist Teesta Setalvad's NGO Sabrang Trust has been booked by the CBI under the Prevention of Corruption Act and relevant sections of the IPC.[TOI p5]

36. Respond to PIL on Panama Papers: SC to govt, CBI & RBI:New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Centre, CBI and RBI and sought their response on a PIL seeking registration of FIR against Indians whose names find mention in the Panama Papers for stashing money in offshore accounts. Names of nearly 500 Indians find mention in the recently leaked documents.[TOI p8]

37. ‘Bahubalis’ embarrass Nitish again : In the run-up to the 2005 Assembly elections, former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee played up a criminal incident to hand over the reins to Nitish Kumar, then in NDA. “Mera Golu kahan hain?” he asked the crowd about a boy who had been kidnapped and killed. A similar idea now threatens to overwhelm the Grand Alliance government in power, led by the JD(U) and along with Lalu Prasad’s RJD and Congress, even as it takes the gloss away from the enforcement of total prohibition in the state. [HT p10]

38. Threat letter rakes up Rahul’s security, ‘nixed’ by NDA regime : New Delhi : NEW DELHI: An anonymous death threat to Congress vice- president Rahul Gandhi triggered concern about his safety on Tuesday as a UPA-era move to upgrade his security was buried after the NDA came to power in 2014. [HT p10]

39. `Son of an ex-PM will be targeted': New Delhi : Former Union minister of state V Narayanasamy received an unsigned letter at his Puducherry residence on Monday that contained a death threat to Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi. A Congress delegation later met home minister Rajnath Singh in Delhi and demanded enhanced protection for Rahul, who is scheduled to visit Puducherry's Karaikal to address a public rally ahead of the May 16 assembly polls..[TOI p14]

40. `Nepal has roti-beti ka rishta with India', Embattled Envoy Stresses On Unique Relationship:New Delhi: As Delhi and Kathmandu teetered on the brink of a full-scale diplomatic war, Nepal's ambassador to India, Deep Upadhyay, warned on Monday that some people in his country needed to acknowledge that it is with India, and not any other country , that Nepal has `roti-beti ka rishta'. Without naming any Nepalese politician, Upadhyay told TOI that there were people in his country who kept talking about China without realising the significance of Nepal's “unique relationship“ with India.[TOI p15]

41. No Muslim should object to Bharat Mata chant: Abu Azmi:Lucknow: Chief of the Samajwadi Party's Maharashtra unit Abu Asim Azmi on Monday said Muslims should have no objection over chanting `Bharat Mata Ki Jai'. Describing the controversy over the issue as a deliberate attempt of the saffron brigade to whip up communal passions, Azmi said people in India cannot object to chanting of Vande Mataram.[TOI p15]

42. India adopts wait-&-watch policy over Nepal tussle:New Delhi: India maintained a studied silence on political developments in Nepal on Monday , even as New Delhi conveyed its “displeasure“ to Kathmandu over being dragged into what it believes is “externalising“ a domestic debate. Regardless of how things pan out, the latest in a series of events have damaged PM Narendra Modi's big Nepal initiative of 2014.[TOI p15]

43. Audio clip raises doubt over China involvement : TAWANG: Days after an allegedly abusive audio clip killed 50 years of peace in Tawang, another has raised suspicion about China’s role in the anti-dam movement in Arunachal Pradesh. A complaint against anti-dam activist Lobsang Gyatso — who was arrested on April 28 for disrespecting and questioning the nationality of Tawang Monastery abbot GuruTulkuR in poche—was based on an audio clip that allegedly contained his rant against the abbot in the Monpa tribal dialect. [HT p10]

44. Chair did not approve any papers shown by Swamy on AW: Kurien : NEW DELHI: Three days after parliamentarian Subramanian Swamy tweeted that the Upper House has approved his authenticated documents on the AgustaWestland issue, deputy chairperson PJ Kurien said the papers were only tabled and have not been approved by him or by chairperson Hamid Ansari. [HT p11]

45. CBI tracks two `suspicious' fund transfers to Tyagi:New Delhi : With the probe into the VVIP chopper scam focusing on bribes allegedly paid to Indians, the CBI has found two “suspicious“ remittances in 2009 to the accounts of former IAF chief S P Tyagi, who had retired in 2007. The agency is also learnt to have found that Tyagi is owner shareholder in at least five companies. Top officials told TOI that the “body of evidence“ is now focused on `bribery', which is mentioned in the April 7 Italian court judgment..[TOI p15]

46. BJP waves Modi’s degrees, AAP says they are forged : NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) made public on Monday what it said were Narendra Modi’s university degree certificates, seeking to blunt opposition allegations that the Prime Minister had fabricated his education qualifications. The party deputed its top leaders — Amit Shah and finance minister Arun Jaitley — to defend Modi’s qualifications that became a subject of intense speculation after Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal claimed the Prime Minister had faked them. [HT p1]

47. AAP says will visit DU today to inspect Modi records : New Delhi: Shortly after BJP president Amit Shah on Monday made public the copies of PM Narendra Modi's BA and MA degrees, AAP claimed that the certificates had been forged. The party based this contention on the change of the PM's name in the two degrees. AAP spokesperson Ashutosh pointed out that from `Narendra Kumar Damoder Das Modi' in the BA degree, the name in the MA degree had become `Narendra Damoderdas Modi'.[TOI p15]

48. Where Rajiv died: An impressive memorial, but a crumbling party, Few Takers For Cong Politics, Ideology In TN: :Sriperumbudur: A grand memorial to Rajiv Gandhi stands amid lush green lawns. A set of towers and a plaque mark the spot where an LTTE suicide bomber assassinated the former PM on May 21, 1991. Some kilometers away in Sriperumbudur town, parties are in campaign mode. The Congress hopes to make a comeback here but its candidate K Selvaperunthagai is ironically accused of being pro-LTTE, he's accused even of justifying Rajiv's killing.[TOI p12]

49. Anti-hijack law with stiffer punishments gets LS nod : New Delhi: India now has a strong anti-hijacking law, with the Lok Sabha clearing the anti-hijacking bill on Monday. It had been cleared by the Rajya Sabha earlier. The bill provides for death penalty to offenders in case hostages or security personnel die, as well as life imprisonment as punishment for the offence. It also provides for the confiscation of movable and immovable property of the accused..[TOI p12]

50. Maneka seeks cheaper edu loans for girls:New Delhi: Union minister Maneka Gandhi has sought education loans on concessional rates for girl children in an effort to promote their education. The women and child development minister has made the request in a letter to HRD minister Smriti Irani and finance minister Arun Jaitley. The WCD ministry , in conjunction with the HRD and health ministries, runs the NDA 's flagship `Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' scheme which aims at ending female foeticide and promoting the education of girls.[TOI p12]

51. Swamy's Agusta papers not verified yet, says RS chair : New Delhi: Congress MP Jairam Ramesh clashed with Subramanian Swamy in the Rajya Sabha on Monday as he sought to know from the chair if the House had “approved“ the documents tabled by the BJP member in connection with the AgustaWestland scam. Deputy chairman P J Kurien said no document had been authenticated by the chair. Swamy had claimed in a tweet last week that the Rajya Sabha had approved the documents he had quoted in a debate on the chopper scam last week to slam the Congress leadership.[TOI p12]

52. BSP snubs BJP `offer', hints at backing Cong: Dehradun: In a jolt to BJP, BSP, which has two MLAs in Uttarakhand, has broken the week-long suspense on its possible stand during the trust vote on Tuesday to hint it will stay with Congress. The two MLAs had rushed to Delhi to meet party chief Mayawati to take a final call.While both MLAs remained unreachable, BSP state chief Satish Kumar categorically rejected BJP's offer of support for BSP in the Haridwar zila panchayat polls. We did not seek their support, so there is no question of accepting it. I do not know why BJP is offering its support to us, but we do not need it,“ said BSP state chief Satish Kumar Kumar, talking to TOI. He also added that the final call on who to support in the floor test would be taken by Mayawati.[TOI p1]

53. SC nullifies med tests by states and private colleges:New Delhi: All admissions in MBBSBDS courses in government and private medical colleges or in deemed universities this year will be done only on the basis of National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET), the Supreme Court said on Monday , ending the confusion over the validity of examinations held by states and private institutions.[TOI p1]

54. MPs' rude speak upsets Speaker: New Delhi : Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan expressed frustration over the absence of some members in the House, saying it was a “very bad“ trend. She also expressed concern over the use of un parliamentary language by members, and wondered whether she would have to hold a class for the lawmakers on the issue. The Speaker's comment on absentee MPs came when the House took up a question relating to prices of petroleum products during question hour, and both questioners, BJP's Nalin Kumar Kateel (Karnataka) and CPM's P K Sreemathi Teacher (Kerala), were found to be missing. Attendance in the House is lower than usual with the political heat high in four poll-bound states.[TOI p12]

55. In dry Latur, villagers revive a dead river, AOL Followers Help Desilt It, Raise Water Level:Latur: Trimbadasji Zavar (62) remembers how much fun it used to be to visit lush green Sai village on weekends where a Kolhapur Type (KT) weir across the Manjra river held enough water for a 7km stretch. “I could stay close to nature and see the river flow. It was a popular picnic spot and people would enjoy boat rides,“ Zavar, a farmer, said.[TOI p13]

56. Vadra can't be frisked when wife's with him:New Delhi: Last September, the aviation ministry announced with much aplomb that controversial businessman Robert Vadra will no longer be exempt from frisking at airports. It has now turned out that the government claim was only partially true as the Congress chief 's son-in-law remains exempt from security checks when flying with wife Priyanka..[TOI p13]

57. BJP exhibits Modi's BA, MA degrees, seeks Kejri apology : New Delhi: BJP on Monday released copies of PM Narendra Modi's BA and Masters degrees and said Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal must apologise for lowering the political discourse and committing the “sin“ of bringing India a bad name abroad by falsely claiming that Modi's degrees were fake. “Kejriwal not only brought down the level of public life, he has defamed India abroad. He has committed this sin. On what basis, without any proof, has Kejriwal raised such a big question? On what basis have you written to the PM?“ asked BJP president Amit Shah, who addressed the media along with finance minister Arun Jaitley .[TOI p1]

58. Rahul gets death threat ahead of poll rally in Pondy:Puducherry/New Delhi: Former Union minister of state V Narayanasamy received an unsigned letter at his Puducherry residence on Monday that contained a death threat to Congress vicepresident Rahul Gandhi. A Congress delegation later met home minister Rajnath Singh in Delhi and demanded enhanced protection for Rahul, who is scheduled to visit Puducherry's Karaikal to address a public rally ahead of the May 16 assembly polls.[TOI p1]

59. Shah, Jaitley Flash Modi Degrees: New Delhi : BJP President Amit Shah and FM Arun Jaitley on Monday presented a four-time party MLA, Naresh Gaur, as a witness to testify that PM Narendra Modi had travelled to New Delhi in 1974 to pursue his BA degree. Shah and Jaitley presented copies of mark sheets and degree certificates of BA (from ) and MA (from Gujarat University). Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, however, reiterated that the degrees produced by BJP were `fake'. [ET p1]

60. Shah & Jaitley Flash Modi's DU Degree, Presents Naresh Gaur s a witness to testify Modi came to Delhi in 974 to pursue BA: New Delhi BJP president Amit Shah and finance minister Arun Jaitley on Monday presented a four-time party MLA from Delhi's Babarpur assembly segment, Naresh Gaur, as a witness to testify that Prime Minister Narendra Modi indeed had travelled to New Delhi in 1974 to pursue his Bachelor in Arts degree.[ET p2]

61. Ready to ease diesel cab ban if there's a phaseout plan: SC:New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday said it was ready to relax the ban on diesel-run All-India Tourist Permit (AITP) taxis operating in the NCR, provided the authorities and taxi operators came out with a concrete and time-bound phase out plan. “The taxi problem needs to be solved,“ a bench of Chief Justice T S Thakur and Justice A K Sikri and R Banumathi said even as they agreed to consider on Tuesday the Environment Pollution Control Authority's (EPCA) plan to phase out diesel-run taxis in the NCR..[TOI p1]

62. Nitish not PM Material: RJD's Taslimuddin : KISHANGANJ Former Union minister and senior RJD Lok Sabha MP Mohammad Taslimuddin on Monday said chief minister Nitish Kumar is not “PM material“ and he is “day dreaming of becoming the prime minister“ as he has failed to provide “sushashan“ (good governance) in Bihar. “Nitish Kumar is not PM material. How can a person run the country who could not provide sushashan in his own state which is witnessing a spate of killings,“ Taslimuddin said.“Kumar is day dreaming of becoming the PM.“ [ET p2]

63. Khattar govt indulging in badla : Hooda : Chandigarh : Reacting to registration of an FIR against him in re-allotment of a plot to AJL, former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda Monday said the state’s BJP government was following a policy of ‘badla’ (revenge) and ‘badli’ (transfers) of government officials.[IE p9]

64. Kishor wants Priyanka to campaign beyond bastion : Lucknow : Congress poll strategist Prashant Kishor has reportedly asked the party national leadership to bring in Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to campaign across in the run-up to the Assembly polls early next year. This comes amid growing demand from party workers in UP to actively engage Priyanka in the 2017 campaign.[IE p9]

65. Omar dares Mehbooba to file a case against him : Srinagar : Former Jammu & Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah Monday dared Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti to file a case against him over the Sainik Colony controversy. The move came after Mehbooba said she hoped Omar “has all the documents” related to Sainik Colony as he passed off an old picture as a recent one on social media.[IE p9]

66. BJP scales down Amit Shah's social harmony dip with Dalits in MP : Bhopal : Faced with criticism from the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad, religious figures and at least one senior RSS leader, the BJP has scaled down its social harmony campaign, as part of which party president Amit Shah was to take a holy dip with Dalits and saints from Dalit communities in the Kshipra on Wednesday.[IE p10]

67. Goa MLA rape case : Custody extended :Panaji : A local court on Monday extended the police custody of former Goa Education minister and expelled Congress legislator Atanasio Monserrate by three days in connection with the case of buying and raping of a minor girl.[IE p11]

68. Anshu Jain, Ex-Colleague to Launch NBFC in India, SoFi-type co will leverage tech, lend to individuals, SMEs & entrepreneurs:Mumbai : Deutsche Bank's former co-chief executive Anshu Jain is partnering with former colleague Bhupinder Singh to launch a non-bank finance company in India, counting on the millions underserved by the banking sector in his home country. The NBFC will lend to individuals, SMEs and entrepreneurs, and may be modelled on San Francisco-based fintech startup SoFi to which Jain is an adviser, four people familiar with the plan told ET. It may be backed by SoftBank, as in the case of SoFi.[ET p1]

69. Certificates forged, carry different names: AAP: New Delhi : Shortly after BJP made copies of PM Modi's BA and MA degrees public, AAP challenged the claims, saying the certificates had been forged.While the BA certificate carried the name `Narendra Kumar Damoder Das Modi', the MA certificate was in the na me of `Narendra Damoderdas Modi', AAP's Ashutosh said. Party convener Arvind Kejriwal tweeted, “Docs in DU hv been sealed. BJP presents Farzi docs in a PC n gets real records sealed? Why? Implement CIC order. Allow inspection.“ [TOI p1]

NEW DELHI 70. Twin threats to the air you breathe, IIT Prof: Biomass Burning, Vehicles Top 2 Culprits:New Delhi: Dispelling certain myths about factors contributing to the extremely high air pollution levels in Delhi, an IIT Kanpur professor said on Monday that biomass burning and vehicles were the most important sources of PM 2.5 emissions in winter.[TOI p2]

71. Why PM emission from fly ash can't be ignored:New Delhi: Natural dust may be one of the biggest sources of air pollution in the city, but it's masking a more dangerous one -fly ash. IITKanpur's recent source apportionment study for Delhi's pollution sources has flagged off fly ash as one of the major contributors to particulate matter emission. The revelation has shocked doctors and experts alike because with the shutting down of most thermal power plants, it was believed that fly-ash generation might have reduced over the years.[TOI p2]

72. NGT forms panel to inspect five DJB sewage treatment plants : New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal on Monday constituted a five-member committee to inspect Delhi Jal Board (DJB's) five sewage treatment plants (STPs), which are covered under first phase of clean river Yamuna project, to look into the effluent discharge and quantum of input and output.[TOI p2]

73. Ministerial panel to frame policy for taxi operators : New Delhi: The road transport and highways ministry has set up a committee to prepare a policy framework for taxi and other transport operators, which would be submitted before the Supreme Court. On Monday , a group of taxi operators and other transport operators under Bharatiya Private Transport Mazdoor Mahasangh made representations to the ministry detailing their demands including doing away with the “green tax“ and minimum educational qualification norms to get a commercial driving licence.[TOI p2]

74. DTC to induct 25 electric buses to meet demand, counter pollution : NEW DELHI: The Delhi government has decided to introduce electric buses in the city in what it said was an attempt to strengthen public transport and fight pollution. To start with, Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) will run 25 such buses that are likely to be procured by July. Delhi requires at least 10,000 more buses to meet the demand and discourage commuters from using private vehicles. [HT p2]

75. Over 2,900 mohalla sabhas to be notified : NEW DELHI: The Delhi government will soon notify 2,972 mohalla sabhas that will allow people a say in civic projects in their areas. The government allocated ` 350 crore for the programme under the Swaraj Nidhi Yojana. Officials said the city has been divided into different mohallas depending on the demographic profile and the socio-economic nature of neighbourhoods. [HT p2]

76. National leaders to seek votes for Congress in civic bypolls : NEW DELHI: Seeking to regain lost political space in the Capital, the Congress will rope in national leaders and celebrities to campaign for its candidates in the municipal bypoll. Party heavyweights such as leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, general secretary Digvijaya Singh, Rajya Sabha MP Raj Babbar and former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot will seek votes for the party aspirants from Tuesday. [HT p6]

77. AAP govt warns of challans against Ola, Uber CEOs : NEW DELHI: The Delhi government on Tuesday threatened to issue challans against the CEOs of app-based taxi aggregators Ola and Uber if the cabs continued to ply without licence. The move came two days after an Ola driver was arrested for molesting a foreign national and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) blamed the Centre for it. [HT p6]

78. Ashamed at nine-month wait for approval for automated parking lot, says Gadkari : New Delhi :Union Minister Nitin Gadkari Monday said he felt “ashamed” that despite being a government agency, his own ministry had to wait nine months to get approvals for a “simple automated parking lot”. Gadkari made the statement Monday while laying the foundation stone for the first-ever automated multilevel parking lot in a government building.[IE p3]

79. HC wants list of those eligible to sit for judicial services exam : New Delhi :The Delhi High Court Monday set aside the results of the Delhi Judicial Services preliminary exam 2015, and has asked the court administration to “recompute” the marks list, after incorrect questions were found in the exam paper.[IE p3]

80. Umar, Anirban go to HC over rustication : New Delhi Nearly a fortnight after Jawaharlal Nehru University rusticated Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, the duo has challenged the decision in Delhi high court. While their lawyers refused to divulge details, the petitions filed by the students, also accused of sedition by Delhi Police, are slated to come up for hearing before Justice Manmohan on Tuesday . Last month, JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar was fined Rs 10,000 while PhD scholars Khalid and Bhattacharya were rusticated for varying periods. Bhattacharya was told to stay out of campus until July 15, then come in for a few days and again keep out from July 23 until five years. Khalid was also slapped with a fine of Rs 20,000 apart from being rusticated.[TOI p6]

81. Tanker scam: BJP protests outside DJB headquarters : New Delhi The Delhi BJP staged a protest outside the Delhi Jal Board headquarters and local offices on Monday , demanding action against people involved in the Rs 400-crore tanker scam. DJB chief Kapil Mishra had highlighted the issue last year, accusing former CM Sheila Dikshit and her government for it.[TOI p7]

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 82. Trump dares GOP with `I'm bigger' boast, Says He Does Not Need A United Party To Win Polls:Washington : Donald Trump not only faces formidable odds in winning the White House, but as he hacks his way to the Republican nomination, skewering the GOP establishment and inner party rivals along the way , he could end up losing the party even the 54- 46 Senate majority it now holds. November 8 will see not just the presidential contest, but also elections to a third of the Senate (34100) and the entire House of Representatives (435), both currently held by a Republican majority .[TOI p15]